Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Thank you. I’m supposed to be your liaison. My card’s in the first index file I gave you with my personal cell-phone number in case you need me. I’m rooting for you two. Thanks to that asshole, David Parker Ray, all of New Mexico is looked at as a serial killer burial ground.”

  Montoya patted Pantera’s arm solemnly. “Look. I did what I did because the freaks I targeted got off on technicalities. They raped, tortured, and murdered, including girls as young as twelve. I never touched an innocent.”

  Pantera nodded. “Thanks for that. Things have gotten so twisted the criminals have nearly become untouchable. They look for any means to put cops behind bars, thinking we can all function as PC robots in a combat situation. I’m going to look closer at the list you sanctioned, lady. Maybe afterwards… I’ll be a fan.”

  “I think you will be once Clint and I nail these suckers.” Lynn watched Pantera walk away without further discussion. She glanced over at Dostiene, noting he had opened up his briefcase, and extracted his satellite link up.

  “I get the distinct feeling you’re on your way to solving this case before I even get to sit down. You know, of course… there will be blood.”

  Clint glanced up with a short laugh. “Solving these things is always the last thing to be considered. “We have to be able to present a prosecution case that is flawless, even if we plan on an unforeseeable accident for our misguided perpetrators. Once we have an unmistakable trail leading to them, we’ll have all the backing to put them down like the rabid dogs they are. Grab a chair, now that we’ve pissed off everyone in the station with your presence. We have all the key ingredients already.”

  Lynn dragged another chair over near Dostiene. “Are you going to use their databases?”

  “We’ll go through Langley instead. This won’t be rocket science anyway. We have the parameters of the murders with the all important dates.” Clint’s fingers flew over the keys, producing a rapid flow of open windows. “See, we start with separate strangers flying into Albuquerque on separate flights, but near the same time, weeks before the murders began. There’s a bunch of them.”

  “Now you key in the same names flying out to the same place they came from, near the same time up to weeks after the murders.” Lynn’s hands tightened into fists, her way of channeling the adrenaline rush as she pictured the hunt Dostiene was on. “Damn. There’s only around fifty names now.”

  “Watch how that number drops when I key in three of them booked into the same hotel during their stay.” Clint’s hands typed in the parameter and he hit enter. Only three names were left: Cheryl Kosygin, Tara Holt, and Richard Jacoby. Clint queried his database again. “That’s them, baby. They all went to Harvard law.”

  “Shit, Clint, that was easy.”

  “Now comes the interesting part,” Clint replied. “We have to start putting together a case. We start a database with their misdeeds coordinated with the facts of when they all arrived from different states here in this city.”

  “Then you check for their names in the other cities, with the parameters of the other murders,” Lynn whispered, hunching over Clint.

  “Yep.” Clint sat back, pointing at the screen. “And there they are. They always have a few months break before they start up again. Our FBI agent buddies would have enough now to start harassing them and ruin our little plan, so we have to come up with a way to draw them out. I bet you can figure out where we’re going to get the next clue.”

  Montoya stared at the screen for a moment. Then she smiled. “We get into their companies’ files and keep track of when they all take vacations next.”

  “You definitely have the instincts for this, baby. Once we have that, then we’ll find out the destination, and a probable target.”

  “Where’s the hard part come in?”

  “Deciding whether to go with full disclosure to the FBI, and hoping we can get them to stay low key until we nail the three in the act, or lie our asses off. I’d rather let them in on it.”

  “I agree,” Lynn replied. “They’re probably coming up with the same answers we’re getting now that you clued them in.”

  Dostiene chuckled. “Wanna’ bet? I’d have to spell it out for them even with the prompts I’ve already given them.”

  “Maybe they’ll surprise you.”

  “Maybe. We’ll have to meet with them soon if you’re on board with telling them.”

  Lynn gripped Dostiene’s wrist. “I don’t want you in prison, so I vote on the truth. They’ll be grateful, and they’ll definitely be more receptive to me being the bait to catch our killers.”

