Fatal Attraction (Love Kills Duet #2)

28. Twenty Eight

Twenty Eight

Phoenix

“ N o fucking way,” Karl exclaimed in the backseat, his eyes bugging wider as they scanned over one of the pages in the case file. “Whoever framed me is the same man who fathered Blaire’s baby?”

“That would be correct, Karl.”

I sighed my frustration and steered my attention to my phone in my lap, rubbing my temples and wishing I’d taken the Ibuprofen bottle with me. It was bad enough we were stuck with this shit-stain, but now I had Crow and his bullshit to deal with too.

Crow: Change of plans. Leo says the shipment has been moved up.

I blew out a shaky breath and typed in my reply.

When?

Crow: Tonight.

“But this doesn’t make any sense,” Karl carried on. “There’s nothing in her phone records or bank statements showing she was having an affair with this guy. ”

“We think Blaire may have had a second phone,” Spike said as he continued to drive, activating the blinker. “She and Carter were on the same phone plan and shared the bank account.”

I ground my teeth and sent the next message.

Time and location?

“I’m not seeing any major withdrawals either.” He shut up long enough to flip through a few more pages. “Matter of fact… Did anyone bother to check if Blaire may have had a second bank account?”

“We did,” Spike answered when Crow’s reply came in. “Why do you ask?”

Crow: You’ll know when I know.

“Aside from Carter’s Army checks, Blaire’s paychecks haven’t been deposited for the last five months.”

Spike slammed on the brakes, sending my phone flying out of my lap and onto the floorboard as my body lunged forward, causing me to smack my head hard against the dash.

Jesus fucking Christ that hurt!

“Let me see that,” my partner demanded, ignoring my groan as he unbuckled his seatbelt and twisted around to grab the file.

It fell silent as I rubbed my poor, aching head while Spike pilfered through the evidence.

“He’s right, Phoenix.”

“Which means if Blaire didn’t have a second bank account,” Karl continued, “then she’d switched to receiving a check. She could’ve used any bank or check-cashing spot and had all of her money distributed in cash. It would explain the second phone and why there’s no evidence of the affair.”

“You know what.” Spike eyed Karl with his lips slightly pursed. “I may despise you, but it turns out you might be useful after all.”

Spike got out of the car, taking the file with him. As Karl followed, my brows crumpled in confusion as I gazed out the windshield, blinking dumbly at the precinct. Maybe it was the hangover affecting my thought-process, but I could’ve sworn we were going to the sanctum to speak with Felix.

“Hey,” boomed Spike’s muffled voice as he knocked three times against the driver’s side window, ducking his head to look at me with the file tucked securely under his right armpit. “Come on, man. We need to fill Cap in and get Felix’s address.”

I scowled, feeling like a fucking idiot. Of course, that’s why he’d brought us here . Between fretting over Charlotte and my eagerness to get to Felix, I hadn’t taken the time to consider that our acquaintance with him never extended outside the sanctum. We’d need his actual address just in case Felix wasn’t there when we dropped by. I really had to take it easy with the drinking. It was screwing up my mojo and worst of all, my sanity.

I told Spike I was coming and then leaned down to fetch my phone, frowning at the display which still had Crow’s message on it. I had to tell Spike about it, that shit was going down tonight, but with Karl hovering over us, wires were getting crossed, and I couldn’t dare let this information slip out to the wrong people.

Fuck, this was a mess.

My feet met the pavement, and after gingerly shutting the door, I burst into a light jog, catching up to them in a matter of seconds. Right away I’d noticed something that looked a lot like fear blossoming across Karl’s face the closer we reached the building.

“They don’t know you left WITSEC… Do they?” I asked him .

Karl didn’t speak at first, just opted to gnaw fretfully on his bottom lip. “If you’re referring to Chief and Captain Burgess, then no. They don’t know I left.”

I snorted, not the slightest bit shocked.

“Be real with us,” my partner requested. “Let’s say Phoenix hadn’t spotted you and you’d have made it inside the hospital to see Carter… What was your plan? What would you have done if he’d given you the information you wanted?”

“Honestly…” Karl stopped walking once we reached the entrance, sighing heavily as Spike opened the door for us. “I hadn’t exactly thought that through yet. I suppose I’d have taken whatever he’d given me and applied it with what I knew about Charlotte’s kidnapping, which, if I’m being honest, wasn’t much. Ben only gave me bits and pieces until you two filled me in. And FYI, your partner didn’t spot me. I kind of snuck up on him.”

