by Gerri Hill
“Are you as tired as I am?” she asked lightly as she sat at her own desk.
“Mmm. And you could have put me to sleep with that backrub,” Casey said, her eyes still closed.
Leslie watched her, unobserved, and she was free to stare. Casey’s brow was furrowed, drawn. Her normally flawless complexion showed signs of stress tonight. Even her lips, usually curved upward in a smile, seemed lifeless. But then those blue eyes opened, catching her staring. They held her captive, refusing to let her go. Not that she tried to pull away. Because Casey’s eyes were anything but lifeless.
“You should go home,” Casey said quietly. “It’s late.”
“We’ve got—”
“I’ll wait for Emerson. You go.” She said, flexing her shoulders. “Michael’s probably worried.”
Leslie nearly flinched at the mention of her fiancé’s name. Those moments when she stared into Casey’s eyes, she’d forgotten she had a fiancé. She wondered if Casey mentioned his name on purpose, just to remind her. Or perhaps to remind Casey that he existed.
God, it was suddenly getting too complicated.
So she nodded, getting to her feet. She picked her keys up off her desk and slipped them into the pocket of her jeans. She’d left her purse in her car earlier in the night. “I guess I’ll head out then. See you in the morning.”
Casey only nodded, her eyes slipping closed again. Leslie watched her for a moment, then left. But at the door, Casey called to her.
“Les?”
“Hmm?”
“We can do this. It’ll be okay.”
The words were spoken softly, surely. And they took her by surprise. She didn’t have to ask her to explain. She knew exactly what Casey meant.
And she was scared to death.
Chapter Twenty-One
Casey was about two blocks from their building when her cell rang. It was Hunter.
“Mac has something for us. Why don’t you just meet me at the lab?”
“Where’s Tucker?”
“She’s not in yet.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll meet you out front. I’m just parking now.”
She sat for a moment, wondering if she should call Leslie. Of course, it wasn’t late. Not even eight yet. She got out, looking around for Tori. She saw her just coming out of the building when her cell rang again. This time, it was Leslie. She took a deep breath before answering.
“Hey, it’s me.”
She smiled, feeling silly. “Good morning.”
“I’m stopping for coffee. Want some?”
“Yes, please.”
“So, I’m running a little late then.”
Casey grinned. “Coffee’s a good excuse.”
“No excuse. I didn’t sleep well.” She paused. “You?”
Casey hesitated too. “No, I didn’t really sleep well either.” She heard the quiet sigh that Leslie uttered, so she forced a smile to her face. “But it’s the weekend. We’ll catch up.”
“Yeah. I suppose.” She cleared her throat. “Okay, well I’m sorry I’m running late.”
“No problem.” She walked up to meet Tori, smiling a greeting. “Hunter and I are on our way to the lab.”
“Results already?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Yep.” She closed her phone, glancing at Tori. “That was Tucker.”
“I see.” She raised her eyebrows. “Just having a moment, are you?”
Casey ignored her. “She’s getting us coffee.”
“Great.”
Casey noticed the smile Tori was trying to hide and she nudged her with her elbow. “Cut it out.”
“I didn’t say a word, O’Connor.”
“You don’t have to.”
They walked on a few more steps in silence, then Tori turned to her. “So, are you completely insane or what?”
“Possibly. You should know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, gee, Hunter, you’ve been here before. You tell me?”
“She’s engaged.”
“Yes, she is. So tell me what I’m supposed to do?”
“Sorry, kid. You’re on your own on this one.” She stopped before they got to the door. “But I know what you’re going through, Casey. Just be careful.”
And just like that, they’d talked about it without really talking about it. She and Hunter…damn, what a pair. Just like a couple of guys. She smiled as she followed behind Tori as they headed to Mac’s office.
“Come on in,” he called when Tori knocked.
“You’re sure at it early, Mac,” Casey said.
“Emerson called me at three this morning. He wanted me to check this.” He shoved a graph across his desk. “It’s a DNA sequence.”
Tori stared at him, waiting.
“This is the DNA profile of the sample left at the murder scene. And this is the DNA profile of your John Doe.”
Casey took the paper. “John Doe, that’s his name. Not John Doe as in we don’t know his name,” she corrected.
“What? You’re kidding me?”
Casey shrugged, looking at the paper. She then handed it to Tori. “We’re just dumb cops, Mac,” she said. “DNA sequence? We got a match or not?”
“We do not have an exact match, no.” He took the paper from Tori and pointed to the chart. “But look at this. This is why Emerson called me. Not an exact match, but similar.”
“Similar?”
“Without going into gene sequencing and losing you totally, in layman’s terms, they’re related. Father and son. Perhaps two brothers. Could even be an uncle to one. Related that way.”
“You’re serious? You can tell that from…just from this?” Tori asked, pointing to the graph he held.
“Yes. DNA profiling has come a long way. We’ve been able to break down the gene sequence for some years now. Why, if you give me—”
“Yeah, Mac, that’s great,” Tori said, interrupting him. “Let’s get back to this.”
