No Escape, page 13
Peeking around the corner of a doorway, Valerie watched the patrolman. He looked young and inexperienced. If anything, he seemed as nervous as Joshua.
I’ll use his inexperience against him, Valerie thought. For a moment, she wondered if this was how John Murphy thought when he was stalking his victims. The similarity made her feel sick.
But she had to go on.
Valerie was going to take a big risk. She couldn’t wait around any longer. The other cop would no doubt be back soon.
Standing in the hallway outside the sitting room where Joshua was perched nervously on an armchair, she made a fist and slammed the side of it into one of the walls.
“What… What was that?” Joshua said, his voice trembling.
“Hello?” the patrolman said. “I… I’m armed.”
Valerie hit her fist against the wall again, making a dull thud.
“Stay here,” the patrolman said.
He moved toward the door. Valerie listened to his footsteps and heard the unmistakable sound of his firearm being removed from its holster.
He walked so slowly that Valerie saw the barrel of the gun emerge from the doorway first.
Rookie mistake, she thought.
In one deft movement, she reached out, grabbed the gun, and twisted it forward. The revolver twisted up out of the patrolman’s grip. The patrolman swung wildly, but Valerie anticipated his every move.
She sidestepped his punch, reached around to his side, put her arm around his neck and then the gun to his back. Little did he know that she’d deftly switched the safety on at the same time so it wouldn’t accidentally go off.
“Stop,” Valerie said.
“Don’t shoot me, please,” the patrolman said.
“I won’t,” she said. “But I’m going to put you in your cuffs.”
She led him over to a radiator in front of Joshua’s silent, staring eyes, and cuffed the cop to the radiator.
“Please don’t kill us,” the patrolman said. “I’ve got kids.”
“Are… are you working with John?” Joshua finally asked.
“No,” said Valerie. “But the press has got it into their heads that it’s a possibility. I’m trying to stop him, Joshua, you have to believe me.”
She turned to the patrolman.
“And you don’t need to worry,” she said softly. “I’m on your side, but I know you have orders to arrest me.”
“What do you need?” Joshua asked.
“When we were here earlier,” she said, “you said something that stuck in my mind. You said you felt guilty. Why?”
Joshua looked at the ground, averting his eyes.
“Joshua,” Valerie said, her voice more stern. “Your cousin Emily is dead.”
“What?” He broke into tears. “No…”
“I’m sorry,” Valerie said, looking over her shoulder, knowing that the other patrolman would be back at any moment. “If you want to protect other members of your family, you’ve got to tell me… Why did you feel guilty?”
Joshua wiped tears away. “When you chased my cousin last time, did you never figure out why he was killing his family?”
“No,” Valerie said. “No one in the family had a clue.”
“They had a clue,” Joshua said, mournfully. “They just didn’t want to admit to it. They didn’t want to admit that we might have brought some of this on us ourselves!”
Valerie heard the car alarm stop. She hoped Suzie hadn’t been caught.
“Why does John hate his family?”
“He hates us because we deserve it,” he said. “No one really knows what happened to his wife. I… I was there…”
“His wife?”
“What do you know about her?” Joshua asked.
“I know that she was found dead in a swimming pool a few years before he started killing,” Valerie answered.
“Maybe if John had kept believing that, he’d never have broken inside.” Joshua stood up and walked to a small cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of Scotch and pulled out the cork. He offered it to Valerie.
“No thank you… Please, Joshua. I’m running out of time. What is it about his wife’s death?”
“We covered the damn thing up,” he said. “It was a family get-together in the summer. We’d all had a bit too much to drink. John was always a lightweight, so he went to bed early. But Jenny, his wife, she liked to mix it with the rest of us.
“We all stayed up late and drank. The thing was about Jenny… She had a mouth on her. She was a mean drunk, and I guess we got tired of her that night. You gotta understand, she was always causing drama.
“She walked out into the yard where the pool was after causing an argument. Then we heard her scream for a second. We thought it was her usual way to make everything about her. We ignored it…”
“And she was found in the morning?” Valerie asked.
Joshua nodded and took a slug out of the bottle. “I guess we didn’t want to face what we’d done. It was an accident, and we ignored her as she died.”
“But it took John a few years to break,” Valerie said. “Did he only find out about it later?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We all agreed to never mention it. We knew John would never forgive us. He was heartbroken about losing her. If he thought we could have saved her… Well, we thought he would never speak to us again, but no one knew he’d go full-on psycho.”
“How did he find out?” Valerie asked.
“My sister, Maxine, she told him one night. It had been eating her up ever since it happened,” he said. “Maxine had been losing sleep about it, she even saw a therapist. I guess eventually she couldn’t handle keeping it in anymore, so she blabbed.”
Valerie started to process the information. “Why didn’t anyone tell us during the first investigation?”
