by Mary Stone
Winter was convinced, though. This vision was off.
He hadn’t argued with her. She was smart as hell, and he would trust her instincts no matter where they led her…or him.
After sharing her nightmare, she’d been able to calm down a little. She put her head on his chest, black hair splayed out around him, and sighed with deep-seated sorrow. “I’m cursed. These visions are a curse, and they’ll never leave me alone.”
Noah tightened his arms around her, aware that he couldn’t free her from the “gift” she’d been given. “You’re not cursed. You’re special. And I love you.”
He didn’t sleep until Winter’s breathing became smooth and peaceful. When he was sure she was out, he’d allowed himself to fall into a much-needed slumber.
Not long after, “the murder call” came through. He’d tried his damnedest to sneak out of bed without disturbing her. But the phone had also woken Winter, and she was alert in an instant, irreversible second.
Alert and worried.
She’d begged in desperation to know what was happening, but he couldn’t tell her. They both were aware of that. They both knew why.
And he really didn’t have very much information right then to tell.
“I’ll let you know if Justin is okay the absolute second that I’m able to.” He held her face in his hands for a quick moment, wishing he could allay the distress in her sapphire blue eyes. “I promise you.”
She’d been slightly mollified by the promise, but only slightly. He planted a kiss on her forehead and prepared to leave with reluctance, knowing he was leaving his girlfriend alone with her apprehension.
Walking away from Winter Black under any circumstance, let alone a nerve-racking situation such as this, was by far the most challenging task in his life.
Noah’d eyed her climbing back into bed with her laptop before he left the apartment. She was most certainly going to attempt to bury herself with work from her new case.
Good. Keep that mind occupied, Darlin’.
The amount of stress that Justin Black caused his sister on a daily basis was criminal, both in the literal and figurative sense.
Winter was smart, kind, funny, and incredibly good at her job. She had a healthy relationship, good friends. Goals. Dreams.
Justin effed all of that up just by existing.
Noah would have been sympathetic toward the kid if he wasn’t convinced that Justin was a full-blown psychopath who had absolutely no intention of “getting better.”
Justin used his sister’s love for him as a tool. He’d sucked Winter into his manipulative little world with ease simply because she was capable of still loving him despite his crimes. He’d snagged her by the heart.
Knowing this infuriated Noah, but he couldn’t change the state of affairs for Winter. She had to fight this battle alone.
Noah waited, patient and hopeful, for the day when she could look at Justin and perceive the truth that every single person who actually cared about her had identified.
Justin was gone. Justin was a deranged, dangerous serial killer, and he liked the person he’d become.
Right now, she still envisioned her six-year-old little brother. Noah compared that image of Justin to a ghost. The little boy was dead…and kept alive only by the memories inside of Winter’s heart.
Shake it off, Agent Dalton. You have an actual dead body to worry about.
He busted through the stairwell door onto the third floor and charged down the hallway, around the corner to the administrative wing. Crime scene techs and the medical examiner had already arrived on-site.
The hallway was swarming with law enforcement.
He spotted Adrienne Lewton and went straight to her. “Chief Lewton. Nice to see you again, although the circumstances could be better.”
She turned fatigued gray-blue eyes toward him and pointed at an open closet door. A small perimeter had been taped off surrounding the entrance. “The victim is in there. Paula Wingfield. You can’t gather much from the hallway, but I suppose you need to take a peek regardless.”
Noah nodded respectfully and donned the appropriate crime scene gear before approaching the site. Chief Lewton was correct. He was able to view very little from the hallway, but he made out the head of the dead woman resting against the back wall. She’d been propped up and faced straight toward the doorway.
Her eyes were still open. He hated that.
Noah tensed and stared at the murky brown irises and their surrounding whites, now broken with a multitude of red fault lines. If a victim’s eyes were closed, he was almost able to imagine the person was sleeping.
The tactic helped tremendously when coming into contact with cadavers.
