Текст книги "Crime after Crime"

Автор книги: Tara W. Kent

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 8 страниц)

Chapter Seventeen

Kim spent the rest of the afternoon hunkered down at her desk, desperately trying to decipher the truth behind what facts they had. Phillips and Newport cut her a wide berth, sensing her intensity. Craig figured she was onto something, while Jacob was happy to review the case alone without wild speculation and conjecture.

The day wound down, and some of the officers trickled out, headed for the bar. Kim gathered her things. She tried to look as casual as possible. It was difficult, given how quickly her pulse was racing. Phillips and Newport both looked surprised to see her leaving on time.

It wasn’t until Kim pulled out of the precinct that she picked up the pace. She sped home as quickly as possible and changed into jeans. She didn’t want to attract too much attention. Then it was simply a matter of sitting on her sofa, bag packed, ready to go.

At 9 p.m., the killer’s calling card, the King of Spades, flashed on her smartphone screen. She grabbed the phone and waited breathlessly.

The Blockhouse. North Woods. Central Park.

Again, Mr. Kane kindly requests no company,

No weapons,

And no nasty tricks.

He’s rather fond of his heart, you see.

I’m waiting for you.

Your friend,

The King of Spades

              Kim jumped to her feet and raced down to her car. She sped north, silently thanking a higher power for the lack of traffic. She’d never gone into a situation so unprepared before. She didn’t know what she’d be facing. Whatever it was, she was going to have to rely on quick wit and quicker reflexes. There was no way she could jeopardize Kane by coming in armed. She’d just have to rely on instinct and a lot of luck.

              She parked close to the northwestern entrance at Central Park West and 110th street. The upper regions of the park were much less trafficked, even during the day. At night it was a virtual graveyard, except for a few intrepid drug dealers and other lowlifes. As she stepped beneath the shade of the tall, leafy maples and oaks, she felt a definite tremor of fear. She’d been relying too much lately on her trusty 9mm, despite her extensive self-defense and martial arts training. Then again, a solid upper jab was little good against a lunatic with a firearm.

              Kim tried her best to banish these fears as she hurried onward over tangled roots and under low-lying branches. The park was bathed in velvet darkness. She did her best to ease her way forward without a flashlight. She didn’t want to attract attention.

After about ten minutes of walking, she mounted a small hill towards a squat stone structure, the remains of an old fortification. Trees in full leaf ringed the rocky embankment.

There, in the shadow of the blockhouse, was Kane. He was seated on the ground, bound and gagged. His normally expertly combed hair was rumpled. He looked exhausted but otherwise in one piece. Good.

Next to him stood a man of medium height. He wore ordinary clothes and a black mask. His hands moved slightly in front of him. The woods were silent, so Kim could hear the soft sound of paper sliding against each other. He was shuffling a deck of cards. In front of him were a low table covered in poker chips and two stools.

“Good evening, Miss Daniels,” the man said in a low and surprisingly melodious voice. “I apologize for the facilities, but I made do with what I could on short notice.”

“That’s Detective Daniels to you, Mr. Spades. You’d better end this foolish charade right now and hand over Alex Kane. You’re only landing yourself in deeper water by kidnapping a high-profile celebrity.”

“Pardon me, Detective, but I’m not even in the shallow end yet. Your department has failed to expose me in any meaningful way. Which means I am perfectly free to continue doing as I like. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’d argue that no one should be allowed to kill an innocent young woman, but I’m biased, being a cop and all.”

“Feisty,” the masked man said. “I expected that. You young women really don’t have any manners. I must say, I was very upset that you not only disrupted my little game the other night but took the pot, too. It’s not the money, Miss Daniels. It’s the principle. The game is set up expressly for losers, not surprise winners. I granted you the cash because I’m a man of my word. But I was highly displeased, Miss Daniels. It was hardly mannerly of you.”

Kim stared at him, momentarily unnerved. This guy was definitely a special case. Wiggling her and Alex out of this unscathed was going to be interesting.

