by Unknown
“He lost control.” The idea of how this woman must have suffered in those last minutes of her life tore at Jess.
“He’s never done this to a victim before?” Lori asked quietly.
Jess shook her head. “At least not since he was dubbed the Player and landed on the Bureau’s radar.”
“You really think he’s losing it?”
Jess thought of the way he’d barged into Dan Senior’s house and attacked him like a novice just starting to hone his technique, and then running away when interrupted rather than killing anyone who got in his way. Now this. “If this is his work, he’s unraveling at breakneck speed.”
“You think it might be a new rookie follower? Kind of reminds me of Reed’s unfocused work.”
Lori was right. Matthew Reed had left a similar scene. His work had been scattered and frantic. This had the same feel.
Jess weighed the concept. “Possibly, but many of the wounds are classic Player. The idea that he turned a hostage over to a follower to finish off is totally out of character.” Not to mention, Dan Senior had positively identified Spears.
“Unless he’s gone.”
Lori’s words echoed in Jess’s soul as she stared at the message left on the wall, most likely in this woman’s blood. See what you made me do. Everything is wrong….
“No.” Jess shook her head. “He’s here and he’s madder than hell that we got in his way.” Or, maybe he really was losing it. The thought sent chills through Jess. If he went on a rampage, how many people would be slaughtered before they caught him?
News from the lab hadn’t been as helpful as Jess had hoped. Ricky Vernon had confirmed the times and dates the selfies were taken by North. Unfortunately, the location services of the phone had been disabled so Vernon wasn’t able to access the GPS coordinates of where the photos had been taken. The photo with Meredith had been taken during the estimated timeframe of her death, but that alone wouldn’t clear Dan. The one with Nina had been taken late the night she disappeared, confirming who took her without telling them where she was being held. Dammit.
Hopefully, North’s cell carrier would have something for them this morning.
Toni James and a morgue tech arrived with a body bag and a gurney. Jess pushed aside her frustrations and focused on the here and now. She opted not to nudge James about time of death. This one was going to be tough enough without any flak from Jess.
“Chief?”
Jess turned to Harper who was striding her way. “Did you find something?”
“I got a call from North’s cell carrier.”
“Something we can use, I hope.”
“The guy was smart enough to turn off the location services on his phone, but I guess he didn’t realize if he sent a text it could be retrieved by his carrier. He sent his location to a burner phone right before he sent his sister the pic of Nina Baron. No hits on the burner phone, but we do have the address where Nina was being held at that time.”
Anticipation chased away the chill nagging at Jess. “Let’s go.”
“We’ve got backup headed that way,” Hayes assured her as he joined Harper. “They’ll be in position in twenty minutes.
Jess wasn’t waiting for backup. If there was any chance at all Nina Baron was still at that location, Jess intended to find her.
Masonic Temple Building, 4th Avenue, 10:52 a.m.
The old building had been abandoned since the 80’s and had fallen into serious disrepair.
“We should wait until the other team is in place,” Harper urged. “We don’t know what we’ll run into in there.”
“How much more time do they need?” Jess wanted to go in now. There were eight or nine floors not counting the basement, a lot of territory to cover and endless possibilities for hiding.
“They’re ready now,” Hayes confirmed.
“Bout time,” Jess grumbled. She tightened her bulletproof vest over the soft pink jacket dress she’d chosen for today and palmed her Glock. “Let’s move in. I want through those doors the instant an all clear is called on the basement and the first floor.”
Jess and Lori took a position near the front entrance. Harper and Hayes moved around to the rear. As Jess considered all those stairs she was grateful for her new, more practical shoes. The lower heeled Mary Janes were working out well. Something else she’d had to learn to live with. The joys of pregnancy included rethinking her entire wardrobe. And she’d only just begun.
The all clear on the basement and first level sounded in the earpiece of Jess’s communications link and she and Lori moved in.
Once inside, Jess opted to have a look at the basement level first. In the photo North had taken it had been the kind of dark found in rooms with no windows.
“Let’s go down first,” she said to Lori.
Lori nodded and led the way. Flashlight in hand, Jess scanned the walls for messages and the steps and floor for dropped items. The basement level smelled musty. The area was cluttered with tables and chairs from the years the building was a public library.
The occasional swish of scurrying feet and tails across the floor warned that rats had made the place home. Jess wondered if Spears had borrowed a few from here to load into North’s mouth. The vermin had been basically trapped until the assistant coroner had opened the vic’s mouth far enough for them to scramble out.
Jess shuddered. Not that she felt sorry for North. She didn’t.
“Over here,” Lori called.
Careful of the cracks that left the concrete floor uneven, Jess made her way to Lori’s position. She roved the beam of her flashlight over the wooden chair sitting apart from the rest of the stored goods.
“This is the place.” Jess didn’t have to check the image of Nina she’d forwarded to herself from Beecham’s cell phone.
The chair sat alone in a small, uncluttered space. The ropes used to bind Nina’s hands and feet lay on the floor. Why hadn’t Spears sent Jess a message about Nina? Why hadn’t she been at the Argyle Drive house?
