Part 12 (1/2)
Ashley could hear her screaming over the phone.
”Serena-”
”You're not fooling me.”
”Serena-”
”That's all you men think about-getting laid.”
”Serena- ”Well, I won't put up with it any longer.”
”Serena-”
”That's the thanks I get for being such a good wife....”
The one-sided conversation went on for another ten minutes. Finally, Deputy Blake replaced the receiver and turned to Ashley, embarra.s.sed.
”I'm sorry about that. She's not like that.”
Ashley looked at him and said, ”I understand.”
”No-I mean it. Serena acts that way because she's scared.”
Ashley looked at him curiously. ”Scared?”
He was silent for a moment. ”Serena is dying. She has cancer. It was in remission for a while. It first started about seven years ago. We've been married for five years.”
”So you knew...?”
”Yes. It didn't matter. I love her.” He stopped. ”It's gotten worse lately. She's scared because she's afraid to die and she's afraid I'll leave her. All the yelling is a cover-up to hide that fear.”
”I'm-I'm so sorry.”
”She's a wonderful person. Inside, she's gentle and caring and loving. That's the Serena I know.”
Ashley said, ”I'm sorry if I caused any-”
”Not at all.” He looked around.
Ashley said, ”There's just the one bedroom. You can take it, and I'll sleep on the couch.”
Deputy Blake shook his head. ”The couch will be fine for me.”
Ashley said, ”I can't tell you how grateful I am.”
”No problem, Miss Patterson.” He watched her go into a linen closet and take out sheets and blankets.
She walked over to the couch and spread the linen out. ”I hope that you'll-”
”Perfect. I don't plan on doing much sleeping, anyway.” He checked the windows to make sure they were locked and then walked over to the door and double-bolted it. ”All right.” He placed his gun on the table next to the couch. ”You get a good night's sleep. In the morning, we'll get everything organized.”
Ashley nodded. She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. ”Thank you.”
Deputy Blake watched her walk into the bedroom and close the door. He walked back to the windows and checked them again. It was going to be a long night.
At FBI headquarters in Was.h.i.+ngton, Special Agent Ramirez was talking to Roland Kingsley, the chief of his section.
”We have the fingerprints and DNA reports found at the murder scenes in Bedford, Cupertino, Quebec, and San Francisco. We just got in the final DNA report. The fingerprints from the scenes all match, and the DNA traces match.”
Kingsley nodded. ”So it's definitely a serial killer.”
”No question.”
”Let's find the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
At six o'clock in the morning, Deputy Sam Blake's naked body was found by the wife of the building superintendent in the alley that ran behind Ashley Patterson's apartment building.
He had been stabbed to death and castrated.
Chapter Ten.
THERE were five of them: Sheriff Dowling, two plainclothes detectives and two uniformed policemen. They stood in the living room watching Ashley, sitting in a chair, weeping hysterically. were five of them: Sheriff Dowling, two plainclothes detectives and two uniformed policemen. They stood in the living room watching Ashley, sitting in a chair, weeping hysterically.
Sheriff Dowling said, ”You're the only one who can help us, Miss Patterson.”
Ashley looked up at the men and nodded. She took several deep breaths. ”I'll-I'll try.”
”Let's start at the beginning. Deputy Blake spent the night here?”
”Y-yes. I asked him to. I-I was desperately afraid.”
”This apartment has one bedroom.”
”That's right.”
”Where did Deputy Blake sleep?”
Ashley pointed to the couch, which had a blanket and a pillow on it. ”He-he spent the night there.”
”What time did you go to bed?”
Ashley thought for a moment. ”It-it must have been around midnight. I was nervous. We had some tea and talked for a while, and I felt calmer. I brought out blankets and a pillow for him, then I went into my bedroom.” She was fighting for selfcontrol.
”Was that the last time you saw him?”
”Yes.”