“I’m not here for a scolding,” she said hotly. “What do you want?”

The masked man shook his head in disapproval. “Very unmannerly indeed. Well, Miss Daniels, I’ve invited you here to challenge you to a final game, seeing as you so badly want entry to my little club. The rules are very simple: you win, and Kane is yours. I win, and you’re both mine. Understand?”

Kim took a moment to catch her breath. The man was clearly a cunning card player. Were her skills good enough to beat him? There was only one way to find out. She sat down on the opposite stool.

“Deal,” she said evenly.

The mask accepted this blankly. “Excellent choice, Miss Daniels. I’ve taken the liberty of giving us $5000 each in chips. But as you can imagine, the money is meaningless in this type of, shall we say, life or death situation.”

While the killer shuffled the cards, Kim snuck a quick look at Alex. She looked into his eyes, hoping he could tell her something, anything. What she saw was panic. This told her one thing – that the past few hours with the killer had not shored up confidence in Kim’s ability to free him. This was definitely worrying. But what could she do? She had to try.

Please, Dad, she thought. Send me some good luck over here. I really need it right now.

The masked man dealt them both two cards. Kim peeked at hers. Terrible. The worst. She saw instantly that she was never going to win by raw skill alone. Then there was the fact that the killer was dealing. He could easily cheat, if he wanted to. She was going to have to play as dirty as all get. She bid high. Very high. The dealer scrutinized her face.

“You know, this is hardly fair,” she said casually. “You can see my expressions, but I can’t see yours.”

“You’re right, Miss Daniels. But what if you happen to win? Then you’re going to have a much easier time identifying me in the future.”

“I thought you said that I could never win.”

“Well played. You’re right. You simply can’t. All right then, fair’s fair!” The killer whipped off his mask to reveal a doughy, flattened face. An ordinary face, by all accounts, with a squashed nose and short fluffy brown hair. He smiled at her widely and bid under. They flipped the cards and she took the pot.

“Confident, aren’t we Miss. Daniels? Unfortunately, that’s not a quality I like in a woman,” the killer said, shuffling again. The paper made a rasping sound that set Kim’s skin crawling.

“Well, we’re playing cards, not dating, so my qualities are going to have to do for now,” Kim returned. She was going to be less cocky and try to lull him into a feeling of false security.

Her next cards were equally bad, but she bid lower this time. The man watched her closely, uncomfortably so. Behind his blandness there was definitely something wrong.

The man matched her bid. He was testing her. She bid a little higher. So did he. They continued on like this until the numbers started to get sky high. Kim began to panic. Her cards were really bad. If she lost this round, she’d lose out big. What if he actually had great cards? The impassive face continued to watch her. She had to stop this now. He seemed to know no limit. She passed. They flipped their cards. His were even worse. He took the pot.

The game went downhill from there. Every time Kim tried to outmaneuver the killer, he was one step ahead. If she pushed him far, he folded and had the better hand. If she bid conservatively, he bid lavishly, and had the worse cards, too. She kept thinking in the back of her head that she was too smart to be falling for his ploys. Maybe it was his unnerving attitude. Maybe it was because it was so dark, and every rustle and bird call startled her. Whatever it was, it wasn’t playing out to her advantage.

Still, Kim fought hard and she fought long. She tried to keep her eyes away from the killer and on the cards. But whether it was a disadvantage in skill or Lady Luck simply wasn’t on her side, Kim found that she had been roundly beaten. The killer had taken the game. It was over.

He gathered the chips slowly and pulled them towards him. “What riches!” he breathed. “I started with a sweet young thing. Pure, innocent, and completely worth killing. Then I land a celebrated actor – of no use to me personally, but excellent bait for a beautiful woman. I have a thing for redheads, if you don’t mind me saying so. I’m going to enjoy teaching you a lesson in manners.”

Kim found herself rising, an instinctual desire to flee. “Ah, Miss Daniels. I’m quite sure we have a deal. You don’t want Mr. Kane to die a particularly gruesome death, do you? You come with me, and I’ll keep it clean.” He drew his sword out of its cane sheath and brandished it close to his captive’s jugular. Alex’s eyes bulged, alarmed.

