The Pretty Ones

by Robin Mahle

  The man with the hammer in his hand and a nail between his lips eyed Nick up and down before using his free hand to remove the nail. “I think Shirley’s up front. She’s the office manager. And you are?”

  “Just needed to ask her about a former employee. Thank you for your time.” He nudged Kate and the two walked through to the stage and into the auditorium. On the right was an exit. “Let’s go this way. It should take us up front.”

  They made their way to the office and inside was a plump woman with big hair and too much makeup.

  “Excuse me, ma’am?” Nick said. “Can I speak with you for a moment?” He presented his badge.

  “FBI? What can I do for you two?”

  “Are you Shirley? The office manager of the theater?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m Agent Nick Scarborough and this is Agent Kate Reid. We’re looking for a person who used to work here—a makeup artist. I’m afraid I don’t have a name, but from what I understand, he worked here in the recent past.”

  “I assume this is a matter of some importance or else the FBI wouldn’t be here.”

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s very important we find this individual. People’s lives are at stake.”

  “Well, let me have a look, then.” The woman began typing on her outdated desktop computer whose monitor took up most of the desk space. “Don’t suppose you know when this person worked here?”

  “No. I’m afraid not. I would venture to guess inside the last year, though. And it is a male I’m looking for.”

  “Well, that should narrow it down substantially. I’ve seen plenty of female makeup people come through here, not many men.” She continued to study her screen and began to shake her head. “Oh wait. Hang on a minute. I think, yeah, I think I remember this fella. Dark hair, slim but athletic, becoming in a weird sort of way.”

  “Can you give me his name?” Nick asked.

  “Benjamin Patrick. Looks like he worked here up until, well, up until a month or so ago, by all accounts.”

  “Don’t suppose you have an address for Benjamin?”

  “Well, I most certainly do, young man.” Shirley grabbed a yellow sticky note from her desk and began writing it down. “Here you go. Name and address. Will that do?”

  “Oh yes, ma’am. That’ll do just fine. Thank you so much for your help.”

  “Anytime. You two have a good day now.”

  They began to leave through the front entrance of the building and stopped under the awning.

  “I don’t know if this place is nearby, but we’d better let Sharpe know what we’ve got.” Nick retrieved his cell from his pants pocket and dialed the number. “Detective Sharpe, this is Agent Scarborough. I’m here with Agent Reid at the theater and we just got a name and an address.” He paused. “Yes, it’s very good news. You have a pen?”

  CHAPTER 27

  After weeks of tracking down the killer, Sharpe finally had what he needed to capture him. However, what he hadn’t counted on was the involvement of a local reporter and a man who’d followed the killer’s every move, even going so far as to approach the victims after their deaths. The problem now was the fact that the killer was about to take or had already taken his next victim. The where and when was established, but it seemed that could all change and Sharpe would find himself back at Square One.

  The FBI agents had been of great help and, in fact, he’d admired the work Agent Reid had done on the investigation and now he wanted her help again. This time, to attempt a raid on the suspected killer’s home before he struck again.

  He’d met with the captain and both had agreed to split up as they had earlier in the day. One team to go to the suspect’s home, the other to try to preempt his efforts to take another victim. And Sharpe couldn’t be sure either one would pan out.

  Inside the communications room where the FBI team had been temporarily set up, Agent Reid prepared to go with Sharpe to Ben Patrick’s home while Agent Jameson along with his supervisor and Sergeant Moore would make a coordinated effort to find and protect Dina Knight, though their options were narrowing.

  “Agent Reid, you ready to go? We need to get this show on the road.”

  “I’m ready, detective.” Kate pulled on her FBI windbreaker and double-checked her sidearm before approaching Sharpe. “I’d like to check in with Agents Scarborough and Jameson to make sure we’re on the same page before we head out.”

  “We can do that.” Sharpe followed her into the corridor as they walked toward the others who were gathered around a map of the location of the probable victim’s home.

  “We can approach from here.” Nick pointed to the map. “This will give us the vantage point with the least amount of visibility from the street. I don’t want this guy sneaking up on us in the event he’s not there.”

  “Understood. And if we encounter the suspect?” Sergeant Moore asked.

  “Take him out, if necessary,” a voice sounded in the distance.

  Nick turned around at the interruption. “It’s your call, Detective Sharpe. We’ll do what we can to ensure the safety of the Knight family.” He looked to Kate. “You heading out?”

  “We are. Just wanted to get a sense of your game plan and what we’re to do in the worst case scenario.”

  “You mean if he’s already got her and taken off?” Jameson said.

  “Yes.”

  “In the unlikely event that happens, let’s reconvene here and we’ll have to come up with a new plan. But let’s hope that’s not the case.” Sharpe turned to Kate. “We’d better go. Moore, we’ll radio you when we’ve got him.”

  As they made it to Sharpe’s car, Kate slid into the passenger seat and waited for the detective.

  “You really think he’s at his house? He has to know something’s up. With Sanchez off the air, he’s got to be onto us.”

