by Sara York
After he was done, she lay still beside him while he fell asleep. Later, when he woke her from sleep again, he apologized for his behavior. Like a dog, she had lapped up his apology, and made love to him again. How could she have been so stupid? Ally pushed herself away from the mirror, unable to stare at her reflection any longer. If Michael came back tonight, she would take him in a heartbeat. She was just another stupid bimbo looking for a good lay.
Chapter 33
Tony pulled up in front of his house. A chill swept over him, leaving him wondering if calling Spade from here was a wise choice. The memory of finding a dead body in his bed was foggy, but it still sent a jolt of fear through his nerves, causing him to hesitate as he walked up the steps to his front door. He reached into the front flap of his briefcase for his keys, but they were gone. Where had he put his house keys?
He used the key from his wallet, glad he always kept an extra one on him. His hand shook as he slipped the key into the lock. He had enough time to make it back to the motel for the call, but he didn’t want to pay the connect fee, or the huge hit for each minute the cheap motel would charge him.
Stillness had settled over his house and left a dank, unpleasant smell in the air. He turned the air conditioner colder, getting the circulation going. Upstairs, he found the bedroom empty. The police had dismantled the furniture and shipped the pieces off to the crime lab. The rug was missing too. Tony shook his head. He would never sleep here again.
He returned to the kitchen, unable to stay near the bedroom. He opened the refrigerator and found no bottles of water. “Damn it.” He grabbed a glass and turned on the faucet, filling it half-full. Tomorrow he would call a real estate agent and put the house on the market. He wouldn’t be able to enter his bedroom again without thinking about the violent death that had occurred while he’d slept.
The phone rang, startling him. He dropped the glass to the floor. The loud crack of it hitting the hard tile brought him to action. His hand shot out and he grabbed the receiver. “Santos here.”
“Santos, I’ve got some news.”
“Spade, it’s good to hear from you. Give me a minute, I need to take care of something.” Tony grabbed a broom and swept the glass into a bag before picking up the phone again. “So, what did you find out?”
“Well, if it’s someone from your college days then you’re screwed.”
“Why do you say that?” Papers rustled on the other end of the line, leaving Tony wondering how much attention he was receiving from Spade.
“You went to college in south Texas, you live in south Texas, and so do a lot of other people who went to college with you.”
“Damn it, this is going to take forever,” Tony said as he flopped down into a kitchen chair, kicking his legs out in front of him.
“Not necessarily. Who would hate you from your college days? Is there anyone who sticks out in your mind? Anyone who vowed to get you back?”
“No, I can’t think of anyone. What about that license plate partial?”
“It was someone from the Juniper PD. I called Rex, he confirmed that they put a tail on your yesterday.”
“Damn.”
“What?” Spade asked.
“I thought someone was following me for the last few weeks. This would have confirmed it.”
“Someone could still be following you.”
“What’s next?”
“We need to check your past case log. See who is out and operating in your area.”
“It could take weeks.” Tony’s voice rose in pitch, his mind reeling at the possibility of having to wait weeks to find their killer.
“Well, not necessarily weeks,” Spade interrupted his thoughts. “Only a day or so when you have the power of the government behind you.”
“Spade, you are the best. So what did you come up with?”
“Nada, there wasn’t one person who you’ve arrested and sent to jail who could have pulled this off.”
“What makes you so sure?” Tony reached for the notebook lying on the kitchen table and began writing about Spade’s findings.
“They’re either still in jail, or they live too far from there. Their probation officer in the other cities would know if they were traveling all this way to murder these women.”
“I don’t know. They could have flown down here and done the kill, then flown back home,” Tony offered, wanting to find a solution to this mess now.
“Could have, but didn’t. The airline records don’t show it.”
“What about small planes?”
“Nope, no dice there either,” Spade countered.
“So, we’re fairly sure it’s not a revenge hit for putting someone in jail.”
“I have one of my FBI friends checking on two people, but they weren’t violent offenders in the past, and it’s doubtful they could have pulled off the type of murders you’re experiencing down there. There are three people living near you from your past. Jason Eckert was in one of the boys’ homes you grew up in. He moved to south Texas about five years ago and lives in Freeport. He has a wife, two kids but he also has a dark side.”
“A dark side?” Tony asked.
“Yeah, he likes kiddie porn, not adult shows. He needs help, but he’s probably not our guy. I need to know if you remember him.”
“No, I can’t picture him. Was he the same age as me?”
“Two years younger.”
“Do you have a photo?” Tony asked.
“Yeah, dark brown hair, dark eyes, a mole on his right cheek. Does he sound familiar?”
“Nope, I’m sorry, I don’t remember him. There were so many different kids who went through the system. I doubt I would remember many of them.”
“Let’s move on. Sam Jenkinson, or Samuel Jenkinson, do you remember him?” Spade asked as he shuffled more paper.
“No,” Tony answered flatly.
“Sam moved to south Texas and lives in West Columbia. He was in the boys’ home in Philadelphia with you.”
