“Fine—okay! The night in question, I identified myself at Rhondo’s door with intentions of smashing through right away. I know he’s slippery so I wanted the element of surprise. Except, he turned the tables on me. He opened the door holding his gun just as the kid came out of his place. Had no choice but to push the kid out of the way and force Rhondo back inside so the kid could make himself scarce. For a second I got a glimpse of an older girl, must have been Wayne's sister Darlene, and she looked like Rhondo’s type. Got me thinking.
“You figured with his rep, he’d have given her a bad time.”
“Oh yeah! I just hope the rat never got to her. Since he only arrived back in town, maybe he didn’t get the chance but it wouldn’t hurt for you to question her. You know woman to woman.”
“Woman to woman? You’re serious?”
“You fit the description.” His blue shockers skimmed her body, and she felt as if caressing fingers had made the trip. It was all she could do to tamp down the desire that shocked the shit out of her or let him see her breathing quicken. What the hell?
Before they could move, the door on the left opened and an older man stepped out. Aurora recognized him immediately and was glad for the rescue.
“Good morning officer. Looking to scare the piss out of someone else in the building?” The twinkle in his eyes conveyed his words were a joke and Aurora gladly accepted the teasing.
“No sir. Just wanted to make sure your heart hadn’t given out.” She quipped back. She noticed Kai’s puzzlement but wouldn’t embarrass the older man with an explanation. Seems the senior could read expressions also. He turned to Kai and explained.
“This officer kicked the door of my apartment in the other night, frantic to find her partner who she suspected could be in danger. Never saw a woman so determined. Not that I mind. Have to admit telling this tale has gotten me a lot attention at the senior’s center.” He nodded his head as if he wanted affirmation for his words.
“I see they fixed your door. Have to apologize again for the damage.” Aurora still felt repentant.
“Needed replacing anyway. Didn’t have a peephole and the wife has been nagging me to get one installed for quite some time. So as they say—no harm, no foul.”
With a smile to show her understanding, she added. “Have a good day!” Aurora watched the old fellow shuffle to the elevator and push on the button.
She wouldn’t look at Kai. Old guy had a big mouth. “I’ll check out and see if Wayne’s sister is home, then I’ll meet you in Rhondo’s place. Not waiting for a reply, she walked over and knocked at the door of apartment 207.
Chapter Seven
Wayne’s sister Darlene wouldn’t say anything at first. She checked Aurora’s badge and let her in then hovered inside the wall she’d built around her emotions.
Eventually, with Aurora soft persuasion, she opened up enough to admit to having been continually harassed by Rhondo, but thankfully, he’d never caught her alone. Terror had been her constant companion since he’d moved into the next-door apartment. Visibly, she was relieved to see him gone. Relieved but still fearful.
“He’s gone now, Darlene.” Aurora watched the disbelief flare. “You don’t think so? Why”
“He promised he’d… do things to me. He meant it. Until he’s arrested or dead, I won’t be able to sleep. Wayne and I are planning to move but we just can’t afford it until the end of the month. ”
“Look, here’s my card.” Aurora pulled one from a small leather holder she had on the side of her purse. “If he shows up at any time, you get in touch with me straightaway. Or call 911 and tell them to contact Officer Morelli. Okay?”
“Nodding, the younger girl palmed the card and with a well-used head motion, she flipped her hair back over her shoulder. Then for the first time she looked Aurora in the eyes.
Fear mixed with hope shone out from the dark brown irises and had Aurora reaching over to take her hand. Darlene’s youthfulness tore at her heart. The thought of that animal touching a hair on this girl’s sweet head had her bristling like a mama grizzly. Not if she could help it!”
She decided to alert Cory to set up surveillance on the place and have cops do a drive-by a couple times a night, just to be on the safe side. Sometimes a hunch like this paid off. If he came back to settle unfinished business, they’d be on him like velcro.
