by Deanna Lee
"CSU has confirmed that Orland is not a match for the DNA found on Stacey Valteau. Also, he isn't related to the individual who left his DNA on the victim."
She glanced from her food to her comm-u. “I have to go upstairs and make nice with the mayor.” Grimacing, she picked up her p-pc and trudged toward the door. At the entryway, she glanced at Abel. “You're with me."
He shot up, a soft pad in hand, and fell into step beside her. “Did you need me to take notes?"
"No, mostly I just want to you there to distract the mayor."
He laughed. “Not a problem."
"Your sister is a valuable member of this department. A lot of people respect her for both her work ethic and her dedication to a job that she is profoundly overqualified for."
"I know."
"You'd better not embarrass her."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Good.” She pushed open the door that led to the stairs. “I love the hair, the clothes, but the brow rings will have to go. They make you vulnerable to attack."
"I can take care of myself."
"I get that. Still, you don't want some hotshot perp to take a swipe at you and take those hoops with him. It would really ruin your pretty face."
"Okay."
"I also get that after years of military service where everyone looked the same, you want to look different.” She pushed open the door to the fourth floor. “The hair is an exceptional touch."
"Women seem to like it."
"No doubt.” She checked her weapon harness and grimaced. “I hate these sorts of meetings."
"I would think the mayor would be enamored with you. After all, you did take a bullet for him."
"She was wearing a vest."
Kyra groaned aloud and turned to look down the hall. The deputy mayor was sitting on a bench just down from her commander's office. “Don't you have some other city employee to harass?"
"Actually, no.” He stood and dusted off his pants. “The mayor requested my input."
"Have you ever taken a bullet with a vest on?” Abel asked Deller softly.
Both turned to look at Abel, who was staring intently at Deller. “No."
"So, what you're saying is that it was no big deal to stand in front of a man with an RPG Ranger weapon that expels an electrically charged bullet at eight thousand feet per second. That if you'd been wearing a vest, you would have done it instead of cowering behind the mayor and, in turn, Inspector Moray like a twelve-year-old girl?"
Deller's face went red and he turned to Kyra. “Who the hell is this?"
"He's mine, and none of your business.” She smiled. “After you, Mr. Deller."
The mayor was sitting in a chair in front of the commander's desk, and they both looked tense and sad. That wasn't a comforting image. She preferred to see the commander righteous and the mayor fumbling. Seeing them off stride reminded her that the case wasn't just her case.
She sat down and watched Abel pull a chair slightly back from her and sit as well, indicating that he wasn't a participating member of the meeting. She heard the telltale click of his recorder engaging.
"Our operation last night was less than successful."
"You were fortunate to have a proactive victim who thought smart and tried.” The commander cleared his throat. “How is Ms. James?"
"As well as can be expected. I'm sure you have a copy of her medical exam. We were able to gather DNA from her rape kit and now know without a doubt that Stacey Valteau is a victim of the Waterman."
"Good.” Ethan nodded. “I want a tight and concise case against him once we get him into custody."
"If she ever manages to get him into custody."
Kyra flinched and glanced just once at Deller. He brought out the worst in her, and she was determined this time around not to lose her cool. “When I catch Aaron Belton, the case will be impeccable and unbeatable."
"I realize that you are doing your level best to capture this killer, and the recent development will only fuel that effort.” The mayor put his hands together. “What can the mayor's office do to help you, Inspector?"
"We have a good and cooperative police force in the city. All districts are circulating the available pictures of the killer and actively looking for him. We couldn't hope for more. While I fully agree that we don't want the people of New Orleans afraid, it would be good if the people heard from your office on the matter of the killer."
"The mayor is not going to...” Deller began, only to be cut off by the mayor's raised hand.
"What should I say?"
"You can get the information we're releasing to the public through our press office,” Baker said. “It would be best if we all basically said the same thing. A united front will look better for the people.” He looked at Abel, then raised an eyebrow at Kyra.
"This is Abel Joshua, my admin."
Baker nodded. “Good. You need one.” He glanced once more at Abel and then looked at Deller. “Lloyd, you look like you're going to burst."
"Her personal interest in the case should warrant her removal."
"What exactly is your problem with Inspector Moray?” Commander Baker demanded coolly. “She has served this city with distinction since the day she was issued a badge. Her record is clean and her work above reproach."
"She's arrogant and presents an inappropriate image for the city of New Orleans.” Deller brushed imaginary dust of his suit jacket as he looked at her, disapproval and disgust evident on his face.
Kyra shrugged when her commander looked at her. “I am arrogant."
"Mr. Deller, I'm at a loss as to the inappropriate image that the inspector is presenting. She's a top-notch investigator."
"Everyone knows she's a lesbian."
The commander's mouth dropped open briefly as he looked at Kyra, who was staring at Deller with murder in her eye. “Inspector Moray's sexual preferences are none of your business and have no bearing on the performance of her job."
"She's a prime example of the moral degradation of this city, and celebrating her exploits is obscene,” Deller persisted.
