Chapter One
‘To catch a killer you have to think like a killer.’ Sebastian thought as he stared at the trees surrounding the cemetery. It was quiet here, almost peaceful and Sebastian knew that Carolyn would have liked it if she had seen it.
They’d been standing around his wife, Carolyn’s grave and his mother-in-law Janet touched his arm. The small service they had for Carolyn was over and it was time to go home.
Sebastian didn’t know if he could go back to the home he shared with Carolyn and Wyatt. Carolyn had turned a house into a home and that home into a safe haven and now that safe haven was gone. It wouldn’t be the same without her there and she would never be there again.
Without looking at her, Sebastian spoke, “Janet, I want you to keep Wyatt for a while.”
Janet was taken aback. “What on earth for?”
Sebastian gazed out over the graveyard. It was the time of year when all the lush greens they were so use to, were being burnt by the sun, and turning brown. And all the brilliant colors were fading just a little bit, sort of the way he felt right now. His heart felt shriveled up and burnt and all the color of his world was fading fast. He knew his six year old son needed him but Sebastian felt compelled to get the man who murdered his Carolyn. He turned to Janet. “I want my son to be loved right now. He just lost his Mom. I love him but right now, I have some things to do and it might take a while. I want to know that Wyatt is taken care of. You can give him what he needs better than I can right now.”
Janet looked worried. “What are you going to do?”
Sebastian’s face hardened and he growled, “I’m going after the bastard that killed Carolyn.”
Alec Hunter, Sebastian’s partner, joined them. “How are you going to do that? One minute he’s here and then he’s gone. We don’t know where until his next kill. Besides, it’s against the rules and you know it.”
“I’ll find him,” Sebastian vowed. The rage he felt inside burned his soul. He turned to his partner. “Don’t try and stop me. I have to do this. The rules be damned.”
Alec shook his head. “You’re a law enforcement officer in New Orleans. For all we know, he could be in Mississippi or Texas by now. How are you going to track him?”?”
“I’ll find him,” Sebastian vowed. “I’ll track him down to hell if I have to.”
“Daddy…” Wyatt touched his arm. “I don’t want you to go.”
Sebastian looked down at his six year old son. Wyatt’s eyes were full of unshed tears and so like his mother’s it almost broke Sebastian’s heart.
He squatted down to Wyatt’s level, searching for the right words to say. He didn’t know if Wyatt would understand but he had to try. “Hey buddy, I know how you feel. I know this will be hard for you to understand. I hate the fact that I have to leave you right now, but if I don’t, the man that took your Mom away from us he is going to hurt someone else. I have to try and stop him.” Sebastian paused to see if Wyatt understood. Tears were rolling down his small face. His son was hurting and Sebastian felt torn. He desperately wanted to stay but he knew if he did, the bastard that took Carolyn’s life would disappear.
Sebastian pulled Wyatt into his arms and hugged him. Wyatt’s arms came around his dad’s neck when Sebastian stood up. “You know don’t you, that you and your mom mean the world to me?”
When Wyatt nodded Sebastian told him, “And you know that I’m a cop and that I make sure everybody obeys the law, don’t you?”
When Wyatt nodded again, Sebastian leaned back and raised Wyatt’s chin to look into his face. “When that man took your mom away from us, he broke the law. If I don’t try to catch him, he’s going to hurt other people and he won’t stop until somebody like me stops him. Do you understand?”
Wyatt thought for a moment and then nodded.
Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. What he was facing would be tough enough with or without his son’s cooperation. “Then you understand why I have to go?”
Wyatt looked down at his dad’s chest for a moment then looked up. “But what if this bad man hurts you the way he hurt Mom?”
Sebastian’s arms tightened around his son. “He won’t have the chance to hurt me. I’ll be very careful and I’ll even make you a promise. I promise that when the bad guy is in jail, I’ll come back to you.”
Wyatt looked at his dad. He knew Sebastian never promised anything he didn’t deliver. “Ok, I’ll stay with Grandma, but please hurry and come home again.”
