Page 52 of Cold Vengeance

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

She was so cold. Audrey had told her not to move until she came back for her, but that had been hours ago. She gazed around the room. Where was she? Even though she hadn’t received the last shot, the effects of all the others were still messing with her mind. They’d gone out the back door and then walked to this place. Was it a storage shed? Audrey said she’d drive by and get her when she could. Should she leave? Try to find help? Or just wait the way Audrey had instructed? What if she’d been caught? If so, they’d soon be looking for her, too. She grabbed the edge of a nearby storage shelf and pulled herself up. Immediately, the room began to swim. She used her other hand to steady herself, praying that the world would stop spinning. Finally, when she felt steadier, she gazed around her. She could see the door they’d come through. She’d just decided to open it, so she could figure out where she was, when the doorknob began to turn. Panic set in and she tried to run, but she was too unsteady on her feet, and she fell to the hard floor. Pain exploded in her wrist, and she yelped. She attempted to pull herself along the floor using her other hand, but she couldn’t move quickly enough to hide. When someone put their hands on her, she cried out.

“Hush, it’s me. Be quiet or someone might hear you. My car’s outside. We need to leave before they realize you’re gone. I fixed your bed to make it look like you’re in it, and I marked your chart as if I’d given you your meds. But the next shift nurse will be checking on you before long. We don’t have much time.”

Although she tried to understand what Audrey was trying to tell her, nothing made much sense except that she was out of the hospital, and they were leaving. That was all that mattered.

Audrey helped her up, and she leaned on the kind nurse as they walked out of the building and hurried to Audrey’s car. When she got inside, the warm air surrounded her like a hug. She stared out the window. She’d dreamt about leaving before, only to be disappointed when she woke up and realized it was a dream. She began to cry and pray that this was real. That she really was on her way to freedom.

“Don’t cry,” Audrey said gently. “We’ll make it. I can’t take you to my place. They’ll look there. We’re going to a motel for a while. You need to get all that stuff out of your system. We also need to get you cleaned up. I brought some clothes that should fit you.”

It was then that she looked down and realized she was only wearing a hospital gown and the coat Audrey had given her. Her feet were still in those weird yellow booties the hospital kept on her feet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn real shoes, and she wanted to. More than anything.

“I hope you didn’t break your wrist,” Audrey said. “We’ll stop at a drug store and get you something to support it. I can’t give you anything stronger than acetaminophen. I hope it will control your pain.”

She smiled and laid her head back on the seat. “I don’t care about that. I’m free. I’m finally free.” After that, she allowed herself to drift off, feeling warm, relaxed, and happier than she’d been in a very long time.

TED’S MOTHER WAS A FRAIL WOMANwho looked beaten down by life. Although she was moving slowly around her kitchen, a wheelchair sat in the corner. Besides dealing with physical issues, it was obvious that her son’s death had affected her greatly. Her small house showed neglect, as did she. It seemed as if she’d just stopped caring. Tony felt great empathy for her.

“Thank you for seeing me,” Tony told her after sitting down at her kitchen table.

Mrs. Piper carried a half-full carafe of coffee over to the table, holding onto the chairs with her other hand. She shakily poured the hot liquid into a cup faded by age. Although Tony didn’t want coffee, he thanked her. She put the carafe back on the old coffeemaker and then took the seat next to him.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “No one has asked about Ted for a while. I’m happy someone still cares about what happened to him.”

“My partner and I are trying to locate a missing woman who investigated cold cases. Your son’s case was one of them.”

“You think this woman’s disappearance has something to do with my Ted’s death?”

“I don’t know,” Tony said. “Right now, we’re looking at every case she was investigating to see if one of them might be connected.” He took a sip of coffee, then said, “I know this may seem like an odd question, but did the police find any flowers at the scene?”

Mrs. Piper frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve found a couple of other deaths where flowers were left behind,” Tony said. When he originally decided to talk to Ted’s mother, his main goal was to get information. But he and River were both learning that writing profiles inside the confines of the FBI was very different from looking into the eyes of those affected by the criminals they profiled. Mrs. Piper was in pain, and at that moment, Tony was second-guessing his decision to resurrect her anguish. The only reason he was here wasbecause of some old dogwood flowers that may have nothing to do with April’s disappearance or Ted’s death. He was getting ready to apologize for taking her time and leave when she grabbed his arm. She peered into Tony’s eyes, a tear running down her cheek.

“A lady called me once about those flowers,” she said, her voice trembling. “It was a long time ago. I think her name was ... April. I told her the police said they didn’t have anything to do with my Ted. Now you’re asking about them. Are you saying they meant something after all?”

“I can’t be sure, Mrs. Piper,” Tony said. “Like I said, my partner and I are just looking into what happened. I ... I don’t suppose you saw the flowers?”

Mrs. Piper nodded. “I went to the spot where he died. They were lying on the ground where Teddy was found. White flowers. Silk. I think they’re called dogwood flowers.”

A chill ran down Tony’s spine and it wasn’t because Mrs. Piper’s house was cold. The deaths were connected. He and River may have just uncovered a serial killer.

TONY RUSHED BACK TO THE OFFICEand hurried up the stairs. When he unlocked the office door and stepped inside, River looked up at him and frowned.

“You look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” she said.

“First of all, that phrase is supposed to denote guilt,” he said. “I don’t feel guilty. Secondly, the last time I heard someone say that, it was my grandmother.

“Okay, okay,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So, why do you look the way you do?”

Tony sat down and quickly told her what he’d learned from Mrs. Piper.

“So, Shelly and Ted’s deaths might actually be connected?” River said. “Why didn’t the police suspect it?”

Tony sat down at his desk. “As far as Ted’s mother knows, the flowers weren’t even entered into the police report. The police decided they were already there and had nothing to do with Ted’s death. Seems April contacted Mrs. Piper before she disappeared and asked about the flowers. She told her exactly what she told me. That she saw the flowers herself after Ted’s body was removed.”

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