He removed the food while looking at the screen. His sister Rachel had texted.
Call me.
With a sigh, Holt tapped her name and put the phone on speaker. It rang once.
“Finally.” Her voice vibrated with anger at him and Holt closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m working a case.”
“You’re always working a case, but for now, thank you for calling me back.”
“Sure. Hope it’s not too late.”
“No, it’s not.”
“What’s going on?”
“I need you to try to talk to Zoe. She’s refusing to see me, Holt, and it’s breaking my heart.”
“Aw, Rachel, she’d talk to you before she’d talk to me.”
“Well, she’s not and it’s making me crazy. I keep telling her I’m not going to let this go. She didn’t just pick up the gun one day and decide to shoot Owen.”
“She confessed, Rachel. Until she decides to change her story, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Yes, she confessed, but you and I both know sometimes things aren’t what they seem. I don’t understand why you won’t give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“She said she did it. What’s to doubt?” But he’d admit to the fact that he really didn’t want to believe it himself, regardless of his sister’s claims of guilt.
“But why? It doesn’t make sense! Argh! You’re so hardheaded.”
“It runs in the family.” He pulled in a deep breath. “Look, Rach, I went to see her. I talked to her before, during, and after the trial. I begged her to tell me what really happened and she refused. Told me to stay out of it. She said Owen’s death was her fault and she deserved to be right where she was.”
Rachel’s harsh breathing came through the line. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t care what she said. There’s something else going on.”
“It’s been two years, Rachel. Don’t you think she would have said something by now?”
“No. Not if she’s protecting someone.”
“Who would she be protecting? No one else was there at the house. There’s no one to protect.”
His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen to see a text from Penny. “Look, I don’t like Zoe sitting behind bars either, but if she wants help, she’s got to be willing to ask for it. Actually, she doesn’t even have to ask for it. She just needs to not push away the people offering.”
“Like I said, there’s more to this than what’s on the surface. Help me keep pushing for the truth.”
Holt swallowed a groan. “Let me think about it. Tell the kids Uncle Holt loves them.”
“I’ll do that. They want to know when you’re taking them fishing.”
“As soon as this case is over. Love you, sis.”
“You too.” She hung up and he turned his attention to the text.
Penny
Are you awake?
He tapped his response.
I just got in my room, had a conversation with my sister, and am getting ready to eat a tasty microwave dinner. How are you?
He checked the food in the microwave and added some more time.
Sleepy, but can’t seem to keep my eyes closed.
Because she kept replaying their fight with the killer?
And ew . . . Microwave dinner? You couldn’t hit a drive-thru? That’s not great, but better than radiation food.
He chuckled and ignored that text to respond to the previous one.
Talk to God when you close your eyes.
The microwave dinged and he removed the plate and set it on the table.
You really think he listens?
I do.
Holt paused, then sent,
You don’t?
I used to. But life just makes me wonder sometimes.
Who do you think got you and everyone else off that mountain in one piece?
True. Okay, I’ll give him that one. I prayed and he answered. Maybe not exactly like I wanted, but the end result was the same. We’re home and we’re safe.
You do realize that he doesn’t always answer prayers exactly like we want him to?
A laughing emoji with tears flashed on his screen.
Fully aware of that.
Okay, just checking. Doesn’t mean he’s not listening, though.
He took a bite of the food. Meh. But it would take the edge off his hunger.
Her response finally flashed.
Yeah
He wasn’t sure she believed him. Or agreed. Hmm . . .
Talk later?
Yes. Good night, Holt. Thanks for everything.
Night, Penny.
He hesitated.
I have to go to the morgue in the morning and talk to Lexie. Want to meet me for breakfast after?
Sure. Where?
At the cafe across the street from the morgue entrance? The Broken Biscuit? I’ve discovered they have good coffee.
See you there.
He set his phone next to his gun and smiled. What was it about Penny that sent his heart thumping in anticipation of seeing her again?
Not exactly sure of the answer, he decided to ignore it and take it one day at a time. One conversation at a time.
Because he still had to tell her about Zoe—and the woman who’d walked away from him because of her.
CHAPTER
TEN
Penny woke when the duty alarm went off, signaling a call. She sat up and started to stumble from her place on the couch when she remembered she wasn’t the pilot on call today.
Nope, she was having breakfast with Holt. After he talked to Lexie. She was dying to know what the woman had found but knew she wouldn’t be able to tell Penny. And neither would Holt.
Now that the place was basically empty, she grabbed her bag and darted for the shower. Once she was dressed and ready to face the day, Penny texted her mother.
I’m fine, Mom.
Her phone rang. Rats. She swiped the screen. “Hi, Mom.”
“Penelope Jane Carlton, how dare you ignore my calls and texts. I have been worried sick.”
“Mom, stop. I texted you that I was fine and that we’d talk later.”
“I didn’t want to talk later!”
“Will you please stop shouting?”
Penny heard the woman take a deep breath. “Fine. I’m sorry. You know I only shout when I’m upset.”
