The Dying Room: A Faces of Evil Novel

by Webb, Debra

  “I don’t think your mother would like the idea of Sylvia and me together. She’d probably rush over and warn the senator.”

  Dan shrugged. “I can start a conversation with her. See what I can find out.”

  “I’d appreciate it. This is new territory for me.” Damned scary territory.

  “Sylvia has always kept her personal life close to the vest. She’s a very private person, Buddy. With her family being such a prominent one, it’s the only way to maintain some degree of normalcy.”

  Buddy finished off his Corona. He set the bottle aside. “Thing is, I wasn’t looking to fall for a rich woman. I don’t need her money and I damned sure don’t need the grief that goes with the name.”

  Dan nodded his understanding. “When Jess and I first started our relationship, my mother was livid. She wanted the right girl for me. Someone like Sylvia, from the right family, etcetera. When it comes to falling in love, money and pedigree are irrelevant. A person can have a relationship with and even marry a person for all the right reasons, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be happy. There’s no rhyme or reason to true love. Jess and I were in love and no matter how hard we both worked to prove we didn’t need each other, nothing was ever going to change that fact.”

  Dan was right and Buddy was doomed. However he looked at it. No matter how he tried to pretend. He had it bad for the woman. She wasn’t his usual type, but for the first time he didn’t care. He knew for a fact that Dr. Sylvia Baron didn’t usually go for guys like him. Yet, if his instincts were on target, she had it pretty bad for him, too. There was no faking the way she came alive in his arms... the way she surrendered to him.

  What she was asking of him could very well tear her apart in ways he wasn’t sure she was prepared for. But it was what she wanted and he couldn’t refuse her.

  Even if it tore them both apart.

  Chapter 12

  Crescent Road, 10:19 p.m.

  Joe Pratt threw the damned remote at the television. It bounced off and shattered on the floor. One of these days the damned Coleman bitch would get what was coming to her. He’d hoped when the city learned she’d hidden her secret life as a lesbian she would be finished here. But the fools had forgiven her. Just as the fools had in Sodom and Gomorrah.

  “This city is going to hell.”

  His life had already gone to hell. In the past six months, he’d been forced to resign as mayor, his wife had left him, and his son wasn’t speaking to him. All because he had played the game.

  He stomped to the bar and poured himself another scotch. How was a man supposed to make it in this world if the devil kept throwing obstacles in his way? He’d never done one damned thing that wasn’t for the greater good. He’d followed in his father’s footsteps, ultimately rising far above those accomplishments. He had served this city and helped it to flourish as never before.

  Where had the sacrifices gotten him? Charged with unspeakable crimes and alone.

  “Bastards.” He downed a hefty serving of his favorite drink. His own wife had turned on him as if all the years he had devoted to her meant nothing. His attorney had warned him the bitch was determined to have this house. It was his family home, not hers. He shoved his hand into his pocket and removed his keys. She expected him to give her half of everything. Disgusted, he threw the keys against the wall. Just his luck the damned things slid behind the bookcase. Didn’t matter. He wasn’t allowed to leave the property. He made a disgusted sound.

  At any rate, he’d have to hunt up his spare set to lock the door before he went to bed. Or maybe he’d locked the door when he came inside. He couldn’t remember. He’d been far too angry. A man couldn’t even have a drink on his own front porch without some lowlife reporter sneaking through the shrubbery.

  “Screw it.” He didn’t give one damn anymore.

  His life was destroyed. One of these days, the blind fools would realize that men like Daniel Burnett were not the answer to their dreams. Burnett was too damned self-righteous, too damned good to do the necessary evils that life sometimes required. Few men were prepared to make the sacrifices Joe had made.

  And that wife of Burnett’s... Jess had showed up in Joe’s town and brought the devil himself with her. The damned serial killer who’d followed her here had been responsible for the murder of dozens of citizens, and still Jess was the darling of Birmingham. The way she and Burnett stayed in the news with their every move documented as if they were royalty made Joe sick.

