He picked up a cup he’d just pulled from the cabinet and hurled it across the room. Pacing back and forth in the small kitchen, he grew angrier by the second. He had to finish what he’d started, and he had to do it today.
There would be no more phone conversations for him to hear because her phone probably lay at the bottom of the lake. He’d learned in the last few days from what she and Matt had discussed that Little Eddie, the one person who could identify him, was at the Lake City Youth Center.
He walked into the living room and picked up the framed picture on the mantle. His brother’s face smiled at him and he rubbed his fingers across the glass. “Don’t worry. I’ll make her pay. But first I have to visit Little Eddie.”
Matt pushed his half-eaten lunch to the side of his desk and picked up the background check he’d run on Hunter Ward this morning. From what he’d found, Hunter’s past didn’t reveal any run-ins with the law, not even a speeding ticket. If he’d been looking at the report as a perspective employer, he would hire the young man without any reservations.
The fact remained, though, that he had a different reason for digging into the student’s past. As a suspected stalker and possible murderer, Hunter bore more scrutiny. Matt had tried to impress that on him when he’d come in to sign a statement about the attempt on Rachel’s life.
Hunter appeared remorseful now about following Rachel, and Matt wanted to be as objective as possible. But he found that hard. After all, Hunter had terrorized Rachel. Too bad Hunter hadn’t thought about the consequences of his actions earlier.
His cell phone rang and he pulled it to his ear. “Hello.”
“Hello, Matt.”
His heart swelled at Rachel’s soft voice. “Rachel, how are you feeling?”
“Much better. Mama let me sleep late this morning. I’m a little sore but glad to be here.”
Matt pushed the thought from his head that Rachel had nearly died the night before. “Good. Just take it easy today. Don’t worry about newspaper deadlines or vigilantes.”
She laughed. “I won’t.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Your mother told me last night that she had to be home before lunch today because the lady keeping Cara was going out of town. Has she left yet?”
“Yes. David came about an hour ago to pick her up. She said you were going to drive me to her house after you got off work.”
“I am, but you have to promise me you’ll stay locked in that apartment until I get there.”
She chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not moving from here without you beside me.”
Her words sent a warm rush through his body and he smiled. “I’ll come as soon as I can get away.”
“Good. Mama says you’re to stay for dinner with us.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. See you later.”
Just as he disconnected the call, the office door opened and Philip walked in. He hung his coat on the rack by the door and rubbed his hands together. “It’s getting colder out there but the snow’s stopped.”
Matt stood as Philip walked toward him. “How did it go out at the lodge? Were you able to find any witnesses who saw the car following Rachel from the parking lot?”
Philip shook his head. “I talked to everybody there. Of course some of them weren’t on duty last night, but I was able to question some guests who were there. Nobody saw anything. I’m beginning to wonder if that Ward kid really ran Rachel off the road and made up the story about another car just to shift the suspicion off him. You questioned him this morning. What did you think?”
Matt’s forehead wrinkled. “I guess it’s possible, but I didn’t see any new dents in his car. If he’d sideswiped Rachel, there should have been some damage.”
Philip chuckled. “How could you tell? His car was so banged up, I couldn’t tell the difference between what was new or old.”
“I’m not through with him yet. I’ll question him again.”
The phone on Matt’s desk rang, and he sighed as he glanced at the light flashing on line one. “Looks like dispatch has a case for us. I was hoping for a peaceful day.” He picked up the receiver. “Hey, Mary Jo, what’s up?’
“Matt, I’ve just sent two squad cars and an ambulance to the Lake City Youth Center. I think you and Philip need to go, too.”
Shivers raced up Matt’s spine. “What happened?”
“The director, David Foreman, just called. He had to drive a friend to her home and when he returned to the Center, he found a young man had been shot.”
Philip inched closer. “What is it, Matt?”
Matt frowned and held up a restraining hand. “Who was shot?”
Matt heard some papers rattle before Mary Jo replied. “The victim is a young male named Eddie Haines.” In the background Matt heard the dispatch radio crackle, then Mary Jo’s response. “Sorry, Matt. That was one of the EMTs. The victim is still alive and they’re taking him to the Lake City Hospital.”
“We’re on our way.” Matt slammed down the phone and ran to get his coat. “Let’s go, Philip. Somebody shot Little Eddie. They’re taking him to the hospital.”
Philip turned away and pulled his coat from the rack. “There’s no need for both of us to go to the hospital. You go on and see if you find out anything there and I’ll go to the shooting scene. Maybe I can get a lead on who shot him.”
Matt nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll call you if he’s able to talk any, but he may be dead before I get to the hospital.”
As Matt ran down the hallway, he prayed that Little Eddie would live. He’d been so close to escaping his gang life, but someone hadn’t wanted that to happen. Had the gang members found out where he was hiding and decided Little Eddie was a danger to them? Or had the vigilante found him? He and Philip had to find the answers to those questions.
