Hidden Crime

by W L Knightly

  “Is that what you’re doing now? Trying to make it right? Is that why you’re here?”

  “I told you I was here on business. It seems your messes have a way of spreading. You are like a disease, son.”

  “Oh, so now you’re here because of me?” He let out a belly laugh. “Enlighten me, Father.”

  Michael knew he had nothing to lose by informing him of the truth, and he hoped that maybe, it might scare him back home. “There is a killer in Spokane. The police call him the Hangman, but you know him as the father of the little girl you killed.”

  “Madden is on a killing spree?” Kyle laughed. “That’s classic.”

  “Dammit, Kyle. I had faith back then that you deserved a second chance, but that man still lost his family. He’s been tortured by what happened all of these years, and now others are paying the price for what you did. When I found out that two of the men involved had died, I put my man on it. Then Judge Mathews was next, then the woman from forensics. He’s worked his way through the chief too. And if you think he’s not going to come for the two of us, then you’re not the smart young man I thought I raised.”

  “I’m not afraid of him. Besides, like I said, I’m staying out of that. I’m only here for my girl.”

  “Let’s hope he doesn’t figure out you’re in town. From what my hired man said, he’s ruthless.”

  “I guess I created a monster,” Kyle said with a shrug and a proud smile.

  “So have I,” said Michael, regarding his son with a look of disgust. “So have I.”

  Chapter 4

  Jake

  After a fitful night of tossing and turning, Jake got out of bed and headed to the shower. As the water rinsed over him, he closed his eyes and thought of how horrible it was going to be to have to walk into the office and see Jo. Part of him was still pissed off about what had happened with them the night before, but another part of him wished he could take it all back and make it all better.

  He worked his body with a thick lather and then rinsed, taking the smell of soap with him as he stepped out and dried off. He walked to the mirror and wiped away the steam, then raked his hand through the scruff on his chin and contemplated shaving. He didn’t feel like trimming up, and so he decided to leave it and, instead, brushed his teeth, flossed, and gargled.

  He stopped a moment and looked at himself. He wasn’t proud. He’d been so nasty to Jo, and she had every right if she hated him from then on. He wouldn’t even blame her if she did. “You really fucked things up now, didn’t you?” But her father was Michael motherfucking Young. The very same asshole whose actions set the Hangman into motion. Not to mention her brother. As many times as he’d thought of it since hearing of it, he couldn’t see how the two were related in any way. Jo was as sweet as could be and completely incapable of killing anyone unless her life depended on it, and Kyle was a heartless killer.

  He wiped his eyes. It was just too fucking surreal, and he wished it was all a dream. You can only dream when you sleep. He turned and went toward the kitchen, passing his bed on the way and contemplating crawling back in it and trying to sleep. But the past several hours of that hadn’t worked out for him. Why should the rest of the day be any different? It was more than the job keeping him awake now. It was Jo and her father and brother, the chief’s death, the realization that he’d seriously murdered what he had with Jo.

  He grabbed his keys from the bowl where he kept them and then headed out to his car. He had the entire drive to work to think of a way to make it better, and he thought of stopping at Speed’s to grab something to eat just to prolong the journey. “Better to just rip off the bandage,” he told himself. Besides, he could drink a cup of coffee with her, and they could hash things out. Hopefully, she’d listen.

  When he arrived at the station, it was still too early for many others to be around, other than the night shift. The black wreaths which adorned the entrance and the large memorial photo, adorned in the same style that they’d done for Officer Daniels, greeted him in the hall.

  Even though Jo had often beaten him to work, he half-expected his office to still be lights-out and locked up, but then when he rounded the corner, he realized that was wishful thinking. The door was open, and there was a light shining across the dark hallway from the room.

  When he walked in, he found Jo sitting at her new desk in his comfortable chair. She didn’t bother looking up when he came into the room. And when he walked around the desk, he realized that she had removed his chair. “Good morning,” he said.

  “Good morning,” she responded with a robotic tone.

  “Is there a reason the chair is missing?” He thought it pretty childish to remove the chair that had always been there for visitors before she came along.

  “Your chair is down the hall in the break room. I didn’t think you’d be back, and I’ve ordered another set that would be more comfortable.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be back? I’m a detective on this case, and I don’t quit anything halfway.”

  Still no direct eye contact. “My bad. Feel free to go and get it.” Her tone was hard, and he knew he shouldn’t have expected anything different.

  He looked at her and really took her in. Her hair was pulled back in a messy twist, and she had worn her bright teal blouse that made her green eyes pop. She was achingly beautiful, and he wished the kiss they shared earlier the night before would have gone differently.

  “I know you’re probably still upset about yesterday,” he began. He had to make it right and knew an apology was the first place to start. He needed to get them back on track.

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Nah, I’m not upset. I think things are exactly how they should be. We’re better focused on our work.”

  Everything he wanted to say went out the window at that moment. “If that’s the way you want it.”

  “Well, you made it perfectly clear what you think of me last night. There isn’t any need to elaborate.”

