The Chilling Spree (14 page)

My mind leapt out of personal drama back
into the case.  Had they made progress yet?  Did
Goddard’s parents show up?  The second concert had been
underway for a few minutes, the opening act already warming up the
crowd for Pan Demon’s next performance.

“Sure.  I’ll ask, although I’m not so
sure anybody will be too keen on the idea.  I’ll call you back
either way, Crevan.  Thanks for keeping me posted.”  He
shoved his cell back into his breast pocket.

“What happened?”

Johnny shrugged.  “We found Goddard’s
parents.  The Coast Guard stopped them and encouraged them to
head back right away.  They’ll be here day after tomorrow – we
hope.”

“What is it you think nobody will be too
keen on?”

“This concert business tonight.  Crevan
thinks we should still try to use the interest of certain people
associated with the band to get more information.”

“Devlin’s in no condition to go to a
concert, Johnny.”

“Yeah, so we figured one of us could go with
you.  He wasn’t the one that rated the special invitation back
tonight.”

“I see.”

“So… I figure Tony isn’t an option since he
says you don’t want anything to do with him anymore.  That
leaves Crevan.”

“And you.”

Our eyes met.  “I’m not so sure that’s
such a good idea, Doc.”

“Why?”  My heart sank so low, I thought
it might drop through to the opposite side of the world. 
“You’re turning down my offer to spend more time with me, aren’t
you?”

“No,” the reply was clipped so short it was
almost inaudible.  “I just don’t seem to handle watching other
men vie for your attention too well.”

“Even though you know how I feel about
you?”

His chin dipped.  “I also know you
think I’m too confused to –”

I took advantage of the easy access he
provided and pressed my lips against his.  “No, Johnny, I
don’t think you’re confused about how you feel about me.  It
wouldn’t break my heart if there are certain things you never
remember, but I don’t want you to forget me or us.”

“I can’t watch other men hit on you and
proposition you,” he said.  “I can’t do it, Helen.  It
makes me feel things I don’t understand.”

“Like what?”

“Homicidal urges.”

I took a quick step backward.  “Johnny,
tell me you didn’t really mean that.”  My heart rubbed hard
against my sternum, painfully insistent.  Was he really
beginning to remember things that had happened between us in the
past six months?  Was I about to understand why he had no
qualms about breaking the law to protect me?

“I told you it doesn’t make any sense,” he
said.  “Now you’re not so sure you want me around.”

“We’ll figure it out.  Will you be at
the house when Crevan and I come back from this concert thing?”

He nodded.  “Can I ask you not to
encourage these guys like you did last night?”

“I didn’t –”

“You were barely dressed.”

The argument ended on a low note, mostly
because I couldn’t refute an opinion, and Johnny had determined
that I was somehow responsible for how others perceived me.  I
explained to groggy Devlin why I was going to be missing for a few
hours, but promised to return as soon as possible. 

He gripped my fingers weakly.  “Watch
out for Underpants, Helen.  I know you don’t see him as the
threat that Chris and I know he is, but make sure Crevan knows that
you’re not to be left alone with the guy under any
circumstances.”

“Honestly, Dev, of all the suspects we’ve
got related to the band and their entourage, I doubt that Fulk
Underwood will be the one we have trouble detaining.  All the
money and lawyers won’t be working to impede our access to the
nobody guitar tech.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Devlin
whispered.  “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

I did, but only to assuage his fears. 
Honestly, had everyone in Darkwater Bay forgotten that I am quite
capable of defending myself – certain mishaps and unfortunate turns
of events not withstanding?  I doubted that Underwood had
access to a gun like the one that took me out of commission in
October, and I knew damn well that he didn’t have access to a
medieval torture chamber like the one Johnny and I encountered at
Dunhaven a little over a week ago. 

Crevan was waiting for me at the
amphitheater when I arrived with the backstage passes that Devlin
and I had used the night before.  Instead of getting up close
and personal on the stage for the concert, we hung out in the
wings.  Security remembered me from the night before and
didn’t question why we would be backstage before the official
“after party” started. 

I declined the alcohol that was
offered.  Crevan followed suit.  He hovered close,
putting a damper on anyone who might’ve otherwise approached
me.

