Hunter's Way

by Gerri Hill

  “Run her prints first thing, Rita. We’ll be at Belle’s.” She nudged Sam and Sam followed her down the alley. “Got another footprint. Heel this time.”

  Sam looked where she pointed. Going away again.

  “There’s something else.” Tori pointed to the side of the building.

  Spray painted in black was the word Genesis. Sam raised her eyebrows.

  “Phil Collins?”

  “Your brother is a priest. You don’t know?”

  “Bible?”

  “Yes, although I’m not exactly well versed. Rita says the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is in the book of Genesis.”

  “Okay, forgive my ignorance, but what does that have to do with our case?”

  Tori grinned. “Sodom and Gomorrah. The alleged birthplace of homosexuality.”

  Samantha raised her eyes questioningly. “And?”

  “You really don’t have a clue, do you?”

  Samantha shrugged.

  “The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is often used as an example of the evil of homosexuality… and God’s punishment.”

  “Ah. Well, okay then. A guy spurned by a lesbian or a guy doing the Lord’s work. Either way, he’s a nutcase.”

  “Could be both,” Tori said. Then she reached out and tucked a stray hair behind Sam’s ear. “Woke you out of a dead sleep, huh?”

  “A margarita-induced sleep, thank you.”

  “Oh? Happy hour?”

  “Yes. I met Amy. Happy hour turned into dinner.”

  “Sorry. But I thought you’d want to be here.”

  “Yes, I’m glad you called. You shouldn’t be the only one up working at this hour.” Then Sam stared at her, taking in her perfect hair and clear eyes. Even her jeans looked pressed. “How do you manage this?” she asked, pointing at her.

  “What?”

  “You always look so good. Don’t tell me you had time for a shower?”

  Tori shrugged. “I was already up.”

  “At four?” Sam shook her head. “Tori, what am I going to do with you?”

  “Well, if you want to monitor my sleeping habits, you could always…”

  “Detectives? We’re out of here,” Rita called.

  Sam nodded at Rita, then grinned at Tori. “I could what?”

  Tori wiggled both eyebrows mischievously, then brushed past her, jogging to catch up with Rita.

  “You’ll run the prints first thing?”

  “First thing.”

  “And you’ll call?”

  “Immediately.”

  “Okay. I’ll check in with Jackson later.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be counting the minutes,” Rita said as she slammed the door in Tori’s face.

  Sam joined her at the curb, watching the van pull away.

  “Why does she always look like she’s avoiding you?” Sam asked.

  Tori shrugged.

  “Old history?” Sam guessed.

  Tori shrugged again.

  “Do you… have feelings for her?” Sam whispered.

  “Rita? No. It was a one-night mistake when we were out drinking a while back.”

  Sam nodded. “But she has feelings for you?”

  “No,” Tori scowled. “She knows me.”

  Sam nodded again. She hated the jealousy she suddenly felt, and she pushed it away. “Well, it’s kinda early for Belle’s.”

  “We could always go to the gym for a workout,” Tori suggested.

  “Are you kidding me? I was thinking breakfast.”

  “What? And skip your shower?”

  “Oh, God. I forgot. I guess I should go home and get properly dressed, huh?”

  Tori shrugged. “You look great.”

  “I look like I crawled out of bed at four and didn’t even brush my teeth.” She again ran her hands through her hair, wishing she’d taken the time yesterday for a cut. She was at least two weeks past due.

  “Okay. Go home. Meet me back at the station, and we’ll pick up something to eat on the way to Belle’s.”

  “Deal.”

  Sam squeezed Tori’s arm as she walked past and again Tori was astonished by the feelings that light touch invoked in her.

  “Hunter?”

  She watched as Sam drove away, then turned back to the crime scene.

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re done here. I took a print of the bloody heel. I’ll let you know if it matches the other one.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  “I don’t want pastries,” Sam complained. “I want something real. Like eggs and meat.”

  Tori grinned. “Got a little hangover?”

