“What’s in Portland, Nate?” he asked, again, refusing to take the bait. I loved riling him up and he knew it.
“I have a date, if you must know,” I replied.
“Goddammit, you’re going out with Donna, aren’t you?”
“You’re quick,” I quipped.
“You’re stupid,” he retorted quickly.
“I’m a grown ass man, Eli.”
“So you are,” he said. “I’m not covering for you.”
“I didn’t ask you to!”
“Well, don’t.”
“Jesus, dude, what do you have against her?”
“It’s not her. She’s great, actually. She’s funny and pretty and successful…”
“Then why are you so against this?”
“You know why. I just don’t want to piss off Grace and Ryder.”
“Look, it’s all over, okay? They don’t even have to know,” I replied. “And again, I’m a grown man and I can see who I want.”
“Well, I’m not telling them.”
“For god’s sake, Eli, we aren’t kids anymore and they aren’t our parents! Relax. It’s all good, brother.”
“You’re right, man. I’m sorry.”
“It’s cool. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? You already slept with her, didn’t you?”
“You know, Eli, I think you might be psychic. You could have a whole career if you wanted. Eli the Mystic Biker! It has a ring to it, don’t you think?”
“Alright, alright, I get it. You can shut up now. Have a good night, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Love you, brother.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone with a smile. I was lucky to have Eli. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Since we’d had our visit with Dad, a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders. He was happy and that made me happy.
My phone beeped again and I saw Donna had sent me a text.
My smile quickly disappeared as I read it.
“Sorry, but something’s come up. I have to cancel tonight. Raincheck.”
“Damn it!” I said, shoving my helmet back on.
With slumped shoulders, I slowly drove back to the clubhouse.
CHAPTER 44
DONNA
Canceling on Nate was difficult, but I knew I’d never be able to enjoy myself as long as this was nagging at me. Despite Randolph’s bragging and joy, I just couldn’t let go of this gut feeling.
Alton just didn’t fit.
He was old and frail and I had a hard time seeing how he’d manage to overpower, or even frighten, those women. I couldn’t ignore the evidence against him. He had the ring. He knew the girls were buried before that fact had been released. Those were damning and incriminating facts.
The tattoo thing was significant. The only clue the killer left behind and it was completely untraceable back to Alton. It meant something. How could we just let that go?
Only one person survived his attacks. Only one person had definitively seen him. Only one person could answer my questions.
I knocked on Valerie’s door, the sun setting behind me in a kaleidoscope of golds and blues. Portland is lovely in late spring, and all around us in Valerie’s quaint little northeast neighborhood, blooms were popping up in every color under the rainbow.
She answered with a breathless smile. I’d called ahead, and she’d sounded pretty good on the phone. The weight had lifted from her voice a little. As she stood in front of me, I saw it had lifted from her face as well.
“Thanks for seeing me,” I said.
“Of course,” she said. “Come in.”
She led me into the house. A man sat in the living room and he stood as we entered.
“Agent Parrotti, this is Michael, he was Veronica’s fiancé.”
I shook his hand, and he smiled over at me.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for finding the bastard that did this.”
“Well, the investigation is still ongoing,” I said.
“You haven’t charged him?” he asked. Valerie sat next to him, smiling at me expectantly. My heart sank. These two wanted — needed — closure. They needed me to deliver something I couldn’t.
“Well, we will. Yes,” I said.
They sighed a simultaneous sigh of relief.
“Thank you, again,” Michael said. He glanced over at Valerie and smiled, then stood up. “I’ll leave you two alone to talk. I’ll be in the back yard.”
He disappeared out a back door, and Valerie smiled over at me.
I took a deep breath and smiled back.
“Valerie, the man we arrested is a frail old man. When you told me about the attack, you said he was a big man, big enough to pick you up and carry you.”
“Yes.”
“I know he was wearing a mask, but did the man who attacked you seem old or frail in any way?”
“No, not at all, actually. He was really strong.”
“That’s what I thought. I’m concerned we may not have the right person.”
“But the killings stopped, right?”
“Yes, for the time being.”
“That’s good,” she said, nodding, her eyes distant and far away.
“Valerie, if there’s anything else you’ve thought of, please make sure to share it with me.”
She looked at me, her eyes squinting thoughtfully.
“Is there something?”
“I had this dream. I’ve been dreaming about that night. Over and over, it replays in my head.”
“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said.
She nodded, her eyes flashing with pain that I wished I could carry for her. I wished that for all the victims I met. But that was impossible. That wasn’t my job. This was my job. Listening. To them. To my gut. To the tiny little voices that tell me that I needed to dig a little deeper.
“In my dream, the man is strangling me. His hands are wrapped around my throat and I’m clawing at him,” she stopped, tears filling her eyes as she gasped for breath. I waited, nodding patiently, allowing her all the time and space she needed.
