Chapter 13
Thirteen
B y the time the cops got there, they were both dressed and ready for them. Her partner was first.
“Come on in,” she said, stepping back. “My fingerprints will be on them. You made it here fast.”
Eddie stopped, looked at her, then at Declan, and then back to Eileen.
“You’re my partner, idiot.”
Then he walked in. He took in the kitchen. Declan had put all the makings of an omelet away. Eileen had said she wasn’t hungry. He would feed her later after this mess.
“Where did you find the box?”
“On my porch.”
“When?”
“It was waiting for me when I got home.”
Again, another look back and forth between them. Then, his gaze settled on Eileen. “Why didn’t you call it right in?”
“I didn’t open it.”
“What? You got a package on your porch with no markings and no return address, and you just set it down and forgot about it?”
Anger vibrated from Eddie’s voice, and while Declan knew her partner was worried about her, he did not like how he talked to her.
“I think you need to watch your tone.”
Eileen and Eddie both looked at him. Eddie looked amused, and Eileen looked irritated. Damn, she was pretty when she was irritated.
“Sure thing, Fitzpatrick.” There was a knock at the door. “Why don’t you go let the techs in? I only called in a few people.”
She nodded.
“Why?”
“The less people who know about this, the better. We don’t want any wannabes coming out of the woodwork targeting Eileen.”
The knocking had stopped, then started again. He turned to get them, but he stopped by Eileen and brushed his mouth over hers. Then, he went to the door. A man and woman stood there.
“We’re here for the crime scene.”
“Badges?”
The man frowned and opened his mouth to complain. The woman pulled out her badge. It read Jillian Roberts.
“That’s me, and I vouch for Walters. Francisco said there was something we had to take care of here.”
“Come on in,” he said, stepping back and giving them room. “They’re in the kitchen at the end of the hall.”
Jillian nodded, and the two of them stopped to put booties on.
“Just an FYI, it’s only a box with pictures.”
The two shared a look, then abandoned putting on the booties. They walked down the hall, and he followed.
“Eileen?” Jillian asked.
“Hey, Jill, Ned. The only person who touched the box was me. My fingerprints will be on the pictures.” She looked at Declan, then made her way over to him. “You can leave after you talk to Eddie.”
He shook his head. “Nope.” Once again, he brushed his mouth over hers. “I’ll answer his questions, then wait.”
He turned and walked into the living room without letting her dismiss him again.
When Eddie finally caught up with him, her partner was smiling at him. “Perfect way to play it, man.”
“Not playing at anything.” He couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice.
Eddie’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean in a bad way. I think most men let her boss them around. You refusing to leave is a good thing. That’s all. No need to get pissed.”
“So, I’m not supposed to get pissed at the fact that Eileen is being targeted by some maniac? Because you and I both know that’s what those pictures are.”
“Did you see them?”
“No. I saw the box. She thought it was goodies from the crazy lady next door.”
Francisco nodded, telling Declan that he was confirming the story. Which pissed him off. “She’s not lying to you.”
“I didn’t say she was, but we have to confirm the story. That way, everything is above board. My worry is that the box got here before she got home.”
“Well, since she challenged him on TV, it isn’t that insane that he decided to do this.”
There was a beat of silence. “This was planned.”
“Well, yes.”
“Before the asshole saw her on TV. Add that someone disabled her doorbell camera. That seems thought out. As in, no matter what, that box was getting here tonight. He wanted that contact.”
Declan swallowed, and his blood turned frigid. He didn’t know much about police work, but from what he had seen in TV shows and movies, it was never good when the bad guy was super focused on one person.
“Yeah. I see that you understand the situation. She’s gonna try and push you away.”
“Fuck that.”
Eddie chuckled. “Good. Eileen is the best partner I’ve ever had. She’s smart and always works hard. She needs people in her corner.”
Declan nodded because he planned on being in that corner for as long as she would have him. He was starting to realize that, for him, this was it. He was ready to pledge his entire life to her, but he knew better than to tell her that. Eileen had too much on her plate at the moment.
“You said you didn’t see the pics?”
“No. She set the box on the counter. We were busy. Then we came back downstairs to eat.”
“She had food in her fridge?”
Declan found his first little smile since Eileen called her partner.
“Eggs and cheese.”
“But you never saw the pics.”
“She wouldn’t let me see them.”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Would you let your wife see them?”
“Yeah, but she’s a prosecutor. She’s seen a lot of gore. If it had been someone she knew, probably not. Or I would try. But, as I said, she’s not exactly a civilian.”
“She prosecutes murderers?”
“Sometimes, but she mainly handles sex crimes.”
“Damn.”
“And she’s not happy about this. She wants to call out the entire apparatus from Baltimore PD up through the federal law enforcement, but we want to keep it on the down low.”
“Why?”
“Because the bastard wants the attention. Eileen’s not going to give it to him. She agrees with me, by the way. It’s bad enough the press has given him a name.”
“What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me?” Eileen said from the doorway.
“Sorry. I was so irritated with the situation I forgot.”
“What are they calling him?” Declan asked.
“The Fleet Street Slasher. People are already making the link.”
The partners shared a look. Something cold and heavy settled in Declan’s stomach.
“What link?”
“There was a murder in 1987.”
He frowned. “They’re linked?”
