by Dobi Cross
“He didn’t stop. He used his left hand to deliver punch after punch to my stomach and sides. I almost passed out from the pain, but I held on to that arm. Someone passing by heard the scuffle and called out which made him run off. I heard the person that saved me call nine-one-one before I passed out. I found myself in the hospital when I woke up five minutes ago.”
“Do you think it was the killer?” Zora asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe—”
“Maybe he found out that you provided information to the police,” Zora completed.
Marcus nodded. “That’s the only reason that makes sense,” he said.
Zora shivered. The only way the killer could have found Marcus was if he was watching or following him. What if he was watching her as well? She shivered again.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” he said in a soft tone. “I’ll be more careful next time. We both need to be. It’s not so bad. Just a sprain and a few bruises. I’m made of hardy stock you know. Now,” he swung his right hand behind his head and leaned back, “I can now slack off,” he said with a lazy smile.
Zora burst out laughing. She knew he was trying to make her feel better.
He grinned and tried to sit back up, but a flash of pain crossed his face and he leaned back again.
Zora pretended not to notice. Marcus didn’t like it when he was weak. She tried to stifle a yawn.
“Now babe, I think you should go home and sleep. By tomorrow, you’ll be more rested and so will I,” he said.
“Hey! I had to get in here somehow.” She picked a pillow from the foot of the bed and threw it at his head.
Marcus ducked, and the pillow flew over him. He laughed at her embarrassment.
“Sorry I lied,” she said sheepishly.
“It’s fine,” he said.
They stared at each other. After a moment, Zora cleared her throat. She noticed a slight flush around Marcus’ face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Zora hid a smile and stood up. Who would have thought Marcus could be this cute?
“I’ll come and see you tomorrow,” she said as she moved backwards towards the door. She gave him a final wave and exited the room.
As she walked out of the hospital, Zora thought about what Marcus had shared. She could feel the pieces clicking into place. And just in time too before her name got leaked out to the public.
All they needed to do now was find out more about Anna Hammond.
And maybe, just maybe, they would find the killer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The old man in the hooded jacket sat alone in the table at the back of the diner and faced the entrance. He had been a regular enough customer that the waitresses knew to leave him alone. The thick smell of onions and barbecue smoke hung in the air. The waitress, a boxy woman with long dark tresses, had delivered his usual order—mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw, and a glass of orange juice.
He had called his old friend, Danny, but there had been no response. If he had to take a guess, he would assume that the monster had gotten to him. It wasn’t what he had planned for. His friend had been on his side. But there was nothing he could do about it.
He had been fortunate to leave his apartment when he did. He was sure that the place would have been turned upside down by now. But they wouldn’t find anything. He had gotten rid of all personal items months ago except the ones he kept with himself all the time. And he had practiced his martial arts for so many years that he could do it on his own now.
He took a sip of the orange juice. It had a sour note to it. He pushed around the food with his fork. It didn’t hold his interest as usual.
His mind slipped back to earlier that evening. The investigator had been tough. He had expected him to pass out once he had hit him with the tire iron, but Marcus fought back. It didn’t mattered though; he hadn’t planned to kill him. The attack was only meant to be a warning. He had followed the ambulance to the hospital where he had confirmed that the investigator would be alright but would be out of commission for a few days. That was what he had wanted. They would stop digging long enough for the man to finish what he had started.
He wasn’t worried about that monster, Drake Pierce. He had plans for Drake, and he would be caught in his spider web no matter how much he schemed or how much protection he had around him. Drake had a weakness, and he was going to exploit and destroy him through it.
The cops were too overworked and slow. He would be long gone by the time they solved the case. So they were not a threat to him.
That left Zora as the only other person who could interfere. He hoped she’d understood his message from the attack on Marcus, but he might have to make sure.
Now that he had made a decision, the man picked up his fork and dug into his food.
The tasty flavors exploded in his mouth, his appetite restored.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Zora yawned as the cab stopped in front of her apartment. She paid the driver and got out. She was exhausted. She hadn’t slept all night and had dragged her tired self to class. She’d had two classes and two labs in the morning, and had spent the afternoon at one of the school’s community clinics. She hadn’t been able to concentrate in any one of them.
All she could think about was Marcus and the attack. As much as she wanted to solve the case, she didn’t like anyone close to her getting hurt. Marcus had tried to hide how terrible he’d felt, but Zora could see that he was in a lot of pain.
“Good afternoon, Miss Smyth.”
Zora turned to see a tall, muscular bald man with a massive body build standing a few feet from her next to a black Rolls Royce Phantom. He looked intimidating, clad in black on black button-down shirt and pants. The jagged scar on his face didn’t help matters.
“Who are you and how do you know my name?” Zora asked.
“My boss, Drake Pierce, would like to see you.”
