The Shark (Forgotten Files Book 1) (17 page)

The man shooting the video was also the one who’d held her face and tipped it up to the camera. He murmured something softly in the background, but it wasn’t loud enough for her to understand, even after she cranked up the volume. In the background she detected the sound of a guitar playing softly. Behind her image, the cream-colored curtains opened onto a clear night sky, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she could see the view from the big casino that overlooked New Orleans. By the fourth time through the images, she didn’t flinch when the man took her face in his hands and tipped her head back. She knew he wouldn’t do anything more to her. She knew the recording would run out and there’d be no video image of what had happened next.

By one in the morning, she shut off the computer. Four hours of sleep last night was manageable, but compound that with another short night and it would all soon catch up with her. She needed to stay sharp. Especially now that the Shark was coming for her.

She thought of taking this DVD to Agent Sharp, but it was one thing to give him five playing cards and another to hand over video evidence of a helpless Riley. God only knew how many investigators would gawk at it. But she couldn’t just sit on this evidence.

Thoughts skittered to Bowman and Shield, who’d been linked to this case for as long as she had. All she knew about Shield Security was what Bowman had told her, and that wasn’t saying much.

However, both men would do whatever it took to catch the Shark.

Bowman had also traced the dress found in Vicky Gilbert’s backpack to the posh Richmond hotel. Calling in a few favors, he soon found himself standing in the security office viewing twenty-plus monitors of the marble lobby.

“What days of footage do you want?” the young man asked.

“Pull last week.”

“You want the cameras in the lobby?”

“I’m interested in the cameras covering the dress shop.”

“We had a cop in here today asking the same question. What’s with the shop?”

He checked his own surprise. “Pull up the footage of the cop.”

A tap of several keys and he was watching Riley entering the dress shop, her hair loose around her shoulders. She moved with a straight-backed posture that telegraphed purpose. She’d barely spoken to the counter clerk when a thick-necked guy wearing a security jacket entered the store. Her tight expression was directed toward the security guard and conveyed annoyance. No doubt the guard had been dispatched to keep her on a short leash.

Bowman watched the security guard move to the front desk, where he stood staring at her ass as she left. He’d done some of that himself. But as he watched this guy ogle Riley, annoyance flared. “Send me copies of the last three weeks.”

Tapping keys clicked behind him and when he heard, “Mr. Bowman,” he turned to find the young guy holding out a flash drive for him. “I can’t send it to you without leaving a trail. No one is likely to notice this copy.”

Bowman pocketed the drive. “Thanks.”

The guy slid nervous hands into his pockets, chewing on his lip as he glanced toward the door. “This makes me even with Shield?”

“Yes, it does.”

Relief relaxed his shoulders. “Thanks.”

Bowman left the security office and made his way out the back service exit. In his SUV he started the engine, knowing full damn well that this video would not be admissible in a court of law. But he wasn’t worried about the court system anymore. He didn’t care about paperwork, or the right channels or procedure. This was about seeing justice done. No more playing by the rules.

Bowman drove back to his house, on the eastern edge of King George County. Away from the congestion near I-95, the strip malls, and the subdivisions, the rolling land was lush and green. The two-story white antebellum house had been built over 150 years ago at the dawn of the Civil War. There was a lone rocking chair on the wide front porch supported by thick round columns. Tall windows, flanking the wide front door, stretched from the porch floor to the ceiling. There was a huge oak tree towering to the right with long-reaching branches covering the roofline. The realtor who’d sold him the property said Union soldiers had been hung from that tree and their ghosts now haunted the house. The idea of a few ghosts appealed to him.

The last major renovation had been in the seventies, and now he was tackling the job of bringing it into the twenty-first century. During the long stakeouts when there had been a sleeping bag for a bed and MREs, he said when he finally settled he’d remodel an old house. Well, now he was about to put his money where his mouth was.

Tugging off his tie, he flipped on lights. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair in the kitchen. From the counter he grabbed a glass and a bottle of scotch. Filling three fingers’ worth, he sipped as he opened the laptop on the table.

