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Chapter 562
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 563
Weber was ready. More than ready. He was stoked, jaked, wired; wound as tight as he could ever remember. Even in ’Nam, by far the best time of his life, he’d never felt better than this, or more alive. He’d been on the edge all day. Since yesterday, in fact, when the storm prevented him from carrying out his plan. He was ready to kill. The need coursed through his veins, a life force all its own. Pulling at him. He felt like a wire stretched to the very brink of its breaking point. Unable to sit still, he paced around his apartment like a lion prowling in its cage. Six beers between breakfast and lunch failed to soften even the edges of his excitement. Luckily, today he would not have to wait until nightfall. Until now, his hunting had been confined to the darkness. But not this time. It was time to broaden the terror, to let the people know that even daylight provided no safety from the whims of the reaper.By now, he knew, he was at the top of the cops&rsq
Leesa's Advent Chapter 564
Weber pushed the memories down, focusing his attention back to the busy sidewalk, back to the flashily dressed women poised by the curb, colorful, unmoving islands in the stream of people flowing around them. There would be more ladies, he knew, a few blocks away on Hollywood Boulevard, but he had already hunted there once and would be a fool to return. He was confident Santa Monica Boulevard would provide him what he needed. And just a few moments later, it did.The girl seated beside him in the front of the Camaro was younger than he first thought, Weber decided as he studied her more closely, but not too young for what he needed. Sixteen or seventeen, he guessed. Her black skin was still smooth and sleek, and though she kept her thickly glossed lips curved in a wide, white smile, he saw a weariness in her eyes that betrayed the enthusiasm she tried to show. Her body was firm and tight inside an orange spandex halter top and clinging black miniskirt, but the w
Leesa's Advent Chapter 565
“We got him”Fifteen minutes after Sloane’s call, the words still echoed in Conner’s head. Following the triumphant exclamation, Sloane had been brief and to the point. They had a name and an address. Units were on the way. If Conner wanted to watch it go down, he could join Sloane on site.Since hanging up the phone, Conner had not been able to sit still. Each time he tried to sit, he popped back up off the couch like a child’s jack-in-the-box toy and began pacing his apartment. It seemed impossible. Less than forty-eight hours ago Sloane sat in Conner’s kitchen and told him the task force was making no progress. But today Sloane’s voice held no doubt. Somehow, they had gotten the break they’d all been praying for.Conner had refused to let himself think about the case since Sloane’s visit, remaining holed up in his apartment, going out only to buy a case of beer and a couple of tasteless, cellophane-wrapped
Leesa's Advent Chapter 566
“But the license checked out?” Conner asked.“Yeah, DMV confirmed it was a Camaro, registered for the last four years to one Peter Weber, 35 years old, six-foot-three, two hundred twenty pounds.”Plenty big enough to hold Christy DeMars upside down, Conner thought.“I’ve got a dozen guys trying to track down a place of employment, but we’re not taking any chances,” Sloane continued. “We’re goin’ in here as soon as the neighborhood’s secure. Got arrest and search warrants, so if he’s not here, we’ll tear the place apart. Something in there’ll lead us to him.”Conner turned his attention back down the block. Was it really possible this thing was almost over? And if so, what would that mean to him? “How close are you to going in?” he asked.“Almost ready. No one was home in the house on the right, and we’ve already pulled a retired c
Leesa's Advent Chapter 567
Conner didn't want to think about it, wanted to run from the room, to retreat to the safety and isolation of his apartment, but he could not stop the jumble of thoughts swirling inside his head. His brain was beyond conscious control, operating instinctively, guided by too many years of experience. Questions arose in rapid-fire fashion, new ones starting before the old ones were complete, billiard balls ricocheting off each other on a crowded pool table. The whole thing made no sense. Weber was their best, their only suspect. And yet Weber was dead, which did a pretty good job of eliminating him as a suspect. But his car was used in at least two of the murders. That was the one hard fact they had—that and a slew of dead bodies. What did it mean? Had someone borrowed the car? Twice? A roommate, a friend? Could that explain why the killer was less careful about letting the car be seen this time? But why be less careful, and why kill Weber? Had Weber unwittingly stumbled onto som
Leesa's Advent Chapter 568
Saturday morning, Conner was back at Santa Monica Beach, leaning against the front fender of his BMW, straining to catch his breath after a twenty minute run. The sun, pleasantly warm on his face and arms, floated in a powder blue sky flecked with puffy, cotton ball clouds. A gentle onshore breeze carried the briny marine scent across the beach. The surf was flat, and only a few surfers bobbed in the water. Conner could barely hear the stunted waves as they broke weakly against the shore, especially over the delighted screams of frolicking children who romped in the sand along the water’s edge.The run was Conner’s first since his split with Cecilia. His effort had been less than satisfying—his weeklong funk had taken its toll on his body, leaving him with leg muscles too slow to loosen and too quick to grow fatigued. His wind was not much better. He’d been back at the car for a few minutes now, but his legs still throbbed, and his breathing had not qu
Leesa's Advent Chapter 569
CONNER PRESSED THE GLOWING orange doorbell button just before seven o’clock. A triple chime echoed faintly from inside the house. While he waited, he breathed deeply of the cool evening air, relishing the fresh scent of trees and grass not often experienced in the valley below. He had found the house in the hills above Beverly Hills without trouble, in a quiet neighborhood Conner thought of as “almost there.” The homes were of moderate size, comfortable and well kept, secluded enough to provide privacy and security from the dangers of the urban jungle below. What Alexa’s neighborhood lacked, what kept it from being filled with lavish mansions peopled by those who had truly “arrived,” was favorable topography. Nestled in a small valley whose hillsides folded back upon one another, the lots provided no views, no wide-open vistas of sparkling city lights or mesmerizing blue ocean to double or triple the price of the real estate. Driving up, Conner ha
Leesa's Advent Chapter 570
“Sit, please,” she said after Conner deposited the salad bowl onto the table. “I’ll be right back.” She pivoted back into the kitchen.Conner slid into the chair on the side of the table, leaving the end seat for Alexa. From his seat, he looked out a large bay window into a grassy backyard ringed by tall hedges. A small ground light near the house threw enough pale yellow illumination onto the yard for him to see the grass was neatly trimmed and that the hedges were oleander bushes.Alexa returned with their half-filled goblets and the bottle of wine, which she emptied into their glasses before placing it on the shelf of an oak breakfront behind her. She leaned over the table and deftly lit two tall lavender candles, then twisted a switch on the wall to dim the crystal chandelier above the table before settling into her chair.“That’s better,” she said. “Why don’t you serve us some salad, Case, while I perform surgery on the lasagna.”Using a set of plastic tongs, Conner filled each o
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