The District Read online

  IN THE CITY BY THE BAY IT’LL TAKE TWO EXPERIENCED FBI AGENTS TO BRING AN END TO A SERIAL KILLER’S REIGN.

  The quicker Special Agent Christina Sandoval brings a serial killer to justice, the sooner she can get back to her daughter. Reason enough for the FBI to send her a partner—who also happens to be her ex-fiancé, Eric Brody.

  While Eric’s own kidnapping as a child has left him with a sense of justice that never failed, his relationship with Christina had. Now the deeper they dig into the current case, the more personal things get. Trying to capture an elusive killer who seems to know more about Christina than Brody ever did, they’ll both need to stop holding back. Or fall victim to this private war, waged without boundaries…

  Eric still had her by the waist where he’d grabbed her just as the car whooshed past them, spewing exhaust and burning rubber into the air.

  Christina had stumbled back against Eric’s chest, and he pulled her tightly against his body. “Are you okay?”

  “That was close.” Her voice shook and she cleared her throat. “What’s the matter with that guy? Didn’t he see us?”

  “He saw us, Christina.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest and her breath came out in short spurts. “That’s crazy. We’re the FBI, for God’s sake.”

  He held out his hand. “Do you want me to drive? Your hands are trembling.”

  She dropped the keys into his palm without a word. If he wanted to play the big, strong protector, who was she to argue?

  THE DISTRICT

  Carol Ericson

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Carol Ericson lives with her husband and two sons in Southern California, home of state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery, wild freeway chases, palm trees bending in the Santa Ana winds and a million amazing stories. These stories, along with hordes of virile men and feisty women, clamor for release from Carol’s head. It makes for some interesting headaches until she sets them free to fulfill their destinies and her readers’ fantasies. To find out more about Carol, her books and her strange headaches, please visit her website, www.carolericson.com, “Where romance flirts with danger.”

  Books by Carol Ericson

  HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

  1034—THE STRANGER AND I

  1079—A DOCTOR-NURSE ENCOUNTER

  1117—CIRCUMSTANTIAL MEMORIES

  1184—THE SHERIFF OF SILVERHILL

  1231—THE McCLINTOCK PROPOSAL

  1250—A SILVERHILL CHRISTMAS

  1267—NAVY SEAL SECURITY*

  1273—MOUNTAIN RANGER RECON*

  1320—TOP GUN GUARDIAN*

  1326—GREEN BERET BODYGUARD*

  1349—OBSESSION‡

  1355—EYEWITNESS‡

  1373—INTUITION‡

  1379—DECEPTION‡

  1409—RUN, HIDE**

  1415—CONCEAL, PROTECT**

  1450—TRAP, SECURE**

  1458—CATCH, RELEASE**

  1487—THE BRIDGEΔ

  1492—THE DISTRICTΔ

  *Brothers in Arms

  ‡Guardians of Coral Cove

  **Brothers in Arms: Fully Engaged

  ΔBrody Law

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Eric Brody—An FBI agent investigating a serial killer, he brings a lot of baggage to his job, including his kidnapping as a child and the suspicions surrounding his father. He may be strong enough to overcome all of that, but is he strong enough to work alongside his ex-fiancée without falling under her spell again?

  Christina Sandoval—She’s landed her dream assignment of working with the FBI’s serial killer unit, but the dream may become a nightmare when her current investigation brings her ex-fiancé and the father of her child back into her life…especially since Eric doesn’t know he’s a father.

  Kendall Brody—The toddler daughter of Christina and Eric might possess powers stronger than Christina’s own, but Christina has no intention of finding out how much more powerful.

  Octavio Sandoval—Christina’s father is a brujo, but are his powers enough to save her, or will they be the instrument of her demise?

  Vivi Sandoval—Christina’s half sister is more involved in the witchcraft of their heritage than Christina, and when she goes into hiding from a killer she urges Christina to do the same.

  Libby Rivers—The owner of an occult bookshop in the Haight-Ashbury district, she may know more about the killer than she’s willing to share.

  Nigel Ashford—An old hippie and denizen of the Haight-Ashbury district, he inhabits the perimeter of the occult world. But will he do anything, including murder, to be a full-fledged member?

  Darius Cole—Vivi’s friend is worried about her and is desperately trying to find her, but if Vivi doesn’t trust him, why should Christina?

  Liz Fielding—The serial killer’s first victim has a strange connection to Eric Brody’s kidnapping as a child, which makes Eric believe the trauma of his past is connected to his current case.

  Marie Giardano—The SFPD records keeper has seen a lot in her thirty-five years with the department and she has her own suspicions about the Brody tragedy, but she’s afraid to share them.

  For Deputy Chief Greg Huber,

  one of my many go-to guys for research

  Contents

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Nine times out of ten a dead body will win a staring contest.

  Christina blinked and looked away from the lifeless eyes of the twentysomething vic, a gruesome slash across her throat, a tarot card shoved between her stiff fingers.

