Web of Deceit

by Susan Sleeman

  Her shoulder’s sagged a bit. “Is that really necessary? After all, we know it was Fenton, and he wore gloves.”

  “Gloves or not, he could have left evidence behind.”

  “Like what?” she challenged

  “Dirt tracked in on his shoes or carpet fibers. Or any number of things that will lead us to his location.”

  “Fine.” She looked at Kait. “I’ll just get my phone to call your dad and arrange for the housekeeper to clean up after the forensics team.”

  “Actually,” Sam said. “I have one more question before I let you go. Did you happen to notice an older model Chrysler parked across the street?”

  “Of course. I first saw it when I went for my nightly walk. A rundown car like that certainly doesn’t belong in our neighborhood. I’d planned to call the police if it was here this morning. Then I got Kait’s call and then . . . well . . . Is it important?”

  “We’re unsure at the moment.” Sam forced a smile. “I appreciate your help, Rosalind. I know it was difficult to talk about this, but I hope if I have any additional questions, you’ll be willing to answer them.”

  Her arrogant expression faded. “Yes. Of course. Anything to find Fenton and make him pay for Abby’s death.”

  Sam handed her a business card just as he’d do with any other victim. “Let me know if you remember anything else you think might be important.”

  Sam waited for her to move out of hearing distance before turning to Kait. Her look reminded him of Lily when she’d told him about the man in her room. What Kait needed right now was a hug. Badly. Something her mother should have provided.

  Something he’d provide, but it wouldn’t be well received. “Is it always this difficult between the two of you?”

  Kait gave a sad and dejected nod.

  “How do you deal with it?”

  “She wasn’t always this way,” Kait said in support of her mother, but her tone lacked enthusiasm. “I try to remember the good times, growing up.”

  “Good times?” he probed gently.

  “Sometimes it’s hard to remember them. Especially since Abby died.” Kait’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “But our childhood was pretty normal. She was a good mother. There when Abby and I needed her. More for Abby than me, but then, I had more of Dad.”

  “Guess that means she’ll be good to Lily.”

  “I suppose so.” Kait’s chin trembled. “Maybe I shouldn’t have made a decision about Lily’s custody in the heat of the moment.”

  Sam reached out to touch her, but thought better of it and let his hand fall. “You can always tell your mother you changed your mind.”

  “I could also hang from the ceiling by my fingernails,” Kait said, looking away. “But I don’t plan to do either of those things anytime soon.”

  “WATCH CAREFULLY, J.J.,” Fenton said as he queued up the video. “I know you’ll like to see Kait reading my special note as much as I want to see it.”

  Kait appeared on the screen as she stepped into Lily’s bedroom. Fenton relished every moment, every step as she approached the box like it really was the bomb she’d reported. She snapped on gloves, her jaw clenched, her eyes filled with dread. She lifted the lid, paused, and her shoulders rose. She pulled out his card, studied it for a moment. He loved seeing her trembling hands and the way she bit her lower lip. She shot a look around the room, then, seeming as if she couldn’t take anymore, she collapsed out of view. He heard her sobbing, her broken cries and agony a balm to his pounding head.

  He smiled at J.J. “Perfect. She’s starting to know my anguish, isn’t she?”

  The detective appeared on screen next and warned Kait that he thought Fenton would abduct Lily. Kait agreed.

  “Hah, abduct!” Fenton shot to his feet and turned it off. “They’re the ones doing the abducting. Taking Lily away from me to put her in a safe house like she’s some kind of a victim. She doesn’t need protection. She needs me.”

  He’d planned to take Lily from her house tonight, but with a legion of cops and feds protecting her, he’d have to alter his plans. He had no choice but to let them move her to the safe house. As time passed, they’d grow complacent, and he’d take her from under their noses. It might delay his grand finale, but he had contingencies built into his schedule. Now all he had to do was find out the location of the safe house. Might be a problem for a lesser man, but it wasn’t the least bit of a concern for him.

