Murders & Romance: A Psychic Detective Romantic Mystery (Isaac Taylor Mysteries Book 5) by Lashell Collins (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

“I’m approachable.”

“No, you’re not.”

“And I don’t hate people.”

“You don’t like them.”

“I like them fine! Although I don’t particularly like you at the moment.”

Pete laughed out loud, and Isaac rolled his eyes.

He knew only too well that Pete often enjoyed giving him a hard time simply for the fun of it. What Pete didn’t know, and what Isaac could never let him know, was that he secretly enjoyed the ribbing. It was nice having a good rapport with his partner. It made it easier to work together.

“What’s got you in such a good mood, Ike?”

“Well, it’s certainly not you, that’s for sure.”

“Touché.”

He sat down at his desk and ignored Pete’s question.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“What has you whistling this morning, man?”

Isaac sighed. “Sidney and I…”

“Wait! If this is a sex thing, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need that visual in my head.”

“I don’t want that visual in your head either! Now, you asked me a question. Do you want to hear my response or not?”

Pete grinned at his aggravation. “Please, continue.”

“I was going to say… Sidney and I finally set a wedding date yesterday.”

“Oh, for real?”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations, man!”

“Thank you.”

“So when’s the special day?”

“August 29th.”

“Of this year?”

“Yep.”

“That’s fast.”

“Not fast enough for me. I tried to talk her into going to Vegas for the weekend, but she wasn’t having that.”

“That’s no surprise. Chicks don’t like the Vegas wedding route for some reason.”

“I’ve noticed that. Can’t imagine what turns them off about it.”

“I’ll tell you what turns them off about a Vegas wedding.”

Isaac and Pete both turned to see Gavin Hayes standing at their desks.

“What’s that, Lieu?”

“It’s not special enough. Women want their weddings to be special, and Vegas doesn’t feel special enough for them. Especially if she’s never been married before.”

Isaac pointed a finger at him.

“Now that makes sense. How do you know this stuff?”

“Well, I was married before, remember? I think every engaged man tries the Vegas weekend suggestion at least once during the wedding planning stage. I take it Sidney hated the idea?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Well, not that your wedding woes aren’t important, but what’s going on in your mutilated college boys case? Got an update for me?”

Isaac and Pete glanced at each other.

“I’d like to say yes, but that’d be a flat out lie, sir. We’ve interviewed the family members and close associates of all three victims, not to mention the family of the young lady the three were accused of raping back in high school. None of it brought us any closer to a suspect.”

“You don’t have anyone of interest? After all that?”

“No, sir. Not yet.”

“How sure are you that these deaths are related to that old rape case?”

“Seeing as the killings were centered on those three men, and no one else is dead…”

“And the rape is the one thing all three boys had in common…” Pete interjected.

“We’re reasonably sure,” Isaac finished.

“Well, something’s not adding up, Sgt. I’d hate to tell you to start over and interview all those people again, but…”

“Don’t worry, Lieu. You know me. I’ll always find a new angle to explore. Even if I have to use my unconventional means to find it.”

“That’s good, because it seems we may need your unconventional means on this one.”

He gave Isaac a pointed look and then headed back to his office.

Isaac sighed and glanced at Pete.

“Is it time to touch the vics?”

Isaac rocked back in his chair and didn’t answer. He didn’t want to resort to touching the victims, not yet. He knew that eventually the time would come when he would have to use his abilities in that way again. But not now. This case didn’t warrant it. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

There had to be something they were overlooking. Someone they were overlooking. They just hadn’t looked in the right place yet.

The right place.

He pointed a finger at Pete.

“What was it I asked you to make note of about the institution?”

Pete picked up his cellphone and checked his notes.

“That we need to go back there and ask about Amber’s regular visitors.”

“Right. Let’s do that. In fact, while we’re there let’s talk to every member of that staff that has regular contact with Amber.”

“You think one of them could be our killer?”

“I’m just trying to find a new angle to explore.”

“Let’s go.”

They got up and headed out.

Luckily, the traffic was just hitting that sweet spot between the morning rush and the lunch rush where things calmed down and moved at a nice normal pace for a couple of hours. He loved it when things weren’t bumper-to-bumper.

They made it to the Lakewood Mental Institution in record time. Inside at the front desk, Isaac flashed his badge at the same receptionist from the other day.

“Detective Sgt. Ike Taylor, this is my partner, Detective Pete Vega.”

“Yes, I remember. What can I do for you today, Detectives?”

“Well, we’ll be needing a number of things actually. First, we’d like a list of everyone who has visited with Amber Camden in the last six months.”

“Oh. I’m not sure if that information is restricted.”

“It’s a matter of public record, ma’am, not part of Amber’s medical file. It’s not restricted information, and I will come back here with a court order if I have to.”

“Yes, sir.” The receptionist’s cheeks pinked up like she’d been slapped. “What else do you need?”

“We’re going to need to speak with anyone on staff who had regular contact with Amber Camden. Everyone who’s involved in taking care of her on a daily basis.”

“I’m going to need to consult with Josephine Turner for that. She handles the schedule and staff rotations, so she’d have that information.”

“Do what you gotta do.”

He fixed her with a steady stare, making it clear that they were not leaving until they got what they had come for. The girl picked up the phone and spoke softly into it. He couldn’t hear what was said, but watched her float a few nervous glances up his way.

Two minutes later, the same stocky corn-fed woman from their last visit came around the corner wearing