Or happy. Or annoyed. Or mad. Or—
“How could you think of flying into that storm? And with a serial killer on the loose?”
“I didn’t know he was there, Mom.”
“But to land there in the same area?”
“Right. I’m sorry I didn’t pick a better place to land. I was aiming for the hospital helipad, but the tail rotor—” She bit her lip and said a quick prayer for patience. “Never mind. I did the best I could. Trust me, landing in serial-killer-free zones is high on the priority list from now on.”
“You’re mocking me.”
“No, I’m not, but you’re a brilliant woman. Even you have to realize how silly you sound.”
A sniffle. A slightly suppressed sob. Penny rolled her eyes. Her mother hadn’t won several Oscars because she was a B-grade actress. Penny glanced at her watch, then twisted it around her wrist. She sighed and dropped her hand. If she had a “stress” tell, that was it. “Look, I’ve got to go. I want to check on some friends here in the hospital.”
“How’s the girl? The one you rescued? She was on the news. A senator’s daughter, huh?”
“Yes. And she’s fine, as far as I know. Last I heard, she should make a full recovery.”
“But she would have died if you hadn’t been there, right?”
“Well, it was a team effort, but yes. Most likely.”
Another deep breath came through the line. “I’m glad she’s going to be all right.”
Penny’s brow rose. “Thank you. I’m glad too.”
“Still don’t like you flying those monsters, but at least some good came from it.”
&nb
sp; Penny’s fingers went back to the watch. She forced herself to drop her hand once more. “Yes, some good came from it.” She paused. “So, where are you right now anyway?”
“I’m home. Just finished the movie that will be out in a few months.”
“Good. I hope it went well.”
“It did.”
Penny grimaced. She hated stilted conversation, but definitely didn’t want to talk about herself or her job.
“Well, hon,” her mother said, “now that I’ve talked to you, I feel better. Please be careful and consider coming home. I’m sure I could get you a part in one of my movies.”
Laughter spurted before she could stop it. “Um. That’s very generous of you, but no thank you. I’m very happy here in North Carolina. Tell Dad hi for me.”
“I will. And Penny . . .”
“Yes?”
“Oh, nothing. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.” She really did love the woman, she just had no patience for her self-absorbed, manipulative behavior.
Penny hung up just as the door opened and a man who looked vaguely familiar stepped inside. She tucked her cell phone into her pocket. “Can I help you?”
“Hi, Penny. I’m Frankie Olander with the Chronicle News and I’d love an exclusive with you.”
“Why?”
He laughed. “Why? Because you’re . . . you.”
“Who exactly am I, Frankie?” She crossed her arms and hoped her eyes adequately reflected the chill in her heart.
He frowned. “You’re Geneva Queen’s daughter and a pilot who made a stunning rescue, then helped take down a serial killer. People want to know more about you.”
“But what if I don’t want them to know more about me? What if I like my privacy? What if I don’t want to be your next big story? My mother chose that life. I didn’t.” He blinked and she sighed. “Look, you’re probably a very nice person, but I really want you to leave me alone so I can move past all of this. Now, will you please leave?”
Frankie scowled. “I’ll leave, but can’t you see that this is stuff movies are made out of? You have an amazing story just waiting to be written. Let me write it.”
“I don’t want it written!” The shout echoed through the room, then hung between them.
“Like you said, I’m basically a nice person,” he said, “but this is my job and . . . I really need your story. I’ll be honest. My boss has offered a big bonus to the reporter who gets it. I’d rather have your input and tell it your way, but I’m going to tell it with or without your help.”
Her face heated and she narrowed her eyes. “Get out.”
“I’m not going to be the only one coming after it, but I will be the only one who’ll be fair and play nice.”
“Get out!” Penny’s fury had found a new level.
He dropped a business card onto the table and backed toward the door. “Think about it. Please?” Without waiting for an answer, he left.
Penny let out a low growl and punched the sofa cushion.
“My boss has offered a big bonus to the reporter who gets it. I’d rather have your input and tell it your way, but I’m going to tell it with or without your help.”
Over her dead body.
Holt stood outside the entrance to the morgue and tapped a text in reply to Marty’s plea to come get him from the hospital.
You better take advantage of resting while you can. I have a feeling I’m going to have some news you’re not going to like when I finish talking to Lexie.
What news? You can’t just drop that and walk away. Tell me what you’re thinking.
Let me get back to you in about thirty minutes.
I hate you.
Love you too, man.
He walked into the morgue. With her back to him, Lexie stood next to the body of the man who’d tried to kill him—and would have succeeded if not for Penny. Lexie was tapping the keys on the laptop that sat on a rolling tray, oblivious to his entry. Holt cleared his throat and she jumped, then spun.
“Holt. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Obviously.”
“Hold on one sec while I finish this.” A few more taps and she pushed the computer away from her and approached the dead man. “I guess you’d like to hear more about John Doe?”
