Dead World 1, page 24
“Of course, not.” She moved her synth-wool out of the unoccupied seat, and then patted the chair for her to sit.
“Thanks.” Red regretted every second of what she was about to do. “Can you tell me when you last saw Renee?”
Maureen’s storm gray brows furrowed. “Hmm... No, I can’t rightly recall. The days all blend together here.”
“I can imagine. I’d appreciate it if you’d at least try.”
She screwed her face, pursing her lips in concentration, then suddenly released a frustrated breath. “I just don’t know. Seems like it’s been a while though. You could always try calling her.”
Red hesitated. “She’s hard to reach.”
“That’s strange. I’ve never had a problem getting a hold of her. Do you want me to try now?” She reached for the comdevice on the table, but Red stilled her hand.
“That won’t be necessary.”
The woman released the device and peered into Red’s face. “There’s something you’re not telling me. I can always tell when someone is lying.”
Red’s face flushed and she stood. “Thank you for your time. I’m sorry I bothered you.” She walked to the doorway and stopped, glancing over her shoulder at Maureen who watched her expectantly. “One last question.”
Maureen nodded, sadness filling her eyes. She grasped the scarf she’d been making, wadded it, and tossed the synth-wool into the trash.
Red’s gaze followed the fabric as it arced through the air. The finality of the soft thud thundered in her ears, as the partially finished scarf hit the bottom of the bin. She took a shaky breath. “Did Dr. Hunter ever come around when Renee visited?”
Maureen blinked in surprise. “He’s dropped in on occasion. After speaking with him, I thought he and Renee might make a good pairing. I tried to play matchmaker, but Dr. Hunter didn’t seem too interested in my granddaughter. Pity, really. He’d make a good addition to the family. Why do you ask?”
Not interested? Red’s surprise must have shown in her expression.
“That wasn’t what you were expecting, was it?” Maureen asked.
Red shook her head. “No, ma’am.”
“You want to tell me what happened to my granddaughter?”
Red closed her eyes against the pressure building in her temples. She pinched the bridge of her nose, then looked around the bleak room with its white walls and mobile rest pad. The only bright spot this room had ever seen was now lying in the dissecting lab on a steel slab, waiting to be dismembered.
Lies burned like acid on her tongue as she opened her mouth to speak. Instead of offering reassurance, she blurted out, “I’ll find the man responsible. I promise.”
Before Maureen could respond, Red took off down the hall. It was a cowardly move, but visiting with a relative of a murder victim hit too close to home. She needed to get out of here, but she had to find Moira’s grandmother first.
A visit with the woman turned up much the same information as Maureen had conveyed. Kane showed no interest in Moira either, going so far as to ignore her, which made no sense. Why ignore the women you plan to attack? Unless it was to distract everyone.
Red supposed anything was possible. There had to be something lurking in Kane’s past that drove him to this point. She’d dig deeper until she found it. So far her quiet little investigation had yielded a decent amount of circumstantial evidence.
Kane knew all the women through his connection to the elder care center. He’d met Lisa Solomon before her grandmother passed away. It was possible he’d kept in touch. The other two victims would’ve been around the care center on a regular basis. Kane was lead medic and could easily slip in and out of this place and the emergency care center without anyone seeing him.
Red shuddered at how easy it would be.
He, along with everyone else in town, was familiar with the layout of Jesse Lindley’s share space and could have laid in wait. All these things together might be enough to get a warrant, but it was doubtful that it would lead to an arrest.
Red could find no motive for the attacks and there’d been absolutely no trace evidence left behind at the scenes. Morgan hadn’t even found usable DNA after her attack. Well, he did, but there was no way to determine when it got there.
No one was that good at killing. No one. Every murder provided evidence. All you had to do was look in the right place or examine the scene in the right way. Yet, there’d been none that she could tie to Kane or anyone else for that matter.
Red had scoured the crime scenes and the photos, finding nothing for her efforts. It was impossible. It was as if a ghost had killed the women. Kane may be a lot of things, but he wasn’t a phantom.
She ran a hand through her hair, tugging out her ponytail. Red rubbed her scalp, trying to sooth the tension building steadily in her head. She couldn’t take suspicions and speculations to Morgan. He’d laugh her out of his office or worse yet, run her out of town. And who could blame him?
Excuse me, Morgan, I think your cousin is the lunatic behind the murders. Proof? What’s that?
She strode down the hall, her body trembling to keep her emotions in check. Red hadn’t come right out and told the women that their granddaughters were dead, but they now knew nonetheless. She’d always been a terrible liar.
Why had she thought she could waltz in here, ask a few questions, then leave unscathed? It was naïve at best. Incompetent at worst.
Red swiped a hand over her face and rushed toward the exit. She threw open the door with a bang, relishing the feel of the dry heat as it greeted her. The sun hung low in the sky, but it hadn’t quite breached the horizon.
Sweat immediately broke out over her skin, dotting her forehead and trickling between her breasts. Red walked a few steps away from the building, needing more space.
