The Perfect Murder

Twenty-Four

Malcolm used his sleeve to wipe the rain from his eyes. He could feel the beat of his heart all the way to his fingertips, but it was okay. He could still salvage this situation. All he had to do was shoot the old lady, hide her car in the barn and drag Latisha home. Maybe he’d keep her around for another night. Maybe he’d kill her slowly. He’d have the luxury of deciding once he got rid of the driver. He’d bury both bodies tomorrow, after he’d had a chance to sleep. There’d be no real hurry, not out here where there was no one to see what he was doing.

Turning his pistol on the old woman, he squeezed off another shot, but the car stood between them and acted as a barricade. She was too damned short. He adjusted, tried to fire again-but she was quicker than he expected and jumped back in the car.

The thought crossed his mind to shoot her through the windshield. He couldn’t let her escape. But she didn’t give him the chance. Gunning the engine, she yanked the transmission into drive and steered right for him.

She was trying to kill him!

Diving to avoid being hit, he landed hard. A rock bruised his hip and his knee, some thorny bush scratched his face and he lost his gun. As he patted the ground, searching frantically for it, he heard a thin voice yell, “Get in!”

A door slammed shut the same second he found the warm metal of his pistol. With his chest rising and falling as if he was in the middle of a marathon, he grabbed it and turned to fire. He was a good shot. He could still solve this.

But he was too late. The old lady’s taillights glowed through the rain, but she was already half a mile down the road and racing away faster by the second.

Undeterred, he fired several shots. This couldn’t be happening, he told himself. No way had he just allowed Latisha and a witness to escape!

But that was exactly what he’d done. Far as he could tell, he hadn’t even hit the damn car.

After emptying his gun in the direction they’d gone, he sank to his knees. “Son of a bitch! I’m going to kill you for this. I’m going to kill you both!” he screamed. But when the rage receded, he knew there wasn’t a thing he could do to either of them. They were gone. He had to go to the house, pack his belongings and get the hell out. Maybe Latisha wouldn’t be able to lead the police to this place. But he was fairly certain the old lady could pinpoint exactly where she’d been accosted.

“What is it?” Sebastian murmured. Like Kate, he’d heard the phone ring. They both stood at Jane’s bedroom door, listening to her talk to David.

“Latisha escaped,” she told him.

“Is she okay?”

Brushing her hair out of her face, she sat up. She’d answered the phone automatically and hadn’t really comprehended the first few words. But the meaning of what David had told her, what she’d just repeated to Sebastian, was beginning to sink in, and she could hardly believe it. Latisha was alive-alive! Thank God! “She’s been shot, but the bullet passed through her arm and didn’t cause any lasting damage.”

“Does Gloria know?”

Jane repeated the question to David, a question she would already have asked if she’d been coherent. It was barely an hour before she had to get up, but with Sebastian in the living room, she’d spent another sleepless night. Although she hadn’t been with him physically, she’d tossed and turned, thinking about him.

“She was pretty delirious when the doctors first saw her,” David said. “An older lady brought her in-a Louise Stetzel.”

“How did Mrs. Stetzel find her?”

“I’m still piecing that together, but I wanted to give you a heads-up. I thought you might like to call Gloria while I deal with the situation around here.”

That was sweet of David. He understood how personally invested she’d become in this case. Maybe they’d been enemies six years ago, but he was now one of her favorite people. “Of course.” Imagining Gloria’s relief, Jane felt her eyes swim with tears. “I’ll call her right away.”

A click signaled that he was gone. After returning the phone to her nightstand, Jane focused on Sebastian and Kate.

“Who’s Latisha?” Kate asked.

“Remember that person I told you about after the last time we got a call in the middle of the night?”

She came into the room. “The one who needed help?”

“Yeah.”

Hope filled her innocent face. “She’s okay now?”

“She’s okay.”

Kate walked around to give her a hug. “I knew you could do it, Mom!”

Jane laughed weakly. “I did my best, but I don’t get the credit for this.” It could easily have gone the other way; she was surprised it hadn’t.

Sebastian stood by the door. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.

