by Blake Pierce
But he was far too frail and weak. Kate had him cuffed within five seconds. And as she got to her feet, her heart thrumming, she looked back at the towel.
That blood was very fresh and she’d be willing to bet just about anything that it had not come from Chester Black.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Kate and DeMarco had searched the area around the trailer for any signs of where the blood had come from but found nothing. DeMarco had found where the stench from within the house had come from, though. There had indeed been a dead cat beneath the trailer. In fact, there had also been a dead dog as well. The dog had been very recently killed, a slit tearing it open from its jaw to its hips.
Kate was thankful that the media had not discovered this grisly tidbit. Somehow, they had learned about Black’s arrest; when they arrived at the police department in Roanoke, there were already two news vans parked outside, waiting, with a third roaring down the street in search of a place to park.
As Kate and DeMarco quickly escorted Black into the station, Palmetto came rushing up to them with an apologetic look on his face.
“How the hell did the media find out about this?” Kate barked at him.
“No clue. The chief is pissed. He’s got an active hunt for the leak. Sadly, it’s happened far too often around here before.”
This did nothing to decrease Kate’s irritation. She hustled Black into the station through the back door where there were already two reporters jockeying for position. She didn’t bother so much as looking at them as they passed by, though she did hear their questions.
“Is this the killer?”
“Why did he do it?”
“Are there more victims out there?”
Inside, things were just as chaotic. There were officers fielding phone calls, basically screaming at the people on the other end as they asked for information regarding the suspect.
Palmetto jockeyed in behind them as they escorted Black down the hall. As they made their way down, the Chief of Police met them coming from the other direction. He looked flustered and tired, but altogether relieved.
“This is him?” the chief asked. “This is the killer?”
“I didn’t kill anyone!” Black screamed.
“Just lead us to an interrogation room,” Kate said.
Somewhere within her heart, she felt a pang of sorrow—a tearing sensation. She could not make sense of it, but whatever it was made her think of Michelle and Melissa.
“You okay?” DeMarco asked.
Kate nodded. “Hey, follow them to interrogation, would you? I need to take a moment.”
“Sure,” DeMarco said, looking concerned.
Kate raced back down the hall, to where they had passed a restroom several moments ago. She went in, grateful to find it empty. She gathered her breath and stared at herself in the mirror, wondering just what in the hell was happening to her. Panic attack? Adrenaline surge? No…none of that seemed right.
You know what this is, she told herself. There’s a part of you—the grandmother part, probably—that doesn’t think you should be here. That part of you thinks you should be back in Richmond, within a call and twenty miles or so of your daughter and granddaughter. This is guilt…guilt of not being readily accessible to your family even in your supposed retirement.
A tear trailed down her cheek unexpectedly. She wiped it away as she pulled out her phone. She toyed with calling Melissa but figured it was too late. Instead, she sent a text. She typed it in quickly, taken aback by this sudden surge of emotion.
Ironically, being back on the job is making me miss you guys even more. I hope you can understand this back and forth with my work. More importantly, I hope you can forgive me. Give that baby girl a kiss from her grandma. Love you.
She pocketed the phone and checked herself over in the mirror. She certainly couldn’t question Chester Black looking like an emotional mess. Confident that she had herself under control, she walked back toward the hallway.
Just as she reached the door, her phone dinged from her pocket. She dug it out and saw that Melissa had already answered her. She imagined her daughter at home, sitting in bed with her husband and maybe scrolling through Facebook on her phone. Michelle would be sleeping in her crib in the bedroom down the hall. The thought brought a smile to her face.
Melissa’s response read: I don’t understand it, but that’s ok. You’re passionate about your job, and that’s a good thing. Get out there and get it done, Mom. I have to raise my daughter in this world…so make it a safer one. Go get the bad guys.
Kate let out a little chuckle.
Go get the bad guys.
She pushed the restroom door open and walked quickly down the hall to do exactly that.
***
Kate could tell that the hard façade that Chester Black was putting up was a fake one. There was a terror in his eyes that was much like that of a child staring down the dark cellar stairs during a thunderstorm.
As Kate entered the interrogation room, DeMarco was standing on one side of the table with Black sitting on the other side. “…and forensics is going to tell us pretty quickly where that blood on the towel came from,” DeMarco was saying. “So you may as well tell us now.”
“You found the animals under the trailer, didn’t you?” Black said with a scowl.
“So it was from the dog?” DeMarco said.
“Yes.”
Kate thought about the knife she’d seen on the end table. She wondered how much time had passed between his brutal act and DeMarco knocking on his door. Something about the idea chilled her.
“Your uncle told us that he thought you were into some satanic things,” Kate said. “Would animal sacrifice be one of them?”
Black glared up at her, that scowl trembling. “No one understands it, but it’s not a crime, is it?”
“It can be. You can throw the religious rights stuff at us to keep us tied up for a while but if we really want to pin it on you, we could. Just being honest.”
