She handed it to him. He chuckled when he read it. “Well, we can put you back in if you want.”

River held her hand out for the notebook.

He shook his head. “No, not yet. Before you fill the pages of my notebook with angry retorts, hear me out. You would have done the same thing for me, and you know it. The truth is, I went in the water and grabbed onto the chest. There were two other officers who followed me in and the three of us were able to get you to shore. I couldn’t have done it by myself. They deserve the credit. If you want, I can track them down and you can write nasty comments to them too.”

Despite herself, River smiled. Then she shook her head. This time when she reached for the notebook, he gave it to her.

I almost didn’t make it?

He took it back. “Yes, that’s true. I performed CPR after we got you out of that chest and on the shore. Kept it up until the ambulance showed up. That’s when the EMTs took over. You . . . you had no pulse for a while. By the time they got you to the hospital, they’d revived you. Then you had to be treated for hypothermia. They were very concerned because you’d stopped breathing for a while. The doctors were also worried about brain damage, but I told them you’d always been a little off.”

So, seeing Jesus wasn’t a dream. It was real. Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t being serious.”

Tony looked so stricken, River fought back a laugh that definitely would have hurt too much. She shook her head. And wrote Something happened to me after I stopped breathing. I’ll tell you about it later. It was wonderful.

“I was so frightened at first.” He took her hand again. “What if I’d lost you?” he said. “I prayed like I’d never prayed before. But then I remembered the Scriptures we’d quoted before you left. And I felt so much peace.”

River smiled at him and wrote, I did too. God was with me the entire time.

“I know He was.”

River reached for the notepad again and wrote, Did they get him?

Tony took the notepad. “Yes,” he said. “They did. He took out a gun and pointed it at the police and they shot him. Thankfully, he didn’t die. I want him to spend the rest of his miserable life in prison.”

River grabbed the notebook. Prescott is the Strangler. Not Baker.

Tony nodded. “We know. He’s pretty proud of himself. About how he fooled us—until he didn’t. Thing is, now he’ll have a long time to think about how we beat him. How he lost. With his ego, that will cause him more suffering than anything else.” He frowned at her. “We’ll have to testify. I know you probably don’t want to do that.”

River grinned and took back the notepad. Are you kidding? I can hardly wait. I want to see his smug face when he realizes he’s going to spend the rest of his days thinking about us.

After reading what she wrote, Tony said, “I keep telling myself that God loves him too. We need to remember that. Maybe we should . . .”

“Not yet,” River said, her voice cracking under the pain and the emotion. “I know we have to forgive him, but I’m gonna have to work on that a bit.”

“That’s only fair,” Tony said. “Now stop talking.”

River grinned and took the notepad back. When we get back to the office, I want to see if we can discover the identity of the man who was found dead next to the railroad tracks, okay?

When Tony read what she’d written, he laughed. “Why don’t we see if April wants that one. If not, I’m all in.”

She took the pad from him. Maybe we could work on it together. If April’s interested, I think we should hire her. What do you think?

When he took the notepad, he nodded. “I think that’s a great idea, but I’m not sure we can get another desk in that office. We may have to move to a bigger space. Arnie says that after it gets out that we caught the Salt River Strangler, we’ll be turning business away. I think we can afford a building of our own. Is that okay with you?”

River nodded. Then she put her hands out for the notebook one last time. She wrote, When I woke up, I wanted nothing more than to tell you how much I love you. I may not be able to talk right now, but there is something else I can do.

Tony read her words and smiled. “I think I know what that might be.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “We have a lot of years to talk, I guess.”

“And a lot of years for this too,” River whispered. Then she pulled him close and kissed him again.

Note from

the Author

Dear Reader,

I hope you’ve enjoyed this book. I try hard to write stories that will entertain you, but even more importantly, I pray that something I’ve written will touch your heart. If you find yourself relating to my characters who struggle with fear, loneliness, and sorrow, just like the rest of us, I want to give you some good news. God has the answer to every problem you face, and He loves you with a love that is deep, eternal, and boundless. If you’ve never asked him into your life, you can take care of that today. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). Below is a prayer you can use to change your life forever.

“Lord Jesus, I turn to You in my time of need. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. Lord, I receive You as my Savior, and I want You to be my Lord. Wash me clean with Your blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow You the rest of my life. Amen.”

If you’ve prayed this prayer, will you let me know? You can contact me through my website, NancyMehl.com. Please find a good local church where you can become part of a family that will help you on your journey. May God bless you abundantly.

Acknowledgments

My thanks to the amazing Jessica Sharpe, who makes my books better. I’m so glad you’re my editor.

Thank you to Susan Downs, whose wisdom guides me through each and every book. Thank you for your years of support and encouragement.

Thanks to Kate Jameson, who catches my mistakes and keeps me out of trouble. I appreciate your kindness and patience.

To Donita Corman, who helped me through Cold Threat. Thank you for introducing me to Burlington, Iowa. It was a great place to set that story. I couldn’t have written it without you. I’m so glad we’re friends. You inspire me.

Thank you also to Supervisory Special Agent Drucilla Wells (Retired), Federal Bureau of Investigations, Behavioral Analysis Unit. Without your help, none of these profiler books would have happened.

My appreciation to Retired Police Officer Darin Hickey. Your help is invaluable to me.

Most of all, my thanks to God, who allows me to write. I pray You will speak to the people who need You through my books. I love you. You are everything.

CHAPTER ONE

Erin stood in the street outside a large, dirty brick building that housed too many people in small rooms with mold-infested walls. Human beings should not live like this. And tonight, some no longer were.

She felt something on her shoes and looked down. The street was beginning to flood. The nearby streetlight flickered, and she suddenly realized she was standing in blood—dark, thick, gooey. She wanted to run, but her feet were stuck. She couldn’t move.

“Erin!” someone yelled. “Erin!”

She looked up and saw her partner, Scott, standing several yards away. She could barely make him out through a strange fog that swirled around them, but it was obvious he was struggling. He held his arms out toward her.

“Erin, save me. You’re my partner. You’re supposed to have my back.”

She watched in horror as the same crimson flood that held her fast swept him away. She fought as hard as she could to reach him, but it was impossible.

“Scott,” she called out to him. “Scott!”