by Jenna Byrnes
“Not since yesterday. He sounded fine then. What’s wrong? I hate to think of his being sick.”
“Just a cold and cough, I think. I’m sure it’s nothing. I was just worried about him is all.”
“You’re such a good friend to him, Bryan. Thanks for checking up. You might call Howard, maybe he went to his house for a while. Do you have his number?”
“No, could you give it to me please?”
Dix pulled a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down the number she gave.
“Can you remind me of Howard’s address, please? I know it’s over in Raytown somewhere.”
“Yes.” She told him the address and Dix jotted it down.
“Thanks, Rae. Good to talk to you. Give your mother a hug from me.”
“I will. Good night, Bryan.”
He ended the call and stared at Dix. “I’m getting a funny feeling about this.”
“Welcome to the club. Let’s get over there before Mom calls Howard and lets him know we’re coming.”
“She wouldn’t do that.”
Dix gazed at him sceptically.
“Okay, how the hell do I know what anyone would do anymore? Let’s go.”
He drove quickly to the small, even dingier house than the parents lived in. “I don’t see Galen’s car. He drives a silver Mercury. About twenty years old.”
Dix followed Bryan to the front porch. Once again Bryan rang the front bell, then knocked.
A pudgy man with a badly receding hairline and fringes of light brown hair around his ears answered the door.
“Hey, Howard. How’s it going?” Bryan glanced over the man’s shoulder nervously.
“Hey, Bryan. It’s okay. I’m in the middle of a Star Trek marathon, actually.”
“Cool. This is my friend James. We were looking for your father, heard he was feeling sick. Have you seen him?”
“Nope. Haven’t talked to him.” Howard fidgeted from one foot to the other.
“Can we come in for a minute?” Dix asked, pushing his way forward.
“Um, I was just getting ready to eat dinner. And like I said, I’m watching movies right now. The Wrath of Khan is on. It’s almost to my favourite part.”
Dix pressed Howard lightly in the chest to back him up. “Go ahead and pause it, if you like. We might be a few minutes.” He stepped inside and glanced around.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Looking for your dad,” Bryan followed Dix in. “I talked with your mom. She thought he might be here.”
“No, I told you I haven’t seen him.” He glanced back and forth between the men, unable to watch both of them at once.
The house smelt like cheese and something sour Dix didn’t want to identify. It was messy, but something on the coffee table caught his eye. Sticking out from under the edge of a video game magazine, he spotted a photo and got a glimpse of blonde hair. He grabbed the picture and discovered it was a shot of Sami. A recent shot. “What’s this, Howard?”
“Hey, you can’t go through my stuff!” Howard grabbed for the photo, but Dix pulled it back.
“I wasn’t going through anything, it was lying right out there in the open.” He picked up the magazines and found four more photos of Sami and other blonde women. He scrutinised them carefully, but none were photos of their murder victims. “What do we have here?”
“Those are none of your business!” Howard dived for him.
Dix sidestepped and the heavier man tripped and landed on the sofa. While Howard was still down, Dix turned to Bryan and offered the photos.
Bryan’s face reddened. “Son of a bitch! Where is she, you little bastard?” He took three giant steps and was over Howard, grabbing him by the collar.
“What? Who?”
“You know who! Where’s my daughter?” Bryan balled up a fist and drew back.
Dix grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Bryan, no. This isn’t the way. Let me take him to the station and interrogate him there.”
Fury blazed in Bryan’s eyes. It took a moment before he relaxed and dropped his arm. “Okay. But we need to check this place to make sure she’s not here.”
“You’re right.” Dix reached behind him and pulled out handcuffs. “Sit up, Howard. I’m cuffing you for your own protection. He won’t clobber you if you’re restrained.”
“Why do you have those? Who are you?” Howard blubbered.
“Oh, sorry.” Dix showed his badge. “I’m a detective with the KCPD. And you’re going in for questioning on the disappearance of Sami Scott.” He worked Howard’s hands behind him and cuffed them together.
Howard shot scathing looks but didn’t say another word.
