R. E. Bradshaw - Rainey Nights (17 page)

The walls in the closet begin to close in on Rainey. She closed her eyes against the pictures of bloody crime scenes scattered on the floor. With the sound of that maniac’s voice still ringing in her ears, she could almost smell him. Rainey turned and walked out of the closet. She crossed to Katie’s big reading chair, by the window. She sat down and took the clip out of her gun, cleared the chamber and placed it on the table by the chair. She put her elbows on her knees and dropped her face into her hands, the rush now leaving her body weak with its ebbing. Katie followed her out and sat on the ottoman in front of her.

Katie tried to lighten the mood. “How ironic. We just came out of the closet together, again.”

Rainey laughed despite her desire to remain angry with Katie. She looked up to see Katie’s big blue eyes inches from her face. Katie was smiling at her, but her brow was knitted with worry. She reached out and touched Rainey’s knee.

“Honey, I’m sorry. But honestly, I’m glad I did it. I found out something about you that I needed to know.”

Rainey sat back. Still not completely able to lose the anger in her tone, she said, “Yeah, and what was that?”

“I read your writings. Your depth of understanding is… well, simply over my head. How you did what you did is beyond me. I listened to those tapes and I heard a completely different person in that room. Your voice was so detached from emotion. If I didn’t already know you, I would have described that person as unfeeling and cold.”

“I did what I had to do to survive being exposed to sadistic criminals like that. The colder I was the harder they tried to shock me. They told me their sickest secrets trying to break that ice. Sitting for hours listening to them drone on about their inhuman behaviors takes a level of dispassion few can achieve. The ability to understand the incomprehensible, that’s what my specialty required, and I was damn good at it. You’re trying to reconcile the person you love with a person who could sit there unfazed by a sociopath.”

“That’s not it at all,” Katie interjected.

Rainey didn’t let her explain. She launched into, “It’s me Katie, that’s who I am, but what you don’t hear is me throwing up afterwards. You weren’t there in the early years when I struggled until I could be that detached, until I could turn it off at night when I came home, until I could focus all my energy on locating and locking them up without paying a toll for each one. That’s what my training required of me. That’s what my humanity demanded of me.”

Katie tried again to speak, “I know…”

“No, you don’t know. You have no point of reference for me to explain the depravity I’ve witnessed. I put those things in a box and put them away. I’d like to put the memories away too, but Katie there are just some things you can’t un-see. So sometimes I come off cold and unfeeling. I can be cautious, suspicious, even a bit paranoid, do you blame me?”

Katie didn’t say anything. She just shook her head from side to side. She seemed to comprehend Rainey just needed to talk, without interruption.

“Katie, I’m not going to be the happy go lucky, throw caution to the wind kind of person you are. Falling in love with you is the only unplanned, spontaneous thing I’ve done since I was a teenager and didn’t know any better. I’ve been reckless with you and it’s been good for me. You make me think all things are possible. I may balk, seem initially too cautious, but I work through my reservations most of the time. I took a chance with you and that is so not in character with the person I grew up to be. You remind me of being young and innocent. I’d like to hang on to that feeling. I’m giving you everything I can… but there is probably always going to be a part of me you can’t have access to. I’m respectfully asking you to leave it alone.”

Katie leaned into Rainey, placing both hands on her knees. “What I wanted to say is that I read your notes, I listened to your voice, I saw some of what you’ve seen. That’s enough for me. I thought I knew everything, because of what I went through last summer, but I didn’t. You’re right. I couldn’t possibly grasp the depth of horror you’ve seen. I appreciate where your fears and doubts come from. I understand now, Rainey.”

“Do you believe me when I say I’m not holding anything back from you that is yours to have? Do you understand how hard it was for me to let you in, to love you?” Rainey’s voice shook and she wished it wouldn’t. “I know life can be completely changed in an instant. I didn’t want to care about you, because I didn’t think I could take another loss in my life. But I confronted that fear and I’m dealing with it every day. If I ask you to lock the door, be aware of your surroundings, don’t park your car in certain places, it is not because I think there’s a serial killer around every corner. I’m not paranoid or uptight, Katie. I just can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

Katie climbed up into Rainey’s lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. She looked deep into Rainey’s eyes and said, “I will never doubt your instincts again. I will not call your paranoia or wariness silly. I will respect your knowledge of things I don’t need to know or want to understand. I will be patient when you are cautious, but I reserve the right to plead my case. Is that workable for you?”

