Ripped in Red (10 page)

17

C
assidy woke early the next morning, made a pot of coffee, poured herself a cup, and then headed to the basement. Something had been teasing at the corner of her mind. She’d missed something that would, without a doubt, point to Russell Ball as her mother’s attacker. Time would tell whether he was also the one who had murdered her, although her suspicions ran strong that he was. There couldn’t be two evil masterminds out there who left the message ‘the pretty must die’ next to his victims.

She dug back through her mother’s things and pulled out a shoebox full of photos. She’d seen some from her mother’s college days and hadn’t thought much of them…until that morning.

One after another the photos were set aside until she came across the one haunting her. She peered at the young man with his arm around her mother’s shoulders. Russell Ball, handsome, grinning, and scarless. Mom had known her attacker. No wonder she’d gone away from the party with him.

“What are you doing?” Colin came down the steps. “I got worried when I didn’t see you on the sofa.”

“Look.” She handed him the picture. “I think they might have dated. They at least knew each other.”

His eyes lit up as a grin spread across his face. “This is a great find.”

She glanced away before doing something she’d regret, like throwing her arms around his neck in celebration. Instead, she petted Rosie, craving physical contact with a breathing being. “All we have to do now is find him.”

“And Mary Jones.” He sat on the bottom step. “This case is coming to a close. Can you feel it?”

She felt a lot of things, one of which was the tender feeling she got when he slept and she could watch him without getting caught. She’d heard him cry out again last night, but had done no more than peek into his room. What she’d wanted to do was lie beside him and comfort him.

“I hope so,” she said. “I’ve never been challenged this way before. It’s…unsettling the way the body count is adding up.”

He held out his hand. “Come. Let’s have breakfast and then visit Mary Jones.”

Her gaze clashed with his as she put her hand in his larger one. Heat infused her. The moment she was on her feet, she pulled free. Close contact with Colin only muddled her mind.

That morning, he’d cooked pancakes and sausage. At this rate, Cassidy would have no other choice than to wear her sweats.

After eating, she donned her suit, clipped her hair back from her face and applied a smattering of makeup. A lot of bother to hunt down criminals. Still, Ingram had ordered her, and with him grieving the loss of Weston, she’d do as he wanted.

“I do like you in a suit,” Colin said, handing her Rosie with her leash attached. “Gorgeous.”

Her face heated. “Thanks.” This type of attention was why she dressed in clothes suited for cleaning out the garage. She didn’t welcome the attention. Beauty got her mother killed. Why advertise the fact she’d inherited her mother’s looks?

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, yeah?” She slid into the front passenger seat, surprised at how easy she had given over control of the driving to Colin.

“You think beauty is something to shove aside, hide under the rug.” He started the ignition. “It won’t work. Your beauty shines through even in sweats. Embrace what God gave you. It’s a gift.”

She supposed he accepted his good looks with open arms. She’d seen him use his manly assets to distract witnesses upon finding a dead body. Even Weston had faltered in her chilly attitude a time or two when he poured on the charm.

“What do you think about Ball fleeing his apartment with an armload of matching jackets?” She cut Colin a sideways glance.

“I think we need to be vigilant and worried. It sounds like he’s outfitting a small army.”

That’s what she thought, too, and the idea sent dread flooding through her. How many followers did he have? Even a few could leave a path of destruction worse than Clear Springs, or even the state of Arkansas, had ever seen. She clicked her seatbelt. They’d already seen more death than she’d ever thought to experience on the job in a small southern town.

While Colin drove, she called Ingram to check in and give him their plan for the morning. “We’re headed to the last known address of Mary Jones.”

“You shouldn’t go without backup.”

“You’re welcome to meet us there, sir, but every angle needs to be explored immediately. We also found a photo of my mother at the college frat party with Russell Ball. I don’t think that was his name back then.”

“I’ll have someone check on that. If he changed his name legally, there’ll be records. Be careful.” Click.

He’d no sooner hung up than her phone rang again. “Detective Monroe here.”

“Detective this is Mr. Laraby, from the college. Do you remember me?”

“Yes, sir, I remember you.”

“You said to call if I discovered anything. Well, I remember something.”

She heard the rustling of papers.

“Your mother’s roommate here was Allison Bergeron. Since I didn’t have her as a student, her name skipped my mind until I started going through school rosters.”

“Why would you be doing that, sir?” She glanced at Colin.

“Something about that night was bothering me. Not just the violence of your mother’s attack, but that no one did anything about it afterward. Those boys dropped her off at the clinic and left the party.”

