Loves Redemption (32 page)

left the precinct together.

“Is either Phillips or Halstan around?” One of the homicide detectives asked LeDoux as

he sat at the desk that faced Jordan’s.

“No, you just missed them both. Detective Halstan and the FBI Agent left a few minutes

after Detective Phillips. Why? Something I can help you with? Leave a message for them?”

“I have a name for their latest John Doe,” the detective said, glancing at his notepad.

“Leslie Dikes. Dikes was a small-time pimp, one of his ‘girls’ came in to give us a positive ID”

“Leslie Dikes you say? Not exactly the type of name one would associate with a man of

his, well, occupation, eh?” LeDoux said on a laugh.

“No shit.” The detective laughed with him. “I think the female who identified him called

him Rocky or something like that. He probably thought it was more fitting. At any rate, in the end, his image didn’t help him out too much.”

“Yes you are right about that one. In the end none of that matters at all, eh?” LeDoux

agreed with a Gallic shrug.

* * * *

Mark turned to the agent as soon as he’d put on his seat belt and asked, “how do you get

your information? Do you have ESP or something?” He joked, and glanced away as he looked in the rearview mirror, to reverse out of the underground parking garage.

When his comment was met with silence, his glance stole back to Montgomery, as the

man looked straight ahead with no expression, and no denial.

“Damn I was just kidding. That’s not it. Is that it? ESP? Give me a damn break,” Mark

laughed in disbelief.

Nicolai saw the astonishment on Mark’s face, and a rusty laugh escaped before he knew

it.

The double look of surprise on Mark’s face at the sound of laughter coming from him,

made him laugh even harder. After a few moments, his rustic laughter died out.

“What I am about to tell you is highly confidential and if I thought there was a chance

you would break this confidence, I wouldn’t tell you. However, if you were to say anything, no one would believe you, and you would find your life not quite as enjoyable as it is now,” he warned in a very quiet and very matter of fact tone of voice.

“I was born with a heightened sensitivity to noise,” he began. “As a child it was difficult because I grew up in an environment that wasn’t exactly, conducive, for my particular

sensitivities.”

He gave the information to Mark succinctly, in a matter of fact tone of voice, obviously

leaving out specific details. “As I grew older certain other abilities began to manifest, and it wasn’t too long before I realized I was… different… than others.”

Mark glanced sharply at Nicolai, and he caught the faraway look in the man’s eyes, as

though his mind were somewhere else, journeying to another place and time, before he began to speak again.

“Soon I couldn’t hide my peculiar capabilities and I knew I needed to leave the small

town where I’d lived my whole life. Most of my life,” he amended.

“I joined the Army, Special Forces, at seventeen and forged the permission slip that was

needed if you weren’t legal age.”

Mark listened attentively to the agent speak, realizing as he did so, although the agent

was succinct in his narration, giving away as little details as possible, he was learning about something not many people knew.

“I left the Army and trained at the FBI academy and joined their ranks as a field

operative. Eventually I headed up a specialized team of highly trained agents, with varying talents.”

After several moments had passed with no further answer from Montgomery, Mark asked

bluntly, “what exactly can you do?”

“I’m sensitive to vocal vibrations. I am able to pick up on strong emotions through

inanimate objects. Most sighted people rely on their sense of sight to guide them and help them make judgments. Those without sight, rely on their other senses, especially their sense of

hearing, to guide them. In most instances I rely on my heightened sense of sound to guide me.

I’m able to pick up nuances others cannot.”

“Like a dog.” Mark couldn’t keep back.

“Actually my hearing is much better than your average dog’s.” Nicolai countered and

watched Mark’s eyebrows rise even higher than they’d been.

Mark remembered what occurred in the conference room with the two cards. “Something

happened when you picked up the cards Maya was sent. I saw the way you looked.” Mark was

anxious to get to Maya, worried of this new threat.

“In answer to your question of control, I have received rigorous training to learn control.