I smirked. With the mood I was in, he was lucky I didn’t shoot him.

We made it through the front lobby, stepping aside as the elevator doors parted. When it was clear, we each stepped in and within less than a minute, we were on the correct floor. Thanks to Peter going around the Pines posting Charlotte’s picture with the precincts number printed on it, plus a thousand-dollar reward for whoever came forward with adequate information that could help us locate her and our perp, this place had become a madhouse. Phones were ringing off their hooks, and there were several aggravated officers darting from desk to desk answering them, putting most on hold.

“It’s been like this all week,” Spike said as we strode through the chaos, the captain’s office dead ahead.

Karl tapped my shoulder, stopping me as he pointed out Kendall dashing toward us with a look I was all too familiar with etched on her face.”

“Peter is in Captain Burgess’ office demanding to see you.” The urgency in her tone had my brows furrowing .

“What?” My eyes darted that way and sure enough, Peter was behind the glass, pacing as he spoke with the captain, stressfully fidgeting with his hands. “Why?”

Kendall lifted her shoulders. “I don’t know. Cap wouldn’t tell me. All I know is that he told me to contact you ASAP.” She then looked at Karl, curling her nose as she sized him up. “What is he doing here? I thought he was in WITSEC.”

“He left,” Spike answered before Karl could retort. “It’s a long story, but that’s partly why we’re here. And hey, since you’re here, I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Carter woke up last night.”

Kendall’s eyes lit up at the news.

“The guy we’re looking for is wearing a deer mask with antlers and golden flecks.”

“You’re shitting me,” she mumbled, her shoulders dropping. “I remember that guy!”

“You do?” I asked hopefully.

“Not specifically, no. I can’t remember what he looks like, but I remember that mask because I thought it was stunning.” She released a deep breath and scrubbed her hands down her pretty face. “Fuck, I’m an idiot!”

“He was talking with Felix that night,” I told her. “We need his address. He’s the best chance we have at finding Charlotte.”

Kendall straightened her spine and nodded. “Say no more. Keep watch on your phone. I’ll send you the address right away.”

“Kendall.” She froze when I grabbed her arm, facing me. It didn’t mean anything, nothing at all, but I leaned closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Thank you.”

She cracked a weak smile, offering me a tight nod before she ran for the elevator .

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Spike snapped when he caught Karl staring a little too hard at her retreating back. “She’s off limits to cheating scumbags like you.”

Karl rolled his eyes.

“She found out she was pregnant with Phoenix’s child and then ran away,” he snarled, getting up in his space. “She left him and aborted their baby without telling him she was pregnant.”

Karl raised his hands and then took a respectful step back, nodding like he understood, a frown on his face. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know.”

“Well, now you do. I shouldn’t even be explaining any of this to you but for your own good , don’t fucking do it . Just don’t.”

“Spike.”

He must not have realized how hard his chest was heaving until I rested a hand against it, pushing him away from Karl.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to me. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s fine, Spike. I’m not mad. Just let it go and let’s get this shit done.”

“ What the fuck is he doing here? ”

I sighed, turning to find Peter’s head sticking out through the threshold, his eyes dark and wild. Captain Burgess was on his feet, his pupils blown incredulously wide.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked as Peter reluctantly moved aside and let us in, his death glare padlocked on Karl. “You’re supposed to be in WITSEC!”

“Sir,” Karl spoke as Spike opened his mouth. “I know I’m suspended but—”

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Captain Burgess was enraged. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Those agents are unreliable,” Karl said calmly. “Nobody, and I mean nobody has bothered to check in on me in days. No updates, reassurances, nada. I got tired of sitting around doing nothing and so, I made a choice. I know the risks, but I want to help, Cap. ”

“Absolutely-fucking-not. You’re going back to WITSEC and that’s the last—"

“Captain,” I said softly. “We have a lead on Charlotte.”

He sharply cut his eyes at me, as did Peter.

“Our perp was wearing a deer mask smothered in gold. Felix was seen on the tapes speaking with him.”

Cap blinked at the information, but it was Peter who’d widened his eyes in absolute horror, his lips parted.

“Do you know who it is?” Peter asked.

“Not yet,” Spike answered. “That’s why we’re here. We gave the info to Kendall and now all we’re waiting on is his address.”

