Ch 10.
(sorry for the delay in posting this latest chapter, life has been somewhat hectic!)
Matt began to pace the floor up and down where the glass wall displayed the nine victims.
"Yeah I remember ok. She was Cody Wohl's ex partner, the one C.J helped put away just over a ...year...ago...Vince" Matt paced the room deep in thought "Taffy testified against him..."
"Yeah big case C.J did last year with the DOJ but..."
"Where is he now?" Matt asked
"State penitentiary...you know that...you were there when they put him away...c'mon buddy, talk to me...share your thinking" Vince implored exasperated at Matt's line of questioning.
"No somehow he's out Vince, I know it...why else would Taffy have been killed at what appears to have been point blank range and in a crowded bar...it none other than revenge"
Matt began to walk back to the faces, killed in the prime of their lives for what appeared to be no reason other than being in the wrong place; until Taffy was killed, and then it took on a whole new angle and direction. Matt began to read the profiles of what existed, for each of them and then glancing at the cards he saw a pattern emerge.
"I think we have given him just enough time, he'll be absorbed now; he won't be leaving for a while. We have plenty of time to do the damage deserved. We get in, out and off within the hour alright, don't you go letting me down alright" Cody hissed but with a hint of smugness.
The accomplice somewhat mute muttered an ok and grinned and then readied himself to turn the ignition.
The three of them had sat for the past half an hour chatting with a carefree sprit on the paddock fence watching the horses graze close by
"That was a great party C.J. did you have a good day?" Bo exclaimed with a broad smile
"It was great and thank you both for being there, it's so good to have family around me" C.J remarked absently
Bo and Lamar looked at each other quizzically and then looked at C.J
"But...we're not...you don't" Lamar stuttered, struggling not to hurt her feelings
C.J smiled "No but your both part of the next best thing for me, you were there for my aunt when my uncle died, by helping to run their ranch until she died , you were there for me when I lost my aunt...my last remaining relative and you have both been there for me ever since...so as far as I'm concerned you're family"
"Wouldn't be anywhere else C.J." Bo confirmed smiling
They carried on chatting, reminiscing and general laughing at some of the events and people they had encountered together until Lamar finally looked at his watch and turned to them both somewhat apologetically.
"Well m'dear, really hate to break up this lovely party we're having here, but Bo and I... well we need to get going and sort them calves in the far pastures, and we need to go and sort the grain and feed orders"
C.J jumped off the fence and laughed "It's Ok boys, Matt should be back in just over the hour"
"Ok well we should be back before you head off so we can wave you off" Bo laughed.
C.J headed back giving them a last wave as she walked, fingering her necklace and smiling. She headed into the kitchen and the fridge where she grabbed two good handfuls of ice and chucked them into a large drinking glass and then added chilled water, and glugged most of the water, leaving the sun's intense heat to melt the rest. Mopping the perspiration from her forehead with the back her arm, she headed out to the pool house to change for a swim.
The old station wagon moved in closer to its intended target, the lead perpetrator barking instructions constantly as they moved "make sure all cars in the garage are disabled, shoot anyone who gets in your way especially any ranch hands...they're all as thick as thieves that lot...like one big happy family...yeah well that can be destroyed very quickly and effectively...but don't leave any evidence this time ...alright?".
His mind went over the plan for the umpteenth time, having planned this day for over a year, he checked his back pack and all that he required was within and with that he zipped it up and placed it by his feet.
They drove in silence for the remainder of the journey, some five miles.
C.J swam her lengths to cool down from the heat; her fitness permitted her to complete her half mile swim in twenty minutes flat. The remaining time was spent idling in the pool, floating on the surface and enjoying the sun's warmth on her face.
Stepping out of the pool, she grabbed her towel from one of the sun beds where she had left it and went to shower and change. Having decided to leave her hair to dry naturally, she brushed it out to prevent the hair from turning into several large ringlets before heading over to the main house.
Matt continued to read each victim's details and then stopped and swallowed hard
"Oh God Vince..." Matt said almost barely audible above a whisper
"What buddy?"
Matt grabbed Vince's hand and pointed at the cards "look these playing cards ...see the pattern...next is going to be... 'Ace of diamonds' "
"Hey...hey... tell me something you know...how did you..."Vince cried out
"Can't you see ...?Look...look at the pattern Vince" Matt's voice rising in exasperation
Vince began to move down the line taking in the emerging pattern before his eyes "Dam it so simple yet no one including himself had spotted it"
But as Matt paced up and down the wall, he began to see a more horrifying picture play out in front of him as he rapidly did the dates of their deaths, their birth dates and doing the maths
"Oh God Vince...look ...on those six that you have both their birth and dates of death they all turned thirty so I can bet you they all died on their thirtieth...but there's more look...there is a pattern to when they died the first died forty five days ago, the second nine days after, the third 8 days after the ninth girl died. Dam it Vince these have all been finely orchestrated..."
"Matt that means there is going to be a murder today if you theory is correct one day after the ninth victim's death... you know one day apart... and she will turn thirty" Vince whispered fear creeping into every bone in his body.
They both looked at one another; their blood running cold