Crazed Reckoning, a Nick Spinelli Mystery

by Valerie J. Clarizio

  Anna giggled. “What is that number ten already?”

  Shannon looked up and caught Anna’s amused gaze. “Eight, but who’s counting? Every hour on the hour.” Though he went a bit overboard with the number of texts, Shannon—and the butterflies in her stomach— welcomed each and every one. His overprotectiveness warmed her heart. Like a schoolgirl, she desperately missed him already; they hadn’t even been apart a full day.

  Shannon shot off a quick response before she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

  The ladies continued down the trail, Shannon leading the way. The wind picked up as they crossed over from the hardwoods to the cedars. The damp mossy smell let her know they neared the lake.

  “Shannon.”

  “What?” Shannon asked as she looked over her shoulder.

  Anna shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t say my name?”

  Anna pulled a frown. “No.”

  “Oh, hmm.” Shannon would have sworn she’d heard someone say her name. She tried to shrug it off, tell herself it was just the wind, but the unease spiraling in the pit of her stomach forced her senses into ‘full alert’ mode.

  Shannon forged on in the soft snow. Looking ahead, she could see the trail veered off to the north, just beyond the edge of the cedars where the hardwoods started again. Not much further to go.

  A movement between the low-hanging branches of the cedar trees ahead caused Shannon to stop dead in her tracks. She squinted as if that would give her a better view.

  Anna stepped next to her. “What’s the matter? What are you looking at?”

  Shannon kept her eyes focused ahead. “I thought I saw something move in that patch of trees ahead. Anna looked in that direction as well. The wind ceased as if someone flipped a switch. It was unusually still and quiet. Eerie.

  Both women continued to stare forward for a few beats before Anna broke the silence. “I don’t see anything. Maybe it was one of the other teams.”

  “The ranger said the two teams that checked in before us left already.”

  “Well, maybe it was just a deer.”

  Anna was probably right. Deer tracks mingled among several sets of human footprints, but Shannon was unable to shrug off the cloak of apprehension. “Maybe.”

  Anna pulled her water bottle from her backpack, took a swig, and then put it back.

  Shannon led onward. Her dry, wide-eyed gaze caused her eyes to itch but she refused to blink for fear of missing something. When they reached the end of the cedars where she’d seen the movement, she paused and looked around but found nothing unusual. A gust of wind blew by them. Whoosh ...

  “Shannon.”

  Shannon spun to face Anna. “What?”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Anna replied, her concerned gaze unmistakable. “Are you okay? You’re as white as the snow.”

  Shannon swallowed down the anxiety rising in her throat. “I’m fine, just cold.” Her voice shook but not nearly as much as her hands. She could hardly read the GPS.

  Anna eyed her curiously before taking the GPS from her. She studied the small screen for a moment and then pointed in the direction of the body of water lying just beyond the trees. “It shouldn’t be too far from here.”

  They headed off-trail through the birch, maple, and oak trees, following the footprints in the snow they assumed belonged to the other teams. The terrain was fairly flat until they came up upon a rock ledge, about Shannon’s height. Shannon eased herself down the slick ledge, turned, and watched Anna do the same. They followed the footprints to a pile of large downed trees that formed an equilateral triangle, hollowed on the inside. Shannon pulled herself up onto one of the logs and then slid down into the triangle to her waist. The square plastic cache container sat fully exposed in the center of the opening. She grabbed the container and set it on one of the logs between her and Anna.

  Shannon slid the lever over and released the latch of the small cash drawer-like box before she lifted the lid. Both women gasped and jumped back, Shannon not as far as Anna as her back pressed firmly to the pine frame of the triangle. The box slipped off the log. The contents flipped through the air. Their horrifying screams echoed as Shannon’s spine ground into the unyielding log behind her. Her gaze stayed glued to the gruesome object. Oh God, please don’t let it touch me!

  The container and its contents crashed to the ground and came to a rest at Shannon’s feet. She wasted no time hoisting herself out of the confined area.

