The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller

by Syd Parker

  Rick grabbed another donut and bit into it. “The clinic. What else would there be besides opportunity?”

  “That’s just it. He had opportunity. But there would have been lots of clients in a clinic that size. Why pick those particular women?” Jordan bit her lip in deep thought.

  “I’m following you.” Rebecca sat back down on the edge of the desk and studied the board. “What made them so special?”

  The room was silent until Jordan jumped up and snapped her fingers. “I got it.” She pointed at each one of the victims. “They remind him of someone. Look at how much they all look alike. Long, dark hair, blue eyes. Perfect porcelain skin. They have to look like his ex—wife.”

  “Except…” Matt pointed at two of the women. “They’re blond.”

  “Not naturally.” Jordan pointed at their eyebrows, which were dark in contrast to their lighter hair. “Hundred bucks says they aren’t natural blonds.”

  Rebecca pointed at Rick’s computer. “Find a picture of Stein’s ex—wife. I want to see her.”

  Rick’s fingers flew over the keyboard, and within in minutes, an image popped up on the large monitor in front of them. “Driver’s license okay? It’s all I can pull up on her.”

  No one needed to state the obvious. The likeness was uncanny. The hair, the eyes, way too similar to be coincidence.

  “I think we have our killer.” Rebecca circled Dr. Stein’s name and snapped the lid back on the pen loudly. “What do you say we get a warrant and arrest this bastard?”

  “I don’t know, boss.” Rick cautioned. “What we’ve got is circumstantial at best.”

  “Why you busting my balls, Jonesy?” Rebecca countered. “We’ve got enough to at least bring him in.”

  “I’m busting your balls ‘cause the judge is going to bust your balls. You know I can’t call him up and ask any favors right now. Give me something concrete.”

  “What about the Dawsons?” Jordan ran a hand through her hair. “Think we can get them to issue an official statement? She can corroborate his access to the sperm samples and taking them off clinic property.”

  “True.” Rebecca agreed. “We need them both to give a statement. I want to search the yard too.”

  Rick shook his head. “That guy ain’t doing anything out of the kindness of his heart. It’s going to take a favor.”

  “Money?” Rebecca cocked an eyebrow.

  “Uh—uh.” Rick pulled up his record. “We’re gonna have to wipe this.”

  Rebecca eyed the miscellaneous rap sheet. A couple of misdemeanors for public disorder, one prior for beating the shit out of his wife. “Do it. Just make sure he understands if he touches her again, I’ll fucking castrate him myself.”

  Rick nodded.

  “Jonesy, whatever we need to do, get me that warrant.” Rebecca was still tossing the pen, clearly worked up. She hated being this close and staring at a wall. What they needed to do was figure out a way to get around the wall. “Until then, I want you two on Stein. I want to know where he is at all times, what he’s doing, if he stops to take a piss, I want to know if he puts the seat back down.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” Rick nudged Matt on the arm. “Good old-fashioned stake out. Bet you ain’t done one of those in a while.”

  Rebecca watched them walk away then met Jordan’s questioning gaze. “Go home. Get some rest. Tomorrow we’re going to find out why Dr. Mercer lied to us.”

  Jordan looked crestfallen. For the past month, they hadn’t spent a night apart. Tonight, despite the fact that Rebecca had moved past her doubts, Jordan was getting banished to a night alone. “Fine. See ya tomorrow, boss.”

  Rebecca’s heart went out to Jordan. It wasn’t her fault Rebecca was having trouble looking past the obvious connection with Dr. Mercer. She just didn’t trust the woman and was having a hard time believing nothing had happened. Tonight, she needed some space. She needed to re-evaluate where their relationship was going. What she needed most was a clear head to focus on the case.

  She watched Jordan leave and wondered again if she had made the right choice, and if she would ever be able to let go of the job enough to let herself love without reserve.

  Chapter 20

  Jordan punched the bag angrily, taking her mounting frustration out on the vinyl and stuffing. She felt sweat start to bead on her brow and run down the side of her face. Good, she thought. Maybe I can sweat the hurt out. Every punch landed with a thud, and she punched until there was nothing left inside to let go of.