“I don’t remember him at all. There were so many boys, and I didn’t really make any close friends there. We existed together, but no one really thought of the other boys as brothers.”
“Sam is a long shot anyways. He lives with his girlfriend and works each night in a grocery story stocking shelves. He’s been at work almost every night you’ve had a murder.”
“This is impossible. It could be anyone and I could have been chosen as a random target. What if our killer is some weirdo who goes around killing for sport? He picks someone to bug and kills off people around them.”
“No, not when this guy is spelling out your daughter’s name with each new victim.”
Tony rolled his shoulder before he could stop himself. A good plastic surgeon could remove most of the scar, but not all of it. He would permanently be scarred by the killer’s handiwork.
“Tony, I’m sorry, but this guy is out to get you. It isn’t some casual acquaintance. This is a person who hates you and wants you dead.”
“Shit, this sucks,” Tony’s voice sounded hollow. He stared around his kitchen, wondering if life would ever get good again.
“What is the phrase the killer is spelling out?”
“I think he’s spelling ‘life sucks’. Why?”
“Our next suspect’s last name begins with a ‘U’.”
“What’s his name?” Tony was tired of this already. His stomach turned and a queasy feeling washed over him. All of this looking into his past would accomplish nothing. There were too many people to check into.
“It isn’t a ‘he’, it’s a ‘she’. Allison Underwood lived with you in Philadelphia. She was eight and you were nine.”
“Oh, yeah. Al. I remember Al. He, I mean she, was strange. Wouldn’t shower with the boys, wouldn’t go to the bathroom with anyone else in the room. Turns out he was a ‘she’ trying to hide her identity.”
“Allison Underwood lives in Juniper. She moved there about two years ago. Before then, Ms. Underwood lived in Freeport. As
you can imagine, she’s not had an easy life.”
“What happened to her after she left the home?” Tony had felt sorry for the little girl and often thought of trying to get in contact with her, but never did.
“She lived with a foster family for a while, but eventually she ran away and ended up living in a home for runaway girls.”
“God, we were so mean to Al. If we’d only known Al was a girl, it would have explained so much.” Tony ran his hand over his face again. He had so much to be sorry for. Maybe he should have been a better friend to the other boys at the home, but it was too late now, all he could do was move forward.
“Well, Al has been in trouble with the law since she’s been in Texas. When she lived in Freeport, she beat the crap out of a woman.”
“Shit, how bad was the woman hurt?”
“She required thirty-seven stitches, but she survived. Al moved to Juniper to start over. She took anger management classes and passed with flying colors.”
“You did say the killer could be a woman. Wonder if Al is into any of those strange sexual devices.”
“Well, thanks to the proliferation of credit card use, Al’s spending habits have been well documented.”
“So tell me, where has Ms. Underwood been spending her money?”
“A company called Love Slave,” Spade answered.
“Really?”
“Yeah, turns out that Al has a penchant for dildos. She’s purchased at least six in the last two years. She even has a harness so she can strap them on and do it like a man.”
“How did you get that many details from an unofficial investigation?” Professional jealousy surged through Tony. He wanted to be able to investigate suspects like Spade was. Hell, he really just wanted to be back on the job.
“William, the owner of Love Slave, has a problem with drugs. His computers were confiscated two months ago. All I had to do was ask the right person.”
“How did you know who to ask?”
“It’s my job to know. That’s why I’m usually in the office. I spend my days trying to tie crimes together. You would be shocked by how many pedophiles shop at Love Slave.”
“I’m not sure I want to know.” Tony stood up and paced around the room, trying to take in everything Spade was telling him.
“It’s disturbing.” Spade’s voice was stiff.
“So we know about Al, or Allison Underwood. How can we find her?” Tony asked.
“I brought the case to my superior’s attention. The FBI should be placing a call to your chief soon, informing him he needs to cooperate with the bureau.”
“He’s going to want to fry my ass.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t hear about your involvement from us. It makes the bureau look bad if we have to depend on local cops for information.”
“Allison Underwood. That name seems familiar.”
“Do you think she’s made contact with you?” Spade asked.
“Underwood, Underwood, let me think. I know her name from somewhere.”
“Tony, this will end soon. The feds will come in, talk to Allison, gather some information about her, the evidence will come in line and we’ll make an arrest. You and your family will be safe.”
All at once, it hit him. “Sonofabitch. I know where I’ve heard that name.”
“Where?”
“She goes by Ally now. She’s Marissa’s personal coach. Shit, Spade, Ally Underwood works at the gym where Marissa is working out right now.”
Tony dropped the phone onto the base and ran out of his house. Marissa had been with this woman all morning. If he hurried, maybe he could catch her at the club.
Chapter 34
“What happened to your face?” Marissa blurted when she saw the purplish welt on Ally’s cheek.
Ally raised a hand to cover the injury. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? It looks like something to me. Did your boyfriend hit you?”
Ally averted her eyes, but not before Marissa saw the tears. “I can’t talk about it here.”
“How about we skip the workout and grab lunch?” Marissa suggested.
