Sinful Deception

by Mel Comley

  “Maybe we could both go.”

  Tamara shook her head. “You know I’m the perfect choice, Alex. Most of the time, I look like one of these kids we’re looking for. No one is going to see me as a threat. Not until it’s too late.”

  “We’ll run it by Nobby. The chief may fire me for hiding the fact the Escape Artist has been calling me, and even if he doesn’t, Nobby is going to be so mad, he may kick me out.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” Tamara parked the car in the Brockhursts’ drive. “I think everyone has been hiding little things. And you told me, and now Reefer knows. We’ll back your play.”

  “You may be right about the hiding things.” Alex climbed out and stretched. “I don’t think they went fishing this morning.”

  “There’s fishing, and then there’s fishing. They’re probably following up a lead they didn’t want to share unless it panned out. Here’s hoping we find out who our Jane Does are.”

  Mrs. Brockhurst welcomed them and led them to the same room they’d used before. “I was going through Janice’s things and found these.” She waved her hand at several yearbooks. “I also found her cell phone. I can’t bring myself to look at it. I did charge it for you.”

  “Would you mind if we took these things with us, Mrs. Brockhurst?” Alex asked.

  “Yes, please take them. I want to help all I can, and I need to leave in a few minutes. We got the call that Janice’s body is being released. My husband is picking me up so we can make final arrangements at the funeral home.”

  The front door opened, and Tamara breathed a sigh of relief as Hank Brockhurst walked into the room. He went straight to his wife and placed an arm around her. “Have you found him yet?”

  “Not yet, but we did find out something the two of you need to know. Janice didn’t run away. She went to help Belinda Montgomery.”

  Mrs. Brockhurst started to sob, and Hank turned her head into his shoulder and held her. “Thank you, Detectives. That means a lot to us.”

  Alex collected the yearbooks and Janice’s phone. “We’ll let ourselves out, and we’ll keep you apprised of anything we find.”

  He nodded, lowering his head to his wife’s shoulder, and the two cried together.

  Tamara closed the door behind them, and they walked to the car in silence. She swiped at a tear as she started the engine. “Damn, that was rough. I’d love to look at that phone, but we should wait until we get to the house and let Reefer do it.”

  As Alex placed the books and phone on the backseat, her stomach growled. “I think that’s best. I’m starving, and Nobby left stew in the refrigerator.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you don’t like bagels and cream cheese?”

  “You want the truth?” Alex asked.

  Tamara shot her a glance. “Of course I want the truth.”

  “Until the last few days, you always came across as a closed-off, dictating hard-ass. We’ve been getting along well, I had to work with you today, and I didn’t want the attitude.”

  “That’s priceless, Alex.” Tamara giggled. “I thought you were an anal retentive Brit with a pole up your ass.” She grinned at her. “I didn’t think you’d ever learn to bend.”

  “I guess it goes to show first impressions can be wrong. Friends?”

  Tamara slipped a CD into the player. “Friends until the end.” She pressed Play, used the steering wheel as a drum, and sang at the top of her voice. “Born to be wi-i-i-ld.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Alex spread the yearbooks out on the table along with the pictures of the three Jane Does. “I wish we’d thought to ask Mrs. Brockhurst what grade Janice was in. There are hundreds of pictures in each book.”

  “Let’s start with the freshman and sophomore classes. At fifteen, it’s doubtful she was a junior or a senior.” Tamara sat down beside her. “I’ll take last year and start with freshmen.”

  “I’ve almost got the phone downloaded, and then I can help.” Reefer chuckled. “Hate to burst your bubble, but if she was into new friends that were doing drugs, she might have been hanging out with some upperclassmen.”

  Tamara made a face at him. “You’re a little bluebird of sunshine.”

  “I think somebody needs more coffee.” He walked to the sink and started a pot. “Have we heard from Blake and Nobby?”

  Alex shook her head. “Nobby’s note said they wouldn’t be home until late. They left early, though. I hope he doesn’t wear himself out today.”

