Guilty Crime

by W L Knightly

  “You’re a gentleman.”

  “Careful, I’ve got a reputation that says otherwise. If too many get wind of me being a softie, I’m finished.”

  “Maybe that’s the note you need to go out on.”

  He tried not to laugh but knew he’d show her his softer side if she ever needed it. He slowed the car, and they turned into the complex where Nina lived. “Do you know which one it is? I’m guessing you probably walked her to the door like a gentleman would?”

  “Yes, I did.” He had even walked her to her bed and tucked her in, mostly because she had passed out in his car just after she tried to slap him for turning her down.

  Jo was smiling at him, and he shook his head. “Stop looking at me like that. I didn’t sleep with her.”

  She held up her hands. “I believe you. But you do protest a bit too much. Maybe you—”

  “I didn’t kiss her either. She kissed me.” She had leaned over and kissed him while he started the car, and that was two seconds before she put her hand down his pants.

  “Come on, you kissed her back, didn’t you?” From her big shit-eating grin, Jo was clearly enjoying herself.

  “Enough. Nothing happened. I let her down easy, tucked her in, and went home. Now, let’s get up there and see if we can find her.”

  Jo giggled. “Okay, I believe you.”

  He parked and didn’t say another word to Jo, who fought the giggles as they got out of the car and walked toward the building.

  “Are you going to laugh the whole time?” he asked. “We could be walking into a trap or even find this girl dead. And you’re laughing?”

  She took a deep breath and wiped off her smile. “You’re right. It’s not funny. I’m sorry.” He could tell she was fighting the urge as her lips twitched. “But one day, you’re telling me the whole story.”

  “Deal. After a bottle of tequila, and you have to tell me your most embarrassing moments too.”

  Jo nodded. “You have a deal.” She let out a long breath and looked up toward the building. “Come on. We better go see if she’s around. Maybe she’s just sick.”

  “It’s possible she’s too sick to call in. If she has that ugly stomach flu going around, I could believe it.”

  They walked into the building and then made their way to the elevator. Jake stood against the back wall after pushing the button, and Jo had already forgotten all about his history with Nina.

  The elevator stopped, and they stepped out. Jo looked down the hall where there were two other doors. “If the Hangman came after her here, he took a chance. I think we should check the security cameras.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Jake said. “We don’t know that anything’s happened yet.” He paused. “And if he was here, I’ll bet you the cameras didn’t get anything. The man is good. No way he’s on camera.”

  “Well, he’s not walking around in the light of day with a hood on,” argued Jo. “At least not here. Someone must have noticed if he did.”

  She had a point, but Jake still didn’t believe he’d make it that easy. They approached the door. “Did she give you a key?” she asked, the sly smile already on her face.

  “As a matter of fact, I do have a key.” He took the lock pick from his wallet, and in two seconds, the door was open, just like that. “Call it a master key to the entire town.”

  “You want to risk going in there? What if she’s asleep? What if she’s just out? She isn’t going to like us going in.”

  Jake shrugged. “We say the door was unlocked, and we had suspicion. I’ll take my chances with the legalities.” He pushed the door open and went in. “Nina?”

  He didn’t go in any farther, but there was no answer. “Nina, it’s Jake Thomas. I’m here to check on you.” He waited for an answer, and when he didn’t get one, he walked into the living room and then the kitchen. Jo walked to the bedroom, and Jake joined her, looking in the master bathroom while she checked the closet and guest rooms.

  Jake spotted her handbag on the bed. “She wouldn’t go anywhere without that, I’m guessing.”

  “Here’s the clothes she wore the last time we saw her. She must have changed. I’m guessing she got home, changed, and someone came in and took her.”

  As they walked back out to the living room, Jake noticed something on the floor. “What’s this?” He looked at the orange cap on the floor. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “It goes to a hypodermic needle.”

  “Then it’s what I thought it was. Get out your camera, and let’s start processing this scene. Someone took her. We’ll have to figure out where.”

  Jo took out her camera and started snapping photographs of the cap, the handbag, and the rest of the house.

  “I’m calling this in,” Jake said. “If I can get Kevin down here, he might know where to look next. He’s the only person who knows her well enough to know her habits.”

  Jo walked past the small dining room table to the kitchen. “Jake.”

  He stopped what he was doing and turned around. “What is it?” She pointed to the table. “He knew you’d come.”

  He stepped closer and saw what she was looking at. In the middle of the table, there was an envelope.

  “It’s got your name on it.” Jo stepped back and put her hand on her heart. “He really has her. We know that for sure now.”

  He went over, and sure enough, it did. “It’s just like the other letters.”

  She took a deep breath and turned to him. “Well, aren’t you going to read it?”

  Jake picked the letter up as Jo called in the rest of the team. As her voice faded out, he opened the envelope. With the Hangman’s raspy voice in his head, he read the letter.

  I knew you’d come, but you’re too late. You couldn’t save the rest, and you can’t save her. Keep your head up, Detective. Justice finds everyone.

  “What does it say?” asked Jo, who was already off the phone. She looked over his shoulder.

  “It sounds familiar. I just don’t know why.”

