by Mayer, Dale
The conversation continued. Finally Lance put away his phone. “They think they’ve got it.”
“We need surveillance on that property. If he thinks he got away with it, he’ll be back. Otherwise, he’ll be looking for a place to stay.”
“The men are out of the house now. It’s clear on the other side.”
She nodded. “Good.”
“But that doesn’t mean he isn’t backing around and crossing over to that block. So have them pull away. We’ll set up surveillance.”
She motioned to the car. “Let’s change position.”
At the vehicle Lance turned on the engine, slowly pulled the vehicle back out onto the main road. “Where do you want to go?”
“There’s a coffee shop two blocks down. Let’s park there and walk back.”
*
Macklin wished he could see where Alex was hiding, but he and Corey were slowly strolling. Mason had already confirmed the suspect would be coming around the corner any moment.
As they watched, the suspect made a right and went back down the same block he’d just come up. Corey smiled and said, “This is good.”
Macklin agreed. Because any time a suspect just went around the block, one had to wonder why. The fact that he, Corey, and Alex earlier had been doing the exact same thing added to that. They were up to something. They’d been looking for this guy.
Macklin watched as Mason made a left and headed down the street a couple blocks behind the suspect. He was the tail again. “We should walk toward the coffee shop, maybe grab coffees, and head back toward the house. See how Mason’s doing.”
“He can only go so far. He’ll overtake the suspect in seconds.”
“I know. We can pick up the surveillance ourselves down a couple blocks.”
They turned on the next block and headed down. There was no way to see from where they were if the suspect was still moving toward the house or toward the coffee shop. Mason would drive down a couple blocks, turn around, and come back, as if he was looking for an address. With any luck they could pick up the tail again before Mason had to do too many U-turns.
“No word from Mason yet.”
“Which is good. That means he’s on it and still has the suspect in his sights.”
In fact, Macklin was pretty sure he had seen Tesla, Mason’s partner, in the vehicle beside him. A couple was less conspicuous than a single man when undercover. Up ahead he could see the lights of the coffee shop. “I wonder where Alex went.”
“She should be around the house still.”
Macklin wasn’t so sure about that. It depended on what her men had found inside.
There was still no message from Mason as they arrived at the coffee shop. Macklin stayed outside while Corey went inside and ordered two coffees to go.
Timewise that should be just about right to catch the suspect coming around the corner to the coffee shop, and, sure enough, just as they crossed the street, he came down, looked at the coffee shop, like he had decided to go in, and then took a right.
As they stood in the parking lot, Macklin’s phone rang. It was Mason. “I see him. He’s just heading away from the coffee shop.”
“Good.” Mason said.
“Corey’s inside getting a drink.” Macklin chuckled. “I’m standing in the parking lot, waiting on my coffee right now.”
Mason’s voice was full of humor as he said, “I can see you. That’s why I called. You get to pick up the tail from here. And, by the way, is this a good suspect?”
“Looking better every minute.”
“For Marsha’s case?”
“If they’re connected, yes. But, even if they aren’t, it looks like the suspect from the break-ins.”
“Good. Let’s get that bastard. Tesla knows both Kathleen and Betty. Not well but enough to smile and say hi in passing.”
“Not to mention the fact that, when you’re not there, Tesla is home alone.”
There was silence for a long moment, then Mason’s voice turned even harder. “Make sure you get that bastard tonight.”
At the odd note in Mason’s voice, Macklin wondered if they were all heading out on a mission or if Mason was. Because that would leave Tesla alone for weeks. Tesla had already been attacked several times in the past. Mason had a very low tolerance for anybody hurting what was his. Macklin and the rest of their unit felt the same.
Only cowards went after women.
Mac recognized a green car off to the side that he had seen earlier. Deliberately not looking directly at the vehicle, he could see Alex and her cohort inside. They were both busy on laptops and cell phones and that meant they were focused on something. That was good too.
When Corey came out, the two walked back up the block Mason had driven down. Now the question was whether to continue watching to see if he went back toward the house or not.
As they strolled down the block, they watched in delight as the suspect made a turn to head back up the block toward the empty house. They stayed behind him all the way, letting him get farther and farther ahead.
When Macklin’s phone rang again, he smiled to see Alex’s ID.
“Any idea where the suspect is?”
“Mason just handed him off a few minutes ago. The suspect is currently one block away from the house, heading in that direction.”
She gasped. “Now that would be lovely.”
“Have you got a team in place to nab him if he goes in?”
“Everybody is on standby. We fixed one of the cameras.”
“When did they go out?” he asked curiously.
“It could have been a couple hours ago.”
“Did your guy take a break or leave the room at the time?”
She sighed. “Quite possibly. Nobody was there to relieve him so he could get a meal.”
“Surely in a case like this they aren’t allowed to walk away?”
“Not sure he was in the loop on that memo,” she said in a dry tone. “Don’t worry. That’s my problem, not yours.”
He grinned. “True enough. I just want to make sure my girl is being looked after.” And he hung up.
