Cry For Help

by Wendy Dranfield

  She rolls her eyes at him. “I don’t need a pep talk, Nate. I know how to behave myself.”

  The main door opens and Mike walks in with his sunglasses on, presumably arriving for a new shift. He stops when he notices them, then removes his shades. “I told you I’d update you this morning. You didn’t have to come in.”

  Nate doesn’t like the look on his face. What’s he got to be unhappy about?

  Madison appears lost for words. She’s probably worried that Mike will realize they’re onto him.

  “We’re waiting to see if Douglas will let her talk to her son,” Nate says. “She’s desperate to see him again. I’m sure you can understand that?”

  Mike looks from him to Madison. “Of course. Let me see what’s going on.” He walks through to the back office, leaving them in the waiting area.

  Madison turns to Nate. “Shit! What if he does something to Owen?”

  “Keep your voice down.” He glances up. The male officer behind the desk is watching them. “Just stay calm. We don’t know who’s bent and who can be trusted at this point. All we can do is hope Douglas will listen to you and then take it from there.”

  She takes a deep breath. “I can’t believe Douglas is my best bet at this stage.” She laughs bitterly. “It just shows how desperate I am.”

  Detective Douglas appears. He holds the internal door open, indicating they should follow him.

  Madison shakes her head. “Can I have a quiet word here first?”

  Douglas sighs but joins them in the waiting area. “What is it?”

  “I have reason to believe we can’t trust Mike Bowers.”

  He raises his eyebrows but says nothing.

  “You’re just going to have to go with me on this one. I don’t want him present while we talk. Once you’ve heard what I have to say, you can make up your own mind.”

  Douglas looks at Nate. “I suppose you want to join us?”

  Nate smiles. “You suppose right.”

  The detective turns and leads them through the door and on to an interview room. Once inside, he closes the door behind him and tells them to sit down.

  Nate’s nerves kick in and his hands feel clammy. He has bad memories of police interview rooms, and this one smells like all the rest: of desperation. He looks at the camera high up on the wall in the corner. It’s pointing at them but he can’t tell if it’s recording. He has to resist the urge to flee the room, even though he’s not here to be questioned.

  “Is Owen still here?” asks Madison.

  “He is.” Douglas takes a seat opposite them. “Now, I called you earlier because I need to update you on some things.”

  Madison stretches her hands across the table like she can’t contain herself. “Before you start, can I please tell you what I suspect about Mike?”

  Nate thinks she’s pushing her luck. Douglas seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t appreciate being interrupted. But he leans back in his seat, throwing his hands in the air.

  “Sure. Why not? Let’s do this your way.”

  Madison ignores his frustration. She takes a deep breath and keeps her voice low, as if she’s afraid that Mike’s standing outside listening in. “I believe Wyatt McCoy killed Officer Ryan Levy and paid Mike to frame me for it.” She stops, waiting for his reaction.

  Nate stops breathing. He’s fascinated to see how Douglas reacts.

  Douglas raises his eyebrows. Taking a deep breath, he locks his hands behind his head. “Go on.”

  Madison seems surprised that he wants to listen. “I was at the McCoys’ place the night before last and Mike turned up looking sheepish, like he wasn’t happy I caught him there.”

  Douglas is difficult to read. “What were you doing at the McCoys’ place?”

  Madison explains patiently. “Angie’s my sister. Wyatt is Owen’s biological father. They took Owen in when I was convicted and changed his name. I was never told that. I had no idea where child services placed him. I only found out this week. I went to see Angie to ask about my son and whether she knew where he was. But that’s not important. Mike turned up and he seems to have some kind of relationship with them. I think he’s been working for Wyatt all along.”

  Douglas pulls a notepad and pen toward him. “What time did he show up?”

  “About seven thirty.”

  Douglas frowns. “He better not have been tipping them off that I’m trying to secure a search warrant for their premises.”

