The Alex Troutt Thrillers: Books 4-6 (Redemption Thriller Series Box Set Book 2)

by John W. Mefford

  “That’s a pretty specific spot. Are you sure?”

  She didn’t respond. She just stared at the painting. Her gaze wasn’t so much directed at Tricia, though, as it was the surrounding landscape. “Terri?”

  She puffed out a breath, her eyes puffy and dripping mascara. “My sister…”

  “Yes?”

  “My little sister was abducted from that exact same location twelve years ago. The case was never solved, and I’ve lived with the torment of her disappearance, and most likely her death, for all these years. She’s the reason I got into law enforcement.”

  “I’m so sorry, Terri. I had no idea.”

  She pressed her lips together and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

  A thought entered my mind. “Is this location upstream from where they found the two previous bodies, Emma’s and Candy’s?”

  She sniffled and thought for a moment. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

  “How fast can you get us there?”

  Terri bolted out of the room. I was right on her heels.

  ***

  Choosing to forgo the cherry picker and siren, Terri gunned it past a slower vehicle, then swung the car right to exit off Mystic Valley Parkway. A hundred yards later, she slammed on her brakes and fishtailed into a mostly empty parking lot.

  A woman carrying a briefcase and a package loped to her car about fifty yards in front of us, but Terri still punched the gas, maneuvering around the few parked cars like a slalom skier. My hand smacked the roof as Terri cut to the left, just in front of the pedestrian, who grabbed her chest and fell back against the side of her car.

  I didn’t bother saying anything. Terri had seen her just like I had. She was on a mission, maybe one that included thoughts of her long-lost sibling. Terri gripped the wheel with everything she had, her shoulders stiff, her jaw locked. We soon reached the end of the parking lot, and we were still going hot. “Terri!”

  “Hold on,” she said, tapping the brakes for a split second. Then the car popped the curb at about thirty miles per hour.

  My head bounced off the ceiling. “What are you doing?”

  “Quickest path to our destination.” She pounded her foot onto the brake and swerved the car to the right. The heavy branches of a twenty-foot evergreen flopped against the passenger-side window as if we were moving through a car wash.

  The nose of the car ate dirt a few times after sailing over mounds of earth. Then she found the walking path, the frame of the car sticking out on both sides of the path.

  “Can’t turn on the lights. Might see us coming,” she said.

  In just the last couple of minutes, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the farther we moved away from the street and parking lot, the less we could see.

  She angled the car around a blind corner, both sides lined with a wall of trees and brush.

  “Watch out!” A possum had darted in front of the car.

  Terri jerked the car to the left and slammed the brakes, but the tires couldn’t dig in against the dirt, and we mowed right over an evergreen.

  I took a breath. The car had stopped, but I heard the engine whirring. I realized that Terri still had her foot on the accelerator. I touched her shoulder. “Your foot.”

  “Oh,” she said, quickly removing it. I realized we were at an angle. We had driven on top of the side of the tree.

  Then I saw blood dripping onto the seat. Leaning forward, I could see red smeared across Terri’s face and a cracked window. “Terri, you’re hurt.”

  “I’m fine. Let’s get out of here. It’s just another quarter mile or more along this path, then off to the left.”

  I jumped out of the car as she scooted over to the passenger seat. She grabbed her head. “I think I’m going to throw up.”

  I looked around and, as expected, saw no one. “Crap.” I took out my phone and swiped the screen.

  “I’ll call for backup,” Terri said. “You go see if you can find him.” Pacing, I ran fingers through my hair.

  “Alex, go.”

  “Put your gun between your legs. I’m shutting the door and locking it. Dial the number right now.” I handed her my phone and took off running. I jogged alongside the path to soften the sound of my shoes hitting the ground. In and out of an S-curve, dodging trees, I tried to keep my eyes open for any sign of Brewer—or anyone else for that matter. A few birds rustled their wings as I clipped branches. The farther I went, the less I could see. While I was moving toward the west, where there should have been a bit more light, it felt like I was entering the mouth of a volcano, with dark, ominous trees standing guard around the border. Taking Terri’s directions to heart, and recalling the painting itself, I veered away from the path at the next curve, then slowed to a walk, both hands on my Glock, my head on a swivel.

