He’d use magic to save his mother.
“I’ve got an idea,” Logan said as he heard Navarro start his car in the background. “I’m going to plug a cord into my tape recorder and connect it to the phone. I need you to yell as loud as you can when I tell you. You’re going to say, ‘Stop! Police! We have the place surrounded!’ You need to sound really mean when you say it.”
“Come on, Logan. It’s going to be all right.”
“No, it’s not. You need to do this for my mom. I mean it, Uncle Ray. I won’t let anything happen to her. We need to record your voice. Right now!”
“All right. Tell me when.”
Logan’s fingers remained steady while he plugged the cord into the tape recorder and then the other piece into the bottom slot of the wireless phone.
“When I say ‘go,’ count to ten first in your head before you start talking. One Mississippi, two Mississippi . . . and then yell as loud as you can. Okay?”
“All right.”
“Go!” Logan said.
Logan hit the record button, silently mouthed the numbers until he reached ten, and then Navarro came in on cue.
“Stop! Police! We have the place surrounded!” Navarro yelled.
* * *
Julia pulled the blue dress over her head, knowing she had to keep Jeremiah away from Logan. She was sure Logan called Navarro, but the longer the police took to arrive, the more urgency Logan would feel to rescue his mother personally. Even though Logan gave her his promise. A knot of fear grew inside Julia, and she willed her little boy not to come into the apartment.
Jeremiah stroked the length of Julia’s hair with his hand. He then leaned in close and inhaled her scent.
He reached into the duffel bag and retrieved two black candles, which he lit and placed on the floor. “Open your hand. This will hurt, but it will be worth it.”
“No, I won’t do it.”
“You will. If you don’t, after I kill you, I’ll find your boy and do the same thing to him. Just a drop, Julia, that’s all. Just enough to let them know you’re here.”
Julia tried to pull away, but Jeremiah grabbed her hand and pried her fist open. He took the tip of the blade from his knife and slipped it across her index finger in one fast, deep slice. Julia bit her lip as hard as she could to stop herself from crying out, because she knew Logan would try to save her if he heard his mom in distress.
Jeremiah squeezed the fresh cut, and Julia suppressed a scream. He turned her hand over and placed her injured finger over one of the black candles. His eyes seemed to grow bigger in delight as he looked on at Julia’s drops of blood falling into the flame.
“My turn,” Jeremiah said. “It’s a prelude for what’s to come next for both of us.” He took the black-and-green knife and repeated the gruesome ritual with his own left index finger and let the blood from his cut drip down into the second black candle.
“Dance with me, Julia. We’re so close to it now.”
Jeremiah grabbed Julia’s arm and pulled her to him. She reared her strong runner’s leg back and kicked him as hard as she could, but Jeremiah wouldn’t let go.
“You’re spoiling it! You’re not supposed to spoil it. You need a lesson in who’s in control, my bright and shiny girl.”
Jeremiah threw Julia to the ground. She scrambled to get up, but he was already on top of her, pinning her body down with his hips. He threw the knife onto the floor, away from Julia’s grasp, and wrapped both his hands around her throat.
And then he began to squeeze.
“You are going to listen to me and do as I say.”
Julia pounded her feet against the floor and grabbed at Jeremiah’s hands, trying to pry them off her neck, all the while struggling to breathe, as if she were underwater drowning, struggling to hold on to that very last breath until she could resurface back to the top of the water.
The room began to lose color, fading to black and white. And then all began to disappear behind a light, filmy cloud as Julia started to lose consciousness. A vision of something red, like a crimson drop on a white rose, flashed by. She looked out to the patio, where she thought, in her mind’s eye, she saw a flicker of a little boy in a red shirt, with dark, shiny hair, standing on the other side, with his hand pressed against the glass.
* * *
Logan crouched down on Navarro’s patio with the tape recorder clutched tightly in his hand. He looked at the dead air of space that separated Navarro’s terrace from the one that belonged to the temporary apartment and had no idea if his plan would work.
