Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  Tony drank in the heady scent of the salty water. The gentle, low waves of the Gulf of Mexico stretched towards the shore, drawing him to the magic of the sea. It was soothing, unlike the harsh rolling waves of the Pacific. Taking off his shoes and socks, he walked out onto the hot sand, enjoying the feel of the heated grains against the bottom of his feet.

  Memories of the past quenched his agitated soul. This was the beach where he had asked Marissa to marry him. Ten years of wedded bliss had begun not too far from this place in a quaint little chapel up the road.

  He needed Marissa.

  Tony pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed the first number on speed dial.

  “Hello.” At the sweet sound of her voice, Tony’s heart clenched with longing.

  “Hi, Marissa. It’s me, Tony.”

  “What do you want?” Her voice went from warm and gentle to cold as ice.

  Tony shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Why had he been such a jerk? “I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

  “Why, because you found another dead body? Wait, don’t answer that.”

  Tony hesitated before he asked the next question. “Marissa, are your doors locked?”

  “I don’t live with you anymore. I can take care of myself.”

  “I love you.” The words escaped Tony’s lips before he could consider the consequences. But damn it, he did love her.

  The silence from the other end of the line hung in the air, emitting a chill that cooled Tony’s expectations. He shouldn’t have pushed. Worry thrummed through his veins as a sheen of perspiration covered his forehead. Would saying those three little words cause her to hang up? It was the truth. He ached with love for her. He hadn’t been the best husband in the world. The fact was that he’d been stupid. Putting work first after Ashley’s death had drained the love from their marriage. He’d made a huge mistake. If only he could go back and do it over again.

  “I have to go.” Marissa’s voice was icy cold, her words sharp and stinging.

  “Marissa, wait,” Tony begged.

  “What?”

  “Please be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She exhaled slowly. Tony waited, wanting to hear her voice softened again, wanting to hear something other than her anger.

  “Tony, I’m always careful. All the doors are locked, and I was just going to close the curtains.”

  “I want to see you,” Tony pleaded.

  “Not today.” The anger was back again, and a painful silence followed. “Tony, I know we need to talk. How about next week?”

  “Before then,” he pressed.

  “Don’t push it,” Marissa warned.

  “How about dinner tomorrow?”

  “Lunch,” she spit the word out crisply.

  “Okay, lunch tomorrow at Manny’s”

  “Goodbye.”

  “I love you, Marissa.”

  The line went dead and Tony blew out an explosive breath. He would see her tomorrow. It wasn’t soon enough for him, but he would wait patiently.

  Kelsey's battered face popped into his mind. Fear and anguish mixed, bringing his mood back down to earth. Tony kicked at the sand. Oh God, he would have to tell Marissa about Kelsey.

  Again, Chief Randall wanted to withhold the victim’s name for twenty-four hours. He didn’t want his first meeting with Marissa marred with the news of the death of a beloved friend, but telling her over the phone that Kelsey was gone would be wrong.

  The cold water lapped at Tony’s feet, shocking his senses with the sudden change of temperature. Looking around he saw the beach was filling with tourists picking the perfect spot to spend the afternoon. Could their suspect be a newcomer to the area? Maybe killings like this were happening elsewhere in the country. Did psychopaths take vacations?

  Tony moved out further to catch the ebb and flow of the waves. This time, the cool water on his feet was salve to his tired body. Out of habit he searched the crowd as he strolled along the shore.

  Was the killer here, on this beach, waiting for another victim?

  He shook his head. These murders were highly premeditated. It was doubtful that such a clean killer would take a chance on an unknown victim. This guy was watching his prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  A sea gull cried in the distance. Normally, Tony thought the gulls sounded happy. Today, their call took on a mournful note, matching the loss that pulled deep at his emotions.

  Closing his eyes, he imagined what Kelsey must have suffered before she died. Why were there no forced entry marks on any of the doors? No windows had been jimmied or knocked out. It didn’t make sense. Had Kelsey let her murderer in, offered him a drink, and maybe even allowed him to use the bathroom before he attacked?

  Tony stalked down the beach, ignoring the people having fun. He wanted to be alone, to sail off into the Gulf and never come back, but that wouldn’t solve anything. He wouldn’t abandon his town, his work, or his wife.

  ****

  Following the unmarked police car had been easy. He watched as the detective kicked sand, ignoring his surroundings. The jerk was probably pouting about the latest problems on his beat. Sloppy, that’s what the great detective Tony Santos was. He was getting careless and not watching his back.

  He liked being this close to Tony. It was a trip to park five slots down and hide in plain sight. This part was the best. A predatory instinct pulsed through his veins. His lips turned up into a smile. Tony made life too enjoyable. Too bad the great Detective Santos wouldn’t figure it out until it was too late.

  He watched as Tony wiped a tear from his eye. That was great. Disappointment welled up inside of him. He’d left the video camera behind. Should’ve thought about that earlier. ‘Playing at nine, the fall of the great Tony Santos.’ A laugh track would be appropriate.

