No Ordinary Killer (34 page)

“Well, we can rule
out Candy … oh hell, Cooper. We can rule out everyone but Weaver. Ask yourself
something else. How would Weaver know Sparks had a paternity test run? You
don’t really think he’d have told Weaver about the affair, do you? Our killer
is a manipulator, Cooper. He wants you to know his truth or the truth he’s
created. He has a plan, a fantasy, and bringing you and everyone you care about
down is his.”

 
“Meaning? Dennis wasn’t Megan’s lover,
Weaver was. Bicsak followed him to Megan’s place. He must have been a decoy.
I’ll bet Paul threated Dennis … pull off the performance of your life or
something would happen to Candy and her babies. Candy steered clear of Weaver.
She wouldn’t tell me why. Maybe she knew he was Megan’s lover,” Cooper paused.
“You said from the beginning, we find Megan’s lover … we’ll find the killer.
How are we going to prove it?”

“We need to answer him. Let’s dig under his skin.
I’m impressed and appalled. Evidence can be
tampered with and manipulated. Clear alibis for times of death and motive,
that’s where you missed the mark. I would like to know why?
What do you
think?”

“Not bad. I think you’re getting the hang of this.”

Cooper thought for a moment. “Add this,
Sparks looks more guilty than me. He has
motive since Megan is pregnant with his son. His wife is having twins and now
his lover of almost five years shows up pregnant—of course if it’s not Sparks’
son, then he’s yours, Paul.“

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

In the distance she heard a male voice. Megan shook
off the heaviness and struggled to open her eyes. Instinct made her freeze in
place.
Don’t let him know you’re awake.

Slowing her breathing, Megan fought the nightmare
headache that still pounded inside her skull. Her back ached from lying, she
didn’t know how long, flat on her back on an old wooden table. A fire actually
crackled and the heat eased her chills. She turned to her left, only to find
her hands and legs tied to the four corners of the table.

The killer was rewriting the crime scene. The thought
didn’t give any comfort. She inched her eyes open and saw a figure texting on
his iPhone. Opening her eyes wider, she saw the killer … Paul Weaver. That
couldn’t possibly be. Dennis Sparks was her lover, yet … didn’t the killer say
he knew how she liked to fuck? Were Dennis and Paul in on this killing spree
together? She couldn’t believe that of Dennis.

“What the fuck? What do you mean Megan is pregnant?
With my son? No fuckin’ way!”

Megan closed her eyes and held as still as she
possibly could. Who was he texting? Why would someone tell him … she paused,
the texter was stalling. Was it Cooper? If the killer thinks she is carrying
his child, maybe he won’t follow-through with the crime scene. He’ll spare her.
Would he? She couldn’t help but grasp at the slight hope.

God, no. Her last victim in
Physical Evidence
was four months pregnant. That fact didn’t matter
to the killer. It actually clearly stated motive. The texter didn’t know that.
Instead of stalling, it most likely escaladed the killer.

If he is her lover, not Dennis, then could he kill his
own son? Why was Paul Weaver trying to frame Cooper? What vendetta did he have
to settle? Why would Dennis Sparks reveal himself as her lover?

Manipulation. A serial killer was a master of it. If
Dennis showed up to fuck her, he had been forced to make her believe he was her
lover. Did the killer threaten Candy and the twins? She knew something was
different with Dennis. Damn, that man was a good fuck. He was a more tender
lover … she admitted she liked it … and only thought he was different because
he had revealed himself to her. She truly believed she was in love with him.

It suddenly became clear.
Malicious Intent
and
Physical
Evidence
were testimonies of a serial killer.

“Stop faking and face me, Megan love.”

She jumped and opened her eyes. “You bastard. I
trusted you.”

“That’s my girl. Tell me how you really feel.” He
jumped up on the table and held himself above her. “Look at you, Megan. Perfect
fake tits, narrow hips and lovely thighs. I’m going to miss you. Did you enjoy
fucking Dennis?”

“He’s better than you.” She glared at him.