It was desperation time. But he had to try.
Logan leaned over the railing as far as he could toward the apartment’s patio, hit the play button, and then aimed the little recorder in the direction of a brown mat outside the other terrace’s sliding glass door, tossing it underhand. He watched the tape recorder sail through the air and felt as though he were trying to land an impossible three-point shot on the basketball court right before the final buzzer sounded.
Logan crossed his fingers as the tape recorder hit its mark and landed on the mat.
“Three. Two. One,” Logan counted backward.
“Stop! Police! We have the place surrounded!” Navarro’s voice boomed from the recorder.
Logan spotted Navarro’s Chevy Tahoe pull to a stop in front of the apartment.
They were running out of time, Logan realized. He ran into the kitchen, pulled out a steak knife from a rack, and ran as fast as he could to save his mother.
* * *
Julia began to choke and gasp for air when Jeremiah Landry released his grip from her throat.
The Magic Man Killer got up quickly and looked, to Julia, at first like a shadow unattached to a body as she watched him snatch up his knife and run to the patio door.
Julia willed herself not to pass out and climbed back up to her feet. She couldn’t lose this moment, the only chance she would have to escape, and turned around to the door when it banged open.
Julia looked on in horror at Logan, who stood on the other side, brandishing a knife.
“No, baby!” She tried to run to his side, but the cool, sharp edge of Jeremiah Landry’s knife pressed against the base of her throat.
“Let my mom go,” Logan said. He held out his own knife in front of him, strong, unflinching, and steady, like a small, mighty child warrior, refusing to give in to defeat.
“Logan. A coming-of-age ritual we both will share. I saw my mother’s fresh kill. But you’ll do me even one better. You get to watch your mother’s murder. I would’ve liked to have seen that.”
“No!” Logan cried. Logan started to run into the room when a large arm shot around the side of the doorway and yanked him out of sight.
Julia watched the veins of Jeremiah’s arms stand out as he tightened the grip of his knife around her neck.
Navarro shot a quick look inside the room from behind the door, and then moved into the apartment slowly, with his gun trained at the Magic Man Killer.
“This is not a recording this time. Drop your weapon. Now.”
“It’s you. Of course it is. It’s predestined, all of this. Demons versus angels. I see who you are. Our famous final scene for the girl. But Julia’s empty. Just like me. You’re out.”
“Drop the knife,” Navarro said. “Gooden, don’t move.”
“I got a real good sense about people. You’ve got darkness licking like flames around your soul. That taste will make you greater than you’ve ever dreamed.”
The shrill peal of police sirens sounded their warning in the background and caused Jeremiah to turn his head toward the patio for a split second.
“This is not how we’re supposed to end, Julia.”
A shot rang out from Navarro’s gun, striking Jeremiah on the left side of his skull, the point farthest away from Julia.
The knife that had been embedded against Julia’s throat fell away as the Magic Man Killer collapsed on the floor.
Jeremiah Landry, the parks-and-rec refe
ree nobody paid much attention to, who so easily blended in with his mask he wore in the real world, and the demon who killed at least two women, while hiding in plain sight, was finally dead.
“Are you okay, Julia?”
“I’m fine,” she answered, and ran into the hallway, where Logan was standing just outside the apartment door, still clutching the knife in his hand. Julia grabbed her son and hugged him so tightly, she thought both of them might break.
“Thank you, baby,” Julia told Logan. “But don’t ever do that again.”
CHAPTER 31
The street in front of Jeremiah Landry’s house was jammed with police cars. Julia found the only available spot, which blocked a neighbor’s driveway, but there was no time for polite rules of parking etiquette.
Her finger that Landry had sliced was self-wrapped with a couple of her kids’ Star Wars Band-Aids, and her neck where Jeremiah had choked her still hurt, but she refused to seek medical attention. After she made sure Logan was okay, and secured him with Helen and Will in Navarro’s apartment, she didn’t listen to Ray’s strongly worded advice and drove across town to try and find Charlotte.
