The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller (24 page)

“Roll it back.”

Rick stopped and rewound the tape slowly.

“There.” Jordan pointed at the screen. They watched her swipe at his face again and then saw her reel backwards from the crushing blow. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt a slight nagging, but couldn’t place it. Something in that few seconds bothered her. “Again.”

Rick obliged again, and they watched it a third time in slow motion.

“What do you see?” Rebecca stepped closer to the TV.

Jordan shook her head. “I’m not sure.” She pointed at the paused video. “Here. See this. That’s a boxer’s move. The drop in the shoulder. I’ve seen it before. I just can’t remember where.”

Matt shrugged. “Probably on TV. We watch fights all the time.”

Jordan nodded. He was right. They got together all the time at Frank’s. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” She looked over her shoulder at Rick. “I’m sorry, you can start it up again.”

Rick started the playback again. In slow motion, they watched him wrestle her to the ground, slit her throat and sexually assault her. The last few minutes of the attack were almost too much, but they forced themselves to watch. They watched as he brutally ripped the last vestiges of her clothing away and stole from her the very life that she had nurtured and died protecting.

They couldn’t ignore the change in his demeanor as he wrapped the fetus in a small cloth and tucked it inside his coat. He was gentle, where only moments before he had brutally taken a life. He turned, and on the way out of the alley, pulled his hat down lower and pulled his coat tightly around his prize.

“God.” Rebecca breathed quietly. “It’s almost eerie to watch. Julien was dead on with his take on the murders. This man is exacting revenge on women, but the babies are precious. Who is this guy? What happened to mess him up this way?”

Jordan tapped her temple. “Guy’s a fucking nut job, but you won’t know it to look at him. I feel like we are back to square one.”

Rick nodded. “Every lead has turned into a dead end.”

Matt snapped his fingers. “The Dawsons. He had a rap sheet, and wifey lost her chance to get a kid when Stein got fired. That chick is one brick shy of a load. What’s to say she didn’t orchestrate the whole thing?”

“No, timing’s off.” Rick pointed at the first victim. “He started killing before Stein was canned. It can’t be him.”

“Why not?’ Jordan met Matt’s eyes. “I think I’m following you. She works there and sees couple after couple come in and get pregnant, and she’s still barren. That would make a woman who wanted kids pretty upset. She gets her husband to start killing the women. In some sick, twisted way, she feels she has leveled the playing field. She can’t have a baby, why should they?”

“Nah.” Rick shook his head. “It’s no good. When she makes the deal with Stein, there should have been a break in the killings.”

“Not necessarily.” Rebecca pulled her picture off the whiteboard. “Even with the deal, as long as she doesn’t get pregnant, she is still not getting her way. I agree. It makes perfect sense. I’d say it’s time we bring them in for questioning.”

“Rebecca and I will take the Mrs. You guys take him. I don’t want her anywhere near a guy who could blow at the drop of a hat.”

“I can handle myself.” Rebecca rolled her eyes, but she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to someone caring about her like Jordan did or returning the feelings. It was still new and made her feel totally protected. “I made it to thirty—one alive, you know.”

“Just stay close, alright.” Jordan pulled Rebecca’s coat off the chair and held it out for her. “I think we should drop in unannounced. Perhaps a little surprise will give us an edge over Ruth Dawson and right now, we need every advantage we can get.”

Chapter 25

Jordan watched Ruth Dawson’s face as they approached, looking for any sign of guilt. If she was surprised to see them, she didn’t show it. She schooled her features into a look of thinly veiled tolerance. “Detective Foxx. What a pleasure to see you again. And Agent Gray. Where are the other two guys?”

Bingo.
Rebecca thought quickly. She was right on about Ruth Dawson. She was just the type that would be interested in two good—looking guys in uniform. Guys who weren’t her husband, and she hadn’t been abused by. Perhaps they would be able to get her to open up and maybe confess. “Ruth, we have a couple more questions about Dr. Stein. We wondered if you would be kind enough to come down to the station.”

Ruth swallowed audibly. “I don’t…don’t think that’s a good idea. Dr. Mercer is out, and I can’t leave the office unattended.”

“We can wait until she comes back.”

“She won’t be back for several days.” Ruth answered defensively. “She’s going to a conference in New York.”

“Can you call her? Let her know you’re going to be gone for a while?” Rebecca studied Ruth’s features. She really was unremarkable. Plain, the fade into the wall type. She did not like the attention that the two women were paying her.