“Did you find out if Gloria knows?” he asked. He was relieved, too. She could hear it in his voice.

“I’m about to tell her.” She nudged Kate, who’d plopped down beside her. “Will you run out to the kitchen and get my cell phone, sweetie? Gloria’s number is in my address book.”

Kate jumped up and, squeezing past Sebastian, hurried out of the room. She returned seconds later and handed Jane her cell. “Who’s Gloria?” she asked.

“Latisha’s sister,” Jane explained.

“She’s going to be happy, huh?”

“Very.” Holding up a hand to forestall any more questions, she made the call.

Gloria answered on the third ring, sounding a bit disoriented. “Hello?”

“They’ve found Latisha,” she announced. “Your sister’s alive.”

Silence, then muffled weeping came across the line. “Thank the Lord.” She cried some more before controlling her tears. “Where she at now?”

“Sutter Memorial Hospital. She’s been shot in the arm, but the doctors have assured Detective Willis that she’s fine.”

“Do they have him? The man who did this? The man who killed Marcie?”

Jane’s elation dimmed. “Not yet. At least, I don’t think so. I don’t have any of the details.”

“Okay.” She sniffed. “I’m headin’ down there right now.”

“Gloria, I’m…” Jane didn’t know how to describe what she felt. Realizing, once again, how little power anyone had to overcome another person’s evil intentions was frightening. It was humbling, too. Everything she’d learned in the past few months, all the bravado that swelled inside her when she talked about fighting back, had done nothing to bring this girl home. Yet, somehow, Latisha had survived. “Relieved and grateful,” she finished.

“Me, too,” Gloria said. “Will you be there, at the hospital?”

“Of course. I’ll be over as soon as I shower.”

“See you there.”

As Jane hung up, she dashed a hand across her wet cheeks. Slightly embarrassed, she swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled at Sebastian. “Hearing she’s okay feels so good.”

His nod said he understood; Kate gave her another hug. She started to get out of bed-then remembered that there was another person she should contact. Once again searching her cell phone’s address book, she called Luther.

He didn’t pick up. Keeping one arm affectionately around Kate, she waited for the beep that would signal her to leave a message.

“Luther, it’s Jane Burke.” She allowed herself a watery smile. “Latisha’s safe. I just…I didn’t want you to worry about her anymore. So call me when you get a chance-or talk to Gloria if you prefer,” she said and disconnected.

Folding his arms, Sebastian leaned against the doorjamb. “That was Latisha’s father?”

Jane nodded while reaching for her robe.

“You didn’t tell him where she is.”

“I think I’ll leave that up to Gloria. She might want to spend some time alone with her first.” She addressed Kate. “Try to get some more sleep while I take a shower. I’ll drop you off at school on our way to the hospital.”

Her face fell. “Can’t I go with you?”

Latisha’s story wouldn’t be pleasant, and Jane wasn’t about to have her twelve-year-old in the room when she heard it. “Not today.”

“Why not?” Kate whined. “It’s Friday. We don’t do a lot on Fridays. I could miss school.” The oblique glance she cast over her shoulder told Jane that Sebastian was part of the attraction. Seeing her mother in a romantic relationship was exciting and new. Interrupting that kiss last night had ignited her daughter’s imagination.

“You can’t miss school,” Jane said. “There’s no need for that.”

“One day’s no big deal. I want to be with you guys. Please, Mom?”

Sebastian interceded. “How about if we take you ice-skating tonight instead?”

Jane watched her daughter struggle to rein in her reaction. She could tell that Kate wanted to continue pleading. On the other hand, she didn’t want to make a bad impression on Sebastian. Finally she backed off and sent him a grateful smile. “That’d be fun.”

The image of her late husband creeping down the hall with a knife suddenly appeared in Jane’s mind. She was so used to protecting her daughter, so used to protecting herself. It wasn’t easy to lower her guard. Not after what Oliver had done. Not even for Sebastian. Especially for Sebastian. She wasn’t just tempted to sleep with him, to love him-she was tempted to trust him.

“Are you okay with that?” he asked.

