Page 44 of Dark Angel
“If Ryder arrests him, I’ll call the DA and have him transported to county.” Beth rubbed her hands together. “It’s not safe to keep him in that tiny cell in Ryder’s office. Plus, he doesn’t have the manpower to watch him twenty-four/seven.”
Noticing the tremor that went through Beth when she stared at Rice, Styles nodded. “Call him now. We need Rice moved ASAP.” He tapped his earpiece. “Ryder, the suspect is in custody. You’ll need to arrest and Mirandize him before we transport him to Rattlesnake Creek. Beth is on the phone speaking to the DA to arrange transport to county, but that will take time.”
“Copy that. My jail will have to do for now.”Ryder let out a long breath. “We’ll escort the girl back to her parents, and you’d better follow close behind, but park some ways away from the house. I don’t figure he’ll be getting a good reception in town once the word gets out.”
That was the last thing that Styles needed. “Then let’s hope the word doesn’t get out.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Rice looked at Styles with a tragic look in his eyes. “I’m being accused of something I didn’t do. I’m innocent.”
“I’m sure when we test the contents of the flask you were offering the young girl, we’ll discover it’s the same concoction that you gave the other two you murdered.” Beth turned to Styles. “It’s all set. The wheels are in motion. There will be an arrest warrant waiting for us when we get back to Rattlesnake Creek.”
As Beth’s gaze slid over him, Styles swallowed hard. Her eyes had changed and he suddenly understood why Rice, a brutal serial killer, had been afraid of her. Anger simmered deep in her eyes, dark and dangerous. His expression must have registered his thoughts because the next second Beth shook her head like a wet dog. “You okay there, Agent Katz?”
“Yeah.” Beth shrugged nonchalantly and fell in step beside him as the trail widened. “My dad always told me I had the best death stare, bar none.”
Styles tugged the reluctant Rice onward. “Your father?” Was she speaking about the serial killer? He raised one eyebrow in question.
“I only had one dad, Styles.” Beth suddenly grinned at him. “Lucky for Rice here, I’m not like him.” She sucked in a breath. “I see the clearing. Can you handle him and hang back some so I can take Lucy out of the forest before you arrive? She doesn’t need to see this jerk again anytime soon.”
Under Styles’ grip, Rice tensed as if he honestly believed he could escape. “Yeah go. If he figures he’ll try and make a break for it, I’ll shoot him in the knee and then drag him back to the truck by his hair. After seeing what he did to those girls, my duty of care is running a little thin. In fact, I hope he does try to escape. All I need is an excuse.”
“Then let him go.” Beth turned around in front of him walking backward and a slow smile creased her lips. “But let me shoot out his knee. Your gun will split him in half and I want him to suffer for his crimes.”
“I’m not planning on running.” Rice looked from one to the other wild-eyed. “You two are nuts. I’m reporting you to the sheriff. Innocent until proven guilty, and I didn’t do anything.”
Styles chuckled. “You mean my good friend Sheriff Cash Ryder? Go right ahead.”
FORTY-FIVE
After delivering Lucy to her parents, and Ryder had explained matters to them, Beth and the team had driven in convoy to Rattlesnake Creek. She had driven Ryder’s truck and the two men escorted the prisoner. Normally she would have protested, but she’d been glad to be away from them for a time to settle the rushes of anger against Ainsley Rice. He turned out just like she expected, he’d be very dangerous if cornered, but when faced by heavily armed FBI agents, he disintegrated into Jell-O. The problem was that his addiction to raping and killing young girls would never change. If by some chance he slipped through the judicial system and was left to run the streets again, he’d kill and keep killing until somebody took him down.
Locked up in the sheriff’s holding cell, Rice was safe for a time and Beth had insisted they let him sweat awhile before questioning him. She’d walked out of the office and headed to Tommy Joe’s Bar and Grill to collect an order of takeout. After all, they had to feed the prisoner. Arriving back sometime later, she noticed an elderly gray-haired man sitting on a chair outside the holding cell bars. She nodded to the man, who stood at her arrival. “Agent Katz and you are…?”
“Jerry Blackwood, attorney at law.” He held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Agent Katz. I just need a few more minutes alone with my client before you question him.”
Pulling sandwiches and a can of soda from the bag she was carrying, she thrust them into Blackwood’s hands. “County is sending a chopper to collect your client. It’s going to be a long day. I suggest he eats something before we leave. We’ll be out to speak to him shortly.”
She headed for Ryder’s office and walked inside. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room and after dropping the bag on the table she went to the counter to pour a cup. Overhearing the plans for Rice’s transfer to county, she shook her head and looked at Styles. “Did I hear that right? County is sending two men to escort Rice and one of them is the pilot? Do they have some strange notion he won’t be able to escape? Trust me, that guy is as slippery as an eel.”
“Nope, I was planning on going with them with Ryder.” Styles peered into the bag and pulled out sandwiches. “Oh, and while you were out Wolfe dropped by for the flask Rice handed the girl. He flew here and will analyze it the moment he gets back to the lab. He said it smells the same as the residue he discovered in Haley Quinn’s stomach contents.”
Annoyed, Beth held up both hands as if stopping traffic. “Whoa, take a few steps back to the part where you said Ryder was going with you to escort the prisoner.”
“Is there a problem with that?” Styles took a bite out of the sandwich and chewed slowly.
Beth glared at him. “Has it slipped your mind that the Pied Piper killings are an FBI case? I’m coming with you to escort the prisoner.”
“If he is, as you say, as slippery as an eel, then Ryder would be the better choice.” Styles shrugged. “I have seniority over you and that’s my decision.”
Annoyance shivered through her and she lifted her chin in defiance. “Which one of us took down Rice?”
“Oh, give me a break.” Ryder stood and glared at them. “If you two don’t start getting along, all hell is going to break out around here.” He turned his attention to Styles. “I agree with Beth and I told you she wouldn’t like me stepping over her. I’ll stay here and do the paperwork.”
“The chopper from county will be here soon. It will be landing on the roof of the FBI building.” Styles stuffed the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and washed it down with coffee. “I’ll go and see if our prisoner is ready to talk.” He grabbed a statement book from the table and headed out the door.
Beth ignored the inquisitive look from Ryder and ate her egg salad sandwich slowly. When she had finished her coffee, Shawn, Ryder’s receptionist, poked her head around the door and informed her that Styles was waiting for her to begin the interview. She dropped her garbage in the bin and rinsed her cup before walking slowly back to the holding cell. It was a very unusual setup. As there was only one cell surrounded by bars and nowhere to interview a dangerous criminal, they all had to sit around outside. She wanted desperately to speak to Rice, but Styles took the lead.
“The fact that we found you in the forest with a young girl and a flask of drugged soda isn’t in dispute. Your intention was clear.” Styles stared at Rice through the bars. “Right now, you’re holding all the cards and it depends how you play them. Information you give us at this point might make the judge go easy on you when it comes to sentencing.”
