Chapter One Her body had washed up on the bank of Blackwater Draw just outside Roswell New Mexico. It was obvious she had been murdered; but who would want to murder her? The town sweetheart? Why would anyone want to murder Liz Parker? That's exactly what Sheriff Kyle Valenti wanted to know as he looked at his dead friend in the morgue. He took a deep breath and started gagging. How could I ever tell her parents? He asked himself. He had only been the Sheriff for a few months now and this was his first, and hopefully last murder. But this was a friend. Although not a close friend anymore, a friend none the less. He took a deep breath and stumbled out of the morgue. Images of a nude Liz Parker with a scarf tied around her neck were burned in his memory. Monday was not a good day. The medical examiner had already confirmed she had been strangled to death. Kyle thought that was obvious, the red scarf almost looked like it was embedded in her skin. She was already dead when she was put in the water, and it had been determined that she'd been dead for at least twelve hours. Kyle shook his head and wiped his brow as he walked back out into the fresh air. It was May and it was hot. And now he had to go tell the Parker's their little girl was dead. Then he had to tell her long time boyfriend Max Evans and question him about it. Damn! Kyle shook his head and wondered if he could delegate the questioning part to one of his deputies. Probably not, this was a job for the Sheriff. The history between Kyle and Max had been rocky at best and now he had to tell him his girlfriend was dead? Oh God, then he had to go home tonight and tell his own girlfriend, Maria DeLuca, that her friend was dead. Shit! At least she had taken the day off work otherwise she'd have already known. Kyle knew there were bad reasons for her to work at the station with him. She was a hell of a good dispatcher, but … He got in his 4X4 and cruised through town not looking forward to anything. Kyle Valenti hated Mondays even more now. * * * FBI Agent Michael Guerin drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he cruised through Alamogordo New Mexico on his way from Tucson to Roswell. Another one had turned up early this morning. Just like the rest. That made eleven over the last two years. He shook his head and turned up the radio. This was his pet. His baby. All of his time was devoted to finding this killer. Some sicko had sucked him in with the first murder and now Michael thought it was up to him to find him. Eleven murders in eleven different states. All the same MO. Strangled with a red scarf. One hundred and sixteen miles to Roswell and Agent Michael Guerin had no idea what to expect. He knew the local law enforcement wasn't going to want him there trying to run the show, but too bad. This was his case and he was going to run it. He hoped he wouldn't have a problem with anyone; but didn't really care if he did. This was a job and an obsession. It had become his obsession when his girlfriend had been victim number one. * * * Chapter Two "No!" Maria DeLuca screamed as Kyle held her tight. He had gone home to tell her before going to Max's place. It seemed like the right thing to do, but now he was going to have to leave her alone. "Are you sure?" "Honey, I'm sorry." Kyle stroked her shoulder length blond hair. "I'm so sorry." "I feel horrible, I mean I haven’t even talked to her in over a month and now she's…She's gone." Maria pushed away from him and began to pace. "Oh God, her parents. Max! Do they know?" "I've already been to her parents and they're bad, obviously. I'm on my way to Max's now." "I should go." She looked around for her purse. "No Maria, you can't go." He took a deep breath. "I have to ask him a few questions while I'm there. You know the rules." "Oh God, You can't seriously think that Max had…Kyle!" Maria faced him with her hands on her hips. "I have to do my job, I'm sorry. Are you going to be okay here alone? Should I call anyone to come over?" She shook her head as new tears fell. "I'll be okay. Just hurry home." Kyle kissed her good bye and left for the hard trip to Max Evans' house. Kyle didn't want to see him at all, let alone to tell him Liz was gone. Eight to twelve hours. Liz had been dead for eight to twelve hours and no one had missed her? Kyle didn't like the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach, but maybe that was normal when you saw one of your friends dead. Murdered. He took a deep breath and thought Maria had handled it better than expected. He knew her and Liz weren't the same kind of friends they had been in high school and right after, they had drifted. Liz had been so wrapped up with Max that Maria had kind of fallen by the wayside. That's when her and Kyle had begun to form a bond of some type. It had started out as friendship and almost hit familial; but when his father and her mother had bitterly ended their relationship, they became more than friends. That had been almost a year and a half ago. Kyle remembered the night he first kissed her. It had been awkward and they laughed. Eventually they had gotten past the laughter and found something in each other they needed. Family. Kyle loved her and he knew she loved him back; but their relationship was strange by nature. At times Kyle felt they were more like friends and roommates than lovers. It didn't matter to him; he loved her and wanted to marry her someday. Someday. Neither of them brought it up very much. Kyle knew when the time was right; he'd make Maria DeLuca his bride. He drove faster than as the Sheriff, he should have, clouds of sandy dust billowed out in back of him. He imposed this as an emergency; no one got murdered in Roswell. Especially not someone like Liz Parker. He slammed his fist into the dashboard and heard a small crack. "Damn it!" He yelled and hit the dash again widening the crack. He pulled up in front of an apartment building he'd only been in a handful of times before. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the 4X4 and made his ascent to an apartment on the second floor. He knocked loudly and then nearly shouted when the door flew open at once. "Liz?" Max asked before seeing Kyle. "Damn it!" Max Evans pushed off the door and let Kyle in. "Have you seen Liz? I've been trying to get a hold of her since last night." "Max," Kyle lowered his mirrored sunglasses and tried to look him in the eye but was finding it incredibly hard. Not because he couldn't do it, but because Max wouldn't quit pacing. "Max." He said his name a little more forcibly this time. "What?" Max quit pacing and looked at the Sheriff. His eyebrows knitted together as his world crumbled. "No…Liz…? "Max, I'm sorry." Kyle led the man to the couch and sat him down. He pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "When? How?" His eyes were wet but Kyle could tell he was trying to stay calm and do the right thing. "She was found this morning-" "Found?" "Blackwater Draw." Kyle didn't mention the scarf. That was classified right now. "She was strangled…I'm sorry." Max bowed his head and Kyle cringed when he heard the sobbing. Oh God, he thought, this was really not a good Monday. He reached across to him and put his hand on his semi-friend's shoulder. "Who would? I mean, It's Liz!" Max