Cramer glanced at Rawlings and back to Selene. “We found a box in Giovanni’s room that contains what we believe are items taken from each of the strangulation victims. Serial killers often like to have a keepsake of their handiwork...”
Selene’s mouth opened in disbelief. “Are you saying that Michel was The Woods Strangler?”
“It’s beginning to look that way,” Cramer said. “Of course, this is a preliminary observation right now. The forensics team is going over his room with a fine tooth comb and investigators are trying to place his precise whereabouts during each of the murders, which may not be possible at this point.”
“Michel a serial killer—” Selene felt numb. She knew he could be violent. And the chilling phone calls had hinted at an even darker side. But was he vicious enough to strangle several women?
“When you think about it, the pieces seem to fit,” Cramer said. “Giovanni appeared to have intimate knowledge about the murders when he first started to harass you. Then it continued with the phone calls. He even managed to coerce you into pointing the finger at Quinn, so that Quinn’s integrity was called into question by the rest of us. It was no doubt all a part of his master plan to get you away from the one person he felt was standing between him and you.”
Quinn put his arms around Selene protectively. “It’s all right, honey. His crazy plan of making me out to be the bad guy failed, though he was apparently the real Woods Strangler. Well, Michel Giovanni won’t hurt you or anyone else again. And we can all rest a little easier knowing that.”
While she found appeasement in Quinn’s words, the truth was Selene still found it hard to come to terms with the facts. Michel was far more of a monster than she could have ever imagined.
“The walls were definitely starting to close in on Giovanni,” Cramer said. “He made one mistake too many and took the easy way out when he felt trapped.”
“Yeah, I’d say the bastard did us all a big favor,” Rawlings added.
“The Woods residents will welcome the chance to get a good night’s sleep now,” Quinn said. “I know I will.”
Selene wondered if this was really the end of the nightmare. She still had one very important unanswered question. Why would Michel kill women and hope to profit from it as part of his plan to get back together with her?
Selene feared the answer would be buried with Michel forever.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
“He could’ve killed you if Todd hadn’t come to your rescue that day,” Elisa said, wide-eyed at the mere notion.
“That’s true,” Selene conceded, sipping coffee.
They were sitting in Elisa’s living room. A week had passed since Selene had been given the news that Michel was dead from an apparent suicide and suspected of being The Woods Strangler. Subsequent investigation by the authorities had positively linked items taken from Michel’s motel room to the strangler’s victims. Additionally, DNA evidence had tied fibers from clothing found among Michel’s belongings to fibers at the murder scenes.
The police had declared the case solved. No further murders had occurred, bolstering the belief that Michel Giovanni was their man.
“Thank God Michel never got a second chance with you to finish what he started,” Elisa said.
“I’m still having trouble accepting that Michel was able to successfully orchestrate this killing spree while dividing his time between a cheap motel and his car,” she blurted out unintentionally.
Elisa nearly spit out her tea. “Will you listen to yourself? Your psycho ex called you at all hours of the day and night practically confessing to the crimes, only you weren’t listening. And he was accosting you whenever he felt like it. What more proof do you need that the police haven’t already given you?”
Good question, Selene thought. I wish I knew the answer. “But what was the point of trying to convince me that Quinn was the killer if Michel was doing the dirty work himself? I mean, he seemed to be more intent on scaring me into his arms, and even ending up with some or all of the reward money than stalking and murdering those women. The police have never been able to verify one hundred percent that Michel was even in Bluffs Bay when the murders started—”
“So what are you saying? You think Quinn really did kill those women?”
Selene met Elisa’s narrowed gaze. “No, of course not!”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know. Call it a gut feeling, but I think the killer is someone who lives in The Woods and attended some of the Citizens Against Crime meetings. It doesn’t seem likely that Michel would’ve dared show his face there—and he definitely wasn’t invited...”
“Now I know you’ve lost your mind!” Elisa exclaimed. “If the police are satisfied they’ve got their man, why can’t you be? We both know your ex wasn’t a saint. Any man who would beat up on women and stalk them is just as capable of strangling them—”
Selene thought about it. Maybe she had lost her mind or had given Michel too much credit for being an abuser, anonymous caller, and flat out creep, but not a killer. Nevertheless, she doubted she would be able to prove otherwise unless the killer set his sights on another victim, clearing Michel of being The Woods Strangler.
They heard the side door open and, momentarily, Marvin entered the room. He had a basketball in his hand, a towel flung over his tee shirt, and was dripping with perspiration.
“Yuck, hurry up and take a shower,” Elisa ordered him, wrinkling her nose.
“Don’t go on my account,” Selene half-joked.
Marvin grinned. “Actually I’m gonna shoot some more hoops out back for a little while longer. Just came in to see if you told Selene our news, honey?”
Selene looked at Elisa. “What news?”
Elisa flushed. “I hadn’t gotten around to it yet,” she said evasively. “We were busy talking about some other stuff.”
“So what’s the big secret?” Selene asked impatiently.
“We’re going to have a baby!” Marvin blurted out.
