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

by William Cain

  Tonight will be it, and the killer will be revealed. It’s time. The two enter the war room, scanning the rugged and expectant faces of these professional men and women. All ranks are represented, and each is as willing and ready as the next to get the job done. David has unleashed the members, no longer restricting their use of firearms. That’s one aspect of tonight’s operation that bothers Addie. She doesn’t want to end the evening in the demise of this suspect. She wants her to be caught, but safely. It’s what she always wants in these situations, but more so with this one. This one has to be done the right way. Now more than ever.

  Soon, the meeting is called to order and the work begins. The vast majority of the task force will be hidden, behind the school and well away. They’ll wait for orders to set the trap and the snare will be unbreakable. There are only three ways out from the top of the school’s buildings. The two maintenance ladders leading to the third floor, and the ladder leading to the roof of the gym. Once the force arrives there, these exits will be manned. Should the killer resist, these men and women of the task force will be waiting. The only other way off the building is to jump to certain death. Floors in school buildings are tall, higher than a normal structure. No one survives a fall to concrete from over fifty feet above.

  A small contingent of officers, two at most, will be stationed in the house to keep Madison and Reggi safe. The women readily agreed to their posting, but Addie saw Madison’s reaction, gauging it. She thinks if Madison has an opportunity, she’ll take it, and try to kill this person. The look in her eyes tells Addie she is angered and prepared. It wouldn’t surprise Addie if she pulled a trick or two and made an attempt on the killer’s life. Addie and Agatha will be watching for it.

  The details decided, the task force breaks and with plans to reassemble in two hours to begin the operation. During this break, Addie and Agatha take time to have a late lunch with David, then return to their hotel room to call the boys. Each takes a different corner, making their call.

  While Agatha is in hushed, muffled conversation with Frannie in New York, Addie opens her call to Frank. When he answers he’s conflicted, happy, and frustrated, waiting to hear from his wife.

  “Hello, Adelaide. Catch any killers lately?”

  “I love you, too, Frank. Guess what?”

  “I’ll bite.”

  “Put on a new change of clothes and clean the house. I’m coming home tomorrow.”

  He laughs, but he does need to wash the shirt he’s been wearing for four days straight. The kitchen sink’s contents could use some attention, too. “Finally. You miss me?”

  “Yes. I have your mother and Madison. They’re safe. You know what I have to do about them. Don’t be sad, OK?”

  “I won’t be. This is why you’re there. I know it. You know it.”

  “Tonight, we have one last operation. Then, it’s over.”

  Frank doesn’t ask about it. She won’t tell him anyway. He’s glad his mom and niece are safe, and the whole thing is over. The conversation continues at length, each giving the other needed time to talk about things, missing each other.

  When the time comes to rejoin the task force, Addie bids Frank an early good night. She tells him she’ll be up late and not to expect a call later.

  She’ll be home soon.

  Back at the stationhouse, the group is assembled and dusk approaches. They file out, heading to their vehicles to make it to their assignments. When they do, night begins to fall, warmly, with an unobstructed moon rising above them. As David coordinates, ensuring each member is prepared and where they need to be, Agatha and Addie check each other’s gear. They’re going to the rooftop alone. It’s dangerous. They don’t know what weapons, if any, the killer has. For all they know, they may have just had their last conversation with their husbands. But, then again, for all they know, and they know a lot, that won’t happen. They have each other’s back. Looking into each other’s eyes, they give the go sign, a clenched fist. David waits for the appointed time, then silently opens the door and the two officers jump out.

  As they head to the school a few blocks away, their hearts begin to pump. Adrenaline is tuning them up, preparing them to be launched into this operation. This night will be theirs. They are very confident. They also have a small cloud of fear over them. It’s always there in times like this. Action in the face of fear. The definition of Bravery with a capital B. Silently they tread, finally reaching the building and the easternmost ladder’s lowest rung. This is where John said the killer would be. The ascent begins. At times, as agreed, after so many legs up, they pause to catch their breath. When the top is reached, they may have to act quickly. That takes energy and strength. One wrong move, one slow move, could mean death. Taking these breathers ensures they’ll reach the top ready to go. Ready for whatever—or rather, whoever—could be waiting for them at the top.

