Apocalypse Island (26 page)

“Invisible. Just like you, Danny. And the murdered guy.”

“What?”

“Seems to be a lot of invisible people around you.”

Wolf frowned. “Why do you care about any of this?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I feel kind of invested in you now.”

Wolf smiled. “Why, because you raped me?”

Laura glared at him. “I didn’t rape you.”

“No? What would you call it then?”

“Mutual lust. You wanted it as much as I did.”

“Listen, Laura, I’ve got bigger baggage than Siri. You don’t really want to get involved in this.”

“I think I can make that decision on my own.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

She reached across the table and took his hands in hers. “A friend. Right now I think you need one.”

Chapter 58

Breakfast and three cups of coffee later Wolf was still talking. He told her about his miserable childhood in the state foster care system, how he didn’t remember much before that.

“What happened to your parents?” Laura asked.

Wolf shrugged. “I don’t know who they were.”

“No one ever told you?”

“I’m not sure anyone knew. I don’t think there are any records. I have a made up last name. My first foster mother used to call me little wolf.”

“Why’s that?”

“I think I scared her. I was like this little wild animal. I had the dark hair and complexion.” Wolf shrugged. “As I grew older I decided I liked Wolf so I kept it.”

“What about Danny?”

“That was the name I came with.”

“Came from where?”

“I don’t know. The orphanage, I guess.”

“Yeah, where was that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Your foster mother didn’t tell you?”

“Nope. I don’t think she knew. I don’t think she cared. Sometimes I try to remember those early years but I get all these bad feelings, so I don’t go there.”

“Bad feelings?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, it’s all mixed up and confused. Just easier not to think about it. I don’t like dwelling on the past. I prefer to look forward. My first real solid memories of my life were the state foster care system. My first foster mother loved me. I know that. But she died and after that I got bounced around from family to family until I was old enough to run away.”

“God, Danny.”

“I ended up with this guy who was a market farmer. He was looking for slave labor. Took in a bunch of us boys, made us sleep in a bunkhouse. When we weren’t in school we worked.”

“How old were you when you ran away?”

“Fourteen. I lived on the street for a while until a friend offered me a camp in the woods as long as his father didn’t find out. I did odd jobs for people in order to eat. I stayed in high school and bought my first guitar when I was fifteen. I learned to play and discovered that my singing voice wasn’t half bad. I formed my first band when I was sixteen, finished high school, applied at Berklee and was accepted. I put myself through college by playing in bands. I knew how tough life was and I wanted to make sure I had an education so if I didn’t make it as a performer I could find work somewhere else in the music industry. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”

“I know this sounds like a cliché,” Laura said. “But you have charisma. When you were up on that stage last night I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Neither could anyone else. And that voice. Wow! You are so fucking good. You could be a star.”

He made a bitter sound, half laugh, half groan. “I don’t dare even think in those terms. I’m just trying to make it through each day. I’m not as good as I once was. I’m thirty-five years old now and my life’s all screwed up. The past five years are a total loss. I can’t seem to stay away from the booze. I’m being haunted by something I don’t understand.”

Her eyes held his. He could hardly resist them. But he knew he had to try. He didn’t trust himself. God, he didn’t want to hurt her. “Listen, the cops think I’m murdering those girls.”

She leveled her gaze at him. “Yeah, you said. So how come you’re not in jail?”

“I guess they can’t prove it.”

“I don’t believe it, Danny.”

Wolf bristled. “OK, so you don’t fucking believe it! Well,
I’m
not so sure. There. How’s that?”

“What’s really going on, Danny?”

“I’m having these random spells. Right out of the blue I start seeing things.”

“What things?”

“Crosses and ugly stuff. Sacrilegious stuff. Pictures of crucified people and demons. All kinds of nutty shit. Too stupid to even talk about. And I’m having these dreams. Nothing in them feels good, or right. It’s like I’m having someone else’s dreams, seeing through someone else’s eyes.”

“Like out-of-body experiences?”

“Yeah, exactly. Once in them it’s hard to get out.”

“Are you doing anything in these nightmares?”

“Carrying dead women around.”

Chapter 59

“Jesus, Danny.”

“I told you.”

“You know who these women are?”

He shook his head. “I don’t dare look at their faces.”

