"Since my gun was stolen I needed something to protect me in case whoever is following me decides to make an appearance," Kristen shrugged.
"Where did it come from?"
"I got it out of the attic a couple weeks ago. It's the one we used to play ball with."
"Oh, yeah, I remember that," Dani replied, setting the bat back against the dresser.
"Didn't you have one too?" Kristen asked, getting out of the bed.
"Yep, but I lost it when I moved out of my parent's house I think," she answered, opening her arms as Kristen stepped into them.
"Do you really have to go?" Kristen kissed her softly.
Dani closed her eyes. Nothing had ever felt as good as holding Kristen's naked body against hers. Still, she had work to do and as much as she hated to admit it, Kristen was coincidentally looking more and more like a suspect. She knew the truth and she knew Kristen, but if anyone else ever caught onto what she knew, Kristen would no doubt be arrested and charged for the three murders. Dani kissed her back before pulling away.
"I really need to go. I can't be late and I still have to shower."
"Alright," Kristen sighed. "Come by later. I'll make dinner," she said, donning her robe as she followed Dani down the stairs.
"It's a date." Dani smiled, redressing quickly.
*
Dani walked into the sheriff's office with five minutes to spare. Her neck was slightly stiff and she was tired from only having had a few hours sleep. She remembered the way her and Kristen had given themselves to each other over and over. The thoughts both scared and excited her. She wasn't sure how much longer they could go on, passing like ships in the night, without someone getting hurt. She needed to talk to her and soon, before she fell any further.
"You're late," Sheriff Fisher called from her doorway.
Dani looked up at him. "No I'm not," she replied, checking her watch.
"In the last three years, you've never come in later than half an hour before your shift."
She shrugged. "I slept in."
"Or didn't sleep at all," he grinned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she growled.
"Deputy Wagner is coming off the night shift. Ask him," he said, walking away.
"Shit," she muttered to the empty room as she stood up from her desk.
After the shift change, Dani walked outside and leaned her back against Deputy Wagner's cruiser. She was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses as he moved towards her.
"Is there anything you want to tell me, Vince?"
"No," he shook his head.
"Are you sure?"
"Uh huh." The young, redheaded deputy swallowed the lump in his throat.
"So, Sheriff Fisher is lying then?"
"No. I don't know. What did he say?"
"There is nothing I hate more than town gossip," she said, raising her voice.
"I'm sorry. I—"
"Do you know where starting rumors get you, Vince?" She glared at him behind the dark lenses. "Fired!" she yelled.
His beady eyes were large and a bead of sweat had broken out on his brow; two distinctive signs that he was nervous.
"Next time, I suggest you keep things to yourself unless they pertain to you. Not that it's any of your business, but Kristin Malone and I have been friends since childhood and the gray car that Wilbur and I chased a few weeks ago has been following her around town. I went over to check on her last night after seeing the car in town again. She was a little shaken up when I told her and I stayed the night."
"I'm really sorry, Chief. I…all I said was I saw your cruiser parked at a lake house in the middle of the night. Sheriff Fisher asked which one and I told him. I assumed he knew you were there."
Dani shook her head. "Do you see what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of yourself. My whereabouts when I'm not on shift isn't anyone's business but my own."
"It won't happen again," he squeaked.
"You're damn right it won't," she seethed. Next time, I'll take this fucking badge off and beat your ass, you little weasel! "Get out of here," she said angrily as she pushed off his car and walked back inside. She moved her sunglasses up on her head.
"You scared the life out of that kid," Sheriff Fisher laughed when she walked past him.
Dani spun around and raised an eyebrow.
"I don't care to become a part of the town gossip."
"No one else knows. He mentioned he saw your SUV at her house and I told him you were friends. That's all that was said. I was only jerking your chain to see if I could get a rise out of you."
"He shouldn't be worried about where my vehicle is and if he has a question, then he needs to ask me and that goes for you too. You know how much I hate rumors."
"I'm sure the town already knows. You forget Mrs. Cranston is her neighbor."
Dani rolled her eyes. "That old kook has known me since I was a kid and she watched Kristen and I grow up together around that house."
"There's no reason to get so defensive, Dani. I know you're gay. Hell, most of the town probably does and if you two are together, then I'm happy for you, but you're right, it's no one's business."
This was the last thing Dani needed this morning and had definitely been the last thing she'd expected when she walked into the office. Ignoring his comment, she changed the subject. "I was there because that damn gray car was back in town last night. I saw him over by my house and I went to check on her."
"Has she seen him again?"
"No, not recently, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to know he was back." She turned to walk away. "What time is the meeting with the mayor?" she called back over her shoulder.
"One," he answered.
*
Dani had all but forgotten about the events of the morning, although her mind slipped back to Kristen from time to time as the day went on. She arrived at the mayor's office slightly before Sheriff Fisher. The warm sunshine of the spring day made her want to curl up and take a catnap. She pushed her sunglasses up on her head and yawned as she got out of her SUV.
"Don't start," she said, seeing the sheriff smile out the corner of her eye.
