by Debra Webb
Sylvia compared the current X-rays of the skull to the fifteen-year-old X-rays she’d digitized for this case.
Dan watched Jess gingerly touch the bones, as if touching them would give her the answers she sought. Or maybe it was her way of promising the little girl she would find her killer.
“Okay.” Sylvia turned to face them. “This is Sierra Campbell.”
“I’ll let Chief Black know.” Dan stepped aside to make the call. When Black answered Dan cut to the chase. “It’s Sierra Campbell. Sylvia Baron just confirmed.” Harold thanked him and Dan put his phone away. One question kept hammering in his brain. How many more would fall prey to this monster if they didn’t get this guy soon?
If he had changed his MO and was no longer constrained by the moon’s phases, there was no telling what he would do next.
Dan joined Jess and Sylvia at another exam table, where the sheet was drawn back to reveal Jerry Bullock, the possible homicide victim from this morning’s abduction scene.
“Mr. Bullock was struck with a blunt object. Judging by the impressions I’d say a tire iron. The blow was rendered before he fell into the ravine. I’ll know more when I’ve had a chance to do the autopsy, but I can tell you without reservation that the fall didn’t kill him, the blow to the head did. As it stands now, I would call manner of death homicide. Estimated time of death is somewhere between nine and midnight last night.”
“Thank you, Dr. Baron.” Jess turned to Dan. “Sergeant Harper’s waiting. I should get back out there and track down Fergus Cagle, Bullock’s supervisor. Based on the estimated time of death, Mr. Cagle needs to explain how he got a call from Bullock this morning as he told his secretary.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Dan offered. “There’s an update we need to discuss. Good work, Sylvia.”
She shot him a look. “Have you ever known me to do anything else?”
“You have a point,” he acquiesced.
Jess waited until they were in the corridor headed for the lobby before she slowed down long enough to give him her attention. “You mentioned an update.”
He wished they could go somewhere and talk about this. She wasn’t going to want to hear his thoughts on what this development meant, and the county coroner’s office wasn’t the place for a battle.
“I got a FedEx delivery from Spears just before you called. A whole stack of photos—all of you.”
She shrugged, seemingly unfazed. “I don’t know why you’re surprised at that. He has that dark-haired man and God knows who else watching me.”
“There’s more.”
Uncertainty and dread, maybe a little fear, flared in her eyes before she could banish the reaction. “Has he taken one of the women?”
This was the part he dreaded telling her the most. She wasn’t concerned for her own safety. “Gant believes he has. They’ve learned the identities of two of the women, but their whereabouts are unaccounted for.” He explained the vacation connection. “Still nothing on the third woman, but Gant suspects Spears has already lured her into his trap in that same manner.”
“We’re too late.” Jess looked away. “He’ll kill one or all of them, Dan. After he tortures them in unspeakable ways.”
This was where the next bit of news could be as good for the missing women as it was bad for Jess. “It’s possible he hasn’t done anything just yet except set and trigger the trap for luring in his targets.”
A frown marred her brow. “How can anyone know that? He doesn’t waste time. If he’s lured them to a certain location, he may have killed them right away. He’s changing his MO just like the Man in the Moon. When that occurs anything could happen.” She moved her head side to side in disgust. “God, this makes me sick.” She rubbed at her temples.
Dan wished like hell he could spare her the rest. “There’s a possibility he’s not in the same location as the women.”
“Dan,” she said, pointing all her anguish and frustration at him, “you are confusing the hell out of me. What is it you’re trying to tell me?”
“I’m trying to tell you it’s more important than ever that you listen to me when I say you are not safe on the streets.” A choked laugh squeezed out of him. “Hell, I don’t know if you’re safe anywhere. But I have to somehow get it across to you that we’ve been warned, Jess. The storm is coming, I need you to take cover.”
She held up her hands. “I have a sociopath delivering the remains of dead children to me. Now, he’s taken another child—a live one. I do not have time to listen to this.”
“He’s here, Jess.”
She dropped her hands to her sides. This time there was no mistaking the fear in her eyes. “How can you be sure when Gant with all his resources can’t even speculate where Spears is?”
“The clerk at the FedEx store that shipped that package to me positively identified him. Harold looked at the security video. It was him, Jess. Unless he has another fan who got made over to look like him the way Matthew Reed did, Eric Spears is here.”
Maybe it was the shock in her brown eyes or the way her body began to tremble, but he said to hell with the rules she reminded him of so often and he took her in his arms. He held her tight against his chest while she cried softly. He knew the tears weren’t about any fear she felt at the threat Spears represented to her—though he wished they were.
Dan knew her tears were for those women… the ones he had lured into his trap.
And for the little girl out there waiting for Jess to find her.
Sixth Avenue, 2:45 p.m.
Jess had already called Fergus Cagle three times and gotten his voice mail. Certainly his phone could have died on him. It had happened to her a time or two. He could have damaged it in the field. She’d endured one of those uh-ohs as well. Or, the man could just be avoiding her because he had taken Janey Higginbotham and he knew Jess was on to him.
