Sagittarius (Zodiac Killers Book 13), page 3
“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “We have to get down to see Max.”
“Just how I wanted the fucking day to end,” said Darek. Strangely enough, it was the truth.
Chapter 4
Darek
Max’s body had already been taken to the morgue by the time Darek and Lizzy made it down to the crime scene. While the entire unit was on lockdown, the guards had already processed the scene so it could be cleaned up.
With nothing to do but wait, Lizzy and Darek parted ways, and he went home.
As he walked inside, he made a beeline to the silverware drawer. The thing was a mess. Forks, knives, and spoons were all tossed together with whatever else managed to make it into the drawer. They had all lived perfectly fine in the drawer without judgment, until now. Megan had kept their set all in order, resting in their little designated trays and stacked neatly according to size. But Darek had never taken the time. He didn’t even bother buying an organizer when his ex-wife took the old one.
He took the drawer out and brought it to the bar where he dumped it out. He pulled the spoons out, big ones and little ones, and stacked them together as he tossed the bigger ones aside. The one that had been used on Lane was a smaller one.
How big had the set been? He had bought two sets of four, not wanting to wash them as often. “One, two, three, four, five.” He ran to the sink, where he found the two dirty spoons which he’d used to stir coffee and eat cereal. “Six and seven. Fuck.” He looked back to the stack and counted them again. “Goddammit.”
The damned spoon was his.
The lab techs would identify it, and he had to assume the spoon would link back to him. Otherwise, why use a spoon from his house?
Darek had to think. The killer had gotten in somehow, and his mind went to the two women who had been in his home. “No, fuck that. Bay can’t be right about her.”
He didn’t want to believe it, but he knew it wasn’t him or Lizzy, and there had been no sign of a break in. Although he hadn’t really checked.
He walked to the back door and found everything intact, and then he began checking windows, running from room to room just to make sure that each window was still secure. The killer had gone into Nona’s through the window, so there was a chance that they’d done the same to him to get the spoon. He held his breath, hoping that he’d find a clue that someone else could have been in his house.
He checked everything and found no signs of forced entry. He sank into a living room chair and scrubbed his face with his hands. A feeling of hopelessness overcame him. If the killer hadn’t broken in, they must have gotten in some other way.
Raven had a key to his place.
He’d changed the locks after Megan left, and only Raven and Lizzy had ever had a key. Bay had been right all along. Raven was Max’s partner. Darek felt like such a fucking idiot. Raven had seemed so genuine, but she’d been playing him the whole time. She had been playing all the Zodiacs.
He shook his head. Fuck that. I refuse to believe it. What sucked most about the situation was that he still loved her.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had cared about Max, too, but that didn’t change the fact that his ex-partner had murdered his old friends. Caring about someone didn’t mean they weren’t capable of horrible things.
Lizzy had always been the better choice for Darek. Lizzy hadn’t abandoned him, and she’d taken risks with him. She was his future. The rest of this was a fucking nightmare, and he hoped it would be over soon.
Suddenly, he heard a noise outside and a knock at the door. He got up to answer it, and he heard the rattle of keys and Lizzy’s voice. “Darek, it’s me.”
He remembered the scattered silverware on his counter and made a break for the kitchen. He raked everything back into the drawer as the front door creaked open.
“Darek?” Lizzy called.
He shoved the drawer back in place, and the rattling made an awful noise. He called to her to try to cover up the sound. “I’m in the kitchen.”
He didn’t want her to come anywhere near his fucking drawer.
“Hey, have you eaten?” she asked, rustling a couple of bags before she put them on the counter.
He smiled at her, trying not to look suspicious. “No, I was just looking for something to eat.”
“Oh, well, I guess I have perfect timing then,” she said, taking cartons of his favorite takeout food from the bags.
“I’ll get the silverware,” he said, knowing he couldn’t let Lizzy see the mess he’d left.
“No need. I got plastic. It’s easier than doing dishes.” She grabbed one of the containers and a plastic fork and headed to the living room, where they usually ate.
Darek breathed a sigh of relief and got his food and a couple of drinks from the fridge before joining her. “Thanks for this. I thought you were going home.” He placed her soda in front of her.
She shrugged. “I was worried about you. You haven’t been yourself. I know it’s to be expected with everything going on, but you’re forgetting things. Are you taking your meds?”
He frowned. “Yeah.”
“Good. So, you got them refilled?”
He gave her a sideward look. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just stress with the case.”
“Well, good,” she said. “I don’t need you going space cadet on me now. I need you on your toes.” She scooped a forkful of rice and ate it as he processed her words.
She hadn’t ever really made light of his situation or worried about his performance. Had he been that bad recently?
“So, I wanted to get a few bites down before telling you the news,” Lizzy said. “They didn’t get anything from Lane’s computer. It was wiped clean.”
“You mean fingerprints or internally?” he asked.
“Both. Clean inside and out. Which means we’re dealing with someone who had a little computer knowledge. Usually, the men in IT could recover something, but there wasn’t anything.”
