Scorpio (Zodiac Killers Book 12)

by W L Knightly

  “There you go,” Bay said. “He’s not going to be any trouble, and we can stop worrying about getting shot.”

  “You didn’t tell me you had a gun.”

  “You didn’t tell me you didn’t. What kind of cop—”

  Darek pulled his gun out of his pants. “I didn’t have time to pull it or my badge.”

  “Some cop you are.” He shook his head, and the two of them went on their way, checking the units.

  After a bit of time, Bay stumbled upon the name Gough. “Over here,” he called.

  Darek, who was a unit away, hurried over. “Did you find something?” He handed Bay the key and put it in the lock. When it turned and the lock came open, Bay breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Fuck yeah. This is it.” He pulled the door open, and the stench of something rotten hit them in the face. “That’s not good.”

  He took out his phone and hit the flashlight. The place illuminated enough for him to find the light switch. The fluorescent light buzzed and flickered on, and Bay took a few steps back, seeing the blood on the floor. “Fuck!”

  Chapter 14

  Darek

  The floor was covered with dried blood and maggots, and the stench in the air was enough to trigger Darek’s gag reflex at least once. Whatever Max had done there, it had been done days ago.

  Bay’s face had gone as pale as his hair, and Darek wondered if something had finally gotten to him.

  “I’ll look around,” Darek said. “You might not want to see what’s here to find.”

  He walked to the back of the storage unit, which had tons of furniture and a lot of old boxes. Some were open, their contents scattered on top of the other boxes. There was a place in the back where the blood had gotten thicker, and Darek’s suspicions were that it wasn’t really from a human.

  “Something isn’t adding up. Either he slaughtered three or four people, or this blood was deliberately put here for us to find. The key was probably a set up too. Lizzy found it sitting right on top of a box. The blood is so old. Max could have done it before we picked him up.”

  “What’s this guy’s fucking problem? He’s leading us in circles and wasting our fucking time.” Bay looked down at his shoes. “Fuck.” The soles were stained with the thick mush.

  “He’s trying to fuck with us.” Darek walked over to one of the boxes, filled with dildos. “Look at this shit. The man’s worse off than I ever imagined.”

  “He’s telling us to go fuck ourselves,” said Bay. “That’s all this is. One big head fuck. He’s probably laughing right now and hoping we found it. He hasn’t got any fucking intention of telling us where she is. I want you to let me talk to him.”

  Darek shook his head. “If he’s not going to tell us, then why bother? You just want to take a crack at him, and I’m not letting you fuck everything up now. If you do that, he wins.”

  “Fuck that!” Bay didn’t like the idea of anyone else beating him. “He won’t win. He’ll end up with a fucking bullet or a shank, but he won’t win!” Bay pointed his finger at Darek, jabbing it in his direction like he wanted to poke an eye out.

  Darek sighed. “Okay, I get it. But I can’t give you the opportunity to take him out, and that’s all there is to it.” Bay was likely to rile Max up so much that he went to Lizzy with the truth. Why he hadn’t sung his song already was a mystery, but Darek knew he was waiting for the right time. The last thing he needed was Bay going in and making things worse.

  Bay walked over to one of the boxes. “Maybe there’s another clue. There has to be something here, just like there was at his house.” He turned out another box, this time finding a pair of fur-lined handcuffs and a box of women’s clothing. “Looks like the asshole really did have a woman in his life.”

  “What are you talking about? He’s never had a steady chick. As long as I’ve known him, he’s had a variety of women. They never last, but—”

  “No, I know he’s had someone,” Bay said. “A dark-haired beauty, according to Max’s brother. Someone who really likes the shit he’s playing with. All of this kinky shit? It’s just what she likes. I’m guessing,” he picked up a skin-tight, black rubber body suit, “this is hers.”

  “What are you talking about?” Darek asked.