  Addie’s first. When the top rung is in sight, they take one last pause, breathing quietly. So many things can go wrong at this point. The killer could decide to leave, running into them. They aren’t in a position to protect themselves. Addie and Agatha are alone. This is up to them. They need to start the operation. To do that they need just a little luck. Luck that things won’t go wrong and patterns will be followed. The perp will be there, her back turned to them.

  On the roof, the killer is staring into the home through the sheers over the bay window. She believes she can see more than two people, but she’s not sure. It doesn’t matter anyway. She’ll carry on as before, beating and killing Reggi’s friends. The police can’t stop her. She’s too good. Strong and athletic, smart and cunning. That’s her style. She keeps her hatred in check, using it when she needs to be pumped up. She lets it take over at the right moment, dishing out pain and death. She’s considered using something other than a bat, then laughs it off. She’s in love with it. And, it loves her back. They’re a team, this little metal bat and her. She’ll use it knowing the bat loves it, relishing in the workout she gives it.

  For an instant, one fleeting moment, she thinks of herself as mentally unstable. How can a bat give love back? That’s silly. Or is it? She bends down and picks up her duffle bag, finding her friend inside. Taking it out, she holds it up and studies it. Her bat has a lot of stains on it. Badges of honor, rather. It all started with that little man in Florida. Boy oh boy, was he surprised when he opened the door to his condo. He was expecting Reggi, and planning to get a little somethin’ somethin’ that night. His teeth were crushed after she fiercely swung her friend right into his smiling face. When she and her friend were finished you couldn’t tell where the chin began and the brow ended. That was very satisfying for the killer.

  Then the others, beating and killing, killing and beating. She can’t decide what’s better, the planning or the actual beating. Either is like having really good sex. That’s exactly right. The rush of the climax, when she reaches it, with all the buildup. Just like foreplay. It makes the killer smile, remembering. Good times. Yes. Lowering the bat to her side, she rests her hand on it as it supports her, leaning against it.

  She returns to watch the house. She’s waiting for a development, any development. Something for her to use. Reggi will make a new friend in a while and the killer will be there to move it along. I’m a relationship builder, she muses. And then, when the killer’s unhappy with the relationship, she takes it upon herself to save Reggi, making the old woman move on.

  Satisfaction envelops her like a blanket. The killer is at peace, in total control. She watches the house, humming softly to herself. From the corner of her eye, a movement is made. Scared, the killer jumps aside, caught unawares. A woman is standing beside her, a few feet away. The woman’s calmly looking at the house, her neck outstretched to see it, her right hand to her side. Startled, this is not a dream, this is not a vision. The woman standing there brings reality crashing down.

  “Hey, watcha doin’? That’s some house there you’re watching.”

  When the woman slowly turns her
head to the killer, realization creeps in and her skin begins to crawl. It’s Addie. A lump in the killer’s throat grows. Knowing what she has to do, she brings the bat up. She needs to escape. This can’t be happening. I will not be caught.

  Before the killer can bring the bat out to her side for the strike against Addie, she hears a voice.

  “Uh Uh. Don’t do that,” and the slide of a gun’s action is heard. One move and she’ll be dead. Frozen, the killer slowly turns her head. A young woman is five feet away, holding a gun leveled at her masked face.

  Defeated, she drops the bat. Addie steps back and draws her gun also, holding it at her side. From behind her, she draws handcuffs. Staring at them, the killer is transfixed. Run or not to run. Will Addie shoot? Stay or run. Run or stay.

  Addie, standing near her partner, orders, “Take your mask off.”

  No movement. Nothing. Addie won’t give this monster any more time to think out her alternatives.