  Shannon glanced over the downed trees to find her friend’s equally petrified gaze on her. Speechless, Shannon waited for words from Anna.

  Her friend swallowed audibly. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Anna’s shuddering body matched Shannon’s own vibrations. The cold had nothing to do with it. Shannon’s thudding heart nearly broke free of her chest.

  “I think so.”

  Anna nodded at her and they both edged forward to get a better glimpse. A partially decomposed finger lay in the snow next to the cache box, along with the small broken jar in which it had been housed. A slight waft of alcohol drifted into Shannon’s nostrils before a ray of sun shot through the overcast sky. A flash of light sparked off the finger. Shannon’s heart raced. A gold Claddagh ring, just like the grand prize she hoped to win, was wrapped snugly around the large yellowish-brown finger.

  * * * *

  Spinelli sat at his desk and scanned the financial records of one of the two murder victims found in downtown Milwaukee yesterday. Walker sat at the desk across from him doing the same with the other vic’s records. Marsh sat off to the side, searching phone records. They’d been at it for hours and had come up empty.

  Spinelli took a swig of his lukewarm coffee, set the mug back on its coaster, and glanced around the precinct before he refocused his eyes on the vic’s bank statement. The numbers blurred. He’d been at it too long. At this point, the evidence could jump off the page and bite him on the nose, and he probably wouldn’t notice.

  He propped his elbows on his desk, closed his eyes, and rested his face in his hands. A vision of Shannon popped into his mind from hours earlier. Her pale body lay entwined among the mint green sheets on his bed. Bright red hair spilled like fire over his pillow. He recalled how her slow even breaths warmed the crook of his neck; how the soft curves of her body pressed up against him, nearly causing him to combust.

  She looked so peaceful when she slept. He had hated the thought of waking her too early but the organ between his legs begged him to do so. They’d made love twice already but surely, one more time was in order, especially since he wouldn’t see her for the remainder of the weekend.

  Earlier in the day, he’d nearly begged her not to go on the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend geocaching adventure. He sighed. He must have sounded like a desperate fool, but he just couldn’t stand the thought of her being out of his sight with all that had gone on in the past several months. It nearly killed him that he couldn’t go with her, but this double homicide just wouldn’t allow for it.

  Spinelli grunted in response to Walker’s voice without even knowing what he said. He was selfish and knew it. He wanted to finish his reverie about Shannon before returning to the reality of the double homicide.

  His body tensed at the mere memory of his and Shannon’s most recent lovemaking session when he’d lost his battle to lust and prematurely woke her earlier in the day. Her silky strands of hair washed over his face and chest as she crawled onto him. The sea of green that stared down at him whisked him away to some fantasyland where everything was pure, happy, and satisfying. The Garden of Eden before the forbidden fruit was consumed.

  Shannon had held his gaze as she guided him into her soft velvet opening. Lowering herself, she took in every bit of him. His hands, as if they had a mind of their own, flowed up her smooth stomach, not stopping until they cupped her small round breasts. Her breath hitched and her gaze intensified. She lifted upward then slowly eased down his shaft again. His hands tightened ar
ound her breasts before his thumb and forefinger found their way to her already taut nipples. He circled them before giving a delicate tug. Tossing her head back, a tantalizing groan escaped her plump red lips. Her small, warm hands slid over the top of his and urged him to continue. He didn’t need urging. His pleasure grew tenfold at the sight, sound, and feel of hers.

  Spinelli recalled how Shannon’s pumping increased as his hands roamed her welcoming body. Blood rushed through his veins at the speed of light. He knew if she kept that pace, he wouldn’t last too long. His hands drifted down from her breasts, skimming her soft, warm skin until one came to rest on her hip, and the other at her sensitive, swollen bead. Pressing his thumb against it, he was saved. It didn’t take long for her walls to clamp around him, milking him for all he was worth. His body tensed one last time before he spilled himself into her.