Darek considered what that meant. “Do you think the laptop could have been replaced with a new one? Maybe they took the other one?”
“That’s possible, but that would be a hell of a lot of premeditation. I think they just knew what they were doing. If you’re going to take a computer, why leave another one behind?”
“It was just a thought.” Darek twirled his plastic fork in his noodles. “Have you talked to Reed?”
Lizzy shook her head. “No, I’m putting that off. He’s going to threaten to put someone else on the case again, and that’s not going to sit right with me. I know this case is a mess, but that’s not our fault. We’re dealing with a fucking pro.”
“Yeah, did you ever get anything back on the rigged table that killed Mia?”
“Yeah, but I already told you about that.” She reached out and put her hand on his head. “Darek, do you really not remember? We discussed this at the house.”
He was confused, and he didn’t have time to hide his reaction. He had a feeling she could see it written all over his face. “I’m just exhausted. Refresh my memory.”
“They’re searching the records to see who purchased the materials. We should know something soon.” Her tone showed her lack of patience. “You really should take a few days off.”
He laughed. “I hardly think it’s the time for that.”
“Then maybe I should take Reed up on letting someone else in on the case. I mean, fresh eyes would go a long way, especially with what we know about the pedophile ring. If we could get Bay to talk, that would help too.” Darek opened his mouth to speak, but Lizzy held up her fork at him. “Hold up. Hear me out, I just think we’re going to have to stop protecting everyone. I understand he was a victim, and what happened to him was horrible, but it’s time to play hardball. What if he’s involved deeper than we know?”
“If you’re suggesting he helped Max, you’re crazy.”
“Am I?” she asked. “Maybe the Mia stuff was because they were all involved together. We already know the man is into some kinky weird shit. I say we at least bring him in and make him talk. It could lead to learning more. Someone close to Gough has the answers, and if it’s not his son, which is still to be determined in my eyes, then we need to know who else is a player in this game.”
“Let him bury Mia, at least. Fuck. The man is hard to deal with. I know. He was my divorce lawyer. I feel like I owe him though. You know what I mean?”
She nodded. “I do, and it tells me that you might be too close to this case. I’m still not over the fact that Bay is involved, or Ethan Cline. Who’s next?”
Once she found out that his DNA was all over the spoon, she was going to really lose it. He wanted to hold on to her as long as he could. “Are you staying the night? And before you flip out and say we’ve already had this discussion, I’m asking if you’ve finally made up your mind.”
She put her food down on the coffee table and moved closer, angling toward him on the couch. “Yes, I am.” She put her hand on his back. “I’m too worried about you to go home, and I guess I’m kind of rattled too. This case is one twist after another. It’s exhausting. I just want to spend a few hours with you, pretending we’re someone else. I think you need that too.”
“You’re right,” said Darek as he took her hand. “Let’s be a normal, healthy, sexually active couple who is so hot for each other that nothing else matters.”
Lizzy smiled. “I can get into that.” She leaned over and kissed him, and the two fell into each other’s arms. For a moment, Darek didn’t want to think about anything else.
Chapter 5
Bay
Bay sat near the window in his office looking over the pool below. When Mia was in high school, he would stand there and watch her swim. She was much too young when she started teasing him, looking up with her devilish grin as she stripped off her top and laid out to catch some sun. He could still picture her there, and he refused to believe that his anger was anything other than just that. It couldn’t be grief, could it? Was he even capable of that? He turned up his drink as he heard footsteps behind him.
“What do you want, Mila?” He didn’t have to turn around to tell who it was. Her cheap knock-off shoes made a much different sound on his expensive tile floor, and he had been expecting her to make an appearance for the past couple of hours.
“Everyone else is otherwise occupied, so I thought that maybe you and I could talk.” Her voice grew closer behind him, and sure enough, she put her hand on his shoulder. “I’d like to go and see Mia. I didn’t know if it was possible now.”
“What do you expect to do, Mila? Cry over her corpse? Get a good look at the wounds? What will you gain but more grief? More guilt.”
“I need closure,” she said.
“They called an hour ago. Her body has been released, and I’ve already ordered it to be cremated.”
“Cremated?” she asked. “Who gave you the right to make that decision? She’s my daughter, and I want her buried beside my mother.”
“You can put her ashes wherever you please, but my Mia wouldn’t have wanted anyone seeing her like that. She wouldn’t want you or Lila to see either. The answer is no.” Bay’s words were final as always, and it showed in the desperation of Mila’s eyes.
“Please, Bay. I will do anything you want me to, just bring me to my baby one more time. Let me brush her hair and tell her I’m sorry.”
“She won’t hear you, Mila.” He knew his voice was harsh, and while he was trying his hardest to control his temper, he refused to go around and around with her in the same fucking circle again.
She broke down. “My baby is really gone.” She sank down on the couch, put her face in her hands, and wept.
Bay turned and looked down at her. He didn’t pity the woman. She’d made her bed with her relationships, and now she could deal with the pain she’d caused herself. “We’ll have her cremated, and I’ll let you and Lila plan her services. I think she would have trusted you both with that. Whatever you choose to do with her, I’m good with it. I’ll carry her in my memory.”
