by Marion Myles
She smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. “I can’t believe I didn’t get it until now. The emerald ring. It’s Anita’s birthstone so they must be for her. Unless all the other women were also born in May? I think the killings might have started with your sister.”
Roman shook his head. “I remember at least one of the victims had a birthday in October because the date was the day before mine.” He gazed at her for a beat. “You’re really good at this. Sure you don’t want to become a cop?”
Mia snorted. “A million times sure.” Her face settled back into serious lines. “It’s not fair. This guy’s running around killing woman, and it seems like there’s no way to catch him.” She paused and stared down at her food. “Maybe I could help somehow?”
“I’m glad you asked. I figure it can’t hurt to show you the pictures of the women. Could be something will spark for you. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“Yes. Absolutely. Let’s do it.”
She started to push back from the table.
“Hang on a sec. I’m more than eager to get this bastard, but let’s take a moment and enjoy our dinner. An hour here or there won’t make much difference. How was your day?”
She scooted her chair closer to the table again and picked up her fork. “It was fine if you discount the fact I’m on house arrest. I love my place, but I have to tell you I’m starting to go a little stir crazy.”
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s hard on you. I wish to God I could make it all go away. Hopefully soon, baby.”
She cocked her head and lifted an eyebrow. “Baby?”
“Thought I’d try it out. I think I like it. Why? You have something better in mind?”
“That would be a no. Isn’t baby kind of overused?”
“Oh, I get it. You want something super unique. Asking for that seems like you might be slipping into the murky waters of serious relationship territory. I don’t think people in no-strings-attached sexual deals care what kind of pet names are used.”
“You know, I hadn’t thought of it that way. In that case, baby will do fine.”
He drummed his fingers on the table. “How about kumquat?”
At this, she burst out laughing. “Talk about unique. I think I’ll take a pass on kumquat unless you want me to call you my big-daddy-yum-yum.”
“If that’s what you want, I’m good with it. Especially the big daddy part.” He puffed out his chest in an exaggerated movement.
She only shook her head. “Why is it guys are always hung up on size?”
He shrugged. “You’re a girl, of course, you wouldn’t understand.”
“And I guess I never will.”
After they were done eating, Mia pushed back from the table, but Roman beat her to gathering plates and cutlery.
“Fair’s fair. You cooked, so I clean.”
“You won’t get an argument from me. Thanks. I’ve got more work to do. Are you up for sex later?”
The question caught him off guard, and he paused halfway to the kitchen. After a beat he turned to face her, his lips curving up into a smirk. “I’m always up for sex, kumquat. Let me know when and where.”
“I’ll whistle when I’m ready,” she said.
“Should I come running?”
“I’d say that’ll depend on how eager you are.”
“Pretty eager. Do you want me to roll over and shake a paw too?”
“No, I think coming when you’re called will do for now.”
“Are you going to tell me I’m a good boy and give me a cookie?”
“I’ll tell you you’re a good boy, but you’ll only get a cookie if the sex is really, really hot.”
He continued into the kitchen and put the plates on the counter by the dishwasher. “That sounds fair,” he said over his shoulder. “And the sex will be really, really hot. Have those cookies ready.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Two days later, Roman flipped open his laptop and brought up the files Special Agent Millar had sent minutes before he’d left the station. It wasn’t that bad working with the big boys from the FBI. Since the murders took place in multiple states, they were heading up the investigation, but Dalton Police were still in charge of Anita’s homicide.
The Bureau had larger budgets, and better resources. So far they weren’t being stingy about sharing the data. Still, nothing solid was popping for anyone. Millar told Roman it was unlikely they’d catch the guy unless he killed again.
That morning a press release had been sent out to all the major media outlets warning the public of the danger and asking anyone with information on any of the murders to call a newly established hotline. This would undoubtedly start an avalanche of calls from every crazy in the country. Some poor smucks riding the desk would be left to wade through the nonsense. Roman didn’t expect anything useful to come of it.
In the meantime, all they could do was consolidate the various suspects from each of the victims, re-interview everyone, check whereabouts for the times of the murders, and hope to God something hit. If this guy had been killing for a decade or more without the police getting a sniff of him, he must be very, very good at covering tracks. The only difference now was that they were waiting for him. All state police had been notified to jump on any missing persons reports taken in the upcoming week. Maybe this time they’d catch a break.
More than anything, Roman wanted it to be over…the memorial, the catching of the killer, and especially the moving on with his life now that he had Mia in his sights. He didn’t care how long it took, he was going to wear her down and get her locked into a relationship.
When he finished working, he wandered out of the spare bedroom upstairs and went in search of her. Predictably, he found her in the room off the kitchen at her work table. The woman was tireless when it came to her business.
“That’s really pretty. What is it?” he asked pointing to a yellow stone.
She looked up at him with bleary eyes. “Citrine. It’s for enlightenment and clarity. The client is a writer and is hoping it will help her figure out a story she’s struggling with. I promised I’d have the necklace ready to be shipped tomorrow. Hey, do you want me to make one for you? It might help with the case.”
He ran a fingertip across the large oblong crystal. “I don’t think it’ll work with my coloring, otherwise I’d totally say yes.”
