Facing Evil Read online

  Abby’s eyes drifted down to the swollen creek rushing below her, but she made no sign that she’d heard her lieutenant’s words. “Abby, he’s dead, and no matter what happens, he can never take another life.”

  Abby remained silent as the water churned beneath her. She wanted nothing more than to believe her lieutenant, but something told her, it wasn’t over yet.

  “Abby, I’m sorry about Sarah.”

  Abby’s memories swirled like the water below and it took her back to another time — before it all started, a time when it should have all ended.

  Part One

  Facing evil from your past,

  In the shadow your mind has cast;

  If you let it – it will grow,

  And make you hide all that you know.

  Innocence lost in the fires of Hell,

  I’ll take you there and make you yell.

  When you’ve seen what I have seen,

  The night will never let you dream.

  Angels weep from up above,

  Their sisters killed by tainted love.

  Helpless to watch upon God’s stage,

  Their anger soon turned into rage.

  I’m here for you, are you for me?

  The truth will never set us free.

  Look at me – look in my eyes,

  Can love withstand a past of lies?

  Chapter 1

  The courtroom was out of control as Abby sat calmly in the last row. The judge repeatedly banged his gavel, but soon gave up and sought the sanctuary of his chambers. The assistant district attorney threw his papers into his briefcase, his face a mixture of disbelief and anger. Some of the parents of the victims cried as they struggled to understand what had happened and why the man who had murdered their children was about to walk free. Members of the press fell over themselves to be the first to get the news out to the public.

  “Abby? Abby!”

  She could hear Lincoln’s voice, but she couldn’t pull her eyes from Billy Ward. The alleged murderer turned from his lawyer and his intense blue eyes fell on Abby’s solemn face. He held up his wrists to indicate they were no longer in cuffs.

  You animal! I have seen what you have done with those hands. A lot of innocent people who should be alive right now... Abby’s anger boiled just below the surface.

  “Abby, let’s go. Come on.”

  Lincoln’s words penetrated her hatred while she watched Billy Ward smile a crooked, teasing smile as he dared to wink at her.

  Detective Quinn saw the exchange between the cocky criminal and the silent woman beside him, and he realized he had to get her out of there. Rising, he grabbed a fistful of her leather jacket and pulled her to her feet. “Come on!”

  She rose at his command, yet to break the stare. Amid the mass exodus from the courtroom, Lincoln attempted to steer Abby away, but in the press of bodies, they were forced closer to the man she loathed.

  “Abby, does this mean we aren’t going to be having our little conversations anymore? ’Cause I’ll miss that, just like I’ll miss you calling out my name in your sleep.” Billy laughed.

  Lincoln saw the hatred in Abby’s eyes. “Abby, forget it. Let’s go!” he warned.

  A young reporter pushed a microphone into Billy’s face. “Mister Ward, how does it feel to be a free man, even though most of the people of this city believe you are guilty of all the charges?”

  Billy kept his eyes on Abby. “I’m a free man because I’m an innocent man who was wrongly accused. I’m not a murderer or a rapist, but I am a man, and I do love beautiful young women.” He laughed. Some people in the crowd cringed at the sadistic sound.

  Lincoln had his hands full, desperately trying to get his partner out of the hallway outside of the courtroom and away from Billy. Realizing that it was almost impossible with the crush of the mob, he pinned her up against the cold marble and wood wall. “Goddamn it, Abby, stop it before you do something stupid.”

  Abby pulled her eyes away from Billy and focused on Lincoln. “We can’t do a thing, Lincoln, not a thing. Until that animal rapes and murders someone else and then disappears into whatever hole he lives in. We have to start over because everything we had just got thrown out.” She clenched her teeth. “He’s a murdering bastard who gets pleasure out of raping and torturing girls—”

  At that moment, Billy and his entourage of lawyers and reporters walked by. The throng of moving bodies jostled the detectives just as Billy leaned into Abby. “Thanks for everything, sweetie. Until we meet again.” He smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

  All hell erupted as Abby broke from Lincoln’s hold like he wasn’t there. “I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” Abby roared. Her first punch broke Billy’s nose, the second cracked a few teeth.