wept and Kyle wanted to bolt. "Liz…" He broke off into sobs. Kyle knew there was nothing he could say or do that was going to make this any better. This was a bad situation and was probably only going to get worse. "Max, when did you last see or talk to her?" He shrugged. "Oh God, her parents…" "I've already been there," Kyle said quietly. He knew he'd never forget the pain he saw on their faces. The pain he'd delivered. Maybe becoming the Sheriff was not such a good idea after all. Max nodded and wiped his eyes putting on a strong face. "I talked to Liz yesterday afternoon. She was working until eight and then going home. I…I…Proposed to her and she wanted to work on the wedding plans." Shit. Kyle shut his eyes and willed himself away from this situation. It had gone from the worse to way beyond that in a matter of a sentence. "What time did you talk to her?" "Around five, I guess. I just home from work." "Were you here alone last night?" Kyle tried to keep the interrogation-tone out of his voice. "Yeah…What are you saying Kyle?" Max looked at him with fire in his eyes. "Why the fuck are you asking me that? Do you think…? Fuck!" "I have to ask Max, it's my job." Kyle felt the sweat trickling down the back of his neck. "I'm sorry." "Get out Kyle," Max stood and pointed towards the front door. "Get the fuck out of my home and don't come back until you can tell me who killed Liz!" "I'll be back, Max." Kyle stood and slipped his sunglasses back on. "I need you to come down to the station and make a statement, tomorrow will be fine." "Get out!" Max yelled. "She was my friend too, Max." Kyle said softly as he walked from the apartment. The air seemed to be full of bits of heat. Kyle knew he was sweating more than he should have been, but he thought he had the right. "Damn it Evans, I know you didn't kill her…" He mumbled as he climbed back in the 4X4. "I'm just doing my fucking job." He floored it out of the parking lot leaving a trail of dust and gravel behind him. There was going to be a ton of paperwork on this one. He sped through town back to the station. A quick phone call to Maria told him her mother was over and he didn't have to worry about coming home until he was done. * * * Lorelei Govern. Lorelei with her pretty chestnut hair and matching eyes. Lorelei with her perfect smile and eloquent way with words. Lorelei with a red scarf tied around her neck, nude and lifeless. That was the picture Agent Michael Guerin saw in his mind over and over for the last two years. His girlfriend, the woman he wanted to marry, was murdered in the apartment they had shared. He had found her body on the outside balcony of their third floor apartment. After working overnight at the FBI office in Seattle trying to get a fix on a pyromaniac who torched nudie bars, he came home right after dawn. He'd never forget calling her name and instantly falling into a panic. The balcony door ajar had made him tremble. Then he saw her. His love on the balcony, dead. He lost hope in life and love that day. From that moment on he was a man obsessed. There were nine others just like Lorelei's, ten counting the newest one in Roswell. Eleven states Agent Guerin had tracked the son of a bitch through. Never turning up more that a couple of leads that panned out to be useless. He'd get him, one way or another; he'd find the man who'd killed Lorelei and the others. His supervisor at the bureau had been completely against Michael working on the case from the beginning, but after seeing the relentless energy Michael was devoting to it, he had to let him go on. There would be no rest under someone was brought to justice for taking Lorelei away from him. The road through Ruidoso led Agent Michael Guerin past the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation and his thoughts drifted to the others killed by the scarf strangler. That wasn't a publicized name, no one but Michael referred to him as that. No one else had a reason to. The use of the scarves in the murders was kept from the press. No one knew there was a serial killer. The victims. He knew their names, ages, families, friends, habits and what they liked for breakfast. He had absorbed himself in their lives and never made a connection between any of them. He hoped against hope he'd make the connection with the newest victim…He glanced at the fax on the seat next to him. Elizabeth Parker. Less than seventy miles to go. Michael was almost excited to get there and get his hands dirty. Maybe this would be the one who led him to the murderer. Maybe Roswell would have something to offer him. Chapter Three Maria DeLuca eventually kicked her mother out of the house. There was only so much smothering mother a person can handle and Maria had reached her quota. Even in mourning over the loss of her friend, smothering was not something Maria needed. She dressed in her uniform shirt and slipped on a pair of tight blue jeans. The least she could do was help figure out who in the hell killed her childhood friend. She realized she was only a dispatcher, but she helped out on a lot of police matters. After begging Jim Valenti to deputize her and getting nowhere, probably due to her mother's interference, she now pestered her own boyfriend. Kyle told her over and over that it wouldn’t look good to make her a deputy after he’d only been the sheriff for a few months. He kept telling her to keep her shirt on and she kept silently cussing him out. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and began to get pissed. The mourning was sliding away into anger. No one got murdered in Roswell and no one killed a friend of Maria DeLuca's and got away with it. She put on her resolved face and was now determined to weasel her way into the investigation come hell or high water. She walked out of the little house she shared with Kyle and was almost running to her car. She slid behind the wheel of her little red Miata and slammed the car into reverse. Now she couldn’t get to the station fast enough. She tried to keep her mind free of images of the grieving Parkers and Max Evans but was unsuccessful. Poor Max, she thought. He must be devastated. Him and Liz lived for each other and now…She pushed that out of her mind, for real this time, there would plenty of time for that later. Now she had work to do. As she blew through a yellow light, a black Mercedes cut her off forcing her nearly off the road. She slammed on the horn. “You stupid mother fucker!” She yelled as she flipped off the man driving the sedan and got back on track to the station. She parked next to Kyle’s 4X4 and took a deep breath. She walked into the station and immediately went to Kyle’s office. Without knocking she walked in and smiled when he jumped. “What are you doing here?” Kyle asked covering up papers on his desk. “I’m here to help,” she put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. “Are you okay?” He asked skeptically. “You should be at home.” “Doing what? Resting?” She laughed bitterly. “I’m here to help, Kyle. I want to help find out who killed Liz. Don’t shut me out of this.” “You’re a dispatcher Maria-“ “I should be a fucking deputy and you damn well know it! I can run circles around the idiots you have now.” She raised her voice but not too much. She knew how thin the walls