“Sorry, that’s just my insecurity rearing its ugly head. Ignore me until I grow up.”
“You grow any more we’ll have to throw you off of the police force, and sign you up for pro basketball! You’re already a pretty big guy.”
“Yeah, I played football in college, but I never had the urge to go pro. It’s very hard on your body. Sure, you make a lot of money, but you can’t walk straight by the time you’re thirty. Anyway, I wanted to do something to help people. I was always a big guy, so the bullies never went after me. They always picked on the little guys. I wanted to do something to make a difference in life. So, now I’m putting the bullies behind bars.”
After they were finished, Laura picked up the check and headed for the cashier. “Let’s go see if we can narrow down our list of bullies with the help of Ms. Amy Montgomery.”
“Okay, we can walk from here, if you don’t mind. It’s a really beautiful day.”
“That would be great. We’ve been cooped up in that gloomy precinct building way too much lately.”
“Have you noticed that there’s a link to downtown on many of these cases? That may sound stupid, but I was noticing that in the files yesterday. Not the buildings, but things like the offices, restaurants and bars we have been investigating. Even the Wiccan meeting was held downtown.”
“That’s not stupid, Murphy, that’s a very good point. Let’s keep digging on that one.”
They reached the building in just a few minutes, and were informed that Amy was expecting them. The receptionist, who showed them to her office, asked if they wanted any refreshments. They both said no and just sat there looking around at the lush appointments. It was an excessively large room, which seemed very extravagant to Laura. Everything was done in solid wood and deep, dark hues. The desk was made of heavy, hand-carved oak, and the chairs were upholstered in forest green. It actually looked more like a man’s office, than a woman’s.
Amy Montgomery entered the office and extended her hand to Dan. She was a petite blonde who dressed in extremely expensive looking designer suits. “Detective Murphy, how wonderful to see you again! Is this your partner?”
“Yes, this is Detective Peterson. We would like to ask you a few questions.”
Her southern drawl rolled off of her tongue, and the conversation was directed exclusively toward Dan. “Of course, go right ahead. I always pay attention when a handsome man speaks.”
“So far, five of the crime scene buildings in our serial murder case have been linked to your company. We were wondering if you could tell us who would have knowledge of when these buildings would be vacant and available.”
“I’m shocked! I thought it was just the one I was showing the other day.”
“No, there are five all together, and we’re still confirming the other two. Haven’t you gotten any kind of report on the addresses of the crime scenes? You manage the buildings.”
“Sweetie, I just don’t pay attention to things like that. My assistant takes care of all the details. Besides, it would never happen to me. I don’t know what kind of women these were, but I am a professional businesswoman. I do not consort with those types of people.”
“No offense, Ms. Montgomery, but this guy doesn’t have a type. No one is safe right now. It isn’t like he’s out there picking off prostitutes.”
“Oh, Detective Murphy, you must call me Amy. I couldn’t take offense to you, you’re just too adorable! Maybe my assistant would be the best one to talk to. I handle the showings and set up the big contracts. My assistant, Jenny, handles all of the mundane, daily chores. She is probably going to know the answers to your questions better than I would. My previous assistant would have been perfect, but she’s gone. No one is dependable any more! You probably know exactly what I mean, being a big, strong policeman and all. I bet you’re very dependable, aren’t you? If you don’t have a special lady friend, maybe we could have dinner some evening.”
Dan remained straight faced and professional when he answered her. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m so busy on this case now, that I don’t have time for social engagements.”
“That’s a shame! When you catch this bad, old man, give me a call. Here’s a card with my personal number written on the back of it. You have a permanent rain check, Detective. Now, let me get Jenny for you.”
Jenny came in and took them to her desk to go over her files. “I don’t know how much help I’m going to be to you right now, Detective Peterson. Ms. Montgomery’s other assistant quit a few days ago. She only worked part time, but she knew everything about this place.”
“Do you have a name and phone number for this person?”
“Yes, I will give it to you. What exactly do you want to know about these buildings? I knew something was going on from what I was hearing on the news. All of the descriptions of the locations were so close to our buildings, and then she walked right in on that last one. I can’t believe Ms. Montgomery is so unaware of what’s going on. That’s why her other assistant quit. Emily said that she couldn’t stand the way Amy was so clueless, used people all the time and had no sense of how much she hurt their feelings.”
“The man we talked to on the cleaning crew, had nothing but good things to say about her.”
“That’s because he just gets a paycheck from her. If you were here in the office every day and listened to what goes on around here, you would understand. I’m sure that Emily just got tired of listening to all of the BS, if you know what I mean. Ms. Montgomery just wraps men around her little finger. Then when she gets what she wants out of them, she drops them. With clients, once she gets the contract signed she won’t even take their calls. Emily had to clean up all of her messes. She only worked here about a year. I guess that was all she could take.”
“Excuse me, Jenny; I have to take this call. Peterson….. Thanks, Burns.” Laura hung up and turned back to the assistant. “Jenny, do you know who Searchlight Management is?”
