Chapter 32 Welcome and Unwelcome Guests
Rae and Steve had all the various folders spread out on the table, a cup of tea and coffee, respectively, and were finally making some progress.
"So, if we put Mary Sue at the beginning of the line in LA, and all the results from San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Diego and Carmel before that, then we need at least one folder that has everything in date order, if only because we now have an up-to-date San Fran killing." Rae shook her head as she spoke, she knew who would be making up the folder, and she had already written down just how she wanted it to be.
"Yeah, I guess so, I don't suppose?" Steve smiled at her, and Rae was reminded of the first day she had met him when he had turned on the charm and she had spent so long tidying his desk that she had ended up sleeping at the beach house because it was too late to find a room anywhere else.
"Don't give me that look, Lieutenant, yes; I'll sort it out for you, because that way I will know where everything is!"
"And you don't now?" Steve gestured to the papers all over the table as he spoke and then laughed. "I guess it is a bit of a mess, huh?"
"Oh yeah, but give me, oooh, a month or so and I'll have it sorted." Rae was feeling far more rested than she had the night before, and she knew that it was more than the fact that she had slept well, it was because Jesse was back. She had woken up that morning refreshed and relaxed and wandered out on to the upstairs hallway to find out which bedroom Jesse had slept in.
The sight that greeted her when she opened the door to the room closest to the nursery stopped her in her tracks. Jesse had been fast asleep, the covers of the bed pushed down and off him during the night. Ever since they had first been together Rae had loved to watch her husband as he slept and now was no exception, she stood and for a minute or two just looked at him, revelling in the fact that he had, finally, come back to her.
Rae was brought back to the present as Steve's phone began to ring in his pocket. He flipped it open and answered it without looking at the display.
"Sloan here, oh, hi, Michael … what …? No, I understand, but I'm coming back right now." Steve's face was full of anger when he slammed his phone shut and Rae leant over and placed a hand on his arm.
"Steve, what's the matter?"
"Rae, I have to go, I don't know if I'll be back today, can you finish up here? I … I have to get to the station and I'm having dinner with Dad, I'll … I'll see you tomorrow."
"Steve, is Texas all right, it's not … it's not the baby is it?" Rae found that she was holding her breath.
"No, no it's not, Rae, I have to go." Steve didn't even wait for an answer but rushed out of the room, across the hallway and was gone.
ooo
Jo had come slowly and deliberately down the stairs and made her way to the library. Wayne was sitting in one of the deep golden brocade chairs with an uninterrupted view of the door and Jo realised that on the rare occasion they used the room that was where Steve sat too.
"Wayne, to what do I owe this … visit." It was clear to both of them that pleasure was the proper word for the sentence just spoken.
"Well, now, Honey, I've been thinkin' about you a lot lately, an' I thought it was time we got ourselves reacquainted." Wayne hadn't risen to his feet as Jo entered the room and she added that to her list of grievances against him.
"I haven't thought about you a lot in years, nor do I intend to do so after you leave, which should be in about two minutes. If you have somethin' to say to me I suggest you get it said in that time." Jo had to concentrate hard to resist the temptation to place her hands over her stomach; she wanted to protect her child at all costs from this man.
"Little Lady, you sure have changed since the last time I saw you. You were a timid flower, an' now look at you, all grown up an' livin' in this mighty fine mansion. You are lookin' real pretty too, an' I like what you've done with your hair."
For a moment Jo couldn't work out what he meant, but then she realised he thought the white streak in her hair was a cosmetic addition. She just glared at Wayne, but he seemed unfazed by her actions and kept on talking.
"From what I hear you are a wealthy woman, Jo Walters, so I would imagine that our chil' is not short of a few dollars itself. What did you have in the end, Honey, boy or girl?"
Light began to glimmer for Jo, she had no idea how Wayne had discovered that she was the Jo Walters who was head of Walters Oil and Ranching nor did she really care. She was just about to speak again when to her horror she heard another voice.
"Mom, hi, I'm home." Daniel had looked in the morning room where his mother usually was by two-fifty when he got back from school, but she hadn't been there, and so now he was standing in the middle of the hallway calling her. "I got an A in math today; Ms Burns said I did real well."