  “He’s telling you that he knows he’s going to be caught. If justice finds everyone, that would include him.”

  Jake felt like she was right, but it was hard to tell. “That might include us all. Who is without sin? Where does it end with this guy?”

  “I don’t think he’s concerned with sins. He’d have to kill himself. He’s only concerned with revenge.” Her warm hand landed on Jake’s back, and he turned toward her.

  The space between them disappeared as she put her hand on his arm, but before he reached out and pulled her closer, he turned away. “I’m sick of this case. I want to catch this asshole, but I feel like he’s only going to be caught on his terms.”

  Jo let out a long breath and then raked her hand through her hair. “We’re going to get him.”

  Jake was too frustrated to deal. He put the letter back on the table and sat down on the couch in the living room.

  Jo joined him. “I’m sorry it’s all fucked up.”

  “He keeps dragging me in. This is my punishment for staying.”

  “I’m glad you’re sticking around to help. I don’t know what I’d do with this guy without you.” She put her hand on his arm again, and Jake looked up and met her eyes.

  It was sweet of her to comfort him, but if she knew the feelings of desire he had for her, she probably wouldn’t be so willing. Before either could speak another word, his phone rang. “Shit, it’s the chief.”

  “The new chief or the old one?” She leaned back in her seat as Jake answered the call and her question. “O’Connor, I was just about to call you.”

  “Yeah, I bet you were. What’s happened? I heard there was a call. There’s another murder?”

  “Not this time, just a missing person. I’m positive the Hangman has her. It’s Nina from forensics. I guess she was involved somehow.”

  “How can you be sure she’s not off with some man?”

  “Well, other than the fact that she didn’t take her personal
items, he left a letter again with my name on it, along with the cap to the hypodermic needle he used to put her out.” The sound of sirens turned his head toward the window.

  “Get that thing bagged. I want prints done on that.”

  “Good call, Chief. Because I’d have never thought of that.” He took a deep breath, wishing the man would just let him do his job.

  “Don’t talk your shit to me, Jake! I told you to keep me informed. I want you to call me later with a full report.”

  “Will do. I have to go. The first responders are here.” He hung up and looked at Jo. “Who is it?”

  Jo walked to the window. “They must have come in already. Looks like Sam’s car.”

  Sure enough, a minute later, there was a knock on the door. “Sam, you’re always first on the scene.”

  “Hey, what can I say? I drive like a bat out of hell, and I know every shortcut in town.” He walked into the apartment. “What’s the problem? This is Nina’s house. I’ve been here once.”

  “Not you too,” said Jo.

  Sam got a sly look on his face and wagged his brows.

  Jake wasn’t going to go down that road again. “She’s missing. It’s the Hangman. He left his calling card, which happened to be another letter addressed to me.” He walked him over to the table.

  “And you opened it?” asked Sam. “The new chief probably won’t like that. She’s a stickler for things being done by the book.”

  “And I’m a stickler for opening my own mail.”

  About that time, more arrived on the scene, and minutes later, Kevin arrived. “Tell me she’s okay.”

  Jake could see the worry in the man’s eyes. “I wish I could. I don’t know where she is. But if we don’t find her soon, it might be too late. If it’s not already.”

  “She doesn’t have any family here. She came to the department four years ago, and that was after a nasty breakup. She never talks about a boyfriend, but I’m pretty sure she sees someone. She texts a lot, and she’s always smiling when she does. Since she doesn’t have many friends, I can only guess it’s because it’s a boyfriend. No one else wants that many selfies.”

  “Do you think any of the guys at the lab would know anything?” Jake asked.

  “Gary will be along shortly, and I’ll ask Jon when I get back. But none of them were close to her. She was mean to them for the most part.”

  “When you’re done processing the place, I’ll need you to write down a list of all of her fuck-ups. I know she’s been in trouble. I need to know every instance she was reprimanded. She’s done something to set this fucker off.”

  “That’s Nina, though. She’s good at setting people off.” Kevin let out a long breath and shook his head. “I can’t believe this shit is happening.”

  “You and me both.” Jake looked down at the letter, wondering who would be next.

  Chapter 10

  Jake

  Jake entered the dark room and saw another hanging person, this one hidden in the shadows. A beam of light shined across a high-heeled shoe. The sound of his cell phone nearly shook him from his skin.

  He jarred awake, bolting upright in his bed. “Fuck!” He looked over at the bedside table and answered his phone. “What?”

  “Woah, sorry. Did I wake you?” Jo’s soft voice relaxed him a bit.

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. The way that dream was going, I only had a few more minutes in me.” He was bound to wake up when the imagery got too intense.

  “Well, I hate to add to your nightmares, but I just got a call from the new chief. They found Nina.”

  “Let me guess. She’s dangling from a beam somewhere?”

  “Yeah, they found her in the Rockford Hotel. I’ll meet you there.”

  Jake sat up, scratching his stubbly chin. “Sounds good.”

  In order to be there when she arrived, he needed to hurry, but he really needed to shower off the cold sweat his dream had given him. Normally, he wouldn’t give a fuck. He’d go down to the scene with morning breath and musk, but he had never let Jo see him that way. She was a bit closer anyway, and as much as he wanted to beat her to the scene, there was no way he could.

