Have you ever seen the Rain? (FBI Series Book 2)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Shelia smiled beautifully, wanting to help the FBI anyway she could. She was in her late twenties wearing a bright yellow pant suit; her equally light hair was tied at her neck. She met with Sasha Madden inside the building’s lounge room. Her happy presence quickly faded into fear at the mention of Kent Kendall. “Shelia?” Sasha grabbed her arm; the poor woman looked ready to fall over.

“I’m sorry I just wasn’t expecting this to be about Kent. I don’t know really what I expected the FBI wanted with the Herald. What’s going on?”

“I’m looking for Kent, he’s wanted for questioning concerning a case and it’s very important I find him. Your boss says you and Kent were friends?” Sasha tried to keep a cool exterior, she didn’t want to alarm the other woman and have her shut down.

“Malcolm can be pretty dense. For him it’s all about the late breaking news and sales records.” Her pleasant soft voice grew bitter almost harsh.

“You weren’t friends?”

“Far from it. I joined the paper and I guess Kent liked me, some sort of crush I guess you can call it. I was new and didn’t want to create problems, I kindly declined and I was nice to the guy you know? But when I refused to go out with him, it was the third time he asked, he flipped out.” Her brown eyes fell to the floor, her voice soft again as she said. “He said some pretty nasty things, sent even some even nastier emails. I grew scared and stayed away from him. About a week after the blow up I had been working late and it was dark when I left. Kent was waiting at my car.”

Sasha heart dropped. “What happened Shelia?” she asked carefully. Billie’s life was in the hands of this man, she felt it in her bones.

“We got loud and he tried to grab me I screamed and the guard came running over. Kent just disappeared for a few days. Malcolm said he was using some of this time off. When he came back it was like he was another guy. He acted like nothing happened and I followed his lead.” Shelia looked up. “I really like my job here.” she searched Sasha’s eyes. “Kent’s done something bad hasn’t he?”

Sasha swallowed. “I hope he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Thank you for your time.” She walked calmly away from the other woman; outside she took off running back into the car. Tears ran down her cheeks. “I can’t do this again god, I can’t lose someone else.” she bent over the steering wheel, muttering prayers and hopes for her best friend. She sat up sharply when images of her sister at the morgue popped into her mind. It couldn’t happen again, she had to save Billie whereas she couldn’t have saved Carolyn.

Billie felt very weird as her eyes opened up. She vaguely remembered falling asleep in her hotel room, the room she certainly wasn’t in now. Something happened, the pieces started to come just as a female voice broke into her thoughts.

“Hey you’re awake. For awhile there I thought he killed you with the blows he likes to deal to the head.”

Billie struggled to open her eyes, she knew that voice. “Mary Kettle?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah that little shit knew we were getting close to nailing him it seems and took us.”

Billie opened her eyes and spotted Mary across from her, her hands tied behind her back just as Billie’s were. “I don’t understand how he knew and why did he take you and not any of the other family members of his victims?”

“I’ve been taking that over since I’ve been here. There’s a leak at the police station because that little shit that killed my husband knows I met with you and the other Feds.”

“What--? I can’t---”

“Believe it. Police stations always screw it up, that’s why I and other PI’s have a job, to pick up their slack. He’s scared and knows his time is coming to an end, people are on to him. What did you mange to find?”

“It was my brother,” Billie took a deep breath as the pain worked its way up her neck. “He caught on and wanted to expose the killer. I managed to find some hidden discs at his apartment where he clocked me the first time but my partner got there before he could take them away. I don’t know what’s on the CD’s.” she shook her head. “Joey was always too smart for his own good. I really miss him.”

“He sounded like a wonderful man. That bastard will be back soon, we need a plan to get out of here before we’re next on the list.”

Sasha and Noah got back to the hotel at the same time. Sasha explained her meetings with Malcolm and then Shelia’s horrible past with Kent.  “After talking to Belinda I have no doubt she was telling the truth about Kent.” Noah said, shaking his head. He was a big guy with an equally big heart, the meeting with Belinda bothered him. The sadness showed along his eyes. “Kent broke her down, it was almost ten years ago and for her it was like yesterday.”

It was Dillon who voiced the painful question. “He raped her?” The thought of Billie with a rapist…he found it very hard to breathe.

Noah’s large fist tightened. “Yeah. She hasn’t seen the guy since but she notices his name in the paper. She said it’s strange she hates the guy but she still subscribes to the Boston Herald because in some weird way she knows if he’s writing for the paper he isn’t planning to come after her again. How’s it going here?”

“Nothing.” Nicholas answered. “Gage searched Kent’s apartment it was clean and nothing helpful lying around. From what you guys found out we know Kent has a temper with woman but still no motive for his targets. I have an idea that may be a waste a time or completely genius.”

Everyone listened.

Dillon, Sasha and Justin took lead while Noah and Nicholas provided back up. Once the plan was firmly lined out they left the hotel.