He sounded offended. "Wow, didn't mean anything by it, OK? I didn't mean to offend you so early in the morning. Usually I don't make an ass of myself until later in the day. Forgive me?"
"Look, I don't mean to be sensitive. It's just I am engaged now, remember?"
"Ah, yes, the good doctor!How could I possibly forget? Alright, alright you don't have to get the ruler out and rap my knuckles. I get it!" He grumbled.
"Now that that's out of the way; How can I help you today Agent?" said Danny keeping her terse tone.
"I thought us and, I mean all three of us, you, me and Agent Ramirez, because I don't want you to be compromised by being alone with me, could get breakfast and discuss Sherry again. Would that be OK or do you want to discuss it with your old man first?"
Danny ignored his sour mood having already made her point. "Sure, but I have a better idea: I want to try to contact her again. See if she will come through today. Can both of you meet me at the apartment in an hour?"
"We'll be there, see you then .....Nani!"
"Agent!"Before she could continue Agent Stone had hung up. "Ooh that man infuriates me!" She said aloud as a lazy smile crept across her face.
If Sherry hadn't fallen into drugs and prostitution, she would have been a heartbreaker. The striking girl appearing before Danny looked nothing like the putrefied skeletal corpse in the autopsy photo that Agent Stone had provided. Her manifestation in the spirit realm reflected her as she would have been had drug addiction not touched her life. Her avocado green eyes sparkled with intelligence, while her wavy golden hair cascaded down her back. She was genuinely pretty, the type of girl who would have men vying for her attention. The fact that this vibrant young woman had succumbed to the streets and let herself beused to slake the lust of strange men made her story even more appalling.
Together, Danny and Sherry were standing on the corner of Lenox and Marble in a rundown section of Dallas, dilapidated housing all around them. The area had been as it had the day Sherry was abducted and slain, even though they were in the spirit realm. Everything from the pedestrians walking up and down the block to the flashing neon lights of the corner liquor store had been successfully recreated as Sherry saw it down to most minute detail.
Like the director on a movie set, Danny stood on the sidelines while things unfolded before her. Narcotics were traded for money in the open, citizens in fear of their lives ignoring the blatant obvious crimes around them. The drug addicted Senator's daughter stood outside the liquor store in a pack with other women of the night. Danny noted that most of the women in the group were Asian, Haitian, and of Mexican descent. Like Sherry, the other women appeared to be drugged their eyes glazed and unseeing. Sherry was the only white girl in the group and probably the only one that knew English. A Hispanic man, that Danny assumed was the women's pimp, looked on unconcerned. He sat on the hood of a square-shaped, Japanese import car, accented with tacky chrome accessories.
The car carrying Sherry's personal grim reaper appeared at the curb, smoke from the tail pipe indicating possible engine problems. Danny rounded the jalopy, noting the last eight numbers of the vehicle's VIN number displayed through the driver's side window. It may be possible for Stone to trace the vehicle using the VIN. She also memorized the license plate number, which more than likely had been stolen off another vehicle. She leaned into the driver's side window of the 1980s era Ford, eyeballing the face of the killer. Darkness was his ally because Danny couldn't discern much from his face savefor the scruffy wig and facial hair. There was no denying that his appearance was a deliberate disguise.
At first, an Asian woman approached the beater car, but the driver quickly shooed her away pointing directly at Sherry.
So, he was looking for Sherry. Danny mused. Why the killer singled out Sherry was still a mystery. Her intuition told her that the killer wasn't just out to kill a white girl. There was definitely more going on than just a random serial killing. Something seemed out of order. There was a back story here, but it wasn't quite clear yet.
Despite still being a teenager, Sherry tried her best to walk seductively to the rattletrap. In seconds, Sherry and the man were gone, the wreck of a car leaving smoke in its wake.
