Murderer's Row Read online

  Agnes smiled. “I’m just glad I was able to help.”

  “And you can help more. I found this,” Eve handed Agnes a manila folder. “Marc…he um, well he left it for me.”

  Agnes took the folder and opened it.

  “Read that first page,” Eve instructed.

  Agnes glared at her and then pulled a sheet from the folder. Marc’s handwriting was sloppily drawn across it. “I can’t read this shit.”

  “Geez,” Eve gasped and took the paper. “It’s from Marc. He must’ve been taking notes as he found more information. It says the university has some new research drug called AX9 that they’ve been holding off from trials. It’s a paralytic…just like suxs,” Eve smiled like she’d just uncovered some treasure.

  “Okay,” Agnes responded dryly.

  “He was trying to find out who was leading the trials before he died, but if it wasn’t sux it would have to be this.”

  Agnes was silent for a moment. She scratched her head and rolled her neck. “What are you trying to tell me Eve? You think someone at the university is what, killing people?”

  “Well no. Maybe some of the drug was stolen, but I guess that’s a working theory too. Regardless, do you think you can find out who was working on pushing the drug forward? I’d love to talk to them.”

  “Maybe Marc was confused. If we were testing a new drug, I’d be the first to know about it and I haven’t heard anything,” Agnes said with a strange look on her face.

  “Well if it’s all the same to you, can you check anyway? I don’t want to leave anything to chance.”

  Agnes shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Of course I will.”

  CHAPTER 23

  LAYING DOWN WITH DOGS

  “Ms. McCall took a sabbatical two months ago. I can forward you to her mailbox and you can leave a message,” the receptionist squawked into the phone.

  Henry rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Um, no…no that’s fine. Thank you,” he said and slammed the receiver down.

  It was two in the afternoon and Henry had just made it home. He’d been trying to reach Agnes for the last three hours with no success. Her cell phone was going straight to voicemail and now her office claimed she wasn’t even working there anymore.

  Henry picked up the phone again and dialed an all too familiar number. It rang twice and then connected and a soft voice spoke on the other end.

  “Hello?”

  “Kathy, it’s me,” Henry said timidly.

  “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise. I thought you’d moved on.”

  “It’s not that I…”

  Henry paused as he heard keys jingling outside of the door. It swung open and Agnes walked inside. Henry quickly hung up the phone and walked out of the kitchen to greet her.

  “Where the hell have you been?” he asked angrily. “I’ve been calling you all day.”

  Agnes sighed then threw her hands into the air. “It’s the reception in that damn research lab on campus. I can never get a call there.” Looking exasperated Agnes walked past Henry and sat her purse down on the kitchen counter.

  “Cut the shit Agnes. I called the university, I spoke with Marcy. She said you took a sabbatical two months ago.”

  Agnes froze. Her face hardened and a shadow of evil flickered in her eyes. Her hands slipped into her purse, her fingers sliding around the cold, steel handle of a scalpel.

  “Well?” Henry pressed as he followed her into the kitchen.

  Suddenly the phone rang and he turned and reached for it. Before he could grab it Agnes snatched it and picked it up.

  “I don’t know why you hung up Henry, but if this is your way of trying to get me into bed again, it’s working.” Kathy’s voice seeped through the phone.

  “Who is it?” Henry asked.

  Agnes glared at him and then spoke into the phone. “Kathy, I think you might have the wrong number.” Agnes slammed the phone down. “I fucking knew it Henry…I knew it. Who is this bitch?”

  Henry took a few steps backwards. “Agnes I have no clue what you’re talking about. Who was that on the phone?”

  “Don’t act like you didn’t hear, you cheating bastard. It was your whore, Kathy bragging about getting you back into bed. I’m so stupid. I should’ve known I could never trust you. You’re just like him. You’re just like them all.”

  “It’s not what you think Agnes. That woman is crazy. I’ve never been with her, not once.”

  Agnes huffed and threw the phone at him. “Damn you! You all think you’re so smart,” she screamed.

