“ He could of found anyone that looks like her.” Karen said.
Peewee didn‘t want to believe this, him of all people, he knew it was crazy but this theory was too far left for him. “ What, he holds America’s Next Look Alike. ” He chuckled. “Who would be crazy enough to go along with it?” Peewee asked.
“ Are you kidding me,” Karen chuckled. “ There’s a group of young women selling their bodies for less. Someone comes to them offering a life changing moment and all they have to do is slap on a wig, run to the ATM, make a boat of cash and not have to gag on some old fat guys dick.” Karen tap her head, knowing that was a no brainer. “ No matter what the outcome, they would take it.”
“ Where does that leave us?” Peewee asked.
“ We either wait for another body to turn up,” She pulled the disk out and toss it to Peewee, who wasn’t ready for the catch, he almost slid ass first to the ground just to save the disk. “ or you print us a clear picture of that woman and we head into the streets asking every hooker if they’ve seen her.”
Peewee eyes bulged. “ Walk the dark streets in the middle of the night, asking hookers if they seen a girl that could be tie to a serial killer, well I can’t see what could go wrong, we’ll either find us a serial killer or get stabbed by someone’s pimp.”
Karen shrugged her shoulders. “ There is a third option,” She pointed out to him. “ We could keep reading Cindy's diary again.” That was enough to win him over.
“ So, street hookers it is. Sweet.” He tossed his boney arms in the air, pretending to be on board.
Now that was settle, her mind went back to where it was before he arrived. “ There’s still a long time from here and there.” Karen said to him. “ I got to do something’s before we head out.” The detective hiding outside, watching her every move. “ You should really pay Maggie Donner a visit, give her this new piece of evidence and just check on her as well.” She knew if she wanted to draw the rat out, Peewee had to be out of her range, safe from the fallout, safe from of everything that needed to be said and done.
“ I guess you’re right, wouldn’t hurt.” Karen exhaled with joy. “ I’ll go check on Mag’s.” He looked at his watch, it was almost nearing the lunch hour. “ She should be at work right now. I might catch her before her shift, if I‘m lucky.”
“ Alright, you go do that. While I take care of things on my side.” And she planned to put it an end to once and for all, she was tired of looking over her shoulder for so many years, it was time to put to rest an old chapter in her life.
Chapter 60
Prey
“ Yeah, I’m not feeling well. Just running some chills and my stomach is in a up roar. I‘m no good to anyone in this state.” Klecko told Harkness over the phone. “ I just need a day to rest, get myself back in tip top shape.” He was hoping his performance would win a sympathetic ear.
“ Boo fucking hoo,” Sadly, it did not. “ We got a pile of shit raining down on us and you can’t come in because of the Hershey squirts, man up.” Harkness was in a fouler mood than usual, he only became so irritable when one of his routines were disrupted and Klecko could only guess one of those routines was sex. “ You think I ever let a stomach bug throw me off, hell no, I’m a cop God damn it. My job comes first.”
“ Tell Rita if she needs me to call my cell,” Klecko talked over Harkness, knowing he had no choice, the Sergeant would ramble on for a good hour if someone didn’t step in. “ It’s the least I can do.”
“ When I see that bitch, she‘s going to an get ear full too.” Harkness continued
“ She’s not there?” That was a shock to Klecko, but he did recount his guardian promising to keep her away, could that have been it? “ Well, just pass on the message.” Before he could finish talking, Harkness hung up. “ Fucking asshole.”
He stared at his watch, it was nearing the lunch hour, he played with the idea of calling his mistress to indulge in each others homicidal fantasy, something to ease his mind before this grand revelation that his guardian was promising. He was dialing in the number, when the cell phone that was given to him vibrated in his pocket, he could feel his heart freeze, he knew who it was and what it meant. “ Show time.” Klecko slowly whispered.
