The Thomas Girls: Book 4 of the Adelaide Henson Mystery Series

by William Cain

  Agatha and Addie walk down the hall of the stationhouse to meet with the assembled members of the task force. Addie hopes the Tyler contingent has some news about the DNA. It’s been a while. They should have the second round of results back.

  Agatha is perplexed. “You said the killer had around a minute to be alone with me?”

  “And didn’t finish you off. That’s right. One minute is a long time.”

  “What do you think that means, Addie?”

  “Maybe the perp was scared. Maybe the perp was tired. I don’t know. The question’s been bouncing around inside my head all last night and this morning. What did you say, the killer hovered over you and gave you a strange look?”

  “Yes. It was body language really, with a tilted head. You know, like when you’re confused and unsure.”

  Addie gives this some thought. “So, Jimmy wasn’t killed in Tyler, Texas. Just knocked out. But this time, here, he was going to be killed, for sure. He told me his attacker wasn’t going away, but rather chasing him. And now, the killer didn’t want to do the job on you. This is so strange.”

  “Here we are,” Agatha announces as she opens the door and the two enter the room.

  Inside, the members are standing and begin to clap. Agatha is the center of attention. David approaches with a slice of mud pie. The meaning is plain as his mischievous expression lends more clarity to it. It’s mud on her face. Agatha left her partners and lives to see another day. She fakes a frown as she accepts and takes a bite.

  She’s glad to be alive and the group is glad to have her. They settle in and get down to business. Addie addresses the group after David opens the meeting, the formalities met and dealt with.

  “I have an idea. We need a new stand-in for Reggi’s date. I want to use John Paulson. He’s ready. I’ve spoken to him. He’s capable of handling himself and has already proven to be cool under pressure.”

  David interjects, “He’s not an officer.”

  Addie deadpans, “Like the last one?”

  Bob didn’t work out too well. Everybody knows how that went. But he saved his reputation for having cornered the killer, running into the street and firing a warning shot.

  David isn’t arguing. If this is what Addie wants, then he’ll deputize Paulson. He wonders how that will sit with Reggi Thomas. He’s her first husband and their past is not pretty.

  Addie’s done. Looking over to Captain Boyer from Tyler, she says, “You have the floor, Captain. Please tell me you have what we need.”

  “And, you will not be disappointed, Captain Henson. Ok, this is what we’ve been told, and it’s very big.”

  Addie is on the edge of her seat. This could blow the case wide open.

  “The DNA from victim number two’s knife has been returned. This is the second round of analysis.”

  He goes on with the results. The crowd is at full attention. No other sound is made. Breathing appears to have stopped. It’s deathly quiet. When he’s done, Addie releases a rush of air. As does the rest of the group. It’s a game changer, bringing to light all sorts of possibilities.

  But, one thing is certain, it’s made the case evermore closer to being solved.

  Their universe of suspects has been reduced to a headcount smaller than twenty.

  ◆◆◆

  Addie follows Agatha to the front door and knocks. When Reggi appears, the three walk down the short hall to the living room. Madison is waiting, as expected. The morning hours are still new as fog continues to burn off, leaving San Luis Obispo another sunny day.

  After the four are seated, Addie tells the two women, “DNA has given us some information. It’s also given us some questions. I’ve asked for one of the results to be double-checked, but I think I know what the answer is.”

  Baffled, the two wait patiently for Addie to continue. And, she does. “DNA tells us the killer is a woman. This explains the height issue. The killer is not a tall or even average height of a man. But more like that of a woman. Now we know.”

  “Is there more, Aunt Addie? I feel like there should be more,” Madison tells her.

  “Yes. There’s more.” Addie pauses before she tells the two, “The killer is related, in blood, to John Paulson.”

  Reggi moans, “You have got to be kidding me, Adelaide! That man? The monster that ruined my life for a decade?”

  Her reaction is to be expected, and Reggi’s not going to like what’s coming next. It has to be done. It’s not Reggi’s decision to make.

