Who better to misdirect an investigation, than an FBI profiler? As soon as Frost had given the profile, Lasco’s mind had gone into overdrive. Oakley Frost fit her own profile of their elusive killer. She’d been a victim, lost a child, and been denied justice, twice. He couldn’t blame her for feeling the need to see others get their justice.

  Isn’t that why you became a cop, though? Because you wanted to make sure criminals paid for their crimes?

  Lasco shook his head against the intrusive thought. It was true, his reason for joining the academy. The only thing that made him feel good about himself, was the thought of taking the bad guys off the streets.

  If she is The Confessor, then she’s a bad guy, no matter what her motivation is. She deserves to go to jail. The families of her victims deserve justice, too.

  Lasco knocked back his drink, and swiped the back of his hand over his lips. A new resolve had formed in his mind, and he intended to make sure Oakley Frost faced judgement for her actions.

  The two women paid their tab and left the bar, followed at a distance by Lasco. He stopped at the entrance to the parking lot, hidden behind a hedge, as Frost and her wife got into different cars. The women were the same height, and had the same sunny blonde hair.

  If Frost hadn’t turned to acknowledge someone’s greeting, he wouldn’t have known which car she was in. Once the women were in their cars, he hurried to his own. He waited until they exited the parking lot, and followed behind the white sedan driven by Frost.

  With only one road out of Falls City, it didn’t matter if they noticed him tailing them. He followed the women into Marilynn, and down the street on which they lived. When the cars pulled into a driveway, the white car parked behind the blue, Lasco passed by and turned at the next stop sign.

  He pulled to the curb outside an abandoned service station, and shut off his engine. He’d wait a bit before backtracking, to avoid raising their suspicions.

  I can’t wait to see the look on Weston’s face, when I arrest an FBI agent for murder, Lasco thought as he waited. She won’t be so quick to bust my balls, after that. I’ll show her, and that pussy-whipped partner of hers, who the better detective is.

  Lasco’s eyes, heavy from the alcohol he’d consumed, started to close. Afraid he might end up sleeping the night away in his car, he set the alarm on his phone for thirty minutes. With the thought of his impending capture still in his mind, Lasco let himself doze off.

  When his alarm went off, Lasco’s eyes popped open, and he slapped at his phone. The shrill, strident beep echoed in his head, making his eyes blur. He scrubbed his face with his hands, and started the engine.

  Although it was nearing nine o’clock, the late summer sunlight provided ample lighting as Lasco slowly retraced his route. He saw no signs of life inside the Frost residence, but didn’t want to tempt fate. As he drove by, Lasco snapped a picture of the license plate on the white car. White sedans were a dime a dozen in their area, and he wanted to be sure he followed the right car.

  To his surprise, just as he lowered his phone, the tail lights of the sedan popped on, and the car backed out of the drive. Afraid he’d been caught, Lasco made a right at the first stop sign, and pulled to the curb. His heart pounded in his chest.

  What am I going to say if she confronts me?

  Lasco breathed a heavy sigh of relief when, instead of turning to follow him, Frost’s car continued through the stop. With a chuckle, Lasco made a quick U-turn on the narrow street, and turned back onto the road to go home.

  At the stop light, he was pleasantly surprised to see that he was once again behind Frost. Curious as to why she’d be heading back toward Falls City, at this time of night, he decided to see where she was going.

  For ten minutes, Lasco stayed behind the white sedan. Just before the Falls City turn off, the car made a right turn onto Destiny Lane. The road was narrow and lined with forty-foot maple trees. It was a private road, but was frequently used by tourists. People loved the scenic, natural beauty provided by the trees, and the road was commonly lined with people using the trees as a background for photos.

  Lasco had been down the dead-end road a few times over the years, but it didn’t hold the same luster for him, that it did for others. He rarely saw the beauty in anything. Instead of following the car, he made a mental note to check out the road, the next day. He didn’t have anything else to do on his day off, so he might as well follow his hunch.

  ~ Chapter 8: August ~

  “Cordy,” Jenica called into the back yard, “Stormie and Oakley are here.”

