Victoria (24 page)

"I am truly sorry, Celina. I had no choice. I couldn't tell anyone and you know how badly I wanted to find my father's killer."

"I know that, that's why I'm going to forgive you. So how about we meet for lunch and you tell me everything?"

"I don't think I can. I'm under surveillance. I have to stay closed-lipped, and I'm gonna be buried here under paperwork for most of the day. How about tonight we meet and you can catch up with Steven. I'll cook dinner and we'll just relax."

"It sounds good but won't you two want to be alone, catch up on lost lovemaking time?"

"Oh, Celina, we'll have time for that. Steven and I are going to be together forever. It's so great and I'm so happy. I thought I'd never see him again. I'm just so happy."

"I'm glad you are, and you deserve happiness. I heard about him getting shot and his recovery. It's good to know that he never stopped loving you. Being a prisoner of war and recovering from being shot are good enough excuses for me to forgive him."

Victoria laughed. “I would think so. Listen, I'll call you from here before I'm ready to leave. Bring Cathy with you tonight."

"Sounds good, Tory. I'll talk to you soon."

Victoria hung up the phone and continued working.

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Victoria felt her heart race, along with the sensation of nausea, from reading the draft. As she absorbed the words,
her
words, her emotions along with the facts of the investigation, she sensed uneasiness within her. Running her fingers through her hair and rubbing her eyes, she couldn't help but wish that it were completely over. She finished reading the article drafts and felt tired, in need of a break. Some strong coffee and a stroll down the hall would do her good.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Victoria jumped in her seat, startled to find Tod there. She dismissed the uneasy feeling, smiled, and stood from her chair.

"Hey, I didn't even hear you come in. What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. I wanted to check on you.” He stood by her desk, picking up a picture of her, Steven, her mom, and her dad.

"This is a nice picture. I guess things are working out between Steven and you.” He placed the picture back on the desk.

"Yeah, we're making progress. How about you? Are the agents invading your territory or what?” Victoria asked. She watched Tod who seemed only partly with it.

"They got the department under their complete control. The media is all over the place. It's a mad house over there. I decided to take a break. Maybe we could get lunch, talk a little bit. I was worried about you."

"No need to worry anymore. I'm fine and Bret Collins is going away for good. I'm not sure if I have enough time for lunch, look at this desk.” Victoria motioned her hand toward the pile of papers and yellow sticky notes scattered about.

"You look like you could use a break too. We could grab a couple of sandwiches and head down to the park. I'll have you back in forty minutes."

"Well, I'll have to make sure Steven and Uncle Pat know I'm with you. They've been working out a schedule, playing bodyguard for precaution."

"I know that. I spoke to your uncle at the department. I told him I was planning to take you out for lunch. He knows we're together, so you'll be safe with me.” Tod smiled.

She wondered if she should call Steven anyway, then figured he could reach her on her cell phone. “Let me tell Debbie where she can find me then we'll head out. It's gorgeous out there today and lunch in the park sounds nice."

Victoria told Debbie where she was going then left with Tod for lunch.

"River Point Police Department, Officer Jerome Rodriguez speaking."

"Officer Rodriguez, this is Detective Willie Shay with Creek Valley P.D. I'm looking for Detective Tod Kafrey."

"Sure, Detective Shay, hold one moment, and I'll see if he's here."

Detective Shay waited on the phone a minute hoping to speak to the detective. The homicide he had late last night definitely connected to the murders in River Point. It had to be connected.

"I'm sorry, Detective Shay, but Detective Kafrey's not here right now. I do have Detective Don Phelps, though. He's been working with Kafrey."

"That's fine. I'll speak with him."

The police officer connected the call, and the two detectives introduced themselves over the phone.

"So what's going on, Detective Shay?"

"Well, I had a homicide last night, of a young woman, Casey Pellonie. Brutally murdered and tortured. She was bound, stabbed multiple times, her face slashed, and had wads of paper shoved down her throat. I heard you had a few homicides where the victims were tortured, stabbed, and suffocated with dirt. I'm not sure if there is a connection or not."

