by PJ Fernor
I moved the bag and sat down. “Why?”
Ben’s face looked somber. “Remember that woman Muldavey was talking about?”
“Woman…?”
“The one who said she felt she was being followed?”
My heart sank. “Ben. No.”
He slowly nodded. “She was attacked.”
Chapter Sixty-Seven
The location of the attack was another park. A small park on the other side of town, not much for children to do, but even still, as word spread about the murders, they were all happening at parks. Panic was setting in, and it wasn’t just Laura panicking either.
My nerves felt bouncy as Ben stopped the car.
The flashing lights of other police cruisers and an ambulance danced against the night, reflecting off the silhouettes of the trees.
I opened my door and Ben grabbed for me.
“Allie Down…”
I pulled away and got out of the car.
My silence for the entire ride was more like an open confession to Ben.
He knew me too well.
That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in a moment like this, I almost felt like I had a babysitter following me.
I broke out into a run, heading toward the ambulance.
The back doors were wide open and I saw Muldavey jump out of the back. Wearing casual clothes. Jeans and a long-sleeved Henley shirt. He saw me and gave a wave as though I hadn’t seen him yet.
I pointed to his clothing and called out, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Muldavey said. “She didn’t mean to hit me.”
“Excuse me?”
I was now close enough I didn’t need to shout to talk to Muldavey.
“Allie Down, wait up,” Ben called out from behind me.
“Ben didn’t tell you what happened?” Muldavey asked.
“No,” I said. “He said someone was attacked…”
I looked back at Ben.
He showed me his hands, knowing I was about to get irritated.
“You were silent in the car,” Ben said. “I was letting you process everything.”
“What in the world happened here?” I asked, turning my head right to left, going from Ben to Muldavey.
“Muldavey saved her life,” Ben said.
“You did… what?”
“You wanted me to handle it, Detective,” Muldavey said. “So I did. I had this gut feeling about her…”
“Keep talking, Muldavey.”
“Lori Trenzler,” he said. “I talked to her for a good twenty minutes at the station. She was scared, Detective. That’s why I came to talk to you.”
And I yelled at you and told you to leave my office. I acted like it was no big deal. All because of…
“It was genuine fear,” Muldavey said. “I told her to keep her eyes open and try to calm down. That there was a lot going on. If she felt unsafe at any time to give me a call. I got her calm enough to leave with a smile, but something just didn’t feel right. It bothered me to send her away like that. So I followed her. I know that probably sounds crazy to do. She came into the station because she felt followed.”
“You’re a cop, Muldavey,” I said. “It’s different. It’s fine.”
“You saved her,” Ben added.
“I did what anyone would have done,” Muldavey said.
“You saved someone from having their hand cut off,” Ben said.
“So what actually happened?” I asked.
“She ended up here to walk,” he said. “I kept my distance because I didn’t want her to feel unsafe. I didn’t want her to see me. I don’t know, I kind of thought maybe something would happen. And it did.”
“So you saw…”
Muldavey nodded. “It was quick. The guy was precise. He definitely had been following her. He seemed to know right when and where she was going to be. He kind of came out of nowhere. And he hit her. Right in the back of the head. I saw her go to the ground and for a split second, I froze. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. On top of that, I couldn’t believe I was going to catch the guy. That’s all I thought about as I ran toward the scene. Lori was on the ground and he stood over her. All I could think about was tackling him to the ground and getting him restrained. You know?”
I nodded.
“What happened to him, Muldavey?” Ben asked in a somber voice.
Muldavey swallowed hard. “You can prepare for a lot when it comes to this job. A lot. But some things you just have to face when it happens. He got away.” Muldavey looked at me. “I’m sorry, Detective. He got away.”
I touched Muldavey’s arm. “Just tell us everything that happened.”
Muldavey nodded. “As I closed in, he must have sensed me. He turned at the last second and jumped out of the way. Then a knife was in his hand, cutting through the air at me. I couldn’t get my hands on him at first. My eyes kept trying to look at Lori on the ground. I feared if he hit her in the head hard enough she was going to die. The situation…”
“It’s not easy,” I said. “It’s not easy at all.”
“I made one move at him,” Muldavey said. “I hit his arm and grabbed at his shirt. As I did that, Lori started to move. She let out a scream and I looked down at her. I yelled that I was cop and I was there to help. The guy tried to swing the knife at me again so I threw him back. Lori reached for me and I crouched to check on her for a second. She clutched to me. You know? She… she grabbed me. Hugged me. She was in shock. Panicking. Crying. Bleeding from the back of her head. I looked up at the guy and he turned and took off. That way.”
Muldavey pointed.
I looked and knew there was no use in even thinking about checking anywhere.
The guy was long gone.
