he hadn’t come here to Wilby to find his dear old mom, none of this would have happened. I’ve been in this business for over a decade and no one has ever suspected me of anything more than selling wilted lettuce.”
“Was that when Louise made the first crystal weapon for you? A decade ago?”
“The witch was always fooling around with crystals. Thirty-four years ago, she created the first-generation stones. They weren’t nearly as powerful, but they could be used along with some psychoactive drugs to implant hypnotic suggestions.”
“You used them to run your profitable little cult in L.A.”
“Shit. You know that, too?” Buddy grunted. “What a mess. You’re right about the rocks. After I closed down the cult, I used them to make money in a variety of ways—blackmail, investment scams, that kind of thing. But ten years back, Louise came up with a version that could kill without a trace. I realized the possibilities immediately.”
“You moved here to Wilby and brought Louise here, as well,” Judson said. “You took on a new identity and went into the murder-for-hire business.”
“It all went well until Zander arrived looking for his mother. I wasn’t aware that he had found her at first. Didn’t know she gave him one of the crystals. He was operating on his own, playing his stupid game. Then he heard about the Ballinger Study. He just could not resist.”
“That’s when you found out that you had a son who had inherited some of your talent,” Judson said.
“Obviously, I’ll have to deal with Gwen Frazier,” Buddy said. “Who else knows what you do?”
“Seriously?” Judson smiled. “You think I’m going to give you a hit list?”
“Yes. Seriously. Because you’re wrong about my little gadget. Plenty of energy left in it. Let me show you.”
Buddy reached inside his shirt and took out the pendant he wore on the gold chain around his neck. The crystal was a teardrop shape. It was wrapped in a metal frame attached to the chain. The stone glittered darkly in the shadows.
“That answers one question,” Judson said. “It doesn’t need to be retuned after every kill. I did wonder about that.”
“It will work up to three times before it needs to be refocused. Louise retuned it just before I used it on her. I hate to waste a second firing on you, but you give me no choice. I warn you, you’re going to regret your decision. You see, this device can be used to kill very slowly when speed is not necessary. And the pain, I’m told, is excruciating—like being buried alive inside a glacier.”
The crystal flashed with dark ultraviolet radiation, but Judson was ready. He sent energy into his ring and got the response he was looking for. The amber stone burned with a searing radiance. The wavelengths collided with those of the dark pendant and sent them rebounding back toward the point of origin.
Buddy gasped when the paranormal radiation from his own weapon slammed into him. He reeled backward, but he did not go down.
He abandoned the crystal weapon, however, and struggled to level the barrel of the weapon.
Judson seized the nearest vase off the counter and sent the heavy glass container and the contents—a couple of quarts of water and a mass of yellow chrysanthemums—hurtling toward Buddy’s head.
Buddy ducked instinctively and flung himself through the doorway into the back room. The vase shattered against the wall.
Judson went through the doorway and kicked Buddy’s legs out from under him. The gun landed on the floor.
Buddy fell back against the workbench. He seized a floral knife and came up with it in his hand. He started to lunge toward Judson, but he was not fast enough. Judson used another slashing kick to take him down.
Buddy groaned and fell facedown on the floor.
There was a moment of terrible silence. Buddy started to make gurgling sounds. Judson picked up the gun and set it on the workbench. Then he crouched beside Buddy and turned him slowly onto his back.
The handle of the knife jutted from Buddy’s chest. He gazed up at Judson with eyes that were already filming over with shock and impending death. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“That’s the thing about women,” he rasped. “You can’t trust ’em.”
“The problem,” Judson said, “was that they couldn’t trust you.”
Blood and the psychic energy of violent death were already seeping into the floorboards. Judson knew the taint would be detectable as long as the building stood.
Some toxic spills could never be cleaned up.
Forty
“Don’t waste your time trying to convince me that Buddy Poole was going around the country murdering old people with some kind of paranormal weapon,” Oxley said. He closed the folder on his desk and cranked back in his chair. “No need to come up with crazy theories to explain this situation. The money trail and the calendar notes work just fine.”
“Good to know,” Judson said.
“You’ve convinced me that Poole was running a murder-for-hire operation. But I expect he was using the old- fashioned pillow-over-the-face method or maybe a little poison. Those techniques are very effective, especially when the victims are old and sick.”
“You know what, you’re right, chief,” Judson said. “No need to come up with paranormal explanations. But there will never be any proof, either.”
He was very aware of Gwen sitting tensely beside him. Together they faced Oxley across the desk. One of the officers had driven Nicole home after she had given her statement.
“What about Evelyn’s and Louise’s deaths?” Gwen demanded. “Do you believe that Buddy murdered them, too?”
“Yes,” Oxley said. He gave a world-weary sigh. “But I also know I’ll never be able to prove it, just like I’ll never be able to prove that he killed for money. No way I’m going to try to go after Buddy’s clients. Not my job, and I sure as hell haven’t got enough to take to the FBI.”
“Some folks are going to get away with murder,” Judson pointed out. “Namely Buddy’s clients.”
“Yep, that’s a fact.” Oxley rubbed the back of his neck. “And I’m real sorry about that, but it happens all the time. You can only do what you can do in situations like this. You know what’s important here?”
“What?” Judson asked.
“You saved Nicole Hudson’s life, and Buddy Poole is dead in what was a clear case of self-defense that wound up as a tragic accident. That’s as much justice as anyone can expect under the circumstances. As far as I’m concerned, this case is closed.”
“What about the deaths two years ago?” Gwen asked.
Oxley narrowed his eyes. “No point reopening those investigations because I don’t have a damn thing more in the way of evidence. But if it makes you feel any better, I will tell you that I believe Zander Taylor murdered those two people who participated in Evelyn’s research project. And I believe that his death out there at the falls was another tragic accident that, by an astonishing coincidence, resulted in rough justice for the victims. I’m okay with that.”
Gwen looked at Judson.
“The chief is right,” Judson said. “The bad guys are both dead. This is as good as it gets.”
“I know,” Gwen said.
Oxley cleared his throat. “There is one thing I’d like to know, Miss Frazier.”
She turned back to him. “Yes?”
“When, exactly, do you plan on leaving town? Not that I’m marking the days on my calendar, you understand.”
“Trust me, I am really looking forward to putting Wilby in my rearview mirror just as soon as I can,” Gwen said sweetly.
“Good,” Oxley said. “No offense, but I’m real glad to hear that.”
