You realize youre pushing the boundaries, dont you, Maguire? Vanessa asked.
Duty-wise as well as in other ways.
Story of my life, Detective Connor. His lips were an inch from hers when he spoke.
Damn, she thought as little zips of lightning began to shoot through her system. She actually wanted him to bridge that last bit of space and kiss her. On the other handGonna drive me crazy, she predicted and, tangling her fingers in his hair, dragged his mouth onto hers.
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Jenna Ryan
Dangerously Attractive
To Shelley most of all. Loved. Missed. Remembered.
To James McCowan, my healer.
To Bailey, for the joy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenna Ryan loves creating dark-haired heroes, heroines with strength and good murder mysteries. Ever since she was young, she has had an extremely active imagination. She considered various careers over the years and dabbled in several of them, until the day her sister Kathy suggested she put her imagination to work and write a book. She enjoys working with intriguing characters and feels she is at her best writing romantic suspense. When people ask her how she writes, she tells them by instinct. Clearly its worked, since shes received numerous awards from Romantic Times BOOKreviews. She lives in Canada and travels as much as she can when shes not writing.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Vanessa ConnorA San Francisco homicide detective who attended Berkeley College. Shes marked for death.
Rick MaguireAn FBI agent assigned to track down a serial killer while he protects Vanessa.
Bobby ValleyHe owns a day spa in Haight-Ashbury, and he knows all the Berkeley victims.
Orrin OMalleyAn aspiring politician, he had many secrets at Berkeley.
Geri KrugerA friend now, she was jealous of Vanessa and her friends at college.
Willis ReedFormer Berkeley professor, now presumed dead. But is he?
Edna ReedDoes the professors wife know more than shes letting on?
Senator GrahamHis niece was an embarrassment to him. Now shes dead.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Prologue
Wisps of black fog drifted in and out of Vanessa Connors head. They obscured the face of a man she desperately wanted to see. She called his name, but that only added knife blades to the darkness. The shiny tips jabbed gleefully at the edges of her brain.
It was like a dream, but not really. Someone had hit her, caught her hard with the butt end of a gun. As the darkness began to crack, vague memories slithered in to hiss at her.
The walls around her groaned. She heard a bird croaking overhead. Beware, it warned again and again.
With an enormous effort, Vanessa clawed her way through one of the cracks and forced her eyes open. Think, she ordered herself. Breathe. Focus.
Because the literal darkness hadnt altered, the only thing she could focus on was a tattered spiderweb in the corner of a high, rectangular window. The air smelled damp, vaguely musty. The birds voice floated downward again.
Dont talk to strangers!
Having succeeded in raising her head, Vanessa let it fall back. She stared at the unfinished ceiling. Cobwebs dangled like broken threads. Her mind became a whirlpool, sucking in thoughts and tossing them back out at random.
She pictured the man again. Was he calling her name? Probably. Would he find her here in this dank northern California cellar? Unlikely.
On a more chilling note, she recalled four dead women, college friends once whod turned into strangers with the passing years.
She visualized their killer. Her killer unless she could find a way out of here. But the ropes around her wrists were cinched tight, and the ones binding her ankles werent much looser.
Behind her, the cellar door creaked. A protracted silence followed. Then a foot hit the first stair tread.
Vanessas heart thumped. She counted the steps, fourteen to the bottom. And finally
Hello, Vanessa. The disembodied voice was soft, like a caress. Oh, but there was a definite whip of fury in her name.
The eerie approach continued, leather soles on the smooth concrete floor. Gradually, a form took shape. A gun emerged from the darkness. A hand appeared and caught her chin. The fingers that dug in jerked Vanessas head higher. Cold eyes glittered down at her.
Awake and aware, are we, Sleeping Beauty? I must have hit you harder than I realized. But then Im so close to the end, you see, so very, very close.
The killers face came into view. Smiling lips dipped to kiss her left cheek, then her right.
You glow, even in the dark, Vanessa. Such a temptation for a weak, mortal male.
Vanessa knew better than to react. Any sign of fear or revulsion would send the killer over the edge. Of what, she wasnt sure, since insanity was a given at this point and mercy an impossible dream.
Watch out! the distant bird shrilled, and the killer laughed.
Ill shoot that crow before I leave.
But
For fun. For the sake of confusion. Because I hate birds. But not as much as I hate you. The hand holding the gun rose, touched Vanessas forehead. Say your prayers, gorgeous. The freakish smile returned. You have five short seconds. Then youre dead.
Chapter One
Two weeks earlier
Hi, Van. Working late? A woman in a blue linen suit smiled as she passed Vanessa near the nerve center of police headquarters. Whoa, wait a minute. She hooked a hand through Vanessas arm. Thats awfully formal detective gear youre wearing.
Im off duty. Vanessa slipped out of her pinstriped jacket, baring her arms to the relative cool of the station house air. I swear the temperature hasnt dropped five degrees since sunset.
Uh-huh. A suspicious light entered the other womans eyes. Youve been in court, havent you?
Vanessa couldnt resist a smile as she pushed through the door. Guilty, Counselor Kruger.
Testifying against my partners client?
He robbed a credit union at closing time, Ger. He was red-faced, high, and he stabbed one of the tellers.
With a needle.
Which he claimed was infected with HIV. Makes it armed robbery. I was questioning the manager about another matter. I heard the threat, saw the guy who uttered it. I testified.
Geris perky features lost their light. I gave Ted that client so he could test his legal wings. I should have checked the witness list first. She smacked Vanessas hip. Whod expect a homicide detective to be lurking around a credit union at closing time?
What can I say, were unpredictable creatures.
Geris gaze shifted. Whos the gorgeous guy in Palmers office?
