by M. J. Eason
“Yep, that’s exactly what I thought as well. I’ll let you know the minute I have anything, oh and Davis, Sean found something interesting after searching Harrison’s parents’ place near Buckner Ridge.”
“Please tell me its good news.”
Ryan laughed shortly. “Not good news but certainly promising. Sean’s team searched the place thoroughly. It was empty but they found evidence that someone had been there recently. Sean believes more than one person might have been hiding out there.”
“Frankie and Harrison. Dammit we just missed them.”
“It appears that way. But they haven’t been gone long. Sean’s combing the area looking for any witnesses. They can’t have gone far. I think this may just be our biggest break yet.”
Davis blew out a long breath. “I hope you’re right, Ryan. We need this. Let me know the minute you hear anything.”
He hung up the phone and turned to Kara. She was smiling.
“This is good news, Davis. Finally, we have something tangible to go on.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Is there anyone at the academy that you trust? I’m thinking maybe we can help speed things up in Ryan’s search for this missing instructor.”
“Not at the academy but there is someone I trust,” Davis told her. He thought about the man who had changed his life all those years ago. “My old instructor. I’d trust him with my life. And you’re right. Ryan needs our help. I think we should talk to Rocky right away.”
****
Rocky St. Clair retired after being the director of the Bureau’s academy in Quantico for more than twenty years. He lived with his wife in a sprawling colonial outside Richmond.
“Davis? Davis Martin—come on in here, man!” Rocky was clearly surprised to have them show up at his doorstep unannounced.
“Rocky how are you? This is Kara Bryant. She’s helping me out with a case.” Rocky took Kara’s hand, then showed them through to the living room.
“Sit. Sit. It’s been years, hasn’t it? I guess the last time I saw you was at my retirement party three years earlier. How’ve you been? The Bureau keeping you busy?”
“Yes…actually Rocky, that’s why I’m here. Bureau business.” Davis hesitated, wondering where exactly to begin.
“I kind of figured as much. I heard about Rachel. What can I do to help?”
“Where’s Louise?” While he trusted both Rocky and Louise empathically, the fewer people involved with the case, the less likely another slip-up would occur which might allow the killers to get away once more.
“She’s visiting her parents in Vermont. Since I retired, she tells me she sees way too much of me.”
Davis’s attempted laughter didn’t fool Rocky.
“What’s wrong, Davis? Is this about the copycat case?”
Davis hesitated. How much of the reality of the case should he reveal to Rocky? “Yes, in a way. We, Kara and I, are investigating the case’s possible connection to Frankie Stephens.”
“Now that’s a name I’d just as soon never hear as long as I live. He sure had us all fooled, didn’t he?”
In the end, Davis decided Rocky needed to know the truth. “There’s some question now as to whether or not Frankie might actually still be alive and if in fact he acted alone on those original murders or in the latest ones.”
Rocky didn’t say a word for a moment. “Damn, Davis. If you didn’t get him, then where’s he been?” Davis wished he could answer that question. He felt inept in simply shaking his head.
“You know, I never did quite believe that kid could be responsible for those killings.”
“What do you mean?” Davis watched as Rocky considered the question for a moment.
“Well, I know you had the evidence and all but the kid just didn’t seem capable of such violence. In fact, I often wondered if maybe he’d had some medical problem or something that no one knew about. Because the kid I spoke with, well, he was a good kid, Davis.”
“Everyone who knew Frankie felt the same way. They’ve insisted upon his innocence from the beginning. But we have evidence now to believe that maybe Frankie wasn’t the mastermind.”
“Which means, we’ve ten Angel victims now?”
“Yes and they’re probably targeting their next one even as we speak. So time is of the essence here, Rocky.”
“I see.” Rocky looked intently at him before adding, “What can I do to help? What do you need me to do, Davis?”
“I appreciate your offer but I think you need to know, I’ve been removed from the case. Kara and I are conducting our own investigation and right now I could really use your help.”
“If Ed Zamora is foolish enough to think you’d be involved in anything like this then he’s not the man I believed him to be. Tell me what you need. Anything. You name it.”
“I need you to do some checking on the instructors that worked under you at the time Frankie was there.”
“What are you thinking here, Davis?”
“We’ve got a suspect that we think may be connected to Frankie’s time there. A man who teaches at UV by the name of Alec Harrison. He’s been a guest lecturer at the academy recently. Ever heard of him?”
“Alec Harrison,” Rocky repeated the name but Davis could tell it didn’t sound familiar. “Do you have a photo of the guy?”
“No but I can get one sent over. Ryan’s been checking the connection and so far, he hasn’t found any record of an Alec Harrison working at the academy until recently. But, here’s the catch. There are a couple of instructors that filled in around the same time Frankie was there. Ryan can’t locate one in particular by the name of James Young and no one he’s interviewed remembers the man.”
“I see. So you’re thinking this could be Harrison using an assumed name?”
