by Andrew Hess
Sheila snapped her head towards the Puppet Master, pulling her arm away. “I’m not going to be your booty call or some whore for your pleasure.”
“Did I say I wanted either of those. I said I wanted to see you again. How about dinner, tonight?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Come on; give me one chance to show you I’m not just some guy looking to get laid.” The Puppet Master hated the sound of his pleading voice. He sounded like a desperate, whining fool.
“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed while slipping on her shoes from the night before. “One date.”
“Perfect,” the Puppet Master said while smirking. “Let me get dressed and I’ll drive you to your car.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Oh no, I insist.” He slipped on his sweatpants and pulled on a t-shirt he left on the couch. As he grabbed his keys and wallet, he heard Sheila rifling through her purse. “Everything all right?”
“I can’t find my keys.”
The Puppet Master walked near the front door and bent under a small table. “Are these it?” He held up a keychain holding three keys on it.
“Thank you,” Sheila replied. “You’re a life saver.”
He handed her the keys. With an evil smirk he replied, “I guess you can call me that.”
Chapter 10-Ali
James left the house before I did to talk to his captain, leaving me alone for the first time since yesterday morning. I paced the house thinking about what I wanted to say to the lieutenant. It wasn’t going to be easy to convince him to let me take this case or to clear me for active duty, but it wasn’t like I would stop investigating even if he denied me. Whoever left the bouquet of flowers wanted me to know he’s been watching me. He wanted me to know he could get to me no matter where I lived. That in itself would either force the Lieutenant to put me on the case or have me sit around as bait with five officers standing guard around me at all times. Half of them would be there to restrain me from knocking some sense into him, the other half would be there to catch the man hunting me.
I looked at the time. “Time to face the music.”
Driving to the station felt surreal. Even though it had only been a few weeks since I was on active duty, the drive there seemed foreign to me. It didn’t have the same warm fuzzy feeling I associated with being home, and that’s how I always viewed the station. Walking in through those double doors felt just felt like I was walking into another random building, and that scared me.
“Ryan,” Lieutenant Esposito said the moment I entered the precinct. “Glad you could make it. Step into my office.” That was the first time he ever invited me in without nearly ripping my head off in the process.
Inches from his doorway, I noticed someone else was joining our meeting. From the back, I could see he was tall and built. I closed the door behind me and found the man twisting in his seat.
“James,” I gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“You told me to convince my captain and your lieutenant to let me work with you on the case. So, here I am.”
“Good luck,” I smirked.
“Oh he doesn’t need luck, Detective.” Esposito rounded the corner of his desk and took a seat. “You two seemed to work very well together to bring in Dr. Cain. I feel like the two of you are the perfect combo to get us the results we need.”
“You do know we’re currently living together, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, I’m aware of your current living situation. As I understand it, your sister is the one sharing the bed with you while Detective Thornton sleeps on the couch. So I don’t think there will be any issues there. Do you have any other objections?”
“No sir, not if this means I’m back on active duty.”
“You are for now. If either Detective Thornton or myself feel you are acting reckless in any way, or feel that you are endangering the integrity of the case, you will be back on administrative leave. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, as I understand it, you met with A.D.A. Reed yesterday. How did it go?”
“We had a meeting with Dr. Cain and her lawyer. They’re claiming to have information regarding a few cases including the Campus Killer, insinuating Nick DeFalco had help.”
“What are your thoughts?”
I looked to James, who seemed to shake his head. “I think she’s playing us to get some sort of deal,” he replied. I would have thought the same thing, but had an eerie feeling there was a marginal amount of truth behind her claim.
“And you, Ali?”
“DeFalco eluded to us not knowing something before our altercation. There’s a chance he may have been referring to an accomplice or someone encouraging his behavior. I can’t be completely sure. We would need to know what she knows to investigate her accusation.”
“I’ll talk to A.D.A. Reed about making the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, I want you to look over your case notes from the Campus Killer Case and see if there was anything we may have overlooked that may point to multiple suspects other than DeFalco.”
“Yes, sir.”
The lieutenant opened a file on his desk. He handed pages of a report to both James and I. “The C.S.U. team’s report came in this morning. They weren’t able to pull up prints from the flowers or the card. The only prints on the door and windows came from you three.
“So this guy knew what he was doing,” James said. There was a bit of anger in his voice, which I had never heard before. “This asshole knew how to get in and out of my house without so much as leaving a hair out of place.”
Relax, Detective Thornton,” the Lieutenant warned. “We will have someone patrol your area while you’re out working the case.” He looked towards me. “And I will have someone with your sister at all times, Detective.” He looked at both of us and rolled his eyes. “You’re both dismissed.”
I opened the door and waited for James to exit. “I’m going to hang back for a minute to talk with the lieutenant.” James nodded his head and backpedaled towards my desk. I closed the door and fell back into the seat across from the lieutenant.
