Rebecca Flanders - Shadow Of The Wolf

“What the hell do you mean breaking into my house…

“puting wiretaps on my phones, setting up surveillance equipment? Are you completely insane? I ought to call the police right now and turn you in—you could lose your license for this! I can’t believe the arrogance—”

Ky smiled. “Getting over your crush on me, are you?”

It was such a ridiculous thing to say; his smile was so unexpected and sexy and charming. For a moment Amy could do nothing but gape at him. Once she recovered, she answered, “By the minute.”

“That’s good,” he said, “because from now on neither one of us is going to have much time for flirting. Now, what I need from you is—”

“All right, that is it.” Amy flung up both hands in a gesture of defiance and spun on her heel toward the door. “I don’t need this. Get out. You’re fired!”

Rebecca Flanders has written over seventy books under a variety of pseudonyms. She lives in the mountains of north Georgia with a collie, a golden retriever and three cats. In her spare time she enjoys painting, hiking, dog training and catching up on the latest bestsellers.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

PROLOGUE

New Orleans, Louisiana

July

“This is Amy Fortenoy, reporting live from the scene of what appears to be another bizarre murder, similar to the ones that took place last month. The victim, identified only as a white female between the ages of twenty-five and thirty, was found near the French Market about six o’clock this morning. Her throat, like those of the two previous victims, had been cut with a jagged-edge instrument. Though the body was found partially clothed, police say there is no evidence of sexual assault….”

August

“Another body has been discovered tonight with its throat cut, a young man this time. This is the second victim this month of the so-called Werewolf Killer, known as such because of his propensity for attacking only during the full moon, and because of the brutal nature of the crimes. But Channel Six Action News has learned exclusively tonight of a particularly bizarre piece of forensic evidence that has been a part of each of these murder scenes. Black animal hair—yes, animal hair, like that of a dog—has been found on each body….”

September

“The grim total of the werewolf killings rose to six this morning with the discovery of a body in Jackson Square. The victim is thought to be a homeless man of about forty years old and, like the others, died of wounds to the throat. Last night’s rains will no doubt make the collection of forensic evidence very difficult, but police have confirmed the similarities between this death and previous victims’—the brutality of the attack, the nature of the murder weapon, which is still being described only as a ‘jagged instrument,’ and yes, the presence of black animal hair on the body. While the pathologist admits that the animal hair taken from the scene has been classified as belonging to the canine family, he is adamant in denying the possibility that it could belong to a wolf. Meanwhile, ASPCA officials report a dramatic increase in the number of black dogs being turned in to shelters and caution against a general panic over the possible link between these killings and black dogs. This is Amy Fortenoy for Channel Six Action News.”

October

“This beautiful harvest moon behind me is an eerie backdrop to the scene of yet another violent slaying by the man we’ve come to know as the Werewolf Killer. With Halloween only a few days away, it seems inevitable that the death toll will begin to rise even higher.”

November

“This is Amy Fortenoy live from the banks of the Mississippi River, where the discovery of the partially submerged body of a middle-aged woman brings the total death count to twelve for the Werewolf Killer. Detectives and forensic specialists have been here for hours, securing the scene and collecting evidence, but this time it seems the killer has left them more to go on than on previous occasions. The crime-scene investigators have spent a great deal of time photographing and taking plaster casts of the footprints that were left on the riverbank, and this is what we want to show you. Can you get that close-up, Paul? As you can see, many of the tracks—there’s no other words for them—are clear enough to be read even by an amateur like me. The clear imprint of a rubber-soled shoe—can you see that?—apparently belongs to the victim. This one near it may belong to the attacker—a large print, apparently a bare foot. But these others—these are what are fascinating—appear to have been made by a very large animal. A dog…or a wolf. Is this someone’s idea of a sick joke, or has the Werewolf Killer begun to take his nickname seriously?”

December

“In New Orleans, Louisiana, a serial killer holds the city under siege. During the past six months, attacking only under the full moon, a man the media has dubbed the Werewolf Killer has claimed a total of thirteen victims. Amy Fortenoy with our affiliate in New Orleans has that story.”

January

“This is Amy Fortenoy, live outside the mayor’s office, where, at a press conference this afternoon, Deputy Police Chief Devereaux denied the accusation that the police department has failed to give its full attention to the werewolf killings because the victims so far have been homeless street people. With the discovery of the fifteenth victim yesterday, the public outcry has become understandably intense. The police department insists that it is doing everything in its power to bring the killer to justice, while continuing to caution the media against exploiting the so-called ‘sensationalistic’ elements of this case. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise. Back to you at the station…”

CHAPTER ONE

Mardi Gras

March

Amy Fortenoy manipulated the controls of the tape editor until the smooth, too-handsome-to-be-true features of Deputy Police Chief Marshall Devereaux came into center frame. She muttered, freezing the tape, “There you are, you smug, self-righteous son of a—”

“Oh, real helpful, Fortenoy.” Her producer, Janice Waters, paused to look over her shoulder. “Let’s start a war with the police department. Guaranteed to get you lots of publicity. Of course, you won’t be getting any interviews…”

“Watch this.” Amy let the tape play through.

“Before we go any further,” the deputy chief said with hands upraised in the manner of a born politician, “I’d first like to express my sincere disappointment with certain members of the media who, although repeatedly cautioned to use discretion regarding certain sensitive aspects of this case, have nonetheless chosen to turn this series of tragic and senseless killings into a virtual circus—”