TIME TO MOVE
GET IN YOUR CAR AND DRIVE
He grin at the text, knowing the moment had arrived, he would finally come face to face with this illusive soul that claimed to be an old friend, one that he happen to save. question is, what do we do when we have him in our sights? Klecko had never ponder that great question, he was more interested in the why, but now this moment was here, he had a chance in tying up the only loose end that could bring down his career and his life entirely.
“ Can’t risk blowing a golden opportunity.“ He walked over to his sock drawer to collect his 9 MM pistol, enough to bring down any man, get close enough, this small little weapon would do the job. And with his need to kill still lingering in his loins, it was the perfect remedy to what ailed him.
Klecko grabbed his trench coat, put on his slacks and headed outside to his car. Before he got inside, he texted his Guardian as to where he was going.
WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO DRIVE TO?
He waited for a minute until a reply came back
DRIVE TO 40TH AND MADISON, TEXT ME BACK WHEN YOU GET THERE.
XOXO
“ Now I‘m glad I brought my fucking gun.” He said at the replied text as he entered his vehicle.
Chapter 61
Book Of Memories
Traffic was bumper to bumper during the lunch hour. Every New Yorker was hungry, tired, in a foul mood and ready to shoot you between the eyes if you tried to merge in front of them. Klecko took his time arriving to the location, the last thing he wanted to do was have his journey cut short because of reckless driving.
To tone out the madness around him, he blasted the Beatles in his car, letting the sooth voice of John Lennon calm his nerves. Even for a cold blooded killer, he was entitled to little R&R from time to time.
He reached 40th and Madison under forty minutes flat, not perfect, but it would do. He was about to text his Guardian that he had arrived when his phone began to ring. He smirked as the hello kitty vibrated in his hand with the flashing ID of an unknown caller. “Careful as always “ Klecko said before answering the phone. “ Hello ?”
“ You made it.” His Guardian voice was no longer masked. This brought a gleam of joy into Klecko's eyes. Was this a sign that there would be no secrecy between them, perhaps even a new found friendship, he could only wonder. “ Park your car and walk up a block.”
“ Where am I heading?” Klecko asked. Only to have his guardian hang up on him. It seems he wasn’t up for questions. Klecko grasp the gun under his jacket, making sure it was there and ready to go. He couldn’t take the risk of walking into this blindly. “ Let‘s see what you have for me?” Klecko shoved the phone back into his pocket.
He exited his car and wasted no time in heading up 40st street, pushing through the crowd of people who lined up shoulder to shoulder, each one yammering on their cell phones, spewing meaningless conversations about the person they slept with last night, arguing over who should pay the bills, how Mr. Whiskers the cat was getting older and the riveting mystery of their bowel movements. “ I’m sure the world would thank me, if I killed a couple of these people.” He couldn’t help but grin at that thought, “ Klecko preserving the world, one murder at a time.”
Klecko raced up 40th street until he made it to his destination. The New York Public Library was in his sights, though he had his doubts whether this was the place his Guardian wanted him to be. “ This can’t be it.” He said out loud, only to have his cell begin to ring once more. He reached into his pocket fumbling for his phone, he felt like a child waiting to be surprised on Christmas day with his big shiny red bike. “ I’m here.” He said in a high pitch voice.
“ This was her favorite place in the world.” His Guardian’s sounded nostalgic. “ It f
eels like ages, but I can still sense her. She would spend hours and hours reading those books, never resting, never taking her eyes off the pages, like she was punishing herself, like she was hoping her eyes would bleed out and she’d die. She was beautiful.”
“ Who?” Klecko asked, but he got no response. “ Talk to me.”
“ Walk into the library and make sure to put your cell on vibrate, you don’t want to be rude. I’ll call you when you walk in.” His tone was cold as ice. It was eerie for Klecko to hear his guardian actual voice, it was dark, yet soothing to hear. He pictured God sounding the same way, so much wrath, but a voice of an angel.
