by Sara York
Tony couldn’t stand the silence. He needed to get out so he could find Marissa. “Call Spade. He’ll tell you about Allison. She was arrested on an assault charge against a woman. Believe me, she’s trouble.” Tony sat in his chair, even though he wanted to get up and pace around the room. He couldn’t pace, wasn’t allowed to. Instead, he clenched his fists over and over again.
“We already know about her past arrests, but that doesn’t mean she’s the killer. Our suspect is a man.”
“Jackson Spade thinks it could be a woman.”
“But the rapes?” Rex said.
“The women were possibly raped with an object. It could be Allison. Why won’t you at least check it out? Why do you insist on looking at only me?”
“I am checking it out. Sally is looking at her schedule as we speak. Don’t forget that you woke up with a dead body in your own bed, and for some reason you expect us to believe you don’t remember how it got there. Come on, Tony, give me a break.”
Tony hunched his shoulders forward in defeat. It came back to Latisha Enzer’s body being found in his bed. There was nothing in his memory from that night. He barely remembered the next morning when he placed the call to Rex.
“I was drugged.”
“You could have easily drugged yourself. And what about the keys and the receipt for the water park found at the last scene?” Rex countered.
“I don’t know how the keys or the receipt got there. I noticed my house keys missing this morning. I don’t know who the hell is behind this. But it’s not me.”
“I want to believe you, but I need more time to find the truth. I can’t just let you walk out because I think you’re innocent.”
Tony raised his head, his eyes focused on Rex’s face. Could Rex really believe he was capable of murder? A trickle of sweat ran down Rex’s face and wrinkles formed above his brow. Tony knew this must be stressful for his friend. He wanted to give Rex the benefit of the doubt, trust him with everything, but Rex had to believe in him.
“Rex, can you honestly believe that I have it in me to murder anyone, much less a child, my child?”
A knock sounded on the door, giving Rex no time to answer. Sally poked her head in the room. “Detective Hague, I have the information you asked for.”
“I’ll be back in a bit,” he told Tony. “For now, just hang tight.”
“Don’t forget, Marissa is out there. Don’t let her die because your pride’s caught up in pinning this on me.”
Rex turned back towards Tony. Splotches of red marred his complexion, and the fire in his eyes gave Tony hope that Rex would send someone out looking for his wife. “If you think for one minute that I like seeing you in here being reamed, then you don’t deserve to call me friend. Fuck, I care about her too, and I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”
Tony slumped down in the chair and curled his body over the table. The cold, solid surface felt good against his skin. He breathed in deep breaths, calming the fire burning inside. He couldn’t muscle his way out of the interrogation room. He knew that from experience. A few detainees had tried when he was on the other end working a case. None of them succeeded. The station was filled with cops, and cops had guns. He would stand a better chance begging his way out.
****
Marissa’s head lolled forward and she caught herself. Her thoughts were foggy, and she was surprised to find the movie was almost over. Had she fallen asleep. More than an hour had passed. She took another swig from the bottle of water, hoping to clear her mind.
She needed to move around, needed some air. Marissa stood, but her legs felt like licorice whips. She tumbled forward but could do nothing to stop her fall. Michael shot to his feet and caught her before she hit to the floor.
“Going somewhere?” Michael asked as he paused the movie.
“I’m so tired,” Marissa said. Nausea clawed at her stomach, threatening to spill its contents. Suddenly she was in Michael’s arms, go where, she didn’t know.
She closed her eyes, hoping to stop the rolling of her stomach. “I want to go home.”
“Not yet,” Michael said as he laid her gently on Ally’s bed.
“Are you okay?” Ally’s concerned voice seemed to come from somewhere far away.
Marissa opened her eyes to see Ally above her. She fought to stay awake, but couldn’t. Exhaustion pulled her down, forcing her eyes to close. She didn’t want to stay but was helpless against the tiredness that filled her. Fear raced through her. This wasn’t normal, something was wrong with her body. Oh God, what if something was wrong with her baby?
Chapter 39
“Ally was working on two of the nights when the women were murdered. There is no way possible she’s our killer,” Rex said.
“How late could she have been working?” Tony asked, not believing Ally could be cleared this easily.
“Midnight. The club stays open until midnight, and she had a client on two of those nights who came in late.”
“We don’t even have an exact time of death on any of the murders,” Tony countered.
“No we don’t, but we do have an exact time on the attempt on Marissa. Ally was busy with a client that night.”
“There has to be some explanation. Maybe Spade missed something.”
“He didn’t miss anything, you jumped to conclusions,” Rex said, rubbing his eyes. Everyone looked drained and spent. This investigation was taking its toll on the police. No one was exempt from its weight.
“Have you found Marissa?” Defeat sucked at Tony’s spirit. Marissa was out there alone, had been all day. A shiver snaked down his spine. What would happen to her if the killer got to her first?
“Not yet.”
“Why not? It’s been six hours. Do you at least have officers canvassing the streets?” Tony stood and moved around the table, not caring that he was the one being held.