Rachel switched off the television and tossed the remote on the coffee table. After surfing through the entire afternoon lineup, she’d found nothing interesting in the soap operas and talk shows. She rose from the couch and stretched her arms over her head. She could hardly wait until Matt got there to take her to her mother’s house. Maybe a cup of coffee would make her feel better while she waited.
She sauntered into the kitchen and was about to pour herself a cup when the doorbell rang. Every muscle in her body tensed as she waited to see if it chimed again. She jumped when a fist pounded on the outside of the door.
Easing into the living room, she tiptoed to the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Philip Nolan.”
Rachel leaned closer to the door and stared through the peephole at Philip standing in the hallway. She turned the lock and opened the door. “Philip, what are you doing here?”
“I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”
Fear gripped her heart at the sad expression on his face. Had something happened to Matt? She reached out and drew Philip into the apartment. “What is it? Is it Matt?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not Matt. It’s your source.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Little Eddie?”
“Yes. Someone went into the Youth Center and shot him.”
Rachel covered her face with her hands. “I-is he dead?”
“I think so. He’s been taken to the hospital. Matt’s there now. I was on my way to the Youth Center. But I thought you should know, so I came by to tell you.”
Tears rolled from her eyes. “I can’t believe this. I thought we were so careful. Do you know who did it?”
Philip shook his head. “No. It could have been a gang member because he was leaving or it could have been the vigilante.”
She reached out and grasped Philip’s arm. “I need to go to the hospital.”
He patted her hand and smiled. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Matt’s busy and I need to get to the crime scene. You should stay here until we know something for sure.” He glanced past her toward the kitchen. “I hate to leave you upset like this. Before I go, can I get you somet
hing? A cup of coffee maybe?”
“I was just about to pour a cup when you arrived. Do you have time for some?”
He glanced at his watch. “I suppose so. The crime scene guys are busy right now, and I’d probably be in the way.”
“Good. Come on in the kitchen.”
Philip followed her from the room and stopped inside the kitchen door. “You have a nice apartment. Do you enjoy living here?”
“I do.” She pointed for him to sit at the table and pulled two cups and saucers from the cabinet. Behind her his chair scraped the floor as he pulled it out. She poured him a cup of coffee, set it before him and stepped back to the counter. “I haven’t done as much with the apartment as I planned because I’ve been so busy, but I’m going to do some painting after Christmas.”
Philip’s cup clinked against the saucer. “I hope you’re not going to change the colors in the bathroom. I like them.”
She chuckled. “No, I’m…” Turning slowly, she stared at him. “How do you know what the colors are in my bathroom?”
He smiled. “I know a lot about you, Rachel.” A slight frown flashed across his face. “Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you a Christmas present.” He slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled something out. With a smile he held out his open palm. “I wanted you to have this.”
Rachel glanced at his hand and pressed her fist against her mouth to stifle the scream that rumbled in her throat. He stood and walked around the table—her cross necklace dangling from his outstretched fingers.
Cold fear raced through Rachel’s veins at the hatred flashing in Philip’s eyes, and she stumbled backward. She’d tried for weeks to discover the identity of the vigilante. Now she knew, but it would do her no good if she was dead. She had to live so that she could tell Matt. He had to know that the partner he had trusted and worked with was, in reality, the sadistic vigilante that had terrorized Lake City.
TWENTY
Matt sat beside David in the waiting area of the Lake City Hospital emergency room. There weren’t as many people sitting around as there had been the night before when Rachel had been here. But then, as a policeman he knew that hospital emergency rooms tended to be busier at night than in the day.
David glanced at him. “What did the receptionist say when you told her you were a policeman?”
“She said they were trying to stabilize Little Eddie and she would let me know when the doctor said I could come back. I just hope he lives so I can talk to him.” The receptionist stood and motioned for Matt. He hurried to her desk. “What is it?”
“The doctor says you can come back for a minute.”
Matt strode through the doors where he had entered last night and was met in the hall by a tall man in green scrubs. “I’m Dr. Hailey. We’re about to take our shooting victim to surgery, but he’s awake and insists on seeing you before he goes. We’ve only got a few minutes, so make it quick.”
Matt nodded and hurried into the room Dr. Hailey indicated. Little Eddie lay on the bed surrounded by machines with tubes and wires attached to his body. The beep of a heart monitor filled the room. Matt stopped beside him, stared down at the young gang member who’d wanted a better life and said a quick prayer for Little Eddie’s survival.
Little Eddie’s eyelids fluttered open and he blinked at Matt. “Glad you’re here.”
Matt leaned closer to the bed. “Who did this to you?”
Little Eddie’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to speak. “Santa Claus.”
Matt frowned at the memory of a purse-snatching Santa. “Somebody in a Santa Claus suit?”
Little Eddie nodded. “He said he was there to finish what he started at the pizza parlor.”
“What does that mean?”
Little Eddie coughed and the doctor entered the room. “We need to get him to surgery.”
“No.” Little Eddie coughed again. “Got to tell this. I seen the vigilante the night he killed my friend at the pizza parlor. Chased me but I jumped in a Dumpster to hide.”