  “I’ve already started a query to find out when our trio wants to party next, and… hey… look here. Jacoby’s already put in for a couple months away. That breaks their protocol a bit. Something must have caught their eye. Let’s see if he’s… yep… he’s already made reservations for the flight to Cambridge, Ma. The other two have the flights booked, both going to Cambridge. No hotels picked out.”

  “Maybe it’s a social event. That’s where their old Alma Mater is,” Lynn said.

  “On it,” Clint replied. “Oh baby… a reunion for their class. I bet you didn’t know you graduated law from Harvard. You will when I get all your credentials. I’ll find a law office somewhere the Company has relations with so we can make you up an impressive resume with them.”

  “What if they ask me questions, Clint? I don’t know shit about law except breaking it.”

  Dostiene chuckled. “If someone asks you anything like that, you give them the over the shoulder sneer and say, ‘do I look like I want to talk shop’.”

  “Oh yeah, I can pull that off, especially if I have some impressive credentials. I’ll need a complete wardrobe.”

  “Of course. I’ll get on in the security detail or something. They always have them for those wing dings. I’ll get to watch you in action. We’ll have to make your arrival and entrance legendary.”

  “Don’t they all know each other at these things?”

  “Your packet will be waiting for you, and you’ll be carrying your invitation. They may have five hundred show up for this, since they’re including a couple of Harvard and Radcliff classes. It will be show-time when you get loose inside the Harvard Faculty Club. You’ll have to pique the interest of the three killers. Jacoby will probably be your best bet, but with two women in the killer crew, there may be some room for a Lesbos love triangle.”

  Montoya cracked up, patting Dostiene’s back. “I’ll think of something. What are we going to do in the time until the reunion? I know even our favorite profiling partners can keep track of those three. As long as they’re apart, they’re too chicken shit to do anything on their own, right?”

  Clint shrugged. “They’re only predictable when they’re together. They may each have some private horror show going, but you’re probably right. So, you think you’d like to play cops and robbers until your reunion?”

  Lynn straightened, walking around with her chin in hand as if in deep contemplation for a few moments. She suddenly spun back toward Dostiene, cradling his face in both hands. “Of course I do! It would be such a kick, CD! You and me trapping bad guys together. I’ll be the bait. The rougher, the better. C’mon, don’t you want to put these Company suicide missions you’ve been going on behind you?”

  “You mean like the one I just pulled off, plucking your shapely butt away from a Mexican Cartel?”

  Montoya dead panned her response, hands on hips. “Yeah, like that one.”

  Dostiene grinned up at her, deciding to play around a little with how Montoya would react to a Las Vegas setup. “Baby… what makes you think we’d be invited in to do something like that by our FBI pals? Desperation is the only reason we’re in on this serial killer stuff now. I see prison time in our future if we dabble around on mundane crime business.”

  Lynn straightened, counting off on her hand. “One, we use extortion to get Reeves and Skanky on board. Two-”

  “Skanky?”

  “You’
ve nailed her and I don’t like it. Let’s move on. Two-”

  “I did not nail her,” Dostiene stated, standing up to face Lynn. He stared at Lynn until she looked away. “Labrie is a good agent. She’s just caught up in the ‘profile mode’ even when there’s nothing standard in the case. Her and Reeves have a great conviction record on regular cases. What’s this about, Lynn?”

  Montoya shrugged. “Sorry, CD. I assumed facts not in evidence. I thought the way she looked at you… you know… maybe you were tapping that. Hell, maybe you should have rocked her world and she wouldn’t be all profiled into a corner now.”

  Dostiene tried not to laugh, failed, and went into full blown laughter for a few moments. “So… let me get this straight… I didn’t nail Labrie, which led to the deaths of all these innocent people?”

  “Exactly.”

  Clint bowed his head in deference. “Okay. You may be right. I will forego sexual liaisons with all contacts in my working environments from now on to prevent this heinous outcome.”

  Lynn giggled, hugging Dostiene. “Like hell. How about if I say I’m sorry for alluding to something that never happened in reality?”

