“I’m part of the FBI team,” he replied. “Look, I didn’t know you were working the case. I didn’t even know you stayed in the city. Last time we talked you had wanted to leave and start over somewhere else.”
Before she could answer, Jacob appeared beside her, glowering darkly at Owen. Hazel allowed herself a small smile. She could always count on her brother to protect her, even when she didn’t really need it.
“Hello Jacob,” Owen said. “Been a long time.”
The tension between the three was thick enough to choke on, and Hazel was grateful when Jacob turned his attention to Lisa and the victim on the floor. She surveyed the apartment, making mental notes of the signs of struggle as she caught snippets of their conversation. “Morgan Mathis…. law student… neighbor called us.” Hazel could see that unlike the previous crime scenes, this one was sloppy. Perhaps this time they would catch a break. Already she’d spotted keys thrown to one side, and blood splatters everywhere.
“You think the sister fought him?”
Lisa nodded. “Looks that way. There’s so much blood it’s impossible to call now, but I’d bet my paycheck some of this belongs to the perp. I hope so,” she said grimly. “That poor girl is in critical condition. Multiple stab wounds and a collapsed lung according to the medics. I hope she got at least one good hit in.”
“Will she live?” Hazel held her breath. A surviving witness could be the key to catching The Slitter.
“Depends on how tough she is, but she should pull through surgery ok. It’ll be a while before she’ll be up to talking, though. Did I mention he strangled her too? She’ll have trouble talking for a few days at least.”
“He’s always been careful to time his attacks so no one would interrupt, so she must have come home early. Any ideas why? The fact that he didn’t know about it might be a clue.”
“No. That’s something we’ll find out when she recovers,” Owen said.
Hazel nodded. Her eyes constantly scanned the apartment. She spied a glass cup slightly hidden beneath an end table, and waved over one of the forensic guys to tag and bag it. As he retrieved it, she could see miniscule bits of blood and hair on it, and crossed her fingers that it belonged to their killer, and not to one of the sisters.
From the corner of her eye she could see her stepfather standing awkwardly off to one side. Realizing she was watching him, he motioned for her to come over. She knew he wanted to talk to her about what happened with Brooks. Sighing inwardly, she went to his side.
“Hazel, listen. You know how the Feds operate. They don’t play fair and I don’t like being kept out of the loop. I’m assigning you to Owen. Wait!...” He held up a hand to quickly silence her protest. “I’m assigning you to Owen and I want you to make sure we know everything they do.”
She didn’t like the idea of having to work with Owen, but she understood where her stepfather was coming from. Aside from being arrogant and rude, they frequently left out important details and it was the general opinion of her department that they did it on purpose to ensure the cops looked like incompetent buffoons. The Feds loved their camera time, and no one adored seeing his face on TV more than Brooks. If keeping the Chief of Police in the dark would help him wind up on prime time as the one who finally captured The Slitter, she doubted he’d have a second thought about it. Reassured that they had an understanding, her stepfather moved off. Meanwhile she could see Owen watching her from across the room, and wondered if he was aware of her new role as his shadow.
Jacob and Lisa’s conversation had come to an end, and Lisa headed out the door with the victim’s body on a gurney. Hazel went to Jacob looking for details. “The sister’s name was Kelly Mathis. Law student. The two sisters shared this apartment.” He sighed and rubbed his temples. “She must have really pissed him off,” he said solemnly. “All the other victims, everything was controlled, methodical, but not her. Her injuries were much more brutal. He was in a rage when he went to work on her.”
“Lisa said she thought she’d pull through.”
“Yeah, but who knows when? For now I’m going to help wrap up here. You should go find out what Owen isn’t telling us.”
Swallowing a scowl, she reluctantly walked over to Owen. It was clear he wasn’t eager to talk to her. Brooks probably told him to keep his mouth shut, she thought angrily. Finally he suggested they go talk to the neighbor who had called it in, clearly hoping to turn her attention away from himself. “The guy’s name is Arnold, Arnold Hues. Said he saw the perp come running out of the apartment, nearly knocked him down. Until Kelly Mathis recovers, this guy is our best lead.”
As they made their way down the hall, Hazel marveled at the surroundings. The building was expensively but tastefully decorated. Old money, she thought. Pretty fancy digs for a couple of starving students. The witness lived just two doors down, and he answered on the first knock. His hair, what remained of it anyway, was shockingly white, and made his piercing blue eyes seem that much sharper. Hazel hoped those sharp old eyes saw something that would help them.
“Detective Hanson, Special Agent Jones. We’re looking for Arnold Hues.”
“You found him. You want to know about those poor girls.” It was a statement more than a question. He looked back over his shoulder and told a young girl standing just behind him to watch her brother. Shutting the door behind him, he clasped his hands together and peered knowingly at them. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything you saw.”
“It happened so fast,” he said, his voice shaking slightly. “We’d just left the apartment. I was taking my grandkids out for pizza. We hadn’t gotten past that door when screams started. I’ll never forget that sound, not as long as I live. I banged on the door, asking if they were alright, but the screams stopped. I hollered at the kids, told them to run back into the apartment, and then I opened the door.”