  My wife and I followed our hostess onto the deck. Jenica motioned for us to sit, while Cordy made her way to us.

  “Hi, ladies, how’s your Saturday?” Cordy asked, wiping her sodden hands on her jeans.

  My wife smiled, and I shrugged. We’d spent the night making love, and had slept until eleven.

  “Relaxing,” I said, reaching my hand to rest on my wife’s thigh. I loved the blush that crept over her cheeks, at Cordy’s knowing smirk.

  “What have you got planned for the day?” Jenica asked, joining us with a tray of iced tea.

  My wife accepted the offered tea, and sipped. I opted for plain water. “I’ve got some work to do this evening, but we were wondering if you two wanted to go swimming with us. We’re heading over to Rock Ledge, and thought it might be more fun with a group.” I explain.

  “Oh, I love Rock Ledge,” Jenica said excitedly, “What do you say, sweetheart? Fancy a dip?”

  Cordy scrunched her face in a show of contemplation, making me chuckle.

  “She’ll get to see you in a swimsuit,” I poked playfully, “of course she does.”

  Cordy offered me a cheesy grin. “I don’t need to go swimming in the river to see my wife in a swimsuit,” she teased back, “I can just wait until she showers, and see her naked.”

  My wife snorted, nearly spraying her tea over our hostesses. Cordy, Jenica, and I laughed. I took a napkin from the tray and leaned over to wipe the drink from her chest. My wife’s laughter-filled eyes met mine, and I kissed her. God, she’s beautiful.

  “Alright,” Cordy said, pulling Jenica to stand with her, “give us a few minutes to get ready. We’ll be right back.”

  ***

  Thirty minutes later, Cordy, Jenica, Oakley, and Stormie left the Weston’s house. Falls City is a small town, and there was no point in driving down to the river that ran through the center of town. The group walked down Lombard Street, and through the small park at the end. On the other side of the park was a foot-bridge, that allowed people to cross the river.

  “It’s so pretty out here,” Oakley said, pausing to stare out over the water. The river, as the people of Falls City called it, was actually a large creek. The Luckiamute Falls, for which the city was named, were a major tourist attraction during the summer, and fed the twenty-foot wide creek.

  “I’m glad Rock Ledge is hard to get to,” Cordy said, noting the many people playing in the water.

  “I’m sure there will still be people over there,” Stormie said, taking Oakley’s hand, as the group left the bridge.

  Cordy led the group along the riverbank, waving hello to those who greeted her. The path that led to the deepest part of the river was on private property, which helped keep the swimming hole relatively free of crowds. It was one of the few local treasures that was not readily accessible to tourists.

  When they reached the area, the group waded through the twelve inches of water that separated the riverbank from the island. Six feet from the bank was a natural island in the water. The island was technically owned by the elderly lady who owned the water rights to that area of the river.

  The woman, a kindly lady in her eighties, graciously allowed the residents of Falls City to swim in the crystal-clear water, and relax on the island, provided they cleaned up after themselves.

  The old woman’s husband, a local farmer who had passed away nearly a decade earlier, had worked tirelessly to make the island a private haven for his wife. During the first year of their marriage, he had built trellises and arches, using local flora to turn the simple wooden decorations into a lush, relaxing retreat from the outside world. In this little patch of paradise, hidden from the world, the stresses and worries of everyday life melted away.

  While Cordy and Oakley set up the beach chairs, under the natural canopy from a massive willow tree that stretched from the riverbank to the island, Jenica and Stormie shed their shorts and tank tops.

  Cordy and Oakley stopped what they were doing to stare at their wives.

  Jenica, clad in a skimpy, two-piece emerald green bikini, stood at the edge of the small island. Beside her, Stormie stood, staring at something that Jenica was pointing at. Her dark red bikini contrasted dramatically with the woman’s milky skin.

  Cordy’s eyes slowly drank in her wife’s appearance, starting at her bare feet, and ending when their eyes met. Oakley must have been doing the same careful inspection of her own wife, because when their eyes met their wives’ gazes, Cordy and Oakley shivered in unison.