Whatever the reason, she intended to find him and she would save that little girl. She had studied the remains of a child the last time she ever wanted to. She closed her eyes a moment and imagined that Dan’s arms were still around her. He’d known exactly what she needed, no matter that they’d been right there in public for all to see.
No getting distracted, Jess. If she stayed on task with this investigation she wouldn’t have the time or opportunity to think about the other. She couldn’t think about it. Not right now. It was difficult enough to look at all those pictures of those precious little girls and not wonder if she was pregnant and what hers and Dan’s child might look like.
Jess and Harper entered Cagle’s department at Alabama Power to see Ruthie was still at her desk. Thank God for small favors. “Hello again, Ms. Jeffreys.”
The secretary had a stack of notes and messages on her desk that had apparently accumulated since Jess was here a few hours ago.
“Chief Harris.” She couldn’t quite follow through with the smile she attempted, leaving a sort of lopsided expression. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Cagle hasn’t been in the office and he hasn’t called so I couldn’t give him your message.” She waved her hand over her desk. “As you can see, there are a lot of people who need to speak to him.” Her face pinched. “And we just heard that Mr. Bullock is dead.”
“Murdered,” Jess clarified. She should be ashamed of herself for adding insult to injury, but she needed this lady to understand how important it was that she speak with Cagle.
Ruthie’s hand went to her throat. “Oh no. What happened?”
“I’m afraid we can’t discuss an ongoing investigation, but I hope you can see that it’s imperative that I speak with Mr. Cagle. The sooner the better.”
Defeat slumped the secretary’s shoulders. “I don’t know what else to do. I can’t reach him. No one can.”
As far as Jess was concerned, the secretary’s inability to get in touch with Cagle confirmed a problem. The man was either dead or hiding something. “There is a way you can help me, Ms. Jeffries. I need Mr. Cagle’s home address and I need his daughter’s phone number and
address.” She’d tried getting the daughter’s number already. Obviously she was no longer a Cagle. Jess had no idea what her first or last name was or even how old she was.
“I can give you Mr. Cagle’s home address, but I don’t have any contact information for his daughter. Mr. Cagle’s very private. Frankly, I don’t even know her name, and I’ve worked with him for five years, ever since he moved up to assistant supervisor and then supervisor. He never talks about his family.”
The whole scenario just got stranger and stranger.
“His address will at least get me started in the right direction. I’ll need phone numbers and addresses on Kennamer and Gifford as well.” The addresses for all three would be in the case file somewhere, but they could have moved in the past dozen or so years—unless that was part of what Corlew had misplaced. Idiot.
With the information in hand, Jess hurried out of the building. She had to find this man. Harper kept time with her determined strides.
The instant they were outside, she turned to him. “We need a warrant for Cagle’s home.” Her nerves were taut and her instincts were shouting at her. “I don’t want to wait. That little girl could be there, and we have no idea how long he waits before he makes the kill. If we can’t get a speedy warrant, we’re going in without one.”
“You’re that certain it’s him.”
“It’s him. He has at least one golden retriever. He had opportunity. And his nervous coworker is dead.”
“We could be wrong,” Harper suggested.
“We could be,” Jess agreed. “But the chances that he got a call from Bullock this morning are pretty slim. The guy was dead. Which can only mean one thing—Cagle lied. And now he’s disappeared.”
“You think Bullock was on to him. Followed him to the Higginbotham home. Cagle caught him and bopped him on the head?”
“That’s the direction I’m leaning in, but for all we know the two could have been partners. Maybe Bullock decided he didn’t want to go there again.”
“What about Kennamer and Gifford?”
Jess had pondered the concept the whole group was involved, but that would be way out of the ordinary. Serial killers at times worked in pairs as partners. Typically one was dominant. But the idea that three or more would gang up together was way outside the norm. Not to mention the possibility of screwups escalated with the number of people involved. It was highly unlikely that they would have gotten away with snatching little girls for twenty years under those circumstances.
The concept that Spears was here and working with several others or with so-called followers filtered through her mind. She would not let him distract her right now. Finding this little girl was top priority. The Bureau was working the Spears case. This was Jess’s case.
“Have Lori locate Kennamer and Gifford and question each man again. Tell her to push. If either one has the slightest suspicion about Cagle I want to know. Cook can finish up the search at Bullocks’s house. You and I are going after Cagle.”
Her cell warned she had an incoming call. Lily calling. Jess answered as she walked to Harper’s SUV. “Hey, sis.”
“Jess, I’m on my way to Dr. Collins’s office. His nurse said he needed me to come in right away. He wants you to be there, too. I’m terrified, Jess.”
Oh hell. “Where’s Blake?”
“Blake isn’t home yet. Please tell me you’ll be there. I can’t do this alone.”
For two decades Jess had rarely been home. She’d missed the births of both her sister’s children. She’d missed birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and every damned thing else. She wasn’t letting her sister down now.
“I’ll be there.”
Jess shoved her phone back into her bag. She worked at slowing the pounding in her chest as she turned to Harper. “Okay, you get the warrant started. I can’t imagine a judge in town denying our request, but don’t let that slow you down. I want you in Cagle’s house as soon as possible.” She had no idea how long this visit with Dr. Collins would take and they didn’t have the time to spare. “I have to get to my sister’s doctor’s office. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I’m out of there.”
