Urban Renewal (Urban Elite Book 1) (17 page)

Jack

Max doesn’t even wait for me to speak before she’s talking so fast I can hardly keep up, and so loud that I have to hold my phone away from my ear.

“That son of a bitch has my mother’s pearls, Jack. Please get over here. I’ve got an email here with an attachment. He sent me a photograph of my mom’s pearls.”

I don’t even answer her, just hang up the phone and haul ass toward the door, with Spider right behind me. “Come on, Spider, it looks like you just got your first assignment. No probation period for you, consider yourself on the team.”

“Works for me, boss man.”

We rush out the door and over to Max’s room. When she meets us at the door, she doesn’t need to say a word for me to understand how helpless and out of control she feels at being on a serial killer’s radar. Max is brave, not stupid; even she knows when she needs help. I sit down at her desk and read the email aloud as Spider and Max stare at the screen over my shoulder.

Holy fuck.

This maggot has really got balls. He threatened both Max and Valerie. I can’t wait to take his ass down.

I trade places with Spider so he can take the lead on what needs to be done. As Spider settles in the chair, his jaw is clenched and his mouth is set in a hard line. No need to worry if he’s on board with our operation, he clearly wants to get this guy as much as we do.

“Do what you do, Spider,” I tell him. “I need the IP address and as much information as you can find on whoever’s using that e-mail account.”

“I’d be willing to bet he set the account up for the sole purpose of dealing with you guys. If he’s operating on the dark web, finding him is gonna be a tall order. Not impossible by any means, but it’s gonna take some time,” Spider replies absently.

I’m impressed with how fast he can shift gears. He’s already focusing all his attention on finding a trail to follow through the maze of coding and information that will, hopefully, lead us to this guy.

I direct my attention toward Max. “Listen up, Max. I don’t want you out alone and I forbid you from meeting this guy without back up. You’ll act at my direction from here on out, understand?

“You’re dealing with a serial killer that has stalker tendencies and this guy has become enamored with you. And you’ve pissed him off without even trying. I’ve seen some shit over the years, Max -- this guy’s the real deal. He’s all about power and control. He’s methodical. Everything he’s done up to this point has been calculated. He gets off on messing with people’s heads as much as he does the kill.”

“Why would he want to exercise power or control over someone like me?”

“The answer is right there in the e-mail, Max. This guy feels insulted. You intruded on his turf by writing about his crimes and didn’t include him. He feels slighted. He wants to insert himself into this investigation and he’s using you to do it. More than that, he wants validation, acknowledgment. And he wants it from you. Based on the threats he’s making, his behavior’s escalating. I’ll bring Valerie up to speed. As of this moment, the whole Urban Elite team is on high alert.”

Max

I’m only hearing every third or fourth word he’s saying to me.
I forbid you…validation…threats…high alert.
I feel like I’m in a tunnel and nothing is making sense. The words sound so far away, it’s an effort to piece them together and form complete sentences. One thing is crystal clear, though: I’m in way over my head and as badly as I hate to admit it, I need hacker boy’s help.

Jack’s right, we’re going to have to work together as a team to get this guy and stay safe while we do it.

“If you find the IP address, will you be able to find out where his computer is?” I ask Spider, looking for some kind of control in this chaotic situation.

Spider turns around and raises a sardonic brow. “That’s a ‘when’, not an ‘if’, sweetness. And I thought you weren’t gonna be working with me.”

“Not now, Spider,” Jack cuts in. “This isn’t the time to rib her.” He includes me in his next comment, his steady gaze making it clear that he expects our compliance. “We’re a team and if you’re going to work here, then you’re going to have to let the petty disagreements go.”

Even though Jack is sticking up for me, I really should apologize to this guy. “Look, Spider, I’m sorry. I had a rough night last night and I took it out on you when I shouldn’t have.” I stick my hand out, hoping he won’t leave me hanging. “Can we start over?”

He doesn’t shake my hand just looks down at it for a moment before looking me in the eye. “That’s fine. I’m here to work, and if helping you is what gets the job done, then so be it.”