She chuckled and took a tool from the table, twisting a silver wire around the stone. “Funny guy.”
His hand rested on her shoulder. “You work too hard.”
“Said the pot to the kettle.” She paused and looked up at him again. “You know, that sounds like something people in serious relationships say to one another. I hope you’re not about to step over the line.”
He snatched his hand back. “Just a simple observation. It’s what I do. Observe.”
Returning her focus back to the necklace, she made a loop in the wire and wove it around the first loop, creating a serpentine pattern. “Okay. I had to check.”
He stood another moment, watching her work, then cleared his throat. “Anita’s memorial is set for Friday. I talked my parents out of having it on the sixth. If you still want to go, I’ll arrange for a uniform to sit on the house while you’re out.”
She turned in her chair, giving him her full attention now. “Yes, of course, I want to go. Are you…is your family holding up okay?”
He nodded once, and his eyes briefly rested on her face before sliding away. “They are. Thanks for asking. I think everyone is eager to get it done. They’ll appreciate you coming. I’m going to be tied up right before the service helping my folks. Kevin offered to drive you there. “ Pausing, he bent down and rubbed Layla’s head. “Okay. I’m going upstairs. Good night, Mia.”
Her heart squeezed in sympathy. “Good night, Roman.”
* * *
On Friday morning, Mia went to extra trouble to curl her hair and carefully apply makeup. She slipped into a navy dress with half sleeves and a fitted skirt.
Since the memorial was taking place at the small park beside city hall, she decided high heels were impractical and slid on a pair of ballet flats.
At quarter to ten, she stood waiting in the front sun porch. The dogs were settled inside with the door to the dog run locked, and Officer Jensen sat stationed outside the house. She watched Kevin Latterly drive up and park in the front lot. He’d barely had a chance to get out of his car before she arrived along the flagstone path to meet him.
“Thanks for coming,” she said. “Though I still think I could have driven myself.”
He spread his arms. “It never hurts to be cautious.”
Walking around the front of the car with her, he opened the passenger door and gestured her in.
“I saw the press release on the news the other night. Has it helped at all?” she asked once they were underway.
“Not that I know of. It was more a case of warning the public. These hotlines hardly ever produce any real leads, but we’ve got to do it. It’s nice of you to go to Anita’s memorial. I know it means a lot to the Mancini family.”
“It seems like the least I can do. How is…” She paused and blew out a breath. “Roman’s not saying much these past two days, does he seem okay to you?”
Kevin’s eyes flicked over to her then back to the road. “We’re all tired. There’s a ton of data to wade through. He’s holding solid.”
Brows knitted together, she slowly nodded. “That’s good. Will Lisa be there today? We haven’t met, but I’ve heard so many nice things about her.”
“Lisa’s great and yeah, she’ll be there. She grew up in Dalton and knows the Mancini family.”
Mia caught a flash of Kevin and Lisa kissing across a kitchen table, napkins and cutlery falling to the floor and Lisa giggling. “I’m glad you have someone special in your life,” she said before turning her head and staring out the window.
The memorial was well attended. Mia surveyed the crowd and calculated there must be close to five hundred people gathered on the grassy area over which an American flag flapped and snapped in the stiff breeze. She parted from Kevin and made her way to the far side where a few empty chairs remained. The town clock struck the hour, and a hush fell over the crowd when Frank Mancini stepped up to the podium in front of City Hall.
“Good morning everyone. Thank you for coming,” he said, the microphone giving his voice plenty of reach even with the wind. “Ten years ago our baby girl disappeared, and we’ve grieved for her deeply ever since. As everyone knows, the police have finally found her. It’s not the ending we were hoping for, and my heart will never be the same, but I’m glad she’s no longer alone out in the woods. Once the police return her to us, we’ll have a private family burial. In the meantime, we wanted to do something for everyone who knew her and those who’ve grieved with, and comforted us during these long, difficult years.”
He stepped back and turning to the side, motioned to someone in the wings. Straining to see over the heads in front of her, Mia watched while Lina walked over. She hugged her father then slipped out a small stack of note cards and stood by the podium.
Lina talked about what a bubbly, happy child Anita had been. One with an open heart and a ready smile. Always popular, she’d sailed through school and was looking forward to a career in interior design and one day marrying her sweetheart. Turning her head to and fro like many of those seated near her, Mia found Luke McNally with his wife Mandy seated across the way. He didn’t seem to acknowledge Lina’s comment. Though it was subtle, Mia saw Mandy shift away from her husband. When Lina finished speaking, she walked down the steps to join her family in the front row.
Mia took a moment to study the pamphlet she’d been handed when she’d first arrived at the memorial. On the front was a picture of Anita, which must have been taken sometime in the year before she died. On it she was well out of the early teenage stage and looked fully into womanhood. It was a candid shot, and the pretty girl was caught in mid-spin, arms flung wide, and a smile of delight on her face.
Inside were more pictures spanning various stages of the girl’s life. The sweetest one, to Mia’s mind, was a snap of Anita from her early teenage years flanked by Roman and Tony. Each of the boys had their arm around her, and she had tipped her head onto Tony’s shoulder.
