Ripped in Red

by Cynthia Hickey

  “After her, MacKenzie,” Ingram called out. “You are her shadow until these killers are caught.”

  The crashing of the brush told Cassidy that Colin followed without her having to look back. She’d thought she’d spotted a flash of blue. The snap of a twig ahead of her spurred her on.

  Another flash of blue.

  She ran faster, catching sight of the back of a man’s head. “Stop! Police!”

  The man didn’t pause, instead, firing a wild shot over his shoulder.

  Cassidy dropped to the forest floor and aimed. Her shot missed. By the time Colin pulled her to her feet, the man was gone. “After him.” She raced away.

  The man seemed to have disappeared into thin air. The only evidence he had been there were a few broken branches and her sighting. She groaned.

  “He’s always at the scene,” she said. “I know that now.”

  “Unfortunately, all we need is another body in order to prove that fact.” Colin turned to head back to the crime scene. “We’ll catch him. We can set a trap.”

  “He’s been free for ten years.” She glared up at him. “What makes you think we’ll succeed this time?”

  He grinned. “Because ten years ago, you weren’t out to get him.”

  She snorted and ducked her head to hide her smile. The man had a way with words.

  “That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” Ingram confronted her the moment she stepped from the trees. “What part of don’t go anywhere alone do you not understand?”

  “I saw an opportunity and took it.” She put the safety on her gun and re-holstered it. “That’s what we do.”

  “Not anymore. You’re valuable to this case. We need you to draw this guy out of the woodwork.”

  “I’m not going to be bait, Agent.” She shook her head and climbed back to the road to retrieve her case so she could photograph the scene. She’d had the same thought herself, and had decided against it. She’d rather the perp came to her.

  Bait. Ha! She’d find this freak and take him down. That was a promise she would do everything in her power to fulfill.

  ~

  Colin had acted immediately when Cassidy ran into the trees. He hadn’t needed Ingram’s order. He’d been given the tasks of keeping her safe and catching a killer. Both things which he took very seriously. He might joke and flirt, but bringing this perp to justice before more lives were lost, was top priority.

  Since the accidental shooting of an innocent bystander two years ago, Colin took every aspect of his job seriously. Too much, sometimes. In fact, he lost sleep over it more times than not.

  He strolled slowly around the crime scene. “Cassidy. Here’s a footprint. Looks like a woman’s size nine.”

  “You know that by looking?”

  “Experience.” He squatted next to the print. “The same woman as beside Samantha Meyers, maybe?”

  “We didn’t find any prints there.” She snapped a photograph. “This man is not pretty by any means.”

  He shrugged. “I still say it’s the same perp. Why else would someone watch here, same as the second murder? This man got in the way somehow.”

  Cassidy stood. “Perhaps. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions.”

  “Are you acting this way because I’ll be living with you?” He couldn’t think of another reason for the cold shoulder or short answers.

  She whirled. “I’m not helpless. I don’t need a bodyguard or a live in nanny. But, no, I’m not acting in any particular way because of that.”

  “Hogswallow.”

  “Excuse me?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “That’s a load of bull. You’re mad and acting like a child because you can’t have things your way for a while.” He smirked and headed for the car.

  “Trouble in paradise?” Ingram grinned.

  “It’s your fault. You should be the one living with Miss Prickles.” Colin slid into the driver’s seat.

  While he waited, he ran through his mind what they knew as facts. Three different murders, three different methods. Two were lured with modeling advertisements. The third did not fit the same MO as the girls. The authorities were dealing with a man and a woman perp. What they didn’t know was…were the man and woman working together? Colin felt they were. The first two were killed because of their looks, the third…He rubbed his chin. Had the man known something he shouldn’t or simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? If the later, then why the meticulous skinning? That took time. They could have been caught. They would have needed a place no one would discover them or hear the man’s screams.

  Cassidy sat in the passenger seat and slammed her door. “I can see the steam coming from your ears. What are you thinking?”

