LITMIR.BIZ

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She couldn’t bring herself to ask if she had been drained of blood.

      “Yeah, same M.O.” Arnie’s gaze moved over her. “Be careful, Vicki. This guy only targets young single women with red hair and green eyes.”

      She nodded, the knot of fear in her stomach growing tighter.

      “Be sure and keep your car doors locked,” Ned said.

      “And be sure to lock up at home, too,” Arnie warned. “Don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know.”

      Vicki nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

      The next two hours passed quickly and it wasn’t until about eight-thirty that things slowed down. Vicki used the lull to refill the salt and pepper shakers and the sugar bowls, then she went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

      When she returned to the dining area, Antonio was sitting at his usual booth in the back. Was he the murderer? But no, she thought, he, too, had warned her to keep her doors locked and to refuse entry to anyone she didn’t know. But then, maybe that was just to throw her off the scent. Still, if he’d wanted to kill her, he’d had plenty of opportunity the night before.

      He smiled as she approached the booth.

      “The police are still looking for you.”

      “Indeed?”

      “There’s been another murder.”

      He swore under his breath. “Was it someone you knew?”

      “No.” She started to offer him a menu, then hesitated. “I don’t suppose you need this?”

      “No.”

      She tilted her head to one side. “Why do you come here every night?”

      “You asked me that before,” he reminded her with a faint grin. “Do you remember what I said?”

      A faint flush climbed up her neck and into her cheeks. “You said it was to see me, but that’s ridiculous. We don’t even know each other.”

      “I know you.” His voice was as dark as midnight, as deep as eternity.

      She had to swallow before she could find her voice again. “Shall I bring you anything?”

      “No need.”

      She laughed softly. “I’m beginning to think you’re some kind of eccentric character who likes to sit in diners and leave big tips.”

      “You have found me out, Victoria Cavendish.” He glanced past her. “I think the chef is trying to get your attention.”

      “What? Oh, I’d better go.” She turned to wave at Gus. When she looked back to where Antonio had been sitting, she saw a twenty dollar bill under the water glass, but he was gone.

      Vicki frowned. How had he gotten past her without her noticing? She had only glanced away for a few seconds.

      It was near closing time when another stranger entered the diner. He was a big man. Not just tall, but big, and built like a pro football player. He wore a pair of gray trousers and a white sports shirt open at the throat. But it wasn’t his size that caused her to notice him. There was something about him besides his size, something in the way his gaze moved over everyone in the place. She had the feeling he didn’t miss a thing.

      Pasting a smile on her face, she offered him a menu. “Can I bring you a cup of coffee?”

      “Black, thanks.” He wore his dark brown hair short. His eyes, also brown, were wary and old beyond his years. His hands were big and capable looking. A heavy gold cross on a thick gold chain hung from his neck. Turning away from the table, she found herself wondering what he did for a living. Something that required a lot of strength, she guessed.

      She returned with his coffee a few moments later. “So, what can I get you?”

      “Steak and fries.”

      She jotted it down on her pad. “How would you like your steak?”

      “Well done.”

      “Can I get you a salad to go with that?”

      “No, thanks.”

      “Gotcha.” She smiled at him again, a real smile this time, because he looked like he could use one. He smiled back and she realized that he wasn’t bad looking.

      “You’ve got pretty hair,” he remarked. “Is it natural?”

      She nodded, a sudden jolt of fear coursing through her. The murderer liked women with red hair.

      “I’d better turn your order in,” she said, and hurried away from the table.

      What should she do? Should she call Ned and Arnie? Maybe she was overreacting. Lots of men had remarked on the color of her hair. But there was a killer on the loose now, a killer whose victims had all been women with red hair and green eyes.

      When his order came up, Vicki took Bobbie Sue aside. “Remember that favor you owe me? Well, take this order to table four and finish my shift, will you, and we’ll call it square.”

      “Sure, girlfriend. Something wrong?”

      “No.” Vicki thrust the tray into Bobbie Sue’s hands. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

      Going into the back room, Vicki grabbed her coat, then opened the kitchen door. “Gus, I’m going home.”

      “You sick?”

      “No. Bobbie Sue’s going to cover for me for until closing. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

      “You sure everything’s okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

      “I’m sure. Night, Gus.”

      “G’night, kid.”

      Slipping into her coat, Vicki ducked out the back door into the parking lot.

      She was about to get into her car when a tingling down her spine warned her that she was no longer alone.

      “You should park out front,” a deep voice remarked. “Under a light.”

      She whirled around, her mind racing. Her keys. She could use them for a weapon if she had to. Or she could just scream. Someone in the diner would surely hear her. She wished that she had remembered to take Arnie’s advice and asked Gus to walk her out to her car.

      “No need to cause a scene,” the man said. “I just want to ask you a couple of questions.”

      It was the man from the diner. She clutched her keys tightly in one hand. “Questions about what?”

      “My name is Tom Duncan. I’m looking for someone. A man about five foot ten. Looks to be in his late thirties. Blond hair. Yellow eyes.”

      “Yellow eyes?”

      “Have you seen him?”

      “No. And believe me, I’d remember someone with yellow eyes. Are you a cop?”

      “No.”

      “Why are you looking for this guy?”

      “It’s personal.”

      “Well, I haven’t seen him. Good night, Mr. Duncan.”

      “Good night, ma’am. You’d best be more careful in the future. Try to park under a light, and keep your doors…”

      “Yes, I know. Keep my doors locked and don’t invite any strangers into the house.”

      The man’s gaze grew sharp. “Who told you that?”

      “Practically everybody. You, the police…an acquaintance of mine.”

      “Have any strangers approached you?”

      “Just you. Like I said, it’s not likely

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