  Stormie and Jenica shared a look, before turning flirtatious glances to their spouses. Without another word, the two women turned and started into the cool water. Oakley and Cordy simply stared after the women, each lost in the sensual way her wife’s suit hugged her curves.

  “Are you two going to join us, or just stand there and stare?” Stormie called with a giggle.

  Oakley and Cordy shared a look, before scrambling to get out of their shorts and t-shirts. Like excited children after a coveted prize, the two women rushed into the water after their wives.

  ***

  While the four women frolicked in the water, Arnold Lasco turned his car onto Destiny Lane. He travelled slowly, his eyes peeled for any space that might allow a car to deviate from the narrow road. He’d traversed the road many times over the last two weeks, but hadn’t seen any obvious reason Frost would have had for coming down here.

  When he reached the tangled mass of blackberry bushes that blocked further travel, Lasco growled in frustration, and slammed out of the car. He moved to the front of his car, and leaned against the hood with his arms crossed.

  Now what?

  Lasco scratched his head and stared at the blackberry bushes, as if they would suddenly reveal what he was looking for. Frustrated, he huffed out a breath and returned to the driver’s seat. After executing a tight U-turn, he started back toward the highway.

  As his car crawled along the road, Lasco slammed on his brakes when a deer darted from between the trees and in front of his car. A thump on his front bumper had Lasco bolting from the car, to inspect the damage. The deer climbed to its feet, as Lasco approached the injured creature, and took off into the trees on the other side of the road.

  Shit, Lasco thought, trailing after the animal, just what I need. I hope he isn’t hurt too bad.

  Wild deer, turkeys, and cougars were common in the densely forested area surrounding the communities of Falls City, Ellendale, and Oakdale. As such, if an animal was struck by a vehicle, protocol dictated that the occupants of the vehicle notify law enforcement. If the animal was found to be injured beyond help, it was taken to a local veterinarian, to be humanely euthanized.

  If the animal didn’t seem to be mortally injured, the authorities would attempt to locate it, and transport it to a sanctuary near Monmouth. There, the animal’s wounds would be treated, and once healed, it would be rereleased into the wild.

  Lasco followed the path the deer had taken, but didn’t see the critter. Instead, what he did find, made him smile.

  There, on the other side of the maple trees, behind a post-and-cable fence, was a dirt access road. Due to the tree line, the road was not visible from Destiny Lane, or from the highways leading to Falls City or Marilynn.

  Curious, he ducked between the wires, and walked along the road, looking for a way to get to it from Destiny Lane. He walked for what felt like miles, his eyes searching for any sign of where the road was taking him. To his surprise, the road led to a patch of tangled blackberry bushes.

  Lasco frowned at the sight, but his frown morphed into a triumphant grin. He knew where he was. The thick patch of bushes that blocked off Destiny Lane were a cleverly designed ruse.

  From this side of the bushes, he could see that the thick, brambly branches of the bush had been carefully woven onto a chain-link, wheeled gate. On each side of the gate, a short length of fence, also interwoven with blackberry bushes, provided a latch point.

  Heavy magnets held the gate closed, and a receiver box on the inside of the gate showed him how the gate was triggered.

  Must be a remote access, he deduced.

  Intrigued, Lasco retraced his steps back to the car, and headed home. He knew the storage facilities for the Callie Rae Baxter Center’s community garden projects were located near the area, and figured that the access road must lead to them.

  I’ll look up the land maps when I get home, he thought as he pulled onto the highway. Satisfied with the morning’s events, Lasco decided to go home and change.

  A few hours at Rock Ledge will be nice.

  ***

  “Catch him!” Jenica squealed, one hand covering her now nude breasts, and the other pointing wildly in the direction of the border collie swimming toward the bank on the far side of the river.

  Cordy, Oakley, and Stormie swam as fast as they could after the beast, leaving Jenica alone on the large, flat rock that gave the spot its name.

  The rock was a favorite place for swimmers to sun themselves, and the water surrounding it was deceptively deep. In order to get onto the rock, a person had to swim around to the shaded side, and find the underwater shelf that allowed them to walk up onto the flat surface.

