Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  “I’ll come by at eleven. How’s that?” Michael lifted his hand and brushed a finger along her clavicle. Delight ran through her, sending a welcome pulse to her core.

  “S—sure,” Ally stammered. A date, well almost a date. Michael would be in her house at night. Tonight, to be exact. Good thing her place was immaculate. No need to clean for her hot date.

  ****

  Tony slowed his stroke and watched Michael talk to the other swimmer. The woman was well built, more muscles than most men he knew. She could probably do massive damage to both he and Michael if she wanted. Muscles rippled on her body as she pulled herself out of the water. He wondered what was going on between her and Michael.

  Exhausted, yet refreshed, Tony pulled his body out of the water and reached for his towel.

  “Officer Rains, You here to see me?” Tony pulled the towel across his back, drying the flecks of water that clung to his skin.

  “Yes, I need to talk to you.”

  Tony could see the disappointment on the young woman’s face. A cop's love life wasn’t always convenient. If this woman wanted to stick around, she would have to learn that hard lesson.

  “Let me get dressed, then we’ll talk. Meet me in the parking lot in ten.” Tony walked away but didn’t miss Michael telling the woman he would see her tonight.

  Tony stuffed his towel into his gym bag as he walked to the parking lot where Michael waited by Tony’s car. Marissa had always checked his trunk for wet towels. Now that task was his. He was zero out of ten in getting the towel into the wash before mold set in. Hoping to improve his record, Tony tossed the bag into the backseat of his car before turning his attention to Michael.

  “I’ve got something you’re going to want to hear about.” Michael leaned against Tony’s car. The smile on his face was contagious. They needed a break on this case, and if one of his team members came to him with news that had him smiling, then it must be great.

  “Go ahead, shoot. Tell me something good.”

  “This morning, a teacher over in Freeport saw a suspicious car in the school’s parking lot. She approached the car and found a man gratifying himself. She ran, but he got to her before she could make it inside.”

  “Damn. Did she survive?”

  “Yes, but she’s in intensive care and won’t be cleared to talk to us for a day or two.”

  Tony shook his head and gritted his teeth. He hated the fact there were jerks out there that preyed on children. His throat tightened as he thought about the kids who were in danger from this freak. Something wasn’t right. Why was Michael acting like he had good news about their case? “Freeport. That’s about a two-hour drive from here. This guy, why is he important to us, and why would I want to hear about this?”

  “Get this. The guy confessed to our murders.”

  “What?” A cold chill raced down Tony’s spine. Call it sixth sense or a cop’s instinct. He didn’t believe it.

  “Tony, the case is solved. This guy confessed.”

  The words sunk into Tony’s skull and a brief flash of elation erupted deep inside of him. Then reality hit. “Psychotic serial killers don’t downgrade. Whacking off in a school parking lot doesn’t fit our killer’s modus operandi. Forced submission, that’s our guy’s thing, not seeing little kids run around on a playground. The guy in Freeport needs to be locked up, but not for murder. Something doesn’t jell.” He turned and started pacing around the parking lot. Michael kept up with Tony’s clipped pace.

  “Tony, he confessed. Call Freeport, see what they say.”

  “How did you hear about it?”

  “A call came in to the main line. I was there and they put it through to me. The officer told me about the confession. He faxed me a sheet. Here it is.”

  Tony read the paper and pulled out his cell phone. He punched the speed dial for Rex, they’d have to go. The phone rang four times then rolled over to voicemail.

  “Rex, we have a situation. Call me as soon as possible. We need to go to Freeport. Now.” Pacing across the cracked blacktop, Tony began working a plan in his mind. If this was their guy then the case was solved. However, if this was a trick to throw them off, then their killer was more devious and far-reaching than they had guessed.

  Michael’s gruff voice interrupted his concentration. “You don’t believe the confession?”

  “No, it’s too convenient.”

  “I’ll go to Freeport with you. Call Rex back and tell him it’s covered.”

