by Karen Rose
“We found another gun in their bedroom closet,” Micki said, “with Ann’s fingerprints on it. We’re guessing she figured out what he was doing and Pierce killed her first.”
“What I don’t understand,” Ian said, “is why he kept the cat?”
“Pierce kept souvenirs,” Micki said. She was pale, her eyes drawn. They weren’t close to being finished processing Pierce’s basement. “Shoes, driver’s licenses, wallets, cell phones. I think he kept the cat as a souvenir of his Red Dress murders.”
Abbott sighed. “We found three dozen pairs of shoes in his basement. From the driver’s licenses, he hunted these women from as far east as Chicago and south as Omaha. He consulted on a few of his own murders of local prostitutes, as part of the homicide investigation. Brian Ramsey is pulling his hair out. Innocent men in prison, every case Pierce testified in up for appeal. This isn’t going away for a long time.”
“We’ll be able to close some of our own cold cases,” Noah murmured. “Including the disappearance of Roger Eames, twenty years ago. He was a laborer, did odd jobs. We found his driver’s license at the bottom of Pierce’s drawer.”
“And his work boots in the pile of shoes that fell off his shelves,” Olivia added flatly. “Still had cement in the treads. Apparently, Roger Eames dug the pit.”
“The deed to the house was in his name,” Abbott said. “We never would have found the house that way.”
“How did he find out about your study, Eve?” Ian asked.
“When Donner was diagnosed with cancer, his doctor recommended a list of therapists,” Eve said. She’d talked with Donner’s wife and mother that morning, trying to understand how her study had gone so wrong. “One of them was Pierce. Over the course of his therapy, Donner mentioned the study, said he needed an independent third-party consultant. Pierce was intrigued and he volunteered.”
“When Pierce knew we had the participant list,” Noah said, “he knew Jeremy Lyons had to go. As Donner got sicker, he’d passed more authority and access to Lyons.”
“We found Jeremy’s laptop in Pierce’s New Germany house,” Micki said. “He’d sent an email to Pierce with the list as an attachment. We found all the Red Dress victims’ computers in the New Germany house, in fact.”
“Martha used her stool at Ninth Circle to solicit business for Siren Song,” Abbott said. “We’re not sure if she became obsessed with the World to support her phone sex business or turned to phone sex because it allowed her to never leave her PC. Her heaviest call volume was in the hours the other victims were killed, so that’s probably why she met Pierce so much earlier than the others.”
“Which turned out to be important,” Micki said, her brows raised.
“As did the cat and the shoes,” Noah said. “You were right. And Kane, you were right about Jeremy. Pierce used his phone to leave the text and voicemail for Eve. Sitting right outside Abbott’s window as he did so. One more of his up-yours.”
“Like Das Ich,” Eve said. “Dasich. I can’t believe I didn’t see that. All my avatars’ names had meaning. I never looked at his.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Eve,” Abbott said kindly. “For all of us. We’ve checked out Pierce’s computers, too. He had two, and accessed Shadowland from both so he could have two avatars active at once, never considering anyone was watching him.”
“Why Axel Girard?” Ian asked. “How did he pick him?”
Noah sighed. “Axel was his optometrist. Eve realized Pierce resented us for the MSP attention, that he never got credit, but he used that anonymity, believing Axel would never have cause to link him to this case.”
“The trigger was MSP,” Eve said. “For both Pierce and Dell Farmer.”
“We’ll think twice before granting any more interviews,” Abbott said.
“And then we’ll just say ‘no way in hell,’ ” Noah added.
“When will you release the bodies of Pierce’s victims?” Eve asked Ian.
“Today,” he said. “Why?”
“I plan to go to their funerals,” she said.
“Eve,” Abbott said, “you don’t believe any of their deaths are on your head, do you?”
