anything about this?â
Ally examined it. âMy friend Soo-Lin could. She and I occasionally saw an Indonesian girl at the university wearing a tight-fitting lace blouse like this with a long skirt. I remember she called it a kebaya.â
Luckey nodded to the older man, who carried a pair of scissors. He cut a three-by-three-inch swatch from the backs of both outfits. âThere you go.â He returned the clothes to the boxes and walked out with them and the glove carton.
The Ranger wore a satisfied expression. âIâve got my samples.â
âI didnât know you could do that to evidence.â
âYou canât.â
Ally averted her eyes. âUnless youâre you.â Because he was the best of the best.
âThe next thing I need to do is track down these materials. I canât thank you enough for what youâve done.â
âI feel the same way about you working on this case, so weâre even.â Donât just sit here, Ally. She checked her watch. âIâd better get going.â
He pulled a business card from his pocket. After writing a phone number on the back, he handed it to her. âRing me at either number if any other thoughts come to your mind that could help this case.â
âI will, I promise.â
The card with his cell phone number burned a hole in her palm. She hurried out of the office to the car, and once safely inside, looked at the card in detail. When working on a case, did he give everyone who helped him his cell number?
She drove away wishing heâd made some suggestion about seeing her again. A man like him came along only once in a lifetime. But even if he was free to date, what were the odds of him pursuing her while he was in deep, looking for a possible serial killer?
When she got home, Ally went upstairs to her room. Her parents were out, which made it the perfect time to write a letter to Soo-Lin. After grabbing a notebook and pen, Ally stretched out on her bed to read her friendâs letter again before answering it. When she came to the part about Yu Tan, a cold, clammy sensation crept through her body, making her feel ill.
Three weeks ago their sixteen-year-old daughter, Yu Tan, didnât come home from school. One of her friends said she ran off with a man from a disco club in the city, where she often went dancing without permission. I donât believe it. Yu Tan is a sweet, well-brought-up young woman with plans to make the Olympic team and go to college. Sheâs won all kinds of awards in gymnastics.
As Ally continued to read Soo-Linâs concerns about Yu Tanâs disappearance, that sickness grew, until she slid off the bed to look for her purse. Inside was the card Luckey had given her with his phone number.
Maybe there was no connection between the words sheâd just read and the case that Luckey was working on, but she needed to get his permission to discuss this with her parents. The news in Soo-Linâs letter had struck too close to home.
* * *
L UCKEY LEFT THE morgue with the swatches of material in his pocket and headed for the office. On his way down the hall he was relieved to see Cy coming out of the lunchroom with a mug of coffee. There was no one heâd rather talk with about this case than him. âRanger Vance, as I live and breathe!â
Cy saw him and grinned. âWhere have you been for the last couple of weeks?â
âYou donât want to hear about it.â
âActually, I already did. TJ spread the word that you nailed those three felons. Grab some coffee and come in my office so we can play catch-up.â
Luckey didnât need to be persuaded. In less than a minute he was sitting across from Cy at his friendâs desk and sipping the hot liquid. âHowâs the baby?â
âSheâs a heartbreaker, like Kellie.â
âAnother champion barrel racer?â
âMaybe.â He eyed Luckey. âBut the important
Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian