“They must have had a reason,” Otter said, “They didn’t make any money from it and the house was trashed, so there had to be some other reason. We may not see any sense in the reason when it’s found out, but it made sense to them.”
“OK, I can buy that.”
“One thing we don’t know,” Otter said, “We don’t really know if the periodic table clues will point to a killer or just someone Clark didn’t like. He has Ron Defray down as plutonium. It could have meant that he’s poison to the company, a killer or just an unpleasant person. However I found out that it’s a reference to what Clark was always saying to Defray.”
“That’s a very good point,” Troy said, “But it sure is a lot of trouble to go to just to tell everyone he didn’t like someone.”
“And he has Michael as carbon, Tonya his wife as gold, Mitch as silver and me as zirconium. We don’t know what characteristics he attributed to those elements.”
“He must have thought that you and Michael would figure them out though, or he wouldn’t have instructed someone to give them to you.”
“That’s true.” Otter conceded, “I wish I knew what the dragon was for.”
They chatted about the chart and some of the meanings that could be attributed to the different elements associated with people on the list. The governor’s speech ended and servers began distributing covered plates among the tables.
“It will probably be some form of dried out chicken, a type of creamy gravy over it, a starchy side dish, some bread, a steamed vegetable and some form of dessert,” Otter said. These banquets are always so depressing.”
“You might be wrong,” Bob said with a smile, “But unfortunately, you probably aren’t.”
“You’ve been to as many of these association meetings as I have,” Otter said to Bob, “You know I’m right.”
Bob looked at his dish as the server uncovered it. There was a yellow sauce covering breaded chicken on a bed of rice and some broccoli and cauliflower mixture next to it.
“Bingo, give the lady a prize,” Graham said, looking at his own dish.
“I’m taking the first dance with you,” Bob said, as he picked at his food. “I hope you’re ok with that.”
“Of course, but…”
“I would like the next two, Miss Otter, if you would honor me,” Graham said, his green eyes alight.
“I didn’t know you could dance.”
“Of course I can, how is your jitterbug?”
“I don’t know that I know that one all that well.”
“Bob tells me that you know a lot of swing, it’s just another form.”
“Probably not tonight, this wouldn’t be the best place to do a dance for the first time.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Graham said with a maniacal gleam in his eyes. She was right; he definitely should have pointed ears.
“Miss Mackenzie, let me congratulate you on your speech,” Otter looked up to see Mitch.
“Thank you Mitch, it wasn’t too much?”
“Oh no, it was perfect. Manufacturing is important and the politicians need to understand that.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Very much,” Mitch saw Bob and put out his hand, “Mr. Robert, it is good to see you.”
“Hello Mitch,” Bob shook his hand. Otter introduced Mitch around the table.
“Where is he from?” Troy asked, after Mitch had left “He has such a heavy accent.”
“I believe he’s from Rumania.”
“That explains it.”
The D.J. was doing a sound check and Otter scanned the room looking for Tempest. Since she was wearing black, she was harder to spot. It didn’t take long for the music to play over the speakers. Bob took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Tempest, I think she has someone imprisoned somewhere.”
“Really, who?”
“I don’t know, I just know it’s a naked man in chains.”
Bob laughed out loud.
“Relax,” he said, “I’m sure it’s not the first time.”
It worried her that people said that about Tempest a lot.
They spun around the room in practiced moves and Otter felt herself relax into the familiar rhythm of the dance.
“Otter?”
“Hmm?”
“I wanted to tell you that I started seeing someone. I think it’s going to be serious, so I wanted you to know.”
“Congratulation, I’m happy for you Bob.”
“If this new man in your life works out to be something, maybe we can meet some time and go out together.”
“Like a double date?”
“Yes, I think you’d like her and I’d like you to meet.”
“OK, we’ll see what happens and I’ll let you know.”
Bob spun her around, “You’re one of my best friends, Otter, and it would be a big deal to me if you would.”
“Sure, just give me time to get all this other stuff straightened out.”
“Of course, when you’re ready let me know.”
The dance ended and another began, and Graham took the floor with her.
“You move very well. I didn’t know you were that advanced.”
“A few years of practice and Bob is a good partner.”
“Well, I have a theory of algorithms and the movement of dance.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“This is a slower song, so I’ll show you what I mean.”
Graham explained as they made different movements around the dance floor. As he explained and she translated from her brain to her body, her movements got more fluid and she felt like she was floating.
“Amazing,” she said, very impressed.
“Just keep thinking about the formula, it works at any speed.”
“I’ll bet it does, how did you figure it out?”
“It’s a tai chi thing. I calculated it out and applied it to human physiology. It took me a few years to perfect it, but it seems to work well.”
“OK, but the jitterbug?”
“Relax, you’ll be fine.”
