Cancer

by WL Knightly

  “Did she ask about the camp? Which one it was?”

  “I told her Camp V. I don’t think I said where.”

  “You don’t think? But you could have?” Bay didn’t even wait for him to answer. “Fucking hell, Justin! You blathered your heart out to some gash you met through words on a fucking computer? Really, man?”

  “She caught me at a vulnerable time, and she seemed so into me, I thought that our relationship would grow stronger. She told me about some shit that happened to her. Her father was abusive when she was younger. He would touch her and shit. We compared our darkest secrets.”

  “Yet, she couldn’t talk to you on the phone? Let you hear her voice?”

  “I know, but she was always multitasking with work, or her roommates were home. There was always an excuse, which is why I ended it.”

  “Did she know all about you? Your real name and where you lived?”

  “Yeah, I told her everything. I wanted her to come and live with me. She had to finish school, she said, so she still had a couple more years of that. I thought I could wait. I saw other opportunities come and go.” He thought about meeting Brandy and letting her slip through his fingers.

  “Do you have any idea how pathetic this all sounds?”

  “I’m quite aware, yes. Thanks.” He had not wanted to tell anyone how deep it had gotten with Betty. “I beat my dick off to some guy for all I know. Probably that sick fuck they got locked up.” Justin didn’t have anything against homosexuals, but that wasn’t his type, and the very thought that he might have been an aide to some man’s spank session turned his stomach.

  Bay gave a sound of frustration. “You miss the point. I can respect you getting your rocks off to whatever the fuck that person is. It’s the part where you fell in love and blathered your business that I have a real fucking issue with.”

  He needed Bay to understand he hadn’t blathered too much. Not enough to land them in prison for anything. “As I said, I never implicated any of you guys. I never used your names. I never said any details of what we did exactly. Just that it was dark, brutal shit.”

  “Jesus. You make it sound like we kicked the girl’s skull in and gangbanged her. It was a ritual that she was eager to participate in that went horribly wrong, okay? I admit that, but we’re hardly monsters.”

  Justin wondered if he had made a mistake by telling Bay anything. “The fact that you still believe that makes me sick.” There was no way the girl was in it all the way. Whatever he used to lure her there had probably sounded tempting, but once she realized she was about to get cut up, she hadn’t wanted to continue.

  “Not as sick as you make me by running your goddamned mouth about it. You swore an oath. Your friend Betty probably looked up the murder and put two and two together. Did you even think about that?” Bay’s voice grew angrier. “Did you tell anyone else? Every girl you fall in love with? Do you think I’ve ever told my wife shit about any of this?”

  Justin thought about Brandy, and while he hadn’t told her everything, Bay might not believe him. “No, no one else knows anything.”

  “What about Brandy? Did she ever wonder what brought Corey her way? Why he was on the run? Are you sure she doesn’t know anything? She showed you the phone, right?”

  He didn’t want Brandy dragged into it. “Only because I asked for it. She hadn’t seen the messages.”

  “Did you delete them?”

  “Of course.” Justin’s voice grew harsher. He didn’t care if he had to lie to protect Brandy. The club really didn’t mean that much to him anyway, especially with most of his friends dead already. “She doesn’t know shit.”

  “Make sure she doesn’t, Justin. I better not catch wind of you running off at the mouth again, or you’ll have some serious consequences to pay. But all of these deaths, every last one of them, are all on you, brother.”

  “I know that.” He hated himself for it too. They’d all still be alive if it weren’t for him tipping that person off. The fucking lunatic.

  “I have to say; it really shocks me. You of all people. Mr. Conspiracy. You don’t trust anyone. Your little blond friend told us how you thought they’d harvested your fucking kidney in surgery, but you trust the words of a total stranger you’ve never even met or really seen for that matter with something that could bury us all.” It had already buried half of them.

  “I know. I’m not fucking proud, okay? I won’t ever be able to say I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, and I’m not the only one who is guilty in all of this, so if you think I’m going to take all the weight of what happened twelve years ago, you’re out of your fucking mind.”

  “You do know I have to tell the others.” Bay’s voice was unapologetic. “We made an agreement, remember?”

  “I know. I was going to call them. All but the pig. I’m not calling him.” He didn’t think Darek would help him anyway when push came to shove.

  Bay breathed a sigh into the phone. “That pig has already saved your ass more times than I can count. He’s intercepted more shit and made sure that nothing has landed at our doorsteps, so you might want to show a little fucking respect.”

  Justin was surprised to hear Bay defend anyone, but he knew he might have been too hard on Darek. “Sorry, I just never trust cops. It’s how I was raised.”

  “Well, there’s no room for that shit. It’s like we said the other night, one for all, man. We’re all going to have to stick together if we want to make it through whatever this killer has planned. I was going to call the others today and tell them I did make communication with the killer last night.”

  “That means the crazy man they locked up is definitely not the killer then, and whoever this bitch is I’ve been talking to, man or woman, is who we need to look out for.” Justin released a breath and closed his eyes, hating to ask the next question. “Do you think I should try and contact Betty again?”

  “Not just yet. Sit tight, and we’ll figure out our next moves.”

