by W L Knightly
As she walked to the door, she turned around and stuck out her middle finger. “Goodbye, asshole!” She made sure to slam the door behind her.
“Go,” Ray screamed loud enough for her to hear him outside. “You’re doing me a favor.” His plans for her had failed, and she might actually end up with his house if she got the right attorney. But he had hidden enough money that he wasn’t worried about it. He would be all set.
He changed into something more comfortable and then went down to the basement to enjoy the peace and quiet for once. He had to calm down, and there was only one way to do that. He went to his work table and straightened his tools. Then he took a joint from the coffee can he’d kept his stash in since college and twisted the ends before lighting it. His nerves were nice and calm after that, and while he sat plotting his next project, his phone rang.
The ID showed unknown caller, so he answered knowing it could only be one person. “Hello.”
“Did you hear the news?” the voice said, and while the judge recognized it, he knew better than to mention any names, not knowing if he was on an unsecured line.
“If you mean about the latest murder, I did,” the judge said. “Such a shame Hayden had to go out that way.”
“You sure sound nonchalant for someone whose inner circle is falling apart. This could be bad all around.”
Ray released a breath of frustration. Needing to calm down, he hit the joint again. “Don’t worry. I have it under control. You have to learn to trust me.”
“Well, good,” the voice said. “In that case, if you don’t take care of this, I will take care of you. And there’s more than one way of removing you from your bench.”
Ray’s back stiffened. “Don’t threaten me. I’ve had a bad day, and the last person who threatened me—well, I think you know what happened to Elliot Gaines.”
He hung up the phone and then took another hit from his joint before putting it out on the side of his desk. He looked down at one of his tools, but he had no desire to pick it up anymore. His mood was ruined.
He finished cleaning up the table as he thought of all the people who were left in the inner circle. While some of the men were expendable, others were not. He’d have to work out his strategy before everything he’d worked so hard for fell apart.
Chapter 16
Jake
After another day of waiting on Kevin to finish his tests on the letter, Jake had given up on getting any answers. So after staying an hour later than usual, he left work and headed to Speed’s for dinner.
“That was delicious as ever, Ruth Anne,” he said after finishing the last bite of his burger.
“Did you save any room for dessert and coffee?”
“Of course.” He knew that was all he had to say, and Ruth Anne would go and bring him what he wanted, which she did. As she walked away, he took out his phone and pulled up the local news site just to take a peek.
Thankfully, there was nothing new about the case. No one had leaked information about the killer’s letter to him. He put the phone away as Ruth Anne returned with his pie and coffee.
She placed them on the table in front of him. “You know, this is probably why you don’t sleep at night,” she said with a hand firmly planted on her hip.
“And I didn’t tell you about my bad habits so you could nag me.”
“I’m just saying, too much of that black coffee and sugary pie isn’t going to do you any favors.”
“Okay, so maybe I’ll add some cream to it.” He gave her a blank stare until she turned around and walked away.
As he sipped his coffee and slowly ate his pie, he thought of the letter. It had been bothering him since he’d found it, and he was anxious to read it.
Ruth Anne came over to the table when his plate was empty and his cup was low. “Do you need anything else? More coffee?”
“Yeah, top me off. If I’m going to be awake all night, I want to be good and buzzed.”
She gave him a pointed look but turned around to fetch his refill.
“Oh,” he said, stopping her in her tracks. “I go in a bit early in the morning, so how about an order of pancakes and bacon to go?” He had nothing but time, and while going home to an empty house usually sounded appealing, it somehow didn’t tonight.
He opened up the crossword game on his phone and went to work while his order was being made. As soon as Ruth Anne walked over with his white bag of carryout, his phone rang.
“Here,” he said, slapping down a hundred-dollar bill. “Pay off my tab and keep the rest for yourself.”
“Thanks,” said Ruth Anne with a big grin.
He answered his phone as he took the bag from the table and got up to leave. It was O’Connor. “Yeah, Chief?”
“I thought you’d want to know that your letter is ready for you,” he said. “I’ve already called Jo, and she’s on her way back to the office.” Jake tried not to be offended that the chief had called Jo before calling him.
“I’ll be there soon. I’m just leaving the diner.” He ended the call and put the car in reverse, wishing Kevin in forensics had gotten the letter ready earlier. Now he had to go all the way back to work.
He drove across town hoping that no one read the letter before he did, and when he pulled into the parking lot at the station, he saw Jo walking across the lot and pulled up beside her.
“Hey,” she said. “I’ll wait while you park if you want.”
“No, do me a solid and go in there and make sure O’Connor isn’t reading the damned thing before me.”
Jo smiled and rolled her eyes. “Will do. Now hurry up.” She headed inside while he went to the nearest parking space.
He found Jo and O’Connor talking in the hallway, and he didn’t miss the strange looks they both gave him. O’Connor looked like he suspected the worst, and Jo looked like she was full of concern.
“Do you have the letter?” Jake asked.
