Killing Ways Read online

  There was a knock on the bathroom door.

  ‘Mommy, can I come in?’

  ‘Just give me a moment, Cam,’ said Donna. ‘Is everything OK?’

  ‘Yes! I just wanted to say hi!’

  Donna smiled. ‘Hi yourself,’ she said. ‘Now, you go back in to your movie, I’ll be out in a little while.’

  ‘I wish you weren’t going to work,’ said Cam as she walked away.

  It was Donna’s first week back since her treatment. She was high on guilt, low on options. She listened for the DVD player to kick in, and she went into her bedroom. She went straight for the drawer and the wig hidden at the back. She couldn’t bear to tell Cam – she was only six years old. So Donna always wore the wig unless Cam was staying with her father. Five of Donna’s friends had their heads shaved in solidarity when she lost her hair. Cam just thought they’d all gone crazy.

  Donna pulled out a red dress she had often had to diet to fit into. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, pulling at the loose fabric. She had made remarks about skinny people in the past – they needed fat on their bones, they needed a burger, a home-cooked meal. She felt a little differently since she became one of them. She had never known the stories of the people she judged.

  Donna walked into the living room with a smile on her face. ‘Mommy loves someone very much,’ she said. ‘And Mommy thinks that person is right here in this room. Do you have any idea who that could be?’

  ‘Me!’ said Cam. ‘Me!’ She leapt up from her cushion on the floor, ran across the room and dived into her mother’s arms.

  The doorbell rang, and Donna carried Cam to the door and let the babysitter in.

  ‘Now,’ said Donna, letting Cam down, ‘you be good, and you enjoy your play date this afternoon. I’ll see you for supper.’

  ‘Yes!’ said Cam. ‘You look so beautiful, Mama. And I like your white cowboy boots!’

  ‘You look beautiful too … Belle. I wish I had such a pretty yellow dress. I would dance around the room all day and all night.’

  ‘Your dress is the prettiest dress in the whole wide world,’ said Cam. ‘You might meet a prince!’

  He sat in the car watching the street hookers making their way up and down Colfax Avenue.

  Fuck that Hope Coulson bitch. Fuck her and her kindergarten smile and her lines of volunteers.

  He turned his attention back to the street.

  People only line up for you pathetic whoring bitches when you’re alive. Only so’s you can suck their cocks.

  He couldn’t see anything he liked in the parade before him.

  Fuck the landfill site. Fuck Denver PD. Fuck the sheriffs. Fuck the Feds. Fuck today’s miserable luncheon buffet. No man could get full on that.

  Just as he was about to drive away, he saw one, just the way he liked them.

  Hold up, scrawny lady! You’re about to be crowned winner of today’s pitiful pussy pageant!

  He drove alongside her.

  Donna Darisse leaned down, spoke into the driver’s side.

  ‘How are you, handsome man?’

  ‘Well, that’s about the nicest thing anyone’s said to me all day.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure you hear that all the time …’ said Donna.

  He wondered if all the conversations taking place along that strip were the same as his, loading and unloading a whole pile of bullshit every time the trick opened her mouth, every time the john did.

  ‘Well, you’re a Texan, right?’ she said. ‘You like to keep your boots on? I like that.’ She smiled. ‘How do you like my boots? Do you approve?’

  ‘I like them very much,’ he said. I’d like to slam them over and over into your face.

  ‘And how do you like your women?’ she said.

  ‘Satisfied,’ he said. ‘Hop on in.’

  ‘Just so you know, I don’t do anal.’

  Ha. Ha. Ha.

  ‘Where are you going to take me?’ said Donna.

  ‘Right through the gates of heaven,’ he said.

  He glanced across at her. He could see a tiny flash of something in her eyes, and how she smiled quickly to try to bury it. His dick swelled. He closed his eyes, breathed in, loved this, loved the anticipation, had trained himself not to rush through to the end, but to savor every part of what was about to unfold.

  ‘Tell me more,’ she said.

  ‘Show don’t tell is my motto,’ he said.

  ‘Do you have a name?’ she said.

  ‘Yes, ma’am. You can call me Harris.’