  The favored couple would never make it. Just wait until real trouble hit the city. Those two would be worthless. The citizens would be clamoring for Joe then. But he’d be in prison... rotting away for doing nothing more than what was necessary to get the job done. This city prospered because of his sacrifices.

  How dare she come here to question him about the murder of an old friend! Harmon Rutledge had known what it took to serve this state and this city. Like Joe, the judge had sacrificed more than anyone would ever know. Men were no longer forged the way he and Harmon had been. Most of them turned into the kind of indecisive namby-pamby morons Baron and the others had become. The very idea Jess and her minion would show up at his home infuriated him. Furthermore, he was still fuming that Robert had come up with the ridiculous theory that Wilson Hilliard was somehow responsible for the judge’s death. The man was grasping at straws.

  “They can all go to hell.” He poured himself two more fingers of scotch before stumbling out onto the back patio and staring up at the moon. His ancestors had helped build this city with their own blood, sweat, and tears. “So much for loyalty.”

  “What would you know about loyalty?”

  Joe whirled around, almost lost his balance. He tried to see who had spoken. Whoever it was lingered in the shadows beyond the moonlight’s reach. “Who’s there?”

  “A ghost from your past, Mr. Mayor.”

  Joe tried to place the voice, the man sounded vaguely familiar. “If you have the nerve to come uninvited onto my property, at least have the guts to show yourself.”

  A tall thin man stepped out of the shadows. His movements were stilted. Not a young man, Joe decided. The long face nudged at Joe’s memory but he couldn’t place it.

  “You probably won’t remember me, Mayor Pratt.” He held up what appeared to be a cell phone and snapped a photograph.

  Joe blinked at the flash. Another damned reporter! Bastards. “What do you think you’re doing?” Joe reared back and puffed out his chest. “I suggest you delete that photograph and get off my property before I call the police.” Joe swayed in spite of his best efforts to hold himself steady. The idea that this reporter was wearing rubber gloves joined the other whirling thoughts in his head.

  The man was suddenly standing right next to him. “I don’t think you will, Mayor.”

  Joe tried to back away but the man’s iron grip on his arm held him close. “Unhand me!”

  “Come inside, Mayor. We wouldn’t want your neighbors to be disturbed. We have much to discuss.”

  Joe tried to fight him. He kicked at his leg and hit something hard like steel. His glass crashed onto the stones. He opened his mouth to shout but a cloth closed over his face. The pungent smell overwhelmed him. He tried not to breath but it was too late... the deadening fumes filled his lungs.

  The sound of his heels dragging on the stone patio followed him into nothingness.

  Chapter 13

  Parkridge Drive, Homewood, 11:00 p.m.

  Lori Wells scrubbed her face and added a layer of moisturizer. She studied her reflection. Wow. Anticipation rushed through her. She was going to be a mother. She hadn’t expected to be expecting in this decade. Jess was right when she said that not even a year ago Lori had been totally focused on her career.

  She lifted her hand and admired the gorgeous engagement ring Chet had given her last September. He’d made her the happiest woman in the world with his heartfelt proposal. Now, to be carrying his child was a dream come true. Her mother was so excited. Her sister couldn’t
wait to be an auntie.

  “You okay?”

  Chet moved up behind her and Lori’s breath caught. He smiled at her in the mirror and her heart picked up its pace. “I was just taking care of all those little extra details that keep me looking like the woman you want to marry,” she teased.

  His arms came around her waist and he nuzzled her neck. “You’re perfect just the way you are. No extra details necessary.”

  Lori turned in his arms and smiled up at him. “No one has ever made me feel as cherished as you do.” Chet Harper was the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. More importantly, he was a kind and generous man as well as a loving father to Chester. He was a good cop and she loved him with all her heart.

  “I plan on spending the rest of my life making you feel that way.” He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Hmm, you taste good.”

  She giggled. “You like my toothpaste, do you?”