  “Yes. Getting up at four didn’t help.”

  “How about McDonald’s?”

  Sam groaned. “Now you’re just trying to punish me.”

  “Okay. There’s a taco joint around the corner. It won’t be as good as Tony’s mom’s stuff, but they’re decent.”

  “Better than McDonald’s.”

  Sam ordered two breakfast tacos and a side of hash browns, then looked guiltily at Tori. She had only a measly muffin.

  “You’re not hungry? Don’t think you’re getting any of mine,” Sam said as she unwrapped her first taco.

  Tori didn’t comment. Frankly, she wasn’t certain she could keep anything down. Sam hadn’t recognized the victim, but Tori remembered her from the small group of women at Belle’s Friday night. Rita had already covered most of her with a sheet. Her legs were missing below the knees.

  They drove in silence, Sam happily eating and Tori wondering how to approach Belle. It was one thing to come for information. Quite another to tell her about a death.

  “Hey. I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought,” Sam said. “You want this other one?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Sam studied her, saw the lines that were etched on her beautiful face, the mouth drawn tightly in concentration.

  “Tori, what’s wrong?”

  “I think our victim was at Belle’s Friday night.”

  “There were only five or six girls there that night.”

  “Five. This one was sitting in the third chair, away from the door.”

  Sam stared. “Your observational skills are amazing. Maybe Saturday, I could have told you there were five and what some of them looked like. Not five days later.” When Tori didn’t comment, Sam touched her arm. “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty sure. I’m hoping her prints will come back.”

  They parked in front of the hostel and Sam walked silently beside Tori as they climbed the steps of the old plantation house. Belle was perched on the sofa in the sitting room, drinking coffee and reading the morning paper.

  “Detectives, good morning. Didn’t think I’d see you quite so soon. Need something from the files again?”

  “Belle, there was another murder last night,” Samantha said quietly. “Detective Hunter thinks she recognized her as one of the young girls who was in your coffeehouse Friday night.”

  Belle’s eyes widened.

  “Do you remember the five girls who were in there when we showed up Friday night?” Tori asked.

  “Yes. They’re all good kids. They seldom go out to the bars. They always hang out here.”

  “Do they live here?”

  “Yes. Four of them. The other, Sherry, she’s twenty and moved to an apartment not far from here.” She stood up. “Oh, my God. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Pull the files on the five of them. I need to see pictures,” Tori said.

  They followed her back into the office where they had spent Monday afternoon. They waited patiently as Belle pulled out five folders and handed them to Tori. The second one was their girl.

  “This one,” Tori said.

  Belle sank into her chair. “Sue. Not Sue,” she sobbed.

  Sam took the file from Tori and looked at the photo. She let out a heavy breath, then flipped through the pages. She was eighteen. Freshman at one of the community colleges. Her parents lived in Amarillo.
<
br />   “How long had she been with you?” Sam asked gently.

  “Over a year. She’s one of the few that still keeps in touch with her family. In fact, I met her mother.”

  “We need to see her room, Belle.”

  “I just can’t believe it,” Belle said again as she wiped at her eyes. “She and Sherry are seeing each other. They had dinner last night. Sue was so excited. She came and showed me the new outfit she bought.”

  Her room was impeccably neat. Bed made, no clothes lying around. Books were stacked in one corner of her desk. There was no computer. Sam walked over and picked up a framed picture of Sue and an older woman.

  “Her mother,” Belle said.

  “Why was she here?”

  “She and her mother’s new husband couldn’t get along. She was still sixteen when she first wrote to me, inquiring about coming here. Her mother actually drove her down here.”

  “We need to get in touch with Sherry,” Tori said.

  “I have her number. But she’ll be at work.”

  “We need to know where they went last night. Can you call her?”

  Belle left the room, and Sam and Tori stared at each other.

  “I don’t like this, Tori,” Sam whispered.

  “I know. I hope you don’t have plans tonight.”

  “Nothing I can’t get out of.”

  “It’s Wednesday. I think we should stake out Outlaws.”