Sebastian smiled. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Shortly after that, he went home to pack for his trip. He didn’t give himself time to think about what he was doing because if he did, he never would have been able to go. He knew Wyatt needed him but Sebastian needed to find the man that killed Carolyn even more. It was the only thing he could think about right now.
A few hours later, a jarring motion brought Sebastian out of a daze as his car hit the edge of the highway. He corrected his driving and pulled off the road. The near accident brought him back to his senses. His late start and the energy-draining last few days had left him too tired to get very far. He needed to get a room and some sleep. He needed to check his email anyway. He’d found the killer’s trail from the national police network and was on his way north to Baton Rouge to try and pick up on his whereabouts.
He got back on the road and the first town he came to, he found a motel. Once in his room, he got online and checked for messages. He had three.
One was from an FBI agent, Jesse Cooper. Sebastian opened the message and scanned the contents. The FBI was after the killer as well. Several killings in and around Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas had been linked to him and Jesse wanted to meet and compare notes.
Sebastian just snorted. The FBI wasn’t known to share anything, let alone information on a multi-state killer. More than likely, Jesse wanted to know what he knew and when Sebastian told him, Jesse would tell him to back off his investigation. Sebastian had already been through that with one of his cases and when he backed off, the suspect got away and murdered two more women before he was caught. He was caught by good old fashioned police work, not by the FBI. Sebastian wasn’t going to let that happen again, not with this case. They just didn’t want him to get to the killer first.
He opened the next message. It was from Alec. Sebastian frowned as he read the message from his partner. Alec told him that just after he left, an FBI agent named Jesse Cooper had paid him a visit. According to Alec, Jesse wasn’t happy about Sebastian being out there looking for his killer. Alec warned him to watch his back; there was something about Jesse that he didn’t trust. Alec was a good judge of character and if he had concerns, maybe Sebastian should check it out.
His third message was from Wyatt. Sebastian felt a moment of regret when he thought about his son. He’d hated leaving Wyatt, but he couldn’t do what he had to and stay with the boy. He smiled at the message his son had written. He quickly wrote a message back and signed off. After turning out the light, he laid back and let his mind clear.
* * * *
At that precise moment, about twenty miles down the road, a shadowy figure moved from the edge of the Mississippi river. He looked at the shimmering lights of Baton Rouge. He was hungry tonight and in the mood for blood. His hand rested on the knife at his hip. The ivory handle felt smooth against his hand and as he lifted the knife out of its sheath, the moonlight made the blade of the double edged dagger gleam.
He glanced back over his shoulder at his home away from home. The sleek houseboat had everything a man could want. The improvements he’d made had been necessary, but well worth the trouble.
He turned his dark eyes on the light of the city again and stepped into the shadows as he made his way over to it. He was hunting for just the right woman and he knew he would have to get her back to the houseboat before the sun came up in a few hours. Once on the boat, he’d have all the time he needed to do what he had to, but that was the fun part. What he was doing now was the necessary part.
He blended in with the night population of the city and as he made his way around the streets, he was searching for his prey. Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed the air. A scent had caught his attention and looking around, he zeroed in on her.
She was slender and her flowing hair reached her waist. Her skin was beautiful and it gleamed as she danced in the street. Her smile was infectious and he was drawn to her laughter. As she swirled to the beat of the music, her dress flared and he could see the tops of her thighs. His blood raced as he stepped up to her.
Her eyes widened when he stepped close to her but the music had gotten under her skin and she smiled at him as they moved to the rhythm of the sounds that surrounded them. He was lost in the movement of their bodies, and it was hard to realize that the music had stopped. When he did, he felt the world crashing down. She just smiled and swirled away from him, rejoining her own friends.
He moved off the dance area but stayed close to her keeping her in sight until she showed signs of wrapping up the festivities. Her friends waved a weary goodnight and she was left alone to walk home.
From a safe distance, he followed until they were alone on the street. He swept down on her and before she could scream, his hands were around her throat. He put just enough pressure on her windpipe to close it off, but not enough to bruise the tender skin.
