Sandman (9 page)

“Beer, thanks.” Malone disappeared into the kitchen, then Thomas heard his booming voice, “It’s Corona, you want a lime with that?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Thomas yelled back, wandering into the living room where Danny was busy playing his new game.

“Hey, Sport, where’s your sister?”

“In her room playing dolls, or something stupid like that.” Danny concentrated on the screen.

Thomas laughed.

Malone entered carrying two bottles with lime wedges stuck in the tops. “Come on, let’s go out back while Gail finishes up with dinner.”

Thomas snagged the offered beer and followed his friend out the sliding glass door to the covered patio. They sat in a couple of rattan chairs that faced the yard. Malone set his beer on the glass table between them and took out a cigarette.

“Want one?” Malone absent-mindedly offered the pack.

“No, thanks. Trying to quit.” Thomas had never smoked.

“Shit, what was I thinking? Misery loves company, I guess.” Malone lit up and took a long drag, then blew out the smoke. “I think I’ve quit about a dozen times.” He turned to Thomas. “How you holding up?”

“I’m fine, but Harris thinks I should see a shrink.” Thomas focused on the swing set straight ahead on the grass.

Malone was silent a moment. “Might not be a bad idea.”

Thomas jerked his head in his friend’s direction. “I’m not some fucking nut case.”

“Whoa.” Malone put his hands up in front of him. “I’m just saying, it’s gotta be rough, man. I don’t know
what
I’d do if I lost Gail. Especially the way Victoria died. I don’t think I’d ever recover.”

“I don’t let my personal life affect my job. If anything, I’m a hell of a lot better detective,” Thomas said through gritted teeth. “No distractions, I work twenty-four-seven, and I have the highest arrest rate in the department.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked back at the yard.

“That’s what I’m saying, buddy. It’s time you got a life.”

“It’s time for dinner.” Gail stood at the open screen.

***

After dinner, Thomas excused himself to go out to his car. He met up with Malone on the back patio, a lit cigarette already in his hand and two fresh bottles of beer on the table. He took a seat with the VICAP file in his lap.

“I wanted to get your input on the Sandman case.”

“I’ve seen the photos. This guy’s a real piece of work.”

Thomas read the four previous cases for him, handing him the crime scene photos as he went. Then he summarized the information on his own victims.

Malone scratched his chin. "Yup, you’ve got a serial killer on your hands.”

“I was thinking of asking Harris if I could have you help me with this case. You willing?”

“Sure, if you can get him to go for it.”

“Thanks, buddy. I was looking at the first one, the girl in San Francisco?”

Malone nodded.

“I’m certain it’s the same guy, I feel it in my gut. Maybe her death was an accident. It’s crude, sloppy. When he realizes she’s dead, he panics and takes off. There are marks around her neck as if he strangled her, but she died by blunt force trauma to the back of the head.”

“Okay.” Malone ground out his cigarette, turned toward Thomas and gave him his full attention.

“Picture this. The guy’s on top of her, raping her, he has his hands around her throat. She’s screaming, and he’s knocking her head against the ground.”

“Or a rock,” Malone interjected.

“Right, or a rock. He’s yelling at her to shut up all the while throttling her neck and slamming her up and down. Finally she shuts up, permanently.” Thomas raised his beer to his lips.

“Makes sense.” Malone sat up straighter. “That’s why the long break between victims. At first he’s in shock, scared he’ll be caught. Then when that doesn’t happen, he realizes he liked it, wants to recreate the thrill.”

“Exactly. He could have been raping women all along, just not killing them. Most rapes go unreported. It could have been going on for years, there’s no way to know. He’s smart, he moves around a lot.” Thomas rubbed his hands up and down on his jeans.

“So during the time between the two murders, he’s actually busy raping women, except there’s no way to tie the two together?” Malone asked.

“That’s what I’m thinking. The problem is, rape alone isn’t getting him off anymore, so he ups the ante, decides to make the women submissive. He finds a place where he can stash them, then he has his own personal sex slave. But even that gets old or doesn’t work anymore.”

