The Zodiac Killer Read online

  Then there was Lane. The guy had wanted to go home to New Orleans to open his own club, and who’d he leave his cases for? Not only that, but Bay had paid a sizeable amount to help him open the club. He’d helped several of the men in one way or another.

  Alan Lowe had even come to him for favors, and he’d allowed the man a small loan to get his security company out of the red. He’d fucked up his life with his gambling problems, and Bay had been the one to help him clean up the mess, one he’d probably make again before it was all said and done.

  Bay was tired of coming to the rescue, and the best thing that could happen was for the others to self-destruct. But they were his problem till the day death silenced them all. He walked out into the bright sun of the morning and headed to his car. His phone rang before he could get the door open and slide across the leather seats.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Muffin is missing!” Lila sobbed into the phone, blathering incoherently and blowing her nose.

  “Baby, it’s a little dog. It’s probably somewhere around the house. Check the laundry room or under the couch.” The last thing he needed was to spend his day looking for that fucking mutt.

  “Please come home, Daddy. I’m so upset.”

  He let out a grumble and then reassured her. “It’s okay; I’m on the way.” He hung up and drove across town to his house, and when he went inside, Lila was lying on their large leather sofa, crying.

  He walked over and pulled her hair away from her face. She was a lovely creature, the prettiest woman he’d ever met, and when he’d seen her the first time, he knew he had to have her as his own. He straightened the platinum collar she wore around her neck with the initial B, signifying she was his. Most would look at it and see a choker style necklace, but to Bay and Lila, it meant so much more.

  “They can’t find her anywhere. She must have gotten out when one of the staff was coming in.”

  “I’ll fire them all if you want.” He spoke softly and rubbed her arm to soothe her.

  She gave him a half-hearted smile. “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course. Everyone but Rose Marie.” He’d never let her go. She still remained the most special person in his life; one of the few he gave a shit about. She’d mothered him when his own rich bitch of a mother had been too busy for him.

  “No, I don’t think we should do that. But I can’t promise I’ll be pleasant to them.” She cut her glance up at him, and he smiled.

  He patted her bottom and rubbed his hand over her waist. “That’s my girl.” Lila was a headstrong brat, as sweet as sugar one minute, and loving as a snake the next. It entertained him. She was as much his plaything as anyone else.

  “I saw Mia yesterday for lunch,” Lila said. “You’ve got to talk to her about what men think when girls like her don’t wear panties. She had on the tightest, shortest skirt, and it was so easy to tell that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.”

  “So, you want me to discuss Mia’s panties with her?” He gave her a look like it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

  “She’s only eighteen, and I’m afraid she’s going to get hurt.” Lila shifted and pulled him down beside her. “She needs a man to talk to her. With us not having a father, baby, you know you’ll have to fill that role.”

  “If you don’t think it’s inappropriate.” He figured in time, he’d have her permission to teach her little sister other things as well.

  The sound of barking came from across the room, and one of the staff came through the door, holding the tiny fur-bag away from her. Muffin, who was usually a pale cream color, was nearly black with dirt.

  “She was in the back garden, Mr. Collins, digging in the flower bed.”

  Lila got up and rushed over, making stupid cooing noises at the animal, but she wouldn’t touch it. “You’re a bad girl, Muffin. Daddykins is going to skin you and make me a hand warmer if you run away again.” She turned her attention to the woman. “Take her and clean her up. She smells like rotten fish.” Lila curled her lip and walked back over to Bay, who took her hand and pulled her down into his lap as the woman took the little mutt to clean it up.

  “Don’t worry, she’ll make it all new, and if she doesn’t, I’ll get you a new one.”

  “I don’t want another one. I want that one. I love Muffin.” She gave him a look like she didn’t know who he was, and then kissed his mouth with her pouty lips. “She’s our baby.”

  He forced a smile and patted her tummy. “I’ll give you a real baby then. How about we start on that as soon as I get back home later tonight?”