***
Aurora stepped into the apartment across the hall in time to see Kai smash his open palm against the wall. He stood with his back turned to her, his head down and his shoulders slumped.
She hesitated to disturb the moment, but he must have sensed he wasn’t alone. He straightened and his hands automatically rested on his hips—a habit she’d seen him do repeatedly. Then he turned.
Shock kept her quiet. The man was torn apart. She saw it in his eyes and the way his lips were clamped tightly closed.
Are you reliving the other night?” Many of her pals on the force had told her how hard they found it to return to a place where violence had occurred. She’d never experienced this particular phenomenon personally, but men much stronger than her had stories to tell.
“Shit! I’m trying to remember. It’s fading and pissing me off.”
“Wanna try and re-enact what happened. It might spark something.”
Interest lit up his eyes and the gray ice melted back to his usual dreamy blue. His deadpan expression lightened and a grin appeared. A cheeky grin she itched to slap off his face.
“I grabbed him and held him before he shot me. Still up for it?”
“Depends on where you grabbed him, you shmuck. And wipe that stupid grin off your face. I’m trying to help.”
He scanned the room and then answered her in a creamy-soft voice. “Sorry. I’m a tease. My sister used…” He blanched and swivelled but not in time. She’d seen the pain he couldn’t hide. And she’d never envisioned such sorrow in a person still able to function. His face had gone from playful to shocked, as if a sharp object had driven its way into his heart.
In a soft tone that very few ever heard her use, she said. “We’re partners, right? If you need to talk, I’m here. Just so you know.” Her hand resting on his tensed shoulder surprised her. She’d placed it there unconsciously—instinctively.
“Rhondo killed her…my sister. He raped her and she couldn’t live with the pain. She hung herself. Only twenty-three years old. A lifetime ahead of her. Her boyfriend, the fucker, couldn’t deal with it and left her. Her note said she had nothing left to make life worth living.”
“The dirty bastard! Hell, they should both be shot.”
“Oh yeah! One will have trouble eating for a while, and Rhondo, he’ll get his as soon as I catch—”
“I didn’t mean that literally. We don’t kill criminals in Nevada. Due process means that we give them a trial and put them in jail.” Warnings rang clearly because she’d meant for him to hear them.
“Okay!” He said the word, but his face was still turned away and the tone didn’t reassure. She knew deep in her gut that as much as she wanted Rhondo, her partner wanted him far worse.
“You still up for re-enacting what happened?” He deadpanned her, his eyes guileless.
“Fine. I’ll go in the hallway. Tell me what to do after that.”
“I had my gun out, but down by my side in case he looked through the peeper. I called out his name and said LVPD. Before I could kick the door in, he’d opened it. At the same time Wayne opened his—nosy kid. Then it all happened fast. I pushed the kid back into his place and by then Rhondo was on me. We struggled a bit, and then backed into his place. I’d grabbed the outside pocket of his backpack. I think that’s when he shot me. All I know is, I wanted to keep him from running and I wouldn’t let go of the bag.”
“I must have entered about that time, because I’d heard the shot but I wasn’t far away.”
“Yeah! Now I remember, when we struggled, we pushed against the door and it closed. Then I shoved him nearer the desk.”
; “Okay you go out and let’s get started.”
Aurora put her purse on the desk and left the apartment. She closed the door behind her and waited a few seconds. Then she called out “Police” and pretended to push the imaginary kid away and sure enough Kai came at her. His make believe gun was up and his directions were clear.”
“Push me backwards, your right hand forcing my gun upwards and your other arm wrapped around my body.”
As soon as her arms went around him, he gathered her close for a hug and whispered through her hair. “He smelled like cigarettes and garlic. Not sweet and sexy all at the same time.”
“She shoved him away, and at the last minute pulled the punch aimed at his chest. “Shut up!”