“Maybe. I know it’s a long shot but it’s all we’ve got. I’ll have a photo of Harrison sent over along with all the information we have on the instructor in question.”
Seconds passed by before Rocky answered. “You know, something about the way Ed rushed to close that case always bothered me. I mean, why not be certain. After all, this was the biggest case in the unit’s history and you aren’t going to wait for the killer’s body to show up before closing it?”
Davis couldn’t help but agree with Rocky. After the third victim’s death someone leaked detailed pieces of the crime scene—pieces that could have helped solve the murders sooner—to every paper around town as well as the national media. Before long, the Bureau drew fire from all around and pressure to solve the murders became overwhelming to those in charge.
DC was a community paralyzed by fear. After Frankie’s assumed death, an outcry from various government leaders forced an investigation of the unit. Ed ordered Davis to get his personal life in order and go back to his wife until the pressure was off.
Ed had been thrilled when Kara left DC, because it took away any hint of their affair from the public’s eye.
Unfortunately, even after a thorough investigation, the name of the person responsible for leaking the information went unknown.
At the time, the Bureau assumed it had been a subordinate looking for publicity or possibly a plush book deal. There certainly were enough of those to follow. Now, in light of the new information about Harrison’s possible connection to Frankie, it seemed like too much of a coincidence.
“Rocky, if there is anything you can come up with that might help us, even if it doesn’t seem important, I’d appreciate it.”
“Can you give me a little time?” he said thoughtfully. “I’d like to ask some questions but obviously, I’ll need to do it quietly. I don’t want to draw attention to myself and you certainly don’t need any more.”
“Sure but I don’t have much time to give you, pal. Any idea how long it will take?”
“I still have friends there. People I can trust. Let me check it out today—in the morning, that is,” he said when he spotted the time. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I know anything.”
&nbs
p; “Thank you. I hate getting you involved in this but right now, I’m desperate and I don’t know where else to turn.”
“Davis, you were the best cadet I ever had. You turned out to be a great leader. You deserve better. It pisses me off to think Ed and the Bureau aren’t backing you up on this. I want to help.” He patted Davis on the back before adding, “Why don’t you try to get some sleep, pal. You and your lady friend here look exhausted.”
Chapter Ten
They left Rocky with the assurance he would call before noon no matter what. It was something to hold on to at least.
“So what do you want to do now?” Kara asked Davis as they drove along the congested streets of the DC.
“I don’t know, Kara. I’m all out of ideas.”
“Maybe you should try and get some sleep,”
“No. God no. There’s no time.” He glanced at his watch. “He will have taken his next victim by now. We have got to figure this thing out before he kills her.”
She placed her hand over his. He looked so lost. She wished she could think of something else they might have missed.
“We’re getting closer, Davis. I can feel it.”
He smiled but he didn’t believe her. “I feel as if the noose is closing in on me. Frankie and whoever his accomplice is have outsmarted us at just about every turn.”
“Davis, don’t give up. I need you not to give up.”
“I’m trying. But I have to be honest with you—I don’t know what else to do.” He pulled into an all-night diner and turned to her. “I wish these sons-of-bitches would just come after me straight-out. I could handle that. What I can’t handle is feeling this helpless.”
“I know. Look, let’s take a minute. Get something to eat and clear our heads. It’s not going to do either of us any good if we keep going nonstop like this.”
They found a vacant booth and sat staring at food that neither had any appetite for.
“At least we know they won’t hurt Ava. She’s safe now, Kara. As bad as it sounds, at least we know the threat to her has passed.”
They would have selected another fitting victim by now. Someone with the initials AM. Kara closed her eyes for a moment and tried reaching out to her but without any physical connection to the victim, it was impossible.
“Maybe we should drive around to some of the areas that match up to the first crime scene,” Davis said, wearily grasping at straws.
“It’s worth a try,” she said trying to sound positive.
“I know it’s a long shot, but you’re right, it’s worth a try and we have to do something.”
They’d found the last victim before Kim Billings, in a shed in West Potomac Park. That left a lot of waterfront to be searched where the killers could be holding their next victim.
“Davis, why do you think they moved Jessica? I mean that wasn’t part of the usual pattern.”
“Isn’t it obvious? They wanted us—me—to find her so that more suspicion would fall on me. They’ve stepped it up a notch with Jessica—intensified the game. With Rachel, it was too obvious. My coworkers would think it highly unlikely I would be so obvious. They slipped up. Jessica was a more subtle victim.”
Their first stop was Lady Bird Johnson Memorial Park.
“What that means, is that they’re not infallible. They’ve made one mistake, which means they’re capable of making more.”
“Let’s hope you’re right, Kara. You still have the gun I gave you?” Davis asked. She held it up for him to see before tucking it back behind her jacket. He popped the glove box and retrieved a couple of flashlights.
“Good, keep it close.” He led the way down to the water’s edge. “Stay close to me. You’re still one of their targets. Don’t ever forget that.”
