Criss Cross (15 page)

N
ugent studied the map of Newark that was posted on the wall. Red and green pushpins had been arranged so that they formed an “X” across the city of Newark. Each pushpin represented the location of one of the murder victims, starting back with Silky's reign.

Next to the map was a series of pictures. The latest victim had found his place on the wall. Nugent zoomed in on the faces. Files were strewn all over the desk.

He reached for his bottle of root beer. He took a long swallow. Gaddy came in carrying a tray filled with doughnuts, pastries, and half sandwiches. He sat the tray on the table.

“Here, Nugent. This all-night thing is like a stakeout. It's not all that. Know what I mean? I brought you some grub. If you can't feed the spirit, you can at lest feed the flesh.” Nugent gratefully reached for a sandwich. He stuffed it in his mouth.

Wolfgang walked in. He spied the tray. “You're a good man, Gaddy.”

Gaddy smiled. “Naw, a brother's just got to do what a brother's got to do. Besides, there's no laughter around here no more, man. Maybe, if I keep a brother fed, things will return to normal. Lighten up a bit.” Gaddy walked out of the office closing the door behind him.

Wolfgang took in all the files scattered on the desk. He gazed at the map. Blood rushed through his face.

“Wolfgang, Micah was on the track. It's paying off.” Nugent pointed to the map.

“The green pins represent the location of the women's bodies. Silky crisscrossed the city. The murders of the boys and the women are linked.”

Wolfgang studied the map, “So, Silky was representing Criss Cross all along.”

Nugent sighed, “Exactly.”

Excitedly, Nugent walked over to the computer. Wolfgang was right behind him. The computer screen was flashing the name of David Edward Stokes in red text. Underneath the name, the word “Confidential” was written. Nugent pointed to the screen.

“That's Silky's file from the institution where he grew up. I accessed it.” Wolfgang declined to comment on Nugent's hacking skills.

“Silky was an orphan like Micah suspected. Institutionalized at age six. His mother set him outdoors one day. Told him she couldn't afford him, so keep stepping. I guess it was too expensive to feed Silky along with a heroin habit.”

“Nice lady,” Wolfgang replied.

Nugent said, “Derrick Holt was researching a piece on Silky. His charred remains have been matched and identified from his dental charts. I'm not saying his death is connected. But if it is, we're closer than we think. Somebody is getting paranoid.”

Wolfgang looked at him. “Do you think Derrick found the information?”

“I think it's a distinct possibility. What if he found it and the killer murdered him? We'd better have another talk with Raven. I really think she may be our only shot.”

Wolfgang entwined his fingers. “Silky's fingerprints are missing from our files.”

Nugent raised a surprised eyebrow but stood his ground. “I don't care. Silky's actual fingertips were missing from the jail files, too. Hell, Silky didn't have his own fingerprints for who knows how long.”

“Micah is not committing these murders, Wolfgang. I don't care what it looks like. We're dealing with a psychopath who thinks he's God. And somehow he is impersonating Micah. The rules are different.”

The two men locked gazes.

“You realize my entire career is on the line here, Nugent. By right I should have pulled Micah's badge until this was sorted out. If it should leak out that Micah was a suspect and I kept him on the case, the media will crucify me, and my career will be in the toilet.”

“If I'm wrong I'll toss mine in the toilet with yours. But I don't think I am. Deep inside, neither do you, Wolfgang. If you did, you wouldn't have held on this long.”

Wolfgang sat down heavily on the edge of the desk. For the first time in his career, his fifty years were showing. “If we're right on this and it's not Micah, then I hope you'll never tell another soul we had this conversation.”

Nugent put a hand on Wolfgang's shoulder. He nodded.

Wolfgang studied him carefully. He knew the words would never leave Nugent's lips in this lifetime.

 

 

Shortly thereafter, Raven was seated next to Nugent in Wolfgang's office. Nugent patted her hand.

She had been held by Wolfgang and questioned repeatedly while in special holding. But now Wolfgang had reached his decision. So he said, “Raven, I know this has been a difficult time for you. But I need you to agree to undergo hypnosis. It has to be off the record.”

Raven frowned. She was growing weary of what she considered their browbeating. She wanted to get this over with. She needed to get on with her life.