  Flashbulbs popped off in every direction as the ruckus drew the television cameras from outside into the mêlée. Free from Lincoln’s grasp, Abby was uncontrollable, letting loose a flurry of powerful punches. Parents of some of the dead young women got close enough to join in. People were pushing and shoving, some trying to get away, others trying to get closer. It was chaos.

  It took the police and the court officers forever to get control of the situation. Realizing what the scene was going to mean for Abby, Lincoln grabbed her by the back of her jacket and, with the help of two other officers, dragged her to the rear of the crowd.

  “Get her out of here, Detective,” one of the uniformed officers said.

  Winded, all Lincoln could do was nod as he dragged his disheveled partner toward the stairs. They said nothing as they clambered down the cement stairwell, every step echoing in their ears. They reached the door that read Parking Garage Authorized Personnel Only without running into anyone. When the heavy fire door slammed shut behind them, Lincoln turned Abby around to face him. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “He had it coming!” Abby yelled back at him. “We had him dead to rights and because of some...” her breath came in gulps as her anger festered, “technicality,” she spat.

  “We screwed up.”

  “We didn’t screw up, Lincoln, the law did. There isn’t a sane person out there who doesn’t know Ward did it.” Her head was pounding as she struggled to get the words out. “That...that animal is now going to prey on someone else.”

  “And we will be there to catch him.”

  “I’m not going to stand around and wait for someone else to become a statistic.” Abby’s adrenaline pumped wildly through her body as she shook a fist at him. “He’s killed too many already.”

  “So you’re going to put your entire career on the line and go after him. Jesus, Abby, the whole press gallery saw you split the man’s face open as you threatened to kill him.”

  “Do I look like I give a damn?” she yelled back.

  “Abby, you’re one of the best cops I know. I’m not going to stand around and watch you throw your life out of the goddamned window because of some filth like Ward!” he yelled, his own anger exploding. “He won this time, and you let him get to you. He won. You lost.”

  The statement sent Abby over the edge. She collected Lincoln’s shirt in her hand, then cocked back with a closed fist.

  “Go ahead and hit me, if it’ll make you feel better.” He watched her eyes and he knew she wasn’t going to hit him. “Abby, you’re like a sister to me. I don’t want to see you throw everything away. Not like this.”

  She still held him by the front of his shirt, but slowly her grip loosened and she dropped her head.

  “It’s been a shitty day. Let’s just get out of here and go have a drink somewhere,” he said as her fist finally relented and fell to her side. It was then he saw her knuckles.

  “Abby, look at what you did. You need to get that—” He looked down at the blood on her left hand. “You’re a mess.”

  Abby looked down at her bloody hands. They still shook from the rush of adrenaline. From deep inside her jacket came the distinctive warble of her cell phone.

  “Shit,” she said with a dejecte
d sigh.

  “Want me to answer it?”

  She shook her head. “Let it ring.”

  “You know who it’s going to be,” he said, looking at her.

  She nodded.

  “You okay?” he asked as the cell phone rang a few more times and then went silent. When Abby did not answer him, Lincoln looked at his pugilistic partner. He still had one question. “Abby, what were you thinking — going after him like that?”

  “You want to know what I was thinking?” She did not attempt to hide her frustration as she turned to face him. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking about. I was thinking of all the girls we’ve let down. I was thinking about Cheryl Lawrence, Traci Sabatini, Anita...” The list of names continued, but she no longer had a voice to say them. Abby went quiet for a moment before she continued. “I’m sick of him. I’m sick of having to clean up after him.” She finally lifted her head. “I wanted this to be over.”

  Lincoln was surprised at the growing shimmer in her eyes in the dim light of the underground garage. It was rare to see her cry.

  “Abby─

  “Let’s just get out of here,” she said as she attempted to hide her tears of frustration.

  “The only place you’re going is the hospital.” Lincoln opened the car door for her. Abby slid in without a word.

