by Scott Pratt
“I’ll be over in about an hour. Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
“See you soon.”
He packed a bag of clothes and some items that would be needed for the next day’s activities. The plan had been in the works for months, and now that the time was near, he felt both relieved and excited.
Chapter Four
Brooke kept stride with Lukas as they walked up the rear steps of the Johnson City Police Department headquarters just after midnight. She hoped her five-year-old daughter hadn’t worried when she didn’t call her to say good night. Lately, Sierra had been clingier than usual. The child hadn’t yet reached the stage where moms were an embarrassment, thank goodness. Brooke hoped it wasn’t something at daycare, like being bullied by a classmate or some other school related issue. It was hard not to worry, but Brooke had tried to teach Sierra to be strong.
Lukas pulled Brooke’s attention back to the present. He was waiting. He had opened the rear door that led to the Criminal Investigation unit and was holding it for her. Nice, but not necessary.
Brooke walked through the door and a welcome rush of warmth greeted her. It felt good on her chilled skin. She gazed around. Impressive. The structure was new, state of the art. It even smelled new, as though plastic had just been pulled off everything.
The place was nothing like what she was used to in Kingsport. The coffee was usually as thick as hops, and the chairs were all held together with duct tape.
The inviting smell of freshly-brewed coffee made her start looking around for a Styrofoam cup. But that would have to wait. She was immediately directed down the hall to Lukas’s squad room. The room held eight desks. Each had its own cubicle. The names of the detectives were etched on brass plates and displayed on the outside panels. On each desk was a standard computer and monitor, along with various awards, family pictures and coffee cups. Each desktop told at least a small part of its occupant’s life story. The room itself was large, bland, practical, serviceable, and efficient.
Lukas walked over to a coat rack in the corner and took off his thin jacket that had the word POLICE embroidered in white across the back. Brooke noticed Lukas’s build for the first time. His department-issued polo covered muscles that were well-defined. She looked away quickly. There was no way she was going to let him catch her checking him out.
Lukas came back a short time later with two steaming mugs that had the Johnson City Police Department logo and badge on either side. He set one down in front of her, a gesture she genuinely appreciated. The coffee was as good as it smelled. She sipped slowly, letting the heat warm her from the inside out. Her eyes were drawn to the large TV monitor on the wall adjacent to the entrance that had video feed of four separate interview and interrogation rooms. Three of the rooms were empty. The fourth contained a petite, white female with auburn hair and fair skin seated at a table. In front of her sat a can of Pepsi. She was dressed like a prostitute.
Lukas walked over and adjusted the volume on the monitor just as a uniformed officer walked into the room.
“Detective Miller?”
“Yes?”
“We were asked to round up any witnesses we could find, and I located her about three blocks from the library,” he said, pointing toward the monitor. “I asked her to come down to headquarters. I thought she might have some information on our victim since there aren’t that many hookers in town. I mean, it’s a pretty small circle, right? But the thing is, when I asked her if she had any contraband or drugs on her, she pulled out a small bag of weed. I’ll have a charge on her when you’re done, but I wanted to let you have a run at her first in case she gets hinky when I tell her about the charge.”
“Okay, let me talk to her first, and we’ll see where we go from there.”
“You want me to start the arrest report?”
“No, hold off until I see what she has to say.”
“Okay.”
Lukas turned back to Brooke. “Be right back.”
“Want me in there?” She started to move.
“I think she’ll be more likely to talk to me. I know her.” He pointed to the monitor. “You can see it all here anyway.”
Lukas walked out with the uniformed officer. Brooke turned her attention to the monitor and saw Lukas enter the interrogation room. She was surprised when the girl jumped up and hugged him.
The audio feed came through clearly.
“Lukas, I’m so glad to see you!”
“Hey, Razzy. How have you been?”
“Oh, you know, getting by.” The woman fiddled with one of her many zippers and put a hand on Lukas’s shoulder in a familiar gesture. “Lukas, I did exactly like you told me. When that cop asked me if I had drugs, I just told him the truth. I already told him I’d come down to the station with him. He didn’t have to handcuff me. I ain’t never been a problem, have I?”
“No, but he has rules he has to follow. Don’t be mad at him, okay?”
“Is he going to charge me for the dope? I told the truth.” More agitated flipping with her zipper.
Lukas motioned for the woman to sit and pulled out the chair across from her.
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, I need you to know there’s been another murder, and I want to ask you about Jamika again. I know we discussed it before, but I wanted to ask you again if you’ve heard anyone talking. Have you heard about anyone seeing anything suspicious or out of the ordinary?”
The girl seemed to be thinking. Brooke was startled by a buzzing sound on the table and looked down instinctively. She saw Lukas’s phone light up as a call came in from someone named Gabriele. Brooke returned her attention to the monitor. The girl seemed in deep thought. Her hands stopped fiddling with the zipper, and a mournful look came over her face.
“I heard some of the girls talking earlier tonight, and they said that something happened at the library. They said they thought it may be another one of us.” She was becoming upset. “Was it, Lukas? One of the girls?”
