Author: Leslie Agostino  (leslieago@netzero.net)

Title: INTO THE SHADOWS -- Part Three

Timeline: This story takes place in the third season shortly after the episode Cliffy

Summary: The Danko’s become targets of a crazed killer and the rookies race against time to catch him.
 
 
 

The next morning, the Danko’s were still asleep, Mike fitfully, when the telephone started to ring.

Mike reached out sleepily and fumbled for the receiver. "Hello?" he mumbled.

Toscano hung up. What he had to say was for only Jill. He wasn’t ready to talk to Mike yet. Not until he found victim number four. Then he would tell that cop where to find her.

Oh, well, he thought. I can always reach her at the hospital. Who knows, maybe I’ll find number four. After all, that’s where I found Nicole.

He looked at the pictures of Jill he had taped on the wall behind an alter he had set up in one of his empty rooms.

"Soon, my Angel, it will just be you and me. I promise, you’ll enjoy every second of welcoming. Then no one will touch me. Not even Danko. You will take your rightful place on the alter of sacrifice. You will be willing, won’t you, my sweet Angel? Lucifer likes it when we have participants."

He blew a kiss at her picture. Toscano picked up a black rose and sniffed it. Do you like black, Jill? You will love these. I promise. And the pictures. You’ll get those soon. You must see my handiwork. Embrace it as you will me. I will have you, Angel. So will our Savior.

Meanwhile, at the Danko’s apartment, Mike reached out and gently shook Jill awake.

"C’mon, babe," he said, "it’s time to get up."

Jill groaned and said, "Just tell me one thing."

"I love you." Mike grinned, as she opened one eye. She smiled back at him.

She sat up and said, "I love you, too, but that’s not it. Tell me last night was a dream. One big, gigantic nightmare."

Mike’s grin faded. He forgot that the last death had hit too close to home and not just because Nicole knew Jill or was a nurse, but because his wife fits the other victims. At least the first and third. He still didn’t know what the second victim looked like. It could just as easily been her.

Kicking his feet over the bed, he said, "I’ve got dibs on the shower."

Jill gently reached out and took his hand. "Mike…"

"I don’t want to talk about this. Not now and not with you."

"I knew her, Mike."

Mike pulled away from her and stood up. "Yeah, I know."

He started to walk away, but Jill wouldn’t give up. "Maybe I can help. Give you some kind of…"

"Are you out of your mind? Do you know what Taggert is dealing with? I don’t care if you and Nicole grew up together and you know her darkest secrets. You are not getting involved. No way."

"But, Mike…"

"No, damn it. Toscano doesn’t play by the rules. He’s certifiable. And you…"

"And me, what?"

"Never mind. Just drop it."

Mike headed for the bathroom as Jill got out of bed. "I won’t drop it, Mike and not because of Nicole. Because of you."

He turned around and faced her. "I’m dealing with it."

"Right. That’s why you woke up in a cold sweat because you’re dealing with it?"

Mike closed his eyes. Opening them, he said, "I’m not going to fight with you on this. The subject is closed!"

Before Jill could say anything, Mike entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Damn," Jill muttered. She hated it when Mike shut her out of any aspect of his life. After all, she wasn’t a child and it drove her crazy when he treated her like one.

Pulling on her bathrobe, she left the bedroom as the doorbell rang. Going to the door, she open the door and was surprised to see a deliveryman standing there.

"Can I help you?" she asked, as Toscano started at her.

"Special delivery for Mrs. Danko."

"That would be me," Jill said, as he handed her a long white box.

"Than these are for you, dear lady. Enjoy them in good health."

Before Jill could say anything Toscano walked toward the elevators. As she closed the door, she thought that he was the strangest deliveryman she had ever seen.

Going to the counter, Jill opened the box and was surprised to see a dozen long-stem black roses. She took one out as she searched for a not from the person who sent them.

Once she found it, Jill pulled it out and began to read it as Mike came out of the bedroom, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

When he saw the rose still in Jill’s hand, he said, "Secret admirer?"

Jill ignored him as she read, ‘To my beautiful Angel, Soon we will be together forever. T.’

"Jill? I asked you a question."

"I know and yes they are from an admirer," Jill replied, throwing the flower and the note back into the box. "A sick and twisted one."

