Authors: Marion Faith Carol J.; Laird Lenora; Post Worth
Tags: #Fluffer Nutter, #dpgroup.org
It hadn't taken her long to replace him. Not long at all. What really stung was that she hadn't had the guts to tell him herself. She'd sent her mother to do it. The message was that Lexi had found someone else. The implied meaning was that this bright, young medical student was worthy of her, and he somehow wasn't. Her rejection had set him up for a whole series of bad choices of his own.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on past mistakes. They had a murder to solve.
“Is there any link between the victims? Jobs, friends, places they frequent?”
Lexi shook her head. “None that we've been able to find. The first four had no friends in common, didn't hang out at the same places and had totally unrelated careers. One was an administrative assistant and one was a dental hygienist. The other two were students at two different colleges. One went to Florida Southern and the other to Polk State.”
“How about physical description? Any particular body type or hair color he's targeting?”
“Nope, they go all the way from a petite one hundred eight pounds to a hefty two-thirty. And we've got a platinum blonde, a dishwater blonde and two brunettes. And now, with Kayla, a redhead.”
Lexi heaved a sigh and continued, “The only similarities are their ages and the way they're killed. He chloroforms them, takes them into the woods, and after they wake up, bloodies them up a little, then strangles them.” Sadness filled her gaze and she lowered her voice. “We know they're awake because of the pictures.”
Alan closed his eyes, a vise squeezing down on his stomach. These weren't nameless girls she was talking about. This was Kayla.
Lexi let her head fall back against the headrest and stared out the windshield. “Our best clue at this pointâour
only
clueâis that the killer is someone each of the victims knew well enough to feel comfortable unlocking and opening their door late at night. But it has to be a newer acquaintance, or their friends and family members would be aware of him. And so far we haven't gotten a single match.”
Alan thought for a moment. Who could each of these women have met recently who would be unknown to friends and family members? “What about workersâcable or phone techs, carpet cleaners, plumbers, electricians, anything like that?”
Lexi frowned. “Nothing that matches. One of the Lakeland girls had Stanley Steamer clean her carpets three weeks before she was killed. The one in Winter Haven had cable installed two months before she died. The other two didn't have any kind of work done, at least nothing that shows up on receipts, credit card statements or banking records.”
Alan nodded. “So what now?”
“Talk to everyone we know in Harmony Grove who might have any information.”
“I've already talked to her neighbors. No one saw or heard anything that night. Well, I take that back. Old Mrs. Thayer saw me pull up, get out and walk Kayla to the door.”
She cocked a brow at him. “That just might make you our only suspect. Have you ever met Meagan Bowers, Stephanie Wilson, Donna Jackson or Sylvia Stephens?”
“Nope, never heard of them.”
She gave him a quirky grin. “Okay, then you're probably not the killer.”
“I hope your interrogations aren't always that easy.”
“No, they're not. Usually I'm a tough interrogator.” She grew serious again. “Look, keep everything I've told you under wraps. Tomlinson is afraid if we give him the publicity he wants, it'll just encourage him to kill again.”
“Will do.”
He climbed from the car, then poked his head back inside. “Lexi, be careful. You're in that age group.”
“No, I'm not, I'm two years past.”
She was right. But with her soft features and girlish smile, she could easily pass for twenty-five. Or younger. “Close enough. So be careful.”
“Don't worry, I'm not the type to open my door to anyone in the middle of the night.”
“Neither was Kayla.”
THREE
L
exi walked down the hall of Harmony Grove Elementary School amid the awed stares of first-and second-graders. Since one school resource officer was assigned to several elementary schools in the area, it wasn't often that the munchkins of Harmony Grove saw a uniformed police officer walking their halls. Especially one who carried a gun.
The release bell had just rung and teachers were herding their unruly charges toward the pickup area. Kayla's classroom was up ahead. Third door on the left. Someone needed to clear out her things. And Aunt Sharon was in no shape to deal with it.
Lexi had another reason for showing up at Kayla's school. She had arranged to meet with a couple of teachers who'd been close to her. Maybe they would remember something she had said before she died, something that had seemed insignificant at the time but could be important in solving the case. So far she and Alan had come up with zilch.
When she stepped into Kayla's classroom, a woman stood facing the front, wiping a rag across a chalkboard in smooth arcs. Two plastic crates sat atop the wooden desk. Lexi cleared her throat and the woman spun to face her.
“Oh, hi. You must be Lexi. I'm Jenny, the substitute filling in until they get someone permanent.” She put the cloth in the chalk tray. “They told me you were going to be coming, so I gathered up Kayla's things.” She motioned toward the two crates filled to overflowing with books and various items.
Lexi picked up a box from the top.
“Cuisenaire rods,” Jenny explained. “They're math manipulatives.”
Lexi nodded. Beneath that were sets of flash cards and a variety of children's books. She placed the items back into the box. “Are these things you can use with the students?”
“You betcha.”
“Then how about if I leave them here?” Better than letting them collect dust in a closet. Aunt Sharon would probably agree.