  He couldn’t stand by and let her shut him down. So good or bad, like it or not, he had things to say. “I was just stressed. I shouldn’t have been so harsh, but you have to admit, it was a big deal.”

  “It didn’t have to be. You act like I have a choice in who my father is. Or that I can help the things my brother, who I don’t even know and have never met, does.” She picked up her cup of coffee and brought it to her lips.

  That was exactly what the problem was. “You defended him, a brother you’ve never met, and called me a liar. As if I didn’t live through what happened with Madden’s family. As if that isn’t what keeps me up at night. And you do know me. But then, I’m just the man you kissed, right? Oh, but that was just a mistake.”

  She looked at him over the cup. “I just wanted to check into it first and make sure we aren’t mistaken.” She took her sip. “He’s my father, Jake. I can’t think of him being so dirty that he would pay people off to get my brother out of trouble.”

  “Well, he did. He’s a dirty criminal, Jo. And just like he used his connections to get you hired, he paid off the entire legal team. If he did that, there’s no telling what else he’d do. And I wouldn’t lie to you, Jo.”

  “I know that, Jake.” She put the cup down and took a deep breath, which seemed to hitch as if she might cry.

  Arguing was getting them nowhere and making him feel even worse. “Look, let’s get to work. Last night was hard enough. I didn’t sleep for shit.”

  Her head snapped around, and she gave him a hard look. “Like I did? In case me puking my guts out wasn’t proof enough that I was disturbed by the news, I was up all night. I’ve been here since four-thirty.” She eased back in her chair. “Something you said kept going through my mind.”

  “I said some stupid things.” He wished he could take them back.

  “You did. You said I was doing a good job, and as soon as you hear who my father is, you changed your mind.”

  “I have not changed my mind about you. I admitted I said stupid things, okay?”r />
  “No, it’s not okay. Even if my father did give me a leg up, it doesn’t diminish the job that I’ve done every single day with you here for the past few weeks. He doesn’t get the credit for the hard work I’ve put in to be here. I’ve been a cop for years before I even knew who he really was. Just a voice on the other end of the phone and a first name with no last. And if you have a problem with how I work, then you can go ahead and take your fucking retirement right now. This job is mine no matter how I fucking got it, and I don’t need you.”

  “You made that clear last night too, after saying you wanted me to stay. So, I guess I’m not the only one who contradicts himself. But don’t worry, sweetheart. You can rest assured that I’m not going anywhere.” He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. “This is a list of the major players in the Madden case.”

  “That you can remember?” she asked, looking up at him with a raised brow.

  “Yeah, smart ass. That I remember.” He put the paper on the desk, and she quickly snatched it up.

  “And Madden’s first name?” She looked at him like he was an incompetent fool, and didn’t he feel it.

  His shoulders slumped. “I don’t remember that, but I have ways of finding out. I am going to see who the property was registered to. I doubt that anyone was able to tamper with those files since you have to check-in to view them. So, let’s hope that it was bought in his name. If not, there are always neighbors we can question now that we’ve found the house. It has to tie together.”

  “Tanner could possibly verify the name if he hasn’t gone into hiding again. We’re just coming out of a shock and off a long night. We’ll get it together.” Her voice was back to its usual tone, and he sighed, wishing that he could have come in and told her the things he’d wanted to say, but then she continued.

  “You know, I didn’t tell you anything about my father because I was ashamed. I knew that O’Connor knew who my father was, and I avoided telling when it came up on purpose. Not because he got me the job but because I knew you hated the corruption that goes on around here. I didn’t ask to be a part of the problem.”

  “I get it, okay? You don’t have to keep explaining that.”

  “No, you wanted me to explain, and I feel like I should. My father left my mother for his mistress. They weren’t married but had been a couple for a few years. Only she didn’t know he had other women. He paid her money to support me through the years, and I only recently learned about him, his real name, and his real identity. I knew he had a family, and that was so painful that I never dug into it. I’m not used to having a father, and I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth or used to someone who would or could buy the world for me. It’s not who I am.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry for jumping to that conclusion. But you jumped to one too by thinking what I said about the case wasn’t true.”

  “Because I don’t want it to be. Who would?”

  “I want to meet him.”

  Her eyes widened. “Who? My father?”

  “Yes.” He could tell that it put her at ill ease.

  She looked rattled, and he couldn’t blame her. The thought of seeing Senator Young again made his skin crawl too. “He’s about to go back to D.C. He’s terribly busy and barely has time to see me as it is.”

  He rested against the wall next to her whiteboard. “Then you should set something up before he leaves. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you.” He wondered what the man was doing in town and imagined it had more to do with other things than seeing his daughter. “I’d like to talk to him about everything going on with the Hangman. His name is on that list.” He pointed to the paper on the desk. “Along with your brother’s and the defense attorney. I need to know if there is anyone I’m missing. If he’s a good man, he’ll want to help us out.”

  “Fine,” she said. “I’ll call him and make the arrangements.”

  “Fine.” He pushed off the wall and then walked out to get his chair. “I’m going to track down Tanner and make sure we’re on the right track.”