“My hands are free. In the dream, I’m not tied up. And he’s wearing the same shirt he really wore. A long sleeved black t-shirt.”
She paused, shaking her head.
“I just don’t know if it’s real.”
“It’s okay, Valerie. You don’t have to know for sure. Just tell me what you see.”
“The sleeve on his right arm was pushed up while I struggled against him. There was a tattoo there.”
“A tattoo? Was it the same thing he tattooed on you? On the others?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It was a bird.”
“A bird? What kind of bird?”
“I don’t know. Something big. Some kind of black bird. Like a raven. Or something…” She shook her head again, her eyes squinting to see a distant dream better.
“Like a crow?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she nodded with enthusiasm, “just like a crow.”
CHAPTER 45
NATE
The clubhouse was practically abandoned, as everyone had gone off in their own directions. It was a Saturday night and I was pretty sure I’d find more than half the guys over at the Roadhouse. And that’s exactly why I headed to the clubhouse.
I needed the quiet.
The solitude.
I still wasn’t quite ready for a million questions and now that I was back here tonight with my tail between my legs after bragging so profusely about my date, I really didn’t want to answer any questions.
Although I had no clue why Donna canceled on me, I was sure there was a good reason. That was fine.
We had plenty of time, right?
Yeah, tell that to my very disappointed cock.
The sun was beginning to set in the distance. I parked my bike behind the clubhouse, putting it away for the night and ignoring the bouquet of flowers that protruded from my saddle bag.
As
I was rounding the corner, I ran into Crow.
He walked towards me with a smile and I nodded.
“Hey, brother,” I said.
“Thought you were headed out?” he asked. Here come the questions, I thought.
“Change of plans,” I replied, hoping he’d get the hint with my few words.
“That’s too bad,” he said.
“What are you up to? Heading out?” I asked, gesturing to the helmet in his hand.
“Yeah, just gonna go for a ride, clear my head a little.”
I nodded, waiting. I was trying to read my gut feeling about Crow now that I had him alone. I’d told myself I’d check in with him later and now seemed as good as time as any.
“Eli and I saw Asher the other day,” I said.
“That’s great,” he nodded. “How’s he doing?”
“He seems alright.”
“I miss that old man,” Crow said. “Tell him I said hello when you see him again.”
“I will,” I nodded. “Actually, Crow, I wanted to talk to you —.”
With a sudden whoosh from the trees above, wings broke the wind above us and with violent flapping wings, landed in a skid at our feet.
“What the —?” Crow asked.
The owl stared up at us, big, yellow, blinking eyes peering at us with savage intensity.
“Uh…” I murmured, staring back at him.
The owl hopped around in a circle, then stared back at us again.
“He looks like he wants something,” Crow said.
“You think?” I asked. “How can you tell?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I’m just guessing.”
“I’m pretty sure this is Oliver,” I said.
“Those Gods sure are crazy about those owls, aren’t they?”
“They? It’s us, man. We’re part of the Gods now, too.”
“I know, man, I didn’t mean it that way.”
The owl ran around in a circle again, repeating his dance, then stopping and staring at us again.
“Where’s his girlfriend?” Crow asked.
“That’s a good question,” I said, looking around. Slade and Riot acted like the owls were just part of the family, handling them like pets, but I’d kept my distance and I wasn’t quite sure what to do now.
“Oliver, where’s Olivia?” I asked. He looked up at me, those eyes growing bigger and bigger before he squawked so loudly that I’m pretty sure Crow and I both jumped ten feet backwards.
Oliver took a few steps away, then turned back to look at us.
“Do you think he wants us to follow him?” Crow asked.
“Maybe.”
“Where’s Olivia?” Crow asked.
Again, he squawked loudly, then began hopping away faster. We followed him as he led us down a narrow trail behind the clubhouse. Every few yards, he’d stop and look back to make sure we were still there.
“Poor little guy seems really upset,” Crow said.
“He sure does,” I replied, glancing over at Crow. His brow was furrowed with genuine worry and I realized I’d grossly misjudged him. For a flash of a moment, I’d almost suspected him as the killer. Looking at him now, hopping down the trail after Oliver, I knew that was impossible.
“I really respect your old man, Nate,” he said. “Asher was really good to me. He took me in. Gave me a home.”
“He respects you too, Crow.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “He’s a really good man. I see a lot of him in you, Nate. Eli, too.”
I smiled over at him and nodded. “Thanks, Crow, that means a lot to me.”
A wave of guilt washed over me and I knew now that I’d misjudged him. After all, my father did respect him and that meant a hell of a lot.
We followed Oliver for another few minutes, until he’d led us deep into the forest behind the clubhouse.
“Think he’s messing with us?” Crow asked, after a moment.
“I hope not,” I said. “It’s getting dark.”
We entered a clearing in the woods and Oliver took flight, landing yards away on a fallen log, next to a very injured Olivia.
