Deadly Chase by Wendy Davy Page B

patterns in it.”
    “Did it have a marking that looked like a cat’s eye?”
    “Yes. Kevin pointed out that feature specifically.”
    “I knew he had it.” Chase pounded a fist on the table, rattling silverware and condiment bottles. Heads turned in their direction, but he didn’t care. “That rock belonged to my sister. It’s been missing since she died.”
    Sierra sucked in a breath. “Can you use it as evidence? If it was Amber’s—”
    “No. It won’t prove anything. Although she never would have given it away, Eason could claim she had given it to him at any time.”
    “How do you know she didn’t?”
    “Because it belonged to me, too. We passed it back and forth through the years. I gave it to her to hold on to the day she started high school, and she gave it back the day I joined the Seattle Police Department. Each time something significant happened in our lives, we’d let the other take it for a while. When I had it, I always kept it in my pocket. When Amber had it…she always kept it in her purse. Eason hated the fact we were so close. He must have taken it when he killed her.”
    “You mean like a memento, or a trophy?”
    “Exactly like a trophy.”
    “Kevin used to get this smug look on his face when he held the stone. I never understood why…until now. It makes me sick.”
    “Men like him have no remorse.”
    Sierra glanced out the window again. “I wonder why he picked your sister? I worked in the same office as Kevin, so I can see why he chose me, but what about Amber? How did they meet?”
    Chase shrugged. “By chance. Amber needed legal advice about a lease she was thinking about signing, and gave Eason’s firm a call. Eason happened to have the first available time slot.” Chase took a long swig of carbonated soda, letting the bubbles soothe his dry throat. “That man took the spark out of her eyes long before he took her life. He deserves to be locked away.”
    The waitress brought their plates and extra napkins. “Anything else you need, just holler.”
    Chase nodded his thanks, and the waitress scooted away. He picked up the ketchup bottle and added a generous amount to his burger. He took two bites before glancing at Sierra as she trailed her fingers over the fading bruises on her neck. Tension knotted his muscles, and he forced down the food.
    Sierra cleared her throat. “How long did Amber date Kevin?”
    “About two years.”
    “Two years? I can’t imagine staying with him so long.”
    Chase ate a steaming french fry and swiped a napkin across his lips. “You have to remember, by the time Eason met you, he’d had experience tormenting women. Or, at least one woman. He’d gotten away with it, so it probably didn’t take as long for his true self to come out with you.”
    “I still should’ve recognized the signs earlier.”
    “Regardless, we have to deal with the present.”
    “Speaking of which, I’d like to hear your grand plan of how you’re going to keep me safe and catch Kevin at the same time.”
    Chase would be glad to share his ideas with her, but so far, nothing had gone according to plan. He hadn’t intended to have personal contact with Sierra to begin with, and now he sat eating dinner with her and wanting to ease the concerns lingering in her eyes. “Right now, you need to eat.” He nodded toward the plate she hadn’t touched.
    “What about tomorrow and the day after that?” She propped an elbow on the table and planted her chin in her hand.
    Chase kept an eye on the door as a customer walked inside and sat at a stool. The aging man posed no threat. “I suppose we’ll eat then, too.”
    “Very funny. Give me something tangible to focus on. I can’t take much more of the unexpected.”
    “You can handle a lot more than you think.”
    “You’re right. God’s grace is sufficient to help me through anything.” Sierra took in a deep breath, as if to steady shaken nerves. “It’s hard to remember I’m not alone in this, when