Malice

by C. M. Sutter

That stupid FBI bitch put this together. She’s the only person who could have. I’ll have to show her a thing or two. I’m not about to let her ruin my plans, I’ve come too far.

  Ed gathered what he needed, stepped out to the porch, and locked the door behind him. It was time to get creative. He was sure his truck would be spotted now that everything about him had been aired on the local evening news.

  That old widow lives at the end of the street. I bet she wouldn’t mind if I borrowed her car.

  Ed walked the quarter mile to her house and peered through the windowpanes of the only illuminated room. Night had fallen, and the narrow lane that led back to the cottages was as dark as ink. Ed stared at her as she lay snuggled up on her recliner with a throw over her legs. Her eyelids appeared closed from his angle, and her partially open mouth led him to believe she was asleep. Ed backed away from the window and crossed the yard to the front porch. He stepped carefully to avoid causing the old wooden boards to creak. He turned the doorknob slowly. To his surprise, the door was unlocked.

  Stupid old hag, don’t you know there are prowlers everywhere?

  He slipped off his shoes and crossed the threshold.

  Now where would an old woman keep her car keys? Purse, key rack, kitchen table?

  The purse hanging from the back of the kitchen chair caught Ed’s eye. He tiptoed to it and pulled the zipper. With his hand inside, he felt for the set of keys. A smile crossed his face when he touched that familiar ring with several keys attached. He pulled them out then dipped his hand back inside, removed her wallet, and emptied it of cash. Ed zipped the purse and exited the house. With his shoes back on, he headed to the driveway, unlocked the car, and shifted it into neutral. Ed steered with his left hand as he pushed the car out onto the street. He climbed in, slipped the key into the ignition, and sped away. It was time to silence that FBI agent for good, and he knew exactly how to draw her in.

  Chapter 50

  “What are you searching for?” J.T. glanced at me while I tapped the phone keys.

  “Seeing if Arkansas requires a front license plate.”

  “What’s the answer?”

  “Nope, it sure doesn’t.”

  J.T. pulled into the station’s parking lot by eight o’clock. We entered the building and headed to the third floor. In the conference room, Hardy was leading the discussion with the rest of the group. We took our seats and pulled out our notepads.

  “We’ve already begun, agents, but I’ll give you the quick version of my thoughts.”

  I stared at the back wall. A transparency of an enlarged area of Omaha filled the drop-down roller screen. Leon must have been hard at work again while we were gone.

  “What I’ve circled in red is the homes of each victim except Marilyn. I’m sure she was used primarily as a message to law enforcement that nobody is safe from his reach. Anyway, I have the homes of Sarah, the Kings, and Jackie Stern circled. Most criminals don’t venture too far away from the areas they know well. They have to be aware of escape routes, nearest freeways, etcetera. The blue circles indicate the intersections we’ve seen his truck pass through, and the arrows show which direction it came from.”

  I nodded as I took notes. “Great work, Cap, and I see where you’re going with this. You want to narrow down his stomping grounds.”

  “That’s right, and assuming he came from wherever he’s hunkered down each time he attacked someone, the direction he came from may lead us back to where he lives.”

  J.T. spoke up. “Go ahead and draw a circle around the outer perimeter of the home locations, just to lock everything in. We’ll check areas within that circle to see if something looks promising.”

  “Sure thing.” Hardy removed the transparency, drew a border around the homes’ locations, then placed it back on the lens. “Weird. The Kings’ home dips way in, yet Jackie and Sarah’s homes are spaced about the same distance apart.”

  Andrews spoke up. “And Mr. and Mrs. King were killed at night. We’re assuming it was under the false impression that Chad Nolan was stopping by. Ed probably didn’t wander too far from home, considering the time that last phone call came in to the King house and the time we got the 9-1-1 call from Beth Sloane.”

  “And on Sarah and Jackie’s tapes, both areas where Ed’s truck entered the footage lead back toward the direction of the Kings’ house,” J.T. said.

