“So,” Trey asked. “You said that this stuff reminded you of them?”
“Yeah. I mean, some of the people involved were just in it for the sex. But I heard about some other stuff that was a lot more…” She moved her hands around in a vague gesture.
“More like what’s here in my phone?” Trey suggested.
“Right.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?”
Tanya wrinkled up her nose. “Not that I can think of.” Then she paused and an expression crossed her face. “Hold on. I did hear one name. Headminister. Somebody that was supposedly in charge of the Darker Side of Yin.”
“Headminister? Sounds like some guy who has a Harry Potter fetish.”
“Guy? Maybe. I just know one of my friends who got mixed up with them for a while had said that name. I remembered it because I thought it was freaky.”
Trey could do nothing but agree with her assessment.
She flopped back onto the couch. “Man. Just talking about this is sending my chakras out of alignment. I’m going to need a massive infusion of positive energy something fierce.” She glanced over at him. “You’re attached, right?”
“Uh, yeah. How did you know?”
“You kind of radiate it. A huge ‘taken’ vibe to you. Too bad. You could’ve helped me out.” Her look turned mischievous, and Trey had to turn away to hide his blush. “I’m kidding. Like I said, I require dinner first.”
Trey gave a nervous laugh that turned into a coughing fit. Tanya got up and strolled into the kitchen, pouring him a glass of water. When she returned, he took the drink gratefully, wiping at his eyes that had teared up.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “It’s just that you’re not…”
“What you expected? Yeah, I get that a lot.” Her eyes brightened. “You know what would help me? Helping you.”
Trey wasn’t sure what she meant. This woman was like one of those crazy bouncing balls in some ways. Springing around in ways that he never would have guessed. But at the same time, there was something about her that was so grounded.
Weird.
“Do you mean like with the case?” he asked.
“No. I’ve already told you everything I know about your case, I think,” she said. “I’m talking about your love life.”
That was not a can of worms he wanted to open. Especially with a woman who, under other circumstances, in whom he might be interested.
“Oh. Yeah. That’s okay. I’m good.”
“Come on. You are so not good. You look like you’ve been sucked dry.” Tanya seemed to see the look he leveled at her. “Figuratively speaking, of course. I’m not saying your significant other is a love vampire or something.”
Actually, love vampire fit as a working title. Not that Maggie was malicious or anything. But she was increasingly nocturnal, and Trey was beginning to suspect that she might be draining him of vital fluid, even if it wasn’t blood.
But he had things to do, places to be. There was a homicidal maniac out there who had captured Carly, and the clock was ticking.
“I can’t. This case is…” He trailed off. “Maybe some other time.”
Tanya frowned. “All right, but before you go we’re just going to talk about one thing.”
Trey sighed. It seemed he was a sucker for strong women. “Fine. One thing. Fast.”
“Okay. This is one of the concepts of tantric sex that might help you out. You seem a little on the squeamish side, so I’ll try to be delicate.”
Squeamish? Who was she calling squeamish?
No, come to think of it, she was right. He had no desire to have her get all technical and detailed with him. Just the thought of her using terms like vulva and areola and penis had him breaking out in hives.
“Yeah. That might be best.”
Tanya pursed her lips as she peered into his face. “When you and your partner are intimate, what would it look like if you weren’t… goal oriented?”
“If I wasn’t…?” Trey began, not seeing where she was going. Then he got it. “Oh.”
“Right. There’s a concept in tantric sex that revolves around your essence. You lose it every time you… well… reach your goal.”
Whoa. That was… Was what she was saying even an option? That went against everything he’d ever considered when it came to sex.
Tanya continued. “But gain that same essence every time your partner crosses that goal line. So instead of feeling dried out, you’ll feel energized. You can look up some techniques online, since you’re in such a hurry right now.”
She watched his face as Trey mulled that thought over. What she saw seemed to satisfy her well enough.
“So, that’ll be one-hundred and fifty bucks.”
“What? But…”
“Yes?” Tanya asked, staring at him with a wry grin on her face.
Since this was a sting operation that he’d never intended to follow through on, Trey didn’t have any departmental money to pay the bill. But thinking it through, he had to admit, what she’d shared with him might just save his life.
“Fine. I’ll pay it.” He reached for his wallet.
“I was kidding,” she chuckled, slapping his hand away. “That wasn’t a session, and I want you to catch whatever sick bastard’s doing this more than most. It’s like a punch in the face to anyone who follows this path.”
Trey felt a grin forming on his face. “Tell you what. I’ll try out what you said. If it works, I’ll come back and pay up.”
“Deal.”
Trey walked to the front door and stepped outside. It was hot and humid, but somehow in spite of the almost oppressive heat, he felt light.
Maybe he was into tantric sex after all.
* * *
Something had been bothering Mala for quite some time.
She’d managed to keep it in the back of her head for the most part, and the fact that most of the time she had been engaged in tracking down a new serial killer had been a part of that. But the number of interrelated serial killers had picked away at her, nudging that place in her mind that stored up information like this.
