Wild Killer

by Tripp Ellis

  I was definitely getting a workout in.

  The tiny boat rose and fell with the swells. I kept checking every few minutes to see what the cell reception was like. The thought of having to row all the way back to Coconut Key filled me with dread. My arms would likely rip out of their sockets.

  I took a breather, drifting along the inky water. The sky was pitch, and the blanket of clouds overhead blocked the moonlight. I pulled out JD’s cell phone and got a single bar of service. I dialed the sheriff again.

  This time he answered.

  "I have a little bit of a situation," I said.

  I explained to him that we were stuck on Angelfish Key.

  "You mean to tell me you're actually complaining about being stranded on an island with five bikini models?"

  "I don't know if I’d call it complaining, but we could use a rescue."

  "Shit, being stranded like that sounds like a rescue to me. Want to trade places?"

  I chuckled.

  The sheriff said he would either come get us himself, or send another deputy. It would take him at least an hour to get here.

  I hung up the phone and began rowing back to shore. In the distance, I saw the running lights of a boat on the horizon. I pulled out my tactical flashlight and signaled the passing vessel. It was a 65 foot yacht. I waited for a hopeful moment, but the boat kept on going.

  I pulled the oars against the water, knowing I'd be sore as hell in the morning.

  I reached the beach, and pulled the tender ashore. The girls were relieved when I informed them of our pending rescue.

  Holly offered to give me a back massage to soothe my tight, sore muscles.

  Who was I to decline?

  I sat in the sand by the fire while she dug into my rotator cuff muscles. Her hands felt sublime.

  "You know, if this modeling thing doesn't work out, you could do well as a massage therapist," I said.

  She laughed. "Thank you."

  "But I'm pretty sure the modeling thing is going to work out."

  "I'm having fun with it."

  "Hey, don't I get a massage?" JD said, feeling left out.

  The girls gave him eye rolls.

  "I've been lifting this heavy camera all day, making you all look gorgeous." He tried to draw sympathy with a pathetic face.

  "Aw, poor baby," Quinn said. She mocked him like he was a toddler. "You had a really rough day, didn't you?"

  "I did. It takes work to do justice to your true beauty." JD grinned.

  I guess she felt sorry for him because she slid over and started squeezing his traps. A look of pure pleasure washed over Jack's face as she rubbed his neck and shoulders.

  "Now that's what I'm talking about," JD said.

  Since we were getting rescued, and didn't have to worry about dehydration, we got into the beer and decided to turn this into a beach party while we waited. The music bumped from the boombox, and we all enjoyed ice cold brews.

  A little over an hour into our impromptu party, the sheriff’s patrol boat rumbled across the water. The boat had a shallow enough draft to get into the cove. He shouted at us through a bullhorn as he pulled close to shore. "There's no overnight camping on this beach. You're all under arrest!"

  He said it with a hard voice and stern face.

  "Is he serious?" Megan asked.

  I chuckled. "That's a rare example of humor from Sheriff Daniels.”

  We snuffed out the fire, gathered our belongings, and trudged into the surf, loading our gear aboard the patrol boat.

  Jack and I helped the girls aboard. We transferred Buddy aboard, then we climbed in, along with Tristan.

  "I never thought I'd be so excited to see a cop," Quinn said.

  Sheriff Daniels gave her a sideways glance.

  "Thanks for coming to get us," I said to the sheriff.

  "You didn't have to get here so fast," JD muttered. "Another hour and I think I might've gotten somewhere."

  "How is that you two always seem to get yourselves into these situations, yet still come out smelling like roses?" the sheriff asked.

  "Charmed life," JD said with a wide smile.

  “One day, that charm’s going to run out,” Daniels said.

  "Talk to my ex-wife. She'll tell you my charm left a long time ago."

  “Which ex-wife?” the sheriff quipped.

  Daniels reversed away from shore, then banked the patrol boat around and throttled up the engines. We crashed through the surf, heading into the inky blackness.

