The Second Coming (39 page)

Father John was caught off guard. Why was he asking him about the Oakland Children’s Orphanage? And then it dawned on him. The photo he carried in his bible must have fallen out in his haste to leave the abbey.

“That photo is from the dedication of the orphanage’s church in my mother’s name.”

Mike was taken aback. “Why was the church dedicated to your mother?”

“My father was on the board of directors of the orphanage and was a fundraiser and donor,” Father John explained reluctantly. “After my mother
died, the orphanage told my dad they would like to name the church in her memory.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Mike asked indignantly.

“Why would I have mentioned it?”

“Because that is where the first victim’s body was found.”

There was a moment of silence. “I had no idea,” Father John said confused.

“Don’t you find it a little suspicious?”

The phone on Mike’s desk rang and flashed. Mike peered at the caller id. It was Captain Volger. “I have to take another call. Please hold.” He muted his cell phone and picked up the receiver on the land line.

“You guys better get your asses down to the Oakland Presbyterian Church,” the captain admonished him sternly. “They found another body.”

Mike was blown away. How the fuck did Father John know about it unless he snuck past surveillance last night? “We’ll be right down.” Mike slammed the phone in the cradle and glared at Big Pete with wide eyes. “They found another body.”

“How does Father John know about it before we do?” Big Pete asked perplexed.

“Call Axe and ask him what happened last night,” he instructed Big Pete as he composed himself and pressed the mute button on his cell phone.

“They found the body, didn’t they Detective?” Father John asked regretfully.

Mike was at a loss for words. “They did.” His face was flush as he tried to remain calm. His heart was pounding in his throat.

“Now you know that I cannot be the Sterling Killer.”

“I don’t know anything of the sort,” Mike replied as he tried to make sense of everything that was happening.

“You will after you talk with the officer who was on surveillance last night.”

God damn it! How did he know everything that was happening before they did? It was like he was one step ahead of them. Mike spun his chair around so that he could watch Big Pete trying to get Axe on the phone.

Big Pete flashed Mike a smile of acknowledgement and gave him the thumbs up.

“Can you please hold for a minute Father?” Mike said as he muted his cell phone. Mike watched and listened to Big Pete with eager anticipation as he spoke on his headset.

“Did the father leave the house at all last night?” Big Pete asked with a look of concentration.

“Not that I saw,” Axe replied. “He sat in his chair reading his bible right in front of the window as if he knew I was watching him.”

“Are you sure he never left the house?” Big Pete asked firmly.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Axe replied. “He fell asleep in the chair and then got up and walked upstairs at 5:55 am on my watch Detective. What’s this all about?”

“There’s been another murder,” Big Pete replied quietly discouraged.

“And you think this guy has something to do with it?” Axe asked incredulously.

“It was a theory.”

“I can assure he didn’t have anything to do with the murder last night. Not unless he can be at two places at once.”

Mike was sitting on the edge of his chair like a kid waiting for the recess bell to ring, waiting for Big Pete to give him a signal when he finally shook his head. “He never left the house.”

“God damn it,” Mike said under his breath and then realized Father John was still on hold. He pressed the mute button and lifted the phone to his ear. “I’m sorry about that Father. Thanks for holding.”

“Did the officer confirm that I didn’t leave the house?”

“Yeah, he confirmed it.”

“Then you know I am not the Sterling Killer.”

“Then who the fuck are you and how do you know so much?”

“I told you, I see the murders in my dreams.”

Mike shook his head with a look of disgust. “Let’s say, for arguments sake, that I accept that premise. What can you do to help me catch the killer? So far you haven’t told me anything that can help me. Why don’t you make a prediction about where the next murder will occur or who the victim will be?”

There was a moment of silence. “I don’t know that information,” Father John admitted.

“No you don’t, do you? All you have are a bunch of unbelievable stories about your dreams. Do me a favor and don’t contact me until you have something concrete that will be of some use to me.”

chapter
61

“N
OW WHAT DO
we do?” Big Pete asked as Mike sat demoralized at his desk.

“I guess we go down to the crime scene and see if there is any evidence.”

“You realize what this means?” Big Pete asked with a dazed expression. “We have no idea who the killer is, but he knows who we are.”

And then Mike realized with sickening horror as the blood rushed from his head that he had done it again. He had put another woman in danger.

“What is it?” Big Pete asked noticing the pasty look of his face.

“What if the Sterling Killer saw Kate with me?” he asked regretfully. “What if he’s stalking her?”

“Oh shit, you’re right,” Big Pete replied in disbelief. “Maybe we should have Axe tail her in case he tries to attack her?”

“I can’t use her as bait,” Mike replied.

“You’re not using her as bait,” Big Pete pointed out. “You are providing her protection. If the Sterling Killer happens to make a mistake, Axe will be there to catch him.”

“I don’t want to put her in harm’s way any more than I already have.”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice.”

A look of distress clouded Mike’s face as he contemplated what to do. He had to tell her that she could be in danger and having Axe tail her was the safe thing to do, but it didn’t seem like enough. He would feel a lot better if he was with her as well.

“Call Axe and have him follow her,” Mike told Big Pete reluctantly. “I’ll call Kate and let her know what’s going on.”

