‘I always keep a paper clip in my pocket in case I have to pick a lock, don’t you?’
Cope pointed the revolver at Astrid as Jed Fowler lay bleeding on the floor. He let out a low moan as his fingers twitched. Astrid rubbed at the wound in her cheek, her pride hurting more than her body.
‘Alex was never here, was she?’
She focused on the gun, but her mind darted all over the place. Could she use Fowler as a distraction? Would she reach Cope in time before she fired? How likely was it she’d get up the stairs and out of the house without being shot?
‘I honestly didn’t think you’d fall for it, but I was desperate. And then I saw it was even worse for you, that desperation eating at you. You need to save this kid because it means something to you.’ The gun shook in her hand as she laughed. ‘That hope burning behind your eyes, I’ve seen it before, and I know how it weakens people. My mother had it all her life, but it never did her any good. And now it’s the same for you, but you had a choice of taking me in or believing what I said. You like the risk, and that’s why you’re on the floor with me looming over you.’ Her finger caressed the trigger. ‘I think you’re here for that as much as hoping to find the girl, aren’t you, my English rose?’
Astrid squeezed her back into the bench. ‘I want to save lives and help people, Jules; you know, the job you’re employed to do.’ Fowler groaned next to her. ‘How are you going to explain this?’
‘It’s simple. I was following a lead and came here.’ She inched closer to Astrid. ‘Some planted evidence in Jed’s bedroom connected to missing girls will corroborate that, and when I got here, I discovered you two fighting. I tried to intervene, but you grabbed my gun and shot him twice.’ She stopped to stare at him. ‘Or perhaps it was three times, and he stabbed you in the gut with one of the knives he has here.’
Astrid laughed. ‘You forget Grace has Wylie at the station. She’ll tell Tanner what happened at your place, and that you were leading me here to find Alex. And then your partner will spill the beans about your crimes.’
It was Cope’s turn to laugh. ‘Pete’s as loyal as a dog; he’d rather take the blame himself than snitch on me. And then it’s only my word against Crowley’s, and who do you think Tanner will believe when the Giraffe has no evidence?’ She grinned like a demented circus clown. ‘I’ll admit you came close, and you’ve taught me a few things I must implement going forward, with or without Pete, but you still failed.’ She pointed the gun at Astrid while reaching for a knife on the table next to her. ‘And the worst thing for you is I have no idea where Alex Sanchez is.’
‘There’s no need to lie anymore, Jules; not when you’ve won. So tell me what happened to Alex.’
Cope twisted her head and arm to grab the blade. As she did so, Astrid found the bent paper clip which had cut into her face on the ground, and threw herself at the Detective. Her shoulder slammed into the gun, the two of them falling on top of Fowler. He whimpered as Astrid rolled to the side and reached for the weapon. Her fingers were on the handle when Cope plunged the knife through Astrid’s palm. It went straight through flesh and bone and pinned her to the floor.
Cope jumped up, her eyes scanning everywhere for the revolver, seeing it in Astrid’s other hand.
‘I don’t want to shoot you, Jules, but I will if I have to.’
‘Perhaps you should.’ Cope stood next to the bed. ‘With your fingerprints on the gun and bullets in Fowler and me, it’ll only add credence to the story I’ll tell of finding you two fighting here.’
Every part of Astrid throbbed, her hands aching as if they’d been trapped inside a washing machine all night. She’d have matching scars on both palms now.
‘And what about the evidence you were going to plant here? There’s no time for that.’
Cope shrugged. ‘No plan is perfect.’
‘Or I could kill you now.’
‘Do you think Fowler saw who blasted him as he came down the stairs? Because I don’t believe he did. You took my gun and shot us both. Who knows why, but regardless of what happens to me, you’ll never get the chance to find Alex Sanchez from inside a cell.’
Astrid ignored the taunts, kept the gun aimed at her and lifted her other hand, taking the knife with it. Her blood seeped onto the floor as the blade sat uncomfortably through the middle of her flesh. She took the pain and reached into her jacket for the phone, grabbing it so it was cradled next to the knife.
‘Let’s see what your colleagues think about this.’
She used her aching fingers to find Grace’s number and hit dial. Then she waited and watched Detective Julie Cope smile at her without saying another word.
‘Get this inside you.’ Grace offered Astrid a coffee, but she refused. Both her hands ached as if they were about to drop off. She stared at the bandages covering her palms and wondered if she deserved all the pain.
‘How’s Fowler?’
‘He’s doing fine in hospital, which is where you should be.’
‘The paramedics said there’s no need; both wounds were clean and went straight through without causing much damage.’ She held her bandaged hands up and flexed her fingers, not showing Grace how agonising such a simple movement was. ‘All I needed was stitches. Did Fowler say who shot him?’