“Of course, but Ally moved recently and didn’t leave a forwarding address. I don’t even know where to look.”
“Shit, we have to find her. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“I’ve tried Marissa’s cell phone three times and each time it just rolls to voice mail. What have we missed on this case? There has to be something we didn’t see.” Worry lines wrinkled Rex’s brow, frustration evident in his stance.
“Let me out of here. I can help you.” Tony laid his hand on Rex’s shoulder, trying to impress upon his friend how worried he was.
“You can’t help us. The chief doesn’t think it’s wise to bring you back to your old job yet. He thinks you might have a breakdown.”
“What?”
“The stress from finding a dead body in your bed.”
“I survived my daughter’s death without a breakdown. I think I can handle the rest of this shit. You need to check out Allison Underwood.”
“This Allison girl, she isn’t the killer.”
“Fine, let’s say she isn’t the killer, what if she’s next on the killer’s list? What if he isn’t just exacting revenge on me, but she’s part of his plan too? Her last name starts with ‘U’.” Tony heard his voice rising, but he couldn’t help himself.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Tony purposely lowered his volume, speaking slowly so Rex wouldn’t miss anything. “Longfellow, Ingles, Fink, Enzer, and then Santos. But he failed so he took Samantha Chambers. You remember what Marissa and I told you, that we think the killer is spelling out ‘life sucks’? Allison is the ‘U’.”
Sally popped open the door, worry bunching her brow. “No one knows where Michael is.”
“Is he off duty?” Rex asked.
“No sir, he’s not answering his phone or his radio,” Sally replied.
“Did you check his home?” Tony asked.
Sally’s gaze shot to his then back to Rex. “Yep, no one home.”
“Get the gals down in dispatch to ping his GPS locator.”
“Already did. His cruiser is parked in the lot out back,” Sally said.<
br />
“Rex, come on. Let me out of here. We’re wasting time standing around,” Tony pleaded. Every moment Marissa was out there without protection left her open to attack. He wouldn’t be able to survive if she was murdered.
Chapter 40
Janice stepped behind Sally, opening the door further. “Rex, you have a call. It’s Spade.”
“Let me come with you. We need to work on this together,” Tony begged.
“Fine, just stick with me.”
Tony followed Rex to the bank of phones. It felt good to be free from the small interrogation room, but he wasn’t really free. He still had to stay right with Rex.
“Hague here. I’m putting you on speaker, Tony’s with me.”
“Rex, Tony, I have a file I’m sending to you. It’s a picture of Andrew Carson. Mr. Carson grew up in the same orphanage where Tony was housed.”
“Do you recognize the guy?” Rex asked.
“No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him. He’s your typical jock type though. Big, strong, muscles bulging everywhere.”
“What’s the deal with him?” Tony asked.
“He faked his own death. Had someone call in to get the corner to issue a death certificate. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a hunch, but something made my gut twinge about him. It’s a loose end and you know how FBI guys don’t like loose ends. You should have the file.”
“Thanks Jackson, I’ll call and tell you if we find this guy running about Juniper.”
“Rex, wait,” Jackson said.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve just received notification that Mr. Carson’s fingerprints are a match. They belong to--”
“Oh shit,” Rex yelled.
“Rex, what’s wrong?” Spade asked.
“It’s Rains, Michael Rains.”
Tony sunk into the chair beside the fax machine. They’d been hand feeding the enemy all the information he needed to jerk them around. Fuck. Marissa was in more danger than she knew, and Ally too.
“That’s the match I got on these prints.” Jackson’s voice range out over the speaker phone.
“Shit, shit, shit. This isn’t good. Damn it,” Rex said and hung up the phone, cutting off whatever else Spade was going to say.
Tony ran to the war room. He skidded around the corner, knocking a pile of paper off of the table near the door.
“It’s Michael Rains.” Tony’s voice cracked.
“What are you talking about?” Randall demanded.
“The killer is Michael Rains. His real name is Andrew Carson.”
A chill shot down Tony’s spine. His insides turned, and a cold sweat broke out across his face. The connection clicked at that instant. He now remembered Andrew Carson. Andrew was Wuss. Life sucks. That’s what Wuss had said to him when he’d had him down on the ground. When Wuss had rubbed it in that he was going to live with a new family and that Tony was still stuck at the boys’ home. He’d been an ass to Wuss and he’d paid for it as a boy. Only that had been small time, now Andrew was out for blood and wouldn’t stop until he destroyed Tony.
“Where the hell is Rains?” Randall shouted.
“Marissa, oh God, she’s with Allison. Allison is Michael’s girlfriend,” Tony said. “Rex, we need access to the utility company’s information.”
“I want every officer in the building in this room now,” Randall shouted.
Tony saw Janice pass by the door and he hollered out her name. She poked her head around the corner, her eyebrows raised. “I need you to go get a warrant so we can access the utility company’s information. We need the address for Allison Underwood. She moved recently. No one knows where she lives.”
“The judge is going to ask why her and why this late.”