were. “I’m working on this whether you like it or not, Kyle.” “Damn it Maria, don’t do this now.” He took a deep breath and covered his face with his hands. “This is serious. I’m just finding out how serious it is,” he motioned to the papers he was covering. “I can’t afford to have you screw anything up.” He regretted it as soon as he said it. “Maria-“ “Screw anything up?” She repeated and laughed. “Okay, that’s a fucking riot! I don’t screw things up, I figure them out and maybe if you got your head out of your-“ “Am I interrupting?” The voice cane from the doorway; neither Kyle nor Maria had noticed the stranger standing in the open door. “Yeah, you are!” Maria swung around and faced him. She looked him over from toes to head and narrowed her eyes. “You’re the son-of-a-bitch that nearly ran me off the road. Black Mercedes?” The stranger smiled and nodded. “Guilty. My apologies.” “Can I help you with something?” Kyle asked standing up. “Yes,” the man stepped forward and outstretched his hand. “I’m Agent Michael Guerin, Federal Bureau of Investigation. You are the Sheriff around here?” “I am,” he shook Michael Guerin’s hand over his desk. “Kyle Valenti. I assume you’re here over what happened here this morning?” Michael nodded. “Elizabeth Parker.” “I’m sorry, the Fed’s are taking this over?” Maria stepped in between them. “Are you serious? Why?” “I’m sorry,” redness was creeping up Kyle’s neck. “I should introduce our dispatcher Maria DeLuca.” “Yes, I believe I’ve already met her middle finger.” Michael smiled and extended his hand to Maria. “Nice to meet you.” “I’m sure,” She ignored his hand. “So, why are you here?” “Maria, why don’t you leave us alone for a few minutes and I’ll get back with you about what we were discussing.” “I don’t-“ “Maria,” Kyle interrupted her with a new sterner voice. “Just do it.” She glared at him as she brushed by Agent Guerin and slammed the door behind her. Michael watched her walk away which did not go unnoticed by Kyle. “Unhappy dispatcher?” “Dispatcher and girlfriend.” Kyle nodded. He always liked to make sure everyone knew Maria was taken. “It’s been a rough day, Liz Parker was a friend of ours.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” Michael sat down across the desk from Kyle and crossed his legs. “I need all the information on the crime scene and I’d like to see the body.” “Okay Mr. Guerin,” Kyle leaned back in his chair and fit the image as Sheriff. “Do you mind if I ask what exactly you’re here for? I got the faxes and I can see that this may be connected to a few others-“ “Ten others, Mr. Valenti.” Michael tried to smile but he was just too damn tired. “It is connected to the others. I have a personal interest and I’m the lead investigator. I’d appreciate any help you can give me.” Kyle nodded slowly and looked Michael over. “You’re here alone?” Michael nodded. “It’s just me that’s why I want your help. I want to catch this asshole before he kills again. Kyle, may I call you call you Kyle?” He asked and Kyle nodded. “I don’t want to come in here and start pushing everyone’s buttons. I want to catch a killer and I want to do it now.” “A serial killer?” “Yeah, a serial killer. Eleven women in two years.” He let out a deep breath. “When your initial reports came through NCIC this morning I was in Arizona but as soon as I saw why they faxed it to me…” He trailed off and looked wistfully out the window. “Sorry. The red scarf. It’s been the same in the other murders. It’s the same guy and he’s not slowing down.” Kyle let out a slow whistle. "So you think he's still here?" Michael shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be here for awhile, is there a decent hotel around here?" "Bed and breakfast?" Kyle raised his eyebrows. "About two blocks away from here. A couple of friends of mine run it. Actually, one of them is the sister of Liz's boyfriend, Max Evans." Michael nodded slowly as if analyzing every word Kyle said. Kyle realized it and suddenly felt like he was under the microscope. "I'm going to go get settled in then," Michael rose. "Could you take me to the crime scene tonight?" Kyle nodded. "Sure." He stood and met the Agents eyes. "Good. I have a mobile office in my car," he glanced to his watch. "It won't take me too long to get ready. I can meet you back here in about an hour?" Kyle nodded and watched Michael leave his office. He sat down heavy in the chair and seriously reconsidered his profession. * * * Michael walked down the hall of the police station and abruptly ran into a body. He looked ahead of him and it was that dispatcher, Maria. "Do you ever look where you're going?" She snapped and he couldn't help but smile. "Sorry," he pursed his lips and walked past her to the front door. He turned around once and she was still watching him. The Sheriff's girlfriend. He shook his head and walked to his car. He drove a two block radius before finding the bed and breakfast. He pulled along the side street of a strangely out of place Victorian house and got out. He grabbed a few bags from the trunk and walked to the front door. The nameplate by the door read 'Whitman's B & B'. He raised an eyebrow and walked inside. "Hi, welcome." A beautiful blond woman met him at the door. "I'm Isabel Whitman," she looked at his bags. "Is it safe to assume you'll be staying with us for awhile?" "Maybe," he cocked his head to the side and began to wonder if Roswell had something in the water to make all the women beautiful. He noticed her eyes were bloodshot and remembered what Kyle had told him. He'd question her later, maybe the next day. "Do your rooms come equipped with phone jacks and several outlets?" "No, actually, we use tin cans to talk to each other and have puppet shows for entertainment." She smiled sweetly. "Thanks," Michael laughed and relaxed a little and wondered if that same thing in the water that made them beautiful also made them sarcastic. "Yes, I'll need a room." He followed her to a desk inside a spacious living room and watched as she began to fill out a receipt. "Michael Guerin." He supplied for her. What he didn't expect was the surprised look. "Really. You got a letter delivered here today Mr. Guerin." She rummaged through the desk and handed Michael a plain white envelope with his first and last name on it in black. He took it with a shaky hand and recognized the writing immediately. He waited for Isabel to finish checking him in and show him to his room before he opened the envelope. He set his bags on the floor and slipped on a pair of latex gloves. He didn't know why he bothered. There wouldn't be any prints, there never was. He slid out a piece of red paper and scanned the familiar black scrawl. Agent Guerin. Eleven muses eleven minds Time's running out for you to find I give you hints but your not so bright And I know where you are this very night. Time is of the essence but your dying of thirst I can feel your breath on my neck But you can't get past the first It's all there in black in white Goodnight dear agent, good night The letters were never signed and usually ran ten lines. Michael had received the first one the same day he had found Lorelei on the balcony and subsequently one for each new murder. Michael shook his head. The killer was beginning to know Michael better than he knew