He was out there. He knew where I lived. He knew I was after him.
He even took a picture of me.
While it was a close-up, I could tell it was taken at night, while raining, and I'd been wearing my trench coat. It was yet to be determined the type of camera and lens he'd used, but I knew when he'd taken it. At the Jane Doe crime scene.
The Gingerbread Man had been there. He'd picked me out as his adversary. And now he was playing some kind of warped game.
The Feebies had touched on it during a break in the interrogation process.
'There's a high certainty that this man was also the one who gave you the candy,' Dailey had said.
'Vicky should have a printout this afternoon on similar product-tampering cases.'
'This man has singled you out as his enemy. Be prepared for some personal contact anytime soon. A letter, or a phone call. Maybe he'll even meet you face-to-face, without you knowing it's him.'
'You should be under surveillance, Lieutenant.'
I politely declined, saying it hadn't escalated to that level yet.
But now, alone in bed, I couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid. In all the years I'd been hunting down killers, I'd never had one decide to hunt me.
The thought left me anything but drowsy.
I replayed the videotape of the Jane Doe crime scene in my head, an easy feat to do because I'd seen it dozens of times. I hadn't noticed any of the onlookers carrying a camera, but another viewing was certainly warranted.
I switched over from my back to my side, which was a bad thing to do because I immediately took note that Don wasn't next to me. When I'd arrived at the apartment a little earlier his furniture and things had been removed from the hallway. It had been Don, rather than a thief, because he'd left me a message written on my door in black marker.
'Your an asshole, Jack,' had been the message.
Spelling was never one of Don's strong points.
But I still missed him. Or maybe not him exactly. I missed having a warm body lying next to me. I suppose we had more of an arrangement than a relationship. I got to hold him at night, and he got a free apartment.
There have been marriages built on less.
I flipped onto my back, staring at the ceiling, trying to let sleep overtake me. Gradually, slowly, eventually, drowsiness set in, pulling me into sleepyland.
Then the phone rang.
I bolted out of bed like a startled fawn and had the phone to my face before I was fully awake.
'Daniels.'
'Hope I didn't wake you, Jack. We've got another one.'
I closed my eyes and gave my head a shake. The clock told me it was a little past noon.
'Where?'
'A 7-Eleven on Addison,' Benedict said. 'About a block away from you.'
I blinked and nodded, weighing the news.
'Be there in five.'
'There's something else. Maybe you should prepare yourself.'
'What do you mean?'
'He left another note. It's addressed to you.'
'What does it say?'
Herb cleared his throat and read in a monotone.
''Number Two. Dear Jack, I saw you at Joe's. Not bad for a bitch. I didn't get my money's worth, but it was fun anyway. Too bad that bald guy helped you out. I think you would look beautiful in a wheelchair. But there's still time for that.''
I said, 'Christ.'
'There's more. 'I will keep killing these sluts. It's my mission. I've left you another present, but it's deeply hidden. Run, run, as fast as you can, Jack. You can't catch me...but I'll catch you. The Gingerbread Man.''
'The crowd, Herb. Make sure we get close-ups of everyone. I bet the little weasel is there right now, watching. See you in a bit.'
It only took a few minutes to throw on a suit and get over there. I didn't even need to drive. The crime scene was practically in my backyard.
Four squad cars had preceded me, parked in front of the entrance to the store, cutting off the lot. Several uniforms were securing the scene, taping it off. Another was keeping the crowd and the growing number of reporters at bay. I hung my badge around my neck and entered the circus.
Herb, who always managed to beat me to crime scenes even if they were only a block away from me, was standing next to the garbage can at the storefront. The lid was off, and something bloody was sticking out into the
