Sagittarius (Zodiac Killers Book 13), page 15
“What’s the matter? I thought it was a nice idea.” She gave him a nudge and then rolled away from him to the edge of the bed.
“It’s perfect, but I want it now.”
“You’re so spoiled. I’ve ruined you. But I can’t stay. I have to drive in solo. I have to go and sign a release for Lane’s body.”
“I wondered if it was released yet,” Darek said.
“With the amount of evidence, I had to look over everything one last time. That’s part of what I did last night online. Cobb emailed me my work.”
“Well, that’s nice of him,” Darek said. “You want to talk about spoiled again? I think that old man is sweet on you.”
“He’s not sweet on me. So don’t get all jealous and weird.” She rolled her eyes, and Darek liked it when they played. “The next thing you know, you’ll be accusing me and Reed of having an affair.” She giggled as Darek made a face. “Oh, come on, he’s not that bad. He is like a father to me, so I could call him Daddy.”
Darek got to his feet and shook his head as he walked into the bathroom. “You’re weird.”
He finished his morning rituals and was soon ready to go. He walked her to her car and kissed her goodbye. He decided to call Bay again on his way to work. Surely, everything was okay.
He didn’t begin to worry until he and Lizzy both made it to the office. “I need to run out and check on Bay today. I haven’t heard from him in a while.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” said Lizzy, dismissively.
He shook his head. If Raven was the killer, which still blew his mind to think about, she could be going after Bay. “Probably, but I’m still going to check up on him.”
“Okay, but I wouldn’t worry,” Lizzy said. “He’s probably just lying low, with his wife pregnant and all.”
Darek let it go, and they did a little paperwork. Before long, Lizzy got a phone call. When she was done, she got up with her keys. “I have to go down and sign those papers, and then I’m going to head on over to see Reed.”
“Okay, partner. I’ll be right here for another hour, and then I’m going to go down and see my mom.” He was also going to talk to the man who had seen someone at the home.
“I’ll see you later, and if not, then tonight. I look forward to our time together.” She blew him a kiss and then headed out, peeking over her shoulder for one last smile as she walked out the door.
She was incredible.
He let out a long breath and looked at his phone, where he pulled up a photo of Raven. Had the woman been that convincing? He was still sick over it. He hoped that the man could shed some light on the subject.
“Excuse me,” said a quiet, but thick voice.
Rose Marie, Bay’s nanny who had lived with him since the day he was born, stood in the doorway.
“Hello, can I help you?” He held his breath for what would come next.
“I’m Rose Marie. Do you remember me?” She came closer, and Darek got up and offered her a seat.
He had only seen the woman on a couple of occasions, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting her formally. “Yes, ma’am. Is Bay okay? I’ve been trying to call him.”
“I’m afraid not. I waited until morning because I didn’t have your number, but I haven’t seen Bay in a couple of days. I didn’t have cause to worry, you see, because I could still feel him on this earth.”
“And now? Why have you come?”
“It was last night that I stopped feeling him,” she said. “His energy just vanished, and it was like all of the air was sucked out of the room. Lila cried out at that very moment. She said the baby kicked her very hard. I knew that he was gone.”
“So you think that means he’s dead?” Darek asked.
The old woman’s eyes filled with tears. “I know that he’s gone. And now, I am just following his wishes.”
Darek had always wondered if there was anything to Bay’s claims of the woman being some kind of powerful witch or priestess. He had certainly believed it. “And what is that?”
“He came to me a few days ago and asked me to keep this for him. He said that if something happened to him, for me to bring this to you.”
“What is it?” Darek eyed the large envelope.
She put the envelope on the table and pushed it toward Darek. “It’s the killer you’ve been trying to find. He said it cost his friend his eyes. That you’d know what that meant.”
Darek took the photo. “Did he say where this came from?” He opened the envelope and reached inside.
“Just that Lane’s research had found the girl’s sister. You know, Emily Johnson’s sister?”
