by Ty Patterson
It was a week since Pelling’s capture, but the media interest in him and on Zeb’s team hadn’t died down. All the channels played the same footage endlessly, Pelling led away by the cops, Broker ducking inside an ambulance, still in his hospital gown, Meghan led away. An indistinct figure in the throng with his face circled, Zeb. Interviews with Pelling’s neighbors followed who hadn’t anything relevant to say but made the most of their fifteen minutes.
Zeb looked at him and smiled. Smiles were easier now. They were still infrequent, but they appeared.
Yuri had come up with gold at the café.
Pelling had used a different credit card at the café which was linked to two addresses. The first was a fake but the second one was the apartment in Brownsville. The apartment had been rented out to one Jordan Pulaski, whose place of birth was the homeless shelter in Birmingham.
‘Yuri shouldn’t have called you,’ Zeb told his friend.
‘Yeah, and that rushing-from-hospital act? That’s so cliché.’ Beth glared at Broker. You could’ve undone your recovery.
Broker waved away his rebuke airily. ‘If I hadn’t arrived, our friend would have sent Pelling to The Maker. Pizaka would’ve gone to town about us being mavericks. Anything to shut Pizaka up.’
‘What of our cover though?’ Meghan asked Zeb.
She was reclined in an easy chair with her left leg in a cast, a hairline fracture that was healing rapidly. She had an ugly bruise on her shoulder, which had taken the brunt of the blow meant for her head. Her shoulder had been padded by the clothing he had supplied and that had softened the blow. Beth hadn’t been even scratched.
Meghan had laughed. ‘We’re doing this in turns. First Beth all those years back, now me.’
Pelling hadn’t yet gone into his killing rage. If he had – Zeb pushed the thought away.
The twins had bounced back after the near death experience.
They’ve been through it before ... a couple of times now. They know how thin the margins between life and death can be and look at life positively. My kind of people.
‘Our cover, the security business, remains unchanged. Our links to the agency are secure and intact. No one knows of those, no one will. I spoke to Clare and she’s unconcerned with the publicity. She’s asked the two of you to enjoy your new fame. You might have to beat the guys away, she said.’
‘What about you, hotshot? You got loving attention from Pelling. How’re you doing?’
Taped ribs, taped shoulder, body that hurts like it was dragged through rocks. The scalpel didn’t go deep. All healing nicely.
Chang entered their room before Zeb could reply. He slapped high fives with the twins with one hand, his other balanced a tray of coffees.
‘You’re still lying there?’ He shook his head pityingly at Broker as he handed out the drinks. ‘One would think you’d been attacked and almost killed.’
‘Don’t start,’ Broker growled and looked past his shoulder. ‘Where’s your partner? Let me guess. He’s in front of the cameras, right?’
Chang laughed. ‘Beneath all that slickness and gloss, Zak’s a good guy. One day you’ll know him better and maybe even like him.’
Broker rolled his eyes. ‘Kill me, Lord, before that day comes.’
‘How’s it going with Pelling?’ Zeb asked Chang. The pair of cops had taken over once the killer had been captured and the handover to the District Attorney’s office had begun.
The cops had ripped apart Pelling’s life and now had his entire history right from the time he’d left Birmingham. He’d come to New York and had unknowingly followed his twin’s footsteps, of hanging out initially in food shelters.
A few months later, he’d found work as a packer in a garment warehouse and from then on, the steady income had fueled his dark urges. He’d graduated from manual work to administrative and clerical chores in a small business. The sedentary job allowed him ample internet time, time which he used to study killers and search the dark net for places where people like him hung out.
‘He always knew he was going to kill, that he was a killer.’ Melanie Krause had said when she’d finished studying him. ‘He’s a psychopathic character who has no remorse, no moral values and is very proud of his killing.’ She’d looked consideringly at the Petersens and had confided to Zeb. ‘I believe gouging their eyes wasn’t an empty threat. He was escalating the violence with each kill.’ She’d shivered. ‘Thank God, you reached them in time.’