“It’s still with evidence, but Kevin said we could come over and read it. I hope there won’t be any surprises in there.” O’Connor looked like he was sure that Jake had just screwed up big time.
“There shouldn’t be any.”
O’Connor held out his hand as if to say, after you. “Let’s go find out.”
They walked through the station to the back door and then took the sidewalk to the side entrance of the evidence lab. Jake stayed a step ahead of the others and hoped this wasn’t some attempt by the killer to throw false accusations his way.
They got to the hall where they could see Kevin through the window, and Jake tapped on the glass. Kevin gestured for them to come around to the side door, and they went inside.
“Please tell me you found something of interest?” Jake asked.
“Actually, I did. But I’m not sure it helps. Seems like a dead end.” Kevin turned to the computer and pulled the keyboard closer. His fingers tapped a few keys. “The DNA from the glue belonged to Hayden Daniels.”
“Shit,” Jake said. “So, the killer used his tongue to seal the letter?”
“Before or after he was dead?” Jo asked.
“Actually, he used his sweat.” Kevin turned to face them. “So, I don’t know if that helps, but it’s something.”
“A dead end, just like the killer wanted it to be,” said Jo.
Jake was losing his patience. “That’s great. Now let’s see what the letter says.”
Kevin nodded. “I saved that part for you.” He walked them over to the folded letter which was sealed in plastic. “I’ll get a new pair of gloves, and we’ll unfold it and put it in this.” He grabbed another evidence bag. “Can’t be too careful.”
Jake tapped his foot as he watched Kevin take the letter from the one envelope, unfold it, and slide it into the other bag for protective handling. “Okay,” he said, sealing the bag. “Now, it’s ready for you.”
Jake let out a deep breath and began to read aloud.
“Dear Detective Thomas. This is not a confession, and you won’t find my ident
ity mentioned within. And unlike my method of killing, this is not a game. It is my understanding that you are leaving the force soon, but I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage you to leave now. As you can see, there is a wave of change happening, a necessary cleansing of the local city justice system that you know has long been needed.” Jake glanced up at Jo and O’Connor, who both had hard looks in their eyes.
“I only warn you because you are one of the good guys. While some see you as a hard ass, I know you have only the best intentions. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help you sleep at night, and while the injustice in the city has had its effects on you right down to your eating habits, I’m afraid that what’s to come will only make it worse. Get out while you can. It will only get worse before it gets better. An eye for an eye, The Hangman.”
Silence followed his reading, and he placed the letter back on the desk. “Well. That was strange.”
O’Connor frowned. “Sounds to me like someone knows you pretty well. They care about you.”
“Or they feel they owe me a favor,” said Jake, not liking the conclusions that O’Connor was jumping to. “Jo, get us a photo of the letter. I want to analyze every syllable.”
“I think you need to start analyzing the people in your life,” the chief said. “Someone you know is killing people, and it sounds to me like they’re doing it to please you.”
“None of this pleases me, Chief. And I can honestly say I have no friends.”
“Well, you’re sure anxious to prove that. You leaving the force is just what this killer wants, and you’re giving it to him. If that’s not a reason to stay, I don’t know what is.” He turned and stormed away.
Kevin cleared this throat. “The person knows your habits. If he’s not a friend, then he’s followed you.”
“Yeah,” said Jake. “It seems so.”
“Be careful, man.” Kevin took the letter after Jo snapped a few photos of it and walked away.
Jake turned to leave, and Jo was right behind him. “Wait up,” she said as he walked back into the hall. Jake wasn’t in any mood to talk. He couldn’t believe that the killer had made him sound like a friend.
Jo finally caught up and grabbed his arm to pull him to a stop. “Hey, we need to talk about this, Jake. There’s someone out there that knows your views on the justice system around here, your eating and sleep habits, and how much time you have left with the force. This is someone close. Maybe someone in the department.”
“It doesn’t have to mean they are close to me, though. Like a friend.”
“You’re in denial. They care about you. They wanted to warn you.”
“No, I’m not in denial, and no one gives two shits about me. I know that someone has been watching me, Jo, but O’Connor thinks this person knows me like I’m in on it. That’s not what this is. There has to be some explanation for why they know so much.”
“I’m sure O’Connor knows that.”
“I just don’t like the light it’s putting me in, okay?” Jake didn’t think that would be hard to understand. “And spilling my secrets, my personal issues? What the fuck? How does this asshole know all of that?”
Jo searched his eyes. “You really have trouble sleeping? I thought that was just a figure of speech.”
“Yes, and I eat at the diner because I can’t stand to go anywhere else or be around other people knowing I can’t do shit to stop the horrible crap happening in the city.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Save me the pity,” he said while walking away. “It’s why I keep that shit to myself.” He made it all the way back to the station and into the hall before she caught up with him again and gave her response.
“I don’t pity you. But I do think you should talk to someone about that.”
“Great,” said Jake. “Just what I need. To have my head examined and be analyzed by some judgmental asshole. No thanks. Let’s drop it and move on to something else please.”