  Addie again orders, “Take your mask off. The building is surrounded. Do it. I want to see your face.”

  From below, Madison has been watching from her front porch. She’s standing with Reggi and the officers as the scene unfolds, three floors up. Madison deftly moves a foot or two away. The officers don’t notice, or maybe they just don’t care. Madison and Reggi are safe, as are their orders.

  “Take the mask off. Last time, or my partner here will shoot you in the foot. Agatha, the foot please, on my command.”

  Agatha lowers her weapon, looking down the sight to make sure her target would be blasted with one shot.

  Addie tilts her head, looking into the eyes of the killer, inside the mask, “Your call.”

  The killer sees her opening and runs for the roof, throwing herself off it. Addie looks on in horror as the figure disappears over the edge. When Addie follows her and reaches the brink, along with Agatha, they find not a dead prone figure lying on the street below, but the killer, repelling down the side, landing on the street safely. Agatha sees the rope, tied to the roof, and starts to head over to it, intending to follow.

  That’s when they both see it. Madison is rushing from her home towards the killer. Her intent is very clear as she jumps onto the black-clothed, masked figure, screaming at the top of her lungs. She is wild with anger and has a good hold on the killer’s head as she bangs it into the pavement, over and over. Addie and Agatha are both frozen, watching this development. An officer reaches Madison and tries to pull her away from the killer, but she breaks free and starts kicking the killer fiercely in the side. Madison jumps on the killer again, forcing her lower, and begins to draw her head backward.

  Madison intends to break the killer’s neck, causing Addie and Agatha to end their trance. Agatha begins her repel as Addie orders, to the officer below, loudly, “Stop Madison!”

  The cop pulls Madison away and the killer unsteadily makes it to her feet. Madison looks up to see Agatha sliding down the rope. The killer gathers her thoughts, her energy returning. Looking up, she sees what Madison sees, and she bolts. Agatha takes one last leap, leaving the safety of the rope, rolling to her side, wincing in pain from her rib injury, and gives chase. Addie orders her to stop. Agatha does, and knows why.

  The officer escorts the women back into the house. Addie uses her field radio to tell David what’s been done, and to arrive at the front of the home ASAP. When Addie reaches the bottom of the ladder, she runs to the front, finding the group. Addie reveals to David what has transpired and that she and Agatha will run ahead to Johnson Park. He tells her he will follow with the group and they’ll circle the park, containing it.

  As the two run off, Johnson Park is seen in the distance. The search begins, very carefully. The killer could be waiting behind every tree, the darkness hiding her black-clad figure. Painstakingly they move forward. They hear the task force call out, reassuring them they may still find the killer.

  Back at the house, a knock at the door causes one of the officers to stand and answer it. With his hand on his holstered service weapon, he opens it. Behind it stands Greg, holding a pistol, aimed at the officer. Inside, the two march into the living room. When the other officer sees his partner held at gunpoint, he reaches for his weapon. One of Greg’s operatives is suddenly behind him, and he stops.

  Greg steps forward to Madison, “We need to leave, now. Just you and me. Right now. Leave everything.”

  Madison resists, “I can’t leave Jimmy, Greg.”

  “I’ll send for him. Let’s go! Now!”

  Madison is unsure, but sees no other way. Reggi is powerless as his operatives handcuff the officers.

  They leave well before Addie and her group return, emptyhanded. When she finds the officers, there’s Reggi, but no Madison. She knows what has happened. Greg. Reggi will tell all, but she’s sure this is his work.

  David steps forward to share Addie’s disappointment.

  “Madison’s gone. What a mess. The killer got away, again.”

  Addie turns to him, “Not so. I have what I wanted. Reggi. As for the killer, tomorrow, I go home.”

  “And, you’re going with me.”

  33

  Play with murder enough and it gets you one of two ways. It makes you sick, or you get to like it. Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest

  “I’m sorry, Frank.”

