by Andrew Hess
“We’re going to need the name and location of these self-help meetings.” I turned to the guard. “Can you get us paper and something to write with?” He nodded and exited the room. “What else can you tell us about Russel?”
“He was charming and knew how to pull information out of you. It was like he knew me before we met.”
“In a previous meeting, you said he was behind several murders including the Campus Killer case. How do you know this for sure?”
“He approached me after a meeting one night and offered to take me out for coffee. I don’t know why I accepted, but I found myself so distracted that I agreed. We talked about a number of subjects including why I was really going to the meetings.”
“Why were you going to the meetings?” I asked.
“I’d rather not say.”
“Please, it may be pertinent to building a case against him,” Ms. Reed interrupted. It was weird to hear her take my side.
“I was drugged and raped months before I found the group. I was at a conference and one of the doctors there had a bet with his friends on who would sleep with me. He made sure he won.”
“What did he say after he brought it up?” I asked.
“He told me he could help me get even with the man who was responsible. I laughed in his face, but then he told me he helped a friend get even with his former housemates.” She wiped her eyes as the guard returned with the paper and pen. “I didn’t believe him at first, and thought he was insane to suggest it. Then he showed up at my hospital the day after…” Her eyes shifted from side to side. Based on her body language I believed she was considering how much of the story she wanted to admit.
“The day after what?” I asked.
“I plead the fifth,” she replied. “Just know he kept showing up after certain incidents. Then one day I found a box on my doorstep. It had a few things inside along with video from the night I was drugged and raped. I knew it was him trying to help me.”
I slid the pen and paper towards Claire. “Please, write down the group name and where they meet.” Once I had the information we needed, I turned to Ms. Reed. “I need you to take this and get us whatever warrants I’ll need to talk to this group, their leaders, and go through their records.”
“Dr. Cain, we will do everything we can to track down this monster and bring him to justice.” Ms. Reed stood up and placed the paper in her briefcase. “In the meantime, the paperwork should go through by tomorrow for your transfer. We will make the arrangements and get you into a more secure prison quickly.”
I looked back at Claire, feeling sorry for the woman. “I’m sorry for the loss of your friends. Mark my words; I’ll find this asshole and take him down.”
I sent text messages to James, Rodney and Lieutenant Esposito to meet me at my house. They were waiting on my porch when I arrived.
“You’re late,” Rodney shouted. The Lieutenant whispered something to the guys I couldn’t hear, but saw them laughing in response.
“You won’t be laughing when you hear what I have to say.” I unlocked the door and let everyone in. “Get comfortable, we’re gonna be here a while.” I waited for everyone to get settled before telling them what happened with Dr. Cain at the prison. “Ms. Reed is working on getting us the warrants we need to poke around their records.”
“Where’s your computer?” Rodney asked. “Let’s see when their next meeting is and check it out.”
“Good idea. James, can you fill us in about the findings from the crime scene?”
“According to the C.S.U. team, there was no sign of forced entry and no fingerprints on Ms. Reynold’s clothes. There was a towel on the floor of the bedroom, leading us to believe she took a shower right before she died. They retrieved an empty bottle of wine from the recycling bin and an empty glass on the counter.”
“Do we have a cause of death?”
“Not at the moment, but my money is on poison.”
“Why do you say that?” Esposito asked.
“There were no signs of struggle, no strangulation marks, and no blood. There could be the possibility of suffocation, but with the wine glass and bottle, it seemed like the better option.”
“Okay, say that’s true; was it just a glass or the whole bottle?”
“I had the C.S.U. team take both to see if they could find any traces of poison, chemical, or anything other than the wine. I just wish I knew how he was getting into the houses without anyone noticing.”
“What about a spare key?” the Lieutenant asked.
It was as if the lightbulbs in our heads went off simultaneously. “James, when was the last time you checked on the spare key at your house?”
“Not since we used it to make you and your sister copies. You think that’s how he’s getting in?”
“I don’t know, but I think we should check with all the neighbors around Sheila and Rebecca’s houses. Let’s see if they saw anyone walking into the house, not just anyone suspicious.”
“I’ll call and put a team on it right now,” Esposito said as he pulled his cell from his pocket.
“James, I want you to go back to your house. Check on the spare key, see if anything seems out of place with it.”
“I’m on it, Ali.” He glanced around the room to make sure no one was watching before giving me a peck on the lips. He hurried out the door. Hearing the roar of his engine made me second guess sending him out alone, but I needed to handle the investigation from my house.
“Ali, I just checked the website. The next time the self-help group meets is next Wednesday. How do you wanna handle it?”
“James and I will check it out once the warrants clear. If we can’t get what we need, I’ll need you to go in undercover.”
“Alright, back in the game,” Rodney cheered.
“Unofficially,” the Lieutenant reminded him. “Until you are cleared of all charges, everything you do is unofficial. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
We waited for another half hour before James called. “The spare key was on the wrong side of the door.”