It was evening, but Julia could make out Chief Washington, who stood in front of the property, a seemingly normal ranch home with a cheerful welcome mat and two potted plants filled with orange and yellow chrysanthemums on the stoop.
Sitting on the top step next to Washington was a blond woman, who had the frozen death stare Julia recognized from witnessing people on her beat who had just found out a terrible tragedy had befallen a loved one. In this case, the woman, who Julia recognized as Jeremiah Landry’s wife from briefly seeing her at the parks-and-rec gym, wore the familiar mask of disbelief and horror because she found out the man she thought she knew was pure evil.
Washington did a double take on Julia and walked the length of the front yard in her direction.
“Are you okay?” the chief asked. “You were right to have doubts about LaBeau. I should’ve kept the detail on you and your family.”
“I’m fine. Did you find Charlotte? I’m sure Jeremiah Landry has her here. He said he stuffed her in some kind of container in a basement.”
“We’re searching the house. We looked through his shed already. Are you sure Landry said he had Charlotte in a basement?”
“I’m positive.”
“Then he lied to you. There’s no basement here. There’s an attic, though, and we’re searching it now.”
“Then this isn’t the place. Charlotte has to be somewhere else. Does Jeremiah have any other properties?”
“Landry’s wife says this is it. She said she left last night for a work conference and got back early. Landry knew the house was going to be empty, so he probably hid Charlotte here. Navarro’s on the way over. I’m going to need you to go to the station to give a statement on what happened at the apartment.”
“Navarro killed Jeremiah Landry because he had a knife to my throat. It would save you a lot of paperwork if you’d just leave it at that.”
“The case is over, Julia. Go home. I’m not letting you inside the house. Your kids need you.”
“I made sure my kids were okay before I came here,” Julia said, and a thin red thread of annoyance clung to her tone. “I’m throwing out a wild guess here, but I’m betting you forgot that I’ve had a hell of a day. I’m not going anywhere. And the case isn’t over until you find Charlotte.”
“If you won’t leave, then you stay on public property, which is the street. You’re not going into the house. Let us do our jobs. I appreciate what you’ve done on MMK and I’m glad you’re safe. Honestly, I am. But we’ll take it from here. Come on, Julia. Like you said, you’ve had a hell of a day. Go home. Trust me and my department to do our jobs without an assist from you.”
Washington retreated into the house, and Julia felt a burn of frustration and dread, knowing the clock was ticking down to zero.
“Julia, girl. You gave us a scare.”
A sandy-haired man approached from the side of the ranch home, and Julia looked through the darkness to see Prejean.
“I’m so glad to see you. I’m sorry about how I acted at the apartment,” Julia said.
“It’s okay, but if you accuse me of being a liar and planting evidence again, I might not forgive so quick. Come here, sweetheart.”
Prejean gave Julia a hug, and this time, Julia didn’t pull away.
“I was completely out of line. I apologize.”
“I understand. If I take my pride out of the equation, Navarro was just trying to protect you as best he could. In a lot of ways, I fit the killer’s profile. You and me, we’re good. But I know that’s not why you’re here. There’s no sign of Charlotte in the house yet.”
“I heard,” Julia said. She shot a quick glance at Landry’s wife, who was still sitting on the front step.
“Can you play interference for me with the chief? I’m frozen out of the investigation and Beth won’t let me inside, but I want to ask the wife a few questions. This isn’t for a story. I’m sure Jeremiah has Charlotte hidden somewhere else.”
“It’s possible, but we still need to check out the house, and I’m sure the Detroit cops already talked to the wife. Whatever MMK said when you were back in the apartment, he could’ve been playing with you. Go on now. I’ll cozy up to Washington for a bit. You take care of your business.”
“I owe you,” Julia said, and then called out to Jeremiah’s wife. “Excuse me, Mrs. Landry. I need to talk to you.”