"That sounds pretty interesting. What else can you tell me?"

"Her hair was dyed brown. It was done there in the motel room."

"The killer wanted her to be a brunette?"

"I guess so, and if there is a connection then the killer is still out there."

"Tell me everything about this girl, where she worked, who she hung out with. I think the agents are going to want to talk with you."

"I can be over there in twenty minutes. I'm waiting on word from the lab. We found fingerprints on the box of hair color as well as in the bathroom and on the bed. The woman worked at a restaurant and bar called Mallorie's in New Jersey."

"What? Did you say Mallorie's?"

"Yeah, why? You know the place?"

"Yes, I do. Get over here as soon as you can, bring everything you've got and don't wait on the lab, the FBI agents will get that moving along ASAP."

Don went right to Colt and investigator Warren with the news. They were extremely interested and everyone was looking for Detective Kafrey.

"So, whoever killed this Casey woman could be responsible for killing the others,” Colt stated.

"There are a lot of similarities. Except, this time, he screwed up and may have left prints. We could get him; connect him with the other murders.” Phelps looked at Colt, then Warren.

"Get me everything you've got and let me know when Detective Shay arrives. We'll start trying to figure out who this guy is.” Warren was certain the killer was still out there.

"I'll call the lab and get them to move more quickly on the prints.” Colt flipped open his cell phone as the men parted.

Victoria sat in Tod's unmarked, navy blue Caprice police car. She could hear the dispatcher and other officers talking over the airways. There was a fender bender down on 9W near the shopping center and someone locked their keys in their car in front of Louie's pizza place. Victoria smiled as they passed each location and headed further out of town.

"Where are we going? I thought you said deli sandwiches and the park?” Victoria asked.

"Don't worry about it. It will be nice, you'll see.” Tod winked.

The uneasy feeling returned. This time it was worse.

Tod kept driving down the highway, then into the Valley Point Motel parking lot. It was a dive located outside of town with nothing around it. What the hell was he thinking?

"Tod, why are we here? I don't understand.” Victoria was in a panic, and he pulled the car around to the back of the building. There wasn't a car in sight.

"Why did you have to get involved with the DA and FBI, Tory? Why did you get involved with Bret Collins?” Victoria watched Tod closely, and it appeared he tried to control his emotions. Was he angry with her still?

"I don't understand why you're so angry, Tod. My being involved has helped you and has helped the case. The agents are going to find who really killed my father."

"They would have never caught him if it weren't for you."

Shocked at his statement, Victoria turned toward Tod.

"Why would you say something like that? Why wouldn't you...?"

Victoria didn't finish her sentence. She knew the answer and fear took hold of her as she grabbed the handle to the door.

Tod snatched her arm, pulling her against him and across the seat.

"Oh, no, you don't, my little darling. You and I have plans and you're not running out on them."

Victoria's mind spun. It didn't make sense and even as she spoke the words, they didn't seem real.

"You ... you killed my father?” Her voice was shaky. Her whole body shook.

He smiled wide, seemingly enjoying her show of fear.

"It's ironic how things wound up. I was in love with you from the moment we met, Tory. Do you remember that night at the wedding? You looked so beautiful in your long evening gown, your shiny brown hair, and your eyes, how they sparkled with pride and love for your father.

"Oh, yes, Daddy's little girl was precious. You were the one for me. I knew it that very moment. I couldn't help but be jealous of him, and he stood in the way of other business I had. He'd still be alive if he had turned his back a few times, looked the other way, and minded his own business. Then he hired Linda, that slut, to paint a pretty picture for him and your mother. Linda was a bimbo, a con artist, and she sunk her claws into your father, telling him about Bret."

"I don't understand any of this. I thought my father was helping Linda get away from Bret."

