Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  “What are you doing out here?” Tony asked sharply.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I lifted my head out of the water to check on you and I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

  “I was hungry.”

  “Damn it, Marissa, you scared the heck out of me. Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry? I thought--”

  Marissa’s anger rose to match Tony’s. She hated being treated like a child and Tony had pushed her too far. “I don’t know why I didn’t, but don’t yell at me. I’m starving. I need a snack to make it through the day.” Marissa turned and stalked back to her seat on the bleachers. Tony followed, his bare feet making a squishing sound as he padded behind her.

  “Marissa, you can’t wander around right now. I need to know where you are at all times.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? But I was just out there at the machine getting some food.”

  “You were talking to someone. What’s her name?”

  “Are you questioning me about who I talk to now?”

  “No. I saw her talking to Michael Rains a few days ago. I forgot her name.”

  “Ally Underwood. She works at the club where I work out.”

  “What does she do?”

  “Is this twenty questions?”

  Tony shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands like he was totally innocent.

  Marissa groaned, deciding answering his questions was better than fighting. “She’s a personal trainer.”

  “You have a personal trainer?” Tony’s eyes dropped to her legs as he reached out to touch her hip.

  “Yeah. I started a few weeks ago and someone suggested I hire Ally. Supposedly she knows what she’s doing.”

  “I’d say so. She looks like a professional bodybuilder.”

  “She’s teaching me quite a bit about weightlifting. I’m going to set up an appointment for tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know, Marissa.”

  “If you want, you can work out at the club as my guest or you can leave me in Ally’s more than capable hands. I think she could fight off almost anybody.”

  “Maybe you could work out while I’m on my call with Spade.”

  “Great. Now that that’s settled, I’m going to chow down on this protein bar and apple.”

  “I’ll change and we can get out of here. This case is driving me crazy, and I’m not even a part of it anymore.”

  Marissa’s heart squeezed in her chest. Tony was worried and his worry was spilling over onto her. She wanted to make him feel better, but how could she when she didn’t even know if she could trust him again?

  Chapter 27

  The day started out slow. The oppressive heat turned what should have been a glorious day into another reminder of his failure. The man inspected his face in the mirror, glad to see the cut wasn’t visible. As he’d done since the incident, he used a small amount of thick stage makeup to cover the gash.

  Marissa had gotten away. He still couldn’t believe Santos had barged in and taken his prey. Finishing up in the bathroom, he moved through his house like a cat on the prowl. He needed to find someone satisfying. Someone who would be higher stakes. He didn’t have any prospects that would work. His ‘S’ was gone. He had searched for someone to take Marissa’s place, but had found nothing. Another strikeout. Fuck.

  Relief was what he needed. Relief from this unbearable heat and from the anger that was ever present. Maybe he should find a willing whore and take his aggression out on her, but that was too risky. Whore’s were a dime a dozen but their deaths would be investigated, just like Arisa’s had. Arisa had been a clean kill but picking up a whore wasn’t clean.

  Relaxing in a yellow recliner, he let his mind go over the Arisa operation. She had been good, but cheap. He should have chosen better, someone more innocent. But a body like hers couldn’t remain innocent for long.

  His only regret was that she had begged him to stop. He liked a bit of begging but from someone like Arisa, he expected more. She was experienced, a professional. He’d expected her to behave in a professional manner. Just thinking about her large breasts displayed only for him made his muscles clench. He’d wanted to bite off her nipples. It wasn’t in the plan so he refrained. Discipline was the key in every operation and he was very disciplined. Reckless killers got caught, and he wasn’t reckless.

  He would move on. His next victim would be on his plan. He wouldn’t get sloppy.

  ****

  The moisture on the grass, heated by the sun, formed a layer of muggy haze that drenched both Tony and Marissa in sweat. Marissa groaned and Tony echoed her sentiments as they lowered their bodies into the oven hot car.

  “I want something cold for lunch.”

  “Fine by me. Where to?”

  “The Purple Patio. I want their famous chicken salad.”

  “Sounds great.” Tony had barely rolled out of the parking lot when they heard sirens screaming down a side street. He reached for his police radio, momentarily forgetting that he didn’t have it with him. “Damn it, I need to be on the force. It’s my life. I can’t stop thinking about this new set of murders. What if I missed something?” He shook his head and stared down the street. “I want to know where those police cars are going to. Something has to change.”

  “What can you do?”

  “I don’t know, appeal Chief Randall’s decision, I guess.” Tony parked in the lot for the Purple Patio, and cut the engine. He sat for a moment, unable to move from his spot behind the steering wheel. He couldn’t believe he wasn’t a police officer anymore. Randall needed him. Oppressive heat built in the car and he opened the door and stalked towards the cool restaurant.

  “I know you love police work, and maybe it’s your life. But right now could you stop for a moment and let us be us for this meal?”

  Tony hesitated before he stepped inside. He didn’t want to be a jerk. He loved Marissa. “We’re both tied to this set of murders. The quicker we find this killer and stop him, the safer you’ll be.”