  Shannon floated forward with the grace of an angel until the soft curves of her breasts pressed firmly to his chest. Her warm cheek rested against his. The silky strands of her hair clung to his face and shoulder. He inhaled deeply. Her sweet scent reminded him of a fresh spring morning. He wrapped his arms around her, thinking he should really stake his claim. He loved her and he wanted her to be his forever.

  The beating of her heart matched his. He thought about the ring tucked away in his dresser drawer. He’d nearly popped the question just over a month ago, on Valentine’s Day, but the events of the day precluded him from doing so. Assuming she’d say yes, he didn’t want her to associate the day of their engagement with the same day his psycho ex- girlfriend killed four of Shannon’s past love interests. Just over a month had passed since that awful day, and he still hadn’t asked her to marry him. He wasn’t sure why; he definitely wanted to. Her birthday was coming up, perhaps that would be a good time to ask her to become his wife.

  Walker cleared his throat and snapped Spinelli out of his daydream. He lifted his head from his hands and caught Walker’s gaze. “What?”

  “What the heck? Were you sleeping? Your phone’s been ringing.”

  Spinelli grabbed his cellphone from his hip and glanced at the display screen. Shannon’s green-eyed gaze stared back at him. A wave of excitement washed through him with the force of a tidal wave. He tapped the screen and placed the phone to his ear. “Hi, sweetheart. How’s it going?”

  Shannon gasped in response.

  Spinelli’s heart leaped into his throat. “Shannon, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  She gasped again.

  “Shannon, sweetheart, what is it?”

  Detectives Walker and Marsh’s gazes were now on him.

  “A finger, Nick, we found a finger in the cache container.”

  “What?”

  Spinelli heard Shannon suck in another quick breath, and though he could hear Anna in the background, he couldn’t make out what she said.

  He knew by the anxiety in both Shannon and Anna’s voice that the finger was real and not some sort of prank to go along with the cache game. A boatload of questions flooded his mind. Why was there a finger in the container and what did it have to do with Shannon and Anna? And were they in real danger?

  Spinelli fought for a controlled voice. “Shannon, sweetheart, calm down and tell me exactly what happened and where you are.”

  “We’re at the second cache of the day in Newport State Park. We found a finger in the cache box and it’s wearing a gold Claddagh ring. And to make matters worse, I feel like someone has been following us all day.”

  Spinelli’s heart slammed against his ribcage nearly knocking him over. Even though his instincts had already informed him of the danger, hearing her speak of a stalker confirmed his nightmare as reality. “Have you called the authorities?”

  “Anna’s on the phone with them right—”

  A horrifying scream penetrated Spinelli’s ear before the call disconnected. His heart plummeted into his stomach. Walker and Marsh leaped to their feet and narrowed the gap between them, all staring at the phone in Spinelli’s hand.

  Spinelli tapped the screen. Shannon’s cell went to voicemail. Anna’s did the same.

  Chapter Two

  Captain Jackson hung up the phone receiver and met Spinelli’s gaze. “The sheriff’s deputy is en route to the park and the park ranger is hiking to Shannon and Anna’s last known location. She’ll continue to try their cells but says the odds of getting through are pretty slim since there’s very little reception in the park. Quite frankly, she was surprised they were able to reach you and 911 in the first place.”

  “How long will it take them to get there?”

  “The ranger should be on location in about five or ten minutes. The deputy will be at the park entrance in five but then he’s got to hike in as well.”

  Spinelli sank into his chair. A lot could happen in that time frame, and he had no clue as to what had happened already.

  His mind reeled. “Did she say anything about the finger?”

  “The ranger is a bit confused about that. She said she spoke to both of the other teams as they exited the park and they didn’t mention anything about a finger being in the cache. As far as she knew no one else visited the park today, at least not through the main entrance, but it is a big park.”

  “Is she the only ranger working today?”

  “Yes. Evidently, there isn’t much activity at the park this time of year. It’s a good thing she actually lives on the grounds.”

