Dead and Gone

by Tina Glasneck

  Duncan leaned over Wheeler, breathing heavily, until his face was only inches away from the other man’s stunned, bloodied face. “I win.”

  “Please, take my wallet and phone, just leave me alone.” Wheeler spat out the blood in his mouth. “I’ve got a little girl.”

  Duncan smiled as he gave Wheeler another vicious kick to the mid-section. “I know. Lucy is next.”

  Wheeler’s eyes widened, despite the pain. He gave a guttural growl, struggling back to his hands and knees. Duncan smiled and took a step back as his opponent staggered to his feet. It took around fifteen seconds for him to rise. Duncan didn’t think it’d take long for him to fall again. He took another step back, reaching into his pocket and then thrusting his hand forward just as Tom Wheeler ran at him.

  Whatever Wheeler had been trying to do failed. Duncan’s knife penetrated his body, driven deep by Wheeler’s own momentum. Duncan pulled the blade out, admiring the look of shock on Wheeler’s face and the slick of red blood on the blade. He thrust it forward again and again, stabbing Tom Wheeler several times. Wheeler fell after the first few thrusts, and Duncan fell to his knees and kept the assault going.

  He stabbed Wheeler so many times he lost count. Once he was done, Duncan stood up, heaving for breath as the red fury in his vision started to clear. He looked down at Wheeler – lifeless, bloody and pathetic – and felt like a god. He’d come here to kill Wheeler quietly and quickly, but had been sucked into a street fight. He’d wanted to prove he was the more powerful of the two of them, and that Wheeler was pathetic.

  He’d done it. The man who’d married, fucked and impregnated Ashley Wheeler was dead.

  Duncan turned his back on Wheeler, done with the man. He unzipped the jacket he’d been wearing and tossed it to the floor, then checked himself in the mirror. There was a lot of blood on the jacket, but not much left on him. Duncan didn’t mind. There were no cameras, and he’d be gone before anyone found Wheeler.

  As he prepared to leave the bathroom, Duncan smiled. Now that he’d taken away Ashley’s ex-husband, it was almost inevitable she’d get her daughter back. He’d give her back the most important thing in her world, then he’d take it away again.

  Duncan exited the bathroom, climbed the stairs and left the diner with a wide smile on his face. His smile vanished entirely when he saw her. “No!”

  It was Ashley Wheeler. With her daughter, and a police officer alongside her.

  Duncan froze. They weren’t meant to be here. His pleasure at Wheeler’s execution vanished and his mind was overcome with a haze. He knew he should get away from there, but he was frozen, in disbelief and anger.

  His indecision cost him dearly. As Ashley and her daughter drew closer, it was too late for him to move. He locked eyes with her.

  He saw recognition hit her like a lightning bolt. She had already looked stressed, but the look on her face changed to pure terror. Despite his beard, her eyes seemed to bore right through to his identity. He wasn’t ready for her to know yet. He was supposed to be destroying her from the shadows, but here she was, shining a light in his face. She knew who he was and what he was.

  He hadn’t planned for things to go this way, but he had no choice but to adapt. He was good at that. He smiled at her, turned, and walked away.

  48

  Chris

  Chris flashed his FBI badge at the cop posted on the door, who took a second too long in checking his identification. It made him nervous. “Is there a problem?”

  “No problem.” The officer was an older man with a heavy paunch and the look of someone who’d seen too much. “I just need to check my list.”

  Chris took a step back, letting the officer go through his process. He should be on the list, but even if there’d been some error, he was sure he could talk his way inside. He’d driven from Omaha to Wallingford, Connecticut after getting a call from Ashley Wheeler begging him to come and see her. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to be here, but here he was.

  It wasn’t like he had anything else to do. He’d thought he was in the clear after dropping Hopkins in hot water, but his superiors had concocted some story about him engaging in improper conduct. As a result, the Bureau had placed Chris on paid leave. He’d called the union. They’d advised him to sit on the bench voluntarily and that it would take some time for him to be reinstated.

