Vicious (21 page)

Someone had entered via the vent in the gable end of the house. A video surveillance system, including a signal booster, had been put into place that monitored every room in the house including bathrooms. A wave of revulsion washed over Jess.

She wandered back to each room and had another look. As careful as those removing the cameras had been, they still left a bit of a mess. Who had cleaned up that mess when the cameras were installed?

Did Dan have a maid?

If she remembered the white dust they might be able to narrow down when the cameras were installed.

She located Dan and pulled him away from the huddle of those discussing how to properly secure his home after such a breach. “Do you have a maid?”

He nodded. “She comes in once a week.”

“You should call her and ask if she noticed anything unusual like that white dust? That could give us a time frame for when the cameras were installed.” Knowing Spears, he arranged for the work to coincide with the cleaning lady’s scheduled workday.

“There may not have been any detectible residue left behind,” Thompson said, joining their conversation. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop but a system this high tech was most likely installed by someone who knew what he was doing. The tool he used to make the necessary opening in the drywall probably had a vacuum attachment. I doubt you would’ve noticed whatever trace amounts of debris he left behind.”

So much for that theory.

The sound of her cell phone ringing tugged Jess away from the conversation. Lori’s image appeared on the screen. Jess moved into the only room that was clear, the hall bath and closed the door. “Did you locate the sisters?”

They needed to find those two women before anyone else was lured into their trap. The surveillance details at her sister’s home, Dan’s parents’ home and Mr. Louis’s home were on heightened alert. The same alert had gone to the detail at Wanda’s house. Jess couldn’t forget her no matter how often she had wanted to in the past.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection and cringed. Too bad it wasn’t Halloween, she’d fit right in. Then again, maybe it was. Spears had certainly turned her life into a nightmare.

“No one has seen either of the Vance sisters since Saturday night. Apparently once they started their killing rampage, they closed everyone out.”

Their faces had been plastered all over the news. If they were still in Birmingham, hopefully someone would spot one or both soon.

“We’re in the Vance home now,” Lori went on. “There’s an art studio behind the house. Apparently the daughters inherited their interest in art from the mother. And guess where she took classes?”

“Paris?” Jess wilted onto the closed toilet lid and let her bag slide to the floor. Of course, the mother’s age was right. “Ellis was her teacher or a fellow student.”

“I think maybe he was a whole lot more than that.”

Jess perked up. “Ellis and the mother had an affair?”

“I think so. I’m still combing through things but I found several photos of Mr. and Mrs. Vance with Ellis. The way Ellis looks at Mrs. Vance, it’s more than friendship. None of the photos I’ve found so far are recent. I’m guessing they were taken twenty or more years ago.”

“We need to talk to the mother.”

“There’s more.”

Jess slipped a shoe off and rubbed at her aching foot. “You heard from the detective in Paris again?”

“Actually, I just got a call from the wife of that Boston reporter I told you about.”

Jess reached into her bag for her pad and pencil. “Did she recall something about that murder Ellis witnessed?”

“She did. Her husband, Steve Cooley, died of cancer just two years ago. His death was slow and painful. One of his last requests was to speak with the brother who survived the sister’s murder.”

“Did the brother agree to speak with him?” Anticipation burned through Jess.

“He did but Cooley never repeated the conversation. He didn’t even bring it up again until the night he died.”

“This is the reporter who insisted there was a cover up? Why the hell would he let it go?”
Dumb question, Jess
. Knowing you were living your final days would assuredly change ones perspective. She kicked the idea that Spears had insinuated that Dan’s days were numbered out of her head. She refused to let that idea take root.

“The same,” Lori confirmed. “He didn’t share a word until the night he died when he told his wife he’d been right all along.”

Jess’s hopes fell. “But what does that mean?”

The door opened and the officer coming in jumped when he saw Jess. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

Jess gave him a perfunctory smile. “There’s another one that way,” she told him in case he needed to use the facilities.

Face red, he nodded then closed the door.

“Cooley never believed the father killed his daughter,” Lori continued. “He was convinced the brother did it and the father covered for him.”

