Til Darkness Falls, page 30
“Nein, just tell me that it isn’t true, Brüder.” Her sobs were so heavy he could barely understand her. “Please, tell me that he was lying to me!”
His silence was damning. Only moments ago, his heart had been light as air. Now it sank like a stone.
“Alrick, you are an artist! You were meant to spend your life filling the world with beautiful music. But you have thrown it all away to, what, to become a killer?” Her pained whisper cut through him like a knife. “Brüder, what have you done?”
“Brian told me he loves me, Rosa.” He wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to tell her that when he had just broken her heart. Not even sharing such wonderful news could repair the damaged he’d done.
Rosamond didn’t speak for a long time. Alrick thought that she might ridicule him for thinking of something so trivial when their family was in danger of being torn apart. He didn’t know how things would ever be the same between them. The closeness that had sustained them since childhood suddenly seemed unbearably fragile. How could she ever forgive him for becoming a monster?
“Alrick, you love him too, ja?”
Her tone was calm, and a painful laugh burst from him at the question. He should have known better than to underestimate her. She was fiercely protective of those she cared about, and nothing he could do, no matter how terrible, would ever change that. Tears stung his eyes and burned his throat as he nodded. Realizing that she couldn’t see him, he cleared his throat so he could speak.
“Ja, I do.”
“Then, Alrick, if you have truly given your heart to this man, you must turn yourself in, for his sake if not your own.” Her voice cracked, catching in a little sob as she inhaled. “You must find yourself again, Brüder, find who you truly are. I know this isn’t you. I love you, Alrick, but this cannot go on.”
“I know, Rosa.” A tear ran down his cheek unchecked. “Heaven help me, I know.”
ANGELA sat at her desk the next morning, tapping a pencil against her lips as she glanced over the information she’d pulled about the Arctic Warfare. She still couldn’t figure out what had set Brian off so badly. That lame story he’d given her about eating something bad? No way she was buying that. She’d seen her partner go plate for plate with her husband and the bottomless pits that were her sons. No, there was something she was missing.
After they’d returned from their useless visit to Gio’s, she’d sent Brian home to recover from whatever it was that had him looking like death warmed over. He’d promised to come in today though. Angela glanced at the clock on her computer. It was only eight thirty, but Brian was already late. She stared at her phone for five minutes before giving in to the urge to call him. Her phone rang as she was reaching for it.
“Detective Lovell.”
“Angie, it’s me.”
“You’d better be walking up the stairs, buddy. It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.” She expected him to come back with some suitably dry response, but the seriousness of his tone surprised her.
“Sorry, Angie. Um, whatever was wrong with me yesterday got worse after I went home. I spent the entire night staring at the bottom of my toilet, if you know what I mean.”
“Uh huh. Okay, I’ll cover with Preston for you. But Brian, you’d better be in here tomorrow with a note from your doctor explaining how you were near death, or she’s going to have my ass for dessert after she finishes with you.”
The line was silent for a long moment before she heard a heavy sigh. “I’ll try. Thanks, Angie.”
She shook her head as she replaced the receiver. What in the hell is wrong with that boy? Maybe he really wasn’t feeling well. If that was the case, she hoped he called Alrick over to take care of him. One look at that face was guaranteed to cure any ills. Remembering how cute the two of them had been at pizza night brought a smile to her face.
“Where’s your partner, Lovell?”
Angela rolled her eyes. “What’s it to you, Roddy?” She almost laughed when he blinked at her in surprise for using his real name.
“I heard you got that report from ballistics the other day.”
“Yeah, and?” she prompted when he didn’t follow up on his comment.
“Get anything useful from it?”
“Not really. The ’scopes were able to identify the weapon, but as for the shooter, he or she remains, as yet, a complete mystery.
“Oh. Too bad then.”
Angela thought he looked almost disappointed at the news. She couldn’t imagine why he would be. It wasn’t his case. If anything, she would have thought he’d enjoy crowing over their continued failure. “Was there something else you wanted, Matt?”
“Huh? Oh, no. Better luck next time, I guess.”
She shook her head as he wandered away. She hated thinking uncharitably about anyone who wasn’t a perp, but she couldn’t help herself. “What a weirdo.”
IGNORING the insistent flash of the message light, Brian tossed his cell phone away as he stared at nothing. He was huddled on his sofa, where he’d spent the night to avoid going into his bedroom. All of the lights were off, and the drapes were pulled tight. If he’d been in a reflective frame of mind, he might have realized that he was using the darkness to distance himself from Alrick any way he could. The blond man had always wanted to see him in the light, had wanted him completely exposed. Now, all he wanted was to hide away.
Hurt and anger. He felt them both keenly, though he wasn’t sure which one featured the most prominently in his muddled emotions. Alrick had looked him straight in the eye and lied to him. With every touch and caress, every sweet word, he’d lied. Had it all been some elaborate setup? The blond must have known Brian was a cop even before he’d told him. This whole interlude was probably just a game to him, a thrilling episode of hide-and-seek. Brian didn’t want to believe it, but what other explanation was there? Why else would such a fascinating man show interest someone as unremarkable as him? Doubt piled up on top of humiliation. Brian wanted to hate the other man for turning his entire life upside down for nothing but his own sick, twisted amusement.
