by Nadirah Foxx
Matt closed his eyes, shutting me out. “April was so damned stubborn. Always insisting on doing things her way. She wouldn’t listen when I told her moving into your apartment building was a bad idea.”
My building?
Shit! Was this April some psycho skank who might cut me for messing with her man? I kept quiet and prayed.
“Two years later, and her murder is a cold case. No answers. No clues.”
Fuck! I was sorry I called her a psycho…and a skank.
I should have kept my mouth shut, but no, my brain wanted answers too. “I’m sorry about your friend, but what does her death have to do with Leo?”
“April’s murder fits the pattern of a serial killer. He started in California. We’ve never been able to identify the man.”
“No witnesses, huh?”
“On the contrary.” Matt swallowed hard. “Each witness saw a different man—different hair color and eye color—every time.”
Well, that made no sense. “What about body type? Surely, his basic structure would be the same.”
“You would think that.” Matt put the car in gear and made a right turn onto Woodward. “Somehow, the perp changed his overall appearance too. Sometimes, he was taller and broader. He’s worn everything from a business suit to tattered rags. We just can’t find his ass.” Matt scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s why I was pissed off. For all we know, Leo could be the killer.”
“Yeah, right. Maybe you need a vacation?” Or a session or two on a shrink’s couch, I thought.
Matt chuckled. “I just got back from vacation. I’m good though. You, on the other hand, need to be careful. Never let your guard down, not for a moment.”
“Should I follow that advice where you’re concerned?”
He glanced over with an odd grin on his face. “Only until you get to know me.”
∞∞∞
In a matter of minutes, we were at my apartment. Silently, I said a quick thank you to the Man Upstairs, grateful that I made it home alive. Before I could exit Matt’s car, however, he rested his palm on my thigh. When I glanced at it, he removed his hand like it was on fire.
“Sorry, again.” He shifted in his seat and faced me. “Give me another chance to make it up to you, Rachel. Let’s go out tomorrow night. I’ll take you to dinner downtown.”
Pursing my lips, I hesitated. Did I really want to get involved with a cop? Correction. Did I really want to get involved with a man who had deep issues? The immediate answer should have been a resounding no, but I was a sucker for a handsome man.
“Just dinner, Rachel. I promise to be on my best behavior.”
My gut twisted and tied itself in a knot. A serious sign that I ignored. Since when did my stomach make my choices? Usually, it was a much lower part of my anatomy that decided.
Matt removed his phone from the center console, tapped on the screen, and then passed it to me. “Give me your phone number.”
The little voice of reason spoke up—get his number instead. I overruled that advice too. After all, Matt was a cop. What did I have to fear?
∞∞∞
My phone was still in my hand when I entered my apartment. Locking the door, I quickly found Crystal’s contact info and called her house—yes, she still had a land line.
“Hello?” She sounded sleepy.
“It’s me, Rachel. Am I disturbing anything?”
“Naw, girl. Scott got called into the station, and I fell asleep. How did your date go with Matt?”
Kicking my shoes off, I made a beeline for the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay. “Why did you set me up? You know how much I hate blind dates.”
“It wasn’t a blind date. Scott vouched for Matt. Besides, I’ve known Matt for a while. He’s a good guy.”
“A good nut, you mean.”
Crystal sighed. “What happened?”
I poured a glass and took it into the living room. “The guy is too possessive. And then there’s the whole April thing?”
“He told you about April?”
“A little. I take it they were very close?”
“Too close if you ask me. They were brother and sister.”
I sat down on the sofa. “No relation by blood though, right?”
“Still. They lived in the same house. They were family.”
Crystal was splitting hairs. Matt and April didn’t share blood. They could have had whatever type of relationship they wanted. “Look, I have no issue with Matt’s past, but it’s obvious that he has problems with it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s obsessed with finding her killer.” I sipped from the glass and put my feet up on the cushions.
“Oh, that.” Crystal went quiet for a long minute. “Are you going to see him again?”
She would ask that question. “I agreed to give him another chance.”
Crystal squeaked and clapped. “Good for you. Matt really is a great guy. Keep an open mind, and you’ll see it for yourself.”
I’m sorry, but that sounded like a realtor telling someone the house had great bones—and to keep that in mind as they looked at the crumbling porch and missing floorboards. Frankly, I have no time to spend with a fixer-upper—especially a human project.
3
Hiding In Plain Sight
The Bad Guy
I didn’t expect meeting such a beautiful woman that night. Over the years, I’d met plenty of women who only appeared beautiful. As soon as they opened their mouths, the ugliness spilled out. Or the stupidity.
Meeting Rachel was a breath of fresh air. She was confident and brave, along with a sense of fairness. Just perfect. Honestly, I’d given up on the possibility of meeting the one for me.
And that was exactly what she was—my soul mate. The kind of woman I deserved in my life.
My needs were simple, and I saw Rachel fulfilling them nicely. We would be a perfect match. The only imperfection was the intruder.
He wasn’t part of my agenda—and I had one. Sadly, some men didn’t learn easily. If he didn’t, I’d gladly teach him the lesson. You can’t simply approach someone else’s girlfriend.