  “Give him a call,” Tamara said. “Then we’ll know if we’re having fish for dinner or leftovers, unless you can cook.”

  “I hate to bug him if he is fishing.” She reached for her cell phone. “But then again, we do need to know what to do about dinner.” Alex dialed the number, all set to come off with a big fish story.

  But Blake answered. “Hello.”

  “We were wondering how you guys were doing and what we should do about dinner,” Alex stammered. “Have you caught any fish?”

  “We were getting ready to call you. Pull the team together, including Derek Frost and Chief Brown. We should be there within the hour.”

  The line went dead, and Alex stared at Tamara and Reefer. “They want us to pull the team together, including Chief Brown.”

  Tamara frowned. “Is that all he said?”

  Alex sighed heavily. “They’ll be here within the hour. Reefer, if you could get in touch with Derek, I’ll call Chief Brown and Crimshaw.”

  “I’ve been thinking about what you said, Alex, about having to worry about Dixie, Cinders and Nobby. We need to get Crimshaw covered, too, and have his wife and the girls put someplace safe,” Reefer said.

  How could I have forgotten Crimshaw? Every officer’s worst nightmare is losing a partner. “I’ll call him first and tell him to bring Susan and the girls with him.”

  ~

  Half an hour later, Alex was rocking in the porch swing, Cinders on her lap and Dixie at her feet. She’d given up on going through the yearbooks, unable to concentrate. I deserved it. Both Derek and the chief had chewed her out royally, and she still had Nobby and Blake to face. Crimshaw hadn’t said anything, but the look on his face had brought tears to her eyes. I let him down, and he’s never going to trust me again.

  Sarah Jane walked out on the porch, lit a cigarette, and joined Alex in the swing. “Looks like you fucked up.”

  “Looks like you need to have your mouth washed out with soap—and get rid of that cigarette.”

  “You’re not my mother.” She blew smoke in Alex’s direction. “I don’t have a mother.”

  “You could have.” Alex decided to try a different direction. “Crimshaw and Susan have given you a home, but you have to work at it, too.”

  “They won’t keep us long. Nobody ever does.”

  “You or them?” Alex asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  Alex shrugged. “When I first started working with this team, I didn’t have any friends and no one at the station I felt I could trust or talk to. We needed help, and I made that statement to Tamara. She asked me, ‘You or them?’ It made me examine my own attitude, and maybe it was me, not them. I was afraid to care about anybody or let anyone close to me. Now, I have some super friends, although you’re right, I messed it up. We all make mistakes. The secret is to learn from them and not make the same ones twice. If I had a daughter and I needed someone to love and take care of her, there’s no one else I’d choose before Crimshaw and Susan.”

  A sound from the doorway caught her attention, and she looked up in time to see Crimshaw walk into the house. Now he’s gonna hate me even more for interfering with his family.

  Sarah Jane tossed the cigarette and rubbed her eyes. “Must have got smoke in my eyes. Thanks for the pep talk.”

  “Anytime, Sarah Jane.” Her gaze turned to the driveway, where Nobby was pulling in. I’m going to need a friend myself. Alex sighed, stood, and followed Sarah Jane into the house. Within minutes of retelling her story, No
bby was tossing pots and pans and stomping from one area of the kitchen to another, but Blake’s cold eyes sent chills down Alex’s spine. She’d told them everything, including that she’d asked Samael to find MacIntyre. “I’m sorry. I know it was wrong.”

  “Wrong?” Blake slammed a fist on the table. “You jeopardized this entire case, as well as the lives of every team member.”

  “Back off, Blake!” Crimshaw came to stand beside Alex. “You heard her—she was trying to keep us safe, not get us killed. And as far as hiding things, why the hell didn’t you tell us about this guy at Attica?”

  “Nobody in this room is innocent of telling lies or hiding things.” Tamara stood on the other side of Alex. “I should have told the chief I was a runaway, taken in by a sex ring, and prostituted. This case tore me apart, and if it wasn’t for Alex, I wouldn’t be here today.”

