Malicious Desires

by Maria Pease

  “Sammy, what’d you get?”

  I ignored him for a minute as I took a few notes about the lakes.

  He approached my desk and stood there, waiting.

  I handed him the phone and continued to scribble notes on the various lakes.

  “Did she recognize the number?”

  “Nope.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Frank headed out the door, so I finished my note, grabbed the file, and followed, locking the door behind me. Tension filled the air, and although I was uneasy about knowing the details of what was going on in his life, I couldn’t stand this emotional roller coaster he was on either. I wasn’t used to seeing Frank this way. He was always the one who had it all together. He was the rock, and I counted on that.

  “What’s up with you?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  “Monique?”

  “Bingo.”

  “I think you’re growing, Frank.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He swung hard into the Justice Center parking lot.

  “Whatever is going on with you two has your emotions all over the map. I’ve never seen this side of you before, not even with any of your wives.”

  “I’m not sure how to take that.”

  “It was a compliment.”

  “This sucks.”

  “What?”

  “She said I was closed off. That my emotions ran as deep as a kiddy pool.”

  I tried not to be amused. “She wouldn’t be saying that if she could see the way you’ve been acting for the past few days.”

  “So, what do you think? How should I handle this?”

  “Maybe you need to stop handling it. How do you feel about her?”

  “Sam, you know. Just look at me. I’m a wreck.”

  “You haven’t told her, have you?”

  “Told her what?”

  “That you love her.”

  “Sure I have.”

  “No, you haven’t.”

  “How do you know?” He sounded annoyed.

  “No offense, but I’d bet you think you’re telling her, but you never actually say it.”

  “She knows how I feel.”

  “Are you in junior high? Frank, if you love her, tell her.”

  I took the cell phone and my file and piled out of the truck, leaving Frank to decipher what I’d told him.

  After signing in, I asked the clerk who I should talk to about tracing a number then waited to see who would fetch me. Just as I heard my name, Frank came through the door and Ted led us to his lab.

  “Frank, how the hell are you? It’s been a while.” Ted firmly shook Frank’s hand.

  “Good to see you, Ted. We appreciate all your help.”

  “No problem. Sam, how are you doing with the social media stuff?”

  “I’m still working on it.”

  “So, what have you got for me today?”

  I filled him in on what Shelby Sterling had told me, and he got right to work.

  Frank and I decided to go down and get a cup of coffee.

  Frank sat for several minutes, staring at the table. “You’re right, Sam. I’ve never actually said it to her.”

  “Maybe you should.”

  “I don’t know. Do you think it would make a difference?”

  “It will if you mean it.”

  Chapter 9

  Ted came back out a half hour later. “Well, the messages came from a burner phone. That’s about all I have right now, but I’ll keep working on it.”

  “Thanks, Ted. We appreciate it.”

  “No problem, Frank. Glad to help.”

  That meant we’d be running with what we had for the time being. There were five lakes nearby and we didn’t have a clue which was the planned dump spot. If we were going to have any chance of getting to the bottom of things, we needed help.

  I called Alana, and Frank disappeared.

  When he returned twenty minutes later, he had a smile on his face and a spring in his step. “Let’s roll.”

  Back at the office, Alana stood at the locked office door, waiting. She was wearing black jeans, a black jacket, and black sneakers; she was ready to get serious. We went inside and Frank explained the plan.

  “You and Alana are going to stakeout Harveston Lake. It’s not that big, so it should be manageable for the two of you. Be sure to report anything unusual. I have undercover cops to cover Lake Skinner, Vail Lake and Diamond Valley Lake. The Elsinore cops will stakeout the lake there.”

  “Frank, how’d you get the manpower? I thought the captain said –”

  “Once I told him about the messages, he re-evaluated and agreed this might not be a goose chase after all.”

  I wanted to head out before it got too dark so I could get a good look around and determine where we should settle in for the best possible view. I anticipated a long night, so we stopped at Rock N Jenny’s and picked up a couple of subs to go. I hadn’t been over to Harveston in several years and wasn’t sure what to expect.

  Harveston was a residential community that was marketed as a town within a town. It was designed to have shops, coffee houses and grocery stores, so residents didn’t have to go outside their community to find what they needed to live. Driving through the area, I saw the reality didn’t live up to the hype. Yes, there were lakeside homes and a nice facility where residents could have parties and rent paddle boats, but a town within a town? Not so much.

  The lake was bigger than I remembered, and although I wasn’t comfortable having Alana on her own, I didn’t know if I’d have a choice. When I mentioned it to Frank, he was adamant I was not to leave Alana alone and said he’d head over to help.

  Although the sun was beginning to set, I knew we still had a little time. Anyone who planned to dump a body would most likely be waiting until dark. We moved to a bench by the lake and watched as the sun began its decent, filling the sky with soothing purples, pinks, and oranges. The beauty of the sky brought various people out for a stroll around the lake. Couples walked hand in hand, girlfriends chatted, and mothers and fathers walked with their kids. I thought about the reasons we were there, and suddenly I felt a chill in the air. “Let’s go.”