  Chapter 5

  Kyle

  Kyle rolled over in bed, knowing that soon he’d get to see Kendra again. She had promised to stop by once her husband left for work, and he hoped that she’d hurry. It had been an entire week since he last saw her, and while it wasn’t the longest time he’d gone without seeing her, it was in the top three, not counting the short time they had stopped seeing each other. He needed a Kendra fix desperately. His hand was a poor fucking substitute.

  A knock sounded at the door, and he got up, scratching the light dusting of hair he had on his chest. “Coming,” he said in a sing-song voice. And you’re soon to be, he thought. He opened the door and felt a certain satisfaction just seeing her standing there waiting on him.

  She didn’t look as happy as he’d hoped, but he knew the amount of stress she was under with the move. “Hey,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she stepped inside the room. “I was hoping to get up without anyone seeing me, but there was a man in the elevator who I could swear looked like your father.”

  Kyle chuckled. “It probably was. He’s staying on the top floor.” He shut the door behind her and then pulled her in for a quick kiss.

  “Oh, well, he didn’t say anything to me. He had his attention on his phone.” She put her bag down on the bed and sat down.

  Kyle sat beside her. “That sounds like him. He was probably staring at your ass the whole time.”

  “Gross. I don’t want to think about being ogled by your old man.” She made a face.

  “Hey, he looks enough like me. It can’t be all bad. Besides, all work and no play makes Daddy a dull boy.” He knew better. His father’s girlfriend showed up as he was leaving his room, and the asshole hadn’t even had the decency to send her away. Guess there is no need for secrets anymore.

  “Well, I don’t know this town, you know? It’s hard to tell who will know my husband or if what we do would get back to him. I feel like everyone is watching me. On the way up, it was like everyone was giving me dirty looks like I was some kind of whore.”

  He looked her up and down. “You don’t look like a whore. But what are we doing wasting precious time?” He reached up and pulled the sweater off of her shoulder. She had on a sleeveless dress beneath it, and he loved it when she wore skirts. He put his hand on her knee, and she grinned.

  “You’re impossible.” She patted his hand. “Can’t we talk a minute. We’ve barely had a chance to catch up since I told you about the move.”

  Kyle smiled. “Of course. But can’t we mess around while we catch up?” He slipped his hand up her thigh, and she moved her hand to stop him.

  “I’m serious, Kyle. There are things we should discuss. For one, we’re going to have to get used to being long distance if we continue this, and it’s not like I can get away as often. It won’t be like it was back in Olympia. All eyes are on Tate with this promotion, and we’re going to be meeting new people. My time would be a lot less.” She acted as if she hated it, which only fed his ego even more.

  “Then leave him. Come back with me. I have enough money, and you and me can finally start a life together.”

  She made a face, one that told him she didn’t like the sound of that. “Kyle. He’s going to be a judge. That’s kind of a big deal.”

  “A judge?” He thought for sure the man was going to be a lawyer forever and never imagined him being on the bench.

  “Yes. This job came open, and he was given the opportunity. He couldn’t pass it up.”

  Kyle had a sneaking suspicion Tate was getting Judge Mathews’s position. “Why was there a job open?”

  “The judge he’s replacing was murdered. Tate said that he didn’t want me to worry, but there is a serial killer on the loose. The police are trying to catch him, but they had to have a replacement as soon as possible.”

  Kyle couldn’t help noticing he was indirectly responsible for Tate getting the position. “What else have you heard about the
killer?”

  “Just that he had specific targets and that I shouldn’t worry. Tate is trying not to act too excited about the job, but he’s really over the moon about it. He’s waited for a while to get a big chance like this.”

  “Not as long as I’ve waited to do this,” he said as his hand slipped between her legs. “I need you, baby.” He pushed the elastic of her panties to the side and moved his hand under them.

  “Kyle, I think—”

  His mouth was on hers before she could finish, but he was sick to death of hearing about her life with Tate Bodin. He was her man, not Tate, and the other man was fucking with his plans yet again.

  He moved on top of her, straddling her torso as he pushed up her dress.

  “Kyle, wait. I don’t want to wrinkle my clothes.”

  Just to show her he didn’t give a fuck about her clothing, he reached up her skirt and grabbed her panties, ripping them at the hips. “Oops.”

  “Kyle! I have to go home in these clothes. He’s probably going to want to eat out again, too, and I’m not changing.”

  “Where does he take you?” He wanted to make sure he didn’t take her there.

  “Some stupid place by the lake. It’s called Lakeside Grill, and he’s in love with the fish there. So, don’t make me regret coming. I’m not going out all wrinkly.”

  “Oh, you won’t. You’re going to love coming.” He moved off of her and dropped his shorts, revealing his proud erection. Then he reached for her hand. She moved to the edge of the bed and then got to her feet. “Turn around.” It was time to get her naked.

  She did as she was told and that was what he liked best about her. “Good girl.” He reached for her zipper and pulled it down. Then he pushed the fabric away from her shoulders and let the dress fall down to her feet where the fabric puddled.