A breeze wafted over her, leaving a thin sheen of grit and sand behind. There was no use trying to wipe it away, another would only replace it. Taking several deep breaths, she managed to expel the urine scent from her nostrils but nothing could remove the pain.
Red bent at the waist, her hands resting on her knees. Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She wept for all the senseless destruction of human life, all the families that had been torn apart, and all the wasted futures that no longer existed. Red pictured her mom, dad, and her step-sister, imagining what they would’ve done given more time. Such a waste. Sobs racked her body.
The violence never ended. She might manage to capture Kane, but there’d be another to quickly take his place. More deaths, more loss.
Morgan’s face flashed in her mind, bringing instant comfort. It followed closely by another wave of sadness. She continued to weep. This time over the impending loss of the only man that Red could ever imagine herself loving.
32
Morgan looked up from what he was doing as Gina entered his office. Her skin was blotchy, and her hazel eyes were swollen and rimmed with red. She sniffled, glancing around in search of something. Morgan opened his desk and pulled out a tissue, handing it to her as he came around his desk.
“What happened?” He ran his hands over her body. She didn’t appear to have any injuries.
“I’m fine.” She took a step away and couldn’t seem to meet his gaze.
Morgan’s gut clenched. “Why have you been crying?”
Gina sniffed again and turned her back on him. “I haven’t. It’s from the dust.”
She was lying, but he didn’t press. All Morgan wanted to do was pull her into his arms and comfort her. Yet, she didn’t seem to want him near her. His apprehension rose.
“Where have you been? You said you weren’t going to be gone long.” He didn’t want to admit how worried he’d been or that he’d actually sent a deputy out to find her.
When the man had returned empty-handed, Morgan had panicked and thought about calling in the tactical team for assistance. He was glad now that he hadn’t, but it was a testament to how far under his skin she’d managed to burrow.
Gina stood in silence so long that he feared she wasn’t going to respond. Morgan reached out, stopping short of touching her.
“I needed to follow up on some information I found in the files of the three murdered women.” She turned and met his gaze.
Morgan’s hand dropped to his side and his apprehension rose. “Where exactly did you go?”
“I went to the elder care center,” she said. “Do you remember the name of a children’s story that contained a wolf, a grandmother, and a girl dressed in a red cape or hat or something?”
Blood drained from his face. Morgan glanced at the wall where his safe was concealed. He knew the book she was referring to. A yellow tattered paperback copy currently sat in his safe next to Jesse’s death chip recording.
He rarely got the book out to read because it was so fragile. It was the only personal belonging that managed to survive from his previous life. It was also his and Kane’s favorite story when they were kids. That fairytale was the reason he’d chosen wolf DNA to be spliced with his own.
“You’re talking about Little Red Riding Hood,” he said finally.
Gina snapped her fingers. “That’s it,” she said. “Something about the crime scenes reminded me of that story. I thought it was odd, since I know Red Riding Hood was talking to the wolf, but the clues were so specific that I couldn’t ignore the connection. So I decided to check out the victims’ extended families and discovered that the women had more in common than just the twisted fairytale aspects of their deaths. All three of them had grandmothers staying at one time or another at the elder care center. Moira’s and Renee’s are still there. There’s a chance that they knew each other. I think that’s how the killer picked them.”
Morgan’s chest tightened. “What are you saying?”
“There’s only one common link that ties the women and the patients together.”
“And what is that?” he asked.
Gina took a deep breath, then blurted, “Kane.”
“He’s one of the only doctors in the area. Of course, he’s linked to the patients in the elder care center and by extension the women, too,” Morgan said, not liking the direction she was headed. “Kane’s checked on every patient in that facility. There have been times when he was the only one on call. Without his tirelessness and dedication, a lot of people would’ve died.”
“I don’t like this anymore than you do.” Gina ran a hand through her hair. “I wouldn’t have said anything, if I wasn’t sure. Kane was the only one who could get access to Jesse’s room without anyone noticing him. A doctor would know the care center inside and out.”
“It’s a coincidence.” Morgan’s stomach plummeted.
It couldn’t be Kane. He refused to even contemplate the possibility. His cousin had experienced trouble in the beginning, but he’d gotten better. If there’d been any changes in his behavior, Morgan would’ve noticed.
“I understand how you linked the women together, but what does any of this have to do with a children’s story?” Even as he asked the question, Morgan’s brain had already made the connection.
How many times had Uncle Robert read that story to him and Kane? More times than he could remember. That’s why he’d hung onto the book. Morgan had always hoped that he and Kane would read it to their kids someday. That dream had disintegrated after the war.
Gina stepped closer. This time Morgan took a step back.
“One of the women had her eyes missing, while another had her ears removed. Moira had no teeth. Couple that with three grandmothers in the elder center. What big eyes, what big ears, what big teeth you have… You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound like a twist on that fairytale.”
“It sounds insane.” Morgan forced himself to breathe. “Next you’re going to tell me that Kane is the Big Bad Wolf.” He was...but Morgan prayed that Gina hadn’t figured that out, too.
She snorted. “Of course not. There’s no such thing.”
