She didn't feel bad for him. “Let this be a wakeup call,” she stated. “Take care of your kids.”
Heading toward the ME, and her husband, she could see the officer rushing back. He handed her the tablet and pushed play.
Emma and Greyson watched as the scene played out on the tablet. Indeed, the man had been telling the truth. No one went in or out of that cell, until the officer rushed in.
Unless the man with him was a killer, they were good. “Can we get his bunkmate’s DNA?” she asked, pointing over at the man in orange.
“Yeah, we can do that,” offered one of the techs.
Emma was fairly certain they didn't have a homicide, so that meant she wasn’t needed there. For now, they’d have to wait and see if this was their killer. If another body turned up, they were going to know that Benji Johnston was in the clear.
“Steele, can we check in with you later?” she called, pointing at the dead man being zipped up.
“Sure thing, Detective. See you when I’m done.”
Emma headed toward the lockup gate.
“What do you think?” her husband asked.
“We need to search his place. If he was the killer, maybe we’ll get lucky. I do know that he made it easier. I can dig through his things now without a warrant.”
“Way to find the positive.”
She laughed. “Well, only time will tell on this one. If we get more bodies, then we know the truth.”
He agreed.
“Want to head to his place now?” she asked. “I know it’s early, but I won’t be able to get back to sleep. My adrenaline is all jumpy.”
Croft took her hand in his, after they claimed their weapons at the desk. “Kitten, you know there are lots of things we can do if you’re feeling hyper.”
Emma found him funny. “If I didn't have a long day ahead of me, I’d say yes to you.”
Yeah, he was aware of her day’s festivities. She would be hanging out with Randall later.
Goodie.
It was hard not to sense his trepidation. “Are you going to be all right?” she asked, knowing he was having a hard time with this.
“I will, but I really want it over with at this point. It’s been looming for so long, that it’s making me edgy.”
Emma understood. “I’m sorry, Grey.”
He wasn’t. This was all about him, and he needed to work through it is own way.
By getting it over with and buried.
“I may have something to make you happy. What if I took you out to breakfast after the search?” she offered.
That has his attention.
“Can I get bacon?” he asked hopefully.
Emma grinned. “Maybe.”
“Pretty please, Emma, my sweet?”
Now she began laughing. “Yes, you can have bacon.”
“Deal. Let’s get this search over with. I have a craving for some greasy, fried pig.”
“I’ve created a monster.”
“Indeed you have.”
* * *
Lidia Martinez’s Apartment
Before Dawn
They began the search. It started on the bottom floor. There was a bunch of clutter, and it appeared that neither person liked to clean.
“This makes me nervous,” he stated, picking up a bank statement from the coffee table. “This should be filed under ‘B’ not scattered around for the world to see. If I came home to see our personal papers all over the house, I think I’d lose my mind.”
“You’re crazy,” she stated. “That’s why I toss them in the trash.”
When he glanced up, she corrected herself, “I’m kidding, Grey. I love you to death.”
He winked at her.
“I found a phone,” she stated, dropping it in a bag. They would hand that off to Curtis. He could cross-reference the number to see if Benji had some side action going on still, possibly with one of their dead women.
Heading into the bedroom, they knew the fun was about to begin.
“Wow,” Croft stated, holding up a paddle. “Someone liked to be spanked,” he stated, wiggling his eyebrows.
Emma shook her head, not going there. If she even commented, her sexy husband would surely have something to add to it.
“I think we need one of these for our bedroom.”
Reaching down, she picked up a belt.
“What’s that?” he asked curiously, checking out the device in her gloved hands.
“I do believe that it’s a male chastity belt. Someone liked to be deprived of orgasm. Do we need one of these too?”
He roared with laughter. “I sometimes forget my kitten has vicious, mean claws. Thank you for reminding me, Emma.”
“Yeah, it’s my pleasure. Tread lightly.”
As they dug through the drawers beside the bed, there was a plethora of lube, vibrators, and condoms. In fact, it was a giant box of protection.
Greyson noticed that Emma was sitting there, deep in contemplative thought.
“What?”
“So, we have a killer who is having sex, but he doesn’t bag up. From what we’ve found here, I’m thinking it was second nature for Benji to do just that. If a man is using condoms at home, he’s not going to go out and go bare. If he was the killer, why wouldn’t he grab a few for the road? Certainly, he’d realize not using them made our job easier.”
His wife was a damn good detective. He hadn’t even thought about that little detail. At home, he and Emma didn't use condoms because he didn't like them. “That’s a good point, Emma. The DNA is going to be the most important thing in catching the killer. He’s made a huge tactical error.”
“Yeah, he did. I know Steele will likely handle this, but I’m going to send a text anyway,” Emma stated, doing just that. “I have to cover my bases. I’m sure the commissioner will be on the captain’s ass over this.”
“We have more leather and collars in this closet.” Pushing the things aside, he found a laptop bag. Inside, there was a well-used one. “Curtis can check this one too,” he stated.