  Samantha nodded. Robert would kill her.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “Okay. Let’s go over it again,” Tori said.

  They were sitting two blocks from Outlaws, parked across the street in one of the old warehouse parking lots. They’d seen two of Belle’s girls go inside. So far, they had not come out.

  “They had dinner at The Tavern. They walked five blocks to the bookstore. Sherry bought two books, Sue one. Then they walked to the Regency and saw a movie. It let out at midnight. They walked back to Belle’s. Sherry picked up her car and Sue went inside. That was nearly one in the morning.”

  “They walked,” Tori said. “Whoever followed them, didn’t follow their car.”

  “Maybe he followed on foot, too. It would have been dark. There’s a lot of foot traffic around there, he could have easily fit in.”

  “But how would he know that they would be on foot?” Tori asked.

  “And, if Sherry watched Sue go inside, Sue must have come out again.”

  “Belle said there are no phone lines in any of the rooms and as far as we know, Sue didn’t have a cell.”

  “Maybe she was walking inside and heard the main phone ringing and answered it?”

  “We can check the logs, but that would mean our killer would have to have gotten to a phone and called at the same moment that Sue entered the building.”

  “He could have had a cell phone and was watching from behind them. Watched her walk in and dialed.”

  Tori nodded. Then she looked at Sam. The usual sparkle in her eyes was missing tonight. In fact, she hadn’t been the same since her interview with Sherry.

  “You never said how it went with Sherry.”

  Sam lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.

  “It was awful, Tori. They were so young, but in love. God, it broke my heart to hear her cry.”

  Tori reached out and captured Sam’s hand. She felt Sam’s fingers tighten around hers.

  “You did a good job, Sam. I could never have gotten her to tell me all the things that she told you. I don’t have that… that compassion for people that you have.”

  “You would have with her, Tori. Even you would have had a hard time going up to this beautiful young woman with blue eyes and telling her that her girlfriend was dead.”

  “You got a lot of information out of her, considering.”

  “Yeah. Considering.” Then Sam squeezed Tori’s hand hard. “I want this bastard, Tori.”

  “We both do.”

  Sam finally released Tori’s hand and reached for her bottle of water and drank. She felt like crying. She wasn’t certain she could take many more days like this one.

  “What plans did you have to cancel tonight?” Tori asked, changing the subject.

  “God, did you have to remind me? I missed a lovely dinner party.”

  Tori chuckled. “I thought you’d be glad.”

  “Oh, I am. Of course, I had to listen to nearly thirty minutes of lecture from Robert. I finally put the phone down and let him ramble on. When I picked it up again, he had hung up. That’ll be fun to explain.”

  “I could have done this alone, you know.”

  “Will you stop with that? Besides, I’d rather suffer the consequences than suffer through another dinner party.”

  But Tori didn’t answer. She was staring in the rearview mirror.

  “Give me the binoculars,” she said, reaching into Sam’s lap.

  She turned around and faced the back, staring through the back window.

  “I’ll be damned,” she murmured, lowering the glasses.

  “What? What do you see?”

  “Drug deal. Shit. Call it in,” she said.

  “Drug deal? How do you know?”

  “Sam, call it in,” Tori said patiently.

  “Okay, okay.” She pulled out her cell phone. “Sergeant Reynolds? Detectives Hunter and Kennedy. Possible drug deal going down. We’re on Lamar, near Pacific. Warehouse district.” A pause. “No, no. We’re staking out a bar. Outlaws. No, no…”

  The phone was ripped from her hands.

  “Reynolds? It’s Hunter. Get some goddamn units down here now and call Narcotics,” she growled. “Idiot.” She handed the phone back to Sam. “Sorry.”

  “No, it’s fine. He wanted to chitchat with me. Now I know what tone of voice to use with him.”

  “Stay here. Watch for our girls,” Tori said.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  “There are six men. They’ve gone inside one of the buildings. Three are carrying large bags. This isn’t just a quick sale on the street.”

