Killer Dreams Ch. 46-50

"What do you mean?"

"We can spend a day in Chicago, then get away from this town until things blow over. I can find a boat or a private beach somewhere warm. You can have your lawyers deal with all this stuff."

Her shoulders relaxed. "I'd love that," she said.

"Can I come too?" Lisa practically ran around to me. "If I can go to school from here, I can work from a beach house!"

"Sure, honey." Lana was the one deflated now. Residency was a grind. "Sorry, baby. When you can take some time off, we'll go." I looked at the clock. "Laura, we need to get going. Lisa, pack Laura's suitcase with enough for a week or two somewhere warm, plus travel. Make sure you bring her passport and her laptop bag."

"My laptop?"

I gave her another squeeze. "I need to take advantage of that Finance degree I paid for," I told her. "I'm going to make a ton of money on this sale, and I'll need someone I trust to manage it for us. That would be you," I told her. Lana and Lisa got up and left us alone. "What Michael did was on him. It's not you. You didn't know what he was doing, and you've done nothing wrong. Hell, you left him before the last two murders!"

"I keep wondering what I missed,' she said as the tears started.

"He's not the first mass murderer where people are shocked because 'he was such a nice man.' Let's go see your lawyers."

I packed another suitcase for warm weather with what I'd already packed for Chicago. I put it in my truck with the bags the girls packed. I still didn't understand how I could pack for two weeks on the beach in one duffel while they needed three big bags!

We finally left in a caravan with the cops and security running interference. Laura rode in the Mercedes with her lawyers, while I took the club cab company truck with Lisa and our luggage. It was company property, but I could leave it at the airport and give the buyers the keys and the parking ticket.

We soon arrived at the FBI field office, but I wasn't allowed in with Laura. We found a Caribou Coffee drive-through and went back to wait in the visitor's lot. Lisa worked on her assignments while I made a phone call. "Terry, it's Thomas Brickline."

Terry Bannon was the CEO and founder of Bannon Construction, the guys buying my company. "Jesus Christ, Thomas! I couldn't believe it when I heard about your son-in-law!"

"Yeah, it's been a whirlwind. Laura's struggling with it."

"It's all right, Thomas. If you want to postpone the sale, I'll understand."

"No need, Terry. I want to follow through as scheduled. The press won't help, and the quicker I separate myself from the company, the better it is for everyone. I'll see you Monday afternoon."

He didn't respond immediately. "Sounds good."

"There is a favor I'd like to ask," I said. "This town is a circus with my daughter as the center ring act. I need to get my daughters away for a while. I'm looking for something warm, VERY private, and completely discrete. I'm hoping you might know of something."

"I have a vacation home on Treasure Cay in the Bahamas you're welcome to use," he replied. "If you can get a private jet to fly you into the airport, my staff will take care of everything from there."

"Perfect," I replied.

The interviews didn't end until dinnertime, and we flew to Chicago immediately. Laura had signed a limited power of attorney, allowing her lawyer to take some actions with her estate. I was worried that she would have problems collecting on his life insurance after his suicide, but Mrs. Butz put that to rest. "His policy does not have a suicide exemption after two years from the last change," she told us. "Since he elected maximum life insurance coverage, Laura will get one-times base pay taxable and five times base tax-free." Paying for it with after-tax money made the death benefit tax-free. "She should get about nine hundred thousand from that, plus the value of her condo." Laura didn't want to live where her husband jumped to his death. Once police released the crime scene, Mrs. Butz would hire people to box things up and move them to storage. The condominium would be on the market by the end of October.

On Monday, we closed the sale. We celebrated over dinner with Terry and his team, then went to the airport from our hotel early on Tuesday.

Why the hell not? I had three hundred million in the bank and nowhere else to be.

Chapter 48

Talia Devine's POV

Woodbury, MN

Sunday, October 10, 2021

I woke at nine in the morning with a killer hangover.

'Nothing good ever happens after the first round of tequila shots,' I reminded myself. I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I could still smell the vomit around the toilet. Since I remained suspended from work, I'd have lots of time to clean up my place.