“Are these Orion’s orders, or did Darnell
call and convey his and Devlin’s warnings about Mr. Underwood?” I
finally asked.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Nobody is gonna talk to me or open up or
give me any insight into who might’ve been involved in the murder
last night if you’re clinging to me like a sock with too much
static electricity, Crevan.  The whole point coming back here
tonight was to catch people with loose lips in the party atmosphere
who might otherwise be too paranoid to let something slip about the
band or crew.”

“I know.”

“So why don’t you mingle a bit and see if
anybody is willing to talk to me without the shadow treatment?”

“Johnny –”

“Told me his concerns.  I don’t need
jealousy by proxy tonight.  I’m not gonna swoon like a crazed
groupie over a little attention from someone with a modicum of fame
and fortune.”  My voice dipped low, “Besides, I’d lay odds
that I’ve got more cash squirreled away than these guys.  They
probably burn through it as fast as they make it.”

Crevan shook his head.  “I don’t know
about that, Helen.  This Madden character has a reputation for
being a hard core partier back in the day, but he’s been clean and
sober for a few years now.  Apparently, he had some kind of
religious awakening.”

“Fantastic,” I muttered.  “A Jesus
freak rock star.  Isn’t that almost as cliché as going to
rehab a million times?”

“He’s a Buddhist now,” Crevan
chuckled.  “Rein in your anti-religious claws, my dear.”

I tapped one foot impatiently.  “So why
don’t you run along?  I’d like to see if Underwood will
approach me again tonight.  He seemed pretty intent on beating
Madden to the seduction last night.  If you don’t give him an
opportunity to try –”

“I won’t be far,” Crevan said, fair warning
in his tone.  “Don’t do anything stupid.  Or do I have to
remind you that you’re still not cleared for active duty yet?”

I snorted softly.  “Like that’s ever
stopped me.  The paperwork is a mere formality at this point
and you know it.  And Crevan, you be careful too. 
Whoever committed this crime may have done so with bias, and God
help us if he’s got some sort of advanced gaydar.”

“Hush,” he chided softly.  “You only
made a lucky guess, probably based on the fact that I’m the only
man you’ve met in this city who hasn’t hit on you.”

He was no more than ten steps away from me
when Underwood made his move.

He smiled, a sort of flirtatious curl of the
lips.  “Where is the ever protective detective tonight, Dr.
Eriksson?”

Had I introduced myself that way last
night?  Between the Crown and the Guinness, I couldn’t
recall.  “He couldn’t be here tonight,” I said.  “So I
brought a different friend.”

Fulk nodded.  “Now that one
is
just a friend,” he said.  “He doesn’t put out the same vibe as
the guys hovering around you last night.  Who was the blond
hulk?”

“Commander Orion?”

“That’s the one,” Fulk smiled
engagingly.  “I’m surprised he isn’t here keeping you on a
tight leash tonight.  That one looked like he’d be willing to
shed blood for your honor.”

I laughed.  “Maybe once, but not
anymore.  Johnny just takes business very seriously.”

“And you don’t?”

“I think we established quite clearly last
night that this case cannot be mine,” I said.  “Too much booze
in the first place, and well, then there’s the fact that my partner
really has a little too much bias where you’re concerned.”

“I suppose he gave you quite the earful
about our days together in the corps.”

I nodded and accepted the beer offered again
by one of the security personnel, perhaps the same guy that served
me and Dev at the concert 24 hours ago.  “He’s not a fan,
that’s for sure.”

“Yet you’re still speaking to me,” Underwood
said.  “I find that a bit curious, detective.”

I smiled brightly.  “Helen, since this
isn’t a business thing tonight.  I insist.  As for who I
talk to and what I think, I’ve always been somewhat the rogue in
that department, Mr. Underwood.  Or do you prefer Woody?”

The grin was forced, but he replied
pleasantly enough.  “I’m surprised you remembered that,
Helen.  I was certain that Mackenzie would’ve brainwashed you
into calling me that horrid little nickname he tried to make stick
when we were kids.”

“Underpants?”

His eyes suddenly darkened.  “That’s
the one.”

“Like I said, nobody forms my opinions for
me.  In a lot of ways, it keeps me from being an insider in
Darkwater Bay.  Are you familiar with this area, Woody?”