She stared off in the distance. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he killed more than those we know. Zak and Chang are looking into that.’
Chang licked the remnants of a doughnut off his fingers before replying. ‘He’s a very cooperative killer. He’s freely admitted to the killings and on top of that, the evidence is very strong.’ He turned to get Meghan in his vision. ‘You saw his trophy room, didn’t you?’
Beth shivered. ‘Yeah. The scumbag had arranged it like a museum. Beneath each bat, the victim’s picture, and history.’
‘Why did he come after us? What drove him?’
Chang grimaced. ‘Melanie says that’s the rage he had for Lowell Rausch, for all the abuse he suffered at his father’s hands. He felt betrayed by his mother too. He thinks she just stood by and let Rausch assault them. That betrayal turned into a sick anger for her. Melanie’s theory is that when he saw you, some dormant images of his parents came alive and ate away at him. The two of you have the same color eyes as his parents’; that seemed to be the trigger.’
He squeezed Beth’s shoulder in assurance. ‘He’s going away for a long time. He’ll never taste freedom again.’
‘Freedom. He used that word. Said killing us would free him.’
Chang waved dismissively. ‘Forget it. Forget him. He’s history now.’
He fell quiet, picked invisible lint off his trousers.
Zeb picked on his hesitation. ‘What is it, Chang?’
Chang addressed the sisters. ‘How many bats did you see in his trophy room?’
Beth scrunched her face in thought and replied slowly. ‘Eight or nine. I think. You, sis?’
Meghan’s answer was more definitive. ‘Eight. I remember matching the photographs below them to our files.’
Chang pulled out a photograph from his jacket and passed it to Meghan. ‘That’s the first picture our criminologist took of that room.’
The photo, when it reached Zeb, showed the room’s gruesome contents, the bats clearly displayed. Zeb’s fingers tightened momentarily on the photo as understanding flooded through him.
‘He didn’t attack Broker.’
‘Bull!’ Beth shot off her seat and crashed back when Meghan hauled her by her shirt. ‘That’s frigging shit.’ She swallowed the torrent of expletives on the tip of her tongue when Zeb looked at her and lowered her tone. ‘That’s nonsense. He’ll spin any story now to reduce his sentence.’
‘He’s facing such a long sentence that a few years less isn’t going to bother him.’ Chang replied drily. ‘Besides, he’s confessed to most of the other killings. Why wouldn’t he confess to this attack? The way that guy’s going on, it’s a matter of face to him.
Beth was adamant. ‘In one of his rants, he mimed Broker and said I got you. He owned up.’
Chang flipped through his notes. ‘He says whatever he said was in the heat of the moment. Killing heat, that’s that term the prick used.’
Broker coughed politely. ‘Given that I’m an interested party in this,’ he grinned when they all turned in his direction. ‘I’m with Chang. No reason for him not to claim an attack.’
Zeb’s posture caught his eye. ‘What?’
‘Chang, there’s more, right? You said most. Which kills isn’t he claiming?’
Chang’s next words sucked the air out of the room.
‘Lester Benjamin. He denies killing Lester. He doesn’t know who did.’
Zeb met Broker’s eyes.
Another killer on the loose?
Chang voiced their thoughts. ‘P
izaka and I discussed this at length. We think there’s a copycat out there. So far he seems to have killed just one, but if he goes on a spree like Pelling,’ his voice dropped away.
‘Another eight or ten bodies before we can nab him,’ Meghan finished grimly.
Zeb came out of the fog he was in. ‘No. We’ll find this one sooner.’
Beth snorted. ‘Why’s that hotshot? Because we’ve got some practice? BBK was a warm-up to the main act?’
‘Nope. Because we know who he might go after.’
‘Benjamin is at the center of this theory of yours? You’re sure? I seem to recollect us taking a magnifying glass to his life.’ Beth’s voice was shrill as Zeb navigated through the thick evening traffic.
Meghan gripped her cast wrapped leg with one hand and adjusted it on the rear seat. ‘Careful, sis, you’ll bust a gut. But seriously, Zeb, I too don’t get it. Broker...?’