“Hey,” Ben said. He grabbed Muldavey’s shoulder. “You save her life. If you didn’t trust your gut and do what you did… think about it. This is going to sound harsh, but he would have probably stood there, staring down at her. Waiting for her to wake up. He would have hurt her some more. And then he would have taken that knife and cut her hand off. And you know what, Muldavey? That woman would have been there, on the ground, bleeding to death. You stopped that from happening.”
Muldavey nodded. Then he looked at me.
He wanted my voice next.
“Ben’s right,” I said. “You did the right thing. You saved Lori’s life. And you were right, Muldavey. About everything. You did your job. Perfectly. I’m proud of you.”
“And…,” Muldavey said. “I got a good look at him. Every detail.”
“Which means he’s done,” Ben said. “Because of you, we’re going to find this guy and take him down for good.”
Muldavey stared.
I stared back at him.
I meant what I said.
I was proud of him.
He trusted his gut and his judgement.
At the same time, I was mad at myself.
I looked around.
I thought about everything I said to Muldavey when he wanted to talk about Lori being at the station.
She had come very close to being the next victim.
And it was completely my fault.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
I stared off into the night with the reflection of the emergency vehicle lights acting as though they were going to hypnotize me.
I knew I couldn’t stand there and wear my guilt like a thick jacket on a cold night.
But the guilt was there.
On top of that, the way I felt just proved Laura right.
All her anger and frustration. As if she knew I was working on the case about The One behind her back. Maybe she saw it in my eyes. Or my actions.
After all, I all but sent a woman out of the station to be attacked and killed. And have her hand cut off.
“Allie Down,” Ben said to me.
“Not now,” I said.
I wouldn’t even look at Ben.
He and Muldavey continued to talk.
“So what did
he look like?” Ben asked. “We should regroup a little and get something drawn up. Right away too. Before it starts to slip your mind.”
“I’ll never forget him,” Muldavey said. “The way he approached, dressed like a detective from a TV show.”
“How so?” Ben asked.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Muldavey said. “The coat and the hat. The long trench coat style. And the hat. The fedora style hat. He had it tilted to one side. The guy was just so…”
I looked Muldavey. “Say that again.”
“What?”
“What you just said. The way the guy looked…”
I moved my eyes to Ben.
He lifted an eyebrow.
“I might have something,” I said. “It’s a really long shot though.”
“What did I say?” Muldavey asked.
“The coat. The hat. I’ll be right back.”
I started to jog away and Ben called my name.
I looked back. “Keep him talking, Ben. Get someone to take notes or draw something up. Just in case I’m wrong.”
I had to get away from Ben and Muldavey to make my phone call.
It was one I never thought I’d have to make in my career.
As I stood behind Ben’s car, I looked at Giovanni’s name on my phone.
I shut my eyes and made the call.
“Detective,” Giovanni’s voice said after the second ring. “Is this good news?”
“I need a favor.”
Giovanni laughed. “You need a favor? From me?”
“I’m assuming you’re in control of security cameras in the building, right?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m going to describe someone and I need footage of that person. They work in the building. Not at your company.”
“Does this have to do with my niece?”
“No.”
“Then I’m not interested. Goodbye.”
“Wait,” I yelled. “Listen to me, Giovanni. I’m on the brink of solving a case. When I do that, all my time will go to finding The One.”
Giovanni was silent.
I counted to three in my head.
“Are you there?” I asked.
“I’m here,” he said. “I don’t work like this, Detective.”
“Yeah, well, neither do I. I’m on the phone with a criminal, asking for help. I could just show up tomorrow and handle it a different way. But I know you can help me right now. And you know I’m good for my word.”
What are you doing, Allie? You’re digging the hole deeper with this man.
I swallowed hard.
“I can get footage of anything you’d like,” he said.
I gave Giovanni the date and time Ben and I had first walked into the building.
I had made fun of Ben for holding the door for people.
But there was a man dressed like a cliche TV detective.
To hear Muldavey describe the possible killer that way…
I began to pace.
I glanced back at Ben and Muldavey a few times.
They were lost in their conversation.
This had to be the break we needed.
I could catch the man who did this before he struck again. I could wash away my guilt. I could get back to the whiteboard with all the information about The One and begin to work on that again.
Everything rested at my fingertips.
I continued to check my phone, making sure I had battery power and cell service.
Finally, Giovanni called me back.
“Did you get it?” I asked.
“Of course I did,” he said. “I have some advanced security software too. My guy on the outside was able to run your guy’s image and was able to pull up plenty of footage of him. You’re right, Detective. He works in the building. He arrives every day at the same time. Takes a lunch break around the same time. He usually leaves at the same time, too. That depends on the day.”
“Can you sent me the clearest video you have of him?” I asked.
“Want me to hand deliver it? With flowers? Maybe something to eat too?”
“Giovanni…”
“Remember all I’ve done here, Detective,” he said. “And remember what I’m capable of. Do not think this act of a favor is any sign that I am bending or breaking near you. Or that I ever will.”
