Til Darkness Falls, page 34
Brad waited silently until he had finished retching up everything that he’d eaten since lunchtime. The other detective came over to him while he coughed and gagged. Brad wrinkled his nose as the smell hit him but said nothing about Brian’s loss of control. “Macon, I’m sorry. Forensics and the ME are on their way. We’ll find out who did this, I promise you that.”
“Holy shit. What in the hell happened here?”
Brian looked up at the sound of the newcomer’s familiar voice. The medical examiner walked over to them, shaking his head as he looked down at the bodies. His hound dog face looked even sadder than usual.
“That’s what we were hoping you could tell us, Jeremy.” Brad was interrupted by the sound of a loud siren and squealing breaks. A few seconds later, a couple of EMTs rushed in carrying a stretcher between them. Brad jogged over to them and led them to Matt.
“This one’s still breathing,” Phil explained urgently.
The EMTs examined Matt quickly. “His pulse is weak, but it’s still there.” The older paramedic wrapped a pressure strap around the gaping wound in the fallen detective’s head. “Frankly I’m amazed. He should be dead.”
Brad clenched his teeth as he glanced over at Brian, who was still kneeling at his partner’s side. “Just take care of him.”
“We’ll take him to St. Mary’s.” The younger EMT set up an IV drip before he and his partner carefully transferred the unconscious man to the stretcher. They rushed him out of the warehouse to their waiting ambulance, trying not to jiggle him too much as the gurney rolled over the litter-strewn floor.
Brian ignored Jeremy’s glance of sympathy as the older man lowered himself next to Angela’s body. He grew queasy when the medical examiner pulled a probe out of his bag and started to poke around in the hole in her head but resisted the urge to look away.
“Single bullet. I doubt she felt anything.” Jeremy didn’t look up from what he was doing to see if his words of comfort had any effect. “Hmmm, what have we here?”
Jeremy reached into his medical bag and traded the probe for a pair of slender forceps before turning back to the body. Brian’s vision seemed to narrow until all he could see was the bullet the medical examiner slowly extracted from inside Angela’s skull. The familiar contours of the projectile held his attention with grim fascination as every other thought faded away.
“Well, I’ll be damned. The sniper’s targeting cops now? I thought this was just supposed to be a mob war.” Jeremy looked over at Brian and frowned as he saw the younger man shake his head. “What, it’s not?”
Brian didn’t answer. He just kept shaking his head in silent answer to the question that was ringing in his head with a deafening echo.
“But something about this is odd,” Jeremy murmured, turning back to his task when he realized that he’d get nothing from Brian. “There’s too much damage compared to the sniper’s other victims. Their craniums were left mostly intact, the only trauma being the entrance and exit wounds. It’s like the gunman was a lot closer this time. And see how the bullet didn’t pass clean through? Like the weapon wasn’t as powerful. Hey, kid? What are you doing?”
Jeremy sat back on his heels when Brian suddenly moved toward him, or more precisely, toward the dead woman lying between them. The medical examiner saw what the younger man had noticed the moment his hand went toward it. “Wait,” he cautioned, “you should put on some gloves first.” Brian ignored him, reaching into her blood-soaked collar, and pulled out a piece of folded paper.
“WHAT in the hell is that?” Jeremy saw every ounce of color that wasn’t embedded into Brian’s skin leech away as he read whatever was written on the paper. In a flash, the young detective was on his feet and was heading toward the door at a dead run. Everyone watched in shock as he disappeared out into the darkness. The sound of a car engine starting broke the stunned silence, and they heard tires spin against the asphalt with a tortured squeal before the roar of the motor faded to nothingness.
Brad closed his mouth with an audible click after realizing that his mouth was hanging open. “What was that about?”
Phil looked over at his partner and shook his head. “No idea.” He scratched at the back of his head and sighed as he watched the medical examiner place the bullet into an evidence bag. “You about done there, doc?”