‘He didn’t see who it was, and he can’t remember anything after falling.’
Astrid let out a long sigh. ‘What happened with Wylie?’
‘I brought him here and told Tanner what happened at Cope’s place. My colleagues took him away and have been interviewing him ever since.’
‘You’ve had no news on what he’s said?’
‘That’s well below my pay grade. I’m just glad the Chief didn’t laugh at me and set Wylie free.’
Astrid remembered the things Julie had said to her in that basement. ‘Maybe they still will.’
Her heart sank as she rubbed her finger. They may have stopped Wylie and Cope’s killing spree, but she still had to find Alex. She’d failed, and she didn’t know what to do about it.
Grace must have read her mind.
‘Cope didn’t give you any clue as to what happened to Sanchez?’
A smaller version of Astrid stomped around inside her head and karate kicked the sides of her skull. ‘It was all a trick, and I was too desperate and gullible to realise it until it was too late.’
‘It’s not your fault. You had to try everything to find her.’
The way Grace spoke, it was as if she’d given up on the girl. As Astrid touched the phone inside her jacket, her mind wandered to thoughts of Olivia and England.
I’m too dangerous to be around, so how can I expose my niece to that? Courtney was right all along.
The door opened as that thought burnt into her brain, and Chief Tanner entered. He nodded at Astrid while holding an evidence bag towards Grace: it contained a phone.
‘We found a dozen of these in Wylie’s house. Can you guess what’s on them?’ His lips curled upwards in an impersonation of Jack Nicholson on his most manic days.
Julie Cope’s voice lingered inside Astrid’s head. ‘He took videos of their victims. Cope said he was taking more and more risks.’
‘You’re correct, Ms Snow. I’ve only had a brief look at this one, the material is far too distressing for extended viewing, but Forensics and Cybercrime say there’s enough evidence on this device alone to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.’
Grace wiped coffee from her trembling lips. ‘What about Cope? Is she in any of the videos?’
Tanner’s smile vanished in a blink of an eye. ‘We haven’t gone through every phone yet, so I don’t know, but there’s nothing to incriminate Cope so far. The good news is Wylie is singing like a bird as we speak, so I have no doubt he’ll implicate his partner in all their crimes. But I thought you could interrogate Cope and get her side of the story, Detective Crowley.’
Astrid observed the shock sweep through Grace’s body as her eyes threatened to bulge out of her head like an over-excited frog’s.
‘What?’ Grace stammered.
‘A promotion is long overdue, Crowley, and with what you did bringing them in, there’s no time like the present. Plus, the department is two detectives short at the moment. You’ll get your new badge in the morning.’ He pushed the evidence bag closer to her. ‘So, are you ready to interrogate Cope?’
Grace turned to Astrid as she took the phone from Tanner. ‘My first official decision is to ask you to join me in the interview room, Astrid Snow, if you want to.’
Astrid watched Cope through the window, studying her relaxed manner and the massive smile on her face. The Detective’s confidence was unwavering, regardless of the circumstances she found herself in.
Was she lying to me in Fowler’s house, saying she didn’t know what happened to Alex? She might be the last chance I have of finding the girl. And we did have a connection, no matter how brief it was.
‘After you, Detective Crowley.’
Grace led Astrid into the room and stopped across the table from their suspect. The smile never left Cope’s face, and she looked at them as if preparing for a night out.
‘I assume my lawyer is on the way.’
Astrid sat first, waiting for Grace to start the recording equipment, but she didn’t, addressing Cope instead.
‘This isn’t a formal interview, Detective. We’ll begin that when your legal representation arrives. We want a word with you before that.’
‘Let me guess, ladies; you’re going to offer me a deal if I tell you where Alex Sanchez is.’
Astrid’s knuckles cracked as she placed her arms on the table. ‘Were you lying to me before; do you know where she is?’
Cope’s smirk increased the irritation wriggling underneath Astrid’s skin. ‘I’ll keep saying it until the cows come home or it finally gets into your skull: I have no knowledge of what happened to Alex Sanchez or any missing kids from this town or any other.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘I had one night of lust with Ms Snow, and that was enough for me. She appears to have taken the rejection personally and has cooked up this ridiculous story of me as a sadomasochistic serial killer.’ Cope glanced towards the glass where Tanner observed her from the other side. ‘There’s no proof for any of her fantasies, and I’m surprised, and not a little offended, that people in this station are falling for it.’ She rubbed her hands and leant into the chair. ‘And that’s all I’m going to say until my lawyer arrives.’
It was Grace’s turn to smile as she placed the bag containing one of Wylie’s phones on the table. ‘There’s video evidence on here and on other devices Wylie used, incriminating him and you in numerous crimes, including but not limited to the following: abduction and kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder.’ Grace clasped her hands together. ‘What do you say to that, Detective Cope?’