Standing in the middle of their private space, Emma turned in a circle. “This room saw a lot of sex,” Emma admitted. “We have books, videos, and the clothing. Yet, they both had to cheat. Why?”
He didn't have an answer for that. “Maybe they just weren’t meant for each other. I wouldn’t cheat, would you?”
When she didn't reply, he glanced up. “EMMA?”
“I’m sorry, what? I was emailing Curtis to start running the phone and laptop as soon as he arrives at work. What did you say?”
His heart pounded in his chest. That little inkling of fear began pushing through his calm. “Would you ever cheat on me?”
“No! Why would I do something stupid like that? I happen to have a sexy man, who likes spicy sex too. I think I have the best of both worlds. My other half is a freak.”
He laughed. “I love you.”
“Yeah, well, I feel the same about you, Greyson Croft. You’re my dream man, and we like sex.”
“But I don’t have any of these fun toys,” he stated, flicking the whip. “Maybe it’s not spicy enough.”
“You don’t have any because you don’t bring them home. If you did, I’m sure you’d have an interesting collection.”
The grin on his face said it all. “We better get going. I need breakfast, and soon!”
“What’s the rush?” she asked, following him out of the room.
“After I eat, I have to go shopping.”
Emma snorted. “Perv.”
“I prefer dignified sex fiend.”
Yeah, either way, both Emma and Greyson knew the truth.
They were both lucky.
Very lucky indeed.
* * *
All the while they were eating, the news was playing on the TV mounted on the wall. Customers of the café were watching and glancing back and forth, mainly at them.
It wasn’t shocking.
Yes, they’d made the news once more, but thankfully, it was for t
he crimes and nothing else. It looked like their reporter buddy was trustworthy after all.
He didn't spill the beans.
“Wow, he looks happy,” Emma said.
“Yeah, he should be. He managed to get me to give him a personal interview. I don’t like to do that.”
They listened to Keith Powell drone on, and then one thing in particular caught his attention. “Wait…did he just say that the killer is targeting blondes?”
Emma started laughing. “Yep.”
“I didn't give him any information on hair.”
“Well, honey, the people in the church likely saw her scalped body. It wasn’t exactly a hard one to figure out. He might be guessing. One dead woman with no hair was good enough to make a story pop. You know how the media is.”
Yeah, he certainly did.
“But they weren’t blonde,” Croft stated.
Emma shrugged. “This is Vegas. He probably went with the odds. Look around this place. I count six blondes and only one redhead. This is the peroxide haven of the free world.”
“You have a point.”
“The sad thing is, he obviously didn't do his homework to lock down that little detail. It was easily found out.”
That had his attention, so Greyson stared at her. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“Had he done a really good job interviewing the witnesses at the scene, he would have known the last victim was a brunette. It was easily ascertained.”
Croft was missing something.
“The entire church checked her out, and she was only wearing the top portion of her clothes.” Emma pointed down.
“Ohhhhh! Yeah, I didn't even think to go there.”
Emma winked at him, grinning until he stole her bacon. “HEY!”
“That was for being naughty and having a dirty mind.”
“Yeah, well you never complained before.”
Croft shoved the bacon in his mouth and grinned wickedly. “I’m well aware. It turns me right on.”
* * *
It didn't take long to sneak into the house. He’d ‘borrowed’ a key from one of the men who worked for Randall Mason. When he wasn’t looking, it was swiped right off the key hook in the garage. Now, he had total access through the maintenance part of the house. There were no alarms here, or anyone who could stop him. So far, this little mission was a piece of cake.
First things first, he needed to handle the collateral issues to ensure the plan would keep on track.
Creeping into the kitchen, he grabbed a knife from the butcher block. Unfortunately, the chef had horrible luck, and needed to die. With one swipe, he sliced the man’s throat from ear to ear. As the blood splattered, he fell to the floor in a thud.
One down.
One to go.
Then he would get ready for the true victim.
Heading down the hall, he waited for the target to turn in his chair. When he stared up at the redhead on the wall, he made his move. Silently slipping toward the back of the man’s chair, he reached around and quickly did the deed.
There was a gurgle and gush of more blood as life leached from the most powerful man in Vegas. This was a feather in his killer’s cap. No one had succeeded in getting this close to Randall Mason before now. That’s why he was paid well for doing a damn good job.
Glancing around the room, he scanned for any sign of what was to come. Obviously, Mason was planning something intimate. Oh well, not anymore. Pulling out his cell, he sent a coded text, relaying that one of the deeds had been done.
Now he could get paid. It was a sweet deal getting money for each kill. His phone chimed, showing that a portion of his money had arrived.
The bosses would be happy.
The last portion remained, and in his opinion, the easiest part was yet to come. He’d just killed two men, effortlessly. How difficult could it be to take out one woman?
He laughed.
Soon, she would show.
It was a matter of time.
When the coded message came in, congratulating him on a job well done, he grinned with perverse glee. With the two dead, he could retire.