“What—?”
Elisa grinned. “Yeah, you heard right. I’m pregnant.”
“That’s wonderful,” Selene said. “Congratulations to both of you.”
Selene thought about the biological clock ticking inside her body. She wondered if the time would soon come when she and Quinn would have a little one to bless with love and goodness. The idea sent waves of joy through Selene.
* * *
That night the thought of motherhood was still with Selene as she and Quinn made love. She squeezed his buttocks, bringing them closer together. Her nipples hardened against Quinn’s chest and she moaned from the sensation. She wrapped her legs around his back, making him her prisoner. Selene felt this was as good a time as any to bring up what was on her mind.
“How do you feel about having a baby?”
Quinn pulled back and stared into Selene’s face. They had talked about having a child, but only in the future. Selene had wanted to wait, fearful that her work at the shelter would make it difficult to be a good mother. He wondered what had changed her mind.
“We’d make great parents and I’d love to bring a child into this world,” Quinn said. “How do you feel about it?”
A blissful smile played on Selene’s lips. “I want that more than anything.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. It seems like the right time now to start our family. I can delegate authority at the shelter to others and take the time I need to be a mother.”
Quinn’s eyes danced with delight. “I agree.”
Selene kissed him. “So, no more birth control for a while?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She pushed him up and over, climbing on top, before lowering herself onto him. “The next time, we could be creating your son or daughter.” Selene leaned over and licked his lips, followed by a deep kiss.
Quinn savored the taste of his wife. He had always wanted to be a father, but it seemed like destiny was aga
inst that. Now maybe patience would pay off and he would be justly rewarded.
Selene closed her eyes. She wondered if she would get pregnant right away or if it would take longer.
Either way, she intended to enjoy the pleasures of intimacy with her husband.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
The headline was sprawled across the front of the metro section of the Bluffs Bay Daily. AN AURA OF DEATH FOLLOWS LOCAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR.
Quinn looked at the newspaper while sitting in the coffeehouse sipping a caramel macchiato. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Some enterprising reporter had decided to delve into his background, bringing to light things Quinn had preferred to keep buried forever.
Am I ready to deal with this again?
He didn’t have much choice at this point. He had to face his fears head on and tackle them, no matter how difficult.
Quinn had known it was only a matter of time before it all caught up to him. Now that it had, it would be better if Selene heard the full story from him rather than read about it or hear it from someone else.
Quinn finished the coffee and folded the paper, leaving it on the table. He dreaded having to relive the worst days of his life and, more than that, put a damper on his current life.
* * *
Selene came home for lunch. She found a note from Quinn stating that he’d gone out for coffee and would probably stop and pick up some groceries on the way home.
She went into the kitchen and turned on the TV while she made a sandwich. She was only half listening to the news program when she glanced up at the screen and saw in disbelief Quinn’s face fill the screen.
The voice of the commentator was saying, “Recently removed as a suspect in the deadly string of attacks against women in the upscale community of The Woods, bestselling mystery author Quinn Herrera nevertheless is no stranger to homicide and controversy. Nearly two years ago, his wife was badly beaten, then strangled to death. While Herrera was initially considered a suspect, it turned out that his wife had been having an affair with her ex-husband Stuart Naughton. It was Naughton who apparently snapped and murdered her—”
Selene was stunned. Quinn had told her that his wife was the victim of a drive-by shooting and that she wasn’t even the intended victim. She couldn’t imagine why he would have lied about it. Unless he actually was involved in her murder.
Could Michel’s eerie calls about Quinn being The Woods Strangler have a ring of truth to them after all?
In her heart of hearts, Selene was certain that Quinn was not homicidal. But how could she be sure what to believe in light of the fact that he’d lied to her about something as serious as the brutal murder of his wife?
Now Selene’s first husband was dead, too. Could there be some bizarre symmetry there?
Before she could digest these conflicting and disturbing thoughts, Selene looked up to see Quinn standing there, his mouth a grim line.
* * *
The moment he saw the frightened, bewildered look on her face, Quinn knew that Selene had already heard the news. He immediately regretted that he had held back things she had a right to know as his wife.
It was time to come totally clean. Quinn could only hope he had not already done irreparable harm to his marriage.
“Should I be scared of you or what?” Selene’s eyes narrowed with consternation.
“No, you don’t ever have to be scared of me,” Quinn said. He knew it would take a lot more than mere words and the best of intentions to prove it. He grabbed the remote and cut off the television. “Why don’t we talk in the living room?”
When Selene seemed reluctant to go anywhere with him, Quinn said, “Please, Selene. You have every reason not to trust me right now. But just hear me out. I swear I’ll tell you everything I should have told you a long time ago—”
Quinn held out his hand, not sure if Selene would withdraw from it. Instead, she guardedly took hold of his hand. They walked in silence for what seemed like an eternity, while Quinn collected his thoughts.
He sat on the sofa and beckoned Selene to sit beside him. After hesitating, she gingerly sat down, but kept her distance.
Quinn knew if he handled this wrong, it could cost him everything. Again.