I’ve learned to block out unwanted ‘sounds’ from coming through. As far as the cards, they

simply verified what I knew to be true. They were sent by the slayer,” he said simply and didn’t elaborate.

“So she’s after Maya now.”

“She’s not going to harm Dr. Richardson. At least not yet,” Montgomery amended.

“She’s placed her on a pedestal. Why, I don’t know, but more than likely it’s because of what Dr.

Richardson does with Imani House. The slayer sees them both as ‘protectors.’ Dr. Richardson helps them escape a life of prostitution by taking them off the streets; the killer helps them escape by killing those who use their services.”

“Why break into her house? Steal nothing but a small necklace with no real monetary

value? A trophy?”

“Of sorts. She has the other one, the one that belonged to Dr. Richardson’s foster sister.

She wants to feel closer to her. She probably wears it now, perhaps both of them. Or she’s given one away to a lover or family member so she can always look at it. Most serial criminals do this to enable them to relive the crime.”

“What does this mean for Maya?”

“It means the slayer feels a kinship to her. However, if Maya does some perceived

wrongdoing in her eyes, then she falls quickly from that erected pedestal and will no doubt become the next target.”

“Like what? What wrongdoing could she possibly commit to make this maniac turn on

her? You said she sees Maya and herself in similar roles as protectors. What could Maya do to change that view?” Mark asked the agent desperately, as they arrived at Imani House.

“Dalia, the fashion fundraiser is a few weeks away, we just can’t cancel it. Imani House

relies on the money it generates to fund our programs.”

“I am sorry,
Sesute
, but I do not think this is a good time for it. I, as well as you, am aware of how much we rely on this money. But no amount of money is worth one’s life.”

Mark could hear Maya and Dalia through Maya’s partially opened door, as he and

Montgomery walked inside after a brief knock.

Both women turned in the direction of the door as the men walked inside. Immediately,

Mark walked over to where Maya stood and kissed her, showing no concern for their audience of two.

“Ms. Draugulis would you mind showing me around Imani House while the detective and

Dr. Richardson have a moment,” Nicolai asked.

“Of course Agent Montgomery.” Dalia walked slowly toward the agent, her eyes roaming

over his body. Nicolai kept his smile in check as he escorted Maya’s statuesque assistant out of the office.

Once the door closed behind the pair, Mark bent down to kiss Maya more slowly and

thoroughly, before gradually lifting his head to look down into her upturned face.

“I’m worried sweetheart,” he admitted as he led her to one of the oversized chairs, and

pulled her down unto his lap.

“Something to do with the burglary and the slayer?”

“Yes. We have reason to believe your anonymous admirer and the slayer
are one in the same.” He saw her eyes widen, as her hand automatically went to her mouth in disbelief.

“Oh no. How could that be? I mean--how, how do you know? Did you find any

fingerprints? Some other evidence?” she asked, her words a jumble as she tried to make sense of this new information.

“Something like that sweetheart.” He didn’t want to lie to her, but wasn’t ready to

disclose what Montgomery told him in confidence.

“What does this mean then? The slayer is after me now? Dalia told me she had a bad

feeling about this. That it was no ordinary burglary, and she was right. I’m really afraid, Mark.”

Maya’s voice rose as she moved, trying to stand.

“Baby it’s going to be okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. The slayer isn’t targeting

you. She likes you. She feels connected to you.” Mark tried calming her, holding her in his arms in a light restrain.

“For now.” Maya turned and looked at him, her expression tight. “But Mark, when

someone has a personality disorder because of a neurosis, anything can happen to change their feelings, which in turn can change their behaviors. The bad thing about obsessions and mania are they’re always changing, and what was once considered pleasing and acceptable to them, can

turn to disgusting, and unacceptable overnight.”

Mark thought about what she said. Psychology was her area of expertise, and she

confirmed what he believed to be true. He knew what he had to do to protect Maya.