Matt glanced at the doctor. “Is there anything you can tell me that will help me find this Santa Claus?”
Little Eddie gulped a large breath. “I forgot ’bout his ring until I seen him pull the gun out. The shooter at the pizza parlor wore the same one.”
“What kind of ring?”
A frown pulled at Little Eddie’s forehead. “Funny lookin’ one. It was gold and had a crown at the top with two hands under it. I never seen nothin’ like it before.”
Matt stood in stunned silence. A ring with a crown? Philip wore one that had passed to him when his brother died.
“Did he say anything else?”
“Yeah. Right before he pulled the trigger he said, ‘This is payback for my brother.’”
The doctor stepped forward. “That’s enough. We’re going to surgery now.”
Matt stepped out of the way as several nurses entered the room. He stumbled back down the hallway and through the swinging doors into the waiting room. He still couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Philip, the vigilante? There had to be an explanation. He rushed to the receptionist’s desk.
“Is there a computer around here I can use? This is a police emergency.”
The startled woman looked up and nodded. “There’s one in the office in back of me. The girl who works in there is on break right now. You can use it.”
Across the room David rose and came toward him. “Matt, what’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you later, David. Right now I need to get on the internet.”
Hurrying into the office behind the receptionist, Matt dropped into the chair at the computer and accessed the internet. He searched his mind for the name of the brother Philip had mentioned from time to time who died in Chicago. After a few seconds it popped into his mind—Michael Nolan.
Matt typed the name in the search engine and waited. Within minutes he’d accessed the obituary of Michael Nolan, a successful pediatrician who worked on his days off in a free clinic for destitute families in Chicago. The write-up listed Philip Nolan as the only family member.
Matt clicked back to the search page and found a newspaper article about the death. His eyes grew wide as he read the story detailing the murder of the prominent doctor who spent his spare time trying to make life better for the residents of inner-city areas. It said the police were still searching for the shooters who’d killed the doctor when he was caught in the cross fire between two rival street gangs.
“Philip’s brother was killed by gang members?” Matt glanced around to see if anyone had heard his whispered words.
Had he been working alongside a killer for months and hadn’t realized it? Matt jerked his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the head of the crime scene investigators who should be at the Center.
The chief investigator answered right away. “Hello.”
“Jack, this is Matt Franklin. Is Philip there?”
“No, Matt. I haven’t seen him. I was wondering where you guys were.”
“Thanks, Jack. I’ll get back to you.”
Matt flipped his phone closed. Where could Philip be? He’d left the station to go to the Center. The truth hit him and he groaned. There could only be one place where he would be. Rachel’s apartment.
He jumped to his feet and dialed her home phone. It rang until it went to her answering machine. He waited until the beep and then yelled into the phone, “Rachel, don’t let Philip in. He’s the vigilante. I’m on my way.”
Matt disconnected the call and punched speed dial for dispatch. “I need backup at the Regency Apartments. Third floor.” Without stopping, he ran through the waiting room past a startled David Foreman and to his car. He gunned the engine and careened from the parking lot. He had to get to Rachel before Philip did.
The phone on the kitchen counter rang and Rachel reached for it. Philip pulled a knife from his coat and waved it in her direction. “I wouldn’t answer that if I were you.”
She inched backward to put some space bet
ween the two of them and listened to Matt’s voice warning her about Philip. When the message ended, Rachel stared at Philip. “What made you into a killer?”
His mouth hardened into a grim line. “My brother was killed in the cross fire of two gangs that were having a street war. When I saw how the Rangers and the Vipers were spreading out over our town, I decided I had to do something. My plan was to kill enough members to spark a war and let them kill each other off. It would’ve worked if it wasn’t for you.”
She curled her fingers to stop their trembling. “I don’t understand.”
“Only gang members were supposed to die. When that man on the sidewalk died at Pepper’s Bar, I knew it was your fault. You’d turned me into a murderer just like they were. So I decided one more murder wouldn’t matter.”
“So you’re the one who stole my purse, broke into my apartment and forced me into the lake last night?”
He chuckled and gave a little salute. “Guilty as charged, ma’am.”
“B-but all those phone calls. How did you know so much about me?”
He laughed. “That was the most beautiful part of all. When I stole your purse, I downloaded spyware on your phone. I heard every conversation and read every text message. I knew your every move.”
Anger boiled up in her. “You’re a sick man, Philip, and I’m not going to let you get away with this.”
His eyebrows arched and he glanced around the room. “And who’s going to stop me? You? I don’t think so.” He lifted the knife and smiled. “This time I’m not using a gun. The noise might alert the neighbors.”
He lunged for her, but Rachel ran around the opposite side of the table. Philip pushed a chair out of his way and advanced on her as she raced toward the front door. She twisted the lock and was about to open it when Philip’s palm slammed against the door right above her head. His hand holding the knife plunged downward, sideswiping her arm. She twisted away from the door and stumbled backward.
Yuletide Defender Page 19