“It was unlocked?” Owen asked.
“Yes. I pushed it open, and I saw the girls on the floor and a figure over one of them. I guess I screamed. Then the man came running out. He moved so fast! He was covered in blood. So much of it. I nearly fell over getting out of his way. That’s when I realized my grandkids were standing outside our door instead of inside like I told them. All I could think was to get them inside before that crazy man hurt them. Maybe if I’d been alone –” he spread his hands apologetically. “Their mother is in Chicago. My priority was keeping them safe.”
“Anything you could tell us about him would be helpful,” Hazel urged. “No matter how trivial it might seem.”
Arnold stared down the hall towards the door, as if trying to recall the events of the night before. “I remember he was tall, and muscular. He was white too, but I didn’t get a look at his face. I was just thinking about protecting my grandkids, I wasn’t paying attention to him. I’m sorry. I’ve tried to remember details but I just keep seeing the blood.”
“Well, try harder!” Owen snapped rudely.
Hazel winced and glared at him. Turning to Arnold, she smiled apologetically. “We understand this has been very traumatic for you and your family. It could be you saw more than you realize, but your mind isn’t ready to show it to you just yet.” She fished a business card from one of her pockets and handed it to him. “You might start remembering details over the next few days that you don’t remember now. If that happens, give me a call, any time day or night.”
Arnold accepted the card graciously, giving Owen a parting look of disdain before retreating into his apartment and shutting the door. Hazel turned to Owen and spread her hands in disbelief. “What was that for? He’s not some thug dragged in for questioning who needs to be leaned on. The poor guy is probably still in shock. Give him a couple of days and he’ll probably remember a lot more, but not if you treat him like that.”
“We need answers now and I’m not going to wait around for him to get into a sharing mood. All that will get us is another body.”
She gaped at him in s
hock as he shoved past her and headed towards the front of the building. This wasn’t the man she used to know. The Owen she grew up with was understanding and compassionate. This one was anything but. She wondered what had happened in the past five years that made him change so drastically.
She had to run to catch up with him as he exited the building. Outside, a young man was arguing with one of the officers. “I live here,” he said fiercely. “I have every right to know what is going on. Is this place even safe for my kids?”
Hazel motioned for the beat cop to move along, and quickly took his place. “I’m Detective Hanson, how may I help you?”
“I want to know what is going on and no one will tell me anything.”
“Sir, it appears there was an assault last night in the building. One woman is dead and another in critical condition.”
His expression switched from worried indignation to horror. “Who were they?” he gasped.
“Morgan and Kelly Mathis.”
She watched as a flood of emotions flitted across his face.
“Can I get your name, sir?”
He didn’t seem to hear her, and before she could ask again he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Briefly she considered going after him, but the sight of Owen still glowering at her from beside his car diverted her attention. She’d had about enough of his newfound attitude. “I’ve about had it with that look on your face,” she snapped as she strode towards him. “If you aren’t happy about working with me, fine. I wasn’t exactly dancing with glee over it either, but if we’re going to get anywhere with this case then we have to put personal feelings aside and work together. Just because you’re with the Feds now doesn’t make you the superior officer.”
“Not once have I ever said I was better than you.”
“You don’t have to say it. You make it clear with every ugly look and rude remark you send my way. I don’t need your attitude, nor do I deserve it. We both know I know how to do my job.”
“I’m not arguing that point.” His words were clipped and harsh. She couldn’t understand why he seemed so angry. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she said softly.
He didn’t respond. Somehow his silence was more irritating than his attitude. She pressed harder. “Look, if this is about what happened, it is in the past. It should be easy for you to forget.”
“What happened has nothing to do with how I am right now,” he replied tersely. “I’ll meet you at the station tomorrow at eight o’clock.” Quickly he slid into his car and slammed the door, ending the conversation. Hazel wanted to grab his arm and shake it out of him. Something was eating away at him, that much was obvious, but she knew better than to pry. Shrugging in defeat, she turned and headed back towards the building and the case that awaited her. No matter what had happened between her and Owen, they had a job to do, and the sooner they caught the man responsible, the sooner they could part ways and let old feelings go back to being buried.
“Hey, listen…”
She looked over her shoulder to see Owen had rolled the window halfway down.
“I’m sorry, Hazel. There’s just a lot going on now. I can’t deal with you being emotional on top of it all.”
Way to put it back on me, she grimaced. “Whatever is bothering you has nothing to do with us, that much is obvious, so don’t go throwing it on me like I’m somehow to blame for your rotten attitude.”
“That’s not what I’m saying at all,” he said coldly.
“We’re supposed to work together,” she reminded him. “We can’t do that if we’re always fighting each other.”
“This isn’t a fight. This is you getting involved in my personal life.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said cynically. “I didn’t realize asking what was wrong constituted being nosy about your personal affairs. You do realize that the only reason I ask is because I care. I know you, Owen. I know how you work and how you think, and I know when something is wrong. Never forget that.”