Rainey leaned in to Katie’s lips, because she could no longer resist. She cupped the back of Katie’s head in her hand and pulled her tight against her.

Katie broke free and breathed whispered words against Rainey’s lips, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Rainey smiled. She kissed Katie and then hugged her close, saying softly into her ear, “I love you, ya’ know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Now that Rainey’s anger had ebbed, she knew she had to tell Katie about Dalton’s copycat lurking out there somewhere. Maybe it was good that Katie had seen the Murder Book on Chambers. It would help Rainey get across the seriousness of the threat. Just as she started to broach the subject, Rainey’s cell phone rang.

Katie stood up, so Rainey could remove her phone from her pocket. She looked at the screen. She couldn’t ignore it. It was Ernie. Rainey flipped the phone open. Before she could speak, Ernie began talking.

“Rainey, Mackie needs you. He wants you to meet him in an hour. Chauncey is about to bolt. Mackie set it up where Chauncey thinks he’s coming to pick up some money, so he can disappear. If everything goes as planned, we’re off the hook for two hundred grand failed appearance. You know if you don’t stop this guy, you’ll damn near bankrupt this place.”

Rainey answered, “Now, Ernie, do you really think I would bail out a felon without keeping an eye on him? One of his homeboys has been on the phone with Junior, twenty-four-seven. That’s how we knew he was going to run. Probable cause, we’re revoking his bail. My prerogative. All I have to do is deliver him into custody.”

“Don’t get cocky, Rainey,” Ernie scolded. “Will you have back up?”

Rainey didn’t mind Ernie’s scolding. Ernie knew this business, she knew these criminals, and she loved Rainey. Her thoughts were always on Rainey and Mackie’s safety.

“Mackie was going to arrange for some of the fugitive squad to go in ahead of us. Chauncey’s armed. I know that. The police know that, too, so if he flinches he’s probably a dead man. I hope he just comes out peacefully.”

Ernie responded, “From your mouth to God’s ears. I’m going back to work now, in case the great detective loses her man. Somebody has to pay the bills.”

Rainey thought about Katie, home alone. She said, into the receiver, “Ernie, I need you to come to the cottage. I’ll explain when you get here… and bring your gun.”

Rainey hung up. She said, to Katie, “I have to go meet Mackie. We’re taking Chauncey Barber into custody.”

“Why does Ernie need to come over here? You’re not taking her with you are you?”

Rainey dropped her eyes to the floor. “No, that’s not the reason.” She glanced up at Katie’s puzzled expression. She had no choice, but to tell her the truth of their circumstances. “Katie, I’m so sorry to have to say this. You have no idea how I wish it wasn’t true.”

Katie began to look more worried than puzzled. “What is it, Rainey? What’s happened?”

Rainey pointed at the ottoman in front of her. “Please, sit down.”

Katie was frightened, now. Rainey could see it in her eyes. She sat down, without saying a word.

“Katie, after I bailed out Derrick, I went to see Sheila Robertson in the Durham Sheriff’s office. While I was there, she asked me to review her latest case. I did, and I recognized the signature. I called Danny, he’s on his way.”

“What does that have to do with you or me? Why does Ernie need to come over here with her gun?”

“That tape you were listening to when I came in, did you listen to anymore of that particular killer?”

Katie thought about it, and then answered, “Yes, one more. I got them out of order, so I listened to the second one first. I’d just started the first one when you came in.”

“So, you didn’t hear my last interview with him?”

“No,” Katie answered. “Why?”

“That was Dalton Chambers. I saw the pictures on the floor, so you know what he did to his victims.”

Katie shuddered. “Yes, he was really sick.”

“Katie,” Rainey paused, looking for the right words. “The last time I saw him he threatened to kill me.”

“So, he’s in prison in Virginia, isn’t he?” Katie asked, innocently.

“Not anymore, he’s in Central Prison in Raleigh. They’re going to prosecute him here.”

Katie relaxed. “Lord, I thought you were going to say he escaped.”