  “This means it could be you, Madison. Or one of John’s five sisters. Or one of their daughters. It could be one of his parent’s sibling’s girls. But it is certain. The suspect pool is finite.”

  Addie continues, “Now, with Agatha’s profiling, we can shorten the list. In the meantime, we carry on as we did last night.”

  Looking over to Reggi, “You ready to do it again?”

  Reggi nods her head, “I am.”

  “I have a new date for you. Bob’s out,” Addie tells her.

  “That’s a relief,” is heard in reply.

  “Your new date is John Paulson.” Addie waits for it. Inside she’s cringing, but on the outside, her expression is plain, bored even.

  “That is not going to fucking happen, Adelaide!” Reggi emphatically replies, practically spitting the words.

  Addie doesn’t reply, but sits looking peacefully at Reggi while Madison’s jaw is dropped in disbelief. After a short while, Addie starts in, “He’s been shadowing you two for four thousand miles. If he wanted to make trouble he would have already. Rather, he tells me his mission is to protect the two of you. Can you believe it? I do.”

  Reggi isn’t calm, but she’s calmer than before. She’s getting the feeling that this is a done deal, and she’ll have no say on the subject. She despondently succumbs to the idea, but wants Adelaide to know something first.

  “He was the worst man on earth, and still is. You can’t trust him. He only loves the bottle. His sick and depraved desires filled our bedroom. Filled our lives. He’s an ugly, ugly man, and he’ll go straight to hell when his time here is over.” She doesn’t care if Madison knows about his weird sexual practices and raging anger. She’s a big girl and this is a tough world they live in.

  Madison puts her arm around Reggi’s shoulders, “Grandmother, I’m here. I’m right here.”

  A knock at the door announces a visitor. Addie tells the group to stay put, that she’ll answer the door. Reggi knows who it is.

  When Addie returns, John Paulson is in tow. He stops when he sees Reggi, for the first time, in person, in almost fifty years.

  “Hi Reggi.” John’s a bit sheepish, and he should be. He doesn’t want to appear threatening and is prostrating himself before his former wife.

  She’s not put off. She knows what he can do, as she asks, “You know what we’re going to do?”

  “Yes,” he says meekly.

  Reggi stands and puts her face nose to nose with her former husband, whom she detests. Hissing the words while Paulson looks on frightfully, “Well, John. If a murdering monster is following us, and I think one is, I hope that killer beats you to death.”

  29

  You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Winston Churchill

  Later in the morning, the planning has been completed. Reggi and John know what they need to do and when. The task force is ready to follow a new plan, unlike the day before. This time, Reggi and John will take car service to the popular shopping area, Madonna Plaza. Addie and Agatha have worked it out with David, this trap. They’re expecting the stalker to follow the couple. From their vantage points, and with the manpower the task force is now in possession of, they can keep Reggi and John safe while closing in.

  The aim is to tighten the grip they’ll have, knowing where all the players are. The killer won’t get away this time. Once the suspect is seen tailing Reggi and John, the game will begin. No mistakes. Addie and Agatha are counting on learned behavior
that this person, this killer, will follow. They’re both unsure of who it is, but they have their ideas, having discussed it at length over and over. Agatha’s hands hurt from diagraming, profiling out loud and on whiteboard, brainstorming the possibilities.

  Now, today, this night will be the night. The Thomas Girls, they’ve come to call themselves, being married to Thomas men. It serves to lighten the mood of what could be called very tense. With the killer so elusive, and after Agatha’s mishap, the air is very thick with the possibility of failure.

  The two need a lot of relief, right now. They were so close before, the result of which was empty hands and broken ribs. So, yes, this time is very important to them. Very, very important. It’s not so much a performance of duty as it is a higher standard each has set for themselves personally, and together as a team, acting as one. They will succeed. They will win. The Thomas Girls seek to prevail.

  Agatha and Addie leave the house with Reggi and Madison in it. They leave as they came, through the rear neighbor’s yard. The stalker, newly arrived and watching, sees them walk away, and will not be deterred. This captain is a tricky one, the killer considers. Then she resolves to be careful. Smiling to herself, she also resolves that she will beat them like last night.

