Chapter Twelve

 

Adam went back to his apartment, being away from this damn city for a couple of days really helped. He threw his duffle bag on the sofa then went over to the window and pulled open the blinds. He looked around his apartment. He couldn’t figure out why there was this underlying bad vibe to this place.

“I need to spruce this hole up.”

He knew a good thrift shop that had decent furniture. A coat of paint wouldn’t hurt either. He grabbed his cellphone when it started ringing.

“Hey, little Nicole.”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Your ringtone, sweetness.”

“What is my ringtone?”

“White Doves by Cidersky. I just chose it the other day for you. I know it’s a little sad, but you remind me of a white dove. What did you need, Nicole?”

“Monica said you were back and I wanted to make sure you are alright.”

“I’m fine. But this apartment is depressing. I was thinking about sprucing it up a bit.”

“I will help.”

“That would be cool, but aren’t you working?”

“No, Michael is in court all day and told me to take the day off. I will be right over.”

Before Adam could respond Nicole hung up. He was glad she was coming over he didn’t really want to be alone right now.

He grabbed his duffle bag and went into his bedroom. This room gave him really bad vibes and often he would just sleep on the sofa.

“I need to just get a regular fucking job and move,” he said to himself as he tossed the duffle bag on the floor, but it accidently hit the nightstand, knocking his lamp and alarm clock onto the floor. He walked over and picked up the lamp and set it back in place then he went to grab his alarm clock. He noticed the strange stain on the floor. He grabbed the alarm clock and set it back on the nightstand. He checked out the stain on the floor.

“Blood?”

He went into his bathroom and grabbed a towel. He wet it down then went back to the stain on the carpet. He dabbed the towel on the stain.

“Oh my God, I really think this is blood. How the fuck did it get…” He hurried into the kitchen and grabbed one of his cooking knives. He slowly went through his apartment making sure no one was hiding then he checked the locks on the front door. Nothing seemed out of place. He went back into his bedroom and cleaned up the stain.

Nicole showed up twenty minutes later. She helped him moved all his living room furniture out of the apartment. His next door neighbors gladly took the old furniture. After that, they headed to the thrift store. They picked out a whole set of living room furniture then had the donation van deliver it for a fee of course.

Adam and Nicole went about cleaning up his apartment.

“If you find something weird let me explain,” he joked.

“This is an apartment of a musician I expect to find weird things.”

Monica showed up later and helped too. They repainted his small apartment with a warm gold color for the living room and earthy tones for the kitchen, which surprisingly looked good.

While Monica and Nicole were busy making homemade pizza Adam finished cleaning up his bedroom. He moved the bed to get all the stuff out from under it. He was stunned to find a cut piece of rope wedged behind the bed. He pulled the bed out further and found a small box under it. He opened the box and inside was a cellphone.

“What the fuck?”

He turned the phone on and searched through the received calls there were none. He went to the dialed calls and only one number came up with the name Linda Bennett. The phone call was made a few days ago.

“Hey, dinner is ready. What is wrong?” Nicole asked.

“I found this.” He held up the piece of rope. “And this.” He lifted up the prepaid cellphone.

“It was probably from the old tenant.”

“I would just chalked that up to that too, but the only problem with that is this phone was used a few days ago.”

“What?”

“Yeah, somebody was in my apartment.”

Monica came into the room. Nicole told her what was going on.

“You better get your locks changed. Your landlord is probably snooping around while you are gone,” Monica said.

“Why would he put a prepaid cellphone under the bed?”

“He is probably fucking around on his wife with this Linda person and oh gross, that means they were probably fucking in your bed. And judging by the rope you found they were probably having all sorts of kinky sex,” Monica said.

“That is gross. Alright I’m burning these sheets. And I’m calling the locksmith.”

“You need to find a better apartment,” Nicole said.

“Yeah, I do, but that means getting a real job.”

“Your music is a real job,” Nicole said.

Adam smiled at her. He needed for someone to say that to him.

“Let’s have dinner, then we will go get you some new sheets, Adam,” Monica said.

“Thanks for helping me get this place looking almost livable,” Adam said.

“You’re welcome, now let’s eat I have worked up an appetite,” Nicole said.

Adam didn’t tell them about the blood stain. He was going to find out who was in his apartment. And he was going to find out who Linda Bennett was, maybe she would know what the hell was going on. He kept all of this to himself. He didn’t want to worry the girls. They were going above the call of friendom already.

 

***

 

Michael looked at Johnny sitting across from him looking like a scared rabbit. Michael didn’t tell Nicole that he was talking to Johnny today. She would have insisted on coming along to prove to him that she could handle it. He didn’t need her in this room.

