The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller by Syd Parker Page B

cover.
    “Julie, hi.” Jordan gave her a small hug, careful not to hurt her. Matt, much more uncomfortable about the situation, stood back and nodded aloofly.
    “Hey, Julie.” He tried not to appear too out of place, but the constant shuffle with his feet gave him away.
    “Jeez, Matty.” Jordan shot him a look. “Chill, will ya?”
    He smiled sheepishly and sloughed off to the corner to occupy one of the empty chairs.
    Jordan turned back to Julie and smiled. “How ya feeling?”
    Julie swallowed and winced at the movement against her stitches. “Been better. However, I’m alive, and I guess that’s more than I can say for the other women.”
    Jordan gave a slight nod in agreement. “So, do you feel like talking?”
    Julie’s eyes left hers and landed on Susan's face. There was a slight tinge of red in her cheeks, and Jordan was alert enough to know that Julie didn’t want to talk in front of her partner. Jordan couldn’t blame her. Right now, the anger and hatred in Susan’s eyes were enough that she thought Susan possible of murder herself. Hearing the details would only aggravate the situation.
    Jordan stepped over to Susan and held her gaze. “Listen, why don’t you and Matt grab some coffee? I got this.”
    Susan looked as though she was going to refuse, but in the end, she let Matt drag her from the room. Jordan watched her leave then shut the door behind them quietly. She preferred the details of her conversation stay in this room. It wasn’t unlike reporters to lurk in hospital hallways trying to get the scoop.
    Jordan pulled a small tape recorder from her pocket. She held it up to Julie and raised her eyebrows questioningly. “You mind if I tape this?”
    Julie shook her head from side to side. Her lip quivered and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth in an effort to hide her fear. She may have looked okay, but she wasn’t. She was sure she may never be okay again. She couldn’t close her eyes without reliving her attack, smelling her attacker, feeling him inside her.
    Jordan pushed the record button. “Listen, we can stop whenever you want. We don’t have to get this all done today. If it gets to be too much, just stop me.”
    Julie nodded.
    “November 19 th , 2011. Special Agent Jordan Gray interviewing Julie Keppler, regarding her attack on November 15 th , 2011.”
    She rewound the tape and played back what she just said to verify that the tape recorder was working. Jordan didn’t do notes. That seemed to make people uncomfortable and besides, most of the time, she couldn’t read her own chicken scratch. “Let’s go back to that night. Just try to remember as much as you can.”
    “Okay.” Julie flinched subconsciously, the feeling of a cold wind ran through her. As much as she could remember? Better to ask her what she didn’t remember. The details were crystal clear. Remembering wasn’t the problem.
    “Take me through everything that happened and remember, if at any point you need to stop, just tell me.” Jordan’s voice dropped an octave and had taken on a soothing quality. That was one thing that she used to her advantage. She could put people at ease, get them to open up. It made her invaluable as an interrogator.
    “I was coming home from work late, so it was already dark. I remember how cold it was, so chilly for November. All I wanted was to be home in a hot bath. Normally, I walk home, but that night it was sleeting, so I decided to call a cab. The wait was ninety minutes.”
    “So, you walked anyway?” Jordan broke in, feeling the need to calm Julie down. She watched her hands grow increasingly fidgety, and she could tell that already she was anxious.
    Julie shook her head. “Yes. I remember thinking that I felt like someone was watching me, following me, but I was certain it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I should have listened to my gut.”
    Jordan squeezed her hand. “It is hard not to look back and think that. Most people are born with a sixth sense