himself. Chapter Four Maria stormed back into Kyle's office once again without knocking and slammed the door shut behind her. She stood in front of his desk with her arms folded over her chest. "What the hell was he doing here?" She demanded. "He's the lead investigator," he took a deep breath and wondered how much he should tell her. He knew he'd tell her everything eventually, he always did. And she had been right in her earlier statement; she did run circles around the deputies. "He's here to help." "With one little murder?" She cringed as she said it. The words seemed so callous. Liz had been her friend. "I didn't mean…" "It's more than one…" He exhaled slowly. "Okay Maria, you win." "What did I win?" She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned on his desk with her palms flat. "Kyle?" "I'm deputizing you Maria." He smiled and wondered if he was doing it to make her happy or because she really was good. He reasoned that it was a little of both and that made it okay. She smiled. "Are you serious? Or are you just saying that to get me off your back?" "I mean it Maria," he added a silent prayer afterwards. "You were right, you are good and I do need you to do more than answer phones. You have a personal interest vested in this case and I know you won't give up until you find out what happened to Liz. If you're deputized, then it's official. I don't want to have to worry about you running around by yourself investigating." She skipped around his desk and grabbed his hands pulling him up to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. "Thank you." She backed away and met his eyes. "I won't let you down, Kyle." He nodded and hoped she was right. "You're going to work with the Fed-" "Hell no!" She shook her head. "This is my town and I'm not going to baby-sit any Fed!" "This is his case Maria," he motioned to the chair across the desk and watched her sit down. "It's not a single act; Guerin said we're dealing with a serial killer and Liz was his eleventh victim." "Oh shit." Her hand instinctively covered her mouth. Liz? Liz was a victim of something she never really thought about outside of books and movies. A serial killer in Roswell? "I need you to work with him, okay? We don't have a big force and I can't spend all my time with him. You're going to have to help him." He sighed. "Maybe between the two of you, you can come up with something new. He's been following this since the first one and he said he's got a personal interest in it. There's something you have in common already." "Kyle," the nerves of steel she had earlier were vanishing before her eyes. Am I really ready for this? She asked herself over and over. Then she got her answer. In her mind she flashed on a picture of her and Liz taken at high school graduation. Their arms slung over each other as only best friends can do. For Liz. For Liz she'd work with the Fed and find out who killed her. "When do I start?" "Tonight I guess," Kyle leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "He's coming back here and wants to see the crime scene…Are you sure you're up to this?" Maria nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm sure. I can hold his hand while I find out who killed Liz and bring them in. I can do this Kyle, okay? Do you trust me?" "Yeah, Maria. I trust you. I know if anyone can unravel this, it's probably you." "Do I get a gun?" Her eyes lit up as she raised her eyebrows. "Please?" Kyle laughed. "Yeah, you get a gun. Now aren't you glad I made you go through the training courses? Otherwise you'd have to wait three more weeks. See, I know how to take care of my girl." She walked back around the desk and sat on his lap as she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her interlacing his fingers around the small of her back. "Where's he at now?" Maria interrupted the moment and sat up straighter forcing Kyle to lose his grip on her. "Isabel's." Maria closed her eyes hearing the name. She should call Max and see if there was anything she could do for him. She should call the Parker's and offer the same. No, she shook her head; the way to help them is to find Liz's murderer. "He'll be back here, when?" "Soon," Kyle glanced at his watch. "Why don't we go fill out some paperwork until he comes back? We'll make you official." "What's him name again?" Maria got off Kyle's lap and followed him out of the office. * * * Michael Guerin placed the note into a mailing envelope already full of the same. Each time the killer had known where Michael was. He knew his movements almost as well as Michael knew his own. The letter had been waiting for him. How could he have known where he was going to stay? How could he have known and had his sick sense of poetry waiting for him at the last eight hotels? The letters after the murders were what bit at Michael the most. The ones that he got sent every so often in-between murders were designed to keep him on his toes. He closed his eyes and wondered if he'd show them to Sheriff Valenti. He hadn't shown them to the others that had helped, but Michael got a feeling that Roswell may be the answer. He had felt it as soon as he walked into the Sheriff's office. Right into the middle of an apparent lover's quarrel between the sheriff and his dispatcher girlfriend. Things were a little different here. Valenti seemed willing to help him without him whipping out the big bad Federal Agent routine. He knew it was a tired routine, but it usually worked. No one liked to piss off the Feds. No, he didn't see a problem here with Valenti. Michael Guerin had left the apartment he had shared with Lorelei Govern the day he found her. He packed a few bags for himself and stayed at a hotel until he got the first letter in the mail. He could state each letter verbatim. The first had been the hardest. Agent Guerin. She was an angel Tried and true You lost her to the devil Now what to do? More will follow Is that a dare? How will I vanish? Into thin air. Agent Guerin can you find me? Agent Guerin can you care? Michael closed his eyes and laid back on the overly soft bed. He grasped handfuls of the quilt in his fists and thought about his obsession. He had left Seattle after receiving the second letter. He had killed again. Michael didn't have a home anymore to go back to. He went to each victim's town and learned about them until he felt like he had known them. There was a link between them but Michael hadn't figured it out yet. So far the only thing they had in common was they were all female and in their early twenties. He pushed images of his dead Lorelei away and thought about victim number two. He tended to always think about them in order. Ivy Mason. Ivy Mason who was found nude with a red scarf around her neck a mile away from her home in Billings Montana. Ivy had no connection to Lorelei. Michael had stayed in Billings for almost eight weeks, until he had received the letter telling him there had been another. "Damn!" He said out loud and repressed all the information he had gathered about Ivy Mason. All of his promises to her parents that he'd find who did that to their little girl. All the promises. Michael sat up and looked around the quaint little room he was in and wondered for how long he'd call it home. If history played a part in it, he