A full moon hung over the fields, casting a soft glow. The night was always his favorite time, when the clatter of the day was silent and he could think uninterrupted. His wife had been a night owl, and she would often wait up for him. They’d laugh. Talk. Make love. This had been their time. He closed his eyes and tried to picture Karen. He was able to capture the soft outline of her face and the way her blond hair skimmed her shoulders, but he couldn’t see the smaller details of her features anymore. Time was stealing them bit by bit. He tried to concentrate on his late wife’s smile, but instead of seeing Karen, he saw Riley. No soft lines on her. No easy smiles. She was all gristle and grit. Karen had been easy to love. But not Riley. She would make any man in her life fight for every bit of ground.

The first time with Riley hadn’t been polite or tentative. In his motel room, he had turned her toward a bureau and shoved her hips toward him. He remembered how she glanced up, surprise flickering in her eyes as she stared back at him in the mirror. Then she smiled and unfastened the snap on her pants. He ran his hands over her smooth hips. A dozen sensations he’d thought dead forever had fired to life. He kissed her on the back of her neck, inhaling her scent as his hand cupped her breast and teased her nipple to a hard peak. She hissed in a breath and dropped her head back toward him, her long soft hair brushing his cheek. Hard and ready, he unzipped his pants, positioned himself at her moist entrance, and rubbed against her. She moaned. Unable to hold back anymore, he pushed into her.

She was tense, so tight, and for a moment didn’t move.

He raised his gaze to the mirror and met hers. “Are you okay?”

“It’s been a while.”

He felt her relax and he slowly moved inside her. When she grew wetter, he pushed deeper. She arched back and for a moment he forgot about everything but her.

Now, turning from the window, he moved toward a couch, which was the lone piece of furniture he’d ordered. No sense furnishing a house that would soon see construction crews.

When his wife died, he’d not kept any of the furniture they shared, unable to deal with the grief he attached to everything she’d collected over the years. So he’d given it all away and moved into a furnished studio apartment until his next assignment. He’d lived out of a suitcase for the next few years.

Fatigue tightening his muscles, he moved back to the computer and opened the file marked
Elizabeth Riley Tatum
. Sipping scotch, he picked up the picture taken of her when she was a junior in high school. She stared directly into the camera, forcing a smile, her long dark hair flowing around her shoulders. In the next image she wore a fancy dress and held a bouquet of flowers. The dress fit her body well and clearly a lot of time had gone into making it, but it didn’t look like something she would have picked for herself. When he studied her face, he could see that she was uncomfortable. She reminded him of a fashion model with no expression. Like the dress, the name
Elizabeth
didn’t suit her well. Too proper. Too fussy.
Riley
fit her better.

She’d done substandard work in high school, making Cs and some Bs. She had been on the tennis team and played local tournaments. By all appearances, she was the perfect society girl. Then her mother died, and within a week she ran away from home, vanished for seven days, and found herself in Virginia. There were no police records of her leaving home. But a stepfather like Riley’s wouldn’t want the world knowing what had happened in his house.

He tapped his finger on the side of the glass and flipped through the files until he had her stepfather’s profile in front of him. He’d instantly disliked William Charles and knew he was hiding secrets. Shield said he was a gambler, but Bowman sensed there was more. So he started digging.

William Charles, age sixty-five, had come from old money and worked as a lawyer in New Orleans. He enjoyed a thriving practice and a solid reputation as a corporate attorney, splitting his time between New Orleans and Washington, DC. Eight years ago he married a woman twenty-five years his junior. The lovely look-alike of his first wife.

Bowman had to excavate deep into the computer files before he found a New Orleans police report for Charles, who had been picked up for solicitation fifteen years ago.

He reached for his phone. It took three calls and a promise of a big favor before he finally got through to the officer who’d arrested William Charles.

“Who is this?” The officer’s graveled voice fired the question as if he faced an assailant.

