by W L Knightly
He wished he could set fire to the whole fucking house and be done with it, but he knew that destroying the pictures wasn’t going to get Tad out of this one. As much rage as Darek felt, he could only imagine the toll it had taken on Tad.
Lizzy came down the stairs. “Oh wow.”
“Yeah, you wanted to bust the pedophile ring. It looks like someone cut off the serpent’s head.”
“Those poor kids.” She walked over to the bed and looked down at the photos. “These should be sealed.” Having them sealed would mean fewer eyes to see the traumatized young men, who were already victimized enough.
“Already on it,” Darek said.
“I have something.”
“Yeah?” His heart stopped, waiting to see what it could be.
Lizzy nodded. “Yeah, something we found clear back at the first murder.”
“The girl?”
“Yeah, Alicia David. She has a name, Darek. She’s not just ‘the girl.’”
Darek could tell that humanizing the victims was important to Lizzy, even though he’d meant no disrespect.
“Right. Alicia. Sorry. So, what is it?”
“The name Halston. I think we had a suspect on the escort list by that name. I want to say his first name was something like Tad or Ty; a real short name.” She looked at Darek like it was supposed to ring a bell, and he shrugged.
Max walked down the stairs and looked around at the sex toys. “Damn, he had a hell of a party going on down here.”
“I’d hardly think abusing young boys is a party.” Lizzy let out a breath and then stalked over to the other side of the room.
“Sorry.” Max looked at Darek and shrugged.
“I was just telling Darek that I think I remember a Halston from the escort service. I need that file.” She reached down and picked up one of the photographs. Darek walked around to get a better look at it. “It’s the boy from the video.”
“I didn’t think you’d seen it.” Darek had noticed her shielding her eyes from the show at Victor Barnes’s house.
“I saw enough.” She threw Tad’s picture down into the pile with the others. “Why are these photos scattered? It would stand to reason the man sleeps in this bed. I’d figure he spent most of his time here. Probably goes upstairs for meals, though, considering how he was found.”
“So, the killer must have scattered the pictures,” Darek said. “Maybe he took the pictures of himself and left the rest for us to find.”
She shook her head. “No, I think this is to show why they did it. They want to remind us that this man is a piece of shit.”
“We’re dealing with someone who thinks they’re doing the world a favor.” Darek wasn’t sure he didn’t agree.
“Maybe they are,” Lizzy said. She went upstairs, and Darek followed her.
“Hey, you’re in an extra foul mood today. Is everything okay?”
“I guess it’s just the case. I’m not sleeping well.” She walked out the front door and into the yard where a few of the neighbors had gathered.
In the crowd, a young boy stood looking like he’d lost his best friend. Darek wasn’t going to point him out, but Lizzy elbowed him in the ribs. “Do you see the boy? I wonder if he’s been inside this house.”
“Let’s go talk to him.” Darek wondered if the boy would take off or if he would cooperate. As they walked over to the crowd, a few people started asking questions.
A little gray-haired woman stood next to the boy and asked, “Is he dead?”
“Yeah,” Lizzy said. “If anyone has any information, we’d appreciate you coming down and making a statement.”
“I thought something was wrong when he didn’t make his morning run to the store.” The woman turned and waddled away as if it were just another normal day on the block.
“What about you, kid?” Darek asked. “What’s your name?”
“Kyler. My friend calls me Ky.” He put his hand out, and Darek shook it. The kid carried a skateboard, and his clothes were pretty nice for a kid that had been riding up and down the block.
“You see anything, Kyler? You know Mr. Halston.”
“Roddy was my friend.”
Lizzy cleared her throat. “Your friend, huh? How long have you known him?”
“A year or two.” The kid had his flat-billed hat pulled down over his eyes.
She nodded. “Have you ever been inside his house? See anyone else around?”
“Once or twice. I live down the street, and I did see a man here the other day.” The kid looked down at his shoes. “I was in the house, and so was he.”
Lizzy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Who did you see? Did he have a name?”
“Roddy said it was his nephew. That he used to live there. I think he said his name was Tad.”
“Tad Halston.” Lizzy nodded, and Darek’s heart sank. Tad had been to the house the other day, probably plotting how to murder his uncle. He had been playing him the whole fucking time.
“What were you doing at the house?” Darek asked.
“I hung out there a little. No biggie.” He kept looking up to the house like he expected Roddy Halston to walk out the door any minute, and stranger than that, he seemed like he really liked the guy. He hadn’t talked about him in a bad way at all. Perhaps he hadn’t been properly groomed for the camera, but Darek knew it was just a matter of time.
“I’m going to ask that you call me later,” Lizzy said. “I want you to come down to the station and give me an official statement, but if you say you saw this man there, he could have been the killer. I’ll need you to come by and tell us anything you can remember.”
The boy nodded. “He drove a black Mustang. I liked the car a lot, but I haven’t seen it back here.”
Lizzy called one of the other officers over who had been talking to members of the crowd. “Get information on a black Mustang seen in the area.” She turned to Darek. “We’ve got our guy.”