‘He knows.’
A flicker of understanding had crossed Broker’s face a few seconds after Zeb’s words. Chang hadn’t lost his disbelieving look though. He had nodded politely when he heard Zeb’s equivalent of don’t call me. I’ll call you when I have something. From the expression on his face, Zeb knew the cops would run down the copycat killer angle.
He shrugged mentally. It has to be run down. I could be wrong.
A tap on his shoulder brought his attention to the woman beside him. Beth. Her eyes had a mixture of amusement and disbelief in them. ‘You zoned out on us?’
Meghan’s voice dripped sarcasm from behind. ‘You yap so much, it’ll not be just him who zones out.’
A reluctant grin spread across Beth’s face as she settled back and gestured with her hands. ‘Lay it on us.’
‘You remember why Broker was where he was when he was attacked?’
‘Yeah.’ A trace of impatience crept in her voice. ‘He was going to meet the kids at Lester’s store. They’d left some kinda message for him.’
Zeb glanced at her through the corner of his eyes.
Kids! They aren’t that much older than those boys. But then, those guys haven’t been through what they’ve experienced.
‘You followed it up?’
‘Of course not. In case you’ve forgotten Broker nearly died, you went into a zombie state and then Pelling happened.’
Meghan clapped from behind. ‘Neat summary, sis. The Wise One likes it.’
Beth twisted around, curtsied at her twin and turned back to Zeb. ‘In any case, Broker said it wasn’t important.’
‘Let’s find out.’
‘You aren’t going to tell us?’
The hum of tires and sounds of traffic were her answer.
They hit the store next day just as it opened.
Emilio straightened from clearing the sidewalk, reddened as Beth’s cool gaze swept over him, and greeted them.
‘Joe’s inside. We heard about you guys, was planning to call. You look fine.’ He stammered when Beth winked at him and the red grew darker as Meghan limped out of the vehicle.
Emilio joined them, high fived the twins and shook hands with Zeb.
‘Your friend, Broker, he’s okay?’
‘Yeah. How’s it going here?’
‘Boss lady’s still dithering about selling the store. I guess we have a job here till she arrives at a decision.’
Zeb’s gaze was fixed on the store with a vacant look in his eyes. They all looked at him curiously and waited for him to say something. Meghan shrugged when he remained silent and took over from him.
‘She still comes here?’
‘Yeah.’ Joe grunted as he brought out a heavy signboard and placed it on the sidewalk. ‘Not as often as before. Maybe once in two weeks.’
‘Say, what was it you’d called Broker for? All those days back?’
‘Oh, that. We remembered something about Lester. He was going through some tough times four years back or so. He was an intensely private man and never told us what was going on in his life. But for close to eight months, he was a different man.’
‘Different how?’ Meghan’s voice sharpened.
‘He used to disappear for hours and asked us to hold the fort in his absence. He used to write in his diary as soon as he returned. He went outside the store and made calls on his phone. All that just wasn’t him. One day we’d gone for a drink and he asked us about our plans for the future. We told him, and asked him in turn. He went silent and then just said, when a man lived with regret, he didn’t have a future.’
Beth asked curiously. ‘What did that mean?’
Joe shrugged. ‘Beats me. Emm and I discussed it but we never found out. The one day he told us he was planning to sell the store. Told us we might have to leave if the new owner didn’t need us. He’d agreed to a deal, everything was set, but a few days later, the deal disappeared. Lester wasn’t himself that day. That’s the only day he swore. Swore to himself, softly, when he thought he was alone.’
Zeb woke up from his trance and snapped a question. ‘Why the sale?’
Emilio shrugged. ‘He never told us. The few times we asked him, he just laughed. Said he’d go chill out in the Caribbean. Lester never took a day’s rest in his life and this idea of chilling out was so unlike him. But he never told us why. Later that year, he became his old self. But for those seven or eight months, that was a different Lester. One that we’d never seen before or after.’
‘What did you say in voicemail? You recollect the words?’