"Hold on, Honey, I'm in the library, I have a visitor right now." Jo turned as she felt the presence of her son behind her.
"Oh, I'm sorry; I'll go see M then."
"Hold on a minute, Son." Wayne got to his feet and advanced on Daniel, who, not liking what he saw, took a step away from the stranger.
"Wayne, leave him be, Daniel, go find Michael, now." Jo stepped between them, and saw her son shake his head.
"No, I don't think you should be left here alone … MICHAEL, M, COME HERE!" Daniel moved over and in front of his mother, and even though she didn't want him to have any more contact than was necessary with this hateful man she was immensely proud of him."So, Son, you're Daniel, well, you're mighty big for your age." Wayne, ignoring the fact that neither of the other occupants of the room seemed to want anything to do with him, reached out his hand towards the boy.
"Don't you touch him, Wayne, I swear, you lay a hand on my son an' I'll throw you out myself!" Jo was aware of Michael coming to the threshold of the room behind her.
"Madam?"
Wayne ignored the interruption as he spoke to Jo again. "Now is that any way to introduce your chil' to his father?"
"What?" Daniel just stared at the man in front of him, and then as the ridiculousness of the situation hit him he laughed. "He's kidding, right?"
"No … he's wrong, but he doesn't think he's kiddin'."
"Jo, Honey, it's me, I forgot a file … where are you, Sweetheart?" The sound of her husband's voice made Jo feel weak with relief and she reached for Daniel's hand and grasped it tightly.
"I'm … I'm in the library."
Steve was there in two seconds, looking for all the world as if he had in fact left something behind. "Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't know you had a visitor. Hi, I'm Steve Sloan." Michael tactfully disappeared again as soon as he knew that Steve was home.
"Well, Mr Sloan, I'm an old friend of Miss Walters from way back, maybe she has mentioned me to you, my name is Wayne McCaulay."
Steve glanced at Daniel and the boy knew instantly not to say anything. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew that his dad would handle it.
"Oh yes, she's mentioned you, you didn't come across in a very flattering light. How are the wife and children?"
Wayne took a step back, for a second he wasn't so sure of his ground, but he recovered quickly. "Well, I don't rightly know, we divorced 'bout eight years ago, but she's still takin' the money, so I'm guessin' she's just fine."
"I see, and what business is it that brought you here, Detective?"
"Detective?" Daniel couldn't keep quiet at that one, but he felt his mother grasp his hand again and hushed immediately.
"Well, I guess I'm not really a cop any more. I run my own detective agency though, an' I work haulage too." Wayne reached into his pocket and Steve moved his hand to be a little closer to the gun he had rushed upstairs for after he had silently entered the house. "This here's my card, if you ever need any detectin' done, then I'm your man."
"I see, but that doesn't tell us why you're here." Steve's whole demeanour was one of polite interest, and only those who knew him very well would have realised that it was an act.
"I was in the area, in fact I brought up some more cases from Jo's place in Texas, an' I wanted to let her know that I was around, I thought maybe we could rekindle our friendship so to speak. I was always so disappointed that we lost touch."
Jo let go of Daniel's hand, and with a glance at her husband she advanced on their visitor. "Wayne, if I ever see you again it will be too soon. Now, I suggest that you get out of my house an' you never come back. Is that clear?"
"Now just hold on here. You can't keep a man from his son, no matter how much money you have. I've got rights, an' I will make sure I get to exercise them."
"Oh, for goodness sake, you stupid man, look at him, he is fifteen years old, he was four before you an' I ever laid eyes on each other! I lost the baby I was carryin' ten years ago. Now get out, before we throw you out, or worse!"
"An' you told me you was a virgin, you tramp, I always knew you was easy!"
Jo's hand lashed out and slapped Wayne hard across the face, and it was all he could do not to stagger back under the force of it.
"If you don't leave our house this instant I will have you arrested." Steve moved between his wife and Wayne and saw Jo step back and take Daniel's hand into her own once more.