But Paula’s horror was frozen on her face in an eternal grimace. The purple marks around her neck brightly contrasted with her pale skin. Her last sight had been the face of a madman mercilessly choking the life out of her body, and the barbarity of her final conscious seconds on earth lay in her fixed gaze.
Paula Wingfield had met a terrible death.
Noah turned back toward Chief Lewton, who had followed him in silence to the closet. He shook his head. “That’s a rough way to go.”
Adrienne glanced toward the open doorway. “How? How could this happen with all the eyes we’ve had on this godforsaken facility?”
“The killer is clearly several steps ahead of us. He knows the ins and outs of the building. He knows the schedules.” Noah scuffed his bootie-covered shoe against the tiled floor.
“You’re assuming the killer is male,” Adrienne commented, her calm judgment straightforward.
He considered the observation. “Strangling someone to death is physically demanding. So is transporting a body to an elevator shaft or a linen closet.”
“There are women who are perfectly capable of handling that type of physical demand.” Adrienne placed her hands on her hips, challenging Noah to debate.
Noah snorted. He knew several women who could do all that and more. “Chief Lewton, I would never argue that point. There are also a lot of men who couldn’t handle the job. Whoever did this, he or she is strong. That’s all I’m saying.”
Adrienne gave him an approving glance before turning her attention to the Bureau’s newest arrival. Autumn was speed walking straight toward them. Noah noted the dark circles beneath her eyes.
“I can’t believe this is happening again in less than four days.” Frustration warred with the weariness in her words. Her bright red hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. Noah assumed she was operating on pure fumes just like he was.
“Absolutely insane.” He immediately wanted to shove a foot in his mouth. “Poor choice of words. I meant, the chaos is nuts…shit. That’s not good either.”
“We get the point.” Adrienne rolled her eyes at him while Autumn emitted a giant yawn.
Noah started to guide Autumn toward the crime scene when Dr. Baldwin came bustling down the hallway, extreme rage twisting his face into an angry, cartoonish façade.
“Here we go,” Autumn muttered and crossed her arms, seeming to be arming herself for battle.
“Do you all really have to be in this hallway at the same time? There’s no monetary reward for squeezing in as many damn law enforcement clowns as possible! Or were you all hoping for a world record instead?” Philip appeared to have made a trip to hell and back.
His dark hair wasn’t completely styled into submission. His fury-filled green eyes were surrounded not just by dark circles, but giant, sleep-swollen bags. Even his tie was crooked.
Chief Lewton walked toward him, her vexation immediate. “I’m sure you’re already aware, Dr. Baldwin, but we’re handling a crime scene here. Another murder.”
Dr. Baldwin glared down at the policewoman. “You do understand that dead people stay dead no matter how many ‘officials’ swarm around them, don’t you? This crowd is ridiculous.”
Noah spied Adrienne’s hands turning into fists at her sides.
“I’m sorry if we�
��ve upset you, Doctor. We would never purposely inconvenience such an important man as yourself for something so trivial.”
Baldwin narrowed his eyes in response to Chief Lewton’s sarcasm. He raised an arm, indicating everyone gathered in the administrative wing. “There’s a parking lot in the back. Did any of you consider that before you clogged up the front entry?”
No one replied, but they all stared in silent awe.
“Oh, the hell with it!” Dr. Baldwin turned on his heel and retreated to his office, slamming the door hard enough to make the decorative pictures on the hall walls shake violently.
Noah met eyes with Chief Lewton, then Autumn. “Does he even care that he has another dead employee?”
His hospital is rapidly turning into a damn morgue.
“I’m not sure he cares about anything.” Chief Lewton shook her head in disbelief.
But Noah knew that much wasn’t true. Philip Baldwin most definitely cared about one thing in his human existence. His job. And even it wouldn’t be safe with a murdering madman on the loose in his halls.
16
Aiden Parrish marched down the hallway straight toward his team. Autumn, Noah, Mia, and Chris had all arrived. The four of them appeared worn…but ready.
