Dead Run

CHAPTER 46

Wednesday, November 21

10:30 a.m.

Rick checked in at the Hideaway, found that Margo had left everything in good order, then made his call to Florida State University. The call took less than three minutes; he confirmed that Tim Collins had graduated the spring of 1987.

He dialed Carla’s cell phone. She answered on the second ring. “Carla, it’s Rick. Where are you?”

“Headquarters. Been here since six.”

“What’s going on?”

“Stephen’s gone. He unhooked himself and walked out of the hospital.”

“On his own?” Rick whistled. “Val must be pissed.”

“He’s way beyond pissed. Heads are rolling. I’m just thankful I wasn’t anywhere near the hospital when it happened.”

“No joke.” Rick glanced at his watch. “Is he there?”

“No. He’s with the chief. Why?”

“I need to talk with you. Can you meet me somewhere?”

“Not anytime soon. I’ve got orders to stay put. Hold on.” She called out a coffee order to someone, then returned to their conversation. “Between Stephen disappearing and this damn tropical storm, it’s a little intense around here.”

“I could be there in ten minutes, would that work?”

“I suppose. Rick-”

He heard the question in her voice and cut her off. “See you soon, Carla. And thanks.”

He found Carla in her office at the KWPD. She suggested they talk out on the smoking porch, a small balcony area off the south side of the second floor of the building.

Neither of them sat. Carla looked at him, gaze direct. “You’re usually opening the Hideaway about now. This must be pretty important.”

“It is.” He looked at her just as directly. “I need to know what evidence you have on Mark Morgan.”

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Cut the shit, Carla. You know how screwed up this investigation is. None of it is adding up.”

“We’re just missing something, that’s all. Some link.”

“Ever heard of a group called the Horned Flower?”

She shook her head.

“Tara was a member. We think they might have had something to do with her death.”

“We?”

“Liz Ames and I.”

She flinched. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

She made a move to pass by him and he caught her arm. “This group’s into some intense stuff. Heavy-duty drugs. Sex, some of it weird, ritualistic. They threatened Tara Mancuso. Warned her that they would hurt her if she attempted to leave the group.”

“Surely you don’t expect me to-”

“I have reason to believe Pastor Tim murdered Tara Mancuso and Naomi Pearson.” He saw that he had her attention and pressed his advantage. “I share with you, you share with me. Agreed?”

“No way.” She folded her arms across her chest and stared him down. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll think about it.”

Carla had changed, Rick acknowledged, proud of her. She was turning into the cop he had always believed she could be.

“Good enough,” Rick said, then began, telling her about Liz’s suspicions, their trip to Miami and what his friend told him. “Turns out Taft and Collins were both students at Florida State University the spring of 1987.”

“FSU’s a big school, Rick. Student population probably exceeds-”

“That’s just coincidence number one. You may not know this, but Tim Collins played pro football for two years, then left to go into the seminary. He played for the Miami Dolphins.”

“And?”

“And one of Taft’s victims was a Dolphins’ cheerleader.”

Carla sat. For a long moment she said nothing, then she met Rick’s gaze. “Collins was the one who called me about Stephen.”

“I know.”

“Stephen…maybe the knife wasn’t even his. Maybe Collins engineered it all to look-” She bit the words back and brought a hand to her temple. “I shot him, Rick. I nearly killed a man who may only have been trying to defend himself.”

Rick glanced at his watch, aware of time passing. “What do you have on Mark Morgan?”

“What I say goes no farther. Agreed?” He nodded. “Bloody clothes found in his rented room. Blood type matches Tara’s. DNA’s not back yet, but we expect it to confirm our suspicions.”

“He never denied being at the scene,” Rick said. “You stumble upon your girlfriend who’s been hacked up, you tend to get a little bloody.”

“But he ran, Rick. If he wasn’t guilty, why didn’t he call us?”

“How about he’s young, scared and knew he would look guilty as hell?” She let out a sharp-sounding breath; he ignored it and went on. “Why try to link Stephen and Mark?”

“A witness thought he saw them together.”

“Who, Carla?”

She looked toward the closed balcony door, then back at him. “You want to guess?”

“Pastor Tim.”

“Bingo. He-”

The door burst open and Val stepped through, face white with rage. Carla turned, paling. “Val! Rick and I were just-”

“Don’t make it worse, Detective Chapman. I’ll speak with you about this in a moment.”

“Val, I-”

“Excuse us, please.” His tone made it clear that she was in big trouble and that she had better follow orders.

Rick stepped forward. “Don’t take this out on her, Val. It’s my fault.”

“How noble.” His tone dripped sarcasm. “But Carla knows what her responsibilities are, who her loyalties belong to. Or rather, she should.” He turned his furious gaze on her. “Don’t you, Detective?”

She nodded, expression devastated. “I’ll be in my office.”

“Good idea.” When the door snapped shut behind her, Val swung to face Rick. “Are you out of your fucking mind? Do you respect me so little? Do you have so little concern for your former partner that you’d risk her career to further your ill-conceived agenda?”

“I don’t have an agenda, Val. I’m trying to help.”

“You arrogant prick. I don’t need your help.”

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“Bullshit. You just want to prove you’re a better cop than me.”

Rick made a sound of shock at his friend’s words, at the venom behind them. “That’s not true.”

“Then why are you sneaking around, trying to pry information out of a partner you gave up on years ago.”

“I didn’t give up on Carla. And I didn’t give up on you or this department. I did what I had to, for me.”

