Charity Kills (A David Storm Mystery) (26 page)

There was no reaction from Hebert, his face still blank of expression. Storm moved on.

“The ninth level is empty now, isn’t it?” Storm asked.

“Yes, except for the people working there and for security,” responded Hebert in a voice barely audible.

“Will she be there?” asked Storm.

“Yes, she should be. They’re due on at 5:00 PM.”

“Sergeant Hernandez and I are going up there. We will ask her for a DNA sample and we’ll be out of your hair. If you call her and warn her before I can get there I am coming back down and I will personally jump down your throat. Then I will arrest you for tampering with a homicide investigation. You got that?” Storm couldn’t believe how calm he was. He willed himself to slow down; he knew being too excited could lead to mistakes and now was not the time for errors in judgment.

With that, Storm and Hernandez left Hebert’s office and headed back down the hall to get Russell and go to the ninth level. When they got off the elevator they told Russell to hang back and wait. As they approached the entry to the club, Storm motioned to Hernandez. “Move to my left and back me up,” he mouthed. Hernandez nodded affirmatively.

Officer Stone was standing at the front door when she saw Storm coming. She turned and told him the club was not open yet and he would have to wait. She added, “Do you have credentials to get into this club?”

Storm calmly pulled his badge and explained to her he was there on official business. “There’s been a break in the Leslie Phillips case and I need to ask you some more questions about the night you saw her in the club and get some details straight about her murder. Officer Stone, of course you are up to speed on the two murders that have occurred in the last week, aren’t you?”

“Yes, terrible, isn’t it? The girl you showed me the other night and now the girl from the Show offices.”

“Yes, it is. The last victim, Peggy Wise was her name by the way, left some very damning evidence.”

“Oh, really?” replied Tess Stone.

She’s starting to look nervous. I wonder if Pancho notices the way her eyes are darting back and forth. Hope so. Looks like she’s looking for a way to escape.
“Yes. But first, how did you get those scratches on your neck?” Storm asked, pointing to the area where he had already noticed some marks and waiting to hear how she would explain them.

“Fought with a drunk in here last night. Why?” Officer Stone said, putting up her hand over the scratches.

“Just an observance, Officer Stone,” added Storm.

“I am sure you didn’t come here to ask about my well-being, Detective, so what can I do for you?”

Storm looked over at Hernandez. He wanted to say, “Do you see the urge to flee building throughout her body as much as I do?” But he didn’t have to. Hernandez’s face betrayed no emotion but Storm noted that his hand was near his weapon and his stance telegraphed “ready.”

“I need a DNA sample from you, Officer Stone, because, you see, Peggy scratched her killer and traces of skin from what the M.E.’s DNA tests indicate was from a female, traces we believe came from her killer, were found under her fingernails. Add to that, we have a blue thread that matches the fabric used in HPD uniforms.” Storm pulled a DNA swab from his jacket.

Trained police officer Tess Stone began to back away.

“Officer Stone, don’t do this, don’t make me come after you.” Stone spoke softly, encouragingly. “It is your choice but you can clear this up right now and right here. Let us have the M.E. come up to administer the test and eliminate yourself as a suspect.”

Tess made another step back, further away from them and closer to the door.

“Officer Stone, please stop! It’s just a test. We need to eliminate you as a possible suspect.” Storm’s tone was quiet, again trying to calm Tess so the situation would not become any more volatile.

As Tess continued to back away, her hand fell to her side as if to unsnap her gun holster. Storm didn’t move—he barely breathed. He noticed Hernandez’s body language—he was on high alert, gun within a second’s reach. He knew now she was desperate, and God knows what she would do if pushed.

“Officer, stop. Please. Let us help you. This is not the way for this to end. Did you love Peggy? Was it a love gone wrong? You can talk to me,” Storm assured her. Even as he tried to stay one step ahead of her, he had no real proof yet there was any involvement between Ms. Wise and Tess. Maybe talking about Peggy will calm her so she’ll say something concrete we can use as cause to take her in, he hoped.