“So that explains how he got in the house, but not how he bypassed your security system.”
“I’ll work on figuring that out. I’ll meet you back at your place in a little while. I want to see if there was a way he could see us entering the code from outside.”
“Just be careful and get back here as soon as you can.” I hung up with James and told the others what he found. “I think we need to go through the victims’ personal belongings and find their keys.”
“And do what?” Rodney asked. “You think someone’s gonna remember making copy of those keys?”
“They might, but we won’t know until we ask.”
“I’ll have it pulled from evidence and pick them up myself,” the Lieutenant said. “I’ll make photocopies of them and hand them out to the crew. Maybe one of them can find a hardware store that remembers them.” Esposito checked his phone again. “I need to be heading back. My daughter is supposed to video chat with my wife and I in an hour.”
“Why where is she?” Rodney asked.
“She’s away in England for the summer. She’s supposed to be back in a couple of weeks.”
“Alright Lieu, give her our best,” I said while walking him to the door. “Do me a favor, keep me posted on everything. I wanna know the minute any of the crew turns up anything on this guy.”
“Don’t worry, Ali. We’ll get him.”
“I know, but I can’t guarantee he’ll make it to arraignment.”
“I’ll let that comment slide. Just find the asshole already.”
Chapter 31-Ali
The sunshine entered my room through my curtains. It was a routine I had become accustomed to the last time I lived in this house, and thankful to have again. It gave me a sense of normalcy that had been lacking for so long. Glancing back at James, I decided it was time to take back my life. Slipping out from the arm draped across my body, I quietly dug out my running gea
r and dressed for another part of my morning routine that I had neglected. I left a note for James and Amanda to know where I went, and texted Rodney to see if he wanted to meet.
Living at my old house gave me the luxury of being close to the walkway. A ten minute drive took me from my driveway to the dirt parking lot next to the entrance. I took my time stretching as I waited for Rodney to show. When his car finally pulled up, he tossed me a bottle of water, quickly stretched, and met me at the gate.
“You ready?” he asked.
“You know it.”
We started out with a brisk walk which broke into a jog. We were half way down the walkway before either of us decided to speak.
“So how’s it going with you and Mr. Hot Shot?”
“Good, I guess.”
“What do you mean; you guess?”
“It’s new to me. We haven’t really figured out what we are just yet.” I felt guilty in saying that, but it was true. James and I haven’t given a title to what we were.
“Are you over him?”
My head snapped towards Rodney. “You know I’ll never be over him. He was the first guy I ever loved.”
Rodney stopped causing me to trip as I glanced back. “Ali, no one said you have to forget him. I get it. A part of you will always love him, but make sure that part doesn’t interfere with what you’ve got with Thornton.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I moved to the guard rail with Rodney following close behind. “I wish I knew how to move on from it all, but I don’t. I keep thinking once we catch the real killer, that I’ll be able to move forward with my life.” I looked to Rodney for a confirmation of his understanding. “What happens if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t move on?”
“Ali, the only one preventing you from moving on is you. You need to learn to let him go and to live your life. That’s what he would’ve wanted.”
“How would you know what he wanted? You met him a couple of times. You barely knew him.”
“If you don’t believe me, then ask someone who did know him. Find someone who knew him better than you, and ask them what Matthew would’ve wanted.”
There were only a few people in the world that knew Matthew better than I did, and that was his family. “You know; I’ve been meaning to stop by his mother’s house again.”
“Okay, but let’s finish this run first.”
It took us an hour to get to the end of the walkway and run back across to the parking lot. We said our goodbyes before jumping in our cars. I decided to use the few minutes it would take me to drive home to call Matthew’s mother.
“Hi Mrs. Alvarado, it’s detective Ali Ryan.”
“Ali? Oh it’s so good to hear from you. How are you?”
“I’m doing as well as can be expected. I was wondering if I could stop by later today and talk to you.”
“Sure thing. My boys already left for work so we have the place to ourselves. Feel free to come over whenever you’d like.”
“Okay, I’m just getting back from a run with a friend, and have to stop in to the station for a bit, but I’ll be over this afternoon.”
As I got home from my morning run, I found James half asleep walking towards the bathroom. He saw me coming down the hall and stopped next to the door.
“You need the shower?” he asked.
“It’s okay, you can go first.”
“We can always go in together.” He wiggled his eyebrows emphasizing his intentions.
“I think we need to make yours a cold shower to cool you off. Besides, we have an impressionable pain in the ass sleeping across the hall.”
“I heard that,” Amanda shouted from her bed. “And we agreed you won’t do it in any communal areas.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You heard her. Guess you’ll need to find another way to cool off.”
“Or I’ll just wait until we’re back in your room.” His hands grabbed the elastic in my workout pants and pulled me closer to him.
“We have to be at the station to check-in with Esposito and see if Ms. Reed was able to get the warrants we needed.”
