Cold as Ice, page 33
Allan nodded. “I’ll call for an officer to stand guard.”
“And I’ll call the boss and have him assign someone to follow Gleeson, assuming he’s at home.” Signy was furious with herself. Talking to Corinne Brown had been the top of her list this morning but she should have gotten hold of the woman yesterday.
“Signy.”
She looked up at Eban, expecting censure, seeing only understanding.
“It’s a mistake any one of us could have made.”
She pinched her lips and looked away. “I feel like the guy has been playing me from the start.”
Eban nodded. “We’ll get him. Let’s not make any mistakes and make sure he goes away for a very long time.”
“Damn right.” She made the phone call to her boss who wasn’t even in the office yet. He sounded excited by this break in the case and promised he’d send one of their narcotics guys who was experienced at undercover stakeouts to watch Gleeson’s house. She was grateful it wasn’t one of the other two detectives. Either one of them would have arrested Gleeson and, on paper, it would be their collar.
Signy wanted this arrest. She wanted to question this latest victim and confirm it was Gleeson who’d attacked her. She hoped to hell Corinne remembered more than Darby O’Roarke did when she woke up.
* * *
Eban slammed the truck door closed and followed Signy down an alley in one of the poorer neighborhoods in Fairbanks.
Despite the wind and snow, he noticed nothing really closed down inside the city limits. The plows kept the roads clear, and people seemed to carry on business as usual.
“This is where the medics said they picked her up. Someone called it in, but I don’t have their name yet. I’ll get it off the dispatcher.”
Eban waited while she did so. He looked up at the surrounding houses, but no one was outside. It was too cold to even make snowmen in this frigid wasteland.
The wind peppered snow in his face and it was difficult to see as he and Signy walked slowly along the lane at the back of some houses. A dog barked furiously, chained up in its yard.
“What’s that?” Eban noticed a splash of dirty-red on the ground.
“Could be blood.”
They followed a fast-disappearing trail through an open garden gate. A bloody handprint sealed the deal they were in the right place.
“Do you think he thought she was dead and left?” asked Signy.
A shiver rippled down Eban’s spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. “I don’t know. What do we know about this address?”
Signy radioed in a request for more information as he edged along a path beside a garage. No effort had been made to clear the recent snowfall and he avoided treading in any footprints or blood drops as he made his way past the garage. The house was a neat 1950s bungalow, white with yellow trim.
“Property belongs to a woman called Debbie Abbot. No known priors.”
Eban pulled his weapon as he followed the blood all the way to the back door of the property. “Any known connection to Gleeson or Brown?”
“Nothing that pops at first glance.”
They had reasonable cause to suppose a crime had been committed and it was possible there were other victims inside.
“Want to wait for backup?” he asked the detective.
She shook her head. “We have units on the way but there could be other people in this house who might be in danger. We can’t risk waiting.”
He nodded. Human life always beat anything else and, given this killer’s reputation, it was plausible Debbie Abbot could still be alive inside—unless Debbie was the killer, or in league with Gleeson…
He couldn’t afford to assume anything until all the facts were known. He used the edge of his gloves to open the screen door with as little contact as possible. Then he held it open with his boot. He did the same with the main door, checking it and finding it unlocked. He exchanged a look with Signy who nodded. Ready. They had to move fast as soon as they opened the door, clear the fatal funnel where it was easy for a potential gunman to blast them to hell.
He went first with Signy on his heel. She kept her gun pointed at the floor until she was inside moving to the opposite corner from him.
They’d entered via a small kitchen. Blood smeared the table, a kitchen chair, the vinyl tile on the floor. He and the detective did their best to avoid stepping in the body fluids but there was a lot of it. Damn.
His mouth went dry. To think the killer wanted to do this to Darby. Eban needed so badly to nail this fucker so they could all go back to living their lives.
He led the way into a sunken lounge and they cleared each room on that level. Everything looked neat and tidy. No sign of anyone else on the property.
They hit the basement. Again. Empty.
“Where the hell is Debbie Abbot?” Signy asked.
“Do you know what vehicle she drives?” Eban asked.
Signy once again requested information. “She owns a silver sedan.” She reeled off the make and model and tag number.
“Let’s clear out for crime scene techs. And check the garage for the vehicle before we head back to the police station.” It would be at least an hour until Corinne was out of surgery and longer until she could be questioned. No point waiting at the hospital when they could spend the time working on the case.
They left the premises, careful not to touch anything unless they had to. The uniforms were waiting for them outside.
“House is clear. Wait here for the Evidence Techs, would you?” Signy asked. “Avoid treading on anything. These are the tracks and blood trail we want preserved.” She pointed at the one set along with the dripping blood. “These tracks belong to myself and Agent Winters.”
Eban retraced his steps and headed toward the garage. He tried the door with his gloved hand, weapon raised, Signy at his back.
The air inside the outbuilding was just as frigid as outside but at least they were sheltered from the wind. A silver sedan sat on the concrete pad. Debbie Abbot’s car.
