by Jamie Hill
"You'll need a warrant for that." Webb smiled.
"Damn it!" Nate turned away for a second then faced the man again. "Oh, yeah, I've got one right here." He pulled a paper from his pocket and shoved it at Webb's chest. "So you can step aside, or I can make a call to have someone move your ass out of my way."
Webb scowled before stepping back into the house to allow them in. "You're an unpleasant man," he told Nate.
"Why thank you." Nate turned up his collar and said, "Marshall, let's go. Bring two uniforms with you."
The three men were on the doorstep within seconds. Nate said to the cops, "Keep an eye on Mr. Webb, here. He doesn't take a leak without one of you watching. Give him no opportunities to call his son."
"Yes, Agent," one of the men replied, and folded his arms across his chest.
"Let's clear the house, room by room," Nate instructed.
He motioned for Mel to go one way and Marshall the other.
Mel did as they did, raising her gun before entering the next room. She heard Nate yell, "Clear," and moments later Brady did the same. She examined the dining room, opened the closets, and finding nothing called, "Clear!"
They repeated themselves throughout the first floor and climbed the stairs together. The upper level was empty and they once again met up in what appeared to be Dickie's room. It was a bland, neutral-colored room with very little in the way of personal effects. A few clothes hung in the closet, and the thick layer of dust on the dresser indicated no one had touched in in weeks.
"Where are the video games?" Nate mused.
"Hmm?" Mel looked at him.
"Webb said Dickie likes to play video games. Wouldn't you think a young man like him would have some games in his room?"
"You know what this reminds me of," Mel said thoughtfully. "My room at Cappie's house. A few clothes, a little bit of my stuff left over from the old days, but mostly, it sits unused."
"That's exactly what this is like," Nate agreed. "Except for the stuff from the old days. This is the house of two people who appeared out of nowhere a year or so ago. No mementos from the past, nothing of the wife Webb was so quick to defend."
Mel nodded. "You know, by Cappie's back door there's a pair of my mom's gardening gloves and shears just sitting there. She's been gone eight years, but neither of us have ever moved them."
"My father-in-law's place is that way," Marshall added. "Little touches of his late wife all over. This house is so devoid of personal items it's almost sterile."
Nate scratched his chin. "The wife never lived here, so we shouldn't expect to see her things. But there's not even a photo. Like Webb doesn't want to remember her."
"Or doesn't want Dickie to." Mel raised her brows. "I wonder if that might make him testy?"
"Testy, like 'I think I'll go out and kill somebody today'?" Marshall asked.
Mel's phone rang and she answered quickly. "Curtis."
"It's Reeder. Old man Webb owns three schools, a small strip mall on Cochise Boulevard and one solitary house over on Nevada Avenue."
"I like the house. Nevada's even closer to Oldtown than this place."
"I like it too. I'll send the address to your GPS." He hesitated then added, "Curtis, you guys watch yourselves out there."
Her heart swelled. "Ten-four Captain." Mel ended the call and looked at Nate. "We have an address."
He nodded. "Let's go."
On the way down the stairs, he glanced over his shoulder. "What did Reeder say? You got a funny look on your face."
Mel smiled. "He said he loves me."
She stumbled over Nate who had stopped in his tracks and was staring at her. "What the hell?"
Mel laughed. "He told us to be careful. I interpreted it in my own fashion."
He rolled his eyes at her then at Marshall. "You sure as hell did. Come on, let's get this over with."
They left the uniformed officers with Burton Webb and drove their caravan to the house on Nevada Avenue. "Look at this," Mel studied the neighborhood. "Houses sit back from the street. Nearest neighbor is a couple hundred feet away."
"Conducive to the privacy he'd require," Nate agreed, and parked. "We're going to need a ruse to get him to answer the door. I could send Becker again, but I'd really rather send you. Your reaction time is incredible. I suspect you can think quicker on your feet that she can."
"Whatever you need," Mel agreed, proud that he'd chosen her.