“Whoa, that
is
weird.”

Wolf stared.

“Listen, Danny, maybe I can help you figure it all out.”

“Now why would you want to do that?”

“When I was a kid I used to pick up strays, bring them home, try to fix them up.”

“So I’m a stray that needs fixing?”

“I think you are.”

“More like I’m a nut job that needs to be institutionalized. This whole thing is scaring the shit out of me.”

“Have you talked to a shrink?”

“Oh yeah. Court ordered. It’s why I got out of prison early. There was this douche bag shrink who used to come in and counsel some of the prisoners. He took an interest in my case and made a deal with the prosecutor and the parole board.”

“So someone determined that you needed to see a shrink?”

“I guess it was the parole board. I don’t really know. I just wanted out and I was afraid if I asked too many questions I’d lose my ‘get out of jail’ card.”

“You don’t seem crazy to me.”

“Give me a break. After everything I just told you?”

“No, I mean it. Why did this shrink take an interest in your case?”

“He was aware of my circumstances. He testified for the state at my manslaughter trial. As far as I know he didn’t have any real information, nothing related to the case, at least, but they needed an expert in human psychobabble, and I guess he’d done that sort of thing before, you know, testified for the prosecution where mental cases were involved.” Wolf shrugged. “I guess my fucked up mind fascinated him.”

“So how’s it going?”

“I don’t know if he’s helping me or not. Seems like a big waste of time. I was there yesterday but he wants to see me again this afternoon. Says we’re on the verge of a breakthrough. Some sort of crossroads or something and he wants to escalate the treatments. I’m thinking about not going.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“It doesn’t feel right. The guy’s scaring the shit out of me. It’s like he’s trying to make me confess to something.”

“Something?”

“Yeah, you know, the murders.”

“Are you telling him the same stuff you just told me, about carrying dead women around?”

“Actually no, I haven’t dared say a word about that, but he seems to have this keen insight into my head. Says he knows me better than I do.”

“Does seem kind of strange,” Laura said. “What’s this guy’s name?”

Wolf smiled. “Why? You gonna talk to him? Scold him?”

Laura scowled and her eyes flashed wickedly. “More like beat the shit out of him,” she said. “You want me to beat the shit out of him?” Wolf sensed a resolve in her remark that made him uneasy. Her scowl turned into a smile. “Seriously though, I think you should keep the appointment.”

Wolf frowned. “Why? Because you think I’m nuts?”

“I think we’ve already established that I don’t. But what would it hurt. Besides, you should try and find out what he’s up to.”

“I don’t know if he’s up to anything. Maybe I am guilty and he’s just trying to get me to face it.”

“Do you think you’re guilty?”

“I don’t know.”

Her eyes held his. “Danny, you’re not a murderer.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t think you’re a murderer.”

He sighed in resignation. He wanted so much to believe her.

“So when was the last time you had one of these...dreams?”

“Last night.”

“Tell me what these experiences are like.”

“They happen when I sleep. I see myself through this big guy’s eyes and I can feel his emotions, and everything is so clear and bright and sad.”

“Sad?”

“Yeah, sad. Like he wants to protect them or something. Like he’s being forced to do what he’s doing. And I feel his sadness like a weight, like a physical thing.”

“You say he’s a big guy. How do you know that?”

“It just feels like someone very big. Like he’s some mix-up of man and animal, some sort of freak. I’ve been dreaming about him for a very long time.”

“How long?”

“Since I was a kid.”

“So it’s not just about carrying these dead girls around?”

“Hell no. That’s just something recent.”

“What happened last night?”

“After falling asleep I dreamt I was carrying this young woman to an old building.”

“And in the dream you were this...freak?”

“If that’s what you want to call it, yes.”

“That’s what
you
called it, Danny. Can you tell what this guy looks like?”

“I’m seeing through his eyes so I’m not really sure what his face looks like. But parts of his body are covered in hair, and I don’t think he can talk. I get the feeling he’s not stupid but for some reason he can’t talk. He walks upright and his hands are all hairy and huge.” Wolf stopped. “This sounds really nuts, doesn’t it?”

“No.” Laura sat forward in her seat, her interest piqued. “Tell me what happened next? What’d this guy do?”

