Erica Spindler - Killer Takes All

But who had? And why had they sent her the computer?

She dropped her hands and turned toward the device. They’d wanted her to know that Cassie’s death and White Rabbit were linked. That Troy’s death hadn’t ended the game.

The White Rabbit was still at large.

Stacy sucked in a sharp breath, turned and went back to the computer. She closed the photo file and scrolled down the Finder menu, stopping on a file labeled White Rabbit.

Bingo.

She clicked on the item. It opened to a menu with only one item listed.

The Game.

Judging by the date, the document had been created Sunday, February 27, at 10:15 p.m.

The night Cassie had been killed.

Stacy opened it and began to read. A play-by-play game strategy, she realized. The game as she, Malone and the others had played that day. The White Rabbit had assembled all the characters. Da Vinci and Angel. The Professor. Nero. Alice.

And just as in the game they had played, the Dormouse, the two playing cards and the Cheshire Cat weren’t characters.

They were the obstacles. The monsters sent by the White Rabbit to weaken or kill players.

The players.

Of course. They were all dead now. Even the White Rabbit.

All except Angel and Alice.

Stacy leaped to her feet. That was it! Of course. Sure, Leo got everything if Kay was out of the picture.

But that scenario worked in reverse, as well. None of them had considered it.

With Leo gone, Kay got everything.

Stacy began to pace. Excited. Kay had been the one who had known Pogo, who had put Leo’s name on Gallery 124’s mailing list. She’d been in cahoots with Troy. Somehow their plans had gone awry.

Because of her. It had to be.

So, who had sent her the computer?

Alice.

Alice had figured it out. Alice knew her mother was guilty. That she had killed Leo.

Killer Takes All. All the spoils. Leo’s entire estate. The profits from the recent, lucrative licensing deals.

Stacy would bet Troy had become an employee of Wonderland Creations sometime after those deals had been made.

But what of Dunbar? Stacy rubbed her temples. Had Kay recognized him right off? Is that what had gotten her going? Had she realized Danson made a perfect fall guy and enlisted Troy’s help?

The woman was brilliant. The plan had been brilliant.

I’m smarter than both of them. Did he tell you that?

Alice. She’d figured it out.

Of course, Stacy realized. Two characters still stood. The game wouldn’t be over until all players were dead but one.

Killer Takes All.

Alice needed help.

Stacy brought a hand to her mouth. Did Kay intend to kill Alice, as well? Down the line, in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion?

How did Leo’s will read? Was Kay the sole recipient of Leo’s wealth? Or was she merely a trustee?

Stacy snatched up her cell phone, punched in Malone’s number, then hung up when she got the message service. Next she dialed ISD. The woman who answered informed her that Detective Malone was in a meeting and asked if she could direct her to another detective.

“Is Detective Tony Sciame available?”

He was, and several moments later, he came on the line. “Stacy, what’s up?”

“I’m trying to reach Spencer. It’s important.”

“He’s in with the captain and a couple of the guys from PID.”

Public Integrity Division. Internal Affairs . The division that justified its existence by the number of cops they busted. A meeting with those guys always boded ill. She should know-just before she’d left the Dallas force, they’d raked her over the coals.

She frowned, concerned. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t know for sure. It’s the captain’s first half day back, and those jokers come bustin’ in. Next thing we know, Malone’s getting drilled.”

“You’re his partner, Tony. You’ve got to have a sense of what it’s about.”

He was quiet a moment. When he spoke, she sensed how carefully he chose his words. “He’s been under the microscope and there’ve been a few irregularities recently.”

A judge approved that trace?

I fudged the facts.

“It’s because of me, isn’t it, Tony? Because he kept me in the loop?”

“Not just that.”

She swore. “What else?”

“I can’t say.”

“I’d be dead if not for Spencer. So would Alice.”

But not Kay. How had the woman planned to explain it all away?

By killing Troy? By managing to escape?

“Stacy? You there?”

“Yeah, I’m here. How long do you think Malone will be?”

“No guess. But they’ve been in there awhile already.”

“Tell him to call me on my cell. It’s about White Rabbit and Cassie.”

“White Rabbit? But that’s-”

“It’s not over. Don’t forget, okay? It’s important.”

“Stacy, wait-”

She hung up on him. She didn’t have a plan for confronting Kay Noble, only a sense of urgency pressing her to action. Alice needed her. She doubted Kay would make a move so close to Leo’s death, but she wasn’t taking chances with the girl’s life.

Or with her own.

With that in mind, she tucked her Glock into her handbag.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

3:00 p.m.

Stacy pulled up in front of the Noble mansion. She saw that Kay Noble had wasted no time: A For Sale sign hung from the property’s iron fence; a minivan emblazoned with a moving company’s logo sat in the drive.

Stacy parked, climbed out of her vehicle and started for the house. As she reached the front porch, Kay emerged from the house with a man Stacy didn’t recognize. From the way he was dressed and the clipboard he was carrying, she assumed he was from the moving company.

The two shook hands; he told her he would be in touch, then walked away.

“Stacy,” the other woman said warmly, turning toward her. “What a nice surprise.”

“I wanted to check on you and Alice. See how you’re both doing.”

“Carrying on. Moving on.”

“I see that.”

“Too many memories.” She released a sad-sounding breath. “It’s been especially hard on Alice. She’s been so quiet.”

I’ll just bet. Probably too terrified to speak.

Stacy made a clucking noise she hoped sounded genuine. “It’s to be expected, I would think. She lost her father in a shocking way. She was exposed to a horror beyond the comprehension of most girls her age.”

“I’m getting her counseling. Her doctor said to expect healing to take time.”

The woman was the picture of love and concern. An award-winning performance, Stacy thought. Oscar-worthy.

“I just hope one day she can forget.”

“May I see her?”

“Of course. Come in.”

Stacy followed the other woman into the home. She saw that they had already begun consolidating their things for packing. She glanced around. “Is Valerie here? I’d like to tell her hello, as long as I’m here.”

“Valerie’s gone. She’s moved on.”

“Really? I’m surprised.”

“She was Leo’s hire, and now that he’s gone… I guess she didn’t feel comfortable.”

Mrs. Maitlin had thought of herself as so much more than a “hire.” She had considered herself one of the family. That had been obvious.

Stacy felt a moment of compassion for the woman. But only a moment: considering the circumstances, she was better off this way.

Kay crossed to the bottom of the stairs. “Alice!” she called. “Stacy’s here to see you.” She waited a moment, then called her daughter again.