by W L Knightly
“And you could have gotten yourself killed, Jo.” His voice had grown harsh, and he knew he needed to control his tone, especially when her brows dipped and her eyes narrowed again.
“I am a competent cop, thank you very much, and I’m mad at myself because I just gave up the chase. It’s bothered me since, and as for missing him, I’ll have you know I’m a damned good shot.”
“Okay, so you dropped the ball. Beat yourself up about it.” He reached across the desk, grabbed one of the Plain Janes, and took a bite. “And yes, I’ll take a cup of that coffee, please.”
She rolled her eyes and fixed him one. “I’m trying not to beat myself up.”
“You could have fooled me.” He took another bite.
“You know, the only reason I reacted the way I did is because I was worried about you.”
“Oh, I get it. So, it’s my fault?” He wasn’t even offended. Instead, he decided to tell her his intentions. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m leaving soon. You won’t have long to put up with me, and I won’t get in your way again.”
She let out a breath. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Good, then I guess I’ll tell you what I’ve decided.”
She took a sip of her coffee, digging into the bag for her own donut. “And what is that? Or do I even want to know? I am a little afraid when you start getting ideas.” She tried to hide her smile with the donut, but it was no use. He could see it in her eyes.
“I’m staying on until the case is done. Hopefully, it won’t take long, but after seeing you get pushed down, I just can’t abandon you now. The Hangman is an animal.”
“Please, I’m a big girl and—”
“And nothing. You heard me, Jo. I’m responsible for you, and I’m not going to let this asshole hurt you. We started this case together, and I don’t quit until the job is done. It will bother me every night of my life if I don’t stop this guy. I’ll make it my last case, but next week is going to come faster than we expected. It’s just not enough time.”
She opened her mouth as if she were going to speak but shook her head instead. “Fine. I’m not going to argue with that, mostly because I want you to stay around too.”
Knowing that made him feel good, especially hearing her say it. “Thanks. I hoped you wouldn’t take it the wrong way. I know you’re going to do just fine when I’m gone, but this case is just too big and too personal for me to bail on.”
The sound of footsteps brought their head around to the door, which Jake had left cracked, and then the chief’s voice sounded out. “I’m glad that you two have no life at home, but I didn’t expect to find either of you here this early.” He pushed the door open and walked into the room.
“Well, just call us eager to solve this case,” said Jake. He wasn’t about to tell Chief O’Connor about his problems, although the man seemed a little out of sorts, as if he had problems of his own.
“Yeah, well, I wanted to talk to you about something,” said the chief. “I know you’re leaving soon, and that you had tried to put off the appointment with your counselor, but I called Dr. Meadows, and she moved your appointment up. In light of what happened the other day, I wanted you to be seen again on company time.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m fine.” Jake glanced over at Jo, who looked away like she might just agree with Chief O’Connor.
“Good, then you have nothing to worry about.” The chief handed Jake a note with the date and time. He glanced over his shoulder. “Now that’s taken care of—”
“I’ve got something to tell you,” Jake said, not wanting the chief to get too far ahead of him. “I was just telling Detective Calloway that I’m going to stay on until this case is finished. If that’s okay, of course.”
The chief looked relieved. “That’s a great idea. I was actually about to ask you the same thing. With what happened the other day, and the fact that the killer has made it personal, I had a feeling you would change your mind.”
“The asshole got a piece of me with that two-by-four, so yeah, I want to nail his dick to one.”
O’Connor nodded. “I don’t blame you. Being named a potential victim hasn’t sat too well with me, and I’m going to be taking some time off.”
“Time off?” Jake couldn’t believe it. He was staying, and the chief was going? “How much time off?”
“Until I know that me and my family are in the clear. I’ve already sent my wife to her sister’s house on the east coast. I’m staying at home, but I’m having Sam patrol my neighborhood.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Jo. “We’ll do everything we can to bring his killer to justice, Chief.”
Chief O’Connor gave her a nervous look. “I know you will. In my time as chief, I’ve had many ups and downs, mindless threats, meaningless words from disgruntled people, but never a direct threat such as this. I hate to say it, but it’s really got me looking over my shoulder.”
Jake still wanted to know why the chief would be a target in the first place. “You still don’t know anything about the case?”
“I told you I don’t, and I mean it.”
Jake shrugged. “But you seem to think that there’s a reason for you to be afraid, and you’ve already sent your wife out of town, and now what? You’re going to go sit in your house and wait for a man to come after you for no reason?”
The chief’s eyes narrowed. “I’d watch it if I were you, Jake. Just because I’m going to try and protect myself doesn’t make me guilty of any wrongdoing. Besides, if you must know, one of the higher-ups doesn’t want me involved in the case anymore. So, it’s out of my hands and into the next.”
Jo could tell that the emotions between the two men were heightened. “That’s totally understandable, Chief. Better safe than sorry. I’m sure those higher-ups have your best interest at heart.”
