No Ordinary Killer (7 page)

“What’s the matter? You see a ghost or what?”

Cooper shot Josh a look. “Besides you and me, who
worked the first Baker Manor crime scene investigation?”

“We teamed with Sparks
and Weaver.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. We worked with Sparks and Weaver on this one, too.”

“You’re right. When we get back to the station, let’s
pull them in on this case, too.”

“Why? Shouldn’t we stick with Murphy and Denver? I mean, they’re
working on the Haffer case right now.”

“Let’s put Sparks
and Weaver on both cases with us, just like before. Murphy and Denver will understand. Set up a team meeting
for around five today. Have the old case files pulled and all up-to-date
evidence compiled for comparisons. We have some major work ahead of us. I’ll
finish up here if you want to get things set up.”

“Shit, you don’t have to ask me twice. I hate this
scene.”

“One more thing,” Cooper lowered his voice. “Have
Delores do two things: one, pull the case files from the third murder in
Megan’s book. Two, do a computer search for any other cases the four of us
worked on together as a team.”

“Got ya. See you at five.”

Cooper nodded, aware how quickly his partner evacuated
the area. This case had taken months of night and day investigation. The
haunting truth was they found a suspect that all the evidence pointed to, yet
like Clarence Stevenson, Michael Powers claimed he was innocent up to the day
he was killed in prison. Cooper believed they never found the bastard that
killed twenty-year-old Steven Okre.

Both cases had bothered Cooper from the beginning.
Both cases were paramount in his rise to detective. Now both cases were being
duplicated … what did this all mean?

What if Sparks
or Weaver had been Megan’s source and lover? Hell, Sparks was his brother-in-law for Christ’s
sake … what was he thinking? Cooper never wanted to know who she slept with;
now it seemed more important than he cared to admit. Could a fellow officer be
responsible for pointing the evidence in Cooper’s direction? The case file
information was available to the team of four: partners Weaver and Sparks, and partners Josh
Arnott and Cooper Reynolds.

Something else suddenly bothered him. Would Megan have
enough brains to have written this whole book herself: plot, details, and the
discipline of writing it? He didn’t have to ask himself that question again. It
pissed him off that he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Time was running out for a twenty-year-old topless
dancer … the third victim described in Megan’s book.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dallas Fortune graduated top of her class. She’d been
admired for her coolness in the field and her uncanny ability to separate fact
from fiction. That instinct and tenacity also got her in trouble. Internal
Affairs took an interest because of her impulse and compulsion to get to the
truth.

Not once in the three years she’d been Internal
Affairs had she allowed herself to become personally involved with a man she
was investigating. So why Cooper Reynolds? The man was driven, something she
could relate to and admire. The man was bent on proving his innocence at the
risk of losing everything. One last quality spoke for itself: his singular love
and devotion to his two children. It didn’t take Dallas long to conclude Cooper Reynolds did
not disclose any case file information to his ex-wife.

That left Megan somewhere between a self-centered
witch and a criminal. Megan Reynolds was the key to this entire investigation.
Her lover and informant would be the same person. The Megan that came to
Cooper’s apartment last night wasn’t that cool, collective woman that appeared
on Kari Winslow’s show. Someone was using Megan to get to Cooper.
Why
would be the challenge and answer.
Once Dallas
figured out why, the who, what, where, and when would fall into place. It
always did.

Exhausted, Dallas
pressed into the pillow and closed her eyes. The throbbing of her arm echoed
inside her head. She’d already taken the Darvocet Doctor Hammel prescribed, but
it didn’t seem to be helping that much. How would she explain a damn sprained
wrist and bruised arm to Bicsak? They’d been in some tight scrapes together,
but an injury in a car accident seemed almost embarrassing. Three in the
morning with a suspect and failed brakes car accident would take some
explaining.

Her thoughts wandered back to Cooper. Short, spiked
reddish-blonde hair and deep green eyes, a combination similar to her own. It
was his smile that created incredibly boyish dimples in both cheeks that she
found most captivating. In the past she’d preferred rakish European men, dark
and dangerously handsome. Cooper had that carefree look about him, yet beneath
it all a serious, sensitive man lurked. The kind of man that scared Dallas.

Cooper’s magical fingers massaging her feet played
back in her thoughts. It seemed so natural, so intimate … so right. Then, the
ex-wife from hell. Megan Reynolds’ rather attractive, yet high fashion
appearance didn’t surprise Dallas.
Her hostility and willingness to give up her kids in exchange for Cooper’s
silence did surprise Dallas.
How could a mother so easily give up custody rights?