  “No. I want you and Janice to go over your notes. Piece together a timeline for each murder. Make a note-card for each detail and set up a board. We need to do some intense paper shifting. After Rex and I get back, I want you and Janice to give me a full report on your findings.”

  “Sure, that’s just great.” Rains’ face fell in disappointment. Had this case been simple, he would have invited Rains along. But they were two steps behind this guy, and he needed Rains here, searching through their files, trying to come up with something to catch their killer.

  “Maybe I should send Farris.”

  Michael shook his head. “The guy confessed. He’s our man. Farris wouldn’t be able to convince the other police department to give him to us. You need to go.”

  “You’re right. If this is our guy, I need to be there and Rex needs to go with me. Damn, I hope it’s him.”

  “I’ll call Janice.”

  Michael stalked across the lot as heat waves danced around him. If this guy turned out to be their suspect, then it was all over and they could celebrate. If not, then they were stuck. Something had to break on this case and soon. Maybe this was the opportunity they had been looking for.

  Chapter 10

  Tony was pissed. He wanted to barge into the interrogation room and ream the detective doing the questioning. Instead, he hung back, letting the acrid smell of old coffee mixed with stale food permeate his nostrils. He watched the suspect pick at a spot on the old wooden table as the detective read over the confession. The guy in Freeport wasn’t their killer.

  “The women, how did you pick them?” The detective’s voice crackled over the speakers. Tony leaned against the large two-way mirror, studying the suspect’s face. This wasn’t right. The muscles at the base of Tony’s neck tightened. The whole scene felt like a setup. Tony clamped his jaw to keep from cursing and yelling.

  “I saw them, and well, you know. They were there,” the suspect answered. He hunched over, his long stringy hair grazing the surface of the table.

  “What’s this guy’s name?” Tony asked through gritted teeth.

  “Steven Johansen. He’s been brought in before for exposure. He was in juvie for petty theft,” the officer standing behind Tony answered. The officer’s name was Richard Montes. Tony had met him once before when working a cross jurisdictional case.

  “He’s not our killer,” Tony said. He watched as the suspect began plucking dirt out from under his fingernails. Their guy was a neat freak, cleaning up and dusting after each kill. He wouldn’t need to pick the dirt out from under his fingernails.

  “He confessed. What makes you think he’s not your guy?” Montes stepped forward, an angry challenge ringing in his voice.

  The door opened and two officers walked out. Tony stared at Montes. The tough Hispanic stood with feet apart. An angry scowl turned his lips down and created lines around his eyes. Tony had nothing against the guy, but sharing sensitive information about his case with the Freeport PD wasn’t going to happen. Already, Tony suspected their man was on the inside of a police force, but it didn’t have to be Juniper’s.

  Steven Johansen knew a few details about the murders. He knew the names and the fact that both women had been raped. Nothing he couldn’t have picked up in the newspaper. Someone had leaked information to the press, it was inevitable in a touchy murder investigation, but Johansen wasn’t their guy.

  “He doesn’t have all of the facts right. Johansen doesn’t fit the profile,” Tony stated plainly.

  “You’ve got a
confession from an admitted sex offender.”

  “He lied to you, Montes. This guy is into kiddie porn. He’s not a murdering sadistic sexual predator, yet. He didn’t even rape the schoolteacher, just knocked her over the head with a bottle so she couldn’t tell anyone else about the sleazy guy in the parking lot. I’m not rolling over to some patsy who wants fame. He needs to be locked up, but he ain’t my guy.” Tony’s words were blunt and laced with disdain.

  “The guy’s a freak show, but it’s your town and your murder. If you don’t want to accept his confession, then wait. Maybe he’ll recant.”

  “Let me talk to him.” Tony rolled forward on the balls of his feet as anticipation shot through him. This guy would recant in five minutes if Montes gave him a chance. Tony moved towards the door, ready to talk to the suspect.

  “Whoa there, cowboy.” Montes held his hand up and stepped in front of Tony, blocking his way to the interrogation room.