  She saw Rebecca’s flaming red hair and brilliant emerald eyes looking longingly at her. She could almost taste her creamy-white skin, and an involuntary shudder coursed through her veins. She couldn’t fault Rebecca for her choice to push her away. Jordan had been mostly honest with her sexual history, and she knew she came across as a player. Maybe it was Rebecca’s one last attempt to protect herself from getting hurt, but maybe it was just what Rebecca had told her. She needed space to think.

  There was some truth to that. Love had a way of being distracting, and even though they hadn’t gotten to that point yet, lust was just as bad sometimes, maybe worse. Jordan was probably just as distracted, but she hadn’t had to face it…until that night. The night when they knew that Richard Hudson wasn’t the killer. Still, even with acknowledging there was some truth to Rebecca’s request, it didn’t make it hurt any less.

  “Hey, kiddo, you keep attacking that poor soul like that, there ain’t gonna be a bag left for the next guy.”

  Jordan looked up and found Tony grinning at her. “Hey, Woz. Long day and an even longer couple of months.”

  “Yeah, I heard somewhere you might be working that Cradle Killer case on the side.” There was no doubt Tony had heard it straight from a source at the FBI. He may have been retired, but he was still as connected as he had been twenty years ago. “Hell of a mix up with that Hudson fellow.”

  Jordan growled at the mention of his name. “Damn waste of manpower and money and the SOB responsible is still on the street.”

  “You getting any closer to catching the real guy?” Tony nearly missed her eyebrow cock slightly, and he smiled. “So you are, eh? That’s good.”

  “I didn’t say that.” She walked by and punched him in the arm. “Buy me a drink and I’ll give you some what if’s.”

  Tony chuckled loudly. He still believed he was one of the guys, and Jordan knew that anything she shared with him would stay between them. “Shower first, would ya? I can’t have the boys at the bar thinking I’m losing my touch with the ladies. I walk in with you smelling like that, and they’ll have my balls in a jar.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Jordan’s voice trailed off as she rounded the corner and out of sight.

  Tony walked up to the bag and rubbed his calloused hands along the shiny vinyl. He smiled and shook his head. A lot of hours had been spent in this gym working on cases, getting rid of stress. Apparently, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree with Jordan. He may not have been her real father, but he had more influence on who she was today than that sorry son—of—a—bitch that was half of her DNA.

  He took a step back and made a fist, tapping the bag lightly with a satisfying thud. He heard the chain rattle and he grabbed the bag and steadied it once more. He pivoted and started to walk away before stopping and executing a perfect roundhouse kick to the middle of the bag. His pleased chuckle echoed off the walls. “Still got it.”

  “Talking to yourself again, old man?” Jordan teased. “Let’s get out of here before someone hears you and has you committed.”

  Ten minutes later, they were seated at a small table in the back corner at Frank’s. Jordan had caught the pool table out of the corner of her eye, and her mind flashed back to the night she had played Rebecca the first time. She hadn’t realized it at the time, but Rebecca was feeling just as much sexual tension as she had.

  Since that night, they had been back several times, and it never failed. The competition between them fueled their sexual tension, but now when
it was almost too much, Jordan had only to give Rebecca a look, and they would be in bed minutes later making love. Not tonight. She breathed a loud sigh that wasn’t lost on Tony.

  “What’s up, kiddo?” His eyes had lost the teasing sparkle that normally took up residence there, and he looked genuinely concerned. “More than the job I’d say.”

  Jordan took a long swig of her Corona and leaned back in her chair, her face breaking into a weary smile. “How come you never settled down?”

  An uncomfortable laugh answered her question. “Well, I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that question. What’s got you wondering that?”

  “Women.” Jordan blew out an exasperated breath.

  “Women…or woman?”

  Jordan pulled at the label on her beer. “Woman, I guess.”

  ‘That’s why I never settled down.”

  “I don’t get it.” Jordan’s brow furrowed. “What’s why you didn’t settle down?”

