Beyond Secrets, The Art of Murder: A Madison Hart Mystery (Madison Hart Mysteries Book 1)

by DB Jones

  Josh immediately called the station and Doc Webb. Josh helped Madison get as close as they could to the body, without disturbing the crime scene. No one had to tell them that this was the last missing woman. The site depicted every detail in the painting, down to the one earring that lay next to the body. The earring matched the one found in the apartment of Cora Franklin. All Madison could think of at that moment was how devastating this news was going to be for Cora’s parents.

  Rage raced through Madison at the thought of the monster, who these innocent women trusted, had taken their lives. She was more determined than ever to nail his ass. As soon as the team arrived, Josh and Madison searched the area for any clues but found nothing. On the way back, Madison noticed a small beaten-down path leading away from the crime scene that could be easily missed. Josh kept moving toward the car and hadn’t noticed she veered off. He turned just as Madison was walking out of sight. He called to her, but she kept on going.

  By the time he caught up to her, she was kneeling beside a mound of loose dirt. She started pawing at it like a dog. She wasn’t even sure why, but there was something about that mound. She hadn’t dug far, and there it was. She hollered to Josh. He stepped up closer and leaned over her and looked into the hole. Before they reached down to retrieve it, Josh snapped a picture, and then Madison opened the bag. She could tell by the feel of the bag what it was. It was a 45. Josh took another photo and called one of the forensic team over to tag and bag it.

  Madison looked up at Josh. “With any luck the bastard left his prints all over this. Let’s get out of here. We have one more place to go.”

  “One more place?”

  “Yes. We have to find out what Kim knows. She knows more than she’s telling. If she’s not home, we need to find her, too. If it’s not too late. In the meantime, let’s bring Kincaid in for questioning. I don’t want him out on the streets any longer. I think we have probable cause to keep him for awhile until we learn more from Kim.” Madison made her way back to the car.

  Josh called the chief to update him on what was happening on their way back to the art center. They needed to get Mr. Kincaid before he had a chance to run.

  Alice was sitting at the desk when Josh and Madison came in. She could tell right away that they were there on business, “Good morning, Alice. Is Kincaid here?” Josh said in his official tone. “No. I haven’t seen him, and he hasn’t called. He was supposed to meet the buyers today, but we haven’t heard a word. Is he okay?”

  They didn’t answer her. “Where can we find Mr. Kincaid when he’s not here?” Madison asked.

  “He has an apartment in the Villages on Lake Lily, but I’ve been trying to call him all morning, and there’s no answer.”

  They turned and left without another word and raced to the Villages. Kincaid’s car was parked in the parking lot. “That’s his car,” Madison blurted. They took the elevator to the top floor where his apartment overlooked the lake. Josh pounded on the door, but no one answered. A woman stuck her head out from an apartment down the hall. “I don’t think he’s home.”

  “Do you know where he is?” Madison asked.

  “No. But I saw him leave late last night.”

  “Was he with anyone?” Josh asked.

  “I don’t believe he was. I’ve never seen anyone here with him. He’s quite the loner.”

  Josh nodded his head. “Thank you.”

  His car was sitting in his assigned parking spot. Madison placed her hand on the hood, and it was cold. She walked around the car, looking for anything that might indicate he had used his car lately, but the car was empty.

  “Either he left with someone, or he called a cab, but he’s not here now,” Josh stated with certainty.

  They called the station and put out a BOLO for him immediately. If he was planning to leave the area, he might have left his car on purpose.

  “We’ve got to find Kim. Let’s drive over to her place now.”

  Josh got on the phone and got Kim’s address. The tension was mounting, and they were afraid if they didn’t get to Kim first Kincaid might, just kill her to silence her. Josh turned on his siren and sped down 17-92 toward Altamonte Springs.

  Kim had a small home off the beaten path, behind the Sun-Rail station. There weren’t many homes along that road, and it was a dead-end. They pulled up to her place and didn’t see her car out front. They walked up the steps to the front door and knocked, but no one answered. They walked around to the back of the house to see if they could peek into the windows.

  Every window’s curtain was pulled closed. Not a single window revealed what lay behind the walls. There was a small screened-in porch off the kitchen. The screen door was open, so they walked in. They leaned in to see if they could see anything through the kitchen window that would indicate someone was home. The kitchen counters had heaps of papers, boxes, and dishes covering the entire surface. There was barely room on the counter to make a sandwich. Josh tried to hoist himself as far as he could to look in, hoping to catch a view of another room, but again, nothing.

  Madison pressed up against the old door, hoping to see something when the door opened. She motioned to Josh and then slowly opened the door and called out. “Kim, are you here?” They waited a moment and called again. Still, there was no answer. A chill run down Madison’s spine. There was something eerie about this place. She pushed the door completely open, but Josh stepped in front of her and entered first. They couldn’t see anything that would appear out of place, other than the enormous amount of clutter. That was out-of-character for the woman she’d known to keep some meticulous records of Mr. Kincaid’s projects.

