No Time for Goodbye

by Marion Myles

  By the time she’d concluded all this, Tony was on his knees in front of her and reaching out to grasp her chin with his hand. He lowered his face to hers and revulsion swam up from her belly when she thought he intended to kiss her. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers.

  “This is going to be the best thing ever because with you I can show you all the girls who came before. Now, and for one time only, I’m going to let you look around in my head. I know you want to.”

  The images came so fast, so harsh, she couldn’t have blocked them if she’d tried. All his victims, under him, crying, begging, while he raped and choked, raped and choked. It was like a montage from a movie except without the music soundtrack and filled with horror and cruelty and death.

  “Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?” he whispered as his warm breath caressed her lips. “This was their moment, what they were born for. Now surely you must understand?”

  He drew back and stared at her and finally, finally the madness shone through his eyes like a fever.

  Her body was numb, and she couldn’t catch her breath. Red and yellow spots danced in her vision and when her ears started tingling, she worried she might pass out entirely. She couldn’t let that happen. Scrambling to her feet, she lurched away while he smiled at her.

  “Good girl. You seemed so passive, I was afraid you wouldn’t fight me.

  Backing away toward the shovel, she kept her eyes on him. “Can you tell me one thing first? Is Roman really hurt?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “That was a good one. I swear I’ve never seen anyone’s face go as white as yours. It was so easy to get you to leave your house. With all the excitement of finding Anita’s wallet and bracelet, I bet everyone will forget to check on you. You’ll probably be dead before anyone even realizes you’re missing. I’m kind of hoping I’ll be able to swing back to your place and say a final goodbye to the dogs.”

  Icy pinpricks coated her skin. “Please don’t. I’ll do what you want. Anything you want. Please leave them be.”

  “There you go. I love it when you girls beg. It makes me feel amazing.” Standing tall, he tapped his chest as though he were Superman. “Okay, enough foreplay. It’s time to get down to business.”

  She backed farther away while frantically judging the distance to the shovel. Less than three feet now. She could be there in one leap. Right beside it would be better, she thought, shuffling her feet. If she were to have any real chance, he needed to come closer. She faked a stumble and went down on her knees practically on top of the shovel. She hoped he’d see her as completely powerless in this position.

  “Please, no. You don’t have to do this. We can get you help,” she said, making sure her voice wavered.

  He rose to the bait and rushed toward her with teeth bared. Pretending to cower back, she waited until he was within range then twisted to the side, grabbed the shovel, and swung high and hard. There was an instant of shock in his eyes before the blade smashed into the side of his head. He staggered back, and she was on her feet and swinging again. His arm came up and blocked the blow. She danced away, repositioned her arm to swing again and made contact with his head for a second time.

  Now he dropped like a stone. It was exactly like in the movies. Tony’s eyes went glassy, his hand clutched his head, and he keeled over on one side. A fountain of blood poured over that ear and down his neck. He didn’t move after that.

  Mia’s first instinct was to run. But to where? Even if she made it back to his car, it wasn’t likely he’d conveniently left the keys in the ignition. He’d have them with him, wouldn’t he? Except what if he was pretending to be unconscious and she got caught again?

  Air pumped in and out of her like a piston engine. Slow it down, she thought. Take a second and get yourself together. She glanced over at Tony. He didn’t appear to have moved. Okay, first she’d figure out if he really was unconscious. Keeping herself well back, she poked his leg with the handle of the shovel. Next, she tried his shoulder before finally circling around and jabbing him in the chest. There was no reaction whatsoever.

  His eyes were closed, and it was impossible to tell if he was breathing. Blood continued to flow though it was more of a dribble now. Okay. She was pretty sure he wasn’t going to leap up and grab her. Still, it didn’t hurt to take preventative measures. She rushed over to his backpack and rooted through it.

