“I did. But Chief, are you afraid that this killer being out there might scare people away?”

Beck frowned. “First of all, there’s no reason to think that Colleen Preston’s killer is ‘out there.’ For all we know, this was a random murder and the killer is long gone. Secondly, you’re assuming he’s going to kill again, and you’re assuming that he’s closing in on St. Dennis. None of that follows, Rosalie. I think you’re angling for a story where there is none. Let’s just keep the facts in mind. So far we’ve had one victim, in Ballard, which is several miles from St. Dennis. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”

“I think she’s just saying, with St. Dennis bringing in so many people every week, and it being so close to Ballard-” Carl Patterson began.

“I know what she’s saying.” Beck turned cold blue eyes on the reporter. “And I’m saying it’s a waste of time to speculate in that manner.”

“What exactly are you doing to help identify the killer?” Carl persisted.

Beck turned around to Warren Daley and said, “I’ll let you take it from here.”

“Right now, we’re waiting for the lab reports to see if he left us anything to remember him by. At first glance, I’d say he was very careful not to leave any trace, but the lab techs will let us know if he slipped up there. In the meantime, we’re looking for other missing persons reports…”

“So you do think there are more victims,” Rosalie noted with some satisfaction. “Are you going to call in the FBI?”

Warren Daley sighed heavily. “No one said anything about there being more victims. But we did feel it would be prudent to check back and see if there were other missing women who hadn’t turned up…”

“Over how many years?” Jenna asked. “How many years are you going back?”

“We haven’t put a limit on it,” Daley told them. “And no, so far, we haven’t found any. It was just an idea.”

“How about the FBI?” Rosalie repeated. “Are you going to call them in?”

“At this point I see no reason to do that.”

“But isn’t your department connected to the FBI’s VICAP database?”

“Not yet.”

“But it’s free, isn’t it?”

“Last time we looked into it, our computer guy told us we didn’t have the right software to support it. And at this time, I’ve got nothing further to say,” Daley told the group. “The investigation is just beginning, so I’ll end this with a promise to keep you up to date when we have something to report. Thanks for coming.”

Several of the reporters continued to ask questions as Chief Daley made his way from the room. The visiting police chiefs chatted briefly before heading to the parking lots and their cars. Beck had just unlocked his vehicle when he saw Rosalie Ahern walking across the parking lot.

“Chief Beck,” she called to him.

He opened the car door and leaned on it, watching her approach.

“I was just about to ask before Chief Daley pulled the plug.” She was slightly out of breath as she came toward him. “Have you ever seen a case like this one, where the killer did something like that to his victim?”

“No.” He shook his head side to side. “Never saw anything like it.”

“Why do you think he did that?” She was squinting, looking into the sun, fumbling in her bag for her sunglasses. “What’s your gut tell you about this guy?”

Beck paused. He wasn’t about to tell this young reporter, so eager to cover what was most likely her first really big story, what his gut was saying about Colleen Preston’s killer.

“My gut’s not into speculation.”

“Well, do you really think this was a random killing? Or do you think he’s going to strike again?”

“Rosalie, I honestly don’t know. This guy could be anyone, he could be anywhere. We just don’t know.” He got into his car and put his seat belt on. “The truth is, we know squat, and until we have something to go on, as Chief Daley said, it’s irresponsible to speculate.”

“Do you agree with Chief Daley’s decision not to contact the FBI to look for similar cases?”

“It’s Chief Daley’s case,” Beck said diplomatically. “It’s his call.”

“I’m getting the feeling it wouldn’t be your call.”

“It doesn’t matter what I’d do. It’s not my case. I’ll help out in any way I can, I’ll put on extra patrols until this guy is caught. I’ll walk the streets myself if I have to. But I won’t second-guess Warren Daley and I won’t presume to tell him how to do his job. Maybe you shouldn’t, either.”

“Is St. Dennis looped into the VICAP system that Carl was talking about?”

“Yes.”

“You could probably look for similar crimes on your own, then, even if Chief Daley didn’t.”

“I don’t like the critical tone of your voice. You have no idea what it’s like to deal with the budget in a small town.”

“But I thought VICAP was a free service-”

“The upgraded computers aren’t.”

He slammed the car door and rolled down the window.

“Chief, one more thing.” Rosalie stepped closer to the car as he turned the key in the ignition. “Where do you think Mindy Kenneher is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think there were others? Before Colleen Preston? Do you think any other bodies will turn up, wrapped up like that?”

“I wish I knew…” Beck waved as he pulled out of the parking space and headed for St. Dennis.

“…so if anyone believes the disappearance of Mindy Kenneher and the disappearance and murder of Colleen Preston are related, they’re not saying.” Rosalie Ahern was speaking directly into the camera. “When I asked the chief of police in nearby St. Dennis, Gabriel Beck, if he thought there were other victims before Colleen Preston, all he said was that he wished he knew.”

“Any plans to bring in the FBI at this point? Isn’t that standard when there’s an abduction?” The anchor, back in the studio, asked Rosalie, who was reporting from outside the Ballard police department.

Rosalie Ahern was nodding her head. “I asked Chief Daley about the FBI, and he pretty much shot that down. But it was interesting, later in the parking lot, when I spoke with Chief Beck, I asked him if he’d call in the FBI if he were running the investigation, and he gave me the impression that he would. And by the way, they’re not calling Mindy Kenneher’s disappearance an abduction at this point, they’re still just calling it a disappearance.”

“Okay, well, thanks for the report, Rosalie…” The anchor turned to another camera. “In other news…”

The theme for Chesapeake News at Noon came on a few minutes later as the screen faded to a commercial.

The man watching the broadcast from the privacy of his office smiled as he removed the tape from the old VCR and unlocked the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet closest to his desk. He dropped the tape into what he referred to as his archives and relocked the drawer.

The press conference-What a misnomer that was! A few newspapers and one local TV station showed up!-had tickled him no end. It had really given him a kick to see them all scratching their heads and being so noncommittal. So afraid of saying something that would upset the locals. As if they’re not all shaking in their shoes, scared to death the next victim will be in their town, making him their problem.

Toying with them all could be almost as much fun as his little girlfriends were.

Which reminded him, he had a little cleanup to do this morning. There was a little problem of disposal he needed to work out.

The solution came to him in a flash, and he laughed out loud.

So Gabriel Beck wishes he knew if there’d been others like sweet Colleen, does he?

He stared out the window, and smiled when he saw the police cruiser pass by.

It was time Beck learned to be careful what he wished for.