You Belong to Me (48 page)

‘You’d need a warrant first anyway,’ Alyssa said coldly.

‘That I would. I don’t know what you’re hiding, but I’ve got a bunch of bodies in the morgue and my patience is pretty damn thin. One more time.’ She stared directly at Clay. ‘What do you know?’

‘That my friend is dead,’ Clay said wearily. ‘And that I want whoever gutted her and left her to rot to pay. But I’m no vigilante.’ At least he hadn’t been before this morning. Now, he was. After seeing Nicki’s savaged body, he totally was.

‘I hope not. Because you’re impeding an investigation and that’s a felony. I’d hate to add vigilantism to that.’

She had nothing and they both knew it. ‘I have to pick up Nicki’s parents from their hotel and take them to identify her body,’ he said quietly. ‘So if you’re finished, you can go.’

‘All right. For now, please accept my condolences on the death of your colleague.’

‘She was my friend,’ Clay said sharply, more so than he’d intended.

‘Then I’m sorry for your loss,’ Mazzetti murmured. She put her card on an end table. ‘If you think of anything you’d like to tell me, it’ll go easier on you than if I have to dig it up myself. I want this killer behind bars. I want him badly.’ She turned for the door, then changed her mind and turned back. ‘Does the name Ileanna Bryan mean anything to you?’

‘No,’ he answered honestly. ‘Should it?’

She seemed to believe him this time. ‘Probably. I’ll see myself out.’

Clay closed the door behind her, then turned to Alyssa, his fury bubbling to the surface. ‘What the hell is this?’ He pointed to the shirt she wore.

‘Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.’ Alyssa flopped in the chair. ‘You’re supposed to be training
me
, for God’s sake. She knew we had files. She knew I was here. Why
else
would I be here? You want to give her probable cause for a warrant on a goddamn silver platter?’

She was right, and it grated. ‘Fine. Stay here until I get back from the morgue.’

‘No way. Evan’s out there somewhere. I’m staying with you.’

Tuesday, May 4, 8.40 P.M.

Evan upended the wheelchair so that Ron Trask landed on the concrete floor of his factory with a
whump
, his feet still handcuffed to the chair. The old sheriff’s face had taken a major beating. Only a little was from his contact with the floor. The rest, to give credit where due,
was done by me
.

Mrs Trask already lay on the floor, huddled in the fetal position, largely because that’s how he’d left her tied when he’d brought her in from the boat. He re-tied the old man again, not trusting him as far as he could throw him. Crouching next to Trask, he smiled. ‘That’s a hell of a sweet boat, Sheriff. I might just add her to my fleet.’

Trask glared, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at his wife. The sounds he made behind the tape on his mouth sounded concerned. Evan lifted the tape enough for the old man to speak, ready to slap it down again if he screamed. ‘Is she all right?’ Trask rasped.

‘She’s not dead,’ Evan said flatly.

‘She needs her medicine.’

‘All she’ll need is a coroner. Oh, wait. You have one of those in the family. I’m sure you’re so proud of your daughter, following in your footsteps. She’s got the look-at-me-I’m-so-upstanding gig down pat, but then again she learned at the feet of the master.’

‘She has nothing to do with me,’ Trask said furiously. ‘I disowned her years ago.’

‘Then the family reunion should be tons of fun. Sit tight, I’ll be back later. I get to play with Ryan and Sonny now. But don’t worry. Soon enough it’ll be your turn.’

Tuesday, May 4, 8.45 P.M.

A baggie full of cookies slid across JD’s desk and he looked up from the screen on which he’d been focused for too long. Stevie sat behind her desk. ‘Cookies for me?’ he asked.

‘Cordelia made them to thank you for the locket. I popped home for a minute to tuck her in and she and my sister were just taking them out of the oven. Don’t worry, Izzy makes sure she washes her hands. So where’s Lucy?’ she asked.

‘At the morgue. The PI’s parents arrived to do the ID while we were at dinner.’

‘I thought they only did IDs during the daytime.’

‘Normally, but the tech on duty called and said the parents showed up and were distraught, so Lucy went in. We need to go over to talk to the parents, too, but I thought we should go together. Lucy said she’d call when they were ready for us.’

‘She’s there alone?’

‘Hell, no. Hyatt assigned Phil Skinner as her shadow for tonight.’

She studied him across their desks. ‘Until you take over as bodyguard?’

JD shrugged and redirected the topic. ‘We’ve been getting tips on the hotline from people who claim to have seen Sue Ellen Lamont, the hooker. Hyatt’s got people following up, but mostly the reports are from the usual nutjobs. What did you find out about the PI agency?’