In mere seconds Tess’s actions seemed to become animal-like, feral. Like a cornered wild hog, her instincts seemed to take hold as she looked around for a means of escape, but with Hernandez now behind her and Storm in front, there was nowhere to go.

Then her demeanor changed once more. A serene expression eclipsed her face, as if in her mind the only and perfect way out had just dawned on her. She unsnapped her gun holster, put the palm of her hand on her 9 millimeter, and smiling like the Madonna, she began to pull the weapon.

Before Storm could react, a shot rang out of nowhere. He spun around, expecting to see Hernandez with his gun drawn and discharged; instead, he saw Hebert holding his service revolver at arm’s length, smoke still escaping the barrel.

* * * *

Hebert stood there horrified. He had been a cop for thirty years and had never had to shoot a living creature, let alone a human being. Now Tess, his protégé, had pushed for this end, the act that was known as “
suicide by cop,
” a last ditch effort to escape a bad situation, and he had been the one to shoot one of his own.

During Storm’s confrontation with Tess, Hebert had snuck up a back elevator to get to the VIP room, hoping against hope Storm was wrong. When Tess had come to Houston and applied for a job with HPD, Hebert had been the one to vouch for her. It had been obvious early to him Tess floated her boat in a direction that was not generally accepted for police work, but Hebert also knew many of the department’s female officers’ sexual orientation wasn’t the norm. His own niece was a lesbian and he had seen the torment her lifestyle had caused her, but that didn’t mean Tess’s relationships away from work needed to be a problem as long as she kept her nose clean. Tess had proven to be a good addition, street smart, get-your-hands-dirty type of cop and she didn’t flaunt her personal lifestyle. He had added her to his cadre of officers working the Show as a reward for doing a good job and he knew she could use the easy money.

In spite of how protective he felt toward one of his own, he had also seen Tess’s reaction to her confrontation with Storm. He saw her looking quickly and frantically around to locate any possible exit. He heard what Storm was saying to her and he knew now Storm had evidence that would implicate Tess. When she reached for her gun, his experience and his reflexes took over and even he could not let the office boy die like this.

Rushing to Tess’s body and cradling her head in his lap, Storm asked, “’Tess, did you kill all those girls?”

Still smiling, Tess said, “Yes, but I loved only one.” And she was gone.

Peggy’s Notebook

Storm was sure that DNA would prove Tess to be Peggy Wise’s killer, and Tess’s dying declaration would be written up, but they still had to find evidence to bolster the motive for killing the others Remembering what Pancho had told them, that most serial killers keep mementos of their crimes, he was hopeful; there would be something in Tess’s personal things to tie her to the other murders.

* * * *

It was then Russell called Grady and Alisha to tell them the outcome and ask Grady to meet him downstairs with a camera.Russell was a news man again. He felt vital, and he and Grady were going to break the biggest story of the year. Alisha was to join Storm and Hernandez at the scene of the shooting.

* * * *

For the first time in a long time, Storm wished he could have a drink. All hell was about to break lose, the facts of this case couldn’t be hidden from the public anymore, and there were careers about to be lost. He picked up Peggy Wise’s notebook and thumbed through the record of her research.

__________________________

Gage
Elaine Marie Gage, 25

Elaine Gage of
Houston/Hallettsville passed away February 26, 1998. Funeral services will be
March 1, 1998 at 11:00 a.m. at Westbury Cemetery, Houston, Texas.

__________________________

Local Woman Found Murdered

Elaine Gage, a local Hallettsville High School graduate, was found murdered in Houston over the
weekend. She was discovered inside an abandoned car across the street from the
Dome complex early Sunday morning. She was discovered as police ran random
checks on derelict vehicles abandoned on the lot. The circumstances of her death
have not been released by Houston Police, but anonymous sources have revealed
that the girl had been sexually assaulted before her death. Homicide detectives
have assured the public they will be investigating her murder and as soon as
more information is available, they will be releasing what they know to the
press. Miss Gage graduated in 1991 and immediately got a job working for Tejas
Petroleum in Houston, where she was living. She had been a member of the
Hallettsville District Championship Lady Brahma volleyball team. She leaves no
family and services will be held in Houston at the Westbury Cemetery, Wednesday,
March 1, 1998 at 11 A.M.

