Soul Mate (The Mating Series) (29 page)

“She’s committed,” Tom said. “She’s not the problem anyway.”

I walked down the hallway.
I stopped at Mary’s office. A place in the floor had been removed and replaced six tiles wide. I thought about Mary being beaten to death in the spot I stood. A chill ran down my spine. Mary’s office door was locked, but I had a copy of Mary’s key. She gave it to me. I quietly unlocked her office and let myself in. Her office was still in disarray. I could tell there had been a struggle.

I powered on her computer, which took a second to boot up. I typed in he
r user name and password, which she’d also given me. I quickly scanned through her computer to see if something stood out. I didn’t find anything.

I checked her e-mail. There was no sign of her e-mail. The killer erased it. He knew she sent that message. He
searched for those documents on my computer. If he found the document’s on Mary’s computer, he wouldn’t have rummaged through my place.

I crept out of Mary’s office and locked the door. I
crept to my office. I unlocked my door and went in. I saw it immediately, the expandable file folder on my desk with a note stuck to it. It was Mary’s hand writing. The note said:

Cassie,

Here are the documents I told you about. The scanner was broken and I couldn’t send them.

Mary.

I opened the file and quickly browsed through it. Hand written notes and newspaper clippings crowded the file. Mary tracked murdered prostitutes for approximately ten years, including a file on her daughter’s death. It contained medical records about her daughter. Was all of this connected to the murders of Penny and Skye? I wondered if Mary knew the identity of the killer. The file needed to be examined closer, but not until I was safely back at the condo. I didn’t know the killer’s identity, but Mary lost her life over the file. For all I knew, the killer followed me to Mary House after the funeral.

I needed to keep it
covered when I left, but not with something as conspicuous as a box. I looked around my office. I saw a rain coat and a hoodie hanging on a hook. I grabbed them. I tucked the jacket wrapped file under my arm. I clutched an old smiley face coffee mug and a picture of my mom in a black frame.

My heart pounded
walking through the parking lot. The killer probably watched. If not, I still looked guilty.  I prayed no one from the board saw me load the stuff in the trunk. I jumped in the car and left.

I considered calling
Ben and canceling our meeting. It was three-thirty. I had a half hour to kill before meeting him. I was afraid to stop. What if the killer followed me? It dawned on me that he had followed me at some point to know where I lived. He must have seen me leave. He couldn’t predict I would go to Mary House after he killed Mary.

The more I thought the more anxious I became. I drove around and around in circles watching out
the window. During college, I took a self-defense class, it taught me to make four right turns, and a left if I thought someone followed me.  The probability of someone making the same turns are unlikely.

I turned down Prospect, and then I went right on
Shelby Street. I turned right on Raymond Street, and then right again on Madison. At South Street I made a left. I looked in my mirrors for cars behind me. I saw none. I cut down a one way street and came back out to Madison. The coffee shop was about two miles south on Madison Avenue, not far from my apartment.

I considered stopping at my apartment, but then thought better of it. I didn’t want to get out of the car until I saw Ben. I drove around the coffee shop until Ben pull
ed in. I pulled in beside him.

“You’re prompt
,” he said.

“I was waiting.”

“You just pulled in.”

I looked over my shoulder.
“I didn’t want to get out until I knew you were here,” I said.

“Cassandra, you seem edgy. Is something wrong?”

“I thought I saw someone following me, and then my imagination got the better of me. That’s all.”

“Are you sure
?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

We went in. Baristas hustled behind the counter serving the after work crowd. We found a seat in the back. Ben offered to stand in line for coffee. I gazed out the picture window waiting. A black SUV drove by twice. It had really dark tinted windows. I told myself I was making things up. Ben went out of his way to make the meeting secret. Surely, he didn’t tell Skinner. I made monsters out of shadows because of the file in the trunk.

“Whatcha doing?” Ben
asked, setting two cups of coffee down. I jumped. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“Yes, just jumpy
,” I grabbed a cup. It felt too hot. “What do you know about the Holy Covenant of the Apostle Church?” I asked.

“Not much
,” Ben said.

“Your partner is a member of the congregation
,” I said.

“He is?” Ben asked “How do you know?”

“The pin he had on. It’s a symbol for that church.”

“Really?” Ben
asked. “I didn’t know that.”

“I asked the minister at the funeral about it. He
wore one too.”

“What about them?” Ben blew on his coffee. I had
n’t touched mine. I was too shaky to drink hot coffee.

“The flyer that had the bloody message on it was from that church.”

“Yeah, but churches pass out those flyers constantly. I’ve had them on my car several times.” Ben took a drink of his coffee. “I think it was a convenient piece of paper.”

“I don’t. They used to picket Mary House all of the time
,” I said. “They’re fond of using the word
whore
. I think the message on my door came from a member. I don’t know if it is connected to the murders…”

“It is
,” Ben said. “The blood came from Mary Lazarus.”

I gasped
. “It was written in Mary’s blood?”

“Yes, we confirmed it today.”

“Did you find any prints on it?” I asked. My hands shook. It was pointless to drink my coffee.

“No, whoever did it used gloves, but no one else, but the killer, could have obtained Mary’s blood. They wrote it on the paper right after they killed her
,” Ben said. “That’s why I think the flyer itself isn’t important.” He shrugged. “It was probably in Mary’s office. Maybe she picked it up in the lot, or on her car.”

