He’d told Kat that he was on a course that he had to complete as the new chief of police. He hated lying to her, even more so now that they were giving their relationship a chance, but he’d started on this journey before they’d taken that step and he was scared that if he told her what he was doing she would try and stop him and he knew he couldn’t do that. He had to know. Once he did, he was sure he would be able to put it behind him and move on and that Kat would never need to find out.
He’d promised to call her before he went to sleep, so picking up his phone he dialed. “Hey, it’s me” he said when she answered.
“Hi. How was the trip?”
“Uneventful. How are things there?”
“Everyone’s asleep, it’s peaceful. Feels like it’s the first time in days. Did you eat with Kyle?”
They’d flown to L.A. together and Kyle had been insistent that he should go and have dinner with him and meet Tara and her daughter, but he’d wanted this time alone. “No, I’ve got some reading to do before we start in the morning so I wanted to just get checked in. I had a quick bite in the restaurant.”
“Okay, well, I’m sure we’ll see them again soon. I’ll miss you tonight.”
He never thought he’d hear those words from her mouth and they brought a smile to his lips. “I’ll miss you, too.” For the last couple of days, he’d woken up with her lying next to him in his bed and it had felt so right, so perfect.
He was still smiling as he got dressed for bed and it wasn’t long before he was fast asleep.
Sixty
Today was the day. Today was the day he was going to see his son for the first time. He had butterflies in his stomach at the thought but was excited at the same time. He’d slept until eight a.m. and had a shower before going downstairs to have some breakfast.
He knew he couldn’t just go to his house and knock on the door and introduce himself, so he’d decided to drive to the nearest town and see what he could find out. He was hoping he would be able to find out where he worked or where he frequented so he could ‘accidentally’ bump into him. Failing that, he would have to sit outside the farm until he saw him and just follow him.
***
The farm was on the outskirts of Santa Clarita and as he got near he drove through a small handful of buildings at the side of the road. One of them was a bar. He knew from past experience that bars were the hubs of any community and that if anyone was likely to know anything, it would be the bartender.
Pushing open the door to the bar, he had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the gloom after the glare from outside. It was so early in the day that there was only one customer, an elderly man who looked like he’d been sitting on the same stool for decades. The radio was tuned to a country and western station, which was belting out a rhythmic beat that was completely at odds with the atmosphere, which was one of desperation.
There were no windows to the outside and it was lit by dull, yellow bulbs which only added to the gloom rather than illuminated it. Even in the low light, it didn’t look like any part of the bar had been cleaned for years.
Sitting himself on a stool far away from the old man, he gestured to the barman that he wanted a beer. It arrived, warm, in a glass that looked none too clean. “Thanks.” He handed him a twenty dollar bill. “Keep the change.”
The barman looked at him strangely but nodded and put the bill in his pocket.
“Do you know any of the Driscolls? I understand they live round here.”
The barman looked at him long and hard. “What do you want them for?”
“He’s an old pal of mine from way back when,” Finn lied. “Just passing through and remembered he lived around here and thought I’d say hi.”
“If you’ve got any sense, you’ll turn around and go back the way you came. The Driscolls are trouble with a big T.”
“What about the son? Drake?”
The barman laughed hollowly. “Drake. Haven’t seen him in years. He took off … must have been when he was about fourteen, I think. Couldn’t take any more of what his daddy was dishing out. No idea what ever happened to him.” He shrugged. “Like I said, trouble. Take my advice, forget you ever knew them.” Turning his back, he ended the conversation and went to see to the old man at the other end of the bar.
Leaving his beer untouched, Finn left the bar and climbed into his rental car. He had no intention of heeding the bartender’s advice. His son needed him and he would face down all kinds of trouble to help him. He hadn’t been able to be there for him when he was a kid, but he sure as hell would be now.
The End
Gang Land
A.J. Carella
PUBLISHED BY:
A.J. Carella
Copyright © 2014
Author’s Note
This is the last book in the McKay series and before you say goodbye, I would like to say thank you.
Thank you to you all for choosing to spend your time with the McKays and for all the wonderful feedback you have given me along the way.
Writing is a scary business. Every time I hit the publish button I worry that it’s not good enough and that you will be disappointed. Instead your response has been overwhelming, your support unfailing, and I love you all for it!
So thank you. Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you will choose to spend time with me again when I release my new series. (For pre-order details please see the end of the book.)
AJ x
One
The laughter rang in her ears, nothing more than a low rumble, really, but it washed over her completely and filled her head, the sound seeming to contain the very source of all evil. She knew it was futile, that her time on this earth had come to an end, but still she tried to get away, pulling herself as best she could over the dry and broken earth, the leaves that carpeted the ground crackling beneath her.
She sobbed as she thought of her family and the last time she’d seen them. She’d had yet another fight with her parents and had stormed out of the house, leaving her little sister crying in her wake. What had they even argued about? Something petty, she was sure. She realized now, in her final moments, that what had once seemed incredibly important to her was laughable. Why hadn’t she listened? Listened when her mom had tried to make her see that there was more to life than being a spoiled little rich brat.
