“Paul, not everything is about police work. We do have a personal life; at least I would like to think so. I can't get into this right now, but your tone and approach make me feel like you don't trust me.” Paul started to speak, but Rachelle interrupted him, “It's OK, we will talk later.” She kissed his cheek as she left. The detective was feeling conflicted and was worried he was once again letting his emotions get the best of him.
Rachelle entered the mall and spoke. “Come on, let's go.” Her voice was erratic and she had tears in her eyes, so Deborah did not resist leaving with her. She turned her head to Bud with a sorry expression on her face as they walked to the bench in front of Forever 21. Rachelle sat down, covered her face with her hand, and started crying. Deborah held on to her as Bud went into the restaurant to find Paul. He sat down across the booth from him before saying a word. Paul played the tape for him.
Bud stared at him before finally speaking.
“Unless you think she is involved in this, you've got bigger problems to worry about. Paul, you are a good cop. Trust your instinct, trust her, she loves you.” They got up to leave as Bud spoke again. “It will be OK.”
They went out to the mall and headed for the door to exit. Paul turned around and saw Rachelle staring at him, her face flushed with red and covered in tears. He looked at Deborah and she had that protective, angry look on her face toward Paul and Bud.
“Well,” Bud said, “I guess I'm in trouble as well. Normally, I think I would be hungry, but losing Franks made me lose my appetite.” The detectives went outside to their vehicles and waited for O'Malley and Caulfield to show up.
When they did, Paul looked at Detective Caulfield and asked, “Do you know why we can't find Detective Wyatt?”
The detective didn't have time to answer, for Paul Powers was in interrogation overdrive. He asked,
“What were those numbers you called when you were notified Jake Wiley was dead? Why haven't you visited Detective Chapman and Baker in the hospital, other than when you were assigned?”
O'Malley took out a bag of pumpkin seeds as Powers kept asking questions. “Most important, why did your fingerprints show up at Linda Tangretti's apartment that is paid for by the City nightclub?”
Before Paul could ask the next question, Bud took out his Glock and held his weapon by his leg, saying, “I knew you were a dipshit.”
Caulfield remained calm and said he could explain.
“No, you can't,” Powers answered back. “The video of Franks getting killed was helpful. Hold out your arm.”
Caulfield resisted as Powers spoke again.
“OK, Bud, shoot him.”
“Wait!” Caulfield yelled. He held out his right arm and dropped it.
“Your left arm, hold it out,” Powers answered.
Caulfield held out his left arm and Powers reached over to pull his sleeve back and put it in Bud's face. Bud could see the watch that the camera caught as the killer held the elevator doors open.
“You fuck,” Bud said. “You killed a fellow police officer for bounty money?” He raised his gun to Caulfield, and Paul shoved Caulfield toward O'Malley, who now was reaching to get his gun. Bud was staring down Caulfield, for it was all he could do to keep from shooting him.
Paul's phone rang, which he would normally ignore, but it was his father so he answered with a curt “Not a good time, Dad. Let me call you back.”
“Listen to me!” his father yelled. “Don't you dare hang up!” It was the first time in years that Paul heard his father yell at him, so he hesitated.
“I'm not going to let you throw away your relationship with this girl because you have insecurity problems.” Paul looked over at O'Malley and Bud and raised up his finger requesting a minute.
“Sure,” Bud said. “I'm in the middle of an arrest for murder.”
“OK,” Anthony Powers answered. “Before you age another minute or before you do something you regret. The message that you heard from Rachelle, about taking care of you, well it was left for me. She has been frightened about you and what is going on. Whoever played the tape to your machine is setting you up to do what you did. Now fix it!” With that he heard a click.
He looked at Bud and O'Malley and said, “I've got to go back into the mall and resolve something. O'Malley, come with me. I think it is better to keep you away from a former partner. Bud, stay with him until the officers get here and take his cell phone.”
