by W L Knightly
He knew Bay was going to be angry, but he didn’t care. Lewis was a piece of shit, and he didn’t understand why Bay let the guy work for him.
He was contemplating calling Bay when he got a ping and saw it was from that anonymous number. The new message flashed, and he turned on his phone. Like a lamb to the slaughter, it read.
Hannah. He wondered if they had gotten to her. He typed a message in return and read it aloud as he hit send. “You better not hurt her, you fucking asshole.”
It didn’t take long for the response: Hurt her. Hurt her. Hurt her.
The message sent chills down his spine and put a sick feeling in his stomach. They were mocking him, toying with him.
He tried to call his sister again, but there was no answer. He messaged the killer back. “What have you done with her?” He mumbled the messages as he typed them.
Hurt her. Your fault. The message came through, and he screamed in frustration. He had no way of knowing if they were just fucking with him, and he wished his sister would just pick up her fucking phone.
“Don’t you fucking touch her.” His fingers couldn’t work fast enough.
Only one way out.
How? He sent back. There was no response. He tried calling the number to see if this killer wanted to talk, but when they didn’t answer, he texted his sister. Call me.
He needed to find out what the way out was. If there was something they wanted him to do, someone he needed to kill or a task to complete, he’d be on it to protect his sister. He’d die if anything happened to his sister. When she didn’t answer again, he called Bay.
The guy was as calm as ever. “When I put you up in the fucking room, I thought you’d have enough sense not to call me anymore.”
“It’s Hannah. I think they have her. I need you to find her. Please, Bay. I’ll never ask anything of you again.”
“I’ve heard this kind of begging before from my wife. She doesn’t get her way every time, either.” The guy was infuriating, and then, just as Tad was about to flip out on him, he let out a breath. “Fine. I will see what I can do.”
“Thanks for the room. I just need to get Hannah here. She thinks I did this. I tried to tell her.”
“She’s just like the rest, right?”
“She’s better. Always better. Could you do me a favor?”
“Another fucking favor? What happened to that being the last one?” Tad wished for one moment that Bay would act like a human being. “Spill, this ought to be interesting.”
“Could you look after her? Like if something happens to me?” He didn’t want his sister alone in the world.
“I don’t like the sound of that, Tad. And I’m usually not one to give a fuck, but if you’re talking about turning yourself in, you better remember to keep a tight fucking lip.”
“I’d never turn on you, man. Just like I would have never been able to kill my uncle. I knew that when I saw him there, cut up and slumped down at his own blood-soaked table. Whoever did this, they knew what the hell they were doing, Bay. The anger in them. It was unreal.”
“I’m not as squeamish as most. They’d best know that.” Tad knew that Bay wasn’t kidding. He would look them in the eye and curse them on his dying breath, and then come back to haunt them.
The phone pinged to tell him he had a message. He hoped it was his sister, but instead, one look revealed it was the killer. “That’s him. I should go.”
“Him who?” Bay’s tone was full of suspicion and boredom. But the boredom was his usual voice.
“The killer. They’ve been texting me.”
“Fuck. Call the number.” Bay said the words like Tad had not yet thought of it.
“There’s no answer.” Tad wasn’t stupid; he’d tried it. Of course, they didn’t want to talk. He might recognize the voice. “Bay, are you sure you didn’t tell any of the others about my secrets?”
“Have I ever told you any of the other’s secrets, Tad? Do you think you’ve got the worst secret of all?”
“What could be worse?”
“I can’t tell you, remember? I’m the secret keeper. You better answer, and I should go find Hannah.”
“Promise me, Bay. Please.”
“Fine, I’ll take care of Hannah.” He let out a sigh. “I can’t say she’ll like it.” With that, the phone went dead, and he couldn’t believe he’d just asked Bay Collins to look after his sister, who would rather drink poison than be in the same room with him. If the killer did get to him, she would never forgive him.
