Author: Leslie Agostino (leslieago@netzero.net)
Title: INTO THE SHADOWS -- Part Nine
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 two men left Ryker’s office. Older met them and said, "The D.A. has the pictures and her lawyer’s waiting for you in room 2."
"Good. Let’s see which one loses their breakfast first," Ryker said. Turning to Mike, he said, "Would you like to do the honors?"
"You bet."
"The what are we waiting for?"
The officers entered the room where they found everyone either sitting or standing.
When Buck saw Mike’s black eye, the younger man said, "A nightmare."
The older cop nodded in understanding. His ex-wife was prone to them. He glared at the back of Galina’s head.
"Lieutenant," Lanie said, "I demand to know why I’ve been arrested. I did not kill those women."
"You didn’t stop him either," Ryker said, as he and Mike sat down. "Nor did you call us to report him. That makes you an accessory. You have also let him into your apartment after we specifically told you we wanted him brought in. That constitutes aiding and abetting. Did you think this was a joke? A game we concocted for your amusement?"
"No. Of course not, but…"
Ryker reached for the envelope as he said, taking the pictures out and tossing them in front of her. "Does that look like a game to you, Miss Galina? A week ago that mess were two women who loved life. Toscano destroyed that. Danko, would you like to explain to Miss Galina, who these two women were?"
"Gladly," Mike said. "They’re unrecognizable, but a week ago, two of these women were friends of my wife. One she went to nursing school with. She had closely worked with both of them. Both smart, compassionate, fun-loving women with futures. A third girl was a nursing student who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. As was the fourth girl. Just because she was a hooker doesn’t mean her life wasn’t worth something to someone. Your boyfriend took their lives for no reason except to feed his own sadistic ego. They all deserved better!"
"Look, I’m sorry…"
Mike pounded the table with his fist as he angrily stood up. "Sorry doesn’t cut it! You want to tell their families how sorry you are, go for it! Just don’t expect them to forgive you!
"You knew before the first girl was killed, what Toscano was going to do and you did nothing to stop him! You are as guilty for what he has done as he is! The two of you destroyed four families who will never get over this! Not to mention what the hell this is doing to my wife! Not only has she lost two friends to this sick son-of-a-bitch, but she’s next on his list! If you think, for one minute, her life is normal, think again! You could have ended all of this before it began! Instead you ran away! And that, lady, makes you guilty as hell! Where is he?"
Lanie stared at the pictures. Until now, she believed Nick when he said that he had nothing to do with the killings. She could not believe someone she had grown up with could be capable of such madness.
She looked across the table at Mike. He hated her, she could see that and Lanie couldn’t blame him. Right now, she hated herself, too.
"1092 Ventra Cove Road," she said. "That’s his new place."
"Is he there now?" Ryker asked, as the District Attorney picked up the phone that was already in the room and made a call to the judge who had issued the earlier warrant for Lanie’s apartment.
"I don’t know where he is," Lanie admitted. "I swear to God, I don’t know. He was gone when I woke up this morning.
"The judge just signed the warrant," the D.A. said, hanging up the phone. "He’s sending it out by messenger who was in the office waiting."
"What happens to my client now?" Galina’s attorney asked, speaking up for the first time.
"She’s going to be booked as an accessory to murder in the first degree. See you in court counselor."
The District Attorney headed out of the room followed by Ryker.
As Mike headed out, Lanie said, "Officer Danko?"
"What?"
"I’m sorry."
"Save it. Maybe Jill will forgive you, but I never will."
Mike left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ryker was waiting for him. "Let’s go get this bastard."
***
A half an hour later, Ryker, Mike, Taggert with his detectives and uniformed officers arrived at Toscano’s beachfront home.
Running to the front door as some officers ran for the back, Taggert, Ryker and Mike, guns drawn, pounded on the door.
"Police officers," Ryker said. "Search warrant."
When no one responded, Ryker nodded and Mike with all the force he could muster, not to mention the anger he was feeling, he easily kicked the door in.
The police rushed through as several others came in from the back door.
"He’s not here," one of the detectives said, after a quick room to room search.
"Okay," Ryker said. "Let’s do this right. Search and bag…"
"Lieutenant," Taggert said, from one of the rooms, "you better come and see this."
"You all know what to do," Ryker snapped. "Get started."
As the detectives and uniform officers got to work, Ryker and Mike went in search of Taggert.
They found him in room where the windows were painted black, not letting an inch of sunlight.
