Cuffed & Collared Page 18

  “Jesus,” JoJo exclaimed from the bathroom. “For someone who looked washed out, this girl has a lot of make-up.”

  Regan rushed into the tiny room and stared at the broad array of tubes and bottles and brushes crammed onto a small wicker table. Everything clicked into place. “I’m a fucking moron!” she spat out. “They were right, the FBI profiler, my father, even Kyle, every fucking person was right all along, and I was so sure I was right, I didn’t even consider it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Shoving the underpants she was still holding at her partner, she pulled out her phone. “What was Molvado’s office number?” she mumbled as she did an internet search.

  JoJo held up the underwear. “So, she padded her booty? What am I missing?”

  “Mindy’s not here,” Regan explained without looking up from her phone.

  “I can see that.”

  “She was never here.” She shook her head. Finding the number, she dialed it. “I’m going to see if Molvado is still at her office. See if you can find a home number for her.”

  “Okay, but I still don’t get what you’re talking about here.”

  “Mindy’s dead. What’s left of her is probably moldering somewhere in Africa. She was likely dead when she sent that email to the aunt’s nursing home.” The phone rang and rang. Pick up! When no one did, she reluctantly ended the call. She looked at JoJo expectantly.

  “I’ve got a home number. You want me to call it?”

  “Yes. No. I’m going to go to Molvado’s office first and see if Mindy left anything there that will tell me where he’d take another victim. You stay here and keep searching.”

  “He?”

  On her way out of the room, Regan stopped and took the seconds needed to bring her partner up to speed. “The person we know as Mindy isn’t a woman. The padded bras and underwear, and the heavy foundation and other make-up that looks like stuff you’d see on RuPaul’s Drag Race tell me it’s a man dressed as a woman.”

  “Mindy’s transgender?”

  “No, not the real Mindy. Like I said, she’s probably dead. The guy pretending to be her stole her identity after he killed her, I bet. Then he sent the email to the nursing home to keep anyone from wondering what happened to her. The killer has been a man all along, but has a female identity.”

  “The Johnstone kid.” JoJo finally got it.

  “Again, that would be my guess. He killed his father, not some woman scorned, and I wonder if the old man had it coming, too. I’m no profiler, but the brutality of it and the sexual component spells abuse to me. Maybe the boy was born transgender or maybe his father fucked with his head so much he took on a female identity. Who the hell knows, but once apparently wasn’t enough. He developed a taste for killing and heads for the Peace Corps maybe looking for easier targets or just wants to lose his old self. Then he meets Mindy, an orphan for all intents and purposes, drops off the planet as himself, follows her to Africa, and well…” Regan made a gesture toward the room. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

  “I hope to God one of us does,” she called out as she ran through the living room. She was still putting the pieces to the whole thing together, but she was sure of one thing now.

  Kyle was in the hands of a serial killer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kyle didn’t want to open his eyes. The pounding in his head was enough to make him want to sink back into oblivion. It wasn’t the only thing hurting, either. His arms and legs ached, as did his back. He felt stiff all over but couldn’t quite remember why. A sharp, acrid smell hit his nostrils, making his eyes pop open.

  “Wakey, wakey, little boy. It’s time to play.”

  The cloying sweetness of the voice made him shudder, and as his vision cleared, the woman’s face came into focus.”

  His memory returned with a jolt, making him recoil, except there was nowhere for him to go. He was trussed up on some kind of wooden frame, arms and legs pulled tight with his front and back fully exposed. And he was naked. That was the least of his concerns, although the lascivious look on the woman’s face as she gazed at him made his skin crawl.

  Mindy, that was her name. Dr. Molvado’s mousy assistant. What was he doing with her? Oh, yeah, he’d been leaving his condo when she’d rushed up to him, speaking almost incoherently about how the doctor was crazy. Molvado was the serial killer and Mindy was scared to death, didn’t know what to do, begging for help.