“Yeah.” Jeremy wasn’t sure if he should mention that Brian had just taken a piece of evidence from the scene. “Not too much question about the cause of death, but I’ll do a full workup on her. And the lab needs to do an analysis on the bullet.” Jeremy shook his head sadly as he looked down at Angela’s lifeless body. “Damn shame. She was a beautiful woman.”
“Detective!”
Both partners looked toward the door as one of the patrolmen who’d been positioned outside rushed in. He looked toward Brad. “Sir, we found something.”
Jeremy hesitated for a moment but decided to follow the detectives, leaving the other patrolman to stand guard over Angela. The young officer walked quickly across the street to where his fellows were standing, looking down at something on the ground.
Brad was right on the patrolman’s heels, but Jeremy saw him pull up short when he saw what they were staring at.
“Son of a bitch,” Brad rasped. “Giovanni Rivella?”
Jeremy’s brow wrinkled in confusion as he reached the others. He noticed that a gaping Phil seemed just as perplexed as the younger man came to a stop next to his partner. The dead mobster was lying face-down on the ground, the back of his head blown apart.
“What the fuck is going on around here?”
No one had a ready answer to the old ME’s question.
THE Arctic Warfare lay at Alrick’s feet, still in its case, waiting to be assembled. There was no rush. He could put it together in less than a minute. The wind ruffled his hair as he stood back from the edge of the roof, looking toward a hotel half a mile away. The air was already noticeably warmer as spring approached in earnest. He’d let his hair grow out some, having noticed that Brian enjoyed running his fingers through it. Anyway, it was past time he abandoned the quasi-military cut that he’d worn for so long. It would be the perfect symbolic gesture to usher in his temporary new life.
He’d checked out of his hotel that morning. After this was over, he planned to collect his final payment from Rivella to send to his sister, and then he would find Brian and confess to everything. He was completely comfortable with the knowledge that he would be putting his fate in Brian’s hands. The other man already had his heart. What was handing him his freedom in comparison to that? If Brian accepted his promise that he was finished with this life, that was all he could ask. And if Brian rejected him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue on anyway.
Alrick held the PM II telescopic lens to his eye and aimed it at a specific hotel window. Giovanni had been as precise as usual. It was almost amazing that a man who was so clearly deranged would be so careful about such details. But this time, Alrick had really hoped that Rivella had been perpetrating a bad joke on him.
Apparently not. The scene through the window was a party, and not just any party. It was a birthday party. Alrick ground his teeth together as he saw the balloons and streamers. A child’s party. A huge banner was strung across the longest wall of the hotel’s hospitality suite.
Happy 13th Birthday, Kaitlyn!
“Scheisse.”
That fucking bastard had sent him to kill a little girl. Alrick hadn’t wanted to believe his eyes when he’d opened up the envelope containing the information on his latest target. Kaitlyn Cosmino, twelve years old. Thirteen as of that night. She was the youngest daughter of Antonio Cosmino, the head of the Cosmino organization. Rivella obviously meant this to be the last salvo in his gambit to wipe out the Cosminos. Alrick had to admit that it was a smart move no matter how appalling. Losing his youngest child was sure to destroy Antonio, who was apparently quite the family man, judging by the broad grin on his face as he hugged his daughter to his side. It would be kinder just to kill him, but that wouldn’t have satisfied Giovanni’s twisted sense of humor.
Alrick shook his head. He would rather spend the rest of his life doing the most disgusting menial labor he could imagine to earn money than kill a child. If he was really planning to offer himself up to Brian, how could he go to him with such a hideous stain on his conscience? It was already as filthy as he cared to let it get. Rivella had offered him an obscene amount of money for this job, but he felt nothing but serene acceptance as he picked up the gun case and turned away from the edge of the roof and headed towards the access door. The happy celebration continued on behind him undisturbed.
