The Seventh Victim Read Online Free PDF Page A

resemble a classic fifties diner. The waitresses were young and wore matching pink T-shirts that said THE RIVER DINER.
    Beck ordered a burger, fries, and a soda and asked for the owner. The waitress hesitated and eyed him carefully for a moment and then left.
    Minutes later a man approached him. Early forties with dark black hair and olive skin, he wore the same T-shirt as the waitstaff, but grease and flour stains covered his. “I hear you wanted to see me.”
    Beck rose. “Sergeant Jim Beck with the Texas Rangers.”
    “Mack Rivers.” He wiped his hands on his kitchen apron. “Does this have to do with Gretchen?”
    “It does.” Beck nodded toward the booth seat across from him and waited until Rivers sat.
    “Did you find her?”
    “I believe we have.”
    Rivers shoved out a breath. “This isn’t good news.”
    “No, sir. We found her body early this morning.”
    Rivers sat back as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “What happened?”
    “She was strangled.”
    “What?” He shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
    “No, sir, news like this never does.” He pulled a pad from his breast pocket. “She have any boyfriends or family that you know of?”
    Mack’s face paled as he fully absorbed Beck’s news. “No. Said she didn’t have time for a boyfriend. She was either working here or going to school.”
    “What about patrons or any guy that might’ve been giving her a hard time?”
    “Everybody liked Gretchen. Sweet kid.” Mack rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to distract himself from strong emotions.
    “Where’d she go to school?”
    “UT here in Austin.”
    “She have close friends?”
    Rivers pinched the bridge of his nose as if fighting tears. “Everybody liked Gretchen. She was a good, hardworking kid. Are you sure it’s her?”
    “The picture you sent to Austin Missing Persons matches the victim we have at the morgue. We’ll match fingerprints and dental records to seal the deal, but I don’t anticipate surprises.”
    He dug his fingers through his hair. “Good Lord.”
    “Did she have family?”
    “Came from back East. Family in Maryland, I think. Living in Texas on her own and paying her own way.”
    Beck glanced around the diner, which even at this late hour maintained a lively pace. “There been anyone hanging around here that might have shown a special interest in Gretchen?”
    He cleared his throat, drawing Beck’s attention to a large snake tattoo that coiled around the guy’s neck. “Like I said, not that I know.”
    “Would you have known? The place is busy and there’s a lot to keep up with.”
    His gaze sharpened. “I look after my girls. If there is a problem, I hear about it.” He shook his head. “Shit.”
    “Can you give me her home address?”
    “Yeah, sure. I’ve got to look it up.” Rivers rose and walked away, his shoulders hunched.
    The waitress appeared again. “Your order is almost up.”
    “Can you make it to-go?”
    “Sure.” Small, pale hands clenched at her sides. Her name badge read DANNI. “This is about Gretchen, isn’t it?”
    “It is.” Heavy eyeliner couldn’t hide the blond waitress’s youth. She couldn’t be more than seventeen.
    “I’m the one that went by her place and got the manager. She’s not the type to blow off work.”
    “I’m surprised your boss sent you.”
    A dark brow arched. “Why? Because I’m young?”
    “Exactly.”
    She shrugged. “None of us figured we’d find real trouble.”
    “But you did.”
    “There were a couple of newspapers in front of her door and a notice from a delivery company. She’d been waiting on a new exercise video and wouldn’t have just left the sticker on the door and not gotten the package.”
    “There anyone out there with reason to hurt her?”
    “She is like the ultimate Goody Two-shoes. She never made anyone mad.”
    “Danni, how long have you known her?”
    “Not super long. A couple of months. She was nice.”
    “No one gave her