Nail on the Head (Detective Kate Rosetti Mystery Book 5)

by Gina LaManna

  Chapter 17

  AN HOUR LATER, MELINDA was wrapping up at the crime scene. We’d all hung around, watching and lending a hand where we could. Most of the time was spent wondering what this new message could mean.

  “It’s gotta be Flystone,” Brody said. “The first victim had the mark on their arm. This time, the victim had the mark on their chest. In the exact same location as the rest of his victims.”

  “Okay, but what does that mean?” I asked. “Did he get in touch with whoever’s doing the killing and give him new instructions?”

  “It’s possible,” Agent Brody said.

  “Or we could still have two different killers,” Agent Russo said. “I don’t know why or how, but we do have two different markings. I don’t think we can assume it was the same person changing up their MO for no reason at all.”

  “It wouldn’t be no reason at all,” Agent Brody pointed out. “It would be because Flystone is feeding the killer instructions from the inside. Sending messages through a proxy, if you will.”

  I blew out a huge breath. “Honestly, I don’t think we can assume anything at this point. It’s late, the case is getting muddled, and if Melinda’s packing up, I don’t think we’ll find anything else before morning. Let’s all go home and get some rest and reconvene first thing tomorrow.”

  “Agreed,” Russo said. “We’re just wasting time on theories now. Either Dr. Brooks or Asha will turn up something sooner or later, and we’ll be off and running. No sense sitting around all night working ourselves up.”

  “Sleep’s got my vote,” Jimmy chimed in. “Then again, I’m always in favor of sleep.”

  There was a moment of silent agreement. Then a slightly more awkward pause as we all realized that there were some interesting pairings in terms of rides home.

  “Officer Marks,” I ventured, “can Agent Russo and I give you a ride home?”

  “It’s no problem,” Agent Brody said. “I’ll drop her off.”

  I eyed him pointedly.

  “At her house,” he added, running a hand sheepishly through his hair.

  Chloe looked down at her feet. “Sure, thanks. That’d be fine. No sense you going out of your way, Detective Rosetti.”

  I could read between the lines and dropped it. “Fine. See you all tomorrow.”

  The group of us all parted. No sooner had Russo and I slid into the car than my phone rang. When I saw Asha’s name, I hit speaker and announced myself and Russo.

  “Are you still at the crime scene?” Asha didn’t bother with formalities.

  “Yes, why?”

  “I was just about to grab sushi with a friend when I got a ping on Holden Newton.”

  “What sort of ping?”

  “A typical late-night ping,” Asha said, dragging out the moment for the drama of it. “He ordered a pizza.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “Nope,” she said. “A large supreme pizza, to be exact. With breadsticks.”

  “Do you have the address for delivery?”

  “What do you think?” She rattled off the address. “Need anything else from me?”

  “No,” I said. “It’s odd, isn’t it? Nothing from him for days, and then all of a sudden, a pizza order.”

  “I just tell you what I find. I don’t denote if it’s strange or not. By the way, how was Gem’s party?”

  “Uneventful and short lived.”

  “Ah. Well then, I’m going to grab that sushi if you don’t need anything else. Are you heading to the address to check it out?”

  “We sure are.”

  I disconnected Asha’s call. Russo was driving, and he was already on the way to the address Asha had given us for the pizza delivery order.

  “Gem’s party was uneventful, huh?” He glanced my way.

  “I mean, technically, yes,” I said. “We showed up, talked briefly, and then left. It’s not like someone got blown up this time around.”

  “I suppose if you’re measuring eventfulness on the Kate Rosetti scale, it was a pretty tame party.”

  I grinned. “Step on it, Russo. We’ve got to get to this address in thirty minutes or less or the pizza’s free.”

  Jack sped toward the address, but we were really in no danger of missing the thirty-minute window I suspected we’d have before the pizza arrived.

  “What do you think?” I asked Russo. “What kind of murder suspect goes into hiding for days on end, ditches their apartment, and then orders a late-night pizza on their credit card?”

