Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  “Tony?” Marissa whispered beside him.

  He rolled over and pulled her into a tight embrace. She shouldn’t have to deal with this crap. He was the target, not her.

  “Who was that?” Her voice slurred with sleep.

  “Rex.”

  “What time is it?” She rubbed at her eyes, then huffed and snuggled closer to him.

  “About five.”

  “Why was he calling so early?” Marissa wrapped her legs around his, pulling him closer to her warm body.

  “They found another victim. Eighteen years old.”

  “Oh God, she’s so young. How can we stop this guy?” He felt her tears on his arm.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I need to accept the chief’s terms. I would be at the station and maybe I could turn up something from the evidence collected.”

  “Tony, do you honestly think the chief would let you near the evidence?” Marissa sniffed.

  “No, but I could sneak around.”

  “It’s up to you, but I think we could do more working together outside of the department.”

  Tony straddled Marissa’s hips and placed a hand on each side of her head, his arms framing her face. Dim light filtering through the curtains, letting Tony search her eyes. He wondered if they could do this together. Did she realize how serious this was? They didn’t have access to the evidence the Juniper Police collected. If these murders were connected to his past, like he believed they were, maybe they could narrow the suspects down with Spade’s help.

  “Are you sure you’re up to it? What we’ve done so far pales in comparison to what we’ll have to do if we really want to catch this guy. And if we’re caught, the chief might see our snooping as trying to interfere with a case. We could be charged and spend some time in jail.”

  “We won’t be caught.”

  “What makes you so sure?” Tony looked his wife in the face. She was beautiful during the day, but in the morning, just after waking up, she was amazingly gorgeous.

  “You are the best cop I know. There isn’t anything you can’t accomplish once you put your mind to it. We can figure this out. We’re already one step ahead of the police.”

  “How do you figure?” Tony paused, wondering if she was thinking the same way he was.

  “Are they searching your background?”

  “Good point. Speaking of my background, I’m supposed to call Spade this morning.”

  She kissed him on the nose. “I’m meeting up with Ally at the club.”

  “Do you have to?”

  “Yes, is that a problem?” Marissa shot him a look before snuggling his chest again.

  “No, no problem at all. I like what working out has done to your body.”

  “Good, now hold me until the sun comes up.”

  Tony wrapped his wife in his arms. Spade should be able to give him some answers. Solving this case from the outside wouldn’t be easy, but with Marissa at his side he could do anything. He snuggled closer to her, drinking in her sweet scent.

  By the time they woke again, the sun was up, framing the curtain with a bright yellow glow. Tony stared into Marissa’s eyes. He felt no need to talk. They both knew last night had been life changing.

  Tony’s call with Spade was in two hours. He needed to know if someone from his past lived nearby. Who would want revenge so bad they would take their anger out on innocent victims?

  “How long do you think your call with Jackson Spade will take?” Marissa asked as she toweled off her body after their shower.

  “I’m not sure. Probably an hour. Why?” Tony grabbed for her, pulling her still damp body against his.

  “Pick me up at the club afterwards and we’ll go over the information.”

  “Will do. Marissa, I love you.” Tony dipped his head and possessed her lips. She squirmed in his arms, raising his body temperature once again. He pulled away to check the time. Could he make love to her before they had to leave?

  “Whoa there, cowboy. No more riding right now. I need food and I need lots of it.”

  Tony laughed and pulled her into another tight embrace and kissed her. Her lips responded, but he knew she was right about needing food. Making love to her the right way would take longer than they had. She pulled out of his arms and put out a staying hand.

  “Stop, don’t come any closer. I need food but I can’t resist you again.”

  “Marissa, don’t tell me things like that. If you can’t resist me and I can’t resist you, how are we ever going to make it out of this room today?”

  “Just stay there while I get dressed.”

  “Fine, but after this is over with, I’m not letting you leave my side for at least a month.”

  “I know.” Marissa smiled as she closed the door to the bathroom.

  Tony loved her, but more importantly, she had said that she loved him too.

  Chapter 31

  Rex ducked under the crime scene tape and let out a slow breath. He had spent an hour looking over their latest victim. Her body was broken and bloodied. Only a monster would do that sort of thing. His empty stomach flopped as he moved closer to the yellow tarp covering her. Someone brought out donuts and coffee, but they largely went untouched.

  When he’d received the call, Janice had been with him. She reached for the phone, almost grabbing it before he woke. They had to do something about their relationship. He couldn’t go on hiding his love for her.

  Every day that he pretended he was just a colleague and not her lover ripped his heart to shreds. He wanted to shout it from the top of buildings. They needed to find a way to resolve their impasse.

  Looking across the field, he watched as Janice focused on her work. They were lucky today. The killer, normally fastidious about his staging, had been sloppy. An impression of a left shoe was two feet from the body. Could it be the killers?

  Janice noticed it right off when they arrived. She said nothing about the hands missing from the victim, nor had she mentioned the lifeless stare from the young woman. Instead, she pointed at the print, threatening anyone who stepped within five feet of the impression.