  He pressed his forehead to hers and grinned. “I love everything about you.”

  “I guess you’ll still love me when I’m big and fat.”

  “You will never be big and fat to me, no matter what size you are.”

  Lori had to laugh. “You sure know how to say all the right words, Sergeant Harper.”

  He lifted her into his arms. “I have all the right moves, too, Detective.”

  Lori laughed as he carried her to their bed. They bounced down on it together and she sighed. “When we get old and one of us dies, you think the other will end up all alone like the judge?”

  Chet frowned. “What are you talking about? Chester will be there for us.” He rubbed her tummy. “And we’ll have this one. Our children won’t ever desert us that way. We’ll be such good parents they’ll want to be there for us.”

  She stroked his strong jaw. “I hope so. I can’t imagine ignoring my mother. I will always be here for her.”

  “I’ll be here for her, too.”

  Chet’s parents were deceased, but he treated her mother as if she were his own. Lori appreciated that more than words could properly articulate. “She loves you like a son.”

  Chet braced his forearms on either side of her head. “Good cause I adore her.”

  “Jess and I interviewed Tina Templeton. She denies any connection to the judge.”

  “I don’t know why you didn’t let Hayes and me take care of that interview.”

  Laughter burst out of Lori. “No way were we going to have you guys interviewing the premiere madam of Birmingham.”

  “Alleged premiere madam,” he reminded her.

  “Whatever.” Lori banged at his chest. “You know who she is.”

  Chet laughed. “Every male over the age of 14 knows who she is. Did you really expect her to admit dealings with a person who is now a homicide victim?”

  “Hey, why not? Unless she has something to hide, of course.” Lori couldn’t help being mesmerized by the beautiful woman. At fifty-seven, she’d been involved in or operating an escort service under the law’s radar for almost forty years. The most intriguing part was her ability not to get caught. The fact that her service catered to the rich and powerful and was very discreet probably helped. Her employees were well trained and all damned gorgeous.

  “She has plenty to hide I’m sure,” Chet countered, “but I doubt her sins include the judge’s murder.”

  Lori ran her fingers through his dark hair. “Whoever killed the judge did a hell of a job of not leaving behind any evidence.”

  “We’ll get him.” Chet rolled onto his side. “We always do.”

  Lori turned on her side to face him. “What’re we going to do when the baby comes?”

  “If you want to stay home for a while or until he or she graduates high school that’s fine by me. We can manage on one income.”

  They were lucky when it came to finances. “It’s a big decision, but right now I can’t imagine giving up my career. I love being a cop. I worked hard to get where I am.”

  “You did,” Chet agreed. “Is the chief still planning to come back to work?”

  “Definitely.” Lori traced a path down his chest. “Katherine keeps telling her that when she holds that baby in her arms, she may change her mind.”

  “Is that what you think will happen with you?”

  She looked deep into his dark eyes. “Yeah and it scares the hell out of me. I’m not sure how I feel about putting my career on hold even for a couple of years.”

  “Whatever you decide works for me. We’ll be good parents whether we’re both working or not. Your mom would love nothing more than to retire and take care of her grandchild.”

  “She sure has made that loud and clear.” Lori had to smile. Her mother would be an amazing grandmother. “Like you said, we have plenty of time to decide.”

  “We do.”

  “I made another decision just now.” Lori slid her finger into the waistband of his boxers. “These have to go.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He kissed her long and deep and Lori melted into the sensations of making love with Chet. Whatever decision they made about the future, it would be the right one.

  Then she stopped thinking at all...

  Chapter 14

  Crescent Road, Wednesday, April 1, 10:15 a.m.

  Holding her breath, Jess leaned down to get a closer look at the victim’s face. “There’s some bruising around his mouth.” Other than that small amount of discoloration and the fact that former Mayor Joseph Pratt was tied to a chair in his study, he might have simply been asleep.

