by Susan Lund
"Why not? He's a white male in his late thirties, married, under-employed in a pretty low-paying job. Isn't that pretty much the profile?"
"It is. But he has no record so…"
"Do serial killers have records?”
Michael shook his head. "Nope. They blend in. Sometimes, they have juvenile records, starting out with arson…"
"Daryl Kincaid has never blended in," Tess added. "He's always been an outright petty criminal and then major criminal. Everyone knows he's a bad seed. Serial killers are never the main suspect in cases like these."
Michael considered. "I could ask for the schedules of all employees going back as far as they can and check his deliveries against the missing girls. It could be under the guise of checking dates for Daryl Kincaid and John Hammond. I think Old Man Hammond already turned over some records."
Michael picked up his cell and dialed Chief Joe.
"Hey, Chief. I remembered that you got delivery records for Hammond Cartage. Could I see those? I have a few details to flesh out and need to see them, match up some dates and times."
Chief Joe seemed happy to cooperate.
"Sure," he said. "Whatever you need, just ask Nash. He has them in his office here somewhere. I'm just happy to have you working with me on this. It's far too big for one small police department like ours and I need help dealing with the Feds. Don't get me wrong, Nash is great, but you know the ins and outs."
"Great. I'll call Nash and check them out."
They said goodbye and Michael dialed Nash's number. When Nash answered, he had to phrase his questions carefully. He didn't want to push a half-baked theory.
"Hey, I was wondering if I could see a copy of the records from Hammond Cartage, the deliveries over the past two decades. I remember Chief Joe saying you had them and were checking Daryl Kincaid's deliveries against the missing girls."
Nash seemed surprised. "Yeah, we have them. Digital records going back five years and print records before that. I guess you could see them, if Chief Joe approves."
"I already talked to him. He said go ahead."
"Then sure," Nash replied. "Come on down when you can and you're welcome to review them."
"Great. Hope you don't mind me horning in on your territory. It was just something I was thinking about."
"Not at all. We have enough to do, so extra trained eyes on the case won't hurt. The only thing I worry about is your being on medical leave. This won't get me in trouble with head office, will it?"
"Nah, if you don't tell, I won't either. I'm fine. My mind needs to be busy while I recover from this injury or I'll go crazy."
Nash laughed. "I know the feeling. Sometimes, a case gets hold of you and you just can't let go."
"Thanks again," Michael said and ended the call. He turned to Tess.
"Looks like we get access to all their records."
Tess nodded but she didn't seem all that happy. "He's right, you know. You are on medical leave."
Michael exhaled and leaned back, stretching his good arm. "I know. I'm good. I'm almost back to normal."
Tess laughed out loud at that, which made Michael grin. "You're not even close to being back to normal and you know it. You're crazy."
"I am," he said and leaned over, kissing her neck. "For you."
He met her eyes and smiled. She pushed his good shoulder playfully.
"Michael Carter," she said and leaned over to kiss him. "You're bad."
They kissed warmly just as Mrs. Carter came into the room from the kitchen.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She stopped and turned around, making a quick exit. "I thought you two were working."
"It's okay, Mom," Michael said and smiled at Tess. "We really are working. Just celebrating that we got access to records we wanted. That's all."
She came back inside. "That's good. What do you two want for lunch?"
Michael went to the police department to examine the records from Hammond Cartage after a lunch of bacon and eggs and pancakes, courtesy of his mother. Tess drove him over, and she stopped the vehicle in front of the station.
"I'm so jealous that you get to go inside and actually check out the records. I don't suppose Chief Joe will let you bring them home, would he?"
"I'll ask," Michael said and kissed Tess quickly. "I'll call you when I need a ride back."
"I'll be at Kirsten's for a visit. You can get me on my cell."
"You going to pump her for more info on Eugene?" he asked, leaning against the car.
"I'm going to feel her out, see if she ever found anything suspicious in the house. I promise I won't raise the alarm. I'll just act like a sympathetic friend listening to her tale of woe about her ex and divorce.”
