Catch her death, p.21
Catch Her Death, page 21
Madison’s more worried about the fact that this investigation will result in a huge increase in workload for their small department. It would be helpful if she could bring another investigator on board to lend a hand. Nate, for instance. But he’s busy working against her, and even if Jake no longer needs a lawyer, Nate’s distracted with other things. “Did you learn anything about Jake Rubio from his boss and co-worker?”
“They both spoke highly of him. Said he’s never done anything wrong while at work, and there haven’t been any complaints made about him by patients or co-workers.”
Jake’s far too young to be the serial killer, considering he was just four when his mother was murdered, so she’ll need to apologize to him at some point, both for considering him a suspect and for her father’s failings. Although, it would mean more if she could catch his mother’s killer. Madison knows where she needs to start with that; researching the Snow Storm Killer and his crimes. She needs to get inside this guy’s head.
After checking her phone and finding no reply from Owen, she turns her key in the ignition with her fingers crossed. Luckily, the car starts. She looks at Adams. “We need to get back to the station and update the team. Kate and her son are relying on us to find them.”
He smiles. “Beat you there.” He takes the empty coffee cups with him as he climbs out of her car.
Madison gets out too and clears her windshield of snow. There’s a break in the flurry, so she quickly gets back in and backs out of the parking lot ahead of Adams.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Some of the team is assembled in the briefing room awaiting an update. Most of the officers are out on patrol and actively searching for Kate and Ben, but Shelley Vickers, Gloria Williams and Luis Sanchez are huddled together chatting. Alex Parker and Sergeant Tanner are waiting silently. Everyone knows they need to disseminate whatever they learn in the next ten minutes to the rest of the team. Chief Mendes is the last person to enter, and she closes the door behind her.
Madison approaches the uniforms. “Any sightings, leads or information yet?”
“No,” says Shelley. “We’ve canvassed what feels like the whole town and I’ve watched a lot of surveillance footage, but no one spotted Kate in her own car that morning, let alone in someone else’s.”
“Because it was Christmas morning,” says Gloria. “Most people were at home. The streets were pretty empty.”
Madison chews her lip as she tries to think. “Someone must’ve seen something. I’d like you to visit all the gas stations in the area and any other stores that were open. The abductor could’ve stopped somewhere to pick up supplies first. And check out any condemned or abandoned buildings you know of. He’s holding them somewhere and it’s probably not in his own home.”
“There’s plenty of abandoned buildings around these days,” says Sanchez. “It feels like half the town is boarded up. Gold Rock is even worse.”
Gold Rock is a small mining town nearby; it’s where Madison’s older sister lived until her arrest. “You’re in charge of checking Gold Rock,” she says to Sanchez. “It would be a good place to hide someone.”
He nods.
“Just remind me how old Kate’s little boy is,” says Shelley.
“Ben’s four years old. He’s adopted and he’s going through a phase of not talking. It’s called selective mutism. Just be aware of that if you find him. He’s extra shy around strangers.”
“Sure.”
Detective Adams joins Madison as she heads to the front of the room. He offers a quick reassuring nod as she takes a deep breath. “Okay, everyone,” she says. “We’ve had a breakthrough in the case and it means our jobs just got a lot harder.” After a pause, she says somewhat hesitantly, “Some of you may not know this, but my father was a special agent for the FBI.”
Officer Sanchez grins. “Cool.”
Chief Mendes looks like she’s wondering where this is going. She was on the phone when Madison arrived at the station, so Madison couldn’t give her a heads-up about what she’d learned.
“He was tasked with catching serial killers,” she continues. “One of those killers has evaded capture for twenty-five years so far.”
“Oh my God,” says Shelley, catching on quick.
“He’s known as the Snow Storm Killer…” Madison glances out of the window. “And it seems we have the perfect conditions for him here in Lost Creek, which unfortunately is his home town, so he knows the place well.” She looks Chief Mendes in the eye. “I have reason to believe this guy is responsible for the murders of Sarah Moss and Emily Cole. And I believe he’s holding Kate Flynn and her son captive.”
