Cold Case Pursuit

by Dana Mentink

  Penny realized she was still holding the receiver and she set it softly down on the cradle, fingers shaking. “What do you want?”

  “Lots of things, but I’m not going to get any of them. The cops have done an excellent job sealing off the area. There’s nowhere for me to go, not even to my apartment. So what’s left for me? You know the answer to that, Penny. Only one thing, or two, to be specific.”

  Tyler leaned close to the phone. “You’re not going to get it,” he growled. “Give yourself up. You’ll get a fair trial at least.”

  “Not likely, when you are all busily trying to frame me for the Emery murders, too.”

  “Same clown mask, same MO. Give us something to prove it wasn’t you.”

  There was a pause. “What do I get in exchange for doing your work for you?”

  “What do you want?” Tyler asked.

  “A get-out-of-jail-free pass.”

  Tyler grimaced. “Not possible, but going to jail for one set of murders is preferable to two sets, isn’t it?”

  “Okay, how about I tell you I wasn’t even in the area when those two got offed?”

  “Got an alibi to that effect?”

  Bradley and King hurried in. Penny put a finger to her lips.

  “I was visiting a lady friend in the Catskills the night the Emerys were killed. I was there a few days. You know I go up there sometimes—it’s where I conked your fancy-pants FBI agent on the head and knocked him out back in July, remember?”

  “It’s all about timing,” Tyler said. “You could have killed the Emerys before you fled there in April.”

  “My bus ticket proves I wasn’t anywhere near the Emery home when they were shot.”

  “Anyone can buy a bus ticket.”

  “Don’t treat me like an idiot. Bus stations got video. Do your job and find yourself another killer. It’s enough for me to get rid of the McGregor family. The parents deserved to die. How many times did I see the kids wandering the streets while their worthless parents were out getting drunk? Whoever killed the Emerys might have noticed that kid being ignored, too. Maybe you should be thanking that copycat killer for getting rid of a couple of losers who didn’t deserve a kid, anyway.”

  Penny swallowed convulsively. She thought of her parents, the woman who kissed her ouchies and the father who would play his harmonica from time to time. They didn’t deserve to be murdered.

  “That wasn’t your decision to make,” Tyler said.

  Randall snorted. “Well, I made it, anyway, didn’t I? So what do I get for all that information?”

  “You get nothing except a trip to jail,” Bradley snarled.

  Randall laughed. “Is that you, Bradley? Sorry, kid. You have to wait your turn until I take care of your sister.”

  Bradley looked as though he was going to snatch the phone up and break it in half.

  “Did you like the puppet, Penny? I made it just for you. Figure I’m going to be seeing you real soon.”

  Tyler’s chin jutted out. “Why don’t you meet me face-to-face? You got a problem with the McGregors? Tell me all about it in person.”

  “I am not interested in you, Detective. I made a promise and Penny knows that I keep my promises, don’t you?”

  She swallowed. Her voice came out in a whisper. “You’re never going to stop, are you?”

  “Not until you and your brother are dead. I’ll have that to keep me warm at night when they put me away.” He laughed again. “You know what they say. In for a Penny, in for a pound. See you soon.”

  The connection ended.

  There was a sound of breaking glass from outside. Tyler pulled Penny down below the counter. “Stay low.”

  He ran out the front door, Bradley right behind him with King.

  Her body went numb with fear. Randall was out there, watching. She’d been a fool to think all the protection they’d put in place would dissuade him. All of her family, her police family, including Rain and the children, had been put at risk because of her. She had been selfish, she realized, and there was only one course of action to take.

  But first, she pressed her hands together and prayed for the safety of Tyler and her brother. Minutes ticked by and there was a buzz of movement, radios and cell phones going off as word spread through the open house.

  Tyler and Bradley returned. Bradley was carrying King. Penny’s heart dropped.

  “Get me some paper towels,” Bradley called, holding King’s paw. Horrified, she saw red dripping onto the entry tile. Vivienne rushed over with a roll of towels. “I’ll get Dr. Gina.”

  “He doesn’t need a vet, it’s paint. Randall threw a glass jar full of it at Tyler’s vehicle. That was followed by a rock with a bus-ticket stub attached. King stepped in the paint splatter before I could stop him but I managed to keep him away from the glass shards.”

  Tyler grunted. “Cop out front said Randall was in a grey truck. He took off. They’re trying to track him.” He held King’s leash while Bradley wiped off the paint.

  “You’re okay, boy,” Bradley said to King. “He needs a bath before he starts licking his paws. Let me hose him off and I’ll get Caleb. We’ll help with the search.”

  “I’ll go now, too.” Tyler looked at Caleb. “Call me when the scene’s processed and I’ll start chasing down that bus-ticket information.”

  Before he headed for the door, Tyler’s eyes found hers. Randall was close, and he’d singled out Tyler’s car. The target had widened from Penny and Bradley to Tyler, too.

  There was only one decision left for her to make.

  * * *

  It wasn’t until hours later that she went in search of Gavin, pain impossibly heavy in her heart.

  She found him behind his desk, peering at his computer screen. His phone rang and he gestured her into a seat as he picked it up.