He let up when he felt her slump against him and sticking to the shadows, he carried her limp form back to his boat. Once aboard, he laid her on the sofa then maneuvered the boat out of the main channel and into a back water area.
He picked her up again and carried her to his special room. It was soundproof and he had specially fitted it with his own toys.
* * * *
A few hours later, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon. Sebastian came awake with a jerk. At first, he couldn’t remember where he was and when he did, he glanced at his watch and got out of bed. He checked his computer for additional messages while he got dressed. The only message he had was from Jesse Cooper. The FBI agent was insistent that Sebastian contact him as soon as possible. Sebastian was getting more than a little irritated by the demands of this agent. He closed the computer and turned on the television. The local news was just announcing the disappearance of a local woman, seen earlier dancing in the street. Sebastian was transfixed at the sight of the young woman dancing and swaying to the music.
She was the same height and build of his Carolyn. He could see her long dark hair flare away from her body as she swayed to the music. Carolyn had the same long hair when she was alive. It had been cut short by the killer, but wasn’t found when they found her mutilated body. The police thought maybe the killer had taken it with him as a memento from his kill.
The woman was just the killer’s type, and Sebastian knew in his gut that he’d struck again. He was only a few miles from Baton Rouge and he quickly got his things together. If he had any hope of finding this woman, he needed to get started before the killer finished his job.
He had just closed the door and was walking away when the phone began to ring.
* * * *
Alec listened to the ringing phone. Jesse Cooper stood right behind him, along with Alec’s police captain John Wakefield. After several more rings, Alec hung up. “I don’t think he’s there anymore.” He ignored Jesse and gazed at his captain for instructions.
John looked irritated. “Then you find him. Find him and get his sorry butt back here. He knows better than this and I won’t have a cop running around out there looking for vigilante justice.”
Alec looked over at Jesse and then back at his captain. “Sebastian isn’t a vigilante and he isn’t out there looking for revenge. He’s out there looking for the man that murdered his wife.”
“So are we,” Jesse said quietly. “This situation is much bigger than just one woman. Sebastian’s wife is only one of a number of women this monster has killed. We want to stop him without worrying about having a loose cannon out there.”
Alec frowned. “Sebastian isn’t a loose cannon either. He’s the best officer I know.”
“Then why isn’t he answering your phone calls or emails?” Jesse asked. “This is the FBI’s case and we won’t share it with a police officer with a motive to ruin four years’ worth of work, I don’t care who that officer is.”
Alec didn’t answer. He had known yesterday that Sebastian was embarking on a mission he shouldn’t be on. There was a good reason why doctors didn’t operate on their own families and why cops weren’t allowed to assist on cases too close to their families.
Their judgment could be altered and Alec had a feeling that Sebastian’s judgment might not allow him to act according to the laws of the land. Deep down, he couldn’t blame him, though no one would know this opinion.
* * * *
Sebastian pushed the door to the police station in Baton Rouge open and walked into the lobby. As he made his way to the front desk, he could see several officers busy working at their cases.
The burly cop behind the desk paused to look up at him. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for information on the missing woman,” Sebastian replied.
The man behind the desk looked at Sebastian a moment then called to another officer.
As the other officer came to the counter, he asked. “Can I help you?”
Sebastian pulled out his badge. “My name is Sebastian Sandstone and I’m from New Orleans looking into a murder case that may be connected to your latest missing person’s report of last night.”
The second officer held out his hand. “My name is Rob Gillette. What makes you think the cases are related?”
Sebastian shifted his weight. “Both women have the same build and coloring. Both seem to enjoy life and disappeared in the same manner. The only difference is that mine ended up dead. I figure you have about thirty-six hours before you find what’s left of her body unless we can work together to find her sooner. You’ll find that she bled to death from an elaborate design carved on her back. That carving is what takes the time. Your killer likes to make his victims suffer the agony of being carved on while they are still alive. That’s what gets him off. What you will never find is the original crime scene or the killer.”
