Vile: The Faces of Evil Series: Book 8

by Debra Webb

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Corlew muttered.

  Since Jess hadn’t been able to talk to him last night, he’d come to Scottsboro this morning. Until now, they hadn’t had a moment to themselves.

  Sylvia was assisting the Jackson County coroner. The Bureau had put in a request for a forensic anthropologist to help with the identifications. Wallets had been buried with most of the remains, but not all. Identifying those victims would be far more complicated and well beyond Jess’s pay grade. Even the remains with IDs would need confirmation. Closing this case would be a massive undertaking. It would take weeks if not months.

  “Some go back decades.” The ominous feeling that had been simmering deep inside her was edging closer to the surface. “We have victims whose driver’s license expired in the 90s and since, but plenty more are from the 80s and earlier.”

  “You think it was the old woman. The victim found in the house?”

  “Margaret?” Jess shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe it was her father. According to a family friend, Margaret’s father went to great lengths to keep men away from his daughter. I suppose Amanda’s father could have been involved. He may even be one of the victims.”

  “You think the more recent ones are victims of Amanda.”

  “Possibly. Until we find her or some evidence that connects her to the murders, we can’t say. There were traces of skin under the boyfriend’s nails and we found cigarette butts we believe the killer left behind. Once we have her DNA for comparison, we can make that call.”

  “Why not use the kid’s DNA?”

  “That may turn out to be our only choice.” Jess wanted to keep that little girl as far away from all this as possible. At some point, if they didn’t find Amanda, Jess’s hands would be tied and Maddie’s DNA would need to be used. It wasn’t such a big deal. A quick mouth swab, but it just felt wrong.

  Corlew scanned the goings-on around them. “Is this what you wanted to talk about? I tried to call you last night. When I saw the news I figured last night was not a good time.”

  “Let’s sit in your car.” She didn’t want anyone to see or hear what she was about to do. She was breaking more than one law. She’d pushed a few boundaries in the past, but she’d never crossed the line. This was something she’d had to do.

  She settled into the passenger seat of Corlew’s car and waited for him to get behind the wheel. The windows were illegally tinted so she wasn’t worried about anyone seeing what she was about to do.

  Reaching into her bag, she removed the photo she’d taken from the house and passed it to Corlew. “That’s my father.”

  He studied the guy in the photo. “Yeah. I’ve seen photos of him before.” He turned to Jess. “What’s the big deal about this one?”

  “I found it here. In the house.”

  His gaze narrowed. “You found this” he held up the bag “here?”

  She nodded.

  He hissed a few choice words. “You know what you’re doing, Jess?”

  She nodded again.

  He shrugged. “Okay, so these people somehow knew your father.”

  “I found the photo in a metal box hidden under the floorboards. Most of the other photos match the victims we’ve identified so far from their DMV photos.”

  Corlew took a second to digest the information before speaking. “He’s not one of those unidentified victims out there, Jess. He and your mother died in that car crash. That I can confirm.”

  “A car crash that happened here…” Jess struggled to get air into her lungs. “In this county. Why is that, Buddy? Until I found that photo, I thought maybe it was a coincidence. They were visiting a friend or on a drive to nowhere in particular. But now I know better.”

  “We might never figure out why your parents were on that road in this county, but we know they were and we know that’s where they died.”

  Jess snatched the photo back from him. “Then how did this get into that metal box in this house?”

  “You showed me that wall. She’s been watching you. Hell, Spears is digging up everything he can find on you. He may have found the photo and had it sent to this Amanda woman.”

  “The photo is old,” Jess argued.

  “Photos can be made to look old. You know that,” Corlew argued. “Hell, the right geek can do anything with Photoshop. And didn’t you tell me Spears visited Wanda and she showed him family photos? Maybe he took one of those when she wasn’t looking?”

  “What about that tree?” Jess tapped the photo again. “I believe this was taken right here in this yard.”