  ♥

  “Abby? You okay?” Lincoln asked with concern as they came out of the hospital.

  Abby’s mood was dark and somber as she looked down at the blue fiberglass cast on one hand and the bandages wrapped around the other. “I can’t reach my cigarettes,” she said with frustration as he opened the car door for her.

  Lincoln smiled. “Don’t look to me to help you. Maybe it’s the perfect time to quit.” He chuckled as he closed the door, then walked around the car and slid into the driver’s seat with a smile still on his face.

  Abby looked over with a glare. “Yeah, well, keep on laughing, ’cause I won’t be able to do any of the typing for the reports either.”

  The smile faded from his face.

  “I want to swing past my place before we hit the station,” Abby said as she stared out the window. “I need to change my shirt.”

  Lincoln said nothing as he glanced over at the rumpled, stained shirt she was wearing. He didn’t mind. The drive into the canyon was out of the way, but it delayed their return to the station.

  As they pulled into the gravel and dirt driveway, they heard the deep bark of Abby’s dog.

  “I’ll only be a sec,” she said, sliding from the car.

  “I’ll wait outside for you.”

  “Hey, Buck.” Abby greeted her dog as she fumbled with the gate. The huge dog was a wolf-Husky hybrid they had recovered from a crime scene a few years back, part of a litter of seven that needed homes. Most went to people within the department, but for some reason no one wanted the pup with one floppy ear, Buck. Abby thought she was going to take him only until someone else stepped forward, though no one ever did. Her feigned dismay hadn’t fooled anyone. They knew he had found his way into her heart.

  Lincoln followed her through the gate and reached down to ruffle the head of the immense dog. “Your mommy was a bad girl today, Buck. She has gotten us into a lot of trouble,” Lincoln said in a playful tone, to which the dog responded with a small howl.

  “Yes, again, but don’t be too hard on her. She only did what I would’ve done if I could’ve reached the bastard first,” Lincoln explained quietly as he scratched Buck’s head and looked up to the top deck and the windows of Abby’s bedroom. “You be good to her right now, Buck. She’s having a rough time.”

  It was a long while before he saw movement in the kitchen window. Abby opened the back door and stood with her black bra showing under her open denim shirt. “I can’t get the buttons,” she said in dejected annoyance.

  Lincoln smiled at her dilemma as he walked over to help.

  “Say one word of this and I’ll whack you up side your head with my cast.”

  “Who’d believe me anyhow?” Lincoln retorted as he did up the last button.

  Chapter 2

  Lieutenant Banks barely looked up when Lincoln knocked and entered with his partner. She held out her hand for their reports as she picked her glasses up off of the desk. “Turn on the TV and have a seat.”

  Lincoln switched channels until he found one of the news stations. With the volume set to low, they sat in silence while the lieutenant scanned their reports.

  When the news came on, Lieutenant Banks reached for the remote and turned up the volume. The newscast showed pictures of Billy Ward’s victims, followed by film of what had transpired at the courthouse earlier.

  “I’ll fuckin’ kill you!”

  The news anchor’s voice began to comment on the action on screen. “The woman you see savagely attacking Mr. William Ward is none other than Detective Abby—”

  “Savagely attacking?” Abby protested.

  “Detective!” Lieutenant Banks warned.

  “...the case against Mister Ward was dismissed earlier. We will show this once again. Since the unprovoked attack came from out of nowhere, it may be difficult to see. If you look to the left of your screen...”

  Abby jumped up. “Lieutenant, I’m not saying what I did was right, but they’re showing a very slanted view.”

  “Detective, I’m aware of what happened. We — and by we I mean the captain, Superintendent Gilmer, and myself — saw the raw footage. I’m unhappy with the way they’re airing this, but...” Lieutenant Banks stopped talking when Billy Ward came on the screen.

  He sat in a wheelchair with his nose heavily taped, his right eye swollen shut, and a row of black stitches along the right corner of his mouth. Beneath it all, a keen eye could see his leering smirk.