Dix looked at him. That speaks volumes. He recalled Adam jabbering the whole time about how innocent he was. Innocent people are scared. Guilty people are wily, and tend to clam up.
“Keep an eye on him,” Dix said to Bryan. “I’ll call for a patrol car and search the house.”
“I want to search the house too!” Bryan’s frustration was showing.
“Then go through the police academy and get a badge. Until then, you’re my lookout.”
“Whatever.” Resigned, Bryan folded his arms and stared at Howard.
Dix made his calls then moved warily though the house in case they weren’t alone. There were no signs of other people, no basement and no more evidence at first inspection.
The patrol car arrived and Dix turned Howard over to the officers. Peyton and his partner Laura Evans showed up, and he left them to continue searching the premises. He hated to call Mac after hours unless something truly broke open. Then he wouldn’t hesitate.
They watched the patrol car leave and he told Bryan, “Take me to the station so I can question him, please? My car is there so you can just drop me off.” They got in.
Bryan spoke as he drove. “Where the hell am I supposed to go? What do you think I’m going to do?”
“I’m sorry, babe. There’s just no reason for you to be at the station. I can’t let you witness the interrogation. You’d have to hang out in the waiting area. I figured you’d rather go be with Adam or Kayla.”
“I don’t want to be with anyone but you. You’re going to find Sami. I need to stay with you.”
“I’m going to try.” He reached over and squeezed Bryan’s knee.
Bryan glanced in his rear-view mirror and changed lanes. “It’s times like this when I wish I still smoked.”
Dix chuckled. “I know the feeling. I quit when I joined the force at twenty-one. How about you?”
Bryan smiled. “When Kayla was born. At twenty-one.”
Dix eyed him affectionately. We have so much in common. He recalled something from the night before and said, “Did you know Sami smokes?”
“No!” Bryan almost drove off the road. “Why do you think she does?”
“Galen mentioned it last night. Adam slipped outside for a cigarette after dinner. I casually mentioned that I didn’t know he smoked. Galen said Sami does, too. She goes out to smoke with Adam when he makes his deliveries.”
“Well I’ll be. That’s news to me.”
“Not sure it’s relevant, but curious. I never smelled smoke on her.”
“Me either. That’s why I wonder if she really does, or if he was just stirring the pot.”
Dix raised his brows. “So you agree maybe Galen wasn’t being the nicest guy last night?”
Bryan sighed. “Yeah, I do. I didn’t want to see it then. Now, it keeps jumping out at me. I wish I could figure out what the hell is going on.”
“Give me some time.” Dix squeezed his knee again. “We’re working on it.”
* * * *
He left Bryan in the waiting area and went to the hallway outside the interrogation room.
Alvarez was there, studying Howard through the window. “You like this guy for the murders?” The captain cut straight to the chase.
“Not sure. Right now we’ve got a missing girl with blonde hair and a ponytail. Howard Scott is
Samantha’s cousin once or twice removed, not sure about that. Anyway, a few years ago, Howard had a thing for Sami. Their parents found a scrapbook he made full of her photos. She was a minor at that time. She’s twenty-one now, and while the family thought his obsession was over, we’re not so sure it is.” He pulled the photos from his pocket. “These were found on Howard’s coffee table. I don’t know the other women, but this is Sami Scott.”
The captain handled the photos by the edges and dropped them into plastic evidence bags. “Peyton just checked in. He found more pictures of blonde haired women on Howard’s computer. Some of them pretty nasty, and some of them not fully grown women. Glad we got that search warrant.”
Dix frowned. “Ugh. So he’s a paedophile, we know that much. Our serial killer goes for adults. We’ll have to keep digging to make this fit.”
“Talk to him. See what he knows. He’s sweating pretty good already. Might not take much to scare him.”
Dix loosened his tie and glanced over his shoulder as he headed for the room. “He’s pissed to begin with. We had to pull him away from a Star Trek marathon.”
“Which movie?”
“The Wrath of Khan.”
“I’d be pissed too. That was the best one.”