  “I know, but for a few moments, I’d like to forget it all.”

  He couldn’t keep pushing her. She needed a break. “For this meal, I won’t think about the case. Let’s eat and talk about us.”

  Tony watched his wife order. He loved the way she pointed to the menu as she talked to the waiter. She smiled sweetly as she asked for the meat for her salad to be placed on a separate plate. He knew she liked to eat the meat last, after consuming the lettuce, carrots, red peppers and other vegetables from her salad.

  She was a meticulous eater. He had been drawn to her unique ways from the moment they met. She could turn a hamburger and fries into a gourmet meal just from the way she approached her food.

  Midway through the meal Tony realized that it had taken a murder to get them back to this. They would have to talk about Ashley later, after Sekorski came back with the toxicology reports. Tony felt his mind being pulled back to work and shifted gears. “Where are you working out?”

  “E Fitness, off of Fifth Street. It’s a bit large, and I don’t like the crowds, but I really like Ally. She’s not at all what I thought she would be like when I first saw her.”

  “What do you mean?” Tony asked.

  “Well, she’s kind of intimidating. I think she has more muscles than you do.”

  “Hey, don’t bring me into this. I’m fine with how I look.” Tony curled his arms to show his biceps. Melissa laughed at his antics. The sound was music to his ears. It had been too long since they had really enjoyed each other’s company. He wanted this to last.

  “I want to start seeing you again, but not like this.” Tony reached across the table and touched Marissa’s hand. “Not where we’re forced together because someone threatens you, but really dating.”

  “I don’t know. It’s been nice, but I don’t want to be taken for granted again. I realize some of our problems were my fault too.”

  “You know I didn’t do anything, right?”

  Marissa’s eyes narrowed as she pierc
ed him with her gaze. “The note?”

  “There was more than the one you received. I should have tossed them all. I’m sorry, but I kept one. I don’t know why I did. Maybe it was some ego trip that let me think I was something hot. Then I just never got rid of that one note. It sat at the bottom of my desk like a cancer. You know I never would have acted on her promises.”

  “I don’t know what you would have done. After Ashley, you were different. So you never met up with Sally, even after I moved out, right?”

  “No. I never would, either. I pulled away after Ashley died but it wasn’t because I wanted someone else. I felt guilty that I hadn’t been there when Ashley...”

  “Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “What if it was? Could you ever forgive me?” Tony asked.

  “Even if some sicko is targeting us, it wasn’t your fault.”

  Tony’s stomach flipped, making him feel uncomfortable. “There’s more.”

  “What?” Marissa dropped her fork and put her napkin on top of her half eaten salad.

  “Oh God, I’m embarrassed to even talk about it.” Tony ducked his head as he felt his cheeks flame. This was harder than he thought it would be. Marissa raised her eyebrows and steepled her fingers under her chin.

  “I know I should have told you sooner. Sally sent me a few photos of herself naked. Obviously, someone else took them, but the photos she sent me were way out there.”

  “I’m confused. I knew about the one note, but photos? For how long?”

  “The notes were coming for months. I thought I could ignore them and then the photos started showing up. It was more than one picture. There were about a dozen shots of her in various stages of...well, they were graphic. I should have turned them into personnel and let them deal with her, but I was in too deep. She said things in those notes, things that had been left unsaid by both of us. It stroked my ego. I never acted, but her words did something for me that had been missing for a long time between us. I’m sorry, Marissa, I should have told you everything earlier.”

  “So did you two have sex?”

  “No. Like I said, I never did anything.”

  “Did she ever approach you?”

  “No, her demeanor towards me never changed.”

  “You didn’t find that odd?”

  “What?” Tony toyed with the food on his plate. He had lost his appetite. Self-disgust and loathing filled him.

  “She sends you naked pictures, writes you love notes and then never takes it to the physical level? That’s more than just odd, that’s bizarre. Maybe you should talk to her about this and encourage her to get counseling.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Think about it. A note was mailed to me. Why would she do that?” Marissa shook her head, her eyes wide with disbelief.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Tony, someone is out to get us. Ashley’s death may have not been accidental.” Marissa paused and swiped at her eyes with her napkin. He moved to the seat next to her and pulled her into his arms. Her body shook with a sob. “I’m not going back there. I’m not going to let grief overwhelm me again.”

  “Marissa, it’s okay. I’ve been avoiding thinking about Ashley, too. It hurts to think someone took our precious little girl’s life. You can cry all you want over her.”

  “No, I’m better now. What I was trying to say is, what if someone were trying to attack all areas of your life? They got rid of your child, now your wife. Maybe they were trying to get you fired. You really need to talk to Sally. Do you still have the pictures and letters?”

  “I burned the pictures, but I have one letter. I threw the first few away, and then she started sending the pictures with them. I think one may be at the bottom of my desk drawer.”

  “Then you have to go and get it, confront her and figure out what’s up. Maybe she’s the killer. Jackson Spade said this person could be male or female.”

  “Sally Gerrig isn’t the killer, but I’ll talk to her.”

  “Are you positive she isn’t your suspect?”