Being a mother wasn’t something Dallas could speak from experience, and never
would. She couldn’t have children. Maybe that was why she never allowed herself
to become seriously involved with any one man after her failed marriage. She’d
made the decision to remain single a long time ago. That didn’t mean she couldn’t
have relationships. Sex was appealing and enjoyable, something she wasn’t
planning on giving up for a long time. A demanding job and traveling for months
on end wasn’t conducive to a permanent relationship anyway. Juggling a husband,
kids and a job wasn’t in her future.

There were times though, like right now, that Dallas wondered what kind
of mother she’d have been. She certainly wouldn’t have deserted them like her
mother had, nor would she have bargained them away like Megan Reynolds had done
hours ago.

The phone rang, jolting Dallas from her drowsy thoughts. Fumbling in
the semi-darkness, she finally found her cell phone and moved her finger along
the “
slide to unlock”
arrow.

“Hello?”

“Miss Fortune?”

“Yes, this is Dallas Fortune.” She sat, her senses alive.

“Captain Gulchinski here. I thought you should know
that it’s happened again. The second murder in
Malicious Intent
has been … was just discovered. The call I
received indicated the team has been activated … uh … for some reason we were
told you didn’t need to be included on this one. I found that strange and
thought you should be notified.”

“Why keep me out of this one? Who the hell told you
not to call me? I have a bruised wrist not a broken head, for Christ’s sake.
That really pisses me off.”

“Bicsak suggested we let you rest. Expected you’d be
hot under the collar. I happen to know you believe Reynolds. So do I. That’s
why I want you included on this case. Something stinks about what’s happening,
and its important Reynolds has someone watching his back.”

“I’m investigating with an open mind, Captain
Gulchinski. What’s the address, I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“

“No, but I’m sure my cab will.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll … pick you up myself. This is one
crime scene I want to see. You still at the B and B down the street from
Reynold’s apartment?”

“Yes. How’d you know … never mind … I’m sure our
famous car ride informed everyone where I was last night and how we were nearly
blown to pieces. I want you to know that nothing happened between us. We were
together because of my investigation—“

“Miss Fortune, you really don’t have to explain
yourself to me. In the first place, it’s none of my business, and in the second
place it’s none of my business.”

Dallas
laughed softly into the phone. “Alright,
pick me up in about a half hour. This will work out fine since I have some
questions for you about Megan Reynolds. See you soon, bye.” Dallas dropped the phone on the bed and
headed for the shower.

Standing under the pulsing stream of hot water, Dallas struggled to ease
her tensed muscles. It annoyed her to have to wear a wrist brace on her right
hand … her shooting hand. Oh, she’d be able to shoot if she had to, hopefully
the department would agree. Nothing was going to keep her off this case. She
had trained her whole life for a case like this. Working Internal Affairs kept
her from being directly involved with a murder case. This time she was involved
… and nothing and no one would impede her from helping Cooper prove his
innocence and expose the killer.

Absently she turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
The click of a door caused her to freeze in place. Deep shallow breaths, she
strained to listen. Footsteps. Someone was in her room. Without hesitating she
dropped the towel and slid into a large B&B robe and tied it without
ceremony. Whoever it was would know the shower just shut off, so pretending to
be quiet and sneaky was ridiculous. Grabbing the hair dryer she turned it on
and propped it on a towel facing the mirror.

Reaching the door knob, she jerked the door open and
ran into the bedroom. A surprised, lanky man turned from his search through her
suitcase.

“Who are you and what are you doing in Shelly’s room?”

“I’m not Shelly, but nice try. What are you looking
for?” His scruffy appearance told her little. Either he was sent to find
something … what? … or he was a common thief looking for money. The second was
suspect. Was he sent to warn her … she paused in her thoughts, then froze. “You
him?” She asked, almost a whisper.

“Him who?

“The killer. The one who’s copying those murders
described in
Malicious Intent
?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I … I needed
some cash and I was looking for … you know, jewelry or anything I could fence.
Don’t know nothin’ about no murders, lady.”

Taking a step toward him, she gave him a stern glare.
“I’m a cop, you know that?” It was obvious his angst peaked, his face paled.
“Turn around and lay face down on the bed. Clasp your fingers behind your
neck.” Damn, handcuffs would have come in handy right now.

The man leaned toward the bed, then bolted for the
door. She dived at him, landing hard on her bruised arm, missing. Scrambling to
her feet, she quickly ran out the door. She glanced to her right and then
quickly left. The man had vanished. What was he truly looking for? His acting
was rather impressive, and she might have believed him if he hadn’t been
wearing expensive Devon Birkenstocks. So, what was he after?

