by Liz Bradford
“No,” both ladies said. And Gracie added, “He always brought his son with him. What was his kid’s name?” she said looking at Nikita.
“You know, I’m not sure. He always called him Superman, never by his name.”
“Would either or both of you be willing to come down to the station and sit with a sketch artist and give us a picture of what he looks like?”
“Sure,” Gracie said. “Could I come on Monday though? We have soccer games tomorrow and the day planned with my husband’s family on Sunday.”
“Absolutely, whenever you can would be wonderful. Here’s my card,” Becca handed a card to each lady. “Let me know if you think of anything else that seems relevant even if it seems trivial. And then just come down to the station on Main Street when you have a chance and tell them I sent you, all right?”
The ladies nodded, and Jared and Becca left.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The after effects of a Category Two hurricane that made landfall along the North Carolina coast on Friday filled Becca’s Saturday. The torrential rains ruined any chance of them doing anything outside, including scouting parks. But thankfully Jared had stopped and picked up a few movies and even bought Callie a new board game on his way over. So, despite the rain and being stuck indoors, they had a wonderful day as a family playing games and watching movies. Becca could still hardly believe he was back.
Over the years, Becca had spent many hours imagining what it might be like to have Jared back in her life. Sometimes the scene played out where everything was good, and they eventually fell back in love. Sometimes it had played out that they hated one another and never forgave the other. But never in a million years had she ever expected to fall back in love with him as fast as she had. It hadn’t even been three weeks yet, but they were already inseparable again. Becca sat back as she watched Jared swing Callie through the air. The little girl was having the time of her life playing with her daddy. She didn’t seem to care that he hadn’t been around for the last five years. He was here now, and that was all that mattered, to all of them.
Dinner time rolled around, and Callie had gone upstairs to play for a little while, leaving Jared and Becca alone in the kitchen to make dinner. “What’re we making for dinner tonight?” Jared asked as he followed her into the kitchen. She loved that he was willing to help her make dinner, even if she knew it wouldn’t last if they got married. It had been the same way when she started living with him back in San Diego. At first, he helped, then he only helped every once in a while, and then she had to specifically ask if she needed assistance. She chuckled at the memory as she opened the refrigerator.
“Chicken in mushroom soup over rice with a side of green beans, sound good?”
“Sure.”
“Why is the milk on the shelf? It goes in the door.” She moved the milk back to its proper home and grabbed the chicken.
“At least I put it back in the fridge,” he said under his breath.
She turned toward him, her heart a little ruffled by his tone but ignored his comment.
“What can I do help?”
“Would you start the rice as I get the chicken going?”
“Can do.”
They both got to work. Becca was enjoying working with him near.
She turned and watched him put the rice into the water before he turned it on. “Jared, what are you doing?” She asked in a tone that was more critical than it should have been. “You wait and put the rice in once it’s boiled.”
“Becca, I’ve been on my own for five years, and I’ve learned a thing or two about how to cook. It works just fine if you put it in now,” he replied defensively.
“I’ve always put it in after it boils.”
Clang. The sound of the metal measuring cup hitting the counter resounded through the kitchen when Jared dropped it as he threw his hands up. “I’m just trying to help. Do it yourself if you don’t like the way I help.” He turned and walked away.
Watching him turn and walk away in a huff sent Becca flying back to that day five and half years ago when he had turned and walked out the door to go to the gym. The time he hadn’t come back. Her eyes slammed shut as her chest grew tight, all air having escaped from her lungs. Uncontrollable terror washed over her, burning her insides. Would he walk out the door again? She couldn’t breathe. “Jared,” panic seeped from her voice, “don’t!”
Jared stopped in his tracks and turned, his face pulled taut. He locked eyes with her. The irritation vanished from his face, and he was back to her in three quick strides. “I’m not leaving.” He knew exactly where her mind had gone. He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I overreacted.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be critical, but I was. Don’t ever turn your back on me like that when we fight.” She gently hit his chest with the side of her fist. “I can’t handle it. I know you will need your space, but don’t turn and huff away. Please.”
He held her more tightly. “I promise. I’m so sorry.” After a long pause, he asked, “Do you remember what we were fighting about when I left for the gym that day?” He asked as he loosened his grip on her and leaned back against the counter.
“No, for as many times as I have replayed that in my head, I have never been able to remember what we were fighting about.”
“Me neither, but it was something as trivial as how to cook rice, I remember that much.”
She smiled at him, “Yep, that much I remember.”
They looked deeply into one another’s eyes. She never wanted to fight with him again, but that was unrealistic. But it was going to take time for her to get past that fear of him walking away. She reached up and stroked his hair away from his face.
“I love you, Jared.”
“I love you, too.”
Their lips met, and as they kissed Becca felt a pair of eyes watching them. She broke the kiss and looked toward the entryway, and there stood Callie in the doorway into the great room with a huge grin on her face. Becca motioned for Callie to come over. She leaned over and picked her up, and they all snuggled together for a moment before Becca and Jared finished making dinner.