  He’d decided to go all in, committing himself fully to finding the killer. He’d catch his man or be ruined trying.

  “You’re good to go, sir.” The officer stepped aside from the door and gestured for him to enter.

  “Thanks.” Chris smiled at the officer and then stepped inside. When he saw Ashley, he held out a plastic bag. “I got you some stuff.”

  She nodded her thanks and glanced into the bag, taking in the treats he’d brought her, as well as bread, milk, and necessities. It was a small gesture that he hoped might pay a larger dividend later. She looked like she needed it. She looked devastated.

  “Lucy is asleep.” Ashley sat on the sofa with a sigh, gesturing for Chris to sit beside her. “Thanks for coming. I feel like you’re the only person listening to me right now.”

  Chris sat. “It’s fine, honestly. I’ve got plenty of time all of a sudden, and I’m happy to help. Tell me what happened.”

  Ashley frowned, clearly wondering whether to ask about his troubles, but she left it alone. “I was here with Lucy, my daughter, when a cake arrived. It had been couriered from the restaurant where I saw Laverri murder the other guy. My old name was written on the cake, the one I had prior to entering witness protection.”

  Chris didn’t like where this was heading. “I—”

  “There’s more.” She tensed up. “I thought it was Laverri. I was convinced. I told myself Lucy had to go back to New York with her father while I figured it out. I took Lucy to meet my ex-husband at a diner. There was a cop with us. That’s when I saw him.”

  Chris frowned. “Saw who? Your ex-husband?”

  “Duncan Rowe.” She locked eyes on him. They were full of fear and grief. “The man in the photo. The man who attacked me in California, the one who you think is a killer.”

  Chris’s eyes widened. He didn’t want to ask the next question, but he had no choice. “Are you sure? You’ve had a lot on your plate recently, so it’d be quite easy for your mind to play tricks.”

  “I’m sure, Chris!” Ashley pounded her fist against the arm of the sofa. “I was totally convinced it was the mob – my boss, the fire, the cake – and then I saw that man for the first time in a decade. The mob might still be after me for all I know, but your killer is definitely in Wallingford.”

  Chris did his best to keep his composure, though his mind was swimming. If Ashley was right and Duncan Rowe was in town, it was only a matter of time before he struck. Though the attacks on her life had been explained away as mob-related, Chris was sure the killer was behind everything Ashley had endured recently. It fit the pattern – dismantle her life before ending it – but he had no proof, other than the pattern he’d seen before.

  The pattern that had resulted in twelve dead women.

  “It wasn’t the mob. It was all him.” Ashley sobbed. “I remembered what you said about him attacking people in strange ways. It makes sense.”

  “I—”

  “That’s when they found Tom, my ex-husband.” Ashley put her face in her hands. “He’d been beaten and stabbed to death in that same diner.”

  “Ashley, I…” Chris sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “This guy won’t stop at that, though. You and your daughter won’t be safe until we catch him.”

  “I know that.” She sobbed. “I don’t want Lucy to get hurt.”

  “She won’t. Trust me.” Chris placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll do whatever it takes to catch this killer. You can rely on me.”

  “How can I trust you?” Ashley shook her head, still sobbing, then stood and walked to the window.

  Chris watched her clench her fists by her sides and imag
ined the thoughts that must be rushing through her head. He was always intrigued by the psychology of victims, people who’d had their ordinary lives interrupted by extraordinary events, but this was quite different. This was a woman who had the choice to run or to fight for her life. The only way she was going to fight was if she had a guarantee that it would be over.

  It would be finished.

  Chris stood and walked to the window, standing a few steps back from her. “Ashley, this guy killed my girlfriend. Tamara. I’ve given up my whole life and my career to find him. If you help me, I promise you that I’ll catch him. I’ll end him. No matter what it takes, this will be finished.”

  She didn’t respond for a long time, then she clenched her fists tighter. “It’s the only way my daughter will be safe, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” Ashley nodded. “Only if he ends up dead, though. I don’t trust the justice system.”