"Good. The last thing I want is for Kirsten to talk to my mom, because then the whole world will know I suspect Eugene. Don't want to tip him off."
"I understand."
Tess drove off, and Michael went up the steps, eager to check out the records, see if there was anything to their pet theory about his ex-brother-in-law, the creepy son of a bitch.
Chapter Nineteen
Eugene watched her from his truck, parked down the back lane.
He saw her drive up, and it pissed him off that she was hanging around Kirsten. He'd been trailing her and Michael, watching their movements. Michael went to the police department and she went to Kirsten's place.
What was Carter doing at the police department?
He was on paid medical leave. He wasn't supposed to get involved in any FBI cases. Eugene knew his father liked having Carter around to help him with the FBI. Chief Joe was intimidated by them, but Michael Carter felt like a family member because of the links between the Carters and Hammonds. Carter was less intimidating than Nash, who seemed to be all business.
It made Eugene's blood boil to think of Michael sitting in Chief Joe's office, shooting the shit, talking about the cases. If there was anyone who might suspect Eugene, it was Michael. The man had never liked him, no matter what Eugene did. He’d tried, over the years. He tried to bond with Michael over hunting or fishing talk, or whatever football team Michael liked, or even big FBI cases in the news, but nothing.
Carter had never forgiven him for dating Kirsten and getting her pregnant. They'd actually almost had a physical altercation over it once, back when Eugene was first fucking Kirsten. Luckily, Kirsten had intervened and told Michael to leave him alone. Michael had backed off, but he'd always sneered at Eugene when he was around. Then, Michael had gone off to college and then the FBI Academy. He was the pride of all Paradise Hill.
Eugene hated the man. If only his damn arrow had been about a foot to the left…
He had some of the boys' possessions to drop off to Kirsten. They were sitting in a trash bag beside Eugene on the seat, but he didn't want to go in when Tess was there.
Tess—the girl he had really wanted that night back in '98. Such nice red hair. He'd always admired it when he saw her, always fantasized what he'd do with her if he got the chance. Take her to the room and tie her up, have his way with her.
Back then, what he'd really wanted to do was to choke the life out of her while he watched her eyes, but he hadn't gone that far yet with any girl. He hadn't understood his strange obsessions back then, although he felt them intensely. He'd never abducted a girl before Lisa. He had fantasized a lot, but he'd never done more than act them out with prostitutes up in Seattle when he'd gone on trips alone. Young women with addictions took a lot of punishment for the right drugs.
He'd almost been swept up in a raid on a brothel in Tacoma that Dear Old Dad Daryl used to frequent but escaped just in time. That would have gotten him in a lot of trouble; the girls were all underage and the johns were prosecuted as child predators, getting records and being required to register as sex offenders the rest of their lives.
He escaped by a hair that time and it had convinced him to go solo, and not go to the brothel. It was a stinking wreck of a flop house anyway. He could barely stand to enter it, except that the gir
ls were so doped out and sick with need that they'd do pretty much anything.
He started to pick them up and drive them to remote locations. He let the first girls go with only some rough sex, but then he broke through the barrier and had his first kill.
From then on, he only hunted to kill.
His sexual needs became so specific and narrow that he couldn't even get aroused by regular sex. Kirsten's body disgusted him, and after she had the second kid, they stopped having sex entirely. He did his best to keep her happy, but he didn't really ever touch her again after the second kid was born.
She seemed just as happy to live in a sexless marriage, as long as he kept her at home, and she didn’t need to work. They scraped by, but at least she was able to be a stay-at-home mom on his income, especially after he started the security business.
He grabbed the bag of the kid’s things and walked to the house, knocking on the front door. Kirsten finally came to the front door and peeked out. When she saw him, he held up the bag.
"Some things they left the last time they were at my place," he said.
