Ring Around the Rosie (An Olivia Thompson Mystery Book 1) Read online

  “It’s important to remember, these types of murderers follow a pattern. They kill the way they do for a reason. Nothing about their crimes is random, or coincidental.” Olivia had stopped pacing and glanced at the clock. Her time was almost up. She looked back at the class and her eyes found Nate. A sparkle lit up her eyes as she smiled at him. “Midterms are due in two weeks, guys. I’d advise you to start on those soon if you haven’t already. Or at least start searching the internet for the paper you want to buy. Pickings will get slimmer if you don’t act soon.”

  The class laughed at Olivia’s joke and she shuffled the papers on the podium. Nate stayed in his seat as most of the class lumbered past, several of them startled by the presence of the old guy in a suit.

  A few students milled about the front of the room, asking Olivia questions and just generally basking in her presence. Nate didn’t have a lot of time to waste, so he pushed out of the lecture seat and slowly approached the front of the room.

  Olivia was listening to a scrawny kid dressed in all black as he questioned her about convenience killers. He seemed very pleased with himself when Olivia nodded. “That’s a great question, Mark.”

  Nate’s lips twitched up in a smile when Olivia glanced in his direction. “In fact, Detective Tucker could probably answer your question even better than myself.”

  “Could I?” Nate noted that the emo guy was glowering at him. “Professor Thompson is being generous. I rarely know the answer to any question, as I’m sure my college transcripts will show.”

  “Mark was just asking whether it’s easier to catch a killer of convenience than other types of killers. Care to weigh in?” Olivia smirked at Nate.

  “In my experience, the only killers that are easy to catch are the stupid ones.” He turned to Mark. “Feel free to quote me on that in your midterm.”

  Olivia stifled a groan. “Please, refrain from listening to the Detective. He has a terrible sense of humor.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be funny,” Nate protested.

  “We’ll pick this up in the next class, hm?” Olivia was experienced at dismissing clingy students. They reluctantly left the room and Mark glanced over his shoulder several times on his way out.

  “You have an admirer,” Nate observed. “Cute.”

  “Why are you here, Nate?” Olivia was immune to Nate’s charming smile. She’d been friends with him long enough to know when something was bothering him.

  “Can’t I just visit my best friend?” Nate settled into one of the seats in the front row.

  “You’ve never popped in on one of my classes. You didn’t even go to class when you were actually enrolled, so I find it a little hard to believe you would stop by just for fun.” Olivia stared down at him with her unblinking blue eyes and the smile slipped from his face. He would’ve given anything to protect Olivia from what he had to say.

  “I got called in on a new case today.” Nate gestured to the seat next to him. “Maybe you should sit.”

  “Damn it, Nate. What is it?” Olivia’s voice cracked.

  Nate leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “A young girl was murdered.”

  “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be, oh I don’t know, doing your job?” Olivia crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at Nate. It was like she knew what he was about to say and she was bracing for impact.

  “The girl was eighteen-years-old. Her head was bashed in and she was dumped in Randolph Park just down the road.” Nate and Olivia stared at one another. Nate saw the fear that was building in her eyes. He took a deep breath before he said, “Her hands were folded on her stomach, Olivia.”

  Olivia blinked rapidly. “And?” she whispered.

  “And a single rose had been placed in her hands,” Nate finished. “Just like…” he trailed off.

  Olivia let out her breath in a whoosh of air. “Just like Rosie.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  It had been a long time since Olivia had felt like her lungs had been sucked out of her chest. It had been fifteen years, in fact. But this time, Nate was there to catch her when her legs buckled. He eased her to the ground and then sat next to her.

  “You’re going to get your suit dirty,” she said, her mouth completely dry.

  “Bubba will be thrilled.” Nate patted Olivia on the back awkwardly.

  “Bubba?”

  “My dry cleaner,” Nate said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

  In spite of everything, Olivia laughed. “Your dry cleaner is named Bubba?”