“
I’m not convinced,” I said.

“It’s something
I’ll definitely look into,” Ben said, “but it’s probably a dead end.”

“How do you explain the fact that there were at least ten Covenant members at the funeral today, including the preacher?”

“Janice Henley got the preacher from her church. She probably had church members attend too.” I huffed, exasperated. I wanted Ben to agree with me. He seemed bent on shooting down my theory.  Ben gave me an apologetic smile. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, it’s really good police work to put the two together.”

“I may be looking for a new career soon
,” I said.

“How did the board meeting go?”

“Not as bad as expected. I’m suspended, but not fired.”

“That’s good
,” Ben said. “Listen, do you have any idea why Mary Lazarus would request copies of police employment records?”

“No
,” I said. “Why?”

“She put in a request for
my employment records the day she died, Billy’s too.” Ben shook his head. “It’s just strange.” It was indeed strange. I had a feeling that Skinner was involved. Obviously, so did Mary.

“
Skinner’s known on the streets for being cruel to prostitutes. At least he was when he was in Vice.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Nessie told me.”

“He hasn’t been in the Vice division for several years.”

“Nessie hasn’t been a prostitute in several years, but she remembered him. She told me about it the first time you came to Mary House.”

He stared out the window for a long time.
“Strange,” he said.

“What?” I asked
.

“Nothing. I just noticed this truck go by. I thought I saw it earlier.”

“Black SUV?” I asked.

“Yeah
,” Ben said. “How’d you know?”

“I saw it go by a few times.”

“Do you think you’re being followed?” Ben asked.

“I wasn’t followed here
,” I said. “I drove around making right turns and left and no one followed me, but I noticed that SUV when you were standing in line.”

“Must be coincidence
,” Ben said, waving the thought away.

I ignored a lump of warning in my gut.
“If the killer left that message on my door, while Jimmy was in jail, it proves it wasn’t him,” I said.

“He could have an accomplice. His brother?”
Cops plant evidence, not attorneys.
Ben didn’t like either Kim brother. Cho wasn’t a likeable guy on first impression, but I didn’t understand why Ben didn’t like Jimmy.

“Grasping at straws aren’t you?”

“No, I didn’t mean..,” Ben said. “You’re right. This is reasonable doubt that Jimmy isn’t the killer, but it doesn’t explain what he was doing at the scene of the crime.”

“He was looking for me.” I answered.

“Why?”

“He had reason to believe I’
d be there,” I said. “Nessie spoke to him and told him that I wasn’t there an hour or so before the murder. Nessie said that she heard the killer’s footsteps, and they were different from Jimmy’s.”

“I know, but she’s not a reliable witness. She was knocked unconscious.”

I smacked the table. “Why are you still trying to pin this on Jimmy?”

“
I’m not, but I have to look at everything. I have to build a case for, or against him. I’m looking at all of the defenses and evidence.” He took a sip of coffee before continuing. “When I say things I’m not saying that it’s not possible I’m weighing the evidence, that’s all. It’s what an investigator does.”

“If Jimmy didn’t do it,” I said, “then the killer is still out there, and he’s trying to either intimidate me or kill me.”

“He wants something from you,” Ben said. “Do you have any idea what?”

“No
,” I said. I remembered the file folder in the trunk of Jimmy’s car. It either contained his identity, or he thought it did.

My phone rang. I
held up a finger to Ben and answered the phone. “Are you on your way back?” Jimmy asked.

“Yes
,” I said.

“Cassie, is there something wrong?” Jimmy asked.

“No.”

“I have this really bad feeling that I can’t shake.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’ll be home in a few.”

“Be careful, something isn’t right.” Jimmy sounded worried, which sent my internal alarm into a tizzy.

“I will,” I said. I looked at Ben.
I shouldn’t be here with him.
I hung up the phone. “I have to go,” I said to Ben.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked.

I squirmed.  “Nothing, but I have to get back.”

“Was that Jimmy
?” he asked.

“Yes, he’
s worried because I’ve been gone so long,” I said. “I didn’t tell him I was meeting you.”

“He always seems to know
more than he should,” Ben said “How?”

“He’
s just very intuitive?” I stood to leave. “Don’t you read the papers? Jimmy’s psychic.”

“I don’t buy into that stuff
,” Ben said. “Do you?”

“Like I said, Jimmy’s very intuitive.” I hadn’t touched my coffee. I felt bad for wasting the beverage.

“Let me walk you to your car,” Ben said. He walked me out. “Cassie, I want you to know that I’m working to get this guy, whoever he is.”

“I hope so
,” I said.

I got in the car and pulled out. I
drove about a mile north of the coffee shop when I thought I saw the black SUV two cars behind. I immediately took a right turn, so did the SUV. I took another turn. It turned with me. I did two more right turns and a left. I ended up on a desolate street. I saw the SUV about three car lengths behind. Panic grew. I called Cho. “Hello.” He sounded worried.

“Cho
,” I said in a shaky voice.

“What’s going on Cassie? Jimmy’
s climbing the walls. He says something’s wrong with you,”

“Um, kind of
,” I said, trying to sound calm. “I’m on my way to the condo. Can you meet me in the parking garage?”

“Why?” Cho demanded.

“Someone is following me and I can’t shake him,” I said.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know exactly,” I said, watching for street signs. “I’m turned around. I was trying to lose this SUV and I ended up in a neighborhood I’m not familiar with.”