Carolina Rain (33 page)

“My guess is that the FBI’s slutty temptress, Chloe Franson, is the first person looking at this video. It would be a shame to expose the lovely Haley Rose to potential embarrassment by not taking a peek to ensure the authenticity of this communication. Nod if I’m right, Agent.”

Argyle broke into one of his patented
maniacal
laughs
,
causing the hair on her arms to reach for the ceiling.

“I don’t necessarily believe in demons, per se, but this son of a bitch is the closest thing I’ve seen,” said Gavin softly.

“I’m with you, Chief,” agreed Chloe, gathering her composure.

Argyle spoke again, allowing more of his arrogant demeanor
to seep
into his speech.

“I know you’re wondering what the purpose is for this memento of my good nature and what
it could
possibly contain. Interesting that I actually have to create such a thing because you stupid-ass cops still don’t understand, do you? You still can’t comprehend what you’re dealing with. Even Agent Williams hasn’t gras
ped the full concept of what
I
and mine are about.
Pity .
. .
for you.”

“In the file marked HELP, I’ve listed all of the people that have bought into my way of thinking. Not just names, but addresses, phone numbers, and of course, what I’ve instructed them to do, if they’re willing. You see, I can only suggest, with great conviction, what is pure truth. If that truth penetrates a
mind
already germinated by the sometimes unfortunate circumstances surrounding
a
life,
well then
, they make the step over the line willingly, as I said. Much like your Max Tucker who I suspect, by now, is
dancing to a different drummer,
when he
entered that
mental institution.
Because o
ne never knows.”

“At any rate, unless you figure out the password to open that file, many more people will die and that will be on your collective heads. You’ll have three guesses.
If the third is incorrect
. .
.
let’s just say you’re in for an interesting revelation. Oh yes, by the way
,
did I mention that you’ll have seventy-two hours? Ta-ta
,
for now
.”

Saluting like an obedient cadet, Argyle’s face vanished
and was
replaced with a large
,
boxed password screen.

It winked out, then back in, turning blood red in the progression.

S
e
tting her cup back on the table, Chloe turned to Gavin and saw the concern in his eyes.

“What do you want to
do
?” she asked.

“I want to figure out the password for one thing
. And just maybe
he’s full of shit. Maybe his head game is just that,” answered Gavin.

Manny’s old boss didn’t sound convinced, however.

Neither was
Chloe
, and she
shivered. “Maybe it’s not.”

CHAPTER-44

Dean Mikus sat next to Sophie as the Gulf
s
tream V lifted off the tarmac and swung north. Her small hand reached for his and locked his fingers firmly. He knew that flying was low on her totem pole of things to do
, it just
made him feel
great
to have her hand in his. It was a good thing for him that, just for a tiny bit of time, he could be strong for her. Weakness and fear w
eren
’t trait
s
prevalent in
Sophie.

She must have sensed what he was thinking even with her head tight against the seat, eyes closed, and
small beads of perspiration pop
ping out on her upper lip.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Mikus. This ain’t a date, especially since you
’
r
e
still wearing those green
-
paisley bell bottoms
,
but I’ll say this; your hands are stronger than I thought. I suppose I
’d
know that if you
’d
groped me when I was sleeping.”

“I know
. A
nd I was joking about the groping.”

“Really? Tell me you weren’t thinking about it. This a great rack and it didn’t come cheap.”

“Of course
I wasn’t
, well, not really.”

“If we’d been stranded on
a
desert island, you wouldn’t have even thought twice. I know men
,
although, admittedly, you’re a wee bit different.”

“I have much more respect for you than that.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

“I bet you have
just
not from old Dean Mikus.”

She reached up with her other hand and pulled gently on his beard.

“What?”

“Just wanted to make sure all of you was real.
Mostly because
you don’t talk like any man I’ve been out with.”

Shaking his head, he was about to respond when he noticed Alex looking at him over his reading glasses, new crossword book resting on his lap. He gave Dean a subtle nod and turned back to his book. Dean was struck with two emotions brought on with his boss’s simple gesture.

Firstly, he
was grateful for the encouragement and acceptance. Not that he’d ever really felt anything else from Alex
. However,
insecurity is a national pastime in America, especially for an LA boy that played the game a little
differently. The nod said he was
on the right track, with Sophie
,
and this BAU gig.