__________________________

Peggy’s Notes: My
friend Elaine has been found dead. Her body found across the street from the
Dome inside an old car. My only friend from Tejas... We just had lunch she
giggly about the fun she was about to have at Rodeo. I told her I was worried,
she had fallen in with some not so nice people. Saw her with stinking big wheels
that like younger women and are all married. They found body Sunday a.m. Cops
told me someone had cut her throat. She was naked and they were sure she had
been abused. Her funeral was in town, she didn’t have any family left. The
funeral was simple not too many there, some I knew from Tejas... Strangers too,
two men and two women... must have worked for Tejas after I left. The Tejas
people told me the company paid for funeral since she had no family. Elaine, I
will miss you my friend.

__________________________

Turnbull
Debra Ann Turnbull

Beloved sister of Jenna Hopkins
of Needville passed away February 25, 1999, in Houston Texas. Funeral services
will be held at 3:00 P.M. March 1, 1999, at Green Lawn Cemetery in Needville,
Texas.

__________________________

Young Woman Dies Violent Death

Houston, Texas
- Early this morning the body of a young woman was found against the fence on
the north side of the Dome parking lot. There are some utility and storage
buildings on that side of the parking lot, her body was discovered between
buildings when a cleaning crew looked under what described as an abandoned tarp.
When they pulled the tarp away, they found her naked body. Her throat had been
severed and police spokesmen said the girl had been violated before her death.
HPD is investigating, but have not yet released her identity, awaiting
notification of nearest of kin. Police said no suspect had been determined.

__________________________

Notes: Second
girl: Another found, looks like Elaine, tall, slender, brunette, young and cute.
Saw her at Show, seen her going in and out of VIP club. Committee Volunteer. Not
seen her with Joe, but had with other married big dogs. Cops say she was killed
same way as Elaine, throat cut, raped and found naked. Did not go to her funeral
it was out of town. Killed on weekend night small town girl no family same time
of year as Elaine Cops found her clothes but no shoes or boots...?

__________________________

Canter
Michele Louise Canter, 24

Michele Canter of Joachim passed
away March 12, 2000, in Houston Texas. Funeral services will be March 15, 2000,
at Mr. Avery Cemetery, Joachim, Texas. She is survived by her brother Peter
Canter of Spokane, Washington.

__________________________

Local Cheerleader Found Dead

Houston
-
Michele Canter, of the Class of 1994 at Joachim High School, was laid to rest
March 15, 2000, in Mt. Avery Cemetery. After graduation, Ms. Canter moved to
Houston, working for Harris County as dispatch clerk for the streets department.
The roadside cleaning crews she used to be responsible for dispatching found her
body early Sunday morning. Her death has been determined to be a murder and the
Houston Police are now investigating. They added Ms. Canter had been sexually
abused and her throat had been cut. Her naked body was found near an abandoned
eatery in the Dome area of Houston. So far, no suspects have been identified.
Her brother Peter Canter lives in Spokane, WA. He returned to Joachim for her
internment and asked all donations be made to the Joachim Shelter for Women.

__________________________

Woman Found Dead

A young woman’s body
was found early Sunday morning by roadside cleaning crew. The cause of her death
is unknown at this time, but is being investigated. Release of the victim’s
identity is awaiting notification of her next of kin. The body was found while
cleaning crews picked up trash just off Old Spanish Trail and Kirby next to a
derelict restaurant. #

__________________________

Notes: Girl number
three: Slender, brunette, young and cute. Small town girl only had a brother.
Cops say she was found naked, throat cut and raped. Didn’t know this one but she
is listed as committee member of the Show. This is a pattern, kills same time
every year Why? How does he find these girls?

__________________________

Black
Linda Elisabeth Black, 23

Linda Elisabeth Black of Alice,
Texas, passed away March 16, 2001. Funeral services will be held March 21, 2001,
at Rest-land Cemetery at 10 A.M. in Alice alongside her mother and father.