Darek turned the photograph over to see the front, and as soon as his eyes landed on the image, he almost threw up. “This is Emily’s sister?” His heart began to beat nearly out of his chest.
“That’s what Bay said was sent to his office. He left the details in a note.” She pushed her chair back and got to her feet. “Please call me when you find him.”
Darek was too busy staring down at the image of Lizzy to respond as Rose Marie left the room. The envelope still had something in it, and that was a brief message from the attorney, as well as a note from Bay.
Darek,
Our boy Lane was hot on the heels of this killer in only a matter of days, and I guess you can see now it’s because Lizzy has been manipulating the evidence all along. Sound familiar? If you are reading this, then that means Rose Marie has been to see you. Not only am I dead, but I failed at my mission, which was to get Lizzy before she got me. She’s been onto us all along, and I guess you can see it all now in hindsight, and why she was the perfect person to team up with Max.
If I am gone, then at least I left with the peace of mind that she didn’t get to Lila and my child. I knew if I wanted to keep them safe, I’d have to go to Lizzy and convince her that not only did I figure her out, but that I didn’t love anyone on this earth more than I loved myself. I didn’t think it would be that hard. So, now it’s up to you. Don’t let your broken heart cloud your judgment. Take that bitch out. There is a dark goddess worth fighting for.
Godspeed, my friend,
Scorpio.
Darek eased back in his seat, still shocked, but knowing full well what he had to do.
Chapter 24
Darek
He sat frozen in his chair with the letter in his hands while everything started to fall into place. This was why his case kept falling apart? This was why Lizzy had yet to give up on him and why she didn’t want another agent on the case.
He felt sick to his stomach, but he choked back the bile. His pain turned to anger when he realized that Lizzy was the tall brunette the old man had seen going into his mother’s room. The photograph was no lie, and that truly was the image of Emily’s sister, a young Lizzy, long before she’d ever become an FBI agent.
She had never really talked about her past, and now he knew why. She had studied her sister’s case with Robert, and that was why she lived so close to the fucking crime scene.
His blood boiled when he finally admitted that she had lied about her little visit to Reed’s office. That was where she had supposedly been, but that was why Reed stormed in the next day acting like she’d never been there. Because she never had.
Darek got to his feet. “She’s not there now!” He hurried out of the office and called Carla at the hospital.
“Well, hey there, Darek. I was just telling your mother about you coming by last night.”
“Is she awake?” He was hopeful but figured he’d have gotten a call about it.
Carla laughed. “No, but I still talk to her. What do you need?”
“Has anyone been by to see my mother?” He hoped that Lizzy wasn’t stupid enough to target his mother again.
“Not today. Why?” Her voice was filled with concern.
Darek breathed a sigh of relief. “Call security. Ask them to come up, and tell them I said so. I can’t get there in time, but do not let anyone in that room! Not until you hear from me.”
“I understand,” she said. “No one but you?”
“Not even if it’s my girlfriend. She’s not allowed.” Darek was already on his way out of the office.
“Don’t you worry none about your mama. Ain’t no one getting in this room. I’ll make sure that security comes.” Darek heard the nurse’s alarm through the phone. “That’ll get someone here.”
“Good thinking, Carla. Thank you. I have to go.” He hung up the phone, knowing that Carla wouldn’t let him down and that she’d keep his mother safe. There was just one more person who he had to check on.
He hurried to the car and drove away from the station like a bat out of hell. He got his phone and looked at it a moment before he could decide what to do. Calling Raven could be a huge mistake, and while he was on his way to her as fast as he could manage, he knew it might be better to call Lizzy and act natural. He could play it smooth, and then it wouldn’t put Raven in any more danger.
He hit the send button, holding his breath. He hoped it was just a false alarm and that he’d be able to get to Raven’s and get her to safety. “Fuck!” Darek thought of Noah. “What a fucking nightmare.”
