Vindication- Ties That Bind

by Patricia Kasdan

Shaking her head yes, she stepped past Travis and over to where her brother was saying "It's not my first rodeo."

  She watched as Evan’s eyes rolled back in his head as if he was trying to focus on her. His knees buckled under him and he slid down the column he was leaning against. He looked up at her, right before he passed out he said, “Krista, I didn’t do this, you have to believe me. I swear.”

  Krista pulled her eyes away from her brother and over to Travis. “Did what? What is he talking about? Where did all that blood come from? Are you sure none of it’s his?”

  Jeff hadn’t been cleared to enter the building and was standing outside the door when he heard Travis say, “Didn’t shoot him, he’s saying he didn’t shoot the VIC.”

  Krista had been so relieved to see her brother; she didn’t notice what appeared to be, at first sight, a black trash bag sticking out from behind the staircase. She narrowed her eyes so she could see better in the dimly lit room. A body lay crumpled on the cement floor, with eyes open that held the vacate stare of death. A pool of blood surrounded the body that looked to be run off from a hole in the chest. Still, she could not make out the face. As she leaned forward, her eyes widen at the sight. “Nelson, that’s Nelson Hendricks!”

  “It can’t be, you must be wrong,” Jeff yelled out as he pushed through the door, not letting the officer stationed there stop him. “That can’t be Nelson. He should be on his way to the airport.” Jeff hurried over to where Krista was standing and looked down. He was able to get a look at Nelson before the officer caught up with him and escorted him out of the building. The officer pushed him out the door, he shifted his body towards Evan and shot a look over his shoulder. “Evan, what did you do?”

  Turning towards Travis, Krista tilted her head, her brow furrowing and eyes squinting. Her damn headache was back. “Why are you down in Camden? What does the DEA have to do with any of this?”

  “We have been following a lead that an informant gave us about a drug ring operating down at the docks. We were about two blocks away when we heard the gunshots. The task force has been working with different informants for over a year. Our aim is to take down the organization that is funding the operation and involved with distribution.”

  “I heard about the Camden dock task force. I didn’t realize you were part of it. How’s it progressing?”

  “I can’t say much, but I will tell you that we are making headway, it’s just a matter of time.”

  “A matter of time?” Shifting gears, she blurted out, “What is taking the paramedics so long?”

  Krista was trying to pull her thoughts together and figure out what to do next when the paramedics arrived. Evan had come to and was escorted over to the ambulance and sat on a stretcher.

  She welcomed the clean smell of antiseptic, after breathing in the stale nasty odor of the abandoned building.

  When the paramedic had finished examining her brother, he jumped down and told the officer, “He’s not bleeding, it’s not his blood. He does have a nasty bump on his head. We had to administer Narcan, the heroin overdose drug, he was unresponsive and struggling to breathe when we arrived on scene and high as a kite. That’s what we sprayed into his nose.”

  Krista nodded her head, knowing all too well what Narcan was. “Are you releasing him into police custody?”

  “No, not at this time. You can’t take him now. He needs to see a doctor we're taking him to Virtua Camden Hospital for further treatment and observation.”

  Krista looked at Travis then to her brother and back to Travis again, her eyes pleading.

  “You know I can’t let you go with him, Krista,” Travis said as he walked over to her. “He’ll be all right. A uniform will follow the ambulance to the hospital.”

  Krista knew he was right, there were reasons for protocols, but it didn’t make her feel any better. “Fine, but I want to know what’s happening.”

  “I’ll make it a priority.” With that Travis yelled over to the closest uniform. “Jacobs, follow the ambulance to Virtua, collect his clothes before the hospital releases him, then take him down to the Federal Detention Center (FDC) and process him. Make sure we have all of the clothes he’s wearing. Bag them and send them to the lab.”

  Krista leaned into the ambulance and said, “Evan, don’t say a word. I will get an attorney to you as soon as I can, not one word Evan, promise me.” Evan stared at Krista, only shaking his head yes.