Picking up the box, she opened a cabinet beneath the sink and tossed it in. "I hope you left me some hot water."

As she started to move by him, Mike said, "Are you going to explain that or what?"

"What’s to explain?" Jill asked. "You have your nutcase and I have mine. I guess we both have problems."

"Damn it, Jill this isn’t funny! How long has this been going on?"

"Mike, I’ll make a deal with you. You talk to me about yours and I’ll talk to you about mine. Until then, you deal with Toscano and I’ll handle my ‘savior’."

"Your what?"

"He claims he’s my savior. Look, Mike to quote you, I’m not going to fight with you on this. I’m going to take a shower."

Mike ran a hand over his face. This was getting old real fast. "Jill, we have to talk about this."

Jill folded her arms and said, "Fine. You go first."

"Not about Toscano. About…"

"No. In case you haven’t noticed, Danko, I’m a big girl and I don’t need you protecting me all the time."

"Damn it, Jill, I don’t need this right now! I can’t take on Toscano and worry about you…"

"Did I ask you to worry about me?"

"I worry about you every time you walk out that door!"

"Don’t! I can handle a few phone calls! What I can’t handle is you shutting me out! Until you let me in, we have nothing to talk about!"

"Toscano is a certifiable crazy! You don’t need to know what he does to those girls! There is no sane reason why he even killed them! So don’t expect me to talk about it! Especially to you! The subject is closed!"

"Fine! Don’t talk to me! I don’t give a damn! Just talk to someone!"

As Jill started to walk away, Mike said, "I love you, Jill."

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to look at him and waited. Mike ran a hand over his face.

Finally, he said, "Want to know why I woke up this morning in a cold sweat? What my nightmare was about?"

Mike sat at the counter. He won’t talk about what Toscano did to get his kicks but he did owe Jill the truth about the dream that he had awaken up from. The dream that as long as he lived, he never wanted to have again.

When Jill didn’t say anything, Mike said, "It wasn’t the victims I saw in my dream. It was you. Baby, this is hitting way to close to home. Two nurses are dead. You knew one of them. It could have been you, Jill, instead of your friend. Do you know what that does to me just thinking about that?"

Jill went to the counter and sat down next to him. Taking his hand, she said, "It wasn’t me, Mike. I’m safe and I’m going to stay that way."

"I know that, baby, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about you. I especially don’t like the fact that some creep sent you a dozen roses. And how many phone calls did you really get anyway?"

"Just one so far. Yesterday at the hospital." Jill suddenly stopped talking as Mike watched her.

"What, babe?"

"There’s something…" Jill shook her head. What ever was pricking at the back of her mind was gone. "I’m sorry, Mike. I guess it was nothing."

"You sure?"

Jill smiled at him. "I’m sure."

"What did he say to you? Do you remember?"

"Nothing really. Except to say that he’s my savior. And that he’s going to take away all my fears. Oh, and he called me the Chosen One. Whatever that means."

Mike shook his head. "Your savior. Just what does he think he’s saving you from?"

"Beats me. I told him I already had one, but he didn’t seem impressed. Mike, he doesn’t scare me. It’s just creepy, that’s all."

"If you were scared, would you tell me?"

Jill thought about it. Yes, she would have told him under ordinary circumstances, but these were far from ordinary.

"Probably not," she said, honestly. "How do you expect to take on Toscano and protect me at the same time. Not to mention keeping yourself safe while patrolling the streets. You’re not superman."

Mike grinned. "Yeah, I guess you’re right. Look, I don’t have to take Toscano’s calls. He has nothing to say that I need to hear."

"But you would never forgive yourself if you walked away from this. I know you, Mike, you would always be wondering if some how you could’ve stopped him."

"I could drop this whole nightmare in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe."

"As long as I’m with you, in your life, I am safe." Jill reached out and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, "It’s you I’m worried about. What happened with Nicole, I don’t care what Toscano said, her death wasn’t your fault."

"It’s not just Nicole, baby, it’s this whole situation. I knew there was something wrong with him, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. If I hadn’t turned my back on him…"

"Mike, you’re a cop. Not a mind reader. You couldn’t have known."

"I should have. Jill, what if he calls and you answer the telephone? Can you honestly tell me you can handle his garbage?"

"No, but it’s now me he talks to."

