“It’s okay, Jacob,” I assured him. “I know you’re just trying to do your job. I’m sorry I can’t help more,” I repeated.
Jacob squeezed my hand, sending pleasurable shock waves through my body. “I appreciate everything you’re trying to do. Even if you’re hanging out with the press.”
We both laughed and the moment was broken. Our hands separated and we gathered up the trash from our lunch. Jacob walked me to my car.
This was not a date, I kept reminding myself.
His look of uncertainty when we reached my car had me wondering if he was experiencing the same indecision. He brushed his fingers across my cheek, surprising us both with the action and the small spark.
“I guess I’ll need to be more careful when I touch you,” he said softly. My lips ached for him to kiss me, but he took a step back and shook his head. “Apologies, this is neither the time nor the place.”
“No apologies necessary,” I responded.
He smiled and turned to walk away. I focused on the words he spoke. If this wasn’t the time or place, that suggested some other time or place would be right. I was disconcerted by how happy the thought made me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I texted Catherine and Evie to meet me when the sun set; Catherine texted back immediately confirming, and I knew Evie would respond when she awoke. It was only mid-afternoon, so I had several hours to kill. I decided to conduct more of my own research to see what I could find. With a glass of Riesling in one hand and my laptop in the other, I made myself comfortable on the bleached wood Adirondack chair on my patio and dove in.
A knock at my door startled me. I realized it must be my ladies arriving. I couldn’t believe I completely lost track of time.
“Coming!” I called out, though it was uncertain I could be heard through the door. I closed the sliding glass door behind me, set down my laptop and empty glass on my dining table, and headed to see which of my expected visitors had arrived.
“Did you forget I was coming?”
“Liz! Of course not. What time is it?” I made a show of checking my watch. “Did you text me you were on your way?”
She appeared genuinely contrite and I felt guilty for being rude. After all, we did have plans; it wasn’t her fault I forgot. I just knew that her presence would alter how the evening went. Catherine appeared behind Liz.
“Hey, Mia,” Catherine said to me but looking at Liz.
“Hi, I’m Liz,” she introduced herself, hand outstretched.
“Catherine,” she responded to Liz.
“Right. Where are my manners? Please, come in. We have one more coming.” I moved to allow them entrance.
“I didn’t know it was a party,” Liz called over her shoulder.
Catherine stared at me and I shrugged. We would keep it brief and then have our paranormal conversation after Liz left.
As I was closing the door, three sharp knocks sounded. I pulled it back open to see Evie’s smiling face.
“Hey, Mia,” she said and we hugged.
“We have another guest,” I said in a low voice and felt her shift to see around me. We released the hug and she followed me in.
Liz and Catherine were already seated at the dining table. I introduced Evie to Liz and she joined the ladies.
“Drinks?”
“None for me,” Evie declined my offer with a smirk that piqued the interest of Liz. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Thanks, Evie.
“I’ll take whatever wine was previously in this glass,” Liz accepted my offer.
“Same,” Catherine chimed in.
Although Catherine and Evie recognized Liz, she briefly explained who she was and they reciprocated with the basics. I joined them at the table with the wine.
“I brought another bottle.”
“Excellent,” Catherine responded.
“Okay, now that we’re all here,” I began. “Let’s talk about the murders.”
Liz glanced between Evie and Catherine.
“They both knew Chad,” I offered as explanation for their presence. “They helped me figure out that Juni has a twin sister.”
“The more the merrier,” Liz responded blithely, but I saw her immediate interest when I disclosed them as the source of our biggest piece of information. I was probably going to regret telling her that.
I brought Evie and Catherine up to speed regarding the security footage and then summarized my quick lunch with Jacob. I blatantly ignored Evie’s and Catherine’s reactions to learning that I had lunch with Jacob, but Liz didn’t.
“She totally likes him, am I right?”
Evie guffawed and Catherine actually snort-laughed. “Oh yeah,” they agreed.
“Thanks ladies, but who I may or may not like is not the focus of this meeting,” I reminded them, which just sent them into hysterics. “Why is this so funny?”
“Because you both clearly like each other and it’s funny watching you dance around that,” Liz said bluntly. I was undecided whether I liked this personality trait.
“Anyway,” I said to bring them back on track. “What do we think?”
The three women were quiet. Frankly, we were all at a bit of a loss.
“If only we knew where she was going to be,” Catherine said offhand with a small chuckle.
“That’s it!”
“What’s it, Liz?” I asked.
“We need to know where she’s going to be,” she explained, and we stared at her. “We need to bait her.”
“This isn’t a movie,” Catherine responded.
“I think it has merit,” Evie disagreed. “What do you think, Mia?”
I slowly nodded my head. “Catherine’s right that it’s not a movie. On the other hand, Evie has a point too.”
“Do you like the idea or not?” Liz asked.
I laughed. “Like? I don’t know about that! But, I think it’s probably our best bet.”
Catherine frowned and I hurried to continue.