  He had told her before that she wasn’t ready to be a mother, but seeing her fawn over the dog so much was getting on his nerves. He’d rather see her give that kind of attention to his child. He’d always wanted a son to raise, or a little girl to pamper.

  “Ew, no. I’m not sure I’m ready to get all fat and bloated. I want to be your little girl a little longer.” She ran her hand through his hair, but he wasn’t amused.

  “Your body becoming a vessel for my child is a great honor you’d be doing for me, Lila. An honor you promised when we exchanged our vows. Are you going to deny me a child because you’re so cold and shallow that you’re worried about your waistline?” His eyes bored down into hers, and she shook her head, tears filling her eyes. His own mother hadn’t been maternal at all. He would have better for his own flesh and blood.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. “It’s just, I don’t want to share you with a child just yet.”

  “So, it’s about what you want? Selfish.” He gripped the collar and pulled it so hard it broke. “When you’re ready to trust me, you can have this back.” He got up and tucked it into his pocket, and as she grabbed her neck, he walked away.

  She was no different than the rest of them, always thinking about themselves. He’d been their savior too many times as it was, and he was determined that those days were over. He’d consider his offer to Tad as his last good deed.

  10

  Darek

  Darek had made it to the end of the week without offending his beautiful new partner, and strangely enough, he missed Max. The guy was good for comic relief, and boy, did Darek need that in his life.

  Lizzy added to his sexual tension, and while he wasn’t ready to give her up, he was going to have to get with his wife soon. He’d found his mind drifting to Lizzy in the shower and a few times during the night when Megan stopped nagging. He couldn’t help it. Lizzy was charming and sexy.

  She chewed her pen as they sat at his desk. Her eyes were turned down to the paper she read, and even that was sexy to him. He tried not to watch her lips too closely, and he never minded a little teeth. “If you’re hungry, there are donuts in the breakroom.”

  “Very funny. I’ll leave the donuts to you guys, thank you.” She got up and stretched. “We’re going to check out these escorts. Assuming they are home from a hard night as arm candy.”

  He glanced at the sheet, and Tad Halston was the first on the list. There was no way to avoid that he knew the guy, save for lying, and that wasn’t a good idea, but he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “That first name rings a bell.”

  “Yeah?” She pulled on her blazer and flipped her hair out, smoothing it down her back. “Do you want to tell me how you know a male escort? Is that your dirty secret? Got a little experimental or something?” She laughed when he shot her a glare.

  “No, I don’t roll that way, but I’ve heard that name at least once. Not sure where, but I’ve been in the city a while, so it’s not unusual. I’ve made a few arrests. Maybe that’s it.”

  A soft chuckle escaped her throat. “I would have preferred some deviant story.”

  He belted out a laugh. “Sorry to disappoint.” He liked that she felt comfortable enough to joke with him, especially about sex. Most of the lady cops he’d met were too hell-bent on being serious, and if one wasn’t careful, he’d have a sexual misconduct slapped on his record, o
r worse, end up shit-canned.

  Max came across the room with his phone to his ear and a hard grimace on his puss. Darek waited until Max said goodbye and ended the call.

  “What’s up with you?” Darek asked.

  “There’s a problem with the security, but I’ll try to have something when you get back. I may have to go down there and talk to hotel security myself.”

  “We’re off to see the escorts,” Darek said.

  “I’ll trade you.” His brows waggled, and Darek punched his arm.

  “Sorry to burst your fantasy bubble, but half of them are men.” He chuckled as Max made a face and turned to leave. “See you later, bro.”

  As Darek and Lizzy headed to their car, she gave him a nudge. “You and Max sure seem to be great partners. I know others who aren’t so well-matched.”

  “We do all right. Never had a fight, but boy, do we disagree on things. The guy is still shaking his head at my marriage, and he was my best man.”

  “Wow, there has to be a story there.”

  “Her father hates me. Thinks his princess is too good for a guy like me.”