  “Foolish of them to think I won’t find her.” He dropped into the chair and typed his computer password. “You’ll be impressed with my idea, J.J. I’ll spoof the entire task force with an e-mail that looks like it came from their respective departments. One of them is dumb enough to open it and click on the link I’m including. Hopefully, it’ll be Murdock.”

  Fenton logged into one of many e-mail accounts. “When Murdock clicks on the link, one of my lovely malware programs will download, and I’ll have full access to his phone. Then, when he contacts the safe house, Lily’s location will be revealed.” Fenton looked at J. J. “Don’t be sad. I know there’s nothing more fun than creating an e-mail that looks like it’s from one person when it really isn’t, but you’re in no shape to help me.”

  He turned back to the computer. “Let’s make the e-mail a warning about opening suspicious e-mails. It’ll be a hoot for Murdock to open that, don’t you think?” He finished the officially worded message and hit send.

  He sat back. “There. It will take some time for them to secure a safe house, but when Murdock takes the bait, I’ll know exactly where to find my darling Lily.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  AS KAIT’S TEARS threatened to fall, she hugged Lily hard while her mother and father waited to accompany Lily to the safe house. Kait bit the inside of her cheek to keep from falling apart. She wouldn’t cry. Not in the office. Not in front of task force members. Their faces were already filled with pity. She needed them to think of her as the professional agent she’d worked so hard to become. Not some sobbing woman who couldn’t cope.

  “Time to go.” Nina approached and bent close to Kait. “Lily will be fine.”

  Would she? Or would Fenton somehow track them to the safe house? Maybe Kait should listen to Sam and accompany Lily.

  The sight of Abby’s lifeless body invaded Kait’s mind as it always did. Day and night, reminding Kait of her duty. Exactly what she needed right now to be able to let Lily go and stay behind to look for Fenton. Two top agents plus a police officer would ensure Lily’s safety, but no one else had Kait’s unwavering desire to bring Fenton to justice.

  She planted a kiss on Lily’s button nose. “I’ll miss you. Listen to Nana and Papa, okay?”

  Lily nodded and looked up her grandma. “Make cookies now?”

  Kait’s mother smiled at Lily, that warm welcoming smile Kait remembered from her childhood. “Just as soon as we get to the house.”

  “House with a big yard.” Lily’s lower lip slipped out. “Nana says we can’t go outside.”

  Nina bent down to Lily. “You know what, sugar? Baking cookies is far better because you don’t have to take a bath afterward.” She tweaked Lily’s nose. “Plus you’ll have cookies to eat.”

  Lily’s expression brightened. Nina stood and shot a pointed look at the war room where the team waited for Kait.

  Kait got the hint. She turned to her mother who Kait knew would speak for both of her parents. “Keep me updated, but only use the cell phone we provided.”

  Her mother rubbed her fingertips as if trying to rid herself of having to be fingerprinted to rule out prints found in Lily’s room. “I’m quite capable of following directions, Kaitlyn.”

  Nina winced, and Kait imagined the others following suit. Great. Another reason for them to feel sorry for her.

  “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll take good care of Lily.�
�� Kait’s father squeezed her shoulder, his kindly eyes bringing her tears to the surface again.

  “I know you will, Dad,” she said, but her voice caught in her throat.

  As they departed, Nina stepped closer. “You’ll be together again before you know it.”

  Would they? Or would Kait actually let her mother take over Lily’s care? Something she needed to think through very carefully. With everyone waiting for her, now was not the time. She stepped into the conference room where Adams, Yates, and the analysts quickly averted their eyes. But not Sam. He met her gaze and gestured at the chair next to him.

  “Lily get off okay?” he asked.

  “Fine.” Kait took a seat.

  “Good.”

  “Yes,” she replied, not at all missing the fact that after their terse discussion at her parent’s house, they’d resorted to using single word answers.

  “Okay, people.” Nina took the head of the table. “Let’s get started. You’ve had time to think about the package and Rhodes’s visit to Kait’s mother and niece this morning. Yesterday, his threats were directed at non-family members.” She grabbed a marker. “Today, he goes directly for the family instead of delivering on his promise of another heart. Feels a little out of control. Rushed. Why not follow through on his original threat? What’s changed?”

