Collin

by Jessie Cooke

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Collin pulled off his helmet and looked around. There were marked police cars, and what looked like unmarked cars, surrounding the house and blocking the entrance to the street on the other end of the block. The front of the house was being marked by a uniformed officer with crime scene tape.

  “Sorry man. I was coming to the office to talk to you and I saw you leave. I told my parents about prospecting for Jace today.”

  Noah sighed and looked up at the house and back at Collin. “Was it as bad as you thought it would be?”

  “Worse. The old man showed me the door.”

  Noah frowned. Anyone who knew the Kellys knew how important family was to them. There was a time when Collin would have sworn it didn’t matter what any of them did…they would still be a family. “Like, ‘Get out, I don’t want to talk about this now’?”

  Collin shook his head. “No. Like, ‘Get out and don’t come back unless you’re willing to live the life we expect you to live’.”

  “Damn. Were Sean and Daniel there…and your mom?”

  “Yep. None of them said a word.”

  “Wow. Collin, I’m sorry…but we’ll have to talk about this later. Ava needed help with picking up Aiden. Why don’t you go do that and when I get home we can all talk.”

  Collin frowned, but nodded. He was worried one of his brothers would call Ava before he told her himself. But Daniel was on his way to work for the night and Collin hoped that once Sean went and vented to Keira, she might calm him down. “Okay, I’ll get him.”

  Noah looked at the bike and said, “In your car.”

  Collin rolled his eyes. “Suddenly everyone thinks I’m an idiot.”

  Noah laughed and said, “Hey, man, I’ve always thought you were an idiot.” Collin laughed as he walked away. He was surprised at how glad he was that Ava ended up with Noah. Things were tough for a while after the incident with Brian, and the family’s finding out about Ava’s past. But they pulled together to support her, and Collin had seen firsthand how far Noah was willing to go to protect his sister. He was glad that his parents hadn’t held any of the things Ava confessed to them against her…but it did hurt that he was invited to leave the family, and he hadn’t even done anything wrong. With a sigh he got back on the bike to head to his apartment and trade it for the car. Eventually he’d talk them into letting him take Aiden for a ride…but now wasn’t the time.

  Noah had been surprised when Hayden’s address took him to an actual house. The Valentine Killer usually preferred back alleys and dark, deserted roads. From the outside of the house it was easy to see that it did fit the “deserted” bill anyway. It looked similar to the other houses on the block only the front lawn was a tangle of hip-deep weeds, the chipped and weathered white door was hanging from its rusty hinges, and the previously white window frames were mostly bare, rotting wood.

  Noah nodded at the deputy at the door, grateful it was someone he knew and he didn’t have to pull Hayden away from whatever he was doing to go in. He stepped inside and saw there were no furnishings at all. There was a sleeping bag and a pile of what looked like trash, and dust and rat droppings were the only other decorations. Hayden was crouched over the body so Noah couldn’t see it, but the stench of old blood and decomposition assaulted his nostrils.

  What Noah could see behind Hayden was a long, thin leg. It looked like it was draped over the other one and it was covered with fresh-looking wounds and ugly bruises. When Hayden turned to look at Noah long strands of bloody, matted black hair came into view. Noah’s heart began to slam against his rib cage and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He pulled his eyes away from the hair and looked at Hayden’s face. He didn’t have to ask the only question on his mind; Hayden knew. He shook his head and drew back so that Noah could see her face. Even with her head hyper-extended at such an odd angle and the deep, bloody gash across her neck, Noah could see that she looked too young to be Ciara even with the decomposition that had begun to set in. He fought through the pain that had settled in his chest and went over closer.

  The killer had displayed her with her legs crossed over each other and her arms across her chest so that although she was naked none of her “lady parts” were showing. Noah could see the latex band around her upper arm and the tip of a syringe sticking out above her right elbow. He had often wondered if the psycho thought he was being compassionate by giving them an overdose of heroin before he slit their throats.

  Hayden looked up and said, “The M.E. is on the way.”

  “She’s so young.” She looked so much like Ciara used to when she was a teenager, but this girl couldn’t be over eighteen. Noah’s stomach clenched as he thought that by that time, Ciara was already turning tricks in cheap motels and back alleyways. Noah remembered back when he first caught the Valentine Killer case almost eleven years earlier and one of his first thoughts was relief that he seemed to like girls older than Ciara was at that time. It would have never crossed his mind back then that he’d still be out there killing once she became the right age, but now he thought about it every day. “Are you sure it was him? His aren’t usually so young.”

  Hayden held up an evidence bag. Noah could see a white tissue and a piece of a silver chain. It was his signature, the winged heart necklace. Noah squatted down next to him and looked at her arms. She was bone thin and she had fresh tracks on both sides. She was definitely his type, just a lot younger. “She was squatting here?”

  “Yeah, it looks like it. I talked to the owner of the house when I got here. He said they’re getting ready to demolish it. He’d come by today to pull out some fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen. He was last here about two months ago and there were no signs of anyone then.” Noah watched as Hayden leaned over her and used a pair of tweezers to pull something off of her right breast. It looked like a ball of matted, bloody hair. He slipped it in a bag and sealed it up.