  “His brother told Lane and me that he used to hang with a young, emo chick. She had black hair and looked drop-dead gorgeous. Who does that sound like to you?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know.” He shrugged, and it took a moment, but he realized what Bay was getting at. “Wait, you think Raven is the girl?” Bay had been rather hard on him about Raven lately, and he was getting sick of it.

  “Come on. Dark hair, sexy, into kinky shit? Not to mention, she’s been in this for a while and managed to come out of it alive.”

  The poor girl had been through hell, and Darek wasn’t about to put her through any of it again. Blood rushed to his head so fast, he didn’t know what he was doing. He grabbed Bay by his shirt and slammed him through the boxes, pushing him up against the wall. Before Darek could draw back his fist, he took a punch to the face. His own fist then swung out but missed his intended target as Bay ducked.

  While Darek’s bell rung, Bay pushed him back and broke free of his grip. “What the fuck? You know that fucking whore has been in the thick of things since this began. She was with Finn, for fuck’s sake. She was with Seth, and you know she was right there on the tail end of his death! You’re going to lash out at me over that cunt?”

  Darek held his jaw. He had to give it to Bay. The man had a hell of a right hook. “You don’t fucking know her! Do you think that just because you run that fucking club she loves so much, that it means you have a clue? You’re fucking mistaken.”

  Bay’s chest heaved with anger, and his eyes were wild. Darek could see the gleam of disbelief in them like he didn’t understand what was happening. “You’re thinking with your heart and your dick, which is exactly what she wants you to do. Think about it, Darek. She played you. Why do you think she wanted out? You were getting too close and fucking things up.”

  “You’re wrong.” He wasn’t going to hear it. Bay was out of his mind. He’d always been jealous that she was the one girl that he could never have.

  “No, I don’t think I am.” Bay took a breath. “Look, it’s worth checking into. That’s all I’m getting at. You’re still close to her, whether you want to admit it or not. You still have feelings, and I’m betting that you still have contact, so I’d try and find out what she’s up to if I were you.”

  “She’s still in Tennessee.” Darek had just spoken with her a few days ago. She’d missed Noah’s meeting, and that wasn’t because she was doing anything shady. She was trying to make a better life for Noah and taking care of Ethan. “She’s burying our friend.”

  “And for all we know, she had something to do with his death too. Where was she when Ethan died? She wasn’t at the table.”

  “She was with Lizzy and Mia!” Darek couldn’t believe him. He knew that Raven was never alone at the fucking fashion show.

  “Yeah, exactly. She had gone to the bathroom, right? That could have been a signal. A way to keep Lizzy busy.” It all made sense, except for the part where Raven was involved.

  “You’re way off. And fuck you for saying this about her.”

  Bay searched his eyes. “You’re fucking pathetic. You are in love with her, aren’t you?”

  The words burned with anger inside him. “I have respect for her, yeah. There’s a difference.”

  Bay held his arms out. “Well, if I’m wrong, I’ll apologize, which is something I rarely do, but I have a hunch about this. I think I’m right, so I’m willing to gamble.”

  “Why would there be someone else?” Darek would never believe she had anything to do with it.

  “Come on. You know you’ve thought about it before. This killing spree? Being orchestrated and carried out by one person? You know it’s ridiculous. He was too busy being a cop most of the time. And he did have help. We know that.
He had Alicia David.”

  “How do we know she’s not the one his brother told you about? Maybe he had help at the start, but this is all him. Max would be too proud to have a woman as a partner in crime.”

  “I don’t think she was a partner,” Bay said. “I think she’s the mastermind.”

  Darek couldn’t help but think of how smart she was, but that wasn’t going to sell him on the whole idea of it. “That’s a huge stretch, Bay.”

  “She’s used to luring men with sex. Why would this be any different?”

  “Fuck this place,” Darek said. “I’m sick of hearing this shit, and I want to go. It’s not like we’ll find Mia here. And before you mention more about me and Raven, get your facts straight. I am in love with Lizzy. I want to marry her and have a family with her. Raven had her chance, and she bailed on me.”