  “No way. You’re not going after them. We’ll wait for backup.”

  “Sam, by the time backup comes, they’ll already be on their way. I’m just going to guard the door. If they try to come out, we’ll have them.”

  “Are you insane? Six men with guns?”

  “Stay here,” Tori said again, already opening the door.

  “I will not.”

  “Goddamn it, Sam. We don’t have time to argue. Now watch the club.”

  “You’re not talking your way out of this one, Hunter. I will not let you go out there alone.”

  “Fuck,” Tori hissed. “Okay. Stay the hell behind me.”

  They walked quickly in the shadows, staying close to the buildings, weapons drawn. Tori pressed against the side of the building and Sam did the same.

  Shouting was heard from inside, then two gunshots.

  “Fuck. Fuck,” Tori said. “Where the hell is backup?”

  She ran for the door. It was unlocked. They crept inside the hallway. It was dark. Sam’s heart pounded in her ears. Then they heard footsteps above them and they both looked up. They turned at the same time toward the stairs. Three men came running down. Tori grabbed Sam and pulled her against the wall.

  “Police!” she yelled. “Stop right there, motherfuckers!”

  She stepped out into the light, her gun pointed at them. They hesitated, looking from Tori to Sam, who also pointed her weapon at them.

  “Drop your goddamn weapons. Now!”

  They did.

  “On the floor! Face down!”

  Tori moved closer, still pointing her weapon at them. Sam was amazed at how easily they were being subdued. She relaxed. It was a mistake.

  He came from behind them. All three men on the floor looked up. Sam saw Tori’s eyes widen, then she was pushed forcibly to the floor as a gun went off. The three men on the floor got up and bolted toward the door. Finally, sirens sounded, and they heard screeching tires and shouts. Their back
up.

  “Have I told you that you weigh a ton?”

  “Once. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. You?” Tori’s voice sounded strange to Sam.

  Tori sat up, pulling away from Sam and reaching for her side. She felt the wet stickiness. Damn.

  “We should get back.” She tried to stand and fell back down on top of Sam.

  “Tori!” Sam reached for her. “Oh, my God. Lie down. Where are you hit?”

  “It’s nothing,” she murmured.

  “Nothing? You’re bleeding to death. Why the hell didn’t you say something?”

  “Flesh wound,” she whispered.

  Sam felt around her stomach, then higher, under her breasts.

  “Are you feeling me up?” Tori gasped. “Now’s not really a good time.”

  “You don’t have on your goddamn vest!”

  Tori reached up a hand and felt Sam’s chest. “Neither do you.”

  “Well, I’m not the one who got shot, am I?”

  Tori laid her head back. She felt dizzy. It was getting dark.

  “Tori? Oh, please,” Sam whispered. She cradled Tori’s head against her lap. “Don’t you even think about leaving me,” she said into Tori’s ear.

  Tori took Sam’s hand and pressed it to her wound at her side.

  “Put pressure,” she murmured.

  “I’ve got it,” Sam said, pushing hard. “Just relax.”

  “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one bleeding… to… death,” she breathed as her voice faded.

  “Oh, Tori, please, stay with me,” Sam whispered. “Please?” She held her hand tightly against the wound, feeling the blood still seeping through her fingers. “Help! Somebody!” she yelled. “Tori, do you hear me?” She squeezed her eyes shut, rocking Tori gently in her lap as she waited. “Don’t you leave me.”

  It seemed like hours before someone came for them. Sam was surprised it was only ten minutes.

  “She’s going to be fine. For Hunter, that’s just a scratch,” one of the paramedics said.

  “Sam?”

  Sam stared into the eyes that slowly opened. “What is it? You shouldn’t be talking.”

  Tori smiled. “I got dizzy because I hadn’t eaten anything all day, and you didn’t make me. You’re slipping on your job,” she whispered. “Now, go back to the club. Check on our girls.”

  “No. I’m coming with you,” Sam said, clutching one of Tori’s hands between her own.