Bayou Heat (25 page)

“Sixty minutes and I expect to hear from you.”

“You will.” Vicky disconnected the call.

Eris finally spoke. “More waiting?”

“Yes, in this line of work you do a lot of that.”

“I’m starting to realize that.”

He reached out and took her hand in his. He desperately
needed the information, but he didn’t dare do anything that could tip
Tarrington off. If Tarrington got wind of this, he very well might flee the area
or, feeling as if there were nothing to lose, make another attempt at killing
Eris. He dialed Tarrington’s home number and there was no answer.

The mere thought of Eris coming to physical harm was
mind-numbing and paralyzing. Rob forced himself to dismiss those ideas and
focus on something he could accomplish.

The light went out on the second floor and a minute later
the front door opened and a woman dressed to the nines stepped out.

“Look, someone’s coming out.” There was excitement in Eris’
voice.

An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach as the
woman walked down the street away from him. When she reached the next block,
she got into a car and drove away. The car was too far away to get a detailed
description or a plate number. But it wasn’t so far away he couldn’t tell it
was a sleek black sports car.

“That’s the same car that passed us just before we went into
the water,” Eris stated as the car continued down the street.

“It is.” Rob started the engine and pulled out. “Let’s see
where it’s headed.”

“Where do you think she’s going?”

They traveled through town at an easy pace. “Haven’t a clue,
but take my phone and text the license plate number to LD. Tell him to run it
and get back ASAP.”

“Well, I hope she hurries up and gets there so we can head
back to Tarrington’s place,” Eris stated as she typed out the message.

He followed the car onto the freeway and watched as it
suddenly pulled away. “It looks as if she’s in a hurry to get wherever she’s
going.”

Eris waved her hand. “She’s getting away. Aren’t you going
to follow?”

“This truck will never keep up and if I try, she’ll only
spot us.” Rob took the next exit ramp.

She leaned back and knew he was right, even though she
didn’t like it. “So what do we do now?”

“We’re going back to Tarrington’s place to do a little
B&E.”

Eris sat there silently and wondered if she could talk him
out of it. They’d been careful not to be seen leaving Rob’s place. He’d left
the two men guarding his home so no one would notice anything different. Then
he’d gone so far as to borrow the really big guy’s truck, still she was uneasy.
“I don’t feel good about this. Isn’t there someone you could call for backup?
Nate? LD? Someone?”

He turned to her. “I’m going to call Tarrington’s cell phone
and if he answers I’m going to try to figure out where he is. If he’s not here
or headed this way then I’m going to go take a look around. We haven’t a clue
when we might get another chance like this. You can either stay here or go with
me, but I’m not passing up the opportunity.”

She prayed hard for Tarrington not to answer, but she knew
he had by the smile on Rob’s face. She listened to Rob and if she hadn’t known
better would have thought Rob truly liked the other man. She learned that
Tarrington was at his bowling league tonight and didn’t know what time he’d be
done, but would give Rob a call first thing in the morning. As Rob returned his
phone to his pocket, she made her decision. “I’ll go with you.”

She waited in the shadows as Rob walked around the property
twice, looking for some form of security. When he didn’t find any, he walked to
the front door and motioned for her to join him. She darted up the front steps
and followed him into the small lobby. She was so nervous she felt like she was
going to jump out of her skin. This place gave her the creeps and there was no
other way to describe it.

“Rob,” she whispered.

He put his fingers to his lips and then turned and headed up
the stairs. She caught up with him on the second-floor landing.

“Which one is his?” she asked in a low voice.

“2B, now keep watch while I open the door and let me know if
you see anyone.”

“Rob, let’s go. Please.” She watched and listened as he picked
the lock within a minute.

The door to Tarrington’s apartment swung open and he stood. “Come
on, this won’t take long.”

She stood inside the door and watched as he closed it behind
them. Her knees were shaking and she didn’t know if it was from adrenaline due
to excitement or from pure fear.