“We don’t know yet, but maybe. That’s why I need your help. That’s why it’s important to think about anything you may have heard or seen.”
“The girls don’t talk about it. They’re all scared to death.”
Brooke thought about the irony of her comment. Scared to death. They better be.
“I need you to think hard, Razzy,” Lukas said.
“I do remember someone – and I don’t remember who – was talking about a red car that has been seen creeping around. Nobody knows the dude, so they stay away from him.”
“Do they know anything about him? Race, what he looks like, anything?”
“If they did, they didn’t say. Lukas, you have to promise me you’ll stop this guy.” She began to cry softly. Her hands were trembling. “If you don’t, it looks like he’s gonna kill us all.”
Lukas reached out and touched her hand.
“I will, Razzy,” he said. “I promise.”
Lukas removed his hand from Razzy’s. He walked out of the interrogation room and back to the squad room.
“Really?” he said to Brooke. “A red car? That’s all we have after four homicides? A red car?” Lukas started pacing. His hands went to his temples.
“It’s more than we had an hour ago,” Brooke said calmly.
Lukas looked like he was about to respond when Captain Hunter came into the room.
Hunter nodded to them both. “I watched the interview, and I’ll get the information out to everyone about the red car. We’ll charge her for the drugs and let her sit in jail for a while. That’ll give her some time to think things over. Maybe she’ll change her mind about what she’s seen or heard.”
“She won’t change her mind, Captain,” Lukas said.
“Really? How can you be sure?”
“She doesn’t know anything else. She would have
told me. And I don’t want her charged.”
“Why not?”
“She’s a good informant. I’ve solved cases based on her information in the past, and right now, we need all the help we can get. Besides, it was just a little weed.”
“Captain, I know I really don’t have standing here, but for what it’s worth, I agree with Lukas.” Brooke noticed a surprised look on Lukas’s face.
“Glad to see you two are already on a first-name basis,” Captain Hunter said. “Okay, fine, we won’t charge her, but let’s try not to stray too far from the rules.” Hunter turned on his heel and stalked out of squad room toward his office.
Lukas nodded at Brooke. “Thanks for the backup.”
“No problem. I just happen to think you’re right. That’s all.”
“I hope so. I’ll need to take her home. Want to ride along?”
“Sure.”
The three left the station and rode in silence for the most part. Lukas engaged in some small talk which seemed to lighten the somber mood a bit. He swung in to a local burger joint and bought food for Razzy and her son, Timmy.
When they arrived at the rundown apartment complex that Razzy called home, Lukas gave Razzy the food and squeezed her hand. “Tell the little man I said hello.”
“I will. Thanks for the food. And remember, Lukas, that freebie is a standing offer.”
She laughed as she got out of the car and winked at Brooke. Lukas smiled, nodded, and drove off as soon as the apartment door closed.
On the way back to the station, Brooke was the one to break the silence. “Captain Hunter mentioned you were in special operations in the military. Which branch?”
“Air Force, pararescue. I served for six years.”
“I saw a documentary on them on TV a month or so ago. That looks like tough training.”
“It was. You have to like water to get through it. How about you? Any military?”
“Nope. I went to college, majored in criminal justice, and here I am doing what I’ve always wanted to do. But no matter how many classes you go through, or how many mocked up scenes you work, you’re never really prepared for cases like this, are you?
“I guess not.”
“Well, that’s where we are right now.” The conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of Lukas’s cell phone.
“I’m sorry, Gabby,” Lukas said. “I got caught up in a case. I know. Look, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Okay. Well, I’ll call you in the morning then.”
Lukas hit the end button on the cell phone as they pulled into the station. He was clearly irritated, and it was still in his voice as he turned to Brooke. “I guess we stay in touch with each other with updates on the cases, right?”
“Sure.” She handed Lukas her card with her contact information and took his in exchange. “I’ll be in touch if anything breaks on my end.”
Brooke got out of the car and watched Lukas drive off. She could tell the man was tired. The murders were starting to wear on him. The two she was working had certainly worn her down. She thought about the red car Razzy had mentioned. It wasn’t much of a lead, but she would get the information out to her people anyway.
She’d gotten a good look at how Miller’s squad was handling the murders and wasn’t surprised to see it was much the same as hers. Brooke knew there was something she’d missed, something that would break the case, but she was unsure what to do or where to go next. She’d never had a case like this and it was apparent she would need to raise her game to get this maniac stopped. This was the most pressure she’d experienced in her brief law enforcement career. And it didn’t help that she was a woman in a profession dominated by men. She felt as though she had to prove herself continuously.
She’d been under the microscope from day one. Her father, John Stevens, had been a highly-decorated and successful police officer and detective who had retired with over thirty-five years of service. She was a chip off the old block. She and her father both expected her to follow in his footsteps. So far, she’d excelled at the job. She solved some tough cases, earned some nice awards. She’d heard the nickname “supercop” that the guys were tossing around. She hated it, but she hated this case even more. It was slowly chipping away at her confidence, and it could very quickly undermine the respect she’d worked so hard to earn.