I drank three glasses of water and took two pills to fight the headache from last night's celebration. I didn't remember much after the shots began, so I hoped I hadn't embarrassed myself. I woke up alone in bed, so that was a good start. I cleaned the bathroom, then got in the shower and let the hot water wake me up and relax my sore body.

I felt much better by the time I got done brushing my teeth. I dressed in a sports bra, compression shorts, and a loose T-shirt, then went to the kitchen. Granola, yogurt, and eggs were the perfect mix to get me going again. While I ate, I checked my phone, hoping NOT to find pictures of me dancing on tables or doing something else stupid. I had a dozen messages; some congratulated me for finding the serial killer, while others were about my suspension. The important one was from Anna Golden, one of the detectives in my group. Call me when you're functioning again, and I'll take you back to your car, it said. Well, that solved the mystery of how I got home. I knew they'd never let me drive after getting trashed like that. I sent her a text saying I was up and could go anytime. She told me she'd pick me up at noon.

That gave me enough time to work out. I'd learned in college that nothing got rid of a hangover like sweat, and the serial killer case had eaten into my usual workout schedule. I laced up my running shoes and reached for my fanny pack, feeling the comforting weight of the Baby Glock kept there for protection.

I usually used my badge as my permit to carry, but that was in Captain Cullen's desk drawer. I never needed a carry permit with the badge, so I'd never obtained one. That meant I couldn't legally carry now. I'd have to find a class and take the course to get a carry permit, just in case things went south at work. I removed the Glock and its holster and left it on the entry table. I replaced it with my folding Spyderco tactical knife I carried as a backup on duty. I added my phone, then chipped it around my waist. I locked up my apartment, then headed out. All too soon, winter would be here, and I'd only get to run on a treadmill.

I loved running in the fall; it was in the low fifties, the sun was out, and the fall colors were near their peak. After stretching for ten minutes, I hit the bike trail. I had my phone playing my running playlist from inside the fanny pack. I'd never liked using headphones, finding it too easy to zone out and ignore what was around you with AirPods blasting in your ears. I've seen too many women assaulted or raped while they had their music going to use the earbuds.

The first two miles sucked; I was still feeling the effects of last night, plus I'd missed a few runs lately. It didn't help that my thoughts kept drifting to David. I knew he could be my Master, but was he willing to take on me full-time? I couldn't believe how my burgeoning desires had me behaving so recklessly! I shook my head, thinking how close I came to disaster yesterday. If I was going to keep exploring my submissive personality, I needed a strong master to keep me within bounds.

I started feeling better at the halfway point and pushed through the next six miles to the end. As I walked the last two hundred yards to my apartment, I resolved to get back in peak shape during my forced time off. I'd also lose the weight I'd put on since this shit started.

The apartment complex I lived in had a gym and indoor pool complex, so that's where I went next. I did my upper body routine, enjoying the muscle burn as I pushed through it. The phone call caught me in between stations, and I didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Talia? It's Molly Pierce."

"Detective Pierce?" She was the Minneapolis Homicide Detective who I'd talked to about the Allison Decker case. "You know I'm on suspension, right?"

"Yeah, my Lieutenant got a call from your Captain with that news. That sucks. Hey, you want to do lunch?"

"I've got to pick up my car in St. Paul, but I could meet you," I replied. We set it up to meet at Sawatdee in Bloomington at one since both of us liked Asian food.

I finished my workout and went upstairs to change. I put on jeans, short-heel boots, and a long-sleeved shirt for the afternoon, then waited outside for Anna to show up. I hopped in and thanked her for getting me home safely. "Honestly... how bad was I last night? Am I going to get in more trouble?"

She laughed. "A cop having too much to drink in St. Paul? You're fine, though your singing voice leaves a lot to be desired." I rolled my eyes at that. "You gave me your keys when they started buying you shots, so you have some judgment. No recordings will go viral or get banned on the internet," she said. "At least you got to your bathroom before you threw up."

"Yeah, thanks for that," I said. "I'd promise not to do that again, but we both know how that works."

"You're still young," Anna replied with a smile. "Get it out before you're married and knocked up." She patted her stomach, where she was beginning to show at four months along. We talked about everything but work, and soon I was back at my car. "Things will work out, Talia," she told me.