The 1950’s era music came on loud and clear, and Graham rocked her into the basic swing steps. He then spun her, dipped her and twirled her. They danced around the floor, Otter trying to concentrate on the formula and the steps she knew. She stumbled a moment and he picked her up.
Good heavens, did he flip her?
Otter had prided herself on her dance skills, but Graham was wicked fast. She became aware in her peripheral vision that they were the only two on the dance floor; everyone was in a circle around them, clapping in rhythm to the music. She spun some more, did a dive and another flip. She was mortified and couldn’t remember—did she have her shorts on under her dress? Dear Lord, she hoped so.
She glanced around the room as they danced and got flashes of faces, in her mind as they progressed. They stepped to the end of the song and she was panting heavily when it stopped. She barely heard the ovation in her effort to recover.
Tempest was in front of her applauding madly.
“I didn’t know you’d gotten that good,” she said taking Otter’s hands.
“I didn’t know either,” Otter said between gasps. “Was I wearing my shorts? I’m afraid to check.”
Tempest laughed, “You were fine, and nobody saw a thing.”
“I can’t believe that people danced like that all night long 60 years ago, it makes us look like slouches.”
“You did very well,” Graham said with his roguish grin. “I think Troy got it recorded if you want to see it.”
“Maybe in a few minutes,” Otter said walking back toward the table. She wasn’t tired, particularly but she needed to sit down and think. She saw something, but she wasn’t sure what it was. It was there bouncing around in the back of her mind in discordance and screaming to be let out.
“That was great, Otter,” Bob said as she sat, “we need to try that in the next dance cla
ss.”
“It was some algorithm that Graham calculated out.”
“Yes, I know, he tried to show me on paper, but I think you need to do it before it really works.”
“I believe you’re right about that. I had to walk through it several times before my brain and body understood what I was doing.”
“It looked like fun,” Bob said wistfully.
“It really, was,” Otter realized. “It was a little scary at first, but it was fun.”
Joel sat down next to Otter, “I run a little late to a party and you turn into a professional dancer with one of my oldest friends.”
“Hardly professional,” Otter dismissed the notion, “Graham is a very good dancer himself.”
“I do OK,” Graham said with his cheeky grin. “And I’d like to dance with you again some time.”
“Goodness, not tonight,” Otter said and everyone laughed.
“Then another time,” Graham said.
“I saw something,” Otter said to Joel. “I don’t know what it was, but it was something out of place and it’s bugging me.”
“Interesting, but vague,” Joel said, “Best thing is to not try to think about it. Let it go to the back of your mind until you make the connection.”
“I’ll try,” Otter said doubtfully.
“I’d like another dance,” Bob said to Otter, “If you would be so kind.”
“Sure,” Otter said, and rose to go out to the dance floor. “We’ll be back shortly.”
“I like your new set of friends.” Bob said as they paced around the dance floor. “They are quite an interesting group.”
“I think so.”
“Tempest came by and said hello, she seems like a woman on a mission tonight only more so.”
“She’s always on a mission,” Otter said and did a neat spin, “it’s in her nature.”
“And I think it’s very sweet the way you and Joel light up when you see each other.”
“Oh please. My boss lights up when he sees me come to work. It’s relief that I made it in one more time and didn’t stand him up.”
“If you say so,” Bob said agreeably, “But there’s something up and I think you’re right in the middle of it. Tempest is talking to every shop owner she can catch tonight, you and your new friends are talking in some kind of code about a mystery and there’s all kinds of rumors flying around the industry about the guy who killed himself that worked at your place.”
“I can’t really…”
“I know you probably can’t tell me a lot right now, but if there is anything I can do, please let me know. It looks interesting and I’d like in—when and if that is possible.”
“It was nice of Bob to let me take you home,” Joel said as he started the car.
“He has a new girlfriend and he wanted to stop by and see her after the ball. You just made it easier for him to do so.”
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“You did, but it wouldn’t bother me to hear it again.”
“Well, you looked beautiful, and I’m impressed that after all that exercise on the dance floor, your hair isn’t messed up one bit.”
“Judy is very talented and practically shellacked it in place. Just don’t touch it, it feels crispy.”
“So did you figure out what it was you saw?”
“No, I just know it’s something that was out of place, but I’m trying to not think about it and hope it comes to me after a good night’s sleep.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“So Joel, what is it that you are actually doing at the coroner’s office? You aren’t a pathologist.”
Joel sighed and was quiet for a moment.
“I’m looking for a signature.”
“A serial murder’s signature?”
“I supposed you could say that.”
“So when a possible murder happens that looks like it could be by a certain killer, they call you in and have you look at the body?”
“If you know all this, why are you asking me?”
“Just verifying my suspicions, were you ever going to tell me about this?”
“Maybe, probably, eventually…”
“Which of those are most likely?”
“Give me a break, Otter; I’m not supposed to talk to you about this.”