  Wet wipes, another bottle of water, two Cliff bars, a navy blue lightweight jacket. A small red velvet box inside the pack made her stomach clutch. Not brilliant. Maybe she could tie his hands with the jacket. The first side pocket held gum, but in the second she finally hit pay dirt. Zip ties.

  She circled him several times trying to figure out how to get his second hand free. Studying his top arm and the way his legs were curled to the side, she had an idea. It took four ties plus the two she added for good measure, but when she was done, his left wrist was tied to his bound ankles.

  Seeing him like that, everything in her released. There was no way he could get her now. In fact, she leaned down and put some muscle into it, rolling him slightly until his right hand was free. She pulled two more zip ties from the package and completed hog-tying him. For a brief moment, she understood some of the pleasure he’d derived from incapacitating all those women because joy rushed through her as she stared down at him.

  Wait, was he even alive? Reaching out with her mind, she could definitely sense something, although it wasn’t clear. She crouched and put a hand to chest. His heart beat under her palm, slow and steady. Okay. She hadn’t killed him. Good. She wanted this bastard to pay for what he’d done, preferably in a maximum security prison for the rest of his sorry life.

  But what about the Mancinis? Once they found out, would it be harder for them if Tony was dead or alive?

  All at once she started to tremble. Why was she standing here thinking these inane things when only moments ago she’d been at the mercy of a vicious serial killer? She needed to get out of there and fast. Where were the blessed car keys?

  Since they hadn’t been in the backpack, they must be on Tony. Steeling herself, she knelt beside him one last time and pushed her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Tears clouded her vision when she pulled out a key fob. Clutching them to her chest, she rocked back and forth. Everything really was going to be okay now.

  She scrambled to her feet, turned, and ran.

  * * *

  Roman was on the phone with Special Agent Millar when Kevin, with his own cell phone glued to his ear, signaled him.

  “We might have some news. Hang on a sec,” Roman said into his cell.

  Kevin angled his phone away from his mouth, directing his words to Roman. “Mia managed to escape and is apparently fine. She called nine-one-one. They’re triangulating her location now and ready to dispatch emergency vehicles. It sounds like she’s on Shaker’s Line over near Walkerton.”

  “Did you hear that?” Roman asked Millar. “I’m going there now. I’ll keep you posted.”

  They sprinted to the car. Outside the house Mia’s dogs ran along the fence line barking and yipping. Roman slid behind the wheel and slammed his door. “Anything else? What are they saying?” he demanded.

  “Yeah. It’s Shaker’s right at the end beside the forest.”

  “And they’re sure she’s okay?”

  “That’s the word. She’s still on the line with them. They’re reporting she left the killer unconscious and tied up in the woods.”

  “Holy shit. She caught him.”

  He glanced down at the speedometer. How could he be going a hundred and twenty when everything swam by the car in a weird slow-motion visage? He leaned forward as though willing them to fly while a million scenarios of Mia and the killer flashed through his mind.

  “Hey, she’s safe. You’re not going to lose her,” Kevin said.

  “I won’t believe it until I see her with my own eyes.”

  He slowed marginally when he turned onto Shaker’s Line. The lan
eway on the property was nothing more than a muddy track. Up ahead, he saw the ambulance, and his pulse beat in time to the flashing lights. It was parked beside a brown Chevy Malibu. The back of the medical vehicle was opened wide. Leaning against the door stood Mia.

  Roman pumped the brakes. The car shuddered and skidded to a stop, and he threw it into park. Leaping out, he hurtled across to her and grabbed her up in his arms. His throat was raw and his breath ragged. She felt warm and soft and so real against him.

  “You’re shaking,” she said, patting his shoulders.

  Fighting back a sob, he exhaled long and slow. “You’re shaking too.”

  “I know. I can’t seem to stop. It’s okay though. I’m okay. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  He drew back and stared down at her while his hands moved over her face. “He didn’t…hurt you?”

  “Not much. Some bumps and bruises. My wrists are sore. Otherwise, I’m fine.”