He shrugged, walking inside behind her. They waited in the lobby of Town Hall whilst the mayor's assistant informed him of their arrival. She returned a few minutes later and showed them to his office.
Mayor Olsen scratched the side of his more salt than pepper beard. "Do either of you care to explain to me why people keep turning up dead in my town?"
"Roger, Paul, and Larry were all friends and they all dabbled in drugs. My contact with the city police department told me one of their lowball operations had been trying to run drugs using outside sources. My guess is these three decided to jump on board and more than likely Paul screwed them over and hence, three dead guys," Dani spoke up.
"I'm not buying it," Mayor Olsen replied, shaking his head.
"Well, it's not a serial killer; none of the M.O.'s match. It could be a coincidence that these guys happened to know each other. Most of the town knows each other. It could be three random murders. Hell, for all we know, Roger killed Paul and Larry killed Roger," Sheriff Fisher countered.
"The who the fuck killed Larry? Paul's ghost?" Mayor Olsen smacked the top of his desk with the palm of his hand.
"Well, who else were they friends with? Maybe someone else was caught up in their little circle and if they screwed each other over, then maybe whoever is left killed Larry." Dani shrugged.
"None of this makes any God damn sense."
"Mayor Olsen, we do have a possible weapon in Larry's case. He was killed with a Louisville Slugger, literally. Part of the wording was embedding into his head," Sheriff Fisher informed him.
"What are we supposed to do, arrest everyone in town with a wooden bat?" he sneered.
"There is also one other thing," Dani added. "We've had a suspicious car riding around town. In fact, it's followed Kristin Malone on more than one occasion. We know the driver is
male, but he led us on a chase to the town limits the only time we were able to perform a traffic stop. I'm pretty sure whoever is driving this car is not a resident of Cypress Lake. I've run a search on the vehicle and we don't have any cars fitting the description registered here. Whoever he is, he knows his way around town and he's been seen near the times that each body has been found. I have a very strong feeling this person is who we should be looking at for these murders. Whether he's with a drug ring or not, doesn't matter at this point. I believe he's our only suspect."
"It's time you followed my orders and stepped up patrols, Fisher. Use roadblocks or any other means necessary, but stop this son of a bitch the next time he appears within our town limits. If he runs again, shoot his tires out," Mayor Olsen growled.
"It's your call," Sheriff Fisher replied.
"I don't give a damn about the budget. I want this guy stopped!"
"You heard him, Chief. Any means necessary."
Dani nodded.
A few minutes later, Dani followed Sheriff Fisher out of the building and into the bright sunshine. She pulled her dark glasses back down, shading her eyes.
"We have to stop this guy, Ricketts. After finding out he was back again last night, I agree with you. He's our only suspect."
"I'll radio dispatch now for another BOLO for the car and as soon as I get back to the office I'll go back over the schedule and start pulling people in for twelve hour rotations," she said as she climbed into her vehicle.
Chapter 18
Dani spent the rest of the afternoon adjusting the schedule and briefing everyone about the changes and the vehicle they were after. She remembered her dinner plans with Kristen at the last minute as she was turning into the parking lot behind her parent's store.
"Shit!" she exclaimed, grabbing her phone and scrolling for Kristen's number as she spun around and sped off in the opposite direction.
"I'm sorry. I had a crazy day. I'm headed your way now," she said when the line was answered.
"It's okay. I haven't started cooking yet anyway," Kristen replied.
Ten minutes later, Kristen heard the knock at the door and she was surprised to see Dani still in her uniform when she pulled it open.
"Hey." Kristen unlocked the screen. "You look tired," she frowned as Dani stepped inside.
Dani looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't sleep much last night, which the sheriff knows by the way, and I just got out of a meeting with the mayor."
"What do you mean the sheriff knows? What does he know?"
"Where I was last night. One of my deputies saw my cruiser here in the middle of the night while he was on patrol and informed Sheriff Fisher this morning."
"That's wonderful," Kristen said sarcastically, shaking her head.
"I scared the life out of the deputy, so hopefully the rumor mill won't get wind of it. Sheriff Fisher, on the other hand, was jerking my chain pretty good. He knows about me and made a correct assumption. I played it off on account of us being friends though, but he's not stupid."
"I hate this damn town," Kristen growled.
"Larry's murder has the mayor's panties in a bunch. I really think whoever is driving the fucking gray car is involved, but at this point we may never see him again. We've moved to rotating twelve-hour shifts and extra patrols until we catch this bastard," Dani sighed.
"Do you think he's the killer?"
"I have no idea." Dani shrugged. "Three people are dead and the car mysteriously appears each time we find a body. What I don't understand, is why he's been following you around."
Kristen ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I think I know."
"What do you mean?"
Kristen grabbed Dani's hand and pulled her over to the couch to sit down. "I haven't been completely honest with you," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat.
Dani raised an eyebrow, watching the turmoil cross Kristen's face.