“You take all the fun out of morning; you know that.”
“Just be happy I don’t make you go running with me. Then you’d really know how much fun you could have.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Suit yourself, but that means I get the shower first.” I jumped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me, in case he got any more ideas about joining me.
An hour and a half later, we were both dressed and ready to drive to the station. Knowing how it would look, we decided to take two separate cars. He pulled up next to me at the first stoplight on Route-9W. I saw his eyebrow raise as the corner of his mouth turned into a smile that goaded me into racing him the rest of the way.
I floored the gas the moment the light turned green. Weaving in and out of the lanes filled with cars, with James matching me move for move. By the time I hit Route-299 he was nowhere to be found. Thinking he got stuck behind someone he couldn’t get around, I continued down the road to the station. As I pulled into the lot, I found the white Audi sitting out front.
How the hell did he get here before me? I parked my car and stormed up to the doors.
“I guess I won,” he joked.
“You cheated.”
“I took a shortcut.”
“You mean you cheated.”
“It’s called a race. First person to get to the destination wins.”
Feeling a bit hot under the collar, I asked the loaded question I knew I’d regret asking. “Okay, so what do you win?”
The look in his eyes was predatory. He placed one hand on the wall outside the station. The other snaked around my waist. “You,” he whispered as his lips pushed against mine. Every thought about being caught or it being inappropriate to do in the workplace went out the window the moment I felt his strong hands pull me closer.
I knew if I didn’t push him away it would escalate into something we didn’t want to be caught doing. My palms rested on his chest. I tried put distance between us, but found them balling up fists of his shirt.
“Come on, guys,” Rodney’s loud smooth voice shouted from the parking lot. “Get a damn room already.”
I released my hold on James’ shirt as his grip around my waist loosened. Slowly stepping away, our cheeks reddened with the thought of being like school kids caught making out in a closet or empty classroom. I could hear the station doors close around the corner from where we stood. I pushed James away as we smoothed our clothes and hid our faces.
“Whoa, did we just walk in on something?” Officer Lombardo asked. His shit eating grin burned my cheeks with embarrassment. He took another step towards us. “Damn Detective, didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Fuck you, Lombardo,” I spat. But before he could reply, James stepped in front of me. One arm keeping me behind him; the other was ready to strike.
Rodney hurried towards us, helping me to restrain him. Lombardo took it as a challenge and was ready to fight as well. He came in for a cheap shot, but I saw it coming. Stepping around James, I hooked Lombardo’s arm, using a Judo flip to take him down to the ground. Officer Reyes came rushing to Lombardo’s side, making sure he didn’t get up swinging.
“Get off me, Rodney,” James snarled. I backed up towards him before he broke free.
“It’s over,” I shouted.
“Your boyfriend started it,” Lombardo growled.
“Yeah, and I finished it. Reyes, help your partner off the ground and get going. Rodney, take the other hot head inside.”
Reyes mumbled something to Lombardo who quickly scrambled to his feet. “Don’t think this is over, Ryan.”
“You threatening her?” James grunted as he lunged forward again. This time it took Rodney and me to hold him back.
“Keep it up, big shot. I’ll make sure you and that little piece of ass get put on desk duty for the next year.”
The station doors opened, l
etting a few more officers stumble out to see who was shouting. When they saw two officers being separated, they joined the fray forming a barrier between the two men. Another ran inside, based on what happened next, I assumed he told the Lieutenant there was a fight out in the parking lot.
“What the hell is going on out here?” Esposito snapped. His Columbian accent was distinctly noticeable as his anger increased. He stopped next to Rodney. “I want you three in my office now.” As we pushed James inside the station, I saw the Lieutenant walking towards Lombardo, no doubt trying to get his side of the story first.
Esposito returned to his office ten minutes later, slamming the door behind him as he entered the room. “You mind telling me what the hell happened out there?”
I told the Lieutenant what happened from our perspective while James did his best to cool off. Rodney corroborated my story while James just nodded.
“Did either of you want to make a formal statement?” Esposito asked, knowing full well it would only lead to more trouble.
“I think everyone just needed to blow off a little steam.”
“Then I suggest you do it on your own time and not in the station’s parking lot.” He looked around the room. “Now, can we get on with our meeting?”
“Sure, did any of the guys turn up anything?”
“None of the neighbors recall seeing anyone suspicious or anyone walking into Ms. Reynold’s house. But a few said they saw a silver Honda sitting across the street. It was there every night for about four or five hours, and it was gone before they went to bed. Most of them just thought it was someone stopping by a friend’s house.”
“Did any of them happen to get a plate number?” James asked.
“No, they didn’t find it suspicious at the time.”
Knowing the neighbors would amount to nothing, I quickly changed the subject. “Did anything turn up on the keys?”
“Most of the stores were closed last night when I called it in. I’m sending out more teams today. Hopefully, someone will find the right store.”