“No.” She gave Abbott a sad smile. “But they were vulnerable to Pierce because all they had was a virtual life. They looked for happiness in an imaginary world because they couldn’t find it in the real one. There but for the grace of God…”
Abbott’s gaze was respectful. “If you’d like someone to go with you, I will.”
Eve looked surprised and touched. “I’d like that. Thank you, Captain.”
“What about you, Eve?” Olivia asked. “Have you heard from the university?”
“Yes. Pierce was lying to get me to leave with him. The dean never contacted him. Dean Jacoby called me this morning. Under the circumstances, there will be no sanctions. We’ll regroup, retool the study with appropriate checks, and begin again.”
Abbott blew out a breath. “I think we’ve covered everything. Everybody go home.”
Eve rose, leaning on the cane the hospital had given her until her leg healed. “Actually, we’re on our way to Sal’s. We’re having a baby shower there for my friend. You’re all invited and Sal says the drinks are on him today.”
Except for me, Noah thought. He’d decided not to go and after he’d explained, Eve’s family had offered to change the venue. But it meant a great deal to Sal and therefore to Eve, so they’d kept the shower there. They’d have an early dinner with her family before they all went back to Chicago and they’d planned an alcohol-free meal.
Noah was looking forward to it. Now, he’d drop Eve off at Sal’s for the shower and go see Jack. They had much to discuss.
Friday, February 26, 8:30 p.m.
“That was nice,” Noah said, helping Eve into his car after every member of her family had hugged them both. “I especially liked all the stories about your misspent youth.”
“I wasn’t that bad. I imagine Brock’s got stories on you that are as good or better.”
“Good point.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and she kissed him back. “Although I wonder if Caroline and Dana know they’ve been immortalized as avatars.”
Eve winced. “Caught that, did you?”
“What, that Pandora’s face is Caroline’s and Greer the Guardian looks just like Dana? I saw it the minute they walked into your hospital room. But I won’t tell. Just tell me I’m not in your avatar collection.” He’d meant it as a joke, but she hesitated. “Eve?”
“Well, remember when you asked me if you needed a virtual warrant to enter one of the condos and I said I had connections and could get one? Well…”
He gave her a mock glare. “Just tell me I’m wearing appropriate attire.”
She snickered. “You do have a hat. The rest is… let’s just say I imagined well what went on under your suits. Really well. I’ll have to show you later.”
He laughed out loud and it felt good. “Where to?”
“My place.”
“My place doesn’t have a leaky roof.”
“But I need to pack a bag.” She aimed Noah an arched look. “Plus, I think we still have some unfinished business having to do with a certain stuffed chair.”
He looked at her leg, his blood already heating. “Can you?”
“I’m young. I heal fast. Very, very fast.” She lifted her brows. “Can you?”
He snorted a laugh. “I’m functional. Very, very functional.”
“So shut up and drive, Web.”
He obeyed, making the trip to her place in record time, then carrying her up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. He’d started by romantically cradling her close, but after the first flight flung her over his shoulder while she laughed out loud.
“That was a one-time deal,” he said, breathing hard, but the sound of her happy laughter had been worth it. “Open the door so I can collapse.”
She obeyed, then they both stared at David Hunter, who sat in her stuffed chair, arm in a cast, looking as if he owned
the place. “I thought you went home,” she said.
David’s dark brows lifted. “I did.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to live here? With Eve?”
David chuckled. “Not exactly. I’ll live downstairs.”
“You are renting from that scum-sucking bastard, Myron Daulton?” she demanded.
“No, you are renting from me. And in six months, your lease is up. If you choose to renew, I’m going to have to raise your rent.” David grinned. “I bought the place.”
Eve’s mouth fell open. “You bought… this place? This place should be condemned.”
“Nah, it’s not in such bad shape. See, on Wednesday morning I was up on the roof, patching your leaks, all of which were man-made, by the way.”
Eve narrowed her eyes. “I knew it. And Callie said I was being paranoid.”
