Chapter Twenty-Two

Startled from a sound sleep, Lily's eyes snapped open. Dim light peeked through the window blinds, meaning it was early—way too early. Today was October 5th. The day she planned to bust Rick and his entire operation.

So as not to disturb her husband, she gently rolled over and looked into his peaceful, sleeping face. Would he go with her? Or would he pretend to let her have the glory—then follow her anyway? She hoped not. They were supposed to work together. With the honeymoon only days away she wondered if her actions tonight would ruin the whole thing.

His eyes popped open—a sea of blue against ink black hair. “Morning.” His voice came out rough. His hand brushed her arm.

“Is it?”

“What is your plan anyway?” The rubbing stopped. “Are you going to show up with a gun that you barely know how to use and hope Rick is there burning bodies among a group of people in the cemetery? What if they all have guns and collectively point them at you. What then?”

Lily sighed. She knew he was right. She shouldn’t go alone. She’d gotten caught up in his reluctance to implicate Rick, but if he really did believe in her, James should go with her. 

She rolled her eyes, hating the next words out of her mouth. “Will you come to the cemetery tonight?”

James smiled. “I can’t believe my ears.”

“Just this once.”

“It shouldn’t be just this once. This is how it should always be, you and I working together. We talked about this remember? And don’t worry, you’ll get all the glory if your theory pans out.”

“I don’t want the glory, but I will gladly say I told you so.”

He resumed rubbing her arm. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

****

Later, as the sunlight dimmed and the air grew crisp, Lily stared down at the gun where it lay on her bedroom vanity. Would it help subdue the man she’d been obsessing over and finally end his reign of terror? She could only hope. 

“Did you load it?” James asked.

“I figured it out.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” His smile widened. “I have a surprise for you.” He placed a hard case on the vanity. 

Lily eyed it with suspicion. “What is it?”

“It's not a diamond necklace but I think you’d prefer this in any event.” James opened it. “You get one of your own. Same model, courtesy of Manorview PD.” 

Her eyes went wide as she observed the new gun. “How did you manage that?”

“Now that you’re on the payroll, you get a gun. Consider yourself lucky. Most new recruits have to buy their own.” 

Lily came out of her chair with a shout. “Payroll? I’m on the payroll?”

“Abrams finally came through. He had to go all the way to the top for approval. When he showed the chief how much work you contributed, including your help in solving a cold case, he had no choice but to approve it.”

“I can’t believe it.” She jumped into his arms. “I actually sound credible now?”

James cocked his head. “Well, you’re accusing a detective and a friend of—”

“All right. You’ve made your point already. I know you hate my theory, and you sort of believe me, but I’m still going to pursue it.”

James smiled. “I know you will.”

“But thank you for all of this.” 

“You're welcome. It’s loaded so you’re all set. When do we leave, Boss Lady?”

Lily grabbed her new gun. It was the same make and model as James's but hers had a glossy new shine to it. “We leave now.”

****

The silent ride to the cemetery made James uneasy. He’d agreed to a plan that he had no intention of following. She said she wanted to go first, to see Rick with her own eyes, performing the ritual she’d obsessed over for the last few days. But the more time she spent on the field alone, the more she’d be exposed to danger. On the other hand, if she was wrong about Rick, letting her go first would minimize her disappointment. But in the end, her safety came first.

“I think coming here a little earlier was the right move,” she said, checking her gun and replacing it in her new shoulder holster as they parked near the entrance of the cemetery. “That way the followers won’t get in the way of Rick’s arrest.”

Even though he’d been integral in getting her the new weapon, he didn’t have to like it. “You still want me to stay back?” He already knew the answer. The determination in her eyes said enough. 

“I’ve got this. Don’t worry. I’ve been thinking about this moment for days.” She put her hand on the door handle but paused before leaving the vehicle and then turned back to look at him. “I’ll be careful.”

He could tell she needed some reassurance. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

She smiled and gave him a soft peck on the lips.

Although unexpected, he welcomed her moment of uncertainty. It meant she knew her limitations and more importantly, that she needed him.

Without another word she jumped out of the car, her posture exuding renewed confidence. He had to hand it to her—she was fearless. 

After she left, the silent darkness enveloped him. A creepy vibe had invaded his confidence, making him want to reverse his car and drive back home. But he wouldn’t leave her here with whatever monster might be lurking in the dark.

Secretly, he hoped Rick had nothing to do with this and instead they would either find some other lunatic—or nothing. Fearing his old friend might be involved made James question his own convictions. He rubbed at his face and bounced his knee with nervous energy. An audible sigh escaped his lips as his head fell back on the headrest.

Frustrated, he closed his eyes and pinched the area above his nose. He didn’t want to take over or interrupt, but it should only take Lily a minute to assess the scene and report back. The agony of not knowing the outcome or if she was safe killed him.

Nope, he couldn’t wait any longer. Taking his gun out of its holster, he stepped out of the car.

No matter how many times he’d infiltrated the bad guys, it never got any easier. His heart pounded into his throat every time. Up ahead a huge mausoleum stood at the bottom of a hill. He ran through the grass and tombstones keeping his body low and quiet. When he reached the back of the mausoleum he stopped to listen. 

Crying? Is someone crying?

He held up his gun and squeezed it tighter as he prepared to run into the fray.

“It’s all right. You can tell me. You’re safe now.” 

He knew that voice anywhere—Lily. Relieved to hear she was not the one crying, he turned the corner to face the other person standing there. 

“Marcia?” he asked, pointing his gun down at the ground.

Lily crossed her arms across her chest. Her gun was out of sight. “You can’t stand down, can you?”

James shrugged. “I heard crying. What kind of person would not react to that?”

Marcia sniffled.

“She was about to tell me where Rick is hiding.”