"Thanks again." I got in my car and drove west, reaching the Thai food restaurant twenty minutes later. I got a booth away from everyone and caught up on my phone messages until Molly Pierce arrived. "Congratulations on clearing the case," I told her.

"You get a big assist on that one," she replied.

"How? All I did was question the connection!"

"My boss got a call from Detective Maloney after you left. You guys were looking for a tie to Michael Klinesmith, and he gave us the plate numbers of every vehicle he and his wife owned. The night shift detectives did a comprehensive search of the traffic cameras and got a hit. They were able to track his SUV off the interstate and to the vicinity of where Decker's body got dumped. It was enough to get a search warrant. We were talking with St. Paul Police about executing it when we got word he'd killed himself."

"The timing is awfully convenient, isn't it? The suspect offing himself just before the cops arrive with a warrant?"

She shrugged. "There's probably someone who tipped him off that it was coming. Michael has a lot of contacts on this side of the river, and it only takes one person in either department to warn him."

"I guess. It just feels like we got cheated."

"Talia, as much as I love seeing a powerful man take the perp walk, Klinesmith was an animal. He saved us a ton of time and money this way."

Something didn't seem right. I told Molly what Mistress Tatiana said about Mr. A and Mr. B. "I can't shake the feeling there is more to this case than just Michael. What about the other dude?"

"Talia, we have his confession that he killed her. His SUV is on Lake Street that night. We found a hair in the back of his vehicle that matches the murder victim. We have the trophies he kept from the Hardin book murder victims! He's our guy, Talia."

"And Mr. B?"

"Your source said he volunteered to take her to the hospital. Did he ever say what Mr. A did? Did he go along, or did he take her himself?"

"She didn't say," I confessed.

"Can you talk to her again? Clarify things?"

"I think I burned this source," I confessed.

"It may not matter. I can't get an indictment for someone giving CPR or volunteering to take someone to the hospital. With how secret this group is, you're not going to get them to flip without something more solid than that, especially given Michael's confession letter."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." I sat back and thought about Molly's logical advice. I needed someone independent of my situation to talk about my problems. "Can I trust you to keep what I tell you in strict confidence? I'm in enough trouble with my department for this to come out."

"Is it illegal?"

"No, just stupid and reckless."

She laughed. "That I can handle. Tell me what's going on."

So I did, starting from my first meeting with David Hardin. I confessed my instant attraction to David and our torrid affair. Then I talked about my bosses using me to bug David and my desperate plans to infiltrate the Society after my suspension.

It takes a lot to freak out a Homicide detective. Hearing what they'd do to me as a new 'Party Favor' succeeded in doing that. "Jesus Christ, Devine! Your brilliant plan was to take on a serial killer naked and bound on HIS turf? What if he found out who you were? Who was your backup? You don't have arrest powers while suspended, and what will a defense lawyer do with this story?"

"I needed to tie Michael to the Society," I said meekly. "I knew if I could get in there, I could recognize him and make the tie. Finding the serial killer was so important to me that I was willing to risk everything. It's the only way I can get back with David again!"

She just shook her head. "You've got problems, Talia. This BDSM shit is taking over your life, and not in a good way. You should talk to someone."

"I will," I promised. I'll talk to my Master.

"You're lucky you don't have my Dad. If he heard of me being so stupid, he'd whip my ass until you couldn't sit for a week!"

I laughed. "I bet Dad doesn't think you'd orgasm from the spanking alone."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," I said dreamily.

"Get some help, girl."

Chapter 49

David Hardin's POV

Lake Superior Home

Sunday, October 10, 2021

The morning was overcast, with near-freezing temperatures and light rain.

It was a good day for a swim. The paparazzi wouldn't be able to use their cameras, and there were no boats out. The lake was calm as glass as I walked into it. Rocky barked and ran along the shore as I started my morning swim. Twenty minutes later, I stopped at the finish line and walked out of the cold water.

I wasn't alone.

"Good morning, Jennifer," I said to my young neighbor. She was sitting on a rock, her legs on either side of Rocky as he enjoyed her pets and scratches. She wore rubber barn boots, a yellow raincoat, and a wide-brimmed hat. I grabbed a towel and started to dry off. "Does your Dad know you are here? He doesn't want me anywhere near you."

