Diana (20 page)

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"It's Tyler, right?"

Diana smiled at the teenage boy working behind the main desk at the library. He was in charge of computer affairs. It had taken major research, but she found the right library and had the right password for the email address that sent out the information on Luke. The account no longer existed. She was only able to retrieve the messages sent prior to last week and nothing current.

"What can I do for you?"

"I have this password and email address that worked a little while ago, and now they no longer do. I also can't retrieve any current information."

"Did you recently change the password?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then it should be working.” He logged onto his computer and asked Diana the account name and password.

"It was changed about thirty minutes ago."

"I didn't change it.” Diana looked around the library.

The killer was here and I missed him by five minutes? Holy crap!

"Listen, kid, this is serious. I need to retrieve the messages sent from that account before all the information was changed."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"That's illegal."

"No one has to know.” She smiled and gave the kid a wink.

He blushed, then cleared his throat. He glanced around the room before leaning in closer next to her. “What's in it for me?"

Diana smirked. “I promise not to arrest you.” She showed him her badge and watched all the color leave his face.

He swallowed hard. “What did you say the email address was?"

She stood in front of the computer and read the messages. First, she uncovered the messages had been sent through the original account, then transferred to a new one. Second, she uncovered a deleted message with the word ‘Urgent’ in the subject line. She saw whom the message was sent to.

She clicked it, and panic set in.

Recipient: Luke Fontella

The killer wanted it to look like Luke was sending messages to himself.

She hit the
print
button before entering the new account. Then she focused on the most recent email message.

She clicked it and read the details. It was a staged suicide note signed by Luke himself. The recipient of the email message was Luke Fontella.

She read the time of delivery on both messages and glanced at her cell phone.

Fifteen minutes ago.

She scanned the suicide note and got up from her chair. The killer planned to trap Luke and make it look like he committed suicide.

She quickly forwarded the messages to the commander's email.

"Tyler!"

The kid who'd helped her approached, while she wrote names down on a piece of paper.

"I need you to forward these two messages to these names. I don't know their email addresses, but here is a direct number to their office.” She handed him the paper.

Tyler acknowledged everything she told him. She ran for the nearest exit door.

She opened up her phone. “Call Luke!” The phone continued to ring until it went to voicemail.

Diana swallowed hard as she ran for the unmarked police car.

She assumed Luke was already on his way to the location. She dialed a number into the phone as she stood waiting for the light to change.

"Vinny, it's me. I need you to contact a Damian Toby, in charge of the arson investigative unit. Make sure that he received some important emails from me. Then get the ultraviolet light and go to the firehouse. Wait there for my call. We're close."

"Where are you now? What's going on?"

"I can't talk now, but make sure Toby gets those emails. He'll know what to do."

Diana ran across the street and got into her car. She placed the car in drive and sped to the location on the email. It was five minutes away. She was consumed with worry and prayed Vinny and Tyler both got the messages to Toby.

She pulled up a half a block from the abandoned building. Taking out her weapon, she slowly made her way inside.

It was an old warehouse of some sort, with large loading areas and numerous sets of wooden stairs that bordered the enormous open space. She squinted, trying her hardest to see any movement. Listening hard, she found she could only hear her heavy breathing and the pounding of her heart.

Then she picked up on the distinct smell.

Smoke! That's definitely smoke.

Diana moved in the direction she thought the fire could be. Instantly, thoughts of Luke trapped somewhere, tied up, or perhaps dead, came to mind.

She urged the tears away.

Approaching the stairs carefully, she took one step at a time and squinted to try and see as far ahead of her as she possibly could.

There was smoke and signs of fire. Pulling out her cell phone, she attempted to call it in to the station.

No signal. Damn it
.

She thought about heading back outside to make the call, but her mind was also on Luke and his safety.

By now, both Tyler and Vinny should've gotten the information to Toby and the commander. It was difficult to see in the darkness. Only the illuminating moon outside gave her light. She approached the final step of the staircase. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her shaky, sweaty hands gripped the gun so tightly that her elbow ached.

She wished she had a flashlight. She tried her hardest to listen for any indications of Luke's presence.

The large figure seemed to come out of nowhere. It sent her flying through the darkness, and she slammed into the cement wall. She screamed in pain, then heard what sounded like a growl of anger and fright combined.

Diana couldn't make out her attacker's face, only that he was large and solid, full of anger, as he grabbed her by her throat. She couldn't breathe. As she attempted to fight for life, she was jerked hard and fast backward, through the air, and into pure darkness.

She screamed the moment breath refilled her lungs. Her body plummeted, as she continued to scream and fall to what she was certain would be her death.

Her hip slammed against a wooden platform, causing her body to roll in the opposite direction. She fell into a pool of stinging substance.

She couldn't decipher what her body was immersed in. Her arms took control, as she sunk deeper into water and darkness.

The panic made her legs and arms kick and paddle hard, instinctively. Her lungs fought for air. She kept paddling and paddling, kicking and swimming in an upward motion. At least, she thought she was swimming upward.

She felt the air. Her lungs struggled to release the water and take in fresh breaths. Her body sank down again, and she struggled to swim to the surface, coughing, crying, gasping for air, spitting out water.

Next came the tears, the fear, and helplessness.

The stinging pain in her hip brought on a nauseous feeling. She reached out to the side, barely able to move her body. She ached with pain.

Her hand banged into what felt like a large piece of wood floating in the liquid. She scraped her knuckles against it in an attempt to hold on. For a moment, she rested partially atop the board, relieved to have some of help trying to stay afloat.

Her hip throbbed. She felt another piece of wood and grabbed onto it. She lifted her good leg over the piece and held on tight.