  “Sorry, Nina, but I don’t agree,” Kait said. “I think he’s still in control. He could have killed my mother today, but he didn’t. And trust me, it’s pretty easy to want to kill my mother and takes a lot of self-control not to do it.”

  The team erupted in laughter as Kait hoped, sending the elephant in the room parading out the door.

  “Still,” Sam said, jumping in. “The break-in at your parents’ place did feel unplanned and sloppy. Not at all like Congdon’s meticulous murder.”

  “Agreed,” Kait admitted.

  Yates cleared his throat. “Maybe Rhodes is tired of playing games, and he’s simply escalating his timeframe.”

  “Or not,” Sam said. “He could have killed Kait, her mother, or Lily today, but he didn’t. His actions say he’s still toying with Kait. Maybe escalating the stakes, but toying with her nonetheless.”

  “So you don’t think he’s losing control?” Nina asked.

  Sam shrugged. “I don’t think we know enough to form a concrete opinion.”

  The door swung open, and Jae poked her head into the room. Kait saw a glint of excitement in Jae’s eyes, and she hoped for good news.

  “Sorry for the interruption.” Jae grabbed a remote from the credenza. “But you’ll want to see this.”

  Nina turned, her usual smile for a co-worker absent. “It better be important, Jae.”

  “Don’t worry, it is.” Jae clicked on the television. “Your hunch about monitoring the news coverage from this morning’s bomb threat paid off, Nina. Take a look at who I spotted.” She pressed Play.

  A stunning female reporter recapped the bomb scare at Kait’s house as the camera panned away, searching through the crowd then landing on the face of a monster.

  Despite a hat and thick scruffy beard, Kait recognized the man smirking at the camera. The wildness in his eyes, the barely veiled hatred—maybe insanity—sent fear racing through her body.

  Sam shot a look at her. “That’s—”

  “Yes,” Kait interrupted, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. “Fenton Rhodes in the flesh.”

  THE VIDEO CONTINUED to play. Rhodes smiled at the camera and gave his name as Brian Youngblood. He claimed his computer had been hacked, and he’d received the blue screen of death. Then, he announced that Kait had killed Congdon and cut out his heart.

  The camera panned the crowd. Bystanders stood in shocked silence, mouths hanging open, and Sam saw red. Big, bull-fighting, rage-blinding red. At Rhodes. At himself for missing Rhodes when he’d stood outside Kait’s house today. Sam had been too distracted by thoughts of how Kait was handling the situation to look at the crowd, leaving Rhodes to run free—and it was Sam’s fault.

  “Okay, people.” Nina raised her voice over the buzz of conversation that had spread through the group. “Let’s get back to it.” She turned to Jae who remained at the door. “So Rhodes has taken on Brian Youngblood as his name. I want to know if he made it up or if Youngblood actually exists.”

  “Already ahead of you, Obi-Wan.” Jae puffed up her chest. “I have a search running and should have that information for you soon.”

  Nina smiled, her fondness for Jae evident. “Excellent.”

  “Just keep the energy drinks flowing, and your wish is my command.” Jae departed, her laughter ringing behind her.

  Sam hoped Jae was as capable as she’d made herself sound. Though, honestly, Sam didn’t want to learn that Brian Youngblood was real. Could mean that Rhodes had taken another life.

  Adams turned to Kait. “You really think Rhodes would be dumb enough to drop a name that has any bearing on the case?”

  Kait nodded. “But only if he wanted us to find Youngblood.”

  Sam doubted that was Rhodes’s only purpose in doing the interview. “Rhodes could have called or e-mailed to tell us about Youngblood. If he’s willing to risk an interview with all the cops swarming around, then maybe our discussion has been right on target, and he’s not thinking clearly.”

  “But again, why?” Nina asked. “The man we just saw on the video wasn’t calculating and methodical. He was an attention seeker, risking it all. So what’s causing Rhodes to change his MO and act outside his normal character?”