  He realized what he’d said, what he’d been angry about all along. Raven had abandoned him. He had loved her, and she’d just taken off. He was never going to forget that as long as he lived; the way it made him feel; the way it had hurt. It was so different than the way he’d loved Megan or Lizzy. But now, he was a lucky man. Lizzy had taken him back, and he wanted to focus on his life with her. It was the right thing to do.

  No matter how many times he tried to convince himself of it, it just never sat right.

  “Convince yourself all you want,” Bay said. “Hell, for your sake, if I’m right, I hope you really do love Lizzy. You’d be better off. But I don’t think I’m wrong.” Bay straightened his shirt and then gave Darek a push on the shoulder. “If you ever pull shit like that again with me, I’ll feed you your teeth, and I won’t let up until there’s nothing left of you. Your blood will be on this goddamned floor, attracting flies. Are we clear?”

  Darek’s face grew warm. “Don’t threaten me, Bay. I’ve tried to work with you on this case, to save both of our asses, but don’t think that makes me weak. Don’t mistake me for that weak fucking kid you met back at camp. That’s not me, and Raven is not in this with Max. I’d know.”

  “Trust me,” Bay said. “If I still thought of you like that little asshole who was afraid of his daddy, this would be ending a whole lot different. I’d have never expected you to help any of us.”

  Darek wanted to tell him to look around. The others were dead, only they and Lane remained. He hadn’t done anything extraordinary.

  Even though part of him wanted to hate Bay for what he had suggested about Raven, a part of himself worried he was right. The things he’d said about Raven were horrible, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a good theory. What would be her motive, though? She had it all, and he couldn’t see her wanting Max so much that she’d do anything for him.

  Darek gathered some of the blood for testing, and they left the storage unit. He hurried out to the car, ready to get Bay home, and then he was going to check on Raven and make sure she was where she said she was.

  It seemed like every time he tried to tell her goodbye for good, something else would come up, and he’d find himself calling her again. She was an old wound, and Darek wasn’t sure if it would ever heal.

  Chapter 15

  Bay

  With the blood sample still being analyzed, and no doubt pushed to the back of the pile, Bay wasn’t going to sit around and do nothing. Knowing Lila was on her way, he had to make every effort to find Mia’s body. He hired a diving team to comb the river behind the storage buildings.

  As the wind blew through his hair, he watched from the shore, and he was shocked when Lane came up behind him. “I thought you were at Nona’s.”

  Lane nodded. “Yeah, I’m on my way back. I went out for food and thought I’d come out and see if you were okay.” With that, Bay gave him a sideward look. “I mean, like, if they found anything.”

  “Nothing yet. They’ve been at it for a few hours. They said she might have been dragged farther down by the current. I’ll have them look for another couple of days.”

  “So, you didn’t get anything back about the blood?” Lane asked.

  “No.” He sighed. “Just more waiting.”

  “You should call Darek and ask him to check on it.”

  “Darek is on my shit list,” Bay said. “He tried to fight me last night. I hit him so hard his teeth rattled.” He should have knocked them out. The man had taken him by surprise with his attack, but Bay figured it was a long time coming.

  Lane seemed shocked. He put his hands in his pockets and looked out over the water. “Fuck, are you two okay? I mean, you’re not still pissed, are you?”

  “Nah, and I don’t give a fuck if we aren’t. I can’t help it if the man can’t handle the idea that Raven might be involved.”

  Lane’s eyes widened. “Fuck. You told him that theory?”

  Bay nodded. “It’s a theory, but a damned good one.”

  “Wow.” Lane rattled the change in his pocket. “I might just stay at Nona’s tonight. I know you said Lila should be home. I’ll give you guys some privacy.”

  Bay didn’t mind him being around. Lane was no trouble, and he had been there for him and Mia after the shooting. “You can come and stay whenever you like. You’re not going to bother us.”

  About that time, the divers came to the surface, and the man who was in the boat looking at the depth finder hollered at Bay. “We’re having trouble with the currents. It’s all muck and mess out there. Our visibility is shot. We could try again in a few hours, see if the wind dies.”