I let my arm drop to my side and feel my cheeks blaze with heat.
Well, score one point for the asshole.
I can tell Spider probably isn’t used to being disrespected but I’m not going to kiss his ass either. Whatever, we don’t have to be besties to work together—just on speaking terms. If that’s all we’ve got going for us at this point, then so be it.

After a few more seconds of deliberate, steady eye contact with me, he turns back to his computer screen. His fingers fly across the keyboard as he answers my question. “This guy’s using VPN— a Virtual Private Network provider. It was developed to stop government censorship on the worldwide web, but criminals can use it as a way to mask their criminal behavior. If he’s smart enough to use that, then it won’t do any good to try to get his cell number either. He’ll have sense enough to know how to tower hop -- you know, have his phone’s signal pinging off different cell towers so he can’t be detected. Looks like this guy really knows what he’s doing. The fucker sure knows how to not leave a trail.”

With his body practically bristling with frustration, he shoves the keyboard aside and leans back in his chair, not moving a muscle, absorbed in his thoughts. With a sudden, harsh exhale he declares, “This is the kind of guy we’re going to have to catch in the act or, worse yet, interact with to get him to make a mistake. I can’t find out a damn thing without having more knowledge of his online habits, and interaction is the only thing that’s going to give me that kind of information.”

Spider turns to face Jack, his voice hushed. “You may want to think about letting her interact with him online, Jack, so we can monitor it. If she builds some rapport with him and she can gain even a little trust, we’d be in a better position to set him up.” He continues like he doesn’t want to give Jack too long to think about it. “It isn’t like she’s going to be dealing with him face to face, Jack. It’ll be strictly via computer. He’s already following her, we know that. If she can make him think he’s in control, he’ll soften toward her.”

He looks over at me with narrowed eyes and asks, “Is there any chance you know this guy?”

At that point Jack interrupts. “There’s something that came up the other night when Valerie and I were talking. Max, when you went out with the doctor last night—“

“Hmmph, maybe
you’re
booshie, Max. That would certainly explain a lot.” At his snide words, I cut my eyes at Spider. He meets my gaze without blinking once. His gaze is intense and makes me squirm in spite of myself. He’s making no secret of his contempt for me. The tension between us is palpable and not in a good way.

I can’t help but wonder how deep that intensity goes with the women he hooks up with. I inwardly chastise myself for even thinking about his sex life. I couldn’t care less about anything to do with this guy’s personal life—much less who he’s fucking. Or how he’s fucking them. Which means I’m still thinking about him fucking.
Fuuuuuck
...

“I said let it go, Spider.” This time Jack’s tone is harsh. “Moving on. Max, think back. Was there any time that evening when Chambers’ hands were close enough to you to get those pearls from around your neck?”

A wave of nausea washes over me and I grab the back of Spider’s chair to stay upright until the room stops spinning.

“Shit. He helped me with my wrap and I remember the tips of his fingers brushing my neck.”

“Why the fuck would you remember a detail like that?” Spider asks, his tone curt as he swivels his chair toward me.

My face gets hot as I remember the tinge of excitement I felt at Liam’s brief touch in the restaurant and the better than average kiss by my car. I clear my throat and ignore Spider’s raised eyebrow as I reply to Jack’s question, “Surely he couldn’t have gotten them off my neck that quickly without me noticing.”

“Sounds like maybe you were a little distracted,” Spider mutters.

Jack ignores the comment and crosses his arms over his chest, considering me carefully as he speaks. “Well, we discussed that too, and here’s the thing. According to Valerie, with the kind of clasp antique pearls like that would have, yeah, it’s a possibility.”

“Oh, God--” I stumble toward the bed and sit down so I don’t pass out. “He could be the serial killer. It would explain why the killer is so precise with cutting off limbs at the joint like that. Who would know the medical ins and outs of cutting off a limb better than an orthopedic surgeon? Holy shit, I might have spent the evening sitting across from a killer.” I raise my fingertips to my lips as I realize I may have briefly made out with one, too.