  She watched as Jacobs stepped into the back of the ambulance and handcuffed Evan to the stretcher as he read him his rights. “Evan Levell, you are under arrest for the murder of Nelson Hendricks, you have the right ….” Jumping down, he slammed the door shut.

  Krista's hand shot up to her face, covering her mouth as her stomach rolled in her body, nausea taking over her system. This can’t be happening, Evan, oh Evan. Not another scar on our family that I need to rectify. She saw Jeff peer through the ambulance door window at Evan shaking his head, “I’ll do it, I know who to call, I’ll get him an attorney,” he said as she watched him get into his car. She walked up to the window and he was rolling it down.

  “Krista, I don’t know what happened here today, but we are going to find out. I don’t see it going well for Evan. I overheard the officer saying Evan was passed out with the gun lying in his hand and his body splattered with blood. Not for nothing, but if it wasn’t his blood, it stands to reason that it was Nelson’s.”

  “I know; it doesn’t look good. He needs a good attorney, because he is innocent. I know that in my heart. Who are you going to call?”

  “Craig Doltz.”

  “Craig is a real estate attorney, not a criminal attorney. Evan needs a good criminal attorney.”

  “Doltz is both. He was a criminal attorney first, and when your father and I started investing in real estate, he stepped up and took care of all of our transactions.”

  “What? Why did you need a criminal attorney?”

  “You’re missing the point; he is a good criminal attorney, and that is precisely what Evan needs.”

  Krista’s brain hurt. She felt as if she was living someone else’s life. “You’re right. He needs an excellent attorney. If you and my father had faith in him, so will I.”

  “Good, I’m glad we are on the same page. I’ll call him and have him meet with Evan straight away.”

  “What are his fees? I need to get a retainer together. I’ll have to call Tom and Dana. Tell him to call me. I’ll make sure he gets paid.”

  “I told you I would take care of it, and I will. There is no need for you to worry about it. As I said, Doltz did work for your father and I and still works with me. He’ll take the case.”

  “Thank you Dyadya.”

  Jeff slightly nodded his head as he closed his window.

  He pulled away from the ambulance and headed towards the airport. This day just keeps getting better. Between finding Evan down at the building near the docks in Camden, Krista wanting to go and get him, having to get to California and now Nelson being shot dead, all evidence pointing towards Evan. He could not believe the events of this day. Could this day get any better? He felt like he was in someone else’s nightmare. Why the hell was the DEA at a murder scene? That’s all we need right now.

  He had told Krista after her parents died in the hit and run, that he would be around if they needed him, for her, Evan and Dana. He had no choice in the matter. He needed to stick close to keep her reined- in. He didn’t need her nosing around in company business. Krista had looked paler then normal to him. Her eyes were hollowed out in her fair complexion. Maybe a good thing, she wouldn’t be on her game.

  He put a call through to Craig Doltz’s office. His receptionist answered the phone.

  “I need to speak with Doltz.’

  “He’s in a meeting, shall I leave him a message?”

  “No, get him on the phone. I need to speak to him now.”

  When he picked up, Jeff said, “We got a problem, more like a hornet's nest. I need you to —”


  “Son of a bitch, now what?” Doltzs said.

  “Nelson’s dead, cops found him down by the docks on York Street.”

  “What? Dead? Nelson is Dead? Are you sure it was him?”

  “Yes, that’s what I said. Someone shot him dead.”

  “I thought you were sending him to California, in place of you. What happened? How is he dead?”

  “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what the hell he was doing down there in the first place. I bought the ticket, I called him and set everything up. He was supposed to be heading there now.

  Doltz couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew exactly what Hendrick’s was doing in Camden, and this was not the outcome he had imagined. “This is getting twisted.”

  “Yeah, and it gets even worse. The DEA is involved, and they arrested Evan Levell for the murder.”

  “The DEA, the DE fucking A. What the hell did he do to have the DEA involved?