"I'm here against my parents' wishes. They gave me the house a few years ago, knowing I'd eventually sell it. When I told them I was coming back to make sure we hadn't left anything behind and to put the house on the auction block, they begged me not to return, but I needed closure."
"Do they hate me that much? What the hell did they think I'd do, kidnap you?" Dani huffed.
"No." Kristen shook her head. "They loved you like a daughter, Dani. Tearing us apart was hard for them, but they didn't know what else to do."
Dani cocked her head to the side. "I don't understand—"
"I lied to you. I'm sorry. I was supposed to come here, do what I needed to do and get out. I never anticipated seeing you again." Kristen sighed.
"How does this have anything to do with the murders?"
"Dani, my parents didn't move me away from here because you and I were together. They did it because I was gang raped by four guys," she said softly as tears began to fall from her eyes.
Dani jerked her head. "What?"
"Right after spring break, I was walking to your house to surprise you and a car stopped me, offering me a ride. I knew the guys, so I thought it was safe. They took turns raping me while the others held me down. When they were finished, they dumped me in the parking lot of Barber's."
"Oh my God," Dani whispered, wiping the tears from her face.
"My parents took me to the hospital in the city, and then to my aunt's from there. They stayed here long enough to pack up the house and rent it out, before moving for good. I wanted to call you so badly, but I was scared to death they would kill me. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later and had an abortion not long after that."
"I…I don't know what to say, Kristen. I'm sorry that happened to you." Dani pulled Kristen into her arms. "I couldn't imagine going through something like that."
"I'm so sorry I never contacted you. I loved you so damn much. That's why it has taken me so long to come back. I couldn't handle being in town and I didn't know how to face you."
Kristen closed her eyes, Dani's arms had always been the only place she'd ever felt safe. "It's no excuse for breaking your heart though."
"I wish I could've been there for you. I loved you more than anything in the world. You could've told me."
"I wanted to. I picked up the phone so many times, but I was scared. I didn't want to be anywhere near here and I knew if I talked to you, I'd want to see you. Anyway, it's in the past now…or at least it was," Kristen said, pulling away.
Dani watched Kristen's face, waiting for her to look up. Kristen finally met her eyes, sighing softly.
"Paul Davis, Roger Fillmore, and Larry Hicks were the guys that raped me."
"What?" Dani stiffened. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Dani shook her head. "This is bad."
"I know. That's why I'm telling you this. I never wanted you to know what happened to me, but now, with these guys turning up dead, I figured I had better tell you the truth."
"You knew the three dead guys, you have two of the murder weapons, and now you have a motive," Dani said. She stood, turning around to face her. "Son of a bitch, Kristen!"
"What do you mean I have the murder weapons? I didn't kill those guys, Dani. Sure, I wished them dead many times over, but I didn't do this."
"Roger was shot with a .380 or 9mm and Larry's head was smashed in with a bat that left an imprint. You had a handgun matching the caliber and you have a bat that matches the logo imprinted on Larry's skull."
"My house was broken into and my gun was stolen."
"The break-in could've easily been staged."
"Oh my God, are you seriously standing here telling me you think I did this?" Kristen growled as she jumped to her feet.
"I don’t know what to think. All I do know, is you're a suspect and there is enough evidence for me to arrest you and charge you with at least two of the murders."
"I can't believe this. I came back here to get closure. I need to get rid of this place and put this fucking town behind me. I can't go on with my life until I do." Kristen pa
ced the floor. "This is absurd. Dani, look at me. Do you honestly think I'm capable of killing three grown men?"
"You're easily capable of pulling a trigger and swinging a bat, so yes."
"What about the guy in the gray car? You saw him too, so you know I'm not making that up."
"I know and that's why I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt."
"I told you four guys raped me and I think it's him in that car. He obviously knows I'm back and he's either trying to scare me or kill me. I think he killed the other three and made it look like it was me on purpose."
"I’m not going to let anyone hurt you ever again. I'll protect you just like I always have."
"What do you mean?"
"After you left in such a haste, and then your family followed, rumors swirled around. I didn't know what had happened, but I tamped the rumors down and stood up for you anyway. Eventually it became old news."
"God, I hate this town." Kristen blew out a frustrating breath and ran her hand through her hair.
"What did you say the fourth guy's name was?" Dani asked.
"I didn't…but it was Steve Olsen."
Dani was stunned. "Are you sure?"
Kristen raised an eyebrow. "I'll never forget their faces."
Dani shook her head. "You know he's the mayor's son."
"Yes and back when he raped me, he was the sheriff's son. That's why my parents took me away from here. They thought the guys would get away with it."
"Steve hasn't been around in a couple of years. He took a job out of town somewhere when his parents got divorced. No one has seen him since he moved away," Dani said, walking over to the window and staring out at the light on the end of the dock. She was glad the gray car had evaded the routine stop by one of her deputies, otherwise she would be hauling Kristen down to the sheriff's office right now on murder charges with a circumstantial case strong enough to lock her away for a long time, if not get her the death penalty. She wasn't sure what to do. If anyone else found out about this, gray car or not, she'd have to arrest Kristen.
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