No longer able to prevent herself, Mia glanced through the crowd for Roman. She found him way up on the front row sitting beside his mother and Tony. She could only really see the side of his face, but she stared at him for a long moment. He shifted and shot a look over his shoulder and straight at her as if he’d known exactly where she was sitting and was aware of the scrutiny. They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity before he turned back and put his arm around his mother’s shoulder.
Two more speakers took to the stage. One was Mrs. Wexler, an old family friend, and neighbor. Mia remembered her from the barbeque at the Mancini cottage. The last to address the crowd was a high school teacher. Bowing her head and closing her eyes, Mia let the words fall over her while she opened her mind. She didn’t normally sit unprotected in a large gathering but hoped if the killer was here…maybe just maybe, she’d get something from him.
After several minutes she opened her eyes and once again blocked out all the mental chatter. A vicious throbbing had taken root in her head, and she feared any more channeling would give her a full-blown migraine. She used to get them all the time when she was little and hadn’t yet learned how to protect herself. It was no use anyway. The sadness of everyone around her was overwhelming, and nothing else seemed to be coming through.
The Mancini family rose and walked to the stage with Frank once again speaking into the microphone.
“It’s been wonderful to hear the many kind words and warm memories of our daughter, sister, and cousin. Thank you all. And now it is time to say goodbye.” He turned to Molly, and she stepped up and clasped his hand. Roman flanked his other side with Lina and Tony adding on at each end. “Anita Maria Mancini,” Frank said. “You will always be in our hearts. We know you are in a happy place and hope you watch over us. We have utmost faith we’ll see you again. Until then we say goodbye to you, our darling girl.”
A melancholy note came through the sound system, followed by the familiar voice of Eric Clapton as he launched into “Tears in Heaven.” Lina and Tony broke away from the group and bending over, each picked up a decorative box from the front of the stage. They held them to their chests before lifting the lids. Twin clouds of monarch butterflies rose up. Brilliant bursts of color filled the air as countless wings beat in a quest for flight. They flew up and up while the music swelled.
When the tears gushed, Mia reached into her purse, clutched a handful of Kleenex, and dabbed at her eyes. The woman beside her sobbed. For a moment, it was too much, too intense, and Mia bowed her head and tried to center herself. How on earth had she ended up here, at a memorial for a girl she hadn’t even known in life but with whom she felt an inextricable bond?
The energy of the crowd buffeted her from all sides, so she focused on her breathing, keeping it slow and steady. When at last her mind cleared, she lifted her head. The Mancinis remained on the stage, linked hand to hand and gazing into the sky, watching the butterflies gradually dispersed.
Final strains of music filled the air then faded away. Behind Roman, a cardinal swooped low, barely clearing his head before landing on the microphone stand. The bird cocked its head to the side, stretched its wings, and once again took flight. The vivid flash of red darted over the crowd, circling back to City Hall, and disappeared from view.
It seemed like ages to make her way to the front. Really, she would have been happy to leave but wasn’t sure where to find Kevin. Plus, good manners dictated she pay her respects to the family. The line slowly snaked forward. Everyone wanted to talk to the Mancinis, and they continued to show a united front, standing together below the stage.
“It was a lovely service,” she said to Molly Mancini. “Incredibly touching.”
�
�I’m so glad you came. I know you never met my baby girl, but I think she would have wanted you here.”
“I’m glad I came too,” she said.
Frank shook her hand and Tony, face wet with tears, caught her up in a strong hug.
“Wasn’t it beautiful?” he asked when he finally released her. “The butterflies were my idea.” He swallowed and took in a gulping breath. “I think Anita would have loved them.”
“I’m sure she would have,” Mia soothed. Turning to Lina, she nodded. “Your eulogy was wonderful. You speak very well.”
“Thank you. I heard you’ve had some trouble at your place.”
Mia nodded. “A little. Hopefully, it will soon be sorted out. Roman has been such a support.” With her emotions so close to the surface, she forced herself not to glance over at him. “All of the police have been incredible. Speaking of which, I really should get back. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Lina nodded and in a surprising move, placed her hand on Mia’s arm. “I know I wasn’t very friendly when I met you at the cottage. It’s not…I didn’t…well, I’m sorry. Thank you for coming today.”
“Of course. And don’t worry about it. I understand.”
Before Mia had a chance to step back, someone patted her shoulder. She turned into Brooke who caught her straight up in a hug.
“I can barely stop crying,” Brooke said against her. “I wanted to speak about Anita, but I knew I’d never hold it together.” She released Mia and swiped a hand over her eyes. “You should’ve told me you were coming. We could have sat together. Oh, I want you to meet Ashley.”
Brooke turned and motioned a woman forward. “Ash, this is Mia, the woman I was telling you about. Mia, this is Ashley. Anita, Ashley and I were best friends all through high school.”
Ashley was one of those perfect petite types with delicate hands and a tiny waist. She had long coffee-colored hair and soft, doe brown eyes. When she smiled at Mia, a dimple winked in her left cheek. “It’s very nice to meet you. Brooke said you helped the police find Mia.”