Alrick’s step faltered as the door unexpectedly swung open. Confused, he started to reach for the Glock nestled securely in the shoulder holster beneath his coat but could only stare as an attractive brunette stepped out onto the roof, a silencer-equipped gun pointed in his direction. He could tell by the way she held it that she knew what she was doing. Alrick opened his mouth to ask her to identify herself when she sent him a chilling smile.
“Long time no see.”
BRIAN slammed through the manual glass door, too impatient to wait for the automatic sliding door to open. The people milling around the hotel lobby stopped and stared as he rushed past them, his flapping coat revealing his service revolver. He headed straight for the elevators and jammed his finger on the call button.
An elevator opened immediately, but the ride up seemed interminable. Brian could feel the note burning a hole in his pocket, but he ignored it and the damning words written on it. Alrick would be in his room. He would greet Brian with that beautiful smile, and Alrick would hold him while he grieved for his partner. They would laugh and cry over the craziness that had happened that day, and tomorrow they would talk and figure out what to do about this impossible situation.
“Come on. Come on.”
Brian tapped his hands against his legs as the numbers on the elevator’s display panel counted upward. By the time Alrick’s floor number lit up, Brian was ready to tear out his hair. He was out of the elevator before the doors could even finish opening. His gaze fixed on Alrick’s door, he fumbled for his wallet as he ran toward it, his heart pounding in a deafening cadence. Not content to wait for the other man to answer his knock, he pulled it out the key card that the blond had given him a lifetime ago. When he slid it into the lock, the indicator light turned red.
“No! Work, damn you!” He tried it again, but the red light still blinked at him mockingly. He kicked the door viciously. “Alrick!” The noise prompted more than one curious guest to stick their head out into the hallway. “Police! Go back inside your rooms.” Slamming doors indicated their compliance. He hammered his fist against the painted metal until his hand stung. “Alrick! Open the door!”
Brian’s chest heaved as he struggled to breathe. He stared at the door, but despite his mental urging, it remained shut. Slumping forward, he bumped his head against the cool surface. His body felt strange, insubstantial, like it wasn’t his own anymore. Not surprising considering that he’d have done anything to be anywhere else right at that moment. The note in his pocket crinkled as he turned to rest his back against the door. He pulled it out and unfolded it with a growing sense of fatalism.
My dear Brian. Rest assured that your partner did not suffer. I am very good at what I do. But the time has come to end our little game of pretend. I will stage my final performance on the rooftop across from the Hotel La Rue. Please come quickly, my love. I do so want to see you one last time.
Brian stared at the note for a long moment, struggling to nurse the tiny shred of hope that lingered stubbornly in his heart. Forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, he walked back down the hall to the elevators. It took a little longer to arrive this time, but it wasn’t nearly long enough. Perversely, the elevator seemed to descend to the lobby at lightning speed. Brian hesitated when the doors slid opened, but when they began to close again, he made himself exit.
The young woman at the desk stared at him nervously as he held up his badge.
“Alrick Ritter. Is he still staying here?”
Her gaze dropped to her computer screen as she typed, fingers flying across the keyboard. “No, sir. He checked out this morning.” She looked up at him uncertainly. “Um, do you need anything else, officer?”
A slow, burning anger rose up from deep within, searing his heart like acid. Lies whispered so sweetly they had intoxicated him. Deceit cloaked behind soul-stirring caresses. And here he was, the biggest fool on the fucking planet.
“No, I don’t need anything else.” He turned and headed for the hotel entrance, his hand clenched into a fist as though it were already wrapped around the barrel of his gun.
LONG time no see?
Alrick narrowed his eyes in confusion as he stared at the woman. “Who are you? Have we met before?”
She laughed humorlessly. “Now that is an interesting question and a very, very long story. This time, I’m Captain Hayley Preston, Brian Macon’s superior.” She gestured with her gun. “Keep those hands where I can see them, gorgeous.”