“Maya we’re close to catching her, I believe it’s going to happen soon. However, until we

do, I’d like for you to move out of your home, as well as Dalia and the other family you have in the third wing.” Her instant look of dismay made his heart ache.

“Where will we all go that’s any safer? I don’t want to leave my home. I don’t want to

force Dalia and the Johnson’s to have to find somewhere else to go. All of them are in school, and the Johnson’s have the children. They couldn’t afford anything else for what they pay me, that’s decent.” Agitated, she moved away from Mark, and paced.

Mark stood up and physically took her by the arms to stop her. “If you listen for a minute

I think I can help.”

He walked them back to the chair. After he’d sat her down, he sat on the end of her desk

and took both of her hands between his before speaking. “You, of course, will stay with me.”

When she looked at him with raised eyebrows, he hastily amended his demand. “I’d like

for you to stay with me, not only for personal reasons, but because I’d feel better knowing where you were. As far as your tenant’s are concerned, my family owns a unit of condominiums and

has several vacancies right now. The Johnson’s, as well as Dalia, are more than welcome to stay there for the same price they pay you for rent.”

Her doubtful expression prompted him to ask, “You do charge rent don’t you, Maya?”

“I do,” she said. “Dalia and the Johnson’s do pay, but I could probably charge more,” She

admitted.

“What do you do with the money?” Mark intuitively asked.

“For the Johnson’s, I put a small amount of their rent in their name, in a college fund for the girls. For Dalia, I place a percentage of the money in an account in her name for a down payment on a house if she wants.”

Mark only smiled at her, his head tilted to the side as he observed her almost self-

conscious expression. For whatever reason, she wasn’t comfortable talking about her private philanthropy so he left it alone.

“Whatever arrangements you have with them and in the same amount will continue,” he

assured her. “When I walked in you and Dalia were discussing your upcoming fundraiser?”

“Yes, and Dalia thinks we should postpone the event. I suppose you think she’s right

about putting the fundraiser off until later?”

Mark saw the dejected look, and knew he would do anything in his power to help her

continue her fundraiser. He surprised her with his next words.

“As of now I don’t see a problem with the fundraiser continuing.” When a smile spread

across her features, he held up a cautioning hand. “With a few stipulations.”

“What type of stipulations?” Maya demanded.

“Not too many. The same ones you’re going to have to abide by until we catch the slayer
.

No more late nights Maya, increased security around Imani House, and a personal security guard assigned to you.” He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, ready for a battle with her.

“Those sound fair, Mark. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to lessen my work hours without

getting too far behind,” she said, thinking out loud. “But I’ll try. As far as the security guard is concerned don’t you think that’s too much?”

“No,” he stated emphatically. “That’s a non-negotiable stipulation sweetheart, until we

catch this killer.”

“Well I have a stipulation of my own regarding the guard. I don’t want him ‘reporting’

back to you on my whereabouts every five minutes. I love you, Mark, and I don’t have anything to hide, it’s the principal of it. I hope you understand.”

“I love you too, baby, you know that. And neither am I trying to keep tabs on you. I’m

only concerned with your safety. He’s
your
guard, there for
your
protection, not to ‘report’ your activities to me,” he reassured her.

“Then I appreciate you protecting me, and will gladly accept a guard. Where do we go

from here?”

“Montgomery and I want to interview the staff, and residents. Try and find out who saw

what, or anything out of the ordinary. If you could give me a printout of all the staff including volunteers, as well as all of the residents we could get started with the interviewing,” Mark asked her as they walked out of her office. As they entered Dalia’s office, as Montgomery and Dalia were entering.

“Dalia could you give Mark a print out of all staff and residents? There’s evidence that

the slayer committed the burglary. Mark and Agent Montgomery are going to start the interviews right away to see if anyone has seen anything that’s been overlooked.”

“I will go and print out both rosters right away.” Dalia moved to her computer and pulled