  The phone hit Henry in the head then rattled to the floor. He grunted and held his hands out pleading. He took a step towards Agnes, but she raised her fist and he paused.

  “I swear to you, I’ve never touched that woman. She’s a source…she’s just a source.”

  “Oh I bet she’s a source,” Agnes scathed then grabbed her purse and marched to the door.

  “Where are you going?” Henry asked.

  “To find my own source,” Agnes barked. She walked out the apartment and slammed the door.

  Henry didn’t chase her. He knew she needed time to cool down. He stared out of the window and watched her beige Toyota drive away.

  As soon as she was out of sight he picked the phone up from the ground and dialed Kathy’s number. She picked up on the first ring.

  “He…hello?”

  “Kathy, what were you thinking?”

  “Jesus Henry you call me from your house! What the hell were you thinking?”

  Henry sighed and leaned against the counter. He ran his fingers through his graying hair and squatted onto the floor. Letting his legs slide out from underneath him he fell back against the wall and shook his head. “I don’t know. I fucked up.”

  “So what did she say? I’m sure she wants to kill me.”

  “I told her you were crazy,” Henry laughed.

  “Seems like something you would do.”

  “What was I supposed to say? I didn’t expect her to answer the phone,” Henry replied.

  “Guess it doesn’t matter now. What were you calling for in the first place?”

  “I don’t know, just to talk,” he said and waved his hand.

  “Give me a break,” Kathy laughed. “You never want to talk. Might as well come over here and do what you do best. You’re in trouble for it anyway.”

  “That’s just stupid.”

  “Is it?” she asked.

  Henry was silent. He grabbed the counter with his free hand and pulled himself to his feet. He looked at his watch and then gazed around the empty apartment.

  “Give me thirty minutes,” he said with a sly grin on his face. “Same place as normal.”

  “Thirty minutes it is,” Kathy agreed and ended the call.

  Henry grabbed his keys and cell phone then rushed out of the apartment. Wasting no time he jumped into his car and drove off.

  As he sped towards the Hilton he tried to push the image of Agnes’ face out of his mind. So what if he lied about Kathy, Agnes had been claiming to go to work for the last two months.

  “Lying bitch,” Henry grumbled.

  As the hotel came into view Henry pulled around to the valet and stopped short of the roundabout. He wrapped his fingers against the steering wheel then hit the gas pedal and jumped the curb back onto the road.

  “What the fuck are you doing Henry?” he said to himself. “Just go home, go straight home.”

  He slammed on the brakes and the car skid. Horns and vulgar obscenities blared from behind him, clutter in his trunk slammed into the backseat with a clank.

  Henry ignored the horde of angry traffic and made a U-turn. Whipping the car around, Henry drove back to the hotel and pulled around back into the parking garage.

  He turned the car off and rolled down the window. A waft of warm, moist air floated in. The underground garage was dimly lit and smelled of the spoiled food and trash that the hotel kitchen piled in the corners.

  Henry skeptically looked around t
he garage. It was particularly empty for a Friday and aside from Henry’s car there were only two others on the entire floor.

  “Nope, not gonna do it,” Henry declared to himself. “Go home, go home now.”

  Over the next several minutes Henry opened the door, closed the door, opened it again, stepped outside and sat back down. Slamming the door he turned the radio on and leaned his head back against the seat.

  With a buzz his cell phone rattled in the cup holder. Henry glanced at it then looked away. It continued to ring until it went to voicemail.

  A minute later the phone rang again. Henry grunted and picked it up. A voice exploded from the other end.

  “Where the hell are you?” Kathy screamed.

  “Calm down. Stop yelling damn it.”

  “Okay, sorry.”

  “I…I’m having second thoughts,” Henry said.

  Kathy laughed hysterically. “Of course you are Henry. Just like you, just like you to bail out at the last second. Jesus you’re a fucking coward. Have you ever followed through on a damn thing in your entire life?”