He knew in his heart of hearts that Raven had already gotten Noah. With any luck, they wouldn’t be at the hotel anymore.
He still had to get there. He passed two cars and then zipped in and out of traffic, taking the exit to the Imperial Hotel where Raven was most likely still registered. He felt his blood pumping as he raced down the street and took the next right into the Imperial parking lot. Darek didn’t wait to park his car. He drove up to the front entrance, and before he even had his turn in line, he got out of the car and yelled to the attendant. “NYPD! Park it!” He ran into the elevator, cutting off a few people in the process and keeping his eyes peeled for Lizzy or Raven.
He couldn’t believe it had come down to this. The two women he cared most about. He stood in the elevator with his hand on the wall, shaking like a leaf. The fucking thing could not move fast enough, and it made two stops that nearly had him jumping out and heading to the stairs.
When the doors finally opened on Raven’s floor, he took off like a shot and hurried to Raven’s room. God, please let her still be here. He tried the knob, not expecting it when it opened, and there stood Lizzy with a gun in Raven’s face.
“You just had to be the hero, didn’t you?” Lizzy asked, not seeming terribly surprised. “Bay said you were that way. I didn’t want to believe him. But then, he told me something else about you too. That you loved her.” She pushed the gun into Raven’s cheek.
Raven glared at Darek but knew better than to utter a word.
Darek shook his head. “But that’s not true, Lizzy. I love you. Raven is my past, but you’re my future. I told you I want to marry you, Lizzy. We could have a great life together.” He knew he had to do like Bay and be convincing. He had to watch his actions, and hopefully, he could get the gun from her and turn this situation around.
“You’re a liar,” Lizzy said. “You knew just where to find me. And so, I can’t help but think you’re full of shit.”
Cursing wasn’t Lizzy’s thing, although he didn’t know why it stuck out at that particular moment. “Look, just put the gun down, and we’ll talk. You don’t want to hurt her. I know you don’t.” He saw Raven’s eyes turn to the side as if she were signaling him. He looked over to see a small pair of sneakers on the floor, and his heart sank. She wanted him to know that Noah was in the hotel suite. But where?
“Baby, let’s talk,” he said. “We can leave Raven out of it. She’s got other responsibilities now, and you know Noah needs her. I don’t.”
Lizzy shook her head. “You might think you can sweet talk my sister, Darek, but you should know that I’m not going to be so easy to convince. I don’t love you. I hate you, and I’ve told Lizzy all about what you and the others did to me. I helped her find the answers, and now it’s time to pay.”
Darek didn’t know what to say, but something was definitely wrong with Lizzy. “Who are you?”
“Like you don’t know. You and your little Zodiacs. Did you ever tell Raven the whole story? I think you should.”
“She doesn’t want to hear it,” Darek said.
“I think she needs to. I want it to be the last impression she has of you. She should know the truth about you and all of those other men she fucked.”
Raven closed her eyes. Darek knew he was going to have to confess. “It’s fine. I’ll tell her. I did something horrible to Lizzy’s sister, Emily. I cut her up. I—”
“You killed me!” said Lizzy.
Darek realized that Lizzy’s trauma must have her confused. Being someone who could relate, he knew he had to play along. “I’m sorry, Emily. I tried to back out, but Bay wouldn’t let me. He said I had to carry out the plan. He made me cut you, and I should have been stronger. I should have stood up for us both, but I didn’t. I was a coward. Instead, I waited until the others went to clean up. I knew I had to help you, so I carried you through the woods. I had hoped to leave you where someone would find you and call for help, but you died. You died in the woods, Emily. I am so sorry. I tried to help you. I tried to make it right.”
Suddenly, Lizzy had tears in her eyes. “Bay said you tried to save her. We didn’t want to believe him.”
“How long has Emily been with you?” Darek asked.
“She comes and goes, but I tried to tell her that you aren’t bad. That you wanted to help her. I wanted to punish you, but I didn’t want us to hurt you. She said we have to, though. And that this is the way.”