  “Someone has to go in there and convince this jerk to take back his confession,” Tony said. “I can’t sit around here waiting for it to happen. The real killer will strike while we’re playing games.”

  “You leave that to us. By midnight, he’ll change his story if he’s not the real killer.”

  Tony squeezed his fists, fighting the urge to push this guy to understand. He had no authority here. If the Freeport PD didn’t want Tony questioning the witness, there was nothing he could do about it. However, if the guy didn’t take back his confession, Tony would request that the prisoner be transferred to his jurisdiction. The two murders would carry the weight Tony needed to extradite the guy. Then he would have his chance to talk in depth to this character and get him to tell the truth.

  “Okay, Montes. I’ll give you until midnight. After that, this guy is mine.”

  Tony exited the building and saw Rex leaning against the car, reading the newspaper and chewing gum. They had driven all this way for nothing. His best detective was playing chauffer while their murderer still roamed the streets. Tony kicked a rock and sent it sailing across the parking lot.

  “I take it the news wasn’t good,” Rex said as he folded the paper and threw it into the back seat of the car.

  “No, he’s not our guy, and Montes won’t let me talk to him. Damn it. I should have sent Dickey Farris up here instead of wasting our time.”

  Rex drove as Tony sifted through his notes about the case. They were headed back to Juniper, trusting that Officer Montes would get the guy in custody to tell the truth. Tony’s mind drifted from the harsh reality of murder to the soft supple curves of Marissa. A deep longing filled the void left by her absence. His deep sigh garnered a quizzical look from Rex. Tony turned back to his notes, ignoring Rex’s pointed looks.

  “Tony, how long have we known each other?”

  “Fifteen years. Why?”

  “She loves you, man. You just need to remind her why.”

  Everyone thought Marissa had walked out because she was suffering from discontent. She was mad as hell, and Tony didn’t blame her. He would go see her today. He couldn’t stay away. The need to be close to her was overwhelming at times, bringing Tony to a pit of despair he desperately wanted to escape from.

  By the time Tony and Rex parted at headquarters, it was five-fifteen. Tony drove straight to Marissa’s. His hands were slick on the steering wheel, and small beads of perspiration formed on his brow.

  He turned his car off and took the keys out of the ignition. He pushed open the door, ready to tell Marissa how much he needed her. Then her rebuke came to mind. Two days was a long time to wait to see her beautiful smile, but if he alienated her by his impulsive desire to connect, then what? Would she banish him again for another month, maybe two?

  Tony slunk down into the seat, defeat shrinking his tall frame behind the steering wheel until his eyes were level with the dashboard. He peered towards her apartment and waited. For what, he didn’t know.

  Ten minutes later, Tony still hadn’t moved. The windows were open, leaving him hoping for a crosswind but nothing blew through. His shirt clung to his damp skin, and beads of sweat on his brow formed tiny rivulets, leaving trails of moisture running down his face. His behavior was childish. He should go talk to her and quit skulking around.

  He moved to get out of his car when two black and whites pulled up behind him. He was leaning into the car to retrieve his wallet when he heard the command.

  “Step away from the car. Hands out, away from your body!”

  “Excuse me?” Tony did little to hide his annoyance.

  “Move, now,” the officer yelled.

  Tony stepped back and raised his hands. His suit jacket flared away from his body. The officer saw his shoulder harness, drew his weapon and moved his finger over the trigger. A full sweat broke out on Tony’s face. These guys were serious.

  “Hold it there, buckaroo. What’s your name?” Tony’s voice radiated annoyance.

  “It’s none of your business, and what was that you called me?”

  “Hey, Miller, I don’t think we need to worry about this guy.” Officer Dickey Farris stepped forward as he spoke.

  “What?” Miller asked, his face skewed into a grimace.

  “It’s Detective Santos. You know, the Detective Tony Santos.”