  “You think this is the only farm in north Alabama with an oak tree on it? It could’ve been taken anywhere.”

  So maybe she was overreacting. Spears could have taken one of her aunt’s photos. Maybe. “I’m just not ready to put this on Spears. If he wanted me to see this photo, why not put it on the wall with all the others? This was hidden.”

  “He knows you, kid.” Corlew lifted her chin and made her look at him. “He knew you’d keep looking for some clue as to who and what these people are. He likes the game. This is part of the fun for him. That’s why you got the spray painted message on the car and the photo in the box. He’s taunting you.”

  Corlew was right about that. “I think we have a family of murderers here. It’s rare but not unheard of. Amanda may be one of Spears’s groupies. He may have used her the way he did Richard Ellis and the Man in the Moon. But this…” Jess stared at the photo. “He’s getting to me, Buddy.” She met her old friend’s gaze. “I can’t trust myself to make the right decisions anymore.”

  He squeezed her hand. “The first thing you’re going to do is turn that photo over as evidence. Then, you and your team will figure out this case, the same way you have all the others. You’re too good to end up a screw-up like me, kid. Take my advice. Don’t go down that path.”

  Jess leaned across the console and hugged him. Mostly to cover the tears she was struggling not to shed.

  He patted her on the back. “You know this is going to start some serious rumors. I saw Gina Coleman strutting around out there.”

  Jess drew back, swiped away the damned tears. “She’s my friend. She’s trying to help figure out what’s going on with Dan, too.”

  “Speaking of which, how’s Danny boy taking the news about her sexual preference?”

  Jess rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a shit, Corlew.”

  He held his hands up. “So shoot me. It’s a guy question.” He shrugged. “She’s still hot. Even if she is a lesbian.”

  The man was incorrigible. “Tell me what you’ve found—if anything. Did your arrest sever your connection with your source inside the BPD?”

  “We had to cool it for a bit but we’re good to go.”

  “You never said who your source is.”

  Buddy shook his head. “You don’t need to know, Jess. Leave it at that.”

  She heaved a big sigh. “When I was working on the Five case, you alleged there were things in Dan’s past I didn’t know about. That he’d done some things in his capacity as chief that were wrong.” It hurt to even say those words out loud. Corlew had to be mistaken about Dan. He would never do anything to harm anyone who didn’t deserve it.

  “You sure you want to hear this?”

  Jess felt sick. “Yes.”

  “There were three cases while I was still a detective that I am certain Dan was somehow involved in the fix.”

  Jess shook her head. “That’s impossible.”

  “Truth is,” Corlew laughed, “I want to believe that too.”

  “Of course you do.” He’d made her angry now. “If this is about your high school rivalry, I’m never speaking to you again, Corlew.” How could she have hugged him just a few minutes ago?

  “I’m serious, Jessie Lee.”

  She searched his face for any indication he was yanking her chain and found none. So maybe he was serious. “Explain.”

  He braced his hands on the steering wheel. Back in high sch
ool he’d driven a Harley. He’d been the coolest guy on either side of the tracks. Jess couldn’t deny having been a little infatuated with him… until she met Dan. Now Corlew was a hotshot PI. She was counting on him to help her prove Dan was innocent.

  “I’ve been crossing lines my whole life, Jess. I’ve even done a few things I won’t admit to you or anyone else. Hell, it was the only way to survive. You know how it was growing up where we grew up.”

  She did, but she didn’t say anything. She let him talk.

  “A guy like me does what he has to do by hook or crook. Whatever it takes. I bust heads, carryout a little blackmail, tell a few lies, and hate the goody-two-shoes guys who are so clean they squeak when they walk. All that said, even I understand there has to be a few real heroes in this screwed up world. The kind of guy who stands for right and who never crosses too far over any line. The kind that bears the burden of guys like me.” He heaved a big sigh. “No matter how much I’ve disliked Dan, I’d always seen him as one of the good guys until a few years ago. When I was kicked off the force, the idea that he was one of the bad guys was a big letdown. If Danny boy could be one of the bad guys, then no one could be trusted.”