  “Enough.” Chief Brown stood and addressed the team. “The only way this team will succeed is by learning to work together and trusting each other. Apparently, we still have some issues on that end. We’ll work on it as we go. Right now, I’d like to see that DVD and get an image of this son of a bitch, and then we’re going to work around the clock until we find him. Now, let’s all calm down, go into the living room, and start to work.”

  Blake turned on the TV, inserted the DVD into the disk drive, and pressed Fast Forward. “Warden Sams said the best shot was about ten minutes in.”

  The camera focused on the defense table, and Blake hit Pause. “Anybody recognize him?” His question was addressed generally, but his eyes were locked on Alex’s face.

  “He looks similar to the guy in the park, but his hair is different. Darker.” She moved closer to the TV. “The tosser ticked me off, so I didn’t look at him that close, but this could be his brother.”

  “Reefer, could you work with that and get us a clear picture to print?”

  “Yes, sir, Chief Brown.”

  “When was this?” Alex asked.

  Blake ejected the DVD and passed it to Reefer. “About six years ago.”

  “Don’t waste your time. In the last video he sent me, his face was bandaged with only the eyes and mouth showing. He changed his looks before coming to the States.”

  Chief Brown ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Crimshaw, I’m giving you a week off with pay. Take Susan and the girls and fly down to Florida or somewhere on vacation until this is over.”

  “I’m going to respectfully decline, sir. I’ve already called Susan’s father, and she and the girls are packing now. No offense, Tamara, but Alex is my partner, and I’m not leaving her side again until we catch this bastard.”

  “All right, we’re not going to argue about this. Go to work on the yearbooks and phone, see if you can find out who the Jane Does are. Derek and I will be visiting the medical examiner and putting a fire under the forensic department. We’ll have those reports by morning. Blake, I expect a profile based on the new evidence by midday. Have I missed anything?”

  The team shook their heads in unison.

  “Then get off your asses and get to work. Derek, let’s take a ride.”

  Alex waited as the rest of the team headed for the kitchen. She reached out and took Crimshaw’s arm. “I wanted to thank you for standing up for me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  “Yeah, well, you ever do that again, and you won’t have to worry about the Escape Artist or Samael or whatever the hell he wants to call himself. I’ll handcuff you to me and not let you out of my sight.”

  Alex grinned at him. “About not leaving my side?”

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  “I sleep in the nude.”

  “Shit, Alex, you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  Alex placed an arm around his waist and turned with him toward the kitchen. “I’ve really missed you. Maybe when things settle down, we’ll take a drive down to Ghent, and I’ll introduce you to Sergeant Hardmeat.”

  ~

  Candy closed the laptop and stretched out on the bed. She’d spent the last two hours reading every article she could find on the Escape Artist. The most interesting was the interview with Sergeant Alexandra Fox, whose sister he’d killed. Candy was positive she’d seen the woman’s face somewhere before. She finally found her. Fox was a detective with the newly formed special investigations team in New York City. Interesting. Did she follow him here? Or did they come together?

  The sound of a door closing brought her off the bed and across the room to peer around her doorframe. Rico was leaving Val’s room. She’d waited for him that morning until she’d finally become so tired that she’d fallen asleep on the couch. When she woke, he’d returned but closeted himself in the room with Val. Something was up, and she needed to know what.

  “Rico?”

  He stopped at the top step of the stairs but didn’t turn to look at her. “Yes, Miss Candy?”

  Candy walked out onto the landing. “What’s going on, Rico? Are you angry with me?”

  “No. I’m leaving for the lab in half an hour. Meet me there, and we’ll talk.”

  Candy watched him continue down the steps, then she walked across the landing and knocked on Val’s door.

  “Come in,” Val called.