A pentagram had been painted on the wooden floor with black candles all around it.
Across from the three officers, was an alter similar to the ones seen in churches. Behind the alter, tacked and taped were pictures of Jill, most of which were taken at the hospital as she was coming and going.
"Christ Almighty," Mike said, feeling sick to his stomach.
"Jill didn’t know she was being photographed?"
"Didn’t have a clue. God, she’s gonna go nuts. Lieutenant, this goes way beyond Satanism."
"You’re right, Danko, it’s an obsession. The question is, how long has this been going on? I’m beginning to think it’s a lot longer than we ever knew about."
"Lieutenant, Serge," another voice called out. "We found the room where the killings took place."
The three officers left the first room and entered the next. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this was the room where at least three of the women may have been killed.
Taggert had been guessing that the first killing to place in Toscano’s car then dumped in the gutter where he claimed he found her.
Blood was every where. Handcuffs dangled from the bedpost to insure the women could not escape.
A knife, possibly used in the last two killings, was placed on a nightstands. The windows in this room were also painted black.
"It’s sound proof," a detective explained. "Not that he needed to bother. There isn’t another house for at least half a mile."
Ryker shook his head. In all the years on the force he never dealt with anyone like Toscano before and he hoped to hell he never will again. Not even Jack the Ripper was this nuts and he was crazy as a loon.
"I want this place and Galina’s apartment staked out round the clock," Ryker snapped. "As soon as anyone sees him, bring him down. I don’t care how hard, just make sure it goes by the book."
"What now, Lieutenant?" Mike asked, a bit discouraged.
"We go back and talk to Miss Galina. She has to know where he hangs out when he’s not trolling for victims."
"I know one place, but according to Terry, since he and Chris have been at the hospital, they haven’t seen him."
"Has he called?"
"Not that I know of. Yesterday, the only calls we got were at the apartment."
Ryker was thoughtful. "Did Toscano see Webster or Owens the night you met him?"
"I’m not sure. It was badly lit. Why?"
"Is it possible he knows they’re cops?"
"I don’t see how." Suddenly something dawned on him. "Lieutenant, I think I know where he’s hanging out. The diner across from the hospital. Yesterday, I took Jill there for lunch. Terry and Chris tagged along and I told them what was going on with Toscano. He could’ve been close enough to hear us, even though I didn’t see him."
"That’ll do it. Let’s go talk to the staff. Maybe somebody will remember him."
Mike followed Ryker out of the house. As they got into Mike’s unit, neither man saw Toscano watching them and the activity going on inside his house.
He could see time was running out. Something had happened for Satan to abandon him like this. The police never should have gotten this close.
"I have to take the control back," he muttered.
Suddenly, he realized there was only one person who could help him.
He ran back to his car, which he had hidden off the road, got in and headed for Memorial Hospital.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Jill was about to take a break when Chris and Terry approached her. She smiled at them.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," Terry replied. "Hear from Mike yet?"
"No. Is that a good sign?"
"I have no idea. What about Toscano?"
Jill shook her head. As far as she was concerned, she never wanted to hear from him again.
"Now that," Chris said, "is a good sign."
"I don’t know about that," Jill replied. "Can you guys take a break?"
She desperately needed to talk to someone and Terry and Chris were the next best thing to her husband with Ryker a close third.
Terry looked around nervously. "Is Attila the Hun around?"
Jill laughed. One of the senior nurses had been assigned to make sure Chris and Terry actually worked and she took her assignment very seriously. As long as the two officers were within shouting distance of Jill, they did everything orderlies were hired to do.
"She’s on lunch at the moment, so you safe," Jill replied.
"In that case, let’s go grab a cup of coffee."
Jill led the way to the break room where she poured everyone a cup of coffee.
Once they were seated, Jill said, "I don’t know if it’s a good thing not hearing from Toscano or a bad thing."
"What do you mean?" Terry asked, as he gratefully sipped the coffee.
"Well, when he calls I know he’s focused on me or Mike. When he doesn’t, it makes me wonder if maybe he found another woman to hunt down and…"
"Jill," Chris said, ‘you can’t let Toscano do this to you. It’ll eat you alive."
"Does Mike feel the same way?" Terry asked.
"I don’t know," Jill replied. "I know he feels guilty after every call. As if he should be able to reach through the telephone and knock him senseless. Lately, he gets off the phone feeling angry. I can see it in his eyes. Sometimes he’ll tell me what Toscano said, sometimes he tells me to drop it. It’s the same way with the ‘gift’ Toscano left me yesterday. Mike won’t tell me what was in it."