The blond woman turned around, and Julia beckoned Landry’s wife in her direction.
“I’m sorry to bother you at this time. I realize you’ve just heard some terrible things about your husband, but there’s a woman who’s still missing.”
“Are you a cop?”
“No, but the missing woman is my friend. You and your husband didn’t have any other properties?”
“I already told the police. This is the only place we own. We’ve lived here for seven years and rented an apartment in Midtown before that.”
“Is there any other place your husband might have considered home? Maybe a house where he lived before you two got together?”
“Well, there’s his grandmother Leticia’s place, but he hated that old house. Leticia has a Victorian over in the Woodbridge neighborhood. He lived there for a little while when they first moved here from Louisiana. Leticia’s in a home now, so the place is empty.”
“Does the house have a basement?”
“I don’t know. Wait . . . I think it might. I remember Jeremiah saying something one time about Leticia needing help because she had a water leak in her basement, so, yeah, I guess it does. Why?”
“Do you have a spare key and an address?”
“I don’t know,” Landry’s wife said, and looked back with suspicion at Julia.
“A police officer will be with me. I’m going to be honest with you here. Your husband did some horrific things, but you might have the chance to do some good.”
“I never thought in a million years Jeremiah would be capable of doing something like this. Is there a chance this missing woman could be alive?”
“It’s possible.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Julia took a quick look into the beehive of Landry’s place, staying far enough away from the cops’ direct line of vision. She saw Prejean engrossed in conversation with Washington, and then Landry’s wife came back out and approached Julia on the path with her head down.
“Here’s the key to Leticia’s place and the address.”
Navarro’s Chevy Tahoe pulled to the curb and Julia ran to the vehicle, positioning herself in front of Ray’s door before he could get out.
He slid down the window, and Julia spotted Russell in the passenger seat.
“Charlotte isn’t here. I think she could be at Jeremiah’s grandmother’s house. We have to go there right now,” Julia said. “Jeremiah said he put Charlotte in some kind of container in a basement. There�
�s no basement here. The cops are wasting their time. I have an address for the grandmother’s place.”
“Gooden . . .” Navarro started to say, but Julia had already thrown open the door to the backseat and climbed inside.
“Trust me on this one. Please. Just drive.”
* * *
Navarro hung up with the chief and the trio drove through the historic Woodbridge neighborhood, passing by the former Eighth Precinct Police Station on Grand River Avenue and lines of homes dating back to the Victorian era, until they arrived at the address Jeremiah’s wife had supplied.
The home was a worn pink-and-brown Victorian that looked to Julia like a faded gingerbread cookie.
“Washington is sending over a unit to help search the place,” Navarro said. “They still haven’t found Charlotte, but they did locate a notebook in Jeremiah Landry’s shed where he kept a detailed list of all the surveillance he did on his victims. He’s been tracking Charlotte for the past few weeks. So whatever we find here, Landry was already stalking Charlotte before you took her running in the park.”
“In other words, it won’t be your fault, Julia,” Russell said.
“Stop talking in the past tense about Charlotte until we know for sure.”
The three exited the vehicle and Navarro grabbed two flashlights from his trunk and threw one to Russell.
“Julia said Landry has Charlotte locked in a container,” Navarro said.
“Do you have tools? You’re not going to be able to shoot the lock off if there’s a chance there’s a live body inside,” Russell said.
Navarro reached into a tool kit in the back of his SUV and retrieved a set of lock picks, a screwdriver, and a small hammer, and stuffed them into a duffel bag. “Let’s go.”
Navarro led the way into the house, flicking on a light in the entryway.
“At least we’ve got power,” Russell said.
The three moved to a small front room with an old brick fireplace and filmy, ivory-colored dust cloths that partly covered up pieces of furniture in the dank space that was thick with dead air. Above the fireplace was a mantel filled with figurines and prayer cards of Catholic saints.
“I’ll take the back of the house and, Russell, you and Julia search the front.”
You Fit the Pattern Page 29