Dead Run

CHAPTER 17

Saturday, November 10

8:00 a.m.

Rick tapped on Val’s open door. His friend glanced up. From the other man’s haggard appearance, he had gotten about as much sleep as Rick had: zero.

Instead of grabbing a couple hours shut-eye the night before, Rick had paced, unable to rest. He had recognized the killer’s style. The markings on Tara ’s torso and limbs. The positioning of her body. But he hadn’t been able to place where he recognized them from.

Not at first, anyway.

“We’ve got a problem,” Rick said, striding into his friend’s office.

Val passed a hand across his face, weary. “I’m not going to argue with you about that. I just got off back-to-back phone calls from the mayor, the head of the tourist commission and three reporters, one with the Miami Herald.”

“Count on them continuing.” Rick dropped a sheaf of computer printouts on his friend’s desk. “Take a look at this.”

“What is it?”

“Some stuff I got off the Internet last night.” He rubbed his aching eyes, scratchy from no sleep and hours staring at his computer screen. “Remember a string of serial killings in Miami a dozen or more years back? The New Testament Murders?” Val shook his head. “How about the name Gavin Taft?”

“Refresh my memory.”

“Just before I started with the Miami-Dade force, young women began turning up murdered. Their throats had been slit, their limbs and torsos carved up. The media dubbed them the New Testament Murders because of the crucifixion-style positioning of the victims and because a religious scholar claimed the ‘writings’ on the bodies represented Scripture passages from the New Testament.

“For years, the investigation yielded nothing. Until Taft, a twenty-four-year-old construction worker was stopped for a routine traffic violation and the officer recognized blood on Taft’s arms and hands.”

Val nodded. “Okay, it’s all coming back now. But wasn’t Taft convicted?”

“Yup. At this very moment, he’s sitting on death row, awaiting an appeal.”

“An appeal, of course.” Val scowled. “Same as the rest of the sick bastards on death row.”

“No, here’s the sick part. On the Internet I discovered a Gavin Taft fan club and several chat rooms devoted to a discussion of this monster’s kills.” He motioned the printout. “It’s all there.”

While his friend skimmed the documents, Rick paced, thoughts racing. Several of the chat-room police buffs believed that Taft hadn’t worked alone, that he’d had an accomplice. Still others speculated that Taft was innocent and that the real New Testament Killer roamed free.

“Dear Jesus,” Val murmured, lifting his gaze to Rick’s. “What do you think we’ve got here? A copycat?”

“Don’t know, could be. The similarities between Tara ’s murder and Taft’s killings are too great to ignore.”

“If not a copycat-”

“Could be Taft had an accomplice, just like some of those folks in the chat room speculate.”

Val looked skeptical. “So, what’s this accomplice been doing the past four years?”

“Maybe operating in a different part of the country. Maybe serving time for unrelated crimes.”

“Next you’re going to suggest that Taft’s not even the guy. That the wrong man was charged, tried and convicted.”

“It happens.”

“Not this time. They had physical evidence, Rick. DNA matches directly linking him to several of the murders.”

“But not all. And no murder weapon, no trophies.”

Val returned his gaze to the printouts. He thumbed through them, stopped on one and read. A moment later he looked back up. “I hear what you’re saying, but no way Taft’s not the guy.”

Rick met his friend’s gaze evenly. “Maybe an accomplice-”

Carla appeared at the door. She looked at Rick, then away. “You have a minute, Val?”

He waved her into the room. “Rick’s made a rather startling find, come take a look.”

She crossed to the desk, movements hesitant. Val handed her the papers. He shifted his attention back to Rick. “I appreciate you bringing me this. I’ll be in touch.”

Rick ignored his friend’s obvious attempt to get rid of him and sat back in his chair. “What’s next?”

“For you, going home and getting some sleep.”

“I can live with that.” Rick smiled. “What’s next for you?”

“Butt out, my friend.”

“The ME’s report in yet?”

“Goodbye, Rick.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m involved. I was there last night.”

“You want to wear a badge, Rick? I can arrange it. Until then, however, I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation with you. And you know it.”

“Dammit, Val, I was there during the investigation. Just before they got him, I was assigned to the team.” He lowered his voice. “Then Jill got sick and everything fell apart.”

Val’s expression softened. “I know, and I’m sorry. I wish I could work with you on this, Rick. You were a hell of a cop. But I can’t. I need you to get uninvolved, ASAP.”

“Just for once, can’t you do something that isn’t by the book?” Rick coaxed, sending him what he hoped was his most convincing smile. “Always following the rules, even when we were kids. Always taking the high road.”

“And it cost me on more than one occasion,” Val murmured. “Because I played fair, I lost Jill.”

At the mention of his wife, Rick’s amusement evaporated. He glanced at Carla, who had stopped reading to follow their exchange, then back to his old friend. “We both lost her, now, didn’t we?”

Val paled, as if realizing just how far over the line he had crossed. “Shit, Rick, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Rick stood. “Forget about it. We’re both tired.”

Val followed Rick to his feet. “I appreciate you bringing us this. But I have to ask you to stand back and let us do our jobs. Can you do that for me?”

Rick studied his friend. If Val thought he was going to sit back and wait for him and Carla to muddle their way through this, he was out of his mind. He had missed the opportunity to work on the tail end of the Taft investigation because of Jill’s illness, and he wasn’t going to miss it again.

Besides, he had a feeling about this case, one deep in his gut.

Rick gave Val a small salute. “Whatever you say, old friend. Whatever you say.”