"Jill," Terry said, "you really, truly don’t want to know."
"Why? Because it’ll give me nightmares? News flash, Terry, I’m already having them in case you failed to notice."
Because of the design of the apartment building they all lived in, Terry’s bedroom is against the Danko’s bedroom. Needless to say, Terry hears everything that goes on, which leads to very interesting speculation. If anyone doubted the love the Mike and Jill had for each other, all they had to do was see Terry. He had no doubts. Sometimes, interrupted sleep, but no doubts.
"I noticed," Terry said. "At three o’clock this morning, I noticed big time."
Jill grimaced. "I’m sorry."
Terry waved away her apology. ‘Forget it, I’ll just wear ear plugs tonight. Heavy duty ones. If I don’t hear the alarm tomorrow, I’m blaming you."
"I’ll come in and pour cold water over your head," Chris quipped. "That’ll wake ya up."
"You do that and Ryker’s gonna need to find me a new partner ‘cause I’m gonna send ya to China with a huge footprint tattooed to your backside. That is if I don’t shoot you first. Don’t make me shoot you."
Jill was laughing. That was just what the doctor ordered. "You two are nuts. No wonder Mike drives by himself. You two would drive him crazy."
"Yeah, well at least we don’t have to drive Ryker around all day long," Terry said. "That would drive me crazy and since I’m half way there with this one, I don’t need the added grief."
Just then a nurse poled her head inside the room and said, "Jill, you have a phone call."
Jill stiffened. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Is it Mike?"
"I don’t know. Want me to find out?"
Remembering what had happened to Alex, Jill rose to her feet. "No, I’ll take it in here."
"Okay. He’s on line one."
Jill went to the wall phone, pushed a button and said, "This is Mrs. Danko. Can I help you?"
"They’re closing in on me, precious," Toscano said. "Only you can help stop them."
Terry and Chris were watching Jill. When they saw her clutch the receiver, Chris got up and said, "I’ll get a trace."
As he left, Terry mouthed the words ‘keep him talking’ to Jill and held up two fingers.
Jill nodded as she turned back to the receiver. "Why would I want to help you? I loath you for what you’re putting me and my husband through."
"You have to help me. You’re my only hope."
"And you’re a psycho who deserves everything you get. I wouldn’t help you if you were the last man on this planet. I would rather die first."
"You keep pushing this and you will. I swear it."
Suddenly Jill realized for the first time since this whole nightmare started that Toscano was running scared.
"You know something, Toscano," she said. "You really must be crazy if you think for one minute that I would do anything to help you. I’m not Galina. I don’t give a damn what happens to you. I hope they shoot you for every thing you have done. You don’t deserve anything less."
She looked back at Terry who signaled to keep him talking a while longer.
"Please, Jill," Toscano begged. "Call them off. I don’t want to kill you."
"No, you don’t want that," Jill said, sarcastically. "You just want to destroy my life, Mike’s life and anyone else who gets in your way. Well guess what? It’s over. I don’t fear you any more. See you in hell."
Jill slammed the receiver down. Looking at Terry, she said, "Was it long enough?"
"Let’s find out."
Terry and Jill left the break room and found Chris hanging up the phone on the nurse’s desk.
"Well?" Terry asked.
"He called from a pay phone down the street," Chris said. "Ryker, Mike and half the police department are practically on top of him. It should be over soon."
Jill wanted to believe what Chris was saying, but until she saw Toscano in handcuffs, she wasn’t going to celebrate yet. She looked at her two friends.
"Do you think we can see it from down stairs?" she asked.
Terry and Chris exchanged looks. They were armed so she would be well protected in case Toscano headed for the hospital.
"Why not," Terry said. "Just keep an eye out for Attila the Hun."
Jill smiled as she led the way to the elevators. When they reached the parking lot, they saw almost two dozen police cars and unmarked cars blocking off the entrance.
The uniformed officers and detectives were behind the doors, guns drawn aimed at a single person at a pay phone staring at them as if they were not there.
When Jill saw Mike and Ryker were among the officers, she was relieved. She knew he needed to be in on this as much as she needed to see it. Neither one could settle for anything less.
Ryker picked up a bullhorn and said, "Toscano, there’s no place for you to go. Throw down your weapon, kneel on the ground with your hands interlaced behind your head."
"Where’s Jill?" Toscano demanded. "She needs to be here."