“As for you, I might just let you live, if you learn your lesson properly. I’m not so bothered that you can identify me. After all, identities are easy to change. And I’m too smart to be caught.”

Kim willed herself to step forward. The game had just been the warm-up. Surely she could think of something before things got too serious. She smiled brightly. “I’m not a sore loser. Lead the way.”

The killer nodded his head courteously. He drew out two pieces of rope and grabbed Kim, wrapping her wrists. Yanking Kane to his feet, he tied the two of them together.

“Can’t be too careful. Let’s go then. If you don’t mind, I have a nice little setup just that-a-ways. We won’t be disturbed. We can have a nice little chat.”

Kim forced the corners of her mouth upwards to hide her disgust. She would really enjoy arresting this guy, prosecuting the hell out of him, and letting him rot in jail. That was just about all he deserved.

 

Chapter Eighteen

              Jacob stood at Daniels’ desk, staring at her innocuous ceramic mug with a frown on his face. It was about 9:30 p.m., and though he could have gone home, something was keeping him there. Craig Phillips sidled up alongside. He looked the detective up and down questioningly.

              “Thinking about nabbing it?” he said. “Don’t see too many quality mugs like that anymore.”

              Jacob narrowed his eyes without taking his gaze off the cup. “I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone, Officer. Therefore I choose not to address your question as asked.”

              Phillips raised his eyebrows slightly and shrugged. “All right, then try this question: what’s so interesting?”

              Jacob sighed slightly and crossed his arms. “I don’t like to submit to intuition. As you know, it goes against my beliefs. However, I do believe in the importance of details. I’ve just spotted one which is holding my attention, though it may be insignificant.”

              “About the case?”

              “Probably not.” Jacob lifted the mug up and examined it. It was an ordinary white ceramic cup with simple black lettering that declared ‘I Love Chicago!’  “What I am about to tell you is of a personal nature. And if I weren’t so concerned, I wouldn’t share it. Therefore you should consider yourself bound to secrecy.”

              “Wow, this mug is serious business,” Phillips quipped. Jacob shot him a severe look that quickly killed his mirth. “OK, sorry, Detective. Your secret’s safe with me. Go ahead.”

              “Detective Daniels’ sister gave her this mug. As you may know, the young lady died quite a number of years ago. Daniels brings this mug in every day for her English breakfast tea and takes it home every night to wash it. I’ve observed that she’s very particular about this cup and never forgets it. Likely due to her attachment to her late sister, as far as I can tell. In any case, today I noticed that Daniels left on time, which, as we both know, is highly unusual. In the process, she forgot this cherished mug. This tells me that something was preoccupying her greatly.”

              Craig took this in with a frown. “This all sounds a bit far-fetched, Newport. Still, I know you’re not a guy given to stretching the truth.”

              “I certainly hope not, Officer. That wouldn’t make me a very good detective.”

              “Sure. But what do you want to do about it?”

              Jacob eyed Phillips with newfound interest. “You specialize in tracking people via technology, am I correct?”

              Craig looked skeptical. “That’s right, Detective.”

              Jacob grinned. “Thankfully, Detective Daniels doesn’t have the technical skills of whoever encrypted that email. I think a check in might be in order.”

**

              Phillips ran Kim’s smartphone details through his software program and let the computer do its work. He ran a hand through his hair.

              “Detective Newport, I feel a little uncomfortable about tracking your partner. She’s probably just got a date or something. I’m going to feel really bad if the program lands on the bar at the Four Seasons.”

              Craig pursed his lips. “With all due respect to Detective Daniels, I don’t see that happening.”

              The program beeped, indicating it had found Kim’s phone. Manhattan popped up on the map. The policemen leaned in further in anticipation. The program began focusing in towards Harlem.

              “See, she’s probably at dinner,” said Phillips.