“Yes, that’s a company that we do business with. Why do you ask?”
“Just trying to tie up a few loose ends. Here is my card. Could you please spend some time putting together a list of any men who have worked here for a year or less, and who might have access to information about the buildings that have been used as crime scenes?”
“I will do my best for you, Detective, but like I said, Emily would be your best bet on that request. I wrote down her name and number for you. Maybe you could give her a call. She’s mad at us, but she might talk to you.”
“Thank you for all your help, and be careful out there until we catch this guy.”
They left Amy Montgomery’s offices and walked back toward the car. Laura was compiling all of the evidence in her head as she walked along. Dan mistook her silence and thought she was upset with him. “Are you mad at me? I didn’t mean to take the lead up there, but that woman was directing all her answers toward me. I would never presume to take over a case. I know that you’re always the Lead Detective.”
Laura looked at Dan and realized that he was thoroughly flustered. “No, I’m not angry. I had no idea you were such a ladies’ man! And now you have that big dinner invitation. My, my, that southern belle thought you were so yummy.”
“I don’t care what she thought! There’s no way I want anything to do with that barracuda!”
“Relax, Murphy, I’m just teasing you! Seriously though, if we have someone to question that relates better to you than to me, feel free to take the lead any time.”
He smiled at her. “Thanks, I was worried that you’d be upset because I jumped in there.”
“Actually, I thought you handled her very well. You were professional and didn’t buy into her flirtation. I just wish we could have gotten more out of her.”
“We didn’t get anything out of her, because there was nothing there to get. She’s a totally self-absorbed phony who has no idea what’s happening, unless it affects her directly.”
“Let me add great judge of character to your list
of attributes. I always wonder how people like her get to be so selfish. I call it the Center of the Universe Complex.”
“Yeah, that’s a good one! I like that. My ex girlfriend had that. I didn’t realize it, until I already had feelings for her. It was a rough ride. Kind of like being on a rollercoaster. Everything was fine, as long as things were focused on her. If not, watch out!”
“Relationships are hard. You tend to overlook things about someone when you are first infatuated. Then one day you wake up, because they come back to smack you right in the face. Suddenly, you see all those annoying little differences.”
He knew she had it rough the last time. “Not all relationships are bad, you know.”
“I guess I just haven’t given up all my bitterness yet. I don’t mean to complain to you. We’re two good people, who just used bad judgment in our choice of partners.”
“Yeah, we’ll do better next time.”
She ventured a sly question. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Kind of, but I really don’t want to talk about it right now. Let’s talk about the case.”
Laura looked over at Dan and saw that he was turning red and looked very uncomfortable. She wondered if Burns had been right about the crush. Deep down she really didn’t want to know, at least not yet. “Yes, the case is getting more interesting. Things are starting to tie-in together. I’m not sure what it all means, but let’s get back to the office and brainstorm with Burns.” She handed him the keys. “Do you mind driving?”
“No, I’d be happy to.”
CHAPTER 9
“Man, where have you guys been? I have some very interesting news!”
“Gee, Burns, you look like the Cheshire Cat.”
“Thanks, Murf, but this is some pretty juicy stuff.”
“Yeah, like an old man like you would know what juicy was!”
Laura loved the playful way Dan and Roy interacted. It showed that Dan was fitting in perfectly with their team. “Okay boys, stop fighting. Mama needs some good leads. What have you got, Burns?”
“Being my usual charming self, I talked to this gal Alice from that Searchlight Management group. She gave me the low down on Amy Montgomery. According to Alice, Montgomery uses the security force from Searchlight to guard buildings for her clients. That ties the sixth building directly to Amy and the seventh back to Searchlight, which is all seven crime scenes.”
“That’s great work, but I think Murphy’s right, not too juicy.”
“That’s because you haven’t heard the juicy part yet. I think you both better sit down for this. Amy Montgomery has dated a couple of the guards at Searchlight, including the one who was murdered at one of our scenes. Apparently she likes young guys. She just uses them for awhile and then dumps them. So, not only did Amy find our seventh murder scene, she also dated the guy murdered at the scene of our sixth victim!”
Dan looked excited. “Wow, that’s not only juicy, but it’s another strange tie-in to these crime scenes! Could this guy have planned all of that?”
Laura couldn’t control her laughter. “I don’t know, Murphy, but I think you better be careful. You could be the one to wind up dead at the next murder scene.”
“Very funny, Peterson!”
Roy just stared at them with a puzzled look on his face. “Is there a private joke here that I’m not in on?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist a chance to tease Murphy. Amy Montgomery made a big play for him at our interview today. She invited him out to dinner.”
Dan looked indignant. “And as I told Detective Peterson already, the woman is a barracuda. Not only would I not date her, I hope I never have to interview her again.”
“Gee, you guys leave me out of all the fun. Seriously though, this is something interesting.”
“You’re right about that, Burns. Maybe our killer works for Amy, and thought he could throw suspicion on her by linking all of the crime scenes back to her management group.”
Dan got a playful look on his face. “Plus it gives him a great source of vacant buildings, since Montgomery only does commercial properties.”