“Oh, that hurts.” His tone revealed he didn’t believe
her. “Let’s untie these magic legs and have a go at it for old-time sake.” He
jumped back off the table and stripped naked.

She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but if she
prolonged the sex, maybe she could prolong the murder. Deep in her heart she
knew Cooper was on his way. She shuddered when Paul moved his palm across her
bare stomach, lower and lower until he slid into the edges of ecstasy.

“Oh, my, you’re under such duress and you’re still are
ready for me. What a lovely surprise.” He hopped back onto the table and
mounted her.

She responded to his thrusts and like always, her body
betrayed her by wanting more and more. He rode her like a bull rider. Sliding
up and down and slamming hard before retreating.

Without a word he sliced the ropes from her hands with
a four inch pocket knife. He flipped her and pressed her face-down on the
table. He grabbed her hips and entered her from behind.

She moaned her pleasure as he slammed into her, she
reached down for his juices and wiped them on the under edge of the table.
Maybe she could leave a little of his DNA for the detectives to find.

He jumped down, flipped her over and pulled her to the
edge of the table. Holding her legs up he took from her all she could possibly
give. He grunted and continued driving his way home.

It didn’t take her long to realize he couldn’t release
and that would cause him to shrivel. That’s when he turned angry and mean. She
slowed him down and offered her breast. She slid into him and moved her hips,
massaging his buttocks, moaning seductively, letting him know he was giving her
great pleasure. She could feel him firming up and she coaxed him to slide his
back on the table.

“You are the fuck of the century, Megan love.”

She ignored his comment and remounted him, sitting and
sliding against him. He closed his eyes and moaned his pleasure. She continued
in rhythmic response, moaning to match his pleasure. She glanced around for the
pocket knife, only to realize he still held it in his right hand.

She massaged Paul’s temple, neck, shoulders, chest,
shoulders, halfway down his arms, back to his shoulders … all the while riding
him like there was no tomorrow. And maybe there wasn’t. She continued her
seductive dance, feeling his body edging near climax.

Harder … faster ….
harder … and just as he shouted out his ultimate release, Megan grabbed his
wrist and slammed the knife he held into his chest.

He opened his eyes
and held still for a second. She stared down at him, almost afraid to move. He
hadn’t released the knife. It still remained in his chest. She had slain the
dragon. She’d rewrite the last chapter and put an end to this serial killer’s
life.

Staring into her eyes … he pulled the knife from his
chest and sliced through the air. He dropped his arm to the table and the knife
went flying across the floor.

She hadn’t expected it. Blood squirted everywhere,
drenching the killer in her blood. Megan grabbed her neck, then dropped….

* * *

“Megan is pregnant?” Dallas leaned over and looked up
at Cooper. “How’d you find that out?”

Cooper laughed. “No, I made it up. But if our perp is
Paul and now he believes Megan is pregnant, would he be able to kill his own
son?”

“You sneaky devil. That is good. Okay, it’s sent.”

“I hope this shit doesn’t backfire. I get Megan killed
and I don’t know how I’ll ever forgive myself.”

“You still love her, don’t you?”

“Not the way you think. She will always be the mother
of my children. The love stops there. After all she’s done, with the kids, the
affair and the books, I want nothing better than to get full custody of Tina
and Tucker and never set eyes on the woman again. I just don’t want the cause
to be six feet under. Why, you jealous?”

“Sorry, not my style.” She forced a laugh, and
thought,
Yes, you idiot, I am jealous. I
can’t give you babies.
“Here we go, Cooper. Our killer has responded.
Kid not mine. Dennis will be surprised with
the good and bad news. Too bad the cousins won’t get to know each other. You
finally figured me out. Bravo. Why? You’re right that evidence can be tampered
with. So can birth certificates, you prick. Candy, you and me are not cousins.
We are siblings. Our loving parents gave me to Aunt Linda and dickhead Weaver
because three kids were too much to handle. My worthless stepmother couldn’t
have a baby so she chose me. Wasn’t I the fuckin’ lucky one? I am Collins Paul
Reynolds. Candy, Cooper and Collins, fucking triplets.”