“This is Clay Bowman. I work with Shield Security in Virginia.”

“That supposed to mean something?”

“It means enough to your boss, Lieutenant Randy Mills. He gave me this number.”

In the background he heard the click of a light. “Okay, Mr. Bowman. What do you want?”

“I’m digging into an arrest you made fifteen years ago.”

The officer chuckled. “That’s a hell of a long time ago.”

“I know. But this guy was fairly prominent. His name is William Charles.”

A long pause followed. “I remember him. Bigwig. A real charmer.”

“I’m interested in his history.”

Silence.

“And?” Bowman prompted.

“He was picked up in a sting operation. The powers that be at the time were going after the johns. The program didn’t last very long. They scooped up a few too many big fish in their nets.”

“Including Charles.”

“He was one of several that were caught with an underage prostitute.”

“No charges were filed.”

“None. And the girl in question vanished a few days after the incident. Some say he paid her off, whereas others think maybe she’s at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain. No proof either way.”

Fifteen years ago, Charles’s wife would have been ill and Riley close to sixteen. “No one ever took a statement from the prostitute?”

“If they did, the report vanished along with her,” the officer continued. “Word is he was a regular. He liked the younger girls. He was particular about what he wanted. Dark hair, I recall.”

Like his wife. Like Riley. “Any other reports against him?”

“None. As far as his records are concerned, he was a choirboy who had a minor fall from grace.”

“Right.”

A chair squeaked as if he leaned forward. “But don’t let that fool you. Guys like him don’t quit. They adapt.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sunday, September 18, 7:15 a.m.

Riley had slept very little last night. Her head buzzed with images from the video as she paced her kitchen and waited for the sun to rise. As soon as Hanna was off to her morning training run, she would contact Bowman.

He picked up on the first ring. “Riley.”

“We need to talk.”

“Okay. I can meet you.” He sounded alert, focused.

“How about Duke’s?”

“When?”

“An hour?”

“Done. Are you okay?”

“Just be on time.”

She grabbed Cooper’s leash and took him for a quick walk. As they moved toward the street, a dark-blue car was parked in front of her house. She slowed her pace, absently checking the gun holstered on her hip under her shirt. When the back car door opened, she unsnapped the holster’s guard and settled her hand on the gun’s grip.

An older, thin man rose out of the car, tugging off sunglasses as he turned. She took a step back, releasing the gun as her heart hammered in her chest.

“William?”

He stopped and studied her. “You look well, Riley.”

“What do you want?” She thought about the video. Was he playing a game with her?

“Curious about you.”

“Well, as you can see, I’m alive and well. Now leave.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who is Clay Bowman?”

“Excuse me?”

“He came to see me. Asked questions about you.”

She refused to let him see her surprise or anger. “And what did you tell him?”

“The truth. You were a difficult child.”

Riley flexed her fingers, her annoyance at Bowman consumed by old angers toward this old man. She took a step toward him. “Did you also tell him how you made a move on me? How you wanted to play house?”

He raised his chin. “You clearly do not remember what was the truth.”

“And that was what? That you were the noble stepfather who only had my best interests at heart?”

“That is true, Riley. I only wanted the best for you.”

She could rail and shout and call him a liar, but what difference would it make? He was a creep. Always would be. And nothing she said would change that. “There was a car following me a few days ago. Was it you?”

Confusion glistened in his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been to my house before,” she pressed.

“No.”

He’d always been a bad liar, but at this point she couldn’t tell. “Get off my property, William.”

He turned to the car and hesitated. “I hear you’re about to adopt a kid. That’s a surprise. Maybe we’ll meet again.”

She closed the gap between them in seconds. In a low voice so only he could hear, she said, “If you come within a mile of my kid, I will kill you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Absolutely, William.”

He held her gaze for a moment, but whatever bravado he’d mustered had vanished. He slid back into the car, and she stood in the same spot, fists clenched until the car vanished from sight.