They had tried their best to make her as comfortable as possible in the situation. But her nerves were shot to hell. Her patience was frayed to the breaking point. She didn't understand how they could think she was not with Micah, when she had told them time and time again that she was.

She looked at Wolfgang. “Why? Why do you need me to undergo hypnosis?”

“Because you love Micah. So do I. So does Nugent. I believe hypnosis is the only way to break through and unlock your impressions from that night. You'll never remember on your own. You're too convinced about it.”

Damn straight I am. Who the hell else would I have been in bed with?
She bit her tongue to keep from spitting the words in Wolfgang's face.

Nugent said, “You'll have to trust us, Raven. We need to prove once and for all that the man people keep thinking is Micah, is not. If you went to bed with him, that means he looks, sounds and acts exactly like Micah, but he's not.

“Don't ask me how, because I don't know. But I do know we have to prove somebody is framing Micah. You're the only one who can do that without sending out alarms that we don't want ringing. He looks like Micah. He acts like Micah. Apparently. But he's not. So, there must be a way to prove it. Something about him has to be different. We need to find out what it is.”

Nugent took Raven by the shoulders and looked deep in her eyes, “Raven, I don't know what's going on. But whatever it is, it's not normal. That means we can't think normal. The hypnosis has got to be confidential. It's got to be off the record. And it needs to happen now. You have to trust us.”

“Why? Why should I trust you?”

Wolfgang came over and pulled Raven to her feet. He stared deep into her eyes, before playing his ace card. “Because I think you slept with the real killer. And we never want it to leave the walls of this office that at any time, Micah could possibly have ever been a suspect.”

Wolfgang sighed before continuing. “Because I am hiding an eyewitness who gave a positive ID on Micah being the killer. Because Micah can't prove his whereabouts at the time of the murder. Because there can't be any doubt as to Micah's innocence. Do you want there to be any doubt, Raven?”

Raven pulled her eyes away from the pain in Wolfgang's eyes. She spoke softly, “No.”

Wolfgang nodded. “Good. I know someone who can perform the hypnosis.”

I
nside Justin Rivers's living room that night Raven lay back on a sofa propped up on pillows. Justin was the East Coast's leading criminal psychologist. The room was warm and inviting. The color scheme was muted and unobtrusive. The soothing sounds of waves on the ocean were barely discernible in the background.

Justin didn't hesitate; once Wolfgang outlined the situation for him.

Some of Justin's hypnosis cases had become case studies for psychologists all over the country. If anyone could get at the answers, he was the man. And he was familiar with the case having done the psyche evaluation on David Edward Stokes.

Justin looked at Raven. Her breathing was steady and even. Her eyes were closed. She was in a relaxed state of mind. This was good. It was exactly where Justin needed her to be.

Wolfgang and Nugent hovered anxiously in the background. Justin spoke to Raven softly, “Raven, just relax. We're all friends here. Tell me where you are.”

“I'm in Maroon's with Micah.”

“What did you have for dinner?”

Raven smiled. “We had red snapper and macaroni and cheese with collard greens.”

Justin nodded. “Whose idea was it to have red snapper for dinner?”

“Micah suggested it. He loves red snapper, and so do I.”

“Did you have anything to drink?”

“Yes. We had a bottle of Möet.”

“Why? Were you celebrating?”

“No. Well, I don't know. Maybe. In a way, I guess. We drink Möet sometimes when we haven't had much time together. I guess we sort of celebrate our time together.”

“Why were you at the restaurant?”

“Micah called. He invited me.”

“Is there anyone else who knows he invited you?”

“Yes. Brandi.”

“Was music playing in the restaurant?”

A slight frown creased Raven's brow. Then she smiled in remembrance. “Yes. Brian McKnight's song was playing. You know the one. It says, One, you're like a dream come true. Two, just wanna be with you. Umm, I think the name is ‘Back at One.' Yes. That's it. ‘Back at One.'”

Justin said, “It sounds like you had a good time.”

Dreamily, Raven replied, “Yeah. We did.”

Justin decided it was time to switch gears. “Tell me Raven. What is Micah doing?”

“He's looking at me.”