Zora racked her brain. The name sounded familiar. Suddenly, it came to her. Collmark group. The son that Silas had advised her to avoid at all costs.
She took a step backwards. “Why does he want to see me?”
“Since you recognize the name, you can probably guess why.” The man took a step towards her.
“If you take another step, I’m going to scream!” By now, two of her neighbors were on the sidewalk and giving them curious glances. One of them pulled out his cell phone.
“My boss means no harm. He just wants to have a chat with you.”
Before Zora knew it, the man was now beside her and had strong armed her towards the car.
Panic swelled up in her. Her pulse jumped. Without thinking, Zora opened her mouth and bit a chunk of the man’s arm.
The man yelped in surprise and let her go.
Zora took off in the direction of the apartment and didn’t look back. She sprinted up the stairs, opened her door lock with shaky hands, and slammed the door behind her, setting the bolt in place.
She leaned against the door and took deep breaths to calm herself. Her hand gripped the pendant around her neck. How had she gotten on Drake Pierce’s radar? What did he want with her? And why was she being forced to see him?
Her hands couldn’t stop shaking. She needed to call Marcus. She looked down and noticed her book bag was still on her shoulder. She was surprised it hadn’t fallen down outside. She opened it and turned it upside down till her phone and other items fell out. She picked it up and dialed Marcus’ number.
“Hi, Marcus,” Zora said, her voice trembling.
“Zora, are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I just had a visit from Drake Pierce.”
“Wait. What?”
“The man tried to grab me,” Zora’s voice choked. She slid down the door to the floor.
She heard rustling in the background. “Where are you? I’m coming now.”
Zora sniffled. “I’m in my apartment. No, you don’t need to come. I think he’s gone.”
“I’m coming righ
t now.”
“Please don’t,” Zora said in a whisper. “I need some time alone.”
“Zora!”
“Please.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“I don’t want the cops. It could become more complicated.”
“Okay. But I’ll send a security detail to you. It’s someone you already know and recognize. I’ll ask him to wait outside your apartment till whenever you’re ready to see him.”
“Thanks.”
“Zora, don’t you think you should tell your mom what’s going on by now?”
“No! You can’t tell her!”
“Okay, I won’t. That’s your decision to make. You’re sure you don’t need me there?”
“I’ll be fine. Maybe come by later this evening.”
“I’ll be there.”
Thanks, Marcus. You know, for everything.”
“No worries, little sis, or should I say babe?”
Zora chuckled. “Marcus!”
“It’s nice to hear you laugh. I’ll send the guy over now. Try to rest a bit, okay? See you later.”
“Thanks.” Zora ended the call.
She stayed huddled at the door, closed her eyes, and rested her head on her knees.
Zora opened her eyes to see she was still crouched at the door. She didn’t know when she had nodded off to sleep and had lost track of time. She placed a hand against the door and dragged herself up.
Her legs tingled and were unsteady. As she tried to work out the cramp in her left calf, her feet brushed against what felt like paper.
Zora looked down and saw a white envelope. She didn’t remember it being there when she left this morning. It must have been pushed under the door and into the apartment.
She bent down and picked up the envelope. The envelope was sealed but addressed to her in a handwriting scribble that she didn’t recognize. She took it to the kitchen counter and tore it open.
A single sheet of folded paper floated to the counter.
Zora picked it up and opened it out. Words written in red ink jumped out at her: This is your second warning. You and your loved ones might not be so lucky next time.
Zora’s pulse ratcheted up a bit. She gripped the edge of the counter to hold herself steady.
She now understood. The attack on Marcus had been a warning to her. She was responsible for what happened to Marcus.
Zora took deep breaths till she felt herself grow calmer. She let go of the kitchen counter and dragged her feet to the couch and sat down.
She was tired, sick of everything that was going on. Now, people around her were getting hurt. She needed her life back.
Zora wanted to scream loudly, but she knew the neighbors would not approve.
She took one more deep breath and let it out slowly. Something had to give.
She thought for a second. On one hand, if she stopped digging into the case, she could end up a victim for a crime she didn’t commit and her life would be over. On the other hand, if she continued, someone close to her could be seriously injured or killed. But the truth could come out as well, and the real killer found and stopped.
Zora rubbed her face with her hands. Aargh. There was no clear-cut option to choose. And she was too tired to be making such decisions. She got up, walked to her kitchen cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a quart-sized Ziploc bag. She placed the note and the envelope into it and dropped it into her book bag.
She would show it to Marcus when she saw him later today. And they could discuss and settle on a plan. Even though she could make the decision on her own, two heads were better than one. In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to find out more about the Anna Hammond case. She had fallen asleep right after she came back from the hospital and had rushed to class once she had woken, so she hadn’t looked her up.
