by Sara York
“Thanks. Rex?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry about the shiner.”
“It was bound to happen to one of us sooner or later.”
Rex looked him in the eyes. Tony saw no anger or condemnation from his friend. Relief coursed through him. He hadn’t wanted to lose this with everything else he had lost. Tony felt as if a piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. Maybe he and Marissa could make amends too.
Tony shut the door and his eyes fell to the bed. Marissa was sitting with her back against the headboard, her eyes shut and her face set in a scowl, there would be no making love now. Tony moved the chair next to the little table that served as a desk and TV stand. He wrote the names of all four women on a sheet of paper in big bold letters.
Angela Longfellow, Kelsey Ingles, Latisha Enzer and Arisa Fink.
All four women cut down before their time. No one had rushed in to save them at the last minute. Their life had ended alone, with only the UNSUB watching.
“I heard what Rex said.”
“Which part?” Tony popped his head up, wondering where she was going with this.
“Another woman died. Arisa Fink. She danced at Diamonds ‘N Rubies.”
“Yeah. How do you know about that place?”
“Please, Tony, I’m not a child. Everyone knows about Diamonds ‘N Rubies. Chatrice Carpenter sells the outfits most of the girls wear, or don’t wear. Chatrice approached a few of the women’s groups, asking if we were interested in having a fashion show.”
“Really, did you buy any?”
“No. I thought my big belly would be a distraction.”
“Oh.” Tony turned back to his sheet of paper, and tapped his pen on the desk.
“You don’t have to sound so disappointed. I won’t force this baby on you.”
Tony stood, knocking over his chair. His fists balled at his sides. “Don’t you get it, Marissa? I want to be part of this baby’s life. I would never give up my chance to know this child, our child. We can never replace Ashley, but this baby can be a fresh start. And I’m not disappointed that you’re pregnant. I’m disappointed you didn’t buy an outfit. For the record, I think you’re damn sexy when your belly is sticking out about ten inches.” He rolled his shoulders and popped his neck. “I’m taking a shower. We have work to do.”
“I thought you were suspended.” Marissa moved to the end of the bed. She looked up at him, her eyes shiny with moisture.
For a moment, Tony wondered if he could take this opportunity to make love to her, but Marissa wouldn’t be manipulated, plus work called. “I may be off the force, but that’s not going to stop me from investigating this latest murder. We’ll stop by a shop on the way out of town to get you some new clothes. Until they’re finished with your apartment, you’re not going back there.”
Chapter 22
The drive out to Diamonds ‘N Rubies was quiet. Marissa had thanked him for the clothes and then sat silently in the passenger seat.
“I’ll be right back.” Tony popped his door open. The heat was almost as oppressive as the silence in the car had been. He grunted, wishing he hadn’t brought her with him for this part.
“You aren’t leaving me out here alone?” Marissa asked.
Tony almost gave in. She shouldn’t be alone, but Diamonds ‘N Rubies was no place for a woman like Marissa. Even if there were no customers, he didn’t want his pregnant wife in that atmosphere.
“Yes, I am leaving you out here. You aren’t a trained police officer. Just stay in the car and keep the doors locked.” He tossed Marissa the keys before he walked off. She would be comfortable in the air-conditioned car, but he still felt guilt at leaving her alone.
Tony’s eyes adjusted to the dim interior. Old beer and stale cigarettes let off an offensive odor, reminding Tony of a time long ago before he met Marissa and learned he preferred the ‘settled down’ lifestyle.
“Can I help you?”
A slightly overweight, middle-aged man stood behind the bar. Tony studied him, wondering if Arisa Fink’s death had any ties to this man and the underground gambling ring he ran. The police had known about the ring for months, but their hands were tied. They needed clean evidence to make any conviction stick.
“I’m doing some further questioning on the Fink murder.”
“I already told the boys in blue everything I know.”