For the fourth time Danny re-experienced Sherry's hard-hearted murder. With just a swift flash of the silver blade, the girl was on the ground in the makeshift grave, her life's blood seeping into the freshly dug earth. There was no emotion in the slaying as was typical with most serial killers. There was no rage, no anger, no hatred, just frigid, almost mechanical, motions.
Of course, he had protected his identity with latex gloves, the kind anyone can buy in any drugstore. This erased any chance of them retrieving any fingerprints. Danny dropped her head in her hands out of frustration. There wasn't a lot of information to go on, but she now had more Intel than those who had initiated the investigation. It was at least a start.
Crouching beside Sherry's lifeless body, Danny felt a light touch on her shoulder. Though she wasn't able to verbalize her message, the girl had something to tell her.
"What is it Sherry?" Danny asked.
Sherry touched a spot in thin air, the spirit realm returning them to the decrepit neighborhood. Their surroundings shifted like puzzle pieces falling into place. Like a desert mirage, the atmosphere became wavy and distorted, the environment resetting itself. Danny realized that they were just a block from where Sherry had been working her corner. A couple churches rested on opposite ends of the block surrounded by urban staples like a beauty supply, a check cashing store, and a cell phone retailer. Sherry's attention was drawn across the street where a family clinic was located.
The young woman pointed at the brick and glass blocked structure, her finger shaking insistently. Sherry took off running to the facility. She pounded the glass doors with her fists, silently screaming for entry. She cupped her hands against the glass, peering inside for anyone to let them in. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"It's OK." Danny approached the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Highland Clinic the outside of the building read in bold scarlet lettering. She also noted the address so Agent Stone would have no trouble locating it. If this clinic was so important to Sherry, then there must be some kind of clue hidden there. It wasn't much, but it was something. The lead was more than she could dig up on the other cases. Hopefully it was the clue they needed.
Danny reopened her eyes in her own reality to find Aiden's ocean blue eyes watching her intently from his same position on the sofa. Alejandro had since returned from the now usual coffee run, looking a little unsettled with her trance-like state. The rookie was standing several feet from her looking like he was afraid to move. Aiden swiftly rose from the sofa and offered a hand to help her to her feet.
Danny took him up on his offer, finding herself comparing his hands to Gerard's. His hands were rough and calloused, like he exfoliated them with sandpaper. Conversely, Gerard's hands were as lotioned and soft as her own. Aiden pulled her close to make sure she was steady on her feet, her hands falling on the solid wall of his chest. His hand lingered on the small of her back for a few seconds, sending a pleasant tingle down her spine.
"How long was I out?" She asked, quickly separating herself from the FBI Agent. Her heart was hammering away in her chest. Feeling a little jittery, she nervously ran a hand through her hair.
"Not even a half hour." Was his reply, his genuine concern showing on his face. "You feelingOK?"
"Fine."She breathed; glad to get out of his proximity. Sitting at her desk with her coffee, she started jotting down the Intel she had gathered. By practice, as soon as she was out of her trance, she wrote down all the information while it was fresh in her memory.
"You find anything we can use?" Aiden asked.
"Absolutely."She replied as she continued writing, taking another sip of the steaming beverage.
She relayed the information she had gathered from her vision. When
she provided him the license plate number and the VIN of the suspect's vehicle, he sent Ramirez to call in the information to the Dallas office. Hopefully they would be able to trace the vehicle and possibly get some forensic evidence.
The girl's whereabouts prior to her abduction and murder had now been revealed. The one-time honor student had been skulking around the broken down inner city of Dallas. She also knew that Sherry had been singled out by her assassin, though his motives for her demise were still unclear. Perhaps the girl had witnessed or done something that had put her on someone's hit list. With the clues she had compiled involving these cases, she didn't think anything about these murders was random.
"So our killer singled our Sherry for some reason?" Aiden asked after she had debriefed them.
Danny nodded. "Another woman approached the vehicle first, but the man requested Sherry. He pointed her out specifically. It can't just be a coincidence."
"Maybe she pissed someone off." Alejandro offered.