The second emotion had to do with the pain Alex
must have been
experiencing
. The last nine or ten weeks hadn’t been easy, then to hear that Max Tucker was no longer among the living had
to have
an effect on Alex.
He’d seen t
he look on
Alex’s
face when Josh
announced they’d found Max’s body
.
Friends, past and present, left part of themselves with you; Dean knew that as well as anyone. Alex would remember the part of Max that had been a good friend, not the betrayer he’d embraced
at the end
.

“
What? You’re not talking to me
?” asked Sophie. She was looking at him now that the takeoff was over and they were traveling smoothly at thirty-two thousand feet.

“I’
ll always talk to you, Princess. J
ust thinking, I guess.”

“Well
,
don’t think when you’re holding my hand. It creeps me out. I need to be around men of action
. . .
well
,
except Williams
,
he’s a hybrid, so that’s okay.”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll do my best to be a thoughtless man of action wrapped up only in the moment and instant gratification.”

“Now you’re talking,” she said.

Then Sophie leaned her head on his shoulder. He thought he might burst with joy; the pure kind. But all things come to an end
as
Josh and Manny emerged from the back, followed by the man mountain, Braxton Smythe, who had
hitched
a ride because it was time to clue them in on what he’d found. He had
also
needed a ride back to
DC
and would accompany Josh after the plane dropped the rest of them off in Lansing
.

Braxton stood, leaning against the small table
across the aisle,
as Josh and Manny sat down. A moment later, five pairs of ey
es zeroed in on Manny. Uncanny
, but it happened every time the BAU sat down to discuss a case. The man exuded strength
. . .
not to mention that ability he h
ad to size up a situation in a nano
second.

Manny ran his hand through his hair. “I think I speak for those of us who knew Max, the real Max, that we’ll all miss him. Not what he’d become
,
just
what he
’d been with us
. Having said that, we can talk about that side of him later over a drink
,
maybe more than one.
F
or now, we have to get above that and find out what’s truly going on here. It appears Max was shot in the same fashion that Michael Garity was and
,
by the preliminary report and photos,
with
the same caliber gun.”

“What?” said Alex. “Are you saying this was the same killer?”

Manny looked at his hands and didn’t answer right away
.
Dean felt his stomach twist.

What the hell?

“I’ll tell you what I think as soon as Braxton has briefed us on what he’s found,”
said
Manny.

If ever you could hear a pin drop, Dean thought it was now. Sophie gave him a brief glance
and
squeezed his
arm
as if she were telling him to pay attention because he was in for an education. She was right.

CHAPTER-45

Leaning against the Arcadia, he took in the details of the New Hanover County
C
ourthouse as he waited. The clock tower and the two smaller identical gables that framed the tower
remind
ed
him of New England architecture from centuries past
,
yet
their condition was immaculate. The red paint seemed fresh and the clock
ran
accurate
ly
. That was something not always seen in the
P
odunk towns he was forced to visit during the course of his professional journey.

Except
he wasn’t here for a lesson in building appreciation
.
Far from it.
His “assignment” was far more
—
interesting and
,
once
he pulled it off, as usual, there would be an episode on some crime and mystery
TV show
reflecting the incident.
Plus
media coverage that would send people scrambling for the TV
, shaking their heads
. After all, t
hese shows only pursued the brazen
. . .
and he had
brazen
for them.

Ten minutes later, the front door of the building swung open
,
and
the
one he’d been waiting for shuffled down the cement steps
,
then hesitated at the bottom, stretching and rubbing his back. He remembered a saying he’d heard once about age being a prison without escape
and he
smiled
.
Ah, but there is
an escape; one simply
had to open
one’s mind
.

The man headed across
Third Street to the c
ounty cruiser parked directly in fro
nt of his SUV, placed his brief
case on the asphalt
,
and dug for his keys. He must have sensed that he was being watched
because he
glanced
in his direction
, then opened his car door.

He waved and walked over to the man
just
as he
was
slid
ing
into the seat.

Perfect.

He surveyed the intersection, scanned Princess and
Third
quickly
,
and saw no one paying attention to him
. I
n fact, there was virtually no one on the street and
,
at
seven thirty-four
a.m., that wasn’t all that unusual
. Not that it would
have mattered. His timing had always been perfect and he discerned it was again. Approaching the window, he leaned his tall frame over and rested his left arm on the door frame outside the window. The cop looked up at him, sighed, and rolled the window down completely.

“Excuse me, officer. I’m looking for the closest house of ill repute. Rumor has it that you know where that is and can give me directions.”

The officer rolled his eyes. “Are you just a jerkoff
,
or
are you
trying to get your ass kicked this early in the morning?”