“We have a photo of my mother with the man we believe attacked her. Do you think you could identify him?”

“Maybe. If he was one of my students. I’m here until noon if you want to stop by.”

“Thank you.” She hung up. “Detour,” she told Colin. “Head back to the college.” She called Ingram back and gave him Bergeron’s name. “Call me when you have an address.”

“Will do.” Click.

The man was short on words that morning. She sighed. The death of someone who meant a lot to you did that.

~

Colin parked in front of the cafeteria and walked next to Cassidy and Rosie. Mr. Laraby sat at the same table as the last time they’d spoke to him.

The man looked up with a grim smile. “I’m sorry for having you drive all the way back out here.”

“If it helps us solve the case, it was time worth spent.” Colin pulled out a chair for Cassidy then took one to the man’s right.

“This is the picture.” Cassidy handed the photo to Laraby.

“Yes, I know this man.” Laraby leaned back in his chair. “Smart. A real ladies man, back in the day. His name is Blake Russell.”

Colin exchanged a glance with Cassidy. “You’re sure? He registered here under that name?”

“Yes, but he wasn’t enrolled here at the time of the attack. He received his bachelor’s in business early. I always figured he would be a very wealthy man someday.”

“Would that have kept him from being invited to the party?” Colin rested his folded arms on the table.

“Not at all. Not with his popularity.”

Hmm. Being a handsome, sought after young man, the disfigurement to his face could easily have sent him into a psychotic rage. He could have harbored a grudge for years until deciding to kill Maureen. All they had to do now was find out where he was hiding.

Cassidy checked her phone. “We have an address for Allison.”

“You’ve been a big help, Mr. Laraby.” Colin stood and shook the man’s hand. “Please call if you think of anything else.”

“I will. Good luck.”

Colin and Cassidy hurried back to the jeep. “I still think we need to check Mary’s address before questioning Allison,” he said.

“I agree. A killer in one hand is worth a potential witness from twenty-five years ago in the other.”

They sped back toward Clear Springs and the rundown trailer park at the edge of town. Colin drove slowly through the mobile homes until he spotted Mary’s address. He passed the rusty trailer and parked a few homes down.

“If you’re looking for weird Mary, she ain’t home.” A toothless old woman in the mobile home next to Mary’s blew a plume of smoke into the air. “Packed up her Ford and skedaddled this morning before sunup.”

“Are you sure she left?” Colin stopped and faced her.

“Had a couple of suitcases. That’s good enough for me.”

If they hadn’t had breakfast…no, missing Mary was just one more broken link in the chain. One more thing that kept The Dragon and his minions one step ahead of the authorities.

He thanked the woman and continued to Mary’s trailer. They might find something. No stone could be left unturned.

The door to Mary’s trailer hung open by a couple of inches. Withdrawing his weapon, Colin motioned for Cassidy to stay behind him.

“Send Rosie in first.” She unhooked the leash from the dog’s collar. “She’ll alert us if anyone is inside. Search, Rosie.”

When minutes passed and no warning bark came from inside, Colin entered the trailer, wrinkling his nose at the sour odor of spoiled food and the mustiness of mounds of newspapers and magazines. “What a mess.”

“It figures she’d be a hoarder. A lot of hurting people are. We’ll be in here forever searching through all…this.” Cassidy waved an arm at mounds of clutter that barely left enough room for a person to walk.

“We’ll start by looking for something that seems out of place or of significance.” He reholstered his gun and headed down the short hallway to a bedroom.

Rosie nosed in a closet and gave a short wuff when Colin approached.

“Back, girl.”

Colin squatted and shoved aside a mound of clothes to reveal a calico cat and five kittens. He glanced around for a basket or box of some kind, finally emptying a clothes basket and moving mama and babies inside. He carried the basket back to the front room and set it on the crowded kitchen table where Cassidy flipped through a small pile of newspapers.

“We’ve been looking through larger editions. What if there’s something important in these smaller presses? What’s that? Oh.” She picked up one of the kittens, nuzzling it against her cheek. “You poor little thing.”

“I guess we’ll be making a stop at the pound.” Colin sat and pulled several of the papers to his side of the table.

She placed the kitten back with its mother and opened another newspaper to the classifieds. A few minutes later, she gasped. “I know how he’s getting his followers.” She shoved the paper at Colin.

Circled in red was an advertisement that read:

Mistreated?

Pretty people treating you unfairly?

Has your life been forever changed because of THEIR treatment?