  “Where is the bastard?”

  “He’s in the woods. I can show you. Are you sure you should go back there?”

  “You bet your life I’m going back there. I want to see this sicko with my own eyes just the way you left him. He’s still alive right?” She studied his face for several seconds, and he saw grief come into her eyes. “What? Tell me.”

  “I thought you knew. It’s Tony.”

  Reeling back, he reached out blindly with his arm and steadied himself on the side of the ambulance. He shook his head but couldn’t think past the buzzing in his ears. Heat flashed up his neck and his vision filled with a red haze. The boy he’d grown up with. The one who’d been an integral part of his family. Tony couldn’t be the killer. He swallowed down the bile in his throat.

  “My cousin, Tony?”

  She touched his arm. “Yes, I’m so sorry. I still can’t believe I never sensed it until it was almost too late.”

  “I want to see him. Now. Take me there.”

  Kevin approached hesitantly. “Mia, I’m seriously glad to see you…um…Roman, I need a word.”

  “What?” Roman snapped once they were back inside the Impala.

  “Schmidt’s taking you off the case. He’s ordered you to stay away from the crime scene.”

  Roman thought his head was going to explode. His fist slammed down on the console between them. “That’s complete bullshit. He’s my cousin. My sister was murdered. The woman I love abducted. I’m going out there, and I’m working this case.”

  Kevin shook his head. “No, you’re not. Come on. We need this to be a clean bust. Nobody’s going to slip through on some conflict of interest loophole. So you and I are going back to the station. They’re sending Jensen to bring Mia in once she’s cleared by medical. And before you ask, no, Schmidt doesn’t want us to drive her. He’d prefer if you don’t talk to her until she’s been interviewed. I know it sucks but tell her you gotta go. Then I’m taking you back to Dalton. Scratch that. I’ll tell her. You stay in the car.”

  Roman didn’t fight his partner on it. He turned his head and watched Kevin walk to the ambulance and squat down in front of Mia. The EMTs had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. Her hair was falling out of her braid and hunks of it hung down, covering part of her face. She looked at Kevin and nodded slowly. Then she lifted her head and glanced over at the Impala. Streaks of mud covered her right cheek, and even from where he sat Roman could tell she was crying.

  Kevin patted her shoulder and stood again. He leaned down and must have said something else because she shook her head and pulled the blanket tight under her chin. After several beats, he turned and walked away. Mia slumped down and hid her face in her hands.

  The door opened beside him, and Kevin swatted his shoulder. “Get out. I’m driving.”

  Roman didn’t respond. He simply slid out from behind the wheel, and like a sleepwalker made his way around the front of the car. “What are the paramedics saying about her?” he asked.

  “Seems to be okay physically. There’s a good ding on the back of her head, scratches and bruises here and there, nothing much otherwise. They want her to have some Ativan, but she says no, she’s fine. She’s got the shakes, which is understandable.”

  A black and white cruiser approached the laneway as Kevin turned their car onto the dirt road. It stopped, and the driver’s window came down.

  “Hey, Jensen,” Kevin said.

  “Latterly, Mancini. It’s a hell of a thing.”

  “You can say that again. Take good care of her, okay?”

  “You have my word.”

  They drove in silence for several minutes. The radio squawked updates. Mia was now on route to Dalton. The perp had been located in the woods and was still unconscious. He appeared to be Antonio Mancini.

  Kevin slid his eyes to Roman. “You doing okay?”

  He shook his head and returned to staring out the window.

  Soon enough they heard a medivac copter had been dispatched. Techs were already photographing the scene. EMTs suspected Tony had a skull fracture and brain injury. His pupils weren’t responsive to light. They were attempting to get him out of the woods on a stretcher.

  For Roman, it all seemed to be happening to someone else. They weren’t talking about Tony and Mia, but two strangers. None of this in any way had to do with him or his family. He couldn’t even picture his mom and dad’s reaction. Was it possible any of them would ever come back from this?