  He was glad to hear it. As much as he knew it wasn’t real, the feelings had been, and with Brandy on his radar, he didn’t want anything to screw that up.

  Chapter 18

  Darek

  Just when Darek expected a quiet morning going into work, his phone rang while he pulled out of the drive. Seeing it was Bay, he got lined out on the road and answered his phone. “Hey, Bay. I still don’t have news on the shooting. I’m going to call again after lunch if it’s slow.”

  “A simple hello would have sufficed. I’m not calling about the shooting. Believe it or not, we have bigger issues than who tried to gun us down.” Bay made a sound of frustration that put Darek on edge.

  “What the fuck is wrong now?” Darek figured since Bay had heard from the killer once, he might have heard from him again.

  “I got a call from Justin Finch last night. I would have called you right after, but I had to see Lila off. She took a red-eye back to the safe house.”

  “Yeah? What did the cop hater want?” Darek had never had anyone be so rude to him about being an officer before.

  “Yeah, he’s got some personal demons when it comes to cops. I wouldn’t take it personally. Besides, he’s eating humble pie right now. It seems our friend, the killer, reached out to him too.”

  “What? And he didn’t tell us?” Darek slapped his steering wheel and shook his head. “We said no more secrets.”

  “No, that wasn’t it. He just found out. Turns out, he met this person online several years back and formed a sexual and dating relationship with them. When he checked Corey’s phone, the number of the person matched the killer’s. He called me as soon as he realized, and trust me, from the personal shit he told me, I believe him.”

  “Shit. So he knows who the killer is?”

  “Not exactly. It seems he was catfished. The so-called woman never wanted anything serious with him, and aside from a few pictures she sent on his phone, he hasn’t ever seen more than headless nudes.”

  “Damn. No voi
ce or nothing?” Darek shook his head and wondered why people like Justin, who seemed to have his head on straight, would get into a relationship with someone they couldn’t see face to face.

  “No, no voice. And he claims he didn’t tell them anything that could come back to bite us. I grilled him pretty good.”

  “I’m floored,” said Darek. “I don’t understand that kind of shit.”

  “You’ve never sexted anyone? Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t ever asked for a tit pic before.” Bay chuckled.

  Darek thought of all the times he and Lizzy had talked each other off on the phone, and while he had sent some provocative images and gotten some too, it wasn’t anything too scandalous at the time. “Maybe to someone I’ve been seeing and had my dick in, but not some stranger where I can’t tell if it’s some underaged girl or a perverted dude.” Darek thought of all the deviants he’d met and seen at the club, and while he’d had his mind opened up to a whole new world of sexuality through Raven, he still had his reservations.

  “Well, regardless,” said Bay. “This sheds a whole lot of light on things.”

  Darek thought that was an understatement. “The good news is, I think our case is wrapping up. Ken Sin did get his ass beaten down in prison and now claims he’s not responsible, but with any luck, that won’t hold any weight. So I think my thin line is going to widen. It will surely make things easier for me.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Bay said. “The DA won’t let him out. He’s not the first man to get his head banged around to cry innocent to get out. And at this point, he’s going down, faking or not. In the meantime, we can focus on finding out who Justin’s been talking to. He wanted to know if he should reach out to the old flame, try to get more information.”

  “I’m not sure. I know you’ve reached out. But if the killer figured out where Corey went and that the trail led to Justin, him reaching out could be too much of a tip-off. I think we should keep this close for a while.”

  “What about our agreement with the others?” asked Bay. “Didn’t it include important information? If I call Justin and tell him not to tell the others, it’s going to look really bad. The way his brain works, he might even think we’re out to get him or that we’re in deeper than we’re letting on.”

  Darek checked his mirror to switch lanes and took the next exit. He was just a couple of minutes from work, and now he had a feeling the day was going to be longer than he expected. “Tell him to let you call the others. He trusts you, and you can stress how important it is to keep this all quiet.” If anyone could convince them to keep quiet, it was Bay.

  “Okay. I’ll keep in touch.”

  The call ended as Darek pulled into the station. He found a place to park and headed inside, hoping to find Lizzy whose car had been parked outside.

  Max was the first person he saw as he headed inside. He gave him a nod as they exchanged a smile. Max’s seemed forced. Darek couldn’t believe they weren’t getting along because of Mia of all people, but he wasn’t going to change the way he treated his friend. “How’s it going, Max?”

  “Good,” he said, keeping his head down. “Just fucking perfect.” Max went on past and rounded the corner to the chief’s office as Darek walked to the coffee pot. He fixed himself a cup and then went to his desk.

  Lizzy’s voice sounded behind him as she greeted the receptionist. Then she looked up at Darek. “Good morning, Detective.” She had a look on her face that told him everything was going to be okay.

  “I take it things went well with Reed and the DA?”

  “I didn’t get to meet with the DA, but Reed said we should both talk to him. You’re not being pushed out, but he did say that we’ll start to transition to other things once the DA sounds off.”

  “Understood.”

  “He said it was poor communication on his part and thought we’d know better. I told him it was me who wanted to make sure before I included you. He shrugged it off.” Darek could tell she was still trying to make sure he looked his best for her superior.