Well…soon-to-be girlfriend.
A woman like Rachel was worth the wait. And I would wait for as long as possible to make her mind. Things would go differently.
If not, she’d learn and so would the interloper.
No one would take away the love of my life again.
4
Second Chance
Rachel
I spent Saturday agonizing over my upcoming date with Matt. The rising sun made me second-guess my hasty decision. My apprehension had nothing to do with a lack of attractiveness on his part. That tiny fact complicated matters.
Unfortunately, my quandary was with the internal part of the man.
Honestly, my biggest fear was Matt’s smothering protectiveness. I understand that he was a cop, and it was his job to look out for others. But even though I assured him repeatedly that I was safe and could take care of myself, it didn’t seem to be enough for Matt. He kept arguing about how I lived in a bad area and I needed to leave. His reasoning was ludicrous. Since when did Royal Oak become a hotbed of crime? Worrying about non-existent offenses was stupid.
Although I verbally fought Matt’s opinion, he’d implanted a nugget of curiosity. That niggling kernel worried me enough that I ended up at the Royal Oak Public Library—a place I rarely went. I simply wasn’t a fan of the repository. It was a spot for the mommy-and-me crowd and seniors with nothing else to do. Unfortunately, I needed a reliable internet signal. My ancient apartment—a real reason for moving out—suffered from more glitches than a vintage eight-track cassette.
Settling myself into the workstation, I pulled out a legal pad and a pen ready to take notes. It took a few minutes for me to scour The Detroit Free Press site before I found the story:
LOCAL WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN ROYAL OAK APARTMENT
A quick perusal gave me the important details. A
pril Patterson had been a resident in my apartment building, shortly before I moved into my unit. The coroner reported that she died from blunt-force trauma. Someone had killed another woman in the same building a week prior. They found her body submerged in a tub of water. A syringe with an unidentified drug was on the scene. They ruled her death an overdose. Both women were just two victims during a string of unsolved deaths in the area.
Was April’s death related to those, or was she an unfortunate victim of a crime gone worse? It seemed like Matt had reason to worry about my safety.
Reading further, I learned that the detectives suspected the killer had used drugs on his victims. Matt mentioned a serial killer too. But what were the circumstances surrounding the crimes?
My fingers flew across the keyboard as I entered the keyword phrase—serial killers who used drugs as their modus operandi. A few names came up on the results page. The most recent was for a person dubbed the K-Hole Killer because of his use of the drug ketamine for all of his murders. My knowledge of the medicine was limited to its use as a date-rape drug.
Maybe I was on to something…
Next, I looked up K-Hole Killer. There were pages and pages of information on the bastard, but nothing specific about his appearance. Some witnesses claimed he had blond hair while others said it was either red or black—not helpful. Some people reported he was a stocky man who walked with a limp while others said he was a lanky man who was seen jogging in his victim’s neighborhoods.
My takeaway?
Suspect all strangers, but I refused to live my life that way. Constant fear worked in horror movies and fiction. In reality, it reduced a person to a quivering mess afraid to even go to the grocery store. Since I had no intention of becoming a recluse, I shut down the website.
∞∞∞
After an hour of staring at a computer screen, I packed up my notes. It was time to take my mind off the doom and gloom. I jumped into my Jeep Cherokee and headed to Oakland Mall for a little TLC—a manicure, brows threaded, and a little shopping—in preparation for my date. I wouldn’t let my doubts keep me from having a good time.
Two hours later, I was ready with a brand new black dress and stilettos. I even splurged and had my hair styled and makeup done. No matter how shitty Matt’s behavior might be that night, I was bringing my A-game.
∞∞∞
At six o’clock there was a knock on my door. Odd. Matt said he’d pick me up in an hour. Perhaps he was just as nervous as I was and came early. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door.
“Leo.”
“Rachel.” He smiled and then gave me the once-over. “Going out?”
“Y-yes.” I shook my head. “Forgive my manners. Come on in.”
He crossed the threshold. “I won’t stay long.”
Leaning against the open door with my hand on the knob, I asked, “How did you know I lived here?”
“I live in the next building. When I was closing my blinds, I saw you get out of your car.”
Trepidation replaced the cheerfulness. That didn’t explain how he showed up at my doorstep. My heart slammed against my chest as I thought about Matt’s warning and remembered my research on the K-Hole Killer. Swallowing hard, I found my voice again. “S-so you followed me?”
“Don’t freak out. I would have said something, but I didn’t want to startle you.”
Breathe, girl.
I was so caught up in my thoughts when I came home that if Leo had called out, he might have given me a heart attack. I took a calming breath and laughed nervously. “You’re probably right. I have this dinner tonight—”
“And that’s why I’m here.” Disappointment settled into Leo’s tone. “I wanted to ask you out, but you seem to have plans.”
I felt bad. Honestly, I hadn’t given the man a fair chance. I wasn’t in a committed relationship, so why couldn’t I go out with Leo?
I forced a smile. “Tell you what. Let’s make plans for next week.”
A grin of pure surprise spread over Leo’s face. “I’m available tomorrow night.”