Gloria turns to Shelley and says under her breath, “God help us.”
Mendes turns pale. She’ll be considering how much attention this will bring to their town. “Why exactly do you believe this? Did your father tell you he sees similarities between our homicides and his?”
“Not exactly.” Madison tries to think of a way of explaining just how badly her dad has betrayed her without being dramatic.
Adams steps forward. “It seems that Madison’s father didn’t want to end his career until he found this sorry son of a bitch. For some reason he thought that a good way to corner him would be to lure him to Lost Creek using Madison and her son as bait.”
Shelley and Gloria gasp. Chief Mendes shakes her head in disgust and Steve looks at Madison like he wants to come over and hug her.
From the corner of the room, Alex Parker says, “I’m sorry to hear that, Detective. There’s no betrayal quite like family betrayal.”
Madison glances at him and wonders if that’s why he moved here from the UK. She clears her throat. “It’s fine, my life is already like a soap opera, right? I should be expecting these plot twists by now.” She attempts a laugh, but it doesn’t sound convincing. “He could’ve told me sooner that this guy was responsible, but as Detective Adams says, he wanted to catch him himself, which means we’re behind in our investigation. I suggest we all get up to speed on the history of the Snow Storm Killer, because I don’t know anything about him. Alex, would you look into his previous crime scenes and figure out what forensics we should be focusing on.”
Alex nods. “Consider it done.”
Steve clears his throat. “I’ll find a record of his previous victims and liaise with the other states and the FBI to see what information they can give us.”
“Great, thanks.” She looks at the patrol officers. “There isn’t much reason for people to be out in these conditions today unless they really have to work. So if you see any males on their own, driving aimlessly or pulled over talking to women, stop and question them. And if you see any women who seem like easy targets, make them aware they’re in danger.”
Chief Mendes says, “I’ll notify dispatch of the situation and ask them to relay it to all units. Do we currently have any other description for this man, other than the fact that he’s tall and broad?”
Madison shakes her head, but then thinks of something as she recalls the heated discussion with her dad in the diner. “From what I can tell, this guy’s first kill was Jake Rubio’s mother, twenty-five years ago.”
The blood vanishes from Shelley’s face. “Jake’s mother was murdered? He never told me that.”
“I don’t think he tells anyone. He was just four at the time. He was found sitting in his mother’s blood.”
“Damn,” says Officer Sanchez. “That’s got to mess a guy up, right?”
After a pause, Madison says. “It was my father who found Jake that day. Detective Bill Harper.”
“Your father worked here before he joined the Bureau?” says Steve, his eyebrows raised.
She nods. There’s so much they don’t know, but she doesn’t have time to fill them in on everything. “Jake was my original person of interest for the two recent murders, but if the SSK is responsible for our homicides, I was obviously wrong about that. Michelle Rubio was killed in 1994, so in all likelihood we’re looking for someone who’s at least forty years old now. I’d say we should be considering someone aged between forty and sixty, given that they’d need to be old enough to kill in ’94, but not so old they can’t still beat someone to death and run away from the scene.”
“Your father is the best and fastest source of information about our assailant,” says Chief Mendes. “Are you bringing him on board?”
There’s an awkward silence as everyone looks at Madison. Despite everything her father has done, she would work with him in a heartbeat if it meant getting Kate and Ben back alive. But from what he told her, she knows he won’t work with them to find this killer. “As far as he’s concerned, this is his case. He wants to be the person to make the catch, and he won’t be interested in our help.”
Mendes raises her eyebrows. “Wow. I’m sorry to say this, Madison, but your dad’s obsessed. I’ve seen it happen before; an agent putting their own ego before the investigation.”
Madison inwardly cringes, because she’s right. “Alex? Did you find anything useful in or on Kate’s car?”
“Nothing at all. The abductor was careful not to touch it, as we suspected. I’ve also been through Kate’s cell phone, which her husband dropped in for me. There’s nothing of interest on there. She hadn’t made any calls that morning or given any clues as to where she was going with her children.”