Kirsten opened the door wider and reached out to grab the bag from his hand. "Thanks. Are you taking the boys on Saturday?"
"I thought we agreed to next weekend instead."
"Oh, that's right. Sorry." She smiled at him and he peered inside. Tess was sitting on the sofa, looking pretty as usual, her long red hair pulled to the side in a long braid.
"Hey, Tess," he said. "How's the gun? Have you taken it out for a test drive yet?"
Tess smiled, but it appeared forced. "Not yet," she said. "Been busy with the house and all."
"If you need someone to take you, I'm your man. I know Michael's still out of commission."
"Thanks," Tess said, the smile wider now. "I'll let you know if I need help."
He nodded to her, and then said goodbye to Kirsten before walking down the sidewalk back to his vehicle.
Tess had seemed a lot less friendly, but maybe that was because she was at Kirsten's house and didn't want Kirsten to think they were friendly.
Women. They were so damn competitive… Gossipy too.
As he drove off back to work, he hoped Kirsten didn't bad-mouth him to Tess. He had never hurt Kirsten physically, although he knew she felt neglected in a romantic sense, complaining that he was so distant. She seemed happy to stay with him and he tried to encourage her to do so, because she provided him with the perfect cover.
He was a family man, working hard to provide for his wife and two boys. If he took on extra deliveries, and oftentimes went out of town to do so, it was because he was so devoted…
Then she must have had enough. She met Phil one weekend at church when he was on a fishing trip. In less than a week, she'd told him she wanted a divorce and he'd moved out, not fighting it. He'd been hunting this new girl and was distracted, so he hadn't noticed that she was particularly cold to him.
He didn't want to mess up his plans for the kill, so he'd meekly agreed, not arguing or fighting her.
The rest was history.
She'd started banging Phil and gotten pregnant right away, the slut.
He'd taken Melissa early. He hadn’t planned to take her until the fall, but he had a need that was stronger than his sense of caution. He hadn't taken a girl from Paradise Hill since Lisa, and he knew it would raise the old case, but he needed to take the girl.
He had been able to calm down afterwards and consider his next move, his darker desires having been quenched for the time being.
He drove back to the depot and picked up a late delivery to Easton, planning on doing his usual routine of driving there, parking his truck at the truck stop, and taking his bike to Roslyn so he could watch Elena.
When would the damn FBI finish up their work and leave town?
The room up at his shack by Cooper Lake was ready. He could take her there and play with her for as long as he felt like. Her screams would be muffled by the new ball-gag he'd purchased, so he could keep her for weeks if needed.
As he drove to Easton, he became excited at the prospect of picking her up.
Tonight.
The FBI be damned.
Chapter Twenty
Kirsten came back from the door and plopped back down beside her.
"God, that man. Sometimes I think he's empty inside."
"What attracted you to him in the first place?" Tess asked. "He must have been more attentive back then."
"Aren't men always attentive when they want you? Then they get bored with you and find someone else."
"Eugene didn't," Tess said. "Does he have a girlfriend?"
Kirsten shrugged. "Not that I know of, but I know Doreen at the police department likes him. I heard through the grapevine that they spend a lot of time together at Riley's."
"Really?" Tess said, trying not to sound disbelieving. "You said the other day that he spent a lot of time away when you two were still living together. When did that start?"
Kirsten went to pick up baby Lou, who was starting to squeak. She pulled up her shirt and gave him the breast.
"Oh, let's see… He really stopped being interested after I got pregnant the second time. It turned him off. I was pretty uninterested as well. It was more like a chore than something I wanted to do. I wanted affection, but I could have done without the sex so as far as I was concerned, we were on the same wavelength.”
"He would go away for the entire weekend, leaving you with the boys?"
"Not all weekend. Sometimes, he'd go just overnight. He'd go out on a Friday after work and wouldn't come home until Saturday afternoon. Honestly, other than me being jealous of his time out of the house, I didn't mind. I was so busy with the boys, and I guess we grew apart”
"He told you before he was going to be out late or stay out all night?"