  “Are you sure he’s on the run?” Russo asked. “I suppose this could be some sort of misunderstanding.”

  “I guess,” I said. “Either that, or it’s some sort of trick.”

  “Maybe Holden’s actually dead, and the murderer’s using his credit card to try and trip you up.”

  I gave him a funny look. “That’s a stretch.”

  “Something Flystone might do if he was involved?”

  I shifted in my seat. There was no saying what Flystone would do. I didn’t know him well enough. But I had seen Tammy’s body tonight, and the broken heart carved into her chest with some sort of sharp instrument did seem like a message straight from the inside of a maximum-security Illinois prison cell.

  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I said. “Let me call Jimmy and see if he wants to join us for the action.”

  Jimmy answered on the second ring. “Rosetti. I just got home with a hot pack of doughnuts. Don’t tell me you’re dragging me back out.”

  “I wouldn’t dare separate you from your late-night snacks. I’m just keeping you posted,” I said. “Asha got a ping on Holden. Apparently he ordered a pizza.”

  “In that case, I’m tempted. What kind of pizza, and what are the chances of us being able to confiscate it?”

  I gave Jimmy the address. “You’re welcome to join.”

  “I’m certainly not letting you go alone.”

  “I’m not alone,” I said. “Jack’s here. He’s happy to ride as my backup if you’re in for the night.”

  “I don’t want to make Jack—”

  “It’s fine,” Russo said. “I’m happy to do it. We’re here anyway. It’d probably be best if we can head right in instead of waiting. I’d hate to lose the only lead we have on this guy.”

  “Go on in,” Jimmy said. “Tell you what. I’ll be up for a bit watching a movie with my midnight snack. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll be there.”

  “You got it,” I said, then disconnected. “Is this the place?”

  “I’m guessing we beat the pizza guy,” Jack said, looking at the clock on the dashboard. “That wasn’t even ten minutes.”

  Jack and I slipped out of the car. We were in a neighborhood somewhere between Maplewood and Woodbury in a lower-income part of town. The fences here were crooked and janky, and the lawns were more rocks and soot than actual grass. A few people lingered outside on their porches, and the quiet chatter of neighborhood gossip filtered through the night air to us.

  I made my way up to the front door of the place where Holden was supposedly staying, with Jack close behind. I knocked, heard a sound from the inside, and took a step back. I had my badge ready when the door was pulled open.

  “Here’s your tip,” a guy said. “I paid the rest over the phone.”

  I smiled. “Good evening. Holden Newton?”

  Holden glanced at my badge, then frowned. He didn’t look the slightest bit concerned. “Where’s my pizza?”

  I glanced at Russo. “I’m sure it’ll be here soon.”

  “Man, I’m starved,” the guy, presumably Holden, said. “What a tease. Hey, if you’re not the pizza, then what do you want?”

  “I’m Detective Kate Rosetti, and this is Agent Jack Russo. We were hoping to ask you a few questions.”

  “Agent? Like the FBI?” Holden smiled. “Cool.”

  “Can we please come in for a second?” I asked. “We’d like to discuss some private matters with you.”

  “About what?”<
br />
  “Your brother.”

  “Travis? What’d he do?” Holden looked between us. “Is this some sort of joke? Are you like, strippers pretending to be cops or something? Do you actually have the pizza hidden somewhere?”

  Jack sighed and took out his badge. “I’m a real federal agent, pal. And she’s a real, live detective. Can we come in?”

  “What’s this about?” Holden was finally seeming to understand that this wasn’t some sort of prank. “This isn’t even my place. If you’re looking for Robbie, he’s not here right now. He’s out with his girl.”

  “You’re Holden Newton?” I asked.

  “Yeah, that’s me. Just waiting for my pizza.”

  For someone who had just lost a brother, Holden seemed to be inordinately obsessed with his pizza.

  “We’d like to discuss the murder of your brother,” I said. “It would probably be better if we don’t do it here on your front steps.”