knew he'd be there for about two months then there'd be another murder. The task force had disbanded six weeks after Lorelei's murder, but Michael hadn't quit looking. He was grateful for his position and his superiors. He had the FBI resources at his disposal, but he was alone on his quest. The way Michael knew he'd always be, alone. Chapter Five Maria beamed at the shiny new Deputy badge in her hand like it was delicate gift. She found her reflection in it and smiled. She was an official Roswell deputy. She pinned the badge to her shirt and turned around to face Kyle. "Well, how do I look?" She asked and leaned over his desk. "Do I look official?" "You look cute," he grinned at her and glanced at a framed picture on his desk. It was of him and Maria on the front porch of their house the day she moved in with him. Kyle smiled every time he looked at it. "Once you get your side holster I think you're going to look pretty hot." "So you like a woman in uniform with a big gun, huh?" She winked. The door to the office opened and Agent Michael Guerin walked in. He had changed since their earlier meeting; he'd traded in the suit and tie for jeans, a T-shirt and work boots. Kyle noticed Maria noticing and stood up for interference. "Are you two ready to go?" Maria asked with her hands on her hips. "Is it routine to take dispatchers to crime scenes?" Michael asked with a smile close to the surface. Dispatcher. Her name? He racked his memory and came up empty. "I'm a deputy, now." She pulled her badge away from her towards him. "See." "Well, that was fast." He smiled and felt something sting inside of him that he hadn't felt for a long time. What was her name? "She had it coming," Kyle smiled at his girlfriend. "She's good. I think you two will get along great. Maria's got a knack for figuring things out." Maria. Michael nodded. Her name is Maria. "Kyle said I'm going to be working with you." She turned and walked out of the office with Kyle at her side and Michael trailing behind them. Maybe Maria would be able to help. Maybe she would be the one who could help. The last two years had been filled with ghosts and now here was this Maria in the flesh. He watched her walk and admired the way her jeans hugged her hips. The squeaky noises her sneakers made on the linoleum. The sway of her hips as she walked and the slight wiggle of her ass. He ran a hand through his hair and watched as she snaked her arm through Valenti's. He followed the couple outside to the 4X4 and watched as Maria got in the backseat. She leaned over the seat and he smelled Jasmine. Maria smelled like Jasmine. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He couldn't remember the last time he had smelled anything that good. "So," Maria said and he realized how close she was to his face. "Kyle said that Liz wasn't the first." "No," he shook his head and tried to push the Jasmine away. "There are ten others. The first was in Seattle." Lorelei. "He strikes about every two months in different cities, different states." "Why Liz? What's the connection?" "I don't know," he said and hoped the others didn't hear the desperation in his voice. "There isn't a link between any of them. Nothing." "Are you sure?" Kyle asked joining the conversation. "So far there hasn't been and I've done the homework. The only thing they even have in common is that they're all female and in their early twenties. They don't resemble each other; they come from different backgrounds, religions and races. There is nothing that connects them to each other." Except for me, he added silently as he thought about his ghosts; but that's not until after they're gone. "And it's always the same?" Maria asked and Michael remembered the Jasmine. "Same MO. They all died by strangulation. The weapon used, a red scarf. Most of them are silk, a few were rayon. No other marks on the body except for some postmortem bruising. No evidence of sexual molestation. They've either been found about a mile away from their homes or in their residence. They were posed if they were found at home. They were all nude." Lorelei on the balcony. "How far away is Liz's house?" "Less than a mile," Kyle answered. "Just a few blocks away from Blackwater Draw, actually." Michael nodded and closed his eyes. He deliberated telling them about the letters, something he had kept to himself. Not yet. They were both being helpful, but not yet… "Nothing links them?" Maria asked but it wasn't really a question, more of a statement. "Every two months. So we have two months to figure this out?" "I guess you could look at it that way," Michael smiled. "No, I don't want to look at it that way," Maria said defiantly. "I want to find this asshole much sooner than that. I'm not going to wait around for him to kill again. He killed my friend, Mr. Agent, and I want him brought to justice for it. Now." Michael smiled and admired her spunk. He hoped she wouldn't become jaded when she dove deeper into this case. He hoped she wouldn't turn out like him. "She's aggressive," Kyle laughed. "Did I mention that?" "You don't have to," Michael turned around and faced the flaxen haired wonder in the backseat. "I can see that for myself." Maria felt the blush crawling up her neck and hoped her uniform shirt would cover it. "We'll get to the bottom of this Agent Guerin. We'll get this guy and all go home happy." "I hope so Maria, I really hope so." Michael replied but he knew he didn't have a home to go to and he didn't think he'd ever really be happy again. Too many ghosts. Kyle stopped the 4X4 at the yellow crime scene tape about twenty feet from the edge of the bank of Blackwater Draw. Michael and Kyle got out of the vehicle right away. It took Maria a minute to compose herself. She was getting ready to see where her friend's body had been found. Taking a deep breath she hopped out of the backseat and followed the two men under the yellow tape. Maria tried to keep her balance on the rocky banks leading down to the river in the dying sunlight. She slid on a rock and grabbed out knowing she was going to land on her ass. Instead, she never hit the ground. Michael was there and he had caught her; his hands under her arms. He helped her steady herself before he let go. She thought he might have smelled her neck when he was lifting her up; but she couldn't tell for sure. "Maria?" Kyle looked over his shoulder. "You okay?" She nodded suddenly completely aware of the closeness of the Federal Agent. "Wrong shoes, I should have worn boots." Kyle nodded and led them towards the water. The crispness of the wind blowing off the water gave Maria the goosebumps. She hoped it was the only consequence of the breeze but was too nervous to look down at her chest. She watched her footing while walking behind Michael. The few times she'd glanced up, she noticed the way his jeans fit him. They fit very nice; but that was not something she shouldn't be thinking about now. Or at all, actually. Kyle stopped walking at the spot where Liz Parker had been found and pointed to the ground. It was unremarkable. Mud and rocks. Liz Parker had been found like a piece of trash left behind. Maria looked at the ground and fought back tears for her dead friend. She shook her head and put her determined face back on. "What do you think you're