Spider Jack (Guess The Killer Book 2) Page 6

  Erin grabbed hold of the heavy file she’d been browsing, closed the lid and tossed it across the table with the rest of the pile. It seemed pretty obvious to her why Spider Jack hadn’t been caught yet. He knew what he was doing. He would have closely followed the footsteps of others doing the same work long before he even began. Erin suspected he had strong ties to law enforcement. If he wasn’t a cop himself, then maybe his brother, his father … his mother or sister –

  Her train of thought fell away as the side door opened and Darper briskly entered.

  “Finally,” Erin exhaled. “I thought you were going to leave me down here forever.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Darper replied. “I didn’t realize I’d be gone so long. I was just up at St. Joseph’s where they’re keeping the mother. Looks like she’s going to pull through.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” Erin replied. “You say when you found her – she had tarantulas stuffed down her throat?”

  “They uh – that’s um –”

  “I’m surprised she could even breathe. If they were in her throat that is.”

  “Well, obviously they weren’t blocking her airways.”

  “Has she started talking yet?”

  “No,” Darper said licking his front teeth. “Though I did have words with her when I arrived on scene.”

  “You did?” Erin said blinking. She went to the pile and leafed through. “That’s not what you said in your report.”

  Darper put his hand on top of the pile.

  Erin stopped. Looked up at him.

  “I left that part out.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s certain things that are worth omitting. The truth is I was there before anyone else took a proper look at the crime scene.”

  “Well, you did say that in the report. But you just didn’t mention you had words with the mother. Did she say anything of note?”

  “She did,” Darper confirmed. “She gave a description of the assailant.”

  “And?”

  “And … it’s a little generic.”

  “What did she say?”

  Darper took his hand off the pile and pulled up a nearby chair. He sat down. “He’s white. Heavyset. Late forties. Dark hair. She said he had a serious face. Rings around his eyes.”

  “Sound like anyone you know?”

  Darper nodded. “Sounds like a dozen people I know.”

  “Anyone you’ve been working the Spider Jack case with?”

  “What?”

  “Well, you sent me down here to look at all the old cases,” Erin said. “And if you want a deduction I think the perp is connected to law enforcement.”

  “We’ve worked that angle,” Darper said dismissively. “Doesn’t go anywhere.”

  “Oh really?”

  “If he is a cop – and that’s a big if – then that’s not how it will be solved. His being a cop is incidental. There’s a much bigger picture to this.”

  “Meaning?”

  “The spiders.”

  “So what. He has a fetish.”

  “It’s more than that. The spiders are a way of branding his work. So there isn’t any confusion about who is committing the crime.”

  “And why is that important?”

  “Detective Ross, my old partner, had a theory. He believes Jack isn’t a nut job, but some kind of elite hitman. The targets, the victims, have no connection with one another. Both men and women, split down the middle, fifty-fifty. He never rapes them. Never exposes himself. It’s not a sexual motivation. The people he’s choosing are for a reason. He has a purpose.” Darper looked away. “It’s not in the files, but one-time Ross and I came really close to catching him.”

  Darper’s phone started ringing.

  He got up from his chair and put his back to Erin whilst taking the call.

  “You’re kidding… Oh Jesus… Alright… Yes, I’ll get on it… Thanks Matt.”

  Darper glanced over his shoulder.

  Erin stood up. “What’s the problem?”

  “Another Spider Jack incident. This time he’s gone absolutely insane.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Special Agents Dwayne Ross and Max Cruther came quietly down the narrow road in their unmarked car with tinted windows, and parked outside the apartment complex. Ross got out first from the driver’s side, and Cruther followed from the passenger. They made their way across the footpath and entered through the lobby area.

  “Good evening, Miss,” Dwayne said announcing their arrival to the attendant at reception. “I’m Special Agent Ross, this is Special Agent Cruther. We have a warrant for Apartment 407, occupied by one Carl Porter.”

  He handed her the dodged-up form.

  “We wish to execute this warrant ASAP,” Cruther added.

  The attendant looked over the warrant, appearing uncertain. “I’ll just – I’ll just check with my supervisor –”

  She took the form and hurried out the back.

  Dwayne put his arm on the desk and leaned over.

  “I love that smell,” Cruther remarked. “What is that? Some type of perfume. It’s giving me a hard on.”

  Dwayne glanced back at him. “We’ll stop off at cosmetics on the way home. Get you dolled up.”

  “Thanks a lot.” A pause. “Now I’m losing wood.”

  The attendant returned with her supervisor, who was younger than she was.

  “It’s just the two of you,” the supervisor inquired.

  “Yes mam,” Dwayne replied. “Now if you could kindly see that we have access to his floor…”

  The supervisor handed him a keycard. “Should I come with you – or –?”

  “A simple keycard will be fine.”

  The supervisor whispered to the attendant and the attendant fetched them the card.

  “Thank you,” Dwayne said accepting it. “Which way to the elevator?”

  “Right over there,” the supervisor motioned. “You’ll … Uh… Let us know what we need to…”

  Dwayne smiled and nodded.

  He and Cruther marched on to the elevator.