“Something on your mind, Ryan?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know how much I should read into them.” I looked up and saw he was waiting for me to continue. “Dr. Cain told us DeFalco had someone helping him and the house was broken into. The roses left on the bed were the same as the ones I found in my car and on my desk a few weeks ago.”
“And you’re thinking the shooting was this person’s way of springing a trap on you.”
“Maybe. I just don’t know what to think anymore.”
“I think it’s time you dealt with what happened the night of the shooting. It’s the only way you can look at this with a clear perspective.”
“Then I think it’s time I talk to Rodney.”
“I don’t think we can allow that, not without his lawyer present. It could potentially lead to a mistrial.”
“I don’t care. Get them down here or get it set up however we need to do this. It’s time to end this.”
“Okay, let me make a few calls and see what I can do.”
I left the office to find James still waiting for me. “What’s the good word?” he asked with his feet up on my desk.
“I’m waiting for the lieutenant to make a few calls so I can have a sit down with Rodney.”
He sat up straight in my chair. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“I need to hear his side of things. Maybe there’s something he remembers that could help our investigation.”
“Yeah, but what if it screws up the prosecution’s case?”
“We need to catch whoever’s behind this before another body turns up. That’s more important than Rodney’s trial.”
“You want me to go with you to the meeting?”
“No, I need to do this alone.”
“Okay, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
Me too. I waited until James left the station t
o run a few errands while I collected the information the lieutenant wanted me to look over. I opened the bottom cabinet of my desk, the one I always kept locked, and skimmed through my personal files and copies of reports that were entered into evidence.
“Ali,” the Lieutenant said in a voice that was low so no one in the precinct could hear, but louder than a whisper. I turned and saw him waving me into his office. He quickly closed the door behind me. “I just got off the phone with Rodney’s lawyer. They declined the meeting invitation citing it was a ploy to get him to incriminate himself.”
I could feel the rage building within me. The man that’s been begging for me to listen to him, decided, now of all times, to keep quiet. Plunging my hand into my bag, I ripped out my cell phone and scrolled to Rodney’s number. It rang several times before going to voicemail.
“I love how you ignore my call now. You’re a real fucking asshole, Rodney. At least be man enough to answer your phone and stop hiding behind your lawyer.” I hung up and saw the lieutenant holding his head in his hands.
“What the hell were you thinking, Ali?”
“I was getting his attention.” My phone started buzzing in my hand instantly. “See, I got his attention.” I held the phone up to my ear as I hit answer. “Rodney, so nice of you to call.”
“What the hell do you want, Ali?”
“A meeting.”
“My lawyer already told the Lieutenant we weren’t interested in meeting with either of you or the D.A.”
“This has nothing to do with the D.A. or the Lieutenant. He was merely reaching out on my behalf.”
“Which brings me back to my question. What do you want?”
“I want to know what you know. I need to hear everything you heard, saw, smelled, touched and felt the night of the shooting.”
“Oh, now you wanna hear my side. It’s a bit convenient now that they’re getting ready to destroy what’s left of my name by going to trial.”
“This has nothing to do with the trial. This is between you and me. No one else will be there and no one will be listening.”
“I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t give me the time.”
“Yeah, well you shot and killed my boyfriend. Excuse me for not wanting to talk to you for a while.”
“What’s this really about?”
“I can’t tell you right now. Just know I need your help.”
“Sorry, but I can’t help you, Ali.”
I couldn’t believe he was casting me aside that easily. “You owe me, Rodney and not because of Matthew.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m the reason you’re out on bail right now. I put my house up so Mia didn’t have to.” I knew that shot was below the belt, but it was necessary to get my point across.
“Fine, I’ll text you tomorrow. We can meet then.”
Chapter 11-PM
The Puppet Master sat in the dark confines of his office. With his eyes closed, he pictured how to dispose of his victim in a way that would get the great Detective Ryan’s attention. Guns and knives were too messy. It would only lead to a mountain of evidence the police could try linking him to. Poison was an option, but if the right one wasn’t chosen, it would turn up on the medical examiner reports. Then a thought occurred to him.
Time to take Detective Ryan down memory lane.
Stepping out into the cool night air, the Puppet Master strode to his car and sped towards the house of Sheila Nichols.
The door opened after the first knock. She was dressed slightly more conservative than he had anticipated. Sheila looked more business casual than a woman going on a date. Her knee length skirt hid her long bronzed legs. The frilly black blouse clung to her neckline, concealing Sheila’s best features. Even her shoes screamed “overly conservative” as she paired the outfit with black wedges.
It was obvious to the Puppet Master, his target was over compensating for how quick she gave into her animalistic urges the night before. If she didn’t relax with him, it would be harder to get what he wanted at the end of the night.
“Hi…um…Terrance,” she said. Apparently his name was easy enough for her to forget which pleased the Puppet Master.