21
Darek
Darek was still waiting on Hannah when he got a call from Lizzy. “The place is empty. Our guy got away.”
“Damn.” He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“We’re tracking him, but the neighbor says we just missed him.” She let out a huff. “How are things going there?”
“His sister hasn’t shown up. Maybe she got wind of what was going on and isn’t going to show?” It was possible that Tad had warned her.
“I’ll come back to the station just in case. If they find this guy, I’ll let them haul him in. At least if this sister of his shows, I’ll be around to help you interrogate her. I’m only five out.” Darek wasn’t sure Lizzy would get far interrogating Tad’s sister. From what he’d heard in the past, the woman was one tough cookie.
“Sounds good.” Darek ended the call and then went to his desk, hoping that Hannah wouldn’t show, and maybe she and Tad were on a plane by then. That would be a stretch, but possible, especially considering they had a head start. He knew it was best not to talk to anyone, but he wished he knew what was going on with Bay and Tad.
Lizzy and Max showed up a few minutes later looking like they’d lost their only friends. “I’m so mad. I thought for sure we had him.”
Darek offered reassurance. “Don’t beat yourself up; we’ll get him. There aren’t a lot of places for him to run.”
She leaned against the desk beside him. “Alerts are out, so you may be right. Did you try calling this sister again? Is she still on her way, or is she on the Lizzy’s most wanted list now, too?”
“I thought she’d show.” He went for the number, but Lizzy was already on the line. She put it on speaker phone, and it was ringing.
“Yes, Ms. Halston?” Lizzy asked immediately when someone answered.
“Yeah, this is she.” Hannah’s voice sounded like she wasn’t sure about Lizzy.
Lizzy confirmed it was her. “Yes, ma’am. This is detective McNamara. You were supposed to come in and sign some papers regarding your uncle’s death. I thought you were on your way, actually.”
Hannah seemed hesitant. “I’m sorry. I work at the hospital, and I got called back to surgery.”
“I see. Well, now that the surgery is obviously over, when will you be available?”
“I might stop in tomorrow. I have other arrangements to make then, too.”
“Ms. Halston, has anyone told you the nature of your uncle’s death?”
“Just that he’s dead, nothing else.”
“Well, it seems he was stabbed repeatedly, at least twenty times or more from the looks of it. If I could get you to tell me the whereabouts of your brother, Tad Halston, that would be a great help to me.”
“I’m assuming he’s home.”
She was playing coy, and Darek knew it. From the eye roll Lizzy gave, she knew it, too.
“I see. I’m afraid to have to tell you, Ms. Halston, there is a warrant out for his arrest for the murder of your uncle.”
Hannah sniffed on the other end of the line, and then Darek could hear the strangled sounds of crying. “That’s not possible. My brother is not a murderer.”
“I hope you’re right, but so far, all evidence is pointing to the contrary. Were you aware that your uncle was involved in a pedophile ring? It seems he provided pornography to other men, and your brother was the subject.”
Hannah’s gasp was audible through the phone. “I didn’t know. I didn’t even know my uncle
was into that kind of thing, and I never would have let him hurt my brother if I had known.”
“I’m sure that’s true, Hannah, but if you know where he is, I need you to give him up. Things would be a lot better if he just turned himself in.”
Darek knew they wouldn’t be much better, not when they started grilling him about his branding and where it came from, or other things from his past, and why he carved up his victims and left messages.
“I wish I knew something. I’m sorry. I am needed back in the OR.” She ended the call, and Lizzy looked at me, shaking her head.
“She knows where he is. I can feel it.”
“Considering her job, I’m not sure we should bother her anymore. Let’s send someone to confirm her whereabouts, and then we’ll at least know if she’s where she says she is. But let’s give her time to breathe and let it sink in.” Darek thought that finding out where she was would be the best bet. If she was really at work and not holed up with Tad, it was just one more person he didn’t have to worry about.