  She breathed a quiet laugh. “You’re a wonderful guy, right? I mean, what’s the worst he could say about you? You’re a detective, have good morals, you stay faithful, don’t you? You’re practically a saint compared to some men today. Most have some dark, vicious past they are running from or some secret fetish. You’ve got normal written all over you.”

  She slid behind the wheel of her car, and Darek sat in the passenger seat.

  “Wow,” he said. “I sound like a real loser when you put it like that. Normal?” Darek shook his head. If she only knew.

  “In this world, normal is good sometimes.” He glanced over, and she rolled her eyes after a moment of quiet. “Wow, don’t tell me you’re offended by normal.”

  “Not at all. Normal, boring, you know. Maybe my wife is bored with me.” He hadn’t thought much about it, but maybe Megan was in the same place he was. Life had become so full of routine. He needed to spice things up a bit.

  “Buy her some flowers or something, bring home some wine, light some candles.” Lizzy laughed and gave him another nudge.

  By the time they got to Tad’s house, they were making small talk again. Lizzy parked the car and shut it off. “This one’s got a slim record. If you were the one who arrested him, you'd remember, right?”

  “I should. I never forget a face.” There was one face that burned in his mind, beaten and bloody, with dead, still eyes.

  “All right then, let’s go.” They walked up to the house, and Lizzy knocked on the door before Darek could do the honor.

  Tad came to the door, and it wasn’t lost on Darek why he focused so much on Lizzy. “Yeah?” He was dressed in a nice suit, but his voice was gravelly, and he needed a shave. Other than that, the guy looked healthy enough, no sign of addiction from a visual standpoint.

  “Hello, I’m Special Agent McNamara and this is Detective Blake. We’d like a moment of your time to ask a few questions about Alicia David.”

  “Yeah, I heard she died,” Tad said.

  “She was murdered, actually.”

  “Right. Come on in.” His eyes drifted to Darek as if he wasn’t sure how to act. Darek knew the guy was going to look guilty, so he’d have to clear the air soon. And he held his breath that his sister, Hannah, wouldn’t be home. He’d never really met her, but he also didn’t know what Tad had told her.

  “I’ve seen you around before, but I can’t place where,” Darek said. “I thought the name Tad rang a bell.”

  “Yeah, you look familiar, too.” They left it at that as they followed him into the house.

  “Well then, maybe you two will remember in a bit, but we’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”

  “That would be great. I have to be at work soon,” Tad said. Lizzy cleared her throat, and Tad spoke up. “Not with the escort service. I’m working at a restaurant across town.”

  “A restaurant?” Darek’s eyes narrowed. Bay sure worked fast.

  “Yeah, I work at Bakes; ever hear of it? Great food.”

  “I’ve been there. My wife loves it.”

  Lizzy smiled. “Maybe that’s it, then. Where you’ve seen him.” She glanced back and forth between the two. “About Alicia. Did you two know each other?”

  “I knew her, yeah, but not more than any of the other escorts.”

  Lizzy leaned closer, giving him a knowing smile. “I’ve heard from some of the others that there are a few of the escorts who hook up from time to time. That wouldn’t be something you did with Alicia? She was a beautiful girl.”

  “She was, but I have my share of beautiful girls.” Tad held his hand out as if to say, look at me, and Darek cleared his throat.

  Lizzy let loose a short breath. “You are a looker, Mr. Halston. I’m sure you have a lot of special clients. I’m sure a lot of women pay you for more than just holding hands and opening doors. This is a nice place you have.”

  He sat on the couch and offered us a seat. “Thanks. I share it with my sister. It’s no secret that our work leads to two people agreeing to have sex, but no, that’s not what Arm Candy’s policy was. We are usually just that, arm candy. Although I have to admit, I’ve had some charming lady clients who I’ve indulged off hours.” He was very careful to make it clear he wasn’t selling sex.

  Lizzy settled on the couch beside him while Darek took the closest chair. “Do you or have you ever engaged in BDSM or kink? Anyone ever persuade you to do those sorts of things after hours? You know, explore a fetish?”

