Chapter 10
The scent of blood, sweat, and death tickled the inside of Gabriel’s nostrils and made his stomach muscles quiver.
Accomplishment puffed his chest. He swiped the back of his gloved hand across his moist brow and tried not to cringe at the rough cuts he’d been forced to make.
He yearned to create art, something he could preserve and have pride in.
Not something he had to rush because he needed to strike the little mouse and the asshole cop.
After the detective found nothing at his house earlier, this would push him over the edge.
Pressure pressed against his lungs. This new game might be exciting, but the rules were somewhat muddled.
He’d never had to worry about throwing off the scent of the fucking bloodhounds nipping at his heels.
If the mouse and the cop wanted to raise the stakes, he’d raise them so high their heads would spin from the altitude.
But he’d needed to act fast, which meant he’d been forced to be messy.
Poor Hayley deserved better. At least he could keep a part of her with him...just like the rest of them.
Forcing himself to glance down at the marred body on the metal slab dominating the basement of his workshop, Gabriel sighed and tucked a piece of limp hair behind her ear.
He reached across her lifeless form and grabbed a white towel he’d stacked on the end of the table.
Blood dripped from the saw in his hand. Thick scarlet beads raced along the blade’s serrated edge toward the cheap plastic poncho he’d pulled over the dress shirt he’d worn to dinner.
He hated this tool. Hated the jagged lines it made and the way it spoiled the beauty of his precious pet.
But it worked well and it worked quickly. Two things that were important for what he had in mind tonight.
All he had to do was make sure Hayley was found where Monica’s brother would hear about it. Excitement built in his chest. Hayley’s final resting place might not be what he’d hoped to make it, but it would be worth the change of plans.
The continuous ringing of Connor’s phone penetrated his coma-like sleep. He opened one eye to take in the bare white walls of Ben’s apartment then closed it against the glare of morning sunlight pouring through the uncovered living room window. “Hello?” He croaked out.
“Where the hell are you, man? I’ve been banging on your door for the last five minutes.” Urgency bled through Mark’s irritation. Connor sat upright.
“I’m at a buddy’s place. What’s up?”
“Hayley Teller’s body showed up. I came straight to your place after I left the scene. I wanted you to hear it from me. Plus, I have some questions for you.”
“Meet me here. I’ll text you the address.” Connor dropped his head into his hand and prayed the bile in his stomach would stop crawling up his esophagus. He’d hoped they could get to Hayley before it was too late. But maybe this could open up the investigation and lead them to Monica quicker.
Ben rounded the corner wearing ripped jeans and a vintage band T-Shirt. “Good. You’re up. I got a hold of Simon Thompson this morning. He lives in Hoboken. Says he’ll meet us this afternoon at Church Square Park and tell us whatever we want to know.”
Connor grabbed sheets of printed-off paper and shuffled through them. Images of Hayley Teller stared up at him with accusing eyes. “I need to talk to Mark first. He’s on his way here. Hayley Teller’s body was found last night. Mark’s the homicide detective who caught the case.”
“Shit. I thought we’d have more time. We found Simon. He could break this open.”
“He still could,” Connor said. He powered up his computer and opened every file he created since Monica went missing. Anything Mark could find useful. “Gabriel’s more spooked than I’d thought last night. Killing Hayley could be his way of lashing out or proving he’s still in control.”
“What if we’re wrong? What if it’s not Gabriel and some other psycho is out there kidnapping and killing women?”
“Look at the facts. Monica’s missing and the only new person in her life was Gabriel Wilson.
Someone breaks into my apartment right after I see him in the coffee shop and leaves a hand that looks as if it belonged to my sister.
The woman he saw me with was shoved into traffic, and he arrives just in time to save her.
And dammit, Evelyn found Monica’s keys in his fucking pocket.
Now a woman’s body we think is tied to him is found the same night we search his house?
That can’t be a freaking coincidence.” His voice rose with every word until he roared.
Ben had to stay on his side. He had to believe they were looking into the right guy.
Ben sucked in a large breath and gave his head a little shake. “You’re right. I’m just in shock.” He picked up one of the papers with Hayley’s smiling face plastered on it. “She deserved better.”
“Which is why we need to get her justice.” And find Monica. He couldn’t handle the same news about his sister.
It would kill him.
His phone hummed beside him, and he glanced at the screen. “Mark is downstairs and needs to be buzzed in.”
“Does he know you hired me?”
“No. I didn’t want him involved. I’m teetering on the edge of ethics with my own career. I don’t need to compromise his as well.”
“Makes sense. What will you tell him now?”
“Anything he wants to know. Gabriel’s escalating, and my gut’s telling me a lot of that has to do with Evelyn and me. He’s playing mind games with us, and that’s crossed over into murder. I’m sure it’s not the first time he’s killed, but this feels different. Like a taunt.”