Vanessa swung her head to see. The captains verticals were up, and by the light of his desk lamp she spied a tall, dark-haired man. He was dressed entirely in black and that dark hair was actually long enough to skim his shoulders. Even at a distance and behind dusty glass, his features werewell, arresting was as good a description as any, she supposed, though sexy might have sprung to mind in different circumstances.
Geri smoothed her skirt. Who is he, Van? New cop on the block? Because if he is, Im going to be representing a lot more clients from around here. Not that itll help me since hell take one look at you and go blind.
Excuse me?
Not Medusa blind, I mean blinded by your beauty.
Vanessa grinned. Apparently you didnt see me and three other detectives hiding in a Dumpster two weeks ago. It took five long, hot showers to get the cabbage smell out of my hair.
Sighing, Geri transferred her attention from the mystery mans face to Vanessas. You could sleep in a bed of cabbage every night and men would line up from here to the Mexican border to shampoo your hair. Lets do it this way. You dont want the guy, for whatever reason, tell him about this public defense lawyer you know and how she and her husband split up recently, and shes looking for a little fun. Her expression clouded. Talking of fun, and I know the comparison sounds callous, but I heard about Deirdre Morton and Sandy Lewis.
All amusement faded. Did you also hear about Mara Chan?
Oh my God, Mara, too? Where did they find her? Was she still in Hong Kong?
She left Hong Kong in July. Shed just moved to Houston to work for one of the airlines.
You must be so freaked.
Say nervous, Vanessa replied, although truthfully, it went far deeper than that.
Shed known the victims well in college. With the exception of Mara, she hadnt seen any of them for years, but that didnt diminish the haze of fear that tended to creep in whenever she lowered her guard.
I spoke to Mara a week after she landed in Houston. We talked about going to Deirdres funeral, then found out there wasnt going to be one, just a small family gathering in Chicago.
Geri shook her head. From what I remember of Deirdre Morton, she liked big bashes. If her spirits hanging around, itll be plenty pissed off. First shes murdered behind a cheap bar, then her family gives her a subdued send-off. She laid a hand on Vanessas arm. No heartlessness intended, but you were tight with these women once. If youre not scared, then I will be for you. Palmer must be tearing out whats left of his hair.
Vanessa seesawed her hand. He suggested I take a leave. When I reminded him that Sandy Lewis was killed on vacation in Scottsdale, he backed off. If someone wants me dead, Ger, hell find me, whether Im here in San Francisco or camping at the base of Mount Everest.
Yes, but Everest would be a harder reach.
Im not running.
Im not surprised. I have to say, though, for the first time in my life, Im happy to have only been part of the wannabe in crowd at Berkeley. How many others were in your clique?
A trace of irritation marred Vanessas features. We werent a clique, just friends. She moved a shoulder and returned her gaze to the captains office. Sylvia Porter.
Right. Cant forget her. Oh, now she was really snotty.
Spoiled, Vanessa amended.
To the point of rot. Geri fanned her face with her hand. Wheres she living these days?
Palmers having her tracked, but theres no address on her after five years ago and no family to ask since her father died and her stepmother couldnt care less about her.
So poor Snow White has flitted off to some unknown tropical forest to drown her sorrows in money, booze and, Im sure, far more than seven little men.
I thought you were happy to be part of the wannabe in crowd.
I can be bitter and happy at the same time, however, for the sake of our friendship and my nerves, Ill change the subject. She nodded forward. Palmers visitor has great hands. If you dont know, in some cultures, hands like his mean a mans probably really well
She broke off as Vanessa was bumped by a passing detective.
Captain wants to see you, the man grunted.
At his curled lip, Vanessa laughed. Your great-hands guy must be a Fed, Geri. FBI or CIA?
Dont know, dont care. Its you Palmer wants, not me.
Always a sobering thought. From Geris perspective, however, the spin was more positive.
Great hands, great hair, great face, great body. She pushed on her stomach. Is there a way to lose twenty pounds in five minutes?
Yeah, drop your briefcase. Oh, damn. Palmers coming out. Vanessa started to turn, but checked herself. Wait a minute. Im off duty. I can walk.
Good luck with that in those heels. Geri drew up to her full height of five feet four inches. Good evening, Captain Palmer.
Ms. Kruger. I dont care if you are off duty, Connor, were going to talk. You, me and Agent Maguire here.
Of course hed have a guy name. Geris lips curved into a knowing smile. Vanessa braced and turned. Agent Maguire, she acknowledged, and was surprised by the quick surge ofshe wasnt sure whatthat jolted through her. Could have been lust. Or appreciation. Whatever it was, it mingled swiftly with suspicion. Why do I need to talk to a federal agent?
Palmer glared. Courtroom time make you dense, Connor? I know you know about Mara Chan. That makes three of your old college roommates dead inside ninety days.
We werent roommates. But it was a technicality, and Vanessa was dragging her feet, something she rarely did. I dont want a leave of absence, Captain, and I dont need a federal agent breathing down my neck. She flashed Agent Maguire a quick smile. No offense.
Im used to it.
Geri chuckled. Great voice, she mouthed to Vanessa, before holding out her hand. Ill take that as my cue to exit. Nice to have almost met you, Mr. Maguire.
His answering smile was friendlier than expected. You, too, Ms. Kruger.
Geri gave Vanessa a discreet nudge. Stay safe, she whispered, and headed for the door.
No objections, Connor, her captain warned. Weve got three dead Berkeley women on our hands.
In actual fact we, meaning the San Francisco Police Department, didnt have any dead Berkeley women on their hands since none of the victims had lived or died anywhere near the Bay Area. But Vanessa kept her mouth shut and waited for him to drop his bomb. He always did. It was the reason homicide detectives liked him. Or didnt, depending on their dispositions.