  What an idiot he’d been, not even stopping to consider that it made no sense for Mindy to come to him for help. And when the woman had mentioned Regan was in danger, well that had killed all of his remaining brain cells. He’d simply reacted, shoving Mindy into his car in order to ride to Regan’s rescue.

  Then, nothing. His mind was a blank. Obviously, Mindy had done something to incapacitate him, drugs maybe. It would explain his aching head and dry mouth. But how had this wispy woman managed to get him trussed up as he was?

  As he pondered that question, he took stock of his surroundings. It was a nicely appointed dungeon, not unlike the room at Nemesis. Mindy stood with a sick smile on her face, dressed to the nines in Domme-wear. From the spider-web silver choker to the black bustier to the thigh-high boots, she looked much like the women at the club, although she lacked a certain something. He stared hard, trying to clear his head and his vision more, until he finally realized what was off about the woman.

  “You’re not a woman at all,” he croaked out.

  The open-palm slap made his head spin again. “Shut up! I didn’t give you permission to speak.” With a toss of her head, Mindy added, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m the realist woman you’ll ever meet and the last real woman you’ll ever know.” She said the last bit with a twisted smile.

  Kyle fought to get himself under control, fear threatening to cloud his judgment. This was the person who’d killed at least three men, including Jazz. He was next unless he held on long enough for Regan to find him. She would, too, he had every faith in her. He swallowed down the lump forming in his throat and steadied his breathing.

  “My apologies, Mistress.” He dropped his gaze in the most submissive way he knew how. Fingers brushed along his jaw, and he fought the shiver running through him. Up close, he could see those hands clearly and realized they were the give-away if anyone cared to look closely. They were too big for a woman.

  “Very prettily said,” Mindy cooed. “I could almost believe you mean it.” She strutted away. “Of course, by the time I’m done disciplining you, you will mean it. And you’ll see what other men have, that I am a woman, and I am in control.”

  She stopped in front of a low table covered with whips, canes, and paddles. Picking up a paddle about the right size for Ping-Pong, she whirled around and gave Kyle a coquettish look.

  “My father was the first man to see me for what I was, even though when I was young, I tried to hide my true nature. I was confused and ashamed because I had these awful boy parts. Papa wasn’t fooled, though. When Momma died, he told me he knew exactly what I was, and if I wanted to live under his roof acting like a girl, I could damn well take Momma’s place. At home he made me wear her clothes, keep his house, fix his meals, and sleep in his bed. Only when others were around did he treat me like the boy I really wasn’t. Nobody noticed how wrong that was.”

  Mindy’s expression morphed into one etched with pain. “Nobody noticed anything.”

  Knowing that so long as Mindy was talking, she wasn’t hurting him, Kyle interjected. “That was their mistake. People should have paid more attention and protected you from him. What he did was wrong.” It was easy enough to speak up, because, of course, he believed what he was saying. Kyle sympathized with the transgender child being abused by his father.

  Mindy’s gaze wandered to a spot beyond Kyle’s head. “Yes, they should have. I think maybe some of them did, but no one cared about me.” She laughed suddenly and almost man
iacally. “I showed him who was boss in the end.”

  The sympathy didn’t help the chill in Kyle when those eyes turned back to him and lit up with sadistic glee. “He made a mistake, you see. Sent me off to college when I got a scholarship. He didn’t like people thinking he wasn’t doing right by me. Made me come home most weekends so I could do his laundry and suck his cock. He didn’t even notice how strong I became, physically and mentally, until it was too late. Oh, how he begged and screamed, just like I used to. And just like he used to, I ignored it all and kept on going.”

  She sighed deeply. “The power was intoxicating. I tried to resist the temptation to do it again and just move on with the next phase of my life, the one where I could live like the woman I am. I even wanted to do good in world. Then I met that silly girl, Mindy, who didn’t deserve the life she had, the life I wanted. So I took it and made much better use of it.”