Call 555-212-3456

I can help if you’re willing to do the work

18

A
fter calling in and securing the crime scene at Mary Jones’s trailer, Cassidy and Colin drove toward the address they had for Allison Bergeron. Strange how so few people moved out of the area after college. Perhaps, they’d gone, realized life wasn’t greener outside of Arkansas, and moved back.

“I spent my childhood convincing myself that my father was some kind of hero killed while saving people. Maybe a fireman or the military. Mom never talked about him, so I built up this fantasy. Wow, was I wrong.” Cassidy took a shuddering sigh. “I couldn’t have been further from the truth.” An ache took up residence deep in her heart. Not only was she the product of rape, but she was the child of a serial killer.

Colin took her hand. “We can’t help where we come from. We only have control over where we’re going.”

“You’re wise for such a pretty face.” She tried to smile, and failed. How would she react when facing her father for the last time? Could she pull the trigger? If she’d known Russell Ball was the man who’d fathered her and killed her mother, she would have shot him where he stood. Yes, she’d be able to pull the trigger.

“Let’s grab some coffee.” Colin swerved the jeep into a drive thru coffee shop. “You need something to bolster your spirits.”

She glanced at him, studying the strong jaw line, the etched lips, the concern in his eyes. “Kiss me.”

A crooked smile spread across his face. “Needing a distraction?”

“I know it’s not professional, and I told you to keep your—”

He cupped the back of her head and kissed her long and hard until she could think of nothing but breathing. When they were both gasping, he drew back. “Did it work?”

“Thank you.” She chuckled. “You’re good medicine, Colin MacKenzie. I’m sorry about what I said the other night, you know, about being your pain killer.”

He squeezed her hand. “Let’s help each other through this, then we’ll have time to explore us.” He released her and pulled up to the window. “You can use me for whatever you need to in the meantime.”

“Excuse me?” The barrista at the window widened her eyes.

“Sorry.” Colin laughed and placed their orders.

Soon, they were back on the road, still chuckling over the expression on the poor barrista’s face. “I think you disappointed her,” Cassidy said. “She would have loved to be your plaything, I think.”

“She was cute, but I prefer a more mature woman.” He winked.

Was there a future for them? Cassidy stared out the window at the thick trees zooming past on the sides of the highway. She’d never really considered a man in her life. Her career, proving herself, those had always taken precedence. Dare she hope for something more?

What kind of man wanted a woman with her blood line? If she’d thought proving herself in a predominantly male career in the south was hard before, once people found out who her father was, it could become near to impossible. She could move. Start fresh somewhere else. It was a thought.

They parked in front of a modest ranch-style home in a neighborhood of cookie cutter houses. On the front porch sat assorted shoes in varying sizes. A tricycle lay on its side on the freshly mowed lawn. A porch swing moved by a gentle breeze. A scene of tranquility. One which Colin and Cassidy were about to disrupt.

“Let’s go meet your mother’s bestfriend.” Colin shoved open his door.

Cassidy’s heart went into overdrive. They were about to speak with the woman who had known her mother better than anyone. She squared her shoulders, commanded Rosie to stay, and marched to the front door. On second thought, she snapped her fingers for Rosie to follow. They might be in the house for a while and the day was heating up. If Allison didn’t want a dog in the house, Rosie could stay on the porch.

The door opened before Cassidy’s finger pressed the bell. A pretty woman with a stylish blond bob haircut answered the door. “Baby is sleeping.” She smiled. “I hope you aren’t selling anything.”

Cassidy showed her badge. “We have a few questions for you. Are you Allison Bergeron?”

The woman’s brows drew together in a frown. “Not anymore. I haven’t been her in twenty years. I’m Allison Carson now. What’s this about?”

“May we come in or would you prefer the porch?” Cassidy glanced at a set of whicker rocking chairs.

“Come in.” She eyed the dog, then her gaze rested appreciatively on Colin. “The dog won’t make noise will it? I have a three year old inside that would love to play with it.”

“She’s well trained,” Cassidy said, drawing the woman’s attention back to her.

Allison opened the door wide and allowed them to enter. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“We’ve coffee, thank you.” Colin smiled, putting the woman at ease.

How did he do that with a look and a grin? Cassidy shook her head and sat on one end of the sofa. “We were told by a Mr. Wilson that you were Maureen Monroe’s bestfriend in college.”

“Yes.” Allison sat in a stuffed chair covered with a floral fabric. “Benji, play nice with the dog.”

“Gentle, Rosie.” Cassidy watched as a tow-headed little boy squatted next to the dog.

