35
Sara Caine woke up groaning at the incessant ringing of her cell phone. She checked the time, and it was nine o’clock in the morning. She had tossed and turned all night and the nightmare of her parent’s death had come back full force. The cell phone stopped ringing and then started back up again. She checked and saw she had five missed calls.
“Hello?” Sara said.
“It’s me, Eva. You’ve overslept.”
“What? I thought the jail opens at ten,” Sara asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes, to the public. But Johan can walk out anytime after seven this morning. Don’t you remember the conversation we had last night?” How could Sara forget it?
“I’m at your door I’ve been banging on it but you sleep like the dead. Annoying cell phones work apparently.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Sara said and hung up. She pulled on a pair of pajama pants that she found next to her bed and grabbed a glass of water, drinking the remnants down. Sara shuffled to the door and opened it to Eva holding two cups of coffee in her hand. Eva thrust one of them at her.
“I thought you’d need one of these.”
“Thank you,” Sara said gratefully and took a sip.
“You look like hell.” Eva said. “Are the nightmares back again?”
Sara nodded.
“It’s the case. Once we’re done, I hope they’ll be able to recede.”
“I do too.”
“What if we’ve missed him?” Sara asked her as she motioned over to the only chair in the living room. Eva took it.
“My people say he’s still there.”
“Let me throw some clothes on and we can go.” Sara went back into her bedroom as Eva’s phone jangled.
“Eva Murphy here. I see,” Sara overheard Eva say as she put on a pair of pants. The rest of the conversation was muffled. She threw on a shirt she had worn a couple days before and went back into the living room to see Eva frowning.
“We have a change of plans. Special Agent Harper from the FBI kidnapping squad needs to talk to you.”
“The FBI? To me? I don’t know anything. What about Johan?” Sara asked, mouth agape.
“I’ll get Ritchie to go get him. We have to go. They’re expecting us in half an hour.”
“Have they found her?”
“I don’t think so. We’ll find out what this is about soon enough.” Eva added.
36
“When were you planning to tell me about Johan Luken?” Agent Kate Harper started before Sara and Eva could even sit down.
“I’m not following you. What does he have to do with the kidnapping?”
“Why aren’t you being honest about him?” Agent Harper retorted.
“I wasn’t purposefully holding anything back from you,” Eva explained. “There’s nothing to tell you about him.”
“I find it hard to believe that as a former LAPD detective, you would keep knowledge of Johan Luken’s involvement in this case from me. There have been territorial squabbles between the two departments. I grant you that. But you might have prevented Lorelei’s kidnapping if we’d gotten Mr. Luken into our custody after her mother’s murder.”
Sara cut in. “Are you telling me that Johan Luken is your prime suspect?”
“Do you know where he is?”
“He was in County lockup until today. If you spoke with the LAPD they might have told you that.” Eva said.
“Johan Luken didn’t kidnap Lorelei. He couldn’t have as he was in jail for all the last week, the same time that Lorelei was taken.”
“He could still have killed Madeleine Richards.” Agent Harper let slip.
“Why would he kill his partner,” Sara blurted out. Eva shot her a look that clearly said Shut up.
“Partner? Were they intimate?” Agent Harper didn’t miss a beat.
Sara flushed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what Johan and Madeleine were working on. Eva Murphy already told me everything,” Agent Harper said. It took all of Sara’s willpower not to look at Eva. She’d sold her out. Her and Johan both.
“Then you know everything I know,” was all Sara said.
“You don’t really believe Johan Luken had something to do with Lorelei Richard’s kidnapping, do you? What are you fishing for?” Eva to the rescue after all, thought Sara.
“In cases where a senator, a member of Congress, is involved, things move at a very swift pace. Sometimes I can’t even stop them.” Agent Harper said.
“If you go after Johan Luken as a suspect, you will get this girl killed. What kind of operation are you leading here?” Eva didn’t hold back any punches.
“As I’ve tried to explain, the FBI isn’t a meritocracy but rather a stiff hierarchy. Agents above my pay grade spoke to the LAPD detectives on the Madeleine Richard’s murder case. Their prime suspect is Johan Luken.”
“Then you don’t think Madeleine’s murder is connected to Lorelei’s disappearance.”
“My colleagues are now working on the assumption he was working with an accomplice.”
“You can’t be serious?” Sara gasped.
“Like a heart attack. I’ve worked on the Angelino Heights house angle even though my boss told me to drop it.”
“You know about that?” Eva asked.
“As soon as Johan Luken became a person of interest, I dug into what they booked him on. He didn’t seem the type to be a convict. The paper trail behind the purchase of that house goes nowhere. Whoever purchased that house is hidden behind several corporations and aliases. I’m still digging but I’ve come up short so far.”
“Do you know who the man is?”
“I have no idea,” Agent Harper said. “That’s troubling. You need to convince Mr. Luken to come talk to me.”
“He won’t come if he thinks it’s a trap.”
“I can make all the promises I want, but I won’t be able to keep them, not with the way this investigation is going.” Sara was surprised at the agent’s frankness.
“So now what?”