  The conference room phone rang, and Hardy picked it up. “Captain Hardy here. Uh-huh.” He grabbed a pen and paper and began writing. “Okay, get Patrol out there right away and keep me posted.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Somebody type in this address on their phone and see where it is. An elderly lady just reported that her car has been stolen.”

  My fingers were a blur as I tapped my phone keys. The location came up immediately on my Google Maps. “Crap.”

  Everyone turned to me. “You have the location already?”

  I nodded. “And it’s dead center in the area we want to check out.”

  Hardy tipped his head at my laptop. “Wake that thing up, and let’s get a satellite view of that area. I want to see if it’s a practical location where Ed could hide.”

  Once I had the satellite view of the neighborhood where the call about the stolen car came from, we gathered around my computer.

  J.T. leaned in closer. “It looks like a private enclave nestled at the edge of the city limits.” He pointed near the top of the screen. “We’ve got a lake there, a narrow road, and by the size of these rooftops, they must all be cottages. This could have been a resort type of area back in the day when Omaha was much smaller.”

  I mentally counted the rooftops. “Twelve homes in all. It wouldn’t take long to do a knock and talk. We’ll print out a handful of those still shots of Ed and see if anyone recognizes him. If we get a positive ID, that means he lives within walking distance of that lady’s house. He knew she was elderly and that she lives alone. She was an easy target. Stealing her vehicle means Ed saw the news coverage and has his truck tucked away.”

  “Find out from dispatch which patrol officers were sent to her house. Text them the image of Ed, have them show it to the woman, and see if she recognizes him.” J.T. slapped the table. “Meanwhile, let’s get a dozen pictures printed of Ed and head out.”

  Chapter 51

  Ed knew the kids were in bed. Pam always made sure they were tucked in by eight o’clock. He pulled into the kiddie park several blocks from her house and slipped the dark sedan into a parking space. He’d walk the rest of the way.

  Bordered by pines, the Stewart driveway offered him plenty of cover as he inched closer to the house. His anger at his ex-wife and her rich husband escalated each time he drove by. They had everything—a beautiful home, prestige in the community, lots of money, and his kids. Ed was invisible, but that night, that was exactly how he wanted to be.

  He followed the driveway to the garage and peered through the window, his hands cupping the sides of his face. He squinted, trying to get a focus on the darkened room. Cars were parked inside. He moved on and rounded the rear of the house, staying in the shadows of the shrubbery and ancient trees. The kitchen, with a large set of French doors that led out to the two-tiered deck, faced the backyard and lake. Interior lights were on, and Ed made himself comfortable near the trees. He needed to see who was up and wandering about. He could easily subdue Pam, but the husband was a large man, and taking him down would definitely have to be a blitz attack. Once the husband was incapacitated, Ed could take his time with Pam. He had things for her to do.

  He leaned back against the large oak and watched for movement. The rear of the house, since it faced the lake, was mostly windows and decks. When he heard a sound coming from above him, Ed ducked behind the tree. The slider to a second-story deck had just opened. He listened as Pam’s voice echoed through the backyard.

  “Yes, William will be home tomorrow, Mom. There was a slight business misunderstanding that caused him to be away for a few days. No
, there isn’t a problem. His attorney is taking care of everything. Okay, I’ll talk to you soon, and plan on dinner here next weekend. Good night, Mom.”

  Ed peeked around the tree trunk and saw Pam go inside the house. The sound of the slider closing confirmed it, and the deck light went off.

  So, she’s alone. He chuckled at his good fortune. I guess it’s time to get busy.

  Back at the garage, Ed jimmied the lock, just as he had at Marilyn’s house. He crept through the garage toward the next door, but before entering the home, he noticed off to the side some stairs that led down.

  Perfect, there’s a basement entry too. She’ll never hear me come in if I use that.

  Ed took the staircase to the basement level and turned the knob. The door popped open.

  Oops, big mistake, Pammy. Somebody forgot to lock the basement door. Guess it’s my lucky day.

