Delusions With Murder: A Rilynne Evans Mystery

by Jenn Vakey

  The ride back to the station that evening was equally as silent as the one to the hospital had been. Rilynne didn’t know if it was better for Emily this way, or worse. If Derek Hartley had been killed, then she would have been able to let go and eventually move on. Now she was stuck hanging onto hope that the man she loved, who was in a deep coma, would in time wake up and come back to her. She knew what it was like to be stuck waiting and wondering, and she didn’t wish that feeling on anyone.

  The station was relatively quiet when they walked back in. Matthews, Ochoa, and Butcher were still at the scene working with the scent dogs. The rest of the detectives, who had split up the homes closest to where Hartley had been found, were slowly starting to trickle back into the station after checking them out. By eight nearly everyone was back, though no one had anything substantial to show for the day. Of the houses they had checked, none showed any sign of being the house where Hartley was held. The scent dogs had lost the track in the river, and they would not be able to pick it back up until the morning. The lab tech had pulled quite a bit of evidence off of Hartley, but it would be at least the morning before anything came back.

  “We are going to have a long day tomorrow, so let’s call it a night,” Wilcome said as he sat down at his desk. He seemed to want to say more, but in the end just buried his nose in his files.

  Rilynne stared at her desk for a few minutes before finally deciding to leave instead of sitting down for more work. She slowly walked down the empty hallway, running over the day’s events in her head. The perpetrator had lost Hartley, is that why he had gone back to his apartment? Had he hoped to find something there that would help him find him, or had he missed out on the pleasure he would have received in killing him, and was hoping to regain some part of it in his apartment?

  “Headed home?” a voice called out, shocking her back into reality. Ben had just rounded the corner behind her. He had changed since she had seen him earlier in the day. He was now wearing a nice pair of black dress pants with a dark blue long-sleeve button up shirt, with just the top button undone. In his hand he held a blue silk tie and his jacket. Even his hair was nicely combed.

  She thought for a few moments before answering. “Actually, after today I could really use a drink. You are all dressed up, hot date?” Oddly enough, Rilynne did not know if she wanted an answer to the question as she turned towards the elevator. Stop being silly, she quickly told herself, and pushed the button before looking back towards him.

  He seemed to be trying to read her face before answering, as if searching for something. Rilynne quickly turned back around and pressed the button a few more times. “You’re really in a hurry for that drink, huh?” he laughed as he walked up to stand next to her. After a few moments he added, “and no, I had court earlier. I just haven’t gotten around to changing out of this costume yet. I feel like I’m going to a funeral.”

  “I don’t know,” Rilynne responded, still keeping her eyes firmly on the elevator doors. “It’s not a bad look on you.” She could see him glance over at her out of the corner of her eye, but she maintained her focus on the doors. As soon as they slip open, she stepped into the elevator, still avoiding his gaze. They rode down to the lobby in silence. It was only after they stepped out onto the street that they spoke again.

  “It would be a shame for you to waste that look just on a day in court. How about a quick drink?” Rilynne asked, looking up at the stars above. It was a beautiful, cloud free night, which just didn’t seem right to Rilynne after the week’s events. It would be much more fitting if it were gray and muggy outside.

  “Yeah, I could actually use one right now. This attorney today really tried to tear me down on the stand. You know, questioning every action I took.”

  “But he couldn’t find any oversights in your work, could he?” She stepped into the street and headed for the bar at the end of the block.

  Ben dragged his knuckles across his chin as his gaze shifted to the stars above. “No, he couldn’t find anything wrong with the science,” he finally replied. Rilynne could tell there was more behind his words than he was saying, but she knew better than to push.

  That was one thing Christopher had taught her. If someone tried very hard to find their words when giving an answer, it often meant they don’t want to give a full one. Pushing for it before someone was ready to share just leads to trouble. She should know; after all, Rilynne kept more secrets than most people. With Christopher, she had learned it the hard way.

  The bar was not too crowded tonight, which was surprising after the day they had had. Other than herself, Donovan was the only other detective from the task force there. He was sitting with a beautiful young woman at the corner table, who, judging by their demeanor must have been his girlfriend.

  Rilynne and Ben picked seats at the bar and each took a shot before they started talking again.

  “So how is the case going? I was out of the station most of the day, so I haven’t heard any details. Even with what little the techs know, though, it sounded like a pretty big day.”

  Rilynne thought about what to say. Ben was an active part of the case, but he still was not a member of the detectives unit. She swallowed her second shot before answering. “Derek Hartley was found in the woods by a couple of hikers today.”

  Ben waited for her to continue, but after she didn’t, he inquired further. “This was only the fourth day. Why do you think he moved things up this time? Do you think he knows you are getting closer, and didn’t want to risk being caught with Hartley?”

  “That would mean he’s keeping tabs on the case and knows where we’re looking. How would he know that?” she asked, adjusting her stool so she was facing him.