Klecko turned his cell phone on vibrate as instructed. He made his way into the Library, but for some odd reason he could feel someone watching him in the distance, he snapped his head quickly, but there was no one there. He wondered if his Guardian was hiding among the cars and people. He brushed the paranoia away and continued into the library.
He was eyed from head to toe by the book worms reading away at the tables, some wondering what this misplaced gentlemen might be doing here, after all, he was the last person in the world that looked like a book reader. They would have a point. Klecko spent most of his days reading police reports rather than a book of fiction written by some four eyes with a vivid imagination.
Klecko hovered around, taking his time, trying to see if he could spot out his Guardian in the room, if he was in here. “ Jesus,” He jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket. “ Hello?”
“ Go pick up Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.” He instructed Klecko.
“ What the hell are you talking about? “ Klecko said to him. “ What is that ?” The title alone, made him think of a bad porno flick.
“ You’re not a big reader are you?” His Guardian asked.
“ No, not really.” Klecko admitted. “ So, tell me what I’m looking for.”
His Guardian sighed on the other side of phone. “ You might know it by it’s shortened name, Alice In Wonderland.”
“ Yeah, the cartoon?!” Klecko spoke too loud, he got a couple of angry looks his way. “ The cartoon, I’ve seen it.” He said again, this time in a lower voice.
“ The cartoon,” another sigh from his guardian, who was ashamed for his student not having a greater knowledge of books. “ Yeah, ok, well that cartoon was a book first. Go check it out, Alice In Wonderland by: Lewis Carroll.”
“ Where do I go ?”
“ Head to the second floor, Aisle 1576-1590.”
There were no other words spoken to him, he could hear his guardian breathing as he searched for the book. It took him sometime but he found it. “ Got it.”
“ Through The Looking Glass, same author, should be four books to your right.”
Needless to say, there it was. His second book. “ Got it, now what? “ Klecko asked, only to have his guardian hang up on him once more. “Does he want me to read these?” He asked himself.
He scouted for an empty spot to sit, luckily it was the lunch hour and he was in the library , the possibilities were endless. He found a spot and began to open the first book. On the very first page he discovered a photo wedge into the cracks. “ What do we have here?” His heart raced. “ Who are you?” He stared at the photo that had a young teenage girl who had to be no older than nineteen smiling shyly at the camera, standing outside this same library.
“Why are you doing this, I thought you loved me?” Klecko could feel his stomach turn as that horrifying cry thrashed inside his mind.
“ What the fuck?” He shook his head, trying to shake off whatever violent image that was. He took two deep breaths before turning to the next page, were he discovered another photo of the same girl, standing outside some other unknown location. It continued for fifteen pages straight, each photo telling their own story, until the sixteenth, where he found a hand written letter neatly tucked away.
He looked at the other book, wondering if he would find the same, and he did. Only the photos in Through The Looking Glas, were of a black male in his late forties. The one thing to jump out at Klecko, was the background of each photo, it was the same locations taken with the teenage girl. “ You don’t have to do this, please, just let me go.” Also met with the same horrifying plead, this time with a male’s voice.
“ Did you two take photos of each other?” Klecko asked each victim, hoping they would speak to him. He turned to the sixteenth page and found what he was looking for, another hand written letter. “ Which one do I read first?” He asked himself, biting on his lip as hard as he could. He could feel his teeth shutter, he could feel curiosity scratching at the back of his mind. “ You never read the second book, because you’ll be lost in the story, so you read the first to understand the whole picture.” He open the first letter, looked over his shoulder repeatedly, having someone else eyes lay upon these letters felt disgraceful. This was between he and his Guardian, no one else. He took a deep breath, leaned in to the table to block anyone’s view and began to read the note.
Dear Father,
I miss you deeply. Each night I pray you’ll find your way to me and we’ll be together, once more. I hope all is well. I know how important your mission from God is. He has given you this task to make you a better man and once you’re done we will be family again.