  Tony leaned over the table, his chin resting on his laced fingers. “Look at yourself. A mess over some chick. I never wanted to be that way. Man, it’s easier to keep it simple.”

  “Didn’t you ever want more?” Jordan pressed.

  He shrugged, but Jordan saw a cloud pass over his face before his happy—go—lucky smile replaced it. “Nah, not really.”

  “You lying sack of shit. What’s her name?” Jordan grinned widely, already chomping at the bit. In all the years she had known Tony, he hadn’t seen the same woman more than once or twice and usually had more than one at a time.

  Tony rubbed his meaty hands over his face and sighed loudly. “You know what, kid, you really know how to get to the old man, don’t ya?”

  Jordan smiled ruefully. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father. I just wondered why you never got married.”

  “I was in love once.” He confessed. “Back before I met you. We were running point on a big art theft ring that was hitting the art museum, and the mastermind behind it was a woman who actually worked at the museum. It was my job to know everything about her. You can’t get that close to someone and not learn a little bit about them in the process.”

  “You fell for an art thief?” Jordan asked incredulously.

  Tony smiled ruefully. “Can’t help who you fall in love with. It took three years to get enough on them to take them down. By the time that it was all said and done, I had long since fallen for her.”

  “How on earth does that happen?” Jordan’s voice reverberated with disbelief.

  Tony shrugged. “I was undercover. I probably took the case a little too personally. I ended up asking her out. Figured that was the only way to get close enough to find out how she was setting up the thefts.”

  “She fell for your cover?”

  “Fell for it and fell for me. In the end, my boss was worried I got too close. The only way to prove my loyalty was to take her down myself. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

  “Unbelievable.” Jordan shook her head. “You could have disappeared with her.”

  “And done what?” Tony searched Jordan’s eyes. “As regimented as it was, this was the only life I had ever known, the only city I had ever lived in. I didn’t see myself hiding out in some remote island in the Caribbean for the rest of my life. I like people too much.”

  “Wow.” Jordan downed her beer. “You never cease to amaze me. So, how did it end?”

  He shook his head as his voice trailed off, a faraway look in his eyes. “She got fifteen years in a federal penitentiary, and I got a lifetime of memories. I poured myself into my work, and a couple of years later, I met the only person I ever loved more than myself.”

  He didn’t say who it was, but Jordan could tell from the softening of his eyes and the fatherly smile he bestowed on her that she was that someone.

  “I suddenly had someone to focus my energy on, someone who needed my undivided attention.”

  “Hey!” Jordan took a playful swipe at his arm. “I wasn’t that bad.”

  “Kiddo, when I found you, you were one arrest shy of juvie. I saved your ass, and you know it.” He patted her hand. “In a way, you saved mine. You stopped me from going off the deep end.”

  He nodded at her empty bottle. “You want another?”

  She shook her head. “Yeah, got more I need to talk to you about. Let’s call this a night of fatherly advice.”

  Tony stood up with a chuckle. “Maybe I better get us a couple of shots too. Sounds like this could be a long night.”

  When he returned, Jordan thanked him with her eyes. They tapped glasses and downed shots of half-decent tequila. She felt the heat go all the way down to her stomach and light a pleasant tingling from deep within. She met his questioning gaze and wrung her hands nervously.

  “Come on, kiddo, spit it out. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.” Tony smiled the same warm smile she had seen a hundred times before. “Lay it on your old man.”

  “I’m in love with Rebecca.” Jordan almost spit the words out for fear she wouldn’t have the courage to say them after all.

  “The red—headed bird, right?” Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “She’s a looker alright. So, what’s the problem?”

  “Well, as of this morning, she may not even like me.” The pain etched in Jordan’s features was evident, even to Tony. Somewhere between walking into Rebecca’s office and waking up with her this morning, Jordan had fallen in love with her. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, but now, before she had even had a chance to tell Rebecca how she felt, she was seeing the end of their relationship.

  “What’s not to like?” Tony wrinkled his brow in confusion. “You got a great job, stellar personality, and if I do say so myself, good looks like your old man. That broad is crazy if she isn’t half in love with you already.”

