Devils Among Us (Devin Dushane Series Book 1)

by Chastity Harris

  “I’ll be checking the perimeter of the yard if you need anything, ma’am.”

  It was a small yard, it would take all of thirty seconds to walk around the whole fenced-in area, but she appreciated that he’d stand on the other side to give her some privacy. After several long, slow drags, she flipped her phone open and checked the time. Three forty-three a.m. It was pushing midnight in LA, but it was the off-season, so there was a good chance he’d be up. Carter answered after two rings, but the noise on his end was deafening.

  “Devin? Hang on, I can’t hear a thing! Just hang on.” After quite a bit of shuffling, some yelling, and a slamming door, he was back with relative silence in the background. “Baby girl, you all right? It’s the middle of the night there.”

  “I’m so-so. Where are you, a club?”

  “Close, a party at some rap mogul’s house.” He paused for a moment listening. “Are you smoking? Don’t lie. I can hear you exhaling the crap.”

  She smiled, laying her head back against the siding of the house. “Carter, you sound just like your mom. Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I needed a crutch to calm my nerves. I was dreaming about Naomi.” The last words came out as a whisper, almost choking her.

  Carter sighed. “I was afraid this would happen after Greg died. You blame yourself just like you did for Naomi.”

  “Why thank you, Dr. Basketball. I didn’t know you were a shrink off the court.” Her voice was harsh, but she brought it down a notch, remembering she had called him. “I’ve been having the dreams, you’re right, but tonight was so much worse. This psychopath we’ve been dancing with slaughtered my dog. Slit his throat and threw his blood all over my back door. You see how that kind of hits home for me.” Another pause for a long draw on her cigarette.

  “Geez Devin, why couldn’t you have gone into marketing or accounting something a little less graphic? Oh wait, maybe it’s because you’re punishing yourself every day for a multitude of sins you didn’t commit?”

  “Are you dating that dancer again that’s working on her psychology degree? What’s her name, Brandy, Candy…?”

  “It’s Tandy, yes, I see her occasionally, but that has nothing to do with this conversation. You’re changing the subject. When did you even get a dog?”

  She stubbed out the last of her cigarette and tried to resist the urge to light another. “He wasn’t really mine. I was just keeping him until my neighbor got home from the hospital.” Devin stopped short and groaned. With all the insanity of the evening she hadn’t called Henry. What was worse, she’d forgotten that she was supposed to pick him up from the hospital in the morning. She was not a crier or a whiner, and she was not going to start now, but she did wail into the phone.

  “What am I going to tell Henry? He’s had this dog for twelve years. It was practically the only family he had. This’ll be a great conversation. ‘How are you feeling, Henry? How’s the heart? By the way, I let someone butcher your dog in my backyard.’ Oh yeah, it’s going to go swimmingly.” She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on one. “My life is a minefield of horrific disasters. Can you imagine if I combined this with drugs or alcohol? I’d be dead by now.”

  “I don’t know how you’ve survived until now.” Carter’s laugh held no humor. “How’s the investigation going? Any progress there?”

  “I think so.”

  “Okay, the world is about to tip off its axis. I’ve never heard you so unsure when you’re working a case. Girl, what is going on in your head?”

  “This is a really rough case. It’s bloody, and it’s personal. There are leads and movement, and we’ve been uncovering information and secrets that were never brought to light before. It’s just a matter of where it goes. The one detective here in Fenton who’s backed me up told me last night that he thinks I’m cracked and leading everyone on a wild goose chase.”

  “He said that to you?” Carter’s voice became quiet and tight with anger.

  “He meant it in the best possible way. What worries me the most is, what if he’s right? The pace I’ve kept all these years, and now Greg’s death, topped off by this case—maybe I’ve burned out, lost my touch.” It was the scariest thing she’d ever said, but giving it to Carter to share with her, made the burden so much lighter.