  ‘Short for Harrison?’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s what I long for that matters …’

  She laughed. ‘You on business here in Denver?’

  ‘Serious business.’

  Donna reached over and slid her hand from his knee all the way up. ‘Me too, sweetheart.’ She smiled and he got a little softer, and all that ever brought was confusion. Confusion angered him.

  He had done his research. It wasn’t difficult to find a map online of the HALO cam locations. He chose a route from East Colfax that would circumvent them all. Even though he knew, without a vehicle description, the cops wouldn’t have a clue what to look for. And he was making sure to take her to an area that had untouched corners. He liked violating what was untouched.

  Donna turned toward him, reached out for him again.

  And you – you’ve been touched by every motherfucker the length and breadth of Colfax, you sick-looking, dick-sucking bitch.

  ‘Not here,’ he said.

  Donna followed his gaze to a wall lined with dumpsters.

  ‘I’m sure we can pick somewhere prettier than this,’ she said. ‘You’ve got a nice car here we could get comfortable in.’

  ‘Sweetheart, never in my life have I considered comfort in any decision I’ve ever made.’

  And I sure as hell have never connected it with fucking.

  ‘So, we’re going to do this outside,’ he said, ‘then I’ll drive you on back to your friends.’ He smiled.

  Donna relaxed a little. They got out of the car and she walked toward the wall. Harris still hadn’t gotten hard when he turned her around and pushed her up against it, when he pressed himself against her. There was a moment of stillness.

  ‘I’m kidding,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to do it here. My office is inside.’

  He could feel her reaction – confusion, relief, the desperate optimism that made her want to believe that the person her every cell was telling her was so very wrong, was really OK, that the evil she was sensing was not real. He had an office!

  He unlocked the door and pushed her inside an empty, cavernous warehouse.

  ‘Hey,’ said Donna, half-turning, ‘you never asked how much I charge.’

  Harris laughed as he slammed the door behind them. He grabbed her by the wrist and flung her to the ground. ‘Oh, honey, you’re the one paying.’

  ‘Wh—’

  ‘With your life.’ He laughed, a short crazy laugh as if this had been such an obvious thing for her to have not considered.

  Donna screamed, and it echoed around the vast, black space. ‘No!’ she said. ‘No – please.’

  He was holding a knife with a long blade that was catching the scant moonlight from the row of windows at the top of the room.

  ‘Take off your clothes,’ he said. ‘All of them.’

  ‘Please don’t do this,’ said Donna.

  ‘Don’t say please to me.’ He walked a step closer, patient, and dead-eyed.

  She did as he asked, and stood trembling, naked, trying to cover herself.

  He looked her up and down, stopped with his eyes locked on hers.

  ‘OK,’ he said. ‘I’ll be fair, I’ll be fair – I’m gonna give you a chance to get away.’

  She stared at him. He nodded.

  ‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘Go ahead.’

  She frowned, but within seconds, she bolted into the gloom. He gave her time, then followed her. She cried out as her feet struck glass, but she kept running,
left and right, wildly panicked, thrilling him. He gained on her, with little effort, reaching out to her, grabbing her hair, but pulling the wig from her head. He recoiled, threw it to one side, but barely broke his stride. He grabbed her arm this time, yanked her toward him, flung her to the ground. He tied her wrists with cable ties behind her back.

  He knelt down in front of her, pushing her limp legs open. ‘I’m doing you a favor,’ he hissed. ‘Is this the life you want for yourself? What do you think those milked-dry titties are gonna do for a man like me? Flat little saving-up-for-fake-ones kind of titties? Your stretch marks. All of that tells me you’ve got kids at home and you’re out streetwalking. You’re nothing but a rodent bitch looking for someone to prey on her bony ass. Well, you got me. You got me. And how do you like it?’

  He grabbed her thigh hard, burying his fingertips into it, and with his other hand, pushed the blade inside her, over and over.

  Donna screamed and screamed, but had no power against his weight. He pressed the side of her face hard against the damp, stinking concrete.

  ‘You asked me how I like my women,’ he said. ‘Face down in the dirt and dying!’

  He laughed hysterically. Donna was disoriented, struggling to breathe, trying to get her head from under his hand, which he released only to punch her jaw hard. He heard a crack. After that, it was just moaning.