“Anybody strange hanging about the night Arisa was murdered?” Tony leaned against a post and crossed his arms. This was a casual questioning, and he wanted the manager to view it that way.
“Everybody that comes to Diamonds ‘N Rubies is strange. What are you going to do, arrest the entire lot of them?”
“What about any incidents?”
“Listen, buddy, I already told the officer earlier this morning that nothing happened. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens here. The girls get up on stage and take off their clothes. They strut around, flash their boobs and then go back to the dressing room. That’s all that ever goes on here. No one touches the girls.”
A chill slid up Tony’s back. The manager was lying. “Did you ever have relations with Arisa?”
“Arisa was a clean girl. She didn’t mess with anyone. She did her dance and left after her last number.”
“Thanks for your time.” Tony would love to be back on the force to bust this guy. He’d find the evidence they needed to break the gambling ring. Damn, he hated when the bad guys won.
The bright sun cast the parking lot in a yellow haze, making everything look flat and muted, but he couldn’t mistake Marissa sitting on the hood of the car. His temple throbbed and he reached up to rub the headache away.
She was writing on a sheet of paper and her mouth was drawn into a flat line. He was ready to yell at her when she looked up at him and smiled. He held back, keeping his anger in check.
“I know you said to stay in the car, but one of the dancers showed up for work. Her name was Liza Abernathy. I told her I was attacked by the same guy but lived. She opened up real big.”
“Get in the car,” Tony commanded. The hurt look on Marissa’s face made him stop. He caught her by the arm and pulled her close. “The manager is a real jerk. I don’t want him to know we talked to one of his girls. If she tells him, that’s one thing, but I don’t want him to overhear what you found out.”
Tony used his finger to turn Marissa’s face to him. Pride surged through him. He smiled down at her, hoping she knew how much he valued her. She smiled back tentatively causing Tony’s heart to squeeze in his chest. Could he trust her again? Tony’s gaze shifted down, to her overripe breasts and her still flat belly. Soon she would blossom into full pregnancy. But she hadn’t told him. His emotions were raw and he wanted to push Marissa away, punish her for not telling him about their baby. Instead, he kissed her forehead, and led her to the passenger side of the car, helping her in.
Once they were in the car, Tony started the engine and drove out of the parking lot, heading back into town.
“Tell me more, Marissa. I need to hear what you have.”
“Liza told me some jerk got real close to the stage the last night Arisa danced. He grabbed her thong and almost pulled her off stage.”
“Dang, that’s not cool.”
“Liza thought the jerk hurt Arisa fairly bad.”
“The manager told me nothing happened. I wonder what he told the police.” Tony stopped at a red light and turned his head to watch Marissa talk. His hand automatically reached out to stroke her hair. The silky strands felt good against his skin. She read on, ignoring his touch.
“The bouncer wasn’t where he was supposed to be and two cowboys had to drag the guy off of Arisa. One of them ended up carrying her back to the dressing room. By that time, Arisa had lost her thong.”
“So some cowboy rescues her. Now we have at least two suspects from the club. Did she give you a name for the cowboy?”
“Yes, though he’s probably not your killer. He showed back up at the club t
he next night. He wanted to see Arisa, left his name and number. Another dancer has the information. Her name is Crystal Climbs. That has to be a stage name.”
“Do you have Crystal’s phone number?
“No, but I know where she lives.”
“Oh, please tell.” Anticipation rippled through Tony. They were one step closer to finding the truth. He could feel it in his veins. Something was about to break on this case.
“She lives in the Riverdale apartments, just around the corner from the high school.”
“I guess that’s our next stop.”
“Liza did mention that Crystal dabbled a bit in freelance performances. She may or may not have gone home last night.”
“Freelance performances?”
“A polite way of saying she accepts payment for sex.” Marissa’s cheeks flamed with heat.
“You’re beautiful when you blush. Did Liza mention if Arisa did the same?”
