Simon Says_. Walk (Kate Morgan #6)(43)
Author: Dale Mayer

 

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” Joe admitted. “That’s … That is very true.”

 

He waited to see if Joe was after anything else. When it appeared Joe was done, Simon told him, “Okay, I have to get back to work now.”

 

“Yep, yep, sorry, boss.”

 

And Joe disconnected, leaving Simon wondering whether Joe was nervous about something or just checking to see if Simon was okay with the cops being there, the answer eluded him. It wouldn’t be an issue either way because it’s not as if Simon had any say in the matter. Still, it was all good. He sent a text to Kate. Thanks for checking out the graffiti.

 

She sent a thumbs-up back. Of course. What else did he expect? He was lucky that she’d even responded, knowing the number of times that she ignored him throughout any given day. He half laughed at that too because it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that she ignored him sometimes. She got too busy, and that allowed him, when he got too busy, to also not feel bad when he ignored her.

 

As he got up, his phone buzzed. He looked to see a text message, coming from a number he didn’t know. And the message was cryptic.

 

Two delivered because you can’t seem to find the ones that I left as gifts.

 

He stared at the words in horror, quickly screenshotted it, and sent it to Kate. He added a text message, saying, This came in.

 

She phoned him immediately. “Do you know that number?”

 

“I don’t. I’m sitting at a coffee shop, and I just talked to Joe, my foreman. He told me that you had been there, and I disconnected from him on the phone and got up to leave, when this text came in.”

 

“We’re working on the number now,” she said. “Pretty sure it’ll be a burner phone or something equally impossible to trace. So I can’t say it’ll give us any joy, but having just been sent, there’s a good chance that the sender’s phone is still on.”

 

“I hope so.” Simon waited, and he heard her talking in the background. “Is that Rodney with you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Her response was a bit laid-back, but something in her tone he didn’t get. “Is that a problem?”

 

She groaned. “No, it’s not a problem, but it’s the boss’s idea that Rodney shadow me.”

 

It took Simon a moment and then he said, “To keep it all aboveboard, I presume.”

 

“Yeah, you got it because the sergeant wanted me off the case.”

 

“Ouch,” Simon muttered, knowing that she would utterly hate that.

 

“Yeah, you’re right,” she replied. “That’s about how I feel about it, especially when he knows that I would specifically want to be involved in this.”

 

“But can’t compromise the case if it goes to court,” he filled in for her.

 

“Exactly,” she agreed.

 

“If anything else happens, let me know.”

 

“Hang on a minute.”

 

“What?” he asked, about ready to end the call.

 

“Any idea about the two who were left as gifts that you didn’t know about?”

 

“No, not a clue.” He gave a deep sigh. “But believe me. It’ll be what dominates my thoughts for the next while.”

 

“Good, any insights you get or anything you think of, you let me know pronto.” And, with that, she disconnected.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

 

 

 

Rodney stared intently at Kate, as she ended her call, then updated her. “Reese’s working on the trace right now. No laundry carts missing. Plus Lilliana is in the office, and she’ll work on this too, as everybody needs to find these other two victims,” he shared, his voice low. Kate nodded at her partner, while he continued. “And that’ll mean spending a lot of time checking out cases that could be the two in question but maybe aren’t.”

 

“And yet we have no choice.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“So …” Kate pondered it.

 

“Now what?” he asked, looking at her curiously.

 

“I’m still trying to figure out where could our killer have taken his victims? Somewhere close enough to do this thing and yet not be seen.”

 

“One of the parks,” Rodney offered immediately.

 

“Yeah, which one?” She stared at him. “What’s close enough to where both victims live or work to get us an idea of where the killer would be taking them for the torture part of his game?”

 

At that, Rodney opened up his phone and pulled up the maps. “I’ve got two here.”

 

As he pointed out their locations on the online map, she shook her head. “That one’s not really rough enough, is it?” She frowned.

 

“It’s hard to say.”

 

“From the evidence so far, you need water, rocks, gravel … to chew up Luca’s feet, but Patricia’s injuries? I think she was tormented further. Bring up the GPS and get us to the first park. Then, after we’ve checked out the first, we’ll go to the second one.”

 

It took them twenty minutes to get to the first park. As soon as she walked in it, she shook her head. “This isn’t the place.”

 

Rodney asked, “Why not?”

 

“Too many people. I suspect, even at nighttime, too many people would be here.” She pointed out the vantage point and open space. “Look at it. The parking lot’s full, with people having picnics, people all over the place, and above all else, … it’s soft ground.”

 

Rodney frowned, adding, “Maybe, but a lot of places around the park aren’t that nice, haven’t got that cared-for look.” She pondered his remark, as they took a walk farther in the park. However, by the end of their circuit, Rodney came around to agree with her. “Yeah, it doesn’t have the right look or feel.”

 

“And yet something is forcing our killer to do this, some motivation,” Kate noted. “Like the abused often become the abusers. So the question is, what’s this killer’s particular motivation, and does the place matter to him or to the victims?” She added, “Also, even here, we have more of a man-made pond, with a nice little walkway around it, very manicured. Just not a place to torture someone.”