Max came over and sat down beside Lizzy. “I thought for sure we had him. But at least we didn’t waste a bunch of time chasing after that case in Virginia.”
“What do you mean?” Lizzy gave him a narrowed stare. “Any time spent on that case, on any case for that matter, isn’t a waste of time. Emily, the girl murdered, she deserves attention, and if the man who was accused of her murder thinks it’s worth a second look, then I say, what does it hurt?” Her passion vibrated in her voice.
“I just meant, we obviously have an entirely different type of case we’re dealing with than we originally thought. This is a case of a couple of pedos getting burned down on a revenge kick, not a copycat.”
“So then explain to me the zodiac symbols? The messages. What about Alicia? Was she part of the revenge, too?” Lizzy was so defensive that Darek wasn’t about to open his mouth. He gave Max a pointed look to tell him to tread lightly.
Max shook his head. “You know, I don’t have to sit and take this shit, Lizzy.” He got up and walked away. “It’s not like we’re partners.” He gave Darek a sympathetic look and walked out.
“Way to go,” Darek said. “You know we’re all entitled to our opinions, and he’s not wrong about what this case is.”
Lizzy laughed, but it wasn’t a light-hearted chuckle. It was a maniacal one that ended with an eye roll. “I don’t need you to tell me what this case is, Detective.” She got to her feet and shook her head as she started to walk away.
Darek couldn’t let her go, though. He got up and caught her arm before she could get too far, and when she spun around, he was no more than a breath away. That kiss he’d longed for was right within reach, and if it weren’t for the fire in her eyes that was more like a warning sign, he would have seized the opportunity right then and there. Instead, he licked his lips and looked her up and down. “There’s no sense in going away angry.”
“You haven’t seen me angry, Detective, but when you do, you’ll never be so bold as to put your hands on me again.” She glanced at his hand on her waist and the other which was resting on her arm, and he knew it was time to take his hands away. But he didn’t.
He softened his voice, deepening it to a rich, sultry tone. “Hey, I thought we were friends, me and you; on the same team.”
She let out a sigh. “A true friend wouldn’t diminish the things that I find important.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to understand your passion better.”
With that she laughed, light and genuine. “And I will try to understand yours as well.” She looked back down to his hands, and instead of pulling away, she lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek.
Darek knew better than to read too much into it. It was a friendly kiss on the cheek, and nothing more than to prove a point, if anything. His hands dropped to his sides, and she turned and walked away.
Damn that woman. He wanted her more than ever.
Lizzy wasn’t gone more than five minutes when Max walked back into the room, stopping Darek from making a call to Bay to see if he’d had any new information on their boy.
“Is she gone?”
“Yeah, and nice one, by the way. I’m sure that little episode is going to make working with her a lot easier for you.”
“Whatever. She’s been in a really weird mood, and I’ve had it with hearing about that case.” Max usually was more tolerant than Darek.
“What do you mean?” Did he still mean the case from Virginia?
Max nodded. “It’s like she’s obsessed with it. I mean, I was all for giving her a chance, but then all the way to the damned house earlier, she kept on and on about it. Saying that man deserved justice and shit like that. I can see looking into something, but damn, give it a rest. The man was tried, convicted, and is long dead.” Max let out a breath. “Damn, sorry, man. I guess we’re all just a little on edge.”
“No, it’s cool, man.” It was good to know that Lizzy’s preoccupation with that Virginia case wasn’t going to die. Darek would have liked to see it put away and buried, but until she let it go, there was no deterring her.
Max walked to his desk and got on his phone, leaving Darek to his thoughts.
Maybe arresting Tad was going to satisfy her obsession, and Darek couldn’t believe he was thinking it, but if there had to be another sacrifice to keep them all safe, maybe Tad was the best candidate.
No, he wasn’t the kind of man who thought that way. He pushed the thoughts out of his head and remembered his mission was to serve and protect, no matter what, and a man was innocent until proven guilty.