“Why, yes, she did. Liza’s pretty sure the only men Arisa dated were on a payment plan. So the cowboy showing up and wanting a real date was a big occurrence.”
“Great, that opens up our suspect list to include twenty percent of Juniper’s population.”
“Twenty percent? You really think that many men pay for sex?” Marissa cheeks were still tinged red.
“Sweetheart, I was guessing low. When girls like Arisa start selling, it makes the men a bit more accepting of buying. She’s a performer, not a hooker, so they aren’t really doing anything wrong. We’ve busted more than one man who used the excuse that he was just getting his money’s worth from the club. She put it out there for him to taste so he should be able to sample her.”
“That’s sad.” Marissa stared out the window. Her hand was raised to her mouth as she butchered one of her fingernails with her teeth. Tony wanted to reach out and stop her, tell her he understood how she felt.
“Anything else?” Tony asked, deciding Marissa’s fingernails were her own business.
“The bouncer, Tug, felt real guilty about Arisa getting fondled up on stage. After beating the heck out of the guy, he took down the license plate number.”
“Good. We’ll need to get the number. I’ll have Rex look it up.”
“Apparently, Tug doesn’t like cops. I’ll call him, but I wondered what angle I should take with him.”
“Tell him you were attacked by the same jerk that killed Arisa. That should open him up.”
Tony pulled up in front of the Rivercrest apartments. A few splotches of grey primer dotted the outer walls. There were no paint trucks in the area and no ladders propped against the building. He wondered if the manager had given up on the small, eight-unit structure.
“I’ll start with number one and you go for eight,” Tony offered.
“Sure, what do I tell her?”
“Go with the same story you told Liza.”
Apartment number one was an old man who had no idea if Crystal Climbs lived in one of the units. Number two belonged to a woman with four screaming toddlers. She wasn’t Crystal. Tony hoped Marissa was having better luck on the other end.
“Tony,” Marissa called out from a few doors down.
“You got something?” he asked as he approached her.
“The guy in number six says Crystal lives in number four, but she’s not here today. Says she drives an old green Honda. He didn’t want to talk so I lied. I said I was working with her family and we wanted to find her. She dances early at the club, has her clients come in for her final number, then they go and party until morning. The guy says that’s how he met Crystal. He’s the manager of the complex.”
“He was rather talkative for someone who didn’t want to talk.”
“Yeah, once I said family, he started to salivate. He asked about reward money, I said I’d get back to him.”
“So Crystal’s not so clean either.”
“Where to next?” Innocence and purity blanketed her face. She may not be a child, but she had such a sweet spirit. He wanted to protect her from this ugliness. He had talked about cases with her before, but she’d never been immersed in one.
“I can take you back to the motel if you like.”
“Why would I want to go back there and sit alone, waiting for God only knows what?”
“I don’t want you involved in this. It’s messy, it’s bad, and someone is bound to get hurt.” Tony pulled at a strand of her hair and let it slip from his grasp. How could this guy elude the police for so long? Four dead bodies and more to come had Tony feeling lost. He wanted to keep Marissa close, but this case was dirty.
“I’ve already been hurt,” Marissa reminded him.
“I am so sorry I’ve brought this on you.”
“Tony, you didn’t bring this on me. It’s not your fault. You can’t predict when every sicko is going to go over the edge. Life isn’t guaranteed, we both know that from Ashley’s death.”
The truth hit like a rock, knocking the air out from under Tony’s argument. Both of them were in this together. They had both suffered greatly and now they could do something to change that.
His eyes locked onto Marissa’s upturned face. A twinge of anger pulled at his thoughts but he ignored it. He had to make things right with her.
“Okay, you can come with me, but you have to stay near me. From here on out, we stick together. Got it?”
“I got it.”
“First we eat lunch. You call Tug while I order the food.”