  "I got a call from the station on the way out here," Daniels shouted over the engines. "A deputy picked up a suspect you boys might want to take a look at."

  "Really?" I said, curiously.

  "Pulled him over on a traffic stop. The guy was acting nervous, so the deputy searched the vehicle. Found a gram of cocaine. Then searched the trunk and found a knife, rope, and duct tape. White male, early 30s. Fits the profile."

  I exchanged an optimistic glance with Jack.

  We raced through the night, back to Coconut Key. Jack took a seat next to Quinn and continued to work his magic. It looked like she was softening up to him a little.

  Daniels dropped us off at the marina at Diver Down. We told him we'd meet him back at the station shortly. Once we had unloaded all of our gear, Daniels idled the patrol boat out of the marina.

  "Well, that was an adventure," Tristan said.

  "Sorry about all the excitement," JD said.

  "Are you kidding me? I've got great photos for my calendar and an amazing story to tell about how we got them. This is going to launch the brand. It will go over great with adventure seekers.” Tristan smiled. “Anyone into extreme, outdoor sports needs to look after their skin."

  Holly gave me a hug and whispered in my ear. "You know how to find me on social media. Message me sometime. I'd love to finish that back rub."

  She kissed my cheek and batted her eyelashes before spinning around and sauntering down the dock with the rest of the girls.

  "What a day!” Jack said, admiring the view.

  We stood on the dock next to the empty slip where the Wild Tide should have been. It was hard to believe the boat was gone.

  Jack looked at the empty water and sighed. "I guess you don't have a live-in girlfriend anymore."

  "I got no place to live. Think we’ll get the boat back?" I asked.

  JD frowned. "I give it 50-50."

  We strolled down the dock and put what was left of our gear behind the bar in Diver Down. It was a little after 11 PM.

  "What happened to you two?" Madison asked.

  I told her the story.

  "Reagan was in here earlier," Madison said. "I think she was starting to get annoyed."

  "Circumstances beyond my control." I said. "Do you have Reagan's number in your cell phone?"

  "Yeah," she said.

  "My phone died, and I don't know her number by heart."

  Madison handed me her phone, and I called Reagan.

  "Hey, Maddy," Reagan said when she answered.

  "It's me, Tyson."

  "I tried calling earlier, but it went straight to voicemail. Did you have fun with the models?"

  It was a loaded question.

  "I think we got some really good pictures."

  "Good for you," she said, flatly. I could tell she wasn’t thrilled. "I waited around at Diver Down for a while, then when you didn't come back, I decided to go back to my place."

  There was more than a little attitude in her voice. But that changed when I said, "The boat got stolen."

  "What?"

  I filled her in on the details.

  "That's insane. How did you get back to Coconut Key?"

  "The sheriff picked us up. We just got back."

  "Well, you can stay with me, if you need a place?"

  "It's either that or Jack's couch."

  "I can assure you, my bed is much more comfortable."

  "I'm sure it is," I said.

  “How’s Buddy?”

  “He’s fi
ne. But Fluffy was on the boat.”

  “That makes me so mad!”

  “You and me both. I’m worried about her.” I paused. "I've got to run down to the station. We have a potential suspect to interview. I don't know what time I'll finish up."

  “Related to the boat or the killings?”

  “Possibly the killings.”

  "I’d leave the key under the mat for you, but I don't really feel comfortable doing that with a serial killer running around."

  "I don't blame you. It could be late. I'll crash at JD's tonight and catch up with you in the morning."

  She let out a disappointed sigh. "I guess I can live without you for one night."

  I grinned. "I'll talk to you later."

  I hung up and handed the phone back to Madison. “Can you look after Buddy?”

  “Sure thing,” Madison said.

  I knelt down and petted the little Jack Russell. “You be a good boy for Aunt Maddy.”

  He barked.

  “I never thought I'd hear you say you're worried about a cat," JD muttered, eavesdropping.

  “Well, I better get her back unharmed, or those assholes are going to be in for a world of hurt.”