"Or she saw something she wasn't supposed to see or was privy to something that got her killed." Aiden said.
Danny nodded an affirmation. "My gut is telling me there's more to this than what we're seeing. There's also something else." she began. "Sherry showed me a building, a clinic in the same area where she 'worked'. Because of the time frame of her death, I wasn't able to check the inside. But she was adamant that the clinic held some clue to her demise."
Stone nodded, scratching his chin in contemplation. "Me and Ramirez will head back down to Dallas and take a look around."
"You two do that, but I will continue working on things from this end." She said. "Hopefully with all our skills put together we can catch this sick sonofabitch before he kills again."
As Danny walked the two men to the door, Alejandro headed out first. Aiden started to follow until Danny lightly grabbed his arm.
There is something else I have to tell you, Stone." She peeped down the hallway making sure Ramirez was out of earshot. "I didn't want to bring it up around Agent Ramirez because he seems freaked out enough. But I had an unsolicited visit from a spirit last night on my way home."
"Are you OK?" His eyes widened with concern and he softly closed the apartment door for privacy.
Danny nodded. "I'm fine, but it was like she was trying to warn me. She was an older woman in her 60's I guess, blonde hair, really pretty. She didn't seem like any of the other women, and she's not a case I'm currently working on. I don't understand what she wants, but she appeared again at the house when I got home. She seemed pretty insistent like there was something she had to tell me. I don't know how but I get the feeling she might be connected to all of this."
"That is freaky. But what am I supposed to do with this info?" He asked, suddenly feeling he was taking a knife to a gunfight as far as his psychic skills were concerned.
"I don't know?" She contemplated for a second. "I guess I'm asking you to keep it in mind, OK? If you come across anything that might connect her to all of this, just keep a look out. Maybe she'll come to you too."
"Thanks, all I need is a visit from Casper the friendly ghost." he remarked cynically. "Alright I'll keep it in mind. I'll contact you as soon Ramirez and I touch down in Dallas."
Aiden leaned forward like he was going to kiss Danny on the lips. She half expected it and was ready to slap his rugged face. Instead, Aiden stuck out his hand. Danny took hold of his large calloused hand and shook it. She had a quick pang of disappointment, not sure if she really wanted to slap him or really wanted to indulge in the kiss.
“Goodbye, Ms. Laboblahblah!" Aiden chuckled.
"Oh, God you are such a jackass!" Danny was smiling.
"I told you I usually wait till the afternoon to make an ass out of myself!" With that Agent Stone shut the door behind him, leaving a bemused Danny behind.
Chapter 11
"Babe, you haven't even touched your food." Gerard noted across the dinner table. "You sure you're feeling all right?"
Like he used to before they moved out to Arizona, Gerard had taken the time to prepare a home cooked meal for Danny. She had returned from her work at her apartment and was taken aback to find a culinary masterpiece waiting for her. It was a wonderful gesture, a throwback to the amorous times they had shared in New York, but on her it was lost.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she inquired, continuing to shove her pasta around on her dinner plate. She was in a sulky mood and didn't mind letting him hear it in her voice.
"You've been so distant over the last few days. I know you're still upset over the way things played out at the dinner the other week. I can't tell you how sorry I am." Gerard professed.
Blah, blah, blah. Would you please shut the hell up! She wanted to tell him.
For her, as far as their relationship was concerned, the thrill was nearly gone. When Gerard had first proposed she had all the greatest aspirations, but those dreams she soon realized were mere fantasies. They were living in a tacky house, that she hated, and an even tackier neighborhood. The friends they had were all Gerard's. Everything was about Gerard, and she was expected to give up what she wanted for his goals. It wasn't in her to be submissive, and there was no way she would change that. She was beginning to realize that moving out here with Gerard may have been a huge error on her part.
Hadn't grand mere warned her of the dangers of 'shacking up', that is living with a man without being married to him? Funny, the old woman had been gone for years and was still dropping knowledge on Danielle, though when she had moved in with the doctor it was with the intention of tying the knot soon. Now, she wasn't so sure she wanted that to happen. Danny wasn't happy at all, and if things continued on this path then she was calling things off.
