Casanova Killer, An SSCD Crime Thriller

by Tallulah Grace

  “I’d say the FBI are the lucky ones.” Ethan felt the shadows fade away, and her confidence return.

  “They are.” Jerry smiled. “It’s a mutual love fest.”

  Ethan couldn’t believe the radiance he saw on her face. Only moments ago her eyes were blank, and the contours of her profile had been bathed in hard shadows. Now, her eyes were clear and shining, and the air of tension that held her together seemed to melt away. Powerless to resist, he lightly gripped her chin and leaned towards her for a kiss.

  Jerry didn’t stop him, not that she wanted to. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free. Sharing her story with Ethan had lifted a weight off of her shoulders that she didn’t realize was there. Opening up to him allowed her to inch closer to acceptance of her past, and farther away from self-recrimination.

  Soft, sweet, and filled with wonder, this kiss held shades of mutual discovery, tender acceptance, and a hint of sorrow for the shattered child left broken in the past.

  Shades of red-orange turned to midnight blue, as they sat quietly, watching the sunset. Their arms entwined, Jerry’s head lay on Ethan’s shoulder as they enjoyed the calm, after the emotional upheaval of intense revelation.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dylan found them cuddled on the sofa staring at the lights of the city when he arrived thirty minutes later. Carrying a bag of Chinese food, a six-pack of beer and a long, white box, he walked in unannounced. The room was dark, but for the glow of a thousand points of light just beyond the window.

  Interrupting the air of serenity, he flipped on the first light switch he came to and announced that dinner was served.

  “I thought you guys might appreciate something more down-to-earth tonight, rather than that fancy 5-star stuff you’ve been forced to eat lately.” He ignored the still entwined couple and placed dinner on the table.

  “How thoughtful of you,” Jerry’s voice was serene, without a trace of sarcasm.

  “I thought so.” Dylan glanced over to see that they hadn’t yet separated. “Come and get it while it’s hot. I got a little bit of everything.”

  Giving Jerry a quick squeeze, Ethan leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I don’t think he’s going to leave until we eat.”

  “I don’t think so either.” Jerry whispered back, then paused. “I am a little starved, come to think of it.”

  “Good, so am I.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead and released his grip so she could stand.

  “Did you get anything spicy?” Ethan asked Dylan as he followed Jerry to the table.

  “You tell me,” Dylan offered up a container with something that made Ethan’s eyes water.

  “Smells good,” Ethan tried not to choke on the fumes.

  “What’s that?” Jerry nodded towards the large shiny box Dylan had dropped by the door.

  “Dunno, the doorman gave it to me to bring up. Said it arrived for Mr. Bennett.”

  “It’s nothing,” Ethan blushed, not willing to share Jerry’s surprise with Dylan. “Just a little something I picked up today.”

  Jerry narrowed her eyes at Ethan suspiciously. She had a feeling that the contents of the box were for her, not Ethan. “When?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” Ethan sent her his best ‘please drop it’ look. “Did you have any luck with the secretaries?” He looked at Dylan and tried to change the subject.

  “Assistants. And yes, I did.” Dylan looked between Jerry and Ethan, then shrugged. Whatever was in the box was not his business. Who cared if Slick bought her a trinket. “All four remembered an unusual phone call within two weeks of their bosses leaving town. The caller identified himself as a travel coordinator, supposedly with the same major airline that each man was scheduled to fly. Said he was conducting a random security check to confirm the flight dates and flight numbers of the upcoming trips.”

  “That’s not out of the realm of possibility.” Jerry added as she filled her plate with fried rice.

  “That’s what the assistants thought, so they gave the man the information he requested. Being the competent women they are, they made notes as to the man’s name and position with the airline; he used the same name for all, Oscar Worth.” Dylan passed another carton to Ethan. “Of course we checked with the airlines, none of which have an employee by that name.”

  Jerry spooned several pieces of sesame chicken on top of the rice. “What are the odds that he used his real name?”

  “Slim to none, I’d say. Though he may have procured the Mas using the same alias. Jimmy’s checking on it.”