  Face down in the dirt and dying.

  He felt something sink inside him.

  Face down in the dirt and dying. Dirt: not here, not on a cold concrete floor.

  It’s not enough, is it? It’s not enough. You need to fly again. You need to fly. Nothing else matters now. You need to fly. You need to fly.

  11

  Ren sat at her desk with a Danish in front of her that she had taken one bite out of.

  Why did I bring this in here? It is just looking like fatness to me. How could I ever have eaten so many of these?

  She opened up a document and wrote the date of the night that Jonathan Briar was lying about.

  Why was he lying?

  Ren looked up the Irish Hound bar on Google Maps. It was the last stop on Hope and Jonathan’s night out.

  His ‘cab’ answer was the least convincing.

  Would they have gotten a cab for such a short trip if Hope Coulson was as hammered as I believe she was? Wouldn’t they have gone for some fresh air in their lungs?

  Ren called the Irish Hound for the video from that night. They had aready erased it.

  Shit.

  She went back to the map and marked out three separate routes they could have taken home … if they had walked. From that, she put together a list of businesses and homes that they may have passed, and who may have captured them on CCTV cameras.

  Her phone rang. She looked down and saw the flashing name of Glenn Buddy, DPD.

  She picked up. ‘Hey, Glenn. Before you say anything, I didn’t get a chance to ask you last time – how’s Brenda doing?’

  Glenn was close friends with Cliff and Brenda James. Cliff was Ren’s adored big-bear JeffCo colleague who Janine had replaced. His wife, Brenda, was undergoing cancer treatment and had been given just months to live. Cliff had gone back to work at JeffCo Sheriff’s Department to be closer to home.

  ‘It’s not good,’ said Glenn. ‘But they’re holding up, they’re holding up.’

  ‘I haven’t spoken to Cliff in weeks,’ said Ren. ‘I’m afraid to bother him.’

  ‘I know, I know – time is precious, but I’m sure he’d appreciate a call. You cheer him up, Ren.’

  ‘I don’t know about that.’

  ‘You do. Now, I’m about to not cheer you up. We’ve got reports of a missing prostitute. Name’s Donna Darisse. We brought her in a few times. Real nice lady. She’s a cancer survivor.’

  The word survivor sounded stark when side by side with Brenda James’s prognosis.

  ‘She’s got a six-year-old girl,’ said Glenn. ‘It was Donna’s first day back on the job after treatment. The daughter’s friend’s mom called it in this morning – Donna never came back to pick her up after a play date at six p.m. yesterday. That was totally out of character for her. But the friend’s mom figured she had to work late – she thought Donna was a waitress – and that her battery had died. She took her to school this morning, then nothing. The school hasn’t heard from her either. The friend’s mom knew that Donna would never do something like that.’

  ‘Please let her have fallen asleep in some luxury hotel suite with Edward Lewis.’

  Silence.

  ‘Pretty Woman …’ said Ren.

  ‘I’ll go with that,’ said Glenn. ‘According to some of the other girls, she was last seen on East Colfax, getting into a dark sedan. No description of the driver. We’re going through the HALO cams now, see if we see anything. Her last cell phone signal was picked up in that area, then nothing.’

  ‘Is she a user?’ said Ren.

  ‘No,’ said Glenn.

  ‘Do you have a photo of her?’

  ‘Yup,’ said Glenn. ‘Emailing it through.’

  ‘OK.’ Ren got off the phone, opened the email, and saved the image. Donna Darisse had a thick head of chestnut hair that fell past her shoulders. She had a warm smile, good teeth. She looked healthy. She didn’t look like a street hooker.

  I’m finding comfort in that. If the skinny blonde is his type, and not just a coincidence.

  Shit. Cancer … she had cancer.

  Ren called Glenn back. ‘Sorry, again, Glenn – had Donna Darisse dropped a lot of weight?’

  ‘Oh – yes, according to one of the other girls.’

  ‘And did she lose her hair?’ said Ren.

  ‘Yes,’ said Glenn. ‘Shit, I didn’t think of that. Let me see if I can’t get a more recent photo.’