She’d covered a fair bit of ground and still, he just stood and watched—and laughed. He knew she wasn’t going to be able to get far, not after he’d taken the knife and sliced the Achilles on each of her ankles.
“Now you’re hurting my feelings.”
She heard the crunch of leaves as he came after her and desperately tried to move faster, sobbing as she scratched at the dirt with her fingers. “Please, please don’t hurt me! My parents are rich, they’ll pay you. Just please don’t hurt me!” she begged, hardly recognizing the voice that came out of her mouth, it was so distorted with terror.
She felt him grab her by the hips and flip her over onto her back, standing over her with a foot on each side of her waist. She sobbed as his hand reached for his belt buckle and he leered down at her as he undid his pants. Maybe he’ll just rape me and it’ll be over.
She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as he lifted her dress and prayed harder than she’d prayed in years as he did what he wanted to do to her, biting her lip to stop herself crying out in pain. Time seemed to stand still, dragging out her torment, and it felt like he was on top of her for hours, although she was sure it was just a matter of minutes.
“Roll over and get to your knees,” he instructed when he was done and she thanked God. He was going to let her go. Using what little strength she had left, she leveraged herself back over onto her stomach and pushed herself onto her elbows. Before she had the chance to try and get to her knees, she felt him grab a handful of her hair and yank her head back, exposing her throat.
She knew it then. He wouldn’t be letting her go. There would be no joyful reunion with her family, no second chance to become a
better person. With tears streaming down her face, she silently said goodbye to her family and told them that she loved them just as the blade sliced across her throat. Darkness came in a matter of seconds and she was dead before he let her drop to the ground.
Two
Sam had no idea how long his phone had been ringing before it finally penetrated through to his sleep-deprived brain. With considerable effort, he reached for it and brought it to his ear without opening his eyes.
“ ‘lo?” he answered, his voice thick with sleep. As he listened, he woke up fully and sat up, swinging his legs to the floor.
“Where?” He flicked on the bedside lamp, illuminating the room as the voice on the other end of the phone answered his question.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Sam disconnected the call without another word and checked the clock on the bedside table. No wonder he felt as if he’d only just gone to bed. It was four in the morning and he’d only finally managed to get to bed the night before at just past midnight. Moving quietly so he didn’t wake the rest of the house, he went into the bathroom and freshened up before getting dressed, grabbing the first pair of clean jeans and t-shirt that he could lay his hands on. Leaving his bedroom, he walked down the corridor to where his daughters slept. Quietly pushing open the door, he smiled as he looked at them both sleeping soundly. Ava, the quieter of the two, was curled up on her side with her thumb in her mouth, her blonde, curly hair fanned out on the pillow under her head. Her twin, Andrea, had kicked off her covers and was asleep with her head down at the wrong end. Andrea was the more chaotic of the two and it always made him laugh to think that she was even like it in her sleep.
Careful not to wake them, he crept into the room, picked up Andrea’s covers and gently placed them back over her before, with a last look, he left the room and closed the door.
Before leaving the house, he stopped by the kitchen and quickly penned a note to Maria, their live-in help, letting her know he’d been called out. Not a day went by that Sam didn’t say a little prayer of thanks that they’d found her. She had become part of the family in the five years she’d been with them and he honestly didn’t know how they’d cope if she ever left. He chuckled to himself at the ridiculousness of the thought. She loved those girls as much as he did and he knew she’d never leave them.
He’d met her purely by accident at the local supermarket, not long after his wife had walked out on them without a backward glance. He’d been struggling with his groceries and two screaming six-month-old babies when she’d stepped in and offered to help. Immediately able to calm them, she’d stayed with him until he finished his shopping and had loaded the car. He’d called later that day after the twins had gone to bed to thank her and they’d got to talking. She’d told him that she was a widow and mom to two grown-up kids that had moved away and, until recently, had worked as a secretary in a law firm. That firm had moved to a different city and she’d been left without a job. He hadn’t even had to think about it and had immediately asked her if she’d like to come to work for him and that was that. She’d been with them ever since.
Leaving the house, he got into his car and his thoughts turned to the phone call that had woken him, his jaw clenching. Usually, the detectives in the department worked on a rotation system and whoever was next in turn got the next call. This was different, though. Every department across the city knew to call him if they came across a scene like the one he was on his way to.
There had been four victims so far. All young, white rich girls. And all had had their Achilles tendons on both ankles sliced before they were raped and their throats slit from ear to ear. He’d gotten the first case through chance, it had been his turn, but now he didn’t care what he was doing. If another body appeared he wanted to know about it.
The first hint of the approaching dawn was apparent in the lightening of the sky as he pulled into the car park, the other cruisers and unmarked cars leaving him in no doubt he was in the right place.
