Weaving The Web: A Cold Hollow Mystery (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 2) (16 page)

“Friends? True friends? I have one who lives in this town, Chief.”

“I am not talking about Becky Macy. She is no longer your friend.”

“I’m not talking about Ms. Macy either.” Warren’s grin took on a crooked, maniacal aspect because of his facial swelling, but the chief’s expression turned hard and cold. The chief knew better than to try to pry any more information from him. Warren was too smart. It was not as though he would just blurt out the other killer’s name, but perhaps in time he would. He asked a few more questions before shutting the recording device down, folding the chair, and returning to his office to make a phone call.

It didn’t take long before there was a knock on his office door. Ted Cutler entered and said, “We have another missing person. Belinda Carlisle’s farmhand just filed a missing person report for her. The woman was busy for four days at her old town packing up her stuff to move here. When she returned, Belinda was gone. She’s taking care of the farm and will stay there in case Belinda shows up. Chief, she could have been missing for four days now!”

The chief stared at Ted and grumbled, “Inform the men and resume the search.” His fist pounded the desktop. “Son of a bitch!” He grabbed his recorder and headed back towards Warren’s cell.

CHAPTER 19

Chief Hanover pushed the elevator button for the second floor. He had two files in his hand, and once the doors slid open, he made his way to the reception desk. “Where is Dr. Burch’s office?”

The woman glanced up and said, “Room 203, she’s waiting for you.”

The chief made his way around the desk and down the hall while checking the numbered plates on each door. He found the room, knocked, and heard a woman call out, “Come in.”

He opened the door, took his hat off, and made his way to the doctor’s desk. He placed the two files atop her desk and took a seat across from her. He studied her and saw a middle-aged woman with a blunt haircut, kind eyes, and reading glasses hanging on a chain around her neck. She wore a freshly pressed lab coat over a silk top. He couldn’t see what she had on from the waist down. When she spoke, her voice was soft and soothing. “Are these files you want me to review?”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Call me Dr. Burch. Also, I need to remind you I am not a profiler. I am a child psychiatrist, Chief.”

“I know, but you had to take all the psychiatry courses in order to graduate, correct?”

“Yes, but childhood is my specialty.”

“Just do your best, Doc.”

She reached out for the first file after putting her glasses on. It was Bernadette Carlisle’s coroner report, and there were multiple pictures inside the folder. The doctor grimaced as she viewed each photo. Her head tilted one way and then another. She then read the coroner’s report carefully as her nose crinkled. She stared at the evidence they had found and sat back. “I can only surmise by the coroner’s report we are dealing with a patient and meticulous being here. This killer wishes to witness death in stages. This particular killer is patient but has an insatiable appetite. Whoever they are, they’ve done it many times before and will do it again. In all likelihood, he or she is a narcissist with some dark tendencies.”

“A what?”

“A narcissist, Chief. Someone who sees other people as tools used to achieve what they desire. They lack empathy. They are incapable of putting themselves in someone else’s shoes, so to speak. I believe anyone who was capable of this atrocity”—she poked the file with her forefinger—“never took the time to wonder what the person felt like as they were wrapping and killing them.”

“They can’t feel bad for anyone?”

“Right. They never feel guilty about their actions, either. They always feel justified. They also do not care what people think of them.”

“Another words, they had it coming to them.”

“Right. My question is motivation. Why did the killer target Bernadette Carlisle? This one has narcissistic tendencies, but is not necessarily antisocial. Now, let me look at the next file.”

The chief sat back and gazed around the room as she opened Carla Macy’s file. He heard a slight gasp escape her lips and turned to her. She had just seen the most gruesome of the photos. She probably hadn’t had the same reaction to Bernadette Carlisle’s photos because her body had been under water so long it had decomposed to the point where she was almost unidentifiable. Dr. Burch took her time with the second file and read things twice or three times. When she was done, she whipped off her glasses and grabbed for a glass of water sitting on her desk. After she took a drink, she rubbed her eyes, and said, “I wish I had not seen those photos. I met the woman at the nursery.”

“We all liked her, Doc.”

She puffed her cheeks, blew out some air, and began, “This killer is a narcissistic sociopath. Same as a narcissist, only cares about himself, does not have a lot of real friends but a load of acquaintances.” She took a breath and continued, “This one cannot be judged, will not be judged, and cannot tolerate criticism. They don’t always have a lot of patience.”

The chief chuckled. “You nailed it, Doc. We have him in jail.”

She sat back, clapped, and smiled at him. “I am so relieved to hear it. Who is it, and what is the real issue?”

