by Rick Murcer
He focused on the Carousel Cruise Line ship and wondered when Williams would show with his cronies. He guessed they would be there in another three hours or so and, predictably, run right to the suite to see his handiwork. They were thinking that he had become sloppy, careless, and was out of control. Fools. Besides, if you wanted to find someone, why look where they weren’t? No problem, however. They would all enjoy a “family” reunion soon enough. He could hardly wait.
“Beautiful view. It really captures the imagination, doesn’t it?”
Argyle glanced in the direction of the young, dark-haired woman standing a few feet to his left.
“I believe you’re correct. Well said.”
They were alone. She wasn’t exactly what he liked, what made his whistle blow, but not bad. She would do, and he did have a little time before the real party started. Not to mention, it had been awhile.
What a night this will be for her.
“Listen, at the risk of sounding bold, I have a few hours to kill and wonder if I could buy you a drink?”
Argyle felt her size him up through the shadowy lights careening from the castle walls, and then the quick smile. “Sure. Why not? It’s not like you’re a serial killer or anything, right?”
He held out his arm, and she looped hers though.
He feigned a horrible look. “What a totally awful thought.”
Chapter-15
“He’s watching us.”
Alex Downs and Agent Tucker had already progressed through the ship’s security station, hurrying to get to the suite where Eric was murdered before any more evidence could be compromised. Manny stopped at the foot of the gangplank and laid his shoulder bag on the tepid concrete of the pier.
Josh backed down the steps, and Manny felt him touch his shoulder.
“Argyle?”
He nodded.
“How do you know? It’s dark, it’s late, and you can’t see him.”
Manny turned his head to the left, looking through the ten-foot, chain-link security fence and catching the colorful lights of the St. Thomas Cable Car Sky Ride as it stepped up the island’s hillside toward Paradise Point.
“I can feel him, Josh. This is too good for him to pass up.”
By then, Sophie and Chloe had joined them. Sophie touched his arm. “Are you going into spooky mode again?”
Agent Corner grinned. “It’s not like we haven’t seen it before.”
“Yeah, true enough. At least he’s not in one of those trance things,” said Sophie.
“He does trances?” questioned Chloe. “Can I watch?”
“Funny. If you guys would pay attention, you’d get it too,” explained Sophie. “It’s all about his profile, what he gets off on, and how he has to be involved. He has no choice, even though he thinks he does.”
Chloe shifted her feet and looked Manny squarely in the eyes.
He felt her intensity, maybe perhaps anger, even through the oblique illumination of the pier’s mercury lights. Was this personal with her? They’d have to talk later. He found himself looking forward to talking to her alone.
“What’s too good? The crime scene?” Chloe questioned.
She was direct, no doubt about that. Another first-class trait. “Me. Maybe us. Maybe anyone who wants him stopped. He thinks he’s won again. But he has to take part in the victory, or it would be like it never happened. The deranged animal has to control everything. But I think this could be about me, my family. When we got home from the cruise in June, he had somehow put a note with three black rose petals in my wife’s purse. The note said ‘one never knows.’”
Chloe nodded. “It’s consistent with him. He’s obviously trying to scare and manipulate you, but how could he be watching us? There’s police everywhere, and he wouldn’t risk getting caught.”
“He could be using a long distance camera or an easily concealed one closer to us. Maybe on one of the mall buildings,” offered Josh, pointing to the group of red-roofed buildings to the right of the fence.
“It’s possible. It’d have to be pretty sophisticated equipment to let him see what he has to see. Besides, I think he needs it to be more personal,” said Manny.
He shifted his gaze to the ship, and eventually upward along her balconied flank, focusing as far as the lights would allow, and then back to four Virgin Island officers patrolling the fence. “Security said he left his suite and then the ship about three minutes before I got the pictures. That was about an hour before he called.”
“So we know he didn’t stay on board, and it’s impossible to book the same cruise, even under another name, so he has to be off the Ocean Empress,” said Chloe.
