by Alexa Verde
Her heart thudding in her ears, she gave Luke directions.
“We’ll get there in time.” Skillfully Luke changed lanes, weaved between cars, and made a sharp turn.
Barely minutes later, they drove outside of the city limits.
Mari called Aidan, but he didn’t answer. So she punched in the number for Derek, explained the situation, and disconnected. They were much closer to the river than Derek was, so they’d get there first. She squeezed the car door handle to the point that her knuckles grew white. With the other hand, she gestured to the dirt road going through a thick forest. Luke made the turn, and the car protested against the rough surface but plunged on.
Finally, the clearing with the bridge appeared in the distance.
Mari exhaled sharply. She was out of the car before it came to a complete stop and dashed toward the riverbank. She tripped over a large stone and hit the ground. Her skin stung from scratches as she got up and continued running.
“Mari, don’t!” Luke’s voice came from behind her.
Breathing hard, she didn’t slow down. She had to find River! Why would he try to stop her?
Gunshots thundered in the air.
Chapter Ten
It was a split-second decision. Mari had to either run back and hide behind Luke’s car, which was rather far away now, or she had to start running in a zigzag pattern and hope to make it to the pillars underneath the bridge. She chose neither one.
More gunshots split the air as she threw herself to the ground and crawled to the nearest tree. Hiding behind the tree, she scrambled to her feet and jerked her .32 out of her purse as she assessed the situation.
Crouching behind his car, Luke was returning the fire. Her fingers tightened around the cold metal of her gun. She couldn’t see the shooter, so after clicking off the safety, she fired in the direction of the shots. Her heart was beating in her chest with such force that it could almost break her ribcage.
The gunfire stopped.
Her heart jumped.
Mari scanned her surroundings for the shooter. But now only murmurs of the trees interrupted the silence. Was he drawing them out?
Luke gestured for her to stay put and fired several more shots. Then he circled his car and moved in the direction the shots had come from. She fired as well, but a bit away from the target. The last thing she needed was to accidentally wound Luke.
Gritting her teeth, she gathered all her willpower not to move after him.
She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him again, coming back from the forest. As she was much closer to the bridge than to the car now, she waved in the direction of the underpass. Luke nodded. Ready to drop to the ground and fire at any minute, she made her way to the bridge.
Adrenaline pumping, she hid behind the large pillar and aimed the gun at the forest while Luke rushed to her hiding place. As soon as he was there, they slid deeper under the bridge.
He spun her around. “Are you okay? Are you hit?” His voice was deep with worry.
“I’m fine.” Her rapid heartbeat said otherwise. She couldn’t believe she could’ve lost Luke. A shudder went through her body at the thought. “Are you?”
“Yes. But that was close.”
Mari inhaled sharply. “It was. Where’s the shooter? Did you see him?”
“The shots came from behind the trees. I didn’t find anybody there when I checked. I believe we scared him off when we opened fire.” He brushed his knuckles against her neck. “I’ll need to take care of these. Disinfect them.”
“They are just scratches. Could be much worse.” Her sense of relief was short-lived as she glanced around. “River isn’t here. Unless…” Mari looked at the overturned old boat that, judging by the imprint on the ground, had been moved. She winced. It couldn’t be…
Her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and her stomach clenched.
“I don’t recognize the number.” She showed Luke the screen.
Luke stepped toward her and drew her close to him. His body was tense, and he was still scanning the surroundings, probably in case the shooter hadn’t left.
Bracing herself for a mechanically distorted voice, she answered the call.
“Mar, finally! Where have you been? I’ve been worrying like crazy about you,” River said.
Thank you, Lord!
Mari felt as if a mountain had been removed from her shoulders.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
She pressed the phone to one ear and covered the other with her palm. “Ditto. I silenced the phone before church and forgot about it. Luke and I are at the river. I’ve been trying to reach you. Are you all right?”