  Jess sensed the truth in his words. This was the first time she’d ever seen this side of Corlew—the vulnerable guy under that macho façade.

  “Now, I have reason to believe that Dan had nothing to do with what happened back then. I think it was a set up. You know, the kind those in power put in place to hedge their bets in case they need to keep you in line in the future.”

  “You think Pratt arranged for Dan’s hands to look dirty just in case he ever had to get him under control.”

  Corlew nodded. “They groomed Dan for this position for years. Helped make him the most popular chief of police Birmingham has ever seen. The people love him. Their love and respect for Dan makes him powerful. Pratt and his pals knew that would be the case so they built in a safety net. Only they didn’t count on one thing.”

  Jess smiled. “They underestimated his sense of integrity.”

  “Yep.” Corlew laughed. “They didn’t count on Danny boy being the real deal. He won’t sacrifice his principles for anything except maybe you.”

  And their child.

  “Can you prove he’s innocent?”

  Corlew sent her a sideways look. “Have you forgotten who you’re talking to, kid? I will bust heads and squeeze every source I’ve got until I get what I need to do exactly that. Enough said.”

  Jess’s hand trembled this time as she squeezed his arm. “Thank you.” A rap on her window made her jump. She tucked the photo back into her bag as Corlew powered down the window.

  Lori grimaced. “Sorry to interrupt.”

  Corlew wagged his eyebrows at her. “Detective, you can interrupt me any time day or night.”

  Jess shot him a look. “Thanks for stopping by, Corlew.”

  He held up his hands. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

  Jess got out of his car and watched her friend go. She hoped like hell he could pull this off. Dan’s face had been all over the news this morning. Dority’s testimony was damning. If Corlew could prove someone in the department was setting Dan up in the Allen case, maybe the same could be established about Dority’s allegations.

  “They’re organizing the remains for removal,” Lori explained. “I thought you’d want to oversee those efforts.”

  “Thanks.” Jess retrieved the photo and handed it to Lori. “This needs to be logged into evidence.”

  Lori accepted the evidence bag. “This is the photo from the metal box?”

  Jess took a deep breath. “Yes. The man’s name is Lee Harris. He was my father.”

  Lori nodded. “Okay.” She hesitated. “You sure about this?”

  “As sure as I’ll ever be.” Jess gasped as she reached for Lori’s left hand to have a look at her ring finger. “What’s this?” How had she missed this glittering rock?

  Lori grinned. “Chet proposed last night.”

  “That’s great.” Jess squeezed her hand before letting go. “Really great.” How ironic that just a few weeks ago both she and Lori would have insisted that marriage was not even a bleep on their radars. “I guess Dan wasn’t the only one with nuptials on his mind last night.”

  “The chief proposed?” Lori feigned surprise. “Did you say yes?”

  “Like you’re shocked.” Jess shook her head. “He suggested we elope and I insisted we not do anything hasty. I did say I’d think about it though.”

  Lori shook her head adamantly from side to side. “No way. I need someone to commiserate with when the wedding planning starts. Isn’t Dan’s family Catholic?”

  Jess waved her hands back and forth as if she could erase the subject. “No more talk about weddings.” What she needed was something to calm her churning stomach. A Coke or even a Pepsi would do at this point. “Where’s Lieutenant Hayes?”

  “He’s… ah… working with Dr. Baron.” Lori cleared her throat and focused her attention on the evidence bag.

  What was that all about? “Is something up with Hayes?”

  “He wasn’t interviewing neighbors yesterday, he was following us,” she blurted, the hurt that went with that confession visible in her eyes. “I wasn’t going to say anything but the more I think about it, the angrier I get. You told him to stay here and work with Harper and Cook, but he blew them off and followed us.” Lori looked away as she lost control of her emotions. “He was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to protect you if the need arose.” She shrugged. “Maybe he’s right and that’s what I’m mad about.”