“Got it,” Big Pete said obediently as he returned to his desk.

Mike picked up his cell phone and located her name in his contacts and called her number.

Her phone rang once. How did he fail to realize the danger he was putting her in?

It rang again. She was probably never going to want to see him again and he wouldn’t blame her.

It rang a third time. He hoped she was alright.

Her voicemail answered. Oh fuck. What if he was too late? He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he tried to remain calm.

He was getting ready to leave her a message when he felt his phone vibrate. As he pulled the phone away from his ear, he glanced at the caller ID and much to his relief, saw that it was Kate.

“Hi there,” Mike answered in a friendly tone.

“Did you call me because you miss me?” Kate asked teasingly.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at work. Is everything alright?”

“There’s been another murder.”

Kate gasped. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but I wanted to call and tell you.”

“Tell me what?” she asked with instinctive concern.

“If it turns out the victim was murdered last night, then Father John has an alibi,” he explained cautiously. “He was under surveillance and was home all night.”

“Oh?” Kate remarked. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t want to alarm you, but if Father John is not the Sterling Killer, then we don’t know who the killer is, but he knows who we are,” he explained cautiously.

Kate fell uncomfortably silent. “Do you think I’m in danger?” she asked anxiously.

“Probably not, but just to be on the safe side I’m going to have an undercover vehicle meet you at your office and then tail you wherever you go.”

“Jesus Christ. What should I do?”

“This is going to sound contrived, but wait for officer Axelrode at your office and he’ll follow you back to your house. Pack an overnight bag and you can come stay the night in my guest room.”

“I can’t just come and live with you until they catch the killer. Who knows how long that will take?”

“It will just be for tonight. This way I can watch you and Axe can watch us. It will be perfectly innocent. No strings attached.”

Kate sighed. “I know I put up a brave front,” she told Mike timidly. “But I’m scared.”

“I know,” Mike reassured her. “It’s going to be alright.”

“You promise you won’t let anything happen to me?”

“I promise,” Mike said as Denise’s face flashed in his mind.

chapter
62

I
T WAS A
long, exhausting day at the crime scene and they were unable to discover any clues or evidence. It was just like all of the other crime scenes. The Crime Scene Unit confirmed that there were signs of forced penetration, but no seminal fluids, hairs or fibers. The only clues the killer left behind were the sterling silver knife and the symbol smeared on the wall in the victim’s blood. The coroner confirmed the time of death between approximately 3:30 or 4:00 am that morning. Mike left the crime scene drained and defeated, but then remembered that Kate was staying the night at his house and got his second wind.

Standing at the counter of his kitchen wearing an apron with The Rolling Stones’ tongue logo in the middle of his chest, Mike prepped the food for dinner as he bobbed his head to the soulful arrangements of Otis Redding and sipped on a beer. When he glanced at the clock on the oven it was 5:34. What was taking her so long? Where the hell was she? Maybe he should call her and make sure everything was alright.

Mike was reaching into the front pocket of his apron for his cell phone when the doorbell rang. He grabbed a towel and dried his hands as he took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.
Don’t fuck this up.
He opened the front door.

Kate stood on the brick front porch in high heels, tight fitting charcoal business slacks and a snug black sweater with flared sleeves. She was holding the handle of a rolling carryon suitcase like a displaced business traveler. She looked up at him with her innocent eyes, inviting smile and Mike was speechless.

“Do you know how nerve racking it is to have someone stalking you?” She eased past him and stood in the foyer. “Even with a police escort you feel like someone has you in their line of vision.”

Mike shut the door. “This is all my fault. I’m sorry I did this to you.”

Kate took a step towards Mike all the while gazing into his eyes. “I wouldn’t normally do this, but I don’t know where else to go.”

“You’re safe here for now. I’ll figure out a better arrangement for you tomorrow.”

“Hold me,” Kate pleaded timidly as she leaned into his chest.

Mike wrapped his arms around her soft body and held her firmly. She smelled so damn sweet. “I’m sorry to put you through all of this,” he said softly.

“It’s alright,” she assured him as she pulled away. “I’m used to dealing with crazy people. It’s an occupational hazard. It’s how I became interested in criminal psychology in the first place.”

“Really. How so?”

“You remember the boy who I almost drowned with?”

“The one you told Father John about?”

Kate nodded her head and Mike led her into the living room where they sat across from each other on the L shaped leather couch. “He was never the same after that. He became a religious fanatic and was convinced that we were saved by divine intervention. Everyone thought it was because he had brain damage.”

There was that ‘divine intervention’ term again. Mike had never heard it so many times in his life.

“Every time I would see him he would try to convince me that there was a reason God saved us. I felt bad for him because everyone made fun of him until one day he abducted me at knife point in the high school parking lot.”

Mike sat on the edge of the couch with his mouth agape.
Holy fuck.
“What did you do?”

“He made me drive him to the La Jolla Country Club because he thought it would remind me of what happened,” Kate said with a reflective gaze. “We sat in the hot sun of the parking lot as he preached to me that since God had saved us, we should dedicate our life to God. He said that I was a sinner and that if I didn’t see the error of my ways it was his duty to kill me.”