‘That the PI and his assistant are lying and I don’t know why. They’d set it up to look like they were having an affair. She was in his shirt, all rumpled and sleepy-looking.’

‘But?’

‘But he didn’t look at her the way a man looks at a woman he’s just had sex with.’

JD’s eyes skittered away, then back to Stevie’s face. ‘Which is how?’

‘Like you looked at Lucy last night and most of today.’ She propped her feet up on her desk and scratched one knee. ‘There was something about the partner. He was sad.’

‘His partner was just murdered. He’s entitled.’

‘He did seem devastated by her death, but there was more. Guilt, maybe. I don’t know. I gave them Ileanna Bryan’s name before I left.’

His brows lifted. ‘Why?’

‘Because they didn’t kill Nicki Fields, I’m sure of that, but I’m just as sure they know who did. They didn’t know Ileanna’s name, though. I figure I’ll give them through the night to connect some dots for us, then we can put them under surveillance. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them headed to Anderson Ferry tomorrow.’

‘I know just how to track them now,’ JD said. He told Stevie about the device planted in Lucy’s purse and watched her eyes grow wider than saucers. ‘Drew just called to say he’d found three more devices, all hidden in the lining of her purses.’

‘Sonofafuckingbitch,’ Stevie said. ‘Now I gotta wonder if he’s tracking all of us.’

‘Drew’s going to give our vehicles the once-over. He already checked my briefcase and said he’d check yours, and your purse, too. And our phones.’ He then told her about the autopsy results and Lucy’s conclusions about Ricky Joyner’s ‘suicide’.

‘She thinks Buck killed Ricky Joyner,’ Stevie said and JD nodded.

‘She thinks it’s very possible. Her logic is sound. The theory answers a few questions and sets up a host of others.’

‘One of the big ones is, why now?’ Stevie said. ‘Ileanna was murdered twenty-one years ago, so why start all this killing now?’

‘Malcolm Edwards was the first death. The killing started two months ago. Whatever happened to trigger this happened then.’

‘I’m putting a lot of my eggs in the Ileanna’s-little-brother basket, but learning that Ricky Joyner might have been murdered means we have to look at anyone out to get vengeance for his death, too. How’ve you done tracking the Bryan family?’

‘I found the dad. He ate his gun the year after Ileanna died. Little brother Evan found his body. He and his mother seem to have fallen off the grid after that. When I search on Evan Bryan I get over twenty hits nationwide but none are the right age, and six are women.’

‘He changed his name somewhere along the line. Or maybe his mother did.’

‘Yes. I ran Yvette Bryan through the system. Came up with nothing.’

Stevie thought a moment. ‘What about her maiden name?’

‘She was a widow, not divorced.’

‘Maybe she was going to leave him before the suicide. Sixteen per cent of marriages fail after the loss of a child. A violent loss puts a huge strain on a family.’

‘Her maiden name is Smith.’

She groaned. ‘Even with Yvette as a first name, she’s gonna be a bitch to find,’

‘And I’m running on less than six hours’ sleep for two nights. I used to be able to handle no sleep better. I’m having trouble thinking straight.’

‘Me too. I got tired watching Lucy drag herself through her past. Poor thing.’

‘She’ll hold,’ JD said. ‘I wanted to beat the shit out of her father, though. SOB.’

‘I’m glad you controlled yourself because I’m not sure I would have stopped you. Lennie Berman was impressed, by the way.’

‘What, that I didn’t kill Trask?’

‘Pretty much. He wanted to, too. We did a lot of talking on the drive back. Lennie thinks the killer’s trigger has to be something specific. That it’s likely not a gradual build of rage that just overflows one day. The rage was like a pressure cooker and then something made our guy snap. It has to do with the jewelry, with the hearts.’

‘So we’re back to finding Evan,’ he said. ‘If we find the mother, she might be able to point us to the son, even if it’s only through a call she makes to warn him after we confront her. Evan could have changed his name, but his mother will probably know where he is.’
Mine does. Unfortunately
. ‘I say we make finding Yvette a priority.’

‘You’re right,’ she agreed. ‘How many can there be?’

‘Whittling by birth year . . .’ He frowned at his screen. ‘Ileanna would have been thirty-eight, so Yvette could be anywhere from fifty-five to seventy-five. Still over five hundred nationwide. We need the mom’s birth date and social. I’ll get Records to run the check.’