“I don’t think so. Before she left, she had a personal appointment.” Her eyes flicked nervously between the two women. “It’s really impossible for me to leave the office.”

“Where’s her appointment?” Jordan leaned over the desk, her gaze boring into Ruth’s eyes. “This is important enough to interrupt.”

Fear flashed in her eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Dr. Mercer doesn’t like to be bothered.”

Jordan leaned over further, invading her space. “Let me try to be perfectly clear, Mrs. Dawson. It’s imperative that you cooperate. I’d hate to slap cuffs on you for impeding an investigation.”

She shook slightly. “I…I don’t know where she is.”

Rebecca decided to add to her fear. “Don’t lie to us, Mrs. Dawson. Lying to a federal agent is a felony. It comes with jail time. You don’t look like the prison type.” She didn’t add that if she was the one that had orchestrated the murders, she would be facing life behind bars, if not the death penalty. “If you have knowledge of Dr. Mercer’s whereabouts, I suggest you divulge them.”

“No, no. I don’t want to go to prison.” She pulled her calendar up and typed for several minutes before she spun the screen around. “This is her private schedule. She doesn’t know I have access to it. She’s making a house call.”

Jordan took one look at the screen. Julie Keppler’s name screamed at her from the monitor. She stood up quickly. “Why would she make a house call? Why wouldn’t she just schedule an appointment? Has she done this before?”

“No.” Ruth shook her head. “Never. This is the first time.”

A thought so foreign to Jordan invaded the recesses of her mind like a black fog rolling through her, and she forced herself to give credence to its absurdity. When she accepted it for truth, she froze. “What time did she leave?”

Ruth saw the panic in her eyes, and she withered. “A half an hour ago, forty—five minutes tops.”

Rebecca saw the color drain from her face. She put her hand on her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to leave now. Julie’s in danger.” The panic was evident.

Rebecca didn’t question the sudden snap. She just went with it. She had known Jordan long enough to know that if she had a feeling, it was usually right.

Jordan was already sprinting to the car. She started it with one hand and dialed her phone with the other. Seconds later, she slammed her palm against the wheel. “Shit! She isn’t answering.” She dialed another number. “Come on! Come on!” Again, there was no answer. She swore loudly.

“What’s going on, Jordan?” Rebecca hadn’t put two and two together, and Jordan’s erratic behavior was starting to make her nervous.

“It’s Dr. Mercer.” Jordan punched numbers on her phone. “Matt? It’s Dr. Mercer. The killer is Meghan Mercer. Just trust me. She’s going after Julie.” A pause. “We have to get to their house now! Susan isn’t answering. Call in backup. God damn it, Matty, we have to get there. She’s in danger.”

“Jordan, what is going on?” Rebecca’s tone snapped through Jordan’s haze.

“The video from the alley. Something kept bothering me about it. The way the guy stepped back and dropped his shoulder before the punch. It clicked when I heard that Dr. Mercer was making a special house call. She’s a fighter, and she’s used the move on me before.”

“You’re sure?” Rebecca’s brow furrowed. “You’re saying that the perp that everyone thought was a man is actually a woman. How’s she doing it?”

“I don’t know.” Jordan slid through a red light, her eyes flicking to the oncoming traffic. A horn blared to their right, and Jordan gunned it. “I haven’t got that part figured out. But I know I’m right. I can feel it.” She dialed the phone again, hoping against hope, she was wrong, but her gut told her she wasn’t, and as time slipped away, she felt her hope slipping away.

“It’s going to be okay. She’s FBI. I’m sure she can protect herself.” Rebecca tried to sound reassuring, but her voice sounded unconvincing even to herself.

Jordan’s phone rang. “Gray.”

“It’s Matt. Rick has five blue and whites on the way. ETA is five minutes. We’re still fifteen minutes away.”

“Okay, good.” Jordan’s hand was white where she gripped the phone. “We’re almost there.” She ended the call, and as if feeling danger, inched the speedometer towards the red. 

Minutes later, Jordan screeched to a halt behind a black Range Rover. There were no other cars. Rick’s backup hadn’t arrived yet, and Jordan prayed they were close. The vanity plate said it all. BBYMKR. Jordan’s instincts had been right, and now she hoped it wasn’t too late. Why hadn’t she seen it before? She knew it was because of their night together. It meant nothing, but acknowledging that Meghan was a killer would eventually make her have to question her judgment.