The fast-paced pounding of footsteps barreled closer, and Connor opened the door. A scowl sat heavy on Mark’s wide mouth, and exhaustion lingered behind the anger in his ice-blue eyes. “Your buddy got anything to drink?” Mark asked as he brushed by Connor and stormed into the apartment.
Connor let out a long breath, stepped back into the room, and closed the door. “Mark, this is Ben.” He lifted a finger toward Ben, who now stood with his hand stretched toward Mark.
Mark nodded and shook his hand. “Hey. You look familiar. Are you on the force?” Mark’s gaze sharpened on Ben’s face.
“No, private investigator. What do you want? Whiskey or tequila?”
Mark glanced at Connor with questions shooting from his eyes before he said, “Shot of whiskey. Between the rain coming down in sheets and the image of what I woke up to in the middle of the night, I need something to take off the edge.”
“You got it.” Ben disappeared into the kitchen.
Mark skirted around the coffee table, his intent gaze landing on the mess of paper, files, and notes. “What’d you find?”
Connor studied his friend. Something about the rigid set of his shoulders and the lines etched in the planes of his face told him what Mark had seen today was worse than most crime scenes he worked.
Not to mention Mark insisting on a shot of liquor.
His friend hardly ever drank. Especially on the job.
“I’ll tell you in a minute. What happened to Hayley? ”
Mark sank down on the couch, elbows on knees, and tented his fingers on his forehead. “I’ve seen a lot of shit, but people still manage to surprise me. Still horrify me with their lack of respect for human life.”
Ben hurried back into the small living room with three shot glasses.
“Where was she found?”
Mark snorted. “Just outside Columbia University. Hayley wasn’t a student, and it’s clear her body had been transported to this location.”
“Your beat.” The implication of Mark’s words shook Connor’s knees, and he lowered himself to the couch. “He wanted you to find her. If Gabriel’s done his research, which I’m sure he has, he’d know Mark is my best friend, and he’d work that case.”
“I agree. And this guy is one sick fuck. What we found was...messy. Her left arm was missing a hand, but that wasn’t the only limb we couldn’t locate.”
Ben reared back and pressed his back against the wall. “What couldn’t you locate?”
Mark sighed. “The body was extremely mutilated and stuffed in a wooden box. Crude cuts consistent with the jagged marks previously examined on the hand you found were present on the neck, right shoulder, and upper thighs. Looks like a saw, most likely a reciprocating saw.”
Connor took the news like a blow to the temple. “Aren’t those usually used for household projects? Cutting through walls, fitting windows...that sort of thing? As in something someone would easily find at a construction site?”
“Among other things,” Ben said. “It would definitely be something someone could grab from a construction site.”
“Or any damn hardware store in the city. I’ll look into it, but right now I’m searching for similar cases. Someone this twisted has killed before. If I can get ahold of case files with similarities, it will help.”
Connor shook his head. “You won’t find any.”
“You still hung up on Gabriel Wilson? Have you found anything at all that could cast doubt on the man? Anything I can use to get a warrant, or even use to question the sonofabitch?”
“We were there last night with a warrant and didn’t find shit.
” Connor dropped his gaze to the worn rug at his feet, and last night’s failure continued to burrow into his gut.
“But Ben and I have looked into Hayley’s disappearance.
Her situation is eerily similar to Monica’s.
No red flags. No sign of her. No idea where she went.
We pulled up her online activity, and she’s got a lot of it.
No connection on there with Gabriel, but we’re working under the assumption he has an alias for other sites.
Probably something with the initials LN. ”
Mark raised his light brows. “Why LN?”
Connor sighed. “Evelyn Price, the woman I met a few days ago, had dinner with Gabriel last night. She found a set of keys in his jacket pocket that had a silver keychain with those initials engraved on it. They have to mean something.”
Mark rolled his neck back and forth. “Tell me you’re not using her to get close to him. If you’re right, you can’t put her in that situation. Plus, she’s a civilian. You’d jeopardize your entire career.”
Screw his career. The idea of Gabriel getting his hands on Evelyn left him breathless. “I wouldn’t let her get hurt. But Gabriel is messing with her just like he’s messing with me. I need to nail this guy and find Monica—and keep Evelyn safe.”
“Shit,” Mark said and rubbed the back of his neck.
“She gave us a name last night,” Ben chimed in. “A guy who was friends with Gabriel in high school and might give us some insight. We’re meeting him this afternoon.”
“Fine,” Mark said and stood. “I have enough shit to wade through, and even though I’m starting to think you may be right about this guy, I can’t close off the possibility there might be some other lunatic responsible for the murder of Hayley Teller. I expect you to tell me if you find anything.”
Finally, his best friend was starting to believe him and with Mark on his side, it wouldn’t be long before they got the dirt they needed on Gabriel.