“Exactly,” Sarah shot back, “The letter names him and now he’s missing from his place of work where Delgado was.”
“I’m so sorry about this Sarah,” Tyler said, “But at least it sounds like he’s solved a child murder case as his last act.”
“That’s something,” she said, “It must have meant a lot for him to go out there the way he did. If only he’d told me, we could have gone together.” He let her cry a moment and then said,
“He’s exactly like you. He went it alone on a case he’s not even on anymore just to catch this guy.”
“Why did this have to happen?” she sobbed. Tyler listened again, letting her cry it out. He was sure now that ‘Lou’ had been Spalding. There hadn’t been much doubt but now it was confirmed. That meant good things for Tyler. His plan had worked, and he’d been able to pinpoint Spalding’s general location. He was sure ‘Lou’s’ house would turn out to be the place Spalding actually lived, ate, and slept, but it would bring them no closer to Spalding himself or his hideouts. No, Tyler had known his home base wouldn't be too close to his secret life. He’d spent many weeks searching in the zone he suspected before finding ‘Lou.’ Now, it was time to zone in on Spalding and get rid of him once and for all.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” he said to Sarah, his voice as soft and sympathetic as he could make it. “I’ve never heard of Tempus,” he went on, “But I’ll get on to all my contacts in South Carolina and see if I can find out anything about this guy.”
“Thanks Tyler,” she replied, her tears partially under control again.
“This has come at a very bad time for your other cases too,” he said.
“I don’t give a shit about that right now,” Sarah snarled, and Tyler was taken aback. This was the first time he’d known Sarah to be more concerned about something than Dwight Spalding. Up to now that was all that had consumed her. Little did she know Dwight was responsible for this killing too. Would she ever know this? The possibility passed through Tyler’s mind that Sarah could have been developing feelings for Delgado. She’d known Malick for many years and didn’t seem this cut up about what had become of him. A sliver of guilt raised inside him for a moment but then disappeared. Delgado was in the way, this was the best outcome for them all in the longer term, Tyler especially.
“Of course not,” he said, softly again, playing his part. “I’ll find out what I can, Sarah, someone always knows something.”
“The man who owns the garage found him,” Sarah said, Tyler wasn’t sure if she'd registered what he’d just said. “He’s an old man, been working with this guy for the last five years. He shouldn’t have had to find that lying on his garage floor.”
“Five years?” Tyler was surprised at this and these words came out of their own accord. Within a split second, though, he knew there was no need for him to be surprised. Of course Spalding would have a backstory for this alibi. There were probably records of ‘Lou’ going back years all over the country.
“I know,” Sarah answered. “Imagine working alongside someone for so long, day in and day out and then finding out what kind of person they really were like this?”
“I can’t imagine,” Tyler said, thinking of how Sarah was in the exact same position as that old man in working with Tyler. The difference was Tyler was going to make sure Sarah never knew what kind of a person he really was. He let the silence linger, he wasn’t going to do anything to prolong this call. He felt she was really on edge and he could do more damage than good by even the most innocuous remark right now.
“I better get back,” Sarah said. “I just wanted to call and let you know what happened.”
“You don’t...;” Tyler cut himself off for effect.
“What?” she pressed.
“You don’t think Spalding had anything to do with this do you?” he wondered aloud
“Not this time,” she said.
“You’re probably right, the anonymous letter is his style, but nothing else fits does it?” He could feel the idea seep inside her skull.
“Only that Lou has the same basic shape and size as Spalding,” she said. “But he’s been there for years, people know him and I'm sure someone would have noticed something off about him in that time in such a small town.”
“I guess so,” Tyler said, making it sound as feeble an agreement he could. “Well, you better get back to work and I’ll call you if I find out anything,” he said more lively.
“Okay, thanks Tyler,” she said, and the call was over.
Tyler went to his computer and looked at the map and smiled.
“Two birds with one stone,” he smiled, marking Tempus off with an X.
Chapter 29
Detective Freeman didn’t like when cases got him bogged down at his desk. He liked to be out on the streets, driving around and questioning people. Sitting here sifting through depositions, video footage, interview transcripts and background checks were not his idea of a good use of his time.
He could feel the general mood of defeat in the other members of the team. This had been a well-planned murder spree and the growing belief was that the murderer was long gone and hadn’t left any evidence behind at all save his image on the CCTV buying the flyers. Something about the flyers was bugging Freeman though and he went back to watch the tape of Spalding buying them.
The grainy image came back onto the screen, flashing to black and white for a second before coming back to low resolution color. It was boring to watch, made worse by the fact that there was no sound recorded with the video- a pointless system in Freeman’s eyes but then he was sure cost was an issue for Mr Grains at the copier store.
Freeman watched Spalding come in, flash his grin to the store owner and then one for the camera too. He holds out the flyer to Grains, asks for...; Freeman leaned forward and stopped the tape. He got his eyes closer to the screen to see better. The flyer Spalding was handing to Grains, it was already of professional looking quality. That hadn’t come up in the conversation. He checked his watch and saw it was still business hours and called Mr Grains at his store and after the introductions asked,
“When the man handed you the flyer he wanted copies made from, was that flyer already of professional quality?”