  “You’re awfully judgmental today.” Nate’s smile was forced.

  Olivia wanted to say something that would make things between them less tense, but she had to know about the girl. “Who was she, Nate?”

  Nate glanced nervously toward the open door. “We haven’t notified the family yet. Let’s go to your office.”

  Nate pulled Olivia to her shaky feet and led the way to her office. It was more of a closet, really. It was only her second year teaching at Randolph University and she hadn’t been upgraded to the real offices yet. But she had enough room for a desk, some bookshelves and a couple of chairs.

  She sank heavily into the nearest chair while Nate perched on the edge of her desk.

  “Her name was Karen Collins.” Nate watched Olivia closely for her reaction. He shifted on the desk and Olivia caught a glimpse of his gun. She found it comforting.

  “Should I know that name?” Olivia didn’t like the way Nate was looking at her.

  “Maybe.” He regarded her carefully. “She was registered for your Intro to Criminal Psychology class last year.”

  Olivia sucked in a sharp breath. “She was one of my students?”

  Nate nodded. His eyes roamed the room and settled somewhere just above Olivia’s head. “You don’t remember her?”

  “No.” Olivia felt her brow furrow as she dug dipper into her brain for any recollection of the name Karen Collins. “I have 300 students in a semester, Nate. If she was in one of my smaller classes, I would know her. But Criminal Psychology has over 100 students in it.”

  “It’s okay, Liv. You don’t have to explain it to me. I get it.” Nate’s eyes dropped until they locked on hers.

  “You think there’s a connection.” Olivia had figured out why Nate was sitting in her office instead of investigating the murder. “What are you thinking exactly, Nate?

  “The body was positioned identically to Rosie’s, Liv. Down to the rose in her hand, and the ligature marks around her wrists.” Nate moved over to the seat next to Olivia and leaned close. “That information was never released to the public. No one knew about that except your family, the police and the killer.”

  “You think Rosie’s murderer is back?” Olivia shivered as a chill shot down her spine. “And you think the fact that his newest victim was one of my students isn’t just a coincidence?”

  “You just said it yourself back in the lecture hall,” Nate reminded her. “With serial murderers, nothing is a coincidence.”

  Olivia felt another tremor dart through her body. “Am I in danger, Nate?” she asked in a barely audible voice.

  Nate reached over and took her hand between his. “I don’t know, Olivia. But try not to worry. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  It took Olivia almost an hour to convince Nate that he should head back to work. She had another lecture to lead, and Nate needed to find a serial killer. He reluctantly agreed to leave, but only after Olivia promised to let him stop by her place after work. That likely meant she would have to cook him dinner, too, but she was pretty much used to that.

  She was distracted during her lecture and it showed. At one point, she accidentally said that Marilyn Manson was responsible for Helter Skelter rather than Charles Manson. The class laughed, but to Olivia it was a pretty big sign that she should wrap up class early. She didn’t even stay to answer questions, but headed directly outside and into a cab. She was home in less than ten minutes.

  “Ros
ie! You better be floating around here somewhere,” she called out as she tossed her keys onto the entry table and kicked off her heels. “We really need to talk.”

  Olivia had never figured out how the whole Rosie ghost thing worked. Rosie just showed up, but only when Olivia was alone. Sometimes Olivia would call out to her and she would appear, but other times nothing happened. Olivia had no idea what to expect this time, but she was desperate to talk to her sister.

  “You don’t have to shout.” Rosie was resting comfortably on Olivia’s bed. “Bad day at work?”

  “Something like that.” Olivia frowned at her ghost sister, and flopped onto the bed next to her. “I have something to tell you that you aren’t going to like.”

  “You’re getting a roommate?” Rosie guessed.

  “No. But Nate is coming over tonight so please behave.” While Rosie never made an appearance when someone else was present, she did like to exert her ghostly influence every now and then. When Nate was around, that usually meant dimming some lights, or switching on the radio to a soft rock station. Nate was convinced that Olivia’s place was haunted, and Olivia had a hard time not telling him that he was right.