Her thoughts turned to her daughter. Brooke hoped these murders would be solved soon, because she hated spending so much time away from her little girl. Her ex-husband was keeping Sierra this weekend, so at least she didn’t have to worry about shuffling her around with all the extra hours she’d be working. It was hard being a single mom under the best of circumstances, let alone while being a police detective chasing a serial killer.
She realized how tense she’d been as soon as she pulled into her driveway. The rural area between Kingsport and Johnson City where she lived was the ideal location to raise a kid and to get away from everything. Just knowing she was home allowed her to relax a little. She loved the place and the area. And she’d enjoyed bringing life back to the old 1950s farmhouse.
Home. It looked so beautiful and welcoming in the moonlight.
By the time she undressed and showered, the bone-weariness had turned into a few nagging aches, but she wasn’t sleepy. That was a problem. She knew she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow with the investigation and the Citizen’s Police Academy class she was scheduled to teach. It was the chief’s pet project, and not even a public relations nightmare like the case they were working got in its way. The CPA trumped everything, serial killers included. She’d already been reminded by her captain multiple times that she was expected to be there and to be punctual.
She needed to sleep. As she lay in bed and watched the numbers change on her digital alarm clock, Lukas popped into her mind. He was pretty much what she had expected from the things she’d heard. He seemed somewhat arrogant and self-centered, but he also seemed smart and resourceful. She’d heard other female officers talk about how hot he was. They were right, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t about to get involved with a colleague, especially one who was already in a relationship.
Brooke fluffed her pillow, rolled onto her back, took several deep, slow breaths, and felt her mind and body begin to relax. There would be plenty of time for worry and tension tomorrow. She felt herself sliding toward the abyss, and eventually slipped into unconsciousness.
Chapter Five
After he’d dropped Brooke off, Lukas immediately went back to the scene. The news crews were gone, as were most of the onlookers now that the body had been removed. Nothing thinned out a crowd like a departing hearse or ambulance. Some of his squad detectives were still milling around. Lukas spotted his longtime friend and colleague, Rafe Carrizales, standing under the awning of the command post.
“Hey. Anything new?”
“Nothing yet. Some of the guys are just filtering in now, though, so who knows? Who was your witness?”
“She was a working girl that happened to be out when we did the canvass. Kimberly Raznovich. Do you remember her?”
“Hooker, right? Pretty, could have gone in a different direction?”
“That’s her.”
Razzy was poor, but she was pretty and smart and she could have led a different life if not for the car wreck halfway through her senior year in high school that put her in the hospital with a fractured spine. The doctors prescribed opiates, and she became addicted. Neither she nor her mother knew how to manage her addiction, and once she got out of the hospital, she was on her own. The doctors would no longer prescribe the pain medication, but they wouldn’t help her get into a program to kick the addiction, either. She wound up stealing to support her habit, then she wound up stripping, and finally she wound up hooking. When she became pregnant with her son, her mother turned her back on Razzy, and now she was alone in the world, doing her best to get by one day at a tim
e.
“What’d she have to say?”
“Nothing much. She said that some of the girls had mentioned seeing a red car snooping around lately, but they didn’t have any information about the driver’s race and no description. Nothing. Hell, it may have been a woman driving for all we know.”
“How did it go with the detective from Kingsport? What was her name?”
“Brooke Stevens. It went fine, I guess. We’re still feeling each other out. She seems as frustrated as I am. Is Captain Hunter still here?”
“I think he’s gone. He’s hotter than a three-peckered billy goat about these murders.”
“I know. He’s made that abundantly clear.”
“Anything you need, you let me know,” Carrizales said. “I know what it’s like on your end. Well, not quite to this degree, but I feel your pain.”
“Appreciate it, man.”
Lukas ambled away from the command post and got lost in the night. He thought about the crimes in both cities. There had to be something he was missing. Nobody was this good. Somewhere, he or she or they had made a mistake. He was almost positive it wasn’t a woman doing the killing. Women very rarely did serial killings, especially when the victims were women. But women were certainly doing the dying.
The fact that the victims were prostitutes had kept the general public from going nuts, at least for now. But the press coverage was growing, and with each murder the pressure was becoming more palpable. If this continued without an arrest, it wouldn’t be long before the cases were taken out of Lukas’s hands, despite his reputation as an excellent detective and Brooke’s reputation as a supercop. Someone up the chain would eventually force the issue. Politicians would become involved, and as always, the shit would flow downhill, right onto Lukas’s and Brooke’s heads. It probably wouldn’t end their careers, but it would derail them. And it could take years to undo the damage.
Lukas couldn’t let that happen. He’d just have to work harder than everyone else, dig deeper, and stay longer. He liked going back to the scene once everything had quieted down and the news hounds had gone back to the safety of their offices and homes. He could think better, often connecting dots that were overlooked because of the excitement of the moment.