  “Oh, gosh. Oh no. Crap. Some old lady called and said someone was staking out her place. She said the guy looked like a dangerous thug. Oh God, I’m sorry Detective Santos.” Miller’s face turned red and his eyes rounded.

  “It’s okay, Miller. Why don’t you lower your weapon?” Tony said calmly, not liking being on the business end of Miller’s Glock. He was the one who suggested the officers keep an eye out for men sitting in cars watching buildings. He should have known better than to sit outside Marissa’s apartment for so long.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.” Miller holstered his gun as a fresh wave of red covered his face.

  Tony wanted to laugh, but he knew the young officer’s pride was on the line. “Miller, you did the right thing. Next time, just make sure it’s not me that you try to bust. Farris, why don’t the two of you go talk to this lady? See if she’s seen anyone else staking out the place. Make her feel good for watching and keeping an eye on her neighborhood.”

  “Yes, sir,” both officers answered, smiling broadly. The two new recruits laughed nervously as they walked back to their cars to get the woman’s address.

  Determination forced Tony’s feet forward. He would see his wife today. He knocked twice before he heard movement behind the door. He imagined her looking through the peephole, checking to see who was on the other side. At home, he’d watched her do the same thing over and over again. The thought of Marissa’s right leg lifting as she watched him made him smile. God, he missed her.

  The cracking sound of the door opening brought Tony back to the present. The tension from days of worry and stress fell from his body. He felt lighter than he had in months. He wanted to pull Marissa into his arms and dance around the room. The look on her face drew him up short, freezing his smile, and forcing him to face reality.

  Marissa lived here and he didn’t.

  “I asked you to stay away for two days.”

  “I wanted to see you,” Tony said in a hushed voice.

  “Can’t you come back tomorrow?”

  His analytical brain took over and suspicions built in his mind. Why did she want him gone? Was there someone else in the apartment with her? The door was only cracked two inches. Marissa’s face and body covered the opening, obscuring Tony’s line of sight. He couldn’t see anything inside. He ticked through the tactics he could use to get inside to investigate what she was up to.

  Then it dawned on him. He was using investigative procedures on his wife. His stomach flopped as queasiness washed over him. How could he sink so low? Marissa wasn’t the enemy. She had always been a rock, a firm foundation. There wasn’t anyone else in the apartment with her. The problem was in his sick mind. He was the one coming up with wrong
conclusions.

  “I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Tony turned and walked away.

  He heard her quick steps just before he felt her hand on his arm.

  Breathing in deeply, Tony braced himself for the worst. Her total and complete rejection of him. Even when she moved out, Marissa hadn’t completely taken away all of Tony’s hope for their future. Holding his breath, he looked down into her crystal blue eyes. For a moment, he forgot about his job and the case.

  “Tony, I--” She blew out a quick breath and her face softened. “Why don’t you come in? We can talk for a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.” His shoulders lifted and the pain pressing on his skull eased.

  Marissa shut the door behind them and leaned against the solid wood. Tony immediately thought of the first time they made love on their honeymoon. Too impatient to wait, he’d dropped his pants and pulled up her skirt when he’d shut the door behind them. He knew better now. Marissa was to be savored, every last ounce of passion brought to the surface and enjoyed before he possessed her.

  But that wasn’t why he came over here. Or was it?

  Tony racked his brain for the reason for his visit. All he could think about was the dip at the small of her back and the rounded curve of her bottom.

  Marissa moved away from the door. Perhaps she was having similar thoughts. Maybe she was burning with desire too? Tony watched as she moved. Her body language was stiff and unforgiving. No, he decided, she wasn’t engulfed in thoughts of their lovemaking. This was a mistake. There was no way he could confess his desire to take her, not when she sat on the couch so primly.

  “Why are you here?” Marissa asked pointedly, bringing Tony out of his lustful thoughts.

  “I was just thinking the same thing myself.”

  “I shouldn’t have let you in.” Marissa moved to stand, anger flashing in her eyes, turning them ice blue.