“Actually, it was,” Grains said, though added hastily, “Well, what passes for professional quality in some places.” Freeman didn’t think there would be too much, if any difference in quality in most of those copy places, and especially not in the one run by Grains who looked like he liked to penny pinch at the best of times.
“Could you tell where he might have had that one made up?” Freeman asked.
“No, I’m afraid it could have been anywhere,” Grains said, “Is that all Detective? I have a customer waiting.”
“No, no, go ahead, thanks for taking the call,” Freeman said, and he hung up so as not to take up any more of Grains’ precious time.
Sitting back in his chair and shaking his head a little Freeman made one of the leaps of logic his superiors and fellow officers had always hated of him (though what they hated most was that he was always right). Spalding didn’t have anything to do with these murders. He got wind from the flyer, had some made up very publicly so we’d find out, but that was all to throw us off the trail of the real killer. Again, he shook his head,
“The real killers,” he said emphasising the plural.
This was something he now knew, all three of the suspects were involved in the brutal slaying of the other nine people in that house that night. Now he just had to find a way to prove it. They were all sticking to their stories and so far he hadn’t been able to find anything out about their backgrounds that would cast doubt on anything they said, but he knew it, could feel that they were guilty, and he was going to go at it like a pit-bull until he found out how to show them up for what they were.
Freeman got up, took his jacket from the back of his chair, and headed out. He did his best thinking while driving and that was what he was going to do now. He boug
ht a coffee at the ground floor cafe and then went to the car with his cup.
As he drove he watched the city go by outside. It was a nice day and there was lots to see. He knew he was going to have to come at the case from a totally different angle now. The suspects had the police right where they wanted them and now it was going to be very hard to convince anyone else that Spalding was not involved in this crime, not as a principal at least.
There was no point in telling anyone this idea yet. It wouldn't bring him any goodwill and he was still going to have to do the investigating himself anyway. The case was going in a new direction, now all he had to do was find out where.
None of the other copy shops had come back about the flyer so now that Freeman knew they had not been made in Baltimore or the surrounding area he would spread his wings a little farther. That would be the first step in the new version of the case.
Freeman grinned to himself as he drove on, the three suspects would never see him coming. They thought they were playing a waiting game, but instead they were being hunted down and the truth would lock them up for the rest of their lives.
Sarah Brightwater popped into his head and he wondered if he should perhaps tell her of his change of heart on Spalding in this case. She would probably be the last person to believe him, but he felt perhaps he owed it to her to tell her what he thought.
Maybe he would sit on it for a day and see how he got on.
Chapter 30
The call, when it came, was not completely unexpected. Tyler wasn’t sure if Spalding would connect Delgado’s visit with him, but he knew it was a possibility.
“Congratulations,” Spalding said without preamble.
“For what?” Tyler replied.
“I think we both know what. Agent Delgado must have been in your way somehow, I assume.”
“Delgado? He’s been on my case about leaving Sarah alone, but I thought he just had a crush on her or something.”
“You are too coy,” Spalding said, “You’ve done a wonderful thing in finding ‘Lou’ but I’m afraid that will be the last of it. I won’t be found again.”
“I don’t know why you think I found you,” Tyler said. “If I had, I think we might have met in person again.”
“I did wonder about that,” Spalding said, “But I know you like to play games as well as anyone.”
“Not that game,” Tyler replied.
“Well, that’s all academic now,” Spalding went on. “I see that I have chosen my opponents well. So far both you and Megan have managed to have one of my hideouts discovered.”
“Well Megan has two now, one shared with Ellie,” Tyler reminded him of the escape. “How is Ellie by the way?”
“As good as can be expected,'' Spalding answered. His voice had lost some of its sheen at saying this and Tyler felt he was getting to him. If only he knew how Ellie had led Tyler to Spalding, Tyler thought.
“How long will that last?”
“That’s up to her really, and Sarah, Megan, and you of course,” Spalding answered.
“Never you is it?” Tyler asked, he didn’t mind rankling his nemesis a little right now, knowing the end was coming soon.
“Not so far,” Spalding replied without humour. “Well, I better be going, I only called to say well done. Enjoy your victory while it lasts.” This was the first threat Tyler had received from Spalding and it angered him. He bit his lip though, managing not to say anything in retort.
“All victory is fleeting,” he said after a moment, “Even yours, Dwight.”
“Goodbye Tyler, just remember what I told you about Sarah Brightwater,” Spalding said and then the line went dead.
Tyler sat there a moment grinning. He did relish this victory; it was a good feeling to have Spalding out of sorts for once. He did indeed recall what Spalding had said about Sarah. He’d told Tyler not to trust her, but he also knew this was just part of the game. Spalding wanted to sow mistrust between them, to stack the odds and make sure they didn’t work as a cohesive team. He wondered if Spalding was perhaps worried now, thinking he’d put the wrong people together against him. If he wasn’t feeling like this, he should be.
