did he do that? Lose evidence? Get to the DA? With a cop shielding him, he might be able to manage either one. But this city is full of territory that has been carved out by dealers. If each member of the group took a cut from a different one . . . well, after a couple decades your wife has enough to buy beachfront property.”
“Okay.” Nate leaned forward to rest his forearms on the desk. “So was the tape in that video reused by the killer or were we meant to find it?”
“No one was ever seen in the vicinity returning for it, right?” She glanced questioningly at Nate and he shook his head. “And it occurs to me that our best leads in the case stem directly from the scene that hadn’t been taped over. Almost like the offender was sending us a message of exactly what was motivating these deaths.” Justice had been a long time coming. The snippet from the dream echoed in her mind. It had never left any doubt these were revenge killings. “Which brings us back to who would have filmed that original scene in the bar.”
“The cops had no reason to. The last thing they’d want is evidence of their relationship with one another.” He drummed his fingers for an instant. “It was most likely Tory Baltes or Lamont Fredericks.”
“And with both of them dead, who’s going to have possession of it? Either Juicy or Tory’s son.”
“Which is why we need to find and talk to them both.” Nate took out his cell phone and punched in a number. “But if you ask me, given his relationship to Lamont, Juicy has the best reason to hate these guys’ guts.”
The knowledge continued to burn through him, searing like a white flame.
Chandler had made it out alive.
He tapped his fingertips against the steering wheel, waited for a break in the incessant traffic. The shock at the discovery had long since passed. He’d had the fire rolling hot before he’d slipped out the back. He’d have thought she and the old lady would be toasty by dawn. Overcome by the smoke as they slept and burned to a crisp. All in all not a bad way to go. The smoke would kill them before they ever felt the kiss of the flames. There were a few dead police detectives who would agree they’d be getting off easy.
But he’d never imagined they could escape altogether.
He inched forward a few feet before cars ahead jammed again. Maybe Chandler had known he was there. Maybe she’d felt his presence in that damp cellar, just waiting for a chance to start the fire and then slip out again. Instead, nothing had gone according to plan.
Nerves skittered down his spine. Chandler didn’t know shit. She couldn’t, or he wouldn’t still be free. Maybe he’d overreacted. Those sketches had spooked him.
They continued to spook him every time he looked at them.
The pictures hadn’t depicted what they’d found at the crime scene. She’d drawn the events of that night, the exact time that Patrick Christiansen had finally gotten what was coming to him. The picture had captured the plumes of smoke, the twisted graceful dance of a man meeting his fate.
And his own pose silhouetted against the flames.
A chill worked under his skin. He’d spent far too many years of his life being afraid. As usual, fear made him angry.
And anger so easily turned to rage.
Chandler might have thought she’d outsmarted him. She’d discover that once he made up his mind, no one escaped. Not for long.
She was just as dead as the next three cops.
Chapter 18
Risa stopped short when Nate halted at the butt-ugly tan car. Her eyes met his. “Your requisition came through.”
Her lack of enthusiasm was echoed in his tone. “Another example of being careful what you wish for. I’m holding on to their promise of getting the other one back with a new paint job.”
“They’ll probably only paint the one door.” She rounded the hood and waited for him to unlock the passenger side.
“And even that will be will be an improvement over this one.” He immediately corrected himself. “If they use a matchingcolor paint.”
She buckled herself in and he lost no time nosing the car out of the lot. Reaching for the overhead visor, he slid her a quick glance as he withdrew his sunglasses. “How’d you get a cell phone so quickly?”
“My one-hour marathon shopping spree while Mom was napping. Bought both of us some necessities