  “Thanks, Woz.” Jordan smiled. “I wish it were that easy. The crazy thing is I didn’t even do anything to mess it up. She says I distract her. That she needs space. She can’t concentrate enough to do her job.”

  Tony chuckled softly. “You distract her? Well, kiddo, that’s sign enough that she loves you. She wouldn’t have any trouble working if you meant nothing to her.”

  A hint of a smile worked its way onto Jordan’s face. “You think so?”

  “I know so.” Tony smiled cryptically. “I know, because that’s what nearly blew it for me. Love almost messed my life up, and at the time, I would have let it. Hell, looking back, there are times I think I made the wrong choice. However, you, you’re different. I always knew you were meant for more.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He pointed at her chest. “’Cause that’s too big.”

  “My boob is too big?” Jordan laughed. “Woz, I don’t know if you need glasses or not, but 34A isn’t exactly big.”

  Tony reddened slightly. “I meant your heart, kiddo. People like you need love. You long for it.” He saw her open her mouth to protest. “Oh I know, you have spent your life running because you thought love was bad, but all you really wanted was to find it.”

  “And now that I have found it, I’m about to lose it.” Jordan’s head hung low. The effect of the alcohol was making her totally bummed out and feeling sorry for herself. “Now do you see why I avoided it like the plague? I was right all those years. Love does suck.”

  Tony shook his head. He recognized the despondency he had seen in his own eyes all those years ago. He grabbed her chin in between his thumb and forefinger, and forced her eyes up to meet his. “Don’t go getting all girly on me. Don’t let that broad flip you inside out. That kind of thinking isn’t going to do you a damn bit of good. You need to find a way to remind her why she fell in love with you in the first place. Odds are she’s going to realize not being with you is more distracting than loving you ever could be.”

  Jordan swallowed her beer and gave his words some silent thought. “You think so?”

  “I know so. You want to do something good for yourself? Do whatever it takes to show
this girl you love her. If you need to, be an ass. Show her how distracting you can be when it matters. I gave up on my chance, and this is what you get, a man who barely learns a broad’s name before I sleep with her. In this case, don’t try to follow in your old man’s footsteps. It’s a long, lonely road.”

  Jordan searched his eyes. “Who knew? Somewhere inside your devil-may-care exterior, is a heart.”

  Tony growled softly. “Don’t you dare let that out. I got a rep to protect.”

  Jordan laughed. “So, you think she’ll fall for it?”

  “If you’re anything like me, she won’t be able to forget you.” Tony wriggled his eyebrows. “One night with The Woz and the ladies always beg for more.”

  “Did you seriously just call yourself The Woz?” Jordan punched Tony in the arm. “I don’t know why I thought I could get sane advice from you.” Her tone was light, and she knew her teasing would only egg him on. If anyone had an ego bigger than hers, it was Tony, and he thought he was God’s gift to women. No amount of razzing from Jordan was going to change that.

  “Best advice you’re gonna get.” His smiling eyes turned serious. “Take it for what it’s worth, kiddo. Don’t fuck it up like me. Even a man with a warm body in his bed every night gets lonely.”

  Jordan nodded. Unfortunately, the ache in her chest was telling her that the words he spoke were true, and if she didn’t do something to change it, she was going to end up walking down the same road he had walked before her.

  Chapter 21

  “What we’re interested in, Dr. Mercer, is why you chose to lie to us about the altercation between Dr. Stein and Richard Hudson?” Rebecca’s gaze bore into Meghan, daring her to lie again.

  Meghan pulled her glasses off and set them on her desk. She didn’t like this line of questioning. She didn’t like that Detective Foxx was sitting in her office grilling her again. She felt anger well up inside her. She had been the director for three years now, ever since Dr. Stein had been forcibly retired, and it seemed like she was still cleaning up his messes. “It wasn’t an altercation per se, and I didn’t feel that it had a bearing on the case. It was Richard Hudson that was wronged, not Dr. Stein.”