  He told her his thoughts. “I know you don’t like to hear this, but I think Agent Ingram is right. We need you to draw this perp out.”

  “He’ll never fall for it. He knows who I am. If I show up looking like Barbie, he won’t make a move. What I look like won’t change his plans.”

  “I’m sure Ingram is going to want to try.”

  “Where to now? We have no leads, no suspects, no one to question.” Cassidy pounded the dashboard. “The man’s a ghost, a vapor that dissipates in the trees.”

  “He’s flesh and blood.” Colin started the engine and pulled onto the highway. “Let’s take a look at your mother’s caseboard again. There has to be something we’re missing.”

  “I’ve gone over that board a thousand times.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m new eyes, and this is a new case.”

  They drove in silence to her house. Colin exited the car first, then scanned the area while Cassidy unlocked the front door and disabled the alarm.

  Once inside, he set the alarm and followed her to the basement.

  “Someone’s been in here,” she said. “How did they get past the alarm?”

  That was something Colin intended to find out. He pressed the buttons on his phone to the security agency.

  ~

  How Draco loved her spirit! He stared at the photo in his hand. So like her mother in that regard.

  He replaced the photo in his shirt pocket, then rolled the man into the shallow ditch. No amount of security could keep him from going where he wanted. A little painful pressure and the man had squealed like the pig he was and revealed the alarm code.

  Why must dear Cassie think that something as simple as an alarm would keep him out? Perhaps, it was time to send her another letter. Something to relieve the fear she must feel. Surely, she knew he thought of her every single day of her life?

  If only he hadn’t rested for ten years, planning to fulfill his calling. Still, now was not the time to reveal himself. He’d been so careful, so meticulous.

  He kicked rocks over the body. The cops would start to put the pieces together soon. He needed to make sure Mary took the rap before that happened. Oh, dear, Mary, already chomping at the bit to make her next kill.

  The woman’s overzealous nature was a hindrance. One Draco would have to curb in time.

  He turned on the device in his ear and listened to the Scotsman as he combed Cassidy’s house for recording devices. A waste of time. Draco was a dragon. Powerful and invincible. No mere mortal could foil his plans. But, let the little man try. It provided entertainment.

  Draco returned to his Mercedes and headed to his luxury apartment in a nearby town. It wouldn’t do to live too close to his darling. After his disfigurement so many years ago, he’d worked hard to amass a fortune in computer software. Now, while he sought his revenge against those who looked down on the less attractive, he had no worries about money. He had all the time in the world.

  He laughed and cranked up his radio. Beethoven’s Fifth shot from the disc player. Draco drummed his fingers along with the beat and sped home. Things were about to get exciting!

  Pressing a button on his steering wheel, he sent a text to his followers.

  Delete after reading. Consequences are tough. Meeting in usual place at nine
a.m.

  Things were gonna get shaken up for sure! He turned the volume on his radio higher and increased his speed. It was a good day to be a dragon.

  7

  Cassidy stared at the spot on the case board where her mother’s picture had been. Scrawled in red sharpie was the word Dragon. Stories said dragons could be killed. She wanted to be the dragon slayer. She would bring this beast down. “I’m checking the rest of the house.”

  “There’s no answer at the security agenty.” Colin slipped his phone in his pocket. “I’m coming with you, then we’re paying a visit to my friend.”

  She nodded and headed upstairs, weapon in hand. Not that she expected to find anyone. This particular dragon came and went like a whisper.

  Her bedroom closet was closed, same as her drawers. She opened them anyway and went through the items one-by-one. “I’m missing a pair of underwear.”

  “Laundry?” Colin peered into the drawer.

  She slammed it shut. “I just did the laundry.” She definitely didn’t want him ogling her panties. “I don’t know when they went missing, only that they are. Sick pervert.” Some criminals took souvenirs, she just hadn’t expected something of hers to be valuable enough to anyone. Why was this unsub fixated on her?