  Tarot cards—Christina knew a thing or two about them. She would’ve expected death on his white horse in this case, but the killer had left the maiden and the lion, an indicator of strength.

  Her gaze shifted away from the body and skimmed the trees, their leaves rustling with impatience. “Has anyone checked the surrounding area yet?”

  Lieutenant Fitch with the San Francisco P.D. waved his pale hand. “You go right ahead, Agent Sandoval.”

  She ground her back teeth together, adjusted her shoulder holster and tromped toward the tree line. If not for that tarot card, she wouldn’t even be here.

  The dense nature preserve enveloped her in a cool embrace, muting the voices of the crime scene investigators in the trail behind her. The weak San Francisco sun, still shrugging off the fog, penetrated the foliage in wisps and strands, throwing a beam of light here and dappled shadows there.

  She inhaled the scent of eucalyptus, which cleared her senses and ramped up her adrenaline. The murder victim had been jogging on the trail either early this morning or sometime last night. The predator had surprised her, flying at her like an animal on the prowl—lying in wait.

  Her nostrils flared and she scanned the underbrush. Lying in wait. He must’ve been watching, waiting for his prey.

  Hunching forward, she crept farther into the darkness, her footfalls silenced by nature’s carpet ben
eath her, the strands of a willow brushing her face. She veered to the right, aligning herself with the body on the trail.

  She cranked her head over her shoulder and detected flashes of color and movement from the cops and techs milling around the vic. He could’ve seen her coming from here, but would’ve had no time to prepare his attack.

  She looked up. A live oak tree towered a few feet in front of her. She approached it, studying the ground around the base of the trunk. Something had disturbed the leaves layered on the dirt, but plenty of creatures roamed this area—not just the two-legged, deadly kind.

  She reached out, running her hand down the rough bark that scratched her fingers. Here and there she traced smooth areas of the trunk where pieces of bark had broken away from the old tree.

  Stretching her arms out, she wedged her palms against the tree trunk and hung her head between her arms. She closed her eyes.

  The subtle sounds of nature came to life—the rustle of a bird’s wings, the creak of a branch, the scurrying of an insect across a log.

  And then it slammed into her chest. The evil. She felt it like a palpable curtain dropping around her, smothering her. He’d been here.

  She jerked her head up, her eyes narrowing. She shed her jacket and secured her weapon in her holster. The bark of the tree chaffed her palms as she grabbed the first branch with both hands. She hoisted herself up and planted the rubber soles of her practical shoes against the trunk. Walking up the tree trunk, she lunged for the next branch and then swung her legs over the side of it.

  Straddling the branch, she could just see over the top of the lower bushes and trees that bordered the jogging trail. She pulled herself into a crouch and reached for the next branch that curved against the trunk—a natural seat, a window on the world.

  She nestled her back against the trunk, her legs hanging over the side of the branch. Lieutenant Fitch came into view, pointing and gesturing with his hands—which she’d noticed before were sprinkled with red hair—basically running the show.

  Farther down the trail a clutch of people crowded against the yellow police tape, all leaning toward the crime scene like magnets drawn to some irresistible force.

  She got it. The same morbid curiosity had propelled her into a job with a special serial killer unit within the FBI. She’d been fascinated with these crimes ever since she’d followed the Phone Book Killer case at the tender age of twelve.

  She shivered—that fascination, along with an uncanny ability to empathize with both the killers and their victims, drove her to this work. She didn’t really empathize with the killers, but for some reason she could tune in to their thought processes. Not that she’d ever told anyone that before—anyone but Eric.

  And that had been a colossal mistake.

  She sat up straighter on the branch and peered at the trail beyond the spectators. He would’ve seen her coming from this vantage point. Would’ve been able to jump from his lookout post and intercept her on the trail, introducing her to the sharp edge of his knife.

  She took a deep breath. Was that artificial smell among the natural elements cologne? Tobacco?

  She reached for the branch above her to lean forward and scope out the ground. Her fingers collided with the smooth edge of a card. She snatched her hand away, curled one leg beneath her and slowly rose from her seated position.

  Someone had shoved another tarot card in the crack of some mottled bark. She pulled a tissue from her pocket. Pinching the card between two tissue-covered fingers, she plucked it from its hiding place. She turned the card over.

  The fool.

  Her nerve endings buzzed with curiosity and excitement. Again, she would’ve expected the death card. Instead, he’d left the card for strength and the fool.

  Had this tarot card been at the two other crime scenes and they’d missed it? What was he trying to tell them?

  She huffed out a breath. If her mother had allowed her to continue down the path her father wanted to carve for her, she’d probably understand this killer’s message.

  Christina pulled an evidence baggie from her pocket and dropped the card inside. She scanned her perch for anything else the killer may have left behind—threads, hair, more tarot cards.

