“Hoyt, Dawson, or whatever he wants to call himself is up to no good,” Tanner said.
There was an old mattress in the van. Holes had been either drilled or sliced into each corner and a length of rope attached. Once a victim was atop the mattress, it would be an easy thing for two men to secure her limbs. Several strips of duct tape hung loosely from the van’s walls, likely to be used as a gag.
“These two are animals,” Sara said in a hushed voice. “What if they’re out hunting for a victim right now?”
“They are, but they won’t do anything without the van. They’re probably just trolling for the right girl.”
“You were right to want to kill him, Tanner. I feel like waiting for him to come back so I can shoot him myself, but then, that might condemn his daughter.”
“Yeah,” Tanner said, while closing up the van. “This has to be handled just right.”
“But we can’t let them kill another victim.”
“We won’t.”
They returned to their car and waited for Dawson or his friend to appear. It was Dawson who showed up. He came on the run and hopped in the van, then drove it back the way he had come. Tanner followed, then double-parked as Dawson took a space that blocked a hydrant. Dawson then leapt from the van and rushed into a bar.
“I’ll follow him,” Sara said. “He might recognize you.”
Tanner put on the glasses he wore when playing Thomas Myers.
“It’s been twenty years. I’ll take the chance.”
They entered the bar, which was packed with a Saturday night crowd. Most of the people were of college age, with a few thirty-somethings sprinkled in.
Sara spotted Dawson first. He was standing near a young man whom Tanner had seen before. It was the guy who worked with Dawson on the cleaning crew. He was a handsome kid, but slightly built and short.
The young guy was with a girl. She was blonde, beautiful, and looked stoned out of her mind.
Stoned, or perhaps drugged. Tanner thought, as he remembered that Dawson did time for possession of date-rape drugs.
Tanner spoke into Sara’s ear to be heard over the music and the crowd.
“The girl might be drugged. Can you get her away from them?”
Sara nodded, then headed over. Once there, she took the girl by the arms and stared into her eyes.
“Honey? Hey, are you all right?”
The girl’s eyes were unfocused, and she slurred several incomprehensible words. The young man who had been attempting to lead the girl from the club jabbed a finger toward Sara’s face. He had to reach up to do so, as Sara was a few inches taller than him.
“You need to mind your own business, bitch.”
Sara struck him hard in the throat with the side of her hand, causing him to gag and stumble backward into Cliff Dawson.
Sara shouted while looking around the bar. “Is anyone here friends with this girl? I think she’s sick.”
There was no immediate response. However, Sara saw that Dawson was leading his friend from the bar, as the young man continued to recover from the blow to the throat he’d received. Seeing this, Tanner joined her, no longer having to risk being recognized by Dawson.
Two girls in tight revealing dresses came rushing over and began speaking to the drugged woman Sara had rescued.
“Shauna? Are you all right? Did you take something?” one of the girls asked.
“I think she was drugged by the guy she was with,” Sara said. “He was attempting to lead her outside.”
The girl who had yet to speak looked at Sara with concern.
“Is it dangerous?”
“Possibly, get her to a hospital and have her checked out.”
“Thanks. Shauna is my cousin,” the girl said.
Sara and Tanner followed the women outside, then watched them hail a taxi.
“Is the tracker working?” Sara asked.
Tanner held up his phone for her to see. The image on the screen indicated that the white van of Dawson’s friend was two blocks away and moving toward Broadway.
“Let’s see where they wind up next,” Tanner said, and off they went.
43
California Dreaming
NEAR RENO, NEVADA, MARCH 1998
The cop turned out to be mall security.
He was a young guy, bearded, and appeared to be in good shape. The first thing he did was to apologize for pulling Spenser over.
“What’s the problem?” Spenser asked.
The mall cop rolled his eyes.
“The problem is my supervisor. He takes things too seriously.” The man gestured at Cody and Romeo. “He saw these two skateboarding while he was watching the monitors and sent me out here to issue a warning. They don’t like it when kids skateboard.”
“We weren’t in anybody’s way,” Romeo said.
“Right,” said the cop, whose nametag read, K. NEWTON. “That’s what I said, but he still sent me out here. I really need to find a new job.”
Spenser sent the man a sympathetic look.
“Tell your boss we were sorry and offered to pay any fines. Are there any fines?”
“Nah, he just wanted me to bust some balls. I’ll tell him I put the fear of God in you.”
“Good luck finding another job,” Spenser said.
After the mall cop drove off, Spenser did the same.
“Mission accomplished. Let’s head back to Reno and start packing our bags.”
They divided the money in Spenser’s room. There were five stacks of ten-thousand each in hundred-dollar bills, more than sixteen thousand a piece.
“I suggest you put away fifteen grand and use the rest to have fun. There are times in this business when you won’t get offered a contract for months, particularly at this level.”
“Maybe we should invest it in a business,” Cody said, and Romeo agreed.