              The program’s focus shifted, though, and began seeking downwards, downwards, until it hit the north end of Central Park. There it rested for a moment before rapidly zooming in on the North Woods. Jacob’s frown deepened.

              “There’s no way that Detective Daniels would go there at night. It’s essentially unlit and a hot spot for drug deals.”

              Craig nodded. “I know you don’t believe in intuition, but something about this just doesn’t feel right.”

Chapter Nineteen

              Bats flitted through the maples and oaks that crowded the slim path. Kim and Alex pushed forward in front of the killer, branches snapping in their faces as they stumbled onwards. There was nothing to light their way, only the dim glow of the old moon. The dense brush on the forest floor contributed to the sense of enclosure. They could have been deep in the Adirondacks, not in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the United States.

Kim found herself praying they’d meet a dealer, homeless person, anyone. But then again, people out in the North Woods at this time of night weren’t looking for company, just like their killer. If anyone were out here, they’d stay well away.

There is no way I’m going to go like this, she thought. Cut down like a dog just because I tried to save the department’s hide? That’s no end for me.

Kim turned around to direct a fierce glare at Alex. His puppy dog eyes grew wider, and he noticeably flinched. She could almost hear his thought: What’d I do?

“Onwards, dear Miss Daniels!” chimed in the killer from the back. “I do love taking this moonlight stroll with you two fine young people, but I’m tingling to reach our destination.”

“Let’s get on with it now. Unless your destination involves two cheeseburgers, strawberry milkshakes, and a get out of jail free card, I’m not keen to keep walking,” Kim said with a bravado she didn’t feel.

The killer chuckled. “Unfortunately, I don’t deal those types of cards,” he said.

Kim realized that she should be buying time, not throwing it away. “Well, since you’re going to be flame-roasting our hearts in about half an hour, why don’t you satisfy my curiosity about a few things first.”

“Oh, Miss Daniels, it’s not very mannerly of you to ask for a gentleman’s secrets,” came the smooth voice.

“It sounds like you’re going to school me soon enough. You might as well quench my unmannerly curiosity. After all, you could have just laid low with those secrets of yours. Instead you chose to make yourself known to me.”

The killer laughed. “Goodness, Miss Daniels! You may be pert, but you’re right, too. OK, I’ll indulge you. What do you want to know?”

Of course, Kim thought. Smart, savvy, and egomaniacal as all get out. She tried to steady her breath as she stumbled down the path. “Did the poker group know the reason that you brought them together? The real reason, I mean.”

“Oh, no! Of course not. The gentlemen were only interested in the usual things dandies like – spirits, a game of cards, and a pretty thing to look at. I offered my services as the broker of an exclusive and highly private poker circle where vices could be indulged with complete confidentiality. What happens in the room stays in the room, so to speak. My contacts, unfortunately, mostly extend to the business world, so I had to turn to your Dr. Sampson to provide the female element. I’d heard that he was a bit of a scoundrel, so I hoped he might provide just the sort of lady I desired – young, desperate, and not quite right in the head. He most definitely delivered.”

“So why kill her?”

The killer was silent for a moment. “It’s hard to say, Miss Daniels. I suppose a gentleman sometimes requires an alibi for the thing he most desires. He’s afraid of what he wants and the strength of his need. Company makes it bearable, sanctioned. I may be an intelligent man, but when it comes to my emotions, I suppose I am as common as they come.”

This made a twisted kind of sense. Maybe you’re becoming as crazy as him, Kim thought. Keep sharp, Daniels. He’s trying to lure you in, just like he did with Virginia Winters.

Then Kim had a brainwave. So that’s why the perps were acting so squirrely during their poker game. They didn’t want her to lose the game, because they already knew the consequences. It was all coming together.

“So the first time you surprise them. Then you lure them back for round two. They can’t say no after the great blackmail material you have on them – New York’s most powerful, witness to a killing. It’d be so easy to implicate them, or at least tarnish their reputations. But instead of getting a pretty so-so player, you get a cop who knows her stuff. She doesn’t lose like she’s supposed to. And to lose is to die, isn’t it?”

