The Past, page 24
By eight the next morning, Paige and the rest of the team gathered at the PAB. No one had heard a word from Grace. Jokes didn’t fly around the room. The quiet felt like a tomb. They wanted to hope for the best, but everyone knew they’d find her dead. Her GPS tracker apparently came loose while she got in with the perp. They found the device in the street where she’d walked.
She felt such rage build inside her, she didn’t know how to deal with it. She could only think about the day before, when Grace taught her to walk in those damned shoes, and how they’d talked about invincibility. How could she face the detective in a grotesque death scene?
She yearned to pound her fist against the wall, but like everyone present, she sat in desperate silence and longed for the phone to ring. They waited to do the job they’d been unable to do the night before. Find Grace and protect her.
When Trin sat down beside her, she whispered, “What about her cell phone? Did they locate a signal?”
“We’ve got nothing.”
His expression remained stern. She struggled with frustration and fear for her friend while she forced herself to remain motionless. Unable to hold it together, she got up and left the room to pace in the hallway outside the door. Several tears slowly made their way down her cheek. She quickly wiped them away. Her hand went to her mouth, and she bit her knuckle until it bled. Still she couldn’t find the release she craved.
She glanced up and saw Curtis Sampson get off the elevator. Son of a bitch. She needed to disappear fast before he saw her and figured out which case she was working. With their female detective gone, she couldn’t get thrown off. She must avenge Grace, even if she went around the police to do it.
She scooted into the restroom and hoped he hadn’t noticed her before she escaped inside. She cracked the door and peered through to scan the hallway.
Sampson looked around as if he’d lost something. Shit. He’d seen her. He’d know where to hunt for her in the future. She closed the door and put her back to it. He’d found the floor where she kept herself busy. It wouldn’t take him long to track her down.
She waited a few more seconds and made another sliver to peek through. She didn’t see him. She maneuvered herself and created a wider gap. He’d left.
She waited another beat or two and attempted to walk back into the hall. When she glimpsed a silhouette move, she retreated, this time into a stall. She sat down and put her feet up on the toilet paper dispenser. She heard the door and held her breath. A moment later, she heard Curtis shout from the hallway.
“Hey, Tulsa. I know you’re in here, and I intend to find out why the hell I continue to see you in this building.”
A woman’s voice answered. “Are you losin’ it? Ain’t nobody in here but me.” Water turned on, then off. Someone dried their hands and closed the door.
She didn’t know who the strange woman was, but she wanted to hug her after the lady covered for her.
She waited in silence for several more minutes before she finally took her post back by the door. Once she came out, she discovered Trin searching for her. She saw the mass exodus from their task force room.
“What happened to you?” he asked.
“I got caught up in something. What’s going on?”
“They found Officer Helston.” His somber expression confirmed what they’d found.
“Oh my God.” Oh my God. Her hands went to her face. She sobbed and shook her head no. She had fully expected they’d find her dead, but some part of her had still hoped for a miracle. And they didn’t get one.
Trin moved her gently to a place down the corridor away from the others. “Are you able to go to the crime scene?”
She nodded.
“Then we both need to pull it together. She’d want us to stay strong no matter how difficult the job.”
“You’re right. I know. But I just talked to her last night. How can she be gone? Just like that.”
“I don’t know. I’ve relived those few minutes many times. Five minutes sooner and Grace would still be alive. What matters is we must stop him before he gets another one. It’s the only way to come close to redemption for our failure.”
She wiped her eyes and grabbed his hand. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Paige and the guys pulled into the parking lot for the Slumber Inn. Paint peeled on the ancient blue motel. The last sight Grace saw was this dreary place, and she hated that. She dreaded getting out and going inside. But she grabbed the handle and threw her shoulder against the car door. She would stop this asshole. That would be the ultimate justice for Grace.
She saw the stiletto first. The shoe lay inside the door, near the end of the bed. She remembered Grace strutting around the room, teaching her to walk in them. As she entered the room, Grace’s foot appeared in her line of vision. Two more steps, and she saw the full view. Thank God, the woman lay face down, but the entire back of her head was a mess. A chunk of her skull was missing, and gray matter mixed with her hair. Bone protruded from the left arm in several places.
Others started into the room, and she glanced over at Buck. “You need to keep them out. Grace would hate for her fellow officers to see her this way. How about Trin, you, and me? I know one crime tech and the ME are required, but we should respect her privacy.”
“You don’t need to see this, guys. She looks bad. Let one tech in and the ME when he gets here.” Buck stared at her and nodded.
“Thank you. It’s bad enough we have to see her this way. I know you all will need to testify. If you don’t want me here, I understand. I want to do whatever I can. Does her father know, yet? She told me he works on the job.”
“I don’t know. LT will handle it, but her father does have connections. He may already know. He’ll go ballistic. She’s his only child.” Buck wiped at his nose and pulled his latex gloves on.
A tall brunette with a badge that read “Hailey” carried a case into the room. A camera hung from her neck. She set the container on the untouched bed and photographed the body and the room’s contents. The female technician lifted fingerprints, took blood samples, and did everything SID should do. The silence in the room suffocated.