“Yes, sorry. The phone slid out of my pocket when I was getting inside the car, and I didn’t see it. Of all times! When I came back to pick it up, several cars had already driven over it. I borrowed a phone to call you. I had a text from an unknown number to meet at our place near the river. I thought it might be a trap. When you didn’t answer your phone, I still started toward the river. But then I figured I’d better turn around and call the police.”
“Good thinking. I’m glad you’re fine. I’ll talk to you later.” Mari disconnected and squinted against the sun.
The wail of sirens stopped. The sound of a door slamming came from the road. Derek appeared through the clearing in the trees, sprinting toward the river.
“Mari, are you okay?” he asked as soon as he reached them.
“Yes. Thanks to Luke. Saved my life.” She sent Luke a grateful smile.
Derek glanced at Luke as if he’d wanted to be the hero himself. “I’m glad you’re safe. Let me take your statements.”
She gave her statement, and Luke did the same.
“So you’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Literally. Good luck finding the slugs,” Mari said when they were done.
“Thanks.” Derek left, probably to collect evidence.
Mari glanced again at the dilapidated boat. It was too old to be used. So why had it been moved? She walked toward it.
Luke followed. “Would you like to look underneath?”
Mari nodded as they reached the boat. She enjoyed the view of bulging muscles as Luke turned the old thing over. Then she gasped and stepped back, wrinkling her nose at the stench coming from beneath the boat.
“Don’t look.” Luke moved forward, as if trying to shield her from the horrible view.
“I have to. She looks a lot like me. Derek! You might want to get back here. We found something.”
“What?” Derek yelled from distance.
“Dead body!”
“Are you sure?”
Mari turned away from the corpse and breathed in a lungful. Screaming required a lot of air. “Looks pretty dead to me. But you’re welcome to start CPR when you get here.”
The policeman rushed toward them. Meanwhile, Mari stared at the girl.
The young girl had black hair cut short. Her hazel eyes were open; a look of surprise was imprinted in them. The corneas were opaque and cloudy. She was lying on her left side, and apparently lividity had already set in, giving her left arm a purplish color. She was dressed in a baggy T-shirt, loose blue jeans, and oversized cowboy boots. The T-shirt with a picture of a wolf had multiple cuts accompanied by blood stains, mostly on the left side. The only accessories visible were metallic chains on her wrists.
The corners of the victim’s mouth were cut upward. Mari’s blood froze in her veins. One victim with the Smiling Killer’s signature could be a coincidence. Two couldn’t.
Luke said a quick prayer for the victim.
“Amen,” Mari whispered.
She itched to check the victim’s pockets but knew they couldn’t touch the body.
“I don’t see any visible signs of decay,” Luke said. “With this heat, it probably means she was killed recently.”
Mari’s heart went to the poor girl and her family. But she couldn’t let emotions affect her judgment. The killer seemed to think she’d be next to die, and she didn’t agree
with that opinion. “Why not bury the body? It looks as if the killer wanted us to find it.”
Luke nodded. “He probably hid it under the boat to make sure predators didn’t get it. He wanted the body to be intact.”
Out of breath in spite of his excellent physical shape, Derek gestured for them to step back. “This is a crime scene now.” He called Aidan for backup and started taking pictures.
Then he took their statements. Again.
“Could you please check her pockets for me?” Mari asked.
Derek hesitated but snapped gloves on and reached inside one of the pockets. He came up with a white piece of paper. “It says, ‘You let me die. You’re going to pay’.”
Mari shuddered.
Luke ran his fingertips along her arm, causing her skin to tingle. “Nothing is going to happen to you. I’m not going to let it happen.”
“Doesn’t look like a local. Probably was in town for the festival.” Derek glanced at Mari. “The haircut. The clothes. The cowboy boots. Doesn’t it strike you, Mar, how much she resembles you?”
* * *
After Derek let them go, Luke and Mari returned to the B&B. Mari dropped herself into the chair in her room, Nowa near her.