"Put a jacket on to cover your vest. Ring the bell, ask if your cousin Arlene is home. If it's Webb say, 'I'm sure my cousin gave me this address.' If it's not him say, 'I'm sorry to bother you' and walk away. We'll be listening. If it's him, we'll be behind you in moments."
"What if he spots you and panics?"
"That's where the quick thinking comes into play. If you feel threatened in any way, dive into the bushes or drop to the ground. He won't bother with you. He'll be hurrying to retreat into the house."
"Okay." They ran over a few more possible outcomes as Mel buttoned a windbreaker over her vest.
Nate glanced around and Mel wondered what he was looking for. Marshall's SUV was behind them, but a tree blocked their view of the passengers. "If we can't see them, they can't see us," Nate told her. He planted a quick kiss on her lips and whispered, "Be careful, baby. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you."
Warmth coursed through her along with her pulsing adrenaline. It thrilled her to be on this mission with Nate, and hear him speak those words. "Nothing's going to happen," she assured him. "Except we're going to get this fucker."
Nate grinned and stole one more kiss before she went on her way. She turned her mic on and unfastened her Glock.
On the front step of the house, she observed that the blinds were pulled and all looked dark. There was no screen door, just one of faded wood. Mel inhaled and let the breath out before ringing the bell. Silence.
She gave it a full minute before she reached up to push the buzzer again.
A corner of the blind moved. She tried to smile, hoping the expression didn't look as constipated as she felt.
Click after click as the door was unlocked. Mel inhaled and held it.
A short, shaggy haired man opened the door a crack.
She recognized him from the school, and also from the mug shot the FBI had sent. Dickie Webb.
Mel's breath expelled with a whoosh. "Hi! Sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for my cousin Arlene's house. I'm sure my cousin gave me this address."
He raised a gun and pointed it between her eyes. "Your cousin, huh? Were you looking for your cousin yesterday at the beauty school? That's right, I saw you."
Mel heard commotion behind her but didn't dare turn around.
"Back off," Webb called, not taking his gaze from her.
"Drop it Webb," Nate shouted. "You've got half a dozen sharpshooters aimed at you right now."
Webb allowed a smile and a shrug. "You shoot me, I shoot her. Probably not the way you envisioned this scenario playing out, but it makes a rat's ass to me."
"Put the gun down." Nate's voice was full of venom.
"I don't think so Mr. F-B-I. I'm going to take the pretty blonde inside with me. The more hostages I have, the better my leverage, right?"
Hostages. Mel's mind raced. Sheila must be alive.
"We don't negotiate," Nate informed him.
Webb shrugged again. "Then you can come in when it's all over and scrape up the bodies." He beckoned one finger at Mel. "Come with me, pretty girl."
"Don't do it," Nate instructed.
Mel knew he was right. Inside the house the situation was out of their control. Out here in the open was the best chance they had of taking him down. She needed a diversion. And she needed Nate to be on the same wavelength as she was. Mel took a quick second to offer up a prayer.
"Okay, let's go," she said to Webb. There'd be a split second when he reached for the door that she might have the chance to do something.
He felt behind him but couldn't place his hand o
n the knob. As she'd hoped, he glanced away for one moment to grab the door.
Mel launched herself backwards into the bushes.
Webb raised his arm, leveled his weapon at her and fired.
Mel's vision went black.
Chapter Eight
Mel blinked.
She heard Nate in front of her muttering, "Jesus Christ! Mel, are you okay?"
She squinted up at him, his face washed out by bright sunlight. "Am I in heaven?"
He chuckled. "Doubtful. St. Peter I am not." He felt her arms and rubbed both hands over her face. "Are you injured? I think I deflected his bullet."
She got her bearings. "Nothing hurts."
Nate clasped her hands and pulled her to her feet. Before she could take further stock, he'd drawn her into his arms.
"Damn that scared me," he whispered in her ear. "Thank God you're all right."
"Thanks." Aware that they were being watched, she shrugged from his grasp.
She needn't have worried. When he released her, Marshall stepped forward, wrapping her in another bear hug. "Nice work, Mel. You handled that perfectly."