Stevie rubbed the back of her neck. ‘He’s had Ryan Agar for nearly a day.’

‘I’m betting Ryan’s dead by now,’ JD said.

Stevie sighed. ‘I should feel . . . sorrier. But the dumb fuck should have listened to us, told us what was going on and let us protect him. His mother had her heart cut out, for God’s sake. He should have told us. He’d be safe.’

‘I agree, but he didn’t. I’m thinking this could let us be proactive for a change. This guy’s tracking Lucy, so he knows she’s back in the city. If we assume Ryan’s dead, we have to assume his killer will leave him where Lucy can find him.’

Stevie sat up straighter. ‘Makes sense to me. Keep talking.’

‘He’s already used her apartment and her club. He’s left hearts in her car at work and her best friend’s home. So where next?’

‘Thorne’s place?’

‘Maybe. She stayed with Mulhauser last night. Maybe his place. We really need to know more about her schedule. Restaurants, shops. Wherever she frequents.’

‘Wherever she feels safe,’ Stevie said quietly.

Safe
. A thought hit him and made him angry. ‘Depending on how much he knows about her background, I have an idea of where that might be.’ He checked his watch. ‘Hyatt wanted status by eleven, but I think we need to call him now.’

Tuesday, May 4, 8.45 P.M.

Lucy put her duffle on her desk, then found her wallet and locked it in a drawer, the first time she’d done so in a long time.
He’s tracking me. He knows where I am. Right now
.

The phone on her desk rang shrilly, making her jump.
Relax. You’re not alone
. A detective named Skinner had been pressed into guard duty and stood outside her office door.

‘This is Dr Trask.’

‘It’s me,’ Gwyn said furiously, sounding like she’d been crying. ‘I tried your cell and you didn’t answer. I’ve been calling every number for you I know. Dammit, do not
do
this to me.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Lucy sank into her chair, feeling awful. ‘The cops have my phone now.’

‘Why?’ Gwyn bit off the word.

‘Because . . .’ She hesitated and lowered her voice. ‘Because they’re checking it for a tracking device. This guy slipped one in my purse, Gwyn.’

‘Oh my
God
. Lucy, you need to go to a safe house. Why isn’t that Fitzpatrick putting you somewhere
safe
?’

‘I’ve got a bodyguard. And later JD will be with me. I’m safe. Just . . . scared.’

Gwyn shuddered out a breath. ‘This is a nightmare, Lucy.’

‘I know. Believe me, I know.’

‘Why are you there, at the morgue?’

‘The family of a deceased came in from out of town.’ The PI’s parents. ‘They’re here to ID the body.’

‘Let somebody else do it,’ Gwyn said tightly.

Lucy wished she could. ‘There is no one else for this one. I can’t say more.’

‘He’s killed someone else,’ Gwyn said dully. ‘Like Kevin.’

‘Yes,’ Lucy whispered.

‘Lucy.’ Ruby stuck her head into Lucy’s office. ‘Oh, sorry.’

‘It’s okay, Ruby, I’m almost done. I gotta go, Gwyn.’

‘You call me,’ Gwyn said. ‘When you get home. Promise me.’

‘I promise.’ Lucy hung up, turned to Ruby. ‘The family’s here?’

‘Yes. They insisted on talking to the ME that did the autopsy, but Mulhauser’s asleep. I was tempted to go to his house and wake him up, but I’m on duty by myself tonight.’

‘Let him rest. I’m here and I’ve read the report. Why are you on duty by yourself?’

‘Alan quit.’

Lucy gaped. ‘He did what?’

‘He up and quit. Called in an hour before his shift. Said he didn’t want to mess with dead people anymore. Personally, I think his little weenie thrills of watching you when you thought he didn’t know about your bad-ass leather-dress club went fizzle when everyone found out. Putting up with the dead wasn’t worth it anymore.’

‘You could be right,’ Lucy said, both relieved and creeped out. ‘Where are the parents?’

‘In the waiting room.’

‘Make sure there’s double sheeting over the torso.’ Where the victim had been gutted. ‘Make sure it extends up to cover her throat, then put another sheet over that.’

‘Already done,’ Ruby said. ‘She’s the best I can make her.’

‘Good. The report said she has a tattoo on her left ankle. Show that first, then wait for my signal. We may be able to avoid showing them her face.’

‘I doubt,’ Ruby said glumly. ‘They always gotta see the face.’

It was closure, Lucy knew. But incredibly painful for the families.
And for me and Ruby
. ‘Then wheel the deceased into the viewing room. I’ll go talk to the parents.’