  “No, the police department has no statement at this time other than what you got from our public information officer.” He hung up the phone. It rang again and he let it go to voice mail.

  “Sorry. It’s been ringing pretty steadily. I don’t know how the media gets hold of details almost as soon as they happen. They are all circling like sharks, hoping to dig up some headlines.” He folded his hands. “How are you doing? It’s been an eventful day.”

  She nodded, her throat closing up.

  “The party was a success,” he said gently. “In spite of...everything.”

  She sucked in a steadying breath. “That’s why I’m here. I wanted to have this party so badly, I didn’t consider that I would be putting people at risk.”

  “Randall didn’t hurt anyone.”

  “But he could have. He got close enough to throw paint. He might have been shooting instead.”

  Gavin listened intently. “Penny, we are going to get Randall Gage. It’s a matter of time, but if you need some days off to ease your mind then—”

  “I’m going to resign.”

  He raised both eyebrows. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is.” She explained the details of her plan.

  “Take a leave of absence instead. Let things settle.”

  “And you’ll keep me in a secure room at the hotel until they do? For weeks? Months? Randall’s been at large for more than two decades already. My brother and Tyler can’t get anything done while they are watching me around the clock.”

  “Penny...”

  She got up. “I don’t want to leave, Sarge. This is my home. I...” She swallowed hard. “It’s what I need to do.”

  She did not wait for his reply as she scurried out the door.

  * * *

  On Monday morning, the cops were all laser-focused on Tyler as he readied his report. He felt conflicted about what he had to tell them.

  “Randall’s alibis for the Emery murders check out. The bus driver remembers him and there’s v
ideo footage of him getting on the bus the day before. He was on his way to a friend’s place who let him stay. Convenience-store clerk in Monticello also has footage of Randall buying cigarettes the evening of the murder.”

  Gavin exhaled. “So it’s certain then. We’ve got ourselves a copycat murderer.”

  Nate Slater had gone pale. “Lucy could still be a target.”

  “We’ll get them,” Gavin said. “Similar motives perhaps. We’re looking for someone who knew firsthand how Lucy was being neglected by her parents, so it was someone with easy access to the situation.”

  Tyler winced, thinking about Penny. He’d tried to see her on Sunday, but Vivienne said she was in bed with a headache. His calls had gone unreturned, along with his texts.

  Jackson drummed his fingers on the table. “We’ve discussed that neglect motive. We’ll move forward with that line of thinking now that we’ve ruled Randall out.”

  An office clerk popped her head in. “Bradley, reporter on the phone for you, looking for an interview. Her name’s Sasha Eastman.”

  Bradley grimaced. “Tell her thanks, but no thanks.”

  The clerk nodded and left.

  Gavin stood. “There’s another announcement.”

  Tyler noticed that Bradley’s gaze was cemented to the tabletop. Whatever it was, he already knew about it. An alarm bell began to jingle way down in Tyler’s gut.

  Gavin blew out a breath. “Penny has given her notice.”

  “What?” Tyler said. He almost leaped to his feet.

  “I told her she can use her vacation days for her two weeks as long as she comes in for a little gathering so we can say goodbye properly. She feels that she is drawing unwanted attention from the public, which is distracting from our work and possibly jeopardizing our safety here at the station, and that of her brother, by continuing to work here.”

  “That’s not—”

  Gavin stopped Tyler with a look. “I don’t want her to go any more than you do, but the fact is, Randall’s gotten close, too close, too many times.”

  “For how long? Until Randall’s caught?”

  Gavin’s mouth twitched. “She’s seeking a position with a K-9 unit in the Bronx, pending our capture of Randall. She’s asked me for a recommendation, and I’ve provided her with one. If she is hired, I would imagine she will not be returning to her employment here.”

  Tyler sat back in his chair. Disbelief circled inside him, along with sorrow and anger. So she was leaving him, too, just like Diane, without a backward glance for him or Rain. Abruptly he got up and left the conference room, stalking toward his cubicle.

  Bradley caught up with him. “If it means anything, she doesn’t want to leave.”

  “Then she shouldn’t,” he snapped. “Or at the very least she could have talked about it with me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Maybe she thought you’d get angry just like you are now.”

  “Don’t I have a right to be?”

  “I don’t know,” Bradley said. “Do you?”

  “What are you saying?”

  Bradley folded his arms across his chest. “What does she mean to you?”

  Tyler stopped, mouth open. Everything. For some reason the thought stripped him of the power of speech. He stood there, gaping and mute.

  “You said you wanted her around and I told you she would bolt if you didn’t give her reason not to. What reassurances have you given her, Tyler?” Bradley let the silence go on for a moment. “Penny is more sensitive than most women and there are plenty of legit circumstances that made her that way. If you haven’t given her any clear indication of how you feel about her, then like I said, she’s got no reason to stay.”

  “I tried... I mean...” What had he given her? The vague sentiments about wanting to date her, spend time with her after Randall’s capture? Nothing concrete—he hadn’t had the spine. His mouth snapped shut.