Excellent.
Adrienne Lewton intercepted him when he was barely five feet from his agents.
“Chief Lewton.” He gave a courteous nod.
“Agent Parrish. Right this way.” She gestured toward an open closet door farther down the hall. Law enforcement had practically gated the immediate area off with yellow tape.
Aiden slipped protective booties over his shoes before walking toward the crime scene. Viewing the victims’ bodies exactly as they’d been left after succumbing to murder was the most disturbing part of his job. But occasionally, the raw image of fatality created a motivation that pictures alone couldn’t inspire.
And as a free addition, a few impending nightmares were automatically thrown into the deal.
Paula Wingfield stared at him while he studied the scene. Purple strangle marks boasted their color from her neck.
Whoever did this didn’t even try to cover up the crime. Didn’t pull her collar up. Didn’t shut her eyes.
“Why would he ‘hide’ her somewhere so frequently used as a linen closet?” Aiden mumbled this to himself, but Adrienne Lewton had stayed close enough to pick up the question.
“Where should he have hidden her, Agent Parrish?” The chief cocked her head in curiosity, eager to pick the SSA’s brain.
“Dropping Evelyn’s body into an elevator shaft…he knew it would eventually be found. And Paula here,” Aiden waved a hand toward the corpse, “was the same. Guaranteed to be found. Even faster this time.”
Adrienne scratched the tip of her nose. “Wouldn’t know why someone so strangle-happy would want to be discovered. But psychopaths do seem to enjoy having their work admired, in my experience.”
“What I don’t know, Chief Lewton,” Aiden forced his eyes away from the body, “is how this happened at all. You told my agent that you had this handled. This was ‘your case.’ But your stationed officers sure as hell missed something rather important.”
Adrienne bristled at his observation. “The criminal has to be hiding in plain sight. And if that’s true, then it’s by no fault of my people that they remained vigilant for someone who goes in and out of this building on a regular basis.”
Aiden didn’t fully agree, but he decided to let the matter alone. He imagined that Chief Lewton didn’t hate anything so much as the FBI crowding around her territory, except for failing right before the Bureau’s eyes.
She’ll punish herself enough internally with sheer regret and embarrassment.
Mia joined them. “A guard that won’t miss anything…audio surveillance. The judge signed just a few minutes ago.” She waved the paper in the air like a peace flag.
“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” Adrienne glared from Aiden to Mia.
Aiden smiled at her. “You just were.” He grabbed the warrant from Mia and nodded at Adrienne. “Let’s go, Chief.”
They turned toward Dr. Baldwin’s office door and began to walk. Aiden pointed at Autumn as they passed, and she joined them in immediate response.
He handed Adrienne the paper, as she clearly desired to take the lead. His innumerable experiences working with local law enforcement had taught him to step back when necessary. He didn’t have to be in charge.
He just needed to nail this killer.
Adrienne gave the office door three solid pounds. “Dr. Philip Baldwin, this is Police Chief Adrienne Lewton. I have a search warrant. Open the door.”
Aiden wondered if Baldwin would be difficult and refuse, but the doctor swung his door open with the wrath of Satan. Adrienne was immediately before him, yet his hateful eyes homed in on Autumn.
“You did this, didn’t you, Doctor Trent? You disapprove of the way I run my hospital! My methods! Just because I don’t provide adequate group hug time for the criminally insane, you’re trying to get me fired!” Philip pointed a finger at Autumn as he screamed.
Autumn stared back at the raving physician but remained silent. Aiden was unsure if her quietude was due to shock, anger, or sleep deprivation.
Probably all three.
“If any of you think you’re just going to come in here, and I’m going to leave while you go ripping through personal files and information that you have no right to, you’ve lost your damn minds!” A vein throbbed in Dr. Baldwin’s forehead.
“We do have a right, Doctor. This warrant gives us the right.” Adrienne held up the paper in front of Philip’s face.