  “At least we know how he knew that the men were out of town. Trouble is, I don’t have an assistant for him to infiltrate.”

  “You do now. An agent from the Sacramento office will arrive tomorrow. We’ve also arranged for office space for your investment business, just around the corner. It’s being furnished as we speak.”

  “Impressive.” Ethan nodded at Dylan, then looked at Jerry. “We’ll check it out tomorrow.”

  “That’s the plan.” Dylan told him between bites. “Chances are, Oscar will want to follow Jerry around a bit tomorrow. We can wait until he shows up, then lead him over.”

  “Based on his timeline with previous victims, he’ll follow Jerry for about two weeks before he makes contact. Courtships take about a week before he moves in for the kill.” Dylan reached for his second beer.

  Three weeks to spend with Ethan, Jerry thought, then felt a pang in her gut that was unrelated to the Chinese food. Such a short time, but she’d take what she could get.

  Ethan’s thoughts were running along the same line as Jerry’s. Three weeks to spend with the woman who invaded his every thought before he let some maniac try to kill her. He frowned into his Szechuan shrimp.

  Ignorant of the direction of Jerry and Ethan’s thoughts, Dylan stiffened as a sudden flash of insight scrolled before his eyes. He saw Jerry sitting on the sofa only a few feet away from the dining table, crying as if her heart would break. He saw himself, awkwardly trying to comfort her without any success. Ethan was nowhere in the picture.

  The flash left him as quickly as it had come, as they always did. Typically, Dylan’s clairvoyance referenced images of events as they happened. This one had to be a vision, rare for him, as he knew it had yet to be.

  What the hell did it mean? he thought. Why was Jerry crying and where was Ethan? Glancing up at the other man, he noticed a scowl on his face that wasn’t there before. Jerry was also deep in thought, which left Dylan time to consider the meaning of his flash of insight. Did Ethan get hurt or killed on the mission? From what he’d walked in on earlier, both times, he knew that Jerry was already emotionally invested in Ethan, so his death could elicit a reaction like the one Dylan had just witnessed.

  No, Dylan thought, he didn’t die, Slick just left her high and dry after romancing her six ways from Sunday. Dammit, Dylan nearly pounded his fist on the table, I knew it. He glared at Ethan who was ignoring him completely. The son-of-a-bitch does exactly what I knew he would, from the very first time I saw him.

  “Dammit,” Dylan’s tone was menacing.

  “What?” Jerry and Ethan asked together, both jolted from their reveries.

  “Nothing.” Dylan growled, not willing to tell Jerry about his gift, even if it meant saving her from herself. She was already head over heels for the man anyway, he reasoned, the damage was already done. Nothing he could say now would make a difference.

  “It had to be something, you sounded madder than an old wet hen” Jerry smiled at him.

  Dylan rolled his eyes at the analogy. “Thanks, but it’s nothing. Just something I forgot to do. How’s the sesame chicken?” He tried to change the subject.

  “It’s delicious. How’s the hot stuff?” Jerry wrinkled her nose at the aroma coming from both Ethan and Dylan’s plates.

  “Good.” Both men answered her at the same time.

  They made small talk for the remainder of the meal. Dylan tried his best to be civil to Ethan, b
ut it was challenging.

  Ethan found no rest on the usually comfortable sofa bed, but he knew the fault lied with his thoughts, not the mattress. Jerry’s revelations had thrown him for a major loop. He knew that his anger would not help her, so he squashed the instinct to find and throttle every man who had ever laid hands on the child she had once been.

  The flip side of his gut reaction to her childhood pain was an overwhelming sense of wonder that she had shared such deep, personal trauma with him. That she trusted him enough to open up about such horrendous memories, to speak of secrets that she’d kept buried for so long with him, a man she barely knew.

  But they did know each other, he reasoned. In ways that defied reason, their souls had connected on a level neither could have predicted. Admitting that he loved her was easier than he’d ever thought it would be. As irrational as it seemed, he felt as if she had always been a part of him. He knew without a doubt that he would do anything necessary to protect her, from now on.

