Melody (THE LOGAN FAMILY) (10 page)

“Good eye, Morris.” Cunningham walked off.

Brianna grinned. “They’re just playing, Steve.”

“Well, it’s not that funny to me. I don’t want to be compared to that asshole.” He rocked in his chair. “Going over the victims’ statements again?” She nodded. “I’ve been over them about twenty times and can’t pick up a damn thing. I think I’ll contact Monica again.”

“Just give her time, Steven. She’ll contact us if she knows anything. I believe that. I don’t think she’ll want this man walking around if she can help put him away.”

“But we got sketches, statements, even some witnesses who have seen this guy, yet we still come up with shit.” He sighed. “He’s a smart son of a bitch, I tell you. He s going from neighborhood to neighborhood, and we don’t have a clue where he’ll strike next.”

“I’ve been thinking.” Brianna twirled her pencil. “We know his pattern, right? He rapes and rapes for days straight, then he stops for like weeks.” She shrugged. “We can’t get a handle on anyone who looks like him.” Steven nodded. “I’m thinking he’s coming from somewhere else.”

“What, you mean you think he doesn’t live in the city, but is coming to Albany to rape? That wouldn’t make sense. He knows too much about the city’s navigation. He’s obviously staking out his victims, Bree. You have to live in a city to have that kind of time. Anyway, I don’t know if anyone would start raping long distance.”

She shrugged. “Just a thought, even though it does seem pretty farfetched.” She straightened her papers.

“What’s farfetched?” Cunningham returned to his desk with a cinnamon roll.

“I was talking to
him
.” She gestured to Steven.

“Oh, excuse me, Madam.” Cunningham pretended to be offended. Brianna chuckled. “I’m going to relieve my bowels.”

“Ugh.” Steven crossed his arms. “A little too much information, man.”

“Really.” Brianna gathered her things.

“Kemp, do me a favor and answer my phone for me, okay? If it’s my girlfriend, put her on hold.”

“And if it’s your wife?” Steven grinned.

“If it’s my wife, hang up.” Cunningham left the room. They laughed.

“He’s some piece of work, isn’t he?” Steven yawned. Brianna stood. She scooted her chair underneath the desk. She turned off the tiny lamp.

“Good night, Steven.” She slipped her purse on her shoulder.

“I was gonna stay here and work a little longer. I thought you might…”

“No, I’ve had as much of this case as I can take today.” She grabbed her Thermos. “I just want to go home and go to bed.”

He looked at his watch. “It’s only seven, Bree.”

“Good night, Steven.”

“Bree?” She turned around. “We’ll get him, baby. Don’t worry too much about it, all right?”

She smiled. “See you tomorrow.” She left.

“Shit.” Steven clasped his hands. A tall black detective walked up.

“Kemp, you still hitting that?” He laughed.

“Fuck off, Simpson.”

Simpson sat in Brianna’s chair. “Just saying, that’s some piece of ass you probably don’t want to just let go. I thought you said this break up was temporary.”

“What business is it of yours?”

Simpson laughed. “It’s not, but boy, do I love rubbing it in.” He walked off.

Steven faked a laugh. “Fuckin’ cops.” He left his desk.

Brianna wished she never had to leave home again. If the nights in Albany seemed long to the general public these days, they appeared more daunting for Brianna. She’d never been at such a standstill with an investigation before. She’d dealt with rapists for years. She knew how to study their patterns. The key had always been to get them where they’d strike next.

The problem with the Predator had been that no one had a clue about his motives. By this time, Brianna usually had a list of motives for a roaming rapist. The motives were what allowed the cops to be a step ahead. She couldn’t figure out the Albany Predator if her life depended on it. She couldn’t tell if his actions were racially motivated, or if he hated or
fantasized
about black women.

The victims hadn’t been much help. Most of them chose to clam up. The ones who hadn’t tended to forget the most important factor of their encounters with him. Steven seemed so sure they’d catch him. She wished she had his confidence. She walked around her cozy, two-story home. She lived in a beautiful neighborhood. The people loved having a cop within their grasp. They thought it ensured safety.