Alrick wasn’t the only one to blame though. Brian was just as angry at himself. How could he have been such a fool? Hadn’t he kept his heart locked away all of these years for this very reason? He of all people knew how dangerous it was to love someone. Everyone he’d ever cared about had either shunned or abandoned him. It figured that he’d be betrayed just when he finally allowed himself to feel again.
And the worst part was that this betrayal hurt far worse than his parents’ careless neglect or the stupid perfidy that had led to Dennis’s death. He’d never loved anyone as much as he loved Alrick. Even now, all he had to do was close his eyes to see those incredible blue eyes and that smile that had so captivated him from the moment they met.
Fury burned but was unable to overcome an even more powerful yearning. Brian was bone tired, but he dared not try to sleep in his bed. The German’s scent was still there, and he didn’t trust his body, not when the memory of the other man’s presence was still so fresh. Brian lowered himself to the sofa cushions and closed his eyes. Sleep tugged at him, though his racing thoughts refused to let him succumb. He desperately wanted to just ignore everything, to hide from the world in his dank apartment even though brooding was an indulgence he couldn’t afford. He still had a job to do.
Opening his eyes suddenly, Brian stared at the tiny shaft of daylight peeking through a pinhole tear in his drapes. That was right. He had a job to do. So what if he’d been having an affair with a killer? Boo hoo. Shit happened. But if he wanted to catch him, he would need to learn everything he possibly could about the man who had been fucking his ass and lying to his face.
And just maybe, he would discover that it had all been a terrible mistake. God, he would give anything for that to be true. Even with everything that he suspected, his heart still wasn’t ready to give up and let go. That was why he hadn’t been forthcoming with Angela. He was still hoping that, by some miracle, he’d jumped to conclusions in thinking that Alrick was the hit man. Brian groaned as his stomach churned against itself, the mere possibility opening up a burning hole in his gut. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday, afraid that he would just throw up it again.
Fuck, Macon, you won’t figure anything out lying here like some pathetic little bitch.
Brian pushed himself off of his couch, pausing a moment to take a deep breath in order to overcome the resulting nausea. After a quick shower to take care of the sweat his nightmares had left behind, he would throw on some clothes and head to the library. He didn’t relish the thought of going out in public, but he needed to do some research without the eyes of the department or his partner’s caring gaze looking over his shoulder. For the first time, Brian really regretted not owning a computer. It didn’t matter; he could find everything he needed at the library.
Brian headed for his bathroom, feeling better now that he had some sort of plan. He didn’t bother asking himself why he never turned on the lights.
ALRICK stood motionless in the cold, dirty vestibule as he waited for the man he was there to meet. The old apartment building was long abandoned and had probably already been condemned. The hallway leading from the front door was shadowed, only a few bulbs still functional amongst their broken companions. A tiny squeak near the dusty stairwell told him that the dwelling wasn’t completely free of residents.
Normally, he’d be annoyed at being forced to cool his heels, but today he was grateful for the change of scenery. He couldn’t bear spending one more minute in his hotel room with no one but himself for company. After his revealing conversation with his sister the day before, he’d wanted desperately to see Brian. He’d tried the other man’s cell phone most of yesterday afternoon and all last night, but he’d been unable to reach him. He would have gone over to Brian’s apartment, but he didn’t want to seem intrusive. Although their relationship had grown into something special, it was still new and fragile. He didn’t want to risk it by being presumptuous, and it wasn’t like he could just walk into the police station and ask his lover out for lunch.
Missing Brian just added another layer to his restless anxiety. The precarious uncertainty of his life had left him feeling off balance. The memory of his sister’s tears haunted him still. Rosamond was right; he couldn’t go on like this. Being a killer for hire was destroying him, every pull of the trigger eating away at his soul. The money he made, as necessary as it was, was black with the taint of its source.
As images of his sister and Brian’s beloved faces filled his head, a rush of certainty abruptly settled over him, quieting his mind even as his body tensed at the prospect of what had to be done. It was time to end it, to bury the killer before the boy he’d been was gone forever. He would do as Rosa had asked. He would turn himself in and pay for his crimes. Maybe then he could make her smile again. Maybe then he could finally be worthy of Brian’s love.
But not right away. Coward that he was, he wanted to enjoy his freedom for just a little while longer, to spend as much time as he possibly could with the man he loved. He wasn’t naïve. When Brian found out who he really was, it would be over between them. His lover would haul him away in irons and leave him to rot, which was no more than he deserved. He wasn’t ready to give up this dream, not just yet. So for now, he would remain selfish and hold on to Brian for as long as fate allowed.
And that meant doing this one last job for Rivella. Wrapping the identity of Todesengel around himself like a blanket of emotionless ice, Alrick prepared himself to sell his soul one final time. After this was over, he would never again take a life with the skills in which he’d once taken such pride. Every cent that he’d earned from Rivella would go to Privalov. It wouldn’t cure his debt completely, but it would go a long way toward easing the burden. As for the remainder… somehow, he would find a way.