Lloyd Deller was a member of the Moral Majority. It was a well-known and ridiculous organization dedicated to destroying the sexual rights of everyone in America who wasn't heterosexual and dating a member of their own race. They wanted a country full of people who didn't drink, didn't fuck, and didn't even think about doing either. It had been, in fact, his membership in the organization that got him the job. The mayor had been trying to secure the vote of the backward and uneducated. It had worked.
"Actually, Mr. Deller, I'm not homosexual.” She leaned back in her chair. “I'm having a flaming sexual affair with a black man who owns a bar in the Quarter. However, if it would make you feel better, I can speak with my lover; we might be able to mix a woman into our future sexual adventures.” She stood and looked at Abel, who also stood. “Good afternoon."
Abel was silent as they walked toward the stairs, and blew air out as he opened the door. “The flaming part was a stroke of genius."
"You keep that bastard away from me."
"Yes, ma'am."
Kyra allowed herself the simple pleasure of muttering under her breath and stomping as she moved down to the first floor of the building. “I can't believe people like that still exist. He's a caveman."
"Society has come a long way. At least marriage between homosexuals is a right guaranteed and protected by the Constitution. You know it didn't use to be."
"We eradicated AIDS, influenza, and Ebola, but we can't get rid of the idiots?” Kyra summed up as she opened the door.
"Pretty much.” Abel grinned. “Still, there is hope."
"It makes me regret anti-aging vaccines. Not only will those idiots live longer, but I'll live long enough to see their grandchildren spawn."
"That's modern advancement for you."
"Yeah.” Kyra grunted and exited the stairwell. Some modern advancement, her vehicle didn't even come with a hover system as a standard feature. “Do some
research and find a hover system that will support my vehicle."
"Sure thing. Got a preference?"
"Yeah, I want to be able to ride around like a bat out of hell."
* * * *
Billy Joe was in her office when they returned. A plastic bag from his shop was in the middle of her desk. “Hope you didn't expect me to gift wrap it."
Kyra chuckled and sat down at her desk. She motioned to a guest chair that she knew hadn't been there when she'd left for her meeting. “Take a seat."
"I guess I'm stepping up in the eyes of the NOPD if I don't have to sit in an interrogation room.” Billy Joe sat down and looked at her expectantly. “My wife is chomping at the bit to know why I'm spending so much time down here."
"There is no reason to lie."
"She don't know about the NSM.” He crossed his arms over the chest. “Well, she don't know I belonged to it. My Elaine is plenty opinionated about people who don't work to make change. Thinks all those antigovernment groups were counterproductive. I can't have her thinking I'm counterproductive."
"That would be a shame.” Kyra put the vest into a desk drawer and met his gaze. “I'll wear the leather for my next press conference. Maybe she'll forget about you coming down here so much."
"Maybe."
"Orland Frees."
Billy Joe whistled. “Now ain't that a name from long ago."
"Tell me about him."
"He was a dynamic and passionate man when he was young."
"He led the NSM,” Kyra prompted
"Yes, founded it, led it, and eventually saw the end of it. He turned about twenty members over to the government for terrorist acts shortly after I left."
"You were never involved in the movement's more violent activities?"
"Lord, no. Didn't know enough about weapons and bombs to suit them. Which was just fine with me. Didn't want any part in killing someone."
"Would you know him if you saw him?"
"Think so."
She stood and jerked her head at Ana, who hopped up. “Let's take a walk, shall we?"
"He ain't gonna see me, right?"
"Right.” Kyra led Billy Joe into the observation deck. Orland was sitting at the table in the interrogation room, eating. “Is that Orland Frees?"
Billy was silent for a minute. “Yeah, yeah. That's him."
"What was Orland Frees's relationship with the Belton family?"
"Well, now, it would depend on who was saying it.” Billy Joe rocked on his feet. “Jake and Orland were friends for a long time, but then shortly before Orland turned all those boys into the FBI, they had a big fight. Don't know what over, but most assumed it was over Nera."
"Jake's wife."
"Yeah, Orland had himself quite a boner for Nera Belton."
Kyra laughed and bit down on her lip when Billy Joe blushed.
"Didn't mean to say that.” He pursed his lips and looked pointedly at Orland.
"It's all right. I've certainly heard worse. Did Nera return this attraction?"
"Sure enough. He might not be much to look at now, but twenty years ago he turned a woman's head when he wanted.” Billy Joe moved closer to the window. “Jake was a whoring son of a bitch, as you know. I wouldn't be surprised if Orland didn't manage to do a lot more than just turn Nera's head. A woman like that would want some sort of revenge."
"Would you have said that Orland was in love with Nera?"
"'Obsessed’ would be the word."
"Obsessed enough to help her hide after she murdered her husband?"
"Sure, he might have even helped, given the chance."
Kyra nodded and turned to Ana. “Constable Salanti will see you out. Thank you."
"No problem."
If Orland Frees had been involved with Nera Belton, it made sense that he would protect her son. She left the observation deck and went into the interrogation room as a uniformed officer removed Orland's meal.
Kyra sat down and set her p-pc on the table in front of her. The results from their first session were in, and as she'd known already, the techs monitoring his physical responses believed him to be lying about his knowledge concerning Aaron Belton.