  “You’re searching their premises?” says Madison. “That’s great! You might find evidence that Wyatt killed Ryan.”

  “So you’re not blaming me for that anymore?”

  He’s so calm that Nate can’t tell whether he’s holding onto any animosity for that outburst.

  Madison looks exasperated. “Look, I’m sorry. I was wrong to say that and I don’t believe it now. I really think we need to focus on Mike and Wyatt for Ryan’s murder.”

  To his credit, Douglas lets it go. He must realize the gravity of what Madison’s alleging. “The fact that I’m going to search the McCoys’ ranch is not information I want out in the public domain, so keep it to yourself.”

  Madison leans back in her chair. Nate can tell she’s relieved he’s taking them seriously.

  They hear a cough through the wall and Madison looks at Nate, then at Douglas.

  “Who was that?”

  Douglas says, “Someone I’ve been interviewing.”

  Madison stands up. “Is it Owen? Is he on the other side of this wall?”

  Nate watches as Douglas slowly nods. “Yes.”

  61

  “You have to let me see him.” Madison reaches for the door.

  Douglas stands up, blocking her from getting out. “I need to update you on some things first.” He points to her seat. “Let’s finish this, then you can have five minutes with him. And then I can head to Gold Rock and search the McCoys’ place. I need to act quickly if they’ve been tipped off.”

  She turns to Nate, who’s giving her a sympathetic look. How is she supposed to wait, knowing her boy is just inches away from her? She sits down and rubs her sweaty hands on her jeans. Her stomach flutters with nerves and she worries she might throw up.

  Douglas clears his throat. “Owen tells me that he suspects Wyatt might have had Stephanie Garcia killed.”

  Madison gasps. She always suspected Stephanie died because of her, but she was clinging on to the hope that it might have been a random home invasion because she doesn’t know if she can live with the guilt. “Why does he think that?”

  “Because according to your son, the guy we’ve arrested for the murder works for Wyatt. And he’s under orders to kill Owen if he snitches on them.” He stops. “You okay to continue?”

  She nods and wipes away the tears that are falling down her cheeks. How could Wyatt order a hit on his own son? She feels Nate’s hand on her back. “I’m okay.”

  Douglas looks unsure, but he continues. “He thinks his dad was already mad at him for not wanting to stick around and work for the family business. Owen had plans to leave town as soon as he graduated, if not before. He wanted to study law at college. He wanted to take his girlfriend and get out of Lost Creek. In essence, he wanted to get away from the McCoys.”

  The tears don’t stop. Learning this about her son from the man who split them up is mind-boggling. Owen should be able to tell her these things himself, but she’s grateful for any nugget of information about him. And the thought that Nikki Jackson was there to comfort him when she wasn’t makes her feel sad that she’ll never meet her. She’ll never be able to thank Nikki for being a light in his life, however temporary.

  “Is there anything linking Wyatt to Nikki’s murder?” she asks.

  “Not that I’ve seen.”

  “Did you know Nikki was working for Stephanie?” She feels a need to solve Nikki’s murder even more now she knows Owen loved her.

  Douglas frowns. “I didn’t know that.”

  “I think Nikki witnessed some part o
f what happened to Stephanie. She must have been there, and perhaps she fled when she heard screaming. Perhaps the hit man threatened her or she got away before he saw her. She must have been terrified that he’d come for her next, and maybe she was right.”

  “So if Wyatt ordered the hit on Stephanie,” says Nate, “it stands to reason that he wanted Nikki silenced.”

  Madison shakes her head. “That poor girl. What evidence do you have that you can check for Wyatt’s fingerprints or DNA? Was she raped?”

  Douglas frowns. “No, she wasn’t raped. Why do you ask that?” He pauses, eventually putting two and two together. He leans forward. “Madison? Are you telling me Wyatt McCoy is a rapist?”

  She slowly nods and swallows back her fear. “I couldn’t report him. I was young. It was—”

  He stops her. “You don’t need to explain your reasons for not telling the police.”