Corey looked at him. “Your girl?”
Macklin chuckled. “Maybe. As soon as I’m off the hook, that is.”
“You do like to live dangerously, don’t you?”
Macklin nodded. “I sure do. That girl can tie me up and handcuff me to a bed any day.”
Corey shook his head. “On the other hand, at least she doesn’t appear to be another resident of crazy land.”
“She’s as sane as you or me,” Macklin said in all seriousness. “It’s been a long time.”
“I know, man. Marsha was a hell of a lesson.”
“She was a scary lesson. I just hope she’s at peace now. I never wished her ill. I just wanted her to leave me alone.”
“And that’s why you’re such a good man. Somebody killed her, and it was probably because she pissed him off.”
“And yet, what reasons are there for murder? Power, money, revenge?”
“Yep, that’s pretty much the trio. Power? I don’t see how killing Marsha would give anyone power. I mean, yeah, death as the ultimate power over someone, but that’s power on a small scale. One on one. And Marsha didn’t have any money. She might have been blackmailing somebody, but I don’t think your detective found any unexpected money in her bank accounts. So the last one, revenge?”
“Revenge definitely. And often love and revenge go hand in hand.”
“That’s possible. While she was fixated on you, somebody else could have wanted that attention for herself or himself.”
“I didn’t know her at all, so I have no way to gauge that. But currently anything goes.”
“I keep coming back to that head wound. It was a downward force, so she was sitting. That means, Marsha had to have trusted this person. Somebody was inside her house, and Marsha just sat there. Either they were having a meal on the couch, watching TV, or doing something like that.”
“And that
usually means a friend.”
“Yeah, it’s not like you would let a stranger into the house and go back and sit down at the TV, would you?”
“But we never found any friends.”
“No. Which also puts it down to either revenge or possibly a scorned lover. Somebody who really wanted Marsha, but maybe Marsha didn’t want them in return.”
“But was still friendly enough with to let in the house.” Macklin stopped and turned to look at Corey. “Did anybody check Marsha’s neighbors—her current neighbors—to see if they were in a relationship with Marsha?”
Corey shrugged. “Who the hell knows? Don’t ask me. I had nothing to do with it.”
Instantly Macklin pulled out his phone again. He didn’t bother texting and went straight to calling Alex. “Did you check out Marsha’s current neighbors?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because Marsha had to let somebody in for them to have attacked her. And it had to be somebody she trusted enough for her to sit down while they were in her house. Because the coroner said the blow on the top of the head was a downward force while she was potentially sitting, correct?”
“Yes, that’s what he said,” Alex said slowly. “But why a neighbor?”
“Because you and I didn’t find any friends.”
Alex’s breath slowly let out on a long sigh. “I’ll look up the records tonight and do a follow-up in the morning.” She hung up.
He looked over at Corey and shrugged. “She has this habit of hanging up on me.”
Corey grinned. “Dude, you keep jumping into her case. You’re lucky that’s all she does. If it was my case, I would have smacked you into tomorrow.”
“Nah, she wouldn’t hit me.” Macklin smirked. “She likes me too much for that.”
Chapter 11
Alex raised her head from the laptop in front of her. She contemplated Macklin’s logic. It wasn’t that there was anything faulty with it, she just wasn’t sure it was strong enough, but it was easy enough to check out. He’d emailed the photos and video he’d taken when she’d asked him earlier. She filed the material away with the rest of the case files.
Lance’s gaze came up. “Now what does lover boy want?”
She shot him a look of mock disgust, liking the camaraderie and gentle teasing developing with him. It made for a much nicer working relationship—as long as he respected her position, it was all good. “Remember, we’re not lovers.”
“Yet. You’re not lovers yet,” he said with a smile. “Besides, he’s had some good ideas so far.”
“And he might have had another one.” She quickly explained.
“I can see what he means. If you haven’t found any friends, and no lovers, who are the people in her life? Obviously there’s at least one because somebody killed her.”
“Unless it was a random act.”
“No, I don’t think so. But it was somebody who knew her if that blow on the head is indicative of her being seated when the person hit her.”
“Somebody who came over to do her hair?”
Surprise hit Lance’s gaze. “Wow, that’s not a bad idea. Except there was no hair or anything else around to indicate she might have been getting a haircut.”
“Maybe they hadn’t started to cut her hair. It could just be they let her believe they were getting ready to do so.” She stopped to look at him again. “I need to talk with her neighbors who I missed before—at least the ones on her floor.” Alex checked her watch. “It’s nine o’clock.”
“Call them instead.”
She thought about that and shook her head. “No. I really like to see people’s reactions and get a feel of who they are from their facial expressions.”
“You want to take a drive over there?”
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving here until we know if we’ve got this guy or not.”
“But it’s being handled,” he said. “We’ve got good men on it. Having you here right now, not to insult you, but it won’t make a bit of difference. How many neighbors did Marsha have?”
“She was on the bottom floor. I think seven apartments were on that floor.”