“Well it was night, but I could see that the building was rubble-strewn, so he carried the girl inside...”

Chapter 60

“Holy crap, that’s some story,” Laura said after Wolf had finished. “There’s got to be a logical explanation.”

“Two.”

“What?”

“Either I’m a total whack job or…”

“No, Danny. You’re not killing those girls.”

“I don’t know how you can say that.”

Laura frowned.

“Listen to me, Laura. I haven’t told you everything. Lately I’ve been cuffing myself to the bed, you know, just in case…”

“It is you?”

“Yeah and when I woke up this morning my feet were covered in dirt and there were grass stains all the way up to my knees, and there was blood on my arms and legs.”

“You think they’re connected to the dream?”

“Don’t you? Listen, none of that was there when I went to bed. And when I woke up I was free of the cuffs and the key was on the bedside stand, the window was unlocked and there were soiled footprints on the fire escape and the windowsill. I must have been out of the apartment last night.”

Laura picked up her cup to sip coffee and realized it was empty. She put it back down, her hands shaking slightly. She hoped Wolf didn’t notice. The waitress came over with a steaming pot and Laura waved her away, her eyes never straying from Wolf’s. “Were they your footprints?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Come on, Danny, either they were or they weren’t. You can tell by the tread on the bottom of the shoe.”

“They weren’t made with shoes. The feet were bare. And they’re larger than mine.”

“How large?”

“I don’t know, Christ, Laura, they’re not even human. They’re too big. I’ve never seen footprints like those before.”

“I see,” Laura said, holding Wolf’s eyes. She was doing her best not to flinch. “Tell me something. Are those footprints still on the stairs?” She knew she would have to see for herself. Wolf was right. This whole thing was really fucked up, and with each passing minute it was becoming more so. She had good instincts and they told her that Wolf wasn’t the killer, yet he seemed to have knowledge of the murders that went far beyond reason.

Wolf saw what she was doing and began to feel a little claustrophobic. “I didn’t clean the footprints off, if that’s what you mean.”

“They should still be there then, right?”

“I suppose so.”

“Would you mind if I had a look at them?”

“Listen, I don’t want you involved in this.”

“I’ll take that as a no.” The phrase slipped out a little too testily and she immediately regretted her tone.

Wolf watched her carefully. What the hell was she doing? Why was she pushing him like this? There were already too many assholes putting pressure on him. He didn’t need another one. “I just don’t think you should get involved, that’s all.”

“I’m a big girl, Danny and besides, I’m already involved.”

“What if it’s true?”

“What? That you somehow have the ability to morph into some sort of freaky giant and you’re running around at night killing nubile young virgins?”

“Hardly virgins,” Wolf said. “I knew both the dead girls, and they weren’t innocent.”

“That wasn’t my point.”

“I know. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. So where does that leave us?”

“I get the feeling that the big guy isn’t the killer.”

“Jesus, you just told me—”

“That he was carrying dead women around. That doesn’t mean he killed them. When I’m seeing through his eyes I sense a terrible sorrow. I feel some sort of twisted compassion. It just doesn’t fit. If he’s murdering these girls then why is he so sad?”

Laura sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Who are you really, Laura?” Wolf asked. His uneasiness with her was getting out of hand. She was asking way too many questions. “Are you a reporter?”

She hadn’t been expecting the question so it took her completely by surprise. She couldn’t tell him the truth, of course she couldn’t.
No, Danny, I’m not a reporter, I’m a police detective assigned to investigate you, find out if you’re the psychopath murdering these young women.
Not yet anyway. Would she ever be able to tell him? Probably not. When he found out no telling what he might do. He would never be able to trust her. That was for certain. But everything aside, she knew that eventually he would find out, one way or another, and that would be the end of it.
End of what?
She asked herself, already knowing the answer to her question and feeling a little bit lost, a little bit lonely.
Christ, Laura, what the fuck are you doing? When you and Brian broke up last year you swore that it would be a very long time before you got involved with anyone else. Brian couldn’t handle your job. He couldn’t handle the fact that you risked your life on a daily basis doing exactly what you’re doing now. Doing exactly what you love to do. And Christ, here you are, falling for a murder suspect. Brian was right. You’re a stupid little bitch.