  Jess barely restrained a rush of outrage. “Take care of that evidence. I’ll speak to Hayes.”

  As she marched around the open graves, Jess was glad she’d made this another blue jeans and sneakers day. Though the ground was dry, there was still a lot of digging and climbing about in the dirt to be done. There was no reason they shouldn’t all be comfortable. The only suits lurking around were the two agents, one of whom was Todd Manning from the Birmingham Field Office.

  Then there was Clint Hayes who stood out like a model from a more mature Abercrombie ad. He might look like the perfect guy on the outside with his expensive clothes and his handsome face, but as detectives went he had a lot to learn. His ego kept getting in the way of his good sense.

  “Lieutenant, I need a moment,” she announced as she came alongside him.

  Hayes gave her a nod and then followed her to the barn. So far, no unmarked graves in there, which assured it would be empty. When they were deep enough inside the gloomy structure to avoid being seen or heard, she turned on him.

  “We need to get a few things straight.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “You have my undivided attention, Chief.”

  “As I told you yesterday, SPU is a team.” She took a moment to get her temper under control. “On this team, there is only one rank that matters and that’s mine. Everyone else is equal regardless of pay grade. But,” she warned, “if I’m forced to select my second in command it will be Sergeant Harper, not you. I would suggest you not push me to make that choice since you’re still on probation. I am inordinately unhappy to discover that you not only disobeyed orders yesterday, you lied to me. You weren’t interviewing neighbors, you were following me.”

  “I did what I had to do to ensure you stayed safe,” he argued with absolutely no repentance. “Harper told you, didn’t he?” Before Jess could answer, Hayes held up his hands. “No, wait. It was Wells. She shared their pillow talk with you and now I’m busted.”

  The man just didn’t know when to shut up. “Do you think I’m blind, Lieutenant?” There was no holding back her ire now. “Or perhaps you think I’m not as smart as you are because I’m a woman and I don’t have a law degree.”

  “You’re putting words in my mouth, Chief. I’d be a fool not to recognize your intelligence level as well as the caliber of cop you are.”

  “Then there must be something els
e making you act like a fool, Lieutenant, because that’s exactly how you’re behaving. Foolhardy. That will not keep you on this team. There’s no place for grandstanding on my team.”

  “You’re overreacting. I followed my instincts. I took a risk. Don’t tell me you’ve never taken one. Or opted not to trust someone you should have.”

  Did the man have no concept of when he should shut up? “Are you under the mistaken assumption the secret you figured out somehow gives you an advantage over the others?”

  “Again,” he pointed out in that arrogant manner only those trained to be an attorney could pull off, “you’re putting words in my mouth.”

  He wasn’t taking this or her seriously. “You’re done for the day, Lieutenant.”

  “Hold on a minute, Chief.”

  “You hold on a minute,” she cautioned. “At this particular minute I am madder than hell. I’m trying to give you the opportunity to let me cool off before I write you up for disobeying orders and insubordination.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “We’ll talk when I’m back at the office. Now, go, Lieutenant, before I show you what it looks like when I really do overreact.”

  As her newest detective walked away, Jess did some slow, deep breathing in an effort to calm down.

  Everything was unraveling way too fast. For the first time in her life, she was almost afraid to even think what would happen next.

  “Don’t borrow trouble, Jess.”

  21

  Birmingham Police Department, 5:00 p.m.

  Dan stood at the window overlooking the city he loved. He should call Jess and warn her about the latest charge against him. He hated like hell to give her anything else to worry about. She had more than enough on her plate already. This one would really get to her. She would probably be required to give a statement.

  Lieutenant Valerie Prescott had filed an EEO complaint against him related to her transfer from SPU. In retrospect, Dan fully understood he hadn’t handled her reassignment as diplomatically as he would have had he not been operating on emotion. Jess had warned him there could be trouble over his rash decision.