“Nothing from Patrick that could cause concern?”
He shakes his head. “No. If they were arguing, they were doing it face to face.”
“Or Patrick deleted the exchanges before handing the phone over.”
Madison tries to think. David Moss is too young to have killed Michelle Rubio, but Patrick is almost forty. He would have been around fifteen when Michelle was murdered. Is that too young to be a killer? Maybe not, if it was his first kill. She knows he left Lost Creek after graduating, but she doesn’t know where he lived before returning home and marrying Kate. She sighs, frustrated. She worries she’s clutching at straws. But Patrick’s alibis are weak. He got home late the night Sarah was murdered, and he was home alone with the kids when Kate supposedly left with them, missing the whole thing because he was taking a shower. She hasn’t asked him where he was when Emily Cole was attacked.
Would a fifteen-year-old be capable of bludgeoning a woman to death? Probably, although it doesn’t bear thinking about. Maybe because she knows Patrick. She’s seen him with Kate. They may be going through problems at the moment, but it hasn’t always been that way. “What’s confusing is that the killer doesn’t appear to have just one MO,” she says. “Michelle Rubio was killed inside her home and then dragged outside to be burned; our two recent victims were killed outside in parking lots, and Kate’s abduction doesn’t fit at all. It’s almost like he snapped when he heard what she said about him on TV, and reacted out of rage or humiliation. But I thought serial killers were more controlled than that.”
Alex agrees. “As we don’t have Kate’s and Ben’s bodies, he must be holding them captive. That’s a completely different situation than he’ll be used to. It’s much harder to hide people than it is to kill them.”
“Perhaps serial killers evolve over time,” she suggests.
“And let’s face it,” says Steve, “it’s a lot harder to break into people’s homes these days than it was in the early nineties. It’s easier to kill out in the open by taking people unaware. That’s how he managed to abduct Kate. But having said that, I think the differing MO suggests we should consider whether we have a copycat killer.” He pauses when Madison raises an eyebrow. “Maybe there are two assailants,” he says. “The guy who killed Michelle Rubio and any other victims back then, and the guy who killed Sarah and Emily. In which case, our guy could be younger.”
“Yeah,” says Sanchez. “Which means it could still be Jake Rubio. Or any of the partners really.”
Shelley lowers her eyes and crosses her arms. It can’t be nice considering the possibility that the guy you recently went on a date with could be capable of murder.
“Anything’s possible,” says Madison. “And I do think we should be open-minded, which would mean David Moss and Patrick Flynn also make good suspects for a copycat killer. I need to research the SSK’s previous kills, to see if he’s deviated from his MO before. Alex, would you call the crime lab and try to get the items you sent them tested today? I have a feeling DNA might be our best shot at catching this guy.”
“Of course.” Alex leaves the room right away.
Chief Mendes looks around at the rest of the team. “As we’ll have no FBI assistance in this case, we need to get to work. Let’s aim to get Kate Flynn and her son home by the end of the day.”
Madison lowers her eyes. She’s ashamed of her father. She always believed he was a hero, but now he’s harming their investigation and putting more lives at risk. Which is the very thing he’s supposed to stop from happening.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Brody is panting heavily. He’s agitated because Nate is pacing up and down the kitchen. “It’s okay, boy. Everything’s okay.”
Except the truth is, everything’s not okay. Nate’s hands are sweating so badly he’s at risk of dropping his cell phone. His heart is drumming against his chest and he’s filled with dread. He hasn’t had anxiety this bad for a long time. When his phone buzzes, he jumps. He checks who it is and is disappointed to see Richie’s name.
Just had word that Jake Rubio won’t be arrested today.
That’s something, at least. Part of him wonders whether Madison’s found a better suspect, but he’s distracted by the Facebook message he received when he was with her outside Richie’s office earlier. The person claiming to be Kristen Devereaux asked for his cell phone number, which he sent straight away. Since then, he’s ignored two calls; from Vince Rader and from Owen. Owen’s call stopped before he could answer it. Nate didn’t call him straight back because he didn’t want to be on the line when Kristen calls, but he intends to check in on him later.