Was it possible that North had taken Nina on his own?
No. This was Spears. Jess was certain of it.
“At least we know who we’re dealing with now,” Lori said.
That much was true. They could rule out an abduction motivated by ransom or the theory of negligence on the part of the clinic’s staff. Nina Baron hadn’t just walked away. She’d been taken by the worst kind of killer—one too smart to get caught.
“Let’s get the forensic folks over here.”
Whatever was happening inside Eric Spears’s head, it looked as if he had one strategic move left.
Nina Baron was in grave danger.
Birmingham Police Department, 2:30 p.m.
Harper busily scribbled notes on the timeline of their case board. Hayes had left early to drop by the hospital and visit Cook. Jess didn’t want Cook feeling out of the loop. She wanted him to know he was still part of the team no matter that he was stuck in the hospital. Hopefully by Friday he would be out of ICU.
Evidence reports were in. Not a single print belonging to Spears had been discovered at the Argyle Drive house. No evidence at all that connected to him. The same was true for the Infiniti where North’s body was found. Jess didn’t need a crystal ball to know it would be the same for the scenes at the Burnett home and at the abandoned warehouse. Spears never left an evidence trail.
Jess had spoken to Gant about her theory that Spears was unraveling. The signs had started with the discovery of the Argyle Drive house. Amanda Brownfield had thrown a wrench in the works. She had set off a chain reaction of failures. Spears was not taking it well. Rather than walk away while he still could, he appeared determined to prove his superior intelligence would allow him to win and to escape as he had been doing for years. He wasn’t thinking clearly. Whether his deterioration would prove advantageous to their efforts was yet to be seen.
Another thought occurred to Jess. Maybe he’d started to come undone months ago when he decided to focus so completely on h
er.
“I just got Reverend Henshaw’s phone records!” Lori tapped a few keys on her computer keyboard and the printer on the other side of the room hummed to life. “I’ll start comparing numbers to see if he was contacted by North or Spears or anyone else of interest.”
“We can hope.” The phone on Jess’s desk rang. She jumped. Most people called her cell. It was rare that she received a call on the landline at her desk. “Maybe because you’re rarely here,” she mused as she picked up the handset. “Harris.”
“Chief Harris, this is Sheila.”
Dan’s secretary. Jess despised the idea that Black was using not only Dan’s office, but also his personnel. “Hey, Sheila. I’m sorry, I should have called you about Dan’s father.” She’d promised Dan she would keep everyone at work updated. “He’s out of the woods now and should be able to go home on Wednesday or Thursday.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Sheila sounded immensely relieved. There was a moment of silence before she cleared her throat. “I was calling to ask if you’re available. Chief Black would like to see you for a few moments.”
Jess considered saying she was on her way out the door. She imagined this was why Black had instructed Sheila to call on the department landline. Jess couldn’t say she was out of the office.
“Absolutely. I’ll be right up.”
Jess placed the handset in the cradle and reached for her bag. “I have a meeting with the acting chief of police.” Both Lori and Harper looked unimpressed. “I’ll be back shortly. I hope.”
By the time she reached the door, Harper was right behind her. “I’ll tag along in case Black needs protection.”
“Ha ha,” Jess replied. Actually, Harper wasn’t far off base.
As they strode toward the stairwell, Harper asked, “You think this might have something to do with that selfie of North and Dority?”
“Considering the carrier was able to pinpoint the location as her neighborhood, I suppose it’s possible.”
“The photo has to carry some weight regardless. We know North was working for Spears. We know he killed Henshaw and the three vics in Jackson County—all were shown in those creepy selfies he took. It doesn’t take much of a leap to conclude he killed Dority, too.”
“That’s the only theory that makes any kind of sense,” Jess agreed. “The question is, will the DA or the Grand Jury see it that way?”
“I’m hoping the case won’t make it that far.”
“Me and you both, Sergeant.”
Harper opened the door into the Chief of Police’s suite of offices. Jess remembered the first time she’d walked through these doors after returning to Birmingham. Had it only been a little over two months ago? She’d been nervous about seeing Dan face to face again after so many years, and yet, she’d had no other choice. He’d needed her to help with a case and her career at the Bureau was in the toilet. She’d needed a break. Coming here and helping him had felt like the right thing to do. At the time, she really hadn’t thought of Birmingham as home.
Now, she couldn’t imagine home as anyplace else.
Tara, the receptionist, wasn’t at her desk so Jess and Harper continued on to Sheila’s desk.
“Hey, Sheila.” Jess pushed a smile into place.
Sheila’s smile was wide and genuine. She skirted her desk and gave Jess a hug. As she drew back, her smile fell. “He said you should come on in when you arrive.” She glanced back at Harper. “I think he wants to see you alone.”
Jess winked at Harper. “I brought the Sergeant along to keep you company.”
Sheila giggled. “In that case the next few minutes will be the best part of my day.”
Jess headed into Dan’s office. She absolutely refused to refer to the space as Black’s. Sheila was already offering refreshments to Harper. Jess took a breath and opened the door. Black looked up as she entered.