Bud had Caulfield lean up against the car before Powers and O'Malley left and handcuffed his hands behind his back as Paul and the elder detective went inside the mall. Paul felt sick about what had happened with Rachelle, but it seemed like every time something happened that had any relation to the Face of Fear investigation there were doubts raised. He sent Lynagh a text as to their location as they entered the mall. Both the girls had just taken a turn to the hallway to go the mall bathrooms. Lynagh and Healey waited in the mall areas for Powers as they saw Deborah and Rachelle walk toward the restrooms.
The walkway leading to the restrooms was separated by two-foot columns extending from the wall, each separated every six feet leading to the men's room and ladies' room.
As Rachelle and Deborah turned right behind the column, they were startled by a man with long hair and a beard. “Hello, Debbie, or should I say Deborah now?” Rachelle grabbed Deborah to try and pull her away, but Robert Simpson spoke again. “No problem, Deborah. I'll be right here waiting for you.” Simpson looked at Rachelle. “You were a part of ruining my life by going along with Cronin's game. I should shoot you where you stand, but I think I'd rather hug you and kiss you, then leave a note to my Debbie.”
Rachelle squinted her eyes and looked at Robert Simpson. “You have gone mad; you are really crazy.”
“Robert,” Deborah interrupted, “you killed those girls and cops to get back at all of us because of our breakup?” He took out his gun as people started running from the hallway. Lynagh pulled out his Glock and pointed it toward the column, which was protecting Simpson.
Robert raised his voice. “Come any closer, Officer Lynagh, and your friend Healey will be blown away. I have people in the mall ready to fire upon him and innocent bystanders as well.”
Lynagh grabbed his phone and sent Paul Powers a text about what Simpson had just said. Paul had just reached Healey when he got the text.
He looked at O'Malley. “Get mall management and security to empty the mall now,” he said as calmly as possible. “Try not to cause a panic, but get this mall emptied out now. We have a threat of bystanders and cops being shot.”
O'Malley took off as Paul called Bud, who was in the car waiting for uniforms to take Caulfield in.
“Bud, get in here right away. We have a life-threatening situation in the mall with bystanders, but . . .” he hesitated.
“But what?” Bud asked.
“It's Deborah and Rachelle. Simpson has them.”
Bud clicked the call. “Leaving you, shithead,” he said to Caulfield. “Are you going to attempt to escape if I leave you handcuffed in the car?”
“You never know. After all, I am a cop,” Caulfield said sarcastically.
“You're right,” Bud said, “you never know, so I guess I have to shoot you.” He pulled out his gun as Caulfield started to protest, but it was too late. Bud shot him in his kneecap as he left the car. You could hear Caulfield screaming bloody murder within thirty yards of the vehicle.
“You fuck! You shot me in the fucking knee. I'm going to kill you!” He couldn't even hold his leg due to the handcuffs. Bud entered the mall and started running toward the area designated by Powers.
Robert Simpson stood calmly behind the column as he continued to speak to Rachelle and Deborah.
“When you're fucking Detective Johnson, do you listen to any music, Debbie? Or do you just talk to him? Are you in the dark, or do you do it with the lights on?”
&
nbsp; “Stop!” Deborah yelled as Lynagh moved a couple steps closer as he looked back at Paul.
Simpson looked over at Rachelle and said, “You can leave; I want to talk with her alone.”
Rachelle held on to Deborah as she said, “I'm not leaving her alone with you.”
Simpson was impressed with her bravery.
“Suit yourself,” he replied. Rachelle looked back at Paul, who was eyeing her as he crept forward about ten yards behind Lynagh. She had a look on her face that she might be looking at Paul for the last time. She looked at him as he gave her the circular motion with a closed fist on his chest. It was the American Sign Language for “I'm sorry.”
Rachelle smiled as she looked back at Simpson and spoke. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was asked to set up that lunch with you to throw off everyone. I only did it to prove Paul was not a killer. I didn't have the affair with Patty Saunders. You did.”
Simpson raised his gun at Rachelle, which could be seen from where both Lynagh and Powers were standing.