  Chris should have seen that coming, given her history with the courts and law enforcement. She was forcing a choice he’d probably already made. “I will kill him.”

  When she nodded, Chris felt a wave of relief wash over him, but it was quickly replaced by a burning shame. He knew he was using her to catch the killer, to avenge Tamara’s death and salve his own wounds. If he made a mistake, she could end up dead, but that seemed to be a risk he was willing to take. He wondered, briefly, if there was anything he wouldn’t do in order to catch the man who’d cost so many so much. Who’d cost him so much.

  He didn’t think there was.

  Act III

  49

  Ashley

  Ashley sat on the bed, clasping her hands tightly together to stop them shaking. She knew Chris Horan was watching her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, but she didn’t care. She needed a moment to compose herself. There was so much in her head – grief, fear, regret – she couldn’t process it all.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Horan spoke softly, staying where he was. “We’re going to get him, then you’ll be safe.”

  Ashley squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. The deal with Horan was her only hope now. She’d agreed to act as bait to catch the killer. They both knew what they were doing was risky, but Ashley didn’t care. She’d already lost too much. At least this way she was gambling to win a life and a future for herself and her daughter. It’d be a future free of fear. That prize was worth any risk.

  Horan had assured her that Lucy would be looked after by two police officers he’d roped in to protect her. She was assured they both had kids and that Lucy would be looked after. Ashley wasn’t totally convinced, but the killer’s attack on Tom had been the final straw. He knew how to find her, wherever she went. She had to find a way to keep Lucy safe.

  “You can trust them.” Horan seemed to read her mind. “They think I’m here representing the FBI. I had to forge some papers, but they think it’s a legitimate operation.”

  Ashley looked away. She didn’t care about the hoops Horan had to jump through to make this happen, she just wanted it done. “Okay. I need to know how it’s all going to work, though. Can we go through everything again?”

  “Okay, that’s fair.” Horan pushed himself off the wall, moved slowly across the room and sat down beside her. “It’s just like we rehearsed it. From the moment he calls you, there’ll be bubble wrap around you. You’ll be entirely safe from start to finish.”

  “Okay.” Ashley nodded. “What happens then?”

  Horan smiled. “After the call, we acquire him. There’ll be plain-clothes officers all around this location. I’m confident we can grab him.”

  Ashley wasn’t as confident. Having armed officers protecting her was nice, but there was still a chance she’d end up face to face with the man who’d attacked her a decade ago. She’d escaped him then, but there was no guarantee she’d have the same luck twice. He could end her life in seconds. The prospect of Lucy being orphaned terrified her.

  “Don’t worry.” Horan smiled. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he never gets near you. But if he does, we’ll have assets ready to swoop in.”

  Ashley turned her head and looked Horan in the eye. “I’ve heard all of this before – guarantees of safety and protection. I’ve been burned before.”

  “I understand. You’re smart to be skeptical.” He reached behind his back and held out a pistol. “This is your guarantee.”

  Ashley looked down at the weapon. She’d only seen a gun once in her life, when she’d seen Laverri use it in front of her. The idea of holding one terrified her, but it also intrigued her. If she couldn’t count on others to help her, she had to help herself. She’d be ready. “Okay.”

  Horan nodded and pointed at the pistol. “Safety. Flick it if you need to use it.”

  “Okay.”

  He then pointed at the trigger. “Point with two hands and pull this.”

  “Okay.” Ashley took hold of the pistol. It was heavier than she had expected.

  Horan’s voice was grave now. “Once we start on this path there’s no turning back. We’ll be exposing you to a very dangerous man. You need to be sure.”

  “I’m sure.” Ashley looked up at him. “I’m ready.”

  After one final, long look at Ashley, Horan nodded and walked to the dining table. He picked up the sign he’d prepared and placed it in the window. As soon as he did so, the cop who’d been guarding her got in his car and drove off.

  The sign invited Duncan Rowe to make contact with her. They hoped the lack of a cop on the door would encourage him to reach out.