“Don’t patronize me, Calloway.” He gave her a hard look. “If you detectives do your jobs, then I won’t have any reason to worry, right? And since Jake has decided to stick around, I expect it won’t take long at all. Two heads are better than one, right?” He turned and walked to the door, where he stopped. “There will be an interim chief coming in to relieve me in my absence.”
With that, he turned and left, leaving Jo and Jake to exchange a look.
“A new chief,” said Jo like she thought it was the worst news ever. “And just when I was getting along so well with the old one. So, what do you want to do now?”
“I say we go back and talk to Tanner. He’s the only one who gave us any real information, and I want to know if he knows anything about the Hangman’s past. Maybe the reason his voice was so scratchy. The Hangman could have told Tanner something about an accident or a condition.”
Jo nodded. “That sounds like a good start. Then there would have to be a way to look for him. I have a feeling that our close call might have bought us some time in between killings. His victims are high-profile citizens. He has to know that everyone is on alert, especially us. It’s time for him to take a breather.”
“It’s possible, Jo, but I think once the Hangman sets his sights on someone, he’s not going to let anyone stop him. I think he’s thought about this for a while, and when he planned to act, he was ready to go all the way until it was done.”
“But what if the judge was his final victim? Maybe he’s done?”
Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. “This note would say otherwise. The beginning of the end? Doesn’t sound like he’s finished. At least, not with me.”
Chapter 3
Chief O’Connor
Chief O’Connor hadn’t expected to find himself with a day off, much less spending it on a barstool waiting for a meeting with someone on the other side of the law. The past couple of days had been rough, but with his quick trip to the office, at which time he went ahead and pulled all of the personal items from his desk, he was ready to go into hiding.
Making a stop before he disappeared was necessary, and so was the
vodka in his glass. He had never thought he’d have to pack up his wife, Callie, and ship her off to her sister’s, although he had to admit the peace and quiet was welcome for a change.
But even though they had gone at each other like bitter enemies most evenings, he couldn’t imagine life without the woman. Or leaving her behind. They had been through a lot together, thick and thin, and he’d always vowed that nothing he touched on the job would hurt her. Now, he wasn’t so sure he could keep that promise.
His phone went off, and he hoped it wasn’t another call from the office. The new chief was going to have to figure shit out on her own, but then he glanced at the screen and saw his wife’s smiling face that he’d used as her contact photo.
“Missing me already?” He wondered if she still thought of him the same way he thought about her.
She gave a soft laugh. “I just wanted to call and tell you that I’ve made it safe and sound.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the separation was just what they needed to shake up their day to day. Or perhaps it was just false hope that something positive would come out of the Hangman’s horror. “That’s good news, baby.” It was a relief to hear her voice and know she was well.
“Baby?” she said with a suspicious, yet surprised tone. “You haven’t called me that in years. Is everything okay? I mean, should I worry?”
“No, don’t you worry about anything.” He was doing enough worrying for the two of them.
“Are you sure that your job is secure? I mean, they’ve never just pulled you and put someone else in your place.”
“It’s just because of the investigation, Callie. I told you, it’s fine. They just wanted me to take a leave with things being so close to home.”
“I know, but it’s not like you and Judge Mathews or Officer Daniels were that close. Are they going to replace the other officers too?” He hadn’t told her about the threat against him. Instead, he’d told her that the deaths of the judge and officer Daniels had been too close to home, and because of it, they’d offered him a little time off. “It just feels like something is off.”
“It’s all going to be fine. I don’t want you to waste your time worrying about me. I’ll be here when you get back, and besides, you could go shopping and buy yourself a new dress or handbag or something.”
“Then why didn’t you come with me?” She was still searching for answers that he didn’t want to give. The less she knew, the better. He hadn’t even bothered to tell her the gruesome details about the victims or the hangings, and he’d cautioned her to stay away from the television, which she had hopefully trusted him enough to do.
“You know I can’t get too far away from the job,” he said. “Besides, the new chief is going to need me on standby. And you know your sister can’t stand me. I’d only be a hindrance, and you two need this sister time together. You’re being sweet, but I know you really don’t want me there.”
“That’s not true,” she said. “Well, mostly. I guess I’m just being paranoid. I know it’s terrible, honey, but I just had the feeling on the plane that—never mind. It’s stupid and probably bad luck to say it out loud.”
A cold chill shivered down his spine as he wondered where her thoughts had been. “Go on, tell me.” He held his breath and waited for her to share.
“Well, I just felt sad. Like I’d never see you again.” Her voice broke a little. “I’m sorry. It’s just one of those stupid feelings. I know I’m just overreacting to things.”
He had heard of policemen’s wives having premonitions about their husbands’ deaths, but he tried to put that out of his mind as he responded. “Hey. Don’t you worry about me, baby. I’m going to be fine. And when you’re back home, we’ll make up for all the lost time.”
“Promise?” she asked with a mischievous tone. “Because I can already think of a few ways I want to make up for it.” She gave a little giggle that had had always turned him on. This time was no exception.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. After all those years, she still made his pulse race. “I promise, baby. And I can’t wait too.” He lowered his voice. “Buy something sexy to wear for me.”