  “Sweetheart, hurry, please!” Jenica called, embarrassment coloring her cheeks as several other locals made their way toward the swimming hole.

  The dog reached the bank, not bothering to shake himself dry, and took off up the trail. Cordy reached the bank a moment later, and ran after the four-legged thief.

  “You two go back with Jenica,” she called to Oakley and Stormie, “I’ll get her top.”

  Oakley swam back toward Jenica, while Stormie went back to the island to get the woman’s tank top.

  Cordy ran after the dog, dodging low hanging branches. She hadn’t realized this trail existed, and was mildly surprised when the dog led her to the back yard of the one person she loathed to see.

  “What have you got there, Bucky?” Lasco’s voice stopped Cordy, and she rolled her eyes.

  “Just perfect,” she muttered, stepping out from the trees.

  Lasco bent down to retrieve the skimpy green garment, and he caught movement in his peripheral vision.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, not immediately realizing who had followed the dog, “My neighbor’s dog fancies himself a cat burglar.”

  Lasco’s smile died on his lips when he noticed who was standing before him. “What are you doing here?” he snapped.

  “Trying to get that,” Cordy snapped back, pointing to Jenica’s top.

  Lasco looked down at his hand and blushed. He hadn’t realized what it was until just now.

  “Gross,” he said, rolling his eyes as he tossed the top to Cordy, “Now I’ll never get the vision of your saggy tits out of my head.”

  Cordy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

  “My tits don’t sag!” she defended, her posture straightening, “and this isn’t mine. As you can see, unless you’re blind, mine is still on me.”

  Lasco made a show of breathing a great sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. I was afraid I was going to have to disinfect my hand. Or have it amputated.”

  Cordy couldn’t help but chuckle. Lasco’s attitude had been all over the place lately, and hearing him make a joke, even one at her expense, amused her. The fact that he was joking wasn’t what made her laugh. It was the fact that he’d made a joke that wasn’t hateful or sexual in nature.

  “Thanks, Lasco,” Cordy said honestly, “Are you going swimming, or are you planning to scare away the tourists with your whiteness?”

  Lasco looked down at his denim cut-offs. He wasn’t out of shape, by any means, but he had to admit to Cordy’s assessment of his skin tone. His legs were so white, they were almost blinding.

  “Well, I was going to go for a dip, but your idea sounds more entertaining,” he teased with a genuine smile.

  Goddammit, his brain screamed, you can’t stand this woman! Why in the hell are you joking around with her? Tell her to get the fuck off your property.

  Cordy could see Lasco was thinking about something, and wondered what had made his expression close off.

  I wonder what’s up with him. He’s a top-notch douche, but every once in a while, he actually seems likeable.

  “Alright,” Cordy said, trying to dispel the sudden tension that radiated from her colleague, “I better get this back to my wife, before she turns Rock Ledge into a nudist colony. Thanks for getting it from the dog.”

  With that, Cordy turned and retreated into the trees. Lasco stared after her for a moment, but didn’t immediately follow. He wasn’t going to let Cordy ruin his plan to swim, but he did figure he’d give her a chance to get the top back to her wife.

  As much as he wanted to hate Jenica Weston, the way he loathed her wife, Lasco couldn’t bring himself to do it. It wasn’t that Jenica had wronged him in any way, in fact, it had been his own stupid comments that had caused the rift between them.

  Lasco’s issue lied wholly with Cordy Weston. If Jenica was able to tolerate the redhead, and let her touch her intimately, there must be something wrong with her. She may be stunningly beautiful, but if Jenica willingly let Cordy paw all over her, he wanted nothing to do with her.

  That didn’t mean he would say no to the chance to see the woman in a bathing suit, though. He was a man, after all.

  Lasco shifted his towel around his shoulders, and set off down the trail. It only took three minutes to reach the water, and as he slung his towel over a branch, Lasco’s eyes darted around the swimming hole. He located Cordy quickly, it was hard to miss that mass of flame-red hair.