Spenser shook his head in wonder, but Cody thought he was expressing disapproval.
“What, Spenser, you think we’re too young to invest it?”
“No, it’s not that. I was just impressed that you’re thinking that way. At your age I would have blown it on a car. I’ll tell you what, we’ll open brokerage accounts under new identities for both of you when we get back to Arizona. That way your money will make money and you won’t be bothered with keeping tabs on a business.”
“Why do we need to place it under different identities?” Romeo asked.
“To keep the money safe. If you were ever caught and convicted, the law might take your funds. They can’t appropriate them if they can’t find them. I’ve also got money stashed, just in case.”
They ate dinner out at a steakhouse and Cody brought up the subject of Ray Hoyt.
“I still want to follow him and see what he’s up to.”
“We’ll do it,” Spenser said, “but only for a short time. I want to be in Mexico this time next week.”
“I heard that Baja California, Mexico has like, some bitchin’ beaches. I’m buying a new surfboard.”
Cody looked puzzled. “You have a surfboard back home?”
“Yeah, dude. I love to surf.”
“Where? You grew up in Dallas.”
“Galveston Island has a great beach, but the five-hour drive was a drag.”
“You learned to surf in Galveston?”
“No, man. I’ve been surfing since I was a little kid. My mom sent me to visit my cousins every summer. They live in Cali, near Malibu. It’s where she grew up.”
Cody and Spenser looked at each other and smiled.
“So that’s why you talk like that?” Cody said.
“Like what, dude?”
“Like a surfer, you talk like a surfer, or a valley boy.”
Romeo grinned. “The chicks dig it.”
“You won’t need a surfboard, Romeo,” Spenser said. “There won’t be any beaches where we’re going. We’ll be out in the desert.”
“What’s it going to be like, Marine boot camp?” Cody asked.
“S
imilar in some ways,” Spenser said. “At least in the beginning, but your training will last more than a year.”
Both Cody and Romeo looked stunned.
“Will we get breaks?” Romeo asked.
“Not until you’ve completed the first three months, then you’ll have two weeks to unwind before the next phase.”
“Cool,” Romeo said. “I couldn’t live like a monk for a year. I need a girl. Hell, after three months in the damn desert I’ll need a few girls.”
Cody had a question.
“What happens at the end of boot camp?”
“A test, one you would fail right now, but the initial three months will toughen you up.”
“I thought we were going to learn to be snipers or something,” Romeo said.
“Oh, you will along the way. More importantly, you’ll learn how to survive and overcome.”
“Overcome what?” Cody asked.
“Your perceived limits. You’ll be pushed beyond endurance and gain insight into who and what you are.”
“And what would that be?” Cody asked.
“We’re going to find out if either of you has what it takes to be a Tanner. If I had to guess, one of you won’t make it, maybe neither of you.”
“You’re wrong!” Romeo said. “I know I talk like a surfer dude, but man, I’m all steel inside. I refuse to be beaten.”
Cody looked at his friend with pride showing in his eyes, then turned to Spenser.
“Hey, Spenser.”
“Yeah?”
“Bring it on.”
Spenser grinned.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
44
Patsy
THE BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 2018
Tanner followed the tracker to an old house in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It was a quiet street with huge old homes, most of which had been kept looking good. The one Dawson’s young friend lived in was an exception.
The paint was peeling, roof shingles were missing in spots, and the wooden steps sagged with age. Still, it sat on a good portion of land and had an old stone wall surrounding three sides of it. Rundown or not, Tanner guessed the home was worth more than a million.
They drove past and saw the van parked in front of a three-car garage that had its doors closed. Dawson and his friend weren’t in sight. After U-turning at the corner, Tanner parked across the street and several houses away from the home.
“Looks like they may have given up the hunt for the night,” Tanner said, “and I bet the kid’s throat still hurts from that smack you gave him.”
“He deserves far worse.”
“I wonder what they put in the girl’s drink?”
“There are some exotic date-rape drugs out on the streets these days. I took a course to learn about them when I was still with the FBI.”
“Like what?”
“There’s one called Devil’s breath. It’s the drug scopolamine. Apparently, it’s been known to make people act against their own will. I don’t think it’s used much here, but more so in South America.”
“You say it will make someone act against their own will. Could you force someone to sign a statement they hadn’t read?”
“Possibly, you have something in mind?”
“When I kill Dawson, I want to make sure the doctors feel free to use his kidneys to save his daughter’s life. If I could get him to sign a statement stating that he gave his consent, there would be no red tape tying things up.”
“That might work, but his handwriting could be illegible. Scopolamine is a strong drug.”
“Then I’ll do it the old-fashioned way and hold a gun to his head.”
“And what about his partner?”
“We know he attempted to abduct that girl from the bar. I’ll have no problem killing him.”