Julie Cope lost her grin, replacing it with a blank expression. ‘Why isn’t Tanner or one of the other Detectives interviewing me?’ She appeared offended by the assumed slight. ‘I don’t answer to you, Officer Crowley.’
‘Grace was promoted, Jules; she’s Detective Crowley now.’ Astrid grinned at her. ‘And you and Wylie, with the help of all the videos he made, are going to make her famous.’
Cope crossed her arms and scrutinised Astrid. ‘This is just for you, Snow; once the lawyer arrives, I’ll be saying nothing until I know what you get from Wylie.’
Tension rippled through Astrid’s shoulders. ‘Thank you, Jules.’
Her stomach was in knots as she spoke, but she knew she couldn’t antagonise Cope if she wanted the truth.
Cope pushed the chair back and stretched her legs.
‘Alex Sanchez’s disappearance is nothing to do with me, and I don’t know where she is.’ She looked at Astrid. ‘Sorry, love.’ Then she turned to Crowley. ‘Since the day I met Detective Wylie, he manipulated and groomed me into doing everything he desired. He used emotional and physical means to control me, and if I questioned him or refused to do what he wanted, he would beat me violently. He also sexually assaulted me on many occasions.’ She sighed loudly. ‘This has gone on for at least five years, and I’ve had to switch off emotionally at times to live with the horror he’s put me through.’
Astrid shook her head. ‘You’re saying none of your criminal actions has been your own, that Detective Wylie forced you to kidnap, torture, rape, and kill several teenagers?’
Julie Cope’s lips trembled as she moved closer to the table, holding her hand towards Astrid. ‘It’s all true; whatever you find on his videos, he made me do.’ A single tear trickled down her face. ‘Look at him compared to me; he’s six foot three, two hundred and twenty pounds of muscle.’ She wiped at her cheek. ‘How could I fight back against someone like that?’
Astrid had sat across from many expert liars in her time, but Julie Cope was one of the best. She already had an image of her convincing the toughest of juries of her innocence.
‘You could have gone to your superiors, Jules; there are plenty of people you might have spoken to about Wylie’s actions.’
‘This tough exterior I portray is only a façade.’ She unfolded her fingers towards Astrid like a blossoming flower. ‘This is why we connected so quickly because I recognised the same thing in you.’ She placed her other hand on her heart. ‘Inside, I’m weak and vulnerable, and Wylie took that and exploited me.’
She pulled her hands back and buried her head in them. Grace and Astrid glanced at each other.
‘We should postpone this conversation until your lawyer arrives, Detective Cope,’ Grace said.
Cope lifted her head and wiped her shaking fingers across her face. ‘The day our home burnt down, I was in my room watching TV. It was two in the morning, and my younger sister and parents were sound asleep. It was the heat I felt first, my skin burning when I tried to open my bedroom door.’ She held up her hand. ‘My flesh healed years ago, but the scars are still there.’
Astrid studied her face, impressed by the mask Julie had managed to pull on so quickly. She wondered if she’d constructed this story a long time ago for a moment such as this.
‘I’d fallen asleep watching Buffy, my mind full of images of me killing monsters. I’m not sure how the fire started, but later, the police told me they thought it was in the wiring. The house was old, passed on from my grandparents to my parents. I woke up to an inferno and jumped for the door. When I fell back from the heat, the smoke billowed black across the room, filling my lungs with dark fingers, clawing at my heart. I don’t know how I climbed out of the window, but I did, falling twenty feet into the garden and breaking a leg and arm. I lay and waited for the sirens to arrive, peering into the flames and knowing the rest of my family had died.’ She gazed into Astrid’s eyes. ‘I was never the same after that, always weak on the inside.’
Cope sat back and folded her arms. Astrid was lost for words. She stood, and Grace followed her out of the room.
Chief Tanner was outside waiting for them.
‘Wow, she knows how to weave a tale. All the years I’ve known Julie, and it’s the first I’ve heard of this.’
Astrid couldn’t help but admire the woman, no matter how monstrous she was. ‘It was a witchery of fiction at the highest level. Imagine how a jury will respond to that when you get her in court and on the stand.’ She looked at Tanner. ‘Have you found any video evidence of her in Wylie’s collection?’
He held out his hands. ‘My officers continue to sift through the material, but, from the little I’ve viewed, there’s some terrible stuff there, and even for hardened professionals, it’s not an easy thing to do.’ He peered at Cope through the glass. ‘She must know there’s video incriminating her to make up a story like that.’
Astrid thought the same, watching Julie on the other side of the room, happy she’d managed to end the woman’s terrible crimes. But a tremendous ache continued to punch at her heart.
Now she had to tell Christina Sanchez she believed her daughter was dead.