“I haven’t seen or heard from Maureen in…at least ten years. We used to keep in touch, then nothing.”

Cassidy took a deep breath. “She was murdered ten years ago. We believe by the same man who attacked her during the frat party.”

“Oh.” Tears sprang to Allison’s eyes and she glanced at her son. “Benji, go get a juice box out of the fridge, okay?” Once he’d gone, Rosie trotting at his side, she turned back to Cassidy. “He’ll probably give your dog cookies, I hope that’s okay.” She sighed. “I had no idea Maureen was dead. And…that awful night.” She covered her face with her hands. “I’ve done everything possible to forget that night.”

She hadn’t wanted to go to the party. I coerced her. It was all my fault. If she hadn’t been there…”

“If I know my mother, she had a mind of her own.”

“You’re her daughter? Of course you are. I can see the resemblance.” She reached over and placed a hand on Cassidy’s arm. “You’re just as pretty as she…was.”

“Can you tell me about her?”

“A great gal. Oh, the fun we had. I was the troublemaker, Maureen the logical one. Still, she had her wild side. She went to the party because a boy she thought was handsome was going.”

“Blake Russell?”

“Yes, that’s the one. Your mother wasn’t a prude, but she was one of the good girls. That’s why her attack affected so many of us the way it did. I was promiscuous. It should have been me in the woods that night.” Tears trickled down her face. “I’ve never forgiven myself. If I hadn’t been with my own boy that night…well, things can’t be changed, can they?”

“No, ma’am.” A knife stabbed at Cassidy’s gut. “If only they could. We have reason to believe that Blake was her attacker that night and the one who later killed her. We also believe he is responsible for the deaths of a couple of other women.”

“Oh, no.” Her sobs increased.

Colin knelt next to the woman’s chair. “None of it is your fault, Allison. You can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to. Things got carried away at that party, things that resulted in future destruction. You weren’t at fault. We’re not here to make you feel bad. We’re hoping you can give us some answers. Maybe tell us more about Blake Russell.”

“He was a handsome enigma. Smart, finished college early. All the girls wanted to be noticed by him, but he only had eyes for Maureen. Called her his Fire Princess. I would never have figured him for a killer.”

“My mother wounded him that night.” Cassidy stared at the freshly vacuumed carpet. “Gravely wounded him. We think that is what set him on his path of destruction.”

Rosie barked from the kitchen.

Cassidy lunged to her feet at the same moment Colin did. They dashed into the kitchen.

Rosie lunged at the kitchen door, keeping her body between the door and the child. The twisted features of Blake Russell stared through the window, then vanished.

Colin unlocked then yanked open the door. “Give the command, Cassidy.”

“Angriff!”

Rosie darted outside, Colin and Cassidy on her heels. They chased her around the corner of the house.

Blake grabbed for the door of a dark sedan left running. With his other hand, he tazed the dog, then slid into the driver’s seat. He squealed tires backing from the driveway.

Colin knelt and fired off two shots while Cassidy called Ingram and knelt beside the helpless Rosie.

The shots shattered the back window of the sedan and Cassidy watched helplessly as Russell sped away. “Good girl.” Once Rosie was back on her feet, albeit a bit wobbly, Cassidy turned and headed for the kitchen.

Allison clutched her son to her chest while a baby screamed from a room on the other side of the house. “Thank God I keep that door locked. Was that Blake?”

“Yes.” Cassidy glanced out the front window. He’d followed them. “We’ll need to put your family in protective custody.”

~

Oh, the game was getting fun now! Draco grinned as he sped away from the blond woman’s house. He remembered her from college. Pretty, but in no way close to Maureen’s beauty. He wanted to go back after the cops left and show her who he was now, but the innocence in the little boy’s eyes wouldn’t allow him to.

He didn’t harm children. They weren’t responsible for any revulsion they might show. If they cried when seeing him, he blamed the parents for not raising them better. He caressed his scar. He’d always wanted a son. Instead, he had a daughter, beautiful like her mother, who hunted him like an animal.

Someday, when the time was right, they’d face each other in a final, epic battle. The strongest would survive. He had no qualms that they would ever be a loving family. He was meant to be alone. The last of a dying breed. The lone dragon on a quest to rid the world of the unworthy.

He popped Beethoven’s Fifth into the CD player and drummed his hands on the steering wheel in beat with the music. The next few weeks would be glorious as he continued his diabolical game. He laughed, the sound ringing loud over the music.

Sweet Cassidy, can you hear the music? He’d make sure it was the last thing she ever heard, his face the last thing she saw. Just like Maureen.