"You don't know?"

"Know what?" I ran the towel over my head. "With everything going on, I stopped watching the news."

"They found the killer," she said with a smile. "Michael Klinesmith, the County Attorney? Klinesmith killed himself yesterday before they could arrest him. He's the killer, and not just of the three from your books. He also killed a young woman about a month ago and threw her in a dumpster. He's the guy, and he confessed to the first murder. He had trophies from each of his kills on top of the suicide note."

"Trophies?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hardin. I know Tracy was your ex-wife, and someone else should have told you," Jennifer said. "He kept a piece of jewelry from each of them. The Doctor's ring had an inscription, and they were testing for DNA on the other two. If they match Tracy and Vanessa Miles, it's over."

"It's over." I couldn't believe it. I wrapped the towel around my shoulders and sat down on the rock by her. "Wow. Maybe I can order pizza again."

"What?" I told her about how the places in town had stopped delivering food to me. "But you're not a suspect anymore! You didn't do anything wrong! Everything will go back to normal, right?"

I looked out over the lake; the clouds and rain made it hard to see the division between water and sky. "Nothing will ever be the same. Twenty years from now, you'll search my name, and most of the results will be about my wife's murder."

"We have to go to church soon, but my parents want you to come for lunch around noon. We're ordering pizza, and Connie and her Mom are coming. I think they're sorry about how things went and want to fix things up."

I nodded. "I'd love to eat pizza with you all. Can Rocky come?"

"Technically, I came to invite Rocky for lunch, but I have to ask you." She laughed as Rocky let out a bark at his name.

"I see how this is. I'll see you at lunchtime." She waved and walked north on the beach, taking my dog with her. I walked back to the pool room sliding door, yelling for Rocky to come. Reluctantly, he turned and ran to me.

I gave Rocky a quick shower and left him under the infrared heater to dry while I finished my workout. I felt better when I finished; finding the killer took a massive weight off my shoulders. I got dressed and grabbed the two burner phones from my office desk on the way to the living room. I grabbed an orange juice, then sat on my couch to watch the news. The death by suicide of the Copycat Killer was the lead national story.

There wasn't a lot of detail, just 'sources close to the investigation' and interviews with neighbors, coworkers, and families of the victims. The FBI news conference was scheduled for two this afternoon; maybe we'd have more by then.

I turned on the burner phone for my lawyer, who'd left two messages to call him. He answered on the third ring. "David! Did you hear?"

"I've been watching the news for the past hour," I replied. "What are you hearing?"

"No one will say anything yet," Gerald Costley replied. "We won't get an official statement about the last three deaths until the FBI press conference. Minneapolis already announced that Klinesmith confessed to killing Allison Decker and dumping her body. And everyone had coverage of the suicide."

"Kind of hard to miss when you jump from the tenth floor."

"Yeah, it was a mess. Not much left of a guy from that height."

Thank God I'd never had a vision of that. "What happens now, Gerald? Do I get an apology?"

He laughed at that. "The FBI isn't in the apology business, David. What is the best case for you? The FBI says your books may have inspired the killings, but they were not the cause."

Something else popped into my mind. "Am I open to any civil liability here? Could the victim's families go after me because of my books?"

He had to think about it. "I can't see that case going through, but I can't rule it out. I'm not a civil litigation specialist. If it happens, you'll need to find someone better suited to your defense."

"I'll keep that in mind. Anything else?"

"Yeah. I'll put together a press release for after the FBI conference. It will talk about your appreciation for their efforts to find the killer, your relief this is over, and your sympathy for the families."

"That sounds good. Send the draft to my editor as well. I'm sure that Valerie Nolan will have some advice on saying the right things."

"I will. Hey, look at the bright side! Since he killed himself, you each don't have to pay out the hundred-thousand-dollar reward!"

"I haven't seen your bill yet, Gerald. Thanks for everything."

"You bet. I'll have something for you within the hour."

I hung up and picked up the second phone. After turning it on, I dialed the only number. "Valerie Nolan," she answered.

"It's David," I said.

"OH MY GOD, you finally learned how to pick up a phone when I've been calling you since last night!"