“Tell me what you’re leaving out. If I’m going to stop this train from ruining Mr. Luken’s life and potentially ending Lorelei Richards’ life, I need to know what I’m stepping into.”
“You will not believe us,” Sara said under her breath.
“Try me.”
“Johan Luken believes the man responsible for both cases of disappearances is a demon named Asmodeus.”
“A what?”
“A demon,” Eva repeated.
“A demon is making snuff films?” Agent Harper asked.
“Yes,” Sara said. Agent Harper turned to Eva.
“We’ve done extensive analysis on the film reel you brought us. It’s brand new film made in Europe. The analysis is still ongoing and we have reached out to a whole slew of photography shops and hobbyist outfits. It’s only a matter of time before we find its origins.”
“Our friend is trying to discover the film stocks origins as well,” Sara added.
“Is Johan Luken mentally unstable?” The question caught both Eva and Sara off guard.
“Not at all,” Sara said.
“I’m not a believer but I did some digging on Johan’s past. He was a priest that was thrown out of the church for performing illegal exorcisms. I’m asking you again, is the man mentally ill?”
“Not as far as I’ve ever been able to see.” Eva jumped in.
Agent Harper studied her notes. “Nitrate film. Why would he use something so rare and traceable?”
No one said anything for several beats.
“Anything else?” Agent Harper asked.
“No. You know all we know. I can tell you with certainty that Johan is not responsible for this kidnapping.” Eva reiterated.
“I know. I need to pull this investigation back from the brink. The senator is coming in a couple of hours to get briefed on where we are at. I can’t wait to tell her a demon has her granddaughter.”
“You can tell her Johan Luken
is innocent.” Sara said.
“Unfortunately, no I can’t. Not without proof. As far as the LAPD and the FBI are concerned he is our main suspect.” Agent Harper said.
“Why are you being so forthcoming with us? Usually the FBI doesn’t tell you when it’s screwing you,” Eva asked.
“I’ve been on messed up operations before and this is turning out to be another one of those. I don’t want any part of it but yet here I am.” Agent Harper shook her head. “I hate politics.”
Eva nodded and everyone shook hands. “You’ll keep me informed if you find anything, won’t you?” Agent Harper asked.
“Of course, Agent Harper. This relationship is a two-way street,” Eva said dryly.
37
Energy coursed through his body. The director opened his eyes and smiled. He felt the vibrant spirit of the woman in him. He held his hands up in front of him and saw the scaly, flaking skin and redness gone. The flesh was smooth and clear.
He felt good. Amazing even.
The director got out of bed and laughed. It felt good to be whole again. He went over to his cabinet and made sure the film canisters he’d moved from the stage were all accounted for. The bitch that almost got away took five of them and he needed to replenish.
It was time to start the preparations for the Richards woman. He couldn’t go so long without having another soul. He felt the forces against him coming and would need all of his energy and stamina to fight them.
The director had thought he’d warned off Sara Caine but Johan got her all hot and bothered again. Johan Luken.
The director couldn’t wait to play some games with him. He whistled to himself as he prepared for the day. He figured he could get Lorelei’s energy up to executable levels for the next couple of hours. Maybe, he’d give her hope for an escape. A soul was so much sweeter when it was infused with hope.
38
“We prove that Johan Luken didn’t kidnap Lorelei,” Sara said as soon as they were alone.
“And how do you propose we do that?” Eva countered, starting the car.
“We find Lorelei ourselves. I know you said to let the FBI do their thing but look what’s happened. They found a scapegoat and aren’t looking for the real kidnapper,” Sara said, her mind racing. “If we could investigate Lorelei’s apartment ourselves, we might find something that the FBI missed. Maybe her fiancée would let us in.”
“The FBI didn’t miss anything, Sara. Don’t be naïve. This isn’t like the movies. And it’s not only the FBI that searched her place; the LAPD had a go at it as well. If they didn’t find anything, then neither will we.” Eva said.
“How can you say that? How can you still trust these organizations? They’re going on gut feelings and clues that don’t even match up. They think Johan, with some mystery accomplice, first killed Madeleine and then kidnapped Lorelei. Isn’t that wildly farfetched? You’re hearing the same thing I’m hearing, right?”
“I was an LAPD detective for fifteen years, Sara, and know how my colleagues work. If they’re wrong, they’ll figure that out. They will not put Lorelei’s life in danger just so they can be right.”
“You won’t go to Lorelei’s apartment with me?”
“It’s a crime scene. LAPD and the FBI have eyes and ears there, I’m sure of it. We wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near it.”
“We could use Mark, Lorelei’s fiancée. He has every right to be there and could vouch for us. That would work wouldn’t it?” Sara grasped at straws.
“You can’t be serious, Sara. Have I not taught you anything?”
“No, you haven’t taught me anything. Instead, you railed at me for leaving a crime scene and take every opportunity to point out my stupidity. You don’t want to help me.” Sara knew she sounded hysterical but didn’t care. The words flowed out of her and she couldn’t stop them. All the hurt and worry and fear spilled out. “I didn’t want any of this but since I had it thrown in my lap, I thought, at least I’d have Eva to guide me. Is this how Larson felt?”