“Lizzy, you know that this isn’t the way.”
“You killed Max, and so Emily had to come out and help me. She wanted to mess with your meds. She wanted to make you think that you’re crazy.”
“Let Raven go,” Darek said. “She’s not in this. This is about us, baby. It’s always been us. I still want to marry you, and we can get help together and put this behind us.”
Lizzy’s face fell. She grabbed Raven’s hair and attempted to throw her to the floor. Raven kicked out her leg, and the gun was knocked from Lizzy’s hand.
Darek moved in fast to get it, pulling his own gun in the process, but Lizzy was faster. She found the gun and trained it on Darek.
“And here I thought you loved me,” she said, her voice more like her own than it had ever been. “You were just trying to fool me, weren’t you? You never had any intention of being with me.”
“I did. I do. I meant what I said, Lizzy. I love you. I have always loved you more. Come on, look at her. She’s nothing but a pale comparison to you. I tried to get the gun because I don’t want you to get in trouble. We can blame Bay for all of this. Raven hates him too, and she won’t tell. She’ll have the kid to take care of. It can just be you and me.”
Lizzy shook her head. “Emily will never let that happen.”
Darek shook his head. “Emily doesn’t control you, Lizzy.”
She began to laugh. “If you think that, you haven’t been paying attention.” Suddenly, she spun around, aiming in Raven’s direction.
“Don’t do it, Lizzy! This isn’t you; it’s Emily. You’re not like this.”
She turned her head and glared at him. “You don’t know how wrong you are. I do like it. Do you have any idea how fucked up my life was when Emily died? She was my savior. She had kept my father’s dirty hands from me, and she had taken the place of my mother in my life. And when you killed her, I had nothing.”
“I’m so sorry, Lizzy,” Darek said. “Let me make it up to you. Give me a chance to save you like I couldn’t save Emily.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Of course, you can,” he said. “It’s me and you. I love you. You, Lizzy. Always.” Darek put his gun down and held his hands up. “Trust me.” He held out his hand and hoped that Raven would hear his words. “You can always trust me, baby.”
Lizzy smiled, and it seemed as though she was about to give up. But when she made her move, it was exactly what Darek expected. She turned the gun on herself, and when the trigger pulled, he turned his head to look away.
Raven screamed as Lizzy’s brains hit the wall, and Darek rushed forward to hold her as Lizzy’s body hit the floor.
“It’s okay,” he said. “She’s dead. She’s dead.” He closed his eyes and held Raven, but then she scrambled to her feet.
“Noah!” She ran to the adjoining room, and Darek followed, seeing the little one still sleeping peacefully.
“You knew what she would do, didn’t you?” Raven asked.
“Yeah, I knew,” Darek said. “She wanted to punish me by killing the person I love the most. All I had to do was convince her that I loved her more than I love you.”
Noah stirred, and Raven ran to his side. “It’s okay, little one.”
“Darek?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
Darek felt an insane surge of relief that he had gotten there when he did. As he looked at the two of them, he realized that his heart had been with them all along. He moved closer and put his hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Get a blanket, cover him up, and get him out of here. I’ll handle this. I don’t want you involved. I’ll call this in, and I’ll handle everything.”
Raven nodded. “Okay.” She grabbed hold of his hand. “I knew you were talking to me. You always did call me baby.”
Darek pulled her close and kissed her head. He had tried to convince himself that Lizzy was the one, knowing all along that he had a love for Raven that he couldn’t explain or deny. Where things would go from there, he didn’t know. But at least the nightmare was over.
Epilogue
Darek
“I don’t know why you encourage him,” said Raven as Darek chased Noah around their living room, trying to get a beach ball that they were taking to the park. He had been chasing the kid for half an hour and was nearly out of breath.
“Cause he’s a glutton for punishment,” said Noah. “You’ll never catch me.”