“Michael Rains is the killer and Allison is his girlfriend,” Tony explained as he cleared one whiteboard of information. He grabbed for a Dry Erase marker and started jotting down notes for everyone to see. On the top of his list was Michael Rains = suspect, real name = Andrew Carson.
“You are shitting me? Michael is the killer?” Janice asked in bewilderment.
“Consider him armed and dangerous.” Tony stood on a chair and surveyed the war room. The place had lost any sense of order. Papers were pushed off tables, littering the floor below. People were running in and out; fear turned each face into a caricature. One of their own was a murderer. The worst thing that could possibly happen was happening.
Tony put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. All motion and talking stopped and their attention focused on Tony.
“Here’s what we are going to do. Every door to this facility will be guarded. If you see Michael Rains, consider him armed and dangerous. Shoot to kill, ask questions later. He may have one, maybe two hostages. He has killed at least five women, maybe more. Do not underestimate him. Sally, I want you to go to dispatch and have them call every officer who is not currently on the clock and get them in here for instructions. None of this goes out on the police radio. Cell phone communication only.”
“Yes sir,” Sally said.
Tony searched the crowd, spying his target. “Dickey Farris.”
“Yes sir.”
“Dickey, I want you to be in charge of canvassing the neighborhoods. We have twenty officers on duty right now. Draw a grid on the map so teams of two are working together to cover the entire town. We don’t have any idea where Allison Underwood lives. I think Michael has both Marissa and Ally as hostages.”
“Do you think he acted alone in all of this?” The question was shouted from the back of the room and people started mumbling before Tony could answer.
“I have no idea.” Tony’s voice rose over the noise. “Assume his girlfriend, Allison Underwood, will back him up. However, she may be a hostage.”
“Too many people on duty. We need to operate on a secure channel or we’ll never be able to keep up with the communication,” Randall said.
“Fine, I want everyone on secured channel eight.”
Rex’s voice rose up, “Tony, I have the utility company on the phone. They have the records in front of them and will release them as soon as we have a warrant.”
Rex held his hand over the receiver, his gaze connected with Tony’s. Both of them knew what was at stake. Marissa was only eight weeks pregnant. She could easily lose the baby if Michael did something to her.
“Where’s Janice?” Tony asked.
Janice poked her head in the room, a smile stretched across her face. “I’m on the phone to the judge. Lucky for us he’s working late. He understands the situation and wants us to visit him in his chambers now.”
“Rex, go with Janice and get the warrant.”
Tony spent the next ten minutes engrossed in organizing their efforts. He looked out the window at one point and noticed the sun was low in the sky. Soon it would be dark, making it difficult to spot Marissa’s car. He had a few officers researching Andrew Carson and his alias, Michael Rains. Every move was purposeful, made to achieve their goal of catching Michael and finding Marissa.
“Tony,” Sally said as she approached him. The uncomfortable wall that had been between them was gone. “I took the initiative to call the Dallas police department. I sent them an email with Michael’s picture. The guy in the picture wasn’t Michael Rains. They had assumed the real Michael Rains had moved down here three years ago. No one has seen him since.”
“Michael’s not going to go down without a fight. We need to find Marissa now.”
“Tony, do you really think she’s in trouble? What if she’s at her apartment, back at your house or at the motel you two are staying at?”
“Rex had officer Farris check out all three places. She’s not anywhere I would expect her to be. I can’t imagine her going shopping or to a movie without her telling me.”
“Have you checked your voice mail?” Sally asked. Her attitude was professional, but concern was evident on her face. They had come a long way since last week when all they had for each other were angry words.
Tony reached for his cell phone, but it was missing. “My phone, evidence still has it in lockup.” Tony dashed from the room and ran downstairs to retrieve his phone. His heart pounded out a strained rhythm, making him wish he had eaten better last week.
“I need my phone,” Tony shouted as he reached the first floor.
“Detective Santos, you’re out.” Douglas White, the officer in charge of evidence, sat behind his desk. A smile turned the corners of his mouth up.
“Didn’t anyone tell you?” Tony asked.
“I’ve been on the phone, and before that I was away from my desk.”
“The killer is Michael Rains.”
“Officer Rains? That’s strange,” Douglas said as he scratched his head.
“What? Tell me now,” Tony demanded, letting his voice rise even though he knew he needed to keep a calm head.
“I was in the evidence room and your phone showed his number on the display. I guess he was trying to get in touch with you. How eerie.”
“He called? God, what could he have wanted?”
Tony grabbed his phone and headed back to the center of activity, checking his voice mail. Marissa’s message sent a chill down his spine. She was at Ally’s watching a movie with Rains. Shit, he was fucked. He breathed in deeply before walking back into the war room. Marissa’s life hung on a wire. He was losing ground in his race to find her. Losing her now would kill him.
“Tony, we have a problem,” Rex said before Tony could enter the room.
“What’s wrong?”
“Allison’s new address isn’t her new address. She must have moved to an apartment or house that included utilities.”
“Cell phone records. Call the phone company and get a warrant. Marissa left a message. She’s with both Ally and Michael. Neither woman will make it out alive if we don’t find them soon.”