“Look at this way. Based on her pattern, she’s likely going to kill again within a day or two. Even with the additional information we’ve given law enforcement, I doubt they’ll find her before another murder occurs.” I didn’t add that as a djinn, law enforcement almost certainly would be unable to capture her; and unless they surprised her and shot her through the heart, they weren’t going to kill her either.
“Okay, what do you guys have in mind?” Catherine asked.
“What do we know about her pattern?” Evie answered a question with a question.
“She’s picked actors all three times,” I began. “And she’s alternated between here and LA. Our best bet is an actor here in town, since the third murder was in LA.”
The women nodded.
“I wouldn’t feel right about putting an actor at risk,” Evie objected.
“We could bring the police in on our plan; maybe they could use an undercover officer as a fake actor?”
“I have a better idea, Catherine,” Liz said.
We looked at her expectantly.
“I’m going to do it.”
“What? What are you talking about? You’re not an actor. Or male,” I argued, pointing out the gender preference of our killer.
“Look at it logically. Even if we have an undercover officer, how are we going to get Juni or her twin sister to pick him as the next victim? We have to bring her to us.”
“True, but whatever you’re going to do, an undercover officer could probably do,” Catherine argued.
Liz was shaking her head. “No, he can’t. Our hypothetical undercover officer doesn’t have a television show.”
“That’s good,” Catherine reluctantly admitted.
“Even if she doesn’t watch the show, if I say I want to interview her, that’s gonna go viral on social media within thirty minutes. I can practically guarantee it,” she crowed.
“I think she’s right,” I agreed.
“And we can still have t
he police involved for additional protection,” Catherine mused.
Believe it or not, as much as the ladies were right about me wanting to see Jacob, I didn’t think bringing the police in for our plan made sense since they couldn’t do anything to the djinn. Except I couldn’t explain that right now without telling Liz everything about the paranormal underworld. Instead, I nodded at her.
“I’ll call Jacob.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Are you women insane?” As predicted, Jacob didn’t like our plan. He sat at my dining table, staring at me, Liz, Catherine, and Evie like we’d all sprouted second heads. “This is a terrible idea and there’s no way Metro will support it.”
“Technically, Detective, as a free citizen, you can’t stop me from going on my own show and asking her for an interview,” Liz countered sweetly. “We’ve informed you of the plan and you can either participate or not.”
If the tension radiating off of him were physical, it would knock Liz on her bottom. He looked at each of us in turn. “Surely you realize this won’t work,” he tried another tack.
“Why not?” Evie asked.
“Once you announce on air and all over social media what you’re doing, every Tom, Dick, and Harry is going to camp out in front of your house. She’s never going to show with the circus in town.”
Liz frowned. That had obviously not occurred to her. She brightened. “I disagree. What is it that law enforcement says about so many serial killers? They want to brag about what they’ve done. They want people to recognize their brilliance. They want to tell their stories. Right?”
“True. But how is she supposed to get to your home, if it’s surrounded by the press and the curious?”
“Well, Detective, I live in a gated community, so that’ll cut down some.”
Jacob snorted. “Please. Those gates won’t hold anybody out. Besides, won’t that keep her out too?”
“Look, maybe you’re right. But this is a woman who has been able to get in and out of locked homes without breaking anything or leaving any forensic evidence behind. I have no doubt that with the proper motivation, she’ll figure her way around the gate, press, and the lookie loos.” She shrugged. “I’m not worried.”
“There’s nothing I can say that will talk you out of this.” We shook our heads no. He sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk to my superiors. I doubt they’ll spare more than an officer or two for what they’ll consider a farce. I’ll be there, of course.” Our eyes briefly met and I smiled.
We reviewed the details and decided to put our plan into motion the next morning. After the group departed, I moved to my couch with my third glass of wine. I hoped we were doing the right thing.
*****
“Good morning in the Valley!” Liz welcomed viewers to Entertainment Daily with a toothy smile and a fabulous form-fitting red dress and stiletto heels. Her smile dimmed.
“As viewers of this show know, the so-called Firecracker Killer has murdered three actors in as many weeks – Bradley Reese, Roger Miller, and Chad Johnson. These murders in Las Vegas and Los Angeles have set the West Coast entertainment world on edge, with promotors warning their clients not to use social media for streaming, and both local law enforcement and the FBI coming up empty.”
Liz breathed deeply. Genuine nerves or for show? I honestly didn’t know.
“Today, I’d like to formally invite the Firecracker Killer to come to my home, tonight, for me to interview during a Facebook Live video.” She stared into the camera. “I know you have a story to tell. Let me help you tell it.”
She turned to another camera, smiled. “What big charity event is in the works for the Valley? We’ll tell you after the break.”
The show cut to commercial and I sat back in awe. She did it. She actually asked a serial killer into her home.
*****
Time crawled while I waited for it to be time to watch Liz interview a serial killer. Just as I made up my mind to take a quick swim in the pool to burn off some nervous energy, someone knocked on my front door. I hadn’t ordered anything online, and I lived in a gated community. I debated ignoring the knock but curiosity got the better of me. My jaw dropped when I saw the woman standing before me.