“For how long would that be? Until you solved this and moved on?”
“I’m not moving on. I’m staying. We’ve decided to base ourselves out of here and stick around.”
“Clark was the first one, wasn’t he? Somebody saw something with Clark and you had to come here and follow up on it.”
Joel’s face went stony and he stared out of the windshield.
“OK, I’m going to tell you what I think happened so far and you just nod or shake your head if I’m warm or cold.”
Joel continued to look forward.
“I think that when Clark was killed, you were alerted by whatever means you law enforcement types do for that sort of thing. There’s a reason you think that Clark was a part of this Charlotte person’s web of murders. A Charlotte’s web, now that I think of it—and isn’t that cute? Anyway, you come down to investigate and figure out that somehow Clark was up to his ass in trouble. You need to get to information about him, but you can’t go in and start asking questions because your quarry will break cover and run. So you decide to go in by stealth.”
Joel continued with saying nothing.
“You have an old army buddy that works for the Sheriff’s office and with a little research you find out she has a single friend that worked with Clark and you ask her if she can fix you up. Whether or not she knew what you were up to I will find out later, but she does the job and gets me to go on a date with you.”
Once more, Joel added no comment.
“Fortunately for you, I am willing to blather on about Clark and the mystery because I am baffled by his death and don’t know quite what to do. You continue the charade of just being a friend of a friend who just happens to work at the coroner’s office, but you follow me and question me to get as much data as possible. You don’t really tell me anything, but you get a lot of information. You were hoping that I could give you enough for you and your team to process that could help you catch your killer and close your case.”
Joel sustained his nonstop silence.
“Detective Addison is a blind, isn’t he? You’re the real detective and he’s some kind of decoy. Well I’ve given you all I have to give and you could have just told me all this from the start. I have nothing to hide and would have been happy to tell you what you wanted to know. There’s something else you have to know about me by now. I hate liars and I hate thieves and all this covert crap just pisses me off. Just tell me what you want from me and we can stop this pretense and move on.”
They drove into Otter’s driveway and Joel chuckled.
“Well in for a penny, in for a pound as they say.” He turned to her with another baffled laugh. “First of all, Chris Addison is an excellent detective. He is not a blind and would be insulted you thought so.”
“Ok, if you say so.”
“Secondly, don’t be pissed off at Susan. She didn’t know what I was here for; she believed I just wanted to meet an interesting woman that I could date. I manipulated her into thinking of you when I asked.”
“Probably not as much as you thought,” Otter murmured.
“Probably not,” Joel agreed. “You Arizona women are crazy smart. Anyway, you’re right; Clark’s death had a signature that I verified.”
“So he really was murdered.”
“Yes, he was.”
“What about Marvin Jones?”
“Yeah, him too, he had been friends with Charlotte when they were in high school.”
“But she killed him anyway.”
“It looks like she did.”
“Do you know why she’s killing people?”
“Troy’s digging through records to find out a pattern. So far all we kn
ow is that she kills people she knows and some of them are friends or family. She drops off the grid for a while and disappears when another body surfaces.”
“I’ll bet she’s got a secret.”
“That she’s a serial murderer, yeah that would be a great secret.”
“No, I mean she’s killing to keep her secret. She only kills people that she gets to know. They die when they find out what she’s hiding.”
“It can’t be that simple.”
“You know more than I do about whom all she’s killed, but she killed a boyfriend, her parents and her childhood friend. Knowing Clark, he found out who she was and maybe her secret. He was nosy and as you’ve seen, he liked knowing people’s private business.”
“But how would he encounter her?”
“Clark was in sales. He visited our customers and prospective customers. He could have met her anywhere.”
“Great, that could be hundreds of companies.”
“He met her, befriended her somehow and discovered what she was hiding and it got him killed.”
“That’s an interesting theory.”
“Bet you a dollar I’m close. What other reason would she have? She doesn’t act like a normal serial killer. She’s trying to hide. She doesn’t increase her kills, she doesn’t torture, she makes her kills look like accidents.”
“Yes, she does that too, but she puts her mark on them all the same.”
“What mark is that?”
“It’s complicated to explain, she does something unique with the bodies after they are dead.”
“That’s a little creepy.”
“Really, you don’t say?”
Otter put her hand on the car door handle. “If you want to run things by me, I’m ok with that. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”
“Otter,” Joel gripped her wrist. “There’s more you should know.”
“Oh, what else then?”
“I did start seeing you because I needed to get inside of AzTech. You’re right about that. But I had my friends come along for the accidental date at the steakhouse because I told them I was moving our operations to Phoenix.”
“I thought you were from Phoenix.”
“We are, but we’ve been everywhere.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“Not yet, I hope. I told them I wanted to move operations here permanently and I wanted them to meet the reason why. They needed to meet the woman I was falling in love with.”
Otter Under Fire Page 20