Brianna knew better. In fact, most crime-ridden neighborhoods had cops at their disposal. The general public had no idea how determined a criminal could be. Killers were dangerous. Kidnappers were relentless. Yet rapists stirred up awareness in a community that could not be denied. They were the lowest of the low. They were the uptime of anything sinful and horrid, and the Albany Predator seemed the worst yet.

Brianna finished a cup of cinnamon tea. She thought about the Predator’s recent rapes. She’d never felt so desperate. Maybe Captain Jersey’s way would be the answer. Brianna didn’t like the idea of arresting victims, but if it kept others safe, she’d open up to it. She heard Davis purring in the distance. She headed upstairs to bed. It hadn’t even reached nine o’clock. She hadn’t been to bed before ten in years.

She headed for her closet and laid out her clothes for the next day. Davis slithered into the room. The tan-and-white feline found his favorite spot in the corner. He licked his paws and buried his head into the thick carpet. Brianna rushed to pet him. Davis purred, letting her know he enjoyed the attention. He rolled over on his back as she caressed his furry belly. He licked his tongue out in avid appreciation.

She grinned. “You like that, huh?” He purred. She figured he deserved a snack before heading to bed. They went downstairs. Davis took off toward the dark den before Brianna reached the kitchen. She opened a can of cat food and poured it into Davis’s little red dish. “Davis, come here!” She made a high-pitched sucking sound through her teeth. “Come on, I’m tired. Momma’s gotta go to bed, okay?”

She heard clicking in the den. She imagined Davis pulling on the snaps of the curtains like he always did. She peeked inside. The soft carpet felt like heaven against her naked feet. Davis wasn’t there. She felt a chill. Something wasn’t right. She wasn’t like those stupid women on television who went searching their house without means of protection.

She was a cop, damn it. She knew how to handle herself. She knew what to do. She thought of her gun in her bedroom first thing. She was rushing toward the stairs when she heard a low growl. “Davis?” She turned from the stairs and propped against the wall. She heard a crash in the kitchen. Dishes tumbled in the sink. She ran to the living room and grabbed her pepper spray from the little desk in the corner.

She turned off the hallway light. Someone had it in mind to surprise her, but she’d do the honors first. She waited in the darkness.

“Meow.” It came from the den. Brianna stood inches away. She took measured steps. She heard the low meow again. It didn’t sound anything like Davis. In fact, it sounded almost…like a
human
.

She tried to ignore her pounding heart. She put her faith in that top-notch police training that she’d grown so fond of. She held the pepper spray behind her back. If only she could get to her gun; she had no time now. She entered the den. She swore she could taste the body heat. That’s how close she’d come. Or more importantly, how close the intruder may have been.

She held her chest. “I’ve got a gun here,” she lied. “I’m a police officer! I want you to show yourself right now, or I will fire!” She exhaled. “Do you hear me? I know you’re in here. Do the smart thing and come out right now! I don’t want to hurt you, but if I have to, I will.” She stood back. The intruder could have been closer than she thought. “Did you hear me? I want you to step out slowly with your hands up. I
will
fire!”

She flicked on the lights. She scanned the room. She saw her computer, phone, television and fax machine all in place. She checked to see if someone hid behind the couch. She heard footsteps in the other room. She ran into the hallway. She ran to the stairs. Damn it, she needed that gun. She stared upstairs at her bedroom. A bead of sweat fell down the bridge of her nose.

“Ahhh!” she screamed.

Someone whipped her around so fast she nearly tumbled over. Her arms were locked behind her back. She felt the softness of leather gloves against her skin. A strong man in black clothes and black boots held her close. He rubbed his face against her ear.

Brianna felt the fabric of a soft knit cap. “Drop the pepper spray, now,” he ordered calmly. He held her arms tightly against him. One arm squeezed her waist. “I said…drop it.”

She exhaled and followed the order. “Okay, just take it easy.” He jerked her hair until her head rested on his shoulder. “Take it easy, all right.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I’ll ‘take’ it easy; don’t worry about that, baby.” He ran his hands down her flimsy T-shirt. She always wore a T-shirt and panties to bed. This had been one night she wished she hadn’t.