This world Gerard lived in wasn't hers, and she was a fool to even think she could assimilate herself into it. Everything in his life was perfect, his wardrobe; his friends; and his job. She, on the other hand, was literally battle scarred and bruised. She had more city miles on her than highway miles. She wasn't a Pollyanna princess. The way she got here wasn't pretty, but she was here and, damn it, she was a survivor.
Unwarranted, an image of Agent Stone wearing just a scowl and a bath towel intruded into her private contemplations. A jolt of awareness shot from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. Goodness, the man had the type of hard body that would make a smart girl do very stupid things. He had a way of honing in on her with those cobalt eyes that made it feel like he was dressing her down.
Fortunately, the FBI Agent and his sidekick were in Dallas right now chasing down the leads in Sherry's murder. If she were lucky, Stone would solve his case without any further assistance from her. The man had a dangerous glow about him, not that her life was at risk around him. She would probably never be any safer than in his presence. Agent Stone was carnally hazardous. She had the feeling that he knew his way around a woman's body and knew how to use that knowledge to his and her pleasure.
When the agent had touched her the day before, she had felt a stirring in her that even all her lovemaking with Gerard couldn't bring about. There was something about when she and the agent were in the same room, something frightening yet exhilarating at the same time. What would it feel like to spend one night in the arms of the stoic Stone feeling the whisker burns from his stubbledchin on her most sensitive places and his muscled arms around her body?
"I'm glad you like my suggestion." Gerard barged into her fantasies.
"What?" she asked totally confused. She had been so busy daydreaming about Agent Stone that she hadn't heard a word Gerard had said.
"I said, 'what do you think of us going ahead and planning the wedding?'." he repeated. "You were smiling so I took that to mean you were OK with going ahead with the wedding plans."
"Wedding plans?" Her tone was perplexed.
"Yes." He sounded like she didn't speak English. "As in you and I finally saying our vows.It involves a ceremony, a limousine, and a reception. Do you know to what I'm referring now?"
<
br /> She figured she would let him down easy since she didn't want to break his heart. "Gerard, I'm not quite sure if I want to get married right now. I haven't exactly been happy here in Phoenix."
Instead of bawling his eyes out or falling into a fit of rage and throwing their meal off the dinner table, he just laughed. Rendered speechless, she stared at him.
"What is so funny?" She asked, dropping her fork with a clatter on the table.
"Honey, you've just got cold feet. It happens to a lot of brides."
"I don't have cold feet." She insisted.
"Yes, you do." He gave her the condescending stupid little woman tone that she hated. "The past few months have been crazy for you I know. But, give it some time. This is just a big adjustment for you."
"I think I know how I feel."
Instead of listening, he took her hand in his. "Sweetheart, trust me on this. I won't put any more stress on you. Cassie recommended this wedding planner who works miracles. Monday, I'm going to give her a call and we can start planning it out, that way it takes the burden off of you. Whatever type of ceremony you want we'll have. If you want to have our wedding in the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, even in New York, whatever you want is yours."
Standing up from the dinner table, Gerard kissed Danny on the forehead like she was his child not his fiancée and excused himself. He had paperwork in his office that needed to be sorted through.
Dumbfounded, Danny remained where she was, not believing that Gerard hadn’t heard a word she’d said. She picked up her wine glass and swigged all of it down. She got up from the table leaving the dishes where they were.
"Let the asshole clean up." She mumbled, going to bed in the guest room where she spent most of her nights, since Gerard had a habit of working late hours.
Lying alone in the dark, her mind wandered again to Agent Stone. What a name she bemused. The image of Stone in the thread bare towel once again barged into her thoughts. She found herself breathing just a little harder, her pulse quickening at the thought of the possible image of what was underneath that skimpy towel.
The Body Hunters Page 11