  He smiled at the memory of her delight when he finally gave her the green dress. He could tell by the reverent way she’d held the dress to her that she’d never owned anything so lovely or so dear. It took him nearly an hour to convince her that it was hers; that he’d bought it, not the agency and that he insisted she keep it. Stubborn as she was, the desire to own the fabric art won out over any argument she managed to find. He looked forward to spoiling her again and again.

  Jerry found sleep came easier than she could ever remember. Thoughts of nestling close to Ethan as they watched the sunset over the city warmed her right down to her toes. She still had trouble believing that she’d told him about her past, but she couldn’t deny the stillness that sharing her story had left in her soul. Finally, she felt a healing begin that was long overdue.

  Sighing, she thought of the silky green work of art now hanging on the back of her closet door. Who did anything as thoughtful as to buy something that expensive just because he liked the way she looked in it? Ethan did and it amazed as much as it delighted her.

  As she drifted off, she thought of Ethan lying in the next room, and wondered how wonderful it would feel to have his arms around her all night long. Soon, she promised, soon.

  “Nice office,” Ethan commented as Dylan opened the door to him and Jerry. “It’s an impressive setup.” Trailing his fingers along the shiny mahogany desk, he turned to admire the view of the city.

  “It’ll do. Were you two followed?” Dylan noted Jerry’s serene expression and felt his anger towards Ethan rise up.

  “Yes, we would have been here sooner, but Oscar only just arrived.” Jerry answered. “Did you place the tracking devices on his cars last night?”

  “Piece of cake. The Mas was in the garage, along with the blue sedan and the homeowner’s Prius. We tagged all three.”

  “Well done.” Ethan nodded. “He won’t get away from us again.”

  “And we’ll know it if he’s romancing anyone else.” Jerry added.

  “Absolutely,” Dylan told her. “We’ve also kept a tail on him, they change every three hours so he won’t recognize the cars.”

  “Do we have a photo yet?” Ethan asked.

  “Working on it. The only way to get a clear shot is through the front window; all of the others are too heavily tinted. Two local agents dressed as tourists will be sightseeing around his vehicle shortly, they should be able to take pictures from several angles.”

  “Sounds good.” Ethan told him. “When is my assistant due to arrive?”

  “Any time now,” Dylan offered, just as a short, pixie-like woman breezed through the door like a tiny whirlwind.

  “Agent Dawes?” She marched straight to Dylan and stuck out her hand. “Agent Reed, pleased to meet you.” She shook his hand briefly, then turned to Ethan. “You must be my boss, Ethan Bennett. A pleasure.” She pumped his outstretched hand with the grip of a bulldog.

  “The pleasure’s all mine, I’m sure.” Ethan remarked, but she’d already moved on.

  “And you must be Jerry. Delighted.” She took Jerry’s hand with the same grip. “Is this my desk? Seems to be missing a few things.” Moving away from Jerry, she plopped her bag on the desk. “No worries, I’ll have us set up in no time.”

  Dylan found his voice just as she took a breath. “I’m glad you could join us, Agent Reed. We’ll see to it that you have whatever you need.”

  “Call me Janice. I know my job is to channel information to the unsub when and if he makes contact, but I intend to be of more use in the meantime.” Janice donned a pair of wire-rim glasses before looking up at Dylan. “My skills of observation are excellent, deciphering coded reports is another strong suit and my powers of deduction are above reproach. Use me, Agent Dawes, in any way you see fit.” Slowly, she slid the glasses down her nose, peering at him over the wire rims.

  Dylan nearly choked on his tongue at her obvious double meaning. “Um, call me Dylan. I appreciate your willingness to help, Janice. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”

  Jerry guffawed loudly before she caught herself. Ethan hid his laughter more discreetly.

  Recovering, Jerry glanced at her watch. “I should leave soon for yoga. Ethan, you’re staying here?”

  “Yes. Ethan needs to cement his ‘working’ cover.” Dylan answered for him. “Go about your day, as planned. Yoga, lunch, shopping, whatever you girls do,” Dylan winked at her, “Ethan’s driver will bring him home later.”

  “I guess that answers your question,” Ethan moved to take Jerry’s arm and walk her out. “I’ll be right back.” He glanced briefly at Dylan and Janice.