“The killer knows you have a problem with the corruption and that you’re one of the good guys, so that’s where you start. How could someone know that? You don’t exactly go around making it known you take issue with anyone, do you?”
“Wouldn’t that make this a hell of a lot easier if I did? No. Sam knows, the chief, and you. And that’s only because I’ve talked about leaving with you all since you showed up.”
“Sam didn’t know. That’s why he was upset with you.” Jake could tell that she was putting it all together in her head. He wanted to get to his office, make a copy of her photos on the computer, and go the fuck home before the conversation went any further. He stepped up his pace.
But Jo kept up. “You talked about it at the diner. Do you talk to anyone else there?”
“Just Ruth Anne, mostly. And unless she’s living a double life, I highly doubt she’s involved.” He took a deep breath. “It could be anyone who has overheard me talking about it or someone who has followed me and watched or listened in. I’ve always had people say hello in passing, but let’s face it, I’m not that approachable.” He made it to his door and unlocked it.
“Something tells me neither is our killer. But you read what he said. This is a cleansing, and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m sticking to the plan. Why should I let this asshole dictate how much longer I stay? In fact, nothing is making me want to stay on more than the killer wanting me not to.”
“Well, if I’d known all it would take to accomplish that was a little reverse psychology, I’d have done that already.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.” He was still leaving as planned.
Chapter 17
Jake
Jake showed up for work to find Jo already hard at it again. She had beaten him in once more, and this time, he had even eaten his breakfast on the road to try and beat her. “You’re making me look like a slacker, showing up here so early.”
“Sorry, that’s not my intention,” she said, looking up from the desk. “I just thought that we should go over this note again.”
He went around his desk and sat in the chair across the room. “Let’s see it.”
“I’ll pull it up. I want to write it on a piece of paper. My photograph wasn’t the best for reading it at home.” Jo took a notebook from her box, an empty spiral, and turned to the first page. “Let’s dissect this thing.”
“Wait, I’m more interested in something else. We now know that the cleansing is not only the judicial system but cops too. What were his exact words?” He pointed to Jo’s phone, and she quickly went to work on pulling the letter up larger on the screen. “Justice system.”
“So, this is someone who feels slighted by the justice system as a whole. Not only local government, or cops, but both, as we’ve seen. And we both know that these victims are chosen because of who and what they are. A cop and a prosecutor. Our first instincts are right. The killer had something personal with them, but what?”
“And we know that the person did excessive damage to the victims, which would show passion, which in this case, would mean revenge.”
“So, now we just need to know why our boy would want revenge. Since the evidence isn’t talking much, let’s go find someone who will.”
Jo’s head popped up from the spiral where she had begun to write the letter out word by word. “You have a suspect?”
“No, I have an informant.”
“Does this informant run in the same circles as our victims? Are we talking to cops? Lawyers?”
That would have been much easier. “Not exactly. Scratch is my man on the street, so to speak. A quiet observer.”
“Scratch? Please tell me he’s not a cat.” Jo gave him a sideward look.
“No, but apparently, one clawed out his eye when he was a kid. So, try not to stare at his eye. He hates that, and he hates cops.”
“How did you meet him?” She narrowed her eyes as she glanced up at him. Then she turned her atten
tion back to the page in front of her where she continued copying the letter.
“For some reason, he trusts me. I was good to his sister when she got beat up about three years ago. I got her the help she needed, and he’s been thankful since.” Jake hoped Scratch wouldn’t be too freaked out by Jo. He needed the two to meet for when he was no longer around.
“So,” she said, finishing the last word of the letter. “Let’s go see him. This will wait.” She got up and grabbed her badge, which she’d left on the table.
“Wait, there’s something you should know about Scratch. He’s a little paranoid and kind of crazy.”
“What? You’re going to depend on the word of a crazy man?”
“You’ll see what I mean.” He didn’t think he had enough time to explain everything, but she’d see soon enough. “Let’s go.”
They left the office, and Jake made sure to lock it up behind them. As they walked through the station on their way to the front door, he couldn’t help but notice Dannie leaning over the counter talking to the rookie, Lang. She seemed to be doing a good job of mourning the cop while getting the attention that Jake had a feeling she craved more than any steady relationship.
He also didn’t miss Jo shaking her head. “Is it me, or is she milking what happened for her benefit?”
“Yeah. Let’s hope Sam stays clear of her.” He remembered Lang’s insensitive remarks.
“He can do better.”
They went to his car, and after driving across town and passing the scene of the last crime, he pulled up at an older apartment unit where he expected to see Scratch hanging out on the stairs to his unit. That was where Jake had usually found the man.
“Looks like we’ll have to go up,” he said.
Jo looked nervous but opened her car door and stepped out before Jake could even kill the engine. “Look, you need to wait up. I don’t want you spooking Scratch. He’s got PTSD, and he’s a bit unpredictable.”
“You said he was crazy, not that he had a disorder. They are two different things.”