"I know, but, babe, you fit…I just don’t want him eyeing you next."

"If he does, you’ll be the first to know. Listen, Mike, if I promise not to go any where alone, will you stop worrying about me?"

"I can’t promise you that, baby." Mike stood up and pulled her into his arms. "I love you too much to stop."

An hour later, Mike entered the briefing room while Ryker was saying, "Toscano is wanted for suspicion of murder. Consider him armed and dangerous. You see him, do not try to apprehend him yourself. Call for back up and stay back.

"That’s it, check your pin maps. Dismissed."

Mike rose to his feet as Terry, Chris and Ryker approached him.

"Glad to see you made it, Danko," Ryker said.

"Sorry, sir. Something came up and I had to fix it."

"That something going to happen again?"

"No, sir."

"Fine. I want to see you before you leave for patrol."

"Yes, sir."

After Ryker left, Terry said, "That something wouldn’t have anything to do with World War III erupting in your apartment this morning would it?"

"Yeah, it would. Jill wanted to talk to me about Toscano. That was a closed subject. Until I found out she has her own nut case."

"You’re kidding?"

Mike folded his arms across his chest. "I wish I was. I have to admit, though she’s handling hers a lot better than I’m handling Toscano."

"Is he hassling her?" Chris asked.

"So far she has received a dozen black roses and one phone call at the hospital. By the way, he calls himself her savior."

Terry and Chris exchanged amused looks. "Her savior?" Chris asked. "What is he saving her from? You?"

"Who knows? All I do know is, she wouldn’t have told me if I hadn’t seen the flowers."

"Speaking of Toscano," Terry said, "Ryker told us you’re on the receiving end of his psychosis."

"Is that what he’s calling it now?"

"Hey, man, it’s mixed company. He had to watch his language. Anyway, the point is, Taggert got the autopsy report back. Nicole died of a heart attack just prior to the multiple stab wounds and beating she took. The departmental shrink thinks that when he learned she was dead, he just went off on her. Pure rage."

Mike ran a hand through his hair. "That’s just great. I’ve got a real winner on my hands."

"We sure don’t envy you," Chris said.

"I bet. Was she…"

"Danko," Ryker said, as he reappeared in the doorway, "When I said I want to see you before you leave, that doesn’t mean when you feel like it."

Mike grimaced. "Yes, sir. I’m coming."

"Good luck," Terry said.

"Thanks."

Mike followed Ryker to his office where Taggert was waiting for them.

"Have a seat, Danko," Ryker ordered. "Taggert wants to fill you in."

"Don’t do me any favors," Mike replied, as he sat down.

"I understand, Mike, but as long as Toscano is calling you, you should know what kind of person we’re dealing with."

"I already know. What I don’t know is why he picked me. It’s not like I asked for it."

"I’ve spoken to a F.B.I. profiler and he never heard of any case where the same killer changes his mo as often as Toscano does. The only thing that ties these three killings together is the age and hair color. However, since two of the victims were nurses, chances are that’s who he’s going to continue to go after until he’s caught."

"I figured as much," Mike said. "I’m having a hard time with that."

"Why?"

"Because they all remind me of my wife. Speaking of which, she’s got her own nut job to deal with, but I don’t need to go into that now."

"Danko, I want to put a tap on your telephone. When he calls again, hopefully we’ll be able to trace it and pick him up. Can you keep him talking long enough?"

"I don’t know. Maybe. Serge, he called the night of the second murder. At the time I didn’t get what he was trying to tell me. He said he was going to do it again."

"He didn’t elaborate?"

"No. Last night he was pissed off that I wasn’t home when he called. As if I don’t have a life. The point I’m trying to make is, he calls whenever he feels like it. I can’t pinpoint when. As far as keeping him talking, I’m gonna have to follow his lead."

"What ever you can do, Mike, I would appreciate it. Especially if it helps catch this guy."

"Why can’t you find him? It’s not like he’s a ghost or something. What does he do? Melt into the walls?"

"Apparently he does just that. Danko, if you can get him to talk for two minutes, that would be enough to nail him."

"I can ask him why he’s doing this. That should take all the time you need. He likes to brag."

"Try anything. I’m running out of options. I haven’t gotten any calls from the public on this guy and that alone is unusual. It’s almost like this guy does exist. Except you’ve seen him."