“He’s not home,” Peter said quickly. “That’s actually why I’m here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, and as I looked at him—really looked at him, there were dark rings wrapped around his eyes, and I was just now noticing that he wasn’t wearing a suit. He had on a wrinkled T-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of black sneakers. His black hair was disheveled like he hadn’t brushed it in days, and his cheeks were awfully sunk in. It was obvious he hadn’t been eating or sleeping.

“Felix and I are friends. Damn good friends,” he started. “His twin, Fiona, died exactly a year ago today from a drug overdose. We made plans to get flowers and go out to her grave, but Felix’s phone has been off since early this morning. I went by his house, and he wasn’t there. I know he owns that sex club in town, so I tried there next, and he wasn’t there either. Felix took Fiona’s death extremely hard and I…” He paused, his voice cracking.

“You think he’s trying to commit suicide,” Karl concluded.

Peter nodded. “I’ve had to talk him out of it several times since Fiona died, but yes, that is my fear.”

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

“Give us his address. We’ll go check it out just in case he comes back. We’ll check the club too. ”

“Is there anywhere, anywhere at all you can think of where Felix may have gone?” Spike asked.

Peter shook his head. “Aside from Fiona’s grave, I honestly don’t know. That’s why I came here. I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Go check it out,” Cap ordered. “Peter can give you the address and as far as you are concerned,” he said, cocking his head at Karl. “You’re going back in WITSEC.”

“Captain,” Spike interrupted. “As much as I hate saying this, I think we should let him help.”

“Excuse me?”

“I let Karl look at the file.” He untucked it from his arm and handed it over. “He found something everyone, even us, overlooked.”

“Oh yeah?” Cap questioned, cocking a brow. “And what might that be?”

“Based on what I’ve seen,” Karl said confidently. “Blaire’s paychecks haven’t been deposited for at least five months, which led me to believe she had a second bank account. Detective Hutch confirmed they checked into it and that wasn’t the case, so if Blaire didn’t have a second bank account—”

“Then she was having her checks cashed,” Cap said as he pieced it together, sighing as he ran a hand down his face.

“A different set of eyes couldn’t hurt,” Spike continued. “We’ve all been majorly stressed out and it is possible there could be more things we’ve overlooked. Show him the boards and have him go over all the evidence top to bottom.”

“He’s safer here than out there in the open,” I added.

“I promise I won’t get in the way. Please, just give me a chance. I swear you won’t regret it.”

“Fine,” Cap agreed, which had the three of us gasping. “He can stay here. Karl, take the file and head to the conference room. I’ll meet you there soon. ”

Karl hauled up the file, offering Captain Burgess a grateful look before he turned to us and whispered, “Thank you,” with tears in his eyes.

“Here’s Felix’s address,” Peter said, accepting the pad and pen Cap offered him. He scribbled it down and then ripped the page from the springs, passing it over to Spike. “Before you go, I need to ask you something. Cap and I were talking about the cases, and he mentioned Amber and Daniel Strickland were drugged with Rohypnol.”

“That’s right,” I nodded, my stiff brows raised. “What about it?”

“Did you talk with Gibbs and Hammett about it?”

Spike bobbed his head. “We did, but they didn’t have much to tell us other than the main street dealer was a man called Rio and that he was killed in prison.”

“What?” Peter shook his head, confused. “They didn’t tell you about—”

“Peter,” Cap cut him off. “You know you can’t talk about that.”

“But Cap,” he pleaded. “They need to know. It-it might be related—”

“Enough, Peter!”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?” I roared.

“I’m afraid that’s confidential,” Cap said softly, sadly. “Not even I can talk about it, not unless Gibbs or Hammett clear it.”

“But you’re the fucking Captain!” jeered Spike. “And from what Peter’s saying, it sounds like they’ve been withholding information that can help us!”

“Be that as it may, I’m not in charge of Narcotics. I run Homicide and Sex Crimes. It’s not my call.”

“This is bullshit,” Spike uneasily grumbled, scoffing as he angrily shook his head, his brows furrowed. “ Fucking bullshit .”

“However,” Cap went on, “instead of speaking with Gibbs and Hammett again, I recommend you reach out to their captain. His name is Keeton. Elliot Keeton. Go after Felix first. If you can’t find him, then lean on Captain Keeton as a last resort. Understood?”

Neither of us spoke, just glared .

“ Do you understand me , Detectives?”

Spike scoffed again, rolling his eyes before he spun and fled the room.

“Yes, Captain.” I wasn’t happy about it, not one fucking bit, but an order was an order and if Felix really was out there somewhere trying to hurt himself, we had to get to him before it was too late. He was more important. “We understand.”