"Oh yeah, an' you are gonna do what, get her to call 911, or that bastard chil'? I don't think so, she just assaulted me, an' I know so much about your lady friend an' her family it would make your hair curl!"
"My lady friend, as you call her, is my wife, and I don't need to call 911, I am 911. I'm sure you remember what one of these looks like," Steve had his ID in his hand as he spoke, "you have to the count of three. One … Two …"
"I'm goin' but trust me; you haven't heard the last of Wayne McCauley." The man shook his fist at the three shell shocked people in front of him and strode out, Michael was obviously waiting at the front door for him and they heard him speak as Wayne arrived there.
"I believe that this is Sir's hat."
ooo
Dominic had managed to produce a creditable hairstyle on the third day of competition, but not one that was considered of a high enough quality for him to advance any further. Delighted at getting his desired outcome he had made his way back to the hotel to pack up his belongings so that he could move to a slightly less expensive establishment for the rest of his stay.
The receptionist who had spoken to him about Lucy caught his eye again and with a deep sigh he had gone across to speak to her.
"Mr. Little, I am real sorry to bother you, but did you make arrangements to see Lucy again? Only she hasn't been in to work and I can't get her at home. I don't want to go to the police or anything if she just took off for a while."
"We had a good date, but I'm heading home soon, we didn't make any plans to see each other again. I'm sorry that I can't help you." He had walked away, but he was concerned, the woman would know who he was, why he had been in town, from that the steps to finding the salon address from the conference organisers would be very short ones. Dominic knew that he had left no traces, no clues as to who he was before, and he wasn't about to start now, he would need to deal with the case of the nosy receptionist, and he had a feeling that he knew just how to do it.
ooo
"Honey, come and sit down, just for a little while, you've had a nasty shock, you shouldn't just brush it off. He threatened you; maybe I should have arrested him." Steve had his arm around Jo and she was happy to lean into him, knowing that he would protect her, just as he always had.
"No, Steve, he would walk, you know that. Michael won't let him in again … but I am so glad you were here … both of you, Daniel, thank you, Son, you made me feel very protected." Jo looked at the boy, the love and devotion she had seen in his eyes had produced a special memory, even in the middle of such an awful happening.
"Who was he, Mom? And why did he think I was his son? I know my dad, he sure wasn't him." Daniel shook his head, his real dad had washed his hands of him not long after his birth mom had left home, but now he had better parents than he could have ever imagined.
"I think I need to explain a few things to you, why don't we go an' sit in the mornin' room an' I'll tell you about him." Jo had moved out of Steve's grasp and was now holding on to Daniel's hand again.
"Jo, will you be alright if I go into work? We're just so busy and with Rae out until tomorrow, at least, I need to be there." Steve still looked worried, but he knew that Jo would have both Daniel and Michael to look after her.
"Sure I will be, I am not gonna be alone now am I?" Jo put a smile on her face and hoped that her husband would be convinced. If she was honest a few minutes together on the sofa would be very welcome, but she knew that at the end of the day they would be alone, just the two of them and so she nodded.
"I'll see you about eight or nine then." Steve kissed her lovingly on the lips, winding his fingers into her hair and he felt her lean into him again. "Oh, God, Jo, I love you so much." He held her close, taking in every inch of her, feeling her hair against his hand and then with one last hug he moved away, clapped his son on the shoulder and left them alone.
ooo
Rae had spent another hour or so working on the papers on her dining table, gradually she had been able to put each one away into a folder or, if they were duplicated, she had shredded them and reduced the abundance of information they had gathered. Once that had been done she checked her watch and was surprised to find that it was already almost three in the afternoon.
She walked into the living room, kicked her shoes off and made herself comfortable on the sofa. There was an afghan on the back of it and so she pulled that around herself, enjoying its soft warmness as well as the chance to sleep when she wanted to.
ooo
The airline had changed his ticket without any problems and Dominic was now sitting enjoying a pre-flight drink as he calmed himself down. By the time he had packed and got ready to leave, the staff on the reception desk had changed and a young man had dealt with his bill. Although the salon would pay for his room Dominic had decided it would be best to pay in cash for it so as to leave no trail. Once that had been done he had hailed a cab at the kerb and headed for the airport.