I’ve met a friend. Her name is Lidia. She’s really shy. I’m her only true friend, at least that’s what she tells me. We do things normal friends would do, eat, chat, catch a movie, I enjoy her company. She’s very easy to be around. Every time I’m around her, I feel these feelings you told me about, the ones some people wouldn’t understand. I’m at a lost in what to do, should I act on them or hold back ?
I pray each night, hoping the lord will have an answer for me, that his will can guide me down the right path. But I hear nothing but silence. Please father, can you come into the city this weekend, I just need your wisdom, I hate taking you from your mission, but I’m desperate, I feel lost, I feel wrong for having these thoughts about this girl, even if you told me not to. Please, papa, can you meet me?
Klecko wasn’t sure what to make of the letter, a girl confused about her sexuality , a major believer in a higher power, which would add to her desperate need of guidance. He wondered if this was the same girl his Guardian was talking about, the one who wanted to punish herself, trying to drown out the natural instinct that came to her. He put the first letter aside inside his pocket of his coat, with the teenage girls photos and moved on to the second letter.
Dear Father
I feel complete. You were right, I needed to hear God’s voice, I needed to hear his wisdom, I had to block out the static in the back and just embrace God’s will. I’m heading to the church you showed me in Harlem and introduce my friend Marcus to God as well. He’s felt so alone, so left out in the world, he needs to be set free. Lidia still thanks me for helping her out, cleansing her soul from the sins of man.
I‘m glad to have the lord beside me father, I know he’s smiling upon me as I help those in need. He will protect me, he will give me strength and he will bring us back together again when he feels it’s right. Take care father. I miss you so much.
“ Saving the wicked are we?” Klecko raised a skeptical eyebrow as he put the letter inside his pocket. He double checked the books, making sure he didn’t miss anything else. “ What are you showing me?” Klecko asked himself, still confused in what these letters and photos were suppose to show him, he wondered who the girl was, all he knew was his Guardian had a bond with her. Seconds later his cell began to vibrate once more. “ Whose the girl ?” Klecko asked right off the bat.
“ You’re heading to that church.” His guardian gave no answer to his question, only more instructions. “ Drive to Harlem, stop and Amber RD and Graystone St. “
“ There’s a Church there ?” Klecko was shocked, he was familiar with the streets and locations of N.Y He never remember a church being there. He waited for his Guardian to answer back, only to have him hang up on him
once more. “ Got it, not in a mood for answering questions.” Klecko said as he collected the items.
Chapter 62
Where Did you go?
With a couple of hours to kill, Peewee decided to take Karen’s advice and venture over to the diner Maggie worked at, just to see what she was up to and also talk about the new angle they were chasing down. Anything to give the women some hope in the dark chapter in her life.
Peewee was far from thrilled with tonight’s hooker hunt, he still found the whole idea as a desperate attempt, one that would pay off or just break whatever was left of hope.
Peewee pulled into the parking lot, his car gasped and shot out gas emission all over the place. People cursed at the smell and spat to the get the taste out of their mouths. Peewee just patted his car, reassuring her that she had nothing to feel ashamed about. “ Don’t listen to them, baby.” He spoke to her softly as he parked.
He walked out into a cold breeze, which surprised him, there was nothing but heat forecast for the whole week. He slammed the car door shut and headed into the diner.
A little door bell chimed as he walked inside. A fat overweight Italian was eating a pastrami sandwich, with Chile fries, and two sunny side eggs waiting on his plate, Peewee couldn’t help but ask the man. “ Just a little something to tie you over?”
“ Yeah, man, I’m trying to watch my figure. Skipping desert.” He said happily with a mouth full of meat and mustard dripping down his cheek.
Peewee just patted his shoulder. “ You’re the embodiment of perfection. “
Anyone else might think Peewee was joking, but he meant it with all his heart, another little quirk to his personality, he didn‘t care how you looked like, if you were happy being you, he embraced it. “ Thanks, man.” The man thanked and continued eating.
The Perfect Woman Page 21