Lexi emptied the other box, then repacked everything a minute later, keeping out three framed photos and several objects that had most likely been gifts from students. Those items Aunt Sharon would treasure.
Jenny flashed her an appreciative smile. “Thank you for donating all the educational things. I know the students appreciate it.”
“No problem. I'm glad they'll get some use out of them.”
She started to walk toward the door, Jenny next to her. “How well did you know Kayla?”
“I'm afraid I didn't. This is my first time subbing at Harmony Grove. But everyone says she was a special lady. Well loved. She's going to be a hard one to follow.”
Jenny pulled the door shut behind them and removed a key from her pocket. She was young, probably not more than twenty-three or twenty-four, with clear blue eyes that still held a touch of youthful innocence. And if the lack of a wedding band was any indication, she was probably single. Which meant she was as likely as anyone to be the killer's next victim.
And completely oblivious to the danger.
“Do you live alone?”
Jenny raised her brows in question. “Yes, why?”
“Just be careful. Don't ever open the door to anyone at night without calling the police first.”
Jenny nodded slowly. “O-kay.”
Lexi waved farewell and headed toward the teacher's lounge, leaving the young substitute to ponder the warning. If Kayla had fallen prey to the killer, no one was safe.
“Lexi.” The call rang out just as she reached the open door of the teacher's lounge. She turned to see both Evie and Miranda hurrying toward her.
She smiled at Kayla's two best friends. “Thanks for staying to talk to me.” If anyone had little-known information that could help solve the case, it would be these two teachers.
Miranda sank into a chair at one of the four round tables. “You know we're happy to help in any way we can. We want this monster caught as much as anyone.”
Evie sat opposite Miranda and Lexi settled in next to her.
“Do you know of anyone who would have wanted to hurt her?”
Evie clasped her hands together on the table and frowned. “Everyone loved Kayla. I don't think she ever made an enemy.”
“Had she mentioned being afraid? Anyone following her or taking an unusual interest in her?”
Miranda shook her head. “If there was, she never mentioned it.”
“Did she mention meeting anyone new recently?”
“Kayla was always meeting someone new.” Evie smiled wryly.
Evie was right. Kayla was outgoing and bubbly, the kind who struck up conversations with cashiers and gas station attendants. She never met a stranger.
“Anyone specific that she mentioned?”
Evie answered immediately. “Not that I know of.”
“Wait.” Miranda held up a finger. “There was the water guy.”
Lexi raised her brows. “Water guy?”
“Oh, yeah.” Evie leaned forward in her chair. “How could I forget? Some guy trying to sell her one of those whole house water-filtration systems. He kept checking back. Didn't want to take no for an answer.”
Lexi's heart started to pound. Was this the link between all the victims? It was possible. Nothing had turned up, but if they hadn't purchased a system and thrown away the guy's card, there would be no trail. “Did she mention a name, or a company that he was with?”
“I don't think so.” Miranda looked at Evie, who shook her head.
Lexi pulled out two of her cards and scribbled her cell number on the backs. “If anything else comes to mind, call me.”
As soon as she reached the parking lot, she punched in Alan's number. He answered on the third ring.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting ready to mow the lawn. Why?”
“So you're off duty.”
“I can put myself back on duty. What's up?”
“I'm headed to Kayla's. I've got a lead.”
“I'll meet you there in ten minutes.”
She dropped her phone into her purse and hurried toward her patrol car, ready to turn her cousin's house upside down if necessary. Kayla wasn't a pack rat, but she wasn't a total neat freak, either. Hopefully she'd left behind some kind of clue. An estimate. A business card. Anything that could help them find this mystery water-filter salesman.
Because it was the only lead they had.
* * *
Lexi moved up the sidewalk that bordered a bed overflowing with day lilies and blooming spring annuals. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scented air. Kayla loved her flowers. Every Saturday, she'd spent two or three hours piddling in the yard, weeding, watering, fertilizing and pruning. And all the tender loving care showed.
But Lexi wasn't there to admire the landscaping. If she was lucky, the break they were hoping for waited somewhere inside the small two-bedroom house.
She took the key she had gotten from Aunt Sharon and pushed it into the lock. The crime scene investigators were finished with their work. Fine black powder still coated the door and jambs. The results hadn't come back yet. Otherwise, they hadn't found anything of note.
But they hadn't been looking for a certain salesman's business card.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside, instantly struck by the cold and empty feel of the house. The place had always seemed warm, cozy and full of life, qualities that had obviously come from Kayla's presence there.
She took in a deep breath and headed toward the spare bedroom. A soft knock on the front door interrupted her midstep. Good. Alan had arrived. The thought of having company filled her with an unexpected sense of relief. Even though that company came in the form of one local cop whom she'd spent the better part of six years trying to avoid.
She swung open the door. Alan stood on her cousin's front porch, clad in jeans and a T-shirt. His yard-work attire. The shirt molded itself to his muscular chest, ending just past the waistband of his snugly fitting jeans. Definitely the body of a sworn protector of the innocent.
