Maniacal: A Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Book 1 (28 page)

“What is this stuff?” I asked as we all stood there staring at the wall. Goose bumps popped up on my arms as I read a few of the articles.

“Looks like Doug was a sick man,” Taylor said.

We continued through the room. The bar was covered with rows of prescription bottles. A still cold Stella Artois sat on a side table. Doug’s body lay on the floor next to it.

Jack rubbed his head. “This place gives me the creeps, and what was he doing by that bookcase?”

We walked over to take a look. The floor beneath the bookcase was scraped as if it had been moved numerous times.

“This is interesting. Drury, give me a hand,” Jack said.

We stood back and watched as Jack and Deputy Drury put their backs into it and pushed the bookcase to the side. Behind it was a large opening in the wall.

“What the hell?” Lieutenant Clark said. “Let’s take a look in there.”

With our flashlights lit, we found Melissa’s briefcase with a bag of bloody clothes. Elise’s cell phone was there along with a wallet, knife, and cell phone belonging to Morris King in a bag with more bloody clothes and a bloody tarp.

“I guess this is where he stashed everything,” Jack said. “Hang on, there’s something farther in. Anyone have a brighter flashlight?”

Jamison handed Jack his. Jack wedged himself farther back. We could see only his feet as he inched his way in.

“Holy shit.”

“What’s going on? What did you find?”

“There’s a bag of bones and a skull back here. They’re human.”

Our appointment with Dr. Candace White was at ten a.m. Jack and I were led into her luxurious office on Milwaukee’s east side overlooking Lake Michigan. The view from her eighteenth-floor office was magnificent.

“Detectives, please have a seat. Coffee?”

I nodded and thanked her.

She poured two cups and placed them in front of Jack and me. She already had a cup of her own on her side of the desk. She returned to her leather office chair and sat.

“Yes, Doug Irvin was a patient of mine for nearly ten years. I’m sorry to hear of his passing”—she gave us each a saddened look—“and his actions. He was quite a troubled soul and quit coming to see me in February.”

“What was Doug diagnosed with?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Just about everything, I’m afraid. He was so volatile. I knew if he stopped taking his meds, something horrible could happen. I had no idea he was Washburn County’s ME, but in hindsight, he was really a brilliant man. He was quite capable of doing just about anything. That’s the problem with psychopaths—they can live among us and appear very normal. Classic examples would be Ted Bundy and the BTK killer. Doug’s main problem was he hated women, a true misogynist. He told stories of how his mother used to berate him, tie him to a wooden chair in their basement and beat him. According to Doug, he’d spend hours down there, many times without food and the ability to use the bathroom. He’d mentioned how he soiled himself and received beatings because of that too. If any of this was true, he did live a very horrible life growing up.”

“Could you explain why we always found something in the mouths of his victims?” Jack asked.

“Typically that’s symbolic. I would imagine it was his way of silencing people—as in his mother.”

“Wasn’t there a father in the family?” I asked.

“He never spoke of one. He said his mother moved away when he was nineteen, but by then his mind was deeply disturbed. He was on a very strong regimen of antipsychotic drugs. Doug was an anomaly in a way. Not only was he a psychopath, but he also had delusional disorders causing borderline schizophrenia, hence the drugs. He said he heard voices in his head.”

I glanced at Jack. “Maybe that explains the muttering. He could have been communicating with them.”

Jack nodded. “Weren’t his treatment or prescription bills ever sent to his insurance company?”

The doctor shook her head. “Doug told me he didn’t work. He said he’d inherited quite a sum of money when a relative died. I imagine he didn’t want a paper trail. He paid for everything by money order.”

We thanked the doctor and left.

“What are the odds that the bones behind the wall belong to Doug’s mom?”

Jack looked at me as he pulled out of the parking garage. “I’d say 100 percent. The DNA results should be back tomorrow. Kyle and Dan will let us know.”

“I feel bad about missing Elise’s funeral, but Perry understood. He was so relieved that this nightmare is over and he has justice for Elise.” I smiled at Jack. “He thanked us for the flowers.”

“That’s nice. I guess Jason will take over all of the ME duties until another one is hired.”

“Well, I hope things stay slow for a while. It will be a welcome change to say we live in a quiet little community again.”

“Do you want me to drop you off at home?” Jack asked.

“Why don’t you join Amber and me for lunch? She’d love it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. You have time before you need to get back to the station.”

“Are you rubbing it in?”

“Why? Because I took a week off to spend with my little sister? She can either spend the week with Mom and Bruce as she heals or she can spend it with me. I think you know which one she chose. Anyway, she suggested the Washington House.”

Jack grinned. “You know the offer is still on the table. I can rough Bruce up if you want.”

“Nah—that’s okay, but what are you doing over the weekend?”

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at me. “Why?”

“Because we really need a big strong guy to help us move.”

Jack chuckled as we got out of the car. “You’ve got a deal as long as you’re buying lunch today.”

He put his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, partner. I see Amber waving at us.”

Thank you
for reading
Maniacal
, Book 1 in the Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Series. I hope you enjoyed it!

Now that you’ve read
Maniacal
, move ahead and dive into
Captive
, Book 2. You can get it by clicking
here.

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