“So John’s not our killer, but someone he’s related to is.” Casey stood, pacing. “If he lives on the streets, it stands to reason that this relative does too.” She stopped, staring at Tori. “Patrick?”
“Could we get that lucky?” She stood, too. “Let’s go talk to John Doe.” She nodded at Mac. “Thanks, man. Good job.”
“Don’t thank me. Emerson is one who stayed up here all night.”
“So, you think if we push him, he’ll give it up?” Tori asked.
“I don’t know. Like I said last night, he’s a little slow, but he’s not stupid.”
“So good cop-bad cop might not work with him?”
They stood in the doorway, watching Leslie and Sikes. A cup of coffee sat on each desk. Leslie turned, as if sensing her watching.
“I think you should let Tucker talk to him.”
“Why?”
“For one, he doesn’t know you, and frankly, you’re intimidating. And two, he took a liking to her. I think he’ll talk to her.”
“Okay. Your call. Sikes and I will observe though, if you don’t mind.”
“No, that’s fine.”
“Can’t believe you’re letting the new chick do this,” Sikes said as he leaned against the wall.
Tori shrugged. “O’Connor thought it was best.” She moved to the window, watching as John was led into the interrogation room. Sikes walked up beside her and adjusted the volume on the speakers, letting Leslie’s voice drift into the room.
“Did you sleep well, John?” Leslie asked.
“Yes, Miss Leslie. It was soft.” He looked at O’Connor. “Good morning, Miss Casey. Are you here to tie me up again?”
Casey smiled. “No, John. In fact, we’re going to take you back down to the streets.”
His face lit up. “Oh, goody.”
“But first, we have a few questions. Then you can go. Is that all right with you? Can we ask you some questions?”
“I don’t car
e.”
Sikes nudged her arm. “He doesn’t have a clue about his rights. A judge would throw this out in a heartbeat.”
“We’re not looking for him to testify. We just need some information.”
“John, you live out on the street, right?” Leslie asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you have a brother?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t have a brother.”
“Does your father live with you, maybe?”
He made a face. “My father? I don’t have a daddy.”
“Okay. Well, is there anyone who lives with you?”
“You mean like my sister?”
“You have a sister?” Casey asked. “Not a brother, but a sister?”
He nodded.
“What’s her name?” Leslie asked.
“Patty.”
Casey and Leslie exchanged glances. “Patty? Does she have a last name?” Casey asked.
He made a face. “Duh. She’s my sister.”
Leslie hid a smile. “Patty Doe.”
Sikes laughed. “Look at them. Do they have a clue yet?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on, Tori. I’ve already been through this with you and Sam, remember? Watch how they look at each other. They don’t even know they’re doing it.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean.”
“So? Do they have a clue?”
She shrugged. “Leslie’s engaged.”
There was a quick knock on the door and Malone stuck his head in. “Buzz them. He’s posted bail.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. But his attorney is waiting. Kill the interview.”
“He’s homeless. What attorney?” Tori asked as Sikes buzzed into the interrogation room. Casey looked up at the window, then went to the phone.
“O’Connor, Malone says to cut him loose. His attorney is here.”
They watched Casey’s face, saw her what the fuck look as she hung up the phone. “God, I love her,” Tori said without thinking. She looked at Malone and Sikes. “What?”
“I’ll never understand you women,” Malone muttered as he walked away.
“Hey, I didn’t mean love like love, you know.”
“Whatever.”
She turned to Sikes. “Now he’s going to think I’m having an affair with O’Connor.”
“Yeah. Wait until he gets a clue about O’Connor and Tucker. That’ll really spin his head.” He grinned. “I know it’s already spinning mine.”
They walked out into the hallway just as Casey and Leslie came out with John Doe. Before Tori could say anything, two men in suits walked up behind them.
“Well, well. Detective Hunter. I should have known.”
Tori turned, standing face to face with Robert, of all people. Wonderful.
“I understand you’ve been questioning my client without representation.”
“He waived his right to an attorney.”
Robert plastered a false smile on his face. “Let’s see. Since when does indecent exposure require jail time? Or have you taken to harassing the homeless now?”
Tori tilted her head, aware of everyone watching them. “I wasn’t the arresting officer.” She took a step closer. “But I understand he was exposing himself while he watched a young lady in her apartment.”
“I didn’t expose nothing,” John said. Then he smiled sheepishly. “Well, maybe just a little.”
“You don’t have to say another word. Let’s get you out of here,” Robert said. “I’ll take you home.”
“Who are you?” John took a step back. “Miss Leslie, who is he?”
“He’s your attorney.”
“I don’t have no attorney. No. I don’t want to go with him.”
“Who posted his bail?” Tori asked.
“You’re the detective,” Robert said. “It’ll give you something to do.” He looked at John again. “John, I’m going to take you down to the shelter so you can get something to eat, okay? Then you can stay. You can go back to the street. You’re not in trouble.”
John looked at Leslie and she nodded. “It’s all right, John. You go with him.”
“Will I see you again?”
She smiled and touched his arm affectionately. “I think so. Don’t you?”
“I hope so.” He turned. “Miss Casey, I’m glad you didn’t have to tie me up again.”