  “Devin, I will one day have to give up playing ball. The time may even come when I have to put my mama in a nursing home, but I will never, ever, live to see the day when you have lost your touch to solve cases. That’s like saying Willy Wonka forgot how to make chocolate or Dr. Doolittle has lost the ability to speak to animals. You are the very best at what you do, period.”

  She finally regained a light chuckle. “Okay, I get your point. You believe in me. Dr. Doolittle? Really? You have seriously lived in LA too long, and you’re starting to scare me.”

  “Maybe you should come check on me. Or, even better, why don’t we take a vacation? A real one that doesn’t involve a criminal investigation. Costa Rica, maybe? Someplace with a great beach. I think you would love surfing lessons.”

  Devin finally laughed out loud. He’d have the travel agent on the phone as soon as they opened no matter what she said. Heck, it was LA—he might have a twenty-four hour travel service. “As long as there’s a spa, I’m in. I had no idea how much I would enjoy that. Thank you.”

  “Sometimes you just need to trust that I know what’s best for you, and right now you need to try to get some rest. Exhaustion only makes your nerves raw.”

  “All right. I’m on my way back to bed, but Carter, don’t book me on any trips for three or four weeks. I have the IAB hearing coming up in two weeks, and I have to go back to Richmond to meet with the mayor.”

  “…and you want to finish what you’ve started” He knew her mind as well as his own, maybe even better. “I love that Internal Affairs is investigating you for the same case that the mayor is giving you a commendation for.”

  “It is an election year.” Devin stretched her legs out and breathed in fresh summer air rather than any more smoke. “Go back to your party. I’ll call you in a couple of days.”

  “Be careful for once and try not to get any new scars.”

  She snorted in response. “Luv ya.”

  “Love you, too, baby girl.”

  For the rest of the night, Devin dreamt of tropical beaches and warm surf, but in the distance, there was always a pair of dark-haired girls she could never catch up with.

  Chapter 24

  Devin showered with the sunrise. It was one of the few mornings since she had been in Fenton that she would not be going for a run. The idea of having a patrol car follow her as she jogged was a bit off-putting and there was no way the deputies would let her go alone. It felt like a vacation, so instead of normal work attire, she chose cargo capris and her favorite deep purple v-neck tee and sneakers. There would be a lot of hours spent in the conference room command center, plus she had promised to chauffer Henry this morning. It would be best to be comfortable.

  With everything that had been going on, she had neglected to go to the grocery store, so her normal breakfast of yogurt or fruit was out. After a little scrounging, Devin settled for a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread. At least it had protein and fiber, she reasoned. Taking it into the dining room, she sat down to look over the report in the file concerning Michael Leary.

  The interview was fairly simplistic—he had been extremely distraught the first twenty-four hours after the discovery of the body and difficult to question, so only the basics were covered. Once it had been firmly established that Michael had been nowhere near the Summit that night and had no knowledge of the events there, the police had confirmed his alibi and cut the interview short in light of his grief. The report stated that Michael had been working in the wood shop at the high school the night Laney was murdered. He had been there from seven o’clock p.m. when he got off work and left at eleven-thirty p.m. His alibi was confirmed by the Gibson family, who had a clear view of the school and parking lot an
d the 911 call he made at ten o’clock concerning the harassment by Dean Delluca and friends.

  Devin tossed the file onto the table. Michael had never been asked about the state of his relationship with Laney. Did he know she was getting ready to end things? But what difference did it make if he was halfway across the county all night?

  She paced to the front window as she mulled over her thoughts and jerked the drapes open a little impatiently, causing the deputy on the porch to jump in surprise.

  Oh, for heaven’s sake! How many of them are out there? Devin considered yanking the curtains shut again, but she really wanted the fresh morning light, and she wasn’t willing to spite herself for her pride this once.

