Dishonorable Death

by Linda S. Prather

  The kiss ended far too soon, and Greg raised his head, staring into my eyes as he gently cupped my face. “That’s the only part of your life I want to be in charge of.”

  No witty comments or scathing remarks came to mind as he turned his back and walked away. The front door closed, and I raised my fingers to run them over my bruised lips, blinking back tears. It wouldn’t be sex with Greg. It would be making love, and I couldn’t afford to go there. Love doesn’t last. Even if it does, he’s a cop, and if I fall in love with him, he’ll die.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The only good thing about a bad case was it didn’t leave time to dwell on what had just happened or how I was going to deal with it. Even with my eyes straying to the phone and my ears listening for the door, I was two pages and three pots of coffee into our report when Dave returned. I glanced up from the computer and smiled. “Almost finished with our report. I’ll let you read it for input.”

  “What happened with Greg?” Dave pulled out a chair and flopped into it. “And don’t tell me nothing.”

  “We worked things out.” I ran a quick spell check, signed my name to the bottom of the report, and turned the laptop around. “I’ve pointed it toward a copycat killer and linked it to Kyle’s murder and/or Lenglases’s death.”

  Dave crossed his arms over his chest, cheeks puffed out, reminding me of a bullfrog. “If you worked things out, then why did the kid just take an unpaid leave of absence?”

  Spiders crawled up my spine as the icy hand squeezed my chest. “It’s a bad case. Maybe he needed a break.” I rose to pour another cup of coffee. “You should ask him, not me.”

  “I tried. He said it was personal.”

  Dave wasn’t going to let up until I broke down, and we didn’t have time to waste. “He kissed me, and then he left. Maybe he thought it would be awkward working together after that.” I filled my cup. “I don’t know, and we don’t have time for emotional bullshit. We’ll most likely start our day with another body, and we need to be ready. If Greg wanted to bail, that’s his choice. Read the report. I’d like to have it finalized before Marcone gets here.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  There was a difference between being a strong woman leader and being a bitch. Any comment I could’ve made to Dave’s sarcasm would definitely have been bitchy. I poured a second cup and brought it to the table. “I don’t want to do this.” I sighed heavily. “Marcone said we were all family the first time he saw us together, and we are. Greg and I will find a way to work it out.”

  Dave snorted and clicked a computer key. “Sex usually works for me and Martha.”

  “Eww… too much information, partner.”

  “The report looks good. If I didn’t know better, you’d convince me it was linked to Kyle’s death.”

  I glanced at my watch. “It’s only a little after five. We’ve still got two hours before we have to be at the station. Did Marcone say what time he was coming by?”

  “Changed his mind. Said he’d talk to us later.”

  “You two getting chummy?”

  “I like the guy.” Dave smiled and reached for a doughnut. “Good man to have your back.”

  “Well, if he’s not coming by until later, we might as well get out of here. Are you hungry?”

  He munched on his doughnut. “Could be. You buying?”

  “If it will get you away from those doughnuts, yes, I’ll buy.”

  He grinned and rose. “Pancakes and bacon at Micky’s.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The day was dark and gloomy, which didn’t do much to improve my mood. I glanced at Dave, who seemed preoccupied with the morning traffic but was whistling a snappy tune. “Those pancakes sure made you happy. I hope there’s not another body waiting for us today.”

  “Happy is as happy does.” He parked in the station lot and cut the motor. “Greg called.”

  “That’s nice. I hope he’s having a great vacation.” I jerked off my seat belt, conscious of Dave’s laughter beside me. “I’m not taking the bait, Dave. If you want to tell me what he said, then tell me. If not, let’s go to work.”

  Dave opened his door, stepped out, and stretched. “It’s not important. What do you want me to do while you’re seducing Carson?”

  “Stop being an idiot. I have no intention of seducing Carson. I want him to think I’m open to his suggestions, admire his knowledge in profiling, and that I’m willing to follow his lead. If we have him pegged right, he doesn’t like women in charge.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I slid out of the seat and slammed my door. “That’s exactly the type of behavior I don’t need from you today. We’re equals and always have been. Stop clowning around before you get me killed.”

  He sobered quickly, his gray eyes filled with concern. “It’s a good plan only if he’s not the real killer and doesn’t kill because he enjoys it. I think he’s the one that killed those detectives and Sicily James.”

  I leaned back against the car. “I agree, but what makes you say that?”

  “Look at the differences between the killings in New Orleans, Springfield, Emily Greenwell, and Sicily James. All the others were mutilated or tortured in some way. Sicily wasn’t. And then you have the two detectives who were executed. No rape or torture and no cultural or religious branding with them. Sicily had the religious and cultural branding, so maybe she was Guy Number One’s original target, but after Carson found out about her plans for Worthington, he decided to kill her, and the two mixed the scene.”