  Spinelli stared down at his phone and willed it to ring. Shannon’s sparkling emerald green eyes stared back at him. Her plump, ruby red lips turned up in a soft smile. He loved her smile and soft kissable lips that always seemed to meld perfectly to his. He drew in a slow deep breath to calm his racing heart. It didn’t work. His memory unleashed Shannon’s sweet tantalizing scent and snuffed out the bitter coffee odor that permeated the walls of the precinct. Though he’d set her photo as his phone’s wallpaper months ago, he still found himself pulling out his cell several times a day just to look at her. He couldn’t seem to help himself, he loved her. That wholesome smile reminded him of the goodness this world had to offer. Conversely, the clientele he often encountered through his work reminded him of just the opposite: the bad, the evil, and the cold, hard cruelty that existed in the world. Her lovely photo had become a crutch to get him through the hard days.

  He blew out a sigh. After all that’s gone on in the past several months, why in the hell did I let her out of my sight?

  He tore his gaze from his phone and met Jackson’s concerned stare as he absently placed the phone back in its holder on his hip. Jackson’s dark-eyed gaze was unusually soft. He’d seen that gentle look from her only a couple of times before, both times being incidents that involved him and Shannon. He liked Captain Jackson. She was tough but honest and fair. Her small frame never precluded her from getting the difficult jobs done; her twenty-plus years on the force had taught her how to appropriately handle nearly any situation.

  Walker and Marsh pushed their way through Jackson’s door. Walker took a seat in the chair next to Spinelli and Marsh planted himself on the credenza behind Jackson’s desk.

  “Well?” Jackson asked. Her inquisitive gaze looked as though it was pinning Walker to his chair.

  “I just talked with the Chief Deputy of Door County. They contacted the cache game organizers and put a halt to the game. Now they’re assembling the teams at the Justice Center for interviews and collecting all the caches. Due to the proximity of the resort to the Justice Center, it should only take them a few minutes to get everyone together. They’ll call when they know more.” Walker shifted his gaze to the floor and tugged at a string hanging from his cuff.

  Jackson’s glare stayed on him. “Is there more?”

  It didn’t surprise Spinelli one bit that she seemed to know Walker withheld some information.

  Walker shifted in his seat and hesitantly lifted his gaze to meet Jackson’s. “The Chief Deputy reminded me that Door County is not our jurisdiction. As of right now, there’s
no proof of any crime or wrong-doing.”

  Deep down Spinelli knew the Chief Deputy was right, but he hadn’t heard Shannon’s blood-curdling scream as her cell cut out. Spinelli intentionally avoided Jackson’s gaze. If he looked at her, she’d know exactly what he was thinking.

  “Spinelli.”

  He glanced at Walker for support before meeting Jackson’s gaze. “No, Spinelli. I know what you are thinking and no, you may not,” Jackson said, reading his mind as clearly as if it was her own. “Let’s give the Door County Sheriff’s Department a few minutes to figure out what’s going on, and then we’ll take it from there.”

  Walker offered no support. They both knew Jackson was right. He couldn’t just hop in his car and drive to Door County. Oh, how he wanted to, but he couldn’t. First off, if Shannon was truly missing, the Door County Sheriff’s department would likely treat him as a ‘Person of Interest’, and they’d prevent him from helping with the case. He knew the drill. He’d seen it and done it enough times.

  Spinelli leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and massaged his temples. The throbbing remained. What happened? Why did she scream like that? Where is she?

  * * * *

  Spinelli returned to his desk and the financial records of the murder victim he’d been working on earlier in the day. Walker was at his desk doing the same with the other vic’s records. Marsh resumed scanning the phone records. They were back to business as usual as if he hadn’t received a distress call from Shannon.

  The documents before him turned into one blurry mass. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to clear his vision. It didn’t work. His vision and concentration failed him. He couldn’t make sense of anything on the papers before him.

  He glanced up at Walker and caught his pinning gaze. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Jackson had tasked Walker with keeping an eye on him. Jackson knew him too well; he’d make a run for it if given the opportunity. Though he knew he could garner empathy from Walker, he’d have a better chance at getting Marsh to assist in an escape.