Owen smiled paternally. „That’s not necessary. I’ll see myself home.“
Kristen sighed. „Please think about it, Owen. You could be in as much danger as Vincent.“ As one they looked at the doors to surgery, but they remained closed. „You’ll call me as soon as he’s out of surgery?“
„You have my word.“
Wednesday, February 25,
3:55 p.m.
Abe crouched behind the cruiser. „It doesn’t look like anyone’s home.“ They’d found the old Worth property and on it a small shack. A stovepipe came through the roof, but there was no smoke. They’d been watching for twenty minutes and had seen not a hint of movement.
„Let’s go in,“ Mia said evenly and Abe realized it was their first ‘going in’ together.
„I’ll go first,“ he said. „You take my back.“
„There’s less of me to be a target,“ Mia protested. „With Ray I always went first.“
Abe glanced down at her, mildly perturbed. „I’m not Ray.“
„Flip a damn coin, people,“ Jack said irritably from his position behind a second cruiser. „I’d love to have some daylight to search the place since I’m sure this humble abode doesn’t have any electricity.“
„He’s right,“ Abe said. „Watch my back. Please.“ Abe moved out from behind the cruiser, weapon drawn, conscious that a sniper might be hiding anywhere on the property. He was wearing full tactical gear, but there was vulnerability on any initial approach, this one more than others with its thick tree growth to provide cover to a shooter. He edged toward the front porch, gingerly testing the floorboards before putting his weight on the first step.
„Watch my back,“ Mia muttered behind him, but she did as he asked. Nimbly she followed him up the stairs and they each took position on either side of the wooden door.
„Police!“ Abe said loudly. „Open up.“
Dead silence. He tried the doorknob and it easily twisted.
„Unlocked,“ Mia murmured, following him in. „Nobody’s been here in a long time.“
„You’re right.“ He moved to the doorway and motioned Jack and the others to come. „We’re clear!“ he shouted, then turned back to survey the shack’s single-room interior. „He doesn’t live here, that’s for damn certain.“
„And there’s no cement floor like in the Polaroids, so he did his killing somewhere else.“ Mia opened a cabinet over a dry sink. „No running water, but here’s a few cans of beans and a bar of soap.“ She took out a bar of soap and held it up to the light. „My grandmother had soap like this. It’s an antique.“
„What’s an antique?“ Jack asked from the doorway.
„Everything.“ Mia blew out a frustrated sigh. „I was so sure we had something.“
„Patience isn’t one of her virtues, is it?“ Abe asked Jack.
Jack grinned. „Took you this long to figure that out? Hell of a detective you are.“
Grinning back, Abe walked around the interior perimeter of the shack. „Somebody was here recently,“ he said and held up a newspaper. „It’s dated December 28 of this past year.“
„And lookee here.“ Mia bent over, then straightened, holding a bullet in her gloved hand. „It’s clean as a whistle. Two intertwined W’s, just like the others. W for Worth.“
„Then it couldn’t have been here long.“ Jack nudged a chair with his toe. „The cobwebs have cobwebs.“
„He didn’t use this place as a resort.“ Abe opened the back door and looked at the grounds beyond. „You were right, Mia. He’s got himself a regular target range.“ He set out in the snow, still looking side to side, watching for any movement. He reached the makeshift moving target, a wire strung between two trees on which was suspended a piece of plywood the size of a door, covered with the familiar paper cutout of a man. Holes were clustered in the forehead and over the heart. Not a stray shot could be seen. „There’s a battery-operated clip to move the target, watertight. Four speeds.“
Mia walked around the target. „No bullets or footprints visible. Last time we had snow was a week ago, so he hasn’t been here since then.“
„Mia! Abe!“ Jack stood in the back doorway waving. „Come and see.“ He held two picture frames in his hand. „We found these in that box beside the cot.“
One was a family portrait – a father, a mother, and two sons. „Looks like early 1930’s by the clothing,“ Mia said. „Could be the Worths.“
„We’ll take the photos out of the frames back at the lab,“ Jack said. „Maybe there’s something written on the back. Look at this snapshot. It’s the oldest son, ten years or so later, in uniform, with a girl on his arm.“
„He’s Navy,“ Abe said. „Genny O’Reilly and Hank Worth just before he went to war?“
„Could be. I’m also wondering about the younger son. Mr. James didn’t mention him.“ Mia looked around. „You guys find anything else?“
The CSU man with the spotlight shook his head and switched off the light. „No. I’ve got the soap and the cans. We’ll print them back at the lab. We can set up some spotlights and try for some more prints on the walls and furniture, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.“
Mia puckered her lips thoughtfully. „It’s not a total waste. If that’s Genny, that is.“
Jack bagged the picture frames. „Let’s cross our ringers because we got nothin’ else.“
„Detective Reagan?“ A uniform appeared at the front door. „There’s a call on the radio for you. It’s Spinnelli. He says you need to call him when you’re done here. It’s important.“
Kristen. Abe’s heart dropped in his chest and he forced himself to take a canning breath. „Did he say important or urgent?“
„He said ‘important.’“
Kristen was all right, he thought. If she’d been in trouble, Spinnelli would have said „urgent.“ Abe looked at Mia. „Are we done here?“
She nodded. „Yeah. Let’s call Spinnelli.“
Wednesday, February 25,
6:15 p.m.
He’d been late and missed the judge going into the hotel. He glanced up at the wall of windows. But it wouldn’t matter. According to Skinner’s notes, Hillman never stayed the night.
He’d used the waiting time productively, rerunning through his mind the transcripts of the trial that should have guaranteed Leah her justice. But there had been no justice. The jury had done their job, returning a guilty verdict. But in a rarely seen move, Hillman rejected the verdict, citing a technicality. The monster that raped Leah walked out of the court a free man.
He hadn’t known Leah then. He’d met her after the trial, when she was just a shadow of the woman she’d been. He’d read the transcripts, felt the clawing anger of helplessness as he turned each page.
He wasn’t helpless now. Now, it would be Hillman who would be helpless.
He waited patiently until Hillman came strolling out, a distinctive spring to his step. Hillman stopped next to an old Dodge. A pathetic attempt at subterfuge that fooled no one. Especially me. He started the van and pulled up next to where Hillman had parked. His head ached, but he pushed the pain away and focused on his quarry.
He saw the alarm in Hillman’s eyes in the instant he stepped from the van, his revolver in plain view, its silencer gleaming in the parking lot lights. „Keep your hands where I can see them,“ he said evenly. Hillman reached for his pockets and he poked the gun in the judge’s gut, with much more force than necessary, but then again, he was angry both at the judge and the events of the day. „I said where I can see them. If I pull the trigger right now, you die. Right here in this parking lot next to a car you wouldn’t be caught dead driving if it weren’t so important to keep your wife from suspecting your affair.“
Hillman’s eyes widened. „If it’s money you want – “
„I’m no mugger, Judge Hillman.“ He slid the side door open and watched Hillman pale as his eyes registered recognition of what was to come. „Take off your coat.“ He nudged the gun deeper into Hillman’s gut when the judge just stood there. „Now, please.“