“The girl with the crushed hyoid bone. He’s not able to achieve orgasm anymore, so he tightens his grip on her throat and gets the reaction he’s looking for in her eyes, which gives him the ultimate release. But the end result is death,” Malone said.

“Now he knows what he needs, so the next time he goes searching for a woman it’s with the
intent
to kill,” Thomas added.

“Maybe he buries them in shallow graves to intensify the excitement. He knows his victims will be discovered sooner rather than later and he’s eager to see his work on the news,” Malone suggested.

“Either that or he’s just in a hurry. He’s taking a big risk carrying these bodies from his vehicle all the way to the beach. I wonder why he feels he has to bury them in sand? It would be a lot smarter to bury them along a deserted road, or in the woods.” Thomas tipped back his beer.

Malone lit another cigarette. “Maybe the beach holds some significance for this psycho.”

“He may be a psycho, but he’s also a smart son of a bitch. Spreading his victims between different jurisdictions is why it’s taken so long for anyone to notice what he’s been up to.” Thomas put the empty bottle down.

“The old sleight-of-hand trick: while you’re looking over there, I’ll be over here.”

“He also knows better than to cross state lines. That would make the case FBI and everyone knows they have the most experience with serial killers.”

“Well, he’s made a mistake now. If you hadn’t stumbled upon that second vic, you wouldn’t have looked for more.”

Malone pointed to Thomas’s empty bottle. “You want another?”

Thomas shook his head. “True, which shows he’s getting sloppy. There’s more of a chance he’ll make another slip-up, and we’ll catch this motherfucker. Imagine how long this could have gone on?”

“And this guy’s escalating, only two months between his last two kills. He could have another woman now, or at least be searching for one even as we speak.”

“This guy’s into some scary shit. His methods of torture so far are pretty grisly, I’d hate to see what happens when this fucker totally loses it.” Thomas scrubbed his hands down his face.

“Yeah, me too. So what’s your plan?” Malone finished his beer.

“I’m going to get Harris up to speed and ask to bring you aboard. Then I’m going to put out a statewide BOLO on similar murders. That way the entire state will be on the lookout, and I’ll be notified immediately if this guy kills again in another jurisdiction. I’ve already faxed the files to my brother, Wyatt. I’m just waiting for him to get back to me.”

“Is Wyatt the one who’s the forensic psychologist?”

“Yeah, I want to get his take on this guy.”

“Are you going to call Cody?”

“Maybe, in an unofficial capacity, I haven’t decided. I do know I’m not ready to bring in the FBI yet.”

“Well, you’ve got a lot of help in your family alone. Must be nice to come from a family of law enforcement.”

“Sometimes.”

FOURTEEN

That same night, Meagan pulled into the parking lot of the Wind & Sea at exactly seven o’clock. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of someone coming toward her. Drew approached with a large bouquet of white roses mixed with delicate lavender baby’s breath. He helped her out of the car, kissed her on the cheek, then presented her with the flowers.

“You look ravishing,” he said with a sigh.

“Thank you, these are lovely, but you shouldn’t have.”

“Come with me.” He led her to a black Rolls Royce parked nearby.

“Where did you get this, is it stolen?” she laughed.

He smiled. “Borrowed.”

Meagan ran her hand along the soft leather seat and waited for Drew to get in the car. The moment he was settled, she asked, “Where are we going?”

He smiled at her. “Somewhere special, Theresa told me it was your birthday.”

“Blabbermouth, I knew I couldn’t trust her.” She rolled her eyes. “Did she also tell you how old I am?”

“Thirty-five.” He took the flowers from her and set them on the back seat.

“Jeez, is nothing sacred? So you don’t mind dating an older woman?”

“Well, I know three years is a long time in a dog’s life, but with humans I think it’s all right.” He started the car.

She smiled and stared out the front window. “Good to know.”

They didn’t speak as they drove up the coast. Instead he put in a Depeche Mode CD. Meagan laid her head back against the headrest and let the synthesized music lull her as she took in the beautiful night. There was not a cloud in sight. As they passed Laguna Beach, away from the city lights, the sky opened up, brilliant with stars. The full moon reflected on the surface of the ocean.