"Oh, thanks." Still a little stunned, she tried to remember exactly what happened.
She accepted hugs from both Stone and Becker before the SWAT team leader approached and shook her hand. "Well played, Detective. Well played. That's the kind of outcome we strive for."
"Webb?" She glanced around. Two paramedics were tending to his arm on the front step.
"Nice clean shot through the arm," Marshall said. "He's going to be fine. It's a damn shame Willis has so much integrity. I might have preferred a nice clean shot through the brain. If the sleazy bastard has one."
She turned to Nate. "You shot him?"
He raised his hands. "Seemed like the thing to do at the time. You complaining?"
Mel laughed and hugged him once more. "Not at all. Where's Shelia?"
"We're fixing to find out. Want to come in, or would you rather have the paramedics take a look at you next?"
She shot him a look. "Let's go."
As they approached the stoop, a uniformed officer led Webb away. He glanced at Mel and smiled.
She averted her eyes.
Nate said, "Take him to the hospital and have him checked out. Keep him in cuffs and shackles the whole time."
"Docs aren't going to like that. They make us uncuff drunks all the time," the cop replied.
"I don't give a damn what the doctors tell you. Cuff his left arm to the bed if they need to examine his right. His feet stay shackled. Take no chances with this one."
"Yes sir," the man replied and led Webb off.
Nate stepped into the dark house and felt for a light switch. When the room lit up, it still wasn't bright. One dim bulb shone from a fixture that had room for four.
Mel followed him in, looking around. Filthy and rundown, the house was a far cry from the last two places they'd investigated. Both of those appeared normal. Nothing about this place feels normal.
"What a sty," Marshall voiced her thoughts.
"Nasty," Stone agreed.
"I thought Masters and his cats were gross," Becker added. "I didn't know the meaning of the word."
What furniture there was lie broken and scattered around the room. Maggot-infested plates of unfinished food were piled high on a small table.
"Not much of a housekeeper," Nate mused. He bypassed the kitchen and went straight for the hall. The first bedroom was empty. The second room was a small bath.
They stopped in front of the last door. With Mel peering over his shoulder, Nate cautiously tossed it open. Sheila lay on her side on the bed, hands and feet bound behind her. Dressed in a white cheerleader's uniform, she had a thick rag shoved into her mouth.
"Shelia!" Mel rushed past Nate and removed the gag.
"Oh gawd, oh lordie gawd." The woman's words came tumbling out. She smiled up at Mel and Nate. "You two fas' becommin' my fav-o-rite people in da whole world."
"What about me?" Marshall stepped forward, grinning.
"Brady Marshall! Get oba here and untie me if'n ya wanna keep your spot at numba one."
Mel and Marshall worked together to release her, and help her stand. "Are you hurt, Sheila?" Mel did a cursory examination and didn't see anything besides the ligature marks.
"No, jes a liddle wobbly. Been tied up like dat for a long time."
Nate said, "We're going to send you to the hospital to get checked out. Not taking any chances."
Sheila looked around. "Where's ma clothes? Can't go wearin' dis."
"Here." Mel removed her windbreaker and wrapped it around Sheila. "We'll get you some clean clothes. The hospital should have some but if they don't, we'll bring you something."
"Thankin' ya." Sheila glanced around the room. "Thankin' ya all."
Mel cupped Shelia's face. "We're so happy you're okay. Go with Brady, now. He'll take you to the paramedics."
The woman nodded and allowed Marshall to lead her out.
Nate had wandered over to the walk-in closet and nudged the door open fully. He pulled the chain hanging there and the light bulb illuminated the chilling room. "Jesus freaking Christ," he mumbled.
Mel stepped in behind him. Words escaped her. "Um, yeah. What you said."
The walls were covered with photos of the dead women in various stages of their demise. Red and white school pennants were pinned up amongst them. Dozens of red pom poms littered the floor. A shelving unit held knives with multiple sized blades. All of them were stained with what appeared to be dried blood. "DNA Heaven," Nate murmured.