The phone call went dead.
I stared at the screen.
A minute later, two videos showed up.
I turned and ran back to Ben and Muldavey.
“Where did you go?” Ben asked. “That was one-”
“Muldavey,” I said. “Look at this video.”
I put my phone to his face.
He stepped back and blinked a few times.
“Just watch,” I said.
Muldavey studied my phone. He began to nod. “Yeah. That’s him. I think that’s him. That’s got to be him. Same coat. Same hat.”
I spun around and put my phone in Ben’s face. “Look. This is the guy, Ben. The day we went to talk to Anthony and Giovanni. We saw this. We said he looked like an old school detective. Remember?”
Ben’s eyes lit up. “This is the guy…?”
“This is the guy,” I said. I squeezed my phone tight and let out a long breath. “Ben…”
He nodded at me. “We got him.”
“Almost,” I said. “We have to find out who he is first. Where he works.”
“So that’s it?” Muldavey asked.
“That’s it,” Ben said.
I looked at my phone again and shook my head.
Whoever this guy was, he killed multiple people and cut off their hands.
I had a feeling he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
The next morning, Ben and I arrived at the building bright and early.
I looked up at the building and nodded.
“Can you believe the irony here?” Ben asked.
“How so?”
“We showed up to this place thinking it was Anthony and Giovanni and it turns out to be someone else in the building.”
“Right,” I said.
“Unless this guy works for IY Green,” Ben said. “Now that would be a twist.”
“He doesn’t,” I said.
“How do you know?” Ben asked.
“I just know,” I said.
I glanced at Ben.
He was nodding. “And you really got that security info quick.”
“I have a source,” I said.
“I bet I can name who it is,” Ben said.
“And if you can, you should just keep it to yourself. We’re going to solve these murders right now, Ben. This is it.”
Ben opened the main door and held it for me.
We walked to the front counter and asked to speak with security.
A security guard overhead us and came over.
“I’m Jefferson,” he said.
“Detective Allie Down,” I said. “And Detective Ben Welloski. I need to show you someone and I need to know where he works.”
“There’s a lot of people that come in and out of this building.”
“Try hard then,” Ben said.
I showed Jefferson the video.
Two seconds into it, he snapped his fingers. “Yeah, I know that guy. He works here for sure.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Oh… shoot… it’s definitely upstairs.”
“IY Green?” Ben asked.
“No,” Jefferson said. “Those guys don’t use the front door. They have their own way around the building. Those are the shady guys, if you ask me. But this guy… he’s just a regular guy. Let me…” Jefferson looked away. “Hey, Catherine, come look at this.”
A woman carrying a leather bag and a coffee walked to us.
“Morning, Jefferson,” she said.
“Morning to you, lovely,” he said. “These detectives are looking for someone in the building.”
“Something wrong?” Catherine asked.
“Just some routine questions we have to ask,” I said.
“Look at the video of the guy,” Jefferson said. “I can picture him but I can’t remember his name.”
Catherine looked at the video. “Oh, yeah. That’s Timothy. Timothy Perkins. He works for the financial group. Crestlen. It’s on the board over there.”
Catherine pointed and Ben was already on the move.
“Thank you both,” I said.
“Detective,” Jefferson said. “Anything I need to worry about?”
“No,” I said.
Just possibly a man who’s murdered a few people and cut their hands off.
I followed Ben and he pointed to the sign.
Crestlen Financial Group.
“A finance guy,” Ben said. “This gets even more ironic now.”
“Let’s make sure this is our guy,” I said. “And if he is, we take him down. Then we can talk irony.”
We took an elevator ride to the same floor as IY Green.
Crestlin Financial Group was just a little bit down the hallway.
I pointed to Ben. “Don’t say it. Don’t bring up anything else ironic.”
“My lips are sealed,” he said.
We entered the office, flashed our badges at the receptionist, and we were then greeted by a man named Richard Leighland.
He blinked fast and looked surprised to see us.
“Is this Timothy Perkins?” I asked and I showed him the video.
“Of course,” Richard said. “That’s him leaving the building. I’m sorry, what’s going on here?”
“Can we step outside quick?” Ben asked.
Richard nodded.
We ushered him into the hallway.
“Tell us about Timothy,” I said.
“Timothy. He’s a great worker. He’s quiet. He’s smart. He doesn’t get involved in any office drama. I don’t know. He’s punctual.”
“What else?” Ben asked.
“What do you want to know about him?” Richard asked. “I mean, he’s up for a big promotion.”
“What kind?” I asked.
“He’s going to be in the office next to mine,” Richard said. “I’ve been waiting a long time for a guy like him to come around. No baggage. No wife and kids. Nothing to keep him from work. That sounds harsh, but in this industry, you’re married to the industry. If you do it the right way you can make a lot and worry about living life later.”