The 7th Victim - Alan Jacobson [54]
He laughed. Laughed so hard he couldn’t stop. He bent down on one knee and gathered himself. He felt the blood rushing to his head, pounding, pounding, pounding. Finally it eased and he sat on the floor, leaned against the wall.
But this was not a laughing matter. He wasn’t laughing because it was funny. He grabbed his new tool, got his keys, and headed out. Someone was going to pay.
MANETTE left the op center shortly after Linwood’s speech had ended. Robby walked Vail to her car and watched as she searched her purse for her keys.
“I had a good time last night,” he said.
She pulled her empty hand from her purse and looked toward the house. “Me too.” She was not in the mood for flirting, not with Deacon’s sneering face still branded in her mind—and on the bottom of her shoe.
“What’s wrong?”
“Left my keys in the house.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“To me it is.”
She studied his face for a moment, then turned and leaned back against her car. “Problems with my ex,” she said, then gave him an abbreviated version of her last two encounters with Deacon.
Robby’s gaze was fixed on the ground, his foot tapping furiously. “I’ve never met this guy. But I’d like to, just to talk to him, you know?” His fists were clenched and his shoulder muscles were bunched in anger.
Vail placed a reassuring hand on his taut forearm. “I’ve got it handled, Robby. I don’t think he’ll bother me again.”
“And what about your son? This asshole is gonna take out his beating on Jonathan. Do you have him tonight or does Deacon?”
“Deacon.”
“Then I suggest you go by his school and pick him up. You want, I’ll call Deacon and tell him you’ve got him, after the fact. He won’t give me any grief. Better yet, I’ll go with you.”
Vail shook her head. “He wouldn’t hurt Jonathan. He did, I’d kill him. He knows that. And after today, he knows I’m capable of it.”
“Probably true. But I still think it’s best to err on the side of caution. Pick him up, keep him at your place till Deacon cools off.”
Vail nodded slowly. “What day is today?”
“Twenty-third.” Robby’s cell phone began to ring. He fished it out of his pocket.
Vail’s eyebrows crumpled, then she consulted her watch. Four thirty. Jonathan had a chess club meeting today, which meant he would be out at five.
Robby flipped his phone shut. “I’ve gotta go, something came up on one of my old cases. Break-and-enter on this rich guy’s condo. I know the perp they like for it, busted him a couple of times before. He’s holed up in a house, took a kid hostage. EST’s on the scene, but the perp’s asking for me.” He dropped the phone in his pocket and started to back away. “You want me to get someone to go with you, I can arrange it. Hell, ask Bledsoe.”
“Not necessary.”
“I’ll catch up with you later. You need any help, let me know.”
While Robby got into his car, Vail ran back into the house to retrieve her keys. She waved to Bledsoe, who was in the kitchen with the phone handset tucked beneath his chin. She grabbed her keys and ran outside, where a Fairfax County police cruiser was pulling up behind her Dodge Stratus. She nodded at the officer as he got out of his car.
“Karen Vail?”
Vail glanced at him over her shoulder. “Yeah.” She unlocked the door and opened it, tossed her purse on the passenger seat.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Greenwich, County Police. I need a moment of your time.”
“Wish I could help you, Officer, but I’ve got an appointment. Detective Paul Bledsoe is in the house—”
“Ma’am, he won’t be able to help me. I need to talk to you.”
“I really do have to run. If this is about Dead Eyes, Bledsoe heads up the task force.” She sat down in her seat and started to pull the door closed, but the cop grabbed it and held it open.
“Excuse me?” she said. “Let go of my door.”
The cop removed his hands. “Ma’am, I really need your assistance. Police business.”
Vail squinted at the cop, forgot his name. Glanced at his name tag. “Look, Officer Greenwich,