  She looks him in the eye. She doesn’t know what to say, but she’s never seen this side of him before.

  “I think I know enough now to nail that son of a bitch for something. It sounds to me like the McCoys have a lot to answer for.” He closes his notepad. “I need to run this by Chief Sullivan and get his take on how to link all three deaths to Wyatt.”

  She feels her stomach flip and turns to Nate. “Oh my God. Is this real? Is Wyatt responsible for all three?” But that would mean all three deaths are also linked to her. Ryan was killed so she could be framed for murder, Stephanie was killed because she wouldn’t give up Madison’s location, and Nikki was killed because she worked for Stephanie and was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Madison doesn’t want to believe it.

  Nate’s shaking his head. “He needs taking down.”

  “I agree,” says Douglas. “Not a word about this to anyone or we risk them destroying evidence. Understood?”

  Madison stands. “Can I see Owen now?”

  “Yes. Follow me.”

  62

  When Madison opens the door to leave the interview room, she notices Richie Hope walking away. She considers calling after him to thank him for representing her son, but she doesn’t want anything to delay their reunion any longer. Shelley is standing outside the other interview room, and she gives Madison a reassuring nod. Then a look comes over her face to suggest she forgot to do something. She must be remembering Madison’s request for the name of the hit man. But it doesn’t matter now. They all suspect Wyatt was behind that.

  As Douglas dismisses Shelley from Owen’s door and leans in to open it, Madison feels like she’s on the verge of a heart attack. She’s never been so overwhelmed with so many different emotions at one time: fear, hope, anxiety, love. And it’s taking a toll on her.

  Nate has opted to stay behind in the other interview room in order to give her some privacy, and she’s grateful to him. She’s going to be a blubbering mess and could do without an audience.

  Before Douglas can open the door, a man walks up to them.

  “Detective?” He’s got a British accent, so this must be Alex. “I can’t find Detective Bowers so I thought you’d want to know: I’ve been scanning through the CCTV from the local gas stations and I’ve spotted something you’re going to want to see. It’s from the station after the turning for Fantasy World, as if you’re heading out of town to Gold Rock. It shows a white pickup truck driving away from the park after midnight with what appears to be one person in it.”

  Douglas looks at Madison. “You okay to go in alone?”

  She can’t even speak she’s so tense. She nods.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t leave the station before I return. And no running away with your son, okay?” A joke. He actually smiles at her.

  As Douglas and Shelley follow the British guy down the hall, listening to the latest developments in Nikki’s case, Madison touches the door handle, trying to build up the courage to open it. How is Owen going to react to seeing her? Does he even want to see her? She realizes she didn’t ask Douglas. She didn’t even ask if her son was well. Before her anxiety can get the better of her, she swings the door open and steps inside.

  She looks at the teenager sitting at the table. He glances up at her with weary eyes and she recognizes her ten-year-old son in this young adult’s face. She covers her own face with both hands as she’s overcome with tears.

  “Mom?”

  He rushes to her and wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. The first thing she notices is how tall he is; he’s taller than her now! And he’s strong. Eventually he lets go of her to grab some tissues from the table.

  She laughs through her tears when he gives them to her. “Thanks.” Once she’s wiped her face, she looks at him properly. He’s dressed in faded jeans and a navy T-shirt. His blond hair is in need of cutting and he’s tanned, probably from working outdoors at the park all summer. She suddenly finds herself mourning ten-year-old Owen. She’ll never get that little boy back, and although she knew that, being with the teenage version of Owen makes it hit home hard. “I can’t believe it’s you,” she whispers.

  “Me neither.”

  She grabs his hand and can feel it shaking, so she leads him to the table and chairs and they sit next to each other. She has to let go of young Owen and remember that this is still him. “How have you been?”

  He shrugs like a teenager. “Okay, I guess.”

  She laughs. “Really? You’re in a police station charged with murder!”