“I talked with Ashley the other day,” Michael said.

“Who?”

“The bitch that got away from you.”

“Why would you talk to her?”

“She is testifying against you. I thought I told you that. You are an idiot. She told me how she escaped you. You let her kick you in the balls?”

“I didn’t let her do anything.”

“Whatever. She told me how she ran into that bar…” Michael started to laugh.

“What is so funny?”

“You are pathetic. If you would have just killed that bitch, you would be out hunting, looking for another easy victim to rape and strangle.”

“You are freaking me out.”

“Good. I want you to feel the fear those whores must have felt. Tell me, did you look them in the eye as you strangled them?”

“No, I strangled them from behind.”

Michael rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. “You are truly a coward.”

“You have no idea…”

Michael leaned in closer. “When I take someone’s life I watch the life flee from their eyes.”

“Why are you saying that to me?”

“If I was to take that chain they have used to shackle you like some animal and wrap it around your neck…” Michael looked Johnny directly in the eyes. “I would slowly pull it tighter around your neck. I would enjoy feeling you struggle under me to free yourself. I would savor the gasping sounds you make then I would tighten the chain around your neck until you were unable to make any noise. I would see the moment you realized you were going to die and there was nothing you could do about it. The pleasure of that moment would fill my body as I watch the light fade from your eyes. I would hold onto the chains just a moment longer relishing the moment.” Michael reached down and pulled on Johnny’s chain then he sat back on his chair.

“You are fucking crazy.”

“No, I’m just a better killer than you are.”

“I will tell these cops…”

“And who would they believe. I will simply say you are trying to make yourself look even crazier than you really are. They will believe me because I have created a perfect illusion. You are a monster in the guise of an innocent looking man, yet you have shown your true self to them. I am also a monster but in the guise of the perfect, charming man. I won’t allow anyone but my victims to see me as I truly am. I have lowered my mask to you because I want to torture you without laying a hand on you. I enjoy watching other monsters fear me, why the fuck do you think I became a defense lawyer. I decide which monsters to set free and which to cage. And you, Johnny, you are pathetic and deserve to belong in a cage.”

“I will fire you.”

“And what, represent yourself, by all means do so. You will still end up in a cage.” Michael stood. “There is no escaping your fate. You will be put behind bars at some maximum security prison and those other monsters will tear you apart. Now you know what those whores you murdered must have felt like in that moment when they realized there was no escaping their fate.”

Michael went over to the door within moments the door opened and there was Detective Dane.

Shit.

Michael walked into the observation room as Tim closed the door.

“Well, Mr. Lyons, I don’t know what you were saying to that asshole but he seemed scared as hell.”

“He realized he wasn’t escaping jail time.”

“Can’t get this one back on the streets, huh.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“You have gotten several killers back onto the street with your bag of lawyer tricks.”

“Look, I get it, you don’t like me. I don’t fucking care what you think of me.”

“Good. But I’m guessing you don’t fucking care too much about anything. You are strange one, Mr. Lyons.”

“And you are reading way too much into my indifference.”

“Maybe so. Where is your pretty assistant? I thought she was supposed to be with you when you talked to ole’ Johnny again.”

“I want to protect her from dealing with a man like him.”

“Ah, that’s sweet. But it seems to me someone should protect her from you. There is something way off about you, Mr. Lyons and I plan to figure out what that is.”

“Perhaps it’s your jealousy eating away at you. Look at you. You are below average looking. I don’t think you have seen the inside of a gym in years. You bust your ass making substandard wages. I’m guessing you are either divorce or have never been married seeing the lack of a wedding ring on your finger. Day in and day out you drag scum like Johnny in and yet you are powerless to see justice done. Now look at me.” Michael moved closer to Tim. “I’m handsome, rich, can have any woman I want at any time I want. I’m damn good at my job, which makes your job a hell of a lot harder, and that just pisses you off. So of course you are going to have a problem with me or perhaps you got the hots for me and you are trying really hard to deny it to yourself. Whatever your problem is I don’t care. Stop harassing me or I will file a lawsuit against you and this police department.” Michael walked out of the room.

“What an asshole,” Tim said. He went into the room to go get Johnny. “Well I see you had another fun session with your lawyer.”

Johnny remain silent.

“Let’s go. Time to tuck you in again.”

Tim escorted Johnny back to his cell then he went to his desk. It was time to do some background checks on Mr. Lyons. God, he was hoping he would find something, anything on this asshole. To be able to legally smack that smug ass look off that asshole’s face would be awesome.