Free No Ordinary Killer by Rita Karnopp

finding happiness in the arms of another woman.”
    “You be careful, this isn’t a game.”
    “The one thing I do know, Captain, is that this isn’t
a game. She’s not the type to sit back and watch Cooper make a fool of her.
This may not be about sex … but it is about control. If nothing else, we’ll
frustrate and complicate her life … she’s bound to make a mistake. Like I said
before, we find Megan Reynolds’ lover and we find the informant and the killer.”
    “She won’t be easy.”
    “Then let’s complicate things more.”
    “What do you have in mind?”
    Dallas rubbed her arm while thinking through a
plan. “Let’s send Art Bicsak to distract her. He’s handsome, worldly and comes
from money. All the attributes Megan Reynolds admires. Art can be seductive and
convincing … believe me he’s tried a time or two with me. Tried is the key word
there, Captain.” His chuckle encouraged her to continue.
    “He’s single and loves a good chase. He’s new, not
from around here. I think this might work.”
    “Interesting suggestion. Let’s give it some thought.
I’m not sure we want to get him involved.”
    “We need to figure this out … and soon. Megan’s book
describes three murders. I don’t want to be responsible for another death,
Captain.”
    “Vilas.”
    “What?”
    “My first name is Vilas.”
    “I’ve never heard of it before. What nationality?”
    “Polish. My father’s parents were from Poland; his father from Warsaw and mother from Polzen. They didn’t
know a word of English when they landed at Ellis Island.
I never got a chance to meet them. They were buried before I was born. My folks
still speak Polish, I only learned the cuss words.”
    Dallas laughed. “Where do they live?”
    “Little town called Thorp, Wisconsin.
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of folks there that still speak Polish. They
still polka and Polish hop in the old ways. Farmers most of them. They work
hard and rarely complain. My brother, Anthony, still farms the homestead.”
    “You see him much?”
    “Actually we’re quite close. Since he’s tied down with
milking cows, heifers and the like, my family drives down every Memorial Day
weekend for a week visit. When we can, Molly and I fly down and spend
Thanksgiving with them. It gives us a chance to spend time with Molly’s family,
too, since they live in Stanley,
barely a ten minute drive away. I just hope this case is solved by the
holidays.”
    “You and me both. Family is important. I’m an only
child and my dad wants to control my life. We were so close when I was young.
My mother left us when I was three. When I decided I wanted to be in law
enforcement and not ranching, he disowned me. Won’t stand up to him … so I
actually lost both my parents. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the hurt. I
thought marrying Larry was the answer. Big surprise there. I still hope someday
I’ll find Mr. Right.”
    “You will, just be patient. Molly and I’ve been
married thirty-eight years now. Our Adam is thirty-one and Gail is
twenty-eight. I have three grandsons. I’m one lucky man.”
    “Yes you are, Vilas. You have any idea how Megan got
that information for her book?” She didn’t miss his hesitation or the way he
gripped the steering wheel. He knew something, but wasn’t talking yet. Did his
information incriminate Cooper, that’s why he was holding back?
    “Something is wrong and has been for a long time. I’ve
been trying to figure it out, but I’ve failed miserably. Maybe now, with you
and Bicsak here, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
    Dallas studied the man beside her. “Bottom of
what, Captain?’
    “I think you know.”
    “Know what? I don’t understand,” she rubbed her arm.
She hated it when people spoke in riddles. The straight, blunt truth was how
she liked it.
    “All I’ll say is start from the beginning.”
    “Beginning of what?”
    “The first murder and what it did for Cooper and
Josh’s careers. There’s