The Butterfly Murders

by Jen Talty

  “Could be more,” Shane said, not wanting her to state the obvious. “There are other tissues that can be harvested. Not to mention the killer could start all over again.”

  “I thought of that, too,” she said.

  “I called Pollock and asked him to get in touch with your analyst to see if we can’t match the description of the car with someone who works in the hospital.”

  “Narrow that down to someone who’s left-handed.”

  “I know your profiler says a male,” Shane said. “But we’ve got missing cadavers that appear to be orchestrated by a woman, based on what those students told us, and our witness here stated the perp was not very tall.”

  “At this point, we can’t rule out either sex,” Kara said. “If we get the organ donation and recipient list, we’ll have to just start interviewing everyone.”

  “That’s going to be a grueling process.” Shane heard the blip of the ambulance siren. He glanced over his shoulder as it pulled out, taking the witness to the hospital. “We’ve got less than one week to stop this fucker before he or she strikes again.”

  “The press is going to have a field day with this one,” Kara said. “Not to mention the public fear it will create,” Kara said. “My boss is considering sending the rest of the team.”

  “Jones won’t like that too much, but I’ll take all the help I can get.”

  She tapped his shoulder. “What’s going on? Something is really bothering you.”

  He shouldn’t have been surprised she would be so in tune with his emotions. When they were kids, she knew him better than anyone in his family.

  “When I was a beat cop, shortly before making detective, I was dispatched to a DUI which ended up being vehicular manslaughter. The driver was a young mother. Two toddlers in car seats in the back. She blew a .18. Both kids were unharmed, but they screamed like they were dying as Social Services took them away. Once they were gone, I read her her rights and handcuffed her, hoping…praying, those two babies wouldn’t be emotionally traumatized for life.”

  “That had to have been rough,” Kara said

  “The victim was a sixteen-year-old girl. The accident happened at Twelve Corners near Brighton High School. She’d been walking home after staying with some academic group. It was near five, so it was getting dark.”

  “There have been a few accidents over the years at that light.”

  “She’d been pinned between the car and the stop light. Her body leaning over the hood. When I got to the scene, the driver was trying to run, though a few good Samaritans made sure she didn’t. The worst part, however, was that the two children were in front-facing car seats, staring at the dead girl’s body for at least fifteen minutes.”

  “Jesus,” Kara said softly.

  Shane turned his head, catching her intense, but caring gaze. “Janet joined a bunch of support groups at the hospital when Kevin first got sick. I dived into work. That’s how I dealt with Kevin’s illness. Then Janet died and, other than my family and Jones, I had no one. I cut myself off from the world. I felt alone. Janet had always found comfort in these groups, and Kevin’s doctor kept nagging me to go, so I went. The group moderator was the father of the girl who had been killed that day. She’d had a heart transplant when she was six, only to be killed ten years later.”

  Kara held his gaze, saying nothing. Just stood there with him for a long moment.

  “The parents of the girl who died back then still run those support—”

  “Oh, no,” Kara whispered. “They were the ones leading the group the victims attended?”

  Shane nodded. “They’re taking it pretty hard. Blame themselves.”

  “You talked with them.”

  “They called me right after seeing the morning news. I’ve got interviews set up with them and Dr. Nads, who did Kevin’s heart transplant, along with the head of the transplant department.” He looked around toward the cabin. Jones stood in the back door, signaling.

  “Let’s go catch this fucker.”

  Chapter 23

  SHANE STEPPED THROUGH the elevator doors on the maternity wing at Strong Hospital, flowers in hand. He’d spent the last three hours interviewing left-handed hospital staff and he needed a short break to clear his thoughts before he went back at it.

  He checked the board for his sister-in-law’s name.

  The birthing center was nothing like the rest of the hospital. It smelled like fresh shampoo and lilacs. The rooms were large, with a comfortable lounge chair and even a table. The concept was to make it feel more like home, and it worked. He tapped on the door before entering.

  “Hey, little brother.” Mike greeted him at the door. “Glad you could make it.”

  Shane set the flowers down on the counter, before taking a good look at the latest addition to the Rogers family. “Oh my God,” Shane said. “He looks just like Dad.”

  “I know,” Mary Jo said. “It’s uncanny.”

  Shane bent over to give his sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better,” she said. “But tired.”

  “He’s a big one.” Shane held his arms out as Mary Jo gently placed her son in the crook of his elbow, then he settled down in the chair, staring at the baby. Infants used to scare Shane. His older nieces and nephews he wouldn’t consider holding, and if he did he was always afraid he was going to drop them. When his older brother Dave had the first grandchild, Kara used to push Shane to hold him. Had it not been for her, he might have always been awkward with babies.

  “Biggest Rogers yet,” Mike said.

  Shane laughed. “Where is everyone?”

  “Mom and Dad took Alison and Tyler home,” Mike said. “They’re both exhausted. You missed Dave and Shari by a half hour.”

  “How long are they keeping you?” Shane asked as he leaned over and pressed his nose against Timothy’s head, taking a good whiff of fresh baby smell. The baby twitched, his eyes popping open for a moment, then settling back down into a deep sleep.