  And, she knows exactly how to do it.

  ◆◆◆

  Back at their hotel, Addie’s unloaded her weapon, intending to clean and polish it. It’s a .357, a little big for a woman, but it’s her weapon of choice. Sure, she could opt for the standard issue Glock, with its light weight, well balanced, hair-trigger action. She likes the larger weapon she carries as it scares to death whoever she’s aimed it at. The barrel is the size of naval cannon when you’re looking down it. When it’s aimed at you, it’s all you think about. Addie has used it on occasion. She has a reputation of being a steady and quick-thinking officer. Her marks are legitimate, well within departmental policy, and every independent review has supported her actions. She’s not going to let a flawed weapons charge set free a collar. By the book she goes, and the perps know it. That’s her reputation.

  Agatha has a lot to learn. She likes working with Addie. Watching her now, cleaning her weapon, Agatha reflects Addie might like her gun a little more than most cops. The thought brings a smile to her, causing Addie to look up. She can feel Agatha’s eyes on her.

  “Can’t ever have a dirty weapon, can we? See the polish here, Agatha? You can see yourself so clear. Once I used it to apply some makeup after I had to chase some guy down. That really ticked me off, but I didn’t pull my sidekick here until it was over. Huffing and puffing, sweaty and exhausted. I got my man, but my face was a mess. When I pulled it out, he thought I was going to blow a hole the size of Texas in him. When I didn’t, I turned away to fix myself, and he passed out from all the excitement.”

  She’s laughing as she recounts the story. Agatha admires her, but shakes her head in mock admonishment, leading Addie to sum it up. “He’s doing six years in state as a repeat offender. You know what? I still write him letters, or email. I think he can turn his life around when he’s set free. He’s young, just misguided. Anyway, when I return to Asheville, I have to remind myself to line up some resources for him. He’s out next year.”

  Looking down to the table, Addie’s cell lights up. It’s 100 Asheville Court, her stationhouse. She puts her revolver down, snatching up the cell and opening the call.

  “Captain Henson,” she answers, placing it on speaker. She wants Agatha to hear also.

  “Good morning, Captain. This is your friendly neighborhood Detective Singletary. Guess what? I have something you might want to look at.”

  “And good morning to you also, Detective. We have a little downtime right now. You’re on speaker. With me is Officer Thomas from New York City. Say hello, Agatha.”

  “Good morning, sir. Please call me Agatha,” she tells him in introduction.

  “Sure, fine, Agatha. Captain, we have a report of a murder-suicide. It was found by the search engine your friend Roger set up. I think you’ll find it interesting. Mind you, the official police report is not in, yet. This is preliminary.”

  “Understood, Singletary. What does it say?” Addie is tuned in. This is important. Roger’s search engine finds crimes nationwide that involve deadly beatings, especially where the facial cavity is involved.

  The detective gives his dissertation as Agatha and Addie listen.

  “A report is made that a hairdresser named Orlando was killed in Tennessee, one hundred miles west of Asheville, by gunshot, and possibly also by blunt impact.”

  “He was found a week after his killing in his retreat near the Broad River, along with his lover Steve. A hiker discovered the cabin and was curious, looked inside, and saw the dead bodies.”

  “They suspected murder-homicide since Steve was also shot, in the head, but now we might start thinking it’s the same killer that you are trying to find. The angle of bullet penetration wasn’t right for suicide for Orlando. It was suspect. The report will come later after forensics does its job,” Singletary explains.

  In closing, the detective asks, “What do you make of that?”

  Addie thinks quickly. “Is the blunt impact … does it involve the face?”

  “Yes, as well as the torso, arms and legs. Says here, on the back, too. This Orlando fellow was really kicked around. Sheesh.”

  The detective adds, “The reason for calling you and not sending it is two-fold. One, the report is not official since forensics isn’t done. And, two, Orlando is from Asheville. It appears he’s a very popular hairstylist. Well off, too.”