“So, six doors to knock on. Chances are, they could be home right now. Check in with me so I know you’re safe. Because, if there’s a killer out there… they’ve already killed once—and a woman at that. They won’t balk at killing a second one. Cop or no cop.”
“Give me a ride back to my car. I’ll head over there and see who might be home.”
Ten minutes later she was in her own vehicle with an update of what was happening at the house. They were still waiting for somebody to enter, and, so far, their suspect was out walking the blocks. She really didn’t want to leave, but, at the same time, she felt like she needed to check out Marsha’s neighbors.
It meant two separate people were involved, and that made more sense than anything because murder versus break-ins weren’t the same level of crime at all. Making a sudden decision, she pulled away, barely noticing she passed Macklin. From the startled look on his face he’d seen her.
She drove to Marsha’s apartment building and parked. She had a key to Marsha’s place, and, on impulse, she opened the door and walked in. It had occurred to her after the news coverage that maybe this guy was staying in Marsha’s empty place too.
But it was empty. Bloodstains covered the living room floor and the couch.
Back in the hallway she headed to the first neighbor and knocked on the door. An older man came out with his wife peering over his shoulder. Alex quickly identified herself, asked a few questions as to whether they’d ever seen anybody coming or going in Marsha’s place. Both were horrified to find out their neighbor had been killed. Apparently they hadn’t heard the news or seen the police activity. Alex understood keeping to themselves, but, to this level, it was dangerous.
“We never really saw her. We don’t get out much.”
They both were apologetic.
“I couldn’t even tell you what she looked like.” The older lady turned to her husband. “Isn’t that a terrible thing to have to admit?”
Alex moved on to the next apartment. Two young men were living there. From the looks of them, they were in a caring relationship. She asked similar questions and was told they’d seen Marsha coming and going but never saw anybody else there.
No one answered at the third apartment, which happened last time and wasn’t helpful right now. Alex wrote down the number, figured she’d check it out as soon as she got back to the office.
The fourth door opened to a neighbor she’d spoken to earlier. The woman smiled and said, “Did you find anything new?”
Alex shook her head. “No, sorry, not yet. I’m just back double-checking that nobody has seen anybody around the apartment.”
The woman’s face twisted in confusion. “You mean, now that she’s gone?”
“Sometimes killers come back to their hunting grounds,” Alex explained.
The woman gasped and shook her head. “Honestly I race past that apartment these days.”
“Do you live alone?”
“No, I don’t. My sister lives with me.”
“Is she here now?”
The young woman shook her head. “No, she’s out with her boyfriend.”
After writing down her name and her sister’s name, Alex thanked her. “Is there somebody living next door to you? Nobody’s answering the door.”
“I believe they moved out a couple weeks ago.”
“Any idea if they knew Marsha?”
The woman lifted her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about my neighbors.”
With an apology for disturbing her so late, Alex moved on to the next door. She got no answer here, but she had spoken to a young woman earlier this week. She’d try once more before she left.
Moving on to the last door on this floor, a young male opened the door, looked at her, and started flirting.
Alex held up her ID. “I’m here about the murder of your neighbor.”<
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His smile fell away, and he held up his hands. “I didn’t have nothing to do with it. I wasn’t even home.”
“Where were you?”
“Back east,” he said. “I have my flight itineraries to prove it.”
“I wasn’t here to accuse you,” she said with a half smile. “I’m wondering if you knew her. If you ever saw her with anyone? Anybody coming or going out of the apartment?”
He nodded. “I saw her occasionally. She wasn’t terribly friendly, but she did have one visitor who I saw more than once.” He looked down the hall. “I thought maybe the woman lived here too because I saw her coming from that hallway. But I don’t know.”
“What did she look like?”
“She was tall and slim and easy on the eyes. She had a really short haircut. It looked good on her.” He grinned and shook his head. “I don’t think she swung that way. I did put the moves on her a time or two.” He went silent. “I have been striking out a lot lately.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t try to strike. Maybe let things happen a little more naturally.”
He chuckled. “Nah. Life’s too short. You’ve got to make a move or miss out.”
Despite everything, she liked his youth and humor. He wasn’t old enough to be jaded by relationship troubles. After getting his name and seeing a copy of his airline tickets, which he swore he’d scan in an email to her, she left him alone. She walked back to the previous apartment and knocked on the door. When the door opened this time, the woman had a harried look on her face.
“I had just gotten into the bath,” she explained, wrapping the bathrobe tighter around her neck. “I wasn’t going to open the door, but I saw it was you again.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you a second time, but I was just speaking with one of your neighbors.”
The woman frowned. “Which neighbor?” she asked suspiciously.
Alex pointed.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Yeah, him. He’s flirty with all the girls. He should be able to tell you something about Marsha. It seemed like he was chatting her up all the time.”
“He also said he saw another young woman with a short haircut at Marsha’s apartment.”
The young woman before her shook her head. “Doesn’t sound familiar to me. But that’s the back entrance hallway at that end. Lots of people come and go from there.”