The Hunted Girls by Jenna Kernan (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

a shudder at the killer returning to his victims and becoming so aroused.

“But he left us solid DNA, so that’s the upside,” said Juliette. “Skogen already delivered the sample for processing. They’re using the FBI labs to expedite the results.”

It didn’t sound right. Was this killer so confident in his ability that he’d leave his DNA on a body? It didn’t sit well with her emerging profile of an organized killer who planned each detail. Returning to the victim held enormous risks and this guy had left each of his two victims for days where no one had found them. If he wanted to visit, why leave them in such a public place? It didn’t make sense.

Judging from the timeline, it appeared this killer might be hunting for the next victim right now.

“We need to make an ID,” said Nadine.

“Working on it.”

“I’ll come by to see that arrowhead.”

“Good. Anything else?”

“Not right now.”

There was a momentary pause and then Juliette closed the screen share. Her image instantly enlarged, filling the screen.

Silence stretched.

“You and Demko okay?” asked Juliette.

Concern took over at the question, seemingly out of the blue.

“Yes. Why?”

“He stopped in at the ME’s office. Seemed sort of sad.”

“Sad?”

“Yeah. Just, off.”

Nadine lowered her head.

Juliette noted her withdrawal and her voice held suspicion. “What’s going on?”

“He picked me up at the airport and I was in my car driving up here less than an hour later. We didn’t have any time together and these last few months have been really hard.”

“I can imagine. He’s been working with the DA on the Copycat Killer case, and I know you didn’t have much leave from your training at Quantico.”

“Exactly.”

“But you two will find time, now that you’re working together.”

Nadine made a face.

Juliette narrowed her eyes.

“Something else?”

Nadine nodded. “He keeps talking about moving the relationship forward.”

“Well, that’s super.” Juliette studied Nadine and her smile faded. “Isn’t it?”

“Why? Why do we need to move anywhere?”

“Obviously he’s missing something, or he wouldn’t want to move forward.”

“We’re good together. What more do we need? He keeps talking about taking the next step.”

“Next step, huh?” Juliette rubbed her chin, thinking. “Is he talking marriage, kids or what?”

Nadine’s eyes bugged.

“Okay, clearly that’s not what you want. Why is that?”

“Not everyone is cut out to be a mother.”

Juliette nodded. “This about your mother?”

“Well, neither of us was raised by a soccer mom.”

Which was true. Both Juliette and Clint were the children of mothers incarcerated for first-degree murder, while Nadine’s mom was on death row.

Nadine’s mother, grandfather and great-grandfather were all convicted murderers. Small wonder worries about her own psyche had led her to study psychology and ultimately forensic psychology.

“Soccer moms, huh? That’s true. But it doesn’t determine what kind of mother you might be.”

“Doesn’t it? My role model had me carry the bloody clothing of her victims to the trash in hopes of tempting me to be like her. She was a cat bringing a wounded bird to her offspring, teaching me how to hunt and kill.”

“Well, it didn’t work,” said Juliette. “Instead you’re a profiler and you caught one of the most successful killers in the country.”

“Yeah, after I got shot.”

Nadine’s first case as a profiler. She’d even determined early on that the Copycat Killer was imitating her mother’s crimes.

Now she had a bullet wound to remind her that she wasn’t as good at this job as others believed.

But she’d learned something important. She wasn’t one of them. She’d had the chance, free and clear, of killing. Instead she’d seen their prime suspect arrested.

Juliette shrugged. “Well, you’re the psychologist. Maybe figure out why you’re stalling with Clint.”

She knew why. Fear.

“You should see the videos of him with his son. He’s fun and supportive. A natural. He loves children.”

“Ah. And you? How are you with kids?”

“They scare me to death. They’re all potential energy and dubious outcomes.”

“You’ve worked with too many juvenile offenders. That’s what you did in Orlando, right? Your first job after graduate school.”

“Yes. And incarcerated felons. But I’m aware not all kids become… like my mother.”

“Are you, though?”

“If I could just find my dad. See him, talk to him. If he was normal, I’d be more willing to take a chance.”

“By take a chance, you mean become a mother?”

“Oh.” She exhaled and stared at the ceiling. “It’s so scary.”

“Hell yeah, it is. But not for the reasons you think. Nadine, you’d be a great mother. You worry too much.”

“Maybe.” She didn’t believe that for a second.

“What does Clint say about all this?”

She pushed back from her desk. “Oh, my God. I haven’t told him any of this. He hasn’t even directly said anything about kids because I keep avoiding this exact conversation.”

“What? Why?”

Nadine’s head sank. When she spoke, her voice was small. “I don’t want to lose him.”

“If you keep stalling and refusing to share your fears, you might. Nadine, you have to let him know. Together, you two can work anything out. He wants real intimacy.”

Her tone turned disgruntled. “I’m sleeping with him.”

“That’s great. But I’m speaking of emotional intimacy.”

Nadine huffed. She’d wanted to complain to a sympathetic friend, and Juliette had switched teams.

“All my personal stuff is terrible, painful, embarrassing or all three.”

“Relationships need to move forward. At least try.”

“Yes. Okay. I will.”

“Promise.”

“Yes.” Nadine wiped her hands on the fabric of her slacks. “I don’t think I thanked you for dropping everything to come up here to help me.”

“Catching that deviant will be thanks enough,” said Juliette. “Hey, are we having dinner together tonight?”

Nadine hesitated.

“Oh, unless you’re reserving all of your free time for Demko.”

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

“Then you should spend time with him.”

“No. We should all eat together as a team.” Was that because she was already looking to avoid the conversation that she so dreaded?

Likely, she realized.

Juliette gave her a dubious look, then changed the subject, bless her.

“Oh, did I tell you? I got an alert after I checked in. There’s a nest of burrowing owls in Silver Springs. Do you want to go see them with me before dinner?”

Nadine had more interest