  “I, well I…”

  “You what? It’s not like you’re married. You’re just playing house, don’t make this something it’s not.”

  “Just…just give it a break,” Henry groaned and then hit the end button and dropped the phone.

  Sighing, he reclined his chair and cranked the radio louder. A deep female voice crooned from his speakers singing a bluesy rendition of “Down by the River.”

  Henry closed his eyes and let the stress of the last few hours wash away. His phone buzzed and buzzed as Kathy tried calling him back, but he ignored it.

  Yawning, he let the melodic tunes lull him into a groggy, half-asleep state. His head swayed slightly from side to side, following the tempo of the song. He moved like he was in a trance, his eyes closed, oblivious to everything around him.

  Slowly the trunk of his car started to rise. A slender hand reached out and grabbed the lid, making sure it didn’t squeak.

  With cat-like grace Agnes slipped out of the trunk and landed barefoot on the sleek, hard concrete. She silently closed the lid then crept around the passenger side of the car like mist in a cemetery.

  There was a sudden bang on Henry’s window and he jumped up. A security guard with frost white hair and a thick mustache was standing next to his door. Henry rubbed his eyes then lowered the window.

  “Everything okay?” the guard asked suspiciously.

  “Yeah, just waiting on someone.”

  “Got a whole lobby inside, air conditioned and all,” the guard continued.

  “No thanks. They should be out in a minute.”

  The guard tipped his hat and walked off. “I’ll check on you when I make my rounds again,” he said as he was leaving.

  Agnes watched in silence as the elderly man moved further and further away. Her back was pressed flat against the floor, the undercarriage of Henry’s car only inches above her.

  Henry rolled his window back up and grabbed his phone. He had seventeen missed calls, all from Kathy. As he held the phone in his hand it rang again and he picked it up.

  “Kathy, I just can’t okay. I have a conscious.”

  “Fuck you Henry!” she yelled into the phone. “Your conscious never stopped you before.”

  Henry leaned his head forward onto the steering wheel. “What do you want…what do you want from me?”

  As Henry went back and forth with Kathy, Agnes rolled from under the car and carefully cracked the rear passenger door. Henry was still leaning across the steering wheel as Agnes slithered into the backseat. She slid across the seat and positioned herself directly behind him.

  “Kathy even if it was ten times it was ten times too many,” Henry said in an agitated tone.

  Agnes quietly reached into her pants and pulled a small case from her pocket. Inside of the case was a dart-like syringe no longer than a forefinger. Agnes gripped it in her hand and slid closer to Henry.

  Henry groaned loudly and suddenly sat up. Agnes jolted back and ducked her head. Consumed with his shouting match, Henry didn’t notice her at all.

  “Enough of this Kathy, I’m sorry if I led you on, but I’m done,” he declared.

  Kathy began to shout a string of obscenities that echoed in the car. Henry ran his hand through his hair and looked into the rearview mirror. He jumped and dropped the phone.

  “Shit, Agnes! How did you get here?”

  “Daniel,” Agnes said calmly.

  “What?” Henry asked, his face contorted in confusion.

  Before he could move Agnes dove forward and jabbed the needle into his neck. Henry’s body slumped forward then fell to the side instantly.

  “And now for your bitch,” Agnes mumbled.

  CHAPTER 24

  ROUGH NIGHT

  “That task force couldn’t find their way home,’ Sal griped and downed his beer. “Much less find a damn psycho serial killer.” He looked over the top of his glass and peered at Eve with a thoughtful gaze. “You okay kid?”

  “Yeah, just been thinking. I’m not sure why she lied to me, doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Cause that’s what people do, they lie. You should know that by now,” Sal shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

  “So what have I missed at the office?” Eve asked.

  “Not much. After the incident with Henry we had a whole team sweep that sewer system down there on 59th. They didn’t find a thing.”

  Eve groaned. “Poor kid. How’s Henry doing?”

  “Fuck Henry. If it wasn’t for his psychotic girlfriend I would’ve kicked his ass.”