Laura looked at him quizzically. “Really, only commercial?”
“Yep, I have the card with her personal number on the back, remember? Montgomery Commercial Property Group.”
“Let’s take that idea and play with it. Do we think this guy orchestrated all of this? I mean the fine points, like Amy finding one of the women’s bodies. And if he intentionally killed the guard, us finding a guy she dated at another scene?”
Roy let out a long whistle. “I’m starting to feel like you, Peterson, caught in this guy’s maze and no cheese in sight. The mind it would take to keep on doing all of this and not get discovered, scares me. This means that we’re dealing with an extremely intelligent and diabolical fiend. That not only makes him dangerous but very hard to catch. At least the dumb ones are nice enough to slip up and give us a chance.”
“What if this guy dated Amy himself? Then he got dumped, right on top of getting dumped by Tamara. Could it be that he used her management group to find the first scene? Then he continued, just to implicate her for further revenge. What do you think, Murphy?”
“Why not just kill her next, if all he wanted was revenge?”
“Yeah, Murf has a good point there.”
“I’ve been saying that this whole thing feels like one big game to me. Maybe killing Amy would have ended the game too soon. I think he loves stringing us along, and now he also has me to focus on. So, obviously, the game isn’t over yet.”
“Man, Peterson, that’s one scary thought!”
Dan looked very pensive. “Yeah, I don’t like where this is heading at all. How are we going to protect you?”
She gave Dan a look that lingered just a little too long. “Thanks, I appreciate the concern, but I have the rest of the women of this city to keep safe. I know I have you and Burns covering my back and keeping me safe.”
“Hey, Murf, maybe you could move in with her and be like her personal body guard, or something!”
Laura turned and walked away, saying she was going to forensics to pick Ralph’s brain.
Dan was glaring at Roy. “Sometimes, Burns, I could just punch your lights out!”
“Oh, come on, she knows I’m just teasing you. What’s the matter, did I hit too close to home for comfort?”
“You know how I feel about her. The thought of that guy trying to get close to her, just terrifies me. I feel so helpless, like it’s out of my control”
“I have news for you, kid. All of life is out of your control, face it. We just need to keep a close watch on her and work this case as hard as we can. The sooner we catch this sicko, the sooner she will be safe.”
Dan agreed with him and went back to his desk to dig into the files again. He also put in a call to Jenny to see if she was getting any where on the list of men under Montgomery’s employment. She told him that she had so much to do for Amy that she hadn’t gotten to it yet. But she promised to spend time later in the day. On her suggestion, he put in a call to the previous assistant, Emily Anderson.
Laura entered the forensics lab and was happy to see Ralph sitting there munching on a sandwich. She loved teasing him so much. “Kind of late for lunch isn’t it?”
“Not all of us can be escorted to lunch by a handsome, young detective.”
“How did you hear about that?”
“Burns called down here to question me about one of the crime scenes, and he told me that Danny boy asked you to lunch.”
Laura frowned. “He asked me if I wanted to eat on the way to an interview, not out to lunch!”
“Yes, and I bet he hated every minute that he had to spend with you.”
“What’s with you guys and all the match making? Will you stop, already! Did Burns tell you about all the links between Montgomery’s company and the other crime scenes?”
Ralph looked thoughtful. “Yes, fascinating, isn’t it? What’s your take on that?”
/> “I think it was all planned that way. I’m wondering if he dated her himself, and got dumped.”
“That’s an interesting possibility. And he didn’t kill her in a rage because….?”
“To try to both implicate her and have a source of vacant buildings available to him. Remember, his real source of revenge is Tamara. See, in my mind, I have always been wondering how he knew that he had enough time alone at these sites, or how he found them in the first place. Also, if he worked for Montgomery, he would have knowledge of which buildings did or didn’t have security cameras, which none of the crime scenes did.”
“If that’s true, you’re dealing with a pretty sophisticated character. But what about your theory that he’s on our police force? Have you given up on that?”
“I think he must have worked for her first and then either switched or does both.”
“You mean like a part time situation in both places?”
She frowned a bit. “Something like that. I don’t have it all worked out yet.”
“Not to change the subject, but I assume you came down here to see me for a reason?”
“Yes, a couple of things. Did you find out anything on the age of the frozen roses?”
“We could determine from the amount of cellular wall breakdown that the ones on the bottom had definitely been there longer than the top one, but we can’t determine exact dates. I do, however, think your suspicion of one a month is accurate, especially since he’s transferred the anniversary to you along with a fresh rose.”
“Great, that ties up my theory on that. Next, do you think the picture on the altar is really Tamara, or someone else?”
Ralph had a very interested look on his face. “Why do you think it isn’t Tamara?”
“Because the body we found had no makeup, that I remember, and the picture was like some kind of glamour shot, or something. Also, Tamara’s roommate said that she didn’t wear any makeup. I’m wondering if, when she moved here, she changed her image drastically to hide from this guy, or if that is someone else related to her.”
The Lady Killer Page 9