  If she were to suffer the same fate as her mother, why hadn’t he come forward and made a move? Why flit in and out of her house or spy on her at crime scenes? What had the man had against Cassidy’s mother?

  She moved into the bathroom. Everything looked to be in place.

  “I’m taking the room right next to yours,” Colin said. “Anyone after you, has to pass my room first.”

  “Fine.” She still didn’t like it, but saw the need for protection with every passing minute. “Let’s go see why your friend’s security measures didn’t work.” Although locking the door seemed a waste of time, she did it on their way out anyway. The Dragon had proven he would go where he wanted. “The next stop is the pound. I’m adopting the biggest, meanest dog they have. That’s the best security.”

  Colin shrugged. “I’m the best security, but I like dogs. Instead of the pound, I know a guy who sells German Shepherds. They’re well trained to listen to commands and not to take food from anyone other than their owner. That way, they can’t be poisoned.”

  “How far?”

  “About an hour.”

  They made the drive to Colin’s security acquaintance in silence and pulled up in front of a modest bungalow. Cassidy cut the engine. “He works out of his home?”

  “Yep. Wait until you see what’s in his garage.” Colin bounded from the jeep and hurried to the front door. He knocked, then peered through the front window before trying the doorknob. The door swung open. He exchanged a grim look with Cassidy, then pulled his gun.

  “Stay behind me,” he said.

  Cassidy pulled her own weapon and walked so close to him she could smell his aftershave. Tension radiated off Colin’s back, rippling his muscles.

  They made their way through the three bedroom house, eventually ending up in a garage filled floor to ceiling with computer monitors and surveillance equipment. This was no small time security company.

  Colin moved to the monitors and typed something on one of the computers. Video of Cassidy’s house popped up. A few more buttons and the video showed a man in black punching in the security code on the keypad inside her front door. Seconds later, he headed down the basement steps, took a few minutes to study the case board, then snatched the photo and strolled out of the house as if he had all the time in the world.

  “This killer has nerves of steel.” Colin pounded the desktop. “Let’s go get that dog.”

  “What about your friend?”

  “I have no idea where to look for him. Either he’s out on an innocent errand or he’s dead. We won’t know until he answers my phone call or we find his body.” He stormed out of the house.

  Cassidy took one more look at the video feed of her house, then followed. The killer was always one step ahead of them. They needed a huge break in the case.

  “I’m sorry about your friend,” she said, sliding into the passenger seat and letting Colin drive.

  “We don’t know that anything bad has happened.” A muscle ticked in his jaw.

  Cassidy knew, deep in her gut, that the man was dead. The Dragon didn’t leave witnesses. He’d found out about the security, killed Colin’s friend, then strolled into her house as if he were an honored guest.

  Their next stop took them to a ranch in the mountains. Colin drove the jeep down a dirt road and stopped in front of an A-frame log cabin. While dogs milled around the yard, not one barked as Cassidy and Colin exited the jeep.

  A man stepped onto the porch. “Hey, Scot! This the lady that needs a protector?”

  Cassidy pasted on a smile. “A female dog, if possible.” The last thing she needed was a dog lifting its leg on everything in sight.

  “I’ve got the perfect girl for you.” He motioned for them to follow. “Her name is Rosie. She won’t bark unless you tell her to guard, then she’ll alert you the moment someone steps foot on your property. If you want her to attack, say Angriff, that’s German for attack, and motion toward the person you want a hurting put on. Say watch ‘em for her to watch. If you want any other command words, teach her. She’s a smart girl, two years old, and will catch on quick.”

  He unlocked a gate leading into a large dog run. “Take care of her and she’ll take care of you. Rosie!” A beautiful dog with straight ears, a regal head, and a prominent black saddle against a dark tan body trotted toward them.

  Cassidy held out her hand, already in love with her new best friend. “Hello, Rosie. How will she know I’m hers?”