The killer chuckled again. “Very pert, Miss Daniels. I’d scold you, but I have a feeling you’ll get your due soon enough.”

Kim ignored him, intent on pursuing her line of thought. “You see yourself as a fair man. So you prescribed a loophole: if the woman won, she got her freedom. But the game was specifically designed to avoid that possibility, wasn’t it? You chose instead the weak, the desperate, the defenseless. The question now is: why? Why kill these women, especially in a manner so brutal?”

They entered a small clearing. Kim could hear the rushing of water. The moon filtered through the shifting clouds. She could barely make out a small waterfall surrounded by smooth paving stones. But that isn’t what caught her eye. The killer flipped on a small floodlight, illuminating a neat circle of King of Spades cards. He then pressed a button on a small device next to it. The smooth sound of the Chairman filled the night air.

              I’ve got you under my skin.

              I’ve got you deep in the heart of me.

              Kim’s teeth set on edge to hear the song that had so sufficiently creeped her out at the crime scene. This can’t happen, she thought fiercely. I’m the person who puts this creep behind bars, not another of his victims.

              She shot a look at Alex, who was looking paler by the minute. She couldn’t expect any help from him. The only thing to do was buy time, more time.

              “Well, this is fancy. You didn’t happen to bring champagne and truffles, did you?”

              “In the circle, Mr. Kane,” the killer said, his voice suddenly icy. He untied his captives and deftly knocked Kim to the ground, quickly tying her feet in the process. He then withdrew his sword slowly out of its long cane case and nudged Alex with it into the center. He delivered a swift kick to his back, and with a grunt, the actor fell face-first into the grass.

              Kim’s breath caught. She felt horribly powerless.

              The killer leaned down and grabbed Alex’s hair from behind while resting the tip of his sword against the middle of the actor’s back. Alex made a strangled sound through his gag.

              “This is what happens to little girls who don’t play by the rules,” the killer breathed.

              Kim braced, panicked, not ready for what had to be next. It couldn’t end like this, it just couldn’t…

              Gunfire erupted through the trees. The killer jerked, stiffened, and then collapsed.

              There was complete silence for one moment. Kim could hear her blood pounding in her ears as she stood, rooted to the spot. Her brain refused to accept what she’d just seen. Alex must have felt the same way, as he remained crouched, waiting for that fatal blow.

              It was only a moment, though. Common sense kicked back in, and Kim struggled to get to her charge.

              “Kane! Are you alright?” she shouted. She managed to inch herself closer. He looked terrified and confused, but everything seemed to be in working order.

              The underbrush crackled as footsteps approached. The detective and the actor braced themselves.

              “Detective! Kane! Everything OK over there?” came the voice of Officer Phillips. Nothing had ever sounded more sweet than those six words. Detective Newport came up behind him. They were white-faced, expecting the worst.

              “We’re fine, guys. Not a scratch between us,” said Kim. “Man, am I glad to see you two. Things were getting a little heavy.”

Phillips untied them and pulled out Kane’s gag. He began to gasp for breath, hyperventilating from his brush with death.

              “Is he dead?” he wheezed. “Tell me that smug SOB is gone, or I will personally make a satay out of him with that sword.”

              Jacob knelt by the killer, who was splayed out, blood slowly pooling beside him and oozing into the ground. He checked his pulse. “He’s gone.”

              “Guys, all I wanted was a few tips on how to play detective, not get kidnapped by some psycho, trotted out to the middle of Central Park, and made into a human skewer!” said Alex, still panting.

              “Relax, Kane, you’re in one piece,” said Kim, patting him lightly. “No harm, no foul.” She surveyed the body beside them. “Now we just have to explain to the Captain how we ended up offing a guy in Central Park who we weren’t even technically investigating.”

              Jacob allowed himself a small smile. “We just proceed like we always do – we call Maria Langley. She’ll get us the answers we need.”

              Craig whistled slowly. “Boy, she is not going to like this one.”