Bowman had gone to William behind her back. Damn it!

She tipped her head back, wondering if she should trust this guy. Like his boss, the man was impossible to read and she’d already misjudged him badly five years ago.

Riley’s stomach was in knots as she pushed through the front doors of Duke’s. When she smelled the eggs cooking, her stomach should have churned with hunger, but she was too worried to eat. She paused at the waitress station when she spotted Maria.

The woman had tied her unruly dark hair up into a topknot that trickled ringlets around her round face. “My goodness, you looked loaded for bear.”

“I have a meeting.”

Maria was Duke’s wife, and as he said more than once, his saving grace. They’d married twenty years ago, and though the two never had children, they were devoted to each other. To hear Duke tell it, Maria had yanked him off the streets, sobered him up, and convinced him that gambling was no way for a good man to earn a living. They’d opened this diner, and a year later, the shelter. Maria had saved Duke’s life and he in turn had saved Riley’s along with countless other runaways. Paying it forward.

“So what marathon workout was it this morning?” Bracelets jangled on her wrists as she reached for silverware and a menu for Riley.

“I skipped my workout today.”

“That’s a first. Everything all right with you and Hanna?”

“Yeah, we’re fine.”

“When is the court date for the adoption?”

“Nine days.”

“You’ve got to be excited.”

“I’ll be glad when the papers are signed.”

Maria’s expression sobered. “I heard about that murdered kid. It was on the news again last night. Any closer to finding her killer?”

“I’m meeting someone here to talk about it.”

“Must be the man who sat down a few minutes ago. He asked if you were here. Tall, scary dude.” She leaned forward, whispering, “Looks like a fed.”

“Close. Where is he sitting?”

“Table six. He wanted a table in the back. Should have known it?”

“Something like that.”

“Thanks. I’ll catch up with you soon.”

“Sure.”

Riley cut through the crowded restaurant. With each step her body tightened with tension. She was a coiled spring ready to unload. Bowman saw her, and holding his tie back, he rose.

“Bowman.”

“Good morning, Riley.”

She pulled out a chair. A coffeepot and two mugs were in the center of the round table. She waved him down and sat. “You went to see William.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I did.”

“Why?”

“I’m searching for the Shark. He fits the killer’s profile.”

“William is a coward,” she said, teeth clenched.

“So is the Shark. He works in the shadows and kills girls.”

“Why did you go behind my back?”

“I didn’t see it that way. I needed to see him for myself. And to have you along would have biased his response.”

He was right. Her presence would have changed William’s answers. “And what did you find? Do you think he’s the Shark?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Maria showed up at their table with a couple of menus and set them in front of Riley and Bowman. This wasn’t Maria’s table. She was checking up on Riley.

“Would you like to hear the specials?” Maria asked.

“No thanks, Maria. Coffee is fine.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “No starvation diet for you. I’ll get you the number six.” She smiled at Bowman. “I’m Maria Spence.”

He rose and extended his hand. “Clay Bowman. Good to meet you, Maria.”

The woman lingered, clearly curious.

Riley shifted. “I think you have folks at your station, Maria.”

Maria tossed Riley a questioning look. “Right. Thanks.”

Bowman watched the woman stop at a table and hand menus out to a couple of guys. “She’s looking out for you.”

“She is.”

“She had me in her sights the moment I asked for you. She’s very protective. I admire that.”

She wasn’t sure how to take his keen interest. “You’re a wild card and she doesn’t take kindly to those.”

He turned the handle of his coffee cup and raised it to his lips. “Sounds like you.”

“Maybe.”

Their waitress arrived. “Maria has already ordered you the number six, Riley.”

“I’ll take the same,” Bowman said, looking amused.

“Good choice,” the waitress said.

After she was gone, Riley said, “Now that we are a team, I’d like to see your case files on the Shark.”

He sipped his coffee. “You always talk about work?”

“It’s the cornerstone of our relationship.” And she needed time to screw up the courage to tell him about the DVD.