  Clint framed Montoya’s face with his hands in a firm grip. “This stuff between me and you only works with trust, baby. I have no idea where this is going, but I can tell you it will go nowhere if you back me into a corner. It might be a good idea if we assumed the best of each other instead of the worst.”

  Lynn moved provocatively against Dostiene while wrapping her arms around him. “Sorry, CD. It won’t happen again. How come you’re not jealous of me? You must care about me. Otherwise, launching a suicide mission to rescue my shapely butt would have been beyond stupid. What’s up with that?”

  Dostiene met her pointed gaze with a serious one of his own. “I’ve never had a relationship with anyone, especially someone who knew what I am. I’m not over thinking our serial killer merger. I know you and I want these monsters. Yeah… you and I are monsters. The fact I don’t care should be enough for you. What the hell am I going to do with some vestal virgin, who hasn’t a clue about what we have to do?”

  Dostiene grabbed Montoya’s hands, grinning at her. “Ever hear that old Bob Seger song ‘Night Moves’?”

  A startled look enveloped Lynn’s facial expression, and then she laughed. “Working on mysteries without any clue?”

  Clint’s smile spread slowly as he nodded. “That’s why I love you, baby. You know my lyrics. What else can I say?”

  * * *

  Dostiene ended the call by switching off speaker. He smiled at Lynn, who had just walked in from the bedroom. “You heard the last part?”

  “Yep. Your buddy Reeves is a happy guy. I thought you calmed him down pretty well. For a moment there, I thought he was going to fly into each of the perp’s cities and execute them himself. Maybe he’s not as flat as I thought he was. The bad part is you were right. They didn’t have anything, did they?”

  Clint shook his head. “Nope. They got lost somewhere, and had it narrowed down to a cast of thousands. He was popping the names I gave him into the computer and coming up aces on every front. He’s convinced, and he loves our idea to get them. Of course Sammy doesn’t know yet what our getting them means. All the details for the cover will be handled. We won’t have to do a thing.”

  When Clint didn’t go on, Montoya growled. “Well… what did he say about some practice cases? I heard you mention it.”

  Clint grinned, having inside info on Denny Strobert’s behind the scenes setup. “Sam said to meet him in Las Vegas. They have a serial rapist there that’s hit a dozen young women. When he’s done, he cuts them from the corner of their mouth to their eye socket. He’s been extremely careful. No DNA left anywhere. Las Vegas is a perfect place for him. He’s patient – only waits for the dark and a target alone, which happens quite often in Sin City. Hell, he doesn’t even have to move around. Sam thinks the sucker waits until he has a lone target away from all cameras or lights.”

  “But he doesn’t kill them?”

  “Nope. Scarring only right now. They tried to hush it up to prevent the tourist business taking a dive. It’s pretty tough to do that with live victims, and they’re talking. Their families are talking too… and demanding action. Most are tourists from other states so the feds have been asked in. It’s a hot one, and it’ll be breaking all over the news in the next couple days. You can imagine how happy Sam was to have something positive to tell his bosses about our yuppie serial killers, because they’re dumping the rapist on them too.”

  Montoya began stripping. “This will be perfect for me.”

  Clint watched appreciatively, glancing around their room. “I thought you were ready to leave.”

  Lynn looked up from where she left her jeans and panties on the floor. “Road trip, right? We’re taking Tonto, right?

  “Ah… yeah.”

  Montoya moved up against Dostiene. “I need to loosen up for the road trip. How about you?”

  “I do now.”

  * * *

  Lynn looked over at the dozing Dostiene next to her in their rental Chevrolet Suburban. Tonto lay in the spacious rear seat. “Hey Sherlock, we have maybe forty-five minutes until we reach the Sin City limits.”

  Clint yawned and sat up, glancing out at the bleak scenery on US 93. “Man, this thing is comfortable. What’s up?”

  “Well you missed the Petrified Forest, and-”

  “Hey… I drove the first few hours. You said you wanted to drive, so stop whining about it. Now, what’s with the Sherlock?”

  “I figured you’d want to go over our action plan before we get there. Why’d you choose the Stratosphere, for example? I wanted to stay at the Wynn’s or the Bellagio,” Lynn replied.