Luke appeared from the bathroom with the ice bucket filled with warm water and towels. “Sorry. I’ll be careful, but it’s going to burn somewhat.” Luke dipped a towel in the water and rubbed it gently over her scratches.
She braced herself for the sting. “Could be worse. You could be cleaning bullet wounds right now. Thanks. For being there for me. For keeping me alive. I know I don’t make it easy. And I can’t believe another girl died.”
Luke put the ointment they’d picked up at the pharmacy on her scratches. It soothed her stinging skin. He left to dump the pinkish water in the bathroom.
Her phone beeped. She winced and looked at the screen. Sure enough, a new message. With trembling fingers, she pushed the button.
“Remember Araceli Sterling, Leda Velasquez, River Montenegro, June Stephenson, and Josie Smith? If you go to the police, the list will be much longer.”
She showed Luke the screen when he returned. “I didn’t go to the police. Derek was already there. So I hope it doesn’t count. I guess now we know the name of the last victim. Josie Smith.”
“The initials ‘JS.’ June Stephenson had a chain with a pendant with those initials. So the clue wasn’t something that was added. But something June already had,” Luke said.
The images of the dead girl appeared in front of her eyes. The nightmarish smile.
Mari rocked back and forth. “This can’t be happening. Not again.”
He made it to her in a couple of powerful strides and gathered her into his arms. “We’re going to put a stop to it. You have to believe. Remember what I said? With God, everything is possible.”
A shiver went through her body, but she welcomed the hug. She hid her face in his chest. “It didn’t stop before. Until… until Tony died. I don’t think I can do again… what I did the last time.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “Listen to me, Mari. It’s going to be okay.”
“Don’t you understand?” She looked up at him. “It’s never going to be okay.” She had to pull herself together. Slowly she eased out of his embrace and sat down.
“What can I do to make it better?” His blue eyes were shadowed with concern.
“You’re keeping me alive. That’s a lot, in my book.” She leaned over and stroked Nowa’s fur. The dog licked her face.
Then Nowa walked to Luke, gave one cheerful bark, and licked his hand. When Luke ruffled the German shepherd’s fur, Mari hid a smile. Nowa seemed to accept Luke, and it mattered to Mari.
“I can’t leave Nowa by herself anymore. I can’t let anything happen to her.” She called Aidan. “Could I please bring Nowa to your place? Just for a few days?”
“Sure. I’ll take care of her. I’m sorry I wasn’t the one who got the call today. Are you all right?” Aidan’s voice grew more insistent. “I’d like you to consider police protection. After the gun shots, the chief should agree.”
She hesitated, but the message clearly stated no police. She’d already risked it by talking to Aidan. “No, thanks. Just take care of Lydia, please. She might be on the list, too. I’ll ask her to take a far-away trip, but she might not agree.”
Mari disconnected and called Lydia. “Hi, Lydia. I hear France, no, Japan is beautiful this time of year.”
“I’m not going anywhere. But maybe you should. We’ve been worried sick about you. Are you okay?”
Mari assured her friend that she’d never been better and disconnected.
Luke checked his watch. “I’m meeting with my PI friend, James, at five. You’re welcome to come to the meeting.”
“You trust me that much?”
“I told you several times before. I see more in you than—”
“My brother’s sister. Still sometimes I have a hard time believing it. Yes, I’d love to come along. After all, the last murder was pretty much a threat of what the killer wants to do to me.”
“Mari…” He threw her a concerned look.
“That’s why I have to stay one step ahead of him. Or her. I’m not sure if this person enjoys torturing me or prepares the ground for murder.”
“Or both.” Luke gritted his teeth.
“But why? What is he or she waiting for? Not that I’m complaining because it gives me a fighting chance.”
“Let me fly you somewhere. I heard France is beautiful this time of year. Or Japan.”