Rob’s eyebrows disappeared, causing his forehead to wrinkle. “I think you’d better talk to my captain.” He motioned for Sebastian to follow him to the back of the office where he saw several officers gathered around a board.
Sebastian stepped forward and looked at the information they had written down. He picked up a marker and began changing the facts.
“Just what do you think you’re doing and who the hell are you?” someone bellowed.
Sebastian turned to see Rob talking to another man. It was the other man that bellowed. They stepped up and Rob made the introductions. “Boss, this is Sebastian Sandstone, from New Orleans. He told me he has information on our latest missing person’s case.”
Rob’s boss, Captain Ian Nevell just stared at Sebastian. He turned his eyes to the changes Sebastian had made on their board. “How do you know all of this?”
“I’ve been doing my homework. This is his fourth kidnapping since Easter. In about thirty-six hours, you’ll find her body. Her long hair will be cut off and her body will be mutilated by an elaborate design carved in her back. Your Coroner will find that she’s been tortured and that the carving on her back was made while she was alive.”
Ian and Rob looked at each other. “This is our second kidnapping. We had one several months ago, that we haven’t solved as of yet. We haven’t found her body yet, but there was enough evidence to suggest that she was taken against her will and no one has heard from her since. Her case fits this killers’ M.O. This latest case is pretty much the same as the earlier one.”
“I’m surprised that the FBI isn’t in on this, yet,” Rob commented.
“Yeah, well an agent named Jesse Cooper has been trying to get in touch with me, but I haven’t had a chance to get in touch with him yet,” Sebastian admitted.
Ian folded his arms across his chest. “Why not?”
“Maybe I just don’t like Big Brother butting into my business. I have my own way of doing things.” Sebastian shrugged.
“Well, we do things differently up here. If Big Brother wants to talk, we usually take the time to listen,” Ian told him.
“He doesn’t really have to. Big Brother is already here,” came a voice from behind Sebastian.
Sebastian turned and came face to face with agent Jesse Cooper, behind him stood his partner, Alec Hunter. Alec gave him a short nod and all attention turned to Jesse.
“You’re a hard man to get a hold of Mr. Sandstone,” Jesse noted after introductions were made. He walked over to the board and spent a few minutes looking over the information they had started. Picking up the pen, Jesse began to write.
Alec took a moment to talk to his partner. “Sebastian, we tried to call your motel room this morning, but you didn’t answer the phone.”
“I left my room when I saw the news report. How did you know where I was staying?” Sebastian asked.
Alec grinned slightly. “Wyatt passed on the message you sent him last night.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I know I should be home with him but I just can’t sit on my hands and do nothing to find this guy.” He turned away from his partner and began to read what Jesse was writing on the board. “I couldn’t let this case turn into another Sara Morgan screw-up”
Alec nodded. They both remembered all too well the Sara Morgan case. They were hours away from getting her killer off the streets when the FBI showed up and took over. They not only let the killer escape but gave him time enough to strike again and again. It was Sebastian and another cop that finally busted the killer and instead of thanking them, the FBI took credit for the collar. It left everybody with a bad taste in their mouths.
“What makes you think he uses the river as a means of transportation?” Sebastian asked after a moment. He’d been reading what Jesse had added to what was known about this killer. He hadn’t thought of the river as a means of transportation.
Jesse paused in his writing, and then finished what he was doing. He recapped the pen and threw it down on the desk. “I’ve been looking for this killer for four years. I’ve learned a few things about him along the way.”
“He’s been killing for that long?” Rob commented.
Jesse nodded. “At first, he killed about every six months or so; it’s just been lately that his killing has escalated. His last three murders have been about a month apart.”
“His last murder was about ten days ago,” Sebastian spoke very quietly.
Alec looked worried at his tone. He knew when Sebastian spoke softly, there was trouble brewing.
Jesse looked over at Sebastian. “That’s true, but I think for some reason, your wife was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Ian jerked his head to look at Sebastian. “Your wife was one of his victims?”
