Chapter Twenty-two

 

Rodney laid out everything he had on Michael Lyon’s on the Chief’s desk. “Look at the timeline. This guy was either near or around the area of each murder. I pulled up his paper trail showing where and when he went on vacation. I looked into the evidence around the Maxwell Stevens case. It’s true that Maxwell matched the physical description of the eye witness. But so does Michael. But yet Maxwell didn’t have a trail of dead bodies following him to Yale. Look at Adam Matthews.” Rodney set a picture of Adam on the desk. “From a distance an eye witness could easily think Adam could be mistaken for Michael.”

“Yeah, but the cook at that restaurant Linda Bennett worked at remembered her mentioning going on a date with Adam Matthews.”

“Well, I don’t think Michael would give his victim his real name. And besides my theory is he is trying to set up Adam to take the fall for this. I bet my right asscheek that any day now that prosecutor Lexi Taylor will be wanting you to press charges against Adam.”

“Why her?”

“It is widely known she has got the hots for Michael, so I’m sure he will be calling her with his suspicions. He would have to call someone to get the ball rolling. He has no idea if we will believe Adam is a suspect.”

“But the cook remembering the name Adam Matthews…”

“I will tell you what. I will go question this cook myself.”

The Chief looked at all the evidence Rodney had collected. “You came up with this theory on your own?”

“No, Tim did.” Rodney handed him the envelope. “This was delivered to my apartment last week. Tim was onto something and I believe this is why he was murdered. I’m will bet my fucking life that Michael killed him.”

“You don’t have proof of this.”

“No, but I have certainly collected enough proof to at least open an investigation on this guy.”

“Bring him in for questioning.”

“I would love to, but the fucker is in London England. Convenient that he chooses now to travel.”

“You will have to have some solid proof if I’m to start an extradition request.”

“I betting that is why that asshole chose to haul ass for London. He is counting on the extradition laws. This fucker is good. He is a damn defense lawyer for Christ sakes, he would know police procedure inside and out.”

“Get to work on it.”

“One favor…”

“What is it?”

“If Lexi does want to press charges against Adam hold the bitch off long enough to give me time to find some more evidence.”

“I can do that.”

“Thank you.” Rodney left the office and head to the small diner Linda Bennett used to work in. He walked up to the cook. “I’m with the Chicago P.D. and I would like to ask you a couple of questions.”

“Haven’t you fuckers got the guy that killed Linda yet?”

“That is what I’m working on.”

“She was such a sweet woman she didn’t deserve to die like that. Not to mention her little girl doesn’t deserve to be thrown into foster care.”

“I know…” Rodney took two pictures out of an envelope. “I would like you to look at these two pictures. Can you identify either man as the one Linda said she had a date with?”

The cook looked over the picture of Adam then the one of Michael. “It was this guy.” He pointed to Michael. “I could see him flirting with Linda. Those dark eyes of his…this other guy I have seen performing at the bar across the street. I don’t remember his name.”

“You are sure it was this guy you saw with Linda?” He held up the picture of Michael.

“Yes.”

“Would you be willing to come down to the station so I can take your statement?”

“If this fucker killed Linda, you bet your ass I will help put him away.”

“Thank you. Just stop by after you are done working.”

Rodney headed back to the station and told the Chief what had happened. Then he booked a flight to New Haven.

 

***

 

Michael watched the pretty little woman in the park. He had been stalking her for a few days now. She came to this park at one in the afternoon three days in a row. She sat alone and read. He was going to give her a few moments to enjoy her book then he was going to walk over there and flirt with her.

These last few weeks were disjointed. He kept playing that night Adam stopped him from killing Nicole. Why didn’t the fucker shoot him? Why the hell just let him get away so easy? He never understood Adam. Soon, he was going to have to get a hold of Lexi and begin closing the trap around Adam. He would be convicted of the murders and sent to prison, this would take the attention off Michael.

The image of the fear in Nicole’s eyes when she realized he was going to kill her still haunted his mind. He didn’t want to kill her and in a strange way he was glad Adam saved her. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing. Once the trap was sprung on Adam there was no way Nicole could help him escape. No one would believe a word she said, especially after Michael called Emily and told her not to tell Nicole where he was at because he didn’t want her stalking him. The cops would just chalk Nicole’s testimony, if she told anyone what he said, as just a jealous ex-girlfriend trying to get some revenge.

He entertained the, what if, she did come here with him. Would that young woman sitting on the bench waiting for him to stalk and kill, be saved? He will never know the answer to that.

He cleared his mind of thoughts of Nicole. He had to be at his most charming if he was going to lure this woman to her death. He was about to get up and go over to her when he heard a man began to sing and play guitar. It was so familiar sounding.

He stood and looked around. He gasped seeing Adam over by the large fountain playing his guitar and singing for a group of people.

Michael smiled. He couldn’t help it. Was this fucker here to finish the job? A part of him almost hope Adam was here to kill him. What a fitting end to it all. Then another thought quickly popped into his mind. If Adam was here was Nicole with him? He lingered on that thought when all of a sudden the music stopped.

He glanced over and saw Adam staring at him. Michael smiled when Adam put his guitar back in its case. Michael started to head out of the park. He heard hurried footsteps behind him. He slowly turned around stopping Adam in his tracks.