  “Hair?”

  “Yeah, it’s long and black so probably hers, but worth a shot. If this is him we already know we won’t get any DNA.”

  “Detective, I’m going to get some shots—if you’re finished?” Hayden nodded up at the photographer and he and Noah stood up and stepped back out of the way while he took his pictures. The medical examiner showed up just before the photographer finished.

  “Detective Brandt,” he greeted Hayden. Then he looked at Noah and with a raised eyebrow he said, “Did you rejoin the force, Detective Campbell?”

  “Yeah, Doc, I’m with Internal Affairs now and they’re investigating how long it takes the M.E. to arrive on scene and start doing his job. So far you’re way behind.” Hayden shot him one of his stern looks and the doctor smirked.

  “I’m sure you know what you’re doing, Detective Brandt, but if the D.A. ever gets wind of a civilian being invited to crime scenes…”

  “Who would tell them?” Hayden asked him. They had a stare-off for several seconds before the doc looked away.

  “I can’t imagine,” he said. He went over to the body, where his assistant was already setting up, and began to examine it. While he was doing his thing Hayden went to check out the rest of the house. He left Noah under strict orders to stay near the door and not touch anything…like he was dealing with a fucking rookie.

  Noah was doing his best not to watch as the M.E. stuck his thermometer into her to try to ascertain a time of death. He quoted a number to his assistant and then further examined the body. When Hayden came back into the room the doc said, “My guess would be she died anywhere from a few weeks to a month or so ago based on decomposition. Can I take her or you still working?”

  “Yeah, she’s yours,” Hayden told him. Once again, Noah tried not to watch as they rolled her back and forth to get her into the body bag. He had been a homicide detective for a long time…it wasn’t that he couldn’t stomach death; it was just that he didn’t want to anymore. The smell of it alone stayed with him for days and sometimes weeks afterwards. Once the M.E. was gone he asked Hayden:
>
  “Is this going to be your case?”

  “Yeah, I’ll keep it. I’ll let you know if we find anything else out.” Hayden went over to the pile of belongings in the corner. They’d already been photographed. The CSI techs were coming in the door as the M.E. was leaving with the body. They’d do a sweep of the place but unless he killed her in another room, this was strictly a dumping ground for an already dead body. That was also a deviation for their Valentine Killer.

  Almost thinking aloud Noah said, “Strange if she was squatting here that he’d take her somewhere else and kill her and then bring her body back here to dump it.”

  “I’m not sure this is her stuff,” Hayden said. “There’s a man’s wallet here and some men’s socks and tennis shoes. I know homeless people aren’t usually picky about their clothes but these shoes look two sizes too big for her. I’ve also got a man’s work shirt.”

  “So someone else has been staying here and the owner hasn’t been here in two months but the killer just happened to know he’d come by today and find the body if he dumped her today, and he just happened to know the squatter wouldn’t be around?”

  “Yeah, sounds like a whole lot of coincidence.”

  “You have an address on the owner?”

  “I’ll talk to him, Noah, and let you know.”

  “Damn it, Hayden…”

  “You heard the doc. Every time I call you, I risk getting my own ass into a sling but I do it anyways. If you’re not going to do this my way then…”

  “Fine, I’ll wait for your call.”

  “Good, thank you.”

  “Do you think this is him, or do you think we’re dealing with a copycat here?”

  “I don’t know. The needles were never released to the public so if it’s a copycat then it’s someone who knows the original personally.”

  “Fuck.” Noah wasn’t really sure which was worse.

  19

  Noah checked in with Ava before leaving the murder scene and she told him Collin would be coming for dinner. Since she didn’t sound pissed or upset, he assumed no one had told her Collin’s news yet. He wasn’t looking forward to the evening. He knew she’d blame him for Collin’s decision since he had become good friends with most of the Skulls as well. But he also knew she’d probably get over it a lot quicker than the rest of her family. Ava wouldn’t admit it, but Noah knew that Collin was her favorite and he suspected she’d forgive him almost anything.

  He left the east side of the city and headed to the bowling alley that his client’s husband supposedly spent so much time at. The place was busy for a weekday afternoon with a lot of league bowlers…mostly older men and women. Noah did a quick sweep of the place and when he spotted his mark, he found a bench close to where he had already started bowling. Noah sat down and opened the bag Ava had packed for him with a pair of bowling shoes she’d found at a thrift store and a green bowling ball. Noah took the shoes out and hoped he wouldn’t really have to put them on. Just then he heard a man’s voice say:

  “So how long have you been bowling?” Noah looked up at the man. He had snow-white hair and teeth that were almost blinding against the spray-tan he’d obviously been overusing.

  “Not long, I needed a hobby that would get me out of the house,” Noah said with a grin.

  The man laughed. “I feel you there, buddy.” He fingered the thick gold chain around his neck underneath the open collar of his crisp white shirt. “I don’t hang around and take any more of the little woman’s bullshit than I have to, if you know what I mean.”

