‘I figured you didn’t do cream or sugar.’ ‘You figured right.’ He takes the drink nearest him. ‘Matthews said good things about you.’ She takes it as a thawing of the ice. ‘Nice to know. He mention anything about a raise, promotion or early retirement?’ Carter almost smiles. ‘Not that I heard. Jordan’s illness has come at a bad time.’ ‘For him or for you?’ ‘Both. I’m not as cold as I look. He may be a drunk but he was a better cop than most. Jay gave a hundred per cent effort a hundred per cent of the time. Point is, our killer is due. Overdue for that matter.’ ‘You know I’m still working the Tamara Jacobs case?’ ‘Matthews said. Out-of-town hit by the sound of it. Help me out on this – really help me out – and I’ll give you men and brains to clear up your file.’ ‘Deal.’ Carter reaches behind and grabs two handfuls of manila files. ‘Forensics, psych profiles and crime pattern analysis on the Creeper. Read and digest.’ ‘You said he was overdue.’ ‘Kill pattern shrank from nine months to six, then to three.