  She turned in little circles as she spoke, the paddle bouncing against her leg. “I wanted a doctor to help me make my transition fully. Molvado was supposed to be the best in helping strong women find their true self. She didn’t understand me, though. Not really. She was more interested in those weak men who came to her, and honestly, anyone could tell they needed a firmer hand than she was giving them by talking. Once I had them in my control, I just couldn’t resist feeling the power that comes from ultimate domination.” A blissful look crossed Mindy’s face that made Kyle sick.

  “You father was a bastard who got what he deserved, but you also killed innocent men,” he choked out. “My friend, Jazz, never hurt you or anyone. He didn’t deserve to be tortured to death.”

  Mindy scowled back, tapping the paddle against her leg. “Those pathetic creatures were begging for the kind of discipline I meted out.” She sauntered closer to Kyle. “They said they wanted pain, that they could handle pain. They knelt before me and kissed my feet before I tied them up and showed them what being dominated really means.”

  Without warning, Mindy swung the paddle into Kyle’s middle. The pain exploded across his skin and deep into his muscles. He doubled over as much as his bindings would allow and bit back the groan trying to get out. When he could catch his breath, he straightened up and glared back at his tormentor. He wanted to spit and snarl at her. It was hard to hold it all in. He had to, though, or the violence might escalate too fast and he’d die before Regan could find him. He lowered his gaze.

  A shudder ran through him when Mindy caressed his arm as she walked behind him. “You’re just like those other men. I can see it in your eyes. I wanted to take control of you the moment you stepped into the office. I know that you struggle with it. I checked Molvado’s notes on you. She didn’t realize I accessed her files on her patients until tonight. Stupid cow. She won’t be bothering us, though. I made sure of that. You’re very good at pretending to be submissive. I intend to test the limits of your act. We’ll see if you can handle what I have in store for you.”

  A puff of air hit the back of his neck before the blows rained down on his ass. Each hit drove him forward, his arms and legs pulling against the straps holding him in place. His eyes watered with the growing agony, and he tried to keep from crying out. He didn’t want to give his torturer the satisfaction.

  All through it, he kept thinking of Regan, his real mistress. She would come for him. He knew it. He had to hold on.

  ****

  Regan stood over the body of Dr. Molvado, cursing. The poor woman’s head had been bashed in with a heavy wooden clock she kept in her office. Mindy, no doubt, although why the killer would have taken out her boss was a mystery. Perhaps Molvado had figured out Mindy’s secret. As she called in the murder, she looked around, desperate for some piece of information that would lead her to where Mindy might have taken Kyle. She was convinced the killer had Kyle, because he still didn’t answer his mobile and his office was sure he wasn’t there.

  She spotted a purse open on the carpet not far from the body. Its contents were strewn about as if someone had gone through it. Kneeling down, she poked through the stuff to see what Mindy would have been looking for. She found Molvado’s wallet, some make-up, breath mints, tissues and some stray receipts. Nothing stood out…except there were no keys. She stuck her hand inside the purse to see if they were there and came up empty. A thought struck her. It was a long shot, but maybe.

  There was no time to wait for the crime scene people if she was right. She grabbed Molvado’s wallet and looked at her license, then bolted from the office. She called JoJo on the way.

  “What’s up?” her partner asked.

  “Molvado is dead, killed by Mindy I’m assuming. I think she took the doctor’s keys and went to her place.”

  “Why?”

  “Molvado gave off the Domme vibe, right?” When her partner murmured her assent, she continued. “So, it stands to reason she’d have a play room at her house. I’m betting Mindy took Kyle there so she could do her worst like she did with Foster.”

  Images of what Kyle might be going through at that moment sent a wave of nausea through her. She fought the rising sense of panic. If she didn’t keep her shit together, she’d be no good to Kyle.

  “We don’t know for sure she has him. I mean the others let her come inside and tie them up. Ramsey was a pretty big guy. How the hell could she get him to go anywhere with her unless they’re already involved?”

  Regan winced. “They’re not, because he and I are. And I don’t know how she did it. Maybe she tranqued him or something.”