“The Voyage Home was pretty good.”
“With the whales?” Alvarez smiled.
“Yeah.” Dix chuckled. He took a breath then went in. The small talk gave him a chance to clear his head before interrogating a suspect. It was tricky business, and he needed to be sharp. He closed the door and sat. “Hello, Howard.”
“What am I doing here? I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“If you tell us where Samantha Scott is, we can see about getting you out of here.”
“I don’t know where she is. I haven’t seen her in forever.” He looked around the small room. “I’m hungry.”
Dix ignored the comment. “The picture on your coffee table was pretty recent. Did you take that one, or did someone else?”
Howard set his jaw.
“It was a good shot. She wasn’t wearing a coat so it had to be within the past couple weeks, since it warmed up. Where was she at, Howard? Did you follow her on campus, or to work maybe?”
“I didn’t follow her anywhere.”
“Who did? Who’s the photographer? I might want to use him to get some pictures taken.”
Howard stared at him.
Dix slapped his hands on the table between them. “Okay, then, if you don’t want to talk, I’m going to get out of here. It’s getting late, and I’m ready for dinner. Think I’ll have a nice, juicy steak and a baked potato. I wonder what’s on the menu in jail tonight?” He checked his watch. “Oops, you’ve missed dinner. You might get a snack, some graham crackers and juice. Breakfast comes at eight.”
“Jail? Why would I go to jail? I haven’t done anything! I told you, I haven’t seen Sami.”
“Yeah, you told me, but I’m not sure I believe you. You had her pictures. You also had photos of a lot of other women—and girls—on your computer. Some of them weren’t very nice. Or legal. Child pornography is against the law, Howard.” He stood and leant down to the man. “Don’t worry, though. You’ll get along fine in jail as long as no one knows you’re in there for kiddie porn. Funny, the worst criminals, the most murderous biker thugs and gang members, for some reason they don’t like guys who prey on children. They’ll rough you up pretty bad when they find out what you’re there for.”
“I didn’t do anything! That stuff doesn’t belong to me! I swear it.”
Dix slapped the table again. “It’s on your computer! Who would you let keep shit like that on your computer?” It dawned on him at that moment, and he saw in Howard’s eyes that they both knew. “Oh, my God. Those pictures belong to your father, don’t they?”
Howard set his jaw again. “I’m not saying another word.”
“Your dad couldn’t keep stuff like that at home because your mother would find it. So he used your computer, and your house, to look at his filth. Was he the one who took the pictures? The scrapbook of Sami from five years ago—was that your father’s, Howard?”
His face fell. “He made me take the blame. I didn’t want to do it. Everyone looked at me funny. Everyone except Sami. It was almost like she knew I didn’t do it.”
Dix studied him, taking it all in. Sami hadn’t been too hard on Howard the night before. Perhaps somehow she did know. “So your father made you take the blame back then. Tell me, Howard. What do you think would have happened if Sami’s mother had called the police like she wanted to? Do you think your dad would have spoken up, or would he have continued to allow you to take the punishment that was rightfully his?”
Tears formed in the man’s eyes.
“Yeah, pretty much what I thought. And what about now? Is your father here to bail you out? Or do you think he’s going to allow you to take the heat this time, too?”
“I can’t go to jail,” Howard blubbered, tears falling freely now. “I’d never survive.”
“It’d be hell, that’s for damn sure. You’d be someone different’s bitch every night. I hope you’re up for that, Howard.”
Something flashed in the man’s eyes. “My father has a thing for Sami. He has for years. He was trying to get her out of his system by dating other women that kinda look like her, but it didn’t work. He wanted her worse than ever.”
“Dating other women? Is that what he calls raping and murdering them?”
Howard’s jaw slacked open. “He did that?”
“We think so.” Dix heard a knock at the door and went to open it.
Alvarez met him. “We got a DNA match from the Howard’s house to the fourth vic, Stephanie Marcus. A hair. A greasy black hair.”
Dix blinked. Howard’s hair, what was left of it, was short and light brown. “Galen.”