Harper shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am, but I have orders.”
Well, damn. Fear and frustration warred inside her, but there just wasn’t time to argue. Besides, he was right. Spears was here. And she was mad as hell… and scared to death at the same time. Her family was here… her friends… Dan. And she could be pregnant. Shit. She blinked fast to hold back a rush of tears.
“All right, Sergeant. Let’s go.” She gave him the address for Dr. Collins’s office. “I’ll call Lori on the way.”
“I’m on the warrant,” Harper assured her.
Jess made the call to Lori and then she closed her eyes and said a prayer for her sister. Then she prayed her instincts wouldn’t fail her. That little girl was counting on her.
It has to be Cagle.
She prayed for the women Spears had targeted and lured into a trap.
Last, she prayed for the ability and strength to find both these monsters and end their reigns of terror.
Twentieth Street South, 3:30 p.m.
Jess held tightly to her sister’s hand as Dr. Collins made a production of taking the seat behind his desk and reviewing his notes before he began. Jess wanted to shake him and tell him to get the hell on with it! Her sister had waited long enough to know what was going on inside her body. Knowing this old coot, he was just doing this to get back at Jess. She’d given him a hard time since she was eighteen.
That’s what he got for being a judgmental old fart.
“Ladies.” He looked up over his glasses, his expression difficult to decipher. “We have found the culprit causing all these issues. Wilson’s disease.”
Jess exchanged a look with Lily. Both repeated the terrible-sounding disorder.
“You will immediately start an oral treatment, Lily, and we’ll need to do screenings from time to time but—” a smile spread across his chubby-cheeked face “—you’re going to be fine.”
Happiness bloomed big inside Jess. She hugged Lil even as tears filled her eyes. This was the first thing she’d had to get excited about in weeks.
Okay, maybe there was one other thing, but she wasn’t sure excited was the way she would describe how she felt as each day passed with no period.
But this—this was excellent news! “You’re going to be fine,” Jess echoed.
Lil nodded. “I can’t believe it!”
When they’d gathered their composure once more, Lil asked, “What is Wilson’s disease?”
Jess would like to know the answer to that as well.
“It’s the strangest thing,” Collins reported, “and most difficult to diagnose. Wilson’s disease is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of hepatic copper metabolism. To put it plainly, the anomalies you’ve been suffering are caused by the accumulation of copper in organs and tissues. You end up with all these strange symptoms that tend to send your doctor looking for answers in a whole different direction from the actual cause. Copper is a necessary element to our health and well-being, but not when it isn’t properly metabolized and starts to build up.”
“So I take medicine,” Lil clarified.
“We’ll be starting you on that regimen right away. You’re one of the lucky ones, Lil, you have very little liver damage. It really could have been so much worse. As long as we keep an eye on your numbers and you take your medicine, you’ll be fine.”
Jess and Lily hugged again.
Lil drew back first. “I have to call Blake!”
“There’s just one other thing,” Collins said.
The room went instantly silent.
“This is an inherited disorder. You’ll need to be tested, Jess. The children too, Lil.”
Well, that wasn’t so bad. Wait. The idea that she could be pregnant and this could affect more than herself almost made Jess flinch.
No going there today. She had too many other worries at
the moment.
“I’ll make the appointments,” Lil offered, “because Jess has a killer to catch and she needs to go.”
Jess thanked her sister and gave her another round of hugs. Though she wasn’t sure he deserved it, she gave Dr. Collins one as well. Then she really did have to go. Lil was right. She had a killer to catch.
Harper was waiting in the lobby. “I’m guessing by those tear-stained cheeks and that smile the report was a good one.”
Jess couldn’t help herself. She hugged him too. “It was, Sergeant. It really, really was.”
Before she could ask, he said, “The warrant has been inked. Detective Wells spoke to Kennamer and to Gifford, and both were happy to cooperate. Kennamer and his wife were at their daughter’s house last night, and Gifford and his wife were at a church function. The daughter and the minister confirmed their whereabouts. Cook is finished at the Bullock residence. He’s picking up the warrant and meeting us at Cagle’s house. I’ve requested a forensic team to roll as well. Lori should be there by the time we get there.”
The man had been on the ball. Her whole team was the best. Jess was damned lucky to have their support.
As they rushed across the parking lot, she felt that surge of adrenaline she got when she knew she was getting close.
The Man in the Moon wanted her to find them… she was coming.
“Hold on, Janey.”
Warrior River Road, Hueytown, 4:30 p.m.
Cagle’s home was an older farm-style house standing on a good-sized chunk of land. Neighboring homes were spread apart with mostly woods in between. The Ford truck registered to him was nowhere to be seen. Since there was no garage, just a barn in the distance, it seemed reasonable that he was MIA.
Jess dragged on a vest and waited for Harper to don his. In addition to her team and the surveillance detail, Burnett had sent along two detectives from Black’s division, Detectives Roark and Dotson. She was grateful. They needed all the help they could get just now.
