Chapter 13

By the time Detective Lee arrives at the house Tori has been staying at it is a media circus. Someone called the media instead of the police, most likely the killer, and at this point the list of suspects is growing smaller.

The house is pretty much in the same condition that it was in the last time he was here. The only exception is the teenage girl he placed her. She is lying on the couch with her throat slashed. The police have already tried to contact Malcolm Denver several times to no avail. He is still on Lee’s suspect list, but nowhere near the top as Rick Jameson. Malcolm remains a person of interest, maybe more since the home doesn’t show any sign of a break in.

“This one is different than the others,” the medical examiner says. “This was done by a person, most likely a man, and it was personal.”

“Do we have any DNA?” Lee questions as her looks over the body.

“There is a lot of blood so there is a chance some of it might be the killer’s,” she offers. “But from the position of the body and how she was tied up, most likely not.”

“Do you know what she was tied up with?” he asks, moving to look over Tori’s wrists.

“My guess is a leather belt,” she surmises. “It’s not abrasive like rope and it’s too rough to be some kind of fabric. I also don’t see any signs of tape.”

“She’s naked and lying prone,” he mutters under his breath. “Any signs of sexual assault?”

“Yes, but unlike any of the previous victims,” the examiner confirms. “It looks like the killer performed oral sex, but refrained from anything beyond that. She does have quite a few bruises but those look a few days old and probably causes by a belt, just not the one used to bind her wrists.”

“I already know who caused the bruising,” Lee reveals. “I don’t know who killed her, but I certainly know who ordered the hit.”

The arrest of Rick Jameson goes off without a hitch. It didn’t take a judge long to sign off on a warrant. With what was found at his apartment and many allegations and evidence coming up against the man, it wouldn’t take much to convict him. Rick begins to face the reality of spending a lifetime in prison.

“Why don’t you just admit to murdering Tori Mitchell?” Lee asks for the fourth time.

“I told you before, Detective, I didn’t kill the girl,” Rick says with a sigh of frustration. “And where is my lawyer?”

Lee shrugs. “He’s on his way. Maybe he just got caught up in traffic.”

“I’m not talking until my lawyer gets here,” Rick says refusing to budge.

“That’s too bad,” Lee comes back with. “Your daughter is probably cutting a deal right now. Maybe if you give me something I can put it through to the DA before hers.”

“There is no way she is going to betray me,” the man says confidently. “We may have a few differences, but nothing that would get her to cut a deal.”

“So the rape accusations and underage sex that she is going to give testimony to isn’t enough?” the detective baits. “I’m sure once the DA is done with the search warrants on your finances and business deals they will have a lot more charges to file. You’re looking at spending a very long time in prison.”

“Alright, alright,” Rick huffs. “It’s Malcolm. He came to me with this idea that would take my company to the next level. But it involved people getting hurt. I said I didn’t care just as long as I got what I wanted. I didn’t know it was going to be murder!”

“Yeah, that’s an interesting one,” Lee says, not believing a word of what was just said. “Malcolm Denver is missing. His girlfriend murdered after his disappearance. Then we have Tori Mitchell, Tracy Markum, and Skye Fording, murdered and linked to you. Jerry Winters is coming down later to confess everything.” Lee turns and looks at the man through the mirror. “If you ever want to see the light of day again, you need to get out in front of all this.”

“I don’t know what you want,” Rick confesses. “I want my lawyer!”

Lee spins around and slams his hands on the table. “I want you to tell the truth! Confess!” he shouts. “And you’ll get your damn lawyer when he gets here!”

Just then a knock raps at the door. Lee looks up just in time to see a couple men dressed as Marshalls walk in. The first presents a piece of paper and hands it to the detective.

“We have orders to take Dr. Jameson into our custody,” the second man informs.

“What?” Lee asks, snatching the paper away from the first. “You can’t just come up in here and take my suspect.”

“We can and we are,” the first man says.

“The paperwork is in order and signed,” the second adds as he stands behind Rick. “Dr. Jameson, you’re coming with us.”

Lee fumes over this, knowing there is nothing he can do. His hands are tied and this whole case has just gone out the window. He watches angrily as the two men haul Rick out the door. Lee gains some comfort in the fact that if Malcolm is still alive, he will find the man, but in the meantime Bridget Rhodes is still as guilty as her father. Lee has never given up easily, and he doesn’t plan to now.

­----

Detective Lee steps off the elevator on the top floor. Unlike the rest of the building, this floor is devoid of life. From the elevators to the secretary’s desk right outside Bridget’s office he doesn’t pass by or see one person. If not for the bustling activity in the lobby he would think the place was deserted.

Nevertheless, the detective walks by the desk and straight for the set of double doors separating him from his next arrest. He pushes through with all the authority of the police department and stops short. The sight before him is like nothing he could have prepared himself for.

Sitting at Bridget’s desk is Xenora. Lee is taken slightly aback by the creature’s appearance, but after everything he has seen recently, he isn’t too surprised. But what does surprise him the most is on one side of the desk is the biggest, meanest looking dog—if it can even be called that—he has ever seen. On the other side sits Bridget, but not in any way he’d ever expect to see the woman.

The young CEO is completely naked and on all fours. She looks at the detective, but not with pleading eyes. The young woman looks enthusiastic to be in the position she is in. To Lee though, she looks like a slave—a tamed animal.

“What’s going on here?” he demands.

The dog creature growls upon hearing the tone of the detective’s voice. “Hush, Maximus,” the striking woman admonishes. “Or you won’t be getting any of our lovely Bridget.” Xenora turns her attention to Lee, smiling as if this is a normal, everyday occurrence. “What can I do for you, Detective?”

Lee jumps right into it. “I’m here to take Ms. Rhodes into custody.”

“You cannot do that,” Xenora says smoothly. “She is mine now and the face of my new company. She is far to valuable to lose.”

Lee shakes his head. At this moment he feels as if he is in some kind of nightmare and just waiting to wake up. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asks. “Just what the hell are you?”

“I am merging Star Genetics and Tomorrow’s Genetics into one company,” Xenora begins. “I need a familiar face in this time of tragedy and to lead us into a new future. That face is my new pet, Bridget.” Upon hearing her name, the young woman becomes animated.

Bridget crawls around on the floor, ass raised in the air. Lee catches a glimpse of her pussy, taking note of its wetness and the parting of her folds in obvious anticipation. Everything is exposed and nothing is left hidden. The bruises on her ass and thighs do not go unnoticed either. She returns to her spot and waits, trembling.