“So patient confidentiality is no longer of importance? Just like that? I want the hospital’s lawyer on-site and present before the commencement of any search!” Dr. Baldwin directed his gaze at Aiden, who offered a mere shake of his head.
This guy is completely losing his shit. What are you so worried about, Philip?
“Agent Parrish!” Chris Parker’s voice carried down the hallway. “You’ll want to see this!” The agent ran to meet them.
Aiden met Philip Baldwin’s gaze for a brief moment before turning his attention to Parker.
“I’ve been going through Paula Wingfield’s locker, and I found this.” Chris held up an evidence bag. Inside was an audio tape marked in black ink with the date of Evelyn Walker’s murder.
Aiden raised his eyebrows and turned toward Dr. Baldwin. The man appeared stunned and snatched the tape from Chris’s hand, a terrified expression flooding his face.
“How was this taken from my office? How!” Baldwin circled his gaze to Autumn once again. “You! You would stoop this low? Because you think you can run a maximum-security hospital for the most dangerous criminals in the state of Virginia better than I can? How dare you!”
Autumn came to life at that, scowling and stepping closer to the doctor. Aiden predicted an imminent screaming match, which was entirely unnecessary.
They had the warrant. Dr. Baldwin’s tantrum didn’t matter.
He stepped between the two, forcing Baldwin to back away merely to regain personal space. “Take note, Doctor. You don’t have a choice about this search. We followed protocol. We’re coming in.”
Baldwin glowered at Aiden. The medical director of the hospital had apparently run out of objections.
“Now, what you do have a choice about, is whether we listen to this tape in the privacy of your office or down at the police station. I’m fine with either.” Aiden smiled while Philip trembled with indignation.
After a five second stare down, Dr. Baldwin crossed his arms and held up his chin. “No one is doing anything until my lawyer gets here.”
Aiden laughed and walked past Philip into the office. He pulled open the top drawer of the first filing cabinet. “I’m afraid that’s not how things work, Dr. Baldwin.”
17
“Dr. Baldwin could have a flourishing side-business as an organizational consultant…if he wan
ted.” Autumn thumbed through the meticulously ordered pages of a patient file. The fact that the man even kept paper records of his entire hospital’s information was impressive.
“He’s not gonna have any business at all when he’s serving a life sentence for multiple murders,” Chris grumbled from his spot on the floor. He had immediately gone for the lower drawers of the filing cabinets.
Autumn guessed he wanted to make her struggle to reach the top ones, since she was shorter and he detested her. But a simple chair had solved that issue.
In contrast, nothing would help Agent Parker achieve any level of comfort in his giant man-body pretzel position on the carpet.
Increased video surveillance would be worth the trouble just to have footage of Chris tangled up like an overgrown preschooler at circle time.
“Don’t be too sure, Parker,” Noah cautioned from his comfortable position in the doctor’s luxury desk chair. “For one thing, we only have two murders. Not exactly multiple. For another, we have no proof, which is kind of important in these types of situations.”
“We have no proof yet.” Chris winced as he stretched out his long legs. “We’ll find what we need. I guarantee you that tape could wrap all of this up pretty quickly if Parrish would just play the damn thing.”
Adrienne held up her phone, reading straight from the screen. “Multiple. Having or involving several parts, elements, or members. Agent Dalton has you on this one, Agent Parker.”
“For Christ’s sake.” Chris scowled at Chief Lewton. “Okay. I misspoke. Two. We have two murders, and that tape is going to prove the obvious damn fact that Baldwin committed them.”
Noah shot Autumn a small grin, and she lifted both shoulders in return.
Aiden had decided to wait to play the recording until Philip’s lawyer appeared. Yes, they had the search warrant, but the SSA warned that reviewing the audio without Dr. Baldwin’s attorney was walking a fine line between a suspect interview and a legal search.
Autumn understood how vital following proper procedure was in this investigation. Anything they uncovered needed to withstand all possible questioning in court by the defense. Aiden was practicing patience and wisdom.