But she wasn't going to notice that. She snapped her gaze back to his face and stepped aside. “Come on in.”
She worked with buff, athletic cops every day and didn't give them more than a casual glance. Alan was no exception. Whatever they'd had in the past, it had obviously meant more to her than it had to him.
Giving Alan his freedom had initially been her mother's suggestion. It wasn't fair to make him wait for two years while she was away at school. That was the way her mom worked, her control techniques so subtle that her victims hardly realized they had been manipulated. So when Alan had floored her with his marriage proposal, those had been the first words out of her mouth.
By Thanksgiving break, she had realized her mistake and come back to tell Alan. She'd known he was dating. Casually, he had said. Just friends. At his cool greeting, her stomach tightened. When Lauren appeared next to him, her stomach clenched. And when Lauren showed off her sparkly new diamond, her stomach almost emptied its contents. Somehow she'd made it through the congratulations and well wishes without embarrassing herself by losing her lunch or dissolving into a weeping puddle on the porch.
Her mom had gotten her wish. Lexi hadn't married a cop. Instead, she'd become one.
Alan stepped into the house and closed the door. “So what's our lead?”
“A salesman of water-filtration systems.” She shook off the last remnants of regret and led him toward the second bedroom, which Kayla had set up as a combination guest room/den. “I talked to Miranda and Evie at the school today. Some guy tried to sell Kayla one of those whole-house water-filtration systems. And according to Miranda and Evie, he was pretty persistent, kept contacting her.”
“So what are we looking for?”
“A card, a proposal, a contractâanything that might have this guy's information on it.”
Alan picked up the trash can under the desk. It was empty except for one wadded-up piece of paper. A grocery list.
A business-card holder sat near the back of the desk. Lexi removed the cards and thumbed through them. There were about a dozen, mostly from stores around town. None had anything to do with water-filtration systems.
After almost an hour of searching, she heaved a sigh. “I'm guessing she threw it away. We'll go ahead and contact the companies in the area that sell those things and see if any of them had Kayla down as a potential customer.”
“I have one more place to check.” He headed back into the kitchen and opened the narrow pantry door. A vague odor of garbage hit her nostrils when he took the lid off the trash can. It wasn't very full. Kayla must have taken the trash out the day before she was killed.
Alan tipped the can and poured its contents onto the tiled floor. A plastic grocery bag stuffed with papers sat amid salad and other food scraps. Most of the discarded paper was junk mail. Lexi picked up the sheets and inspected them one by one, then released a sigh.
“Unless there are clues on the backs of these cucumber peels, I'd say we struck out here.”
Alan scooped everything up and dropped it back into the can. “I suppose I ought to take this out before it gets really ripe.”
She started to put the empty can back into the pantry but a small piece of paper in the bottom caught her eye. Something must have fallen in beside the trash bag. Or was tossed in before the bag was inserted.
She reached into the can and pulled out a business card: Martin Jeffries. All-Pure Water Treatment
.
“Bingo.”
They finally had a suspect.
* * *
Alan opened the door to warehouse number seven in Thompson Commercial Park and let Lexi go in ahead of him. All-Pure Water Treatment was a bare-necessities no-frills kind of place. Fabric-covered office partitions segregated an area on one side of the room and a metal desk stood near the opposite wall. Except for a photo frame on the desk, a clock on the wall and one of those fake ficus trees in the corner, the space was devoid of any decorative touches.
A young woman sat at the desk, a phone propped against her shoulder. Her eyes widened as he and Lexi stepped inside, both in uniform, but she continued her conversation.
Alan pulled the door shut behind them and waited for her to finish. Maybe
conversation
wasn't a good word for it.
Pitch
was more accurate. Apparently, All-Pure had gotten back the results of the free water test, and there were some serious issues with the water. But she, of course, had a specialist she could send to explain the details and present some options. Why drink tainted water when a person could have all the pure water he would ever need for just pennies a day?
The pitch was apparently successful because she jotted a name in the appointment calendar that lay open in front of her, then hung up the phone, smiling.
“How can I help you?”
Lexi stepped forward. It was her case. Things would go more smoothly if he let her lead.
“Do you have a Martin Jeffries who works here?”
Concern flashed across her features. “Is he in some kind of trouble?”
“No, we just need to ask a few questions.” Lexi pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “Do you keep a list of his appointments?”
“We do.” Hesitation filled her tone. “I'm not sure what information I'm allowed to share.” She cast an uneasy glance at the cubicle on the other side of the room and, as if on cue, a man stepped out.
“Hi, I'm Buddy Jacobs, the owner of All-Pure.” He extended his hand, that salesman air even more pronounced than it had been with the girl securing the appointment. “How can I help you?”
After they each accepted the handshake, Lexi continued, “We need a list of Martin Jeffries's appointments going back, say, six months. Is that something you keep?”
“Of course we do. We don't have anything to hide.” He nodded toward the girl. “Anne, go ahead and print out his weekly calls going back to the beginning of October. If the boy's up to no good, I want to know about it.”