  Twenty more steps and I had this surreal feeling wash over me, as if I’d been in this exact location before. Probably came from viewing the painting. It looked all too familiar, my feet now buried in ivy and a few leaves. A bird fluttered out of a tree. My heart skipped a beat, and I jerked my weapon up, watching for someone to come out of the dense vegetation. Nothing.

  I could now hear the rushing water of the river somewhere nearby. A few crickets chirped, and a small flock of birds in a V-formation sailed overhead. The little remaining light cast a purple glow across the cloudless sky. It was just me and nature, yet I didn’t feel settled. I felt like someone was watching me. Making a full rotation every few steps, I continued plodding forward. My foot tripped over a hidden log, and I threw out my hand just before I fell on my face. Now hunched lower, I took in the surrounding area, looking for any sign of a human, alive or dead. Some of the ivy must have been two feet deep, which made me realize that the log could have been a dead body, maybe Tricia’s. I wondered if there was any hope she was still alive.

  I stood up and backpedaled two steps to get my bearings.

  “Alex, welcome to my own version of paradise.”

  My breath caught in my throat as my ears tried to figure out the location of the voice. I swung left and then right. I saw no one, but I knew the voice. It was Colin Brewer’s.

  “Colin, let’s talk this through. We’re cool, right?”

  No response. Had he heard me? Was he even still around?

  I moved two more steps, squinting to pick up any movement in the murky woods.

  “Tell you what, Colin. It’s been a stressful week. Let’s get out of here and go get a drink. We can talk over a couple of drinks, relax, and just shoot the breeze.”

  Leaves rustled at two o’clock, and I swung my pistol in that direction. Branches moved higher in the tree. Probably caused by a gust of wind. I didn’t want to start shooting wildly. I couldn’t, not without seeing at least a figure.

  “I’m not one of your regular suspects, Alex. I’m probably the most intelligent person you’ve ever met, in fact.”

  And modest. “You are definitely one of the most unique and interesting people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. But I’d like to get to know you more.”

  “Oh, how I wish that were true. You have a natural beauty, Alex. Just like your daughter.”

  I could feel my insides clench.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not some pervert who’s into young girls. I love women…of all kinds.”

  As a drop of sweat trickled to the end of my nose, I turned to face the trees that lined the river, almost certain he was hiding in that area. I took one careful step and then another, wondering if he would allow me to move much closer.

  “I kind of thought you were handsome.”

  “No need to stroke my ego, Alex. I know I’m the complete package. My mother told me as much since I was a little kid.”

  Now it seemed like his position had changed. I slowly turned around and stepped southward.

  “Do you have Tricia with you, Colin?” I hoped like hell she was still alive.

  “Why would you care one damn bit about a person who had thrown her life away? She had no self-respect, tre
ated her body like it was a piece of meat.”

  Another rustle right behind me. I twisted my neck so fast I felt a sharp jab in my shoulder blade. The return of the great crick. For now, I hardly noticed the pain.

  “Colin, she’s a woman just like me. She just had some bad luck. I know you see the good in people. Why don’t you bring her to me and let’s get her to a hospital?”

  I waited for a response. A bird flapped its wings and then soared into the sky, the purple now engulfed by a gloomy darkness. I felt alone, like I was a million miles away from another sane human being. I wondered if that was how the women felt as they sat in this area and had their portraits painted. Alone. They had been chewed up and spit out by society and were on the verge of being killed by a lunatic.

  “Alex, eyes are the windows to the soul—but only if you have one. Tricia did not have a soul. And neither did Emma or Gloria or any of the other women.”