"Good," Mel whispered, barely able to breathe. She glanced down and spotted a plastic grocery sack on the floor. Colored fabric poked out of it. "What's that?"
Nate leaned over and lifted the bag gingerly. He removed a pink item and looked at Mel.
"Panties." She made a face.
He dropped the items back where they were and glanced at her again. "Were the victims wearing panties when they were discovered?"
"Yeah. Maybe not their own."
He nodded. "More DNA evidence. We're going to have so much on this guy Kansas will have to open up the lethal injection chamber again."
Stone said, "Not sure we've ever used it. We haven't executed a prisoner since 1965, and those were by hanging."
Nate chuckled grimly. "Texas has executed more prisoners than any other state since the 1980s. We have a comedian that says, 'If you kill someone in Texas, we kill you back'."
Mel shook her head. "I'm not sure how I feel about the death penalty, but standing in this room much longer is going to help me decide real fast." She pressed her way out between Stone and Becker.
Marshall stuck his head in the bedroom door. "Hey, I'm going to follow Sheila to the hospital. She's pretty shaken up. You don't need me here anymore."
"Thanks Brady." Mel watched him go.
"He's one of the good guys," Nate spoke from behind her.
She nodded.
He gazed from her to Stone and Becker. "You all are. Hell of a fine job you did here. I hope you all get commendations for this one."
Mel smiled. He was sweet to say it, but they probably wouldn't even get a pat on the back from anyone at the office. "All in a day's work for you?"
He shrugged. "Some days are better than others. This is a good day. So Stone, Becker, we need you to stay here until the CSIs show up. Can't take a chance on any evidence tampering, and God only knows what Burton Webb is doing right now. Mel and I need to get back to the station. I'd like to talk to Dickie before he lawyers up, if he hasn't already."
"We'll hang out here," Stone agreed. "We can catch a ride with one of the uniforms."
"Thanks." Nate gave one last glance around the room before heading out.
Stone elbowed Mel. "He calls you 'Mel'." He grinned.
She stared at him blankly. "That's my name."
"I know, but everyone else calls you 'Curtis'. He calls me 'Stone', her 'Becker', and Brady 'Marshall'. He calls you 'Mel'.
"
She rolled her eyes, trying to appear nonchalant. "Must be love."
"Might be." Stone waggled his brows.
"Shut up." She tried to scowl but knew it was a pathetic effort. "We gotta go." Mel hurried out, figuring that conversation was going nowhere good. She'd tried to blow it off, but Stone had a way of seeing right through her.
Won't matter after today. The thought struck her like a ton of bricks. The case was solved. Nate would leave. Her stomach churned.
He was talking on his phone out by the SUV. He ended the call when she walked up.
She forced a smile. "Another girlfriend?"
Nate tucked his phone in his pocket. "Not letting you off the hook that easy. That was my chief. He says good work on the case and congratulations to the WPD."
"Did he say anything else?" She blinked, hoping the tears she felt welling wouldn't fall.
He shook his head. "Nope."
For the first time, Mel could tell Nate was lying. She let it drop, too emotional to open up the subject just then. "We'd better go. Burton Webb is hiring an attorney as we speak."
"If he hasn't already." Nate repeated an earlier comment. They climbed in the SUV and headed to the office.
* * * *
Nate followed Mel up to the homicide department. They'd stopped on the first floor and discovered Dick Webb hadn't arrived from the hospital yet. The officer on duty promised to call Mel when the suspect arrived.
Police surveillance of Burton Webb ended when Dick was taken into custody. Nate felt sure the father had already begun making arrangements for his son, but he hoped for one shot talking to the perp. If he could get Dick to admit to any of the murders, it'd be the final nail in his coffin.
When they walked into the bullpen in homicide, the room fell silent. One lone person's clapping turned into several, and soon the whole room full of people were applauding and walking over to congratulate Mel and him.
She seemed genuinely shocked at the outpouring, which amused Nate. He didn't think she realized yet the scope of what she'd accomplished. If he was a betting man, he'd wager a promotion was in her future.