During this time Healey was scouting who else could have guns on them as Bud arrived at the scene and spoke.
“Go around the back of one of the stores. These malls have back hallways, and I'm sure there is one leading near the restrooms.”
As Healey left, Bud could see people were anxious to leave the mall as officers and security were pushing harder to get everyone out.
Robert Simpson looked at Deborah Lance with his gun pointed at Rachelle. “Is he as good as me in bed?”
“You're sick,” Deborah answered. “Give us a chance to get you help.”
“There is no help for me now,” he answered. “Tell me now if he is better than me or I do your friend here, now.”
“Robert Simpson,” Paul Powers yelled. “This is Detective Sergeant Paul Powers. Let the women go, and you and I can discuss this and why all this happened.”
“You know what happened,” Simpson yelled back.
“I don't know the whole story,” Powers yelled back. “Let's talk about it while the women come over to Officer Lynagh.”
“There is a gun aimed at Lynagh's head,” Simpson replied. “If he gets any closer to me, he will be shot by one of my friends.”
“OK,” Powers replied as he looked at Lynagh to stop where he was. He was now about eight yards away from Simpson, but the column extending from the wall was still protecting him.
Lynagh's neck was already feeling the pain from turning his head back and forth from the mall to the column.
“Tell me the story, Robert,” Powers answered. “Tell me why it has come to killing innocent women and our cops. Tell me how you got Detective Caulfield on your side.” Paul wanted to use as much time as possible, hoping for a chance or opportunity for either him or Lynagh to take him out.
O'Malley was scouting the mall with management looking for any signs of a shooter or shooters in place. He had pulled his weapon out fifteen minutes ago and was no longer taking any chances. It also helped people adjust their attitude in leaving the mall a little quicker.
“Have the stores shut down and turn their lights off.” He was hoping if someone was hiding in them they would be forced to expose themselves. He had to get forceful with some people who really didn't seem to care about what was going on and still wanted to shop. He walked up to two young girls staring at a dress in a window and in no uncertain terms spoke bluntly: “You two, get your petite little asses out of here. Don't you see what's going on here?” It was all they needed to start moving quickly as they eyed the gun in his hand.
Outside, Caulfield was still writhing in pain as he kept kicking the side of the car window with his good leg. Suddenly there was a shot and the door opened. The Ghost Face mask looked in as Caulfield tried to back away as best he could. Caulfield kept pushing toward the back of the car, but it was useless. He screamed for mercy as he even tried to bang his head against the window to find a way out. His only weapon was his one good leg to try and fend off the masked intruder. His screams got louder as his leg violently tried to fight off whoever was wearing the Ghost Face mask. The intruder stabbed Caulfield in the side as he continued to struggle to get away. Ghost Face managed to get into the backseat and told Caulfield to look. The mask came off as he was told why this was happening. He was stabbed one final time before he was gone. The masked killer opened a bag and threw a Ghost Face mask with blood splatter on the dead body of former detective Peter Caulfield. The killer knew by leaving the mask worn as a calling card it would show DNA. Instead, the masked killer took off the mask, put it in a bag, and disappeared into the night and left a mask never worn in the car.
Healey ran around the back of the Passion for Fashion store into the back hallway as Joseph Talison, an employee of Branca at the club, fired, catching Healey in the leg.
“Damn it,” he yelled to himself. Another shot was fired, which just missed Healey's ear. He rolled to a clothing rack and turned it over to try and cover himself as he returned fire. The shots were heard by Powers and Johnson as well as Lynagh and O'Malley ten stores down.
“OK,” O'Malley barked, “if you don't have a gun get out of the mall now.” He fired a couple shots into the ceiling of the mall to have people start running from inside. Someone actually asked O'Malley why he shot the ceiling, and he answered, “It means ‘Get the fuck out,' dumbass!” The crowd was now running as the shots rang out. He started to think how Powers and Johnson had rubbed off on him.
Powers yelled at Simpson as he looked at Rachelle and Deborah still standing. “Listen to me, Robert, shots are being fired. What is that about?”