“Councilwoman Knollman? What an unexpected surprise,” I squeaked out.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Fynn,” Barbara Knollman, Las Vegas’s resident demon councilwoman, addressed me formally.
“May I come in?”
I hesitated and irritation flashed in her eyes. “Of course,” I agreed, stepping aside to allow her entry. Rumor said Barbara was a fairly laidback demon, but still. A demon. In my home. I shuddered as I closed the door behind her.
Barbara took several steps inside before turning to face me. “This is fine. I won’t be here long.”
“Why are you here?”
“I saw Ms. Addison’s show this morning.”
“Ah, yes. It was something,” I hedged, wondering at her interest in the murders. Did she know something about the djinn?
“Something, indeed,” Barbara agreed. “I understand you’re working with her.”
A statement, not a question. I didn’t bother to wonder how she knew. She had moles everywhere. “Yes.”
“What else does she know?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“It wasn’t complex. What else does she know besides what she reported in the broadcast?”
It hit me what she was asking. “Nothing about us,” I assured the demon. If Barbara decided Liz was a threat, well, that wouldn’t do much for Liz’s lifespan. The brief look of disappointment on Barbara’s face surprised me. Did she want Liz to know about us? Frankly, this was why I stayed out of paranormal politics.
“Did you know that I have precognitive abilities?”
Now my jaw really did drop open. “Um, I did not,” I answered, my mind swirling.
“I share this because I want you to understand the importance of what I’m about to tell you,” she explained. “You are on the right track.”
“I am?”
“You are. Do not be swayed from it.”
“Okay. Wait,” I paused, thinking furiously, “which part? Helping Liz, keeping things from her, pursuing the killer?”
“I’ve said what I came to say,” she responded, ignoring my questions.
Before I could try asking another way, she turned. “I’ll see myself out.”
And with that, she was gone.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“How do I look?” Liz asked me this, spinning in a circle. “I’m going for upscale casual.” She smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles on her violet nylon shift.
“You look great,” I told her, amazed that she was concerned about her appearance at all. I finally got to see her house. It was a cute two-story in a gated country club neighborhood. On a tiny lot, however, so set-up was a challenge. Liz and I were the only ones in her home; we were currently in her home office.
She stood in front of a mid-size dark wood desk. Certificates and framed photos with famous folks dotted the walls. Unfortunately, the office was on the street-facing side of the home. Despite the gate, as Jacob had predicted, cars lined the street. People sat waiting in most of them. I idly wondered how many were press versus the curious.
Jacob and two officers commandeered the house next door, their cars safely hidden in the garage, the owners’ vehicles relegated to the street. Catherine and Evie were with them. We’d been texting fast and furious while the time passed. I’d already updated them on the way weird visit from the demon councilwoman. They were as much at a loss as I was.
All three of the times of death were after the standard dinner hour and before midnight. The sun set about an hour ago, so it was almost time. The energy in the air crackled. I both wanted and didn’t want Juni’s twin sister to make an appearance. I hadn’t told the others my actual plan.
A text notification vibrated my phone. Jacob.
�
��It’s go time,” I relayed to Liz, who moved behind the desk. I vacated the room. She logged on to Facebook and prepared to start streaming.
I watched the start of the Facebook Live video on my cellphone in a darkened room at the back of the house. There had been some concern that my presence in the home might keep the murderer from showing. Nobody really wanted Liz to be alone, though, so hiding in the back seemed the best option. My phone was on silent. I could hear the faintest hint of what she was saying from the other room.
Nothing happened and Liz started to repeat herself. “I’m here in my home, waiting on the appearance of the Firecracker Killer. So far, he or she has not appeared.” I was glad she decided not to use the feminine pronoun. I didn’t think the police would want us to inform the world that we suspected the killer was female.
The random chatter on the video continued; I watched the comments scrolling by. They alternated between people calling Liz crazy for trying this or an idiot because the killer wouldn’t show with such a contrived scene.
It looked like the latter were right.
Time stretched on and the comments slacked off. Ninety minutes into the now terminally boring video, Jacob texted me.
I’m calling it. She’s not coming.
I’ll let Liz know.
She was going to be disappointed. She’d been so excited about this plan. Standing in the doorway of the office, I made the universal slicing motion across my throat. Kill it. Liz subtly shook her head and continued speaking.
I texted this response to Jacob. I remained standing in the doorway for another five minutes before Liz accepted reality.
“Well, folks, it looks like the Firecracker Killer doesn’t want to tell his or her story tonight. I’m signing off. Until next time.” She gave a half-hearted smile and finally killed the stream.
“Dammit!” She pounded her fist on the desk, rattling pens in a yellow plastic cup with the MnM logo on the side. She ran a hand through her brunette curls. “That sucks.”
I walked to the window and, peering through the blinds, watched the few remaining cars peel away. We heard the front door open.
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