“Chief Harris, I’m glad you had time to see me.”
Jess took a seat in front of Dan’s desk and set her bag on the floor. “Would you like a personal update on what we found at the Masonic Temple building?”
He held up his hands. “That won’t be necessary. I have Detective Wells’s report and I’ve already been briefed about the findings at the Temple by a member of the advance entry team.”
“So, what can I do for you today?” She did have work to do.
“Harris, I owe you an apology.”
Jess almost asked him to repeat himself.
“I didn’t get the message about the operation at the Argyle Drive house because I was at a doctor’s appointment with my wife. I don’t usually shut off my phone, but I did for that one.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“It’s cancer, Harris. Lung cancer, stage four. The prognosis is not good.”
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. God, what did she say? “I’m really sorry.”
“Funny thing is she’s never smoked a cigarette in her life. Neither have I. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Jess understood. Sometimes life didn’t make sense at all.
“As you’ve probably noticed I haven’t been myself for awhile.”
“Completely understandable,” she assured him.
“I do want to reiterate my concern about what happened at Argyle Drive.”
And here she’d thought he was going to let it go. “I’m listening.”
“Dan is on administrative leave right now. Allowing him to enter a scene, much less to participate in an investigation, is asking for trouble, Harris. I understand he was at the Sloss Furnaces scene as well. I’m certain you’re aware of the proper protocols.”
“The situation at the Argyle Drive house was an unusual one. That said, I do believe Chief Burnett removed himself from the scene as soon as you arrived. As for the Sloss Furnaces scene he was my ride and, frankly, Dan knows the area better than anyone else who was available at the time. His help was needed.”
“Those are all valid points.” Black leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. “I don’t want to sound as if I’m pushing Dan away. I’m only trying to protect him. This isn’t the wild, wild west, Harris. We have laws to follow. Dan is facing enough trouble right now. We both need to do all we can to ensure he steers clear of any other potential issues.”
She couldn’t argue with his reasoning. “I’ll see that it doesn’t happen again.” She stood. “Anything else?”
“I appreciate your support, Harris. We both want Dan back in this office.”
Jess hoped that was true. “I hope you’ll let us know if there’s anything we can do to help, Chief.” The news about his wife was devastating.
“Pray. That’s all we can do now.”
On the way out Jess promised to keep Sheila posted. Once she and Harper were in the stairwell, Jess exhaled a weary breath. “Remind me to start making an effort to be nice to Chief Black.”
Harper laughed. “We should mark this day on the calendar then.”
“Maybe so, Sergeant.”
Once they were back on the third floor, Jess relaxed a little. “Let’s see if Lori found something useful in Henshaw’s phone records.”
Harper opened the door to the SPU office for Jess to enter before him. “Give us something good, Lori.”
“Do I count?”
Jess stalled. “Sylvia.” Was there news about Nina?
Sylvia must have read the question on her face. “No news. I just stopped by to thank you for finding the connection between Spears and Nina. That’s something.”
Jess nodded. “We understand what we’re up against.”
Sylvia bit her lower lip when it trembled. “I know you’ll do all you can.”
“I will.”
“I saw Dan’s father today. He’s doing great.”
“He is. It was a little scary there for a minute, but he’s going to be fine.” Jess was incredibly thankful. She wasn’t sure she could bear it if Dan lost his father at all, much less because of her. Besides, th
eir child needed both of his or her grandparents.
“I have some other news for you,” Sylvia said quietly.
Jess ushered Sylvia to her desk. “The test results are in?”
Sylvia nodded.
Jess felt her knees go a little weak. The questions about her father and who he really was that had come to light last week had shaken Jess and Lily’s worlds. Learning they had a half sister, Amanda Brownfield, had proven another stunner. But Spears hadn’t been through playing games with Jess even then. He’d led her to a twisted taxidermist up in Jackson County who for years had been stealing all sorts of human body parts from a local funeral home. Among his preserved treasures Jess had found a fetus Spears wanted her to believe was taken from her mother after her death.
“Maybe we should sit down,” Sylvia suggested.
“Sure.” Jess leaned against her desk while Sylvia took the chair in front of it. “Was my mother pregnant when she died?”
Sylvia shook her head. “The DNA wasn’t a match. Wherever the fetus came from, it wasn’t from your mother or anyone else genetically connected to you.”
Relief washed over Jess. The idea that the baby might have been removed from her mother by a fiend not unlike Eric Spears had sickened Jess. Still, it had happened to someone. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the FBI were investigating the Brownfield body farm as well as the criminal activity at the funeral home.
“Thank you for letting me know. It gives me hope that if Spears lied about that for the shock value he could be lying about a lot more.”
Sylvia nodded. “We have to stop him, Jess.”
“He’s changing the game, scrambling for purchase. I’m hoping he’ll screw up badly enough to get caught any minute now.”
“Finding three of his hostages alive gives me hope,” Sylvia admitted. “For Nina.”
It gave Jess hope for all of them. She could barely remember what her life was like before Spears. She had made a promise to her child that he or she would never so much as know the name. There was only one way to keep that promise.