Darc and Trey were off on their sting operation, and while Mala could see the reasoning that took them out there, she didn’t have much hope. She was back at the precinct, looking for ties between the victims.
And the more she looked for those links, the more she saw… but not where she was looking for them. She kept finding connections between the killers.
There were outliers, sure, but so many of the killers to date had close ties to law and order. Father John, while not in public service per se, had been the go-to guy whenever a spiritual adviser had been needed. Van Owen, the Mayor, the old M.E. All public servants, all with what seemed like an endless network of helpers.
So much of what had been done could not be accomplished by one individual. Elaborate traps, complicated execution of plans, multiple murders at the same time… there was no explanation here that didn’t include a vast network.
A network against which they didn’t seem to be making any headway.
Mala shook her head. This wouldn’t get solved today. She needed to bring in Darc on this. Trey. Maybe even Janey. With all of them working in tandem, there might be a possibility of cracking this thing.
There was another part of her that wanted to move on for a different reason. This could be the craziest thing she’d ever thought of in her entire life, and she needed to do some more research before she dropped this amount of insanity in everyone’s laps.
Besides, thinking of the big picture wasn’t going to solve this individual case. Mala refocused on the pictures in front of her on the board.
Deborah. Mala had managed to contact her father’s employer, only to find that her parents had taken a trip to Thailand and were unreachable at the moment, which explained why no one had been able to reach them so far. They were set to come back to the States later that afternoon. Darc and Trey were busy tracking down other leads, but that was one t
hread that Mala could follow.
Both the unidentified male and female bodies had gotten fingerprinted, and those were being sent through the system right now. Another thread to track.
And then the scorched bodies that had been recovered from the fire. One, at least, had been intact enough to get prints. The others would have to be identified through dental records.
Things were really backing up at the lab.
Mala’s experience with Dr. Kelly so far hadn’t been terrible. But after what had happened with Dr. Hutchinson… or whatever his name had ended up being… she was having a hard time wanting to get cozy with the new guy. Maybe it was time to bite the bullet. Go down and talk to him.
Turning to head in that direction, she almost bumped into the man. Dr. Kelly stood right behind her, an odd look on his face.
“Sorry… Dr. Charan, wasn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes. Dr. Kelly. I was about to go looking for you.”
He spread his arms. “Here I am.”
Yes. There he was.
Dr. Hutchinson had never left the morgue if he hadn’t been forced, so Mala wasn’t used to an M.E. here in the bullpen. She had to remind herself that judging the new kid on the block based on the behavior of a serial killer might not be the best idea.
“Were you looking for Detectives Darcmel and Keane?” she asked.
“I was,” he confirmed, “but you’re working with them, aren’t you?”
Mala nodded, glancing down at the doctor’s hands. He carried several files that he deposited on the desk in front of her.
“The identities of the victims we’ve found so far,” he said with a sigh. “We only managed to get prints off one of the bodies down in that basement, and those were bad enough that we’re having a hard time getting a match. But… take a look at these two.”
He opened the files for the two unidentified victims, pointing to a similar line found in both files. Mala blinked. This couldn’t be correct. And yet, she found that her head was nodding up and down in agreement. Of course this was right. Of course.
They had both been foster kids, phased out of the system at eighteen.
“Foster children have a tendency to be troubled, so it might not mean anything…” the doctor was saying, but his voice had become background noise to what was happening in Mala’s head.
It was only two out of the three victims. Deborah had a family. And they had no idea if any of their naked attackers from that basement room had any connection to foster care. But they had to have come from somewhere, right? That many people didn’t just disappear unless they were homeless, and there had been no look of that kind of hardship about them.
Horrible mutilations, yes. Starvation or exposure, no.
And yet, for all the reason she had to reject this apparent link, something about it resonated. Because there was something about the latest abduction that the M.E. couldn’t possible know.
Carly was a foster kid, too.
“Dr. Kelly,” she said, interrupting the stream of words that was still issuing forth from his mouth. “Thank you for this. It’s very helpful.”
“I’m so glad,” he responded with a smile. “I have to admit, this case is fascinating to me. So unlike most of what I’ve been able to--”
“Yes,” Mala responded with enough energy to cut him off. “I’m sorry, Dr. Kelly, I don’t mean to be rude. But I need to follow up on this right away.”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” The doctor stepped back, giving space for Mala to pass. “I forget that time moves in a different fashion for you all up here.”
Nodding, both to acknowledge his statement and as a form of goodbye, Mala headed out toward the parking lot. As she walked, her encounter with the M.E. continued to play out over and over again in her mind. What was troubling her about it?
Mala had to remind herself that the guys that worked down in the morgue didn’t get out much. That could account for all of the things that bothered her about the man. And what were those things, exactly? Important for her to not allow herself to be vague.
His social awkwardness, for one. It was far less than Darc’s, if Mala were forced to be honest about it. But somehow, the fact that Dr. Kelly appeared to be normal at first glance caused her to be less tolerant of his strangeness. Why would that be?
