“Then what does?”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “You have a soul, so you think everyone else does. Maybe sometimes that piece is just missing.” She reached out and put a hand on Jameson’s shoulder. “Raincheck on shots and marriage?”
Jameson smiled. “I look forward to it.”
“Me too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Alex looked through the glass at the man in the interrogation room.
“Do you want to beat the shit out of him as much as I do?” Claire asked.
Alex nodded. “You have that journal?”
“Yeah. I’ve got it.”
“Good. Let’s go talk to Mr. Carter.”
***
“You think this is funny?” Alex asked.
The man in the chair across the table sat back and shrugged. “You said you know everything.”
“And, you said we haven’t begun. So? Enlighten me.” Alex picked up the journal. She opened to the first passage. “The rose is red, the violet is blue, green is grass, where I lay you,” she read.
He stared at the table smiling.
“That’s your first? Pretty simple stuff. Did you write that before or after you killed Monica Leibowitz?”
He laughed raucously.
“Something funny?” Alex asked.
“You think I killed my cousin?” He kept laughing.
Alex waited, sensing he was about to continue. “I didn’t kill that kid,” he laughed. “She was a little young for my taste.”
“But, you lured her,” Alex said.
“Aww, she liked Badly Bradley. Had a crush on him. I helped him out. Watched Gordo and Badly Boy take turns with her even.”
Alex felt her skin grow cold. Gordo? Gordon. Fuck.
He looked at Alex and grinned. “Didn’t see that one coming, I guess.”
“Gordon Daniels?” Alex asked calmly.
“Met him, huh?” he guessed. “Oh, yeah; he’s quite the polished chap these days. You flip through the book. Look for Wee Willie Winkie,” he laughed. “Gordo. Poor kid.”
Alex steadied her breathing. “Why kill Brad Lawson?”
He shrugged and laughed again. “Why not? S’pose you’d have to ask Wee Willie about that one.”
“His body was in the barn at your parents’ house.”
He laughed.
“Are you trying to tell me Gordon Daniels killed Brad Lawson?”
“I’m not trying to tell you anything. You already know everything anyway.”
Alex nodded. “Why would Gordon Daniels want Brad Lawson dead?”
He sighed dramatically. “I would suppose he didn’t want Brad rattin’ on his ass.”
“But, you weren’t worried about that?”
“Why would I be? Badly Bradley didn’t know Jack.”
Alex thought for a moment. “He knew BJ.”
“Right.”
“How many women have you killed?” Alex asked stoically.
“How many pages in that book you’ve been reading have been filled?” he replied.
“Forty-two.”
“Hum. Forty-two? I’d say Forty-two minus one.”
Claire watched from the viewing room. She shook her head. “We need to detain Sergeant Daniels,” she said.
Assistant Director Bower nodded. “I’ll make the call. You don’t sound surprised. You believe what he’s saying in there?”
“He’s got no reason to lie,” Claire said. She turned and looked at her superior. “He just admitted to murdering forty-one women. No reason he’d lie about Monica Leibowitz or Brad Lawson.” She turned back to watch and listen to Alex.
“So, you didn’t know Lawson was dead when you assumed his identity?”
“Bradley,” he laughed. “No. Bradley was no businessman,” he explained. “He ran his daddy’s business into the ground. Served a purpose for us both. He got out of debt and…”
“And you got your freedom. Must’ve been convenient then, Daniels killing Lawson.”
“Convenient? Willie boy, he hated Bradley almost as much as he hated me.”
“Why?”
“Well, Bradley left him with my cousin.”
“Monica?”
“Yeah. Things got a little outta’ hand,” he grinned. “She got skittish. Willie Winkie put her to sleep. Bradley?” He shook his head. “He freaked out and ran off. Left Willie all by his lonesome to take care of things. Had some issues a few days later. I fixed it for him.”
“That’s how you got the idea to put the women in the Moriarty’s yard.”
“Yeah. Kinda went to hell after their kid stepped in. Had to find another place. Lots of places out there.”
“Why Kaylee Peters?”
He stared at her.
Alex watched him closely. “She saw something?”
“She saw enough that day.”
“Where did she see you?”
He chuckled. “I see everything, Agent Toles.”
“You mean from Flat Rock.”
He shrugged. “Good place to have a drink with your buddies.”
“And, you saw Kaylee getting close to something.”
“You haven’t turned over all the stones,” he surmised.
“Why don’t you tell me what stones to overturn?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Alex held her anger in check. “Why does Daniels hate you?”
“Well, Bradley left his ass in the lurch, but the thing about Bradley is, he always would save mine—was that way since he pulled me out of that same well you fell down when I was a kid.”
“And, you paid him back by letting Daniels kill him?”
He shrugged. “Wasn’t my decision. I told you; I didn’t kill him. Not my rhyme.”
“No? Why would Gordon put Lawson in your barn?”
He laughed. “Probably thought it suited him. Maybe he just wanted to put you all onto me. Keep you away from his little indiscretion.”
Alex nodded. “BJ,” she addressed him.
He looked up at her.