"Sometimes. Other times, he'd say he got drunk with the boys and spent the night at the shop, sleeping on the sofa in the garage."
"At work?"
"Yes," she said. "He'd go back to the depot where the trucks are kept. They have a pretty nice reception room, with a couple of sofas and a coffee table for business meetings. There's even a room with a shower for the drivers who do long-haul trucking, so they can clean up after a trip. He kept an extra work uniform there in his locker, just in case he needed to change clothes."
"Is that normal?" Tess asked. It seemed highly suspicious to her.
"Sure," Kirsten said, her tone sounding a bit defensive. "He told me all the guys did it, especially if they had out-of-town deliveries that took them out overnight."
"But Eugene didn't go overnight, right?"
"Sometimes," Kirsten said, shrugging. "He'd drive over to Olympia, or sometimes even to Spokane. Just if one of the other guys was sick. He didn't want to do long-haul because of the boys."
Tess nodded, trying to look like she understood and accepted what Kirsten was saying, but she was very suspicious. If Eugene filled in for drivers who did long-haul, he could easily be a suspect.
Eugene seemed so normal to her. So average, pleasant, unassuming.
Which sent a shiver up and down her spine.
They finished their tea, talking about other things for a while—baby Lou, and how Kirsten was getting on with sleep and breastfeeding.
"I'm an old hand by now," Kirsten said. "I already went through this twice with the other boys, but believe me, it's still really tiring. I’m glad the boys can almost look after themselves now. Plus, Phil is so good with them, so I can try to enjoy Lou."
She smiled at the sleeping baby in her arms and Tess felt a tug of envy inside at the image of Kirsten with her baby. Tess had always imagined she'd get married and have a family, but she didn't feel nearly ready yet. She'd always wanted to get a degree and work for a while first—plus, she hadn't met anyone she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.
Now, if she was going to apply for the FBI, that would mean months of training and probably a few years before she could even consider having a baby…
>
She thought of Michael, and knew he'd be a good father. Maybe they'd be a couple who would eventually get married, but there was a lot of life to live in the meantime.
And cases to solve.
"So, back to Eugene," Tess said, careful to keep her tone light. "You never complained about him being away so much? Did you ever think he had a girlfriend?"
"Why do you ask?" Kirsten glanced at Tess, her expression expectant and a little hurt.
"I care about you. You never told me that there were problems with you and Eugene."
"We lost touch, and frankly, I was embarrassed. Even though I didn't really care about the sex, it hurt that he stopped sleeping with me. It felt like rejection. I mean, men always want more, right? I felt like I disgusted him. That's not something you want to announce to the world."
"I know," Tess said and reached out to squeeze Kirsten's arm. "I'm sorry I wasn't a good enough friend that you felt you could tell me. It might have made it easier to bear if you had a friend you could confide in."
"It's all over now," Kirsten said. "Phil and I couldn't be happier. Honestly, Tess. Phil is such a different man than Eugene. It's like he's really with me, when we're together. When he looks in my eyes, I can see a person inside. When Eugene did, I felt like I was looking in the eyes of an ant or a bug. I know that sounds crazy, but I did."
"I'm so sorry," Tess said. "It must have been so hard for you all those years. Didn't your mother or Michael suspect anything was wrong?"
Kirsten gave a snort. "Michael always hated Eugene, so he was always bugging me to leave him. Mom has a soft spot for Eugene because of our family ties to the Kincaids. I swear she has no sense when it comes to them. She overlooks all their sins because of it."
"Their sins?" Tess said, although she thought she knew what Kirsten meant. "You mean Daryl, right?"
"Sure," Kirsten replied. "And Don as well, his brother. He's a real scummy guy. He moved up to Spokane; he’s into drugs and biker gangs. They steal stuff and are into prostitution as well. Did you ever watch Sons of Anarchy? They're like that."