“Is there anything different about him?”

“No. He's just as fine as always.”

Justin smiled. “Did he touch you?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“He . . . He . . .” Raven frowned. She moaned. Blinking, her body surged forward. Suddenly her entire body heaved. The word “No” spilled out of her lips. A tense cord of anticipation permeated the air.

Wolfgang and Nugent craned their necks to get a closer look at Raven. Nugent balled his hand into a tight fist.

Justin held up a hand to Wolfgang and Nugent to ensure their silence.

Without breaking stride, soothingly Justin spoke to Raven, “What Raven? What is it? Tell me what you see.”

“My hair. Micah pushed my hair behind my ear.” Raven sees them in Maroon's. She sees Shaughn smooth back a lock of her hair. She smiles, but when he draws his hand back Raven looks down, noticing something peculiar.

Hysterical, blood-curdling screams erupted from her mouth, shattering the silence in the room. On the back of Shaughn's right hand was a mark. It was barely discernible, faint, but nevertheless there. A molten “X” was embedded in the skin.

Wolfgang, Nugent, and Justin watched Raven anxiously. Wolfgang started to worry because Raven was thrashing around on the couch. He didn't want her to disconnect from them. He didn't want her stuck in that time, in that place. She was writhing around as though she were in pain.

Wolfgang whispered harshly, “Bring her out. Bring her out, now.”

Justin refused his request. He had to. He was the professional. He knew Wolfgang was speaking from emotion. They couldn't afford it. “No. Wait. She has the answer.”

Raven let out a shrill cry, “No! There's an ‘X' on the back of his right hand. Micah doesn't have a mark on his hand.”

Raven looked back into Shaughn's eyes. She was staring into a void. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. Why hadn't she noticed before?

Micah's eyes flashed warmth and compassion. The man sitting before her was a shell of Micah. He was an illusion. Hell, he was a monster. He was not Micah. The instant the realization hit her, Raven's world came crashing down around her.

She was swimming in a dark haze. Waves of black washed over her. She tried to get back to shore. She tried to swim back to the anchor of Justin and Wolfgang. She choked and sputtered in the process.

Shaughn grabbed her. “You're mine, now.”

Raven fought him like a wildcat. “The hell I am!” She kicked wildly. She focused on Justin's living room. All she had to do was get there. Someone was laughing. Lunatic laughter exploded around her. Raven ignored it. She focused.

The three men exchanged looks. They didn't move. They didn't dare to even breathe.

Justin held out his hand. Like the director of an orchestra, not one note of the symphony would change until he directed it to do so.

He looked at Raven allowing her to swim through her emotions before bringing her back. Allowing her to fight back. It was crucial to her survival. She must achieve this by her own will. She needed to come face to face with her own soul.

An additional second passed. Justin snapped his fingers three times. He brought Raven out from under the hypnosis. Raven sat up. She was still crying. Deep sobs racked her body. She slid her legs off the couch. She accepted the tissue Justin handed her.

“Oh God. No wonder he hates me. Oh, God, Wolfgang. It wasn't Micah. He . . . he . . . he touched me. He looks, acts, and sounds like Micah. Only . . . when you look into his eyes, there's no one there. It isn't him. My God, Wolfgang, this man is not Micah!”

Raven was bordering on the edge of hysteria. She put her head in her hands. She whimpered and moaned in pain. Finally, she looked up. She shook her head amazed at the sheer incredibility of it all.

Three pairs of eyes watched her. Focusing, she said, “It wasn't Micah. I made love to another man. I . . . I let him touch me. He looked like Micah. He smelled like Micah. He even . . . he even moves like Micah . . . How in the hell can somebody else look and be exactly like Micah?”

All of them exchanged looks. The question hung in the air.

Wolfgang felt a swell of relief. Yet he knew they were not all the way home yet. Taking Raven's hand in his, he said, “I don't know, Raven. But we're going to find out. Count on it. By the way, Nugent talked to Micah. He still loves you. He said it's going to be all right.”

Wolfgang stepped out and embellished a little bit. He wanted to help Raven feel a little better. “He also said he's sorry he snapped at you. He just needs time to deal with this. Okay?”

Raven nodded. She attempted a smile.