Despite the mild autumn, the nights were chilly and he grabbed his leather jacket from the passenger seat, pulling it on as he closed the car door, looking around until he spotted who he was looking for.
“Steve,” he called out, walking over to where a group of people stood at the edge of the lot where it bordered a copse of trees. “What have we got?”
A man detached himself from the group and walked towards him, meeting him halfway. At first glance, anyone would be forgiven for mistaking him for a tramp. His clothes looked like they hadn’t seen a washing machine for some time, if ever, and the long trench coat he wore over them was spattered with questionable-looking stains. He wore his greasy hair long and tied back in a loose pony tail. On closer inspection, though, his nails were clean and trimmed, his teeth were white and straight and there was an alertness in his eyes that was completely at odds with the rest of him.
“Sam,” Steve stuck out his hand as he got close. “How’s it going, man?”
Sam took the hand and gripped it firmly, grinning. “Please tell me you’re still undercover and that you haven’t just given up on personal hygiene.”
“I decided since I wasn’t having much luck with the ladies as the old me, I’d try a new look. What do you think?” Steve grinned back.
“I think you need to consider internet dating, my friend. “Anyway,” he became serious once more, “talk to me.”
“The body was found by an early morning dog walker.” Steve turned and started walking towards the copse of trees and Sam fell into step beside him. “Seems she’d barely opened the car door and the dog ran off and wouldn’t come back. She got the shock of her life when she went to find him.”
Sam glanced over to where a young woman was sitting in the back of a patrol car with the door open. An officer, obviously trying to comfort her, was crouched down in front of her.
“She okay?”
“Yeah. She’s very shaken, but she’ll be fine.”
“Are we sure it’s the same guy?”
“See for yourself,” Steve replied as they drew to a stop.
The area in front of them was lit by overhead lamps put in place by the CSI techs. A cordon had been placed around the body and the immediate surrounding area, and the only people inside the cordon were dressed in full-body, white protective suits. They were busy collecting evidence and seemed oblivious to the woman lying in their midst. The bright lights on her pale, white skin gave her an almost ethereal quality, but that illusion was quickly shattered by the signs of the violence inflicted on her. She was laid on her stomach, with her legs stretched out straight behind her. It wouldn’t be confirmed until he got the report from the medical examiner but, from the dark blood which covered her lower calves and feet, he was sure that he would confirm that her Achilles had been cut on both feet. She was wearing a bright yellow dress and it had been pushed up around her waist, indicating some kind of sexual assault had taken place. Though he couldn’t see her front, he was sure when they turned her over her dress would be soaked with blood from having her throat cut.
“Dammit. That’s five now in as many months.” Sam let out a sharp breath, his frustration obvious. “Mind if I take the lead on this one?” It was a formality, really, but he had to ask.
“It’s yours. I only got it as I was nearby when the call came in and volunteered to hold the fort until reinforcements got here.” He shrugged. “I’m probably gonna get my ass reamed for it, anyway. I am supposed to be undercover, after all.”
“Well, you’d better get yourself out of here, then.” He shook his hand once more. “Be safe out there, man. The girls would be devastated if anything happened to their ‘Uncle’ Steve.”
He watched as Steve shuffled off before turning his attention back to the scene in front of him.
“We got any I.D.?” he called out to one of the Tyvek suit clad techs.
The tech walked over and handed him a plastic evidence pouch containing a driver’s license. “Have we confirmed this is the girl?” he as
ked, looking at the picture showing a very pretty, blonde teenager smiling for the camera.
Without a word, the tech walked over to the body and gently lifted her so that her face was visible. Despite her injuries, there was no doubt it was the same girl. “You got anything so far? Don’t suppose the perp left his I.D. behind, too, did he?”
“No, nothing. Same as all the other scenes, clean as a whistle.”
That came as no surprise. He’d never left anything behind so far, so it was wishful thinking that he would this time, either. “Keep looking. This guy’s got to make a mistake some time.”
“We will.”
Sam nodded his thanks, and without another word turned and walked back to the parking lot. The officer who had been comforting the witness saw him coming and walked over.
“She’s a bit calmer now. Do you want me to take her back to the station and take her statement there?”
“Yes, please. I take it she didn’t see anything?”
“No. From what she’s said, the parking lot was empty when she got here and she didn’t see anyone around, so it looks like he was long gone by then.”
“Okay. Well, if she remembers anything else, let me know.” Sam looked around. “Where’s your sergeant?”
“Over there.” The officer pointed to where a man stood, talking to the canine unit officer with his back to him.
“Thanks.” Sam crossed the lot. “Hey, Joe.” He spoke as he approached.
“Hey, Sam. Saw you arrive. You got this one, too?” Joe had been a fixture of the department for as long as Sam could remember and had been his training officer when he’d first gone on patrol as a rookie. He hadn’t changed much, apart from the fact that the bushy mustache was now streaked with gray although his hair still looked suspiciously black.
The McKays Box Set - To Kill For, Blood Sport, Hard Time & Gang Land Page 40