  Taking a seat at the table, she pulled out Beth’s photo album, hoping she could kill an hour until it was time to pick up Henry. The pictures turned out to be more fascinating than Devin had imagined. The outfits and the cars in these pictures were terrific. Small-town America in 1964 was jumpin’ and jivin’. The clothing that wasn’t tight was swinging on the dance floor. The variety of shined-up chrome and hot-rod engines in the parking lot would have any gear head drooling. It was too bad the cars were only in the background; Devin would have liked some close-up shots.

  Devin had a fantastic time breaking down the photos. She had taken a psychology class that focused strictly on analyzing postures, mannerisms and what was called physical psychology. They had spent hours reviewing celebrity couple photos determining who was on the rocks and who was for real. It had been a blast.

  It was amazing what people gave away about their feelings for a person in how they posed for a photo. Some of the girls that posed with Laney were showy in their poses and distanced themselves from her physically, showing coldness or jealousy behind a mask of friendship. Most of the guys tried to pull her into a closed hug, showing the desire for real affection, but she would lean her head out or angle her body to create space, marking it as a platonic embrace. The only photos that were different were with Henry and Bobby. With her brother, Laney had wrapped her arms around his waist, and he had one arm slung around her neck, with his head leaning down on hers. Their sparkling smiles were enticing and mischievous—gorgeous siblings ready to stir things up.

  Looking at the picture of Henry and Laney, it would be ridiculous to say they weren’t in love. Henry stood behind Laney with his arms wrapped around her and his cheek pressed to her forehead. Her signals could not have been clearer—her hands were folded over top of his sealing his embrace and her face was turned in and up to meet his. The depth of their warm tender smiles was more for each other than the camera. Devin wondered if it would do more harm than good to make Henry a copy of the picture.

  Glancing at her watch, Devin realized she had spent more than an hour looking at the album. She was going to have to make time on the drive to the hospital. Clearing the porch steps in three bounds, she was halfway to the Mustang before the deputies realized she was out of the house. Tossing her bag onto the passenger seat, she motioned to the patrol car to kill the engine. Looking over the top of her sunglasses, she took turns addressing the two deputies.

  “I do not need an escort wherever I go, especially when I’m driving. Watching the house is a different matter. Since it is now a double crime scene, I will tolerate your presence for now.” Devin paused to penetrate them with her harshest most frightening stare, and once she had sufficiently chilled the air she continued. “Don’t push your luck.”

  The Mach 1 pulled away alone.

  Devin decided she didn’t want to tell Henry about Bo in the car. Partly because she wanted to be face to face and be able to comfort him, and partly she wanted to still be at the hospital if he didn’t take the news well. They went to the same bench that Shane had tried to use as protection from her the first night they’d come to the hospital. Though Henry was shocked and pale, his heart held out well at hearing the news, and he actually surprised Devin with his vigor.

  “You need to get away from here, Devin. This monster is on your trail, and you’re not safe. It’s like he can have Laney all over again.” His clear blue eyes were lit with a ferociousness she had not seen. “Let Adam and Shane finish the case, or the state police, but please, Devin, get as far from here as you can. Not even Richmond. Go see your friend in LA.”

  Devin felt tears stinging her eyes as she threw her arms around Henry, careful not to jostle his left arm that was still in a sling.

  This town is making me way too emotional!

  “Henry, that is very sweet, and I appreciate your concern. I am very capable of taking care of myself if I meet up with this piece of trash.” She grinned and patted his leg. “Plus, my house looks like a donut shop right now. Wait until you see it—there are sheriff’s deputies everywhere.”

  Henry grabbed on to her hand and squeezed it. “Little girl, you may be a very astute detective, but when it comes to people who care about you, I’d say you are absolutely blind.”

  Adam had hired a cleaning crew to start on the damage in Henry’s house, so what he returned to was not as devastating as it could have been. He surveyed the shell of the kitchen and the smoke and water damage through the rest of the house in silence. Returning to the carport, Henry took a seat in his favorite lawn chair and grinned as Devin handed him a glass of iced tea she had attempted to make.