Lucy's personal belongings were in his overnight bag just above his head, he knew that he had sailed a little close to the wind with her, but she had been worth it. Her hair was just beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful he had felt for a long time, and he wished that he could run his fingers through it right now, but the wait, the anticipation, would make it all the better when he got home and made up her shelf in the apartment. Dominic wasn't sure how long it would be until all the women he had killed would be discovered, but he did know that the cops had found twelve of them so far. So the next one to be found would be victim number thirteen, unlucky for some, he stifled the laugh that tried to escape, it had sure been unlucky for her, whoever 'her' should turn out to be.
ooo
The afternoon had been a busy one for Steve; the discovery of another body had resulted in the station lobby swarming with journalists and TV crews from across the country. There had also been a contingent from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Steve had realised that he remembered the latest victim by name at least.
A search through the database had given him the information that Mary Sue Evett had been national news for a week or so after her disappearance, longer in Australia. The personal information that Steve began to gather on her would be, he had a feeling, a vital piece of the puzzle, as they got closer to their man.
There was no hope of finding any new clues, the motel room she'd stayed in had been checked when she disappeared, but Steve knew that at the time Mary Sue had just been a missing person, and although a little more effort may have been taken because of the possible fallout from losing a tourist the search wouldn't have been as thorough as if it had been known she was a murder victim.
Her belongings though were still in the evidence locker and he had pulled them all as soon as he realised they were there. Tomorrow he would go through them with Rae and hopefully Cheryl if they were in the station. The court case against her Internet killer had started two days before, and Steve knew that Cheryl would be in and out of the courthouse for a few days until she was called to give evidence. There had been two delays so far after she had arrived to testify, and her own caseload was calling her too.
At a little after four in the afternoon Steve had shrugged himself into his suit jacket and made his way down to the press room. He had prepared a statement to start the conference with but he was hoping that he could use the press in a way that both Rae and Ron would approve of to get their man to come out into the open a little. Little, Steve wondered whether it was the guy's real name, and if it wasn't then they had nothing to go on, even if it was they had precious little, Steve groaned, every time he thought of that word he realised that it was a very apt name and he wondered whether it was deliberate.
The room was humming as he entered, but descended into silence as he made his way to the front of the assembled crowd. He put his papers on the table and wished that he didn't have to do this alone. The public relations officer had already arrived, and he was at least company, but Steve still felt the absence of Rae keenly.
"Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming." He didn't need to introduce himself, the nameplate saying 'Lieutenant Steven M. Sloan' sat in front of him and he resisted the temptation to pick it up and turn it over and over. "As some of you are aware another body has been discovered which bears all the hallmarks of our 'Red Rose Killer.' Steve paused as he suddenly realised that he had bought Jo red roses and he had to pull himself together very quickly. "The body was found in Topanga National Park and had obviously been there for some time."
"Karen Myers, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Do you have a formal identification yet, Lieutenant?" A young woman at the front of the room with a definite Australian accent spoke up.
Steve didn't like being interrupted, but he answered politely. "Yes, Ma'am, we do. The body has been identified as Mary Sue Evett, an Australian tourist who went missing a little over six months ago." Steve watched with fascination as pencils skimmed across paper and journalist took down his every word, there were some people who just taped the entire meeting and then transcribed it later, and others who wrote it all down, he couldn't help but think that was the proper way to do it.
"The other bodies were found almost right away, why do you think this one was different?"
"I'm sorry, you are?" Steve was glad that the guy hadn't identified himself, that way he could form an answer while he did so.
"Marvin Mattie, LA Times."
"Well, Mr. Mattie, that isn't a question I can easily answer. The body was discovered in the state park, it wasn't hidden, but it wasn't on view either, I guess it was just a part of the forest that doesn't get visited very often." Steve knew that he sounded a bit pathetic, but it was true, sometimes things just didn't get found, and this was one of those times.
"Six months though is a long time and this guy seems to have killed regularly, do you think that there are more undiscovered bodies out there?" Mr. Mattie it seemed wasn't going to be deterred.