Was she doing the right thing getting involved with him? Had she given herself enough time to heal? What would she do when Sebastian went back to New York? Forget him and move on?

She knew it wouldn’t be that simple. But life was all about taking chances. Somehow she had to learn how to embrace normal risks again.

“Sure. It’s a date,” she said and went into the bathroom.

“Can she give us any indication of where she was kept?” Jane asked. She and Sebastian had bumped into David in the hall on their way to Latisha’s hospital room. They were standing off to one side, speaking in hushed voices-partly in deference to the setting and partly to keep others from overhearing their conversation.

“No,” David said. “She told me he pulled her and her sister over by putting a Kojak light on top of his van.”

“We’d wondered about that,” Sebastian said. He’d showered in Jane’s second bathroom, but not until he’d made breakfast for Kate. By then, he didn’t want to take the time to dry his hair, despite the cold weather. Still damp, it was curling over his ears and the back of his neck.

“I guess Marcie was driving their car,” David went on. “Latisha admits the van didn’t look like a public vehicle. And Wesley Boss, as she knows him, wasn’t wearing a uniform. But when he explained that he was an undercover officer and flashed a badge, she thought that was the point-he wasn’t supposed to look like a cop.”

“Pulling someone over without the proper authority takes a lot of nerve,” Jane said. “I’m afraid I would’ve believed him, too, and I have a lot more experience than they did.”

David raised his eyebrows. “Let’s hope you would’ve checked his badge a lot more closely.”

“Maybe I would have, but we’re talking about two young girls who were probably afraid they were going to be ticketed.”

“That’s exactly what they thought. They had a taillight out. They assumed that was the reason they’d been stopped.”

“Is that why he chose them?”

“Could be. I think he was looking for the kind of target-targets in this case-who’d be unlikely to question his authority. It was a Saturday morning, not late at night. They were together.” David shook his head. “They didn’t see the danger.”

“How’d he get them into the van without anyone noticing?” she asked.

David straightened his tie but the wrinkles in his shirt suggested these were the same clothes he’d worn yesterday. Had he even slept? She knew he’d gone home. He always made a point of it because of the kids. But he wasn’t taking good care of himself. “They went willingly. He told Marcie there was a warrant for her arrest and asked her to step out of the car. When she did, he slapped handcuffs on her.”

“He has balls the size of coconuts,” Sebastian grumbled.

“No kidding,” David agreed. “Anyway, he took Marcie to the van, then told Latisha she could ride to the station with him, that the car couldn’t be driven because of that taillight.”

“So she left the car and got in the van.”

“Without an argument. Before she could figure out what was going on, he threw her in the back and cuffed her to the same metal bar he’d already cuffed her sister to. Next thing Latisha knew, they were at some old house in the country.”

“Another house like the one in Ione?”

“This one’s in Turlock.”

Jane searched for the courage to ask her next question. “Did he rape them?”

“Apparently he didn’t rape Marcie.” She saw a pained expression on David’s handsome face. “What happened with Latisha is less clear. She had a diamond ring on her finger when she arrived here. She claims he bought it for her, that he wanted to marry her.”

“What?” The sudden change in Sebastian’s voice showed how surprised he was. Jane was equally shocked.

“After a few weeks?” she said.

“He got her drunk, slept with her, promised her he’d always take care of her. Had to be pretty damned confusing for the poor kid.”

“Did she know he killed her sister?”

“I don’t think so. She said she believed him when he told her he’d let Marcie go.” David frowned. “But…in the next instant, she burst into tears, saying she’d found Marcie’s blood on his shoes.”

“The poor thing.” Jane felt Sebastian’s hand at her back. She would’ve enjoyed the comfort his touch offered-except that she was afraid David might notice the subtle intimacy of it. She didn’t want to be questioned about their involvement.

“What about Malcolm?” Sebastian asked. “Does anyone have any idea where he might be?”

“Mrs. Stetzel, the woman who brought her in, was driving out to her ranch when she came across Latisha. She said Latisha was in the middle of the road and there was a man with a gun, shooting at them both. Because it was dark and it all happened so fast, she didn’t get a good look at him. But she knows the area and should be able to lead us to the exact spot. She’s in a patrol car now, attempting to do just that. I’m on my way to meet them.”