  Bradley’s lips thinned into a tight line. “She’s giving up everything she loves because it’s best for everyone else. Don’t make it harder on her, Tyler. If you’re not willing to risk a relationship, then back off. She doesn’t deserve any more pain.”

  Tyler watched Bradley go. What was happening? Why was his world turning upside down again? Why did he feel as though his heart was being yanked from his body in one quivering chunk?

  He knew two things. First, he had to talk to Penny. But more than that, he needed to figure out the answer to Bradley’s question.

  What does Penny mean to you?

  FIFTEEN

  Palms sweating, he knocked on the door of the hotel safe room. Vivienne answered. “Glad you’re here. I need to go take Hank out for some exercise. He’s climbing the walls.”

  Though he wanted to tell her she didn’t need to leave, he was secretly relieved she was stepping out. He had no idea how the conversation with Penny would go, but it would be harder with a third party in the room. She hastily departed. After a fortifying breath, he stepped inside.

  Penny was folding clothes and stowing them in a pile resting next to her on the sofa. Her hair was caught in a soft ponytail. “Hello, Tyler.” She did not look at him after her polite greeting.

  “Hi. I heard from Gavin that you were quitting.”

  She seemed to curl in a bit on herself. “Yes.”

  “And looking for another position?” He hadn’t meant for it to be such an abrupt statement, but it came out that way nonetheless.

  “As soon as Randall is caught,” she said. “It’s for the best.”

  “Why? If he’s caught, you’ll be safe. No more threats to you or Bradley.”

  She sighed. “I need a fresh start, Tyler.”

  “Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

  She stopped and shot him a quick glance. “I needed to think with my head, not with my heart.”

  He blinked. “But we can still see each other, even if you don’t work in Brooklyn, right?”

  Her long pause told him everything. She wasn’t just leaving her job, she was walking away from him. He heaved out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “I see.”

  “I don’t want to go, but I have to. I—I will be sad to leave you and Rain. I care about you both.”

  “And we care about you, too. I’m sorry if I was too scared to lay it out clearly, but—”

  “I can’t,” she said, tears glistening. “I can’t stay and risk hurting you or Rain.”

  “You won’t.”

  “I have a murderer tracking me who will never give up. And even if I didn’t...”

  “What? What is it? Say it.” He felt a growing desperation.

  “I’m not sure I will ever be confident enough to be a fixture in Rain’s life and I would never be able to stand it if I let her down.”

  “Penny...” He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. “You wouldn’t do that.”

  “You can’t know that. I’m doing what’s best.”

  “So you’re going to leave us.” He fisted his hands on his hips. “Without a word.”

  “I didn’t want to make matters worse.”

  “And you were afraid I’d try and talk you out of it.” He shook his head. “You should have talked to me. You’re leaving just like...” He broke off, his insides burning as if he’d swallowed poison.

  Now she turned her chocolate gaze on him. “I think you mean ‘just like Diane did.’”

  He sucked in a breath. “This has nothing to do with my ex-wife.”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t. And this isn’t about you or Rain or how I feel about you both.”

  He could not contain the bitter laugh. “Believe it or not, that’s exactly what Diane said before she dumped us like last week’s trash.”

  Penny winced. “I’m very sorry.”

  “She was sorry, too, but not sorry enough to stay.”

/>   Her eyes flashed with emotion. “Don’t lump me with your ex-wife. I am not Diane.”

  Hurt, betrayal and, most of all, a terrible sense of failure enveloped him. “You might as well be.”

  She flushed red. “That is totally unfair.”

  “I’m a single father and I shouldn’t have let you become a part of our lives. I should have known you were going to leave us.” His voice almost broke on the last word.

  “Tyler...” Her shock hung in the air. “I didn’t...”

  His hurt came from a deep-down place because he now knew the answer to Bradley’s question. What did she mean to him? She meant everything and now she was leaving him, leaving them. The pain tore at him until he could almost not get a breath. It was his own fault. He hadn’t done enough for her to want to stay.

  “Please...” she said, but he turned to go.

  I want you to stay. I want to love you, and make a life with you and Rain. He wanted so many things, but now he knew their ending would be just like it had been with Diane.

  “I hope you’ll be happy in the Bronx, Penny.” Then he escaped, practically running from the room as fast as he could go.

  In his car, he rested his head on the steering wheel. What had he just done? How in the space of a few minutes had it all fallen apart? He wanted to get in his car and drive away somewhere quiet, where he could think, but his mom was waiting for him to pick up Rain. You’re a father. That’s what’s left for you, Tyler, nothing more. Heart heavy as a stone, he returned home.

  His mother looked up from her crocheting when he entered the apartment. “What’s wrong?”

  He sank on the sofa with a groan. “Where’s Rain?”

  “Napping. Tell me what happened.”

  He didn’t bother wondering how she knew. “Penny’s quitting.”

  Her fingers stilled on the crochet hooks. “For good?”

  “Seems that way. And she’s going to get another job, move on to another life.” He closed his eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening again. I cared about her, I really did.”

  “Do.”

  He opened his eyes. “It’s over, Mom. You can’t make someone stay. I learned that the hard way.”