  “I will be on my best behavior. Cross my heart.” Rosie drew a cross over her chest with one pale finger. “Assuming I have a heart. I don’t know. Do ghosts have hearts?”

  “We have more important things to discuss, Rose.” Olivia stared at the ceiling. The paint was looking a little dingy and she wondered if she could convince Nate to do some painting for her. He was actually quite handy for a pretty boy. “Nate paid me a visit at school today.”

  “He doesn’t usually do that, does he?” Rosie’s eyes flickered. She knew something was up.

  “No, he doesn’t. But it was important.” Olivia took a deep breath and said, “A girl was murdered last night. Her body was left in the park with her head bashed in and rope marks around her wrists.”

  Rosie bolted upright. “What about the rose?”

  “Yes, she had a rose tucked into her hand.”

  “He’s back,” Rosie hissed. Her eyes were wide with fright.

  “It’s okay, Rosie. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Olivia was surprised by Rosie’s reaction. She had expected her to be upset, but Rosie looked downright fearful.

  “I’m not worried about myself, Olivia,” she said with a defiant toss of her hair. “If he’s killing again, why Chicago? It’s a long way from where I was murdered. Unless…”

  Rosie grabbed Olivia’s arm with her ice cold ghost hand. She had just realized what Nate had thought from the very beginning. “Is he here because of you, Olivia?”

  Olivia tried not to look scared as she said, “Maybe. Nate seems to think so.”

  “You have to let Nate protect you,” Rosie declared with a fierce nod of her head. “He carries a gun. He’s tough. Nate can keep you safe.”

  “He will, Rosie. Don’t worry.” Olivia had convinced herself that Nate was just being paranoid by assuming that Olivia was somehow the ultimate target of the new murder. But seeing Rosie’s reaction, she was glad Nate would be spending the night. “Rosie, are you sure you don’t remember anything about your killer?”

  It was a topic they had been over hundreds of times, and the answer never changed. Rosie’s lips pressed into a thin line as she said, “No, Olivia. I don’t remember anything. He hit me from behind, remember?”

  “I remember.” Olivia tried not to think about the image of Rosie’s head being bashed in. “Sorry, I had to ask.”

  “I know.” Rosie actually smiled. “Don’t worry. I still love you.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Olivia returned the smile. “I still love you, too, Rose. Even if you are just a figment of my imagination and I’m completely insane.”

  FIFTEEN YEARS EARLIER - MONDAY

  “Did you take my blue sweater?” Rosie didn’t bother knocking before barging into her sister’s room. She was already running late for school.

  “What? No.” Olivia scowled at her. “It would never fit me anyway. Your boobs are so much bigger than mine.”

  Rosie ignored her and opened the closet door. “Maybe Mom put it in your closet by mistake.”

  “Maybe you lost it just like you always lose everything.” Olivia was busy shoving books into her schoolbag. “You need to finish getting dressed. We’re already late.”

  “This is so annoying!” Rosie said, slamming the closet door. She didn’t even like that blue sweater, but she knew it looked good on her. She needed to look her best today because the school would be voting for Homecoming Queen.

  Olivia calmly said, “Why don’t you wear that pink top with the V-neck. That color looks really good on you.”

  “I guess that will work.” Rosie turned to leave. “Thanks, Olive.”

  “Anytime, Rose.”

  She had thought that would be her only meltdown of the day. But when she got to school, she noticed a familiar motorcycle parked at the street. Rosie hurried to lock her car and nearly jogged toward the school.

  “What’s wrong?” Olivia asked, hurrying behind her.

  “Nothing. We’re just way late.” Rosie glanced over her shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed.

  She didn’t start to relax until they were safely inside. Olivia hurried off in the direction of her first class while Rosie strolled to her locker. She didn’t really care if she was late to class or not.