"Yeah," Mike said, sarcastically, "lucky me. I should’ve called in sick. Anything back on from the Army?"

"Not yet," Ryker replied. "You know how it is. Too busy playing war games to deal with us little people in law enforcement."

Mike couldn’t help but grin at that. "Maybe we’ll get lucky tonight."

"I’ll keep my fingers crossed," Taggert said. "I’ll let you know when we’ll set up the tap."

Mike rose to his feet. "I can’t promise you anything on that, sir, but I’ll do my best."

"That’s all I ask."

After Mike left, Taggert looked at Ryker. "He seems to be handling this better than I expected."

"I know," Ryker said, with a frown. "And that’s what worries me."

Later that afternoon at Memorial Hospital, Jill was getting ready to leave for home when she was paged for a telephone call.

Going over to the nurses’ station, she picked up the receiver and said, "This is Mrs. Danko. Can I help you?"

"Hello, my angel," Toscano said. "Did you like my flowers?"

Jill rolled her eyes. "I loved them so much, they ended up in the garbage. What do you want?"

"You, Jill. I want you. There is so much I can teach you. I promise, you’ll welcome every minute."

"I doubt that. Go to hell."

Jill slammed the receiver down and headed for the locker room. She had to get out of the hospital.

Opening her locker she took out her purse and tossed her cap inside. Slamming it closed, she left the locker room and was relieved to see Mike stepping out of the elevator and make his way toward her.

Just then the telephone on the nurses’ desk rang. A young blond picked it up as Mike reached Jill and pulled her close.

"3^rd floor nurses…"

"I want to speak to Jill Danko," Toscano snapped.

"Hold on, a second." The nurse covered the mouthpiece with her hand and turned to Jill. "Jill, some rude jerk wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I’m not here," Jill said.

"Okay." Turning back to the receiver, the nurse said, "I’m sorry, but Jill isn’t here. She’s left for the day."

"Don’t lie to me!" Toscano roared. "I know she’s there. I saw her old man come in! Now, put the bitch telephone!"

When Mike saw the look in the nurse’s eyes, he said, going into cop mode, "What’s wrong?"

"It’s this jerk on the phone," Alexandra Casey replied, not knowing whether to curse him out or slam the phone down. "He’s pissed off because Jill won’t talk to him. He knows you’re still here, Jill. He said he saw Mike enter the hospital."

"Alex," Mike said, "keep him talking. Jill stay put. I’ll be right back."

"Be careful," Jill said, as he raced to the stairs.

Alex turned back to the receiver. "Unless you calm down, pal, there’s no way I’m going to waste my time to find her. She obviously doesn’t want…"

"Put that bitch on or you’ll live to regret it!"

"Kiss my bare butt, jerk. Tell you what. Why don’t you explain to Officer Mike Danko why you’re calling his wife a bitch."

"You sent him to me? It’s too soon, damn it! You’ll pay bitch! You’ll pay big time!"

Before Alex could reply, Toscano hung up and fan for the entrance as Mike came out of the stairwell.

All Mike could see was the back of a man’s head as he ran for the exit of the hospital. By the time he made it to the doors, the man was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn," Mike muttered, as he headed back inside.

Back up stairs, Alex was looking at Jill who just shrugged.

"That creep doesn’t like you very much, right now," she said.

"Good," Jill replied. "Maybe now he’ll leave me alone."

"Don’t count on it."

Before Jill could reply, Mike was heading back towards her.

"I lost him," Mike said, as he approached the two women. "He ran out of the stairwell. By the time I got to the parking lot, he was gone."

"Well," Alex said, "he’s lucky. What a creep."

"What did he say to you?" Mike asked.

"Said if I didn’t put Jill on the telephone, I’d live to regret it. Then when I told him you were on your way down, he said something really strange."

"What?"

"I quote, ‘You sent him to me? It’s too soon. You’ll pay, bitch. You’ll pay big time.’ Unquote."

Mike looked at Jill, worry clearly evident in his eyes. "Tell me that’s not your savior," he said.

"Your what?" Alex asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"He was," Jill said, trying to stay calm. "I have a feeling he doesn’t want to save me any more."

Mike pulled her into his arms and wasn’t surprised to feel her trembling as she held onto him.