Manny tapped his foot and ran his hand through his hair. “What would I do if I were him? How would I get up close and personal?”
Then it came to him like those enlightenments do. He turned to Sophie. “What was the alias he used to book the cruise?”
She took out her notepad. “Ahhmm. Well, he was found in a suite booked by a—Steve Decker. Yeah, Steven Decker.”
“Josh, stay casual, relaxed, and call your contact at the local police department. Ask for the names on the duty roster of all the Virgin Island Police assigned to St. Thomas. We need to compare it, particularly to the ones assigned to Customs and pier security.”
“Why do we need to do that? I don’t get . . .”
Manny watched his face light up like a new sunrise.
“Are you saying he’s one of the patrol officers?”
“I don’t know, but it’s what I would do if I wanted to get close to the action. The rest of you, don’t look at the patrols. Keep talking and nodding until we cross-check the reference list.”
Agent Corner pulled out his cell and made the call.
“Say that’s true, how would he know who was assigned to this gig on such short notice?” asked Chloe.
“If I’m right, he knew that Steven Decker would be working this shift. He always does his research. It’s part of his game, his taunting. It’s an irony he doesn’t think we’ll get because we’re not as bright as him.”
“So the real Steven Decker . . .” wondered Chloe.
He bowed his head. “My guess is the real Steven Decker’s family isn’t going to see him again, alive at least . . .”
“You’re paranoid, or Argyle’s even scarier than I thought,” shivered Sophie.
Josh moved closer to the steel fence and slapped his phone shut, walking back in Manny’s direction. One look from the Fed was all Manny needed to see to know he wasn’t paranoid, and that Argyle was enjoying the view. Maybe his favorite view.
16-Chapter
Josh put his phone in his pocket and smiled at Manny. “So how do you want to play this? We could have the place crawling with cops in five minutes.”
Manny clapped Josh on the shoulder, looking relaxed and unconcerned. Argyle had balls; he had to hand it to him. “He knows it and has that contingency covered. I would.”
“So what would be the most unexpected thing we could do?” asked Chloe as she moved closer, switching her leather bag to the other shoulder, stretching and yawning in the process.
“Distraction?” asked Sophie “Maybe I could go over to the fence—with Josh—and scream for help, that I was being raped or robbed. Or just drunk and having fun. I take off my clothes—with Josh—and make it totally realistic. Then we can see which guard doesn’t come running.” Sophie’s eyes opened wide. “You know I’d take one for the team—with Josh.”
Josh stared at Sophie and shifted his feet.
Manny had never seen Josh that nervous before. The funny thing was that Sophie was just crazy enough to do it—with Josh.
“Thanks, partner. I’ll remember that for future reference.”
Manny ran his hand through his hair. Argyle was scary bright and always a step ahead. His plans, his plays, were faultless. Mistakes were not in his makeup. So what was the answer to Chloe’s question? “We need to talk to the officer in charge. I’ll see if I can get to
the security shack and talk to the guards. We need to know how many patrolmen are out there and where Decker should be stationed. But if we all start walking that way, he’ll know something’s up, so I want you three to check in with security. Once we find out where Decker is supposed to be, I’ll radio his location, then we can call for backup.”
“Isn’t that a little dangerous for you?” asked Chloe.
“No, I don’t think so. If he wanted to make a move on me, he would have tried by now. He wants a bigger stage when he goes after that prize.”
“There’s another exit on the other end of the ship for passengers. After you radio the ship, the three of us will exit there and rendezvous with you,” said Josh.
“Sounds good.” Manny picked up his bag and turned to Chloe. “I don’t know, agent. I don’t know what he would least expect us to do.” He grinned. “Hell, maybe Sophie’s right. Maybe we should all rush the fence naked and see what happens.”
“My brilliance is so underappreciated,” moaned Sophie.
Chloe shook her head. “I don’t know about the naked thing, since I just met you all. I guess it could be fun—with Josh. But I think you’re right about not letting him know we think he’s out there. Good luck.”
