Ties That Bind

Chapter 33

SHE DROVE WITH PURPOSE TOWARD the address provided for Rachel Hayman. "We've got to get his picture in the paper, Terry. There's no way we can let this go on. He could be stalking his next victim as we speak."

"You know the chief when it comes to that. The risk involved, potential lawsuits, defamation of character—"

"So he'd rather another innocent person be murdered?"

"Patience. We're closing in on him, but we need to give it a little more time."

"But I'm not good with patience." As a child, she likely would have chosen this moment to stomp a foot. But as an adult, she had to stay in control. She kept her eyes on the road. "The question we need to answer is why he targeted them? Why two women from different walks of life? Different marital statuses?"

She pulled into the apartment complex parking lot. Rachel must have been unappreciated if this place was all she could afford. They stepped into the building, which carried the smell of fabric softener and hot air. The laundry facilities must be close to the main door. It wasn't a secured building requiring access from a tenant. And according to the mail-slots, there were only ten apartments.

Madison's cell rang. "Knight." When she heard his voice again it made her cringe in the same way cracking knuckles did. "Chief, we're working it from a few angles right now. Actually we were just talking about putting a picture in the paper—" He cut her off and went into a tirade. She let him speak for a while before interrupting. "Yes, I know how you feel about that...I'll call you when we have any real news." She clipped the phone on her side. It rang again. "Shitting me, right?" She read the caller ID. It was the sergeant. Without hesitation, she threw the phone at Terry and he caught it on reflex.

Madison shrugged and headed toward apartment ten, which in this odd little building was located on the third floor. She heard Terry through the stairwell.

"Yes, sir...I know you want to talk to Knight...yes, I know it's her phone..."

Madison kept walking, a huge smile on her face. All she knew is the Sarge kept him on for a while because she was left waiting on the third floor landing. She heard his steps on the stairs.

He threw the phone at her.

She caught it with a raised arm to the side of her head.

"You're not funny."

She found it hard to fight the tears accompanying her laughter. He glared at her until her reaction was contagious, or at least enough so that he had to smile.

Madison said, "Hey, I did say next time he called, it would be for you."

As they approached the apartment, muffled voices came from inside. Rachel wasn't alone. Madison knocked and heard someone approach the door, followed by panicked whispers. Not long later, the door opened to two people.

The woman who answered appeared to be in her early twenties. Her long red hair was pulled back into a clip with a few stray ringlets left to line her face. The tip of her nose was red, and her eyes puffy, but Madison suspected a summer cold, not hours of crying as the cause. But it wasn't so much the shock of her being younger than anticipated, but the man who stood behind her. He was instantly recognizable.

"Mr. Hampton?"

Part of his white collared shirt hung over his pants. He followed Madison's eyes. He worked on tucking the rest of the shirt in. "It's not what it looks like."

No, Kevin, I think it's actually what it looks like.

Men could be such pigs. And here was one who claimed Heather had been his entire world. It made her stomach toss and memories of her own past betrayal were churned up in the process. She ignored him. "Rachel Hayman?"