  “The murder of who?” Holden scratched at his head. “I only have one brother. I thought you were here because Travis did something?”

  I shot another glance at Russo. “You haven’t heard? Holden, I’m sorry to inform you, but your brother, Travis, is dead.”

  “No, no. That can’t be right.” Holden shook his head. “Look, the two of you need to go away. I just wanted a pizza. This can’t be real.”

  Before I could explain further, the actual pizza delivery guy pulled up to the house. It was exactly the worst possible moment. Holden seemed to be in complete shock. The money he’d tried to pay me originally was still clasped in his fingers.

  Gently, I took it from him and handed it to the pizza delivery guy. “Thanks. Here’s your tip.”

  The pizza guy just nodded, completely unfazed. I was willing to bet he’d seen his share of strange scenarios. We all waited until the delivery car’s taillights were disappearing into the distance before speaking again.

  “I didn’t realize you hadn’t heard the news,” I said. “I’m sorry to break it to you this way. Can we please come inside? We’d be happy to answer any of your questions.”

  Holden turned and walked down the hallway. He didn’t make a move to shut the door behind him, and it seemed that was about as far as we’d get in terms of an invitation considering his state of disbelief. Jack and I followed him inside to a small living room that was pretty clearly a bachelor pad.

  Overstuffed couches that looked like they’d been picked up from the side of the road were plopped nonsensically around a television set. Or rather, some sort of game console setup. Controllers littered the table, and the screen blinked with the opening credits of some game. Jack reached over and turned the volume down on the annoying theme song as we all sat.

  I deftly ignored the paraphernalia sitting out on the table that was obviously for smoking a currently illegal substance in the State of Minnesota. I figured we could let the marijuana charges slide in light of the news Holden was facing about his brother’s brutal murder.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I had no idea you didn’t know.”

  “How was I supposed to know?” Holden looked up, seeming to tilt on the sofa across from Jack and I as if a stiff wind was rocking him back and forth. “Like, if you didn’t tell me, how was I supposed to know?”

  “Do you have a relationship with your parents?” I asked. “They had been notified. Tammy, Travis’s fiancée, was also aware. I figured one of them would’ve been in touch with you.”

  Holden cursed. “So that’s what they wanted.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’ve been calling me nonstop the last few days. My parents, I mean,” Travis said. “I’ve been ignoring their calls. I’m sort of hiding out from them at the moment.”

  “Why are you hiding out from them?”

  “I lost my apartment,” Holden said. “That was my last shot. They were paying fifty percent of my rent to help me get on my feet. They said if I couldn’t hold down a job long enough to keep my apartment, they were cutting me off completely.”

  I took a moment to study Holden. He wore a pair of old gray sweatpants and a Harvard sweatshirt. I was pretty sure he’d never attended Harvard. Despite his old clothes, however, he was a handsome guy. He looked part jock, part cool stoner kid. His eyelashes were long and full, and the few times he’d smiled, he’d looked exceptionally charming. It was easy to see how a woman might be attracted to him.

  “You’re not working now?”

  “I’m sort of between jobs,” Holden said. “I got fired from my last job.”

  “At the casino?”

  “Who told you that?” Holden looked up at me. “Why do you care?”

  “I’m just asking.”

  “Not a casino. Bartending,” Holden said. “At some hole-in-the-wall bar in Oakdale. Nothing special. Just sorta missed a few shifts.”

  “I see. That’s why you ditched your last apartment without paying your outstanding balance?”

  “Oh, I got it. You talked to Kitty. She’s a nice lady, but yeah. She wanted her money, and I couldn’t pay. I didn’t mean to stiff her. You’re not going to arrest me for that, are you?”

  “We’re only here to find out more information about your brother,” I said. “We’re two of the officers investigating his murder.”

  “Hold up—his murder?” Holden seemed like he’d just put the final piece of the puzzle into place. “Someone killed my brother?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “H-how?”

  “We’re looking into all the details now,” I said. “The cause of death was a bullet wound.”