  The back of my tongue burned from the return of acid. Other women? How many had he killed?

  “Colin, you can’t keep doing this. Please—”

  “My mother…my biological mother was a worthless hooker who spread her legs for anyone with five bucks or a shot of heroin. She had no self-respect. My birth certificate said unknown for father. We can’t allow these so-called women to procreate. That’s my gift to this world, Alex. I am the final judge, jury, and executioner.”

  This guy was completely off the rails. I took two more steps, although my eyes stayed on the cluster of trees by the river. Cicadas buzzed in the distance, and I wondered again if he’d left. I couldn’t delay any longer. I blew out a breath and banked right toward the river.

  Just as I turned, I ran straight into a brick wall—it was Colin.

  “Funny running into you here.”

  I brought my gun up, but he quickly twisted my hands, snatched the gun from my grip, and tossed it into the weeds behind him. Besides his massive frame, all I could see were his white set of teeth.

  I cocked an arm, but before I could throw a punch, he had turned me around and twisted my arm behind my back. He dipped his head and breathed into my ear as he rubbed his body against my backside.

  “I could snap your arm like a twig, so please don’t be a pest.” He inhaled and released a slight groan. “Oh, how you smell like a real woman. It could have been special, Alex. So special. We could have been the ultimate power couple. But now, I must say goodnight.”

  He moved behind me, his fingers fussing with something. I turned my head slightly to find a needle poised just above my shoulder. Without another thought, I swung my elbow into his gut and tried to spin away. He grunted, but pawed at my arm until he locked his fingers around my wrist. He then started laughing. I tugged with everything I had, but my arm was locked within his vice-like grip.

  “Don’t you think dusk is the most tantalizing time of any day? The cloak of darkness is so very close, but temptation looms in the air.”

  I momentarily stopped struggling, mesmerized by his words.

  “Alex, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are to die for?” He barked out a loud chuckle and brought the needle toward my arm.

  A crackle echoed off the trees. Colin dropped the needle and grabbed his shoulder. He cried out as a look of intense anguish split his face. He’d been shot. I lunged forward and fell on my ass, then turned to see Terri walking in our direction, her gun raised.

  “Down on the ground!” she barked.

  He didn’t respond.

  “Down. Now!”

  I jumped to my feet. “Colin, get down on the ground or she’ll have to shoot you again.”

  No response. I could only hear Terri pumping out breath after breath. Finally, he angled his face to look into the sky.

  “It was because of you, Mother. You made me the man I am today. Bitch.” He dove to the side while swinging his arm around. Did he just grab a gun?

  “Shoot him!”

  Terri released three quick rounds. Brewer squirmed for a moment, then rocked to a stop, face up, his mouth agape. I ran over and kicked the gun out of his hands. Leaning down, all I could see were his eyes staring back at me. A window to his soul, or what was left of it.

  The killing finally had ended.

  26

  Water trickled out of nine holes, slowly cascading down an elaborate carved wall that served as a fountain on the outdoor patio of a well-known bar in Back Bay. As the water dropped into the well, I could feel wayward droplets soak my extended hand. The pitter-patter sound drowned out the murmur of voices all around me, including my table.

  Terri walked up with a drink in her hand.

  “How’s it going?” I asked.

  “Eh. Hanging in there. Received a commendation for taking down both Tripuka and Brewer on the same day.”

  “You deserve it. If you hadn’t come along when you did in the woods, then I wouldn’t be able to see you right now. Even worse, I might be dead.”

  “Well, if I hadn’t been so out of control, then we both could have gone after Brewer and your life wouldn’t have been threatened.”

  She sipped her clear drink, lime floating on top of the ice. Smelled like a vodka tonic.

  “No one is perfect, Terri. You’re one of the good ones. I was honored to work with you on this case.”

  She released her million-dollar smile. She reminded me of some beautiful Hollywood star. I just couldn’t put my finger on which one.