"If you mean Mrs. Danko, she’s not going anywhere near you. Now, you have five seconds to comply."
Suddenly Toscano’s eyes fell on Jill. Slowly, he smiled and raised the hand that held the gun.
"Say bye-bye, my angel," he said, pulling the trigger.
As soon as Terry saw the raised gun aimed at Jill, he grabbed her around the waist as Chris pulled out his gun and opened fire. But not before Mike and half a dozen other police officers beat him to it. Terry dragged Jill down to the ground as the shots rang out.
When the smoke cleared, Toscano lay withering on the ground in pain. Slowly Jill and Terry stood up as he looked at her.
"We could’ve had it all," he said, as his body convulsed once and then lay still.
Mike got up from his position behind the door and when he saw Jill, he holstered his weapon and without a word, walked over to her and pulled her into his arms as she silently cried.
"It’s over, baby," he said, holding her tightly. "It’s finally over."
"Danko," Ryker said, approaching the couple, Terry and Chris, "take your wife home. I’ll speak with her supervisor. And take the rest of the week off."
With tears in his eyes, Mike swallowed, grateful Jill was safe. "Thank you, sir." Gently pulling away, he looked at Jill and said, "Let’s go home."
***
A few weeks later, the Danko’s pulled into a small parking lot at a beach. Mike turned off the engine and turned to face Jill.
"You sure you want to do this?" he asked.
She smiled at him. Finally Jill said, "I have to, Mike. If for no other reason than getting him out of my head."
"We can always find another beach."
"I know, but call me stubborn. I don’t want to. I want to take this one back."
Mike leaned in and kissed her. "You sure you don’t want me to go with you?"
"I’m sure. I have to do this on my own. To know for sure."
"Okay, but I won’t promise to sit here and wait for long."
Jill traced a line down his jaw and said, her eyes sparkling, "I don’t expect you to."
She got out of the car and started down the beach as Mike watched her. This was the last part of the nightmare Jill had experienced to overcome.
Her dreams had stopped as of the night before and the case against Galina was finished. She had pleaded no contest to all charges and was ordered to serve no less than one year and no more than five for her participation in aiding Toscano and his crimes. Once she got out of jail, Galina faced another year of probation before her slate was wiped clean.
Mike wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive her for what she had helped Toscano do, but he didn’t hate her any more. He felt sorry for her. Toscano was all she had left and now he was dead. That and the fact that she would have to live with the guilt was enough to make anyone feel sorry for her. Hopefully, someday she would be able to get beyond all of this and have as happy a life as he and Jill did.
Mike got out of the car and made his way to where Jill was standing at the water’s edge.
As he wrapped his arms around her waist, Mike kissed the side of her neck as he asked, "How you doin’?"
Jill leaned against him and closed her eyes, letting his scent wash over her.
Finally she turned to look at him. Seeing the tears in her eyes, Mike said, as he gently wiped them away, "What’s wrong, baby?"
Slowly, Jill smiled as she reached up and traced a line down his jaw line. "Nothing," she said. "For the first time in weeks, everything’s perfect."
"Yeah? Everything?"
"He lost, Mike. I don’t see him any more. All I see, when I close my eyes, is you."
Mike pulled her close and with tears of his own, he said, "Welcome back, baby. I sure missed you."
"I missed me, too. I don’t think I could’ve gone through this without you. Thank you."
He brushed the hair from her face. "For what?"
"For being patient with me. I know it’s been hard on you."
"Hey, I love you. You’ve gone through hell these last few weeks. I didn’t expect you to bounce back right away."
"To be honest, coming here had been the hardest part. I thought I would see Toscano behind every boulder and in every cave."
"And you don’t?"
"No. Not anymore. All I see is us. For me, now it’s finally over."
"I’m glad, babe. I know how much this beach meant to you. Can I ask you something?" When Jill nodded, Mike asked, "What would you have done if it didn’t work? If coming here still scared you?"
Jill thought about it. Finally, she said, "Look for a another beach I guess. One as secluded as this one. No matter what happened, I wasn’t about to let that creature rule my life. I’m glad I don’t have to. There’s just something about this place. I don’t know how to explain it."
Mike kissed her. "You don’t have to. I feel it too."
Jill looked at him. "Can we stay here for a little while longer?"
"Sure. We can stay as long as you want."
And that’s just what they did as Jill pulled Mike gently down on the sand and they watched the sunset and the sound of the surf wash over them.
THE END