  “Okay, I’m going skip the part where you said you’re involved with him and assume your gut is on point. What’s the address? I’ll meet you there.”

  Regan rattled off the information as she hopped into her car and once again hit the siren. Molvado’s house was in neighboring Brookline, and in a fairly upscale part of the town. It was a quick ride from downtown with people getting out of her way. When she was a few blocks from the location, she killed the siren but not the lights. If Mindy was in the house, she didn’t want to announce her arrival. There was no telling what the killer would do if cornered.

  It was a quiet area as she suspected and easy enough to find a place to park a block away from her destination. Checking her gun out of nervousness more than anything, she trotted down to the Molvado house. There were no lights on that she could see, but there was a car, a sporty BMW, parked in the driveway. She looked at the plate and took a moment to call it in. Her blood froze, and her heart lurched when she got confirmation that it was registered to Kyle. She texted the info to JoJo with the additional message she was going in with or without a warrant.

  She scooted around to the back of the house and picked the lock. She said a short prayer about the alarm not being on and opened the door. A quick glance to the side told her there was an alarm system, but it was off. Mindy must have ferreted the code out at some point yet hadn’t bothered to reset it. Of course not. She didn’t expect to be disturbed by anyone.

  Gun at the ready, Regan moved silently through the kitchen, ears straining for sounds. The house was silent, although she sensed she wasn’t alone. Foster’s playroom had been in the basement, so that is where she looked first. There was nothing in the lower level, though, except the usual crap. Racing back to the kitchen, she continued into the other rooms on the ground floor. Everything was dark and quiet and perfectly normal. Her heart beat painfully as she crept up the stairs to the second floor.

  It was equally dark and silent on the upper level until she gazed all the way down the hallway. At the far end, she saw light underneath a door. That was where Mindy had to have Kyle. Molvado had undoubtedly sound proofed it, and Regan hoped that meant any noise she made wouldn’t filter through, either. She wanted to bolt down and kick the door in. As hard as it was, though, she made herself go slowly and as silently as she could. She might only get one chance to bring Mindy down without hurting Kyle. Surprise was her best ally.

  The closer she got to the door, the more aware she became that some sound
was coming through. Laughter mingled with cries of pain. She clenched her teeth against the rising fury. Her hand shook just a little as she reached for the doorknob. She took a deep, steadying breath to control her movements before slowly twisting the knob. As soon as she felt the latch release, she shoved open the door with her gun up.

  The scene before her caused her to freeze. In the middle of the room, Kyle was spread eagled against a wooden frame, his body covered in welts and big red splotches. He’d been beaten within an inch of his life everywhere except his face. Johnstone in his Mindy persona stood in front of Kyle, a knife poised to slash Kyle’s chest. The killer’s head whipped around at the sound of Regan’s entrance.

  They stared at each other for a second before Mindy’s face twisted in rage. “You’ve spoiled everything, you cunt!”

  “Drop it, Mindy,” Regan ordered and stepped farther into the room.

  Instead of dropping the knife, Mindy raised it higher and swiveled back to Kyle. Regan didn’t hesitate. One shot and the would-be Domme went down, red blossoming under her arm.

  Regan raced over and kicked the knife away from the twitching Mindy. She was unconscious, but alive, at least for the moment. Keeping half an eye on her, Regan yanked out her phone and called for a couple of ambulances. She figured JoJo was close to arriving but didn’t want to wait on medical help coming for Kyle. When Mindy still didn’t stir, she turned her attention to Kyle.

  Oh, God, up close it was worse than she’d thought. How he was staying conscious was a mystery. Not only that, somehow he managed to give her a pained smile as she approached.

  “Knew you’d come,” he said in a hoarse voice. “Just had to…” A shudder racked his body. “Just had to hang on.”

  “Shh,” she admonished gently and reached to free one of his ankles, squatting down to do so. Given the locking mechanism, she had to holster her gun so she could use both hands. She glanced back at Mindy to confirm the perp was still out.