  “Two cases,” she said with a wink.

  “But fourteen jars. I think that’s what I recall the Evidence Response Team saying they’d confiscated. All local and federal agencies are digging through cold-case files to try to find possible matches to Brewer’s vics,” I said, gazing at the water display.

  “It’s been going on since his adoptive mom left that old home to Brewer in her will. The adoptive father died a few years earlier. It’s just bizarre, how this guy was able to live a seemingly normal life, but at the same time possess this warped trait that had him killing young women who needed the most help. From what we’ve learned, that was his real mom.”

  “Judge, jury, and executioner—that’s what he said. Whether it be from the way his adoptive mom raised him or it was just part of his DNA, he was mentally out to lunch. And he thought he was smarter than everyone else. Lethal combination.”

  Terri said nothing, just turned her sights to the water display, her lips slightly open.

  Now more than ever I could sense the void she felt from losing her sister. Taking down two horrible men wouldn’t stop the hurt. I thought about saying something, but I knew she would appreciate the quiet even more.

  A moment passed, then Nick called out for us to join them at the table.

  “Drinks are on me!” he exclaimed.

  With one arm around Gretchen, Brandon then called to the waiter. “Tequila shots for everyone.”

  Terri and I both said, “No thanks.”

  “Every word you speak, you have to drink another shot,” he declared. It suddenly felt like college and one of those classy drinking games.

  The shots came, and I dumped mine in my water and continued drinking my margarita on the rocks.

  Gretchen drank two shots, slammed the tiny glasses to the table, and received a high-five from her new boy toy.

  “Hey, Alex, did I tell you what I learned about Dr. Strickler?”

  She’d caught me mid-sip so I just shook my head slightly.

  “He’s currently being sued by two former patients for sexual harassment. One of them said in the filing that he tried to put her in a trance and then exposed himself to her.”

  “Nice. Guess it’s time to find a new shrink.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” Brandon tilted his head and drained the shot glass, then leaned down and smooched Gretchen.

  I whispered to Nick, “I guess they aren’t afraid to come out of the PDA closet.”

  “Not sure that’s a wise career move, if you ask me,” he said, and then he turned to grab a waiter to order some appetize
rs.

  I wasn’t sure how to take that. Did he know about Brad and me? Frankly, at this point, I would have given anything for Brad to walk out to the patio, lean down, and give me a huge kiss on the lips right in front of everyone. Anything to end the secrecy and to allow me to feel like I wasn’t a criminal for having a grown-up relationship with a man I cared about.

  Appetizers were delivered, and everyone reached for something—a potato skin, nachos, or some fried calamari. Everyone except Terri, who seemed distant, her eyes looking around the area, watching all the fun and laughter.

  “You okay?”

  “I still think about her all the time, Alex. I wonder if there is any way she’s still alive.”

  I thought about my mom and her death, still feeling it wasn’t resolved because they never found the guy who had killed her with his car. Her death was my reason for going to law school. Of course, at first, I hadn’t linked my mother’s death to my career choice, at least not until I’d worked my first year in the DA’s office, a mind-numbing exercise of futility. And then I saw the opportunity with the FBI, and I took it and ran with it.

  “I get it. You need closure.”

  She nodded. “Not sure I’ll get what I want. Sounds like I might need to see a shrink to help me come to terms with what life has dished out.”

  I looked across the growing crowd as the sun set just beyond the brick wall. “It’s certainly true when they say, ‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,’” I said.

  She lifted a brow.

  “Just don’t lose your barometer. It’s obvious that you were meant to do this kind of work.”

  “You don’t think I could have been the first fifty-year-old cheerleader?” We both cracked up, and everyone looked our way.

  I nibbled on a nacho and sucked down melted ice from my glass.

  “Another drink, Alex?” Nick asked.

  A longing for family, for closeness had begun to take root.

  “No thanks.” I lifted from my chair. “I’m calling it a night.”