The hairs on the back of Eban’s neck rose. They checked the space, making sure no one was hiding behind the stored garden furniture or empty plant pots.
Nothing.
He looked back at the car as Signy peered inside the windows. “Empty.”
“Let’s check the trunk.” Eban covered the detective while she opened it. They both recoiled at what they saw. A woman, probably in her late thirties, lay frozen inside. She’d been stabbed in the chest, right through the heart. Blood coated the front of her white shirt. Her skin was gray, eyes frozen into lifelessness, but she was perfectly preserved. Who knew how long she’d been dead?
Eban turned away and released a long pent-up breath. “Debbie Abbot?”
Signy checked her phone and pulled up a photo of her. “Looks like her. Damn. I just figured out where I heard the name before.”
Eban jerked his chin in silent question.
“Debbie Abbot was Kim Gleeson’s first receptionist. The woman who ‘quit’ without notice.”
Eban grunted. “I am beginning to see a pattern. Let’s bring him in for questioning and see where we are on all the other evidence. We need to link him to the other crime scenes. Bring the wife in for questioning as well.”
“You think she knew what was going on?”
Eban shrugged. He couldn’t imagine living with someone, sleeping with someone and not suspecting. “I don’t want her providing him with an alibi. Let’s collect the evidence. If he’s the killer and Locard’s principle is correct, we’ll find trace evidence that connects him to the murders.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Darby had spent two hours going through images with an officer and writing down names of people she knew and suggesting who to ask for names of the those she didn’t. Fewer photos had been taken later in the evening. The event had been winding down and the novelty of the dances and pipers and haggis had worn off. She’d exhaustively examined what they had. It was difficult to believe someone in that room, where the atmosphere had been one of joviality and fun, was a heartless murderer.
Now, with all the human activity going on, it was proving difficult to focus on volcanology on this not-so-fine Friday morning. Had this victim survived? Had they named their attacker or was their memory a blank slate like hers?
Usually, the latest data from her volcano, or any activity of the fifty-plus volcanoes monitored by US Geological Service was enough to keep her interest. But the earth’s crust was boringly benign today and nothing was even hinting at anything out of the norm except for Kīlauea which had been erupting almost constantly since 1983.
Her phone rang. She checked the number and braced herself.
“Yes.”
“Darby.” It was Jacqui.
“Yes.” There was a long silence which Darby leaned into. She’d learned from Eban all about the power of silence and refused to be the first to speak.
“I’m so fucking sorry.”
Darby still didn’t say anything. Only now it wasn’t a ploy or a punishment. She wasn’t sure what to say to this woman who’d she’d thought was her friend. On one hand she understood Jacqui’s reaction, especially when she herself had been so uncertain as to what had happened when she first discovered Martin’s body. On the other hand, the betrayal hurt. It stung more than the knife that had sliced her throat.
“I’m sorry for getting Professor Nilsson when you came in on Wednesday night. I just, he just… He’d told us to tell him if we saw you and I was so upset about Martin I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“I understand,” Darby said woodenly. Though Jacqui happily broke the rules if it suited her.
“Anyway, I wanted to tell you that Davis, Stef, Mohammed, Lenny and I, have created a website supporting you. We created another one honoring Martin, but we didn’t want to mix up the two messages. We didn’t want people arguing on Martin’s page, so Mohammed designed two. Our aim is to get the student body and faculty behind you, so you don’t need to worry about being ambushed when you come back to campus.”
It felt as if she’d been gone from the Institute for a million years. The idea of going back seemed foreign and strange.
She managed to scratch out, “I appreciate that.”
“Davis told me to tell you that he and Stef will walk you to and from your door and accompany you wherever you need to go. You don’t need to be worried about someone attacking you. We might not be FBI, but we are fierce.”
She was supposed to laugh but it wasn’t even remotely funny. And the realization that Eban would be gone soon gouged at her stomach. They hadn’t discussed what might happen next and the idea of him leaving hit her like a blow. She didn’t want him to go.
Loneliness rose inside her at the thought. Before she’d made do with video calls and text messages because it was all she thought she’d ever have. Now she realized how much she was missing out from being in his life…
But maybe he preferred the idea of long distance.
He’d said he wanted a family but hadn’t said when or if he might want one with her. She’d always wanted kids eventually, but not yet. Right now, all she’d thought about was getting her doctorate. She hadn’t given much thought to her life after that. What did she want?
She wanted everything, she realized. She was greedy and she wanted the whole shebang. Career, husband, babies—love.
“Darby? Are you there?”
Darby snapped out of her wandering thoughts. “Yeah, I’m here. Look, I appreciate you trying to help. And tell Davis and Stef that I might take them up on their offer, but we are not stopping at every bar we pass between work and home.”
Home.
It didn’t feel like home anymore.
It felt like a place to keep her stuff.
Eban felt like home.
They needed to talk. See if they could work out a plan to be closer than four thousand miles. Her heart had finally found its mate and the last thing she wanted was to lose him.