  Tad glanced over at Darek, giving him an is she for real glance. Darek cleared his throat again.

  “I’m not into that personally, but I’ve indulged in a few things that I guess could be considered BDSM. It’s a lifestyle for many, a hobby for others. Most just experiment, though. They read about it in books and want to try a vibrator or anal beads. It’s not that big of a deal.” He shrugged. “Once you get to know a client, you talk about all sorts of things, and let’s just say you know who to give special attention to.”

  “Some give bonuses for special attention?” Darek spoke, simply for the sake of not letting Lizzy do all the talking.

  “Yeah, but again, they pay those bonuses for my company. They hope for a little extra attention each time. It doesn’t mean they always get it.” Tad stared at Lizzy; his eyes looked her up and down as she opened the envelope with the victim’s pictures. Darek hoped she wouldn’t catch him doing that.

  “Have you ever had a client ask to be tied up? Anyone ask you to hurt them for pleasure?”

  Tad lifted his chin, glaring down at her with a smirk. “I’m known as a gentle lover. I like the wining and dining, which is what turned me on to being an escort. So no, I’d never go along with that.” He gave Darek another look, and this time, Darek stared through him.

  Lizzy passed the pictures over to him. “Have you ever seen this tattoo?”

  Tad stared blankly at the picture, and Darek waited for any sign of disgust or shock. Unlike most who had seen the photo, Tad didn’t turn away. The man had seen far worse in his life, at least once, but to Lizzy, it might have looked suspicious.

  “No, actually. I’ve never seen that before. We’re not supposed to have visible tattoos; it’s part of Arm Candy’s policy. If we have one, we have to cover it with clothing.” His eyes narrowed, and his eyes turned to the side as if a thought crossed his mind.

  “Starting to ring a bell?” Lizzy sat back and let loose a deep breath.

  “No. I was just thinking of some of the dresses the girls wear. They like to show a lot of skin, particularly their neck and back. I can’t imagine how she’d hide something like that. For me, it’s easy.”

  “You have tattoos?” Lizzy asked.

  “No, I just mean, if I had to cover something, well, us male escorts have it easier than the women. It must limit her wardrobe.” He spoke as if the girl still had the problem; as if she weren’t dead.
>
  “Well, she’s got nothing to worry about now.” Lizzy pulled the picture from his fingers and stuffed it back into the envelope.

  “Thank you for your time, man,” Darek said. “I’ll be sure and say hello next time I’m over at Bakes.”

  “You do that. I’ll try to put you at the best table.”

  Lizzy cleared her throat and forced a smile. Darek could see the muscle in her jaw tightening.

  When they went out to the car, Lizzy groaned. “He’s bound to know more. And you didn’t have to act so fucking chummy.”

  “Good cop, bad cop?”

  “Oh, don’t even. And if you’re going to let me do all the talking, at least give off an intimidating vibe.”

  “Duly noted.” He wasn’t about to argue with her and hoped she’d drop the subject of Tad Halston altogether. But no luck.

  “Did you see how he looked at that photograph like he was looking at a picture of his Aunt Gertie?” Lizzy asked.

  “He has an Aunt Gertie? Damn, you’re thorough.” Darek looked over and realized that Lizzy wasn’t in a joking mood.

  “Don’t be cheeky. The guy had no fucking response of shock at all.”

  “Some people don’t react to things the same.” Darek didn’t want to seem like he was defending the guy, and he wanted to kick Tad for not at least popping open his mouth or making a face.

  “I’m sorry, but I think it’s weird. You see a fellow escort lying there with her fucking back sliced up, blood everywhere, and you don’t even frown.”

  “For the record, he wasn’t smiling.”

  “What is this? Are you hoping for a discount the next time you bring your wife to Bakes? This could be our guy.”

  He did a doubletake and wasn’t sure if she was just in an argumentative mood, or if she really believed that, but even if he hadn’t known Tad, he wouldn’t have suspected him of the crime, based solely on his answers to the questions. “That’s a stretch. I don’t think he seemed the type.”