He rolled the window up without comment and quickly drove away. As she watched the taillights fade into the distance her hand crept up to the necklace she wore. Clutching the ring that dangled on it, she sighed. Her already tough case had just gotten a whole lot tougher.
When she turned back around she found Brooks standing behind her with his hands in his pockets. He glanced down the road to where Owen’s car had last been, then back at her. “It appears it was a bad idea to bring him along,” he said smugly.
“Why’s that?”
“I knew you two had been involved, but I didn’t realize there was still so much baggage between you both.”
“And how would you know anything about that?”
Turning back around, she saw Brooks standing there. His hands were in his pockets and he shook his head. “It was a bad idea to bring him, wasn’t it?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“I know that you two were involved. Oh, I remember when he had pictures of you in his wallet, even on his cell phone. He told me all about you. But that’s ancient history, and when I got the information on this case, I saw no reason to keep him out of the loop. I had no idea you still had feelings for him. If it gets too personal I will see to it that you are removed.”
“Remove me?” Hazel’s temper flared. “I don’t think so. I’ve been on this case for over a year. My department is doing everything in its power to get the son of a bitch responsible for this and you think you’re going to throw me off MY case because you can’t put a leash on one of your agent’s temper? You don’t have that authority.”
“You sure about that?” He stepped up to her, leaning forward in an effort to intimidate her. Hazel was used to his sort. Law enforcement was full of men who resented seeing women invade what they considered their turf, and Brooks was one of them.
“Bet on it, and back off. You should know I’m not one of those women who are easily intimidated by a man.”
“No, but you can be put in your place by one. If it were solely up to me, women wouldn’t be allowed in the field. You’re all too emotional, incapable of logic when your feelings get involved.”
“That’s enough,” her stepfather said loudly, quickly moving towards them. “Brooks, I’m the one that invited you here, and I didn’t do it so you could antagonize my officers.”
Brooks smirked and slowly began to back away, his smug eyes never leaving Hazel. “Daddy to the rescue,” he said insolently. “Does he solve all your cases for you too?”
Before she could respond, her stepfather stepped between them and fixed her with a stern look. He might have wanted to say more to Brooks, but he knew to pick his battles and this wasn’t one he could win. Brooks would never change his attitude, and anything he said in Hazel’s defense would only escalate the conflict. Hazel gave her stepfather a slight nod in thanks for breaking things up. For now she would let Brook’s behavior slide, although she knew it was only delaying the inevitable. More and more it was becoming clear this case would be the most stressful one she’d ever dealt with.
Chapter 2
Hazel awoke with a start, sitting upright and drenched in her own sweat. Her heart felt as if it would leap from her chest at any second, and her breath came in wrenching heaves. She glanced at the clock to see it was three in the morning. For a moment nausea threatened to overtake her, and she gingerly took a sip of water from the glass she always kept on her bedside table.
The nightmares had been going on for days, and her sleep suffered as a result. She knew from past experience that there was no use trying to go back to sleep. She’d only waste hours staring at her eyelids. Reluctantly she shoved the covers aside and headed for the bathroom. The face that looked back from the mirror was a mess. Her auburn hair was snarled and wild, and her complexion looked deathly pale. Turning on the cold water, she leaned over the sink to splash some on her face. Her mind refused to settle down these days, and nothing she tried turned its attention away from the case. She already knew it
inside-out
Leaning back against the wall, she slid down it until her butt came to rest against the cold, tiled floor. Nothing she ever did seemed to distract her from the nightmares, though she kept trying. Lately she’d been going on early morning runs. They didn’t seem to do much for her sleep, but her stamina had definitely seen an improvement.
Pushing herself up from the floor, she went to the dresser and retrieved a pair of athletic pants. Hazel didn’t bother turning on any lights as she made her way through the house. She found her running shoes by the door in the hallway, and quickly got dressed in the dark. The battery on her cell phone was low so she left it on the charger, grabbed her keys and left her apartment.
Her apartment was nothing like the posh building the Mathis girls had lived in. Both buildings were old, but the similarities stopped there. Whereas Morgan’s building smelled of vanilla and orchids, hers ran closer to cat urine and cheap tobacco. “I hope that’s cat pee,” she mumbled to the empty hall. She hated to think any of the residents had sunk to the level of urinating in the hallway, but it wouldn’t have really surprised her if they had.
Outside the sky was overcast and gloomy, and a cold breeze greeted her as she set out. Very few people were awake at this time of the morning and she enjoyed the uncharacteristic silence as she picked up speed.
And then she stopped. Something didn’t feel right. It felt as if she was being watched. Coldly she let her training kick in, quickly scanning her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary as she kept her ears alert for unusual sounds. Her search turned up nothing. As far as she could tell she was the only person on the street. You’re just paranoid after working all these cases, she told herself, but the thought did little to reassure her. Uneasily she resumed her run, but she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was seriously wrong.
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