  “Thanks. So is that first on the agenda?”

  “Yes, we can go when you’re ready, but don’t rush the coffee. I’m getting a cup too.” She headed to the coffee bar and fixed herself a cup, and before she made it to her desk, Max stuck his head in the door.

  “You guys have a visitor.”

  “Who is it?” asked Lizzy.

  Max gave her an apologetic look. “One of the minion twins. I’m not sure which. She’s still waiting in line out front.”

  Lizzy waved Darek over, and he hurried out with her to find that one of the twins, who had been released while he was in New Orleans, was standing in line to be seen.

  She looked frantic, her eyes not staying focused as she shifted on her feet, already clearly tired of waiting.

  Lizzy walked over. “Can I help you?”

  “Thank God I didn’t have to wait a minute longer. He’s suffering enough as it is.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Lizzy narrowed her eyes. “Are you talking about Ophi?”

  Darek had nearly forgotten the asshole went by a different name, but the other girl nodded.

  “He reached out to me this morning, and I hurried right down. He had precautions in place if things got out of hand, and well, I told him this was a bad idea, but he was set on his plans.”

  Darek looked at Lizzy, who turned and motioned for the girl to follow. “Come this way. We’ll talk better in my office.”

  She walked the girl down the hall, and Darek followed. Once they got to the room, the girl took a chair on one side of the table, and Lizzy and Darek sat across from her.

  “Tell us what you mean about his plans,” said Darek.

  “Ophi is not his real name.” She was as straight-faced as possible, and Darek tried not to react with a smile or a laugh.

  “Ken Sin,” said Lizzy.

  The girl nodded. “Yes, he’s a very talented musician and singer. He had it in his head that he could promote his new album through a big publicity stunt, and when he heard about the killings and how it was all related to the Zodiac, he wanted to claim responsibility and hoped to cause a media sensation that would catapult him to number one. He figured he’d earn a little money while inside, and he’d just tell the truth once he hit the charts.”

  Darek held back his anger. He and Lizzy had talked about this, but he didn’t think anyone would be so stupid. “Didn’t he know that by doing that, he’d be breaking the law? That they just don’t turn you loose because you say ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t do it.’ It doesn’t work that way.”

  “He knew he might serve a little time, but with no real proof, he didn’t think anyone would really convict him. And,” she reached into her pocket, “he made this.”

  She passed Lizzy a small flash drive. “What’s this?” asked Lizzy.

  “It’s a video documentary, one that he plans to have released soon. He gave me the responsibility of bringing this to you if I heard things went south or if he got hurt. It’s all about his plans.”

  Darek had hoped that the case would be wrapping up, but now he wasn’t sure. “Thank you,” he said to the girl.

  “I’m Madison. My sister didn’t want to come down. She said Kenny could burn in hell for all she cares.” She gave a slight smile. “I feel the same, but honestly, I can’t let him rot.” She got up from the table. “I hope this helps him, but I don’t plan on talking to him again.” With that, she left. Darek got up and had one of the other officers show her out.

  He turned to look over his shoulder. Lizzy sank down in her chair. She was quiet for a moment or possibly in shock. Darek walked over to comfort her, rubbing her shoulders. “I can’t believe this shit. Reed is going to shit down our necks over this one.”

  “We warned them this guy was an attention whore. You even predicted this!” He couldn’t let her feel guilty for their poor decisions. “You didn’t do this. They did, and you did the best with the hand you were dealt.”

  She shook her hea
d. “It doesn’t matter. If Reed gets wind of this, he’ll expect us to keep on the case. It won’t look good for either of us.”

  Darek’s shoulders slumped. “Dammit.” His career with the FBI didn’t look very promising.

  Chapter 19

  Justin

  Justin woke up to bacon frying. He was all set to get up and start his day with Brandy, but when he turned over, he found a note on his pillow. The bitch is back. Going to work. Brandy.

  The bitch? He got to his feet and pulled on some pants to see who was in his house. When he got to the kitchen, his shoulders sank seeing Beth at the stove. She had on a pair of hot pink skinnies and a beer T-shirt he’d seen Jim wear to the bar.

  She turned around and smiled. “Hey, sleepyhead. I thought I’d fix my man a nice breakfast.”

  He looked at her with disgust and wondered what he saw in her. She was beautiful but ugly as sin inside. “Your man? Is someone else here because I think you’ve lost the right to call me that.” He was two seconds from tossing her out on her ass.

  She put down her spatula and turned off the burner. “Come on, baby. Don’t be that way. I know it looks like I ghosted you, but that’s not how it is. I went to my mother’s for a few days, and my phone is acting up. I came back as soon as I heard you were home.”

  He walked closer. “I called your mom. She said she hadn’t seen you. So, what it looks like, is you and Lolly teamed up with Jim to rob my fucking house and business while I was laid up in the fucking hospital.” She jumped back, startled as his voice boomed out.

  She shook her head, her chin quivering. “No, that was all Lolly’s idea. She and Jim have been fucking around behind both of our backs, baby. I had nothing to do with it.”

  He couldn’t get over how shady she was. “Bullshit. You came back here because you know you didn’t get shit when you tried to rob my fucking safe.”