Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  Tony’s success and failure rate on big cases wasn’t a mystery. And this case was going to be big. So big that Santos wouldn’t know what hit him.

  Chapter 5

  Tony reached across the empty expanse of his bed to find she wasn’t there. “Damn it.” Rolling over, he punched the snooze button hard, knocking the clock to the floor. The silence that followed reminded him how empty his life had become. Dropping his anger on inanimate objects wasn’t his way, but his dream had been vivid and waking up to find the bed empty and Marissa gone, was a cruel trick. Sorrow flowed through his body, squeezing the breath from his lungs. Something had to change.

  His thoughts switched to work mode, and he groaned. The first forty-eight hours were the most important in any murder investigation. It sounded like a trite catch phrase, thrown around by supposed experts, but it was the truth.

  Yesterday was a wash. His team made no headway. Everyone had stayed late to work on the Longfellow case. Dr. Sekorski called at eleven to inform Tony that the victim had the letter ‘A’ etched in the flesh of her right butt cheek. His team had left before the call. This morning they would go over the strange carving and try to figure out what it might mean.

  Before he headed home, Tony had begun to make a list of what the ‘A’ could mean. The only thing he came up with was that the victim’s first name began with an ‘A’. It didn’t make any sense that the killer would carve her initial in her skin, but anything was possible.

  The fog in his brain last night made his movements slow and jerky, his thoughts jumbled. He was strung-out from the day’s events, and decided to head for home. But home wasn’t the same since Marissa left. Rambling around the house with a beer in hand wasn’t as fulfilling as crashing on the couch with his arm flung around his beautiful wife, decompressing before they turned in for the night.

  “Damn,” Tony cursed as he slid from under the covers.

  Why was he thinking about Marissa? She had been the one to leave. Tony stared at his face in the bathroom mirror. He was lying to himself again. Marissa wasn’t in the wrong. He had given her no choice. Disgusted with his self-deception, Tony closed his eyes to avoid their burning look.

  Should he try to see her today? He couldn’t put it off any longer.

  He opened his eyes, staring at his reflection. He squinted, wondering if he could he do it? Did he have a choice? Rejections from his past twisted his gut. Being passed over for adoption, time and time again, taunted him. Marissa didn’t have to take him back. If he didn’t confront her about her decision, he could go on believing she would come back one day.

  That was the coward in him talking, and he hated that selfish little bastard. He wasn’t a little boy left to the mercy of an overloaded system. He was a man in control of his future. Marissa helped him realize that long ago. He made up his mind. Today was the day to pay a visit to Marissa.

  The phone chirped as Tony finished in the bathroom. The caller could wait, but his visit to the gourmet brewer in his kitchen wouldn’t. The phone ceased its noise. Two seconds of silence followed, and then the phone began its annoying chirp again. He picked it up on the second ring, grumbling as he caught the caller ID. “Yo, Rex, this had better be an emergency. I haven’t had any coffee.”

  “Saddle up and drink fast, I’ll be there in fifteen.” Rex’s voice was flat on the other end of the line, unusual for a self-declared early bird.

  Hope welled up in Tony. Maybe Rex had stumbled onto a lead early this morning. “No, I want to have two cups before my shower. I’ll meet you at HQ in thirty.”

  “Sorry, Tony, bring a cup with you. Fifteen, that’s all you’ve got.”

  The line disconnected and Tony slammed his cup down on the counter, blasting the ceramic piece into hundreds of tiny shards. Multiple curse words came to mind, but he didn’t let them fly. Pulling the broom out of the pantry closet, he swept up the mess, dumping the broken shards into the trash.

  A hazy film hung low, turning the air thick and humid, as he waited outside for Rex, his hair still damp from the quick shower he’d buzzed through. The sound of the Hummer hit him before he saw it. Tony spied the blank look on Rex’s face as he pulled up next to the small green lawn. Trouble buzzed his thoughts.

  Damn, this day was already bad.