Simpson shook his head. “I told you I have people here ready to kill and collect bounty money.” Powers looked at Lynagh, who had taken another step closer. More shots were heard from the hallway. They knew Healey was in a gun battle as O'Malley reached Powers with three uniformed officers. He directed them to get to the hallway where Healey was sent. He turned his attention back to Simpson as he took another couple steps closer with Bud next to him.
“Tell me the story, Robert. Why kill Kate Summers?”
Simpson lowered his gun from his arm, getting tired as he began to talk.
“I worked for William Lance for over fifteen years. I fell in love with his daughter. We had a life. A good life. But when Deborah was kidnapped, your boss, Cronin, blamed me for Patty kidnapping Deborah. He forced me against my will to play a fucking game to solve his case. I lost my job. I lost my Debbie. As for Summers, you have no proof it was me.”
The sound of Simpson saying “my Debbie” made her cringe, and he noticed it. Yet he continued talking.
“So what happens? Bud Johnson threatens me to leave forever, and what happens? He takes over where I left off. So I want to know right now who is better at fucking,” he said as he pointed the gun at Deborah. “Rachelle can leave if she wants. I want Debbie and me to leave this world together.” He repeated the words he wrote on the bodies of the dead girls. “If I can't have her, no one will.”
“OK,” Paul said. “Rachelle, start walking here.” He had a chance to get her out of the way and save her life, and then he would work on saving Deborah.
“I'm not leaving Deborah,” Rachelle answered. She held on to her friends arm as she looked back at Paul.
“Rachelle,” Paul replied, “don't do this. Please come over here.”
She looked at Paul and gave him the American Sign Language symbol with her hand for “I love you.” It was the two middle fingers bent down with the thumb opened out with the index finger and pinky finger straight up as she spoke again, shaking her head. “I'm not leaving Deborah.” It was in a tone of voice that indicated she knew she might not make it out of this one.
Lynagh looked back at Paul as he was getting restless as more shots were fired from the back hallway. O'Malley and the three uniformed officers had reached Healey, who had tied his leg up with a couple of sh
irts he pulled from the clothing rack. O'Malley quickly sent Powers a text that Healey was injured as he kept turning his head looking for a possible ambush in the corridor. “Give it up,” O'Malley yelled, “there are five of us. We are coming to you, and you won't get out of this alive if you don't drop your weapon now.”
“Be my guest,” the reply came. “You're worth $50,000, and Healey is worth $100,000.”
“You got Healey,” O'Malley answered as he motioned for Healey to stay quiet. “I'm coming in. It will either be me or you, but there are cops everywhere all over this mall. You will not get out of here alive even if you get me.”
“I'm willing to take the chance,” Talison replied as he fired another shot.
O'Malley kneeled down to Healey and whispered, “Don't say anything or fire a shot. Let him think you're dead in case there is someone else here listening. If someone comes up from behind us, then fire.” Healey nodded his head as O'Malley and the officer crept forward. It was apparent that Talison was guarding the back entrance to the hallway near the restrooms while Simpson was there.
Lynagh took another step as a shot was fired at his head.
“I told you,” Simpson spoke, “if you got any closer you would be shot. You are worth $100,000, so you most likely won't leave here alive anyway.”
“OK,” Paul said as he motioned for Lynagh to come back. “He's leaving, he's backing off.” Lynagh took three steps back as more shots rang out as he barely took cover behind one of the columns.
“Robert,” Powers said, “how did you know about the women being here at the mall?”
Robert Simpson laughed as he looked at the two women holding on to each other.
“I had the Lance mansion bugged in the foyer and living room. I heard everything these two had been talking about, including your sweet Rachelle calling your daddy that she was worried about you. I even heard my Debbie screwing that Sean Martin when your Detective Johnson got tired of her.” Deborah covered her face as Rachelle held her arm tighter.
“Robert,” Paul replied, “tell me how we all get out of this alive.”
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