“Crow Electrical, that’s named after the movie The Crow.”
“Right.”
“Why?”
“Everything has its place in the house that Jack built,” he replied seriously. “Everything comes back, Agent Toles.” He nodded. “Look at me. Look at you standing there.” He shook his head. “What are you trying to avenge?” he asked her.
Alex stared at him.
He grinned. “You’re thinking that you’re the white hat catching the bad guy. Everybody’s avenging something or someone. Everybody’s in the rhyme. When you were at the bottom of the well, what did you hear?”
Alex made no reply.
He nodded. “I heard my mother’s voice singing to me. Know what she sang? She sang, ‘Diddle, diddle dumpling, my son John.’ Over and over she sang that. Except she sang, “Fell in a hole, now he’s gone.’ That was after she threw me down it for breaking a glass.”
Alex shook her head. “What do you want, Carter? Sympathy?”
“Nah. I don’t need sympathy. I told you. Everybody’s got a rhyme, Agent Toles—me, Badly, Willie—you. Even that pretty redhead behind the window over there,” he gestured to the mirror on the wall. “Even Old King Cole and the governor. You all want something, and there’s always somebody ready to take it from you.”
Alex chuckled and turned on her heels.
“Don’t like the answer?” he called after her.
She turned back to him. “It’s not an answer,” Alex said. “It’s an excuse.”
He laughed. “I guess, I’ll see you in court.”
Alex shut the door and stepped beside Claire. “I’ll see you in hell, Jack.”
“Nah,” Claire said. “Hell’s got a special place for his kind.”
Alex sighed.
“Bower made the call to pick up Daniels.”
Alex stared at Jack Carter. He sat smiling at them as if he could see them plain as day.
Clai
re shook her head as she looked at him. “Do you think that’s what started it? You think he watched Daniels strangle Monica and that kicked him off?”
“No,” Alex said. “And, I’ll bet Gordon Daniels has more blood on his hands than Monica Leibowitz’s and Brad Lawson’s.”
Claire nodded. “Assholes.” She turned to Alex. “Give you a lift home?”
“You’re driving?”
“Hell yeah, you look like shit.”
Alex shrugged.
“What about him?” Claire asked.
Alex stared at the man in the other room. “What about him?” she said.
Claire shrugged. She’d be content to let him rot forever in that chair. She opened the door for Alex to step through. “So, do you think marriage is scarier than chasing serial killers?”
Alex burst out laughing at the seriousness in Claire’s voice.
“I’m serious!”
Alex shook her head. “Give me the keys.”
“Why?”
“I’m driving.”
“Why?”
“You must be drunk,” Alex said. She took the keys from Claire’s hand and walked past her.
“I’m not drunk! Alex!”
Alex held up the keys and rattled them.
“Toles!
Alex laughed. She is so easy.
***
Alex walked through the front door, set down her bag and fell back against the wall.
Cassidy made her way into the hallway and smiled at the familiar sight. “Long day, I guess.”
Alex opened her eyes. She watched as Cassidy approached and stepped into her arms. For the first time in weeks, Alex felt herself take a full breath. “God, I missed you.”
Cassidy let her head fall against Alex’s chest. Her arms wrapped around Alex’s waist tightly. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me too.”
“Is it over?”
Alex sighed heavily.
Cassidy pulled back. “Alex?”
“It’s over in the sense that he’s out of the picture.”
“But?”
“It’s never really over; is it?”
Cassidy cupped Alex’s cheek. “It is for you, at least, it is for now.”
“Sorry, I missed taco night.”
“You didn’t.”
Alex tipped her head in question. She had intended to be home much earlier. She had also needed to decompress before facing her family.
“Claire called me.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She said she thought you needed a little time to unwind and maybe a beer or a whiskey before coming home to the Brady Bunch.”
Alex smiled.
“I postponed taco night until tomorrow; assuming you’ll be here.”
“I’ll be home in time,” Alex promised.
Cassidy took Alex’s hand. “I also understand she made you eat.”
“Maybe I made her eat.”
Cassidy laughed. “Nice try, love,” she said as she led Alex up the stairs. She noted the slowness of Alex’s step. “Your back?”
“Yeah. I sort of kicked something.”
“You kicked something? Why? What did you kick?”
Alex shrugged.
Cassidy nodded. “I wonder how he’s feeling.”
“I hope it hurts like hell,” Alex mumbled.
“You want me to run you a bath?” Cassidy asked when they stepped into their bedroom.
“Why? Do I need one?”
“Well…”
Alex laughed and pulled Cassidy back into her arms. “Wash my back?”
“Is that all you need help with?” Cassidy teased.
“I’m sure there are some harder to reach places you could….”
Cassidy pulled Alex down to her and kissed her soundly.
“What was that for?” Alex asked.
“I love you, Alex. I’m glad you’re home.”
“I love you too.” Alex kissed Cassidy’s forehead.
Cassidy heard Alex gasp slightly. It was an occurrence she had come to recognize signified a back spasm. “I’ll wash your back,” she said. “The only hard to reach place either of us is going is to bed.”
“That’s exactly what…”
“To sleep.”
