Marked (A Dark Serial Killer Romance)

Special Agent Laurens is late. I check my phone again. She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.

“It’s all right, Harley.” Zack pats my hand across the table. Special Agent Laurens didn’t want me going down to the field office, and it’s over an hour’s drive to her office in the city, so we found a spot halfway to meet.

“What if she thinks I’m lying?” I ask, leaning back against the hard back of the chair; it’s one of those that are connected to the chair beside it and the table. The Rueben sandwich I ordered sits untouched in front of me.

“She won’t. You need to eat something; you haven’t eaten all day.” He pushes the red plastic basket at me. His sandwich, ham and Swiss on rye, is nothing but crumbs in his basket. The homemade chips are all gone, too.

“I’m too nervous,” I say, but I pick up a chip and nibble on the edge of it. “She’s been nothing but nice. Why would you think she’s not a good cop?”

He lifts a shoulder and wipes his hands on the paper napkin. “Even good apples can have a few bruises.”

A ring of the bell over the front door draws my attention.

“It’s her.” I sit up straighter, taking a deep breath.

“It’s all right. You remember what to say?” he asks, moving his things to my side of the table and sliding into the seat beside me.

“Harley. Hi.” Special Agent Laurens smiles when she steps up to our table. I scoot out of the chair and greet her with a short hug. It’s how I’ve always greeted her. Changing now would be weird.

“Hi. This is my friend, Zack.” I gesture toward Zack who is watching her with an interested eye, but he schools his fierce expression into a warm grin.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.” He stands up and offers his hand.

She shakes it, keeping her eyes trained on him. An FBI agent has to know when someone’s lying to them.

How am I going to get through this without her calling me a liar?

“I’m sorry I’m so late. Traffic was heavier than I expected getting out of the city.” She drops into the chair where Zack had been sitting.

“Not a problem. Do you want a sandwich?” Zack offers in the gentlest tone I’ve heard him use.

“No, no, thanks, though. I have to get back. It’s a bit hectic. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble meeting here.” She smiles at me, folding her arms so her elbows lean on the table.

“No. No trouble,” I assure her. “Thanks for taking the time. It’s nothing mind blowing, but I thought you should know about it.”

She nods.

“Of course. Anything you can remember would be helpful.” Her eyes wander to Zack. “I assume she’s told you about what happened?”

“She has.” He lays his arm over the bench’s back, behind me. “Horrible.”

Special Agent Laurens nods. “It was.” Her lips pinch together. “Whenever you’re ready. Take your time.”

I nod. We’ve been through this before. Usually, I have nothing for her, and we spend a few minutes talking over what’s been done so far. Then we end it, and she leaves.

But today is different.

“The nightmares started up again a month ago.” They never completely stop, they just leave me alone for a little while before thrusting their ugliness into my life again.

“All right.” She leans forward, really paying attention. She’s always given me the sense that, no matter what’s happening around us, she’s completely homed in on me. She never gets distracted by a phone call or some other conversation. I’m the only one she’s listening to.

“Well, when I woke up from one the other night, I started thinking about things and…” I blow out a breath. Zack rubs my back with his hand. A simple touch that transfers his strength right into me.

“I remembered a name,” I say. “Artie.” The name pops out of my mouth before I can stop it.

Zack’s hand freezes.

This isn’t the information he wanted me to feed her. But it just came out.

“Artie?” Special Agent Laurens sits back in her chair. “Just that name?”

I nod. “Yeah. Just Artie.”

She stares at me a long moment, her expression unreadable.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s not much.” My shoulders sag. It’s too late now to tell her the lie I was supposed to tell her. It won’t make sense, and she won’t believe me.

“No. No it’s good.” She pulls her phone out and taps away on the screen. “A name is more than we had before.” She smiles up at me. “I’m gonna make a note here, and then when I get back to the office, I can go through the file again. Maybe there’s something there.”

“Good.” I glance at Zack. He’s watching Laurens intently, but his hand has moved to my shoulder. He gives me a little squeeze.

“Did you talk to your mom about the name?” Laurens asks. “Did she remember it too?”

“No.” How could I have? It only just came to me. “It’s really hard this time of year for her. I didn’t want to upset her more by bringing it up.”

“I understand.” She nods. “Maybe she mentioned it when everything first happened. If it’s in the files, I’ll let you know, and we can both talk to her at the same time.”

“Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.” I nod with relief. Calling Mom out of the blue with this information will only make things more difficult for her. She’s been through so much, and this week is already bringing up all the horrors for her all over again.

“How is she, otherwise?”

“Oh. Good. She retired last year. She’s good,” I say. “I think she’ll miss the kids when we go back at the end of August.”

“That’s right, you two taught at the same school, right?” she asks with a little laugh. “That had to be a little weird, after she’d been there for so long.”

I shake my head a little. “No, not really. She liked having me there. Getting my teaching degree and then getting the job at her school really made her happy.” I sit a little straighter. It had been important to her, and that made it important to me.

“And how about the two of you? How long have you been seeing each other?” she asks, still typing away on her phone.

“Not long,” Zack admits.

She raises her eyes to his, her fingers still over the screen.

“You still live in the same apartment as last time we spoke?” She moves her eyes to me.

“Yeah.” I nod, tucking my hands beneath my legs. I’m shaky all of a sudden. Her features haven’t changed—she’s still smiling slightly, and being friendly—but there’s something darker about the way she’s looking at me.

“Any big plans for the summer? You still teach elementary right, during the school year?” She finishes with the phone and tucks it away.

“No, no plans. Just working at the bar and relaxing a little before I go back in August.”

She nods. “I still don’t know how you can handle all those little kids.” She forces a shiver and a laugh. “I’d take criminals over little ones any day.”

Zack laughs, moving his arm from around me and pressing his forearms into the table.

“She’s good at it though,” he says firmly. There’s no way he can know that, but it doesn’t stop the pride from swelling in my chest.

“I’m sure.” Laurens smiles a little wider, but her eyes are saying something else. I wish I could read people as well as Zack seems able to. “You still have my number, so if you think of anything else, you call me again.”

She gets up from the table. “Talk soon.” She smiles at me then hurries from the deli.

“She’s quick. In and out, huh?” Zack watches her leave.

“She’s always on a case,” I say. “I’m sorry. I was going to say what you told me to say, but out of nowhere, that name just popped into my head.”

“It’s fine.” He turns to me; his eyes soften when they meet mine. “It’s true, though? The name you said, it’s what you remember?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Like a bolt of lightning, just came out of nowhere. But it’s true. I remember it.”

“Good.” He brushes my hair from my face. “Now eat your lunch. I’m gonna make a call and see if I can get any more information.”

“Do you still work for the government?” I pop a chip into my mouth.

He leans over, kisses my temple. “Not really. I’ll be right outside. Finish your lunch, or you’ll get no dessert when we get home.” A deep crease appears in his cheek when he grins and then he winks.

“I’ll eat,” I promise.

“Such a good little bird.”