  Playing the audience for all he could, Billy Ward cleared his throat with a grimace. “What happened today at the courthouse was...unfortunate.” He paused and carefully licked his lips. “Detective Stanfield has a tendency to be overly emotional and a little out of control regarding this case because she has been working so hard on it. My heart and concern go out to her for having exhausted herself while hunting for the real murderer and mistakenly making my life so...so unlivable.” He looked up and stared into the camera. “I hope she never has to experience that kind of...frustrating loss of personal privacy.”

  “I think I’m going to puke,” Lincoln said in revulsion.

  “I hold no ill will toward anyone, especially Detective Stanfield. And against the recommendation of my lawyer, I do not intend to pursue any charges against the police department or any of its members. I do hope...this issue between Detective Stanfield and myself...can be resolved. And I hope,” Billy leaned forward slightly and looked straight into the camera, “she gets the professional help she needs.”

  Abby’s eyes were wild, her face red with rage. “You fucking little—”

  “Detective!” Lieutenant Banks ordered, “Enough. It’s over. Be glad he isn’t suing.”

  “Glad? That’s what he wants. He’s playing with us, just like he has all along.”

  “Then let him play, because sooner or later he’s going to make a mistake and we’ll be there waiting when he does.” The lieutenant dropped her head and looked down at the paperwork on her desk. “Abby,” she looked up reluctantly, “you did what we all wanted to do, but that doesn’t make it right. You’re supposed to uphold the law, not break it. I hate to do this, but you’ve left me little choice.”

  “Are you firing me?” Abby looked desperately at her partner.

  Lincoln looked at his superior. “Lieutenant, that’s not right. It could’ve been me taking that swing at Ward.”

  “But it wasn’t you Lincoln. It was Abby.” Lieutenant Banks turned back to Abby as the tall detective sank into her chair. “You’re not fired Abby. I want to make that perfectly clear. But Ward was right about one thing — you’re too close to this. You need to back away before it consumes you. This is a case, a gruesome one, but it’s sti
ll just a case, and I should’ve done something a long time ago about the toll it was taking on you.” The lieutenant took a breath. “You’ve six weeks of banked vacation time and the doctor recommended at least six weeks medical leave...”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Twelve weeks off just for punching that piece of shit? I can see the six weeks until the cast comes off, but come on, Lieutenant, twelve weeks?” There was a long and dreadful pause before Banks looked up to face Abby. The detective shut her mouth when she saw her boss was not finished.

  Lieutenant Banks continued reluctantly. “And another twelve weeks in exchange for keeping your badge after that scuffle at the courthouse.”

  The air in the office grew heavy as Lieutenant Banks and Lincoln looked at Abby. They waited and watched as her mouth opened and closed several times. Lincoln knew his partner and he held his breath waiting for an explosion, but Abby remained silent.

  She rose to her feet and moved to the window to look down at the flurry of traffic below. “For a grand total of six months,” she finally said softly.

  “They wanted your badge, Abby, but I wouldn’t give it to them. The only reason we even got Billy Ward in front of a judge was because of your hard work and tenacity. I refuse to let you go, Abby. You’re too good of a cop.”

  “But six months,” Abby said as she turned from the window. Her face showed disbelief, but her dark eyes danced with anger. “Six months. Those sniveling, pencil-pushing bastards are trying to make me the scapegoat because he walked. They’re hoping I’ll quit, aren’t they?”

  “Abby, you need a break,” Lincoln said. “Take it. Take what they’re offering. Give yourself time to heal. Put this behind you.”

  Abby showed no sign of hearing Lincoln’s words. “They want me to quit because I had the balls to do what everyone else only dreamed of doing. We watched while he went from girl to girl, raping and murdering. We did nothing! He was laughing at us then, and he is laughing at us now. Six months! They’re hoping I’ll quietly walk away. Well, you can tell them I don’t do anything quietly!" She ripped back her jacket and with a grimace of pain pulled her gun from her shoulder harness. She slammed the gun down on the desk, followed by her badge. “I quit!”