“Eddie, he doesn’t need to know about this.”
“He does if he’s going to hang with you, and since he was with you during the two recent murders, we know that he has a perfect alibi.”
“Fine. A young woman named Norma Wilson was murdered just off Fleet Street. Stabbed. An ornate handle on the knife. No killer was ever found.”
“Eileen has been looking into it for years.”
There was a knock at the door, and Eddie turned to answer it.
“Sure, just go right ahead and answer my door.”
He flipped her off as he opened the door. There were noises of more cops. Eddie was giving them information on where to search, and Eileen frowned. There was something about her reaction that bothered him.
“What?”
She shook her head and stepped closer to him. Soon, the door was shut, and Eddie was walking back in.
“What is Bryan doing here?”
“He was hanging with his cousin Allen when he got the call.”
“Who is Bryan?”
Eddie smiled. “One of Eileen’s many exes.”
“I don’t have that many exes, and we dated a decade ago when we were both at the academy.”
“She kicked his ass there and made detective before him.”
He filed that bit of information away.
“Are we done arguing that there is a connection?” Eddie asked.
“No. We are not.”
“Eileen, there is a pic of Norma. One that wasn’t in evidence.”
“Who even has Polaroids anymore?” she muttered as if lost in thought.
“Maybe the killer is one and the same. Maybe the same camera,” Eddie commented.
“This guy isn’t the doer for that one. Even if he had been just eighteen then, he would be in his mid-fifties.”
“He would physically be able to do it.”
“Yes, but think about it. Irene was a smart woman. She wouldn’t walk down the street with an older man like that. And from what the other people told us, she was dating someone.”
“Yeah, I heard a few of my crew talking about it,” Declan said.
“But no one saw him,” she said.
He nodded.
“This was a good guy. A guy with a job, not one staring down retirement. She had no daddy complex. This is not the same guy. Also, the women are different. Killers can change their MO, but that much?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“That’s worse.”
Her partner’s comment had him blinking.
When Eileen looked away from Francisco, Declan knew she agreed. “What am I missing?”
“Eileen?” Eddie asked, waving his hand.
He was going to let Eileen tell Declan.
“Eddie thinks that if he is obsessed with that crime, it might have something to do with me. Which is a possibility, but it could be that I’m the one on the case.”
Panic swamped him. He knew her job was dangerous, but having a serial killer obsessed with her? No. That was not acceptable.
“Most people have forgotten about that crime, Eileen.”
“No, they haven’t. My mother’s class just did a bunch of social media about it. They do it every damned year.”
“Your mother’s class?” Declan asked.
She nodded. “She was my mother’s English teacher. She’s actually the reason my mother is a teacher.”
Eddie was frowning at her. “I think you need to go to a safe house.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need to do that. He could have done it before Declan showed up if he wanted to get me. He didn’t.”
“I could go above your head.”
“It’s a good way to lose yours.”
Oh, damn, Eileen just threatened her partner. He didn’t look scared. More annoyed.
“Listen, once everything is done here, why don’t we go to my place?” Declan suggested. His nerves were already raw. Worry might cloud his judgment, but he knew it was a good idea. “I’m relatively new in your life, and he might not know much about me. A lot of people don’t know where I live.”
“Why is that?” Eddie asked, who was now eyeing him suspiciously.
He held up his hands. “I have a PO Box. Officially, my apartment is my address, but that’s the restaurant's address. It confuses a lot of people.”
“He’s right,” Eddie said with a nod. “Plus, you don’t have shit to eat in this house, as usual.”
She made a rude sound. “I’d like to know what your bachelor fridge looked like.”
“Leftovers from my mom.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Eddie,” Jillian called out.
“Excuse me.”
He left them alone. The air was heavy as if a lot needed to be said, but he didn’t know how long they had before Francisco returned.
“I can stay at my parents’ or maybe Zac’s.”
“Not Zane?”
“Ugh, no. He only has things like protein bars to eat.”
“Your family has food issues.”
She laughed, but her smile soon faded. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? For having a psycho target you? What would you say to any other victim?”
“I am not a victim.”
He disagreed, but he let that go. “Either way doesn’t matter. You are staying with me until you find out who the hell this guy is and lock him away.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Well, you will. I need to do this.” He stepped closer, taking her by the hips. It had been less than an hour since they’d made love before this bastard had tried to ruin everything. “Let me do this one thing for you.”
She nodded. “If you can tell me why.”
“Why I’m doing this?”
“Yes.”
“Easy. I love you.”
“No, you don’t. You said you were falling in love.”
“I did not.” He shook his head as he smiled at her. Again, her terror at having him love her shouldn’t amuse him, but it did. Maybe it was the knowledge that she seemed to be as knocked off kilter as much as he was by her. “I said I love you, but we’ll go with it. I’m falling in love with you if it makes you feel better.”
“Fine.”
“Pack enough for a couple of days. That way, you don’t have to come back here unless you want to.”
She nodded, then looked up at him. “You’re not always going to get your way.”
“As long as I have you, that’s all that matters.”
Her eyes softened, and she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Thanks.”
“I’ll always be in your corner.”
Someone called for her. She sighed. When she looked up at him again, regret filled her gaze. She moved away from him, and he let her go. She knew he had her back, and that was all that mattered at that moment.