The call to Tug was short. He’d tracked down Ronald Dalton and happily gave Marissa the address. Anything to pay the guy back for the way he’d treated Arisa. By three in the afternoon they had driven out to Ronald’s house. He had no idea Arisa was dead. His hospital admittance papers proved he couldn’t have been involved in Arisa’s death. The guy still looked like hell.
They were back to square one. Next was the search of Arisa Fink’s house. The police would have already cleared any evidence and taken anything that pointed to a lead, but Tony wanted to see for himself.
“That’s interesting.”
“What?” Tony asked as he pulled to a stop at the end of Arisa’s driveway. He and Marissa climbed out of the car.
“Look how far it is to a neighbor's house. She could have screamed all night and no one would have heard her.”
“The other murders happened in the city,” Tony said, unsure if the new location would change the profile he and Spade were working on.
“Yes, but all of the women were alone the night they were attacked.”
“You would have been too had I not decided to come see you.” Tony stared at the ground. He couldn’t meet Marissa’s gaze. He shook off the thought of what would have happened had he not shown up. It looked like Marissa was having similar thoughts. Her eyes glistened and she sniffled before she crossed over the yellow police tape and headed for the door. Tony tried the knob, it wouldn’t turn.
Marissa went to the large flowerpot at the corner of the patio. She wrapped her arms around the pot to lift but Tony pulled her away.
“Let me do that.”
He moved the pot but didn’t find a hidden key.
“Maybe she has one somewhere else,” Marissa said.
“Maybe we should give up.”
Tony moved down the steps and under the police tape. Marissa didn’t follow, instead she was staring at a light fixture that looked lopsided.
“Tony, what about this?”
“What about it?”
“It looks strange. See that palm print at the top of the glass? Why would there be a palm print up there?”
Tony came back up the steps and felt around at the top of the metal lamp. His fingers grazed a small key. “Pay dirt.” He slid the key from its hiding place. The air sizzled with triumph and he pulled Marissa close, but his touch changed her demeanor. She ducked out of his arms and took the key from his hand. The door popped open with a flick of her wrist and they were in.
Arisa’s house was clean. The team had dusted for prints, but To
ny doubted any had been left behind. The floors had vacuum marks and no dust accumulated on any flat surfaces, other than the fingerprint dust.
“Her house is clean,” Marissa commented.
“We think the killer does it.”
“That’s bizarre. Why would he clean their house?” Marissa asked as she checked in a closet.
“I don’t know exactly, but Jackson Spade seems to think it points to how organized this guy is.”
“Tony, let’s get out of here.”
“Sure, something wrong?”
“No. Yes... I don’t know. Just a weird feeling being in this house.”
Tony circled around slowly. He felt it too. The hair on the back of his neck stood up like it had at the first murder scene. He had felt the same strange feeling at the beach the other day and another time recently. His shoulders quivered and he shook off the sensation. “Sure, let’s go back to the motel and we’ll order an early dinner. Then we can go over the case.”
“Sounds good.”
Marissa looked over her shoulder twice before they made it to the car. Tony wanted to glance back too but kept his eyes forward, scanning the tree line. A chill spread over his body. Someone or something was out there spying on this house, and he didn’t want to stick around to find out what had caused his strange feelings. Especially not with Marissa beside him.
****
The car had spooked him. Running out of the house and to the copse of trees at the back of Arisa’s property had saved him a lot of explaining. He could have made up some excuse, but he didn’t like excuses. The truth or nothing.
He pulled his high-powered Cannon binoculars out of his pack. Marissa hadn’t stayed away from Tony, of course she was weak, she was Tony’s wife. If he wanted to end this now he could pull out his rifle, train the scope on Tony and blow him away now. But that wouldn’t teach Tony the lesson he so needed to learn. He would be patient. He would watch and wait.
With the loss of Marissa, he needed to find a new target and soon. The delay was unacceptable. He would choose someone more valuable, someone who would cause Tony and Marissa to feel shame. He wanted them both to feel shame for interfering with his perfect plan.