  “Janice, it was nice meeting you. Dylan, I’m sure I’ll see you later.” Jerry added before leaving the room.

  “What’s up with those two?” Janice asked as soon as the office door closed.

  “What do you mean?” Dylan hedged.

  “It’s as plain as the nose on your face, they’re involved. Do you know how many rules that breaks?”

  “They’re just maintaining their covers. No rules have been broken.” Dylan lied to her face.

  “Humph. If you say so.” Janice rolled her eyes. “No skin off my back, but it could make things tricky down the road. This unsub is a crafty bastard, Jerry needs to keep her head in the game.” Janice noted the thunderclouds cross Dylan’s face and decided to back off. “Just saying,” she spread her arms and dropped the subject.

  “Jerry’s a professional, she’ll be fine.” Dylan assured her, even though he was also concerned. One tiny distraction could derail the mission and worse, leave Jerry open for trouble. Barnes was much more than a tiny distraction.

  “Okay, love, have a wonderful day.” Ethan made a show of kissing Jerry goodbye at the limo. Jerry didn’t have to pretend to swoon.

  “You too, darling. Don’t work too hard.” She pretend pouted, then stepped into the car.

  The man called Oscar watched the interplay carefully. He was parked close enough to hear their exchange through his open window, even with the noise of the city blending around him.

  “Okay, love” he quietly mimicked Ethan’s tone, his British accent only slightly different from the Australian influences he recognized in the other man.

  As Ethan watched Jerry ride away, Oscar briefly contemplated following the man rather than his new love. He’d need to find out more about him sooner rather than later, but the pull to be near Jerry won out. He’d explore the man’s office another day. Now that he knew the building, it would be child’s play.

  He completely ignored the two tourists snapping pictures near his car. They could bloody well get out of the way, or he wouldn’t be responsible for running them down.

  He followed Jerry to yoga, to a familiar café where she lunched alone and then back to her condo. He heard her tell the driver to wait, that she’d be back down shortly. Oscar reclined his seat back slightly and waited with the patience of Job, imagining the times they would soon share together.

  Jerry felt the unsub’s eyes
on her each time she walked to and from the car. Maintaining a happy-go-lucky countenance when she felt like a thousand roaches were crawling over her skin was an Oscar-worthy performance. Pun intended, she thought.

  By the time she returned from visiting several boutiques around Union Square, it was nearly four o’clock. She and Ethan had dinner reservations at some swanky hotel for seven, so she had time for a leisurely bath before he came home. She hoped.

  The condo was empty and she wasted no time in filling the oversized tub with nearly hot water and lavender scented bubbles. For good measure, she lit the candles that lined the ledge and poured a generous amount of wine into a goblet designed for water. She really didn’t care. She may as well enjoy as many perks as possible of the lifestyle afforded by this new assignment.

  Piling her hair on top of her head, she stepped into every woman’s dream of a relaxing moment and sighed. Soon, her body was slick from the lavender suds and her eyes were heavy from the strain of the day. Leaning back against the tub pillow, she sipped wine and closed her eyes.

  Ethan noticed Oscar’s car as soon as his own turned the corner. He also spotted the surveillance vehicle easier than he should have. He made a note to tell Dylan to use something other than a black SUV to tail Oscar; it screamed FBI.

  He’d spent the day in close quarters with Dylan and Janice, going over various details about the operation and how they could keep Janice occupied as she waited for Oscar’s call.

  The agents posing as tourists had taken several clear shots of Oscar’s face. Eerily similar to the composite drawing, the man’s face was currently being run through ViCAP as well as other U.S. and international criminal databases, passport databases and anything else the Homeland Security Division had up their sleeve. Dylan had been confident they would learn the man’s true identity in a matter of hours.

  Thinking of Dylan brought a scowl to Ethan’s face. “I’d sure like to know what put him in such a foul mood.” Ethan mumbled. It was no secret that whatever had put the burr on his butt was directly related to Ethan. Aside from the scene Dylan walked in on yesterday when he and Jerry were kissing, Ethan could think of no good reason for the man’s surly attitude.