"You should know that the technicians assigned to monitoring you during our questioning have made several definite determinations."
"So?"
"You're lying to me. I've added to appropriate charges to your file."
"Only lies pertaining to my own crime can be held against me."
"You know that Aaron Belton is alive. You harbored him as a child and continue to aid him as an adult. Your prints are all over his shack and the trophies he took. I've tested your DNA, and you aren't related to him, so I'm left wondering why you'd help him. Were you fucking his mother or his father?"
"I want a lawyer."
"You're certainly going to need one.” Kyra stood. “I'll send in a processing team to read the charges to you. You'd best pay attention. It's not every day that a man is charged with serial sexual homicide."
"I ain't got nothing to do with killing those women!"
"That's not how I see it. That's not how the DA will see it."
* * * *
"Why not confront him with what you know about his relationship with Nera?” Ana watched through the observation window as Orland was processed.
Kyra shook her head. “A man like him wants to be the one to give the information. Right now, he's pulling at threads trying to find a way out of this mess. As soon as he realizes that my way is the only way out, he'll tell me everything I want to know."
"We still haven't gotten a hit on the last tattoo. He made a transmission to the state office of the FBI."
"He thinks they'll protect him, and they might try. After all, he was the star witness in one of their biggest prosecution cases in the antigovernment movement. He helped them make a mighty and righteous statement."
"And if they try?"
"I'd love to chew on an FBI agent."
"Looks like you have your chance."
Kyra glanced over her shoulder and sighed. “Lehman."
"My superior wants you to release Orland Frees to me for transfer to Arlington.” Agent Lehman shut the door to the observation deck and waited for the world to explode.
"Not in a million years,” Kyra responded dryly.
"I told him so."
"Tell him I said so.” She looked back to her only connection with Aaron Belton and nodded grimly. “They don't get him until I get Aaron."
"You might get some heat,” Lehman warned.
"They don't want to mess with me."
"They might not want to, but they will. The FBI made Orland Frees a national hero during that trial. The Bureau won't look kindly on you sullying that by connecting him with a serial killer."
"The Bureau can take that up with Orland,” Kyra snapped.
Chapter Twenty
"I shouldn't be out like this with you."
Samuel smiled. “I know you don't believe that crap from the news. It's a mistake, you'll see.” He tugged on her hand, and she glanced over her shoulder.
"Okay, but just a few minutes. Then I have to get back to work.” She released the door and the locks clicked soundly. “I have a lot of transactions to process."
"Don't worry about them."
* * * *
Willa Rose was dead. She'd been foolish, and no one would say otherwise. It was a poor way to be remembered, but it was the way she'd be viewed. Kyra pushed blonde hair from Willa's face with a gloved hand. “She looks a great deal like Donna LaRoux."
"Yeah.” Ana nodded sadly.
"Christ.” Kyra stood and left the body. “The stupid girl! She fucking saw it on the panel every day this week."
"He must have had a serious hold on her. She believed him when he said that he wasn't who the cops were looking for.” Ana turned to look at the body. “He left the tattoo."
"He lost the rest of his collection,” Kyra responded neutrally. She looked toward the CSU vehicle, where Desi was. Calm
ing herself down, she walked to the vehicle and leaned in the window. “Any luck on the comm-u signal?"
"No, he's done some serious work on the connection, and the locator GPS chip was removed shortly after he took Glory.” Desi shoved the stylus for her soft pad into the bun on top of her head and pulled up another window. “He's got the signal bouncing off the moon. Serious smarts in the tech department, all part and parcel of the psycho mentality."
"Yeah.” Kyra glanced at the body. “He studied long and hard for this gig. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and what he would need to know to do it."
"He's left evidence behind,” Desi reminded.
"When he's finished, he won't care if he gets caught.” Kyra pushed away from the vehicle when her comm-u signaled. She manually engaged it and grimaced when her commander's name was announced. “Sir."
"I have two agents from Arlington down here demanding Frees."
"I have all the probable cause I need to hold Orland Frees."
"So they've been informed."
"They can't have him."
"The lead agent wants a discussion with you. You are expected in my office in the next twenty minutes."
"I'm in the Quarter working another body.” Kyra grimaced at his intake of breath. “She's seventeen, working as an intern in a bank handling e-transfers. Was even getting college credit for her work."
"Christ. I'll handle the feds."
"Thank you, sir."
* * * *
She decided that she wasn't going near the ME's office for at least six months once she'd put Aaron Belton behind bars. Willa Rose was open all the way down the middle when Kyra entered Parker's work area. Grimacing, she tried to forget about the sandwich she'd shoveled in on the way to the ME's.
"Water and belladonna.” Parker didn't raise his head. “Fairly long-term exposure to the belladonna. She might have been using it on her own in small dosages as a sedative."
"Where's the Voodoo doll?” It was time, she thought, to remove that pin.
"Evidence locker six with the rest of the tokens.” He looked up from the body and met her gaze. “I took the pin out when I was working on it. Standard pin; it looked like one of those old-fashioned hat pins that my wife collects for her wigs. Sort of weirded me out with where it was placed."