Detective Partners (23 page)

"Where are you going?" Galen asked from his desk.

"Strauss wants to see me. When I get back I'll tell you what we talked about." Nicole hurried to Strauss' office. Once there, she didn't bother to knock but went right in. "You want to see me, sir."

"Sit down, Goodwin." Parker sat back in his chair and waited for her to take a seat before he spoke.
"Before I begin.
How are you doing with Maxwell? Are you two getting along?"

"We're doing fine," she answered. "There were a few rough patches at first, but we worked through them."

"Good." He cleared his throat. "The reason I called you in here is because there's something I want to discuss with you. Last night I was sitting here staring at the letter Judas wrote to you when an idea popped into my head. Judas has become fond of you. He wants to befriend you. I would like you to befriend him
bac
to encourage him to open up to you. By doing so I'm hoping he will reveal something to you that will help us capture him."

"How can I befriend him when I can't talk to him or write to him?" Nicole pointed out. "We have no way to contact him."

"There is a way." Parker shifted and the chair let out a loud squeak. "I want you to go on T tell him that you want to talk with him. You don't have to worry about what to say. I'll write down what I want you to say and you can read from the cue cards."

The thought of going on TV and having millions of people watching her made her feel extremely uncomfortable. "Sir, I - I don't know if I can do that. I don't like to be the center of attention."

"I know you don't," he said. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, Goodwin, but I don't see any other way. The sick bastard isn't leaving any DNA behind at the crime scenes. No one has seen anything. We have nothing and if we don't do something soon, he's going to keep on killing. I'm not expecting an answer right now. Take today and think about it. Let me know your answer tomorrow."

"Anything else you want to talk about, sir?" Nicole asked, desperate to get out of there.

"No," Parker told her. "That's all for now. You can go."

"Thank you, sir." She rose from the chair and left the office. In the hallway, she paused and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, she willed her trembling body to relax. Could she do it? Could she befriend a serial killer? Her father's voice suddenly filled her head, telling her that she was worthless and pathetic. Her eyes snapped open. She pushed away from the wall, knocked on Parker's door, and entered the office. "I don't need to think about it. I'll do it."

Parker arched an eyebrow. "Why the sudden change of heart? Less than a minute ago you-"

"I have my reasons," Nicole said. "It's personal, sir."

"Fair enough," he said. "I'll let the team know about our plan and then I'll call the news station and have
them
send over a camera crew."

"I'd like to tell Galen myself," she said.

"That's fine."

Nicole left the office and headed back to Galen. "We need to talk," she told him. "Come with me to the conference room."

"All right."
He got up quickly and followed her from the room.

Once they were in the conference room with the door shut, Nicole turned to him. "Strauss wants me to befriend Judas. He-"

"No!" Galen growled.
"Absolutely not."

"Please," she muttered. "Let me finish. He thinks that if I befriend Judas he will open up to me and hopefully reveal something that will help us capture him."

"I hope you told Strauss no," he said.

Nicole shifted uncomfortably. "I told him I would do it."

"Damn it, Nicole!" Galen glared down at her. "This is not a game and I don't appreciate Strauss using you as a pawn. I don't want that sick bastard getting inside your head."

"He won't get inside my head," she assured him.

"You don't know that, sweetheart." He touched her cheek. "You're an angel and he's a demon. This could be dangerous for you."

Nicole smiled up at him. "It just so
happens
that Superman is my boyfriend. I think I'm safe."

Galen didn't return the smile. "Tell Strauss you changed your mind."

"No," she mumbled.

Swearing under his breath, he ran a hand through his hair. "Why?" he snarled. "Why are you doing it?"

"Because," Nicole whispered, "I hear my Father's voice in my head telling me that I'm worthless and pathetic. I need to silence that voice. I need to prove to myself that I can do this." She sighed. "I don't expect you to understand, but I am asking for your support." She reached for his hand. "I need to know that no matter what happens you will be by my side."

Galen studied her for several seconds and then sighed heavily. "How do we get in touch with the sick bastard?"

"Strauss wants me to go on TV and tell Judas that I want to talk with him." She grimaced. "A camera crew will be dropping by the station later."

"Will you be all right?" he asked with concern. "I know how you hate being the center of attention."

"I'll get through it," Nicole said. "I just hope it works and he contacts me."

"For your sake I hope he doesn't," Galen uttered in a low voice.

Galen stood by quietly while Parker went over the cue cards with Nicole. A camera crew was busy setting up equipment a few feet away. As he watched everybody get ready, Galen tried to ignore the gut feeling he had that was telling him this was wrong. You don't play games with a man like Judas and expect to win. The only thing that was keeping him from putting a stop to the madness was Nicole and her need to prove to herself that she could do the job.