  The throbbing began at the base of Tony’s neck and arched up through his skull. He wanted to turn back to his house and pretend he hadn’t received Rex’s call. Some days Tony wished he wasn’t a cop. Then he would think about his past and realize he didn’t have a choice. He was made to be a police officer.

  He rested his elbows on the open windowsill. “If you expect me to ride in this thing the AC better be on full blast and the windows closed.”

  “You got it. Now get in.”

  Tony slid his tall frame into the passenger seat. He hated riding with others, abandoning his own car left him at the mercy of other drivers. Not a feeling he enjoyed. Mornings were not his favorite time. He usually started slowly, working his way up to a good attitude after two cups of coffee, after four cups he might be considered nice.

  Tony took a long sip from his travel mug and turned towards Rex, focusing on the hard-set jaw. “Why so early and where are we going?”

  “About thirty minutes ago we got a call about another victim.”

  “What?” The coffee turned in Tony’s empty stomach. Only one day had passed since they had found the Longfellow girl. Familiar roads passed by, but Tony couldn’t concentrate on where they were going.

  He turned to Rex, wondering why his buddy was being tight lipped? Tony’s throat pulled closed as anguish and pride mixed together. This town was supposed to be a sleepy little place where tourists would feel isolated from the big city problems. The residents of this fair town lived here because of its quiet nature. Juniper was an ideal city, not a place where murders happened on a daily basis.

  “From the initial call, it looks like the same MO.”

  “Why wasn’t I called?” Tony’s headache was in full force. He shut his eyes, blocking the early morning glare, and gaining some relief from the pounding in his skull.

  “I was there when the desk took the call.”

  “The desk? Why didn’t it go through the switchboard?”

  “It was direct.” Rex squirmed in his seat.

  Normally upfront with his opinions, Rex was holding something back. Tony swallowed hard and glanced toward his old friend. Rex’s face was stoic. The usual lighthearted humor was absent.

  The air drained from Tony’s body, leaving him deflated. He slumped in his seat. There was only one reason why Rex would come and get him instead of telling him over the phone who the victim was.

  “Damn it, who was it?”

  “We’re here,” Rex said.

  Tony’s stomach fell as dread wormed its way up his chest. The world around him ceased to matter.

  Not her.

  Tony lost all feeling in his body. Unable to hold his head up, he let it droop against the window. After a moment he found the control he needed. With too much force he shoved the door open catching it with his hand when it banged back at him. He stumbled up the steps to the front door of the house and pushed through, not caring about securing the scene.

  His heart slammed against his chest and his insides felt like squished rubber. Tears of remorse gathered in the corner of his eyes. A jolt of pain slammed Tony’s chest when he saw Danny Ingles camped out on his couch.

  Danny’s normally large frame was squashed with grief, making him seem smaller than he really was. Deep lines, that hadn’t been there last week, were etched on his red-splotched face. Kelsey Ingles, Dan’s wife, was gone.

  Years ago, Kelsey had taken Tony in and treated him like a brother. They had met in college and a bond had formed that few understood. Knowing Tony had no family to go home to for the holidays, she had invited him to celebrate with her family in Oklahoma. It was the first time he had thought that his future might be filled with people who cared about him. When Kelsey marrie
d Danny seven years ago, Tony had sung at their wedding.

  Tony closed his eyes for a moment, trying desperately to gain control. How could this have happened to Kelsey? She had been so vibrant, so full of life.

  “Tony.” Danny’s voice rasped with grief.

  “Dan, I’m sorry.”

  Tony stumbled to the couch, grasping his friend by the shoulder. Too angry to sit, and too grief-stricken to move into the bedroom, he waited until Danny stood. The image of the strong fireman’s tearstained face was imprinted onto Tony’s memory, an image he wouldn’t soon forget.

  “You get this bastard,” Danny choked out. “And when you do, I want him to fry for what he did to Kel--” Danny’s voice cracked as a heavy sob escaped his lips.

  “I’ll get him,” Tony said hoarsely.

  “Danny,” a deep voice rumbled from the doorway.

  Tony turned and saw Fire Chief Scott standing in the entryway. Danny would be taken care of. The firemen of Juniper were great at their job, but they were even better at taking care of their own. Now, Tony could concentrate on work.