"Who told you that, the agents? They don't know shit. I had Bret take the picture of your father and Linda, that way I could use it against him later if needed. Linda had her own agenda. Bret couldn't keep up with Linda's spending habits, and he couldn't make her keep her mouth shut. She blabbed everything to your dad about the payoffs, the corruption, and she lied, saying that Bret raped her. Your father knew too much, he had to die."

"How could you do that to him, to me?” she cried.

Tod smiled deeply. “I knew you would need consoling, baby. I would be the one you'd turn to."

"That's sick! You're sick!” she yelled, then tried grabbing for the door again. This time, Tod grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back.

"Shut your mouth! Keep it shut!” Tod screamed at her, before turning off the ignition.

"Linda couldn't keep her mouth shut, either.” Tod implied he had killed her, as well.

She put everything together. Obviously, Ronnie Chappa was working for Tod and Bret. However, Bret never mentioned a name. He didn't confide that in her, and she wondered if the agents could get that out of him.

"Let me go, Tod. Please don't do this.” Victoria cried as she tried to get away from his hold.

Again, he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back against the passenger's seat. His face was so close to hers, his gaze penetrated through her. The fear was enormous.

"Don't be afraid. We're going to have some fun, you and I, and I'm going to take you far away from this place, this town. We're going to be together. The way we're supposed to be,” he whispered then kissed her lips.

Victoria tried to turn away, but he grabbed her cheeks. She could feel them bruising, her jaw aching as she complied.

"Now, let's go to our room. You have to get ready for our special night."

The call came across the police scanner. They were looking for Tod, asking him to call into the station.

Victoria grabbed for the receiver as Tod slammed his fist against her forearm, then punched her in the cheek. He ripped the wire out of the radio. It would be of no use now.

He pulled her across the seat and got out of the car, holding her by the waist, she kicked and screamed, struggling to get free.

"Don't fight it, baby."

Victoria settled down. She needed to stay focused. Her cheek throbbed from the hit and there was already a bruise on her forearm. She waited to make a move as Tod locked the doors to the car.

Suddenly, Victoria heard her cell phone ringing, and she was hopeful as she tried to retrieve it, but the disappointment set in as Tod pulled it from his pocket. He had taken it from her purse without her knowing. How the hell did he do that?

Tod opened up the phone with one hand, revealing the Caller ID.

"Oh, how precious, it's Steven calling. Oh, well, you're too busy to talk right now. You're with the man you belong to."

Victoria's heart ached. Oh, God, she wished Steven was here right now. She wished someone knew Tod was the killer.

"Don't get any ideas. Let's go."

"Why isn't she answering? Damn it, I don't like this one bit.” Steven stood in Patrick's office along with Don Phelps, Colt, and Investigator Warren.

"What's going on?” Peter walked into the office along with Brian and Connor.

"We can't get in touch with Victoria. Andy left the Sheriff's Department and went to her office to get her out of there and they said she left,” Steven stated in a panic.

"What's going on, why do you need to find her?” Peter asked.

None of the men wanted to be the bearer of bad news.

"We found out who the killer is.” Steven shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"And?” Peter waited impatiently for a response.

"And it's Detective Tod Kafrey,” Colt answered.

Peter was obviously stunned, just as everyone else had been.

The men explained to him about Tod working for Bret Collins. Bret broke down this morning, saying he had a phone number to reach Tod. It was a number to a cell phone that redirected all its calls to Tod's personal cell phone. It was the same number listed on calls made to Bret Collins. In addition, the detective from Creek Valley had tracked a call that went from the motel room to Victoria's cell phone. The woman's hair dyed brown to match Victoria's. They further explained about Ronnie Chappa's role in contaminating evidence.

"Are you sure?” Peter asked.

"We have his prints on the box of hair dye and all over the motel room. He raped the woman, leaving evidence of semen and other bodily fluids that are sure to match his DNA. He's out for revenge against Victoria now. She destroyed everything he planned. He used Casey and killed her. Tod knew your sister was working for us, bringing Bret down, never mind the fact that he's obsessed with your sister.” Warren looked at Peter and glanced at the others in the room.