Cooper squealed the rig to a stop and pulled off to
the side of the road. “You got to be shittin’ me.” He grabbed the phone from
her hand and re-read the message. “You think he’s screwing with my head?”

Dallas threw the blanket off and sat. “Let’s take a
minute and get some fresh air.” She opened the door and sat waiting for Cooper
to walk around to her. He stood and leaned against the Jeep. “I think for the
first time Paul is being honest. That’s the missing piece. The one thing Paul
couldn’t handle. When did he stop talking to you and Candy?”

“When we were about twelve.”

“I’d say that’s when he found out the truth. It has
manifested all this time and finally he separated from it and allowed his
alter-ego to take over.”

“Now what?”

“He’s told you the truth and I would guess he’s faced
it. I believe Megan is dead. We’ll find her at the cabin and I would guess
we’ll also find him, dead. He won’t want to go to prison. He won’t want to face
the media because he’s failed. He might want to kill you … but I don’t think
so.”

“Why not?”

“That’s another thing that has been bothering me. He
could have killed you so many times and could have looked the hero for doing
it. Yet he chose not to. Maybe there was a part of him that couldn’t. You are
his brother. There was a time you two were as close as brothers. You bonded
until you were twelve. That’s a tough connection to break. He loved you in
spite of it all. I believe the one person he couldn’t kill is you.”

“I hope he’s alive. No. Maybe I don’t. He won’t
survive prison. He’ll be the victim all over again. This whole thing is fucked
up.”

Dallas slid her hand across his shoulder and pulled
him into her. He bent over and buried his head in her lap and cried. Spent, he
stood and regained control.

“We’d better get back on the road. Get Arnott on the
phone. We need to discuss a different plan.”

She didn’t question the comment. Instead she waited
for him to get back on the road. “You ready?”

“Before you call Arnott, text our buddy one more time.
Collins—knew we had a tight connection.
Sorry we lost it. It’s not too late. I will be there for you. Give me a chance.
Please don’t hurt Megan. Your brother, Cooper.”

“Smart move.”

“It’s not a move, Dallas. It’s the truth. I don’t
agree with what he’s done, but I won’t desert him. I’ll be there for him if he
gives me the chance.”

“I know you will, Cooper. I admire you for it.”

He listened while Dallas clicked out his message and
wondered if it was too late. How could his parents have betrayed them all like
that? Now he understood why his father paid so much attention to Paul … Collins
… when Mr. Weaver left. It wasn’t because he felt sorry for the boy, it was
guilt. But he wasn’t man enough to tell the truth. Cooper felt such an anger
for his father and even his mother. They both had betrayed them.

“Hey, Arnott, it’s us again,” Dallas said.

“About time you two called me back. I was starting to
worry. What’s this about you texting with the killer?”

“Paul Weaver is
our man.” Cooper cleared his throat.

“What the hell did
you say? Weaver?”

“Long story, will explain later. We’ll meet at the gas
station and we’re all going in your truck. We’re not using the tackle boxes.”

“Why not? I mean, if Dallas is too hurt, I still can
hide—“

“Change of plans, Arnott. We’re about ten minutes from
the gas station and we’ll wait for you there. Call in a chopper and have it
wait for us at the airport.”

“You serious? What’s changed?”

“We’re working under the assumption that both Megan
and Weaver are still alive. Time is of the essence. Get your ass here as quick
as you can.”

“Got ya.”

“Maybe we should have given him more of an explanation
than that?”

Cooper flipped the signal light and pulled alongside
the pump. “He’ll know everything soon enough. I need time to adjust.” He
stepped out of the Jeep and slammed the door. Collins Paul Reynolds. A brother.
He knew nothing … didn’t suspect a thing … in his own house. Neither of his
parents said a word? How the hell do things like that happen? Absently, Cooper
watched the gallons spin around while he wrestled with his thoughts.

What would he say to Collins if he could?
I’m
sorry. I wish I had been there for you. I wish you felt you could have come to
me. We could have worked this out together.
Instead, if Collins was alive,
he’d have to say …
You have the right to
remain silent
. It was fucked up.