“What was the father’s motive?” It was true that parents often covered for their children but this was taking it to the extreme. The father’s first instinct would have been to protect his remaining child and his wife from the threat—even if the surviving child was the threat. The father killing himself took him completely out of the equation. Not the natural reaction of a parent hoping to protect his child.

“She didn’t say much about the father,” Lori went on, “Cooley’s theory revolved around the brother and Ellis.”

Now Jess was really confused. “How was he tying Ellis into the shooting?”

“He believed Ellis and the brother were caught in the act of doing something bad to or with the sister since her body was nude. The official report found no indication of sexual activity, but forensic science back then wasn’t what it is today. Anyway, then the father came in and things got crazy.”

That was a nice theory but too circumstantial for building a case. Jess needed more than that. “Does the brother have a record?”

“No record. Not much of a life either, for that matter. He never married and keeps to himself. Had Polio when he was a kid, wore the braces. No friends. He lives alone with his elderly mother.”

“We should try and talk to the brother.” Jess couldn’t guarantee how much good it would do, but it couldn’t hurt At this point, everything about Ellis’s past was relevant.

“I’ll see if I can set something up with the brother.”

“Thanks, Lori.”

Jess ended the call and tugged her shoe back on. Spears had his followers coming out of the woodwork. If she’d had any doubts whatsoever that he had roused the Man in the Moon, those doubts were all but gone now.

How could they hope to catch up to Spears let alone get a step ahead of him?

A quick check of the hall showed the search was ongoing in the rest of the house. They didn’t need her for that. Jess decided to stay put and to call her sister. This might be her only chance to actually talk to Lil for the next few days.

When Lil answered Jess smiled at the sound of her voice. “Hey.”

“I’m doing exactly what you told me to do,” Lil informed her, “the last time you called. And the time before that.”

“I’m not calling about your surveillance detail.” Her sister was right. They’d hardly spoken lately unless it was related to Spears. “I just wanted to say…” What did she want to say? “I’d like to get together for lunch, maybe this weekend if you have the time.”

Silence.

Now she was just punishing Jess.

“Sorry,” Lil grumbled. “I had to pick myself up off the floor.”

“Ha ha. Do you want to have lunch or not?” Hopefully, by then she would have had
the
conversation with Dan and she could tell Lil.

“Yes, I’d love to have lunch. Whatever day works for you. How’s your day going, by the way?”

Lil did not want to hear the answer to that. “Great. We have three persons of interest in the case. Any time now we should be able to wrap this one up.” Jess could dream.

“Wanda called.”

Jess leaned toward the mirror and grimaced at her reflection. “That’s nice.”

“Sorry I forgot,” Lil griped, “you want to pretend she doesn’t exist even though you ate fried chicken with her.”

Jess had known she would live to regret that temporary lapse in sanity. “I know. I know. She’s changed. She’s our only living relative. We should forgive and forget.” There were things Lil didn’t understand. Jess hadn’t told her sister about Wanda’s accusations. She needed to determine if there was any truth to the allegation that their mother was afraid of their father before she went mending any fences or telling her sister.

“She’s not getting any younger, Jess. You’d feel really bad if she died with this unresolved between you.”

“You think?” Good grief. Just because she hadn’t been married half her life and didn’t have kids or go to church every Sunday didn’t mean Jess had no compassion for others.

“I’m sorry. I just want us to be a family. All of us.”

“Can we talk about this later?” For the love of God. Spears had been watching her pee! Not to mention having sex with Dan.
Oh God
. She closed her eyes and tried to block the frustration and humiliation. At least she hadn’t taken a pregnancy test here.

“I know you have to go find bad guys,” Lil relented. “I love you. We’ll figure out the Wanda situation eventually.”

Jess appreciated the reprieve. “Love you.” Her chest ached at the idea that she had put her sister and everyone else she cared about in danger.

“Love you more!”

Lil ended the call before Jess could one-up her.

Why in the world had she stayed away so long? Jess had missed so much. Oh yeah, she’d been too busy with her career.