Alex smiled. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“There’s nothing to make up, Alex.”
Alex watched as Cassidy headed into their bathroom. She closed her eyes for a moment and savored the feeling of home.
“Alex,” Cassidy called. “Get in here before you fall over.”
“She might be right on that one,” Alex muttered.
“I am right.”
Alex laughed. Home was the reason she could face people like Jack Carter and still have hope for humanity. Avenge? Revenge? Alex sighed. Jack Carter was right about one thing; the story was only beginning. He was wrong about everything else as far as Alex was concerned. Maybe every person was part of a rhyme. Eventually, they made the choice what the rhyme would sound like. Life wasn’t about what happened to you. It was about what you made happen for you—what you tried to do for others.
“Alex!”
“Coming,” Alex promised. You could’ve built any house you wanted, Jack—any house at all. Look at me.
***
“Claire?”
Claire shrugged.
“What are you doing here?” Hawk asked. “I thought you’d be passed out at your apartment. What are you doing in DC in the middle of the night?”
“Can I come in?”
“Of course, you can come in.”
Claire followed Hawk through the door. Hawk was surprised to see Claire’s eyes glistening when she turned back around.
“Hey,” Hawk took Claire into an embrace. “Rough day, huh?”
Claire’s head fell softly onto Hawk’s shoulder.
“Want to talk about it?” Hawk asked.
Claire stepped back a pace. “That depends on which ‘it’ you mean.”
Hawk’s confusion was evident.
“Do you still want to?” Claire asked.
“Do I still want to what?”
Claire sucked in a nervous breath. “Get married—to me, I mean.”
Hawk studied Claire for a moment. She wondered what might be driving Claire’s emotional questions.
“I get it,” Claire said.
“No,” Hawk reached out and took Claire’s face in her hands. “I’m just wondering what you’re thinking.” She searched Claire’s eyes. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it, Claire.”
Claire nodded. “I don’t know that I’d be any good at it.”
“It?”
“You know, the married thing.”
Hawk smiled. “I don’t know that I will be any good at it either,” she said. “I do know that I’d like to try.”
Claire bit her bottom lip gently. “People like us don’t tend to grow old, Hawk.”
“Well, chasing double agents, drug lords and serial killers does tend to lower one’s life expectancy,” Hawk agreed.
Claire closed her eyes.
“That’s what scares you,” Hawk suddenly realized. “You’re afraid that you’ll bank on forever and I’ll leave you alone somehow.”
“No…”
Hawk pulled Claire to her. “Claire,” she whispered soothingly. “I can’t promise you that nothing will ever separate us. I can promise you that I don’t want it to. We’ve been at this for five years. I haven’t chosen to leave yet.”
“It isn’t always our choice,” Claire said.
“No, I guess, it isn’t. Denying yourself something you want won’t change that.”
“I think, I do.”
“You do what?” Hawk asked.
“Want to try,” Claire said.
Hawk brought their lips together gently. “Are you sure?”
Claire nodded. “Not very romantic, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
Claire managed a shaky breath. “I never t
hought I could love anybody after…”
“I know.”
“And now? Hawk, I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”
Hawk smiled. “Neither can I.”
“I can’t even flirt effectively anymore,” Claire said.
Hawk laughed. Claire would always be Claire. “So? Will you, Claire? Will you marry me?”
Claire nodded. “But…”
“But?”
“Just Alex and Cassidy with us.”
Hawk smiled. “I’m sure that can be arranged.” She leaned in and kissed Claire lovingly. Claire fell into her arms gratefully. Hawk wondered if anyone would believe how sensitive Claire Brackett was underneath all her banter and all her bravado. She held Claire close. I think more people realize than you want to admit, Sparrow—far more people than you ever wanted to imagine.
EPILOGUE
Cassidy stood in the doorway chuckling. Claire was standing over the baby’s crib. She was biting her bottom lip so hard, Cassidy feared she might put a hole in it.
“I have to hold it?” Claire groaned.
“For a few minutes—yes.”
“What if I drop it?” she asked.
Cassidy laughed. It? “You were a trained spy. I think you can handle holding a baby.”
“Alex’s baby,” Claire corrected Cassidy. “Are you sure you want me to do this?” she asked.
“Cass, could you give me a minute with Claire?” Alex stepped into the room.
Cassidy smiled, leaned in and kissed Alex on the cheek. “Go easy on her,” she whispered. “I’ll see you downstairs,” she told Claire.
“It’s kinda like a little jail cell,” Claire said as she looked in the crib.
“Well, trust me when I tell you, they all seem to find an escape route sooner or later.”
Claire frowned. The baby gurgled.
Alex grinned and shook her head. She grabbed Claire’s arm gently.
“What did I do?” Claire asked.
Alex shook her head. “Do you know why we asked you to be a godparent?”
“Not a clue. My amazing wit?”
Alex nodded. “I asked Cass when she told me she was pregnant if it was a boy if we could name him Brian.” She looked back in the crib and smiled. “Cass swore it’d be a boy,” Alex laughed. “She was right every time.”
Untold Page 40