He leaned close and spoke in her ear. “Wait here while I
look around.”

She was glad he required nothing of her because she wasn’t
sure she could move without falling down. Rob removed his gun and headed off to
check out the apartment. After a couple of minutes her nerves began to settle
and she started taking in her surroundings. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim
light and now she could see the state of the place.

The apartment wasn’t just dirty or cluttered, it was
destroyed. It looked as if someone had purposely trashed the place, either
trying to find something or in a fit of anger.

Rob came back into the room speaking into his phone. “Eris
is here with me, Vicky, and I’m going to put you on speaker. What did you
find?”

“I’m going to work my way from present back, so stay with
me. Tarrington moved to New Orleans four years ago from Dallas. The best I can
find is there was an unsolved murder during one of his trips here for an
interview. Then of course the murders that have occurred since he arrived. You
know they’ve grown in frequency over the last few months.”

“Okay, what else have you got?”

“I found the same pattern in the Dallas area. The murders
started before he moved there from San Diego and stopped once he moved to New
Orleans. The same thing also happened in San Diego. The only difference there
is, he was in college prior to being hired by the San Diego police force. He
attended California State University, Bakersfield, where two college-age girls
went missing his junior and senior years. The quick analysis I did shows every
time the murders escalated to the point of drawing too much attention, he
moved.”

“I’m thinking he’s reached his breaking point, he’s lost
control of the madness. It’s now controlling him,” Rob stated.

“I’d agree, from the stats I’ve pulled,” Vicky replied.

“Does he have any siblings?” Eris added to the conversation
as she watched Rob.

“Good question and I didn’t check. Hold on a second, let me
see. He had a twin sister but she died at the age of twelve.”

Rob smiled at her and asked, “Are there any other siblings?”

“No, they were it.” The
click click
of keys could be
heard.

Eris leaned closer to Rob and spoke. “How’d she die?”

“Drowned in a boating accident. Looks like the two of them
were out in a small boat when a storm blew in. The boat capsized. He made it
back to shore, she didn’t.”

Rob continued, “Anything else from his childhood, like
sealed records you can access?”

“Nothing I can see. Whoa, what’s this? Oh man, you aren’t
going to believe what I found.”

“We’re dying here, Vicky, what did you find?” Rob’s voice
carried tons of tension.

“His dead sister is renting apartment 2A in the same
building.”

Rob turned and ran out the apartment. Eris followed. “I’ll
keep watch while you—”

This time he didn’t stop to pick the lock, he simply kicked
the door open.

Eris stood behind him looking into a room that should have
been featured in one of these perfect home magazines.

“What was that noise?” Vicky’s voice was a bit frantic.

“Me entering 2A,” Rob said.

“Watch your back, Rob, or you’re going to end up in tons of
trouble,” Vicky reprimanded.

“I’ll worry about that later. You got anything else for me?”

“Our dead woman also owns a black Jaguar XJ.”

“I’ve gotta go.” Rob disconnected the call. “Can you get a
read on this person’s aura.”

“You might have asked before kicking the door open.”

“I’m looking either way, but I would like your input.” He
pulled on a pair of gloves as they spoke and then went in and closed the door.
Unfortunately, it now made a horrid squeaking sound and sneaking quietly out
wasn’t going to be easy.

“I’ll do it, but I don’t like the feel of this place.”

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms about her
waist. “I’ll be right here.”

“Okay, but don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

She opened her senses and was immediately assaulted by an
aura so evil, so tarnished, that it started to pull her in like a person
sinking in quicksand. She could hear Rob’s voice calling to her and she held
onto it like a mental lifeline. Slowly she worked her way out of the muck and
back into the light. “Rob!”

“Eris, are you okay?”

She turned to him. “I’m good…”

“Are you sure? The last time this happened you were out of
it for twelve hours.” His voice was filled with worry.

She was touched by his concern. “But unlike last time, you
were here and I used your voice to guide me out of the darkness.”