His first task would be to make the Todesengel disappear as though he’d never existed. He wasn’t overly concerned about the people who’d hired him in the past. Some of his employers had been criminals like Rivella, but some had been far more respectable and politically connected. They wouldn’t want to have any association with him. He didn’t usually meet clients face to face, Rivella being a rare exception. The mobster had made their meeting in person a prerequisite to forming a contract, and the money had been too good to pass up. Most of the people who hired him could have passed him on the street and either wouldn’t know him or would be very motivated to pretend they didn’t.
He didn’t trust Rivella nearly as much. Giovanni would have to be silenced, especially since he planned to spend much of his time in this city in the future. After this last job was completed, he would take out Rivella and the old man who had sometimes accompanied the young mobster to their meetings. What were two more deaths when he was already guilty of so many? It wasn’t like anyone would mourn Rivella’s passing. Giovanni had assured him that no one else from the Milanos knew who he was, so there would be no one else who could possibly connect him to the organization or the assassinations.
One more act of evil and he could try to start his life over, if only for a short while. Being with Brian, even on borrowed time, was worth whatever risk. Once he was simply Alrick Ritter again, he would convince his magazine to speed up their plans to open a branch in the city so he could stay in the country legally. Then he’d send for Rosa and her family so he could watch over them and keep them safe from Privalov. And if he had to kill the bastard and whomever else they sent after him to protect his sister, so be it. He’d do whatever was necessary.
For too long, he’d had no say over his life, but he was a man now. It was high time he took control of his own destiny before he was forced to surrender to the inevitable.
“COME on, you old fart. It’s your fault we’re late. I told you to check that damn tire before you came to pick me up.”
Max resisted the urge to say something smart as followed the younger man into the abandoned building. “Sorry, Gio. Maybe we beat him here?”
“No, I am afraid not.”
Gio jumped as the voice floated out of thin air. “Shit, man. I swear I’m going to put a bell around your neck.”
The German stuck to the shadows, allowing him a much better view of the newcomers than they had of him. His hair and face were the only parts that didn’t blend in with the darkness. From the upturned collar of his coat to his boots, his dark clothing seemed to deflect all light. “I’m a busy man. I do not appreciate being kept waiting.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. We had some car trouble.”
“Your problems are irrelevant.” The other man held out his gloved hand. “I believe you have something for me.”
The younger man just grinned at his abruptness. He retrieved an envelope from inside his coat and handed it to the blond. “I like a man who’s all about business. Here ya go, your next target, delivery set for tomorrow night.” Gio’s smile widened until it was all teeth. “I hope you get a kick out of it.”
The German just looked at him in disgust. “I will be expecting payment within the usual time.” Without another word, he moved past them and left the building, melting into the night.
“Cocky fuck. I bet this next job will get his rocks off.”
The older man looked at Gio in confusion. “What do you mean? Who’s the target?”
“You’ll see,” Gio said as he followed in the German’s wake. “And so will everyone else.”
Chapter 13
“DAMN. This is pointless.” Brian let out a gusty sigh as he sat back in the uncomfortable, rickety wooden chair. The library wasn’t the biggest in the area, but surely they could afford some better furniture than the scarred, faded pieces that sat scattered about the room. Brian tried to ignore the ominous creak that sounded beneath him as he stared impatiently at the computer screen.
The German army kept their service records locked up tight. There was no way a lowly American policeman could expect to get his hands on information about someone who may or may not have served beyond the regulation period. It had taken him nearly a full day’s worth of research to realize that he was following a dead end. If Alrick had been in the army for longer than he was compelled to be, he wouldn’t be able to find out for certain without exercising far more clout than he had.
Brian checked the library’s computer clock. Only thirty more minutes before closing time. If he didn’t come up with something useful today, he didn’t know when he’d get another opportunity. Angela had covered for him not going in to work today, but he couldn’t ask her to do it again. No matter how crazy all of this uncertainty was making him, it wasn’t fair to drag her into his problems.
So just who was Alrick Ritter? Brian didn’t have any better answer to that question than he’d had that morning. All he knew for certain was that Alrick really did work for a magazine called Musikgeschmack. Trying to decipher the foreign language had been difficult, but perusing the publication’s website, he’d managed to find Alrick’s name under the heading Feuilletonisten, which meant “feature writers,” according to the handy online Deutsch-English dictionary he’d pulled up. And it had definitely been Alrick’s name in the byline of that article he’d read in the other man’s hotel room. Not that that meant anything. It could easily be a cover, even if it was a legitimate one.
There was, of course, another option. He could meet with Alrick, look him in the eye, and demand to know the truth. Brian had spent much of his career questioning suspects, and even the hardest cases gave something away with sufficient persuasion. Even if the man had been lying to him from the moment they’d met, Brian was confident Alrick wouldn’t be able to hide the truth if he questioned him directly.