  “It wouldn’t really be that hard. We know he knows who you are. If it were me, I would keep tabs on you.” He drained his second shot and continued, “I would want to find out everything I could about my opponent. You know, he could have followed you to the houses you were visiting, or had some kind of access to the type of homes you were focusing on. All it would take is one person letting it slip that you were looking for basements. You might even have had some kind of contact with him. There would probably be nothing more thrilling than having direct contact with you, and you not knowing he was your guy.”

  Rilynne hadn’t thought about that, but he was right. Perpetrators such as this one liked to inject themselves into the investigations. For him to be focusing on her the way he had been, she must have had some kind of interaction with him. The thought of it made her insides churn.

  “Your face is looking better,” she said, changing the subject. With his hair combed and out of his face, the marks were much more visible. They were indeed looking better, though. The bruises had lightened, and the swelling around the cut had gone down. She wanted to reach up to move the little bit of hair that was covering it away to get a better look, but decided against it.

  Ben’s hand instinctively reached up and brushed the hair back himself. “Yeah, it’s not looking too bad. I’ve learned my lesson about getting in fights with those pesky doors, though. I won’t be making that mistake again,” he chortled.

  It felt good to laugh after the day she had had. Before she knew it, it was nearly midnight. She cursed under her breath as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “I think it’s time to call it a night,” she said, draining the last of the beer in her glass. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow, and I haven’t really slept much in days.” She pulled herself up off her stool, and headed towards the door, closely followed by Ben.

  “Your building really isn’t the safest place in town right now. Do you have a friend you can stay with tonight?” Ben asked. “Or maybe you could call Nicole to stay with you.”

  “There’s not really time to make friends when you are hunting down a serial killer. And Nicole is great and all, but I have a feeling I would not get any sleep at all if I invited her over. All she wants to talk about is the case or how I need to start dating. Two things I don’t real
ly want to talk about at this moment.”

  Rilynne tripped over a raise in the sidewalk, and would have fallen on her face had Ben not caught her by her elbow. She steadied herself quickly, though Ben did not remove his hand. Rilynne did not mind. “She’s trying to get you to start dating?” Ben asked curiously.

  “Yeah. It’s funny, though; usually the people who try to get someone to start dating are the people who are in relationships themselves. Nicole is single,” Rilynne explained.

  “Well, as single as Nicole can be,” Ben spouted out quickly. He seemed slightly taken aback at his own remark, but Rilynne just laughed. He may not have wanted to say it aloud, but he wasn’t wrong.

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the history with you two?” Rilynne knew if she had not been drinking, this was not a question she would be asking. It was one of those questions that are often better not to have answered.

  Ben’s free hand brushed against his chin. “It isn’t anything like that, if that’s what you are thinking. It is just very complicated, and a story for another day.”

  “So, by not being anything like that, you mean you two were never,” she searched for the right word, “involved?”

  He laughed quite loudly at her question. “No! And we never will be. It was never like that between us.”

  Rilynne didn’t like that she was so pleased with his answer, so she thought best not to respond. Moments later they reached the front doors to her building.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Ben said releasing the hold on her arm and stooping down. “You would think with everything that has happened in your building over the last week that people would not be making it so easy for someone to just slip in.” As he tugged the door open, he kicked aside the brick that had been preventing the door from shutting. As she expected, Ben insisted on walking her all the way upstairs.

  “I really don’t think you should be staying alone. Especially since you have been drinking. Are you sure you don’t want to call Nicole to stay, or maybe one of your other neighbors?” He asked as he walked her into her apartment.

  “I’m not calling Nicole. And I don’t know any of my neighbors well enough to invite them for a sleep over. If it really worries you so much, feel free to stay,” she offered before she really thought about what she was saying.

  Ben’s ears shot red again, as his eyes flicked quickly towards her bedroom door and back. “I, uh…” he started, but appeared to be unable to continue.

  Though watching him stammer was amusing, Rilynne decided to rescue him. “The couch is actually much more comfortable than it appears.”

  He seemed to be really thinking it over before finally agreeing to her suggestion. She pulled some blankets and a pillow out of the hall closet for him, before retreating to her room to get ready for bed. After changing into her pajamas, she pulled an old pair of men’s shorts out of the back of her drawer. She ran her fingers against the smooth material for a moment before finally shutting the drawer and walking back out into the living room.

  Ben had taken his dress shirt off, leaving the tight white undershirt on. He was just finishing laying out the blankets when she walked in. Rilynne couldn’t help but notice that this shirt showed his muscle tone much more than the shirts he normally wore. She quickly looked back down to the shorts she was gripping.

  “These should fit you,” she said, handing them to Ben.

  Ben looked at the shorts for a moment before responding. “You don’t have a boyfriend who is going to show up in the middle of the night and wonder why I’m wearing his shorts, do you?” His eyes shifted quickly to her face, but did not meet her own.

  How do I respond to that one, she thought to herself, before simply saying, “It’s already the middle of the night.” She realized this completely avoided his question, and the quizzical look on his face said he realized it, too. “If anyone breaks in and you need some assistance, you know where to find me,” she added to lighten the tension, before heading back to her room.