His lips turned upward teasingly. But her anger stopped the hovering smile and it faded. Shots of tequila invading her bloodstream gave her an identical sensation of weakened knees. Stunned at the streak of sensuality that flared inside, she had no idea what to do next.
His gaze trapped hers and searched until she gained the strength to tear away.
“Sorry, just playing. Okay, where were we?” His voice, surprisingly husky, now spoke in a businesslike manner.
Without asking, he manoeuvred them back into the stance they’d been in before his joshing and gave more directions.
“I tried to stop him from using the gun, but he had me pinned like this.
They wrestled like in a dance routine, Kai being the leader. All of a sudden, he twisted his hand downwards and pretended to shoot. “This is when he got off the shot. I shoved him towards the desk with my hand twisted in the bag pocket.
Aurora followed directions and soon ended up against the wall where Kai had gently placed her rather then the way she was sure Rhondo had manhandled him during the original battle. She pretended to hold onto his bag by clinging to his shirt instead.”
“He’d lifted his gun to shoot me again.”
Kai’s imaginary weapon came quite close to her face, which made Aurora wonder at the fear he must have felt when he saw death staring him in the eye.
“You broke in and he turned away. I grabbed at him.”
She reached up at the back of his shirt one more time.
He gave one pull and told her to let it go, which she did. Then he ended up against he desk pretending to stagger.
“I saw the first few papers fall out here. But he didn’t stop. He headed out onto the balcony and….”
“And what?”
“That’s what’s driving me crazy. Something happened and I don’t remember.”
“Why don’t you play yourself and come here and I’ll be Rhondo getting away.” She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “Is this the way he carried it?”
Kai slid down against the wall and nodded. “Yeah, over his left shoulder like that.”
She staggered, then dashed to the balcony as if she would hurl herself over the railing.
“Stop! I know what it is.” In one smooth, fluid-like move Kai stood and rushed over. “Before Rhondo put his legs over the balcony rail to jump, a book fell out. Slim, like a black journal.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. It has to be here somewhere.”
“The officers were all over this place, Kai. They wouldn’t have missed something that big. Are you certain it fell onto the floor here? Could it have come out as he went over the rail?”
Kai’s face cleared like sunshine breaking through a dark cloud. He reached over, grabbed her face on both sides and kissed her cheek. Then he leaned over the balcony as far as he could without risking a header.
“You’re right. It came out when he was leaping over. It must be below somewhere.”
He headed toward the door while she stood glued to the spot, her hand on her cheek. Hearing his call, she leaned over to spy from above. There! On the neighbour’s balcony directly below, stuck between a big pot of red geraniums and the black iron railing she could see the edge of something that looked like a book.
Chapter Eight
Under his control, the vehicle moved toward the medical clinic without once breaking the speed limit. He drove with confidence, skilfully, as if the powerful engine needed to be coaxed and not forced. She relaxed and gave him directions. Then she scanned the journal they’d just found.
“You’re right. It’s like a diary. For the love of Pete, this idiot has detailed all his conquests. Each girl has her own page. Is he crazy?”
“He must be. Evidence like that could put him away for life.”
Aurora remembered the statement his old cellmate had made when she’d questioned him after the incident with Debbie. He’d told her that when Rhondo got released after serving his eighteen months, he vowed to die before he’d ever go back.
“According to the dude he served with, we'd have to kill him cause he's sworn never to return to prison. We’ll just have to prove him wrong.”
“Or…prove him right!”
“Now don’t you start that crap again—”
“Sorry! How many girls do you think are in there?” He pointed at the book she'd been waving around to change the subject, a manoeuvre she often used herself. But this time, she let it pass.
“Jesus, he even has the different cities broken down with dividers. It’s like a personal trophy manual. What a sicko! I’m counting at least a dozen in Vegas and as many in LA, a few in Reno and more in-between. It’ll take us forever to question them all.”
“We’ll have to pass on the names to the other detachments, let them follow up. What kind of information does he have listed?”
