Love Me Dead (Lilah Love 3)

He’s got a point. We order pizza, and when it arrives, I stack a plate and head back to Purgatory. That’s when Houston calls again. “They’re talking about city curfews and shit like that.”

“That’s ridiculous. This guy isn’t picking random people up.”

“I think you better come down here.”

“And this is just what he wanted. Us fighting over city curfews while he watches and laughs.”

“Be careful. There’s a mess of press. You need to approach on foot through the west entrance.”

We disconnect, I pack up my field bag and toss in a foldable rain jacket in case the storm opens up on us. Once I’m downstairs, I motion to Jay. “I have to go to the station, and I hope you’ve showered.” I eye his shirt that he’s had on for a full two days now. “I don’t like stinky people.”

“Of course I showered; I just have no clothes to change into.”

“Go change while I’m at the station. Please. And people say I don’t say please, but they lie.”

We head for the door. “I’m walking. The press has mobbed the station, and it’s close. Any vehicle will just get trapped.”

“It’s raining,” he informs me as we step into the elevator. “It started about thirty minutes ago, and it’s not supposed to let up for the entire weekend.”

He’s right. We step to the building door and find that rain waiting outside, but there’s more than rain waiting. This is the night. I feel it in my gut. This is when the Umbrella Man kills again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

I pull on my rain jacket and turn to Jay, considering him a moment before we exit the apartment building. “This is the night.”

“He’ll strike again?”

“Yes, and if you’re with me, it’s going to affect what he does next.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he snaps. “Kane will fucking kill me.”

“I’m not stupid enough not to want backup with this guy on the loose, but we’re stronger if he thinks I am. I need him to think you walked away. He’s not going to strike on a daytime walk to the police station. Go fucking shower. Meet me there. I’ll communicate. I won’t leave without you at my back.”

“I’m not letting you go alone. What part of Kane will kill me do you not understand?”

I don’t like the way he’s painting Kane. “Stop fucking saying that. Kane isn’t going to kill you.”

“I don’t know if you know him or not. One minute I think you do, the next I don’t. This is you, Lilah. This is the only fucking person he cares about. If I leave you exposed, he will—”

“If you say what you’re about to say, I’ll fucking kill you. If you walk out of this door and he sees you, I will kill you. Don’t you get it? If he kills Williams in private, I can’t save her. If he tries to kill her in front of me, I have a chance to save her. I’m walking out of this door, and I swear to God, if you risk this woman’s life, it will be your last stupid mistake.”

I walk out of the door, and damn it, it’s really coming down. I could go back to the doorman for an umbrella, but I have a particular aversion to those things right now, especially since Umbrella Man could be under one of the dozens on the sidewalks I’m now walking. I grab my phone and dial the medical examiner. It’s a quick transfer to Melanie’s voicemail. Of course, it’s Saturday. I dial Beth.

“Agent fucking Love. I like this security guard.”

“What happened to the FBI agent?”

“A fling with an asshole. Don’t get me started.”

“Yeah, about that. You said,” I dodge an umbrella that almost takes my eye out, “a few weeks back, you said you were destined to be alone because of the dead body habit.”

“Dead body habit? I’m a medical examiner, Lilah.”

“Whatever.”

“And we lasted like ten days. I wouldn’t say that redefines that statement.”

“How did you meet him?”

“At a crime scene.”

“What crime scene?”

“Gang initiation murder. He’s on a gang task force.”

It makes sense. That would be an FBI operation. “Okay.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just change subjects. I’m on a tight schedule here. I’m about two blocks from a press zoo at the station. Do we have any word on what the toxin is?”

“No. I talked to Melanie last night and we’ve got a list of options, but this is a tough call to make.”

“What do I do if I encounter someone dying from this shit again? Is there an antidote?”

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with, which makes that an impossible quest.”

“Right. An impossible quest.”

I round the corner to bring the zoo into view. “Try to come up with a better solution in the next few hours. I’m on a clock.”

We disconnect and I cut around the building to the side door that has a barricade and a few uniformed officers in place. I flash my badge and head inside the door only to run smack into Moser. Again. “Why are you here?”

“I still have cases that people here need input on.” He steps up to me. Close. Really close and I don’t back away. “If I get fired, Lilah Love, you will feel the pain.”

“You’re about to feel the pain of my knee, asshole.” I lift it and he steps back.

“Fuck you, Lilah.” He walks around me and out of the building.

I wish Umbrella Man liked men, I think as I walk up the stairs and make my way to Houston’s office. Of course, that’s a nasty thought, but I’d say it out loud. I find Houston at his desk looking frazzled. “They’re doing it. They’re imposing a curfew. I’m having to call in an overtime crew.”

“When is he announcing it?”

“A press conference in an hour.”

“Give me fifteen minutes, and you owe me for this one,” I say, exiting the office and finding an empty space, that I’d noticed on my last visit. I shut the door and call my father.

“Lilah,” he says. “What the hell was that last night?”

“I thought Roger would explain.”

“He says he’s on the outside of this one. He suggested caution to Mayor Ellison.”

“Mayor Ellison ignored me and held that press conference. He caused this. Is Pocher with you?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I need to talk to hi

m,” I say.

“I’m not letting you talk to my biggest asset.”

“If you want to get elected, I suggest you put him on.”

I hear a voice and then my father’s grunt before Pocher greets me. “Agent Love.”

“I assume you back Mayor Ellison based on party and his presence last night.”

“You assume correctly.”

“You want Mayor Ellison to hold his position and my father to claim the Governor’s spot. Right now, Mayor Ellison is working to end his career, and his close proximity to my father will take him down as well.”

“What are you recommending, Agent?”

“That you leash that loser and tell him that this is an FBI operation. If I have to seize his control, I will, even in the press, which is a fucked-up situation. There will be no curfew. That only gives this guy more of a high. He will feel in control. And he doesn’t pluck random people off the street. This is a long, calculated process.”

“What do you want Mayor Ellison to do?”

“No press conference. Issue a statement, that Chief Houston will write, which will say to the public that there is no reason for mass hysteria. We have no reason to believe there is a threat to the mass population. There are a few people involved in a calculated crime that the press has blown out of proportion.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

“That’s what I need to hear.” I start to hang up.

“Agent Love.”

“What?” I snap.

“We make a good team.”

I could reply, but he’s goading me. I don’t take the bait. I hang up and return to Houston’s office. “The curfew and press conference are off.”

He stands ups. “How the hell did you make that happen?”

“I’m the magic bitch. You’re writing a statement to the press about a confined set of crimes, no threat to the mass population, and the press sucks and lies. The mayor will issue that statement. While you do that, I’m going back to Detective Williams’ place just to be sure he hasn’t been back there.”

I exit his office and text Jay: Are you here?

Damn straight I’m here, he replies.