He didn’t understand everything she’d said, but her identity was crystal clear. Alrick’s stomach dropped as he raised his hands to shoulder height. If this woman was a police officer, then he had a problem. He wouldn’t fight her, though. If she’d come to take him into custody, then he’d go peacefully.
“How did you find me?” It seemed a simple enough question, but something flashed in the woman’s eyes that set his teeth on edge.
“How did I find you? Why do you think you’re even here in the first place?”
Alrick tried to make sense of her words. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, do you really think that Giovanni Rivella was smart enough to plan all of this on his own? Do you think he would have thought to hire you without a little prodding?” She smirked as though his naïveté amused her.
“You helped him?” He shook his head in confusion. “But you’re a police officer, ja?”
“Oh, ja.” She snorted, mocking his accent. “And do you know what cops make in this town? Hell, it’s not enough to pay for my manicures. But I didn’t work alone. This would have been far too much for me to arrange without help, especially since I have such a high profile position. No, I needed someone who could move around without drawing too much attention to himself. Macon fit the bill quite nicely.”
Alrick started as he heard Brian’s name. What was she saying? That Brian was working for the mob and had played a part in Rivella hiring him? He remained silent, but the woman smirked as she read the incredulousness on his face.
“And now that you’ve outlived your usefulness, Gio has instructed us to get rid of you so you can’t be traced back to him.” She lifted her chin toward the distant hotel. “Were you trying to leave without doing the girl? I never pegged you for a sentimental little bitch.” She shook her head in mock disappointment. “After botching this job, Gio will be glad to see you gone.”
Alrick’s attention shifted toward the gun in her hand. He didn’t know if he could reach his own weapon in time if she really planned to shoot him. She chuckled as she saw his body tense.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. There’s someone else far more suited to clean up this mess.”
His eyes stretched wide despite himself as he caught her meaning.
“That’s right. He’ll be here any minute.” The cruel anticipation on her face was sickening.
“I don’t believe you.”
The woman cocked her head as though she’d heard something. A dark grin twisted her face, and she moved cautiously away from the door. Keeping her gun leveled at him and plenty of distance between them, she made her way around toward the edge of the roof. She risked a quick glance downward, her smile growing at whatever she saw. She jerked her head, beckoning him toward her.
“Here, come see for yourself.”
He didn’t want to cooperate in whatever game she was playing, but a nasty whisper in the back of his mind urged him forward. Wiping all emotion from his expression, Alrick kept his gaze steady on her gun as he walked toward the roof’s edge. Looking downward, he saw a tiny, flashing light far below and realized that it was on top of a car. The faint wail of a siren finally reached his ears.
“See? I told you so.”
“Nein.” Alrick shook his head, refusing to accept what his eyes were telling him. “You are lying.” He watched her closely, struggling to maintain an air of calm as he backed away toward the access door. “I’m leaving to find Brian. Shoot me if you must. That’s the only way you’ll stop me.”
She just smiled. “Oh, I won’t have to stop you.”
Ignoring her, Alrick turned toward the access door. He was reaching for the handle when the door suddenly burst open. Alrick stumbled back before it could hit him. The figure in the doorway was hidden in the shadows, but when the person stepped out onto the roof, Alrick could only gape in shock.
Brian’s face was a mask of rage. The revolver in his hand was steady, aimed directly at Alrick’s heart. Alrick wanted to deny what he was seeing, but the other man’s presence was an unavoidable reality. Was what this insane woman had told him the truth? Had Brian been playing such a deep game of subterfuge and betrayal that he’d fallen for it like some gullible fool?
“Brian,” he rasped, “what are you doing here?”
“Shut up!” Spittle flew from Brian’s lips as he snarled. “Don’t speak to me. Don’t you dare speak to me!” His face was mottled, his eyes a swirling pool of fury. “You killed her, you fucking bastard!”
“What? Killed who?” Alrick shook his head. “You are making no sense.” His grasp of English began to falter as his emotions got the better of him.