“We were scared,” he said. “We didn’t want anyone to think worse of the family than they already did. And some of us wondered if there could even have been grounds for being sued or even charges for not helping Jenny that night. You probably think my whole family is messed up.”
Valerie shook her head. “I come from a messed up family myself. I’m in no position to judge.”
“I always wondered why he never killed Maxine right then when she told him,” Joshua said. “It was only days later that he strangled Uncle David.”
“He might leave her until last,” Valerie mused out loud. “Or he might even think her confession somehow absolved her of guilt.”
Joshua let out a sad chuckle. “I wish I’d told him. Maybe I wouldn’t be so scared, then.”
Valerie turned as she heard a car outside the house pull up. There was a brief turn of red and blue lights and then nothing.
“Another patrol car,” she said. “Joshua, I have to know who John will target next. Who was there that night Jenny died?”
Joshua went to a writing desk and opened a drawer. He scribbled down some names and addresses. “That’s everyone I remember. We don’t stay in touch. After Jenny died, we kind of lost the taste for our family.”
Valerie took the note. “Thank you, Joshua.”
She turned to the police officer cuffed to the old radiator. She put his cuff keys next to him. “Sorry about this. I hope you don’t hold it against me.”
The cop nodded.
Suddenly, the front door opened and Valerie knew she had to leave. She opened a window and crawled out onto the yard at the back. For the second time in as many nights, she was running through the yards at the back of Joshua Murphy’s house.
But this time, she had names. She had a list. Now she had to grab Suzie and figure out which person John Murphy would target next.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Will took a seat in the diner in front of Charlie and let out a long sigh. For all the danger, it was still nice to be able to take a break and think. Will looked around the diner, taking in all of its bustling energy, but his gaze finally settled on the busy fly-catcher near the window—its buzzing hum reminded him of when he was a child going camping with his parents. He watched as it swayed back and forth in its metal cage, capturing those pesky insects that could not seem to stay away.
The neon lights of the diner cast an eerie glow onto the wet pavement outside, creating an almost surreal atmosphere even in the afternoon gray. Inside, the world seemed to pause, the afternoon patrons lost in their own thoughts, seeking momentary refuge from their busy day.
Will and Charlie sat in a booth near the back, nursing cups of steaming coffee. The diner was a haven of warm light and the comforting smell of frying onions and coffee, a stark contrast to the gloom that seemed to envelop the world beyond the windows.
A waitress came and brought the coffees they had ordered at the counter. She didn’t smile. It wasn’t that kind of a place. Instead, she moved off like a robot, tired and emotionless, waiting on people she would never truly know.
“What are you going to do if Valerie doesn’t get reinstated but the CPU is allowed to continue?” Will asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them.
Charlie stared into his coffee, the steam rising up to fog his glasses. He sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a heavy burden. “I don’t know, Will. We’ve done some good work, but it just wouldn’t be the same without her. And to be honest, I doubt we would have solved half of the cases if she hadn’t been there.”
Will nodded in agreement, remembering the countless times that Valerie’s intuition and tenacity had been the key to unlocking the darkest corners of a criminal’s mind. He thought of her fierce determination, her refusal to back down even in the face of overwhelming odds.
The diner was a time capsule, a relic of a bygone era with its vinyl booths and chrome-edged counters. The buzzing of the neon sign outside was almost hypnotic, and the clink of silverware against plates seemed to keep time with the beat of the raindrops against the window. It was a place where people sought solace in anonymity, where they could escape the harsh realities of life, if only for a little while.
Will took a sip of his coffee, the bitter taste grounding him in the moment. “I miss her, Charlie. I know she’s out there trying to do the right thing, but it feels like we’re fighting a losing battle without her.”
Charlie looked up from his cup, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and determination. “Yeah, I miss her too. But we’ve got to keep pushing forward, for her sake and for everyone else who’s counting on us. We’ll find her, Will. And when we do, we’ll make sure she knows that she’s not alone in this fight.”
They sat in silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts. Then Will took another sip of coffee, savoring the taste as he glanced out the window and saw that the sky remained covered in clouds. He knew that the sun would break through it eventually, he just hoped that when it did, it would smile upon them.
Charlie’s phone rang and answered it. Immediately his eyes lit up.
“Chief, I can’t thank you enough,” Charlie said. “Yes… Yes… I understand. We’ll keep you updated… You never let us down, sir. Okay. Bye.”
Charlie ended the call and punched the air in excitement.
“What is it?” Will asked, the excitement contagious.
“Jackson somehow did it. The Chief gave us clearance to open the CPU and use all necessary resources to apprehend John Murphy and track down Valerie,” Charlie said, his eyes sparkling. “I don’t know how, but he did it!”
“You can’t keep a good man down,” Will said.
“He’s sending John Murphy’s file and all addresses for his family to my phone,” Charlie said.
Will was thrilled. He’d always admired Jackson, and the man had somehow pulled it off, fighting off the persecution of Arthur Heinlein. Will just wished Valerie was there with them to celebrate. He hoped beyond hope that there would be an opportunity for that later.