Emilio frowned. ‘Should be on Broker’s phone’
‘It’s lost.’
Emilio’s brow cleared and he mimicked voicemail. ‘Hey, Broker, Joe and I just remembered. Lester came close to selling the store a few years back. Not sure if this’s important, but he didn’t, so I guess not.’
Beth shivered in the silence that followed and eyed the warmth of the store inside. She caught Zeb’s headshake and sighed. Zeb.
Zeb eyed the store front and pawn store by its side. ‘Anything happened in those four years? He talk about any debt? Buying an apartment? Stuff like that.’
Joe replied. ‘Nothing that we know. Like Em said, he never spoke of his private life. I doubt he had any debt. Lester was very careful with money. He very rarely used a credit card.’
The first customer entered the store and Emilio hurried after him.
They left fifteen minutes later with nothing more from the two men. For a while silence filled the vehicle as Zeb thought furiously of ties between men and women.
The silence was broken by Beth. ‘My ass froze out there, Zeb. Some reason we didn’t go inside?’
Meghan intoned from the back. ‘Never yield to comfort and warmth. They are evil. Rule one oh one from Zeb’s book.’
Beth’s laughter carried them back to Columbus Avenue.
Back at their office building, Beth held the elevator open as Meghan leaned on Zeb’s shoulder and hobbled. Once inside, Zeb broke his silence.
‘Coincidence.’
Two pairs of eyes looked at him puzzled.
‘Those guys leave a message for Broker. That night he’s attacked.’
Their floor arrived, the doors swished open, but the twins didn’t move. ‘Assuming that’s not chance, how would that timeline work?’
He helped Meghan inside and when she was seated, her fingers snapped.
‘A bug?’
‘That’s better. I thought the cold had frozen your brains too.’
He ducked as Beth threw a paper ball at him.
‘Assuming,’ Beth said exaggeratedly, ‘we’re on the right track, Broker’s phone’s gone. No way of proving your theory, hot shot.’
Zeb grinned briefly. ‘Not his phone. Our phones are as bug proof as possible.’
‘Their phones? You came back to get your kit, didn’t you?’
Zeb went back late at night just as the boys were tidying the story, shutting it down for the night. He stood outside and sent them text messages.
Ignore me.
He saw them pat their pockets
, read their phones, look around puzzled and brighten when he walked inside.
Their confusion deepened when he sent another message.
Not a word. Give me your phones.
He looked at Joe’s phone first, an expensive model, one of those that used swipes to command it. He powered it off and laid it on the counter. From his backpack, he extracted a small folded kit that opened to reveal various tools that shone in the light.
He ignored Joe’s look of horror and furious gestures as he picked the phone apart, used a magnifying glass and bent over it.
Fifteen minutes later, he put it back and handed it over to Joe. He snatched it from Zeb’s hand, powered it on and sighed in relief when it worked.
Emilio wordlessly handed his across.
Same result. No bug.
Zeb leant back against the counter, gestured at the boys to carry on, and looked around the store.
Crammed from floor to ceiling, lot of crevices, corners and light fittings. An eavesdropper’s dream come true.
He fired another text to the two.
Got spare keys?
Yeah.
Give me one. You guys can leave. I’ll lock up behind me.
They looked at him doubtfully.
Relax. I don’t need toothbrushes or toilet paper.
Joe’s lips twitched in a smile as he dug into a pocket and handed Zeb a key.
They left half an hour later. Zeb turned off the lights and got to work.
Three hours later, he sat back and wiped his face. The ceiling was the first place he’d looked. Nothing there. Then the upper shelves which hadn’t yielded any bug.
He moved lower, looked at light fittings, power sources and they all were untampered.
He checked out the bathroom. Nothing there.
That left just the counter.
Another hour later he put together the plug end of the power cord for the computer on the counter and turned it on.
The computer powered on.
He locked the store behind and when he sat in the darkness of his vehicle, allowed himself a smile.
His phone had several images of a tiny device.
A bug fitted just behind the plug’s cover.
Whoever you are, you made two mistakes.
You should’ve removed the bug.