He studied her and then gave a slight nod. “Fine, but we
aren’t doing this again. My heart can’t stand that many scares.”

Eris smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

Rob frowned. “We’ll discuss this later. I’m guessing by your
reaction, this is the right place.”

“Oh yeah, we have it.”

“Good, time for me to do my thing.” He walked away and
started turning on lights. “Come on, but don’t touch.”

She followed him through the most perfectly put together
house she’d ever been in and it totally freaked her out. The apartment was
decorated and organized to the point of obsession. Nothing was out of place and
there wasn’t a speck on the stark-white carpet.

She peeked over Rob’s shoulder as he opened drawers and
cabinets. Everything in the apartment seemed to have a designated spot. There
also wasn’t a single item that showed a real person lived here. No bills, old
sales flyers or scraps of paper with scribbled messages. The kitchen was as
perfect as the rest of the house, the only thing they found there was an open
bottle of white wine and a missing glass from the cabinet.

They continued to the bedroom where there was another white-on-white
room. Thick white carpet muffled their steps and floor to ceiling white silk
curtains hung against the far wall, the material pooling on the carpet. Again,
all was freakishly neat. It was as if the house were staged because there was
no way anyone was this neat. The bathroom was in the same immaculate shape
except the missing wineglass was on the counter beside the sink. Walking to the
closet, she followed him into the large walk-in area.

She looked around in stunned amazement. Jackets, skirts,
blouses, dresses, shoes and other accessories lined the walls. There wasn’t a
vacant spot anywhere. The far wall contained a built-in cabinet. She watched as
he went to a tower of shallow drawers and pulled one open.

He turned to her. “Come take a look.”

Eris walked over and froze as all the earrings shimmered
back at her. “And here I thought my collection was big.”

“It is, but not like this.”

She leaned closer for a better look. Each pair was neatly
attached to a card with a handwritten note. “There are two empty cards. What do
they say?”

Rob reached in, picked them up and read the first one.
“Kelsey Harrington.”

Eris put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God, that’s the victim
from the other night! What does the other card say?”

Rob turned it over and then looked at her. “Orbit.”

Eris clutched at his shirt as stars floated in front of her
eyes. Her breath came in small little gulps and no matter how she tried, she
couldn’t get control of herself. He put an arm around her but didn’t say a
thing He stood there holding her tight, anchoring her, giving her solid support
and comfort.

From the living room came a very light squeak. His body
stiffened, and she started to ask what was wrong when he put a hand over her
mouth. He shoved aside clothing and pushed her into the hole. Leaning close he
handed her the phone. “Stay here and call the police.”

She dialed 9-1-1 and told them all she could. She thought
between the eerie silence and the waiting she’d go crazy. Then from the bedroom
she heard the sound of fighting and knew she couldn’t wait in the closet like a
sitting duck. She put her phone on mute and shoved it in her pants pocket. She
needed both hands free and didn’t want the voice of an operator giving away her
location. Slowly she opened the door and peered into the bedroom. It was empty.
The noise she was hearing was from the living room. There was a loud crash
followed by total quiet.

“Eris, I know you’re here. Rob wouldn’t go anywhere without
his princess, now would he? He’s out here bleeding to death and you’re hiding.
I’m going to find you and make you watch him die before I finally get the
pleasure of killing you.”

Her heart raced like a freight train as she reached for her
new gun and removed it. If she got the chance, she was going to blow the bitch
away, but first she needed to hide.

“Here I come.”

Eris glanced around the stark white room and dashed toward
the heavy drapes that covered the windows. The thick carpet beneath her feet
silenced her steps and the extra long curtains concealed her completely. She
left just enough space so she could watch the door. Her breath caught in her
lungs as the woman from the bar entered.

“Where could you be? There aren’t that many places to hide
in this tiny place. If I don’t find you soon, I’m going to go finish Rob off if
he isn’t already dead.” The woman glanced about the bedroom and then went to
the closet.