going to find here?" She directed the question at Michael. He shrugged then met her gaze. "Nothing. I just wanted to see it. I had to see it. He didn't leave anything behind, he never does." She nodded and somehow understood. She watched the Agent as he looked around the area where Liz's dead body had been found. She saw the grit of his demeanor, the passion he had in finding this killer. She sensed there was more to this that what he was telling them; it only made sense. If there was a serial killer traipsing around the country killing young women, why was he here alone? Why wasn't there a huge task force helping track this sick psycho down? She crossed her arms over her chest as the next breeze blew in and added something to her itinerary. Number one: find this son-of-a-bitch. Number two: find out what makes FBI Agent Michael Guerin tick. Chapter Six "Someone's coming." Michael looked in the direction of the 4X4. Maria and Kyle both turned and recognized the figure instantly. "Damn, it's Max." Kyle stepped away from Maria and Michael and ran up the rocky bank ducking under the crime scene tape. Maria and Michael watched as Kyle seemed to be pushing Max away from the tape. "The boyfriend?" Michael asked. Even from the distance he knew the look. Once upon a time he had seen the same one in a mirror. "Actually, the fiancé." Maria shook her head. She hadn't even known they were engaged until Kyle had told her. "Max Evans. Your staying at his sister and brother-in-law's B&B." "Right, Isabel." Michael smiled remembering her sarcasm. He watched as Kyle led the slumping body of a broken heart back to his car. "They been together long?" "High school," Maria smiled thinking about their high school days. The days when her and Liz had no secrets between them and they thought they'd grow old together. "It's always been Max and Liz. And now…" She turned away not wanting to let this relative stranger see her grieve. There would be time for grieving later. Now was the time to find this asshole. "So, get a feel for anything?" Michael shook his head and looked at her. He could see the pain in her eyes. The only thing Michael was getting a feel for was the new deputy, Maria. "You were good friends?" "Used to be the best. Then we drifted as friends often do…" "And now you feel guilty." She nodded and looked at him. The dying sky combined with the sliver of moon above them forced her to notice the highlights in his hair and the curve of his strong jaw line. The way his T-shirt was tucked into those jeans. The hem of denim hitting the cuff of leather boots. He stood with one foot on top of a rock, his hands on his hips and sorrow in his eyes. "It'll pass Maria," he really hoped it would for her. "Don't feel guilty; there was nothing you could say or do to stop this from happening to Liz. I've dealt with the grieving friends for the others and they're all just like you-" "No, they're not." She interrupted and put her hands on her hips. "They're not like me at all. I'm not going to stand around and feel guilty; hell, I can barely cry. I'm so angry and I'm going to do whatever it takes to nail this murdering bastard!" "Do you mean it?" He asked cautiously. He'd heard similar vows from other law enforcement across the country, but after awhile with no new leads and the inevitable cold case, they gave up. Everyone except Michael Guerin gave up. He saw something in Maria that told him she might not give up as easily as the others did. "Yeah, I mean it. We'll find him, Agent Guerin, before he kills again." She watched as Kyle walked back towards them, his hands in his pockets. "Kyle said I'm to help you and that's what I plan on doing. I want to start at the beginning and see if I can find something that you missed. I'm not saying you didn't do everything you could, but this is all you've done for two years, right?" He nodded and she went on barely taking time out for a breath. "Why isn't anyone else helping you? Why aren't there tons of Feds down here taking Roswell over trying to figure out who killed Liz? What is going on with this so-called serial killer? Where's the proof? How can you prove to me what you're saying Agent Guerin?" Michael stared at her and tried desperately not to smile. Valenti joined them and looked back and forth between them. "Did she just get done with a rant?" Kyle asked and ignored the glare from Maria. "A reasonable one," Michael smiled quickly towards the fair-haired ranter. "You were right, she is good." He turned his attention solely on Maria. "Tomorrow, we start and I'll take you on a guided tour of my own personal hell. How does that sound?" "Sounds like a date," she thought she might have blushed but was suddenly thankful for the cover of the deep dusk that was enveloping them. "Why was Max here?" She turned her gaze to Kyle and detected something was off. Kyle Valenti was not happy with something. Maria figured it was her and let it go. He'd get over it, whatever it was, men always did. "He's hurting," Kyle said slowly. "He wanted to see where she was found. Thank God I didn't have to make him or her parents identify her." "Who did?" Michael asked his interest piqued. "I did, when I was called out here." Kyle held out his hand to Maria. "If you're done Agent, I'd like to get home tonight. It's been a real shitty day." Michael nodded and followed in back of the seemingly happy couple. He tried to avert his eyes away from the jasmine smelling Maria but found it impossible. His vision broke at the handholding and went back down her legs. Hair on the back of neck stood at attention, but it wasn't for the regular reasons. For the first time since Lorelei, Agent Michael Guerin was finding himself attracted to a woman. And it had to be the Sheriff's woman, he thought and sighed. He followed them to the 4X4 and watched Maria as she got in the backseat. He got in the front seat and hoped she'd lean over the seat like she had on the way there. He was in luck, within seconds of Kyle starting the engine; Maria's elbows were propped up on the front seats. "So, are you going to let me sift through everything Agent, or are you going to hold things back and let me make an ass out of myself?" She asked leaning in a little closer to him. He opened his mouth to speak but the scent of her got to him first. He closed his eyes and weighed his words. "I won't hold anything back." Maria cocked her head to the side and thought that there was too much underlying in that sentence. She cast a quick glance at Kyle and noticed he thought so too. "I'll show you everything I have on him," Michael cleared his throat. "Will we have a place to work out of or should we work out of the B&B?" "I have a room for you at the station," Kyle snapped. "There's an empty room down the hall from my office, you can use that." "The war room," Maria said softly imagining the way the rooms were always described in books and seen in movies. Dry-erase boards, maps, pictures of the victims, computers and phones. A picture of Liz lying dead on the rocky bank of Blackwater Draw. "Thank you Kyle." He nodded and caught her eye in the rearview mirror. "You're welcome." The tone wasn't as nice as it could have been but Maria attributed it to the stress of the day. They drove back through town and Michael looked out the