  As they moved through the house, taking one room at a time, every room appeared the same, like a hoarder lived there. Each room had piles of stacked boxes, and they created paths through the house. There was no sign of Kim, or where she might be. It would take a year to decipher any clues in that mess. Kim’s bedroom was no different. How she got out of bed and to her closet each day to dress was a puzzle. Neither Josh nor Madison had ever seen such an example of a hoarder.

  Josh shook his head. “I don’t think this woman ever threw anything away. It makes me want to go home and toss everything out.”

  They made their way into almost every room in the house until they found a locked room. They could only imagine what Kim might be storing in there. Since the rest of the house was open, they didn’t need a search warrant for that area. But for the locked room they did. Josh called the station, and Betty answered. “Hi Detective, what can I do for you today?”

  “Can you get us a search warrant for Kim Rutledge’s home? We fear she may be missing as well. We’ll wait here.”

  “I’ll get right on it. I’ll call you back when I have it.”

  They continued searching the house for anything that would help them find Kim. In less than five minutes Josh’s cell phone rang. “You’ve got your warrant. Good thing the judge is my uncle,” she said laughing.

  “Thanks, Betty.”

  Josh pulled out his lock-pick kit and picked the lock. There was only room for one of them standing in front of the door. Josh opened the door and slowing opened it as wide as he could. Madison couldn’t see into the room from behind him, because of the clutter. “Holy crap! You’re not going to believe this.” He couldn’t move. He kept glancing around the room.

  Madison stretched to see what he was looking at. “Well, are you going to let me in and see for myself?” She tried to push him aside. Finally, he entered the room, and she followed. They were both speechless. All they could do was stand there with their jaws resting on their chests. Madison stepped into the center of the room and turned in a complete circle. “I did not see this coming at all, did you?”

  “Hell no. This completely blind-sided me. They just kept staring at the walls; turning and spinning until they were almost dizzy. Every inch had been covered with photos of Tyler Kincaid, his paintings, and every aspect of his life. It was a chronological history of all his projects
and events. There were photos of Tyler and Kim that were pasted to look like the picture was taken of them together. Whoever had been in the photos had been cut out, and Kim’s photo attached. The room was a shrine to the man.

  Though Kim had a dark obsession with Tyler Kincaid, it did not negate the fact she too was now missing. Was it because she knew him too well? This question haunted Josh and Madison. They couldn’t take their eyes off this display. Suddenly, Madison saw something out of sync. It was a photo of Kim taken at one of the sites Kincaid did his painting. It had been altered to look like she was the model and then superimposed to look like it was her in the painting. As Madison made her way around the room, she discovered there were more. Each one of the photos of the exhibit was altered to look like it was Kim who was his model.

  Josh walked around the room. “This woman has some sick obsession with Kincaid.”

  Madison continued studying the photos. “I think it’s more than an obsession.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think if something threatened her illusion, she could be dangerous.”

  “Crap, Maddy, do you think she may be our murderer?”

  “I’m not sure, but if she’s not, she’s in great danger.”

  “I’ll call this one in now. We sure are keeping the team humping with this case. Wait until they see this.”

  Since the forensic team was still processing the last site, Josh called in some of the officers from the department, to secure Kim’s home. By the time they exited the house, neighbors were gathering around, peering over the white picket fence, stretching their necks, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening. “What’s going on?” one of the neighbors hollered out.

  Josh walked over to her, “Have you seen Ms. Rutledge lately?”

  “Is she missing?” the old woman asked.

  “We don’t know. What can you tell us about her?” Josh approached some of the neighbors started crowding around him.

  “Well, she’s nice enough, but not real social. She only leaves the house when she goes to work. She works for that artist, Tyler Kincaid. She’s his personal assistant, you know. He doesn’t do anything without her,” someone in the back added.

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “She was here a few days ago.”

  Another neighbor stepped up close to Josh. “ I saw her here last night. She left late and seemed to be in a hurry.

  “Have you ever seen Mr. Kincaid around here with her?” Madison asked.

  “Come to think of it; I haven’t. I couldn’t even tell you what the man looks like. I did see one of those brochures of his exhibit one time, but I was looking at the paintings.”

  The only thing they learned from the conversation with the neighbors was that Kim was in the area as late as the night before, the same time Kincaid was last seen, and she left in a hurry. Madison reflected back on the statements of friends of the other women in the artist’s life, and how they went missing after they were supposed to be meeting someone special. Could that be the case with Kim? Did Kincaid call her? In spite of all the evidence mounting, there were still unanswered questions and a murderer on the loose.

  Madison was feeling the stress of the day, and her pain was returning. She had done all she could that day. The cool night air was rolling in quickly, and the smell of rain loomed. Every inch of her body ached and throbbed. She would be no good to anyone if she kept pushing herself. “Josh, can you take me home?” She insisted that he didn’t have to stay that night and just needed some time to think this out without any distractions.

  As they drove up to her parking lot, she saw a car parked in front of her door. “I wonder who that is?” She looked around to see if she could see someone waiting.