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.” Sharpe started the engine and pulled out onto the road. “You don’t think he’s there, do you?”

  “I think he’s smart enough to know when he’s been made. He can’t think it’s a coincidence that the reporter and his most avid follower have essentially fallen off the radar.”

  “Okay, so what do you propose?” Sharpe turned onto the highway. “You’re the profiler. What’s he going to do?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I can almost guarantee he won’t do what the video says. The time and place? I think that’s out the window now and he’s working on a new plan. I think the best we can do is get to his place and hope to find something that will give us an idea of what he’s thinking. How desperate he is to prove he’s smarter than us.”

  “The one thing to remember here, Agent Reid, is that this is a man who wants fame. That’s what he’s been seeking since the start of his career, probably. We know he’s fallen out with the Hollywood-types, based on our background and employment check.”

  “Which was why he was working at a third-rate theater,” Kate replied.

  “Exactly. My guess is he’ll prove his point with Dina Knight. I just hope the rest of your team and Moore find her before he gets the chance.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Ben Patrick continued to drive aimlessly through the streets of South LA with Dina Knight still trembling and full of fear as she sat next to him. With Andre Knight in custody, he had no choice but to assume he’d told them everything, including where his next performance would be held. He was lucky to have been able to get Dina before the cops found her. Now he just needed a plan as to what to do with her. Where could he go that would still give the proper effect, and it would need to be a place that would make it easy for him to get quickly out of town before they found her. He could still post his video, but there would be no returning to his home and LA would be history.

  This did present a quandary, but then he recalled a place. He’d met Sanchez there once, early on in their peculiar relationship. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized it could be the perfect place.

  Be
n made a sharp left turn, forcing Dina to press hard into the passenger door.

  “What are you doing? Where are we going?” Her face grew pale and her eyes reddened again. “Please let me go. I’m begging you. I have to get to my children.”

  “Shut up or I’ll take them too.” He continued on this new path. “You’ll know where we’re going when we get there. It’s going to take some time to work on you. I can see that already.”

  His hostage stayed silent for the remainder of the drive and he soon arrived at the old KTLA studio that had been vacated earlier in the year. Vince Sanchez was the brilliant mind behind this location. And as Ben parked the car and peered through the windshield, he could see that much of the old furnishings had remained. Through the glass wall at the back of the studio, he noted the anchor desk was still in place. “What could be a better place than this for my final display?” He turned to Dina with delight. “Let’s go inside and check it out.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Detective Sharpe was the first to approach the apartment door. He raised his palm to Kate, suggesting she stop while he knocked. “Benjamin Patrick? This is LAPD. Open the door.”

  Nothing. Sharpe pursed his lips and knocked again; this time, with more force. “LAPD, open up!” He waited but still nothing. Finally, he turned his attention to Kate. “He’s not here.”

  “We still need to get inside.”

  “Yes. Yes, we do.” Sharpe raised his elbow, which was clad in his favorite leather jacket, and pushed hard into the windowpane next to the door. The glass shattered on impact and he began to clear away the shards for ease of entry. With one leg in, he looked to Kate. “You’re coming in too, right?”

  “You’re damn right I am.”

  “Well, at least he’s a clean person.” Sharpe assessed the small apartment as they stood inside the living room. “Here’s your chance, Agent Reid. I heard you had a knack for finding clues. So have at it.”

  “Where did you hear that?” She began to walk around.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time with your colleagues. Particularly Agent Scarborough. He’s mentioned a thing or two about you.”

  “Great. Well then, you know all about me.” Her guard immediately shot up.

  “No, that’s not what I meant to say. Scarborough just mentioned how you’ve been instrumental in many instances where things had been overlooked. And you’ve had the ability to find them. Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “That’s okay. You didn’t.” She’d begun to regret her sudden jump to a conclusion. “Let’s just take a look around and see what we can find.” Kate moved down the short hall and entered Patrick’s bedroom. “Holy hell.” She placed her hands on her hips and let her eyes absorb the scene.

  “Did you say something?” Sharpe appeared in the doorway.

  “What do you think about this place?” Kate said. “He definitely has an interest in art.”

  The walls displayed posters that were in the vein of Andy Warhol. Bright colors, painted on faces of celebrities. Black and whites with splashes of color on the eyes, cheeks, and lips.

  “Look here.” Kate pointed to one of the posters. “I bet that was one of the films he worked on.”

  “Probably so.”

  “What do you think made this guy flip?” Kate asked. “It seemed like he had a decent career.”

  “Isn’t that your job to figure out?”

  “I guess it is.” Kate began to walk around again. “We’d better keep looking and hope we find something. We don’t have all day to contemplate the mindset of a killer.” Kate continued through the bedroom while Sharpe left her to it and searched the rest of the apartment. What she was looking for, as always, would remain elusive until it presented itself. And even then, she would need to put it into context. It was never as easy as Sharpe had made it sound, and perhaps that was the fault of her supervisor and the man she’d been sleeping with for the past week. He was of the mistaken impression that these things just came to her as if it was a gift. It wasn’t, not really. It was the culmination of her circumstances, being in the right place at the right time and sheer luck. And sometimes, on the odd occasion, help from above, which she gladly accepted. These were the things that made her talent special and unique.