“Yeah, me too.” She looked at the others. “But for the record, it was just handcuffs.”
Sikes nudged Tori as Leslie reached out and squeezed Casey’s arm. He leaned closer. “Told you.”
They walked back to their desks in silence, then Leslie turned, facing them. “Who the hell was that?” she asked.
Tori stared as all eyes were on her. She shrugged. “Robert.”
“Robert who?”
Sikes grinned. “Yeah. Robert who?”
“Shut up, Sikes.”
Casey finally came to her rescue. “Robert is the defense attorney Sam was dating when…well, when…you know, when Tori and Sam…when they first…well, when they first…”
“You’re a big help,” Tori murmured. She looked directly at Leslie. “For the record, Sam broke up with Robert before we…well, before we, you know…before the first time we…well, we ever…”
Leslie laughed, looking at Casey then Tori with a shake of her head. “Good grief, you two are a pair, aren’t you?”
Sikes stepped forward. “They were flirting with each other shamelessly, then Sam dumped Robert. I’d venture to say it was a very short time later that Tori and Sam slept together for the first time, making their affair official.”
“Sikes!”
“What? I was here. I guess I know.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
They sat at their desks—burger wrappers, chip bags and drinks littering each—as they tossed ideas about.
“Remember how some of the witnesses said the Peeping Tom was a woman,” Casey reminded them. “Could have been this Patty.”
“You’re not seriously thinking that his brother Patrick is really his sister in drag and goes by Patty?” Sikes held up a chip. “I think that’s too far-fetched.”
“Oh, so you think it’s just a coincidence that he calls his sister Patty? Come on, we told you what Mac said about the DNA. A relative. His brother.”
“But he said he didn’t have a brother,” Sikes said.
“I think we’re forgetting something here,” Leslie said. “John is simpleminded.” She grinned. “And I don’t mean you, Sikes.”
Tori laughed. “Good one, Tucker.”
“Anyway, John sees things in black and white. So if this person in his life wears a dress and goes by Patty, to him, it’s his sister. It may very well be his biological brother and most likely is, but he answered the question honestly. He doesn’t have a brother, he has a sister.”
Casey leaned back and folded her arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling. “But why would Patrick feel the need to dress up like Patty? And does he do it all the time? Obviously not. He must have been Patrick when he killed Rudy Bobby. They didn’t say Patty killed him. They said Patrick.”
“And who all knows that he dresses up?” Tori asked. “If it’s something that he does once in a while, then John wouldn’t say he had a sister. John said he had a sister as if he dresses like Patty all the time.”
Casey closed her eyes, still thinking. They had more questions than answers. But at least they had questions. At least they had somewhere to go now.
“Oh, I had Sam make some calls. The Homeless Alliance bailed him out. Seems Robert volunteers there,” Tori said.
“How would the Homeless Alliance even know he was arrested?”
“Sharon down in booking. She’s a volunteer too.”
“What? It’s like a little network of volunteers? All waiting around for us to arrest one of them so they can send in the troops?” Casey shook her head. “Amazing.”
“Everybody’s got a cause, O’Connor,” Tor
i said as she wadded up her foil wrapper and tossed it at her. “What do you guys think of canning the surveillance of the apartments? I think it may be a waste of time.”
“I don’t agree,” Leslie said. “If Patrick is our killer, then he has to do some kind of reconnaissance on his victims. They’re not random.”
“Actually, it makes sense,” Casey said. “He’s a lot less likely to cause suspicions if he’s a she, you know. You see a woman walking around, you don’t think anything of it. You see a guy snooping in apartments, you call the cops.”
“But there’s too much ground to cover. And you guys just lucked into John Doe. If you hadn’t, then he’d have been at Cascades doing the dirty and no one would have been the wiser. We were cruising six blocks away.”
“And maybe we’ll luck into Patrick doing surveillance,” Leslie said. “At least we’ll be out there. If not, then we’re just waiting on his next murder.”
“Let’s all do it every night,” Casey said. “With both of us out, we can cover more ground.” Her suggestion was met with a groan from both Hunter and Sikes. “Oh, I forgot. I’m the only one without a life.”
“No, no. It’s a good idea,” Tori said. “Sam will understand.” She glanced at Leslie. “Can you swing it? I mean, your fiancé might—”
“I can swing it,” she said without hesitation.
“Okay then. John? Will it mess up your new love life?”
“Hell, yeah, it will. But I guess if Sam can handle it, Kristi can.”
“Kristi? How sweet,” Casey teased.
“But Friday nights, no, waste of time,” Tori said. “There’s too much activity on the weekends. I can’t imagine he’d take a chance at scouting out apartments then. Too many people around.” She looked at Leslie. “When you pulled your Peeping Tom reports, what days had the most hits?”
“Wednesdays and Thursdays.”
“But I think we should still go out on Monday and Tuesday too,” Casey said. “Don’t you guys agree?”
“Yeah, yeah. Every damn day, O’Connor. By the way, we’re going out on the boat tomorrow, spend the night. Sam wanted me to invite you.”