A shiver rippled through Dallas and the realization she was stomping
barefoot around out in the cold in a robe, a rather thin one at that, sent her
rushing back inside. Hastily she pulled on a fine-knit black turtleneck
followed by a taupe sweater knit jacket and black cord pants. At least she’d
learned to pack for the cold fall weather in Montana.

She’d just finished tying up her moccasin boots when a
blaring horn announced her ride. She grabbed her leather bag, checked her gun,
then headed out the door. Captain Gulchinski waited patiently. Immediately
she’d liked this man. In ways he reminded her of her father. She’d always
thought bald men aged with dignified features, Captain Gulchinski was no
exception. No doubt, he had a forceful bite when needed.

 
“Wow, nice
ride,” she said, siding into the original seat of a yellow vintage 1956 Ford
F-150 truck. “Thanks for picking me up. You and Cooper must discuss vintage
rigs, eh? Hated to see his dad’s Mustang go up in flames.”

“Elton Reynolds and I became friends the day we met
up. We were still friends the day he died. Three of us: Reynolds, Maxwell, and
me … the three musketeers. We raised our kids together. Cooper is special
people and now you know why Maxwell and I have such blind faith in him. That
Megan of his was bad blood from day one. I’m hopin’ when this is all over … she
gets what’s coming to her.”

“I met her last night.”

“Megan? Lucky you.”

“There is nothing about that woman I find endearing.
She’s in the nucleus of this nightmare. I don’t think she’s that innocent or as
blonde as everyone thinks. She knows what she’s doing and she’s good at it.”

“Well put, Ms. Fortune.”

“Dallas,
please.”

“You’re pretty chipper considering all you’ve been
through. How’s the arm and wrist?”

“Would feel better if I hadn’t just slammed it into
the floor.” She absently rubbed the outside of her arm.

“You trip and
fall?”

“No. It seems
while I was showering some guy dressed as a bum and wearing Birkenstocks
decided to case my room. To make a long story short, I caught him, then lost
him.”

“That’s interesting. What was he looking for?”

“He said anything to pawn. If I was a betting woman,
I’d say he either wanted my gun or my case notes. He got neither.”

“Interesting for sure. Well, Ms … Dallas, you are now part of this
investigation for sure. Whoever has been watching Cooper is now fixed on you.
Be careful.”

Dallas
fastened her seatbelt and nodded. “

“Across town actually. You mentioned you had some
questions about Cooper’s ex-wife. What do you want to know?”

“Do you know who Megan was having an affair with?”

“That, my dear, is a fifty thousand dollar question.
We find that bastard and I’ll punch his lights out myself. Cooper didn’t
deserve that stab in the back. He’s a good man who loves his babies. What Megan
did was the ultimate betrayal.”

“So they knew how to be discrete. So much so that an
entire police department hasn’t figured it out?”

“Mighty interesting, wouldn’t you say?”

“We find the lover, we find the informer and I believe
we find the killer. You know your men, Captain. You must have some suspicions.
Anyone you could share with me?”

“Cooper asked me the same question this morning. You
two think alike. It’s not like I haven’t given this some thought the past year,
because I’ve been wracking my brains on this one day and night. Whoever it is,
he’s clever, cunning, and must have an ax to grind with Cooper. I don’t think
Megan has anything to do with the
why
.
Someone is cleverly using Megan to get to Cooper and he’s doing a damn good
job.”

“Okay, we agree on that point. I’ve been thinking the
same thing. What we need to figure out is why someone wants Cooper fired from
the department. Who has Cooper pissed off enough for revenge?”

“Maybe that’s a question you’ll need to ask him.”

“Maybe that’s a question I should ask Megan? I don’t
think she’s going to tell me anything, though. She thinks I’m Cooper’s
girlfriend.”

“Really? What gave her that impression.”

Dallas
laughed. “Well, last night … never mind.
Just take my word for it. Megan thinks I’m competition—“

“You think she sent that guy to your room to get
information on you? Try to catch the two of you in bed … get you reprimanded or
worse?”

Dallas
watched Captain Gulchinski for a few
minutes. “You old fox. You just might be right. Mind you, we wouldn’t have been
in bed together … but what’s to stop her from thinking that? When she burst
into Cooper’s apartment he was massaging my numb feet. It was innocent, but I’m
sure it looked more intimate than it was. If it wasn’t Megan who wants more
information on me … it could be the man watching Cooper. Either way—“