Beyond the Shadows (20 page)

Kelly repressed a sigh and pressed him for more. “Hmm, interesting. Anything else?” Her pen hovered over the phone number ready to strike it off.

“Yeah. We had one religious freak come in. At first I thought he was with the woman and kid standing in line before him because of the way he kept looking at them, but they left in different cars.”

Kelly forgot to breathe. She pressed the phone to her ear and dug the point of her pen into her notepad so hard it made a hole. “What made you think he was religious?” she asked carefully. Her eyes found Nate who’d put down his own pen and paper to listen.

“He watched them go, looked me right in the eye and said,
“Today is a good day. God is great.”
Then he paid for his candy bar and chewing gum and left. I wondered if he was one of those kiddy-fiddlers the way he’d been checking them out. He gave me the creeps.”

Kelly’s hand felt like ice. “So he didn’t purchase any petrol then?”

“No. Just those two things—cheap bastard.”

“Chris,” she commanded her tone hardening with authority. “I want you to listen carefully to me now. This is important.” She heard his intake of breath and knew she had his attention. “I want you to put aside the footage in the security camera from that day and hold onto it until my partner and I get there. We’ll be no more than forty minutes away.”

“Ah, there’s just one problem.”

“What is that Chris?” she asked, dread already crawling up the back of her scalp.

“We only have the two tapes. They get reused every second day and we’re using the one from that day today.”

She inhaled sharply. “Go and remove it from the machine!” Still detecting his breathing over the phone, she repeated her command. “That means
now
Chris. I’ll wait until you’re done.”

The clatter of the phone on a hard surface answered her and she closed her eyes, rubbing at the headache starting to pound at her temple. Glancing at the clock, she figured if the tape had been put in the machine at the same time every day, they still had an hour spare before the image was obliterated.
Please, God. Let it be intact.
Sometimes, life seemed to be a game of chance and near misses designed to drive a sane person mad.

Time ticked away while she waited for him to come back on. “It’s done,” he assured her, his breath labored. “I even checked to see if he was on there. I’ve rewound to just before his car pulls up. Luckily, I took it out when I did. Fifteen minutes later and it would be a goner.”

Kelly raised a shaking hand to smooth her ponytail and blew out a relieved sigh. “Okay, great Chris. We’ll be there shortly. And thank you.”

She pressed end and placed the phone down on the table, her nerves stretched tight.

The scowl on Nate’s face lifted as she met his gaze. “Looks like we’ve got a solid lead. Good work, partner.”

“It does,” she agreed and shook her head ruefully. “It just seems too easy. After all this time, we’ve been on his tail and nada. Now we find him on camera just like that. How does that work?”

He shrugged. “This time, we’re looking in the right place. It’s about time we got a break in this case.” His eyes burned into hers, and he reached across and covered her hand. “We’re going to get him Kelly. I can feel it in my bones.” His thumb brushed over her skin, again and again. What had started as a comforting gesture quickly became sensual. The pad of his thumb sliding over her much softer skin set her nerve endings tingling. An answering tingle pulsed from her core and she clamped her mouth shut to stop the groan of need from escaping.

In a quick movement, she pushed out from the table, pulled her hand away, and stood tall, dragging her self-possession around herself like a cloak. “The sooner we find out who this guy is, the sooner we get him behind bars. The nightmare will be over—for both of us. Let’s go.”

Light glinted off his dark hair as he nodded in agreement. Without sparing him another glance, Kelly retrieved her wallet and slid it into the back pocket of her shorts. Draping a loose shirt over her tank top to conceal the holster, she strode down the hallway, anxious to end it.

****

The man woke up fully alert after his power nap and stretched like a cat. A glance at the clock to his right told him it neared the end of the workday. Not long now. Anticipation thrummed through him, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Nerves prevented him from feeling hungry, but he knew he’d need the energy for what was to come.

He found some cereal in the kitchen pantry, a bowl in a cupboard, and poured himself a generous helping. Opening the fridge, he found the milk, but a smell rose from the bottle when he opened it. The sour odor made him grimace. And when he checked the date, it was three days over. He poured it down the sink and rinsed the bottle out until it was clean, then tossed the plastic bottle into the recycling bin by the door. Returning to the fridge, he plucked an apple from the vegetable crisper and pocketed it.