  Tony sighed in frustration. “No, I’m not positive about anything anymore.”

  Chapter 28

  Tony moved the phone from one ear to the other as he waited for Rex to answer. He didn’t want to do this. Maybe he should sneak back into HQ and get the note himself.

  “Hague here.”

  “Rex, I need a favor.”

  “What’s up?”

  “There’s a note in the bottom drawer of my desk. I need you to bring it to me.”

  “Okay, how will I know I have the right note?”

  “You’ll know.”

  Tony flipped his phone closed. Anguish squeezed his chest. How had he let it get this bad? He could have prevented Marissa’s leaving if he had only talked to her the day the first note showed up in his desk. Then again, if the killer had gone so far as to murder his daughter, would he have stopped at simple subterfuge?

  Thirty minutes later, Rex’s car pulled into the motel parking lot and from the look on his face Tony knew he had glanced at the note.

  “Tony, what’s this about?” Rex slapped the note on his palm. His eyebrows were drawn together, creating lines across his forehead.

  “I’m not sure the note was really from Sally,” Tony answered.

  “What do you mean? It’s her handwriting.” Rex flipped the letter in front of Tony.

  “That’s what I thought too, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “So, did you do that to her?” Rex’s face contorted in disgust.

  “What?”

  “It says here that she wanted you to tie her up and fuck her until she passed out.”

  Tony sighed and ran his hand down his face. He shook his head, thinking of some way to explain the note to Rex. “No, I never touched her. I just didn’t throw away the note.”

  “You think she’s in on the set up?”

  “I don’t know.” Tony’s voice came out in a defeated whisper.

  “I don’t know if Sally’s capable of murder. She loved Ashley, cried for days after her death.” Rex leaned against his car, his face still drawn up in a scowl.

  “I don’t remember.” Tony held his head with both hands. The pounding at the base of his skull made him want to puke. He couldn’t believe it was back to this.

  “Maybe she was faking it.”

  “It’s too much. I don’t remember what happened in the days following Ashley’s death.” Tony shook his head in desperation. Could Sally be so demented and delusional she would go so far as to kill his daughter? But the notes started after Ashley’s death, not before.

  “Tony, let me call her. We’ll meet at my place. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this.”

  “I’m going to have to confront her. I seriously don’t want to do this.”

  “You won’t be confronting her. I’ll do the talking. She’ll understand.”

  “How the hell is she going to understand?” Tony yelled. He didn’t even understand what was going on. Did Rex have some background knowledge he didn’t have? Anger churned in Tony’s belly, he wanted to lash out at Rex. Instead, he sucked in a deep breath, redirecting his thoughts to Sally Gerrig.

  “You’re being set up. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see this Gerrig thing isn’t on the up and up.”

  Tony nodded. “Call her.”

  Tony walked to the other side of the parking lot. Cars on the highway flew past, busy people on their way in their normal, unadulterated lives. He was supposed to be out there, helping people. Not stuck living in a cheap motel next to a noisy highway, trying to clear his name of God only knew what.

  Rex was still on the phone, talking animatedly, using his free hand to emphasize his point. Tony shouldn’t have agreed to talk to Sally. She would probably go to personnel after their meeting. Escaping this unscathed would be a miracle.

  Tony was about to turn to join Rex when he felt a familiar tickle run up his back. Again. He’d had the sensation a lot lately and it
had turned out to be nothing. Tony pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and acted like he was punching in numbers. Holding the phone to his ear, he turned and studied the parking lot across the highway. His eyes caught movement in a green Toyota. Was someone watching him? Sunlight glinted on something through the windshield. Binoculars?

  Tony took off running towards the parking lot. He couldn’t get a clear sight of the person behind the wheel. A car buzzed past him, missing him by a foot. Watching for an opening on the busy highway, he lost sight of the green four-door sedan. An eighteen-wheeler’s air horn blasted as Tony dove into the ditch beside the road. He had lost the car. He didn’t even have a partial of the license plate.

  At the far side of the parking lot, he saw cars backed up at a light. Running with a final burst of speed, Tony made it to the road just as the light was changing. The green car turned left, moving further away from him. Before it disappeared in a sea of cars, Tony saw the first three letters on the Texas plate. JSR. He repeated the letters over and over in his head. JSR. JSR.

  Tires squealed behind him. Tony turned to see Rex jumping out of his car. “Tony, what the hell are you doing over here?”

  “JSR, green Toyota sedan. Camry, I think.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Tony pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number for Spade.

  “I need a favor,” Tony huffed into the phone as soon as Spade answered.

  “Santos? What’s up?”

  “Run this through the computer. Green Toyota, Texas plates with a partial of JSR. Maybe a Camry.”

  “Will do. And I’ll have some more info for you probably late today or early tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Spade.”

  “Sure, and I’ll call you when I get this back.”

  Tony bent at the waist. He was out of shape. Too many hamburgers and fries had taken the place of Marissa’s homemade salads and fresh grilled fish. He would have to cut back on the fast food.

  “Why did you call it into Jackson Spade?” Rex asked.