Close Enough for Murder — Gordon Linzner

Carroll Dressler was a dreary man with a dreary life and a wife who could nag off his ears. He didn't think things could get any worse. He was wrong. One night, en route from his girlfriend to his wife, a chance stop at a closed gas station threw Carroll into the path of a serial killer. Aptly named The Beast, this psychopath was known for mutilating his victims, all of whom were women. Now, The Beast is on Carroll's trail, determined to eliminate the only witness who could possibly ID him.When Carroll hits on the idea that he could use The Beast to solve all his problems, he begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Can Carroll use this brutal killer to his advantage? Will he become the next victim? Will the relentless detective catch up to them both and put a stop to it all? If Carroll wants to come out on top, he'll have to be very cunning. And very creative. But most of all, he'll have to be very lucky.