  Nothing jumped out at her, not even those vague feelings that sometimes insinuated themselves into her psyche. Once she’d found the killer’s perch, she’d readied herself for a rush of feelings, feelings that often made her nauseous. This time she’d only experienced the taste of evil at the base of the tree.

  She brushed away the trickle of sweat at her hairline and lowered herself back to the ground. She swept her jacket up from the carpet of mulch and froze.

  A twig cracked again.

  She jerked her head in the direction of the sound. Her gaze darted between the branches and leaves of the dense foliage. She held her breath. The entire park held its breath, too, waiting for someone to make a move.

  “Agent Sandoval?”

  The interloper crashing through the trees behind her set the forest in motion. Birds took flight, scattering leaves in their haste. A squirrel scurried up the tree trunk, pausing to blink at her with its bright, challenging eyes. The trees took up their groaning and creaking once more.

  Christina turned, holding out her hands, palms up. “Careful there, cowboy. I’ve probably already done enough damage here.”

  “Ma’am?” The officer cocked his head, looking all of twelve.

  “Call me Christina.” She pinched the evidence baggie between two fingers and wiggled it in front of her. “Another tarot card. I think our killer scoped out the victim from this tree.”

  The cop’s mouth dropped open as he took a step back. “I’ll get the lieutenant and have him send the CSI guys out here. Did you find anything else?”

  “Nope, just the card.” And one helluva creepy feeling. Somehow she knew Lieutenant Fitch would dismiss any and all creepy feelings, so she’d keep them to herself. She always did.

  She followed the broad blue-clad back through the trees, back to the running trail. The young cop was already hopping from foot to foot in front of Lieutenant Fitch and gesturing with his hands.

  Fitch gazed over his officer’s shoulder and narrowed his eyes as Christina emerged into the clearing. Did he think she’d planted the evidence? As FBI, she’d worked with resentful detectives before, and Fitch seemed to be taking his place among them.

  If she hadn’t already been here due to the previous tarot card murder, Fitch probably wouldn’t have bothered contacting the FBI about this one.

  She plastered on her sweetest smile and waved the plastic bag. “How about that, Lieutenant? Looks like our boy stationed himself in one tall tree, staking out his next victim.”

  “Let me see that.” He snapped his fingers and held out his hand.

  She dropped the evidence baggie into his palm. “Another tarot card—the fool this time. Those cards mean something to him. He’s leaving us a message.”

  The cop swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his thin neck. “Maybe he’s a fortune-teller?”

  Fitch practically growled at him. “Go get some more yellow tape and tell CSI the crime scene’s just been extended.”

  Christina called after the hunched shoulders. “You might be on to something, Officer.”

  The lieutenant snapped his reddish brows together. “Don’t encourage him. He’s just a rookie on patrol. I can assure you, Agent Sandoval, you’re not dealing with some hick department.”

  “This is San Francisco. I never thought I was, Lieutenant.” She turned her head and covered her mouth with her hand. Inferiority complex much? “Can you tell me anything more about the murder?”

  “Without an autopsy, it’s what we suspected at first—severe head trauma followed by the slitting of the throat.”

  “Blunt object?”

&n
bsp; “Yep.”

  “He must be incapacitating them with the blow to the head, which then allows him to cut their throats.”

  “Victim lost a lot of blood.”

  “Just like Liz Fielding and the one up in Portland.”

  “At least he’s consistent.”

  “Except for this.” She flicked the bag he still held in his hand. “Unless we missed something at those other crime scenes.”

  “Is this going to send you back up to Portland, Agent Sandoval?”

  She tossed her ponytail over one shoulder. “Why? Trying to get rid of me, Lieutenant Fitch?”

  “Naw, we love it when the fibbies come around and trample all over our procedures and protocol.”

  Arching one eyebrow, she said, “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

  “You’re all right, so far, Agent Sandoval. We’ve just had a few bad experiences with you boys...ah, folks.”

  “You can start by calling me Christina, and I’m not here to trample over your procedures and protocol. I’m here to find a killer and get some justice for these victims. I hope that’s your objective, too, Lieutenant Fitch.”

  He thrust out his hand. “Call me Charlie.”

  “Done deal, Charlie. Now let’s nail this SOB.”

  * * *

  “I MISS YOU, Kendall. Be a good girl for G-Ma.” Christina blew kisses at the laptop until her mother’s face filled the screen.

  “I’m taking her to the park today. What are you doing? Are you going to stay in the city? At least you’re not too far away this time. You can pop in for a visit.”

  “With this third murder, I’ll be here for at least another week, but it looks like I need to go back to Portland for some further investigation.”

  Her mother ran a hand through her still-lustrous dark hair streaked with silver. “I wish you’d take some nice desk job and settle down. Kendall needs a father and some stability.”

  Christina put a hand over her heart where the guilt stabbed her. “Kendall has a father and right now you’re providing the stability, Mom. After this case, I’m planning on doing more profile work. Believe me, I’ll be spending lots of time at my desk.”