Sebastian nodded.
“Then what the hell are you doing working this case?” Ian asked. “You shouldn’t even be here.”
Jesse nodded. “We really don’t want you out there looking for this killer. We’ve got more man hours in on this case than you could ever hope to have and we’ll get him eventually.”
“I’m not about to let her killer go free, so you can catch him eventually. And I don’t care how many hours you have on this killer. You haven’t found him yet, maybe I will.”
“You do realize that your judgment could be a liability in this case, don’t you?” Ian suggested trying to ease the tension between the two men.
Sebastian stiffened. “My judgment is just fine thank you very much. I want this creep off the streets, hopefully buried six feet under the street.”
Jessie tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come. He cleared his throat and tried again, “That’s what we don’t want. We don’t need you on a rampage, looking for trouble.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.” Sebastian told him as he shook his head. “I’m not looking for trouble, but this is the closest anyone has gotten to the killer and I don’t intend to back off now.”
“You may not have a choice,” Ian warned Sebastian. “Not if you want to keep that badge.”
Sebastian glared at Ian and shrugged, “With or without my badge, I would still be looking for this murderer.”
“Do you want justice or vengeance?” Jesse asked.
The silence in the room thickened with tension.
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Jesse. “Vengeance is not part of this equation at all. I am going after a serial killer. The fact that my wife was one of his victim’s is irrelevant. We know that he’s responsible for at least seven other victims and God only knows how many we haven’t found yet. As an officer of the law, I can’t let that go and I won’t. I let your people take over one of my cases already and they screwed up. They let a killer get away and he killed two more women before we caught him. I’m not about to let that happen again, not with this case.”
Jesse glanced away from Sebastian’s glare. The animosity between the two men was very apparent. He glanced over at Rob and asked, “What do we know about his latest victim?”
“Her name is Sable Willows,” Rob Gillette said.
Jesse looked over at Ian and nodded. “We need access to a boat, and we need to check all the backwaters around this area. If he’s still in the area, we should be able to find him.”
* * * *
Sable came to in a fog of unreality and confusion. Her throat hurt and her right arm felt very heavy. She tried to pull it toward her but met with some resistance. Looking up over her head, she saw that her right wrist was shackled. She frowned and tried to sit up. At first, her head swam and she felt sick to her stomach but after a few minutes, her head cleared and she looked around.
The room she was in was small and she felt the room dip and sway. Pulling on her wrist only tightened the rope she was tied with. With her free hand, she tried to work the rope loose. She was able to work it loose enough to slip it off her wrist. The rope left her wrist bruised and raw. She rubbed it gently and staggering, she went over to the window. She found herself looking out at the backwater bayou. She couldn’t see anything familiar to get a fix on where she was.
She made her way over to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. Panic set in and she kept pulling on the handle. She didn’t want to be here when whoever brought her here came back. The door wouldn’t budge, so she went back to the window. It wasn’t very big but Sable thought she could squeeze through it if she could get it open.
She looked for a lock but the window didn’t have one. She picked up a small lamp from the bedside table and tried to smash the glass but the tempered glass wouldn’t break, and there wasn’t anything else in the room hard enough to break it.
Suddenly, she stopped struggling with the window and peered out. Something caught her eye. It was an outboard motor boat and it was coming this way.
The passenger was alone and somehow she knew it was him. The sun shone on his dark hair and she watched as he removed the black cowboy hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Sable caught her breath and fear swelled within her. She knew that he intended to kill her or why else would he have brought her so far away into the backwaters.
Then her eyes hardened. She wasn’t going to let the bastard win. He might kill her but she would go down fighting. She went over to the door and heard him come aboard the boat. Her eyes darted around the room looking for something, anything to strike the first blow with. Her eyes caught sight of a heavy glass vase of flowers. Dumping the water and the flowers out on the floor, she raised the vase and waited. Her eyes were glued to the slowly turning doorknob. She took a deep breath in anticipation.