“I did it around eight o’clock,” Black said. “The sacrifice. And the bodies…I keep them for about two days.”
“So the cat body we found…”
“Last night,” Black said.
“Forgive the ignorance, but is there no church?” DeMarco asked. “Do you just do these things solo at home?”
“I meet with others at a location once every month. It’s not a church, but a gathering.”
“And you sacrifice animals there?” Kate asked.
“Yes.”
“Dogs and cats?”
“Sheeps and goats.”
“Ever do any human sacrifices?” DeMarco asked. She was really digging into him, apparently feeling that even if this satanic stuff was true, Black was very much still the killer.
Kate then realized that about five seconds had passed since DeMarco had asked him about human sacrifices. “Answer the question, Mr. Black,” Kate said.
“I’ve never killed a person before,” Chester said. “I’m well aware that satanists have that stereotype, but it’s mostly just bullshit.”
It didn’t quite sit right with Kate. If he was practicing some religious sacrifice, why come at them so aggressively? Did he know he’d be looking at animal cruelty charges at the very least?
Kate was about to continue with her questioning when someone came knocking at the door. DeMarco answered it and a hurried-looking man entered. He held a sheet of paper in his hand. His other was clenched into a fist.
“A moment outside, Agents?” the man said.
Kate and DeMarco walked out of the room with him. The moment the door was closed behind them, the man started in.
“He’s our guy,” he said. He then seemed to forget who he was and what he was doing. He shook his head and said: “Sorry. I’m Neil Banner, pathology. There are two blood types on the towel we took from his house. One is canine in nature. But the other is human. We don’t have a positive ID on the blood and may never get one. It’s too contaminated.”
“But you’re certain it’s human?” Kate asked.
“One hundred percent certain,” he said, handing her the report.
She nodded and took the paper. “Thank you.”
With that, she walked back into the interrogation room. She felt like she was being propelled on a rocket. Though it seemed anticlimactic, they’d gotten him. Their killer was sitting right in front of them.
“You have one chance to change your story, Mr. Black. You’re certain there’s just dog blood on that towel?”
“Yes!” He nearly screamed it.
Kate placed the report on the table. She was sure he wouldn’t be able to understand any of it, but she wanted him to know that they now had proof.
“That was your last chance. The bad news for you is that an officer will come in here very shortly and read you your rights. You will be under arrest for probable murder. The good news is that I won’t be the one doing it. Because the things I’ve seen these last few days…if it was you that did them, I kind of want to hurt you right now.”
There was plenty more she wanted to say, mainly because there was still some seed of doubt in the back of her mind. It seemed too easy, almost like it was handed to them. But the report on the table showed human blood on that towel…a towel Chester Black had tried to hide from them.
You’re overthinking things again, she told herself. You got him. Consider it a job well done and get home. Go see Melissa and Michelle.
“Anything else to add, Agent DeMarco?” Kate asked.
“No. I’m good.”
“Enjoy your time in prison,” Kate told Black. “I’m sure you’ll get life, but I doubt the judicial system will let you live it. Five victims…gruesome murders. You do the math.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” Black screamed.
And damn if Kate didn’t see genuine confusion and horror in his eyes.
Don’t go there, she said. This is your guy. He’s partially insane and the report right there on the table spells out his guilt.
That thought was enough to allow her to leave the room. DeMarco followed her out and cut her off in the hallway.
“Agent Wise…Kate…are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I’ve never seen you so pissed at someone before. That got raw. Just checking in on you.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Honestly…I just want to go home.”
“Let’s do that,” DeMarco said. “We got our man. Maybe we can sneak out before paperwork starts. I think the local PD can handle that on their own.”
“Sounds good to me,” Kate said.
They walked down the hallway toward the front of the police department. When Kate realized she could faintly hear the screams of Chester Black proclaiming his so-called innocence, she was surprised at just how easily she was able to tune it out.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Neither of them even considered staying in a motel in Roanoke. Kate and DeMarco figured they could take shifts driving if the other got tired. They did indeed switch out, DeMarco taking the wheel a little less than halfway through the trip so Kate could doze. Kate was stirred awake by DeMarco tapping on her shoulder.
Kate opened her eyes, instantly noticing the pain in her neck from sleeping in the passenger’s seat.
“You’re home,” DeMarco said.
Sure enough, Kate looked out of the window and saw her house. She checked her watch and saw that it was 4:05 in the morning.
“Thanks,” Kate said. “Now, come on in. I’m not letting you drive back to DC or try checking into a motel at such an hour.”
“You sure?”
“Positive,” Kate said. She got out of the car and started toward her steps before DeMarco could argue.
Kate didn’t see the point in being formal. With what she and DeMarco had been through—not just with this case but with the one they’d shared two months ago—they were, as far as Kate was concerned, quite close.