  He grins. “Yeah, but I’ve got my mom back.”

  She hugs him again, trying desperately to stop crying so she can form a coherent sentence. She has to accept that those last seven years are lost to her. But it’s hard, because it’s so unfair. She tries to focus on the here and now. There’s so much to tell him. So much to ask him.

  “I didn’t kill my girlfriend,” he says when she pulls away. “My prints are on the knife because I found her after she died and I panicked.”

  “I never suspected you did. And I need you to know that I didn’t kill Ryan.”

  “I never believed you did.” He laughs. “Why does trouble follow us, Mom?”

  She gets serious. “Because of who your father is.”

  He looks away and his face clouds over. “I can’t believe he’s my dad. What did you ever see in him?”

  She feels deeply ashamed that she inflicted Wyatt on him, even though it wasn’t her fault. “I didn’t see anything in him, Owen.” She struggles to find the words to tell him what really happened, and eventually changes the subject. They can discuss that another day. “Did they at least take care of you?”

  He nods. “They weren’t as bad as you’re probably imagining. Not until they realized I had no intention of living with them any longer than necessary.”

  She’s relieved. “You didn’t go without anything?”

  “Only you.”

  The tears start again, but she laughs through them. “Oh my God, you’re killing me!”

  “Poor choice of words,” he grins.

  He has her dark sense of humor. She smiles, thinking she could get used to this version of her boy. “Who chose the name Mason?”

  “I did. It’s only two letters away from your name. I liked how it sounded similar and I guess I thought it would be a clue for you if you ever came looking for me. It was stupid, I know. I was just a kid.” He reddens.

  She hadn’t made the connection, but she loves the way he thinks.

  “What was prison like?” he asks.

  “Worse than I expected. But don’t worry, you’re not going to end up there. Detective Douglas is going to search Wyatt’s place this morning. We think he’s responsible for the deaths of Ryan, Stephanie and Nikki.”

  He looks shocked. “Nikki too?”

  “We think she must have been at Steph’s the night she was killed. We think she saw what happened and who did it.” She can tell from his reaction that Nikki never confided in him. She must have been scared for her life.

  Owen shakes his head in disgust. “Is it because of
me?”

  Madison takes his hand. “No, Owen. Only Wyatt is responsible for his actions. And I’ll make sure he pays for everything he’s done. I know things about him that will see him put away for a long time, whether or not they find evidence he killed anyone. He’s not going to be able to hurt anyone else.”

  He doesn’t look at her. “Why didn’t Stephanie let me live with her? When I saw her around town, she would turn away. Angie said it was because I reminded her of you and of what you’d done.”

  Madison feels like her heart could break into a million pieces. Owen has had so much to deal with, and all without her. “Your father would have made sure she kept her distance. She never once told me you were living with them, and eventually she stopped visiting me in prison. I didn’t hear from her for years. You can’t blame Steph for anything. She was affected by all this too and she paid the ultimate price for knowing me.”

  He looks at her. “Hey. If I can’t think like that, neither can you. Deal?”

  She smiles. “Deal.”

  The door opens and they both look up. Douglas walks in with Nate behind him. Chief Sullivan follows, and all of a sudden Madison feels closed in.

  63

  Madison watches as Douglas holds up a bunch of papers. “I’ve got the search warrant and now an arrest warrant for both Angie and Wyatt. I’m heading there next.”

  She glances at Owen and can see fear in his eyes. Looking back at Douglas she asks, “What are you going to do about Mike?”

  “He’s left the station and he’s not answering his phone. Maybe he’s gone ahead of me to the McCoys’ place. Or maybe he figured out we’re onto him and he’s on the run. If he approaches you anywhere, call 911 and get away from him.”

  Chief Sullivan looks at her. “Do you really think Mike was working for Wyatt?”

  She hesitates. “If he’s got nothing to hide, why isn’t he here right now?”

  Sullivan nods. “If it’s true, this department owes you a massive apology.”