“Son of a bitch wrote detailed descriptions of how he performed, what he did to each of them, and how it felt for him personally. God, it’s all I can do to read his words. He’s worse than an animal—they only hurt others in order to survive.”
“Any method as to how he chose his victims?”
“Yeah, says here that if it’s a Monday he likes blondes. Tuesday, red heads and so on. On the weekends he likes then young or male.”
One page came up that made all the others pale. His conquest had fought back at first and had almost gotten away. But he’d won in the end when she’d begged. The slimeball had liked that—until he'd gotten interrupted.
Sickened, she flipped again and saw another name that stood out like a flashing neon light…Lawson. This girl had also fought back, and so he’d made her pay.
Aurora slammed the book closed. A shiver crawled out from deep inside and seized her body with its power. Sickness followed and she had to gulp in breaths to fight it back.
Kai quickly pulled over to the curb. ‘Are you all right? You’ve just gone from pink-cheeked to white-faced. Maybe you need to get outside for some air?”
“Right! It’s in the nineties out there. Buddy, there is no air.” Yelling helped dispel some of the emotional impact from the book, her personal technique for getting over shocks. It worked for her every time.
“Maybe you’d better let me see for myself.”
Aurora turned to him and using a much softer voice, she said. “Your sister is listed. You sure you’re up to it? If you want, I can leave for a while and get some coffee for us. There’s a café on the corner. I think you need to be alone to read the details.”
“She called me right after it happened. Told me what he did to her, so I know the details.” He reached for the journal and tugged it from her tight grip. “Thanks, coffee sounds good.”
She gave him fifteen minutes and returned to slide into the car and fit the two coffees into the drink holders. He never moved. Sat with his head back against the rest, his eyes closed and his cheeks still damp.
She didn’t even know the sob would break through, but it did. “I’m so…so sorry, Kai.” Her hand met his as it reached towards her. They gripped each other until she thought the pain would make her cry out, and then he relaxed. A huge breath filled his lungs, and when he released it, she heard the wavering sound. Her control broke and she turned away, biting her lip, her rig
ht hand reaching to wipe away the evidence.
Seconds after the book landed in her lap, his fist slammed against the steering wheel. He growled at her—there was no other way to describe his speech. “What’s that address for the clinic again? I want to talk to every son-of-a-bitchin doctor in the place until we find the one he called. Aurora, you gotta know this. I’ll get this fucker if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
The menacing tone evoked another series of shivers, only this time, she didn’t feel the need for any cautionary talk.
Chapter Nine
Kai couldn’t sleep. He sat out on his balcony wearing only a pair khaki shorts and a bad attitude. A cooler of beer and three empty cans decorated the ground next to him.
Furnished apartments were a dime a dozen in this bad economy, and so the first day he’d arrived, he found exactly what he wanted. Other than the alcohol, junk food, a coffee maker and his clothes, nothing else belonged to him. And if a person got picky, he guessed the empty pizza boxes, fast food wrappers and Chinese holders strewn all over the kitchen would be considered legally his also.
Exhausted from endless nights of roaming the streets hoping for a sighting, shut-eye had eluded him and still did. Even when the gravel in his eyes and his fuzzy-brain warned that he was reaching his breaking point, he couldn’t clear remembered images of horror and pain long enough to relax.
The sounds of the city could be heard from the distance, and they soothed him almost as much as the palm trees silhouetted against the blackening night sky. He saw the odd star when he looked in the opposite direction of the strip. The full moon caught his attention and seemed so close. Images formed on the surface and his mind slipped back to when he and Tamryn, his baby sister, would make up stories as to what those formations meant.
He’d always thought hers were so lyrical. Once she’d determined they were a reflection of good and evil energy radiating from earth. The few darker spots would represent the evil. Then of course the lighter swirls would be the good. And the lighter yet, they would signified the virtuous.
Roll the Dice (Vegas Series) Page 4