window. Roswell New Mexico didn't seem any different that any of the other towns he'd been in except for one thing. It wasn't a thing, it was a person, and the person was Maria DeLuca. "Shall I meet you at the station in the morning, Maria?" Michael asked turning around in his seat to face her. He looked at her wide eyes and flawless pale skin, the way she tucked her hair behind her ears. "Yes, Agent Guerin. I'll be there bright and early and anxious to get started on this." "Could you do me a favor?" He asked while a grin played across his full lips. Maria nodded and bit her bottom lip. "What?" "Could you call me Michael?" * * * Kyle Valenti dropped Michael off in the parking lot of the station and then escorted Maria to her car. He kissed her and watched her pull out of the lot before following her home. He parked the 4X4 in back of her Miata and got out. She was waiting for him at the door. "What's up?" He asked cautiously as he approached her. "It's been a long day, Kyle," she reached for his hand. "I just want to go to bed and wake up and this all be a dream." "I wish it was sweetie," he led her inside and pulled her close against him. He thought he might have felt some hesitation; but it had been a hard day. Neither of them were acting like themselves. "Why don't you take a hot bath and go to bed. You might feel a little better afterwards." "I won't feel better until I know who killed Liz," she faced her boyfriend as a tear slipped from her eye. She wiped it away hastily and it wasn't replaced. "Do you think we'll find him? Michael's been following him for two years." "Michael never had someone like you willing to give it your all to help." Kyle kissed her cheek. "I love you Maria, okay? You're going to be a kick-ass deputy and Agent Guerin is lucky to have you working with him." Maria nodded and pulled away from him. She walked down the short hallway unbuttoning her shirt. She unpinned her badge and carried it in her palm into the bathroom. She set it on the vanity and smiled then looked in the mirror and gasped. Her eyes were red rimmed with dark circles underneath and she thought she looked washed out. She stripped down and ran the bath water while sitting on the cool porcelain of the tub. Her mind wandered through the day's events. The knowledge that she'd never be able to reconnect with Liz was the most overpowering. The renewed friendship she had wanted to have with her was nothing but a distant memory now. Maria felt she owed it to Liz and she didn't go back on her debts. As she slid into the water her thoughts turned to Agent Michael Guerin in his jeans and boots and she shivered under the blanket of warm water. She shook her head and promised herself that the mild physical attraction would pass. He was just something new, something unexpected. Something...Mysterious. She smiled and dunked her head under the water. * * * Michael walked into the B&B and went straight to his room. He heard talking from the kitchen, but he wasn't in the mood for company. He pushed the door to his room open and his heart nearly seized. On the floor in front of the door was a plain white envelope with his name on it. A post-it was stuck to the front. He picked it up and read the post-it first: Mr. Guerin, this was in the mailbox for you. Isabel. He slid the red paper out and took a deep breath before reading. Agent Guerin. Wasting your time Do my eyes deceive? Playing in forbidden forest No time to grieve I thought you were smart But you proved me wrong I thought you've have found me You can see I'm not gone Tick tock Agent Guerin find your man Tick tock Agent Guerin I don't think you can Michael took a deep breath and released it slowly. He put the letter with the rest and stripped down to his boxers. He slid underneath the coolness of the quilt. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone to bed before midnight and now it was barely full dark. He couldn't remember the last time he had laid in bed and thought about a woman who wasn't dead. * * * Chapter Seven Kyle waited patiently for Maria's return from her well-deserved bath. He ran his hands through his hair as he paced the bedroom in blue striped pajama bottoms. His thoughts lingered on the deputizing of Maria. She was bright and she'd make a hell of a good deputy; hell, she'd make a good sheriff. Kyle laughed to himself and wondered if he should worry about his job. He walked around the side of the queen-sized bed and pulled down the floral print comforter. He sighed and sat on the edge of the mattress. It had been a very long day. His friend was dead. A girl he had dated in high school was dead. Dead by the hands of a serial killer. He shook his head and began to pace again. Kyle Valenti was never much of a pacer before but now it seemed like the only thing he could do. There was so much going on and none of it was good. There was a serial killer running loose in Roswell. Now there was this Fed to work with. Kyle had some misgivings about Agent Michael Guerin; but he couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what it was. He knew for a fact that he didn't like the way that he looked at Maria. He knew she'd tell him he had 'jealous boyfriend syndrome' and laugh it off. Kyle acknowledged the fact that she was probably right. Maria was his girlfriend. They had come together at a time when they each felt they had no one. Kyle still thought of her as the sister she almost was to him sometimes, but he pushed past that for obvious reasons. He knew he was lucky to have her love him; he knew he was lucky to even have her in his life. The click of the bathroom door opening caused him to turn around quickly and even reach for his nonexistent gun. He let out a deep breath at the vision in front of him. Maria stood in the doorway, a towel around her, her wet hair combed straight and dripping onto her shoulders. Her hands were on her hips and a playful smile on her lips. "Whatcha going to do Sheriff Valenti? Shoot me with your finger?" Kyle laughed and felt some of his tension slide away. "I was in my own world, sorry." He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt the tension rush through her and closed his eyes. "What's wrong?" "Everything's wrong Kyle," She pushed away from him. "There is nothing right about anything anymore." Kyle took a deep breath and nodded. "I know…" She shook her head and walked to the bureau. She rummaged through the top drawer and pulled put a black slip nightgown. She dropped the towel and slid the silky material over her head before she turned back to face Kyle. "I can't believe this is happening. It all seems so surreal. I mean, a few days ago Liz was living her happy Liz-life and apparently engaged to her high school sweetheart and all was good in Roswell. And now, she's lying dead on a table. Cold. Alone. Gone." "I know…" "Yeah, that's about all I can think of to say too. I know." She laughed bitterly. "It was Liz Parker, Kyle! Liz. God, she is, no, she was the most innocent person in the world. Never liked confrontation, never liked arguments and never liked anything bad. God, why her? Why'd he kill her?" Maria's voice had been steadily rising and Kyle stepped to her and took her in his arms. "It's not fair." He whispered in her ear. "Damn straight it's not fair!" Maria