  Ed pulled out the flashlight from his pocket and gave the room a few short bursts of light. A bar, pool table, and large-screen TV filled the space. Plenty of toys lay scattered about. He’d have to watch his step.

  Across the room was the open staircase that led to the main floor. An ambient glow from the rooms above gave just enough light for him to see where he was going. Ed inched up each step slowly and deliberately. As he neared the final steps, he saw the kitchen directly ahead and the dining room beyond that. He looked from left to right as he took that last step. The house was quiet, yet the lights were still on. He peeked around the corner into the family room—nobody there, either. He continued on through the butler’s pantry and past the formal living room. Another staircase lay ahead. He stopped and listened—a shower was running upstairs. The right side of his mouth curled up into a grin. He slicked back his hair and continued on.

  This is going to be as easy as pie.

  Ed reached the landing and looked both ways. He turned right and followed the hallway to the end where the master suite was situated. The shower was still running. Ed entered the room, closed the door behind him, and took a seat on the chair to the left of the bathroom door. Pam wouldn’t see him until it was too late to react. Ed would pounce quickly and subdue her. The last thing he wanted to do was wake his kids.

  The shower stopped, and Ed sat upright on the edge of the chair, ready to spring into action. He’d finally see the bitch again, up close and personal. He’d smell her damp hair, fresh with the scent of shampoo. The fragrance of lavender soap would linger on her body and bring back memories of what they once had, but that was then, long before she turned into a cheating, money-hungry skank.

  He saw the knob turn, and the bathroom door opened. Pam stepped into the bedroom, wearing her white chenille robe and towel drying her hair. Ed leapt forward and zapped her hard and deep in the back then covered her mouth with his hand to keep her quiet as she dropped to the floor. He didn’t have much time. He had to act quickly while she was stunned. With two lengths of rope ready in his pocket, Ed tied her hands behind her back and her ankles together. He grabbed a pair of socks from the dresser drawer and stuffed one in her mouth.

  Pam moaned and opened her eyes.

  Ed sat a foot away, grinning at her. “Well, aren’t you in quite a predicament?”

  Thrashing against her restraints got her nowhere. Ed pulled out his knife from the sheath and held it against her cheek.

  “Don’t make a sound, understand? Do you really want to wake the kids and have them witness this?”

  She shook her head with wild, fearful eyes.

  “You need to listen to me closely, Pam, because I’m only saying this once. If you do anything off script, I’ll slit your throat and gut you on the spot. Are we clear?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. First, have the police been in contact with you? Do they know my name?”

  She nodded again.

  “You stupid bitch.” Ed punched her in the eye, sending her head backward, where it hit the bed frame. “I bet that hurt, didn’t it?”

  Her groan confirmed it.

  “Have you spoken with the FBI? And don’t lie to me. I know they’re in Omaha, and as a matter of fact”—Ed opened his wallet and pulled out Jade’s card—“have you spoken to Agent Jade Monroe?” His fist was curled in a tight ball, ready to strike.

  She mumbled a yes through the sock.

  Ed punched her again then stared at her. “That eye is swelling closed, but at least you still have one that works. I’m going to pull that sock out of your mouth so you can talk. If you scream or do anything other than what I tell you to”—he slid the tip of the knife under his fingernails and cleaned them—“well, you get the picture, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Where’s your cell phone?”

  She tipped her head toward the bathroom. Ed got up and retrieved it.

  “Now, here’s what we’re going to do.”

  Chapter 52

  Six of us headed to the precinct’s parking lot. According to Hardy, two patrol officers were on-site and interviewing the woman whose car was stolen. A BOLO was issued for her car.

  “Did they show Ed’s picture to her?” I asked as we crossed the lot to our vehicles.

  Hardy nodded. “Yeah, but Dixon said she didn’t recognize him.”

  My phone rang right as we reached the Explorer. I dipped my hand in my pocket and pulled it out. “Hang on, guys. It’s Pam Stewart.” I clicked Talk and answered. “Agent Monroe here, how can I help you? Yes, I suppose I could. Uh-huh. Sure, give me a half hour.” I clicked off.