  The man nods, glumly thinking this will be a bad day. Adelaide has given him the worst news. Although his mother is safe back in Woodside, it’s still a horrible day. It’s raining in Asheville, the droplets pounding on the roof of their townhouse, creating small rivers in the streets. The dark, stormy weather matches his mood. Since he picked Adelaide up this morning from the city’s small airport, he knew. He knew because that FBI agent, Juvieux, was with her, and Agatha was also in tow. That wasn’t a huge surprise, Frannie’s wife, but David made it a contingency. They arrived together for a reason.

  Adelaide and Frank are alone, upstairs. The other two are in the kitchen, talking quietly, like church mice. The distant, small words between them make Adelaide’s admission a greater tragedy. Spelling it out – the worst is yet to come. Resigned, he walks over to his wife and embraces her solemnly.

  “When?” he asks.

  She looks up to him, “Now. David’s called for a cruiser to pick us up. A large one. We’ll be returning, later, and we’ll need it. You’ll see.”

  “Understood,” he replies. That’s all.

  Still holding her, he drops his arms when David calls out from below. The cruiser has arrived. Frank follows Adelaide downstairs. When he meets the other two again, still in the kitchen, the look in their eyes spells pity. Frank feels like he’s on death row. It’s an empty feeling of sorts, a void, and he turns away. He doesn’t want them to see him like this. There’s another feeling, welling up from within. He shouldn’t own it, but he can’t shake it off. It’s shame. Funny how someone else can make you feel what they themselves are responsible for.

  Gritting his teeth, he sucks it up and sucks it in. He’ll meet this day. Holding his chin up, he nods to the group. Taking his wife’s hand, Frank is ready. “Let’s go.”

  Once inside the cruiser, they’re buckled in, speeding away forward to carry out the assignment. It’s not a long drive, and little is said. Frank notices the other three – Adelaide, David and Agatha – have taken their service weapons from the lockboxes they carry on public aircraft, and placed them at their side. He doesn’t think they’ll use them, but when you’re cornered by the law, you think about suicide by cop. At least you do when you’ve been very bad. Frank looks out the window. As each mile brings them closer to their destination, the storm’s black clouds become darker, spilling rain before them, and Frank senses a nasty feeling inside him begin to grow, eating away.

  Stopping the cruiser in a small parking lot, the four of them look towards the door they’ll be knocking on, turning their heads as one.

  The group shuffles out, no umbrellas needed as their coats keep them dry, except for Frank. He takes the lead, and
he knocks. Behind him stand the three he came with, patiently waiting. Behind them are two other officers. None have their weapons drawn. Before Frank knocks again, the door is answered.

  Standing there, the small woman looks at Frank, then the group behind him. Addie and Agatha are there, and she waves to them. She’s wearing a cap, her hair stuffed inside, along with gray sweats. Oddly, Frank thinks her dress is appropriate, considering where she’ll be going. The two look at each other for a long moment, his intense stare boring a hole through her head. Then the woman speaks.

  “Hello Frank. What’s going on? Is Madison OK? Did something happen to Madison? What’s this about?”

  Frank doesn’t answer her. He’s angry and hurt and sad.

  “Answer me, Frank! You’re scaring me!”

  “Hello Charlotte,” his disdain dripping from his words.

  Silence. The downpour is the great equalizer. No words are spoken. It’s Frank’s unrelenting stare into Charlotte’s eyes, and it scares her. Frank’s sister has questions. Frank’s sister is fearful. For many reasons.

  The standoff continues until Charlotte realizes they need to be asked in, away from the pouring rain. “Come in, please. All of you,” she bids, turning away, into her apartment. Her eyes are welling. This is it.

  She doesn’t even ask them to remove their coats or their shoes once inside. It doesn’t matter anymore. So, she turns to the group, watching them remove their heavy coats, dropping them in the foyer, drenched. Frank is soaking wet, and Adelaide is standing by him. She’s noticed her husband’s escalation, his heightened anger, and his intense stare. His unblinking, intense stair. She needs to control the moment, and begins.