  “The moment I clip her leash on her collar and hand it to you, she’ll know. She’ll be loyal to death, ma’am.” He clipped a bright red leash to a matching collar and handed it to Cassidy.

  The moment the dog stared up at her with trusting, wise eyes, Cassidy knew she’d do everything in her power to keep Rosie safe. “Thank you, girl. We’ll make a good team.”

  ~

  Colin couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy at Cassidy’s words. He wanted her to think of him as a good partner. What held her back? While she remained professional at all times, he often wondered why her hesitancy in opening up to him. They’d be together twenty-four seven until the silly dragon was caught.

  His cell phone rang the same time Cassidy’s did. He pulled it from his pocket and read the text. “Another body.” He’d bet his teeth it was Seth Jargon, his security friend.

  “That dog will track, too,” the trainer said. “Not much my furry children can’t do. They’re as docile as lambs until you want them to work.”

  “Great. Come on, girl. We have a job to do.” Cassidy opened the back door of the jeep for the dog, then slid back into the passenger seat.

  Colin informed Agent Ingram they were an hour out, then took his place in the driver’s seat. “Let’s see what our new partner can do.”

  Driving above the speed limit, they reached the location where the FBI agents waited in forty minutes. Colin headed into a ditch, leaving Cassidy to bring the dog.

  “A new friend?” Ingram motioned his head toward Rosie.

  “I thought it a good idea.” Colin peeled back the blanket covering the body and stared into the lifeless face of his friend. “This is Seth Jargon. He owns Secret Eyes Security. I hired him to install an alarm system in Detective Monroe’s house. A security system that the perpetrator got around, strolled in, and stole a photograph of Monroe’s mother.” He straightened. “That’s been our day.”

  “The victim died from what looks like a single gunshot to the heart. The ME can tell us more, but if it’s the same perp, he’s all over the place in his MO.”

  “The Dragon.” Cassidy led the dog around the perimeter of the body. “He calls himself The Dragon.”

  Rosie’s ears perked up, and she froze, staring into the trees.

  “Let�
��s go, Colin.” Cassidy unhooked the leash and motioned for the dog to go. Like a rocket, Rosie shot into the trees, Cassidy following at a run.

  Colin dashed after them. Just like the last time, they crashed through the brush to no avail. If anyone had been there, they disappeared, which became evident the moment Rosie stopped and looked up at Cassidy with a whine.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Cassidy who patted her on the head. “Good girl.” She reattached the leash to the collar, then turned to Colin. “I’m getting very frustrated with all this.” She stomped past him.

  “We’ll get a team out here to scour the woods. Maybe they’ll find something to help us. The man is bound to have left something behind.” Not that it would do much good to find DNA on someone not in the system. But, it would tell them they were chasing the same person responsible for the other deaths.

  “I’m going to have the locks changed on my house and change the security code. If he doesn’t have anyone to kill in order to get the needed information, it might make it harder for him to get inside.”

  “Have Rosie at your side at all times. Between me and the dog, you’ll be safe.”

  She sighed. “I’m not worried about me, Colin. I want this man caught so the murders stop.”

  She might not be worried about herself, but Colin was losing sleep at night. He couldn’t lose a partner. Between worrying about Cassidy and the nightmares that plagued him, it was a wonder he could think straight.

  They rejoined the FBI agents as the body was being loaded into an ambulance. He hadn’t known Seth well, not being in the states more than a year, but his heart lurched to see someone he’d shared beers and laughs with zipped into a black bag and stowed away. He didn’t want that to happen to Cassidy. He steeled his heart against caring too much and marched to the jeep.

  ~

  Draco looked over his group of nine. He preferred an odd number. Every form of art looked better in odd numbers. But, Harold had betrayed them. Soon, Mary would have to go, once she’d served her purpose. Then, he’d need to recruit another.

  “When will I have my turn?” Ben, a man whose face was pitted with acne scars, scowled.