Tyler thought then about how he’d been able to find Spalding in the first place. It started with a visit to Ellie at her home. It had been a short talk but only because Tyler had wanted it that way. He’d scouted around the house and saw that one of the windows had been slightly tampered with and he knew it was Spalding setting up for another attempt at Ellie. He didn’t know if Ellie was destined to be killed in her home or abducted once again but he intended to use it to his advantage.
Having written stories in many areas of corruption over the years, Tyler’s network was vast and there was never any shortage of people willing to help him out if he needed something. His sources of information kept him abreast of so many things but something he always kept a keen eye on for his own sake was the development of GPS technology and especially wearable items that might one day give him away if he took the wrong victim.
Recently he’d heard of a tracking system in development that could be ingested. It wouldn’t last long by all accounts but there could be at least twenty-four hours. Tyler had managed to get hold, through illegal means of course, a sample of this tracker and now it was time for him to put it to use.
He brought two coffees with him to Ellie’s house when he called, and drugged Ellie’s one. They talked for a while, and he took no notes or recording as he’d promised her it would be all off the record and just a chat for his own curiosity. She’d been willing to talk but as expected got upset at times. But soon the drug began to work and just as she was about to drift off and was powerless to resist him, Tyler put the tracker in her mouth and had her flush it down with some of the coffee. He then let her slump down on the sofa and fall asleep.
Tyler stood over her and he made sure the tracker was working on an app installed on his phone. It was strange to be standing over someone in this way when he wasn’t planning on killing them. He left before the urge to do so came back and he’d never heard from her again, nor about her until Spalding had her again.
Tyler knew Spalding would be careful about GPS too, and would no doubt have removed all clothing from his victims and put them into something he wanted them to wear for the journeys to wherever it was he took them. That was just common sense in the modern world we live in. What he couldn’t have, however, was a device to trace a tracker that doesn't yet exist. That was Tyler’s hope anyway.
He’d been right. When Ellie was taken again, Tyler was able to track where she went for close to thirty hours, even better than the hoped-for time. Once she was put into a hideaway, Tyler used that location to guess where Spalding might locate himself. It was through this search that Tyler found 'Lou’ the mechanic in Tempus.
Tyler laughed now; Spalding would never be able to figure out how he found him. It felt good having the upper hand. Still, those lingering fears that Spalding would have what he knew about Tyler somehow made public even in the event of Spalding’s death were worrying. But that was something Tyler could have no way of knowing or finding out about. Everyone had their cards well covered in this game. Tyler hated to think it, but he had to be ready to run as soon as Spalding went down. Just in case.
Chapter 31
The following morning, Sarah, at a loss as to what else to do, went to her office at the Academy. She needed to do something to shake Delgado’s death from her mind. It was encroaching on everything and her anger that the man who did this had still not been apprehended yet was making it worse. She knew it would be hard to face Delgado’s empty desk, but she also felt it would make her feel somehow closer to him.
The sight of the desk from the doorway stopped her in her tracks when she got there. It felt very different now. Sarah recalled coming back here after Malick was shot, when she was scared he was going to die. Then again coming here after he had been unmasked and had tried to kill her. Delgado had come into an evil space for her, an unlucky one
and made it less painful for her but now he’d been killed and the desk and the ghost that haunted it came back to her with a terrific force. Suddenly it was hard to breath and she leaned against the wall like she was having an attack of vertigo.
Sarah’s eyes darted around the room; she didn’t want anyone to see her like this. She was relieved to find she was alone here, both Bobrick's and Daniels’ doors were closed, and the lights were not on inside. She let her weight fall fully on the wall and took in some deep breaths. The recovery was fast, and she regained her feet and stood there a moment to clear her head. Deep tiredness came over her in a wave and suddenly it was like the dead of night after a long hard day instead of just after dawn on a new morning.
Her desk was not disorganized but it was a little messy. When she’d heard the news about Delgado she’d got up and left everything as it was. The files lay open, her monitor power saving light on, ready to come to life at the merest tap of the desk.
Sarah sat down and closed the files and tidied up a little, wanting to have a fresh start to this workday. Though she knew she shouldn't be here, and it was likely one of her superiors would insist she go home once they arrived.
The post tray called to her next and it was strange to see that life here had gone as before after Delgado’s death. The mail runner had been and gone, possibly twice and seven large envelopes sat in her ‘in’ tray. Sarah pulled them out one by one with general disinterest. She could tell what most were by the markings on the envelope, but one intrigued her. It was not from any law enforcement agency. It had obviously been through the scanners and such downstairs, so she didn’t think it was dangerous, but she was worried about it. This was the easy way things came to surprise people, in the mail, a warning or communication that you can't unsee. If you look you have no choice but to see what is inside.
Sarah looked, wondering if it would be something about Ellie, or where to find her.
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