  “At least two more days, maybe more,” Mary Jo said. “But at least that little guy gets to stay with his mama.”

  “That’s good. Any complications since surgery?”

  “Recovering better than expected,” Mary Jo said. “But I have no energy at all.”

  “I’m not surprised. You’ve been through quite an ordeal.” Shane pressed his lips against the bald head of his nephew.

  “Where’s Kara?” Mike asked.

  “Federal Building, buried under a pile of paperwork, trying to find us a lead. This case has us both pretty frazzled.”

  “Some scary stuff,” Mike said. “Mom is totally freaking over Kevin.”

  “I know,” Shane said. “Honestly, I’m troubled as well.”

  “We read that the killer only kills on Thursdays. Is that true?” Mike asked.

  Shane nodded. “If my theory is correct, we’ve got two more organs this psycho is collecting, and one is the heart.”

  “Where is Kevin now?” Mary Jo asked, her weak voice laced with concern.

  “School. There’s only one point of entry, as all the other doors are locked, and he has to be signed out by someone on my approved list. Theresa will pick him up today. She always gets there about ten minutes before dismissal, checks in with me. I’m not sure what to do tonight. We have a ton of interviews to finish up. I’ve got ten more here at the hospital today.”

  “Are Theresa and Kevin going home right after school?” Mike asked.

  Shane nodded.

  Mike reached down and scooped up his new son, giving him a quick kiss on the check before setting him in the bassinet “Mary Jo needs a nap, and she should do that while this little guy is sleeping.”

  A sliver of jealousy tickled Shane’s heart. He never begrudged his brothers or sister their families. He adored all his nieces and nephews, but he’d wanted to have more kids. Janet had two miscarriages after Kevin was born, and they had been equally devastating.

  “Let’s sit in here.”
Mike pointed to a small room, much like the one outside the transplant wing.

  Shane poured himself a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa facing the windows to the hallway. Mike sat across from him, sipping his coffee, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

  “Mom told me how bad things were in the delivery room,” Shane said. “Sorry.”

  “I’m just glad Mary Jo is okay.” Mike ran a hand across his unshaven face. “It was bad enough they moved us from the birthing room to a delivery room when they realized she was going to need a C-section, but then they kicked me out when she lost consciousness right after they lifted Timothy up for her to see. I could hear them yelling that they couldn’t find a pulse. I thought I was going to lose it. She had lost so much blood and was white as a ghost. I sat with Tim in the nursery for two hours before they came and got me. I thought I lost her.”

  “But you didn’t,” Shane said. “How is she doing with not being able to have more children?”

  “We’re both fine with it. Three is more than enough,” Mike said. “I would have had more, but she’s done. This last pregnancy sucked for her, and then seeing her like that…” Mike wiped a tear that had escaped his eye. “I don’t know how you handle being a single father. Kevin’s illness. Your work. You’re a stronger man than me.”

  “Some days it isn’t easy, but Kevin is my world and he makes it easy. Just like Mary Jo and the kids are yours.”

  Mike took a slow slip of coffee. “What about Kara? Where does she fit in all this?”

  “I don’t know,” Shane said. “It’s complicated.”

  “Mom says she’s been staying at your house every night.”

  “That’s true,” Shane said. “I want her, too. Kevin seems fine with it. But she’s also there because she’s worried about Kevin. She thinks I don’t know she’s got friends of hers watching the school, the house, me.”

  “Why wouldn’t she tell you?”

  “Because she knows that I don’t agree with using taxpayer dollars to protect one person, when there are other children and adults with heart transplants who could be this killer’s target and don’t have a detective as a father or his FBI agent girlfriend. But, frankly, I don’t have it in me to fight her and I’m glad she did it.”

  “Or maybe you don’t want to fight her because you might push her away,” Mike said. “You made it very clear you weren’t going to let her go this time.”

  “I don’t want to, but this isn’t an easy situation. We’ve moved past what happened years ago. We’re both in a good place, but that doesn’t make it any less complicated.”

  “Mom thinks you and Kara are going to ride off into the sunset.”

  “Mom has always been optimistic and positive about everything.” Shane pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, checking his texts and messages. Nothing from anyone about the case or anything important. No news is good news was no longer the case in this situation. “Her life is in D.C., and I can’t ask her to up and leave a career she’s worked hard to achieve. She’s really good at what she does, and I’d be an asshole to expect her to drop it just because we still love each other.”

  “What if she wants to?” Mike asked.

  “She hasn’t said so one way or another, and we’re both under a lot of pressure with the case.”

  “Would you leave Rochester?”

  “No,” Shane said sternly.

  “So where does that leave you and Kara?”

  “A long-distance relationship, because I can’t uproot Kevin’s life. Our family is here, and that has been key in his recovery. So are his doctors, support system, and friends. As much as I love Kara, Kevin comes first.”

  “Kevin’s a smart kid. He’s also more in tune with the world because of his life circumstances; I’m sure he has an opinion about all this. What has he said?”

  “He and Kara have developed a strong bond. He texts her a lot and she him. They have a relationship outside of her being my girlfriend. And she’s so good with him that the idea she’s going to leave us both…I also can’t afford to have Kevin’s emotions crushed. He lost his mother. He nearly died. And now he’s attached to Kara.”