* * *
Eban sat beside Signy in the front passenger seat of her four-wheel drive and watched the front door of the building where Gleeson had recently finished lecturing to a few hundred psychology students. Adrenaline buzzed through Eban’s bloodstream. Takedowns never got old.
Knowing this killer’s predilection for knives, they both wore Kevlar.
“He’s leaving his office. Has his coat on and is carrying what looks like a laptop bag.” The information came over the radio. They had unmarked units set up ready to block the roads if Gleeson managed to escape. One man inside. Two posted in another vehicle nearer the entrance. The plan was to wait until Gleeson was almost at his car before Eban and Torgerson apprehended him.
“He’s leaving the building.” The radio crackled.
They watched Gleeson hurry across the campus, head down, keeping his face out of the gusty wind that had died down a little overnight. Thankfully, there wasn’t anyone else nearby.
“Ready?” Eban asked.
Signy nodded and they both got out of the vehicle, drawing their weapons. They split up, approaching Gleeson from different sides.
“Police!” Signy shouted. “Show me your hands.”
Gleeson swung around in surprise then seemed to realize she was addressing him.
He came to a standstill and his eyes widened.
“Show me your hands. Hands in the air. Show me your hands now!”
Confusion was followed by fear as he raised both hands.
“Put the bag on the ground. Slowly.”
“What’s going on?”
“Do as I say.”
Gleeson leaned forward, never taking his gaze off them and placed his computer bag on the snow. Eban looked for some sign of guilt, some sort of acknowledgment as to why they were here, but all he saw was confusion.
“Take three steps to your right. Down on your knees. Hands on your head.”
Eban covered Signy as she slapped handcuffs on the guy and read him his rights. He pulled Gleeson to his feet and marched him to the rear of a patrol car that had sped over to act as backup. Eban helped him into the back seat and slammed the door. He picked up the laptop case and put it in a large evidence bag and placed it in Signy’s trunk.
Was this their killer? He held Gleeson’s gaze as the man was driven past him to the police station for questioning. He’d texted Darby ten minutes ago and told her to grab tea and use the facilities and then stay in the conference room until he told her otherwise.
She’d sent him a thumbs up which he assumed meant she’d comply.
“You don’t look convinced he’s our guy,” Signy noted, staring after the patrol car.
He sent her a tight smile. “I’ll feel better when he confesses, or we find convincing evidence.”
“Want to help me question him?”
“Are you asking me?” asked Eban.
Signy huffed out a laugh as they climbed back in her car. “Yes. I’m asking for your input to help get a confession out of this guy.”
“I’d be happy to help.” Eban’s lips were chapped from the cold. He didn’t know how people dealt with these extreme lows for months on end. “You have officers searching his home and offices?”
She nodded. “As soon as we picked him up the warrants were executed simultaneously. Wife has hopefully also been detained.”
Eban held his gloved hands against the heater as she turned on the engine.
“Catalogue everything.”
“They will.” She cleared her throat. “It was a good reminder, you turning up.”
“Reminder?”
“Not to make assumptions.”
Eban pulled a face. “Let’s keep an open mind with this guy too…”
Signy blinked at him in surprise. “Wow. It wasn’t only because Darby is your girlfriend then?”
The side of his mouth twitched in acknowledgement. “I try to do the job right regardless of personal feelings.”
“What would you have done if she’d been guilty?”
“She’d never have hurt anyone that way.”
“Not even in self-defense?” Signy pushed.
He exhaled heavily, his breath forming a cloud of vapor inside the car. “If she’d killed someone in self-defense, I’d have understood and helped her get through it.” He scrubbed his hand over the scruff on his jaw. He didn’t want to think about what Darby had been accused of. He needed a shave. He needed to make sure she was safe. “She’s been through hell this last year.”
“You gonna make it up to her?” Signy looked both ways before carefully pulling on to the main road. “Or are you going to break her heart?”
“What do you think?”
Signy gave a bitter laugh. “Don’t ask me. The last fairy tale I believed in dumped me with a toddler and a heap of debt so he could join the Army.”
“I didn’t know you had a kid.”
“Yeah.” Her eyes lit up. “Fifteen-year-old boy. Straight-A student and an all-round great human being.”
He looked at her a little differently suddenly. He knew how difficult being a single parent must be. “You didn’t remarry?”
“Hell, no. I already met the love of my life. He’s at home probably still in bed and is the single best thing to ever happen to me.” She blinked away what looked like tears. The stern detective was emotional putty when talking about her son.
He wanted that.
He craved that.
Wondered what the hell he’d do if Darby wasn’t interested in anything serious, and how, regardless of her feelings about family, he’d ever leave her four thousand miles behind. The thought was like a hole in the heart.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Eban sat with Detective Torgerson across from Kim Gleeson and his lawyer in the same interview room he’d watched Signy grill Darby a couple of short days ago.
It was dark outside now. The cops had spent the scant daylight hours searching Gleeson’s home and offices, while another team processed the Debbie Abbot death scene. It had taken a court order for Gleeson to submit to providing a DNA sample, but they had one now and it had been sent off to the lab to be compared to all the other samples and crime scenes.