  “Well, you said I needed new carpet.” He took a deep swig of the tea and grimaced. “This is absolutely horrible. I think I’d rather have one of your tree bark bars.” Her laugh rang out over the quiet street.

  “Henry, I was looking at a photo album from 1964 this morning, and I was admiring the cars. They were really something spectacular.”

  “Yes ma’am, they were. Your daddy raised you with an eye for cars.” He waved his hand up and down the street. “Today all the cars look the same, modeled out of the same plastic cookie cutter. I can’t tell the difference in a lot of them, but back then you made your car your own. It was a statement about who you were, and it better be fast.”

  “The louder and flashier, the better, right?”

  “Heck yeah, unless you were running moonshine.” He gave her his famous crooked grin. “Since I’m talking to an officer of the law, that’s just hypothetical, of course.”

  Devin matched him smile for smile. “Oh, of course.”

  “I even knew of cars that threw flames, and that was before all this NOS they use in street racing these days.”

  “So I’ve heard. That’s actually what Dean…” Devin trailed off staring across the street at nothing in particular. She had been about to tell Henry about Dean using his car to harass Michael at the school when it hit her that Dean had said that Michael’s car was parked under the windows of the shop, not in the parking lot.

  “Devin, are you all right?”

  “Perfect. Henry, where is the shop at the high school? Or at least, where was it in 1964?”

  Henry struggled to keep pace with her change in conversation. “It’s still in the same place, to the left, on the back side of the building.”

  Devin’s adrenaline was pumping so hard she could no longer stay in her chair. “The Gibson family that lived near the school would they have been the ones on top of the cemetery hill?”

  “They were the only Gibsons in town. What are you all stirred up about?”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “It was a false alibi. Henry, I’ve got to go. I’ll check on you later.” With that she started to sprint across the street, but pulled up halfway. “Henry! What did Michael Leary drive?”

  “A ’58 Plymouth Fury.” With that, he was left shaking his head in her wake.

  Chapter 25

  The report on Michael Leary’s interview had just stated that the Gibson family had verified his whereabouts at the high school. Devin had to dig through pages of file notes to discover that it was actually the Gibson’s’ niece, Eloise Faulkner, who had claimed to see Michael’s car all night. Eloise, who had been Michael’s teammate on the Science Bowl team.


  Devin’s brain was working faster than her hands as she flipped the pages of the photo album, looking for the best shots of the parking lot. It took the use of a magnifying glass, but she found what she was looking for. Parked in plain view as if screaming, ‘Here I am!’ Wanting to be as confident as possible, Devin took the few digits from the license plate she could read and plugged them into her laptop with the make model to compare registrations for 1964. When the list of possible matches came back, Devin’s adrenaline rush spiked.

  “Gotcha.”

  Hitting print, she gathered the file containing the alibi information, the photo album, and the freshly printed list. She just needed to inform the team. Flipping open her phone, Devin dialed the number to the sheriff’s office, which she now knew by heart. Her favorite confidante answered on the first ring.

  “Hey, it’s Devin. You are not going to believe what I have stumbled into this morning. Michael Leary’s alibi was faked.” She paused for only a half second for the reaction. “Yes, I’m sure, and that’s not all I’m on to.”

  It took less than two minutes to run down what she had found and devise their course of action.

  “All right give me directions out to the Gibson farm. I only know vaguely how to get there, and I want to go make sure I’m absolutely correct about the view.” She scribbled the directions down in her terrible scrawl, hoping she would be able to read it later. “I’ll go there first, so I’ll be in the office in about an hour.”

  Slipping the phone in her front pocket, Devin scooped the evidence and headed for the hall, where she paused to holster her Glock against her back. She glanced twice at the second clip in the drawer and then picked it up and slid it into her back pocket. Greg had always wanted her to carry an extra clip. She told him she wouldn’t need a second clip if she got the perp with her first shot, but she brought it to honor Greg’s wishes.