The others moved up the silver-railed gangplank as Manny faced the security shack, about sixty yards to the south and began to walk. As he sauntered along the pier, he tried to see without looking. The long shadows away from the well-lit pier weren’t cooperating. Argyle was out there, lurking in the shadows. No doubt about that now.
Manny brushed at the sweat beading like small pools of salt water on his face. Could this be it? Could they actually have a step-up on the crazy doctor?
His insides roiled with anticipation, with bold possibilities. How good would it be to see the man in cuffs? Better yet, in a meat wagon?
The door of the small, green building was cracked, and Manny pushed it open. According to the sign on the door, Officer S. Treadwell was in charge. “Hello? Officer Treadwell? Anyone?” There hadn’t been anyone standing outside and no one sat behind either of the small, worn, wooden desks. Not good. The hair straightened on the back of his neck, and he reached for the Glock .40 holstered under his arm. He quickly cleared the area around the front of the shack and saw no one heading toward the checkpoint from outside the fence. There was no sound, except the party music floating softly from the Lido Deck of the Ocean Empress.
What the hell? Argyle?
On full alert, he moved back inside the shed, searching for the two-way to call the ship, when he heard the rustle from behind the narrow door to his left. Just as he leveled his gun, the warped door burst open. Samantha Treadwell’s plump body did a twirling dance step, dreadlocks flying, while listening to a tune through her earphones. The sergeant’s last spin, hands flailing in the humid air, brought her dark, oval face inches from the barrel of Manny’s gun.
Her eyes grew wide and she stopped moving, staring at the gun like it was the last thing she would ever see. “Jus take it easy. My dancin’ wasn’t dat bad, my brudder. No reason to shoot a woman for dat.”
Manny holstered his gun and smiled, despite the 100 miles per hour his heart raced. “I’m sorry, officer. When I didn’t find anyone around, I thought the worst.”
She took the hand from her chest and let out a strangled breath. “You need to relax, mon. It’s late, so my partner went to get dinner and I had to . . . well, you know.” She grinned. “I tink I might have to go again.”
“I’m sorry again. Really.” He leaned against the door and watched the local cop recover. “I need your help. I’m Detective Williams, and I’m with the FBI crew that was brought in to investigate the murder on the Ocean Empress.”
“I know who ya are, mon. I saw you when ya came tru da checkpoint, and I never forget a pretty face.” She sat down in her padded leather chair. “Whew. Now dat my chest is done poundin, I might be able ta help. What do ya need?”
“What area is Steven Decker patrolling?”
“Decker? He be on the very south end, jus on dat side.” She pointed over Manny’s shoulder. “Why?”
Before he could answer, the square, glass window to Treadwell’s right exploded as a large rock blurred past her face, bounced off the desk, and settled on the sweating wooden floor. He jumped away and dove for cover. Treadwell followed suit, yelling in surprise.
The smell of the floor was sharp, like sweat and dirt, as Manny stayed low, gun raised facing the door, waiting for Argyle to show. His concentration was on the door when it dawned on him that Treadwell was still screaming. But not a shriek of fear or being startled, but one of horror, outright panic. Rolling to his left, he rose, slammed the door, and turned in Treadwell’s direction. She lay face-to-face with the rock, except it wasn’t a rock at all, but a woman’s severed head wrapped in a clear plastic bag. Manny could see the head’s wide, dark eyes staring at everything and nothing, the expression of terror still etched on her bloodied face.
Manny pulled the sergeant to her feet and told her to call the ship’s security. He sprinted out the door and stopped cold after three frenzied strides. There, lying on the ground, the heartless floodlights exposed another mutilated body, a St. Thomas cop with his head staged on his chest. Manny closed his eyes and felt his stomach twist like a pretzel. It didn’t take an expert to figure out that Steven Decker wouldn’t be going home to his family tonight.
“Where are you, you gutless son of a bitch?” he yelled. “You’re a damned coward! Come get me.”