“It’s Warren Measly, and he didn’t kill the first woman. He claims to know who the other killer is, but won’t give us the name.”

“So Warren’s friend is more or less his competitor?”

The chief nodded and groaned, “It could be anyone, or it could be no one. He could be fabricating the friendship.”

“His kind can be manipulative and convincing, Chief.”

The chief agreed and stood to leave as she gathered the files for him. She handed them back and said, “I don’t envy you. You’ve got a tough case to solve here.”

The chief plopped his hat back on and said, “Yep, I know. Thanks for your help, Doc.”

She smiled. “Anytime.”

***

The phone at Robert Collins’s home rang, and Becky rushed to answer it. Robert turned and listened to the conversation as he made the girls a light lunch. The evening had been a rough one for them. He could hear them sobbing and crying all night long. After they had slept a few hours in the early morning, they entered the kitchen with swollen eyelids and dark circles under their eyes. He frowned. The impact of what had happened was slowly sinking in to them, but he knew they had to eventually allow it and express their sadness.

He heard Becky say, “We’ll be there on time, Myrna. I promise.” She hung up the phone and turned to Robert. “Myrna wants Sarah and me to go to the police station to say our final words to Warren before the chief transports him to the next town over for trial.”

Sarah yipped, “We have to hurry to our house! I am not going there until I get something from home!”

Becky sighed and cocked her right hip out as her hand rested on it. “What could you possibly need?”

“I want to get something of Mom’s so she’s there with us when we tell the guy off.”

Becky turned to Robert. “What do you think?”

Robert shook his head and replied, “I wasn’t invited to this meeting, so you can take Sarah to your house and check on the nursery while you’re there. If you need me, just call me here. I won’t leave the house until you call or come home. Sarah’s request is not unreasonable, Becky.”

He forced them to sit down and eat a quick meal, and watched as they dashed to their room to get out of their pajamas and dress up.

It took them forever, and Robert kept glancing at the clock. Typical of teenage girls, they would be late.

***

Sarah Macy went to her mother’s bedroom, opened the closet door, and pulled the case containing her father’s service revolver down from the top shelf. Her breath was steady as she loaded it. She lifted her loose blouse and tucked the gun in the back waistband of her jeans. She closed the case and put it back on the shelf to hear her sister blowing the car horn and yelling for her to hurry up. Sarah raced to her mother’s jewelry box and took out the necklace her father had given her mother on their tenth anniversary. After putting it around her neck, she clasped it, left the room, and went to her sister, who was by now swearing up a storm and laying on the car horn like it was her new hobby.

She slid into the passenger seat, buckled up, and turned to her sister. “What is your hurry? Do you want to see the prick?”

Becky’s eyes went downward, and she stared at the seat of the car as she contemplated her response. “I just want to get it over with. I want to say my piece and get out of there. I want it done, you hear me?” Her brown eyes were now staring into her sister’s blue ones.

Sarah maintained a calm and even tone. “Yes, I hear you, Becky. I’m not deaf. I am not looking forward to this either, and I guess I want it done too. I want this over with.”

“Then what took you so long?”

Sarah pulled the necklace away from her neck and showed Becky. “I wanted a piece of Mom and Dad to be there with us. Are you mad?”

Becky shook her head and smiled at her. “I’m not mad at all. I’m glad you had the idea.”

“We can take turns wearing it if you want. Just because I have it on, doesn’t mean it isn’t half yours, you know.”

Becky smiled as she pulled down the driveway. “I like it on you. You look like Mom, and I want you to have it. In a way, each time I see you wearing it, I’ll think of Mom. It’ll make me feel a little better.”

She took a right at the end of their driveway and headed toward town.

***

Chief Hanover and Myrna waited outside the police station for Becky and Sarah to arrive to speak their mind to Warren Measly before he was driven to the next town over for his trial. The girls wanted nothing to do with the courtroom drama, for obvious reasons, but did want some peace of mind. They were a little late for the meeting, but it was expected of teenage girls.

When Myrna looked up from her wristwatch, she saw their vehicle pulling in and sighed in relief. She didn’t want to have to drive out to their home to remind them. The chief asked, “Did you bring me the Measly file from the vault?”

“Yep. It’s on your desk.”

“Good.”

The chief and Myrna welcomed the girls and walked them into the police station. They then escorted them past the officer’s desks and the chief’s office, and then to one of the two cells the station had. The girls now stood before Warren Measly, who sat up on his cot, crossed his legs, and had his hands folded on his lap.