At the sink, he ate the cereal dry and went through the plan in his head, once more. While he munched, his stomach settled and the righteousness of his actions soothed him again. God had led him to her. She would come to him. He would succeed in his mission because He willed it so.

A car slowed in the street outside and he froze in the middle of chewing, his ears strained to pinpoint where it went. The motor hummed past and he swallowed the lump of food that had congealed in his throat. Discarding the rest of the cereal in the bin, he bit into the apple instead. The sweet burst of juice freshened his mouth and coated his tongue. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation more fully. Idly, he wondered if Constable Appleton’s blood would taste as sweet to his taste buds as the fruit bearing her name did. He couldn’t wait to find out.

****

“Here it is,” Nate pointed right in front of her nose. “Christ—it’s practically across the road. We probably drove right past him.”

Kelly turned into the entrance and parked at the side of the building away from the pumps. Grabbing her digital camera from the glove compartment, she straightened up and swung out of the car. Nate followed her into the store area, the buzzing of the door alarm announcing their arrival. The pimple-faced kid behind the counter looked up at their approach. His pleasant smile lost its luster as his eyes shifted to Nate at her side. The color left his face, leaving the freckles that matched his hair to stand out in sharp relief.

“Stop frowning,” she hissed unobtrusively at Nate, her elbow digging into his side. He grunted but obligingly rearranged his face into a less off-putting expression. It did little to reassure the young man behind the counter.

“Hi,” she glanced down at his nametag and smiled widely, “Chris. I’m Constable Kelly Appleton and this is my partner Constable Nathaniel O’Leary. We talked on the phone.”

The boy warily took his eyes off Nate to glance at the identification she held out. Relief flooded his face, and the color returned as he looked it over. He accepted their handshakes, pumping them with fervor. “For a moment there, I thought you were coming to rob the place. I expected you to be in uniform and turn up in a squad car.”

Kelly smiled her understanding. “Sorry to frighten you, we’ve just clocked out.”

Chris’ gaze swung back to her at her comment and he drew himself up to his full height. Even then, he was still a couple of inches shorter than she was. “Oh, no. I wasn’t frightened. I can handle myself. Been doing martial arts training for a couple of years now.” He puffed out his chest at his last words.

“Good to hear,” she responded in a deliberately cool tone. He’d talk their ear off if they let him. “I’m afraid we’re a little short on time. If you could take us through to view the tape now, it would be most appreciated.”

“Uh, sure.” Deflated, he led them through a doorway behind the counter and ushered them into the first room. The walls were lined with shelves of folders, all neatly labeled and dated. Underneath sat a desk littered with paperwork. The whole place smelled of dust and engine grease. It looked as if someone had attempted to make some sense of the haphazard mess at some point judging by the glimpse of a nest of trays under one messy pile, then given up in despair. It amazed her that anyone could run a successful business like that.

Chris picked up a cassette from on top of the pile, turned on a monitor with an inbuilt VCR cavity and pushed it inside. Images of customers at the counter appeared—the picture slightly grainy. Kelly bit back a groan at the sight of the equipment. It was so
old
. She realized good quality surveillance gear came at a price, but when that price could be your livelihood, wasn’t it worth it? She shook her head at Nate who rolled his eyes with identical frustration.

“It’s just a bit further on,” the kid mentioned, oblivious to their misgivings and crouched down to fast forward. “Ah, here we are. I’ve taken it right from when he enters the store.”

Kelly leaned forward and squinted at the screen, vaguely aware of Nate mirroring her moves. The woman from the beach stood at the forefront of the picture, only the top of her little boy’s head visible. Kelly’s stomach clenched as she witnessed the woman’s last couple of hours on earth. Tears sprang to her eyes but she blinked them rapidly away. They wouldn’t do anyone any good. Instead, she focused on a man, dressed casually in beach shorts and tee shirt, who lined up behind the mother and child, his gaze fixed on them just as Chris had described.