  After a quick rinse in the shower, where he also brushed his teeth and gargled, he dressed and made his way to the scene.

  Arriving a little later than usual was strange, especially since he’d been given a head start on most of the scenes. He walked into the hotel room and found Jo already snapping photos. Nina hung from a hook in the ceiling.

  The woman’s body was a limp, bloody noodle, but the one thing different than before was the fact that she wasn’t cut up as badly as the others. “It’s good to see her intestines haven’t been ripped out.”

  “Jake, thank God you’re here. Chief Milner is on her way.”

  “Then I got here just in time. I take it you’ve handled everything thus far with impeccable professionalism.” He had faith that she had done everything he would have done. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  “Let’s hope. I’ve heard she’s a bit shrewd.”

  “There are worse things to be.” He turned around and looked at the wall. “Did you get photos of that already?”

  “I solved it already,” said Jo with a big grin. “It’s—”

  “Misconduct,” he said, finishing her sentence. “It’s an easy one. Especially considering her track record.”

  “It was pretty easy,” she said with a shrug. “Kevin is on his way too. Gary was the first one here. He’s hanging in, but I think this hit him harder than he expected.”

  He imagined that most of the lab would have a hard time with Nina’s loss at first. It was strange to see someone every day, work with them, hate them. You got used to a certain amount of abuse. “I bet they are all questioning if they should have hated her so much,” Jake mumbled.

  Jo gave him a sideward look. “And what about you? Any regrets?”

  He took a deep breath and looked up at Nina’s bloated face. “I do wish I’d have stopped this from happening. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemies.” He couldn’t get over how superficial some of her wounds were. “Tell me, do you notice anything different about her compared to the others?”

  “Aside from the obvious, that she wasn’t ripped apart?”

  “That’s just it. She wasn’t. And the only other thing different about her is the fact that she’s a woman.”

  Jo shook her head. “So, you’re saying that he took it easy on her?”

  “Well, it’s why he did that has me curious.”

  “It’s easier to cut up a man than a woman. I’m sure she begged for her life.”

  “Perhaps she reminded him of someone? Someone he loved? Maybe he loved her or knew her?” Jake had to figure out what had made the Hangman go soft on this woman.

  Jo looked up. “I’m surprised the bolt in the ceiling held.”

  “She’s pretty lightweight. It probably took her longer to die. I’m sure Kevin will be able to tell.” He knew the process of dealing with the murder was going to be hard on Kevin and the team. And about that time, the man appeared in the doorway.

  The room fell silent. “Jesus,” he said, walking over with his case in his hand. He sprang into action as Gary approached. “Let’s get this processed so we can get her down.”

  Before Jake could say a word, the other officers scattered, and Sam, who had been quiet but standing close, stepped up to Jake’s left. “Incoming,” he whispered.

  Jake turned and looked at the door. Chief Milner had arrived. “Here we go,” he muttered.

  She hadn’t bothered to make an appearance the day before, and while Jake had seen her in her office once, he hadn’t had the time to stop and make introductions, nor had she found the time to introduce herself either.

  Jake couldn’t help but see she looked lost as a goose and that she was trying her hardest not to look at the corpse in the room. “Hello,” she said as she approached. “I’m Chief Milner.”

  “I’m Detective Thomas, and this i
s Detective Jo Calloway.”

  “What have we got here? I’ve been briefed on the Hangman, but I’ve never had the honor of seeing his handiwork.”

  “He likes to play the game Hangman with his victims. It’s a means of torture to him, and we believe it’s to make them admit why they are guilty in some way. Each word lines up to what the victim is guilty for, or so it would seem.”

  “So, he really is making himself judge and jury.” She crossed her arms. “Just like Patrick said.” It was strange for Jake to hear O’Connor called by his first name, and the way it rolled off Milner’s tongue was interesting too. She turned and looked at the wall. “Misconduct.”

  Jake glanced over at Jo, who gave him a hard look. Then she turned to Milner. “Due to the violent nature of the crimes, we also believe that the Hangman has a personal issue with these people, even though he’s making it seem like he’s a vigilante hero, doing the town a favor. He even calls himself Hangman.”

  “How do you know that? Has he left a calling card?”

  Jake and Jo exchanged a look. “He’s left a few letters for me, actually.”

  “For you? As in—”

  “With my name on them, yes. It seems he preferred that I retire before he got started. But what he didn’t count on was me sticking around to train my replacement.”

  Chief Milner’s eyes narrowed. “O’Connor didn’t tell me you were on your way out.”

  Jake took a deep breath and let it out before responding. “Yeah. He’s in a bit of denial that I’m really leaving.”

  “When is your last day?”

  “It was supposed to be tomorrow, but it looks like I’m around until we catch this killer.” Jake took another look at Nina, who was having her picture taken. “I was just telling Calloway that the injuries to this victim are not as severe as some of the last ones.”

  Milner glanced up at Nina and winced. “You mean it’s usually worse? This is the shit nightmares are made of.”

  Jake wondered if Patrick had filled her in on his little problem. “Indeed, they are.”