“Looks like a broken wing,” Crow said, taking off his shirt and gently using it to pick her up. He wrapped her in it and held her close.
“We should take her back,” I said. “Grace will know what to do.”
“Sure,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. Oliver hopped around nearby, a low, insistent whooo coming from him.
“You’re going to be okay,” I said to the sad looking bird. She was shivering and her eyes were half closed, as I leaned in and adjusted the blanket around her. My gaze landed on Crow’s tattoo, the eight on his stomach.
“What’s that eight for anyway?” I asked, as we headed back towards the trail.
He looked over at me with an eerie smile that stopped me in my tracks.
“My old man killed seven people.”
“Right. So, why the eight?”
“Because I’m going to kill eight.” His smile was wide and confident, but somehow, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He stared over at me, with a shivering Olivia cradled in his arms, and my stomach turned and flipped.
It was nothing like the quivering that Donna caused.
Nothing at all…
CHAPTER 46
DONNA
I pulled up to the God’s clubhouse and was surprised to see it was practically deserted.
“Hello?” I called out, after parking my car.
Silence blanketed me and I walked around slowly, before heading in the direction of Grace’s cabin. As I walked down her walkway, I felt like I was in a fairytale. The magic of the forest has a way of engulfing you, wrapping you in its arms and forcing you to relax, whether you want to or not.
Grace answered and was obviously surprised to see me.
“Sorry for coming unannounced,” I said.
“That’s okay,” she replied. “Would you like to come in?”
“Sure,” I replied, following her in. Their cabin was cozy and homey and lived in, a fire roaring in the fireplace, with Ryder lounging on a leather couch next to it. He had a beer in one hand and a book in the other, and it was with a smile that I attempted to reconcile this image with his tougher image.
“I just came by to ask you a quick question, actually.”
“Alright,” Grace replied.
“One of your guys. His name is Crow, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m wondering if he has a crow tattoo on his arm? On his wrist, specifically?”
Grace looked over at Ryder.
“Does he?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Why don’t we go ask him?”
“Is he here?’
“I saw him a few hours ago. He might be.”
“That would be great, thank you,” I said.
“I’m assuming this has to do with the case?” Grace asked.
I nodded, “It does.”
They walked outside with me and we headed to the clubhouse together.
“Are you close to wrapping this up?” Grace asked.
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I think so.”
We walked into the clubhouse together and Eli was sitting on the couch with Fury. They looked surprised to see me. I’m sure they probably hoped they’d never see me again.
“Eli, have you seen Crow?” Grace asked.
“No,” he replied. “Not in a while.”
“Okay, thanks,” she said.
“Wait,” Eli said. “Why are you here, Donna? I thought you were with Nate?”
“Nate?” Grace asked, her eyebrows raising. “Why in the world would you be with Nate?”
I looked over at him, a sense of dread washing over me. I had no idea why but something was terribly wrong and my body knew it before me.
“I canceled my date with Nate,” I said, shaking my head. Eli stood up, walking over, a look of concern crossing his face. “That’s weird. He never cam
e back.”
“Yeah, he did, man,” Shadow said. “I saw him. I saw Crow, too.”
“Where, Shadow?”
“When?” Eli asked.
“I was walking out of the clubhouse and I saw them walking down the trail.”
“Just the two of them?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Damn, now that I think about it, it was a while ago. They should have been back by now.”
“Shadow, do you know if Crow has a tattoo of a crow on his wrist?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah, he does. I did it myself last year.”
My heart skipped a beat as I realized Nate was in danger.
“We gotta find him,” I said to Grace, my voice rising in alarm.
“Crow?” Shadow asked.
“Nate!” I cried, shaking my head, before stating what my gut was quickly telling me was true.
“What’s wrong with Nate?” Eli asked.
“I think Crow might be the killer.”
CHAPTER 47
NATE
“Asher told me about your old man,” I said, after a few minutes of walking side by side down the narrow trail. I didn’t want to turn my back on him. His comment about killing people had sent me reeling, but I convinced myself it was just talk.
Guys talked shit all the time.
“Yeah?” he asked, still cradling Olivia gently as Oliver flew overhead. “What did he say?”
“He just thought you might be having a hard time with all these killings nearby.”
“Did he?” Crow asked. “Why would he think that?”
“Thought it might hit a little close to home, I guess.”
“It does,” he admitted. “but in a good way.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. I leaned down to untangle myself from a blackberry bush, it’s thorny limbs implanting itself in my jeans.
“I mean, it feels good. It makes me feel close to him.”
“That’s kinda weird,” I said, finally freeing myself and standing up. “Why do you think that is?”
I turned back to him and froze.
He had a huge hunting knife out, one hand holding onto Olivia tightly and pressing her close to his chest and the other jutted out towards me, the sharp blade pointing in my direction.
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