Normally, I had Sunday dinner with Dad, but I guessed missing it one time wouldn’t hurt. We could do breakfast after mass instead. “Sure. I’d love that.”
Before Leo could respond, I noticed a shadow approaching. Unfortunately, his voice made its presence known before he came into view.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Matt barked.
Leo ignored him and said to me, “Forgive the intrusion again. Until tomorrow…”
As he turned to leave, Matt shoved him against the wall. “I asked you a goddamned question.”
A flash of temper lit Leo’s eyes. His jaw tightened along with his fist. It shocked me when he didn’t retaliate. Seconds passed, and the building anger dissipated. In a remarkably calm voice, Leo said, “Last time I checked, this is a free country. I can come and go as I please.”
Matt leaned in close, his head moving up and down over Leo. “The rules are different when you’re harassing women.”
I’d heard enough. “Leo wasn’t harassing me. Leave him alone, Matt.”
Leo gave me a curt nod and edged past my rude date. As soon as Leo left, I moved farther into my apartment. Matt followed me, slamming the door behind him.
“Are you okay?”
It took every ounce of patience I possessed not to go off on the man. Instead, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of red wine from the counter. Reaching for a glass, I said, “Matt, I think our going out is a mistake.”
“No, it’s not. I apologize, Rachel. It’s just that I’m concerned about your safety.” Matt leaned against the laminated surface. “Anyone who follows a woman can’t be trusted.”
“Wait, why do you think Leo followed me?”
Matt quirked an eyebrow. “How else would he know where you live?”
A valid assessment but not my point. “Leo lives in the next building.”
Matt folded his hands and looked up. “That may be true, but it doesn’t explain how he knew which apartment was yours.”
“He—”
“Let me guess. He was closing his curtains or blinds and saw you. Instead of adhering to common patterns of decency, he followed you. I bet he used the excuse that he would have spoken but didn’t want to scare you.”
Okay, that was just plain creepy. How the hell did Matt figure it out?
A vagrant smile touched his lips and then faded just as quickly as it appeared. “It’s textbook stalker behavior, Rachel. I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t know those things.”
Deep down, I was relieved. Matt stated what was obvious to him based on police training, nothing more. Still…
“I appreciate your looking out for me, but it’s unnecessary.”
Matt straightened up. “Fine. Why don’t we head to the restaurant? It’s downtown, and the traffic’s a little heavy.”
“Sounds like a better idea.”
Not really, but Crystal’s voice kept playing in my head. Sure, Matt had some tendencies that jarred me. But if I were being honest with myself, it was no different than the losers I normally dated. I once went out with a man who shoved me into a car because I said hi to someone else. It took me six months to extricate myself from that jerk.
As soon as Matt steered the car toward Thirteen Mile Road, he started talking. “Last night, I told you about April. I didn’t tell you that I was the one who found her body.”
Oh, shit. I recalled the details I read earlier. “That couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“That’s an understatement. I’ve uncovered plenty of corpses in my line of work, but it doesn’t hit hard until it’s someone you love.” His voice broke on that last word.
“Understood. After all, she was your foster sister.”
Matt glanced at me as he stopped at a red light. “She was more than that to me. We had finally admitted our feelings for each other.”
Oh, hell.
“We fell in love back in high school,
but we let our tenuous family status restrain us.” Matt pulled back into traffic. “I—”
My kind heart found sympathy for the man. He didn’t need accusations or hatred from me. Time didn’t erase heartache. It just made it manageable. Sometimes.
“Hey, I get it,” I started. “I lost my mom when I was in high school. The police said it was a random crime—a robbery gone wrong. Dad was on active duty while I was at a sporting event. When I got home, I found her on the floor in a pool of blood.”
The memory made me shudder.
It surprised me when Matt offered his condolences. He added, “I’ll make you a deal. If you can forgive my boorish behavior, I’ll try not to bring up April again tonight.”
It was something I could definitely get behind.
5
Surprises
Rachel
My curiosity was at an all-time high as Matt drove down I-75. It got worse when he pulled onto Atwater Street at the Renaissance Center. It had been a long time since I’d had a meal in the area. No matter how many questions I asked, Matt wouldn’t give up any hints. As soon as he pulled up to the Wintergarden Entrance, and the valet approached the car, I got excited. Were we really going to Andiamo’s Ristorante?
Matt came around to the passenger side and helped me out. Offering his arm, he asked, “Are you good with Italian?”
“I am.” I slipped my hand around his elbow. The breeze wafting off the Detroit River was bone-chilling.
“Let’s get you inside.”
∞∞∞
The hostess sat us near the window, giving us a spectacular view of the waterfront. Andiamo’s had always been one of my favorite restaurants, but there were only three people who knew that fact—my ex from high school, my father, and Crystal. I’d bet any amount of money that my best friend spilled the beans.
“Did Crystal tell you my favorite dish, too?” I said over the menu.
Matt, engrossed in his, jumped and then said, “Pardon?”
Maybe I was wrong. “I’m sorry. I assumed Crystal told you that this was my favorite—”