  “Wrap it up and continue later. You can come back tomorrow.” Bay had paid the men a small fortune for the search, and they were eager to return to make more money.

  “We’ll give it another try, thanks.” He watched the men begin to come to shore.

  “I’m going to go,” said Lane. “If you need something, call me.” Lane’s hand clapped him on the back, and then the man stepped away.

  Bay took out his keys and walked to his car. He had to get home. Lila was due there soon, and he didn’t want to miss her arrival.

  He drove across town and was shocked to see that Lila had made it home early. Her bags were still downstairs, and Rose Marie met him at the door, greeting him with a kiss. “How was your trip?” he asked her.

  “It was good, and Lila did okay. She’s upstairs. I was just about to call you. We got in a little earlier than we expected. Lila had the times mixed up. I didn’t realize it until we landed.”

  “It’s okay,” Bay said. “I guess I should go up and talk to her.”

  “Yeah,” said Rose Marie. “She needs to know. It’s her sister.”

  Bay thought of all the times the two of them had butted heads, but in the end, they loved each other. With all the drama and all the jealousy, they were really two of a kind, sisters to the end. That end was now.

  He kissed Rose Marie, and she walked him to the staircase. Bay took a deep breath and headed up. There was no way around it. He had to tell her.

  Walking down the hall, he was headed to his master bedroom but found Lila standing in Mia’s room.

  “Darling!” she said, turning around. “I was just looking at Mia’s handiwork. It’s not too bad if you like this Pepto-Bismol, dismal color.”

  He walked into the room, and she met him halfway.

  “It’s her favorite,” Bay said. Lila’s taste in color was more like champagne and white. She had paled out the entire house when they moved in.

  “Well, I want to paint our bedroom now. What do you think?”

  Bay put his hands on her baby bump. “You’re too pregnant for the fumes, and I’m not hiring anyone to do it. Mia did this herself.”

  “Mia? Well, maybe I could get her to paint ours. Where is the little fiend?”

  “I need to talk to you about Mia,” he said.

  “If I bought her a new handbag, I bet she would do the painting for me. Unless you’ve already gotten her so spoiled that she doesn’t want to help her big sister anymore.”

  Bay had made them kiss and make up since their last fight, and whi
le they’d come to an understanding, Lila still didn’t know that he was sleeping with her little sister.

  “Lila, I think we should sit down.” Bay took her hand and walked her to the bed.

  “I don’t want to sit in here. Let’s go to our room. We can cuddle.”

  “Lila.” He was trying to be patient with her.

  “You don’t want to cuddle with me and the baby? Is it because I’m too fat?” Her face twisted into a mask of pain and hurt, and Bay let out a breath, knowing he needed to handle her with kid gloves, which wasn’t his usual nature.

  “You’re beautiful, and you’re not fat. You’re pregnant. There’s a big difference.”

  “Am I the prettiest pregnant woman you’ve ever seen?” she asked.

  “Yes, without a doubt.” He meant it too. He might want to choke her out most of the time, but there wasn’t anyone more beautiful than Lila. Not even Mia could pull that off. “But I need you to prepare yourself for some horrible news, Lila. I’m afraid that something terrible has happened.”

  She searched his eyes, and hers lit with horror as if she suddenly saw how serious he was. “What is it? Where’s my sister, Bay?”

  “I’m not sure.” He raked his hand through his hair and carefully chose his words. “She’s been missing for days now.”

  “Oh,” Lila said, sounding relieved. “She’s probably at her friend’s house or with a man. You know how she can be. Did you upset her, Bay?”

  Bay shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. She was taken by someone who was arrested for murdering another girl. I’m worried she’s been murdered, too.”

  Lila’s face twisted with dread. “Oh, Bay. You’re not serious? This is a joke or a bad dream.”

  He knew she was going to have a true meltdown if he didn’t take control. “Kitten, I need you to stay calm. Being upset won’t help the baby, and it won’t bring Mia back to us.”