“Guest bedroom is down the hall, last door on the right,” she said. “The bathroom is right beside that. Make yourself at home. And if you wake me up early for anything, you might just get shot.”
DeMarco smiled and headed down the hall. She turned back to Kate and smiled. “Seriously,” she said, “thanks. It’s been an absolute pleasure and thrill to get to know you, Agent Wise.”
“I’ll return the sentiment in the morning,” Kate said. “For now…sleep.”
With that, Kate walked down the same hallway and entered her bedroom. She stripped down, quickly ruled out a shower, and fell into bed. She had just enough time to wonder if DeMarco would be comfortable in her house before sleep reached up and snatched her.
***
While DeMarco did not wake up Kate up the next morning, the smell of brewing coffee did. Kate tried to ignore it, but she had always been as sucker for a good cup of morning coffee. She looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table and saw that it was 9:45. She figured six hours of sleep was enough for now; she could easily make up for it tonight.
She rolled out of bed, threw on her around-the-house clothes, and headed out to the kitchen. DeMarco was already showered and dressed. She sat at the kitchen bar, scrolling through her phone with a cup of coffee sitting beside her. When she saw Kate enter the kitchen, she looked up and gave a nearly apologetic look.
“Sorry,” she said. “You told me to make myself at home. I figured that meant coffee was included.”
“Yes. And thank you for brewing it. How long have you been up?”
“About an hour. I called Duran and filled him in on everything.”
“We did that last night…”
“Oh, I know. I mean I told him I crashed here because of the late hour. He seemed cool with it.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to finish up my coffee and get out of your hair.”
“You’re not in my hair. It’s nice to have the company.”
“Oh, I don’t really have a choice. Duran wants me there this afternoon to give a briefing.”
“You need me to come?” Kate asked.
“That’s not necessary. Consider it one of the perks of your current position.”
Kate knew that DeMarco meant it as a funny little jab with no ill intent but it stung nonetheless. She went to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup. She was quite happy to find that it did not feel odd to be sharing her home with DeMarco. In fact, it felt natural.
“When you get back, will you keep me posted on how it goes down? I’d really like to see this one to the end.”
“Of course.” DeMarco sipped from her coffee with a thoughtful look on her face. “You don’t feel comfortable leaving now, do you? You don’t think it’s Black.”
“I don’t know. It fits…especially the human blood on that towel. The whole satanic thing just feels too…convenient. I’d love to see what the lab results come back reading.”
“Yeah. I thought so, too.”
They left it at that, the question hanging in the air above them. As Kate joined DeMarco at the bar with her coffee, she thought of Black trying to escape his trailer. She thought of the terrible smell, of the blood and the animal carcasses under the trailer.
It’s him, she thought. Sometimes life hands you an answer and you just have to take it.
Yes, some other more stubborn part of her thought. But sometimes life forces those answers on you whether you want them or not.
***
DeMarco was gone by 10:30, leaving Kate alone with her thoughts for the first time since DeMarco had knocked on her door to start the case off a few nights ago. Unsurprisingly, those thoughts led to Michelle and Melissa. She sat on her front porch, enjoying the quiet hum of the Carytown district and the morning’s third cup of coffee, and doing her best to figure out how to manage her life from here on out.
It started by having a chat with Melissa. It wasn’t something she dreaded, but it also wasn’t something she was particularly looking forward to, eit
her. She figured she may as well get it over with. Besides…she tended to blow things out of proportion when it came to Melissa. For all she knew, her daughter might not be too upset with how things had gone down at all. She’d basically said as much during their brief text exchange the night before.
Go get the bad guys, Melissa had texted.
Again, Kate thought of Chester Black and started to feel any certainty she’d had wavering.
Before it could consume her mind, she picked up her cell phone and placed a call to Melissa. Melissa answered on the second ring. When Kate said “Hello,” she could hear Michelle babbling in the background.
“Hey, Lissa. Thought I’d let you know I’m back home.”
“Oh, good. Did you get the bad guy?”
“We think so. Thanks for that text, by the way. I know that conversation could have gone very differently. I appreciated the kindness.”
“Don’t mention it. Mom…please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m used to it. You were always like this when I was a kid, you know? I didn’t automatically think some switch was going to flip when you became a grandmother.”
“Well, maybe you should have.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Mom. Yes, I was pissed when you called at the last minute to tell me that we had to cut short our first night out in two months because you’d been called into work. But it rolled off my back—eventually.”
“Thank you, Lissa.”
“Of course. But listen. You have to understand that I need to start planning accordingly. Until you can really retire, I don’t think I’m going to ask you to babysit anymore.” She stopped here, perhaps waiting for some protest. Kate felt one coming, but wanted to give Melissa a chance to explain first. “We’re going to look for one of those certified babysitters, you know? Our five-year anniversary is coming up in three months and we’re thinking of taking two days to ourselves. And I love you, Mom…but until the job comes second, I don’t feel like I can ask you to keep Michelle.”