pushed away from him again. "I'll find out what happened to her, Kyle, you know I will. I don't care if I have to pull Mr. Agent Man around this town by a fucking leash. If he can't hold up his end of the investigation, I'll drop him like yesterday's news. He may be with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but this is my town and Liz was my friend!" Kyle felt the smile coming and tried to hide it. He wasn't laughing at her; he was smiling because this was the Maria that he had fallen in love with. The one who didn't take 'no' for an answer. The one he admired. At that precise moment he knew Maria DeLuca would find out who killed Liz Parker and the others; there was not a doubt in his mind. He led her by the hand towards the bed and pushed her back gently on the mattress. He noticed the apprehension lines cross through her flawless face and recognized the look. Not tonight. Kyle damned himself for even thinking of the possibility. He looked apologetically at her. "Maria…" "I can't, okay?" She slid underneath the blankets and pulled them up under her chin. "That is the last thing on my mind tonight. I couldn't even…God! I can't get any of this out of my head. All I can see in my mind is Liz." Kyle nodded and got into bed next to her. "I know sweetheart." He wrapped an arm around her and she rested her head on his chest. He felt the rivulets of water from her hair trickle down his side. He shivered and wondered if the coldness from her hair was a foreshadow of the future. It wasn't like him to think so abstract and that bothered him. There had never been anything cold between them; but the iciness that was coursing through him right now made him think that all could change in an instant. Without missing a beat he thought about Agent Guerin and wondered. * * * Michael Guerin woke up in a sweat a little past two in the morning. He threw the quilt off of him and sat up running his hands though his damp hair. He took a few deep breaths and tried to control his racing heart. Wasting your time Do my eyes deceive? Playing in forbidden forest No time to grieve Michael turned on the bedside lamp and closed his eyes. Forbidden forest. Forbidden forest. No time to grieve. He shook his head and tried to make sense of the last letter. It had come closer to the murder than the other ones had. He wondered if his killer was nearing a turning point or possibly an end. All the taunting over the last two years had driven Michael's self-esteem down to sometimes barely existent. He was always one step ahead of Michael. He knew his every move and banked on them. The killer seemed to be inside of Michael's own psyche at some points. Forbidden forest. Michael got out of bed and slipped on the jeans from earlier. He put his boots back on and sat on the edge of the bed. Forbidden forest. Michael shook his head. Forest. There had been no forest tonight; there was no forest in Roswell. He had been on the rocky bank of Blackwater Draw with Sheriff Kyle Valenti and new Deputy Maria DeLuca. Maria. Forbidden? Michael shook his head and knew then that he was trying to make the letter fit into the program. There was nothing forbidden about finding Maria attractive. And even if there was, how in the fuck could this killer read Michael's mind? Wasting your time. Michael stood and looked in the mirror over the dresser. He met his eyes and wondered what to do next. Wasting your time. Michael didn't know if he was wasting his time by looking at the crime scene, he had already known there wouldn't be anything there. Wasting his time in Roswell? Should he pack up and stay mobile for the next kill? Was it almost over? Would there be another kill? Tick tock Agent Guerin find your man Tick tock Agent Guerin I don't think you can Tick tock. Time's running out. Michael swore and walked from his room. He crept down the steps towards the front door thinking a walk might be the answer, when he heard rustling and a woman swearing coming from the kitchen. He pushed the swinging door in and saw his hostess, Isabel Whitman, cleaning up spilled coffee on the kitchen table. "Hi," he said quietly and cringed when he still elicited a startled yelp from her. "Sorry." He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a towel to help her clean up the mess. Isabel smiled at him. "I couldn't sleep." Michael nodded. "I woke up." "Coffee?" She offered and Michael nodded taking a seat at the table. He became very aware of his near nakedness, but he imagined Isabel had other things on her mind besides his lack of table manners. She poured him a cup and set it down in front of him then sat down across the table. "So, you're here to find out who killed Liz." Michael nodded and sipped the coffee. There was a slight hazelnut aftertaste. "Yes." "She was going to get married to my brother," Isabel looked at him through bloodshot eyes and tear soaked lashes. "There's no one that would want to kill Liz. Everyone loved Liz." She smiled. "Was this random?" Michael weighed her question and thought about the truth and the lies. Random? Sure, it was kind of random. There was some type of method to the killer's madness; Michael just couldn't figure it out yet. "I don't know for sure." He ran his hands through his hair. "If you can think of anything…" "You'll be the first to know," Isabel smiled. "Will you be working with Kyle on this or do you have more FBI guys in the shadows?" Michael pursed his lips into a smile. Small town means gossip travels fast. "Actually, I believe I'll be working with his deputy, Maria." "Maria!" Isabel nearly spit out a mouthful of coffee. "A deputy?" Michael nodded and couldn't help smiling back at Isabel's incredulous expression. "She was deputized today…" Isabel nodded. "Good. She's very bright Agent Guerin." Michael nodded and sipped his coffee. He knew she was bright. He also knew she was beautiful. * * * She felt his hand on her bare breasts. Manicured fingers toying with her taught nipples. Her back arched towards him, one of his hands sliding underneath the small of her back pulling her closer to him. His smooth chest pressed against hers, crushing her breasts. She licked her lips and watched as he mirrored her movements. She felt her legs being spread apart and a sensation of something new and mystifying course through her. Unfamiliar hands prying her apart and sliding inside. Tracing places on her that not many had before. She arched her back further and felt his mouth on her neck, full lips suckling the tenderness of soft skin while his fingers dove deeper inside of her. She smiled at him and pushed the hair out of his eyes. The pain was next, she looked around and saw and felt the rocks underneath them. The bank of Blackwater Draw. The crime scene tape was above them flapping in the sudden breeze. She looked to him and he was hovering above her, smiling. She reached for him and then he was gone, leaving her naked, alone and in the exact same place as Liz Parker's body had been found. Maria sat up with her eyes wide and looked to the sleeping figure of Kyle next to her and let out a deep breath. She pushed the overheating blankets off of her and laid back down wondering why in the hell she was having sexual dreams about Agent Michael Guerin. She turned away from Kyle and smiled. |
| PARTS 1-7 |