She sighed. Why was it that every decision she’d made in her entire existence had to be revisited and overanalyzed at this stage in her life? So far the forties were anything but fun and fulfilling.

A rap on the door jerked her back to the here and now. “Jess, you in there?”

Dan
. She opened the door and presented a smile. “I had to check on Lil.”

“I have a meeting back at the office.” He looked so tired. She just wanted to hug him. “You done with things here?”

She nodded. “Your security people will get this place secure again?”

“Thompson gave me his personal guarantee that he would oversee the work himself. As soon as they’re finished here, they’re going to tackle your apartment.”

“Good.” She dragged her bag onto her shoulder. “Do you have time to drop me off at the gallery on Broadway so I can catch up with Lieutenant Hayes? He’s finishing up there.”

“I can do that.”

Her phone made that loopy little sound that warned she had a text. She could check it in the car. Right now, she wanted out of here.

Once she was settled in his SUV, she dug out her phone. Dan maneuvered between the official vehicles parked every which way in his driveway and yard.

The text was not from a number in her contacts list. Tension rippled through Jess. Not again.
Please
. She opened the text and found a video.

The video showed a man, fifty or older. He was visibly inebriated. His speech was slurred. He wore a business suit. What was that in the background? A bed? Was he in a bedroom? Jess stared at the small screen and tried to see any other details.

“We could go back to the pool.” The man in the suit grinned, or tried to. “Take a swim.”

Was he in a hotel room? Jess got a glimpse of the phone on the bedside table. Definitely a hotel room.

“You’re both so pretty,” he slurred.

“What the hell?” Dan hit his brakes and turned to Jess.

“I never did a threesome before,” the man in the video mumbled.

Fear rammed into Jess. She turned to Dan. The sisters were with this man and Jess knew exactly where they were—or, at least, where they had been. “The Howard Johnson Inn where I stayed when I first got here.”

Why hadn’t she thought of that place? Jesus Christ she should have known.

“Heading there now.”

Tires squealed as Dan whipped out onto the street.

Jess started to enter the number for dispatch but a call from Harper interrupted.

“Chief, we’re en route to the Howard—”

“So are we.” Her voice sounded empty. But agony was brimming inside her. “We’ll meet you there.”

Jess felt sick.

The murders were growing more blatant. Each one added another layer of guilt to the mountain already sitting on her shoulders.

Spears intended to win this battle… even if it was his last.

18

Howard Johnson Inn, 4:30 p.m.

Are you having fun yet, Jess?

That was the message on the wall above the bed. It appeared to be written in the victim’s blood. Even after more than half an hour, Jess couldn’t stop glancing back to look at it again. The words had been videoed, photographed, and swabbed for evidence.

The room was a bloody mess.

Since each victim’s heart had ceased to beat before the mangling of the torso, there was no reason for blood to be all over the room. What were they doing? Using the victim’s blood like lotion or body paint. Jess shuddered. Hadn’t she seen a movie or read a book about a blood countess in Hungary or somewhere in Europe? Legend or historical fact she couldn’t recall. Were these two killers performing the same sort of rituals?

Had Ellis studied more than the Old Masters while in Europe? Maybe he’d decided to relive some of the folklore he’d learned.

Were the Vance sisters his pupils in the art of death?

Another shudder rocked Jess. Too many questions and not enough answers. She pushed aside her raw emotions and focused on the details of the scene. Just about a month ago, this room had been vandalized along with all her things. It certainly hadn’t taken the motel long to get it refurbished. Too bad for Mr. Theodore McCrary of Nashville, fifty-nine and widowed with one grown son.

He had come to Birmingham for a business meeting yesterday. According to an associate whose business card was found at the scene, after a long meeting McCrary and several others had gone to dinner and then to a bar. When they’d parted around ten-thirty, McCrary had called a taxi to return to his motel. He was supposed to fly back to Nashville today. His son had gone to the airport to pick him up at one o’clock but his father hadn’t been on the flight. When repeated calls to the vic’s cell had gone unanswered, the son had called the motel.