  The chair had been turned to face the wall on the side of the room farthest from his desk. His wrists were secured to the wooden chair arms with nylon rope in a very similar manner as the judge’s had been. The legs of the chair had been used for binding his ankles. As with Judge Rutledge, a wider nylon band worked like a safety belt to fasten his torso to the back of the chair. The stench of human waste and urine permeated the room.

  “The newspaper clippings tell quite a story,” Lori said.

  Jess straightened. Rubbing her aching back, she stepped closer to the wall where framed photos of Pratt with various other politicians had been removed and a collage of newspaper articles about Pratt’s career as Birmingham’s mayor had been created.

  “All of it bad,” Jess pointed out.

  Unbeknownst to his constituents, the mayor had spent most of his career doing what was best for himself and his close friends. Of course, he had accomplished a fair amount of good for the city, but the greater part of his endeavors and achievements had been self-serving. Jess wanted to feel bad that he’d spent his final hours of life being forced to face his nasty deeds, but somehow she didn’t. Maybe it was because one of Pratt’s final acts as mayor had been an attempt to destroy Dan’s career. Not to mention his callous efforts had posed a serious threat to Dan’s personal life.

  “Looks like we’re dealing with the same killer as the one in the Rutledge case,” Lori suggested.

  “No doubt.” Jess considered the staging of the victim once more. “Same type and color nylon rope. Same knots. Same brag wall of photos and clippings collected over time.” She gestured to the newspaper clippings plastered to the wall. “The question is what did both ex-Mayor Pratt and retired Judge Rutledge have in common that triggered a motive for murder?”

  Every violent act committed was prompted by motive. In Jess’s experience, the sooner the motive was uncovered the sooner the killer was revealed. Find the motive, find the killer. If Pratt and Rutledge were victims of the same killer, then the two victims shared a common thread that apparently linked their lives and/or careers. Rutledge’s rulings may have seemed heartless or simply wrong to the family members and friends of convicted criminals, so revenge was a reasonable motive. Jess couldn’t quite see a similar motive for Pratt’s murder. His vile deeds had only recently been revealed to the public. It would take some digging to uncover any suspects carrying a murderous grudge against both Rutledge and Pratt.

  Lori checked her phone. “Li
eutenant Hayes is talking to the wife now. He was able to catch her before she saw the news.”

  “Good.” Before Jess arrived at the scene reporters had already descended on the block. Birmingham’s finest had done a great job clearing the area, but it hadn’t taken long for an ambitious reporter to slip through and determine the probable victim. Pratt had been the focus in the news for months now. In the beginning, his devoted wife had been at his side. Eventually, news broke that she had left him. Still, the two had a long history. The news was no doubt shattering for her as well as their son.

  “Is the ME on the way?” Jess was surprised Sylvia wasn’t here already. Lately everyone moved faster than Jess did.

  “She should be here by now.” Lori checked her phone again. “I can call her.”

  Jess shook her head. “Let’s give her a few more minutes. She may have run into a traffic issue.” Though Harper had gone through the house before Jess arrived, she wanted to have a look around herself. “Let’s take a walk through while we wait for Sylvia.”

  Crime scene techs had arrived and were going through their protocols. Pratt’s computer as well as his cell phone would be taken to the lab, and phone records would be ordered. Harper, the first detective on the scene, was now interviewing neighbors. Jess and Lori moved through the house, room by room, the first floor and then the second. Harper had found no indications of forced entry during his search. Though all windows remained locked, the front door, as well as the one leading onto the patio, had been unlocked. As with Rutledge, the lack of forced entry suggested the victim knew his killer. Although they had discovered broken glass on the patio outside, there was no other indication of a struggle. There was no way to know as of yet if the broken glass had anything to do with the murder.

  Pratt’s attorney, Marvin Siniard, had discovered the body. He and Pratt had an appointment this morning at eight. Since the front door was unlocked, Siniard had rung the bell and entered the house as was customary for their appointments. Harper had interviewed Siniard only briefly since he’d had to leave to be in court. Jess would interview him again later.