“Are you ever going to tell Lila? You know, that you were fucking her sister while she was busy carrying your son?”
“Lila and I had an understanding about her sister. The two of them got into it, and while Lila didn’t know the details, it was by her choice. She’s not blind and dumb, even though she can put on a good show of it. But I told her she could either choose to remain oblivious or live with the pain of the truth. She’s been in a deep state of denial since, and I see no reason to pull her out of it. At least, not as long as she’s carrying my child.”
“Do you love her?” Mila asked.
Bay looked away from her. “What kind of question is that to ask me about my wife? The mother of my child. If I didn’t love Lila, she wouldn’t have been worthy of my name, much less my seed.”
She gazed up at him. “And what about me?”
That was the heart of this entire conversation and where the woman’s troubles really resided. “Is that what’s bothering you, dear mother? That I might not still have feelings for you? And here I thought you were concerned about Mia.”
She gave him a withering glance. “I do care, but I’ve also never gotten over what happened with us.” She wiped her eyes. “I’ve also often wondered what would happen if Lila knew everything. That she didn’t meet you by chance.”
“Are you threatening me?” He took a swig of his drink and stepped closer. “And before you let your grief bring you to a state of delusion, let me remind you that you simply arranged an introduction. The rest was up to Lila and me.”
She looked up into his eyes with a seductive smile as she placed her hand on her chest. “Calm down. I’m just wondering what if.”
Bay set his drink on the table behind her and moved closer still. “There are a lot of what ifs between us, Mila.”
She got to her feet and stood close enough for her breasts to brush against him as she held on to his arms. “I’m willing to negotiate. I miss the feeling of you inside me. No other man has ever compared to how alive you make me feel.”
“Is that how I make you feel? Alive?” He placed his hands on her breasts, cupping them together. She licked her lips and nodded.
“You could ease my pain,” she said. “Take my mind off of everything.”
“I could, couldn’t I?” He gave her a cold smile and brought his hands up to her neck as if he might cup her face. Instead, he wrapped his hands around her neck and slowly tightened them. She was so trusting that she didn’t even make a sound until it was too late.
As she gave one little squeak, he held tighter, closing off her air. She began to struggle as her face turned red, and he shook her hard. “I could make you forget by putting you out of your fucking misery too.” He pushed her back against the sofa, where she lost her footing and fell back, her ass hitting the cushion. “If you ever threaten me again about telling Lila or in any other way, I’ll make sure you’re the one buried beside your dead mother. As for if I’ll fuck you again, that will be on my terms too. I thought you learned a long time ago not to screw with me, Mila.”
“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “Forgive me.” She lowered her head. Bay walked over and placed his hand on her head. She trembled but didn’t flinch. “I’m so sorry. I’d never tell her anything.”
“You just need a gentle reminder at times, don’t you?” He had hardly been gentle, and he couldn’t help but like the sound of her teeth rattling while he shook her.
“I’m sorry. I know you know what’s best for us, and I’m sure Lila would like to have some of her sister’s ashes to keep with her.”
He nodded. “Make your plans, but don’t get in my way again.”
“What happened to her, Bay? I’m so scared for Lila.” Her courage to ask at this point was the only reason he responded.
“Someone tortured her because of me,” he said. “And I made sure that they paid for what they did so that you and Lila didn’t have to worry about them. And that’s all you need to know.”
Mila gave a slow nod and got to her feet. “Thank you.” She kept her eyes diverted, and she reminded Bay of a whipped dog as she left the room.
He looked at his phone to check the time. It was too late to call Darek, and he was probably curled up with Lizzy anyway. Better to call him when he was alone. He had to figure out a way to make that bitch pay, but he would have to be careful at how he got to her. With any luck, she’d come at him first, and he’d be ready for her.
He walked out of his office and found a light on in the kitchen. He went to check it out and found Lila getting into his cookie stash. “Don’t tell me that Rose Marie got you hooked on those too.”
She turned around, her eyes wide. “Sorry, I know these are supposed to be off limits, but I’m exhausted and starving. I can’t sleep.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind sharing.” He reached into the jar and wondered if she’d heard the commotion with her mother.
“She did get me hooked on these things,” Lila said. “She can bake, that woman.” It was probably the nicest thing she’d ever said about Rose Marie.
“Yeah, she’s baked me these since I was a kid. I used to think they were magical when I was four.”
Lila smiled sadly. “Mia used to steal one every day after school. And Rose Marie would bake another batch when she caught her. The whole house would smell like vanilla and cinnamon.” She took a bite of the cookie, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “Could we have another child, Bay? After this one?”
“Why do you want that all of a sudden?” She had not wanted the one baby most days of the week, and he thought maybe it was to get a daughter.
“Every child deserves a sister or a brother.” The response brought more tears, and Bay handed her a napkin to wipe them away. “Have you cried?” She looked up to search his eyes.
“I don’t cry, Lila. Have you ever known me to?”