He couldn’t let Lizzy get him off track with all of the talk from the other case. He had to focus, and hopefully, Tad was already on a plane out of town.
As he got up and headed across the room to make a coffee run, his phone rang. He ducked into the hall. “Yeah, Bay. What’s going on?”
“I can’t reach Hannah. Have you heard from her by chance?”
Darek looked around, and when he knew no one was listening, he whispered, “We called her earlier. Not twenty minutes ago. She was at the hospital and claimed she didn’t know anything. She was briefed about her uncle and that Tad’s wanted”
“She talked to Tad. I don’t think it went the way he wanted. I just needed to make sure she hadn’t gone to the station blathering on about me and what a horrible influence I am on her brother. She hates me, you know.”
“Smart woman.”
“You’re too funny. Let’s just say that Tad is talking more and more like he’s going to crack. He asked me to take care of Hannah for him.”
“That sounds like he’s already talking crazy to me. I know if I had a sister, I wouldn’t want your sorry ass within ten feet of her.”
“Yeah, well. I just want you to know that if you do pick him up, you might want to try and get him alone and remind him.”
“That might not be possible,” Darek said. “I can’t make any promises, Bay. I’m already too deep in this, and my job is on the line; my future.”
“Your future is on the line if he gets down there and starts spilling his fucking guts.”
“He won’t talk. He said he wouldn’t.”
“Well, I’m going to do everything in my power to see to it that he doesn’t. And you know me, Darek. I have a whole lot of power when I want to exercise it.”
“Noted.” Darek wasn’t sure what Bay was getting at, but surely, he wasn’t going to kill Tad to keep him quiet, and he wouldn’t tell Darek his intentions if he was.
Darek knew the guy’s balls were pretty big, and if he wanted to make sure that Tad was silenced, he’d get his way, one way or another.
“Where is he, Bay?”
“Now, why should I tell you? You’ll only drag him in and make him squeal.” That told Darek that he was still on the ground.
“No, I’m going to go to him, tell him what he needs to hear, and then I’ll help him out of this mess.”
“There is no way out for him.” Bay’s words w
ere cold, but Darek feared they were the truth.
22
Tad
Tad remembered too many times in his life when he was all alone. As a kid, he’d sit in his room while his parents fought, and he picked the chipping paint off the window sill. He’d look out and wonder where Hannah was. She stayed away as much as possible, but Tad had never felt like he could leave. He always had the overwhelming fear that if he left, he’d come home and find his mother gone; or worse, dead.
There was no paint to pick from that window. The metal-frame was sturdy, and he had the door to the balcony open to let in a little fresh air, even though calling it fresh was a stretch. It was better than being boxed in.
He should be on an airplane headed out of the country, and he knew his chances of getting out of his situation were diminishing with each passing minute. Turning himself in wasn’t an option, either. He wasn’t going to spend the rest of his days locked up in prison for something he didn’t do. He needed to talk to Darek to try and explain. He had to show him the cards, the ones the killer had left. He went for his wallet, but it wasn’t in his pocket. He got up and searched his bag, but it wasn’t there, either.
“Fuck!” he shouted. He dug everything out of his bag, and before he knew it, he had a real mess to deal with. Had he left his wallet at the house? He couldn’t remember. He tried to think of the last place he had it, but he was so distraught and worried, he couldn’t remember much from being at home. The wallet and his evidence could be there. Or maybe he’d left it in his car. Then he remembered having it downstairs when he checked in.
If he had left it on the front desk counter, surely, the woman would have mentioned it? He must have dropped it on the way up to the room. Dammit. He had to find his key if he wanted to go looking for his wallet. When he went for his key, he saw his wallet sitting next to the cardkey on the table by the door.
Tad inhaled a shaky breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. He needed to calm down. He realized he could barely think clearly. Calling Darek in that state of mind wouldn’t be his smartest move.