A little past noon, Morgan was driving to lunch. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. He felt his heart jump for joy the moment he saw Tamra was calling. That’s a new feeling, but a good one. I’ve fallen head over heels for Tam. 

“Hey, Babe. Is everything okay?”

“Of course. I just stopped home for lunch. I was wondering what you wanted for dinner tonight . . . “ Tamra suddenly stopped talking. 

“Tam? You still there?”

“Yeah, babe. Thought I heard a noise in the bedroom. Expectant mommy nerves, I guess.” She giggled. “So, checking the freezer tells me you basically have two choices. We have fish or chicke . . . what. . . the bedroom door just opened.”

“Tam, get out of there!” 

“What the hell are you doing in my home, Officer . . .” Click. Her phone went dead.  

“Tam? Tamra, are you still there?” Shit. Shit. Shit. Morgan was on Pike Street and only ten minutes away from her apartment. He made the drive in five.

Morgan climbed Tamra’s stairs, three at a time, and rushed to her door. It was unlocked. Once inside, he found a mess.  

A lamp was smashed on the tile floor near the door. The couch and end tables were over turned. Please no, not Tam! 

Farther in, the kitchen table was lying on its side. Then he heard it. Whimpering.  

Tamra was in the corner of the kitchen, curled up in a ball, crying. Morgan rushed over to her and helped the distraught woman to a kitchen chair that was still upright. She bore a bright blue circle around her right eye and the fingers on her left hand were crooked and purple. The injuries looked painful. 

“Who did this?” Morgan’s blood started to boil.  

“An-An-Anderson. He-he-he just left.” She tried to control her sobbing, while big wet tears ran freely down her cheeks. “He-he said he wanted y-y-you.”

“Where else are you hurt?” 

“He punched me in the face. Th-then he put my hand in the drawer and slammed it. Sa-said it was a message for you,” she cried. 

I’m gonna kill that bastard. 

“It’ okay, Tam. You’re safe now.” Morgan went and got the distressed woman a glass of water. “I need to know everything he said.”

Tamra took a long drink and continued, “Anderson said he would meet you at 303. He said you’d know exactly what he was talking about. He said if you didn’t come alone, your last whore would die. What was he talking about, Morgan?”

“Oh, shit.” Panic threatened to take him. Kelly!

“What did he mean, Morgan? What the hell’s going on? Is Brian Anderson the killer?”

The question is, who hates you enough to set you up? Doctor Parker’s words hit him hard, followed by Hutch’s ominous warning, Watch yourself. Anderson really hates you. 

“Oh my God, how did I miss it?” Morgan grimaced at his own stupidity.

“What’s going on, Morgan? I really don’t understand?” 

He gently placed a cold rag over her injured eye. “It looks like Anderson’s the killer. I don’t have time to explain everything right now. I have to go.”  

She looked anguished, her shoulders slumping. “Seriously? You’re leaving me like this?”

“Uniformed officers and an ambulance are already en route. I called them after we were disconnected. You can hear the sirens. They’re almost here.”

Morgan tenderly caressed her cheek, his anger simmering. “Go to the hospital and get yourself checked out. Make sure the baby is okay. But I have to go now, Tam, or another woman is going to die.”

“Okay. I understand. Just be careful.” She rubbed his smooth chin with her good hand and gave him a slight frown. “You know it’s a trap. Don’t let that creep get a jump on you.“

He hugged Tamra tightly and kissed her on the forehead, then hurried from the apartment. As Morgan drove away, he passed two cop cars and an ambulance that were running code as they arrived. Great.She’s in good hands. 

Morgan pushed the limits of the Dodge Charger, nearly losing control on a couple of hairpin turns. I have to get to Kelly. That sick bastard’s going to kill her. 

Morgan drove up on the grass and slid to a stop at the front door of Kelly’s apartment building. A light snow had started to fall, the first of the season, but Morgan didn’t notice in his anxiety driven fear. He raced from the Charger and into the entryway. 

Huffing and puffing, he reached the third-floor apartment in less than thirty seconds. Morgan went through the unlocked door, his Glock 9mm in hand.  

His eyes fell on the dining room table where the key gift for Kelly’s car still sat, unopened. Her birthday’s tomorrow.

When he came around the table, the scene that met him was horrific. Kelly lay on the kitchen floor, on her side facing him. Her mouth was covered in dried froth, with her dead eyes staring directly at him. A needle protruded from her upper butt cheek. Maybe there’s still a chance. He ran over to her in a panic. 

“Hands up, Harper. Looks like I’m going to be the super cop this time,” Anderson’s voice held a sneer. 

Stupid. Rookie mistake. I saw Kelly and got tunnel-vision. Never saw Anderson lurking in the adjacent living room. “It doesn’t have to go down like this, Brian.”

“You’re the only one going down, Morgan. Everyone is going to hear about how I took down the serial killer, Top Cop Morgan Harper. I won in the end.”  

“I can get you help, Brian.” Morgan couldn’t break his gaze from Kelly’s dead stare. She was wearing the snoopy sweatshirt he had bought her and Julieta’s bracelet. She’d never see twenty. A steely resolve overcame him. 

“Help? You're the one who needs help, although I think it’s a little too late for that now. I told you I would bury you.”

Crap, he’s going to shoot me! Morgan swung about as fast as he could, throwing himself to the floor. The room exploded with gunfire.

Character/Suspect List: 

Homicide Detective Morgan Harper - The heavily faulted main character who never recovered from the suicide of his wife.  

Tamra Burns- a crime scene technician who is Debra's identical twin.

Internal Affairs Officer Brian Anderson - Investigating Morgan Harper.

Homicide Detective Hutch Kelly - Morgan’s partner. 

Captain Howitz - Morgan’s boss who runs the Homicide Unit. 

Ronny Tate - Street cop who can't stand Morgan.

Darrin Belzar - Religious by-the-book street cop. 

Doctor Millison Parker - Morgan’s psychiatrist.

Mac Yung- Aggressive reporter. 

Ted 'Teddy' Norton - Morgan's old academy training officer. 

Steve Vance - Vicki's husband.

Kelly Pierson - reformed prostitute victim.

Paco Sanchez - A local pimp and street thug.

Hugo Chavez - Paco's thug/bodyguard.

Vicki Vance - An old friend of Morgan and Debra’s. Murdered in her bar by the killer. 

Beth Mackie - A murdered prostitute. 

Jennifer Collins - The first victim prostitute. 

Amy Henderson - The second victim prostitute.

Debra Harper - Morgan’s deceased wife who committed suicide.