  “Now we wait.” Horan slumped onto the sofa and flicked open a magazine. “It might be a while, but I think he’ll call.”

  Ashley nodded and sat in silence, watching the phone that sat on the coffee table. Minutes passed, then hours, until Ashley started to wonder if Rowe was watching her at all. Even if he was, would he be bold enough to call her? Chris had been sure he would, yet Ashley had no idea how long this fake operation could be sustained while they waited.

  Finally, the phone rang. It had been five hours. Ashley stared at it, watching it ring. On the third ring, she swallowed hard and answered it. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Ashley.” Rowe’s voice wasn’t evil. He sounded just like so many other men she’d spoken to. Somehow, that made him scarier.

  “Hi. Thanks for calling.” Ashley didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to scream at him for killing Tom, and for putting her daughter’s life in danger. But she didn’t. That wasn’t the plan.

  “I’m coming for you, Ashley.” Rowe’s voice was cold, slow, and calculated. “You humiliated me. You belittled me. I’ve thought about that night for ten years. When I saw you again in that clothing store, the countdown to justice began.”

  Ashley didn’t speak. She was terrified. She’d completely forgotten what Chris had told her to say. She was completely thrown by of the way he recalled that evening. They’d gone on a date. He’d sexually assaulted her. Ashley had managed to escape. That he could blame her was amazing.

  “Please.” Ashley’s voice was soft, barely a whisper as she remembered the words Horan had told her to speak. “I’ll make it up to you. Duncan, I’m sorry. Let’s meet.”

  50

  Duncan

  “One night?” Duncan paused for a second, checking his watch to make sure a trace couldn’t have found him yet. He still had thirty seconds. “You’re kidding.”

  “One night.” Ashley Wheeler’s voice was frightened and unsure, but her words were clear. “And you can do anything you want.”

  Duncan scoffed. He’d been driving past her motel room when he’d seen the sign in her window. He’d sat in his car, looking at the sign, for several minutes. The cops were nowhere to be seen, there was just a simple piece of cardboard with large black writing that invited him to call her. It had taken him a moment to snap out of it, to get over his surprise and drive away from her motel. Only then had he been able to think straight.

  He�
�d returned to his trailer and called her right away. Since she’d recognized him at the diner, he’d been torn up inside. His brain wanted to keep to his plan, destroying her bit by bit, until finally he ended her. But his heart quickened every time he thought about her. Now that she knew he was around, everything had changed. He didn’t know why she wanted to speak with him. He knew the invitation was a trap, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to be close to her, to see her bleed and to watch her die.

  He played along. “All I ever wanted was to have you. I wanted more than just to fuck you. I was in love with you, Ashley. You ruined me.”

  “I know, Duncan.” Her voice quivered. “My offer is sincere. I want to meet with you and have the night we should’ve had years ago.”

  “You don’t know how much damage you caused.” Duncan spat the words bitterly. “What’s the catch?”

  “You don’t kill me and, at the end of it, you leave me and my daughter alone forever. You disappear out of our lives and we never see you again.”

  He couldn’t help wondering if it was a trap. He kept silent for a long few moments, his mind racing with possibilities. In so many years of fantasizing about what he wanted to do to her, he’d never expected to have her as a willing participant.

  His mind cycled through a whole range of ideas, ways to cause her pain, ways he’d like to use her body, and have her use his, things he’d like to hear her say to him. As his imagination worked its magic, he felt himself grow hard. His hunger for her was insatiable. Though her offer was almost certainly a trap, it was also too good not to pursue. He could back away at any time, after all.

  He smiled. “Okay, where?”

  “It can’t be my motel.” Her voice was firm. “We need to meet away from my daughter.”

  Duncan wrote down the address she gave him, savoring the fear he could hear in her voice. He’d check the place out thoroughly first, to make sure it wasn’t full of cops or some other trap. He still had his revolver, which would be enough to kill her in the event that it was a set-up. Even if she wasn’t trying to fool him, he had no intention of honoring the deal. There was no way she’d be alive at the end of the night.