  “I thought you weren’t going to show.” Dylan was waiting for her, leaning against her locker. His dark hair hung in its usual messy waves. Rosie loved to run her fingers through his hair.

  “Wardrobe malfunction,” Rosie explained, grinning at him. Even after dating six months, she still got butterflies in her stomach whenever he was around. “You waited for me.”

  “I walk you to class in the morning. That’s my thing.” He stepped aside so that she could open her locker. “Besides, you have my Trig homework and I need to turn it in this morning.”

  Rosie smacked a hand to her forehead. “Right! I almost forgot.”

  “You know, cheaters only cheat themselves,” Dylan said with a smirk.

  “Only the kids that are dumb enough to do their own work think that,” Rosie replied, handing him the homework. “Ready?”

  Dylan took her hand as they walked down the hallway. Most of their fellow classmates were already inside the rooms. Only a few stragglers were still roaming the hall.

  “We should talk about plans for Saturday night,” Dylan said. “What time should I pick you up?”

  “Early,” Rosie said. “We can go to The Spot before we go to the dance.”

  Dylan grinned. “You are the best girlfriend ever.”

  The Spot was a secret place where teenagers in Mercy went for some private time. Rosie and Dylan went there almost every weekend.

  “Of course I am,” she agreed. “That’s why you love me.”

  “I do,” he said urgently. “I love you.”

  Rosie was surprised at his intensity. “I know you do. I love you, too.”

  “Good.” He nodded to the door. “We’re here. You should hurry inside before the bell rings.”

  She hesitated in the doorway, just as the bell rang. “Will you wait for me after school and walk me to my car?”

  Dylan froze, then nodded slowly. “Of course. I’ll always wait for you.”

  Rosie kissed him quickly, offered him one last smile, and hurried to her seat.

  It was Rosie’s last Monday alive.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “No more shots, Nate. I mean it.” Olivia pushed away the shot glass the waitress placed in front of her.

  “It’s Friday night, Olivia. Have some fun for a change.” Nate slammed his own shot of whiskey. It had been a hard week. He and Vince had been working around the clock investigating Karen Collin’s murder, but so far they had nothing to go on.

  Karen’s family hadn’t talked to her in a week. It wasn’t uncommon for them to go for a couple of weeks without speaking. Karen was immers
ed in her new college life. Nate had spent the day on campus questioning Karen’s friends, but none of them had anything new to offer. Karen’s roommate hadn’t spent the night in their dorm room since Sunday and the few friends she did have hadn’t known her long enough to know if she had any enemies.

  The real problem, though, was that Nate suspected Karen’s killer hadn’t really known her at all. It seemed much more likely that Karen had simply crossed the killer’s path right when he happened to be looking for a victim.

  “I would probably have more fun if my sister’s murderer wasn’t hanging around campus.” Olivia took a long swig of her beer.

  Nate couldn’t argue with that. “I guess it is good you’ll be getting out of town then.”

  “It would be better if I was going somewhere besides Mercy.” Olivia scrunched her nose in distaste. Mercy, Ohio, was Olivia’s hometown. Nate had heard about the town for years but had never actually been there. “It would also be better if I wasn’t being forced to attend Camilla’s wedding.”

  “It won’t be that bad.” Nate thought Olivia was being a bit dramatic. She saw her family maybe once every three years and always made a big production of it.

  “You met Camilla, Nate. You know I’m not exaggerating.” Olivia flagged down the waitress and asked for the check.

  “Oh that’s right. I tried to block that out.” Nate had met Olivia’s cousin one month earlier when she was in town for her bachelorette party. He had to admit, Olivia wasn’t being overly dramatic. “Did she ever find the dozen doves she wanted for after the ceremony?”

  “Who knows and who cares. You’re not going to back out on me, are you, Nater?” Olivia smiled sweetly and batted her eyes.

  Nate could never say no to Olivia when she smiled at him like that. “Of course not. You know I’ve been dying to visit Mercy- birthplace of the great Olivia Thompson.”