She leapt out of the car and pulled out her Glock. Rebecca was on her heels before she could even say anything. The front door was ajar. Jordan motioned for Rebecca to stand to the side, and she pushed the door open with her gun. She waited. Nothing. She leaned her head around the doorjamb and looked through the living room into the large kitchen. She saw nothing. Heard nothing. At least she didn’t see anyone lying on the floor.

She put her finger up to her lips, signaling Rebecca to stay silent. They crept inside wordlessly, guns poised and ready. The hall was dark and Jordan made out a light creeping underneath a door at the back of the house. She waived Rebecca down the hall.

The wood floor creaked, and they froze. Waiting. In their silence, Jordan heard soft murmurs coming from behind the door at the end of the hall. Her eyes narrowed. She recognized the deep voice and froze at the words she heard.

“You left me and now you deserve to die.”

Jordan jumped, her legs covering the last fifteen feet in less than a second. She flung the door open. Her eyes met Meghan’s, and she knew that whoever was behind those wild eyes was not the cool, collected doctor whom they had met before. Her eyes flashed madly. “You!”

Jordan couldn’t move. Meghan had Julie’s hair in her grasp, and a large knife pressed against her neck. Fear and something else flashed in her eyes. Something akin to resignation. Jordan’s jaw clenched tightly. This could only end one way.

Susan was duct—taped to a chair, blood seeping from her leg. Her fingers curled around the arms of the chair. Her mouth was taped. Where Julie had all but given up, fury flashed in Susan’s eyes, and Jordan knew if she got a hold of Meghan, she would kill her.

She leveled her gun on Meghan. “Put the knife down. All I need is you to give me a reason, and I’ll blow your head off.”

Meghan cackled. She spied Rebecca standing behind Jordan, and her face broke into an evil smile. “Mmm, you little bitch. How is it fucking Jordan? She’s good, isn’t she?”

“Meghan, stop.” Jordan’s voice was a low, menacing tone.

Meghan shrugged it off as though she was just having a conversation with a girlfriend. “She tastes good, doesn’t she? Did she tell you I fucked her too?”

Rebecca tensed, her temper and fear getting the best of her. “Fuck you.”

“Fuck me?” Meghan laughed cynically. “That’s what my whole life has been. People fucking me and walking away.” She cinched Julie’s hair tighter. She leaned close to Julie’s ear and bared her teeth. “That’s why you have to die, Christine.”

Suddenly, it made sense. Christine was the woman who had left Meghan and put into motion a series of events that had left too many women dead and the fear of one more.

Susan tried to yell through the tape, and it came out as a desperate groan.

Meghan’s head snapped up. She leveled her gaze on Susan. “I’m saving you. She’ll just fuck you and leave you.”

Jordan took a step closer. “Meghan, please. Don’t do this. It’s not Christine. It’s not too late. You can put the knife down and walk away. We can get you a plea bargain. You need help.”

Meghan dug the knife into Julie’s neck, breaking the skin and sending the first droplets of blood sliding down her neck. Meghan sniffed the air like a hunter picking up on the blood of its wounded prey. “Yes.”

Jordan stepped closer again. She wanted to close the gap in the moments that Meghan slipped out of consciousness. One step. Another step and Meghan’s eyes snapped to hers.

“Get back, or I’ll kill her now.” Meghan’s sneer was menacing, and Jordan took a step back. She couldn’t risk pushing Meghan off the very narrow precipice that she now occupied. There was a very visible line that separated Julie from life and death and Jordan was holding it in her hand.

“Stop, Meghan. It’s not Christine. She’s not here.” Jordan’s voice was calm. She needed to distract her. Keep her occupied just a little longer. “Meghan, tell me about Christine. Tell me how you met.” She silently prayed that Rebecca’s men were close.

Meghan paused. Her eyes regarded Jordan quizzically as if wondering why she would ask that question. Then suddenly as if a switch had been flipped, a smile broke across her face. “College. We met in college. I was in pre—med. She was going to school for music history. One day I was walking across the campus, and there she was.” Meghan’s voice was almost sing—song.

“Was it love at first sight?” Jordan moved almost imperceptibly. She needed to get herself close enough to get the knife away without hurting Julie. She couldn’t risk taking a shot. It was too dangerous. Her eyes flicked to Julie's, and she tried to reassure her that it would be okay.
Just hang in there, Julie. I promise I’ll get you out alive.