“Did you travel all the way here to kill me, Adam?” Michael said.

“Wouldn’t you like to know the answer to that.”

“Seeing how you haven’t pulled a gun on me yet I’m assuming you haven’t purchased one yet. So tell me how do you plan to restrain me? Do you think you are stronger than me? You have no fucking idea what to do, do you?”

Adam didn’t expect to see Michael in some random park. He had no idea what to do now. Michael was right Adam didn’t have time to purchase a gun yet. He knew Michael would kill him if he tried to restrain him. He watched Michael’s hand slowly go into his dress pant pocket.

“Don’t bother grabbing a knife, Michael. I’m not going to do shit to you yet. Besides, do you plan on cutting my throat right here with all these witnesses?”

Michael chuckled and took his hand out of his pocket. “Is Nicole with you?”

Adam didn’t answer, but Michael could see the answer in Adam’s eyes.

“She is with you. What are you two planning on doing to me? I can tell you what I have done to you, Adam. I have started the wheels turning on your trap. Soon you will be wanted for multiple murders. You might want to stay here in London.”

“You remember Detective Tim Dane?”

“Of course I killed the fucker.”

“Yeah, that is what Nicole told his partner Rodney Lewis. I’m betting about now Rodney is looking into your past. Whatever you killed Tim for I’m sure Rodney will find out too. So, it might not be me who is charged with murder.”

“Is that the plan then? You and Nicole came to bring me back to stand trial. How are you planning on doing that?”

“That is her plan, mine is a bit different.”

Michael grabbed his wallet and took out four hundred dollar bills and tossed it at Adam. “That should buy you a decent pistol to shoot me with.”

“I don’t want your fucking money.”

“But you will want that pistol. Because the next time I see you I will kill you then I will find Nicole and kill her as well. It will be a hell of a lot easier for me to find you then you to find me.” Michael turned around and walked away.

Adam grabbed a taxi and headed back to the hotel room he and Nicole were staying at. He quickly opened the door and went inside. He set his guitar case down.

“What happened?” Nicole said as she hurried over to him.

“I talked with Michael.”

“What?!”

“I was playing my guitar in the park and there he was. He was staring at some young pretty girl. He spotted me and started to head out of the park. I don’t know what the hell I thought I was going to do but I caught up with him. He said he is going to start the process of framing me for those murders. And he threatened to kill both of us. I should have done something.”

“We stick to the plan and wait for Detective Lewis to call us. We are only to find out where Michael is.”

“He is going to find us, Nicole. I can’t let him anywhere near you. I can’t leave you here alone anymore.”

“Then I will come with you wherever you go.”

“What if Detective Lewis doesn’t call, what if the London police come instead and have me deported back to the United States?”

“We will deal with it if it happens.”

“I’m so fucking mad.” Adam went over to the bed and sat down. Nicole went over and sat next to him. “He looked the same, Nicole. Like none of this had fazed him at all. The way he was staring at that young woman…he must be stalking her.”

“That is not a bad thing.”

“What, I don’t see how that isn’t a bad thing.”

“If he is stalking her then he has picked her for his next victim. He has to come back to where he knows she will be.”

“He knows we are here.”

“He also told you he would kill us if he saw us again. He won’t be expecting us to be anywhere near that woman. At the very least we have to make sure that woman is going to be alright. I can’t let Michael kill another innocent person.”

“Alright, Nicole, I will go back to that park and wait for her to show up.”

“No, we will go back to that park.”

Adam turned to her. “Nicole, what if seeing him again…”

“I will have to at some point. We are dragging him back to Chicago to stand trial.”

Adam looked away from her.

“That is the plan isn’t it?”

“Nicole, I want to kill him. I don’t want to bring him back for trial. He might find a way to get out of going to jail, then what? He is a defense lawyer.”

“Adam, you can’t kill him.”

“Why? He wouldn’t hesitate to kill us.” Adam turned to her. “I can’t chance he will just walk away without paying for this.”

“I can’t chance that you will be charged with those murders. If you kill him they will know it was one of us who did it. Why else would we fly over here? And they will assume it was you. We have to bring him in to clear your name.”

“Damn it….”

Nicole gently grabbed Adam’s hand. “You said you wanted him to suffer. He told me that he couldn’t be in a cage. He was going to kill me to save himself from going to prison. I think to him that is a fate worse than death.”

“I will stick to our original plan, but if I think he is going to hurt you. I’m going to kill him.”

Nicole stood and went in front of him. She cupped his handsome face in her hands. “Promise me, that you mean what you have said. That you will stick to the plan. I couldn’t stand the thought of you in prison.”

“I promise.”

Nicole leaned over and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and stood taking her with him. He carefully laid her on the bed. He pulled his shirt off then removed his jeans. She quickly took her clothes and opened her legs inviting him in. He climbed on the bed and positioned himself between her legs. He looked down at her. Damn, she was so beautiful to him. Even with all life has thrown at her, her eyes still sparkled with so much warmth and light. He eased his cock into her pussy, then leaned over and kissed her as he slowly began to thrust.

They lost themselves in their lovemaking and for a little while everything was alright in their world.