  Addie is thinking. Asheville is her town - she should know this man. “Just a sec. Let me think. Is this guy’s last name Banks? He’d be from Bari Salon.”

  “Let me look,” the detective replies. After a brief moment, he adds, “That’s the one.”

  Addie considers this, wondering if Madison knows him, and perhaps Reggi also. They both should, having been residents there. If this is true, then her list of suspects has just been reduced to ONE. “Good work. You were right to call. When the report is finalized, call me again. Right away.”

  “Will do. Later then, Captain.”

  Addie closes the call, turning to Agatha. “This just took our case to a new level. If this is what I think it is, the killer is sicker than I thought. I mean mental. We need to be at our best with this person. Unpredictable has just entered the picture. Very dangerous.”

  Agatha is confused. “Let me explain,” Addie says.

  When she does, the possibilities broaden the profile Agatha has. The mental state of the killer can be more clearly defined. They just need the forensics report.

  It’s a whole new game now.

  30

  What must it be like for a little child to read that daddy never loved mummy? Princess Diana

  Reggi takes her place in the passenger seat after handing John the keys to their SUV. She hasn’t driven in a while and defers to him, repulsive to her that he is. John has tried to start a conversation or two, but it doesn’t get too far. He hurt Reggi all those years ago and either she’s reliving the memories or is completely disgusted to be with him, or both. He’s hurt, too, but doesn’t show it. It was his fault, their problems, and it hurt her and the children. Recently, he’s tried to make it up to their daughters, Megan and Charlotte, trying to reconnect and apologize. At least Charlotte spoke to him. Megan refused.

  Frank wants a relationship with his dad. John thinks he’ll settle for that, and maybe the girls will come around. Reggi, however, is a different animal. She hates him. All this is his new world. It’s what he thinks about when driving away towards Madonna Plaza. He’s not looking for anyone to follow them. That’s the job of the police. He believes they are safe and in capable hands, running around as decoys for this person, this woman, this killer. For the life of him, he can’t guess who it is. Who is doing these things? Why they are doing it is so bizarre, with all the killings, beatings, and terrorizing.

/>   On their way, Addie and her group are watching Reggi and John smoothly drive to their destination. Three cars fall in behind them, each with one driver only. Each wearing a hat. It’s not unusual in California. Here, single-occupant cars are normal, and almost everyone wears some headgear. Addie is guessing that in one of these three cars is the killer, happy-go-lucky as she is, confident the police will keep their distance. By now, Addie is sure the killer has been watching and knows she and her task force buddies are trying to set a trap for her.

  One car breaks off and is forgotten about. The other two remain on Addie’s radar until they reach the plaza. One of the two remaining cars continues on, leaving one car to follow John and Reggi, which it does. When they park, the person in the car finds a ramp to the higher levels, parking there. When exiting the car, Reggi and John don’t take notice of anything unusual and head inside to do some shopping and have an early senior dinner.

  Addie’s made a mistake, and she doesn’t know it. The killer is doing the opposite of what is expected, having been in the first car to leave the group. Happily, the killer drives along, singing and playing the radio as high as it will go. When she reaches the neighborhood she just left, she parks far away. Lifting the trunk lid, she removes her duffel bag. Inside lies her weapon of choice. She holds the bag to her, pausing just a moment to remember, then places the strap over her shoulder and heads out. She’s going to Reggi’s place. Profile me, will she? Guess what, Addie? I’ll profile you! You smug little witch.

  Tonight will be delicious.

  ◆◆◆

  Madison’s been taken into protective custody for the sake of the operation. The killer is expecting it. Watching Madison be taken away in an unmarked car, the field is clear. The killer walks through the neighbor’s back yard once the car is gone from sight, just another person using the yard to stay out of sight. The killer’s not interested in the neighbor, and doesn’t care if anyone sees her. To them, she’s just another plainclothes cop using their back yard. It’s been pretty busy of late.