“Well, you weren’t. Anyway, this guy pulls up in a fancy car and calls up to me to come down, that he owns this place and I’m trespassing.”
“Eve’s landlord wouldn’t allow you to fix her roof?” Noah asked.
“Because he’s a scum-sucking bastard,” David said affably. “You’d said he just wanted to sell the place, so I decided to buy it.”
“Just like that?” Eve said. “You’d buy an old house like this?”
His smile softened. “Yeah. It’s an investment.”
Her smile softened as well. “That’s sweet. Except for the part about raising my rent.”
David grinned. “Yeah, well, not by much. A few bucks. If you’re still here.”
Eve sat down on the sofa. “Wait a minute. So what are you using for money?”
“I got a good deal. Myron didn’t want me telling anyone he’d sabotaged the roof, so he heavily discounted the asking price.”
“But what are you using for money?” she repeated. “You’re not rich.”
David sat back and studied her face. “I sold my garage.”
Eve’s mouth fell open again. “Your body shop in Chicago? You’ve had it for years.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve had somebody running it for me, ever since I joined the fire department, and that guy’s been asking to buy it. So I sold it.”
Eve’s mind was reeling. “Just like that? My God.”
“And I gave my notice to my captain at the fire department,” David added.
Noah sat down beside her, heavily. “Why? You weren’t hurt that badly…”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I applied with the fire department here and in St. Paul.”
Eve sat back, stunned. “David. I can’t keep up.”
He smiled at her. “Actually you led the way. Gave me the push I needed anyway. You were right. I was hiding in Chicago, just like you were. I decided it was time to start fresh, just like you did.” He gave her a wink. “Maybe I’ll be like you when I grow up.”
“So what if you don’t get the job here?” Eve asked, bewildered.
“Then I’ll fix this place up, flip it, buy the place next door and do the same. You reinvented yourself, Eve. It’s about time I did the same.”
“I don’t understand,” Noah murmured. “Do I need to?”
She smiled serenely. “No. It’s all good. I’m going to pack a bag and go to Noah’s. This chair is the only furniture I want. The rest can stay with the house.”
“The rest can go in a bonfire,” David said, shaking his head.
“If I decide not to stay with the new management,” she said archly, “I’ll move my chair to Noah’s.” She glanced up at Noah. “If you can’t bring the mountain to Mohammed.”
Noah’s lips twitched. “I see.”
She smiled at him. “I thought you might.”
“I don’t want to see,” David said with a scowl.
“Exactly my point,” Eve said, rising. “There are some things family shouldn’t see.”
David watched her go back to her room, contemplatively. “Make her happy, Noah.”
“That’s my plan.” Noah gave David a measuring look. “You do body work?”
The measuring stare was returned. “Some. Why?”
“I’ve got this ’69 Dodge Charger that’s been sitting in my garage in pieces.”
Hunter nodded. “I can help with that. And if I don’t get a firehouse right away, I might start up another shop. You know this starting all over might not be so bad.”
“We all need a nudge sometimes.” Noah stood as Eve re-emerged, a bag over one shoulder. “Life’s too short to stand back and watch from the sidelines.”
She tilted her head, hearing the last part of the conversation, her lips curving in that half smile that had first attracted him. “No more dipping our toes in. From here on out, it’s just one big cold pool. Cannonballs, big splashes. Babe.”
Noah laughed as David grimaced. “Sounds painful,” David said.
Eve pressed a hard kiss to Noah’s mouth. “Actually, the water’s warm. Ready?”
And Noah found that indeed, he was.
About the Author
KAREN ROSE is an award-winning author who fell in love with books from the time she learned to read. She started writing stories of her own when the characters in her head started talking and just wouldn’t be silenced. A former chemical engineer and high school chemistry and physics teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of twenty years, their two children, and the family cat, Bella. When she’s not writing, Karen is practicing for her next karate belt test! Karen would be thrilled to receive your e-mail at [email protected].