  Doltz walked around his desk to his liquor stash, grabbing the scotch decanter he poured two fingers of scotch into a glass. He picked up the glass and slowly spun the amber liquid around the glass. “Let me get this right.” He placed the glass to his mouth, threw his head back, he downed it all. He set the glass down, reached for the bottle and poured another two fingers. “Hendricks is dead, Evan was arrested for his murder, the DEA is involved, and you’re not on a plane to California.” Doltz’s drained the glass and placed it on his desk. “Do I have the gist of it? So, you’re telling me, we’re fucked. What were you saying? You need me to do what?”

  “Relax, we can use this to our advantage. The cops took Evan down to Virtua Camden Outpatient Center because he overdosed. When he’s released, they'll escort him to Camden County Police Department for booking. I need you to get down there before he opens his mouth and incriminates himself or even worse.”

  “This project is becoming more of a pain in the ass than it’s worth. I need to finish up here. I have clients that I left in the conference room to take your call. I’ll get there as soon a possible.”

  “Try to make it fast, Krista told him to keep his mouth shut, but I don’t think he comprehended a single word she, or anyone else said, for that matter. The last thing we need is him talking.”

  “No Mitkin, the last thing we need is for you not to show up in California. I’ll get to Camden and Evan. You need to get to that meeting.”

  “I’m heading to the airport now.”

  6

  The Wait

  “Krista, you know, he won’t be arraigned until Monday, it’s too late today, he’ll have to sit over the weekend.”

  “I want to head to the hospital. Travis, I need to.”

  “They won’t let you in. You won't get near Evan. The police will have him surrounded. He has been arrested on suspicion of murder, not a traffic violation.”

  “I know what he’s was arrested for, I don’t need you to tell me.”

  “I only mean - just - a call would work just as well, and you wouldn't be as frustrated.”

  “With the HIPPA laws, they won’t tell me anything over the phone.”

  “They’ll tell me. He’s in the custody of the DEA, they’ll tell me. Worst case scenario, I can find out through Jacobs. I need coffee, how about you? There’s a diner not too far from here.”

  “I can’t, I need to get an attorney for Evan and figure out my next steps," she replied.

  “Just a cup of coffee, you need to take a breath. Besides Jeff said he was calling an attorney. Leave your car here, I’ll drive, and you can call Jeff - umm ah your uncle.”

  “Fine, but before we leave, call Jacobs and have him contact you as soon as he knows anything.”

  “I’ll do that now.”

  Travis opened the door to his midnight blue Mustang GTO, letting Krista in, as she pulled out her phone to call Jeff. He placed a call to Jacobs, instructing him to keep him in the loop. With that done, he started the car and took off. He waited until Krista completed her call, before commenting, “You look wiped out.”

  “Life just keeps getting more and more complicated," she answered, in close to a whisper. She clicked her seatbelt around herself and leaned her head against the headrest, closing her eyes. Travis turned the radio down and just let her be.

  Her eyes flew open as her body was jarred when the car hit a pothole pulling into the parking lot. The place looked like a typical hole-in-the-wall diner. “These places always have good coffee,” she said to herself out loud.

  Travis, thinking she was talking to him said, “They sure do.”

  When they stepped in, the door almost hit the counter. It had ten stools standing at attention, covered in a red polyurethane material. The counter was covered with a plastic laminate, a ribbon of scalloped metal surrounding it. To the right, there were five tables, each surrounded by four chairs, a perfect match to the counter. It was clean.

  “The smells remind me of the diner my Mother and Father would take us to on Saturday morning. My Father said that it was his favorite greasy spoon.”

  Walking over to sit at a table, Travis looked over at her. He saw the corners of her mouth pull up. The smile reaching her eyes. Just as the server gave them their menus his phone rang.

  “Jacobs.”

  “Evan seems to be doing okay. The doctor said he would release him into our custody within the hour. If anything changes, I’ll keep you updated.”

  Travis ended the call and relayed the message to Krista.