Silence ruled the night until he heard the footsteps racing from the ship along the path of the security fence. Manny turned back to the body. A note was pinned to the blue lapel of the dead cop’s shirt. He pulled it off and read the perfectly printed block letters:
EXCELLENT TO SEE YOU, DETECTIVE. GLAD YOU MADE IT. AS YOU CAN SEE, I’M STILL AHEAD IN THE GAME, BUT WE’LL GET TOGETHER SOON.
P.S. EVER NOTICE HOW PEOPLE DIE AROUND YOU?
Chapter-17
“We’re searching everywhere, but we haven’t located Argyle,” said Josh, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.
Manny looked up from his seat in the ship’s swank conference room. “Yeah. They won’t find him. He’s had this planned for weeks. The question is, what’s he going to do next?” He gazed at the note Argyle had written. It continued to burn in his hand. The all-too-familiar guilt ran roughshod through the empty hole where his heart should be. These latest murders, these invitations to the party, were mostly for show, for Manny.
The inner voices argued. One whispered it wasn’t his fault, that Argyle killed without warrant and nothing could prevent that. The other voice blamed him for every hurt, every death. His dad used to say, “knowing and believing are two entirely different matters.” Manny let out a slow breath and fought to ignore the persecution the inner accuser wanted to keep vividly alive. His dad was right, but it wouldn’t do any good to throw a full-blown pity party. Maybe later, most assuredly later. But for now, he needed to focus on the living—that meant Argyle.
Alex, Sophie, Chloe, and Max sat with him at the dark mahogany table. Each appeared tired and defeated. Manny was sure he mirrored their collective conditions.
“Well, one thing’s for sure. The locals are going to need more help. Alex and I can’t process three, maybe four, different crime scenes. Not that it’s going to do much good,” said Max. “We found nothing in the room where the reporter was killed that Argyle didn’t want us to find. We bagged what we could, but by the time we ID any particulates or fibers that could help us know where he might have been, he’ll be long gone.”
“He might already be,” added Alex.
“Count on it,” answered Manny. “He’s like the freaking invisible man.”
“They can only lock down the island for a few hours, or maybe a day, before they have to get back to normal,” said Sophie, drumming her fingers on the table. “People need to make a living and tourism is their main thing.”
“He knows it to
o,” said Chloe. She leaned against the table, frowning. “So why the change?”
“In his MO?” responded Manny.
Chloe nodded, not taking her eyes from his face.
“I’m not sure. I think he’s changed, but he may think it’s intentional. He is always looking to confuse us and wants to hide the real purpose for doing what he does.” He sipped from his coffee cup. “His profile is odd because serial killers aren’t typically motivated by revenge.”
“Except for women serial killers,” corrected Chloe.
“Right. The thing is we know he wants to settle the score, as he sees it, with anyone from Lansing who he believes crossed him. But these murders, the decapitations, indicate more anger, more frustration. Like he can’t control it anymore, and victimology doesn’t matter.” Manny shrugged. “But he is forever bright and seems too organized to make a mistake that will get him caught.”
“So it’s about the game. About winning,” said Chloe.
“I think it has been all along. But like I said, I don’t think he realizes totally that he is devolving and driven more by rage than ever. And that could be good for us.”
“Ppfftt.Yeah. If we live through it,” snorted Sophie.
Josh’s cell phone rang, and he moved away from the table, finger in his ear. Manny watched the FBI agent slump just a little more as he flipped his phone shut and moved back to the table.
“They’ve located the rest of the young woman’s remains behind a clump of palms and bougainvillea bushes near the old Butterfly Farm. She was a passenger on the other ship in port. Argyle must have recently met her. Maybe up at Blackbeard’s Castle. There was a brochure in her pocket from there.” He plopped down.
“What, Josh?” asked Manny.
He shook his head in disgust. “She was raped and bitten. She was so ravaged that it was almost hard to believe she was human.”
“Even worse than what he did to the women on the cruise?” asked Alex.
“Sounds like it.”