"Any questions, Goodwin?"
Parker asked Nicole.

"No, sir," she croaked.

"You'll do fine." Parker turned to the cameraman. "Are you ready?"

"Give me a few minutes," the man told him. "I'm just adjusting a few things."

Galen moved toward Nicole, who was perched on her desk. He stopped in front of her, blocking her from the prying eyes of the others in the room. "Take a deep breath and try to relax yourself."

"That's easier said than done," she said dryly.

"Close your eyes," he commanded her. She did as he instructed and closed her eyes. "Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now listen to me. You're going to do fine. Just concentrate on the cue card in front of you and nothing else. Pretend you're reading it to me and we're the only ones in the room." His hands settled on her slender shoulders and he squeezed gently. "I'll be
standing just out of camera range watching. Everything is going to be all right." He glanced at her mouth and shook his head. "Damn, I wish I could kiss you."

Nicole opened her eyes. "Later."

"I hate that damn word," he growled softly.

She smirked at him. "Get used to it."

"Never going to happen."
Reluctantly, he released her and stepped aside.

"We're ready for you, Detective," the cameraman told Nicole. "We're not shooting live at the moment so don't worry about that. If you mess up it's not a big deal. We'll just start again." He looked around the room. "I need everybody quiet. I'm going to count you down. After I say go start talking."

Nicole sat up straighter and cleared her throat. "Let's get this over with."

The cameraman adjusted his lens. "On
tw
thre
go."

"I understand you are busy. Please contact me at a time that is convenient for you. You may call me at the police station and I promise there will be no questions asked. If you would prefer to write me again that is fine. Please enclose in your letter
an
address or a phone number so that I may get in touch with you. I assure you that no but me will read the letter. I look forward to hearing from you, Judas and -"

Judas pushed the pause button on the VCR remote control and leaned forward on the couch. Since he'd seen it at five, then taped it at six, he'd lost track of how many times he had rewound the tape and watched it again. He stared intently at the frozen picture of Nicole on the TV. To someone who had casually watched the segment Nicole looked cool and confident. Judas knew better. Watching the tape countless times, he had noticed a few things that had revealed to him how uncomfortable she really was. Yet despite her discomfort, she looked lovely in the navy blue suit coat and white blouse.

Judas smiled to himself. She wanted to talk to him. Pleasure steeped through him at the thought of having a conversation with the beautiful detective. He had a feeling she would be a wonderful
listene
someone he could confide in. Pressing the stop and then the eject button, he got up from the couch and took the tape out of the VCR. He would keep it and watch it again and again.

Judas turned off the TV and made his way across the sparsely furnished living room and into the small foyer. He seized his keys from a hook on the wall and opened the door. While he was out, he would pick up a disposable cell phone and give the detective a call tomorrow. Tonight - tonight he would be busy. He glanced at his watch and smiled. The night was young and out there, somewhere was a demon that needed to be destroyed. Humming a religious tune, he left the house.

Chapter  24

The shrill ringing of the telephone shattered the silence and woke Nicole from a dreamless sleep. Groggily, she raised herself up on her elbow, reached out, and turned on the bedside lamp. The sudden bright light was blinding and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she grabbed the receiver and brought it to her ear. "Hello?" she muttered sleepily.

"Sorry to wake you, my sleeping beauty, but
there's
been another murder," Galen said.

"All right," she sighed. "I'll see you at the station."

"Strauss wants us at the crime scene," he told her. "I'm leaving my house now. I will swing by and pick you up."

"You don't have to," Nicole said. "I don't-"

"I will swing by and pick you up," he repeated. "See you in ten minutes."

"Okay." She dropped the receiver back in the cradle and glanced at the clock radio. It was a quarter after five. "Lord, give me strength." Groaning, she got out of her warm bed and trudged to the closet. She searched through the clothes and took out a black pantsuit and a lavender blouse. After grabbing a bra from the top dresser drawer, she disappeared into the bathroom to get dressed.

Nicole was ready and waiting when the doorbell rang. She picked up her purse and keys and made her way to the small foyer. Once there, she deactivated the alarm, unlocked the door, and opened it. Before she could say anything Galen took her in his arms and kissed her. Her purse and keys slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.

Galen ended the kiss, a minute later, and smiled down at her. "Good morning, sweetheart."

She smiled back as she caressed the nape of his neck. "Good morning, Superman."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "If I was Superman I would take you and fly away from this madness."