As they turned to leave, the man made a comment, causing the woman to bestow him with a wide smile before she transferred that smile to her son, ruffling his hair. Kelly shuddered at the expression on the man’s face. It wasn’t that it was threatening or scary, rather, it was benign. To Kelly, that was by far scarier than one filled with hatred and evil. At least then, she would know what she was facing. There was no telling what was really going on under that mask. His victims hadn’t stood a chance. The man stepped closer to the counter and lifted his chin to greet Chris.

“Freeze it there,” Nate commanded and reached for the camera hanging loosely from her fingers. She’d forgotten it was there. After taking a couple of pictures, he nodded and Chris resumed play.

The man reached for his purchases and said something, a serene smile on his face. Kelly’s chills intensified. No doubt in her mind, they were dealing with a religious fanatic. She’d read up on enough past cases during her months of basic training. From all accounts, they could be extremely volatile. They believed wholeheartedly the power of God came through them and they had right on their side. Having the evidence of one such man before her made everything frighteningly real. No longer was he the boogey-man. Nausea burned in her throat and she swallowed it down, resolutely keeping her gaze fixed on the screen, her features devoid of emotion. If Nate had an inkling of just how frightened she was, she knew he’d jeopardize his career and bring others in.

“He doesn’t look like a kiddy-fiddler does he? He looks so ordinary.” Chris commented.

Kelly’s brow shot up and she glanced at the kid, glad for the momentary distraction. “There is no particular look which suddenly pronounces you to be one thing or another,” she answered dryly. “If that were so, our job would be much easier.”

Nate continued to stare at the screen then suddenly tapped it. “Go back a few frames. I think we get a glimpse of his car.”

Kelly whipped back around, excitement mounting. Chris reached over and did as he was asked.

“Watch carefully,” Nate murmured in her ear, his attention riveted to the screen. “First, it’s the woman’s car, then his.”

Kelly tracked a vehicle as it glided out of the forecourt. A distinctly family orientated car came first, its large back window boasting a baby-on-board sticker. Following closely behind cruised an unremarkable tan Toyota sedan.

“Can anyone make out the number plate?” Both men shook their heads at her question. “What about when the car first comes into the court? Rewind to that spot please.”

While they waited, Kelly laid her hand over Nate’s clenched fist. “We’re close Nate. Now we have a face and the make of his vehicle, it won’t be long before we have his name.”

He met her gaze, and turned his hand over until it clasped hers. “I just wish to God we’d got to him earlier.”

“I know.” She squeezed his fingers. “But it’s better late than never.”

They turned back to find Chris’ widened eyes on their joined hands. “Hey—I know why you look familiar now! You guys were on that show,
Cops
last night weren’t you?” Undeterred by Nate’s black scowl, Chris clapped him heartily on his wounded shoulder, not noticing his wince or hiss of pain. “
Shit
man! You’re lucky to be alive aren’t you? You looked dead for all money. And you,” his gaze slid to Kelly. “You were awesome! You’ve already got a fan-page on Facebook.
Hot cop chick.
You should check it out. Could I get a photo with the two of you and one with just Hot Chick? The guys will
die
when they hear I met you.”

Kelly felt the vibration of Nate’s growl before it erupted. She squeezed his hand to forestall him and glared at Chris for all she was worth. “How about you concentrate on the task at hand? We’re in the middle of an investigation here.”

The boy’s grin slid from his face and twin flags of color appeared high on his cheeks. “Sure, sorry. Later maybe,” he mumbled in a subdued voice. Pressing play, he slunk back and mercifully, kept his mouth shut.

The woman’s vehicle could be seen clearly on the forecourt, filling up. As she and her son entered the store to pay, the suspect’s car rolled to a stop and he got out.

Nate rewound and replayed the scene. “It’s no use,” he grumbled. “There’s no angle where we’re able to read the plate. Either it’s out of focus, or it’s too far away. Digital surveillance would have given us a clearer shot. We’ll just have to go by the description of the car. At least we’ve got a good picture of his face.” He straightened from his crouch and rolled his shoulders as if trying to work the kinks out. “I’ll send a copy of the photo to Kevin at the labs and ask him nicely if he could put it through the face recognition program. He owes me a favor or two. If the guy has a record, we’ll soon have his name.”