He looked directly into Selene’s eyes. “When I met Nikita, she’d just come out of a bad marriage that included everything from abuse to drug use to adultery. But even with that baggage, I believed that our love for each other would be strong enough to overcome the tumultuous relationship Nikita had with her first husband. For a while, everything was good between us...or so I thought...”
Quinn checked himself, knowing that this was where it got really tough.
“Then it all began to fall apart. Apparently, Nikita never truly got over her first husband. Not the way you’re supposed to when you marry another man. She was having an affair with him... When I found out, I was devastated and blamed myself for not doing enough to keep her faithful to our marriage and me. Turns out that there was nothing in the world I could have done differently, except maybe not fall in love with the wrong woman. Nikita said she never even really loved me, but just needed to get away from him. After realizing she couldn’t get him out of her system or heart, Nikita left me and returned to her ex-husband...”
Quinn wanted to stop right there, for he felt like he was living through the whole painful ordeal all over again. But he had to see it through for the sake of everything he’d built with Selene. He hoped he hadn’t waited too long.
“We officially separated,” he explained. “I tried to pretend that Nikita was simply confused about who and what she wanted, and that she’d come back to me eventually. She never did. Less than a month after she left me, Nikita was murdered by Stuart Naughton, her lover and ex-husband.”
Quinn closed his eyes for a second, reliving the pain. He opened them, tears escaping as he gazed at Selene’s unreadable face. He knew that she needed to believe he was still every bit the man she thought him to be.
“The police first thought it was the act of a vengeful jealous husband,” Quinn continued. “I cooperated with them fully, knowing I had nothing to hide, other than my foolish pride and poor judgment. Then they found out Naughton—a former marine with a history of mental problems and violent behavior—was responsible for Nikita’s death. It was the culmination of the type of upheaval and violence that apparently characterized their relationship from the beginning.” Quinn paused, took a deep breath, and released it slowly.
“Stuart Naughton was on the run for two months before authorities caught up with him. He confessed to the crime, suggesting that Nikita had planned to come back to me and he couldn’t and wouldn’t allow that, so he half beat her to death and finished her off by strangling her. Naughton was eventually convicted and sent to prison.”
Quinn wiped away tears. “I was completely exonerated, but still felt like I was responsible for her death. If only I had seen the big picture or she had asked for my help, maybe things could have turned out differently for her.”
Selene listened to his heartfelt tale and wasn’t quite sure what to say. So she said nothing, wanting to hear more, though fearing it at the same time.
“I went through a long stretch of second-guessing myself, wondering what I should or could have done that might have changed the outcome,” Quinn told her. “I was ashamed of what had happened to Nikita and I suppose I tried to sanitize it somewhat, if you can call it that. So I came up with the accidental drive-by shooting explanation for her death. It somehow seemed—I don’t know—more digestible than dealing with the realities of a marriage that should never have taken place and ended in a way I couldn’t quite face up to. When I met you, I tried to bury what had happened with Nikita, as though it might ease my regrets. It never truly has...”
“Why didn’t you let me share this burden with you?” Selene asked. She felt a touch of resentment that he’d denied her the right to give him her full support, as though he didn’t trust her enough for that role. “I co
uld have helped you cope with it.”
Quinn took her hands. “I wanted to more than you know, Selene. But it was just too hard to go back there and deal with my inadequacies and frustrations.”
“I deserved to know the truth.” She gave him a stern look, pulling her hands away. “Would you ever have told me, if it hadn’t come out?”
“Yes—eventually. I’m sorry for not telling you. It was stupid and inexcusable.”
“You’re right, it was.” Selene sighed. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Quinn knew what she was getting at, so he set the record straight. “No matter what’s gone down with Michel Giovanni or how he chose to live his life and met his death, I had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I thought for one minute that you might think otherwise—”
“I believe you, Quinn,” Selene murmured. She dabbed at tears in her eyes. Deep down inside she’d felt this way before he said it. Whatever Quinn’s faults were, she knew he was a good man with a good heart and the right intentions. He was not capable of committing such cowardly, despicable acts of violence.
Quinn swallowed, overjoyed to hear her say that. “When Giovanni came to town and began harassing you, I thought history might repeat itself. I didn’t want to lose you to him the way I lost Nikita to an ex she couldn’t break away from. I definitely wanted to go to Michel and make him leave you alone no matter what it took or what I had to do. But I didn’t, because I knew if something happened, you would never have forgiven me for going against your wishes. I wasn’t prepared to take that chance, even when I feared for your safety. I loved you too much to do anything I would have only ended up regretting one way or another.”
Selene ran her hand across Quinn’s cheek. “I’m not like your first wife and you never had to worry about losing me to Michel or anyone else. My life with him was over and done with a long time ago.”
“Yeah, I know it was over from your point of view. But it was Giovanni who scared the hell out of me. Now I know that he was even more dangerous than I wanted to believe. I don’t even want to think about what might have happened had this gone on with him much longer...”
Killer in The Woods: A Psychological Thriller Page 21