She reached her hand down under the liquid and touched torn flesh and protruding bone. Dizziness overcame her. Laying her head against the piece of board, she closed her eyes.

He hurried out of the building. He was outraged, angry, disappointed. He glanced behind him. The smoke just began to fill the first floor.

Diana! Why did you show up instead of Fontella?

The tears filled his eyes, then he wiped them away. How did this happen? What went wrong?

He didn't want her to die, but she'd asked for it. She must've gotten a hold of the email before Fontella did. Now, he needed to make a huge change in his plan. It wasn't going to be easy, but he had to take the chance.

He headed to his car, taking one last glance at the burning building.

There was no way she'd survive. Feeling confident, he made his escape.

"Son, is this some kind of joke?” Damian Toby made the young man repeat his statement.

"No, sir, it isn't. Detective Pellino was here at the library. She said it's extremely important I contact you about these emails. You need to read them, sir. I've seen them, and it's serious."

Damian logged onto his computer and pulled up the messages.

A few seconds later, he hung up the phone and made numerous calls. The first was to Commander Paul Fontella.

"Where's Diana?” Luke yelled. He knew his father and other detectives stood outside the interrogation room.

"Toby thinks she's at the location the killer meant for you to show up at."

His eyes widened in disbelief and concern. “Let's go."

"The fire department is on its way, Luke."

"There's a fire there?"

"It was just called in five minutes ago."

He ran toward the door. “I have to get to her."

"I'm coming with you."

"Me, too,” Jerry Montoff said, as they headed toward the elevator.

Vinny headed to the firehouse, and when he got there, it was empty. The department had a call to go on, and he couldn't help but wonder if Diana knew. He hoped his sister's plan was working. He glanced down at the ultraviolet lighting device sitting on the passenger's seat.

All he could do was wait for his sister's call.

Luke, Paul, and Jerry arrived on the scene. The fire was spreading quickly. They made their way under the yellow caution tape between the water company trucks, firefighting apparatus, and Con Ed vehicles.

Numerous people were apologizing to Luke, as he made his way toward the ladder company in charge.

"Luke, I'm sorry for doubting you. I was just trying to protect my guys,” the fire chief told him.

Luke gave him a dirty look. He realized Brian Pellino and the rest of the crew were making their way inside of the building.

"I need some gear!” he yelled.

"You can't go in there."

"The hell I can't. I want that gear, and I want it now."

"The men can handle it. It's abandoned, Luke."

"It's not abandoned. Detective Diana Pellino is trapped inside!” He raised his voice over the radio chatter and sirens blaring in the distance.

"Come on!” The chief brought Luke around to the side of the ladder truck.

He was just about fully dressed when he heard the stern voice behind him. “What the hell do you think you're doing, Fontella?” Damian Toby stood with his hands on his hips.

"My job!"

"The hell you're not. I can't allow you to enter that building. You're not a firefighter anymore."

"No disrespect, sir, but I don't really give a shit what you can or can't allow.” Luke pointed to the burning building. “My partner, the detective I've been working this case with, is trapped inside. For all I know, the real killer could still be in there. I'm not relying on my so-called comrades."

He saluted the chief, handed him his clip that confirmed he was a firefighter, then grabbed Brian Pellino.

"We're teaming up!” he told Brian.

"What? Why? What are you doing here?"

Don and the others made their way into the building.

"Your sister's trapped in there."

Brian's eyes widened in obvious shock. He grabbed Luke by the collar of his turnout coat. “Fontella, what the hell is going on?"

"We need to move. I don't believe that you're the killer. I don't believe you even know who the killer is. We need to stay together and find your sister. Now, let's move."

He and Brian headed into the building.

"Who called the fire in?” Damian Toby asked. Commander Paul Fontella and the chief spoke to other arson investigators and a representative from the water company.

"It wasn't our killer. The call came in from a maintenance worker for the water company. Apparently, a water main broke on the other side of the building about an hour ago. There's water building up from the basement, flooding it out."

"This could work to our advantage. The fire can't spread if there's that much water,” Paul said.

"That all depends,” the chief said.

"On what?"

"Whether Detective Pellino is trapped in the basement level or on higher ground."

Paul swallowed hard. He understood what they were saying. If Diana didn't burn to death, she might drown to death. He prayed that Luke would find her in time.

Vinny glanced at his watch. It had been more than twenty minutes since he heard from his sister. He thought about whether he should call her but opted to wait, in case she was in the middle of some undercover operation.

The increasing anxiety consumed him. It was an unmistakable sensation, deep within his heart and soul. He knew it all too well. He was argued in his mind whether to acknowledge it or ignore it. It was enough to send him into a whirlwind of worry. He never denied his gut instinct. Never.

His attention was drawn to the firehouse bays, just as one of the guys spotted him.

He threw his sweatshirt over the ultraviolet light, then quickly got out of the car.

"Hey, Vinny. I thought that was you. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing, Curtis. I was supposed to meet someone here. Are the rest of the guys out at a fire?"

"Well, that's why I came out here. It turns out Fontella is innocent, and the real killer just set another fire. I don't know how to tell you this, man, but—"

"But what? What do you mean Fontella's innocent? And you don't know how to tell me what?” Vinny thought about Brian and Diana.

"Your sister Diana is missing. They believe the killer has her trapped in the fire."

Vinny opened the door to his car. “What's the address?"

Vinny pulled out his cell phone as he sped down the street. He called his sister. It rang and rang, then went to voice mail. Panic engulfed him as he placed the police light on the dashboard and continued to the fire scene.