"I can't possibly answer that with a definite yes or no. There could be many reasons why a serial killer stops killing, it could be because he has moved on, or has died, or is just not able to do it for a while."
"Like if he was in prison you mean?" A third voice joined in the conversation, "Oh, I'm sorry, Martin Johns, BBC."
"Yes, Sir, that is what I mean, but we have no evidence to support any of these theories as yet, we are, as we said before, closing in on our man, but we need the public to be vigilant, to report anything that they think relates to this case in any way."
"There is obviously a connection between the victims; do you know the reason why he is targeting blondes?" The voice came from the back of the room and Steve decided not to ask who it was.
"Everyone should be very careful before accepting dates with new people, but right now it stands to reason, if you are blonde, don't go places alone with anyone, if you are meeting someone for the first time then tell a friend or relation where you are and what time you will be back and stick to those plans, maybe take someone else with you. This guy is dangerous, we will get him, but until we do everyone needs to be on their guard."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, there is an artist's impression of our suspect for all of you to pick up on your way out, thank you." The public relations officer held up the picture of Matthew or Dominic Little and instantly flash cameras began going off, startling both men at the top table.
"Lieutenant Sloan? I'm Rachael Collins, San Francisco Chronicle, we had two murders locally which seem very much like your Red Rose Killer, do you think that he is working in more than one city?"
Steve nodded his head, his expression one of grave seriousness. "Yes, Ma'am, I do. But we have only begun getting information in from other locations over the last couple of days."
"Why is that, Lieutenant, don't you collaborate with other police forces?" Rachael Collins stood up to speak and Steve could tell that she was for some reason extremely angry.
"No, not as a rule, most crimes are committed in one location and dealt with by that division. It is only when we have this type of case that we send the details through to other forces." Steve watched her sit down and knew that his answer hadn't satisfied her at all.
Several other journalists had wanted to get more information on what type of liaison was taking place between the LAPD and the other police forces in the state, and Steve had tried to give as much detail as he could without overstepping the bounds of his remit. The meeting broke up just after that and Steve made his way down onto the floor of the room so that he could find Rachael Collins. It wasn't hard; she was sitting, her notebook on her lap and an expression that was a cross between fury and devastation on her face.
"Miss Collins, may I speak with you?
"Lieutenant, I have to get my report in to my editor in an hour an a half, I'm not likely to make the front page, but I would actually like to make the paper."
"Ma'am, would you please come up to my office, I really think we need to discuss this a little further?" He indicated with his hand and she stood with a sigh and preceded him out of the room.
"There you go, one coffee with cream and sugar, now, like I said, I think we need to talk." Steve put his own drink down on the desk and then made himself comfortable. Many other Lieutenants in the city had their own office as a matter of course, and he knew Kojak had had one in the TV series he'd watched as a boy. He had never worried about it before, but he was finding that he liked the privacy it gave him.
"I don't really know why you feel that way, Lieutenant."
"Please, Miss Collins, it's Steve, and you weren't just asking questions because you are a journalist, there was more to it than that, somehow, I don't know how exactly, but I know I am right."
"Did you ever consider becoming a cop, Lieutenant?" Rachael smiled for a moment but the sadness soon returned.
"So, maybe I can help you, or put your mind at rest, if you'll let me."
Rachael paused for a long moment and Steve wondered whether she was going to speak or not. "My sister was the first victim in San Francisco, she was a beautiful girl, younger than me, she lived at home with our parents, told them where she was going, she did all that you suggested, Steve, and still she didn't come home." Rachael turned away, her eyes filling with tears as she did so.
"What was your sister's name?"
"Tanisha, Tanisha Collins, and she was just nineteen years old. She'd graduated high school and was waiting to go to college; she wanted to be a lawyer to work in one of the legal aid association places, to help people who couldn't afford their own counsel. And all that is just gone, gone, and when we saw her … when …" She stopped talking, this time the tears had taken her over and for a few minutes Rachael Collins sat in Steve's office and sobbed.
"I'm sorry; it's been over a year, I should be past this stage by now, right?" She rubbed at her eyes, and then smiled gratefully as Steve passed her a Kleenex.