  Rex moved towards the other cops hunched over the body. Samantha Chambers had been reported missing at two forty this morning. At four, the call had come in. A transient worker had tripped over the young victim on his way out of town. Identifying the body had been easy. One look at the picture her parents had given them, and he knew the Chambers would never see their daughter again.

  “Sekorski, have you checked to see if she was raped?” Rex asked. He held his breath, waiting for Sekorski to answer.

  “No, I haven’t looked.” Sekorski turned his head and blinked rapidly. Protective glasses covered his eyes.

  Rex hated when he had to wear protective glasses. They fit in such a way it was impossible to wipe tears away. Drawing in a deep breath, Rex swiped at his eyes. The powder on the latex gloves stung, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t cry right now.

  Sekorski focused on the girl, his hands moving to part her legs. He blew out an explosive breath as he stood up and looked Rex in the eyes. “No, no rape.”

  “Thank God.”

  “Thank God for what?” Michael Rains asked as he approached the group.

  “She wasn’t raped.”

  “What difference does that make? She’s still dead,” Michael said.

  “Yeah, she’s dead but the parents don’t have to live with the knowledge that she was raped.”

  “Rex, do you know where Tony was last night?” Sekorski asked with his eyes averted.

  “He was at my house until about ten-thirty. Why?”

  “What if he did this?” Sekorski asked.

  “We already went over this. There is no way he could have carved the ‘L’ on his own back.”

  “What if he has an accomplice? Someone who helps him clean up? Maybe he and Marissa are in this together.” Sekorski moved to the other side of the victim, rolling her over and checking under her body.

  “No way. Marissa would never kill any
one.” Rex watched the ME pull something out from under the body.

  “Maybe you don’t really know them,” Rains said.

  “What you guys are suggesting is impossible. Tony isn’t a murderer. I was with him until ten-thirty last night. Sure, he doesn’t have an alibi for all of the murders, but he didn’t do this.” Rex shook his head. “Not possible, no, not Tony.”

  “No, it’s not impossible. Maybe his accomplice isn’t Marissa. What if he had the victim carve an ‘L’ on his back? Maybe he talked her into it then killed her. Then he drank the drugged water to make it look like he had been out when she died. How well do you really know Tony?” Rains asked.

  “I know Tony. He has more empathy and caring for others than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s an honest guy, not a murdering bastard. If he is the killer, what sense does it make for him to murder the victim in his own bed, and then call me?”

  Rains shrugged. “Just a way to throw you off.”

  “That seems pretty extreme,” Rex muttered.

  “Didn’t he question you at one point?” Sekorski reminded Rex. “Maybe that was another way to throw you off.”

  “You know he doesn’t have an alibi for any of the murders. His alibi for last night isn’t solid. Sure you were with him last night, but he left at ten-thirty by your own admission. He had the time,” Michael said.

  “No, I’m not going to do this. Tony is not the killer.” Rex bit his tongue to stop himself from saying more. Anyone out there could have done this. Hell, Sekorski could be the killer.

  “Janice, what size shoe is that imprint?” Sekorski called out.

  “From my measurements, it’s a size thirteen. Looks like Nike tread,” Janice said over her shoulder as she snapped more shots.

  “What size does Tony wear?” Michael asked.

  “Damn.”

  “What size does he wear?” Sekorski’s voice rose. “Damn it. The missing evidence. The clues pointing to his own daughter’s death. Shit.”

  “Stop. He isn’t guilty.” Rex rubbed his hand over his face. His mind tumbled over the last few weeks. Tony had been wound tight, tighter than usual. He had been jumpy and angry. After Ashley died he had withdrawn from everybody, not just Marissa. The letters from Sally, had Tony forged those? Questions swirled in his thoughts.

  How well did he know Tony? No parents, no family. He had been an angry asshole when they had met. Tony had been jealous of Rex in the beginning. Of course, Tony would deny it, but Rex had known. Then Marissa had come along and Tony had changed. Had the anger stayed with him, only surfacing once Marissa left? Could Tony be out to make others pay for his own stupid mistakes?

  Oh God, Ashley. Had Tony killed his own daughter? If Tony had shown up where she was camping, she would have gone off with her daddy. He could have knocked her out and watched as the mountain lion attacked her. Rex turned from the group and swallowed down the bile in his throat.

  “Rex, you have to bring him in for questioning,” Sekorski demanded.

  “It’s circumstantial.”

  “But this isn’t.” Janice held up a set of keys.

  Rex turned around and gasped. He started shaking his head, a quick denial on his lips.

  “What are those?” Michael asked.

  “Damn it, they are Tony’s house keys. Ashley made the key fob in preschool,” Rex said.

  “Do you want me to bring him in?” Michael offered.

  “No, I’ll take care of it. Sekorski, what did you find under the victim’s body?”

  “It’s a payment stub for the municipal water park.”

  “Ah hell.” Rex pulled out his pen and documented the scene. He wrote notes about the body, the placement of the victim. He jotted the information about the shoe and the key fob. His heart wasn’t in it. He felt like his world had ended.

  His head pounded. How could he ever believe that Tony was capable of murdering anyone? He bent down beside the print. A size thirteen Nike, just like Tony wore. Tony’s shoes were worn at the heel. Rex watched as Janice drizzled the pasty dental stone into the impression.