He could tell his words made her blush as she giggled. He knew her like the back of his hand. The two of them had both managed to stay in shape, and he still wanted his woman to entertain him now and then.
“You devil. I’ll call you later, okay? Doris wants to take me out to dinner.”
“Okay,” he said, noticing that the person he’d been waiting on had just walked into the bar. “I love you, Callie Rose.” He hung up the phone and pocketed it.
And just like that, all of the sappy feelings were replaced with dread.
O’Connor watched Clay White approach in the mirror behind the bar. The tall, blond, and scar-faced man stopped next to the chief, and O’Connor didn’t turn around.
“How are you?” the chief asked.
“How am I, Paddy? After you go and get yourself removed from your position? Oh, I’m fine. Just peachy in fact. It’s the boss who’s having a hard time with the news.”
O’Connor shrugged. “It’s not my call. That animal, the Hangman, has named me as a potential victim. My superiors have wanted to pull me out for a while. I had no choice, but I can’t say I’m sorry.” The one thing he didn’t like was sitting in a dive bar while he should be looking over his shoulder for a killer.
Clay took the stool beside him. “The boss wants to talk to you anyway. And he’s not happy, so consider that a heads-up. And you’re welcome for it.”
Clay was a cocky asshole for someone who played righthand to a supervillain. The man he worked for was powerful, but Clay was just an errand boy. A dangerous errand boy, but one nonetheless.
“Has he sent any word other than how disappointed he is in me?” O’Connor didn’t give a fuck, but he wanted to know what he would be walking into.
Clay grinned. “He wants you to know not to worry. He’s not going to let anything happen to his assets.” He reached over and patted O’Connor on the back.
The chief jerked away, giving the man a scowling look. “I’m hardly an asset to him, which is why I’m a little worried about this. I knew all of this corruption would come back to bite me in the ass. The dark stain it has left finally spread my way.”
“Oh, don’t act so innocent, Paddy.” The man liked to irritate O’Connor with the stupid nickname, so he wasn’t going to let on that it bothered him. “You knew there would be a price for you getting your position. The time has come to pay the piper.”
“I didn’t think I’d have to inherit all of the blame for the last chief’s indiscretions. I haven’t done a damned thing wrong.” He had thought that he’d be able to start over and leave the shit back home on the east coast behind him. He had not been a big part of the corruption in Spokane, but in New York, that had been a different story. It was another time and place when he hated who he was.
Clay grinned. “No, but you know about plenty, and you don’t do a damned thing about it, do you?” Clay chuckled as O’Connor turned around and gave him a hard look. “Relax, O’Connor. You’ll be pleased to know that we’re taking steps to assure this Hangman asshole isn’t going to get to you.”
“That’s wonderful news since I didn’t want to be involved with any of this shit from the beginning.” He had specifically said so. In fact, getting away from corrupt bullshit was the very reason he’d moved in the first place.
“Well, you are, so don’t forget that.” He took the chief’s drink and downed what was left. “We have a few leads.”
O’Connor gestured for another bourbon, and the bartender obliged, this time bringing a fresh glass and refilling the other. “If you wanted a drink, you could have asked,” said O’Connor. He turned up his new drink, and Clay followed suit with the other. “And leads are good.”
Clay nodded. “We’ll probably find him before those incompetents at your department.”
O’Connor wasn’t even going to dignify the remark w
ith a response. Jake Thomas was a great investigator, despite his personal issues. “I hope you do find this asshole first. Just make sure you do it quickly before anyone else, including me, gets killed.”
The bodies piling up were getting to be too much, especially considering the fact that the killer left them in such bad shape. It wasn’t just the hanging but the other wounds that made it so horrible, and he didn’t want to be left dangling with his entrails hanging out.
Clay stood up from the barstool. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be giving me orders, Paddy. I’ll tell the boss that you wanted me to pass the word along, though. I’m sure he’ll get a real kick out of it.”
“Yeah, and I’m not laughing. Somehow, having a huge fucking target on my back isn’t humorous to me.”
Clay laughed a little louder. “You may not have your power or dignity at the moment, but you have your wits and a gun. I’d keep it on me if I were you.”
“Thanks for the advice, but don’t worry. I’m ready to take down this fucking punk if need be.” He hoped to shoot the bastard right between the eyes.
Clay laughed again. “If I get my way, you won’t have a chance. This prick is bad for business. But at least we don’t have to worry about any loose ends. I don’t know whether he’s hurting or helping.” He shrugged. “You be ready for the boss. I’ll be in touch.”
“I can’t wait,” said O’Connor. He hoped the next time he saw the man, Clay would have much better news for him.
As Clay White walked away, O’Connor took his glass to his lips and downed the rest of his drink. He pushed the glass to the bartender and got up. As he turned around, he felt the eyes of the other patrons on him and felt the sting of guilt, as if each one of them knew they had a reason to hate him.
He walked out and went to his car, looking over his shoulder the whole way. Once inside, he quickly locked his door, as if someone couldn’t just breeze by and pop a bullet through the windshield. But that wasn’t the Hangman’s style, was it? No, he’d want to string him up like the rest.