“So the old lady saved her,” Sebastian said.

David chuckled. “Basically. I don’t know how a seventy-three-year-old woman managed to get Latisha in the car and drive away without wrecking or being shot, but she did.”

“An unlikely hero,” Jane murmured.

“As unlikely as they get. But there’s no question that she saved Latisha’s life.”

Would they finally catch Malcolm, thanks to a Good Samaritan? “What does Gloria have to say?”

“Not much,” David replied. “She’s been at Latisha’s bedside since she got here, crying and listening. If she makes a comment, it’s generally something encouraging like ‘You’ll get through this.’”

“Gloria’s a strong woman. If anyone can help Latisha recover, it’s her.” Jane glanced toward the door she’d seen David walk out of just before they’d encountered him. “Is it okay if we go in?”

David gestured toward the room. “Go ahead. I’ll call you when I reach the place where she escaped, let you know what I find.”

Latisha was a very pretty young lady. She had a bandaged arm and a scrape on one cheek but, physically, she seemed in good shape, especially considering that Sebastian had never expected to see her alive.

Jane had gone into the room ahead of him. “You okay?” she murmured to Gloria and gave her a hug before turning to meet Latisha.

“This is Jane Burke, the woman I told you about,” Gloria said to her sister.

Latisha’s reaction seemed a bit skeptical. “Hello.”

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Jane looked as if she wanted to embrace Latisha, too. Wisely, she refrained, settling for a slight squeeze of the hand, but her apparent sincerity began to thaw Latisha’s initial reaction.

“Thanks.” She managed a slight smile.

“This is Sebastian Costas from New York.” Jane seemed about to explain his presence, but she didn’t get the chance. Latisha had gasped at the sound of his name.

“You’re the one!”

Sebastian sent a questioning glance at her and then Gloria. He couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. “The one who what?”

“Who killed Wesley’s wife and son! He’s been searching for you!”

Jane’s eyes widened. “What?”

“He told me what you did.”

Jane spoke before Sebastian could respond. “That’s not true, Latisha,” she said, her voice gentle. “Malcolm killed his own wife-for her money. He also killed a fourteen-year-old boy, mostly out of spite. That boy was Sebastian’s son.”

Sebastian curled his hands into fists. Malcolm had tried to blame Colton’s murder on him?

“Who’s Malcolm?” Latisha echoed in apparent confusion.

Careful to maintain enough distance to avoid frightening her, Sebastian moved a step closer. “Malcolm Turner is Wesley Boss’s real name.”

“No!” She shook her head. “He told me-”

“He told you lots of things, girl, and ain’t none of ’em true,” Gloria piped up. “That man’s the devil.”

Sebastian had to agree. If the devil had a face, it was that of Malcolm Turner. “I would never harm my own son.”

“Then he killed Marcie,” she announced, tears welling in her eyes.

Gloria patted her hand. “We already knew he did, honey. We’ll miss her, but-” she fought to subdue her own emotions “-we’ll get by, you and me. We still got each other. He didn’t get you.”

“Yet.” Her eyes shifted beseechingly to Jane. “What if he comes after me? He’s still out there…”

If only Sebastian had been able to catch Malcolm before the kidnappings…He wished to hell he’d been successful. He’d felt so close then, when he and Mary were communicating with him online.

A lot had changed.

“We’re doing everything we can to put him behind bars,” Jane said. “What you told the police should help. They’re on their way to the place where Mrs. Stetzel found you.”

“It’s not far from his house,” she said. “It can’t be far from his house. I-I couldn’t have walked more than a-a mile or so.”

“We’ll find him,” Sebastian assured her. But Malcolm probably wasn’t at the house where he’d kept Latisha. Not anymore. He wouldn’t simply wait for the police to come and arrest him. Unless something had happened to stop him, he’d fled the minute Mrs. Stetzel’s car drove out of sight.

When and where he might turn up was anyone’s guess.