  “I’m not one of your FBI profilers,” Yates said with the sarcasm Sam expected from the caustic detective. “But I get a sense that he’s feeling like the victim here.”

  “It’s clear Rhodes blames you for Abby’s death.” Adams looked at Kait. “Maybe seeing you free and not paying for it is messing with his head. And he needs something to make him feel better until his plan unfolds.”

  “Maybe,” Kait said. “Or maybe he really is mentally ill and coming unhinged.”

  Nina tapped photos of the gift box posted on the whiteboard. “I think we all agree that there has to be some degree of mental instability to commit murder and remove a heart, then gift it to you.”

  Sam opened his mouth to say this instability meant they should consider assigning a protection detail to Kait, but Jae burst back into the room and drew the attention. “Some dude’s on the phone who says he has a lead in Congdon’s investigation. He won’t talk to anyone except you, Kait, but everyone’s too afraid to bust in here and tell you about the call.”

  Kait grinned at Jae. “So they sent you.”

  “Nah.” Jae smirked. “I volunteered. You know my day’s not complete until I mess with you guys.” She picked up the phone and held it out. “He’s on line three.”

  Still smiling, Kait crossed the room and took the handset. “This is Special Agent Kaitlyn Knight. To whom am I speaking?” She listened, her smile disappearing. Her mouth went slack, and she clutched the side of the table. “Where?”

  Something bad had happened, and Sam didn’t care if the entire room thought he had a thing for Kait. She needed someone by her side. He crossed over to her.

  She hung up the phone.

  “What is it?” he asked, his hand going to her elbow to steady her.

  “That was Fenton.” She looked past Sam to Nina. “You can cancel the search on Youngblood. He’s very real. I can take you to him, but you’re not going to like what you find.”

  KAIT MOVED THROUGH Brian Youngblood’s house. It was the same as Congdon’s home had been. Empty. Clean. Meticulous. She knew she’d find Youngblood in the bedroom and was prepared to see his body, but when she headed inside, her steps faltered. The overhead light shone on his contorted face, another life cut short. His body was fresher than Congdon’s had been, but in every other aspe
ct the same. Same hair color, size, and build. Cuffed to sturdy bolts. No sign of a struggle. Blood saturated his T-shirt over his heart.

  This was so surreal. Every bit of it. Fenton was a vicious killer. A serial killer. Part of a rare group of crazies that boggled Kait’s mind and terrified her. It was all so unbelievable, but true. If she didn’t stop him, he’d keep killing.

  Who would be next? Would it be her, as Sam seemed to think?

  She heard his heavy footsteps and Marcie’s lighter ones coming down the hall. They were discussing the victim as they stepped into the room. One of Marcie’s assistants followed. Fortunately, she was a shy, retiring kind of person, and the grim set of her mouth was the only thing she had in common with surly Tim.

  “Good to see you again, Kait.” Marcie’s usual smile was absent, replaced by a dour look. “Just wish we could meet under different circumstances.” She rested a hand on Kait’s shoulder, the touch making tears prick at Kait’s eyes. “You okay?” Marcie watched Kait carefully. “What with Rhodes calling you and all?”

  Kait wasn’t okay, and Marcie’s solicitous attitude made her want to confide her fear, but she wouldn’t. Not with Sam watching her every move. It wouldn’t take much for him to demand she be put in protective custody, and it was best not to dwell on the panic that kept threatening to take her down.

  “I’m fine.” She turned away before the tears flowed and they urged her to step away. “We should get to work.”

  “Then let’s get to it so we can catch this creep.” Marcie’s no-nonsense tone buoyed Kait’s attitude.

  Marcie snapped on gloves and knelt by the victim’s side. Her focus intense, her hands roved over the extremities. “Youngblood hasn’t been dead for more than a few hours.”

  “So we’re not far behind Rhodes, this time.” Sam’s words whispered out as he squatted next to Marcie. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. If these victims have indeed been kept alive with a vent, how long could they stay that way?”