  “It’s yours. The chief sent over one of our cars for you to use while yours is in the lab.”

  “Thanks. I hate feeling dependent on someone to drive me around.” She got out of the squad car and opened the driver’s door of the parked car, and there was a set of keys under the front seat. “Tell the chief that I appreciate this.”

  Josh started to walk her to the door when she stopped him. “I need to be alone tonight, Josh. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind sleeping in the chair.”

  “I’m sure you don’t.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Okay, but if you need me…”

  “I know. You’re only a call away.”

  She watched as he drove away. The stillness in the office was almost deafening. There were no lights in the parking lot and none in the room. She flipped on the only light for the office section of the room and then slowly walked over to the board. So much had been added and modified since the case began.

  It started out to be a missing person’s case and quickly evolved into a murder case, in the quiet little town of Maitland. She stared at the list of evidence and clues that formulated the puzzle of someone’s dark obsession, yet, Madison still wasn’t sure who the killer was but had narrowed it down to two. Either way, she had to find them both, and soon.

  She longed for a bath but would settle for a long hot shower. She locked the front door, turned off the office light and made her way behind her curtain. She let the hot water pulsate over her battered body. Then she slipped into her yoga pants and tank top and curled up under the covers. The sheets felt cool against her hot skin and she soon drifted off to sleep.

  She had just sunk into a deep sleep when her cell phone rang. She glanced down and did not recognize the number, so she ignored it. After a short time, it rang again. It was the same number. She knew if she didn’t answer they would probably keep calling until she did.

  “Agent Hart.”

  At first, there was silence and then the voice she recognized from a call before said, “You have ruined my life, and you will pay.” They quickly hung up. Madison sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, thinking they might call back. Finally, she lay back down. It was hard for her to sleep, but knew she had to get some rest or she’d be no good the next day.

  Just as she was about to doze off again, the cell phone rang again. It wasn’t the same number, but she thought it looked familiar, so she answered.

  “Agent Hart.”

  “Agent Hart?”

  “Yes, who is this?”

  There was a hesitation, and then he said, “This is Tyler Kincaid. I need to talk to you as soon as possible. I may have some information that will help your case.”

  “Where are you, Tyler?”

  “I need to know I can trust you first and I need to see you alone.”

  “Okay. Now, where are you?”

  “I’m at my studio, can you come now? You can’t tell anyone, or my life will be in danger. Please, come right now.”

  “I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

  “Come around to the side gate. I’ll leave it open for you. I’ll be waiting for you in my studio.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Madison quickly changed her clothes, tossed on a lightweight jacket and tucked her weapon in the back of her pants. She wasn’t taking any chances with this guy.

  She pulled up and parked at the far end of the Art Center and walked along the back wall until she saw the open gate. It came out behind the other studios with a small pathway, leading to Kincaid’s studio. There were no windows on that side of the studio so she couldn’t see him in there. She knocked on his door. “Come in, Agent Hart.”

  She cautiously opened the creaking door with her hand positioned to grab her gun if she needed to. When she finally pushed the door completely open, Kincaid stood glaring at her with a look of pure fright.

  Behind him stood Kim, holding a gun against the back of his head. Madison slowly stepped into the room. “Kim, what’s going on here?”

  “You know what’s going on? You tried to ruin all of it.” Kim twisted her head to look at Madison. Kincaid stood frozen with fear. He looked like a sculptured statue, and his face was stone, cold w
hite. The veins in his neck were pulsating rapidly.

  “Are you okay, Mr. Kincaid?”

  “She’s gone crazy. She thinks I’m in love with her.”

  Kim pressed the gun tighter against his head. “You said I was the most important person in your life, and you couldn’t imagine life without me. Then I saw you with those models. How could you announce to the world that Aspen was going to be your assistant? You lied to me,” she screamed.

  “Kim, the reason I can’t model for Tyler is because he told me he really wanted you. That you were the most important person in his life, and he wanted to immortalize you in his new collection.” Madison tried to calm her down but never took her eyes off of Kim’s trigger finger. Kim was coming unhinged, so Madison had to play this just right.

  “Isn’t that right, Tyler?” Madison coaxed him to respond.

  “Uh yes, you’re absolutely right,” he stammered.

  “Kim, Tyler can’t live without you. He needs you to be in his life.” Madison didn’t stop talking until she saw Kim’s hand begin to relax on the gun. “Kim, now that we have all this cleared up, you and Tyler can get back to work. Let me have that gun, so no one gets hurt.” Madison started to reach for the gun.

  When Kim lowered the gun, Tyler jerked away from her and ran towards Madison. “You crazy bitch. I want nothing to do with you.”

  Madison tried to grab the gun, but Kim recoiled like a snake and shot Madison in the side, then lunged toward Tyler, as he tried to get out the door. She got off another shot that sent him flying through the doorway. Madison was lying on the floor and couldn’t get to her gun fast enough. “You ruined everything,” Kim hollered as she took one more shot at Madison, and then turned the gun on herself. Madison was conscious just long enough to yell. “Kim, No!”