“You look nice,” he lied. He would much rather have the woman from the night before. At least that version of her made him look forward to the end of the night. “These are for you.” He handed her a bouquet of red flowers, the same bold red flowers he liked to buy.
“Thanks, let me go put these in water and I’ll be right back.”
He watched Sheila walk away, leaving the front door open. It would have been easy to enter her house, close the door, and kill her before she could fight him off. But only amateurs would make that move. They were the impulsive ones. He was anything but impulsive. He took pride in his carefully crafted and orchestrated plans.
Sheila returned two minutes later with a smile on her face. The flowers must have done the trick. She seemed calmer and more relaxed than when she answered the door.
“Are you all set?” the Puppet Master asked.
Sheila beamed with delight the moment he took her hand and led her to the car. “So where are we going?”
“I was thinking Shadows.”
Her eyes lit up when he told her their destination. “I love Shadows.” Her expression was just as the Puppet Master had hoped for.
When they arrived at the restaurant, he quickly sent a text before leaving the car with the valet. Moments later, a man stood in the doorway and greeted them.
“I have everything set up for you and your uh, date,” the man said. He motioned for them to follow him inside the building. They walked from one side to the other and exited onto the outside deck. They were brought to a table separated from all others. “Your waiter will be right with you.”
Sheila sat facing the Mid-Hudson Bridge. She was mesmerized by the soft orange glow of the sunset as it bounced off the water.
“I hope you don’t mind. I asked my friend to help make tonight special for you.”
Before Sheila could ask what he meant, the waiter showed up with a chiller, a bottle of wine, and two glasses. “Compliments of the manager,” the waiter interrupted. Pouring the wine into the glasses, he took their order and departed.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Sheila declared with a taken aback expression.
“It’s okay. I wanted to.”
“Why? You only met me last night. I mean, you met me at a bar, and I went home with you after knowing you for an hour or two.”
“Because I like you. And I know last night wasn’t exactly the perfect way for us to get to know each other, so I figured I would change all that tonight.”
Sheila took a sip from her wine which seemed to ease the tension in her face a little more. “I’d like that.”
With the sun setting in the distance, the Puppet Master continued drawing Sheila into a false sense of security by getting her to talk about herself, her family and her friends. After hearing the story of her boss getting arrested for committing multiple homicides, the Puppet Master decided it would be best to dwell on the subject a little more.
“I can’t believe they arrested her,” he said with surprise. “Do you think she did it?”
“Claire is too much of a goodie-goodie to hurt anyone. I mean if it was a patient that died, I could understand the family trying to blame her or the hospital for it, but she would never kill anyone intentionally.”
“I assume the police have something on her to arrest her.”
“I guess. It just sucks that I’m out of a job now because of this.” The Puppet Master was now seeing the selfish side of Sheila that he witnessed the night before.
“Come on; let’s get some drinks and I’ll take you home in a bit.” She nodded and finished the bottle of wine. The waiter returned to check on them, but the Puppet Master ordered drinks, whispering to the waiter to keep them coming until he tells him not to.
Another hour of pounding down Cos
mos, Sheila’s eyelids drooped and her words slurred. It was the perfect time to end their dinner and take her home. Settling everything with his friend, the Puppet Master helped his date from the table and down to the valet.
He was careful taking her home, making sure he didn’t speed or run any red lights. Parking down the block, he waited until the night sky took over, giving him the cover he needed to enter the house with a drunk and stumbling Sheila. Once he felt safe, he dug into his pocket to pull out the spare key he made early that morning and unlocked her front door.
“How about we forget about you being a nice guy and pick up where we left off last night,” Sheila suggested.
It was a tempting offer, but not one the Puppet Master was willing to accept. He had his fun with her the night before, but was all business the second they entered her house.
“How about you go to the bedroom and get started. I just need a minute.” He watched her stumble into the wall as she made her way to the bedroom.
“Don’t keep me waiting.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
He hurried out to the car and retrieved a small bag from his trunk. On his way back, he wiped down the doorknob before closing the door. Slipping on a pair of black gloves, he rounded the corner to the bedroom finding Sheila laying on the bed naked.
She just made this easier for me. Creeping up to the bed, the Puppet Master removed a pillow from one side and knelt beside her. Slowly, he lowered the fluffy material until it covered Sheila’s face.
She must not have realized what was happening at first as she didn’t try to fight him off. After a minute of gasping for breath, her hands flew up at her attacker’s face. The Puppet Master arched back, escaping her attempt at freeing herself, and pressed down harder on the pillow. It didn’t take long for the body to go limp. Not taking any chances, the Puppet Master held the pillow in place a little longer, ensuring he ended the life of Sheila Nichols.
Digging through his bag, he took a single black rose and placed it between Sheila’s breasts. He maneuvered her hands to resemble that of a woman in a casket. He wanted the detectives to know this wasn’t an accidental overdose. He wanted them to know he had been there.
