Free Tomahawk by Erica Hale Page B

never know.  So what do I owe this pleasure Detective?"  I walked past him into the dining area.
    "There's been a murder."
    Shit.  "Really?  Anyone that I know?"
    "Matter of fact, yes--"
    "He's been with me."  Both of our heads turned to see Tonya in the doorway of the bedroom.  "Vic has been here. There's no way that he could’ve killed anyone."  Her voice was soft but strong as she came over to stand by my side.
    Smiling.  "I'm glad to see you up, Ms. Irvine.  I think that the both of you should take a seat."
    "I'd rather stand."  Tonya put her hand in mine and squeezed.
    Stone hunched his shoulders.  "We got a 911 call from a Mr. Battle's house. By the time that an officer made it to his residence, he had already passed."
    She put her hand over her mouth.  "My God."
    "We know that you were there Mr. Moore." 
    Tonya looked up at me. Stone put his hands up.  "And we know that you didn't kill him.  It was too messy for you and your line of work."  Stone sat at the table and stretched his legs out.  "I know that if you wanted him dead you and your people would have done it miles away.  What I don't know is why?  Why would anyone want a former pro athlete stabbed to death is my question?"
    "You’re the detective. You should be finding out," I said, glancing back at Tonya who was still in shock.
    "That is what I plan to do.  Mr. Moore could you please stay out of this.  I don't need any more bloodshed."
    "Well, I think you better start making a list," Special Agent Kinney said.
                               
    Hindsight was always 20/20, he thought. He watched Kinney dash into the hotel.  If he had known that most of the team and other added players were going to be here, he would have planned accordingly.  Oh well, he thought, tossing the used officer's clothes in the back seat of his SUV.
    This had been a long time in the making, but revenge is a dish best served cold, he had heard once before.
    In due time all of this would be over and he would be able to move on to his normal life.  Maybe get married have a few kids of his own. He was lying to himself and he knew it.  Killing was just a means to an end with him.  The football player, the officer, they were all just means to an end. He kept reminding himself.  These unlucky bastards were just practice for what he was going to do to Vic and his team.  The girl he felt compassion for, just a bit. 
    He had been watching her for days, learning her routine was just that--routine.  She would get off work, go home, and stay in for the night.  When forming his plan, he knew that she was going to be the first of many dominoes to fall in this game.  Simply killing her would get Victor's attention.  She wasn't worth the struggle he thought, just put the bomb on the car and watch the fireworks.  But he wanted more from her, wanted her to suffer like Lola had.  He wondered if Vic had told her about what he had done and the real reason that he dumped her.  It wasn't a driving factor. One way or the other, she was going to die.
    He shifted back in the car seat and kept an eye on the hotel entrance.  He knew that Fridays were the days that she would go to the store. The moment that she left for work, he broke into her home, like he had done on numerous occasions.  He didn’t see himself as a stalker or anything. He had to know his mark.  Victor would be proud.  After making a sandwich and drinking her last Crystal Lite, he trashed the place.  Being mindful of the speed limit, he took his time to the store.  It took him less than five minutes to find her car in the lot.  It was packed. People were clamoring to get the last of whatever they needed. And with the snow falling harder than it was before, he watched the girl stop pushing the cart and carry the bags in her arms. 
    Smirking as she slipped and skid across the lot, she high stepped in her dark blue galoshes.  She's cute, he thought.  This was the first time that