Becky glared at him and spit, “You despicable excuse for a human being. After being my friend, you went and killed my mother! Why? What did she ever do to you?”

He calmly replied, “Your angst is justified, Becky. I am sorry I hurt you. I would be honored if you took care of Hercules. He loves you so.”

Her eyes went wide. She could not believe his nonchalance over her mother’s murder. “I don’t care if you would be honored, you wart! You tortured and killed my mother!” Her expression twisted into hatred. She reached out and grasped the cell bars. She pressed her face between them and spat, “I hope you get a bad case of leprosy in the big house and your balls rot off!” When Warren’s didn’t respond, she threw her arms up in the air and turned to Myrna. Myrna moved closer to her and placed an arm around Becky.

Warren’s eyes made their way to the chief and he grinned a crooked grin. “I would like to inform you that I plan on filing assault charges against Robert Collins.” His eyes twinkled in delight at the thought of finally bringing Robert Collins down. His parole would be ruined and he would end up right back in prison along with Warren.

The chief rolled his eyes and said flatly, “Ya, I’ll be sure to get right on that.”

Warren’s eyes drifted over to Myrna. “I must say, Mayor, you look a little worn out and tired. I am sorry if I have put you in this state.”

“Shut up, you imbecile.”

His eyebrows rose, and he calmly replied, “Watch your back, Mayor. I find you an upstanding, intelligent woman and would hate to see any harm come to you, but I must warn you there are some in this town who have little to no control of their minds.” He winked at her.

She turned to the chief. “Could you please slap the grin off his face and shut him up?”

The chief was too busy answering her to hear the release of a gun safety. Sarah moved forward. In the blink of an eye, she had her father’s Glock raised and aimed between the bars at Warren Measly. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into Warren’s forehead, right between the eyes. His body jerked backward against the cement wall behind his cot. Blood erupted from his forehead and began to flow down the front of his face as his body went lax. His brand-new eyeglasses he had been so proud of were blown off his face from the impact and landed on the cement floor. The lenses shattered.

CHAPTER 20

Shouts erupted from within the station house. Officers yelled, “Gun!” and Myrna and Becky were shoved briskly against the bars of Warren’s cell as the officers entered the hallway with their weapons in hand.

The chief shouted, “Stand down, men! Now!”

Becky began screaming incoherently with her hands over her ears. Myrna held her in a tight embrace as the chief rushed to disarm Sarah. Sarah staggered backward in shock and held the gun out for the chief to take from her quaking hand. Her eyes never blinked. He took it, flipped the safety on, and escorted her to his office as Myrna helped Becky. Two officers stood against the wall to allow them to pass. They had holstered their weapons as they stared into the cell. They were whispering as Myrna assisted a hysterical Becky to the chief’s office.

The chief had to cuff Sarah temporarily, but he cuffed her hands in front of her body so she could drink from a bottle of cold water he had gotten her. She took sips but continued to stare off into space.

Becky was sitting next to Myrna, who held her tight and asked her, “Do you want me to call Robert?” Their ears were still ringing from the gun going off next to them, so it took a while for Becky to answer.

Becky nodded, and the chief picked up the phone and told Robert to get his ass to the station. The man didn’t question the chief and hung up his phone. The chief then made another call to the hospital, requesting an ambulance. When he was done, he addressed Becky. “Honey, I need you to look long and hard at your sister right now.” He watched as Becky raised her eyes and stared at Sarah, who still had not responded to anyone’s voice or her surroundings. She was just staring straight ahead.

“She’s not with us, is she?”

The chief shook his head. “No, she’s not. I don’t want to scare you, but I’m having her placed under twenty-four-hour surveillance in the hospital psychiatric ward. I want a psychiatrist to speak with her right away before this gets worse. Do you understand?”

Becky nodded and whispered, “Whatever you think is best. I don’t want my sister to go to prison. Please tell me she doesn’t have to go to prison, Chief.”

“Well, I’ll speak with the district judge and see what he has to say about this. She’s a minor, so she may just catch a break, considering the circumstances surrounding her actions.”

Myrna chimed in, “Chief, she was suffering from temporary insanity. It’s what you tell the judge. I mean it! I don’t want to see anything happen to her! She’s a good girl!”

The chief raised a hand and scowled at Myrna. He didn’t need her to tell him what he already knew. She relaxed as though getting the message.

The chief sat back, waiting for the ambulance and Robert Collins to arrive, when something dawned on him. He pointed at Myrna. “You’re going to be under guard 24/7 from this point on. You’re also coming to the firing range with us on Sunday mornings.”