Zora walked to her room and switched on the computer on her desk. She sat down in the chair and began to search for any news on Anna Hammond. She went down the list of search results till she found a news report that might fit. She opened it in a new tab and began to read.
Anna Hammond had been found hanging over the edge of the rooftop of the Collmark building, a thick rope around her neck, the other end secured to the roof hatch’s railing system. The case had been ruled a suicide. Zora looked at the picture included in the article. She saw a gorgeous, innocent-looking young lady with sparkling blue eyes and a soft smile. It had been a tragic death.
Zora closed the tab and scrolled down the search results on the previous page. There were no other related articles.
That’s strange. News about a death on such a prominent building in the city would have been widespread and discussed for days by the news media. She kept searching and even tried other keywords. There was nothing.
Zora leaned back on the chair and folded her arms. She needed to find out more about the case. Hmmm. Zora, think. She tapped her right fingers against her arm and stared at the wall.
Then it occurred to her. The best way would be to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
Zora reached for her phone in her pocket.
Maybe Marcus could arrange that to happen today.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“What did you say?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get her to come. The neighbors were everywhere, and I didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to us.”
“And she bit your arm.”
“Yes.” Tiny scowled.
Drake let out a loud laugh. This was getting more interesting. Tiny had failed, and he never did.
“Do you want me to go back and try again?” Tiny asked.
Drake dismissed him with a wave. “Hold off for now.” He inclined his head towards the door.
Tiny left the room and shut the door behind him.
Drake relaxed back on the black leather swivel chair. He was working from his home office today. Since he had planned to meet Zora, he figured his penthouse was better than the office. For one, it had more privacy.
Drake’s mouth turned up in a smile. He never expected Zora to be a she-cat. Feisty. Just the way he liked them. She would make a great conquest. And more reason to try and make her his queen. But to be able to play with her properly, he had to take care of the other problem.
The smile left his face. The old geezer. They had not been able to find him yet.
He clenched his fists and slammed them on his mahogany desk. He would capture him no matter where he hid. Drake was looking forward to squeezing the life out of him.
His mind went back to Zora. His fists relaxed. How he wished she was here. He would have loved to play with her. It would have been a great relief from the tension he had built up from all the stock trades he made this morning. He had tripled his investments, but he was tired.
Maybe it was time to see Susie. She was always game for any adventure.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Thanks for coming,” Marcus told the detective.
Detective Monte was a detective in the special victims unit at the local PD and had been on the force for twenty-five years. The buzz cuts he sported hinted at a military service in a past life. A handle bar mustache completed his look. Detective Monte was meticulous about his appearance with his dark blue polo shirt tucked into tan chinos and high polished Italian shoes.
Zora sat at the next table with her back to the detective and listened in on the conversation. She knew her shadow was nearby. He was as good as Marcus had claimed he would be and she was relieved.
The bistro was packed full with every table taken. It bustled with waiters carrying trays piled high with assorted homemade breads, sandwiches, chicken sliders, and beverages. Clad in a black baseball cap over a pink and black T-shirt and blue jeans, Zora had arrived before Marcus and the detective and had been lucky to snag two tables. She pulled the baseball cap further down to cover her face.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t owe you one,” the detective said. “Things are tense at the station because of the Formalin
Killer, so I won’t be able to stay for long.”
“Is that what they are calling him now?” Marcus rubbed the band-aid on his forehead that had replaced the bandage around his head.
“Well, three people seemed to have died so far by formalin.” The detective took a sip of the coffee that Marcus had ordered for him. “I heard you were attacked but you seem none the worse for wear.”
Marcus lifted his sling towards the detective. “If this is your definition of okay, then, yes, I’m doing good,” he said.
“So what do you want to know?” Monte leaned back on the seat and fingered his mustache.
“Could you tell me about the Anna Hammond case? I heard you were the lead detective on it.”
Monte tugged at his mustache. “Hmmm. No one has asked me about this case in a long time. Why do you want to know? Did you find any new information?” He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with interest.
“Just curious,” Marcus said.
The detective’s eyes searched Marcus’ face for a moment, and then a faraway look came into them and he leaned back. “I’ll never forget the case. Her face in death still gives me the nightmares. Sweet young thing. In her early twenties. She had just started working at the Collmark group not too long before then. Her father was pretty broken up about it.”
“Her father?”
“Yes, she was the only family he had. There were no siblings or other relatives.”
“Do you know anything more about the father?”
“All I know is that he works as a janitor at the medical school.”
Zora felt a jitter down her spine at those words. She didn’t think it was a coincidence.
“What’s his name?”
The detective rubbed his jaw. “I believe it was Alfred Pickles.”
A sudden coldness ripped through Zora. It was the janitor!
“But her name was Anna Hammond,” Marcus said.