  JD and I left Diver Down and headed to the station. When I saw the suspect sitting in the interrogation room, I was confident we had our man.

  33

  "So, you don't drink and drive," I said. "But you've got no problem with a little cocaine?"

  "I don't know what you’re talking about," Declan said.

  He was one of Denise's dates from Beach Bums.

  The suave playboy didn't look so suave now. I sat across the table from him in an interrogation room.

  "What are you doing with the rope and the duct tape?"

  "Is it illegal to travel with hardware supplies in your car?"

  "You don't seem like a handyman to me."

  "Oh, I come in pretty handy. Just ask the ladies." He smiled.

  This guy had an overinflated view of himself.

  "Where is your hospitality?" Declan asked. "Aren't you going to offer me a drink. Perhaps a snack?"

  I wanted to smack the smug grin from his face. He sat in the chair with his hands cuffed behind him. I ignored his request.

  "Where were you headed when you got pulled over?"

  "I don't think that's any of your business."

  "Right now, you're looking at felony possession of a controlled substance. I’d cooperate, if I were you?"

  "Well, sadly for you, you're not me, and I want to talk to my lawyer."

  That was it. Once he asked for an attorney, I could no longer question him.

  I left the interrogation room and joined Sheriff Daniels and JD in the hall. "You think we have enough to get a warrant?"

  "To search his house?" Daniels asked.

  I nodded.

  "On what grounds? Except for the coke, the items we found in his car aren’t illegal. There is no indication that he is connected with the killings."

  JD's face twisted. "Are you kidding me? The guy is a freak. We’ve got surveillance footage of him soliciting Denise for lewd and lascivious acts."

  "I've seen the footage," Daniel said. "He never solicited her directly. He talked around it... but there was never an explicit offer of money for sex."

  "He wanted to tie her up," JD protested. "He's got rope in the car. Put 2 and 2 together."

  Daniels frowned. "Nothing wrong with a little rope-play between consenting adults."

  "I don't think any of these bodies we’ve been finding consented," JD said.

  "Is there anything to indicate that he used rope on his victims?" Daniels asked. "Have we recovered any rope fibers?"

  JD glanced to me.

  "No," I said. "It's likely he restrained his victims with either rope, zip ties, or with duct tape. But Brenda hasn't been able to pull anything conclusive."

  "Declan’s the best lead we've got," JD said. "He could have that missing girl held captive right now, tied up in the basement, waiting to be slaughtered."

  Daniels sighed. "I'll see if I can get you two a warrant.” He paused, then casually said, “You could always do a knock and talk. Who knows, you might find something that would give you reasonable suspicion to believe a crime is in progress?"

  A sly grin curled on JD's lips. He elbowed me in the ribs as Sheriff Daniels strolled away.

  Daniels wasn't telling us to break in to Declan's house, but he was suggesting we use our powers of creativity to find a way inside.

  34

  JD didn't even bother with pretenses. We strolled up the driveway to Declan's front door, and JD kicked it open without a second thought. The doorjamb splintered, and the large panes of glass in the door shattered. Shards, like tiny diamonds, bounced across the foyer.

  The home was a two-story, with sleek lines, lots of glass, and open spaces. The backyard overlooked the beach. Declan certainly did well for himself. It reminded me of the kind of exotic home you'd see in the Hollywood Hills. A home that could be the set of a movie, or appear in Architectural Digest.

  "I heard somebody scream," JD said with a wink. "Didn't you?"

  I didn’t hear shit.

  With his pistol in the firing position, JD advanced into the home, glass crunching beneath the soles of his checkered Vans.

  There was an alarm panel on the wall, not far from the door. Fortunately, it hadn't been set.

  The lights were on in the living room. It was a large space with a high vaulted ceiling. Gray hardwood floors gave the place a clean, elegant feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the back patio, infinity pool, and the inky black ocean beyond. I could hear the waves crash against the shore.

  "You know if we don't find anything, Daniels is gonna have our ass," I said.