  “Tony.”

  He turned around to face Danny, and his eyes blurred with unshed tears. “Danny, you need anything, all you have to do is ask.”

  “There was a comb.” Danny choked back a sob.

  “Where?”

  “In her hair, her pubic hair.” Danny gripped Tony’s arm, squeezing tight. “Don’t let me down.”

  Danny’s shoulders shook as he walked out of the house. The only thing Tony could do to help was to push his emotions away and focus on the murder scene. He owed that much to Kelsey. Tony clenched his fists and moved across the room and down the hall to the bedroom.

  Entering the death room was rough. Danny had obviously tried to revive Kelsey. Her body wasn’t posed on the floor like the last victim had been, but the fluid and blood evidence showed where she had died.

  Bile rose in the back of Tony’s throat. He didn’t want his coffee to come back on him, but it was dangerously close. Years had passed since the last time he had been sick at a murder scene. Turning away from Kelsey’s limp form, he erected emotional barriers that would allow him to do his job.

  Owens was already snapping shots. Sekorski knelt by the body, his shoulders hunched and extra wrinkles marring his brow. Kelsey’s death was too close to home. If the killer went after a fireman’s wife, then he could easily target a policeman’s wife.

  Kelsey’s hands were missing and her body was blue and purple from bruises suffered during her attack. Tony bent down close, inspecting her neck. There was no bruising evident on the skin around her neck and shoulders. He stood and staggered backwards, running into the wall. He steadied his body against the solid surface.

  The overwhelming grief from Kelsey’s death was messing with his focus. The air felt thin, but he forced in a deep breath. Had the paramedics shown up for this, Tony would have gone out to beg for a hit of oxygen. He ran an unsteady hand down his face, willing himself to focus.

  “Tony, you gonna be okay for this?” At Rex’s voice, Tony opened his eyes. Staring into his best friend’s face, he wondered if he could hold it together for this investigation. Resolve stiffened his spine. He would do it for Kelsey.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine in a moment. Anyone search the bed?”

  “I did. No hair, but we found something else.”

  “What?” Tony clenched his fists, bracing for the news.

  “A small scrap of fabric.”

  “Let me have a look at it.”

  Rex took his time finding the plastic bag containing the fabric. He held it up, looking at the cloth before handing it off to Tony.

  A thought pulled at the back of Tony’s mind. Perhaps it was nothing. Had he seen that fabric before? He racked his brain, searching for why that little half-inch square of fabric was important. He pulled at his tie and swallowed. The memory of his child dancing on the back porch flashed into his mind. A chill traveled up his spine and he shivered.

  “Tony, what is it?”

  “Nothing, it’s nothing. Sekorski, have you rolled the victim over yet?” He was having a difficult time thinking of Kelsey as the victim. Heart wrenching anguish threatened to suffocate him. Gritting his teeth, he watched the ME process Kelsey’s body.

  “No, I haven’t. Do you want to be the first to look?”

  “Sure, I’ll look.”

  “What’s this about?” Rex asked. The edginess in his voice was filled with anger.

  “Last night, after everyone had gone, Sekorski calls and tells me that the killer left a calling card. He carved an ‘A’ on the victim’s rump.”

  Tony bent low and shone his flashlight at Kelsey’s backside. Grimacing, he held back a growl that threatened to erupt.

  “It’s not an ‘A’.”

  “What do you mean?” Sekorski questioned.

  “It’s an ‘S’.”

  “What do you think it means?” Rex asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tony replied calmly. No question in his mind now, the carved letter had nothing to do with the victim’s name.

  His bowels clenched, and he grabbed the wall behind him. His lungs screamed for more air, but his body refused to work properly. The room spun for a second, and he wondered if he would pass out or could he hold it together long enough to get past the feeling.

  The fabric in Kelsey’s house, the blond hair left at the Longfellow scene. Was it coincidence, or something more? Ashley. His daughter’s name began with ‘AS’.