"Well," Alex said, picking up her handbag, "if you two don’t mind, I’m outta here."

After she walked away, Jill looked at Mike and said, "I’m sorry. You really don’t need this right now, do you?"

"No, but I’ll learn to deal with it," Mike replied, as he brushed some hair from her eyes. "How about you? You okay?"

"I’m fine. I guess I shouldn’t have told him to go to hell."

Mike grinned at her. "You said that?"

"Yeah. And hung up on him. I guess he didn’t like that either."

"Good for you. You ready to go home?"

"More than ready."

"Then let’s get outta here."

A half an hour later, the Danko’s were entering their apartment as the telephone started to ring.

"I’m really beginning to hate that noise," Jill said, making a face at the instrument.

"Tell me about it." Mike reached for the receiver. "Go change. I’m going to take you out to dinner. You look like you can use a break."

Jill kissed him. "Just us?"

"Just us."

As she walked away, Mike picked up the receiver and said, "Hello?"

"I’ve got another one, Danko," Toscano said. "This time, I’m gonna get it right."

"Wait a minute…"

"Sorry, Danko. Can’t wait. You’ll find her in the park tomorrow."

Toscano hung up and headed back to the bar where his next victim was waiting.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

Alexandra Casey turned and flashed a smile at him, not realizing it was going to be the last night of her life.

"Sure," she said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Toscano reached for her hand as he thought, I never did a blond before. You deserve everything I give you for standing between my angel and me. You’ll be screaming in pain, bitch, but not as much as Jill will. She betrayed me. And soon, I’ll pay her back.

"Is something wrong?" Alex asked.

Toscano blinked. Slowly he smiled. "No, precious. Nothing’s wrong. In fact, I can’t wait for our games to begin. Can you?"

Alex smiled back. "I always loved games."

"Well, you’ll love mine. I promise."

The next day, Mike was in the locker room when Chris and Ryker walked in.

"Danko," Ryker said, "just the man I was looking for. We got the autopsies back on all our victims and we now have a motive."

"Rape?" Mike guessed.

"Yeah. All of them."

Mike ran a hand through his hair. "What about the last girl he told me about? Did you find her?"

"Yeah. This time, she was a blond as well as a nurse. Alexandra Casey."

Mike froze in the act of putting on his gun belt, his heart in his throat.

"Who?"

"Alexandra Casey," Ryker replied. "Don’t tell me. Jill knew her too."

Mike sat down on the bench and looked down at the floor. "We both did. In fact, she was on the receiving end of a conversation with Jill’s ‘savior’, who by the way isn’t her savior anymore. Damn, Jill’s gonna freak." Looking up at Ryker, he asked, "Was Alex…"

"Raped and stabbed. Danko, if you want some time off…"

Mike got to his feet and slammed his locker closed. "No. I can handle this, Lieutenant. Besides, if I stay home, I’ll go nuts."

"All right. You ride with Owens today. If you change…"

"I won’t. See you in briefing, sir."

After Mike left, Ryker turned to Chris and said, "I want you to keep an eye on him, Owens. If you think for one second he’s losing it, you high tail it back here."

"I will, sir. Lieutenant, how much more do you think he can take?"

"I don’t know, Owens, but from the look of things, it won’t be much longer before he cracks and I want him inside when it happens."

"Understood, sir."

Meanwhile, knowing Jill was at the hospital and Mike at the precinct, Toscano entered the apartment.

Reaching inside his pocket he took out a thick envelope and tossed it on the counter.

He was about to leave when he suddenly changed his mind. Toscano wanted to see how the Danko’s lived.

Entering the living room, he saw a picture of the Danko’s and picked it up. Tracing Jill’s face, he thought, So very pretty. Too bad you’re going to die. I had so much hope for us, angel, but you destroyed it. Now, it’s my turn to destroy you. Soon, you will know what hell really is.

Replacing the photograph, he headed for the bedroom. Seeing his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he headed inside.

Spotting a tube of lipstick he picked it up and, feeling inspirational, he wrote on the mirror, ‘DIE BITCH’.

Replacing the top, he turned on his heel, left the bathroom and headed for the front door. He glanced once more around the apartment and said, "Sweet dreams, Jill. Give Danko my best."

***
 

Return to Part Two        Continue to Part Four