She could see the white caps of the waves and got lost in their slow steady rhythm as they caressed the shore. The windows were slightly ajar so she could feel the cool ocean breeze on her face and smell its wonderful fragrance. She inhaled deeply and felt such peace.

And to think she’d wanted to cancel this date. It had worried Meagan all day. What stopped her was the fact she didn’t know how to reach Drew. She couldn’t just not show up; that would be just plain rude. Now she was glad it wasn’t an option.

Too soon she noticed the lights of the town up ahead; disappointment set in at the sight of civilization. The car idled at a signal in Corona Del Mar. Meagan lazily viewed the familiar surroundings, only mildly curious as to their final destination.

On her left stood an antique phone booth in bright red, obviously imported from London. Behind that was the ivy-covered English Tudor which happened to be her favorite restaurant, The Five Crowns. Meagan stared as they pulled up to the valet.

“How did you know?” Meagan gasped. “No, let me guess, Theresa.” Drew nodded. “So that’s what you guys were whispering about.”

“I was pumping her for information. She was quite forthcoming.”

“I’ll bet. What else did she tell you?” Anger and worry warred with one another in Meagan’s head.

“Uh-Uh, that’s our little secret.” His eyes twinkled, and a sly grin creased his lips.

Meagan suddenly tensed. The valet opened her door, and she let him help her out of the car. They walked to the restaurant in silence. Drew opened the door. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t tease you like that. She didn’t say anything else, I promise. After she told me that yesterday was your birthday, I simply asked about your favorite restaurant, honestly.”

She relaxed a little, but not much. Theresa’s mouth always ran faster than her brain, especially if she’d been drinking. Like a child, she didn’t know boundaries. She had a good heart; she just didn’t know any better.

Once they were seated, Drew ordered a bottle of their best champagne.

“I don’t mean to be uncouth, but as a struggling musician, how is it you can afford all this?”

“I’ve made some good investments.”

She nodded and looked at the menu.

They talked and laughed for hours. Meagan told him about her sisters. And her parents, who were still madly in love after forty-five years.

Drew told her he’d always wanted a family like hers, but grew up an only child. His plans for the future included growing old with lots of children and grandchildren around him. He’d moved around a lot as a child, as his father was career Navy. His parents died a few years back in a car accident, he said.

The night went quickly and soon she found herself back at her car at The Wind & Sea. Drew parked the Rolls, then turned to her. “I had a great time.”

“Thanks, me too.”

“Can I see you tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m going down to my parents’ house in San Diego to celebrate my birthday with my family.”

“How about the next night?” Drew asked almost shyly.

“I’d like that, but seriously, where do you think this relationship can go? You live in Northern California, and I have a life here. Oh, yeah, and your band is in the middle of a tour.”

“The tour is almost over, and I can rent a place down here and commute when the band needs to practice.”

“Be serious.”

“Look, I’ll figure something out.”

He got out of the car and walked around to open Meagan’s door. He offered her his hand, when she placed her hand in his, she noticed how small it looked compared to his. He pulled her up and they stood face to face. His eyes were heavy-lidded and spoke of desire. She was certain he would kiss her. Instead, he reached down and grabbed her other hand, then brought them both to his lips and kissed them.

“Thanks again for a great night,” Drew almost whispered. He led her back to her car. “Good night.” He closed her door and waited for her to drive away before he returned to the Rolls.

Later Meagan lay in her bed, thinking about her date. She had a great time. Drew wasn’t anything like she had imagined.

FIFTEEN

The piercing shrill of the phone jolted Meagan from a deep slumber. She snatched it quickly. “Hello.” Silence answered her. “Hello!”

Godzilla stared at her. She slammed down the phone. “Dammit, Brad, leave me alone!” She patted the dog on the head. “I’m sorry, boy, some people need to get a life.”

She lay back down, but her heart still raced. Twice this week her sleep had been interrupted by the stupid phone. She jumped out of bed and unplugged it.

***

Later that night, the man grew frustrated as he worked to catch the lock on the window above the back door. He only needed to raise the pane a few inches to reach his hand inside and unlock the door. Soundlessly he guided the metal strip up underneath the lock, but the latch was stubborn. Old and rusted, it obviously hadn’t been opened in a good long while.