  We drove the Jeep to the clubhouse and parked to eat our subs as darkness filled the sky.

  “So, what do we do if we see someone?”

  “You won’t do anything. No matter what, you stay in the Jeep. I can’t risk anything happening to you. Understand?”

  “Sure.”

  I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t convinced that she understood. “I’m serious.”

  “I know.” She took another bite and stared out the window.

  As I tossed the trash, Frank pulled in beside me. “We might have a problem.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I just talked with Ted. Another message just came in. I’m heading over to take a look.”

  “Can’t Ted just tell you what it says?”

  “He said I had to see it for myself. Stay here and stick with the plan. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

  “What did he say?” Alana asked.

  “Stick with the plan.”

  To get a view of the whole lake, we parked on the street in front of the small cottage-style homes. I made sure the zoom lens was on the camera and was ready to go. I pulled the small duffel bag off the back seat and sifted through it, making sure I had a couple of flashlights, my cuffs, and some mace, just in case the need presented itself. We were on alert as cars drove into the area and the flash of headlights moved across the dashboard.

  “You okay?” I asked Alana.

  “Sure. Why?”

  “You’re quieter than usual.”

  “I was just thinking. I mean, what kind of person kills someone and dumps them in a lake?”

  “A bad one.”

  We waited for almost two hours, and I still hadn’t heard from Frank. I was curious about the message Ted had insisted he see for himself and wondered why he hadn’
t called to let me know what was going on. As I reached for my cell, a pair of headlights blinded me.

  The car drove straight to the boat ramp at the end of the lake, and the headlights went dark.

  “Sam…”

  “Got it.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Stay out of sight.”

  We watched a dark figure emerge from what looked like a blue or gray older model Mustang. He leaned against it while scanning the lake then moved to the edge of the water, staring down into its depths. After a minute, he stepped back, surveyed the area, then retreated to the car and drove away.

  “He’s leaving?”

  “That’s what it looks like.”

  “Do you think he’ll be back?” She sounded disappointed.

  “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. He might just be checking the area.”

  “I wouldn’t dump someone in there.”

  I was wondering what was going on in her mind. “Really? Why not?”

  “Well, first of all, any of those people who live around the lake could come walking out their front door.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “There has to be a better place to get rid of someone. Wouldn’t the body end up floating? That would be really gross.”

  “Yeah, I know. So, where would you get rid of a body?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I don’t think I could ever hurt anyone.”

  “Good to know.” I smiled at her.

  Another hour passed, and I’d had enough. I dropped Alana off at her car, hoping to see Frank’s truck in the lot. I still hadn’t heard back from him, and my irritation was now turning to concern. His phone went right to voicemail, so I left him a message that I hoped didn’t sound too sappy.

  On the way home, I drove by to see if there was any action at the Rodeway Inn. The lights were on in the three rooms and shadows moved about behind the curtains. I was about to get out of the Jeep when I spotted a heavyset woman in a brown pantsuit exit the office and move toward me.

  “Are you a guest here?”

  “No. I’m waiting for my friend to come down.”

  “What’s your friend’s name?”

  “Wally. I don’t have the last name.”

  She turned on her heels and headed back to the office, only to re-appear a few minutes later. “We don’t have anyone registered here by that name, Miss. You’re going to have to leave.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. There is no loitering allowed, so you’ve got sixty seconds to leave, or I’m calling the police.” She turned and disappeared.

  Not wanting to upset anyone, I did as I was told. The last thing I needed was to end up tossed in the tank while Frank was missing in action. After all, who would bail me out?

  Chapter 10

  I rolled out of bed at 7:00 AM, grabbed my index cards and updated my case information while I sipped my morning brew, enjoying the aroma. I was eager to get in touch with Frank and to find out what had happened. I was worried about him, and at the same time, I wondered if the person behind those text messages had been caught.

  After a shower and a bowl of Rice Chex, I put on make-up, dried my hair, threw on a crisp white blouse and jeans, and drove to the office. I was getting out of the Jeep when Alana arrived. With no sign of Frank, I unlocked the door, and we went inside.

  “Where’s Frank?”

  “I’m not sure.” I powered up my computer.

  “What are we doing today?”

  “We need to finish developing the social media profile for Katy Smith.”

  “Are we going back to stakeout the lake tonight?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.”

  My purse buzzed, so I fumbled for my cell. Frank’s number flashed on the screen.

  “Frank, where are you? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m on my way in now.”

  I logged on to Facebook and Alana pulled up a chair. We finished the profile and added some photos from the file Ted had emailed me.

  “She looks like a fun girl,” Alana said, looking at the photos of Katy and her friends.

  “Yeah, she does.” I smiled. “You want to be in charge of posting on this?”