“That was a nasty thing to say,” Eva sputtered. Sara surprised herself for bringing Eva’s deceased partner up and instantly wanted to take it back.
“I told you I didn’t want to be part of this investigation. You pleaded, and I caved,” Eva said.
“We should part ways then. Ritchie and I will clear Johan’s name on our own.”
“And do something as stupid as going to Lorelei’s apartment and get put into jail for trespassing into a crime scene. Who’s gonna bail you out of that one? You also forget that Detective Gutierrez has you on his list of suspects. Without me helping you where do you’ll think you’ll be?”
“Stop the car, Eva. I want to get out.” To Sara’s surprise Eva pulled over to the side of the road.
“If you’re hell-bent on doing something this stupid, then I want no part of this. “Eva said and Sara fumbled with her seatbelt. Sara knew she’d pushed the other woman but didn’t expect her to give up without much fight. Sara hated being right. It felt awful. Tears welled up in her eyes as she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Eva sped off without a glance back.
39
Agent Kate Harper walked into her scheduled briefing and found herself without a seat. That was never a good sign. She noticed all the bigwigs, Agent Seymour and his crew out of terrorism included, sitting around the large conference table deep in discussion. No one looked up to notice her arrival, which didn’t surprise her in the least bit. Ever since El Paso, she’d been getting the cold shoulder from all the agents that mattered. She was shocked they even let her lead such a high profile case. They wanted a scapegoat, she thought sourly.
Kate spotted a lone chair shoved into the corner of the room and made a show of dragging it across the carpeted floor, hitting several backs of chairs in the process of getting to the front of the room. She would not go down without a fight. Agent Seymour deigned to nod at her and she seethed inside. She smiled as wide as she could.
“Hello, George. I’m surprised you’re here. Quiet day on the terrorism front?”
“Larry asked me to join. Give some expertise on kidnappings,” he pointed to the head of the Los Angeles Field office sitting beside him. Kate was not on a first name basis with the man.
“Agent Morris, good to see you again.” Kate flashed another smile. Agent Larry Morris nodded back. He was not a fan of hers, apparently. She could imagine the pressure Agent Morris was under, seeing as Senator Richards hadn’t yet gotten her granddaughter back. She didn’t take his lack of warmth personally but understood her position on this team was in jeopardy and there was nothing she could do about it. Especially when they all read the report, she’d been writing previous to the briefing.
She took a seat at the head of the table and shuffled through her file. Eva Murphy and Sara Caine were delusional about who the UNSUB was. A serial killer who made snuff films of his victims she could buy, but a demon masquerading as a serial killer, not so much. She had not wanted to write that report but decided that crossing her T’s and dotting her I’s was the kind of agent she needed to be now. Something was off about this case, however. Of that she was certain.
LAPD Detective Gutierrez and his partner were sure that Johan Luken was responsible for Lorelei’s kidnapping and made sure that Agent Morris knew of their prime suspect. Agent Morris, always the politician, sent that information up the chain and to Senator Richards. Senator Richards, for her part, demanded Mr. Luken be incarcerated immediately and here they all were, waiting on the Senator.
The problem as Kate saw it was there was no clear evidence linking him to the kidnapping. He’d been in jail when the woman was snatched and the only accomplices she could find were Eva Murphy and Sara Caine. The LAPD must have done some serious gymnastics with their evidence to point to him. But wasn’t that always the way, she thought? A detective came up with a suspect and then worked the evidence to prove the theory. She’d done it herself.
Kate flicked through the pages in the kidnapping file
. She supposed that Mr. Luken could be implicated in Madeleine Richard’s murder. She hadn’t found any clear motive for that either. They hadn’t been lovers. They’d been in contact for two months working a cold case of several missing UCLA students. In her estimation, Madeleine and Johan uncovered a serial killer and Madeleine and Lorelei became his victims. She wasn’t even sure if Lorelei was still alive but she was the only one of the team who thought that way.
Agent Lipsky, her rival in the Kidnapping division and an old timer who should have retired about five years ago, bought into the LAPD theory and swayed her small team to his side. His big theory was that Lorelei witnessed Johan killing her mother and silenced her. To skew the team even more, no one wanted to go against Agent Morris.
Two secret service men entered the conference room and snapped Kate out of her thoughts. Senator Richards, a woman made of steel, was right behind them and flanked by two more guards. The agents around Kate rose to their feet, all of them nodding towards the senator. Agent Lipsky motioned to the seat he had just vacated, but the Senator ignored him, her expression never changing until she met Agent Morris’ eyes.
“Did you get my message?” She demanded.
“I did,” Agent Morris cleared his throat. “It appears the kidnapper contacted the Senator this morning.” Kate’s head swiveled to Agent Morris, who made it a point to keep his eyes on the Senator. This changed everything.
“He expressly forbid me to contact the FBI so I’m taking a chance coming here. Where are you in finding this bastard?” Senator Richards looked around the room. “I have twenty-four hours to comply with his demands.”
Silent Death: A Chilling Serial Killer Thriller (A Caine & Murphy Thriller Book 3) Page 12