  “We have Tonto. Plus, we want to stay in an out of the way place. It will cost me some extra for Tonto, but all the rape action has taken place between the Stratosphere and the Wynn’s. There are a lot of dark spots between the two. The tourists that have been targeted were all staying at the casinos down at that end: Circus/Circus, the Riviera, and the Stratosphere, or they were walking to the Riviera from the Wynn’s direction.”

  “I see those wheels turning, CD. You’ve thought of something. Spit it out. I figured I’d just be strutting around in a nice outfit.”

  “This weasel’s smarter than that, baby. The cops have been baiting that hook non-stop since the first couple incidents. We’ll be strolling around in the dark getting nowhere just like them. Our guy’s chatting up his hits in the casinos, knowing they’re staying in Las Vegas, and not just materializing out of thin air. That’s why I told Sam we’re not going anywhere near them or their field office there. We’re checking in for a week. Unfortunately, I’ll be the dim sighted guy staying with my service dog, Tonto, by himself. That’s the only way the Stratosphere allows a dog in. You’ll be the cheap tart staying by herself, having a grand old time on a tight budget, while playing big at the seedier casino stretch.”

  Lynn giggled. “How will this go over with Sam and Skank?”

  “Will you please stop calling her that? Sam will sell it. He’ll keep the Vegas PD playing around with undercover cops while we play the long hand. In the meantime, I’ll put our FBI partners to work going over every single person on casino video that spoke more than two words with our victims. With the facial recognition stuff they have now, they may even be able to zero right in on the perp, unless he’s playing around with hats and hair.”

  “Okay, CD, I’ll bite, why didn’t you go into detail with him on the phone?”

  Dostiene shook his head. “You should know better than that. They’d put some Barbie trying our ploy and tip our hand to the perp. No way that guy makes you. I’ll be shadowing you with different looks. We’re not even checking in at the same time. I’ll have you let me out at a crowded spot on the Strip with Tonto and my bag. I’ll hail a cab from there. You drive on with the Chevy and check in. I didn’t make you reservations in case the perp works for the hotel.
Get a real nice place with spa and everything there. You don’t have a gambling problem I don’t know about, do you?”

  “Kind of. I very seldom lose, so I’ll have to stick to the slots. You’ll still sneak up to see me after we’re done with our patrol, right?”

  “Of course. We’ll get settled in and then I’d like you to play down in the Stratosphere tonight, strutting around, and maybe chatting up the bartenders about what places have the best payouts or something.”

  “Should I be getting loaded too?”

  Clint nodded. “Sip a few? Yeah, I think you need to put imbibing on your bait resume in the casino. You won’t go getting careless and end up in some landfill somewhere if I lose sight of you for a few seconds will you?”

  Lynn laughed but did a double take at Dostiene’s serious frown. “Hey… I’m not taking this lightly, CD. You’re giving me looks like I’m some easy mark. What happened to trust? If you think I’m lettin’ some cowboy rope me into a face disfiguring sex romp, you don’t know shit about me!”

  Clint nodded over at her, leaning back. “Oh yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Just remember to glance around before you exit someplace. Make sure me and Tonto are in the area. Otherwise, fake a quick bathroom break and give us some time.”

  Montoya reached over to grip Dostiene’s thigh. “You wouldn’t be admitting to some affection for me, would you?”

  Clint patted her hand. “I’m already in love with you. What the hell else do you want from a fellow monster?”

  Lynn swerved the Chevy over across lanes to a screeching halt on the side, causing Dostiene to jolt upward, reaching for the 9mm Glock at his waist. “What the hell?”

  Montoya grabbed Dostiene’s face in her hands, the grim look pasted across her features giving Clint pause. “Don’t joke with me! I’m not some tulip you plucked off the road side.”

  Clint smiled. “What in the world makes you think I’m joking? Sure, we’re probably both rated as psychopaths by people who don’t even know the first thing about gathering a clue. Just because they don’t trust us, want us, or wish they didn’t need us, doesn’t mean we need to define ourselves by their parameters.”