  Kate searched everywhere inside that room and nothing she noted could be of value. This was a man obsessed with creating art and beauty through makeup. That was his instrument of choice. Cover the imperfections; bring forth with light and shadows a false perception of outer beauty. It was all make-believe. Even the deaths of these victims she thought he also perceived as make-believe. All part of the illusion. Yet this brought her no closer to finding where he had chosen to make his presumed last stand.

  She stepped back into the hall and walked inside the bathroom. It was sparkling clean, an anomaly to be certain, especially in a so-called bachelor pad. But again, this displayed his need for perfection in all aspects of his life. “Perfection.” She considered the word. “Where could he achieve perfection in an imperfect environment?”

  Kate turned on her heel and approached Sharpe. “Any luck?”

  “Nothing yet. You?”

  She folded her arms and furrowed her brow. “It’s clear Ben Patrick is obsessed with perfection. We can see that in the way he keeps his home and the way he’s taken care to make up his victims. Even going so far as to keep their wounds hidden beneath their clothing.”

  “Except for pooling blood, but I’m with you so far.”

  “So, where can he go now that will give him the perfect environment in which to achieve his goals?”

  “Okay, maybe I’m not with you.”

  “The title of his video was ‘Magnum Opus,’ meaning a great work of art, or greatest work of art, right?”

  “If you say so.”

  “I think it’s safe to assume that he’s disregarded the previous location, figuring we’ll be there waiting for him, so what if he’s found another, better place?”

  “Like where?”

  “A place like the theater Agent Scarborough and I were at earlier today. A place with lights, a stage, and…” She raised her index finger and turned back toward the bathroom, peeking inside before returning to Sharpe. “Makeup. He’s a makeup artist, and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen a kit around here. Meaning…”

  “Meaning he’s got it with him.”

  She nodded.

  “There are several theaters in Hollywood, even more if you include the rest of LA,” Sharpe said.

  “Maybe we need to search the ones that are closed, or empty, under renovations; things like that where he could slip in and out without being seen.”

  “It does seem like a place like that would be perfect for such a person.” Sharpe considered her theory. “Well, this may all be moot if Scarborough and those guys have tracked down Dina Knight.”

  “Even if they have, it doesn’t guarantee he won’t get someone else. We have to consider that possibility.”

  “Agreed. Let’s head back to the precinct, get in touch with the other team, and create a plan of attack.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  The rest of the team was already back at the station, waiting for the detective and Kate to return. Nick left a message on Kate’s phone, revealing the devastating news that they were unable to find Dina Knight. He now stood in the back entrance, holding the door open as he spotted their return.

  “No luck at the apartment?” he asked Kate.

  “I wouldn’t say we struck out completely.”

  Nick stood aside to let both of them in. “What do you mean?”

  “Your agent here thinks our guy is going to look for an old theater or something like that. Similar to the place you two were at earlier today,” Sharpe replied. “Thinks that’s where he’ll go and I have to say, she’s probably right. Especially considering Dina Knight is now officially missing. Which, by the way, have you told Andre yet?”

  “No. I wasn’t sure h
ow you wanted to handle that. I don’t think he can be of much help now.” Nick let the door fall closed as they walked through the hall.

  “Let’s hold off for the moment. I don’t know how that’ll play out and we don’t need him going ballistic on us right now.”

  “He should know,” Nick said.

  “Yes, but I need a minute to figure this out. Right now, we have to assume Patrick has a hostage and her safety is our priority.” He stopped in front of his office. “What about the kids?”

  “Moore went to the school to get them. They’re here and they’re afraid.”

  “At least they’re safe. They with Child Services?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Let them deal with them for the moment.” He looked around for Kate. “Where did Agent Reid go?”

  Nick cast his eyes around before it appeared to dawn on him. “I bet she’s already in the comm room searching for theaters.”

  “You weren’t kidding about that gift of hers. She does have a certain knack,” Sharpe replied.

  “Told you.” Nick opened the door and Kate was there, just as he predicted. “You looking for where he might’ve taken her?”

  “Yep. We don’t have much time.” Kate stopped typing and turned her chair toward them. “I’ve also got the site open in case Patrick posts any updates.”

  Nick sat down next to her. “How many places have you come up with?”

  “You know, I can get my team to jump in on this too. I bet there will be several locations that will need to be checked out,” Sharpe said.

  “Good. We’re going to need all the help we can get right now.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Kate yanked the list off the printer and rushed back inside the communications room where Sharpe’s team and her own had assembled. “This is it. We’ve got eight names on this list and locations that are spread out in nearly a twenty-mile radius. We’re assuming he won’t go farther out than that, considering he likes to stay close to home.”