She got Hailey’s attention and pointed to a bone fragment over by the wall and cigarette ashes close to Grace’s body. The tech retrieved the samples, but no one spoke unless strictly necessary.
After the other woman left, she hunted for excuses to stay until the ME examined the body and moved it to the morgue. She felt the need to stay close by and protect Grace. She didn’t want to let curious eye see her at her worst. Once they bagged the body, she knew what she had to do. No one would like it, but if nothing else, she’d get Josh to help her. They wouldn’t stop her this time.
She felt certain she could recognize the pickup. The old Ford was branded in her memory, and she knew the perp had dark hair. He wouldn’t come to the same corner tonight, but she could work another one. Josh worked with makeup people who could turn others into monsters. Thanks to Grace, she could walk like a pro.
As they followed the body to the ME’s transport, she took out her phone and dialed.
“Who are you calling?” Trin walked up beside her.
“Josh Stuart. He’ll know the best makeup artists in the business.”
“What do you think you need them for? You’re not going out there, Paige.”
“I’m free to spend my time however I see fit. I know the truck. He won’t catch me unaware like he did Grace, and the bottom line is you can’t legally stop me.”
“The last time you pulled this shit, Hank damned near died. Listen to me, you cannot do this.” Trin’s face turned red.
“Hey, Josh. I need a favor.” She turned and walked away from Trin to talk in private. “Do you know someone to make me over? I need them to turn me into a brunette with red lips. I need to work as a hooker for the evening.”
“Damn it. When do you get back on Ben’s case? I’ve let you go off on your own for days. What about him?” Josh’s voice raised in anger.
“Don’t you understand? This is about Ben’s case. It’s the only conclusion that makes sense. Whoever killed these women murdered our victim. It’s the only detail I can tell you, and I want your help.”
She walked back over to Trin and got in his SUV. He scowled at her. She’d never seen him mad before. This wasn’t good. She needed his support and the resources the FBI could bring to the case.
“Please don’t be mad at me. I will go out there tonight whether anyone goes with me or not, and I won’t stop until I get him. I’d prefer to take him in, but if it comes down to it, I’ll kill the son of a bitch. I will not let him slaughter another woman. I won’t.” She stared up at him.
Trin didn’t answer. He started the vehicle and pulled out onto the street. His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel while he drove them back to the PAB.
25
The sun reflected from the red Porsche that waited by the curve when Paige arrived back at the Police Administration Building. She saw Josh standing beside it, his face flushed with anger.
Trin looked from Josh to her and started in again. “Is that him? How will he protect you from yourself? I’m telling you, you can’t go out there without back up, and you can’t go with him. He’s an actor for God’s sake.”
“Then back me up. I trust you. We won’t catch this freak if we don’t trap him, and you know it.” She searched his expression hoping to see the answer she wanted.
“I know a lot of things, but it doesn’t change the fact you’re not experienced in this type of operation. You’re outside your jurisdiction. If Hank finds out . . . well, I can’t even think about that discussion. Assuming you survive this hair-brained idea of yours, Hank would kill us both.”
“Hank knows you do what you gotta do. You protect the public. I can recognize the truck. Only you and I saw it. You’re the wrong sex to bait the trap. I need to go, and you know it. End of discussion. I’m going.” She climbed out of the car and moved toward Josh.
“Damn you, Paige. You put me in the worst situations,” Trin called to her.
She turned and walked back toward him. “So, will you help?”
He nodded.
She leaned in the window of the passenger side. “What time shall I meet you to get wired and go over the specifics?”
“We have to let the LAPD in on it. I’ll talk to LT. If they won’t agree, I’ll call the FBI team. Unless I call you, let’s meet back here with the task force. We’ll go from there. Come back by six. We want time to prep. Nothing can go wrong. I’ll have Hank to deal with if it does, not to mention my superiors.”
“Bring in whoever you want.” She glanced down for a moment. “I need to do this. I couldn’t live with myself if I don’t. I have to get him for Grace. I have to.”
She turned and walked back to Josh. They both climbed into the Porsche and peeled out. At the light, Josh applied the brakes and turned to her. “Will you tell me what the hell has happened?”
“We lost our police detective last night. Our perp got her. I’m gonna kill this bastard. I need to go out there to get close to him. He likes brunettes with shoulder length hair, red lips, and trashy clothes. Know anyone who can help this afternoon?”
“I don’t think I like the idea. We’ll find a better way. The last one died, right?” He turned his head back to check the traffic light when it turned green.
“Yeah, but I saw the pickup. I’ll recognize him. He won’t catch me off guard like he did Grace.” Her hand trembled. She tucked it under her leg so Josh wouldn’t notice.
“Did you ever work on an operation like this before? Do you know what goes into it? You plan and you go over every option. For days you practice every detail and still something you never dreamed about pops up.”
“And how do you know so much about how to plan and practice? Who made you an expert?”
He paused for several seconds.
“I worked as a stuntman. It’s how I got my start in the business. Several materials we used could turn deadly.”