“I don’t want to assume anything, Max. Whoever cut off those body parts used a circular saw. That’s messy work for an experienced killer with the kind of expertise that would be required.”

“He may have a blood fetish,” Spider interjects as he stares at my lips with a scowl. I put my head in my hands and try to process what they’re saying to me. There’s a possibility I shared a civilized meal and bumped tongues with a serial killer last night.

“You’re going to have to get it together, kiddo,” Jack says brusquely as he walks to the door. “Spider’s right. We need you back in the saddle. Work with Spider to reach out to this guy so we can catch him, or we’re all in danger.”

Jack

My cell phone’s ring pulls me from the conversation. It’s the coroner calling about the severed arm. I arrange to meet him at the morgue for a few reasons: I don’t think Max is in any frame of mind to hear whatever news it is he has for me; also, I want her to go ahead and make contact with the serial killer. And having her send the email with Spider standing over her shoulder will force them to work together. I take a moment to fill them in before I head out.

“Max, if you handle this right, he’ll let his guard down. Tell him you understand, that you realize now that you never thought of his side of things, and that you’re so sorry but you want your mother’s pearls back. If he tries to set up a meeting, we’ll call Agent Turner and Agent Murphy in for the arrest.”

“Do you really think it could be Liam?” As much as I don’t want it to be true, it kind of makes sense.

“I’m not saying your friend the doctor is a killer. I am, however, saying that I’ve seen enough in my line of work to know to expect the unexpected. There isn’t a whole lot that shocks me anymore kid, be careful.”

I direct my attention toward Spider. “Part of your job is to keep her safe.” He meets my steady gaze and I know he won’t let a petty argument get in the way of his professionalism.

“You got it, boss. I plan to stick to her like glue. Anybody comes near her, I’ll knock their ass out.”

“Part of the reason I hired you is your fight training. You just got promoted from just being our cyber security specialist to also being her bodyguard. I expect you to take your job seriously.”

I look at Max but direct my parting words at Spider before I walk out to my car. “She may be a complete pain in the ass, but I like the kid and Valerie does too. Believe me, you do
not
want to get on Valerie’s bad side. Even though we aren’t married, the whole
happy wife, happy life
definitely applies here.”

Max interrupts me, clearly perturbed with the idea of hanging out with her new nemesis. “I don’t need a bodyguard, and I damn sure don’t need
him
.”

I resist the temptation to laugh at the cocky look he directs her way. It appears Max has met her match in Spider, and vice versa. Maybe I’ll let Cash in on this new development. No doubt the guys at Undercover Elite would set up a betting pool in no time, trying to guess how long it’ll take for Spider to be off the market. If I was a betting man, I’d wager he already is.

I wait until I’m in the car to dial up Valerie and tell her to meet me at the coroner’s office. No matter how much I like Herb, I fucking hate going to see him. The heavy oppressive atmosphere of the morgue – and, Jesus, that smell -- is something I can never get accustomed to. I wonder how he works there twelve to sixteen hours a day. It would drive me crazy to be glued to one spot with only corpses for company. Back when I was a beat cop, I jumped at the promotion to detective when the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t about the pay raise for me. The allure of the promotion was the autonomy it gave me. No price can be put on the freedom to forge your own destiny.

I turn off Broadway onto Barret Avenue and pull into a parking space at the side of the building that houses the coroner’s offices. On the elevator ride to the seventh floor, I wonder what new information Herb has for me. As much as I want to believe the prints on the fingers of that severed arm aren’t Chineka’s, my gut’s telling me they are. And my gut is never wrong.

The thing that baffles me is serial killers normally stay within their own race as far as kills; this guy is all over the map. Herb’s already confirmed that the leg belonged to a Caucasian woman. No word yet on the ear, but today I expect that he’ll tell me the severed arm is from an African-American woman. And I won’t be surprised if he has a name for me, too.

Nothing about this guy is lining up with typical profiling statistics and it only serves to make him more dangerous. When you can’t pin down a clear profile on a suspect, you have no idea what to expect. Predicting their next move becomes a crapshoot.
Expect the unexpected
.