  The first two hits had been easy. The taste of power still clung to his tongue, giving him chills when he thought of last night. Her cries for freedom echoed throughout the bedroom. Her pleas for a quick death after he raped her twice gave him power. All of it had been wonderful. Living on the edge brought waves of euphoria crashing over him.

  When he had made the first cut on Kelsey’s beautiful bottom she had flinched. Then he told her. Told her why she was being branded with the ‘S’. She cried then. That was when she knew there would be no good end for her.

  Keeping her alive long enough for her to watch him clean up had been empowering. She had jerked each time the comb had run over her pubic hair. ‘Fuck her again,’ sailed through his mind. But discipline was the key.

  He had to stick with the plan and the plan didn’t allow for fucking Mrs. Ingles after he’d begun cleaning. Next time, he would be ready. Ready to show his new target what satisfaction was all about.

  Now, it was time to play with Detective Tony Santos. The detective may be bright, but he was oblivious to the game. He would raise the stakes soon. Then Tony would know he was a player.

  ****

  Tony jumped at the touch on his shoulder. He spun around, fear slicing through his body.

  “I figured you would be out here.”

  “Rex, man, don’t sneak up on me like that.” Tony clenched his fists, trying to relieve the tension that curled through him.

  “A bit touchy today? No, don’t answer that. We all are.”

  “Is something up?” Tony’s irritation rose. He wanted to be alone.

  Kelsey’s death was hard to deal with. Maybe he should go see Marissa tonight, but work called, and he’d been avoiding the grind of this investigation for too long. Now two victims were dead, gone from Juniper forever. The citizens would want answers, and they wanted results. He was the man to make results happen and that meant working late. Tomorrow he would see Marissa.

  Tony relaxed his fists and rolled his neck. Tension still held him in its grip, bunching his muscles into knots. Marissa had always been good at massaging the stress away. He rolled his shoulders, pushi
ng away thoughts of his beautiful wife as he followed Rex to the parking lot.

  Rex stopped while they were still standing in the sand. “I love this place. It’s the reason I moved here.”

  Tony swung around and gazed over the beach again. “Yeah, I would hate to have it ruined by some crazy bastard.”

  “Me too. Hey, since we have a meeting back at HQ in about an hour I was wondering if you wanted to go back to the last scene before then.”

  Tony studied Rex’s face. He looked tired. A deep crease had formed between his partner’s brows, giving him a sense of maturity that had been previously lacking. The case was hard on them all. The wall was coming fast for Tony. How long would Rex be able to handle working homicide before he hit that wall?

  “Thanks, I need to go back but...”

  “Yeah, I know. I don’t want to go alone either.”

  Tony turned back to the beach and drew in a deep breath. “Do you think we’ll ever feel the same about this place?”

  Rex sighed heavily, and cleared his throat. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “I’ll meet you at the murder scene.” Tony continued up the berm to his car. His gaze shifted over the crowd of tourists. With a predatory killer on the loose, could he keep these people safe?

  Would the killer strike again or had relieved his need? The public needed to know so they could stay safe, but how could he balance the need to inform with the need to keep everything quiet so they didn’t tip the guy off.

  Chapter 7

  Ally Underwood lugged her full gym bag to the top of the hill in the pre-dawn hours. The need to get her car fixed weighed heavily on her mind, maybe next week.

  Her new client, Marissa Santos, already had a great body, but she needed some help with upper arm strength and cardio training. Working with Marissa would keep Ally close to Tony. And being close to Tony was important for her plan. She suppressed a shudder. There was time enough later for feelings. For now, she’d focus on work, ignoring everything else.

  Their meeting was set for six forty-five. Early, but the challenge of working with new clients, especially this one, was worth the lack of sleep. Checking her watch, she picked up the pace and jogged the last two blocks. Sweat poured down her face, ruining any chance of looking presentable for her new client.

  “Ally, you look like hell,” Steve quipped as she walked in the front door of the gym.

  “Whatever. Why do I have to wear this awful pink shirt?” Steve’s recent promotion from assistant manager to manager had brought few changes to the place. Ally hated changes.

  “People expect us to look professional.”

  “What people?”

  “The rich women who come in here to get a good workout.” Steve laughed.

  She rolled her eyes. “I thought they expected to lose weight.”

  “That too. Go fix your face before your new client gets here.”

  Ally came out of the locker room and saw Marissa standing at the information kiosk. She froze, forcing a smile to her lips. Marissa checked her watch and annoyance slid through Ally. Already her new client was marking time.

  Her feet moved towards the desk before she knew exactly what she would say to Mrs. Tony Santos. For a moment an awkward silence hung between them, then she stretched out her hand, reminding herself that she could play nice when the need arose. “Hi, I’m Ally, your personal trainer. On the questionnaire you filled out you mentioned you wanted to be able to protect yourself. Weight training won’t help you unless you are also taking a self-defense class.”

  “I’ve already started one,” Marissa said.

  “Any reason?” Ally asked.

  “No reason, I just want to be prepared.” Marissa moved her hands, twisting them together before she let them drop to her sides.

  “Okay, it says here that you think your arms are the weakest point.”

  Marissa smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t have much upper arm strength.”

  “We’ll start on the equipment on the far left, then work our way around the room. But either here or at home, you have to do some cardio.”