“I’m from Montgomery, well, born and raised
there at least.  I haven’t lived there since I joined the
Marines.”

“I understand that Madden hails from
Darkwater originally.”

“Yep, a real son of a bitch too.  From
what I’ve seen, that’s what this city is second most famous
for.”

“Oh?”

“First claim of course, being that they
breed a higher class of criminal.  Although from what I’ve
read, you’ve been pretty high profile in putting an end to some of
that.”

“Eh,” I sipped more beer.  “Nobody
works alone.  The way I see it, they link my name to a bunch
of cases they’re not sure can fly through the courts, and if they
tank, they can blame it on the newcomer.”

Underwood chuckled.  “Gorgeous and
modest.  Although I’m not picking up a vibe that you’re very
open minded about sex, Helen.”

“I could lie and tell you that you’re
exactly my type, Woody, but that wouldn’t be true.  You told
me last night that you’re a smart man.  You’d know I was
lying, and the way I see it, life is too short to play such
games.  Agreed?”

“I guess.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“So you’re here to ask me questions about
this poor dead girl, right?”

“No,” I smiled pleasantly.  “I am
curious about Scott Madden though.  One of my friends told me
that he’s turned over a new leaf in his old age.  No more
drugs and boozing, specifically.”

“That’s the official party line,” Underwood
said.  “I’m sure you couldn’t help notice that he’s pretty
enthusiastic about the fans using.”

“He did mention that last night.”

“Do you wonder why this guy who claims to be
one with the universe suddenly has no problems being around people
who drink heavily and use drugs?”

“I suppose you’re suggesting that if I got
him to pee in a cup that we’d find a veritable cornucopia of
substances in his system.”

“Nothing that I imagine law enforcement
would look for.  Scott prefers smoking legal herbs these
days.  They tell me the high is just as good, but the normal
run of the mill toxicology screen isn’t going to pick any of them
up.”

“Interesting.”

“He’s enlightened all right.”

“I find it fascinating that you’d work for
someone you really can’t stand, Woody.  Believe me, I’ve
worked with and for a number of people in my career that I could
barely stand the sight of.  I don’t know how you do this year
in and year out.”

He grinned.  “You think I can’t best a
guy like Madden with women?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I sipped and
watched surreptitiously.  “But I’d imagine with his level of
fame and fortune, he could be a complete troll and still get more
than his fair share of attention.”

“Exactly!”  Underwood’s demeanor
shifted like sands beneath the tide.  “Everybody thinks he’s
such a hot guy, and let me tell you, he’s got his dirty little
secrets that he’s desperate to keep quiet.  I can’t divulge
any of that shit for fear of getting sued, but he’s got more than a
skeleton or two in his closet.”

“Oh, c’mon.  You can’t tease me like
that without telling me
something
.”

Underwood grinned.  “You get it. 
When I say he surrounds himself with sycophants, you gotta know
why.”

“Because only the bobble-heads wouldn’t have
the balls to call him on whatever his bad traits are,” I
said.  “Of course I get it, Woody.  But are we talking
embarrassing shit that would hurt album sales or are we talking
about something that could result in criminal charges?”

“In Madden’s world, there’s no
difference.”

“No difference between being embarrassed and
breaking the law?”

Underwood rolled his eyes.  “Nothing
embarrasses this guy.  The only thing he would ever feel
remotely compelled to hide would be something that could ruin his
precious career.  In case you haven’t noticed, the guy has
nothing else but this band.  His family won’t have anything to
do with him.  The only friends he has are bought and paid
for.  He’d slash his mother’s throat if he thought it would
get him ahead in life somehow.”

“Can you think of any reason that he’d
physically harm someone, Woody?”

He stepped close and lowered his
voice.  “Look, I’d love to tell you everything I know about
this guy, Helen, but he’d seriously ruin me.  It’s one thing
for me to quietly realize that Madden is getting my sloppy seconds,
but another matter altogether for me to open my mouth and tell you
everything I’ve seen over the years.  What I will say is that
there are a handful of people in the world that he hasn’t been able
to pay off or intimidate into abject silence.  Those are the
ones you need to find and talk to.”