“I don’t call hiding from life doing anything, Rick. You gave up and took the coward’s way.”

Rick saw red. He counted to ten before he spoke. “You were never married, Val. You never had a kid. Don’t you dare call me a coward when you don’t have a clue the kind of pain I suffered.”

“I want you out of here, Rick. Don’t test our friendship again.”

“I’m afraid Pastor Tim’s dirty, Val. I’ve uncovered some information-”

“This is my investigation. You’re not a cop anymore. Stay the fuck away from my detectives.”

Rick took a step toward him, realization dawning. “It’s you, isn’t it, Val?” He pointed at his friend. “You’re the one. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before now.”

Val knocked his hand away. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m the one what?”

“Who’s so desperate to be right. To be the one to crack this case, find the killer and be the big hero.”

“For God’s sake-”

“You’re so desperate to prove you’re the better cop that you’re even willing to overlook the truth.”

They had played out this scenario time and again over the years. The stakes had changed but not the underlying motivation that drove them. Why, Rick wondered, hadn’t he seen the competitive nature of their relationship before? They had competed over everything, even girls. The girl, actually. Jill.

“Tim’s a friend, Rick. A local hero, for God’s sake. A man of faith.”

“Does that exclude him from suspicion?”

“Of course not. But at this point, the evidence doesn’t support-”

“He and Taft attended Florida State together. One of Taft’s victims was a Dolphins’ cheerleader.”

Val froze. “Where did you learn that?”

“I still have some friends in law enforcement, Val. Friends who don’t see me as a threat. Or as a rival.”

Val let out a sharp breath. “Shit, man, I don’t see you as either. You’re my friend. But I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got responsibilities that have nothing to do with our friendship.”

“Answer me this, Val. How did Stephen, a man with the mind of a six-year-old, a man who’s never been off this island, learn Gavin Taft’s killing style? The similarities are not a coincidence, we both know it.”

Val looked toward the closed door, as if making certain they were alone. He motioned to the chairs and table. “Sit down.”

“You first.”

Val pulled out one of the outdoor chairs and sat. Rick followed his lead, then waited.

“Children are easily influenced by those around them. They imitate what they see, especially when the behavior comes from someone they admire.”

“And your point is?”

“We don’t think Stephen’s the killer. We think he’s a witness. Maybe an accomplice. We think what Carla and Tim walked in on was Stephen imitating what he’d seen done. Probably to Tara. Maybe Rachel Howard as well. Think about it, Rick. How many kids play with matches and get burned? How many kids play with their old man’s hunting rifle or pistol and end up blowing a hole in their head?”

Rick stiffened slightly. The image was too close to home. “What about Rachel Howard’s Bible?”

“He could have lifted it from the scene. Or the parsonage. Or she could have lent it to him before she was killed. Or she might not be dead at all.”

“Considering the climbing body count, I find that unlikely.”

“But possible. She hasn’t turned up yet.”

“And you believe Mark Morgan’s your man.”

“Morgan ran from the scene of a murder. We found blood-soaked clothes in his rented room. The blood type matched Tara Mancuso’s…we should have DNA analysis soon.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah, actually. She was holding a scrap of paper in her hand when she died. Want to guess what was written on that paper?” When Rick didn’t reply, he went on. “The Hideaway’s phone number. What do you think that might mean?”

Rick knew the conclusion Val had drawn. “I told you, Mark and Tara were running away together. Given that scenario, it makes sense that she would have his work num-”

“Do you know where Mark Morgan is?”

“No, I don’t.”

Val snorted with disgust. “And I suppose you haven’t talked with him either.”

“I haven’t, not since the night Tara died.”

Val narrowed his eyes. “But Liz Ames has, hasn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“Dammit!” Val brought his palm down hard on the table and jumped to his feet. “Aiding and abetting, Rick! Harboring a murder suspect! Jesus, what’s wrong with you!”

“She didn’t tell me until he’d gone. Yesterday, after your visit, he disappeared.”

“After my visit? Convenient.”

“She believes the Horned Flower has him.”

He made a sound of disbelief. “Liz Ames isn’t firing on all cylinders, Rick. She has you so tied up in knots-”

“That’s bullshit, Val. This isn’t about her.”

“It’s all about her. Your every action in the past few days has been motivated by a vulnerable woman who needs your protection.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know damn well what it means. She even looks a little like Jill.”

For one full minute Rick stared up at the other man, his world spinning. He couldn’t catch his breath. Couldn’t focus. It was true, he realized. Jill and Liz shared certain physical characteristics. Their coloring. Their high cheekbones and narrow, oval-shaped faces.

“Think about it, my friend. Think about why you were sucked so easily into her conspiracy theory? Because she needed you. Poor vulnerable Liz. You had to save her. The way you couldn’t save Jill-”

“Shut up, Val.” He balled his hands into fists and launched to his feet. “Shut the hell up!”

“If Rachel Howard had uncovered a cult on the island, one that was endangering the teenagers in her flock, wouldn’t she have come to the police for help? Wouldn’t she have done it as soon as possible? And how did Liz hear of this supposed cult? From Mark Morgan, suspected murderer. Everything she’s told you is unsubstantiated, Rick. Her word and no one else’s. No witnesses.”

He lowered his voice. “You were a cop, Rick. A damn good one. Does any of this make any sense to you?”

Rick couldn’t find his voice. Val made a sound of pity. “You haven’t been right since Sam died. Get some help, buddy. Please, before you’re in so deep you can’t crawl out.”