  “I have time, I can do some here.”

  “Great, let’s get started.”

  Ally pushed Marissa hard. She didn’t dislike Marissa, but she was Tony’s wife. Tony had no idea Ally was in town, but eventually he would realize the impact he’d had on her.

  The early morning sunlight streamed through the front glass windows, making the exercise room overly bright. Ally watched Marissa finish her twenty minutes on the treadmill. There’d be another appointment in two days, not enough time for Marissa to recover fully.

  Ally moved through the crowded cardio area towards Marissa. She stepped over a pile of weights and her foot caught the edge of a mat. She pitched forward, crashing solidly into a muscled chest. The imprint of her makeup streaked the man’s shirt.

  “I am so sorry.” She wiped at his shirt with her open palm, smearing the mess further.

  A low chuckle took her by surprise. She whipped her head up to focus on his face. Brilliant blue eyes shocked her, sending a stab of heat between her legs. High-sculpted cheeks and tanned skin, paired with his amazingly muscled body, gave him the look of Adonis.

  Why hadn’t she seen him earlier?

  “I’m sorry about your shirt.” With her palm flat against his solid pectoral muscles, a burning sensation tingled up her arm and through her body. Ally pulled away. Wrapping her arms around herself. She wanted to hold the tingly feeling inside of her and remember it forever.

  “You’re blushing, I like that.”

  She smiled sheepishly. Few men approached her, and fewer complimented her. The muscles intimidated them. She’d had a few dates, but most of them just wanted to prove they were more powerful than her. Few were.

  “So, do you come here often?”

  Ally giggled. The musical trill of her laugh sounded strange to her ears. Unaccustomed to flirting, she ducked her head, composing herself best she could.

  “Okay, that was a horrible line.”

  “I work here.” Ally smiled up at him.

  “That’s good to know.”

  Ally’s face grew warm, her heart raced and her breath became shallow. She gulped in air, trying to clear the fuzzy feeling that had taken over her brain. “I’m Ally.”

  “Ally, I’m Michael, Michael Rains.”

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Marissa step off the treadmill. “Oh God, my client is done. I’ve gotta run.”

  “Wait, when do you work next?”

  She stalled, mesmerized by Michael’s stare. “Tomorrow and Saturday, about the same time.”

  “Maybe I’ll see you then.”

  Ally smiled and ducked her head. She rushed over to Marissa and caught her reflection in the mirror. It was frightful. Her hair was plastered to her skull and her face was blotched with makeup. Had she dreamt her encounter with Michael Rains? She turned and saw him walk out the door. No, she most definitely didn’t dream that.

  “Ally, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. I was just a bit distracted. You did great today. Come back day after tomorrow. We’ll do more work on your arms. Go for a walk on the beach tomorrow. It’ll be good for your calves.”

  “Thanks, Ally. I know I’m going to like working with you.”

  “Same here.” She watched as Marissa left the building. A year ago she wouldn’t have believed that she’d be Marissa’s personal trainer. But stranger things had happened.

  ****

  The cool breeze blew through the curtains in Tony’s kitchen, pushing a napkin to the ground. He bent and snatched it from the floor. The breeze was a good sign, something to cool the city off and bring in a hint of the sea breezes.

  Lunch with Marissa would be just fine. He could feel the change in the air and was hopeful she could too. Whistling a bouncy tune, he poured coffee into his tall blue mug. A great cup of coffee in the morning and lunch with the love of his life. He had plenty of reasons to smile. />
  The drive into work was easy and relaxing. Most of the tourists had vacated town, heading back to their mundane lives after an exciting holiday at the beach. Life in Juniper could get back to normal. At least it could for those individuals who weren’t embroiled in a double homicide case.

  Tony pulled his police issued Crown Victoria into the parking lot and turned off the engine. He sat for a moment, staring at the red brick and mortar building that housed his office and the rest of the police station. Unease snaked its way through him. He pushed it off. Taking a deep breath, he held it for ten counts as he climbed out of his car. Once he walked through those doors nothing would bring him down.

  Kelsey and Angela demanded his best. They deserved it too. Time was still on his side. Sekorski would provide the results from the final tests he’d run on Angela Longfellow. Maybe toxicology would find that she had been drugged before her death. If that was the case, the killer could have met her at a bar or local hangout. There would be a witness or two. It was a long shot, maybe a pipe dream, but Tony needed the windfall.

  Walking through the front door, he spotted Chief Randall. Tony hesitated. The chief’s face was splotched red and a ring of sweat marked his crisp blue Armani shirt.

  Tony checked his attitude. Determined to stay positive, he moved forward, away from the entry doors. Maybe he should turn around and do some field work this morning. Drive past the murder scenes to see if someone was hanging out who shouldn’t be.

  But that wasn’t his way. Running from conflict had never gotten him far in the past, and he wouldn’t start now. Regret twisted through him. He had run from Marissa.

  Straightening his shoulders, he walked towards the stations secured area, bringing him closer to the chief.

  “Santos.” The chief’s voice rang out, setting Tony’s nerves on edge. “You know who I got a call from this morning?”