“You’re him aren’t you?” She breathed. “The Albany Predator.”

“What do you think?” He rubbed her nipple with his free hand. “Now, I don’t want you to move, honey. I don’t want you to move, or think. I don’t want you to do anything. You understand me?”

“Yes.” She shut her eyes.

He cackled lightly. “You know me? Huh, you know me?” He rubbed her soft brown neck. “Well, I know you, too, Brianna. I know all about you. You think just because you’re a cop it makes a difference? It doesn’t. In fact, this makes it more worthwhile. Know why?” He jerked her hair. “Because you’re a challenge. And I’m no amateur.”

“I…I know you’re not.” She kept her voice leveled despite her fright. “We can talk, you know? We can just talk.”

“I didn’t come here to talk. How does it feel to be so close to something you’ve wanted for so long? You’ve been hunting me…” He ran his finger across her belly button. “I’ve been hunting
you
. Oh God, do you know how good this feels?” He leaned against her. “Answer me.”

“I…” A tear ran down her face. She refused to be his victim. She wondered if she truly had a choice.

“I want you.” He caressed her neck. “And I’m gonna have you. Do you understand that? As long as you understand that, this can be painless and smooth.” He slipped his hand down the front of her panties. She struggled. “Shh, be still, okay. We don’t have to do this the hard way, do we, Brianna? I just wanna see it, okay? I just want to see your twat, okay?”

She shivered. “Look, you don’t want to do this, okay? You are not going to get away with this. You’re fucking with a cop and that’s not a good idea, believe me.”

He turned her around. He stared her in the eyes. “Get on your knees and don’t move.” She got on her knees. She looked at him with begging eyes. He moved his finger in a circle across her plump lips. He moaned. “You’re gonna use that mouth, okay?” She nearly vomited at the thought. “I’ve never done a cop, so I’m going to enjoy this most of all.” He unbuttoned his black jeans. Brianna eyed the protrusion from his white jockey shorts. “Ask me what I want you to…to do.” He rubbed his crotch.

“No.” Brianna tried to look away. He forced her eyes on him again.

“Do it, Brianna.” He rubbed her neck. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will, if I have to. Ask me what I want you to do.”

“No.” She shut her eyes. He pulled her hair, snapping her neck back. She howled in pain. “What…what do you want…me to do?” Her voice shook.

He smiled through the cap. “Good girl. I want you to suck my dick, okay? I want you to suck it until I come. You understand me?” He let her hair go. “And if you don’t, I’ll kill you.” She tried to shake the fright. It seemed impossible. He frightened her beyond belief. She could only imagine how the other women felt. He pushed his underwear into his jeans. “See the head? Do you see it?”

“Please just…”

He moved closer to her. “I won’t fuck you if you don’t want me to,” he whispered. “I’m making you a special offer. I just want you to suck my dick. If you don’t, I’m gonna stick it in your pussy. So, which do you want?” He chuckled. “You were gonna spray that pepper spray at me, huh? Well, I’m gonna spray something in your lovely black mouth.” He pulled out a knife.

“I won’t be your victim.” She shook. “And I won’t let you hurt anyone else. You can fuck me if you want to, but believe me you won’t leave here alive. I promise you that, limp dick.” She gasped at her own words.

“What did you say to me?” He stepped back. “Who do you think you’re talking to, huh?” He held her neck. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to, bitch?”

She grinned. “Call me what you want, but you aren’t gonna live for long, if I have anything to say about it.”

He knelt beside her. He rubbed his crotch. “You know, I like you.” He ran his hands down her face. “You got guts. I knew you would. Tell me something. You ever fucked a white guy before?” He circled his thumb around her nipple. It hardened beyond her control. “Answer the question, Brianna.”

“You’ve obviously been watching me. So you probably know things about me. Probably been asking around.” He nodded. “You should know who I’ve fucked, shouldn’t you? White guys or not.”