Alvarez nodded.
“Fuck me,” Dix muttered. It felt good to have a match. It felt lousy that the match belonged to Bryan’s cousin. He sighed and returned to Howard.
“Well, buddy, we just matched some DNA evidence to a strand of hair found in your house. A black hair.”
Howard’s eyes widened.
“We know it wasn’t you, Howard. Your father’s the man we’re after. Tell us where he is, and we might be able to get you out of here tonight.”
“To jail?”
“No, home. If you’re telling the truth, and all the evidence belongs to your dad, we can probably let you go. But you have to help us. Where is he?”
Howard chewed his lip nervously.
“I think you know where he might be. He’s not at home, and he’s not at your place. Where would he go? Where would he take Sami if he had her?”
“If I tell you, you won’t find a way to spin it and send me to jail, will you?”
“Not if you had no part in the crimes. If you were part of them, then all deals are off.”
“I had no part of any of it! I swear to you, I didn’t know he was killing anyone. He told me he was dating them.”
Dix frowned. “He’s a married man. You thought that was normal behaviour?”
Howard shrugged. “He’s my dad. I figured he knew what he was doing.”
“Yeah, I can see that. So do you have an idea where he might be?”
“Yes.” Howard nodded slowly. “We have a hunting cabin out by the lake.”
Dix’s heart leapt. “Of course you do. You think he might be there?”
He nodded again.
“Does Bryan know where this cabin is?”
“He’s been there plenty of times. He should.”
“Thank you, Howard!” Dix raced from the room.
“Can I get some Burger King?” Howard called after him.
Alvarez was already talking to Bryan. He told Dix, “Let him drive, so you can text Mac and me with the coordinates. When you get there, wait for us. I mean this with every fibre of my being. If you so much as set foot in that cabin, Scott, I’ll have you arrested for obstructin
g justice and everything else I can think of.”
“I hear you.” Bryan grinned, and they headed for the door.
Dix called back over his shoulder, “Have someone get Howard some Burger King, will you? I’d say he’s earned it.”
The drive to the cabin took twenty-five minutes. Dix texted Mac and Alvarez the location and Mac replied they were about ten minutes behind with a squad of SWAT team members and police.
Bryan pulled off the road by the long driveway and turned off the car.
They crept towards the cabin. “Lights are on,” Dix observed.
“I’m going to kill the son of a bitch. I took care of him, I championed him, gave him a job and every courtesy my family had to offer. If he’s harmed one hair on my daughter’s head, I will fucking kill him.”
Dix grabbed Bryan around the waist. “No, you will not. We have orders to wait for backup. I have to follow orders.”
“You may have to, but I don’t. That’s my daughter in there, Dix. I can’t sit here and twiddle my thumbs.”
“You can, or I’ll handcuff you to that tree over there. I’m as worried about Sami as you are, babe. She’s very important to me. But I won’t lose you. If you go in there and do something stupid, you’ll go to prison. I’m not going to let that happen. I love you, remember?”
Bryan tensed and paced. “I know, damn it. I just don’t know what’s going to happen if I find out he’s—hurt her. I might lose it, Dix. I really might.”
“Then we’re staying right here. I won’t take the chance of losing you. Mac and the captain will be here any minute.” He wrapped his arms around Bryan and they held each other until the crackling noise on the drive indicated the others had arrived. When SWAT team members began creeping forward, Dix handed Bryan off to one of them. “This is the girl’s father. He needs to stay back. Far back.”
“Roger, sir.” The agent took Bryan by the arm and led him away.
Bryan locked gazed with Dix. “Love you,” he mouthed.
Dix nodded and put on the bullet-proof vest that Mac handed him. “Seen anything?”
“Nope. I’ve been busy trying to keep Bryan from killing the ass-wipe.”
“I pray to God she’s okay,” Mac muttered, securing his vest.
“I’ve been doing a lot of that myself. I just hope we’re not too late. It’d kill me to know we’ve been out here waiting when we should have gone in.”