Her mouth fell open, and he shook his head, “Don’t argue with me. You heard Warren, and you already know what I know.” Her mouth snapped shut, and she grimaced. Yes, she knew Warren had suggested there was another killer out there; he had all but admitted it, but he was dead now. He could never tell anyone who it was.

“Did he have any next of kin?”

Myrna shook her head. “Only child. Father took off when he was born, and his mother died of liver failure while he was incarcerated.”

“As mayor of this town, you decide what to do with his remains and estate. Normally it goes to the state, but…”

“Goodie.” She knew the chief would pass the information by the judge to get his take on it.

Robert Collins burst into the office and stared at Sarah. His shoulders slumped when he saw her wearing handcuffs and saw a revolver atop the chief’s desk. His head tilted oddly, as he stared at Sarah’s expression. When Becky reached out for his hand, he turned and took a seat next to her. Myrna released her and watched as Robert placed a protective arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

The chief watched with curiosity and told Robert what was going to be done for Sarah. Robert agreed and asked Becky what her opinion was. “I think it’s good. I want my real sister back.”

The ambulance arrived, and the attendants were more than gentle with Sarah. She went without struggle, and her expression never changed as she lay upon the gurney, staring at the ceiling. Becky whispered to her and unclasped the necklace for safekeeping. She told Sarah she would stop in to visit her the following morning. After the handcuffs were removed, Sarah was wheeled out of the office and to the hospital.

When they wheeled her out of the office, Robert pointed at the gun on the chief’s desk. “How on earth did she get her hands on it?”

Becky answered, “It was my dad’s service revolver. He taught us both gun safety and how to shoot, before he got sick and died. We kept it. I hated the thing and could never shoot straight. Sarah was the expert. My mom always kept it in her closet on the top shelf.”

Robert patted her back and rubbed it as he said, “I think I’ll take you home now. I think you need a good meal, and then you can take the medicine Dr. Tom gave you last time. Hercules misses you.”

She smiled at the mention of Hercules, but then grimaced. “Did you give him a bath to get Warren’s stink off of him?”

Robert chuckled. “I sure did. He smells like oranges now. Later today, we’ll open the restaurant together and serve the public. It will keep you busy until morning when you can see Sarah.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Myrna watched father and daughter leave the station after the chief told them he would keep them apprised.

Then the chief turned his attention to Myrna. “I have to call the coroner and district judge. You sit tight.”

“Chief, I do have to work, you know.”

“Not today.” He handed her a folder, which contained Carla Macy’s coroner report. He also told her Belinda Carlisle was missing.

Myrna rolled her eyes and growled as she listened to him make his phone calls. She flipped through the report and read it in its entirety. It made her queasy, and she couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering Carla had endured. She noticed the drug that had been used on Carla at the festival and decided to ask Tom about in the evening.

She was no longer worried about the bakery; Donnie and Daryl could handle it. She’d have to convince the chief to let her return there, under guard, to prep for the following day. Any paperwork at the town hall would just have to wait.

When the chief hung up the phone after speaking with the judge, he leaned back in his chair, and began to rub his tired eyes. Myrna remained silent until he was ready to reveal what he knew. She drank some bottled water and changed her position in the chair when he sat forward and said, “When Sarah comes around, I have to read her her rights. She also has to stand trial. The judge promises it will be a closed courtroom with no jury. He’ll keep it private and judge the case himself.”

Myrna shook her head and stared at her lap. “I’ll do whatever I can to help Sarah.”

The chief responded, “It’s not only you who would be a good character witness, but Robert, and Donnie too. As far as professional testimony, see if you can convince the child psychiatrist who sees Liam on a regular basis to testify too.”

She looked up and smiled. “I will. We’ll go to the next town over on the court date in a long caravan of cars to support her. If our actions don’t sway the judge, then I don’t know what will.”

“He sympathizes with Sarah, he does. I don’t think he’ll be too harsh when sentencing her.” The chief sighed. “I have to do a damn incident report because a firearm was brought into the station without anyone noticing or frisking any of you.”

Myrna leaned forward as her eyes widened. “He’s not going to punish you because of this, is he? I mean, who in their right mind would expect a child of sixteen to be carrying a sidearm?”

“I’m supposed to, Myrna. I’m supposed to suspect everyone.”

“Well, I don’t think either of us has been thinking straight.” She watched him write the court date on his calendar and asked, “Did he at least allow her time for recovery and for her mother’s service?”