  Through the slightly ajar door, she could hear the sounds of him tossing and turning for nearly half an hour before they were replaced by gentle snoring. It did not bother Rilynne, though; on the contrary, she actually seemed more comfortable than she had in a while, and drifted quickly into a deep sleep.

  Unlike most nights lately, Rilynne slipped into pleasant dreams, filled with beaches and fluffy puppies. It was rare she had a dream that was just that, a dream.

  She felt completely relaxed when she opened her eyes to the sun flowing through her windows. She rolled over to check the time, just two minutes before seven. She had almost made it to her alarm this morning. After a good stretch, she pulled herself out of bed and walked into the living room.

  “It’s almost…” she started as she walked in the room, but stopped when she did not find Ben where she had left him the night before. The blankets had been folded and stacked neatly on the edge of the couch, next to the shorts she had lent him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Chapter Ten

  Unfortunately, the fragment of metal that had been jammed in the stairwell door had not gotten them closer to finding the perpetrator. The scent dogs had gone back out at first light, and were tracing the river, trying to pick up Hartley’s scent again. The reports from the tech would still take another couple of hours to come in, which left Rilynne with not much to do.

  After her third cup of coffee, she decided it was time to take a little break. She dropped herself down on the bench just outside the front doors of the station, and took in the day. Though it was still obnoxiously hot during the days, it was beautiful out. The sky was again cloudless and a vibrant shade of blue. The birds were singing and making their way from tree to tree, which were all rich shades of green.

  She had almost forgotten about the pressures waiting for her inside when a familiar voice brought her back to reality.

  “So, Ben huh? Spill,” Nicole sat down next to her, looking positively elated.

  “Well hello to you too,” Rilynne quickly changed the subject. “I haven’t really seen you all week. Where have you been? Well, other than falling down hills.”

  “Nice try. I saw a very sharp looking crime scene investigator sneaking out of the building at six thirty this morning. Now, I know he wasn’t there to see me, so dish.”

  Rilynne knew at that point there would be no way to avoid the conversation without making it look as if she was trying to hide something. This is why she always steered clear of getting in close relationships with women, especially extremely nosy ones.

  “There is nothing to tell,” she started, being very careful about what she said. “We went out for a few drinks last night after work to blow off steam, and he slept on the couch.”

  Nicole looked a little perturbed by her answer. “You mean to tell me you went out and got drunk with, what any woman with eyes would consider a very attractive man, took him back to your place, and he just… slept on the couch. No, I don’t buy it.”

  Rilynne knew Nicole would be able to talk her into a trap if she was not careful, and there were still a lot of things she did not want to share. “Really. I handed him some blankets and a pillow, and went to bed. He had already left by the time I woke up this morning. Do you think I would really risk my job by breaking the no fraternization rule? I’m just starting to get settled. Besides, I have zero time in my life right now for any kind of romantic tryst.”

  By the unconvinced look on Nicole’s face, Rilynne knew the conversation was still far from over.

  “So you are saying you have never even thought about it? Throwing his firm body against the wall, the taste of his lips, or the feel of his hands moving along your body? Not even for a second?”

  Rilynne could feel herself becoming flustered. “Why, have you? You have certainly put a lot of thought into it.” She spun it back around, hoping to shift the conversation.

  Nicole looked slightly taken aback by the question, but answered it with a laugh.

  �
��Really? Not even once,” Rilynne pushed.

  “Ben is like a brother to me. I don’t see him that way at all. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

  “I have far too much on my plate right now to think about anything other than what is waiting for me when I step back into the conference room. I should actually be heading back up there and get back to work.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I heard the last victim was found in the woods yesterday. That’s just horrible. I have been waiting for evidence to show up from the body, but nothing has come in yet.”

  “I’m sure Detective Wilcome will have everything sent down before too long.”

  Nicole looked a little annoyed. She had been pushing to match Ben in the lab, and no doubt felt like she could do so by examining the high priority cases. “Well, I better get back up,” Rilynne added, trying to relieve the tension.

  “I’ll walk up with you,” Nicole said as she stood up and headed towards the door. “But for the record, I do think you two would be very cute together. Besides, it’s adorable the way he looks at you.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about. He doesn’t look at me, not even when we’re talking.” Rilynne tried to throw her comment off, but it wasn’t working well. Luckily the elevator door was opening to her floor.

  “Just because he won’t look at you when you are talking, doesn’t mean he’s not looking when you aren’t,” she replied as Rilynne walked through the doors towards the office. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the blood from boiling in her cheeks that time.

  “You okay?” Steele asked as he passed her desk. “Yeah,” she responded as coolly as possible. “It’s just really hot outside.”

  After taking a moment to compose herself, Rilynne went in search of Detective Wilcome. She found him sitting in the far corner of the conference room, talking on the phone. He was just hanging up when she started to walk towards him.

  “Anything new?” she was almost afraid to ask after taking in the look on his face. Rilynne had a feeling if they did not solve this case soon, it might very well be the death of him.