Nugent's mind was running in circles. He'd known there was no way Micah could be the killer.

“If someone is committing murders and passing himself off as Micah, this presents a strange twist. I witnessed a psychotic episode with Micah,” Justin said. “He came to the office after a visit with Patrick.”

Justin pursed his lips in thought. He knew he was about to reach. But there was nothing about this case that didn't require looking at the bizarre.

Edging forward on the theory taking shape in his mind he said, “This reminds me of an ancient spiritual ritual where kindred spirits, so to speak, merge into one spirit. The myth being the power of the spirit grows, from the merger. It's called twinning.”

“Twinning?” Wolfgang said.

“Yes. Twinning. The problem is that at the end there can only be one body in which to house that spirit. Which means somebody has got to die. The control of one mind, body, and spirit. That is what twinning is all about.”

Nugent watched Justin strangely. The episode on the street when Micah appeared to be someone else flashed before his eyes. Once. Twice. “The other day on the street Micah knew that another boy had been abducted, but what was stranger than that, was that for a moment he seemed to black out. Know what I mean?”

“No, ” Justin said. “Explain it to me.”

Nugent got up. He paced the room. The other three didn't take their eyes off of him. They didn't make a sound. No one wanted to interrupt his thoughts.

“Man, look. I don't believe in a lot of hocus-pocus. However, it was like somebody took over Micah's body. Like he wasn't even there. A voice that was not his spoke through his mouth. It said, ‘When the seed of my enemy is removed all that will remain is for my seed to rule. The sixes and their carriers will be no more.' It was stranger than hell.”

A ripple of acknowledgment gripped Justin.

He was on his feet. He gave Nugent a deadly serious look. “That's what David said about the dead women. He believed he was a disciple of Satan. His job was to murder the women who were carriers.”

Justin paced the room following the well-worn pattern that Nugent had set. “I remember David's view was well publicized after he scared one of his cell mates by sharing this theory. It set off a ripple effect you guys must have felt the backsplash from that.”

Wolfgang nodded suddenly recalling the episode.

“He said Satan got tricked because they were carriers, but they did not produce the seeds that would rise up to war with Satan. In other words, the women had children, but the children they produced weren't the chosen ones. He said the seeds were planted in Newark.”

“That has to be why the boys of different women were killed,” Nugent said.

Wolfgang was mesmerized. It sounded like a bad fairy tale. However, years of training had taught him not to discount anything, no matter how strange it might seem.

And Lord knew more truths had been sprouted out through people in lockdown and in prisons than could be counted. At the time David had been looked upon as insane, and grandstanding. Now it was beginning to look like a very dark truth.

Justin continued on, “David stated that in order for them to be in a position to win the war when it takes place, Satan would need his seed to have full power. That he had to merge the powers of the flesh together. The power is being held by two separate beings. The only way for it to merge is for the two powers to twin.”

Justin sat back down. He crossed his legs. He was lost in the myth. So was everyone else in the room. “Somehow, they must believe Micah is the other power. Nugent probably witnessed that spirit trying to gain control over Micah. Once they twin, it will be simple. Twinning, according to the myth, creates great power. One body will die. The other body will remain with full powers.”

Justin leaned forward. The premise rolled from his tongue as full understanding kicked in. He had hit on the insights of a psychopath. Dear God.

“Twinning is the goal to reach one ultimate power. Through twinning, the spirit can keep producing itself. As it produces, it will grow in power. It believes it will generate a seed to defeat the ones marked with the mark from God. From there he can battle God directly. The seeds are the children. David believed Satan was here in the form of a man.”

Raven frowned. “Dear God.” A spiritual insight she didn't know she possessed seized her. The alien feeling swept through her body as though water was rushing through her veins. “They killed all those women and children in the hopes of killing off the seed before it can even be born as the chosen one to do battle, eliminating what they think is a level of power to be defeated before Satan can take over God's throne and reign?”

“Essentially,” Justin said. “Although the murders are physical the twinning is a supernatural power and you can't fight in God's realm in the physical. However one can be born in the physical.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Finally Raven came forth with her last chilling thought, “What if all the murders have been for naught because he doesn't think he's gotten the chosen one yet?”