The chief nodded as he finished writing it down. “He gave us a month. Oh, he also said you will be in charge of Warren’s estate, and he’ll provide me with the paperwork when we go to trial. He explained Cold Hollow is part of the state, and he’s aware of the special circumstances surrounding this town. He said since you hold an official office as mayor, you could do what you want with his belongings. I also have to present the judge with a copy of the final coroner’s reports on Carla Macy and Warren.”

Myrna said, “When the judge gets a load of how the poor woman died, I think he’ll release Sarah and then buy her supper.”

Chief Hanover leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “Speaking of food, I’m hungry, but I have to call the coroner to pick up Measly’s corpse. Then let’s go get some lunch.”

“What about Belinda Carlisle?”

He waved a hand before his face. “I already have the men out searching homes again. She’s probably been missing for three to four days according to her farmhand.”

As he made the call, Myrna gathered her pocketbook and bottle of water. She’d make him lunch at the bakery so she could get some prepping for the following day done at the same time. She dreaded being under guard for twenty-four hours a day, but knew he would let Hugo guard her so Liam and Tom wouldn’t be upset. Hugo had a gun and a license for it. He was also an excellent marksman.

***

Approximately four hours later, Myrna picked up Liam from day care, and the chief drove them home. Liam loved driving in the police cruiser, and the chief explained all of the mechanisms the car had as he drove. When they pulled into the driveway, Myrna noticed Hugo’s jeep was already there and he was getting out. The chief must have called him and given him the night watch. Liam was more than excited to see him and pounded on the dividing cage between the front and back seats. Myrna chuckled and said, “Give us a minute, prisoner. The chief will let you out.” Liam giggled and sat back patiently until the chief released the lock mechanism and opened the door for him. He unbuckled himself, scooted out the door, and ran to Hugo.

The chief tipped his hat to Hugo and turned to Myrna. “He’s got night watch. I’ll pick you up in the morning for work.”

Myrna frowned. “But why are you guarding me all day? I mean, don’t you have to keep investigating, searching, and making calls?”

He nodded as he got into his patrol car. “Sure do. If I can’t guard you all day, I’ve got three men on duty tomorrow, and Ted Cutler will do it. “

“Okay, see you in the morning.” She watched him duck back down into his vehicle and shut the door. He took his time pulling out, and she saw him looking at the periphery of her property.

She met up with Hugo and Liam, and they entered the house together. Hugo was fine with spending the night on the sofa, and Liam was ecstatic about it. He wanted to have a movie marathon with snacks and sleep on the love seat all night so Hugo wouldn’t be lonely. Myrna just smiled and agreed after she saw Hugo nod his head.

It wasn’t long before Tom came home from work and entered the house. Liam attacked him instantly and babbled on about the “sleepover and his ride in the police cruiser.” She watched Tom’s brow wrinkle in confusion and explained, “It’s the chief’s orders, Tom.” He placed his doctor’s bag on the kitchen island and kissed her while she prepped a nice supper. She smiled and told him to go and relax with the other men. He grabbed some ice tea and undid his tie as he made his way to the living room. While he was out in the living room, Myrna checked his doctor’s bag to see a small brown bottle labeled “chloroform.” She pulled it from the bag and went to the living room. “Tom, why is this in your bag?”

Tom glanced at the bottle. “My medical bag is for work in the field, Myrna. All doctors carry it in their bags. If someone is injured by the side of the road and can’t be moved right away, it’s needed for immediate triage. I have to have something to sedate them.” He sipped his ice tea and asked her, “Why are you asking?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I just wanted to know what it was for. Do they check your bag at the hospital pharmacy regularly and restock it if you use anything?”

He nodded as he turned on the television. “They sure do. We have to drop it off each morning and pick it up each day at the end of our shift. They check it each day we work. It’s rarely used.”

She smiled and returned the bottle to his bag and continued cooking as she pondered about how Warren Measly could have gotten his hands on one of those exact bottles. He didn’t work in the hospital pharmacy, but figured Jack might have chloroform at the regular town pharmacy. She doubted it, but he did work for the hospital pharmacy too. She would have the chief check tomorrow, if he hadn’t already.

They ate a hearty supper, had snacks, and watched a few movies before they noticed Liam was out cold on the love seat. Myrna kissed his forehead as he slumbered and tucked a blanket around him. They wished Hugo a good night and made their way upstairs to their bedroom.

As they lay in their bed, Tom whispered, “Why are you under guard?’

Myrna rolled on her side to face him, and her eyebrows rose. “You didn’t hear?” She watched him shake his head, so she continued, “Sarah Macy shot Warren Measly in the head at the police station and killed him. This was after he threatened me.”