“Ah, right on schedule,” he said to himself. He had been watching Detective Rebecca Palmer bring her daughter to and from church on Sunday evenings for weeks now. She brought Callie by herself as usual. It was a shame that the timing for taking her hadn’t lined up with drop off for children’s choir rehearsal.
Stuart sat back in his old green Pontiac, which he had carefully acquired six months ago, and watched as Rebecca helped Callie out of the back of her SUV. She took her daughter’s hand, and they walked into the church happily talking to one another. Rebecca’s long, brown hair flowed behind her as the breeze lifted it, the evening sun catching her golden highlights. She looked so innocent. But he knew better.
She had sinned, and then encouraged others to sin, too. If she had just minded her own business… but no, she hadn’t. He spun her business card between his fingers; proof that she had stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. The world needed to be rid of a person that so readily told others they would be better off if they left their homes. And to make it worse, she was just as sinful as the women she was supposedly helping. She had been foolish and promiscuous. She had gone and gotten herself pregnant out of wedlock. That was bad enough, but then to deprive her child of her father was unacceptable.
The nasty taste of bile filled his mouth. It made him sick to think about how these women believed it was okay for their children to live without their fathers. He had to show them their wrongdoing. They needed to pay. Rebecca needed to pay for her impertinence and her impatience. And it was his duty to bring that punishment to her.
Rebecca emerged from the church by herself. Most likely she was headed to the grocery store, just as she normally did on a Sunday evening. Although, she should have stayed to see the kids sing since she would be serving her sentence when they performed in two weeks. It truly was a shame her time did not fall on a Sunday, b
ut alas it didn’t. It wasn’t time yet for her to meet her punishment; it wasn’t her turn. He had an impeccable plan, and so far, it had played out perfectly. She would be his seventh victim. He was saving her.
Until then, he would continue to sit and watch, waiting for her day to come. The perfect opportunity to take her would come, and he would be ready. The trickiest part would be getting her away from that partner of hers. All he had to do was find a time on the day he had planned for her when she was away from that giant. He would manage. He would get her. He would make her see her wrongs. Her day was coming.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Thursday afternoon Becca stared at the latest image the sketch artist had given her; a shudder ran down her back. The week was wasting away. Becca and Jared had been able to connect with numerous people that were able to come in and sit down with the sketch artist. Unfortunately, Adam and Rick had not been so lucky. No one in the area around Devil’s Creek Park fit the victim profile. There were a few single moms, but only one of them had brown hair and an athletic build, but her kids were older. There was no one else, not that they could find anyway. Thus, the team’s focus turned to the sketches.
Becca went to the table where Jared, Rick, and Adam stood around, looking at the first four sketches the artist had given them. She added the new one.
All five sketches were very different, except for the structure of the faces. The eyes were all the same hooded eyes, and the noses were perfectly straight. But some had facial hair, others had none. One had a baseball cap, one had a fishing hat, and the other three had no hat. Of the three with no hat, not a single one had the hair styled the same way, but it was the same ashen color and similar in length. All of them also had different names, Rory, Greg, George, Henry, and Carlton. But all had sons who were around seven years old with action hero names, Superman, Batman, Thor, Captain America, and Ironman. Despite his attempt at being a master of disguises they were going to nail this guy; Becca felt confident.
But Becca was struggling to get a realistic idea of what this guy looked like. She was good with details, but this was testing her abilities. She had immediately asked the sketch artist to compile the common features and remove the extraneous details that made each picture look so different. He was on it and said he would have it to her by morning. That would have to do. It was almost time to leave so someone else would have to run these images through the database to see if there was a match. She was about to tell everyone to go home when Jared stopped her.
“Becca, don’t you see it?” he said.
“See what?”
“This guy kind of looks like Stuart.”
The guy she knew from the park? No way. She looked a little closer. Well, maybe, but in a very generic way. “I don’t know, maybe.”
Jamison spoke up, “Palmer, who all does Stuart talk to at the park you go to? Is there someone who fits the victim profile that frequents that park?”
Becca looked up and across the table and locked eyes with Adam’s; her stomach got caught in her throat. Could it be?
“Rebecca?” he asked, worry filling his voice; he hardly ever called her by her first name on the job – he was concerned.
“Me. He just talks to me.” She could feel Jared’s eyes fixed on her, and in her peripheral vision she saw Miller’s head jerk up. “I’m the only one he talks to, and I fit the profile.” She finally looked at Jared. He had deep worry lines etched into his forehead.
It was silent for a good three minutes; no one knew what to say next. Finally, Miller spoke up, “Well, you aren’t going to that park alone tonight.”
“How ‘bout not at all!” Jared exclaimed thinking like her boyfriend and not a detective.
“Johnson, she has to go. If it is him, her not showing could make him nervous that we are on to him. Plus, there could be information to glean,” Jamison said.
Jared punched his fist into his other hand. Jamison was right, and they both knew it.
“We need to get the Captain in on this,” Becca said.
“I’ll go get him,” Miller said and exited the room.
“Becca, I don’t like this.”
“I know, Jared, but what else are we to do.”