  “Boy, do I,” Noah said. He was picturing the guy’s wife, his client. She was almost fifty and she looked so good that she probably still got carded in bars. What the hell she saw in this guy Noah would never know. “How long you been married?”

  “Hell, it’s been so long I can’t even remember. I think the old lady said something about twenty-five years the last time she was whining about me forgetting our anniversary.”

  Noah knew that the wife was the one with the money. He might just have to follow this guy next time he went to take a piss and see what he was hiding down there. It was his second client recently that made him question a woman’s taste. It had to be a self-esteem thing, he thought…or maybe this guy looked like a porn star underneath his clothes. Who knew? Noah laughed at the man’s “joke” and hoped it didn’t sound as forced as it felt. He didn’t like the guy. He actually thought he was a piece of shit just for bad-mouthing his wife the way he was, to a stranger of all people. “I hear you. I’ve only been married a few years and mine already nags more than she puts out. I tell you what, that little redheaded secretary of mine is looking better and better.”

  The older man laughed again. This one was a deep-chested perverse kind of laugh and it made Noah want to punch him in the face. That was before the man said, “If you like them hot little redheads, you should have been here Tuesday night. The hottest little piece I ever seen was hanging around here; I think she was looking for a sugar daddy. I would have loved to apply for the position if I didn’t already have more than my Viagra can handle going on.” He was talking about Ava. Noah opened and closed his fist a few times underneath the table.

  “Damn,” Noah choked out. “Sorry I missed that. I probably would have chickened out, though, if I had been here. My wife’s kind of a vindictive bitch. She holds all the purse strings, if you know what I mean. If she found out, I’d be starting from scratch.”

  “Ah hell, my wife and I have a prenup. If she catches me dipping my wick in another candle I don’t get shit. But you know what?”

  “What?”

  “She’s about as dumb as a box of rocks. As long as I fuck her old tired pussy once a week she thinks I still want her and she don’t suspect a thing. I just close my eyes while I’m doing it and picture that twenty-two-year-old pussy. It’s a stretch, but I make it work.”

  Noah swallowed bile and whistled through his teeth. “Twenty-two—damn, man, you’re a stud!” I really have to see this man’s schlong.

  The man chuckled that dirty chuckle again and said, “Yeah, boy! Sweet little piece works for me. She’s got ‘aspirations,’ if you know what I mean.”

  Unfortunately Noah knew what he meant. He was taking advantage of a twenty-two-year-old girl who thought she had to fuck a disgusting old pervert to keep her job. Damn, he was glad Ava forced him to stay on the job. It almost always pissed him off when she acted like she was smarter than him, but he also almost always realized later that she was right.

  “So if you don’t mind me asking, how do you manage it without making the wife suspicious?”

  “I bowl three times a week, right after work, and she thinks the boys and I have a few afterwards. In reality, I bowl one game and then meet the little woman and fuck her, sometimes until two a.m. I go home and crawl in bed with the old battle-axe and tell her we closed the bar and she’s none the wiser.”

  “So your girl has her own place?”

  “Kind of…she’s got a kid, but she shares custody, so on the three days we hook up, the little booger isn’t there.

  “Sounds like a sweet setup.”

  “You got that right. What is it you do?”

  “I’m working for my wife’s father right now. I sell insurance. It’s boring as hell and I hate being under her daddy’s thumb at work and hers at home, you know? If it wasn’t for that sweet little redhead, I’d quit tomorrow.”

  The old guy sat forward and the brittle white hairs on his chest spilled out the front of his shirt as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He opened it up and shuffled through more than a few large bills before pulling out a business card. “I tell you what,…?”

  “Bob,” Noah said, holding out his right hand. “Bob White.”

  The old man shook his hand and said, “Name’s Curt Willis. I like you, Bob. I can tell we’re a lot alike. I work for my father-in-law too, but I run the office. We deal in mutual funds, but it ain’t much different than insurance really. I might just have
a job for you and that sweet little redhead if you’re interested.” He winked at Noah and said, “Come by the office and see me tomorrow.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned, Curt, that’s a hell of an offer. Thank you!”

  “So, I’ll see ya tomorrow?”

  “I can’t wait. I guess I should get home before the old nag gets herself too worked up,” Noah said. Then he grabbed his things and nearly ran out of the bowling alley. He couldn’t wait to get away from the old pig. He thought about Ava and wondered whether, if he didn’t have her, someday he might have turned into a dirty old man like this guy. He shuddered at the thought.

  He made it to the car and moved it around so it was far enough away from the exit that it wasn’t visible and sat there and waited for the fat pervert to come out. Noah was hoping that the poor girl that thought she had to give it up to this asshole had some nice big windows with sheer curtains. He suddenly couldn’t wait to present Curt’s wife with the evidence she needed to cut him off at the knees. About fifteen minutes passed before the old asshole came outside. The way he was walking to his car made Noah want to pull the bastard over and give him a DUI on top of the rest of it. Maybe he would call an old beat cop friend of his when he left the girl’s house.

  Noah was just pulling out of the parking lot when his phone rang. He looked and saw it was Hayden. “Hayden, what’s up?”

  “I need to see you.”