  “It’s not him,” Janice said under her breath.

  “What?”

  “I heard what Sekorski and Michael were telling you. I would believe Sekorski was capable of this before I believed it was Tony.”

  “What about the keys?”

  “Planted.”

  “What makes you so sure?” Rex bent down next to Janice, watching her fill the impression with dental stone.

  “What makes you so unsure?” Janice countered, her face set in a scowl as she concentrated on filling the impression with the thick paste.

  “How long till this sets?”

  “The time varies. It’s a bit moist out here, the dirt’s wet and the air is humid. I would say an hour or so.”

  “What if it is Tony?” Rex ran his hand through his hair. He stood, no longer able to maintain eye contact with Janice. The closeness they shared over the last week had grown into deep love. He couldn’t hide his true feelings from her, but he couldn’t face them at work either.

  “Rex, do you believe Tony could do this? I mean really, look at this girl,” Janice whispered

  “Janice, don’t.”

  “No, you need to look at her. Look at her body, the way she’s laid out.” Janice talked in hushed tones, keeping her eyes on Sekorski and Michael.

  “God, how could he?”

  “That’s my point. Tony couldn’t have. He doesn’t have it in him.”

  “Why are you whispering?” Irritation shot through Rex. He balled his fists and placed them on his hips.

  “Tony needs an ally in the department. Go and talk to him. Bring him in for questioning, but don’t for one minute believe he did it.”

  Rex stared at the victim’s body. His heart clenched in his chest. How could he doubt his friend? But how could he ignore the evidence?

  The stub from the municipal water park could have come from anyone, but Rex knew the pool was Tony’s favorite workout spot. The keys being found with the body would cinch the deal in any other investigation, but they were Tony’s house keys, not his car keys. Maybe Tony had left them at his house. Rex’s mind threw out arguments, debating the facts with what he knew about Tony.

  There was no way his friend could have killed these women. He would talk to Tony this afternoon. Somehow or another he would get the answers to vindicate his friend. After he amassed the evidence, no one would ever again question Tony’s innocence.

  Chapter 32

  The sun was higher in the sky than she expected. Ally rolled onto her back and groaned. She was sore. Her arms ached when she pushed off of the bed. She stumbled to the bathroom and threw a handful of water onto her face. The shocking cold cleared her head.

  With both hands braced on the sink, she let the water drip off of her face. It couldn’t be avoided it any longer. She raised her head to stare into the mirror. Purple colored one of her cheeks. Michael had been right. She was a freak.

  She hadn’t been expecting him when he showed up on her doorstep, actually in her bedroom, around three this morning. She woke to find him freshly showered, standing at the foot of her bed.

  “Michael, is that you? How long have you been here?” she’d mumbled.

  “Ally, I need you.”

  “Mmmm. I’m tired. Could you turn off the lamp?” She’d closed her eyes and rolled over, making more room on the bed.

  A cool draft chilled her skin. She looked up and saw him holding the sheets above her, staring at her body. A scowl marred his feature. She should have remembered. Why couldn’t she have put away her toys?

  “Michael, I’m getting cold. Come to bed.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” His voice chilled her.

  “What?”

  “Who was here earlier tonight?”

  “I’m tired, can’t we talk later?”

  “Damn it, Ally,” he yelled. “I want to know who was with you earlier.”

  The overhead lights flashed on. She pulled
the pillow over her head, protecting her eyes from the bright light. Michael’s strong hands grasped the pillow from her and pulled it off of her head. She yelped, as he ripped the covers from the bed and flipped her over onto her stomach.

  He pushed her into the bed and held her in place. Anger boiled deep inside of her, threatening to spill out as he ripped the underwear from between her legs. His fist forced the cloth against the side of her face.

  “You filthy bitch. Who was here? Who do these belong to?” Flecks of saliva hit her face.

  “No one was here.” She struggled under his weight and pushed with both hands, but she wasn’t strong enough to buck him off. She tried again and finally knocked him off. With Michael’s weight gone, she flipped her body over and tried to slide off the bed, but he was too quick. He covered her again and pressed her deep into the bed. Anger turned his eyes dark.

  She struggled, trying to free herself from his grasp. With his hands holding her arms down, his legs snaked around her, forcing her body to still beneath his weight. Defiantly, she lay naked below him. His body responded to her writhing. Disgust filled her. How had their relationship come to this?

  “I want to know, and I want to know now. Whose underwear were you wearing?”

  “I was wearing my own.”

  “What in the fuck are you talking about?” Michael said through gritted teeth, his face only inches from hers.

  “Damn it, the underwear is mine,” Ally screamed. Her heart pounded and fear engulfed her. For the first time in years, she knew a man could overpower her and hurt her if he wanted to. He hit her twice and then took her so roughly she almost considered it rape.

  Now, with Michael gone, staring at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered why she’d ever started dating. She touched herself between her legs and tears came to her eyes. She hurt.

  At one point she had cried out in pain. He hadn’t stopped his relentless pounding until he spilled his seed inside of her. He hadn’t used a condom. Fear had kept her quiet. She knew she should have told him to stop, to find protection, but she hadn’t.