“I would. Hold on while I get my SSA on the line.” He dialed Gerald’s number and waited for the man’s face to appear on the screen. “You ready?”
“Ready.”
He nodded to Lexie. “All right. What makes you think this guy isn’t Rabor?”
“Well, for one”—she swept the sheet back from the man to display his torso from the waist up—“do you see what I see?”
Holt held the phone so Gerald could see. He heard the man’s disgusted sigh. “Yeah.” Holt shook his head. “No gall bladder surgical scar.”
“I got Rabor’s records and they did the surgery laparoscopically. There should be three tiny incisions here, here, and here.” She pointed to the three locations the scopes would have gone in. “Nada. Hence the simple deduction that this is not Mr. Rabor.”
“Easy enough. Then who is he? The man’s twin?”
“He doesn’t have a twin,” Gerald said.
Lexie wiggled her finger to indicate he should move closer. “Look at his hair line.” Holt again held the phone over the area she pointed to. “I shaved this part for a better look. See those scars?”
“Plastic surgery?”
“Lots of it.” More pointing. “And here. And here. Look at his eyes. The scars are super faint, and you really wouldn’t notice them unless you were looking for them. I was looking after I found the ones at his hairline. In addition to his eyes, the brows have been raised a bit, his nose has been thinned, and his upper lip widened and made fuller.”
Holt shook his head. “So, this guy isn’t Rabor, but he sure wanted to look like him?”
“That’s my guess. Unfortunately, we can’t ask Mr. Doe here.”
“No clue who he is, huh?”
“Nope. You could go through missing persons reports all day, but without a face to put to them . . .”
“All right. What about prints?”
“I sent the card to the lab. Haven’t heard back yet.”
“I’ll make a call,” Gerald said and Holt nodded. Gerald would have the Identification Unit hopping. An escaped serial killer took priority over just about everything else.
“I also sent a DNA sample to be tested,” Lexie said. “Waiting on that too.”
“I got that one covered too,” Gerald said.
Holt raked a hand over his head. He needed to know who this man was. “You do understand that if you’re right about this—”
“I am,” she said.
“—then this means I still have a serial killer out there,” he said, his voice low.
“I had kind of put two and two together on that one. That’s why I called you on my way into that meeting yesterday. I figured you’d want to get back out searching for the real Darius Rabor ASAP.”
“You figured right.”
“I would have told you more, but I was leading the meeting.”
“It was enough information at the time.” He narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t good.”
“I know, but at least he’s one you know. You’re not starting from scratch to catch him.”
Holt grunted. “Somehow that really doesn’t make me feel that much better.”
She shrugged. “Sorry. I tried.”
Holt went back to Gerald. “So, Rabor and the girlfriend escaped from the hospital. But this guy . . . where does he fit in? Was he at the hospital too? Or did they call him on their way to the mountain? Did he meet them there? If so, there wasn’t another vehicle that we came across, right?”
“Right,” Gerald said, “no vehicle.”
“Then was he staying with some of Rabor’s relatives and he walked over to the mountain to join the fun? What was his role supposed to be? Decoy? Sacrificial lamb? Or just
a part of a very weird and deadly trio?”
“All good questions,” Gerald said. “Go get the answers.”
“Yeah.” But even while he was asking the questions, nothing really made sense. “We’ll figure it out. Do you have any more questions for the doc?” he asked the man.
“No, I think you covered everything. Keep me updated.”
“Will do.” Holt signed off and he caught Lexie watching him from the corner of her eye.
“What?” he asked.
“You and Penny.”
Okay, he hadn’t expected that. “What about Penny and me?”
“I saw the news, of course.”
“Who hasn’t?”
“Exactly. Is she okay?”
“She’s shaken, but she’s strong and resilient. She’ll be fine.”
A half smile curved her lips and he narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“You like her.”
“What gives you that idea?”
“How protective you were when y’all came off the chopper and the media was waiting on her. You looked like you wanted to murder the lot of them.”
“Hmm.”
“Well, that was vague. I get it. We’re not close friends. But I know Penny pretty well. Not that you need my endorsement, but she’s a great person.”
“I think she is too.”
“I’m just trying to decide if you’re good enough for her.”
He coughed. “Oh.”
“I’m thinking you might be.”
“Well . . . um . . . thanks.” He nodded to the dead guy. “You’ll let me know when you have something?”
“Of course.” She paused. “I heard your partner got shot. How’s he doing?”
“Better. I got a text from him this morning begging me to come spring him.”
“And the other agent?”
Holt frowned. “Gus. He’s not faring quite as well. Keep him in your prayers.”
“Will do.”
Holt left, bemused at the conversation with the ME and armed with the dreaded confirmation that Darius Rabor was most likely still alive and on the run. And his doppelgänger had bought him time to disappear somewhere to hole up and heal.
His phone buzzed. A text from Penny.
I think I’ve effectively dodged the reporters on the hospital doorstep and I’m on the way to The Broken Biscuit.
Life Flight Page 10