He knew it would only be a matter of time before Tad was arrested for the entire series of murders, and he hoped to God the guy was truthful about not rolling on everyone else.
18
Bay
Bay sat in his office listening to Lila tick off a list of things she’d bought using his credit. He’d given her an allowance, and she’d made sure to spend every fucking penny.
“That’s brilliant, kitten,” he said into the phone. “I’ll be home later to see you model those new panties.”
Not that he really gave a damn about her or another fucking pair of panties. She had a drawer full of the things, and funnily enough, he had a desk drawer full of her sister’s. But she seemed pleased, and that was all that mattered to him.
He ended the conversation and wondered if he should call it a day when the damned phone rang in his hand.
It wasn’t often Bay Collins was startled, but that did the trick, and it put him in a terribly foul mood. “What?” He’d seen Tad’s fucking name on the caller ID.
“I need your help. I’m in a lot of trouble, Bay.”
“I helped you get out of the hospital not three hours ago. What the fuck has happened now? Don’t tell me you’re already coked out of your fucking mind again.” Bay didn’t have a use for someone who refused to maintain a little control of their lives. At least the function and well-being part.
“No, that’s not it. I went to my uncle’s and found him stabbed. He’s dead. I think it was the killer, and I think they wanted to frame me.”
Bay growled. “Fuck! What the hell did you go there for?”
“You know I’ve been getting threats.” Threats? Bay hadn’t been aware there was more than one, but it made his little hospital escape make a whole lot more sense.
“Jesus. You were supposed to keep me in the fucking loop.”
“He wanted me to kill my uncle. He said if I didn’t do it, that he’d kill Hannah. So, I went to do it, but he left me a card saying I was too late. They’re going to kill Hannah now.”
Bay let out a breath and tr
ied to keep calm. Freaking out was something he usually only did on the inside where no one could see it. “Where is your sister?”
“She’s at work. She works a long shift today, so I know she’s safe at work, but what happens when she leaves? I have to warn her, Bay. I have to find us a safe place to go.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’ve ducked into a car wash. I didn’t want to be driving around all fucking day.”
“Did anyone see you at your uncle’s?” He couldn’t believe the guy had stopped by there. That car of his was pretty distinct with the custom wheels.
“Not when I found the body, but I went over the other day, and a kid saw me. I think he’s one of Roddy’s new victims. He was dressed nice, new kicks, new skateboard. I think he could identify me. He looked like me.”
Bay figured the uncle had a type, and while he probably had recruited any kid he could find, he imagined the man held a special place for Tad’s pretty boy type.
“You saw the body?”
“Yes, the back door was open. I went inside. He looked like someone carved him up while he was eating lunch. There were flies, he smelled like shit, and there was blood everywhere. I found another card like the one got the first time. It had my symbol on it, and then it said I was too late.”
“What other messages have you gotten? How many cards?”
“I only got two cards, but he also sent a DVD. It had a video of me on it; one of my uncle’s movies. Whoever this is, why are they targeting me? They’re making it look like I did all of this, Bay.”
“I wish I knew, but you’re in it now. You’re going to have to run.”
“Run where? How can Hannah run? She won’t, not unless I tell her everything.”
Bay gripped his phone so hard, he thought it might shatter. “You will not tell her about the Zodiacs. Do you hear me? If you want to spill your secrets about your hillbilly uncle, that’s one thing, but you better not make what is going on with us a single part of your explanation.”
“Relax, I’m not going to turn you guys over. I just don’t know how to tell her that our uncle was a pedophile who got off on taking photos of me.”
“She’s lucky it was only you. And she’ll understand. She’s your sister; she cares about you.” Bay was as nurturing as a snake to baby mice, but he needed Tad to feel like there was hope. “I’ll arrange a suite for you in my hotel across town. You can go there and collect your thoughts. I suggest you ditch the car there and then make plans to leave the country. You can’t come back until this is settled. The cops will be on you if they aren’t already.”
“I was going to call Darek and tell him I didn’t do this. I’m not sure he’ll believe me now. I’m not sure of anything.” Tad’s voice trembled.
“Calm down. Let’s get off of here, and I’ll call Darek myself. That way, you’re not incriminating yourself. I’ll let you know what he says, and I’ll go ahead and text you the address of the suite. You go to your house and pack your things, but if you think you’re being watched, get the fuck out and don’t take your time.” Bay ended the call before giving Tad a chance to talk himself out of it or change directions. Then, he dialed Darek’s number.
He didn’t think Darek would answer at first, which was going to be a pain in the ass if he didn’t. He needed to know how much time Tad had to go to his house. Bay wished he’d found out before sending him there.
Finally, Darek’s voice answered. “I hope this is good news because I’ve got some bad.”
“Is it ever good when I call? I mean, really Darek. Be honest with yourself.”
“You’re right. So, what’s going on?”
“Tad called. He’s freaking the fuck out. He’s been getting threats the past few days, an anonymous person sending little calling cards, DVDs, you name it. And they’ve been trying to get him to kill his uncle.”