He tapped his finger against the mug. “How was your workout this morning?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s called conversation.”

Shaking her head, she reached for her coffee cup. “I skipped it. When can I see the files?”

“Why’d you skip? Is something wrong?”

The waitress returned with two hot plates of food. The number six came with a couple of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon.

Bowman reached for his fork. “They don’t mess around with the portions here.”

“It’s good.” Absently, Riley poured syrup on her pancakes.

“How is Hanna?”

She hesitated, trying to decide if she wanted to attempt conversation. Then, remembering the video, she dialed it back a notch. Needing his help didn’t make it any easier for her to ask for it. “Excited about her trip to Atlanta.”

“You said triathlon, right?”

“Yes.”

He sat back. “What’s eating you?”

“This case. That there might be a killer after me.”

A cold chill seeped through her bones. Dying scared her, of course. But the idea of leaving Hanna behind terrified her. She’d been so sure about telling him about the video this morning, and then she found out he’d gone behind her back and spoken to William. Would he have told her if she’d not confronted him?

He dropped his gaze to his pancakes and cut a large piece dripping with syrup. “You have no security at your house, correct?”

Her appetite vanished as she stared at the half-eaten pancakes. “Good locks on the doors.”

“That’s not enough.”

“What do you suggest?”

“The company understands security better than anyone. Let us install an alarm system.” He sat back as if sensing he had her attention. “The cost is on us. We have a vested interest in keeping you safe.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t think of it for yourself. It’s for Hanna.”

“Do you ever play fair?”

“When I can. When I can’t, I don’t.”

She swallowed a retort. It wasn’t about her anymore. There was Hanna. “Okay. But this isn’t for me. It’s for Hanna.”

“Understood.”

The video loomed. She needed someone’s help. Specifically, Bowman’s. She drew in a breath. “Hanna is at practice this morning, but this afternoon she is going on her trip to Atlanta.”

He watched her.

“The team will be back Friday.”

Again, he said nothing, sensing she needed something.

“And honestly, right now that’s a good thing. I want her out of town now.”

Bowman let the comment sit.

“Someone sent me a video.”

“What kind?”

A waitress moved up to their table and refilled their coffee cups. Riley sat back, tapping her index finger on the table as she waited for the woman to move on. When they were alone again, she said, “Not here. Someplace private.”

“My place,” he said.

“I have to drop Hanna off at eleven.”

“I’ll text you the address. Come directly to my house.”

“Okay.”

After she walked Bowman out the door, Riley doubled back to Duke’s office. She knocked on the door.

“What?”

“On a scale of one to ten, that’s an eleven on the not-too-happy meter,” she said.

Duke glanced up, a reluctant grin curling his lips. “So what’s the deal with the suit?”

“He’s with Shield Security. When he was with the FBI he worked on a string of murders in New Orleans.”

Duke sat back in his chair. “What does he want with you?”

She trusted Duke with nearly all her secrets, but this case reached too deep for her to share it with anyone else now. “He thinks the murder case I’m working on reminds him of the New Orleans murders.”

“He dig up any suspects?”

She leaned against the doorjamb, not sure if she wanted to open up an old wound. “Nothing yet.”

“It’s not like you to sound glum.”

“The case, the victim, reminds me a little of me back in the day. Remember when you found me, Duke? When I first came to town on the bus.”

His expression sobered. “Yeah, I remember.”

“What was I like?”

“Doped up. Too thin. Pale.”

Hazy images of the Greyhound bus flashed in her mind. The seats were rough against her cheek, and she smelled the strong scent of corned beef. Someone near her was eating a sandwich and the smell made her sick to her stomach. “Did I say anything that you remember? Did I give you any clue about what happened to me?”

He pulled off his glasses and leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “You could barely stand, let alone form sentences. Why?”

She shrugged. “I wonder about those days from time to time.”

“Why?” He got up, pushing up his sleeves and exposing tattooed forearms. “That was a lifetime ago. You’re a different person now.”