Touched, she sent him a grateful smile. “Thanks but no thanks. This is my home. This place makes me stronger.”
“You’re stubborn.”
“Ditto.” Mari fed Nowa, gathered her things, and put her dog on a leash.
Excited, Nowa ran to the door, and Luke and Mari had to chase the German shepherd. Luke caught up with her first. Nowa’s enthusiasm considerably diminished when they made it to the car and drove off.
When they stopped near Aidan’s place, Nowa put her head between her paws and whined. Mari’s heart broke. She tried to look into the dog’s eyes. “It’s only for a couple of days, Nowa. I’ll get you as soon as I can. Aidan will take care of you. And I’ll need you to take care of him.”
Nowa perked up, to the point that she allowed herself to be taken out and led to the door. The dog was staring at the ground all the way.
Aidan’s place was a one-story red brick house. The lawn looked freshly mowed, and a number of sprinklers explained its lush green color. Mari breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass and knocked. The door was massive and strong, like Aidan himself.
Aidan opened the door. “Hi, Mar. Hi, Luke. Why don’t you come in?”
The ominous warning “no police” came up in her mind. She glanced around, hoping she wasn’t being watched. “Thanks, but we’re in a hurry. Thank you for taking care of Nowa.”
“You’re welcome.” Aidan nodded and left for a minute, probably to take Nowa to the backyard. Her dog hadn’t given her the farewell bark, and Mari’s heart squeezed. She and Luke tried to leave without a good-bye.
“Mar!” Aidan called out after her.
Mari sighed and stepped inside the house with Luke. She hoped that nobody would have to pay for her mishap.
“I heard from Derek about a body turning up near the river. A dead girl who resembled you. Do you want to talk about it?” Aidan’s eyes showed deep concern for her.
She shook her head. “No. But don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”
“We tried to trace the messages on your cell phone. They came from throwaway phones. Untraceable. The lab is working on the prints lifted from your backdoor knob. So far they’ve matched yours, Lydia’s, River’s, yours truly, and some other people you know. No prints on the lipstick.”
“So nothing useful here, either,” Mari said. “What about my little find, the shark’s tooth?”
“It didn’t have fingerprints at all. Back to
the body. Do you know anything about it?” Aidan sized up Luke. Luke didn’t even blink.
“Not much.” She turned to leave.
“We can provide you police protection.” Aidan captured her hand.
Luke stepped closer.
Mari turned around. “Thanks, but no thanks. There are only three full-time employees at the Rios Azules PD. I’m sure they have their hands full. Murder investigation. Festival security. I know you’re trying to help. I appreciate it. But I can take care of myself.”
Aidan turned to Luke. “Please help me persuade her. There’s real danger here.”
Luke nodded. “I agree, man. But when Mari makes up her mind, there’s no way of changing it. You know that better than I do.”
“We’ve got to go,” Mari said. The longer she stayed talking to Aidan, the more of a chance the perp would find out about it. “Good-bye, Aidan.”
Apparently united now by protective instincts toward her, Luke and Aidan shook hands.
Mari walked to the car with Luke by her side, and they drove off in silence.
Luke was the first to break the silence. “Listen to Aidan about police protection.”
Mari shook her head. “First, the perp already warned me not to get the police involved. Second, Rios Azules’ police force is rather small. They really don’t have people to spare. It’s surprising we have police force instead of hiring the sheriff and his deputies to patrol the streets.”
“It’s unusual for a small town, isn’t it?” Luke asked.
“Apparently there was enough in city taxes to cover it. It’s only a chief of police and three full-time officers. The rest are auxiliary half-time. When the chief retires in several years, I hope Aidan will take his place. He deserves it.”
“You care about Aidan, don’t you?”
She nodded. “He’s like a brother to me. And I do trust him. But I can’t let another girl die because of me. So we’re not going to get much information about Josie’s murder from the police. Your PI friend gave us some useful info already. Let’s hope the trend continues.”