James took in the scene surrounding them. A cool breeze infiltrated the collar of his shirt. With it came a shiver, and the scent of rotting eggs and sulfur. Living above a funeral home made him an expert to the smell of a corpse badly in need of a burial. Peering around Marcia, he observed two long forms wrapped in white cloth and laying on a stone circle in front of the mausoleum. The two stolen bodies.

He turned his attention back to Marcia who continued weeping. He noticed she was clad all in black and had a ski mask rolled up onto the top of her head.

Just who is the ringleader?

“There’s no mistaking what’s about to go down here.” He gestured toward the bodies. “Is Marcia Zeus?”

She said nothing as the tears continued to pour down her cheeks. 

“I can’t believe you’re still trying to save Rick,” Lily yelled. “There’s no way she’s in this alone.”

“I’m calling it like I see it,” he snapped back. 

“Marcia, it’s going to be very difficult to prove you weren’t involved,” Lily said. “James is right. This doesn’t look good. If you take us to Rick, it will look better to the judge. Don’t protect someone who doesn’t care if you take the fall.”

Marcia blinked a few times, keeping her eyes on Lily as if she were considering a switch in allegiance. From what James knew about Marcia’s temperament, she could be easily swayed onto their side, but he’d let Lily take the lead on this one.

Marcia sucked in a breath, then blurted, “I told him this would happen. He didn’t listen.”

“That’s what criminals do,” Lily told her. “I tried to warn you. He has created so much trouble for you. Don’t you see it?”

Marcia nodded as more tears dropped onto her cheeks. “I thought he loved me. Then I began to notice he loved his church, not me.”

“Church? It’s a cult and not a very good one. He’s a scammer, not a preacher. All of this,” Lily spread her arms out wide, “is false. There is no church. The sooner you accept that, the better for you.”

James stepped closer to them. “Tell us now, Marcia. Where is he?”

She kept her eyes down. “I’ll take you to him.”

“James, why don’t you stay here and call for backup. The followers will be showing up soon and someone needs to stay with the bodies.”

“Stay here?”

“Yes, that way you won’t feel awkward or hesitate around Rick.”

James opened his arms out in protest. He didn’t know if he should feel insulted or comforted. “Hesitate?”

She came to him, placed both palms on his chest, and stared up into his eyes. “Not too long ago you considered him a friend. I don’t want all those feelings—although justified—to get in the way. He’s a criminal and I’m going to get him.” At that, she looked away. “Marcia, let’s go.”

James said nothing as he watched them leave; he knew better than to try and stop her. Luckily, he’d already planned on having Abrams on standby. As a newly engaged person, he trusted Abrams to know what was at stake. Everything. 

After he called the crime scene investigators, James stood near the bodies to make sure nothing else happened to them. Seeing what Rick had planned for the evening made his skin crawl. To think there were people who actually wanted to stand here and watch a cremation? Those people clearly were under his spell. It wouldn’t be the first time in history people mindlessly followed a fanatic ruler—but hearing about it was one thing.

Experiencing it was something else.

He had seen terrible things in his career; things that kept him up at night. But this was different. His friend had committed heinous crimes right under his nose while James remained oblivious—and made excuses for him.

He’d have to learn to live with himself. 

After several minutes passed the appointed time and no one arrived on scene, he began to wonder if the cult even had any followers—or if they’d been tipped off. Until two young women turned the corner of the mausoleum. As soon as they saw him, they stopped in their tracks and looked like they might rabbit.

“Don’t do it,” he warned, gesturing with a raised palm. “Manorview PD. This is an investigation. Let’s see some ID.”

One had stringy blonde hair and wore jeans and a white T-shirt. The one on her right had short, wavy brown hair, green cargo pants and a blue long-sleeved shirt.

“I’m Laura and this is Jane,” the stringy blonde said. “We were taking a walk and took a wrong turn. We’ll just be on our way—”

“Wrong turn? Into a cemetery? I find that hard to believe.”

They both looked at the ground.

“Your leader is about to be arrested. I suggest you both be straight with me.”

Laura’s eyes went wide as saucers. She’d given herself away fairly easily. “We were just curious. No harm in that. We heard about the Greek dude’s shows and wanted to see for ourselves.”

James craned his neck. “Greek dude’s shows? You two aren’t regulars?”

After sharing a glance, Jane said, “I’ve never met a follower, but we heard about it.”

“You were curious?” James asked with the tone of a skeptic. “What did you think was going to happen here?”

Laura shuffled her feet. “I heard this guy performs human sacrifices out here in the cemetery.” Her arms went wide. “It sounded crazy, so we came out to see for ourselves.”

Again, he wondered if someone had tipped them off. The number of followers couldn’t be large. His guess was Rick. He would be the only one who cared enough to keep them around in case he was forced to take his rituals elsewhere.

“Neither of you knows anyone who claims to be a follower of this little ritual?” 

“No.” Laura shook her head. “A friend from work heard about it from her mom but neither of them actually believed it was real.” Laura craned her neck at the mounds behind James. “It looks like it might be true.”

James moved to block her view. “This scene is under investigation. We’re collecting evidence and have not made any conclusions as of yet. I’d like to talk to your friend from work at some point.”

Laura shrugged. “Sure. She doesn’t know anything. It’s all rumors.”

“Where do you work?”

“The movie theater on Sycamore Street.” 

“Both of you work there?”

Jane nodded. “Yes, I do, too.”

“All right, there’s nothing to see here. Show me some ID, then go back about your business. I’ll keep your information in case I have more questions.” 

After the two girls left, James realized he was

dealing with someone far more capable than he’d once believed. He needed to meet the people who’d risk everything to support a sicko. But not today. In a town full of secrets the followers would melt back into society like nothing ever happened.

Without anyone credible to question James had nothing to go on.