  CHAPTER 24

  Upstairs, on floor four, Carl Porter was in his apartment smoking marijuana in front of the TV with his buddy Shaun and his woman-friend Tamika, when the Special Agents walked in through the front door, guns drawn.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Carl exclaimed. “You can’t be just walking into my crib like this! Get the fucking hell out of here!”

  Shaun started to get up but Max was quick to aim his weapon. “Stay right where you are.”

  Dwayne took Tamika by the arm and pulled her off the sofa.

  He sat down in her place next to Carl.

  “Did you not hear me?” Carl blurted out. “I know you’re police but you can’t just –”

  “It’s alright,” Dwayne said. He picked a half-rolled joint from the table and began to finish its assembling. “Put it away, Max. We’re all friends here.”

  Max slowly lowered it.

  “Friends. Are you fucking kidding me?” Carl said. “Last time I sold you some powder, I don’t remember getting paid. This motherfucker owes me –”

  “Quiet,” Dwayne said raising his hand.

  Carl stopped speaking. He winced a little, looking to his friend on the other part of the couch. Then he exhaled and muttered to himself.

  Dwayne continued to sprinkle the dope into the paper. He was almost finished.

  “I like you Carl,” Dwayne began. “No, wait. No. I hate your stupid ass.”

  “Well, I hate your dumbass too.”

  “The truth of it is though, Carl, I need your help with something.” Dwayne pinched the joint together. “That isn’t drug related.”

  The apartment door opened and closed, Tamika exiting.

  Carl jumped from his seat. “Bitch, get back here –”

  Dwayne grabbed him by the throat and forced him back into the cushions. Carl fought a moment but then stopped.

  “Look man,” Carl said, “what the fuck do you
want?”

  “I’m getting to it. But you need to relax.”

  “You got anything to drink?” Max asked.

  “What?” Carl mumbled.

  “Yeah man, in the fridge,” Shaun answered.

  Max walked across into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

  Dwayne fished the joint he’d made from the floor and put a flame to the end of it.

  “You want something, Dwayne?” Max asked.

  “I’m good for now,” Dwayne said blowing out smoke. He took another drag and then handed the joint to Carl.

  Carl looked uncertain a moment, then took a hit off it.

  He passed it across to Shaun.

  “You see?” Dwayne said. “All friends here.”

  Max walked over, cracking a can of rum. He took a full swig.

  Shaun offered him the joint but Max shook his head.

  It made its way back round to Dwayne.

  “The truth of it is,” Dwayne said exhaling again, “an old friend of mine has come back to town.”

  “Yeah? No shit.”

  “Someone’s whose been gone a while. I’m just curious if you heard anything in your circles. Maybe you know some people who know him.”

  “Who’s your friend?”

  “Spider Jack.”

  Carl looked across to Shaun. “Spider Jack?” he repeated.

  “That’s right,” Dwayne said. “Or Jack the Spider.”

  “You mean the serial killer, huh?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Yeah, it was on the news this afternoon,” Shaun said. “Some family minding their own business got taken out. He was flinging those tarantulas everywhere.”

  “That’s some spooky shit,” Carl muttered.

  Dwayne handed him the joint. “You wouldn’t know anything about it, would you?”

  “Who? Me?”

  Dwayne nodded.

  “What is this a fucking joke? Do I look like the kind of guy who hangs around these spider freaks? It’s fucking disgusting.”

  “True that,” Shaun said.

  “You still run that pet store on 57th though, right?” Max asked.

  Carl looked up at him, startled. “How the fuck do you know about that?”

  “You’re not the first scumbag we visited today,” Dwayne said.

  “We’ve been making the rounds,” Max added.

  Carl cleared his throat. The joint was almost finished.

  He went to smoke it again but Dwayne took it out of his fingers and stubbed it in the ashtray.

  Max drank from the can.

  “It’s my Aunt’s store, so what,” Carl stammered. “It’s not like we –”

  “Hold on,” Dwayne said. He took out his phone and scrolled through.

  He brought the phone up to show Carl some images from the pet shop’s webstore.

  Images of spiders.

  “So?” Carl spluttered. “You know how many shops sell spiders in this city alone? Why you coming down my ass for?”

  “It’s a simple question. You still run the pet store.”

  “Yes!”

  “So. Has anyone bought any spiders from you in the last, I don’t know. Seventy-two hours. Anyone suspicious looking. Anyone who registers in your memory.”

  Carl cleared his throat again. He leaned back into the sofa. “My cousin Derek’s the one you want to be talking to.”

  “Or Aunt Margie,” Shaun said.

  “Or Aunt – shut the fuck up, man –” Carl snapped.

  “So you’re saying we should go see your Aunt and Cousin first?” Max asked.

  “That’s – that’s what I’m saying –”

  “And then come back here?” Max countered.

  “What? No, man.”

  “Cause you won’t be here?” Dwayne asked.

  “No. I mean, yes I will – just –”

  “You going to get some plane tickets or something,” Max said. “You’re gonna skip town, or –”

  Carl stood up. “Alright. Now you just stop talking around me. You go see my cousin tomorrow when the store’s open. I can’t help you here.”

  “We thought of that,” Dwayne said.