  Blowing out a slow breath, Tony turned away from Kelsey’s body. Could the killer be targeting him? Two years had passed since Ashley’s death. He was crazy for even thinking it could be something so sinister and crazy. His team would think he had lost it if he revealed his line of thought. No, this wasn’t something he could tell the others.

  But what if it was all connected? It had been the weekend before the fourth of July when he received a call at work. The anguish in Marissa’s voice had been palpable. Their sweet girl was dead. Nothing they could do.

  A hard knot formed in the pit of his stomach. Had Ashley’s death really been an accident or had there been more to her death?

  Chapter 6

  The nights spent in agony beating himself up for letting Ashley go on that camping trip came back to him. He’d wanted to hunt down the mountain lion and kill it himself. During the horrible weeks following Ashley’s death, the memory of his parents’ death and the drowning death of his adoptive parents stayed at the front of his mind. Was he cursed?

  So many people had died around him. He wanted retribution, even if it was from a mountain lion. Eventually, he had agreed with the investigative team, Ashley’s death had been an accident. Shit, what if they had been wrong?

  The image of her body, half eaten by the animal, played through his mind and tormented his thoughts. They had been sure it was a simple case of nature being nature. The hair, the cloth and now the two letters on the vic’s backs.

  He pulled Rex to the side and told him of his suspicions. The look on Rex’s face told him that he’d slipped over the edge.

  “No way, man. Ashley’s death was ruled an accident. There was no evidence of foul play.”

  “You know as well as I do, they never looked for foul play,” Tony said through gritted teeth.

  “Two letters, it could spell out anything.”

  “Two letters, a strand of blond hair and a piece of blue cloth from Ashley’s favorite dress.”

  “We’ll have the lab do an analysis on the hair. Maybe they can determine if it was Ashley’s.”

  “Was the follicle still attached?”

  “I don’t remember, but don’t start sweating it. We have two murder investigations to deal with, don’t be pulling a third into the mix based on your feelings. Let’s see if we can get some hard evidence first. Deal?”

  Tony kept his eyes on Rex. Was he reading too much into this? Letting out a deep sigh, Tony shook his head. “You’re right Rex. It’s not enough. But anyth
ing more--”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over this. Two murders, back to back, it’s the stress. Ashley died when that mountain lion attacked her. You saw the marks on her bones. Don’t go back there. You and Marissa have come too far to let this drag you down.”

  Tony’s gut twisted. He and Marissa had gone too far. Any day now, she could file for divorce, and then it would be over. Not much worse could happen.

  Collecting evidence from the Ingles’ house ate at Tony. Working a murder scene was difficult, but working the scene of a friend was excruciating. The memories of Kelsey and Danny together flooded back on him. He thought about a better time in the early years when the couple had announced their engagement. Ashley had just been born and Kelsey held her in her arms, looking longingly at Danny. As far as he knew, they had still been trying for a baby when she was killed.

  God, life was unfair.

  Tony didn’t think Kelsey’s or the Longfellow murder had been random. Their suspect must have known Kelsey would be home alone last night, just like he must have realized Angela Longfellow would be alone.

  Five hours later, the intense heat had built to almost unbearable levels. Tony and his team had found only the scrap of fabric in Kelsey’s bedroom. Once again, the killer proved he was good at cleaning up a crime scene. There had been no trace evidence left behind. The bastard had gone so far as to leave a small black comb resting on the victim’s pubic hair, daring them to search for evidence. Tony hated that Danny had found her that way.

  Needing a break, Tony had Rex drop him at home so he could pick up his car and go to the beach. The soothing sound of the waves calmed his mind. He thought about stripping down to his skivvies and jumping in for a swim, but he was too old to be swimming in his underwear. Tony longed for the days when only the immediate gratification of doing whatever he wanted came first. Of course, those times had been few and far between.

  Tourists flitted over the beach. Tony recognized a few locals. They had bought into the propaganda. Juniper was the ideal place to live and raise a family. Hell, it wasn’t propaganda, Juniper was damn near perfect. Crazy people made the problems, not the town.