“What about Valerie’s badge?” Will asked.
“He didn’t say,” Charlie said. “Let’s take any victory we can, for now.”
“Agreed,” Will said, raising his coffee cup. “Here’s to Jackson Weller.”
“To Jackson,” Charlie said, touching coffee cups. “Now let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll send this list over to local law enforcement to make sure they have a patrol car at each family member’s, if they don’t already. After that, we just need to figure out which relative John Murphy will try and get to next and be there waiting for him.”
***
John watched all the people on treadmills with disdain.
You can’t keep death at bay forever, he thought.
The wind howled outside, the evening weather turning once more into a storm, this time battering against the glass doors of a busy gym as John Murphy slipped inside. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and effort, the hum of treadmills and the clank of weights providing a steady, rhythmic soundtrack to the room.
John moved gracefully through the gym, his eyes scanning the rows of people lifting weights and pounding away on the exercise machines, searching for his quarry. He approached the front desk, where a young woman with a bright, energetic smile greeted him.
“Hi there! Welcome to the Iron Temple. How can I help you today?” she asked, her cheerfulness almost contagious.
John returned her smile, his eyes cold and calculating. “I’m looking for Tank Murphy. Is he working today?”
Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Uh, yeah, he’s here. He’s in the back, working with a client. Would you like me to get him for you?”
John shook his head. “No, that’s alright. I can find him. We’re… old friends.”
The woman nodded, still smiling but with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “Alright then, just let me know if you need any help.”
John continued through the gym, weaving between the rows of weight machines and free weights. His gaze was locked onto his target, a hulking figure in the back corner of the gym, barking instructions at a young man struggling to complete a set of deadlifts.
Tank Murphy was a mountain of a man, his muscles bulging under the strain of the heavy weights he lifted effortlessly. His face was lined with the signs of a hard life, his skin tanned and leathery from years spent working outdoors.
But it was his eyes that betrayed the most about him—dark, cold, and filled with barely concealed rage.
He’d always dominated his younger brother with his sheer physicality. But John had trained in the Special Forces and was now a seasoned killer, and he would show him that the tables had well and truly turned.
As John approached, Tank finished counting out the young man’s last rep and turned to face him. His eyes narrowed as he took in John’s appearance, the air between them growing heavy with tension. He looked shocked.
“John,” Tank said, his voice a low growl. “What are you doing here?”
He ushered John over to a side door, which they both stepped through. John looked around and saw that they were in a small, red-walled weightlifting room, one that was obviously used for one-on-one coaching. But it was empty, and this made John feel glee.
No witnesses, he thought.
John smiled, his eyes never leaving Tank’s. “I’ve come to pay my respects, brother.”
The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and for a moment, the only sound in the gym was the pounding of footsteps on treadmills and the ragged breathing of those pushing their bodies to the limit in the next room.
Tank’s face twisted into a snarl. “You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, after what you’ve done. Mom and Dad would be turning in their graves. They didn’t raise you to be a monster. You’ve… You’ve got to stop!”
John’s smile never wavered, but the cold, calculating glint in his eyes sharpened. “I’ve only just begun, Tank. And there’s no stopping me now. I serve a higher power than Mom or Dad. I serve justice. I am its champion.”
As the tension between the two men continued to build, the red paint around them seemed to fade away, the sounds of exertion and effort out of view in the other parts of the gym, diminishing to a low hum of activity. The storm outside raged on, a fitting backdrop for the conflict unfolding within, and one John knew he could use to his advantage.
The two men stared each other down, their eyes locked in a battle of wills. The air between them crackled with tension, and it was as if the empty room held its breath, waiting for the storm to break.
John thought of Jenny, his wife. Drowning in the dark as Tank and the others partied together.
Enough, he thought.
Without warning, John lunged at Tank, the speed of his movement belying his size. Tank barely had time to react, his fists coming up to defend himself just as John’s powerful hands gripped his shoulders, pushing him backwards. The force of John’s attack sent them both stumbling into a nearby squat rack, the weights clattering to the floor.
Tank quickly regained his footing and threw a punch at John’s face, his knuckles connecting with a sickening crunch. But John seemed unfazed, his smile never wavering as he countered with a swift, brutal blow to Tank’s midsection. Tank doubled over, gasping for breath as he tried to recover from the impact.
The two men continued to trade blows, their grunts and cries of pain deadened by the close red walls of the room. The deep red seemed to encircle them, pulsing with a hate and anger that had to be avenged.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, John managed to land a solid punch to Tank’s jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. Tank’s body shook with the effort of trying to stand, but it was clear that he was spent, his strength drained by the fierce battle.
John stood over Tank, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. He looked down at his fallen brother, a sadistic grin spreading across his face as he lifted a heavy dumbbell high above his head.
“Now it’s time to pay the reaper, Tank,” he said.
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