  Candy opened the door and stuck her head through the opening. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

  “Better. I’m going to rest today and tomorrow and hopefully be ready to help you with the trials on our new specimen on Monday.”

  “That would be wonderful. I’m sure I can do it, but having you there to show me makes me feel much better.”

  Val’s lips lifted in a half-smile. “You’re a quick learner. I have something for you.” She held out a manila envelope. “Your new ID, including a driver’s license. You’ve been pushing your luck there, and eventually, luck runs out.”

  Candy took the package. “Thank you, Val. How am I ever going to repay you for everything you’ve done for me?”

  “I would say no payment is necessary, but we both know that isn’t true. Eventually, I’ll ask you for something, and I’ll expect you to give it freely without question.”

  “Of course, Val, anything you want.”

  Val fluffed her pillow. “Right now, I want to sleep. Go help Rico at the lab. The two of you have things to talk about.”

  Candy made her way back to her room, where she dressed quickly, applied her makeup, and fluffed her hair. She would make Rico look at her—and tell her what Val was up to.

  The drive to the lab was slow. The Saturday traffic was bumper to bumper, and it was almost dark by the time she arrived. She needed a cell phone, but first, she needed to get back into Rico’s good graces. She exited the car and smiled when she saw him waiting for her at the door. Once she finished pleasing him tonight, he would buy her anything she wanted.

  “Sorry, traffic was horrible. I would have called, but I don’t have a cell phone. Maybe we can talk to Val about that later.” She reached up to kiss him, but he turned his head, and her lips scraped across the scars on his face.

  “Your mother is dead. She died sometime during the day.” Rico walked toward the office. “MacIntyre probably won’t last through tonight.”

  Candy tried to drum up some semblance of sympathy for her mother, but she was more worried about Rico’s coldness than her mother’s well-being. “You did everything you could to save her, Rico. I appreciate that. She was going to die anyway, eventually.”

  Rico opened the office door and motioned for her to enter.

  “I spoke with Val before I left. She seems to be doing much better today.”

  “Sit down, Miss Candy.”

  She sat down in Val’s chair. “All right, Rico. Apparently, something is wrong, so tell me.”

  “Samael came here this morning after you left.”

  Candy sat up straighter. “What did he want?”

  “He wants MacIntyre, preferably alive, but if not, then dead.” Rico turned his head away from her. “And he wants to meet you.”

/>   Perfect. Candy ducked her head to hide her pleasure. “When does he want to meet me?”

  “He’s going to call on Monday and arrange to pick up MacIntyre. I’m to take you to that meeting.”

  Her mind immediately searched her wardrobe. She would want to look pretty but professional. “So what’s the problem, Rico? Why all the secretive meetings with Val, and why are you treating me so coldly?”

  Rico stood and walked to the door. “Samael only meets a woman for one reason. He will take you with him, rape you, beat you, leave you close to death, and when you are broken physically, mentally, and emotionally, he will call me to come get you.”

  “Then Samael is going to be in for quite a surprise, Rico. I have no intentions of being raped, beaten, or broken.”

  He stared at her for a moment then turned and opened the door. “Then I will come bury you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Alex yawned and turned the page on the yearbook. She’d looked at a thousand young, smiling faces and was so tired she wasn’t sure she would recognize the victims even if she found them. Janice’s phone had been a dead end, and none of her friends had recognized any of the other girls.

  “Isn’t that Jane Doe One?” Crimshaw pointed to a picture close to the bottom.

  Alex perked up and collected the photo from the medical examiner over to compare it. “If it’s not her, it must be a relative. Good catch, Crimshaw.”

  “Have you got a name on her?” Reefer asked.

  “Penny Jameson.” Alex flipped the book over. “She was a freshman two years ago, so around fifteen or sixteen, just like our victim.”

  Tamara turned the photo over and wrote Penny Jameson on the back. “We’ll hand it over to the medical examiner, and his office can check with the school on Monday. This is their job anyway.”

  “I ran a search on the missing children’s database, and she’s not listed there.”