  “What did she want?” J.T. asked.

  “She said Ed called again and unnerved her. She has some new information that may help, and she’d like me to come back to discuss it.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” J.T. said.

  “She asked if I would come alone.”

  “Why alone?” Hardy wrinkled his brow as he looked at me.

  “It’s got to be that woman-to-woman thing, don’t you agree, J.T.? I mean, she opened up more when I took over the conversation this afternoon.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. Okay, you take the Explorer, and I’ll hop in with Cap. Keep us posted, and we’ll do the same.”

  “Absolutely.” J.T. handed me the keys, and I left. I had a half-hour drive to Newport Landing.

  It was still early enough to make that call to Spelling in Milwaukee. Our time zone was the same, and the digital clock on the dashboard showed it was nine thirty. I made the call and put my cell on speakerphone then set it in the cup holder.

  “Hey, boss, it’s Jade. I hope this isn’t too late to call.”

  “Not a problem. How’s the case going?”

  “It’s very complicated. Turns out the wife of William Stewart, the owner of Scenic View Realty, used to be married to our suspect.”

  Spelling groaned through the phone line. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.”

  “None of us did, boss. It was a real shocker. J.T. and I interviewed her earlier today, and this all came out. She just called, and I’m heading back over there now. I guess she has more to say.”

  “Is the case progressing?”

  I clicked my blinker and merged onto the highway. “Yes, it is. Actually the team is checking out a promising neighborhood right now. I wanted to talk to you while I was alone.”

  “About J.T.?”

  “That’s right, sir. In my opinion, he’s as good as he’s always been. He’s bounced back from that trauma, at least in the FBI agent sense of the word. How his personal feelings are and what he’s going through with Julie, I couldn’t say. I have seen him wander off and make phone calls.”

  “Can you blame him?”

  “No, sir, I sure can’t. I just wanted you to be aware that he seems his old self as far as his job. He’s one hundred percent.”

  “That’s good to know. Thanks for the information, Jade. Stay safe and keep me posted.”

  “Will do, boss. Good night.”

  Fifteen minutes later, I entered the upscale neighborhood where the Stewart house was located. As
I made a left turn, my headlights bounced off the side of a vehicle parked toward the back of the kiddie playground. It was late, and the playground had been closed for hours according to the sign posted at the entrance. Checking it out would take only a minute. I imagined seeing underage kids drinking or making out inside the car. I parked, leaving my headlights pointed at the vehicle, and approached it from the back. I called out, got no response, then shined my flashlight through the rear window.

  Hmm, it’s empty.

  I circled the vehicle and panned my light through the playground. I saw nobody. From the looks of that neighborhood, a deserted ten-year-old Chrysler didn’t fit in. I pressed the phone number for J.T.

  “Hey, Jade. We got here about ten minutes ago. We’re planning our knock and talks around the neighborhood. Are you at Pam’s house yet?”

  “I’m a few blocks away. I made an unplanned stop at the kiddie park in her neighborhood.”

  I heard J.T. chuckle. “Feel like playing on the monkey bars for a bit?”

  “Cute. Actually there’s a deserted car that caught my attention. It doesn’t fit in with this neighborhood. Could you have one of the officers pull up the plate number on their car’s computer?”

  “Sure thing. Go ahead.”

  “It’s Nebraska A17-9H6.”

  “What? Repeat that please.”

  “It’s A17-9H6. Is my phone cutting out?”

  “Shit! That’s the old lady’s car. I have her information staring me in the face on the police report. It’s a 2006 dark blue Chrysler sedan.”

  “Oh my God, J.T. You know what that means?”

  “Yeah, it’s a setup to draw you in, and Ed is holding Pam hostage.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to do? He’s going to get suspicious if I don’t show up in the next few minutes.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  “J.T., it’ll take you a half hour. I have to come up with an excuse now.”

  “Call Pam back and tell her something he can’t check himself. Say you had a flat tire and had to change it. You’ll be there in twenty minutes. With our lights and sirens, we can get there that fast.”