  “And that’s why I love you, even if you do drive me crazy.” I glanced toward the front door, where Carson was just entering the building. “I’ll be extra careful around him. Walk a little in front of me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that shows you’re the manly man.” I laughed. “And it’s supposed to show I’m the submissive underling.”

  “Thought we were equals?”

  “We are, but no woman will ever be equal to men in Carson’s eyes. If we remember that, I might keep my liver a few more days. And you do most of the talking. I’m sure he thinks women are stupid.” I followed Dave to the doors, and as I’d suspected, Carson was waiting just inside. “Good morning, Mr. Carson.”

  “Detective Lang.” His eyes strayed to Dave, and he stuck out his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Ace Carson.”

  Dave clasped his hand in a firm shake. “Dave Capello. Great to have you with us, sir. We’re looking forward to your input on this case.”

  Carson’s eyebrows rose, and he glanced my way, his eyes filled with suspicion. “Something changed since yesterday, Detective Lang? That wasn’t the impression you left me with.”

  “I’m sorry.” I lowered my gaze, finding the tips of my boots extremely interesting.

  Dave placed an arm around my shoulders. “You know how women are when emotions get in the way.” Lowering his voice, he continued. “The first body we found was located near the place where Kacy was a victim of a crime several years ago. Look over anything she said or did yesterday.”

  I raised my head and smiled. “I really am sorry if I said anything to offend you. And I’m grateful for your help on this case. Serial killers are definitely not my forte.”

  “Then let’s start over.” He stuck out his hand. “Ace Carson. I hope you’ll call me Ace.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ace. Please call me Kacy.” I shook his hand, ignoring the tightness of the grip. “We hashed out a lot of things last night and rewrote our initial reports. Dave came up with a different angle on our killings. Are you still planning on delivering your profile this morning?”

  “I can delay that until we’ve gone over everything. I understand we don’t have the ME’s report yet, and I’d also like to visit the scenes today.”

  I nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “I need to speak with Commander Park. I’ll meet you in your office in…” He glanced at his watch. “Say, fifteen minutes?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”


  Dave and I watched him walk away, and Dave chuckled softly. “You might want to cut your nails. I figure you’re gonna try to claw his eyes out before the day is over.”

  “Coffee, Capello. Lots and lots of strong black coffee.”

  We headed toward the small break room, which was already full to capacity. “Wait or come back later?” Dave asked.

  “I need to run some copies of our report. Why don’t you wait, and I’ll set up the office for our meeting with Carson?”

  Dave enlarged his eyes and held his hand over his chest. “Getting coffee and making copies is woman’s work.”

  I glared at him and hissed. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

  “What fun would that be? Besides, you don’t want Carson to see me carrying in two cups of coffee while you’re just twiddling your thumbs in the office.”

  I glanced at the slow-moving line in front of the coffee machine. With my luck, it will be empty by the time I get there, and I’ll have to make another pot. Dave was already sauntering down the hall toward our office, snapping his fingers and shuffling his feet to a rhythm only he could hear. Carson may not be the only one with scratches before the day is over.

  The line cleared, and I grabbed two cups, filled them, and headed to the copier. Three minutes later, I dropped a copy on Sharon’s desk for Park and hurried down the hall. Carson had said fifteen minutes, and it had taken me ten to get through the line. This is going to be a bitch. Dave was seated behind the desk, with Carson taking the only other chair in the room.

  “Good, you brought coffee.” Dave smiled at Carson. “I hope you take yours black, Ace?”

  “Actually, I’d like two creams.” He reached for the cups and placed one in front of Dave. “I’m sure Kacy won’t mind running back to the break room.”

  “Is that our report?” Dave held out his hand. “Ace and I can go over it while you’re getting his cream.”

  I ignored his hand and placed the reports on the edge of the desk. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Don’t forget to pick up another chair,” Dave called out behind me as I sprinted out the door.

  Claw his eyes out? If he keeps this up, I’ll shoot him. Heading back to the break room, I grabbed the cream and filled a third cup of coffee. Chairs were sparse in the station, and I didn’t bother wasting time to look for one. Carson probably doesn’t think women should sit, either. I could stand or use the small filing cabinet in the corner. I headed back to the office. If I wasn’t positive my life depended on it, I would plop my rear end on the corner of the desk and flip them both off.

  Dave and Carson were deep into ripping apart the report when I entered. Placing the cream next to Carson’s cup, I met Dave’s gaze and noted the slight warning nod of his head. “There weren’t any chairs available.”

  “That’s okay. We aren’t going to be here long. Ace wants me to visit the ME while the two of you visit the crime scenes.”

