“Wow,” Robin said. “I didn’t think you would be more afraid of him than you would be of the Mayor. How will he feel when he finds out you let his daughter’s murderer go to save your ass?”
“That’s it,” he said. “You are off this case.”
“What?” Robin said, outraged.
“One more mistake,” he said, “and I will have you off this task force, Understood? Internal Affairs still has you under investigation, and don’t you forget that!”
Robin barely managed to control her temper and got up from her seat. She bowed sarcastically to the Captain and walked off, slamming the door shut behind her.
“What did he say?” Burke asked the moment she exited the office.
“He took me off the case,” she said with a sigh.
“Look, Robin,” he said. “Danvers is too big of a fish for us to fry. There are times you must admit defeat, and I am afraid this is one of those times. I wish we could do something, but the Captain has asked us to pin the murder on the taxi driver and state his death as a suicide. I am afraid there is nothing I can do. He thinks of this as a closed case.”
“I think I am just going to go home,” Robin said, lying through her teeth. Her eyes were on Kyle and the dark look on his face right now. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing his clenched hands.
“Kyle,” she said softly. “I am sorry. I really tried.”
“I know,” he said.
“Don’t do anything drastic,” she said.
Kyle turned to look at her, his burning into hers.
“What if I told you that I could never live with myself if I let this go?” he asked. “What if I told you that there was either his death or mine? I either kill him or kill myself because I can’t continue living while that monster is alive. I can’t believe I failed my Rose, and now another girl suffered the same fate.”
“I know how hard this is for you, Kyle,” she said softly. “But there is nothing more that can be done. I tried. I got the evidence–.”
“I know,” he said. “You have always been there for me, Robin. Thank you.”
Robin had never felt more helpless in her life. Not only had she not captured the Executioner, but another killer was also escaping her hands. She felt powerless, unable to defend the people who needed her. Unable to bring justice to those who had suffered at the hands of these criminals. She had become a Detective because she had always been attracted to the idea of helping others and ensuring there was justice. And now, she couldn’t do it anymore. There were too many obstacles. She was already dealing with her failure by not capturing the Executioner. Robin was hell-bent on getting the affected families justice. Now she had to accept that she failed all the girls that suffered at the hands of Danvers.
She sighed and walked toward the door, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. Robin didn’t know what to do anymore. But what she did know was that she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. No, she was going to keep fighting on. She was going to find a way to catch both criminals, even if it meant following methods that weren’t conventional.
“Someone ruin your mood, Detective?” Lory’s voice echoed from the back.
“Look, I don’t have time for you,” she said.
“I need to talk to you, Matthews,” he said. “I believe you. I think Danvers is all kinds of dirty, and I am pretty sure he has a part in this. I know you are going to go after him. I want to join you.”
“You must be crazy if you think I will trust you,” she said.
“I know you and I started off on a bad foot,” he said. “I know I have been anything but nice to you. But I am serious when I talk about this. Whether you trust me or not is up to you, but my offer stands.”
“The day I trust you,” Robin said,“is the day I put my pants on my head and dance the waltz!”
Lory burst out laughing and said, “You really do have a wit that I haven’t seen before. You are alright, Matthews.”
He walked off, and Robin shook her head.
“Well, miracles do happen,” she said to herself before walking off.
Chapter Eighteen
Robin pulled away from the curtain and looked down at the street. A shiver ran down her spine as she saw the man standing there. A dark silhouette looking at the house, silent and unmoving. Someone was out there keeping tabs, watching the house every minute of the night. The man disappeared every night before dawn, and Robin had had enough. She turned around and opened the front door, the gun ready in her hand.
She crept through the night, determined to finally apprehend the man. Fortunately, he wasn’t facing the front door; otherwise, he would see her coming. She slowly crept up behind the man and placed her hand on his shoulder, her gun ready. The man whipped around, and Robin froze, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“Gary Dane?” she whispered.
He stood in front of her, as clear as day, a smile on his face.
“I didn’t think you would find out about me,” he said. “I didn’t think you had the guts to come out here and find me, but I was wrong.”
“What are you doing here?” Robin said, pointing the gun at him. “Who sent you?”
“Why would anyone send me?” he asked. “Maybe I am here on my own. Maybe I just want revenge. After all, aren’t you the one who led to my ruin?”
“I led to your ruin?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. “You are the reason the Captain is dead. It was you I was trying to shoot.