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. The muscles in his arms contracted; he was fighting the urge to pull her into his arms. She knew that he was facing his greatest fear – losing her. But she watched as resolve to get this guy before that happened washed over his face. She reached up and squeezed his hand.
The Captain walked into the conference room ahead of Miller, and Jared dropped his hand from Becca’s shoulder. “Okay, guys, fill me in. What’s going on?”
Becca nodded to Jared to do the speaking. She still wasn’t sure that this was even a reality, so he was better prepared to fill the Captain in. “Well, sir, based on the five sketches we received from people that went to the same parks as the victims, I believe the man at the park Becca goes to could be our unsub, and that he is targeting Becca as his next victim.”
“Not next victim,” Jamison said.
“Adam’s right, he will want one more victim before me, if it is him.”
“You don’t sound convinced, Palmer,” Captain Baker stated.
“I’m not, but their suspicion is reasonable, so I can’t write it off.”
“Why won’t you be next?” Baker asked.
“Because he needs to take someone that he meets at a park on Wednesdays before Thursdays.”
“But today is Thursday. Are you headed to the park this evening?”
Jamison answered for her, “She should. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about him.”
“Stuart has never really talked about himself, always is the one asking questions and almost seems to avoid answering my questions, but I can try and get him to talk.”
“All right. Wire up, and we’ll be there as back up. Miller, are you willing to take your kids to the park this evening so we have another inconspicuous detective right there?” Baker asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ll go call my wife now.”
“Jamison and I will sit in the van listening. Johnson, you play with your daughter.”
“What should I say?” Becca asked.
Baker replied, “Let him guide the conversation at first. Has he ever asked you about the case?”
“Actually, yes. He did last Thursday. He mentioned that he had seem me on TV and asked if we had caught the killer.”
“Hmmm. Interest in the case, that says something. If it is him, he may be looking to see how close we are to getting him. How did you answer him?” Baker asked.
“I told him I couldn’t talk about it.”
“Appropriate answer, but this time if he asks, lie. Tell him more than you should, but not the truth. Tell him you are frustrated and no closer to catching him than you were two months ago. We’ll watch his expression and guide you from there.”
Jamison spoke up now, “Can’t we just bring him in?”
“You know we can’t do that. We need more information, a confirmation of identity, and probable cause,” Jared replied.
So that was it. They wired up and headed to get Callie, a bite to eat, and then they all went to the park at Becca and Callie’s usual time.
As Becca, Jared, and Callie walked to the park from Jared’s truck, Baker spoke in their ears, “Remember, you’re off duty. Act natural, interact with one another the way you would if we weren’t all watching.” He didn’t have to tell Becca twice. She reached over and grabbed Jared’s hand in hopes of gaining a little of his strength. He looked down at her and smiled. Callie ran off to play. And Jared turned to Becca.
“Relax,” he said.
She took a deep breath and then fiddled with her hair to be sure it covered her ear piece.
“Oh, just kiss her,” Jamison said in her ear. Miller and Baker laughed in the background. Becca shook her head.
“Okay, if you insist.” He leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the lips. A round of applause came over t
heir ear pieces from the van.
“Heads up, I think our guy is here,” Miller whispered.
Becca shot Jared a quick look and he mouthed, “I love you” before going over to join Callie on the playground. She quickly mouthed the same, and he smiled widely at her giving her the courage she needed.
Lord, help us. If Stuart is our killer, please help us to figure it out quickly. Give me peace right now and courage. And help me know exactly what to say and ask. Becca prayed while she sat on the bench and just waited for Stuart to approach her. It didn’t take long for Stuart to approach her after his son went off to play.
“Hi, Rebecca, beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
“Hi, Stuart, it is a beautiful evening.” The October evening was a little cool, but the colors of the trees were vibrant, and the sun hung low in the sky.
“So how is everything?” Stuart asked.
“Good, I guess.”
“Go ahead and ‘unload’ on him if you want,” Baker whispered in her ear.
She sighed. “Things aren’t great at work, though, so that puts a damper on the rest of life.”
“Oh really, what’s going on? Still can’t find your killer, huh?”
“No, it’s so frustrating, I don’t feel like we are any closer than we were two months ago, but I’ve already said too much.”
Becca was careful not to look at him directly, afraid she would give away that she was analyzing his reaction.
“Good job, Becca,” Jared whispered in her ear piece, “Did anyone else see that look of satisfaction on his face?”
“I did,” Miller said.
“Still not enough to take him in,” Baker said. “You could try a personal question now, Palmer, and see if he tells you a story about himself.”
“But anyway,” Becca said. “Stuart, how are you doing? Work going well? I’m not sure I know what you do for a living.”
“Oh, I’m just fine, business is going well.”
“Yeah, what kind of business?”
“Waste removal.” Something about the way he said it sent shivers down her spine. She knew in her gut now that it was him, even if she really didn’t want to admit it. If only they had something to take him in on… “Well, I think Freddy and I are going to have to get going. Good to see you, Rebecca. See you again soon.” He called his kid over and left a moment later.