Then there was his odd obsession with this case. But that was a simple thing to explain. It was fascinating, if in the most disturbing way possible.
Then it struck her. It was such a basic rule of psychology, it shocked her that she had missed it even for a moment.
Everything that bothered her about this man was something Mala herself struggled with. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be disturbed.
Incomplete socialization and a morbid curiosity. That sounded familiar.
She had always considered herself socially challenged. Her parents, her mother in particular, had berated her for it on a regular basis. Most of her childhood had been dedicated to observing other children and mimicking their behavior.
For a woman of science, dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the cases presented to her, a case like this was like candy to a sugar addict. And if Dr. Kelly’s unabashed enthusiasm for it was troubling, it only mirrored her own.
She loved what she did. As much as helping children with behavioral issues was her calling, the opportunity to profile the sickest part of the population had its draw. And although she might like to claim to herself that her involvement at the precinct only had to do with a certain bald man with Asperger’s, it wasn’t the full truth.
The thrill of the chase, the exhilaration of pitting her wits against that of a sadistic killer, the exploration of humanity’s darkest side… all of these facets of her work were ones that Mala found endlessly intriguing. Just like the new M.E.
There was no reason to feel anything other than a sort of kinship with the man.
So, if that was the case, why was she still so troubled?
CHAPTER 10
The George F. Bailey Detention Center.
The largest maximum security jail in San Diego.
Darc stepped out of Trey’s Land Rover and looked at the building, a tan rectangle surrounded by tall fencing with razor wire curled around the top. A tower loomed back behind the squat structure, the observers there sat perched above it all, able to see at a glance any disturbance or attempt to escape.
A murmur of silver white light spoke of the prison of Darc’s mind. Then the thought receded, aware of how dangerous making itself known could be. The bands of color chased the pulse back to its source in the grey landscape of his emotional life.
Perhaps it was time to venture into that unknown territory. Risk the overwhelming sensations in order to rid himself of the dangerous silver links. They were still there. He could sense them lurking. And allowing them to remain meant risking another breakdown at a time that he could ill afford it.
Coming to the prison had been Trey’s idea. His conversation with Goddess Tanya had gone much better than the streams of logic had anticipated. It seemed that this practitioner was one of the few that was not running a covert prostitution operation.
And she had also given him the names of those individuals who had been sent to prison after the successful raids on the tantric temples several years ago. The members of the Darker Side of Yin, as the woman had called it, had received harsh rulings. They had come in the wake of what law enforcement and judges had seen as a deliberate black eye to their vice operations.
And one of the ringleaders had been sent here. Chris Talon, a man who had spent the majority of his adult life running from one failed scam to another.
He had outstanding warrants in every place he’d ever lived, including credit card fraud, racketeering and… of course… running prostitution rings. Observing the rundown of his life in crime, it would be easier to speak of what the man had not been involved in than it would be to list his felonies and misdemeanors.
There were even outstanding parking tickets.
The
streams of color wrapped themselves around the building, including Trey in their pathways, as well as the information on Chris Talon. Nothing escaped their notice. And while their output was never perfect, Darc knew with a narrow margin of error just how much credence to give each result.
That was part of the process.
Talon at first had gone to a much lower security prison, but his behavior within the complex, married with the fact that he was seen by the other inmates as a sex offender, caused him to be moved. Now he was serving out the remainder of his sentence here at Bailey.
“Always nice to come back to ol’ Bailey,” Trey murmured as they approached the front gate.
They were expected, but the process of entering a maximum security prison was never as simple as opening up a door. Darc and Trey were forced to relinquish their weapons, as well as sign a myriad of papers.
“I can’t understand what in the hell you two want with Chris Talon,” the guard who had been helping them out said, shaking his head at both of them. “That guy’s the biggest snake I’ve ever met. And I’ve seen a lot of reptiles in my day.”
Darc turned to Trey for clarification, but his partner just held up a hand in a gesture that asked him to wait. A familiar move, and one that had developed into a sort of shorthand for the two.
“Yeah?” Trey asked. “What is it about him?”
“Guy’s got like no conscience whatsoever,” came the response. “And not just your run of the mill amoral criminal, you know what I mean? Gives me the shivers every time I talk to him.”
The guard herded them through and into the main prison area. There was a large open space, two levels up, painted in green accents. Along the walls, cells were stacked one after the other, but in the middle area, there were metal picnic tables where the inmates gathered.
Some exercised, some gathered around a newspaper, others seemed to be engaged in a card game. The men were gathered into small groupings, each unit eyeing those around them with odd expressions. The trails of light traced around their faces… analyzing, observing, reporting… but without any resultant answers in regards to what the expressions meant.
The 2nd Cycle of the Darc Murders Omnibus (the acclaimed series from #1 Police Procedural and Hard Boiled authors Carolyn McCray and Ben Hopkin) Page 44