  “Someone shot Travis.” Holden shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What’d he do to get someone mad enough to shoot him?”

  “We were hoping you might be able to tell us.”

  “Why do you think I’d have any information?” Holden squinted at me, for the first time seeming to realize that we weren’t here to chat over a rapidly cooling pizza. His guard seemed to instantly go up. “You don’t think I’m involved, do you?”

  “We’re just hoping to learn more about Travis and his friends. Who he hung out with, what he might have been up to in his spare time, that sort of thing. Was he in any trouble? Did he owe anyone money?”

  Holden relaxed slightly. “Aw, no, man. He wasn’t a bad guy. I mean, he wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t into any of that.”

  “What do you mean he wasn’t perfect?”

  “Are you perfect?” Holden shot back. “That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Tammy told us that Travis used to go to the casino a few times a month. Could he have been in some gambling debt?”

  “He didn’t go to any casino,” Holden said, rolling his eyes. “That guy was a tightwad. He hated to part with a cent that he earned.”

  “How do you know he didn’t go to the casino?” I asked. “Tammy told us he would go out with friends. Was he lying?”

  Holden’s expression grew more guarded. He did not have any sort of poker face.

  “I just mean—” Holden stopped himself. “I just know.”

  “I notice you haven’t used your credit card recently,” I said. “Any reason why?”

  Holden looked at me like I was the idiot. “Uh, it’s generally not a good idea to rack up credit card debt when you don’t have a job.”

  “Whose place are you staying at?”

  “Some guy I know from my last job. Robbie,” Holden said. “He’s sort of a lonely dude who didn’t mind the company.”

  “A friend of yours?”

  “I wouldn’t say that. I barely ever talked to him at the bar,” Holden said. “But I was talking with him about my money problems a few weeks ago, and one thing led to another, and he offered me his couch if I needed for a few weeks.”

  That would explain why Asha hadn’t caught the connection. There was no paper trail, for starters. Second, there was no actual connection between them anyway aside from being former colleagues. No real friendship of
any sort. It was as close to a random acquaintance as one could get.

  “You’ve been ignoring your parents’ calls because you thought they were going to cut you off from their finances?”

  “That’s what I said. I don’t know if you’ve met my dad, but he doesn’t understand. He would’ve only wanted to ream me out. My mom doesn’t exactly stand up to him either. I didn’t want to hear it. Fine if they want to cut me off. I can take care of myself.”

  “What about Tammy?”

  “What about her?” Holden snapped.

  “You were ignoring her calls?”

  “Yeah,” he said shortly.

  “Why?”

  Holden looked between Jack and me. “No reason. Just didn’t have a need to talk to her.”

  Jack leaned forward, giving Holden a buddy-buddy sort of look as if Holden could really confide in him. “Look, man, we know what’s going on.”

  Holden bit his lip, glanced at me like I was the scary one, then looked back at Jack.

  “I get it. We’re men, right?” Jack parroted Holden’s own words back to him, and that seemed to do the trick. “Nobody’s perfect. We’re not interested in judging your mistakes, we’re just here looking to get justice for your brother.”

  “Exactly, right? It was one stupid mistake.” Holden expelled a breath. “It didn’t mean anything.”

  “We’re not here to arrest you for a stupid mistake,” I said. “We all have them. But we do need to understand exactly what happened between you and Tammy.”

  “Look, it was just a one-time thing.” Holden looked at Jack. “Okay, maybe like a two-time thing. But I swear I cut it off.”

  “You had an affair with Tammy?”

  “I thought you said you knew that,” Holden said, shifting his gaze to me. “Were you lying?”

  “I’m just trying to get you to tell me the story from the start,” I said. “We’re not here to judge you. We’re trying to find your brother’s killer.”

  “Talk to us, Holden,” Jack said in a soft, convincing voice. “We get it. You felt bad about it. Tammy didn’t understand. Just tell us how it all happened.”

  He was very skilled at the good-cop thing. Apparently the bad-cop thing came pretty naturally to me.