  “Henry’s got a girlfriend?” Eve asked with a giggle.

  “Yeah, some violent redheaded broad. Haven’t seen him since he got that kid killed. Wish there was a law against being stupid.”

  “You and me both.”

  “Other than that, nothing else is new. I think the captain’s had enough of the mayor’s shit. They got into it a few days ago and then after he went home he sent an email saying he was taking the rest of the week off.”

  “Guess that explains why he hasn’t been returning my calls,” Eve said as she flagged the waiter down for another drink.

  “Yeah, he was avoiding everybody.”

  “And today?”

  “What about today?” Sal looked at her sideways.

  “It’s Monday Sal. How’s he looking today?”

  “Shit, he didn’t make it in today either. The guy can hold a grudge.”

  “That’s not like him to just not show up.”

  Sal tilted his head and took a gulp from his beer. He burped then gave Eve a bashful look. “Sorry. Everybody is a bit out of it Rosario. Things just ain’t like they used to be.”

  “That’s the truth.”

  “So tell me again this whole drug business you got yourself into,” Sal quickly changed the subject.

  Eve started to laugh. “Drug business Sal? You make it sound so edgy.”

  “Well it is edgy. Secret drugs and conspiracies, sounds like something out of a book.”

  “It’s nothing nearly that scandalous,” Eve waved her hand. “We thought for a while the victims had been drugged. Agnes gave us some tips on how to check for some common paralytics. Turns out it wasn’t that, but some new drug that hasn’t even been tested yet. It was under lock and key at the university with very few people having access. I asked Agnes if she could look into who was leading the research.”

  “Let me stop you there kid. This shit is already too complicated for me.”

  “Just shut up and listen Sal. She told me she’d look into it. She said that if any drug was about to be tested she would know all about it.”

  “So you’re mad she let a drug slip past her?” Sal interrupted again.

  “Damn you can be annoying,” Eve said. She leaned across the table and punched Sal in the arm. “She knew about it, she was the one trying to get the trials approved. So why lie? Why pretend not to know anything. What co
uld she possibly have to hide?”

  “So that little lady is killing all these people?” Sal raised his eyebrows.

  “I didn’t say that,” Eve retorted.

  “I know you didn’t, I did.”

  “Well I don’t think that’s the case.”

  “Follow the clues kid. That’s the only logical explanation. She helped you find the wrong drug. She hid the real drug and lied about knowing anything. She purposefully got close to you, followed your every move. She’s the perfect serial killer,” Sal said and stared back at Eve.

  Eve took a deep breath and sipped from the ice-cold mojito. She rolled her eyes and sat the glass down. Sal suddenly burst into laughter and leaned over the table on his elbows.

  “Seriously, that tiny thing couldn’t hurt a fly. See how ridiculous that all sounds?”

  Sal said.

  “Yeah…yeah I guess it does, but I still don’t understand why she couldn’t tell me the truth.”

  “Hell kid, you just told her she might be responsible for a drug that not only was used to kill over a dozen people, but to kill your husband too,”

  Eve frowned and lowered her head.

  “Sorry,” Sal mumbled.

  “I miss him so much,” Eve whispered and put her face into her hands. “Tell me it gets better Sal.”

  “I wish I could. If you’re lucky you’ll grow numb over time. Or maybe you’ll find some way to make yourself numb,” he said in a low tone as he finished another mug of beer.

  Eve watched him with teary eyes. It’d been ten years since Sal had lost his entire family. Not to a serial killer, but to a drunk teenager rushing home to make curfew. She could see in his eyes that the pain was just as sharp now as it had been the night he found out.

  “Cheers to numb,” Eve said and raised her glass.

  Sal cleared his throat and raised his empty mug. “I would drink to that Rosario, but—”

  Eve tipped her glass and poured a bit of her mojito into his cup. “Don’t mention it,” she smiled.

  “Cheers kid, it’s all downhill from here anyway,” Sal said and banged his cup into Eve’s.