“Yeah, well, I think they succeeded. We just found his uncle dead, and this isn’t the usual style of the last two killings. There weren’t any messages carved on the man. At least, it doesn’t look like there could be. He was so hacked up, I’ll be surprised if they’ll be able to count the fucking wounds.”
“Damn. That doesn’t sound like anything Tad could do, does it? I mean, seriously. The guy is fucked up, but he’s not got a violent bone in his body.”
“He’s got at least one, remember? I was there.”
“Do you remember what he did?” Bay knew Darek had limited memory of that night, and he liked to point it out just to bother him.
“I know enough. My point is, someone was trying to get him to kill his uncle, and his uncle is dead.”
“What if I told you that Tad was in the hospital recovering from an overdose at the time of the murder?” Bay asked.
“Can you prove it?”
“It should be in the hospital records. He was also at a job where the cocaine use took place, and before that, well, he was with me. And not only that, he was in a hot-fired hurry to get out of the hospital, hoping he still had time to pull off the task. Turns out, there was a calling card left on his uncle’s body. He said it told him he was too late.”
“And he has this card?” Darek asked.
“He should. I haven’t seen it.”
“He’s got to run, Bay. If he gets questioned, I can’t keep him from talking. I can’t guarantee that we’ll all be okay on the other side. I’m hoping this is more about his past than ours. This could all be someone messing with him over that fucking pedo uncle of his. It might not have a damned thing to do with us or the club.”
“I should tell you that Logan showed me a list of the buyers of those irons he made for us,” Bay said. “It turns out the person who purchased the Capricorn one was a woman named Emma Johnson.”
“Emma, as in Emily? Jesus Christ. There’s no denying it now, is there, Bay? Ask yourself this: are you really ready if whoever this is comes after us next?”
“They better be ready for a goddamned fight.” Bay wasn’t going to see his life dismantled by some revenge killer. “There’s something else you should know. Tad thinks they’ll come after Hannah next. She’s on shift at the hospital, but he’s afraid of what’ll happen when she gets off. I’ve offered him a safe place. I’m not telling you where, for obvious reasons, and I’m asking you to behave and let the guy get a head start.”
“He’s got time. They’re processing information on him now, though, so it won’t be too long. I’m waiting for them to tell me when he’s getting picked up. I’ll call you and let you know.”
The line went dead, and he knew he better call Tad back and tell him he had a little time. He didn’t need this kind of bullshit, and he sure as hell didn’t have time for it. He was just about to call Tad when his office phone beeped.
“Mr. Collins, there’s a call for you on the office line. I don’t know who the woman is, she wouldn’t give me her name, but she’s really upset.
He knew Mia or Lila would call his private phone, and none of his clients were women. It wasn’t like him to have anyone so upset with him, but as soon as he heard her voice, he remembered there was one person he hadn’t been able to charm.
“Where is my brother, you sack of shit?” Hannah always had a way with words, and her trashy upbringing often came out of her mouth.
“You know, you’re too sexy to talk like a common slum whore.”
“Don’t even start with me, you piece of shit. You think that you’re some kind of fucking god, don’t you? I want to know where my brother is, and I want to know now. And don’t even act like you didn’t do something to expedite his release. I know you. You’d charm the devil for a dime.”
“I haven’t seen him. Aren’t you working?”
“The police just called to notify me that our uncle is dead. He and Tad were close, so I’m hoping he’s not going to fall apart over this.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that. Did they need you to come down?” Bay didn’t want to be too obvious anything was going on.
All of
the fight had left her voice. Now, she was pleading. “The police wanted to talk to me, but I’m guessing it’s standard procedure. I’d like Tad to be with me.”
“Well, I agree you shouldn’t be alone. Good luck finding Tad. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“Wait, did he say he was going anywhere in particular? I’ve already tried the house, but he wasn’t there.”
He wondered if there really was someone on her tail or not. Maybe she was just a way to get Tad to do the killing.
“No,” Bay said. “He just didn’t want to be in the hospital. I think he’s feeling ashamed about what happened. I know I would be. He hates to disappoint you, you know? All he’s ever wanted was to be admired by everyone.”
“I know we don’t get along, but if he turns up, would you please have him call me?”
“Will do.” Bay ended the call, knowing he had to warn Tad. Someone had already gotten to his sister.
The police.
19
Derek
After he hung up with Bay, Darek went back inside and looked for Lizzy. “Where the hell is she?” he asked Max, who was leaning over the evidence files.
“I don’t know. I think she needed a little air. I can’t get the smell of piss and shit out of my nose. Someone should have warned me earlier.”
“I must be immune.” Darek hadn’t let those things get to him too much, but then he hadn’t gotten too close, either. Seeing the maggots was enough to make him keep his distance, and he wondered if the smells were sticking with Lizzy, too.
“Did you guys find that suspect?” Max asked.
“Got a warrant for him going out now. I’m looking for the address we had on file. He’s not living at the one in the computer.”
With Tad living with his sister, he might not be so easy to find.
“Any next of kin other than the suspect?” Darek asked.