“Let me check with the desk to see if I have another client.”
Marissa waited for Ally to check her schedule. A quiet desperation filled her as she watched her new friend. At some point, Ally had moved from acquaintance to friend. Gone was her cocky walk that told the world Ally wasn’t a woman to be messed with. Her head hung low, and her shoulders rounded in defeat.
“Where do you want to go eat?”
Ally shrugged, her attitude one of despondent disinterest.
“How about the Purple Patio?” Marissa said brightly, trying to bring back the vibrancy she’d seen in the woman previously.
“I’ve never been there, but that’s fine.”
“Let’s take my car,” Marissa suggested.
“We’ll have to. I still haven’t taken mine to the shop to be fixed.”
“How have you been getting around?”
“Everything I need is close to where I live, even my boyfriend. Ugh, I don’t want to call him that anymore.” Ally’s face turned red with anger, she grabbed her sweat rag and slung it over her shoulder.
“I’m going to call my husband and leave a message for him. Tell him us girls are going to spend some quality time together.” Marissa dialed their home number out of habit. She was ready to hang up and try his cell phone when she realized Tony would eventually check the messages and know where to find her.
****
Tony jumped into his car and threw it into gear. Before he’d made it one block, a call came in from Spade.
“Tony, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Marissa is with her,” Tony said desperately.
“Call for backup,” Spade barked over the line.
“Damn it, Spade. I don’t want to turn this into a hostage situation. If Ally is our killer, I don’t want her freaking out when the police arrive with sirens blaring and lights flashing. I want Marissa out of there before they corner her.”
“I’ll give you five minutes. Then I’m calling for backup.”
“Don’t rush it. I want to keep Marissa safe.”
“Five minutes, Tony, that’s it.”
Tony disconnected the line as he pulled into the gym’s parking lot. He searched for Marissa’s car, but it wasn’t there. He heard sirens as two unmarked police cars swung around the corner. Damn it, why hadn’t Spade given him more time? Tony moved towards the door of the gym, wanting to find Marissa before the police scared Ally.
When he was two feet from the door, Rex called out. “Stop where you are.”
Tony turned around to find two uniforms with guns trained on him. “Rex, what is this? Marissa might be in there.”
“Walk this way. Hey, keep your hands visible.”
“This is ridiculous. Marissa might be in there with the killer.”
“Just do as I ask and this will be painless,” Rex said. His hands were held out to his sides, showing Tony he wasn’t a threat.
“Painless, painless? This is bullshit. Now you think I killed those girls? What is it Rex, you turning on me?”
“Calm down, we just want you to ride along with us to the station. Don’t make me put handcuffs on you.”
“I don’t believe this. I didn’t kill anyone. Did Spade call you?” Tony reached out to grab Rex. He had to make him understand.
The shock of the stun gun was immediate. Tony pitched forward and slumped to the ground. When the buzzing stopped, Tony tried to move, but he felt like he had been hit by a truck. “Damn it, Rex, you didn’t need to do that.” Tony’s words were slurred and drool pooled below his face.
“Put cuffs on him and take him downtown. I’ll be there soon.”
“Rex, find Marissa,” Tony begged as he was pushed into the back of the cruiser.
Tony watched Rex from the back of the police car. No one was searching the club for his wife. How long could she last if Ally chose to act?
His cl
othes were rumpled, but he thanked God he hadn’t wet himself when he’d been zapped. He let his head loll forward as the pain from the stun gun worked its way through his body. He hated those things. He should have fought harder to get them out of the department.
Dickey Farris hopped into the front of the car and popped it into gear. He drove in silence as they headed towards the station.
“Dickey, you have to find Marissa.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think the chief wants me running around looking for your wife.”
“She’s in danger.” Tony’s voice was filled with urgency. Maybe he could get Dickey to listen.
“What kind of danger?”
“She’s with Ally Underwood.”
“Who’s that?” Dickey asked, looking back in the rearview mirror.
“Michael Rains is dating her. She’s not who she says she is. I think she’s been out to get me for years. You have to find her. Ask Michael where she lives.”
After the car stopped at the station, Dickey pulled Tony from the back seat. Tony towered over the shorter uniformed officer. It was hard to be intimidating with handcuffs on, but Tony had to make Dickey understand how dangerous Ally was.
“Dickey, promise me you’ll search for Marissa.”
Dickey pushed him into a small interrogation room. Tony turned and faced Dickey before the door shut. “Promise me.”
“I’ll do what I can, but I still have a job here. Don’t expect me to jeopardize it.”
“She’s in danger,” Tony yelled as the door shut.
He growled in frustration. Swinging his foot, he kicked at the table after he heard the loud click of the lock sliding home. He was locked in this tiny room, waiting for Rex to question him while Marissa was out there facing danger. Their relationship had just started to improve again, now he might lose her forever.
Chapter 35
Marissa held Ally’s hand as she cried quietly. They’d driven over to Ally’s house after lunch. Marissa knew Tony would call once he got a chance.