She recognized he’d considered carefully before he answered her. Though the answer made sense, he held something back he didn’t want anyone to know. She didn’t push him on it, and decided his mysteries had nothing to do with this case. Let him keep his secrets to himself. They wouldn’t affect the outcome for this night or the ones to follow.
They rode in silence toward I-10. Josh took the exit toward Century City and spoke for the first time in more than a dozen minutes. “You know everyone with half a brain hates this idea.”
“I know already,” she snapped.
“I’m sorry, but people care about you. We’re worried for your safety.”
“I’m worried for my safety too, but you didn’t know her. He took her, broke her, and left her like trash. Grace was not disposable. The detective mattered . . . mattered to me.” She turned her face away from him and attempted to watch the scenery, but her eyes, brimming with tears, couldn’t focus.
“I’m sorry. I know I haven’t known you long, but I don’t think I could get over it, if anything happened to you.”
“You’re the one who got me into . . .” She lost her thought when they pulled up in front of a small building off Santa Monica Boulevard. It looked like a regular garage with the house gone. Painted a bright lavender, the sign in hot pink read Brad’s Magic Hands. She questioned what the name implied. “Magic Hands?”
Josh laughed. “You wanted someone who can transform you into a whore. He’s your man. He worked on Heather Ballentine for several films. He also did work on two Planet of the Apes movies.” He got out and came around to the Carrera’s other side. “Come on. Brad’s a nut case, but he’s good.” He took her hand and helped her get out, but she still hesitated.
“I expected a woman for this job.”
“He’s gay, if that helps.”
“I don’t know what to say. How would that help?”
“I’m saying you can think about him like one of the girls. He’s not interested in your business.” He grinned and tugged her toward the building.
“You know, we talked to her makeup man on the Ballentine case. It might have been him.”
“Probably was. He worked her last film.” Josh paused and turned to face her. “He talks a mile a minute to everyone, so you need to watch what you say around him. He can’t help it. It’s part of his DNA. If he hears anything, it could headline the tabloids tomorrow.”
“Good to know.” She nodded slowly.
Once they opened the door, she entered a world unlike anything she’d ever seen. The walls were lined with shelves, which held wigs, masks, accessories, and everything imaginable. At the far side, several hairdressing stations sat ready for use. She didn’t know where to gaze first until the black stilettos grabbed her attention. One lay discarded beside the other, perfectly lined up with the edge of the shelf. She couldn’t stop her mind. It went there. Grace before, Grace after.
A tall muscular man came around the side from a curtained area. He filled out his T-shirt and jeans in the right places, but when he greeted them, she understood he’d never take any woman for a lover. Her mind went back to Grace before, Grace after. The shoes mesmerized her while she stared at them.
“Hey, Josh. How’s it hangin’?”
“This hot lady needs to turn into a working girl ASAP. You got time to help us out? It’s an emergency.”
Brad motioned for her to do a turnabout. She obliged. He motioned for her to keep at it. She continued to twirl. He put his arm down, and she stopped to face him.
“She’s a stunner all right. What particular type? Give me the specifics.”
“Brunette hair, cover the shoulders, red lips, a little darker complexion, and clothes to show off her stunning figure,” Josh said.
“It’s a sin to cover her hair. Does our guy favor school girls, nurses, or what?”
Josh frowned. His shrug implied he didn’t know.
“You must have a role in mind. What’s the character in the script into? It’ll help me give you what you need.”
“Street walker. Trashy,” she finally said.
“Okay. I can work with that.” He put his thumb under his chin, his forefinger along the line of his jaw, and stared at her for a full minute. “Okay.” He nodded, turned, and walked behind the curtain.
Grace before, Grace after. The shoes still kept her attention.
She heard various items being thrown around and searched through.
“I’ll only take a minute,” Brad called to them. Several minutes later, he came out and carried a fake head with a long black hairpiece.
“I didn’t get a chance to organize everything after I repainted, but this is the one I need for our hooker. Her blue eyes are heavenly, but do we need to make them brown?”
“We can’t take time to let her eyes adjust to contacts. I need her in front of a camera tonight. I don’t want them to blink or water.”
“Yeah, with the heavy makeup, it could make a mess on my gorgeous work.” Brad studied her again. “With the right shadow and liner, he’ll never notice the aquamarine color.”
She pulled her cell phone out from her pocket and checked the time. “We need to get a move on. We’ve got a six o’clock deadline back downtown.”
Brad looked aghast and stared at Josh. “You want miracles with no time to produce them. I’m not the fairy godmother.”
“I told you I had an emergency.” Josh shrugged.
Brad grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind the curtain. “Okay lose the bra. A hooker’s tits would never be so bound. The straitjacket needs to go.”
She glared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Not with these.” She’d never gone anywhere without her bra since her first one at twelve years old.
“You want this guy to pay you for a roll in the sheets, you need to convince him. Give a little preview. Show off the merchandise. You’ve got to be the part.”
“Shit,” she mumbled and motioned for him to turn around.