“I don’t disagree, but maybe he’s not a murderer. You told me that the real Ray Hoyt, the man you killed years ago only had a record as a rapist, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Then maybe it’s the same here. Perhaps Dawson finds these sick perverts to help him do his dirty work, lets them have their way with the women, but does the killing himself. He may also be setting this new man up to take the blame for the killings someday.”
“Like a patsy?”
“Yes.”
“And then Dawson moves on, finds another accomplice, and does the same thing all over again. Damn it. Romeo and I may have done him a favor years ago by killing Ray Hoyt. Had Hoyt lived, he would have implicated Dawson.”
“Hoyt wouldn’t have lived anyway. Dawson would have killed him and left evidence behind linking him to the murders he himself committed.”
Tanner rubbed a hand over his chin as he considered the situation.
“Maybe the same thing needs to happen here, only I’ll make Dawson the victim and frame his friend for the murder. This kid likes to rape women, a stint in prison might give him a taste of his own medicine. A boy like that would be passed around for sure.”
Sara pointed at the house.
“If Dawson’s friend lives here then his parents must have money, yet he works nights cleaning office buildings instead of going to college. Why do you think that is?”
“Take a good look at the house. It’s seen better days. If I had to guess, the owners are struggling to pay the property taxes and might be upside down on a mortgage. As for the kid, who knows, maybe he hates school.”
“I still find it odd that a man like that would live here.”
The sound of an engine starting came from nearby. It was followed by the sight of the white van backing out onto the street. Tanner lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes and could see Cliff Dawson sitting in the passenger seat.
“I think they’re headed back out to try again,” Tanner said.
“What do you want to do if we catch them in the act? If I interfere again they’ll know something is up.”
“If they grab a girl, that’s it. I’ll end them both tonight.”
The van disappeared around a corner. Tanner went in pursuit as Sara looked at the tracker.
“I think they’re headed for the highway.”
“And back into Manhattan, their stalking grounds.”
“But they’ll be the prey,” Sara said.
Tanner rounded the corner, saw the van in the distance, and went in pursuit.
45
Late Night Visitor
TUCSON, ARIZONA, MARCH 1998
Cody and Romeo had kept in touch with Barbara and Monique while in Reno and there had been no news about Anna.
That changed while the boys were flying back to Arizona from Nevada with Spenser. The nude body of nineteen-year-old Anna Hopewell was discovered lying in a ditch. She had been dead for days and had died from multiple stab wounds. A preliminary examination by the coroner revealed that she had also been raped. She was believed to be the third victim of a serial killer.
The boys had no idea of this when they arrived at the girls’ basement apartment, but guessed the horrible news when Barbara greeted them at the door with eyes red from weeping.
Seeing him enter, Monique flew into Romeo’s arms and hugged him. Romeo led her over to the sofa and held her as she cried.
Barbara filled them in on what had occurred.
“The police called about an hour ago. Oh, Xavier, it’s so horrible. Anna was raped and stabbed to death. What kind of animal would do something like that to Anna?”
Cody had no answer for Barbara. He only knew that if he ever got his hands on the bastard that killed Anna he would see him take his last breath. He held Barbara in his arms, as her tears moistened his shirt.
That night, as promised, Spenser tracked down Ray Hoyt. Hoyt lived in a cheap apartment south of Broadway Boulevard. His green pickup was parked on the street, so it was likely he was at home.
They were watching from the parking lot of a supermarket and had two pairs of binoculars between them. The boys were in their sports car, as Spenser had a
date with the redhead the boys had seen coming out of his room.
Cody and Romeo had the night-shift, but Spenser would relieve them in the morning. The boys were certain that Hoyt was the man who’d killed Anna, but Spenser was unconvinced, citing their “evidence” as mere coincidence.
Hoyt sharing the same name as the man Anna was last seen with, his teddy bear tattoo, and his matching the description of the man named Ray were all circumstantial.
“Just follow him. If something odd happens call me and I’ll come running.”
“But what if he grabs another girl?” Cody asked.
“Get the girl away from him, then call me. If Ray has to be put down, I’ll do it. You two are too inexperienced and might get caught by the police.”
“That wouldn’t matter, we’d be saving a girl,” Romeo said.
“The less you talk to the cops the better. It’s bad enough they questioned you over Anna’s disappearance. Thank God you had alibis backed up by the girls you’re seeing.”
The boys kept watch all night while taking turns sleeping. After Spenser relieved them in the morning, they spent the day with Barbara and Monique, who were sad company, as they mourned their friend. The next day, after lamenting the fact that they had no money to spend on flowers for Anna’s funeral, Cody and Romeo took them to a florist and paid for a fitting arrangement.
When they were alone later, Barbara told Cody how sad she was that he had to go away soon.
“You’re the nicest guy I’ve met in a while, and Monique feels the same way about Romeo.”
“If it wasn’t so important I would stay here, but I’ve made a commitment.”
“Will you come back someday?”
“I’ll make a point of it.”
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