  “Thought of what?”

  “How the store closes at five.”

  Carl shook his head. “So?”

  Dwayne handed him the phone again.

  This time there was a lovely photo of Carl’s aunt and cousin with their faces bashed in.

  “That’s why we already went there,” Max said.

  Carl’s hands were trembling. “No. No, you didn’t…”

  “They’ll be fine,” Dwayne said taking the phone back. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “What man?” Shaun asked. “What’s on the phone?”

  “Sit your ass down,” Max said pointing the gun at Shaun again. He waved it at Carl. “You too.”

  Carl backed away and fell into the sofa.

  “They. They hurt them…”

  “That’s right,” Dwayne said. “We did hurt them. It was necessary in order for them to give up what they knew.”

  “Which was?” Shaun asked.

  “Carly boy here did a deal with some unknown person. He processed an order of spiders that had to be flown in. We’re talking in the thousands. It was all … under the table…”

  “Carl, you didn’t do no deal –”

  “Alright,” Carl said, putting his hands in the air. “Alright, you punks got me.”

  “So,” Dwayne smiled. “Start talking.”

  CHAPTER 25

  “Captain McGuiness… Captain McGuiness… Rose, wake up…”

  Her eyes fluttered. She reached out to the edge of the bed nearby and used it to bring herself up. The haze gradually parted.

  Ms. Redcroft was in the room with her, accompanied by one of the guards.

  “Why were you on the floor?” the guard asked.

  “Where’s Detective Shandling?” Ms. Redcroft wanted to know.

  Rose thought a moment. “I was … I was just meditating…”

  “Mediating?”

  “Yes.” She straightened herself up. “Detective Shandling has some work to do with Nadine.”

  “Oh you mean, the prisoner?” the guard exclaimed. “She left with her?”

  Rose nodded. “It’s okay. I signed off on it.”

  “Warden won’t be too happy.”

  “I suspect not,” Rose murmured. “I’ll do my best to get her back to you in a couple of hours. Please don’t sound the alarm.”

  She stepped out of the cell, not looking at either of them directly.

  Ms. Redcroft moved in at her side as they walked through the hall.

  “Did you really allow Nadine to go with Taylor?” she asked. “Are you sure they didn’t hit you?”

  Rose glanced at her.

  They waited for the mechanical jail door to grind open. Then they went on through.

  Rose looked back. The guard was out of earshot.

  On the phone to someone.

  “My job’s in danger now,” Rose said. “Serious danger.”

  “I don’t understand. What did you do wrong?”

  “I shouldn’t have let Taylor come into this thing again. She wasn’t ready. And … And Nadine has a hold over her…”

  “You don’t think she’d let Nadine go off on her own?”

  Rose breathed in deeply. “Normally I’d say no. But there’s so much corruption going on at the moment that I can’t put it past Taylor.”

  “I really don’t think you can –”

  “No,” Rose said, stopping them both. “It was only a few weeks ago I had that homicidal maniac working under my command. I may not have liked her back then, but to think that she could be capable of what she’s done… It’s unthinkable. So that’s why I don’t trust anyone? Including Taylor. At least, from now on.”

  “Well, what do you want me to do? Are we going to go looking for them?”

  Rose hesitated. “No. They’ll surface eventually. If they don’t
then it won’t be up to us anyway. I’ll be out the door faster than the warden can snap his fingers –”

  “I have an idea though,” Ms. Redcroft said. “About where to find them.”

  Rose lowered her head. “Okay… Where?”

  CHAPTER 26

  Arms crossed, Taylor Shandling stood in front of the women’s toilet door, ushering restaurant goers away as they attempted to bypass her. Waiting there – the movement, the chatter, the flickering of screens – she absorbed it into the background. Taylor’s gaze drifted out the big flat windows to the car park outside. The sun was dying. Soon the night would be starting again. She could feel the anxiety creeping in. The night atmosphere flushing her face, the stars switching on their music and the bottle caps breaking their seal –

  “All done,” Nadine said from behind, tapping her on the shoulder. “You won’t believe it though. That’s a step down for me from the remand facilities –”

  “Let’s go,” Taylor said pushing her forward.

  They walked down the isle between the booths filled with families eating burgers and fries.

  They smelled delicious.

  Nadine glanced back at her. “Are you hungry?”

  “No,” Taylor lied.

  “Come on, you must be. I know I could use a meal, that’s for sure.”

  Taylor kept her eyes straight ahead.

  “It will help suppress those butterflies in your stomach,” Nadine went on. “Sugar, fat, carbohydrates. They’re all mood improvers.”

  They stopped between the front counter and the exit door.

  Taylor looked around warily.

  “I’m not going to do anything,” Nadine said. “We’ll just eat our burgers and go.”

  “Maybe … drive thru…”

  Nadine rolled her eyes and walked up to the counter.

  “What can I get for you?” the attendant asked.

  “Yeah we’ll get two double cheese super meals –”

  “No,” Taylor said quickly, stepping in. “We’re not ordering here –”

  “Ignore my sister, she’s in a funky mood,” Nadine said. “Two double cheese super combos like I said, and a couple of caramel sundaes. Eat in.”