  "So we better find something!"

  We swept through the living room and the kitchen, clearing the area with tactical precision—the barrels of our pistols panning from side to side.

  There were large canvases of art on the walls. Mostly abstract. Statues sat atop pedestals. Declan was a collector and had a good eye.

  We cleared the downstairs and didn't find anything of note. Then we pushed up the staircase and down the hall, toward the master bedroom.

  We passed by a door that looked odd. It was in an interior hallway, but had a deadbolt that latched from the outside.

  It was designed to keep someone locked in the room!

  JD and I exchanged a curious glance.

  He twisted the deadbolt, and it made a loud clunk.

  A whimper filtered from the room.

  "Did you hear that?" Jack asked.

  This time, I really heard it. He wasn’t bullshitting.

  JD pushed open the door, and we flooded into the room.

  A young girl was bound and gagged, her wrists and ankles tied to each corner of the four-post bed.

  She was completely naked.

  With a red ball gag in her mouth, her screams were muffled, but her eyes widened when she saw us, and her screams grew even louder.

  JD flashed his badge, trying to calm the young woman.

  It must have been a horrible sensation to be in such a compromised position with two strangers entering the room.

  JD’s shiny gold badge did little to sooth her anxiety.

  I covered her with a blanket, then JD and I untied her bonds. The stunning blonde reached back and unlatched the ball gag once her hands were free. That's when her tirade began. "What the fuck are you doing?"

  "Saving your ass from a sadistic man," JD said.

  A scowl twisted on the woman's face. "What the fuck is your problem? Do you two dipshits have a warrant?"

  JD and I exchanged a curious glance.

  "Get the fuck out of here!”

  "You're not here against your will?" I asked.

  She glared at me. "No."

  JD arched a surprised eyebrow. "Whoops. My bad."

  "Where's Declan?" the girl asked.

  "He's been arrested for p
ossession of a controlled substance," I said.

  She let out an exasperated sigh. "For fuck’s sake. He told me he would just be gone for a moment.”

  "See, aren't you glad we came along?" Jack asked. "You could have been here for days."

  She softened a bit, accepting the fact that a few days tied to the bed without food or water could be detrimental. "Did he tell you I was here?"

  "No," JD said.

  "So, he was just going to leave me here?" she asked, annoyed.

  We shrugged.

  "So, this was strictly consensual?" JD asked.

  "Yes." She paused. "Would you mind giving me a little privacy while I get dressed?"

  "Sure thing, ma'am," I said.

  We stepped out of the room and waited for her in the hallway. A few moments later, she pulled the door open, dressed in a short skirt, high heels, and a cute top. "I'm not in any kind of trouble, am I?"

  "Not at the moment," I said.

  Her eyes narrowed at me "So, I can go, right?"

  "I’d like to ask you a few questions first."

  "Like what?"

  "What's your relationship to Declan?"

  "He ties me up and fucks me,” she said, flatly. “I kind of like it." Her eyes shifted between the two of us. "And don't pretend you two haven't ever handcuffed a girl to a bed and did dirty shit to her."

  Jack raised his hands innocently. "No judgment here."

  "How did you meet Declan?" I asked.

  "I'd rather not say."

  "So, I take it this relationship you have with Declan involves a monetary exchange?"

  Her cheeks flushed with rage. "Let's get one thing straight, I am not a hooker. I don't screw guys for money."

  "Just for favors, right?" JD asked.

  She glared at him again. "I'll have you know that I happen to like having sex with Declan. He's really good in bed, and he's got a big…" She stopped, then changed the subject. "Why are you guys asking these questions, anyway?"

  "We thought he might be connected to the killings," I said.

  Her eyes widened. "You mean, the Sandcastle thing?"

  I nodded.

  "Oh, my God, you don't think that's Declan, do you?"

  I shrugged.

  "No,” she protested. “No way!"

  "Why do you say that?" I asked.

  "Because, he's had plenty of opportunities to kill me, and I'm still here."