With the woman gone, he could head to some island to call it quits. She was the big, fat payload, and he was about to rake it all in.
Yeah, happiness, here he came.
Getting into place, he waited.
It was all counting on this.
He wouldn’t screw up, because he had too much to lose.
“Goodbye, Emma Croft. May you rest in peace.”
* * *
Sunday Nine A.M.
Conference Room
LVPD
When Greyson and Emma rolled in, they were in a much better mood, fueled up, and ready to begin their work for the day. There was just something about bacon that made Greyson’s personality a little bit brighter.
“What do you have?” he asked Paris and Tessa, as they sat incredibly close at the table.
“Your warrant is in, boss,” Paris replied, holding it up. “We heard you had an early morning wakeup call. You could have called us. Tessa would have shown up, even if she’s on suspension.”
Yeah, that was right after they finished rolling around in bed. Paris Archer was a man on fire when it came to his renewed life with Tessa. She found the key to unlock all the things he had been previously missing.
“Thank you for the offer, but we had it under control. It wasn’t dire that the team be on scene. We won’t know if Benji was a forlorn lover or a guilty killer until the DNA comes back. Then, we can put this away.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure it out, boss. All things eventually work out in the end,” Paris stated.
Yeah, Greyson Croft could only hope.
While Paris and Tessa were okay with not being called to the scene, Curtis Briggs would have preferred to come to work.
All night, he and Brynn were stuck in this awkward silence. He’d ask a question, she’d reply. Gone were the loving touches, hugging, and sex. It was like the marriage license had erased the last two months, and he was back at start.
It was frustrating.
Irritating.
Heartbreaking.
He needed work to stop thinking about it, so he threw himself into the case.
“We saw the news this morning,” Curtis stated, glancing over at his boss. “What’s up with the blonde angle?”
Croft shrugged. “I think he’s fishing, waiting for me to call him in a freak out, then he’ll have his confirmation. For now, I’m doing nothing. He’s playing with a veteran here. I’m not some bright and shiny newbie like you.”
“Hey!” Curtis objected. “I worked two years under you. Trust me! My shine is long gone. In fact, I have more dings than anyone at this table,” he stated, pointing at Paris.
The man laughed.
Greyson couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, and I like it that way.”
“Anyway,” Curtis began, “we ran your reporter, like you asked.”
“And?”
“He’s clean. In fact, the man doesn’t even have a parking ticket. He’s not some nefarious blackmailer in need of fast cash from you.”
Paris and Tessa looked confused.
Croft explained it all.
When he was done, Tessa was amused. “It takes a big set of balls to even try and blackmail you. The man’s obviously crazy.”
Greyson liked his team.
They knew him so well.
“Yeah, I said the same thing. I give him credit. He found my one weakness and exploited it. I wouldn’t want to humiliate my wife with more crazed media ramblings.”
She kissed him on his scarred cheek. “Thank you for that. The last thing I need is more media idiots dogging me.”
“What else did you get on him? I like to know the devil I’m forced to play nice with.”
“There’s not much on him. Apparently, he went to a good college and lives within his means. His financial background is the norm. Keith Powell has been working for the same TV station for
about ten years, has a mortgage, and a nice car. That’s about it. Before college nothing popped, so he looks like an angel. Want me to dig more?”
“No, if something was there, it would have shown up.”
Greyson felt better. He would work with him, since the man seemed on the up and up. He wouldn’t risk Emma in any way, and that included preserving his ego.
This was a fine line for Greyson.
“I’m so glad that the man blackmailing my husband is stable. That makes me feel so much better,” she stated sarcastically.
Greyson rested his hand on her thigh. “I’m using him too. There’s going to come a time when we need someone on our side in the public opinion arena. We’ll be using him right back.”
It gave him some satisfaction.
“Why don’t we focus on the search warrant, and forget about the media? Although, once we roll out of here, they’re likely to follow.”
He was grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“And you’re happy about that?” Curtis asked. Had his boss recently hit his head? Lost his mind?
This was new.
“Well, once the media sees us going in, they’re going to draw up the worst kind of suspicions. That may shut this business down. In fact, I hope my tail is there too. If Keith asks, I may just spill it. This business is a playground for a killer, and I don’t exactly like the idea that marriage is being shit on by a bunch of oversexed housewives and husbands. I told you. It should mean something.”
Brynn glanced over. She waited for Curtis to say something, but that morning he’d been chilly.
More so than in a long time.
It made her want to throw up.
“Why don’t we all suit up and head out?” Emma suggested. Time was burning, and she had to get back to get ready for her dinner date.
“Yes, we should,” Croft said, standing. As everyone headed out, he noticed Paris had yet to move. “Are you coming?”
He glanced up in surprise. “What?”
“You can’t kick a door in, but you can interrogate an asshole just as well as you ever did. Besides, with your shrink brain, Doctor Archer, you may see something.”
Heaven is Weeping (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 5) Page 29