While Davis searched, Kara tried to reach out to the latest victim once more. She felt many conflicting stories here. There had been other deaths close by. She could feel them all reaching out to her but the Angel killers would not have chosen this place for their victim.
“She’s not here, Davis. This place is too popular. They wouldn’t want that.”
“You’re right. But we have to check them all out.”
“There’s still some gardeners’ sheds out near Edgewater Beach, right?” Kara remembered that she and Davis had once gone there to get away from the gruesome details of the case toward the end. They’d rented a boat and spent the afternoon drifting along the peaceful water, making love.
“Yes,” She could tell that he too remembered that day. The last they’d spent together so intimately.
“You know, those days and that one in particular, was one of the best times for me. Not the case,” he added unnecessarily, “but the time you and I spent together. You have no idea how many times I’ve relived those moments with you. When Rachel died, it brought it all back. If I hadn’t become a suspect already, I would have turned in my badge and come to you. Just thinking about you made those days bearable.”
“I wish you had. I wish things had turned out different for us back then. But maybe we wouldn’t have truly appreciated what we have now, if those times hadn’t been so difficult.” Kara had to believe things happened in life for a reason. The good. The bad. Even the Death Angel.
****
Edgewater Beach never looked more uninviting than it did that night. At three a.m. the waters were restless.
Even before they reached the beach, Davis knew Kara sensed something.
She stopped a few feet behind him and closed her eyes.
“Davis, she’s here. She’s still alive.”
He glanced around, confronted by pitch darkness. The clouds had returned obscuring the moon. There weren’t any street lights out here. Davis left the car’s engine running and turned the headlights on high beam.
“There’s at least a dozen sheds, Kara. Can you make out one in particular?”
“No, we’ll have to split up.” For a moment, Davis hesitated. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight.
“It’s okay, I can take care of myself. We don’t have a choice.” When he still didn’t say anything, she added, “Davis, we’re running out of time. She’s hurt.”
“All right but for God’s sake, Kara, please be careful.”
The first three sheds proved to be a dead end. They held nothing out of the ordinary, just a few gardening tools. Of course, the killers wouldn’t have chosen them. They were close to the road. Too obvious.
Davis and Kara split up, fanning out in different directions but he made sure he could see her flashlight at all times. The last shed appeared the largest of all. His light caught the glint of something metal attached to the door.
A lock.
“Kara, over here! I think I have something,” Davis called out as he stepped closer. The lock looked similar to the one used on the cellar door at Jessica’s murder scene.
“She’s in there. She’s still alive. I can feel her.”
Davis took his flashlight and busted the lock free before shoving the door open. Inside, they could hear a faint whimpering sound. Behind a small table set up in the middle of the room, Davis’s flashlight beam found her. She was gagged, naked, blindfolded and bloody. He’d raped and tortured her but she was alive.
Kara knelt next to the girl as Davis loosened her restraints. For a moment, she fought him. She was scared to death.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re here to help you. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here. Just hold on,” Kara whispered soothingly to the girl.
Davis took off his jacket and placed it over her. “I’m going to call for an ambulance and backup. Stay with her, Kara. I’ll be right outside.” His attention focused on the girl.
“You’re going to be okay, miss. He won’t hurt you anymore.”
Her body was literally broken and covered with blood but she would live.
“Kara, be careful not to disturb the crime scene,” Davis stepped out into the night and dialed Ryan’s cell number first followed by Ed’
s.
Within minutes, the place filled with emergency workers and agents. This was the biggest break they’d had so far. A live victim of the Angel. Someone who could hopefully identify her attackers.
While the paramedics worked on the girl, who couldn’t even remember her name, Davis and Kara were questioned separately.
Ryan pulled Davis aside. It took only a matter of seconds before his questions turned to the inevitable.
“So, how did you happen upon the exact location of the victim?”
“Just blind luck and good detective work.”
“You said that you and Kara split up. How long were you out of her line of sight? How long were you alone with the girl?”
“What are you getting at, Ryan? You think I’m part of this?”
“No, of course not. But I have to ask and frankly, I’m in the minority here. Everyone else at the taskforce has already convicted you.”
“Those people are supposed to be my friends. God knows I’ve stood by them through some rough times.”
“They are your friends but you have to admit, the evidence is starting to mount against you.”
“Don’t you think that in itself is a little too convenient?”
“Dammit, Davis, I’m your friend, remember? I’m just trying to do my job here.” Ryan lowered his voice when their exchange caught the attention of several agents standing close by. “Look, I know these questions are unpleasant but I have to ask them and you know it. Now, how long were you alone with the victim?”
Davis closed his eyes and shook his head. It was hard to concentrate. It felt as if everything he’d counted on for so long was slowly crumbling at his feet.
“I wasn’t alone with her, Ryan. The shed was locked. When Kara appeared, I broke the lock and we entered the building together.”
Ryan watched him closely for another minute before adding, “Don’t worry, I’m sure this will all be cleared up once the girl is able to talk. Hopefully she can tell us something about her attacker.”