  He pulled out his phone. “Ma,” he said when his mother answered. “I want you and Dad to meet me at the station.”

  Her voice was hard. “Did you get him? Did you get my baby’s killer?”

  “You need to come. Don’t talk to anyone but me. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

  Kevin sighed. “Schmidt won’t like it. Still I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

  They were on Main Street now. Everything looked the same. Absolutely normal. Like nothing had happened, and lives weren’t being ripped apart. Which was true. Only his life.

  Roman waited in the lobby until his parents arrived.

  “Has anyone heard from Mia? Where is this man, this killer?” Molly demanded when she and Frank rushed into the station. “I want to see him with my own eyes.”

  “Mia is fine, thank goodness. Let’s go to my office,” Roman said.

  Molly made an impatient sound in her throat, and Frank’s expression darkened.

  “If you’re going to tell us bad news, spit it out, Son,” Frank said.

  “Ma, Dad, I don’t want to do this out here. Come upstairs where we’ll have some privacy.”

  In his office, he gestured his parents to the visitor’s chairs and closed the door before walking over to stand in front of them. Fast is best, he thought.

  “As you know Mia went missing this morning. She was kidnapped and forced to walk into the woods where a grave had already been dug. She managed to get her hands free and strike the man unconscious with a shovel. After tying him up, she ran back to the car he’d driven. Inside she found a burner cell phone. A little over an hour ago her call came in to the emergency dispatcher.”

  Molly’s hand shot up and covered her mouth, and she stared at Roman with wide eyes.

  Frank cleared his throat. “She’s unharmed?”

  “Yes.”

  “The police…they captured the man?” Molly asked.

  “He’s being airlifted to St. Mark’s with a suspected skull fracture. This next part is hard, and I wanted to be sure you heard it from me first. It’s Tony. He abducted Mia. In all likelihood, he’s the serial killer.”

  His parents turned to stone. Roman stared from one to the other before slumping back onto the top of his desk and rubbing a hand over his eyes. He heard his mother take in a sharp breath. When he glanced over, Roman saw the flush riding high on her cheekbones. She got to her feet and stabbed a finger at him.

  “It’s not true. I don’t know why Mia would say these things. She’s not who I thought she was. Tony could never do this.” She shook her head, and
her eyes blazed into Roman’s. “He wouldn’t kill Anita. It’s not him.”

  “You’re saying Mia overpowered Tony and fractured his skull?” Frank shook his head. “How could a little girl like that get away? Maybe Mia lured Tony into the woods and made it look like he was the killer. A frame-up job. We only have her word he abducted her. We should wait and see what Tony says.”

  “Yes. We need to hear Tony’s side,” Molly agreed, crossing her arms over her chest and staring defiantly at Roman.

  “It may be a while before Tony can talk, assuming he recovers at all,” Roman said. “In the meantime, we’ll work the case. Well, not me. Schmidt pulled me off because of the conflict of interest.”

  “I want to talk to your Lieutenant Schmidt,” Molly said.

  “Yes, we should be interviewed,” Frank agreed.

  Roman sighed. “I’ll let the lieutenant know you’re here.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  In the back of the police car, Mia could barely keep her eyes open. Her head throbbed, her body ached, and she was so thirsty she was having trouble swallowing. Hugging her arms around her chest, she sank into the corner by the door and closed her eyes. She wanted her dogs and her house and most of all Roman. The look on his face when she’d told him it was Tony was something she’d never forget.

  She flashed to the last time she’d seen Tony at the memorial where he’d presented a solid unit with the Mancini family. He’d even released the butterflies. Afterward, he’d hugged her. In some ways, it still seemed impossible he was the killer.

  Then her mind flooded with all the scenes he’d shown her. Nine girls brutalized and killed because he’d decided it was his life’s work. One of them his own cousin. It was only by a miracle she’d escaped the same fate.