  The server came back to take their drink orders, saying she would give them a minute to decide what they wanted to order to eat.

  “Levell, you good?”

  “Yeah, as good as I can be. I was just thinking about my parents. As I said, we use to go to a place like this on Long Island every Saturday. It was my fathers favorite. Black and white photos covered the walls; From the looks of them, they were taken in the 50’s just like this one. Then there’s the smell of bacon and home fries that bring me back to a lot happier time in my life, before that summer. Between those memories and now with everything happen with Evan ——”

  The server stepped up to the table with coffee for Travis and Krista’s tea. As she placed Travis’s cup down in front of him, she bent over more than she needed to. Her already plunging neckline dipped even lower, giving him a bird's eye view of her cleavage. Krista’s tea water sloshed around the cup as she places it in front of her. With a tight smile pasted on her face, the server said, “Oops, sorry.”

  Travis asked Krista, “Are you ordering?”

  “No, you go ahead if you’re hungry.”

  He gave his order to the server, pancakes, and eggs with a side of sausage. She was so sweet to him; it would give anyone a toothache just listening to her talk.

  When the server turned and left the table, he said, “Oops, sorry," and laughed. He was surprised to see Krista genuinely smile, although it was only for a second, it still met her pretty blue eyes.

  “At least Jacobs got back to us right away. That should make you feel a bit better.”

  “It does, Evan’s in enough trouble without having to fight for his life on top of it all.”

  The server returned to the table with Travis’s food and a pot of coffee as she set it down she asked, “Would you like a refill on your coffee?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  As she walked away from the table, Travis saw her look over her shoulder and wink.

  “Always the ladies man.”

  Travis lifted his shoulders in a half shrug and smirked.

  “I need to get back to Manhattan and check in with Kane. I want to stay in the area until I figure this out.”

  “You think he’ll let you?”

  “Won’t know unless I ask.” He watched as she wrapped both hands around her cup of tea as if trying to warm herself from the cold wind whipping around outside. She was staring into the amber liquid when she said, “I wish tea leaves really could tell you the future because I need answers.”

  Travis laid his
fork on the side of his plate and finished chewing a mouthful of pancake, before he said, “If I had them, I’d be happy to share them with you. We need to wait it out and see what the attorney your friend hired, does with the evidence they have on Evan.”

  “Jeff said that Doltz is a criminal attorney, but he also worked for my father and him on the real estate deals they put together. Jeff, Jeff is more like family than a friend. He’ll do right by Evan.”

  “Mitkin, that’s his last name, right?”

  Krista looked up from her tea with a surprised look on her face. “Yes, it is. Why? Do you know him?”

  “Oh, nothing, I just thought I heard you mention him before.”

  “Probably, as I said, he’s more like family. We call him Dyadya, that’s Russian for the word uncle, remember.”

  “Mitkin, that is a Russian surname. It’s always good to have family around when life gets complicated.”

  “I would have never thought my life would be this complicated. Life sure can turn on a dime. My father’s life went from bad to amazing than to shit”. Krista’s body stilled, and her eyes appeared to be focused on her memories, as she stared at a spot somewhere over his shoulder.

  “Our parents were wonderful people, always upbeat and trusting. They did everything to let us know they loved us. My father, he had a rough childhood, his father - my grandfather his name was Nikolay. He used to beat my grandmother. Then one day he didn’t come home. My Nana Bev was a strong woman. My dad and my Nana Bev picked themselves off the ground and kept moving. My dad took good care of her up until the day she died. She was only sixty-one.”

  Travis let her sit with her memories for a minute before pulling her back to him.

  “Is your grandfather still alive?”

  “I don’t know, my father never knew what happened to him, or at least that’s what he told us. He did tell me about a scam he pulled once.” Krista inhaled, filling her lungs with air and exhaling slowly. “Sorry, I am in the middle of a pity party at the moment. I’m trying to make sense of everything. I don’t know why I’m blabbing on to you about all this.”