  Twenty minutes later, a new photo of Donna Darisse hit Ren’s inbox. She was holding a little girl in her arms. Both of them were laughing. The girl had her hand in the air, having just placed a tiny gold plastic tiara on her mother’s head.

  Oh. Shit. Hollow cheeks, blonde hair … blonde wig.

  Stephanie Wingerter, Hope Coulson, Donna Darisse. These women look too alike for this to be a coincidence.

  Donna Darisse, I think you wore the wrong-colored wig. That is fucked up.

  Ren opened a document and typed: prostitute / teacher / prostitute.

  Did you return to what you knew best? Women who were easier to take? Did the media attention on Hope Coulson send you back under your rock? Well, we care about all of them, you fucking reptile.

  Everett came into the bullpen. ‘What’s going on in your world?’

  She filled him in on Donna Darisse.

  ‘Shit,’ said Everett.

  ‘I know.’

  They both turned as they heard footsteps rushing down the hallway.

  ‘Where is she?’ a woman was roaring. ‘Where is she?’

  No security in the building …

  Everett and Ren both got up, drew their weapons, ran to the door. Gary rushed out of his office past them toward the woman. He had no weapon drawn.

  ‘Don’t do this,’ he said. ‘Don’t.’

  What the …?

  The woman almost growled, struggled to make herself seen around Gary. Ren saw a flash of blonde hair.

  ‘Where the fuck is she, Gary?’ she shouted.

  That’s Gary’s wife! What the fuck?

  Ren put her weapon back into her shoulder holster. She turned to Everett, shaking her head silently, letting him know to put his away. They started to back into the bullpen.

  ‘Ren!’ Karen was screaming. ‘Ren!’

  Me?!!

  But Gary was wrestling Karen down the hallway toward the conference room.

  Everett turned to Ren. ‘What the hell is that all about?’

  Ren made a face. ‘That’s Karen Dettling – Gary’s wife. And I have no idea.’

  ‘Is she nuts?’ said Everett. ‘And why was she looking for you? Are you guys friends? Was she pissed at you? Or lookin
g for your help? What’s going on with those two?’

  Ren turned to him. ‘Jesus, you sound like a girl.’

  ‘What the hell, though?’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Ren!’ Karen was coming back toward the bullpen.

  ‘Karen, get into the conference room,’ said Gary. ‘Do not say another word. Ren … in the conference room now.’

  Me? What the fuck is this shitshow?

  Ren followed Gary and Karen into the conference room. Karen turned to Ren.

  ‘You bitch!’ she said. ‘How could you do this to us?’

  Am I hallucinating?

  Still drunk?

  Starring in Punk’d?

  ‘Do what?’ said Ren. She looked at Gary. He was warning her with his eyes.

  What IS this?

  ‘You came to our home, you taught Claire Spanish!’ said Karen. ‘How long has this been going on?’

  ‘What?’ said Ren. ‘Oh my God.’ She thinks—

  ‘Did you spend all night together or did you just fuck her and leave?’ said Karen, stabbing a finger into Gary’s chest. She turned to Ren. ‘Did you wake up in my husband’s arms?’

  Oh. Jesus. Christ. Don’t laugh. Don’t do your nervous fucking laugh.

  Ren started laughing.

  Karen looked fit to explode. ‘How dare you? You—’

  ‘I’m sorry – I’m nervous – but we’re not having an affair!’ said Ren. She turned to Gary. ‘Gary!’

  ‘We’re not,’ said Gary. ‘Jesus, Karen.’

  So casual, while I’m getting attacked. What the fuck?

  ‘Where are you getting this from?’ said Ren. ‘Gary wouldn’t dream of cheating on you. Gary adores you! Everyone knows that.’ And the fact that you drive each other nuts, but still.

  Karen was stalled. She looked from Ren to Gary. Mortification started seeping into her face.

  ‘Karen,’ said Ren, ‘Gary’s my boss, he loves you. And I’m with Ben.’ Have you lost your mind? Gary, say something, for fuck’s sake. Why am I getting all this shit?

  ‘Gary!’ said Ren. Wake the fuck up!

  ‘Karen,’ said Gary, ‘I’m not having an affair with Ren.’