Nate doesn’t really believe it’s Kristen messaging him, because of how badly beaten she was in the photograph Father Connor left for him to find at Madison’s house in October. The priest wanted Nate to know she’d suffered because she had helped to secure his release from prison, but it wasn’t possible to tell whether she was dead. There was still some color in her lips, but her eyes were closed and bloody. It was a close-up shot of her face that gave little away, and that’s why a tiny part of Nate—the part that should probably know better by now—wants to believe she’s still alive. At this stage, over two years since her disappearance, he just needs to know either way.
His phone rings and he drops it in surprise. Brody barks, probably his way of telling Nate to calm down. Nate leans over to retrieve it and is relieved to see it’s unbroken. He feels dizzy as he stands. The caller’s number is withheld. He’s so afraid that this is some kind of scam that he can’t even take a breath. He accepts the call, but is unable to speak.
After a few seconds a woman’s voice says, “Nate? Is that you?”
A chill goes down his spine as he recognizes Kristen’s voice. He slides onto a chair at the dining table. Brody sits at his feet, staring at him intently. “It’s really you,” he whispers.
He hears her weeping on the other end of the phone. “It’s really you, too,” she says. “I thought the Facebook page was some kind of hoax.” After a long pause, she adds, “I wish we could meet in person, but I can’t, Nate. I can’t meet with you or let you know where I am and put myself in a vulnerable position for you again. I almost died last time.”
Her accent, a combination of French and American, brings back a lot of painful prison memories for Nate, and he has to wipe his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. You should never have been caught up in that mess. If I could go back in time…”
“I know,” she says softly. “It wasn’t your fault. That man was fixated on you. He was possessed.” The last word is said with venom.
She doesn’t need to name him. He knows she means Father Connor, the person who killed Nate’s fiancée and framed him for it twenty years ago next month.
“I found a clip from a news report on YouTube of you walking out of prison,” says Kristen. “I was overwhelmed with relief when I saw that Rex was there to greet you. I didn’t want you to go through that alone.”
Rex Hartley was Nate’s other savior. His involvement in freeing Nate got him killed. At least Kristen is still alive. It’s a miracle. And Nate had all but given up on miracles. “I wish you had been there. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead by now.”
She sighs heavily. “It seems our fortunes were reversed. I may not be on death row, but until that man is convicted, I’m not able to live freely.”
Her words hurt him more than she can know. The knowledge that she’s going through all this because of him is torturous. “I intended to look for you once I got out, but I…” How does he finish that thought? He had to take care of himself, because he was in no fit state to help anyone back then. Without Rex’s hospitality and guidance, he would have given up on himself. And when Rex died, it was Madison who became his rock. He finds himself wondering if he can ever find the strength to stop being a burden to others.
“He abducted me,” she says, her voice thick with emotion.
Nate’s jaw clenches. Father Connor has a lot to answer for.
“He was waiting at my apartment and pulled a gun, forcing me into his car,” she continues. “I tried to fight, but he’d handcuffed me. I knew what he’d done to your fiancée; I’d obviously seen the crime-scene photos and knew your case inside out. I… I didn’t want to end up that way, so I went with him to avoid being killed on the spot. I thought I could outsmart him. Somehow talk him into letting me go eventually. He kept me locked up in an outbuilding in New Mexico for months. He beat me whenever he was frustrated at you.” Nate winces. “He took photographs of me like that. Then one day he vanished, and left me behind with no food or water. I broke out of the building, but I didn’t trust that it wasn’t a trick, so I daren’t go to anyone I passed. Instead, I found a women’s refuge and pretended I’d left a violent partner. The scars and bruises worked in my favor. They took care of me for a long time. Eventually I was able to trust them and disclose what had really happened. I didn’t mention names, but I did make it clear that my life was in danger and going to the police wasn’t an option.”