  A shiver went down my spine. If Carson could keep us separated, it would be easier for one of us to disappear. I felt Carson’s eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. “Great idea. That way, when we get back together, we can compare notes.” I turned to Carson and smiled. “Do you want me to drive?”

  He rose, tossed the cream in the garbage, and picked up his coffee. “I studied maps last night. I’ll drive.” He walked out the door. “Get a move on it, Kacy.”

  Dave winked at me and mouthed, “Take a deep breath and count to ten.”

  I turned away, clenching my fists at my sides. There aren’t enough damn numbers out there to save me if the two of them keep this up.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The clouds were gathering overhead as we exited the station. “Looks like the heavens are going to open any minute. I’m not sure we can make it up the trail for the first site.”

  “We’ll visit the one on Trent and see how things work out.”

  To my surprise, he opened the door for me, waited until I’d slid into my seat, then closed it. I smiled my appreciation and buckled my seat belt.

  Carson took his seat behind the wheel and started the car. “You’re somewhat of a surprise today, Kacy.”

  “In what way, sir?”

  “I thought you were head detective.” He pulled out of the lot and turned down Main Street. “Why are you letting Capello take the lead?”

  “Politics.” I scooted around in my seat, looking for a comfortable position. “Commander Park was determined to appease the females in our district, so he appointed me. Dave is much more qualified for the job.” I turned to face him. “I have to pretend a lot in front of others, but the truth is, if it weren’t for Dave, our case-solving statistics wouldn’t be near as good. He’s taught me so much.” I wasn’t used to sucking up, and my next words stuck in my throat. I swallowed hard. “I’m hoping to learn a lot from you too.”

  “Such as?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Profiling has always fascinated me. The brilliance of the people in those jobs. You look at the victims, the crime scenes, and then you come up with what is normally a perfect picture of the killer.”

  Carson laughed. “I’m afraid it’s not quite as easy as television makes it out to be. We study cases, and normally, a certain type of person will commit a certain type of crime. It’s like the burglars who hit a house when it’s empty, and even if it isn’t, they never kill anyone. Then you have those that hit when they know the family is home. They want to kill.”

  “I’ve never understood how anyone could take the life of someone they don’t even know.”

  “You don’t believe certain things are predestined?” He took his eyes from the road and tilted his head to the left. “I’m surprised with your background. You’re where you are today because of what happened to you when you were born.”

  My feet were turning cold, and I wiggled my toes inside the boots. It was becoming more and more apparent that Carson had studied me. He’s baiting me, but I don’t know why yet. “So you’re saying I was predestined to become a detective, and if I hadn’t been kidnapped at birth and raised by someone else, that wouldn’t have happened?”

  “I think it’s possible had you grown up poor, but loved, you might have chosen a different profession. Perhaps one not so difficult for a woman to master.”

  Difficult for a woman to master! Breathe, Kacy. Count to ten. I didn’t get the chance to count, as Carson was continuing.

  “I’ll bet you lunch your parents forced you to wear ribbons in your hair and frilly dresses.” He parked in the driveway of the house on Trent, cut the motor, and turned toward me. “And that’s why you prefer to dress like a man.”

  One, two, three… screw this son of a bitch. My right hand slid between the door and seat, and I dug my nails into the palm as I turned my eyes toward the passenger window. “I don’t think I should take that bet.”

  His hand gripped my shoulder, resulting in a shudder that resonated all the way to my bones. “Don’t worry, Kacy, you don’t have to pretend with me.” He opened his door. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to really walk a crime scene.”

  Consoling myself with the knowledge that eventually, I’d get the opportunity to kick the bastard in the nuts, I stepped out and stood in front of the car. “Where do we start?”

  Carson grinned. “Here. What do you see?”

  “A small-frame house. Nothing that makes it stand out, except it’s where we hid Simon the first night. Which is one of the things that made us think this was connected to my brother’s murder.”

  “A common mistake when emotions get in the way. Which is why women really shouldn’t be in these jobs.”

  My fingers itched to reach for the Glock beneath my jacket and show him why women did belong in these jobs. Once we’re done here, I’m going to go to the shooting range, pin up a picture of this jerk, and just keep shooting until it shatters into pieces.

  Carson had paused, waiting for my reaction. Dave would have been proud of me, as I didn’t giv
e him one. “Look at the neighborhood. There’s no houses close on this side of the street, and the two nearest ones are empty, as well as three of the houses on the opposite side. He could have come here in the middle of the day or night without having to worry about someone noticing him.”

  It was a valid point, which none of us had considered. “Good call. How do you think he took her in?”

  “Tell me about the scene inside?”

  “I sent you a picture last night.”

  His eyes darkened, and his voice turned cold. “If we’re going to get along, then you’re going to have to listen and do what you’re told. Tell me about the scene inside.”