“So then why suspect Kane? There has to be at least a dozen other people who had access to the care centers. What motive would Kane have for killing these women or attacking you? Assuming you think he is behind your attack, too.”
Her expression became less certain. “I’m not sure. That’s the part of the puzzle that I haven’t been able to figure out yet, but I will,” she added quickly. “I wanted to come to you first. I believe I have enough circumstantial evidence to get a warrant issued.”
Panic engulfed Morgan. “Did you find DNA? Prints? Anything concrete?”
Gina hesitated. “No, not exactly.”
“No? Or not exactly? Which is it?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t yet.” She glanced away.
“So what you’re telling me is that you have nothing,” he said. “I can’t believe that you’d drag Kane’s name through the mud and ruin his career over a gut feeling. This town depends on him. The whole damn republic counts on him to keep the place running.”
Gina shook her head. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy to hear, but he’s the only one who connects to all the victims, including me,” she said. “I came to you first. I wanted you to know what I found before I shared the information with IPTT.”
Morgan scrubbed a hand over his face. What was he going to do? He couldn’t let Gina report this. If she called in the tactical team, then their secret would be discovered the second they ran a DNA test on Kane.
“But you’re not sure. You said so yourself.” Morgan began to pace, his mind in chaos. He had to think of something. Come up with some way to stop her. Change her mind. “Let me look into it.” He didn’t believe for a second that Kane was involved, but the seed of doubt had already been sown.
“Like you looked into Renee Forrester’s death?” she tossed out.
He tensed and slowly turned to face her. Gina believed he’d covered up the murders. Hell, he had been covering them up, but not for the reasons she suspected.
“Morgan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that,” she said.
“Yes, you did.”
She blanched. “I hope someday that you understand why I have to do this.”
“Save it.” Morgan held up his hand. “You don’t have to do anything. You’re choosing to act prematurely.”
Her lips thinned. “These women deserve justice.”
Morgan nodded. “I agree. And they’ll get it. All I’m asking is that you trust me on this.”
Gina crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re asking me to turn my back on my duty.”
“No,” Morgan pleaded, “I’m not. I am asking you to leave this case to me. Let me handle it in my own way.”
Her chin shot up. “Which is?”
Morgan moved closer. “Quietly. Without the eyes of the world looking in.”
Gina glanced away. “I don’t think I can do that.”
Pain lanced his chest, shredding his heart. Why had he expected anything less? She didn’t trust him or believe that he’d do the right thing. How in the hell had he thought they could somehow work things out and stay together?
He’d been a fool. A fool who’d marked Gina as his mate. And now she was going to destroy his world and his people unless he gave her a good reason not to do it.
There was only one thing Morgan could think to do. He’d hoped to avoid this moment. He’d never wanted to cause her pain. Morgan walked past her and shut the door, locking it with a soft click of a button. Gina didn’t flinch, but she was watching his every move.
“I’m going to share something with you that I’ve never shared with any other outsider.” He unbuttoned his shirt.
Gina’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing?”
“Trusting you with my life. There is something that you need to know about me. Something I should’ve told you long ago, but I didn’t know how. Now, you leave me with no choice.”
“Morgan?” She edged back toward the wall. “What are you talking about? Why are you undressing? This isn’t the time or the place for that. And it won’t make me change my mind.”
“Probably not, but what I’m about to do might.” He continued to strip.
Red watched Morgan drop his pants. Her gaze strayed to the front of his underwear, but he wasn’t aroused. Instead, he remained tense, almost agitated as he strolled behind the desk.
“Whatever happens, I need you to remain calm and not run away.”
“What?” Red didn’t understand what was going on.
“Promise me, Gina.” He gasped and clutched his chest. Welts rose from beneath his skin.
“Oh, my god, Morgan, what’s happening? Should I call the emergency care center?”
“Promise.” An almost guttural sound came from his throat.
Red jumped back in shock. “I promise.” She couldn’t seem to look away as Morgan contorted in pain.
Sweat ran down his body in rivulets. He dropped to his knees with his head thrown back. A howl shattered the space, ringing so loudly that Red had to cover her ears. Bones popped and blood splattered the wall. She stared in horror as hair covered Morgan’s body.
Talons sprung from his fingertips and his amber eyes turned golden. His sensuous lips peeled back to reveal long jagged canines.
Red reached for her gun, only then realizing that she’d left the pistol at Morgan’s home. She didn’t dare take her eyes off him for fear he’d attack.
The man she’d grown to care about wasn’t a man at all. He was monster.
What had Morgan told her? The thoughts dropped out of her mind as quickly as she grasped them. Survival kicked in. Red searched the room for a weapon.
Morgan took a step toward her, his claws clacking on the concrete floor. Red matched his steps until she was wedged in the corner of the room. A heavy musk filled the air. It quickly drowned out the odor of blood.
Drool dripped from Morgan’s mouth, pooling on the floor as he advanced on her. He stopped within a foot and sniffed in her direction.
All the stories Red had heard, all the articles she’d read, nothing came close to describing what it was like to be face to face with an Other. Her grandfather had lied. They were real.