"No, not necessarily, you have no closure, the guy who did this to your sister is still out there, I don't think you will feel anywhere near at peace again until we get him, and we will, get him I mean."
"You really believe that, don't you?" Rachael looked up at him, she noticed the kind blue eyes coupled with the determined look on his face, and knew the answer before he spoke.
"Yes, yes I do, I have no doubt that we will get him, I just don't know when. Rachael, is there anything you can tell me, anything at all, that might help me get closer to this guy? You were saying something about when you saw her." Steve didn't want to upset her any further, but she had begun to open up and he needed all the help he could get.
Rachael took a deep breath in before speaking. "That is the hardest bit, she … she, first of all I didn't think it was her, y'know, she … she just looked so different."
"In what way? How did she look different?" Steve wasn't sure he understood, but whatever it was it had haunted this young woman ever since.
"Her hair, it was her hair … I'd never seen … I'd never seen her without her hair, she was so proud of her hair." Rachael rushed out the words and Steve nodded not wanting to interrupt her. "How could he do that? He killed her, took her life away and then he … he made her look …" She trailed off, even after all this time Rachael couldn't put into words what the lack of hair had done to her sister.
"The picture I received from the SFPD this morning showed her hair, she was a beautiful woman, I am so sorry."
"Yeah, I think you really are. Steve, how do you stop this happening? She did everything that you said to do. She didn't even go out with the guy in the evening, they went out in the day time when there were lots of people about, and she still got killed."
"Did she tell you the name of the man she dated?" Steve tried not to look expectant, but if he could get a link, or another link, between the two cities he would, work wise, be a lot happier. They still couldn't give out his name; the litigation it would cause if they were wrong was too horrendous to even contemplate.
"No, I guess that was an oversight, she just said that she had met him at a coffee shop and he had asked her out. They were going to go to The Palisades, do the tourist thing, and even though we have lived in San Francisco our whole lives, she was really excited about it. She took her cell phone with her, and she even called Mom while she was out, just to tell her what a great time she was having … we never heard from her again." Rachael had spoken rapidly, as if she had to get everything out before she ran out of breath, or time, or courage.
"Miss Collins, if you think of anything else, however small, please contact me, but I would hate for you to miss your deadline." Steve had glanced at his watch and seen that it was a quarter to five. "You know that you have more information than most journalists, probably all journalists, on this case, I wish the reason for that hadn't happened, but please, don't mention the hair in your article, no one except the cops, the victims' families and the killer know about it."
"Thank you, I hadn't realised the time, I haven't mentioned anything like that yet, and I won't, and, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Ma'am?" Steve had stood up as his companion had risen to her feet and he smiled at her.
"Don't ever lose your compassion, from what I've seen of cops lately, it sets you apart." Before he could reply Rachael had turned and left the room, leaving Steve to stand there, feeling both astonished and truly complimented.
ooo
Rae heard the sound of her childrens' laughter and stirred herself on the sofa, she rubbed her eyes and looked at her watch, it was after six in the evening. With an astonished gasp she extricated herself from the afghan and sat up, trying not to look as if she had slept the afternoon away.
"Well, I'm glad you're following your doctor's orders." Alex's voice made her jump slightly and she turned with a smile.
"Hi, I don't think I had much choice, I just needed to sleep, and I have, Alex, more in the last couple of days than in the last month or so, please, let me go to work tomorrow, I really am needed."
"Hmmm, you know the deal, you do as you are told, I check you over, and then we decide. Ok?"
Rae nodded, she knew that there was no way Alex would let her go back to work too soon, and however much she wanted to be there, she would do as he said.
Alex left two hours later, after he had accepted the offer to stay for dinner and to spend some time with his friends, it had been a very pleasant end to his day, and he began to realise that a wife to come home to would be very nice.
Rae had revelled in being part of a family again, and she could see that Jesse was enjoying himself too. She had been delighted when he had asked Alex to have dinner with them, knowing that it was something he would have done before. Before. Rae realised that she was already separating their lives into two halves, and she hoped that the half they were in now would carry on getting better and better.