  “I thought it would be weird seeing Kara after all these years,” Mike said. “I thought I’d still be mad, and wanted to hate her.”

  Shane laughed. “Impossible to hate that woman.”

  “Speaking of women, I need to get back to mine. She insists on only breastfeeding, so I need to be there to do the diaper changing thing and taking Tim for walks so she can sleep.”

  “Understood,” Shane said. “I’m going to sit here, finish my coffee, then head over to the transplant wing and finish my interviews. Jones is probably feeling like I totally ditched him.”

  No sooner did his brother disappear in the hallway than Shane’s phone rang.

  Kara.

  “Hello?”

  “I’ve got something,” Kara said. “Remember Brad Johnson? The soccer dad escorted off the field for harassing Gregory?”

  “Hold that thought,” Shane said, tapping the call waiting. “Jones is calling. I’ll make it a three-way.” Once all three calls were connected he said, “Jones, you’re on with me and Kara.”

  “I went back to the car to get a file,” Jones said, “and heard over the radio that Theresa was in a car accident.”

  “What the fuck?” Shane bolted from his seat. “Where? Is she okay? What about Kevin?”

  “Three miles from school,” Jones said in a calm voice. “Minor scrapes and cuts, but taking her to Strong now. She complained of neck pain. Kevin wasn’t with her. She hadn’t made it to the school.”

  Shane checked his watch. “He gets out in five minutes.”

  “I’m less than ten from his school,” Kara said. “In the car, so I’ll go get him.”

  “Bring him to my parents’ house.” Shane sprinted from the waiting area and hit the elevator button over and over. “I’ll let them know you’re on your way. And Kara?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t tell him too much.”

  “Understood,” she said. “But something you need to know.”

  “What’s that?” Shane asked.

  “Brad Johnson killed himself three months ago. Six months ago, his daughter died in a car accident. On a Thursday. Her mother is Tina Vallen.”

  “Who?” Jones said.

  “The new nurse?” Shane paused mid-step as he entered the elevator. “Kara, get my son.”

  * * *

  Kara gripped the steering wheel as she turned way too fast onto the street where Kevin’s school was located, knowing she was five minutes after dismissal. Two buses were still in the bus loop as she pulled into the side parking lot. The two double doors opened as a couple of children stepped out with an adult.

  Slamming the car into park, she jumped out and raced up the steps and into the lobby of the elementary school. Ten children stood or sat in front of the office.

  No Kevin.

  Panic gripping her chest, she flashed her badge at the secretary in the main office. “I’m Kara Martin. I’m here to pick up Kevin Rogers. I’m on the list.”

  The woman blinked at her a few times. “But you called and said someone else—”

  “I didn’t call,” Kara said. “Where’s Kevin?”

  She shook her head. “I spoke to you. You told me you had to meet Mr. Rogers and said a nurse from the hospital was coming.”

  “Tina Vallen?”

  The woman nodded. “We wouldn’t normally let a student go without parental permission, but you were on the list and we asked Kevin if he knew the nurse and he did. She told us what happened to Kevin’s cousin and she was from the hospital…!” the woman screeched. “I…I…”

  “How long ago?” Kara pushed her panic aside, focusing only on her training.

  The woman grabbed a piece of paper from her desk. “Sign out sheet says less than ten minutes ago.”

  Kara had probably passed them on the way out. “I’m going to have to ask that you do
n’t let anyone leave,” Kara said. “I’ll have officers over here quickly, but we need statements from everyone in the building right now as well as those who were here when Kevin was picked up.”

  The woman nodded.

  Kara turned her back to the office as she called the Captain Morrell’s direct line. Her pulse was raging out of control. There was no way she was standing in this school waiting for the locals.

  “Agent Martin,” Morrell said.

  “Need a couple of officers at Kevin’s elementary school to take statements.” She bolted through the main door, nearly falling down the steps as she made her way to her car. “I’m heading to where I think he’s been taken.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Morrell said. “Does Shane know?”

  “No.” She slipped into the driver’s seat of her car. “I’m fifteen minutes from Tina Vallen’s house. I need back-up there.”

  “On it,” he said. “Kara?”

  “What?”

  “Let me call Shane. I need you to focus on getting to the scene; don’t do anything stupid like going it alone.”

  Kara tapped the phone, ending the call. Her heart raced so fast she could barely breathe. Clicking her police lights off, she pulled onto the street where Vallen lived. Kara parked two houses down on the opposite side of the street, noting the SUV in Vallen’s driveway.

  Kara got out of her vehicle, eyeing the two-story house and the two sets of footprints in the snow leading up the path to Vallen’s house. She was contemplating her next move; it was decided for her when the front door opened and Kevin appeared, Vallen standing next to him with a knife to his neck.

  “Come join the party,” Tina called. “If you don’t, I’ll kill him now.”

  Kara held her hands up and started walking, eyes locked with Kevin’s.

  “Give me your weapon,” Vallen said, once Kara was standing three paces from them.

  She did as instructed.

  “Go into the house.”

  She took one step in before a crushing pain slammed her head and the world went black…