  “Really? You want me to do all the posting?” Her eyes brightened.

  “I’ll monitor it, and if there’s any activity, you’ll need to tell me right away. Okay?”

  “Absolutely. I can do that.”

  “Good. Now get to work.”

  Since Alana was on my computer, I logged onto Frank’s and browsed for any information regarding suspicious activity at any of the nearby lakes. My search came up empty, so I called Monique, hoping she could fill me in. The call went to voicemail. I left a message for her to call me back.

  “Sam, if we want to bait this guy, we should change the privacy setting. We should make them public so anyone can contact her.”

  “How do we do that?” I peered over her shoulder, but my attention was diverted when Frank walked in.

  He was smiling. “Hello, ladies!”

  Alana and I glanced at each other and I raised an eyebrow. “Frank, you look so… happy. What’s going on?”

  “Can’t a guy be happy about a beautiful day?” he asked.

  “Sure, but you never are, so what’s the real reason?” I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, I know.”

  “What?” Alana looked perplexed.

  “Well, Frank, are you going to tell her?”

  “Sammy, I think you might be mistaken in your assumptions.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  I looked at Alana. “The reason Frank is so happy is because he got laid last night.”

  Frank stared at me and Alana’s eye’s darted to Frank with an inquisitive glance.

  “Sammy, do you really think that I’m that shallow?”

  “Actually, yes, I do.”

  Frank looked at Alana and shrugged. “What can I say? She knows me.”

  The phone rang. Frank snatched it up and his mood immediately changed. “We’re on our way.”

  Heading down Temecula Parkway, we hung a right on Apis and a left on Wolf Store Road, parking behind a black and white. Officers buzzed around the area keeping several young kids who were standing in the parking lot with skateboards at a distance.

  As we walked up to the scene, Monique Collins approached us. “I thought you’d want to see this.”

  Frank asked one of the uniforms to stay with Alana as he and I followed Monique to the edge of the ravine where a girl was lying in a shallow grave, covered with rocks. Her clothes were torn, and her body was bruised and dirty. She appeared to have a black eye, a broken lip, and dried blood on her face.

  “She’s been badly beaten,” Monique said.

  “Any idea who she is?” Frank asked.

  “No ID yet, but we’re looking into missing persons cases to see what we find. She looks about sixteen. You’d mentioned you were working on a missing teen case, so I wanted to see if this could be related.”

  “Our kid is a young man, but I appreciate you calling. We’ll get out of the way so you can get back to work.” Frank winked at her.

  “Okay. See you later,” Monique said, gently touching his hand.

  I was thinking about how nice it was to see them like this when I noticed something out of place. Anxiety moved through me and my heart skipped a beat.

  We retrieved Alana and drove back to the office. I wondered if I’d imagined it, but I didn’t think so, though it was unexpected and very hard to believe.

  Once inside the office, I asked Frank if we could talk privately. Frank moved to the conference room, but I stopped. “Can we just head out for a cup of coffee?” I was still disgusted by the visual imprint Chuck had left on my mind.

  “Sure.”

  The Swing Inn Café was a favorite in Old Town; it had been there forever. We went to our favorite table and sat by the window.

 
; Shirley saw us and smiled. “I’ll be right with you!” she said, in her Texas twang. Frank ordered the two-egg breakfast that came with hash browns, bacon, and toast. I didn’t understand how he could eat after viewing the crime scene, but he didn’t seem bothered by it.

  “So, what’s up, Sam?”

  “What’s going on with you? Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s great.”

  I sipped my coffee as I fought the urge to get into his business, but before I knew it, I just started talking. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I thought I saw an engagement ring on Monique’s finger.”

  Frank looked at me and smiled. “You saw that, huh?”

  I was at a loss. “Are you serious? Is it really an engagement ring? You’re engaged?”

  “Yeah. I thought about what you said.”

  “What did I say?”

  “All that stuff about telling her I love her.”

  “Wait, I just said you should probably tell her since I was pretty sure you hadn’t.”

  “And you were right. So, I told her.”

  “I’m missing something. How did you go from telling her you love her to getting engaged?”

  “I finally understood why Monique and I were having problems. She wanted more from our relationship. I thought about it and decided I want her to be happy. So, after I saw Ted, I went and bought a ring, then went to see Monique.”

  “Frank, you’re not even divorced from Susan!”

  “Sam, calm down. I’m going to get the divorce. It’s no big deal.”

  A divorce? No big deal? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!

  Chapter 11

  I tried to find words, but instead, I just watched him. Dread covered me like a blanket. I wanted to be happy for him and Monique. I really did. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but think it was all a big mistake. It was obvious to me that Frank was, once again, attempting to fill an empty space with another wife. I sipped my coffee, and although I wanted to continue the conversation, I knew it wouldn’t do any good. I just hoped Monique would be able to see that becoming wife number four wasn’t something to strive for.