“It’s not that simple. Dalton promised to have one of his “fans” hunt me down. He knows where I live. The case I saw today is a copycat of Dalton’s murders. Dalton has a connection here in the triangle and I’m afraid he’s coming for me.”

The color drained from Katie’s face. She gasped, “Oh, my God.”

Rainey leaned forward and took both of Katie’s hands in hers. “Honey, you are in danger, too. He’ll lash out at the people I love, if he can’t get to me… and he’s killing lesbians. That’s another reason you aren’t safe.”

Katie was speechless. The terror in her eyes spoke volumes. Rainey had been so wrong to bring this fear back into Katie’s life. She knew all along that this was a possibility, and yet, she let Katie walk into this without all the facts.

“Katie, I’m sorry. I should have been honest with you about the risks you were taking being with me. I’m so sorry.”

Katie said nothing. She appeared to be too scared to speak. Rainey tried to reassure her.

“Danny is on his way to Dalton’s cell. He’ll tear it apart until he finds out who Dalton has been talking to. The BAU is sending a team. They will catch this guy.”

Katie finally spoke, “Are you going to help them?”

“No, my priority is you and keeping all of us safe. I’m not in the FBI anymore. They can handle this without me. I just need to keep us alive until they arrest him.”

Katie began to cry, softly. Rainey, who could investigate horrific crime scenes, stare down a serial killer, and pull the trigger on a criminal without blinking, could not handle seeing Katie cry. Her heart was breaking when she pulled Katie off the ottoman and into her lap. She held Katie close and whispered in her ear.

“I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve to have to go through this again.”

Katie sniffled, and then said, “I’m not worried about me. I can’t lose you.”

Rainey felt the tears welling in her eyes. Her voice cracked, when she said, “I can’t lose you either.”

The knock on the front door, followed by a “Yoohoo,” startled both of them. The alarm beeped a warning, and was quickly silenced. Ernie had let herself in.

Katie stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes, calling out, “We’re back here. Be there in a sec.” She looked down at Rainey. “Promise me, you’ll be careful when you take this guy down and then hurry home, okay.”

Rainey’s voice cracked again. “Okay.”

Rainey stood up. Katie hugged her, saying, “I love you too much, Rainey Bell.”

Rainey brushed her lips on Katie’s, whispering back, “No, you love me just enough.”

Chauncey Barber, whose bail Rainey was about to revoke, was a suspect in some gang related shootings, but he was on bond for charges relating to criminal enterprise. Rainey didn’t really care. She just wanted him locked up. She knew he’d run when she bailed him out. That’s why she paid someone to watch him. If she revoked, more than likely no one else would pick up the bond, and the judge might raise the amount anyway. Either way, Chauncey would be out of Rainey’s hair, back in jail, and she had his non-refundable premium of $20,000.

Chauncey was a former basketball star at a local high school that couldn’t shake the gang life. He already spent several years in prison for armed robbery. He was six-feet-five-inches tall and used his time inside the walls of Central State Prison to become tattooed and thickly muscled. He was known to have a quick temper and an even swifter trigger finger. He was armed, according to her informant. There were also several guns in the house they were going to raid. She was very happy the fugitive squad was willing to lend a hand on this one. Chauncey had, like so many before him, sworn he was not going back to prison.

Rainey concentrated on putting her emotions back in their proper boxes, while she sped to Mackie’s side. She left Katie to explain to Ernie what was happening. Rainey never had anyone worry about her the way Katie did. It was an awesome responsibility to take someone’s hopes and dreams with you when you went out to do the job. Her dad had worried, but she never thought of his concerns as she did Katie’s. This thinking was a distraction and she needed to be focused on the task at hand, bust this guy, and get back home as quickly as possible, without getting dead in the process. By the time she reached the scene, she was back in control.

True to her word, Rainey took all precautions. Four blocks away from the target house, she stood at the back of the Charger gearing up. Her Sarkar IV, bulletproof vest came with removable attachments. She rarely wore the extra protection, but considering the amount of firepower that was going into this situation, she feared being shot in the crossfire more than she feared Chauncey. She added the upper arm and throat pieces, along with the collar. She even put on her helmet, which she never wore. Mackie helped her get the collar to stay on right. He wore his normal vest, but he made Junior wear the collar on his, and borrowed a helmet for him from the fugitive apprehension team.