Honorable Death

by Linda S. Prather

A tangible silence came over the line before a long sigh. “I’ll see you soon then. Tell Charles I’ll stop by to see him tomorrow.”

  I slipped my phone back in my pocket. “We need to be going soon.”

  Dave patted the box. “What do we do with this? We can’t carry it out of here with that drone hovering overhead. And I have a bad feeling this place will get broken into in the next few days.”

  I slipped Yoshekita’s picture and the three most current articles beneath my blouse. “You said you wanted to help, Charles. Any chance you can scan all this on to a drive and then burn the files?”

  Charles nodded. “I’ll fill Melanie in on what’s happening, and we’ll do it the second you’re gone. I have one of those speed scanners. I’ll leave the drive inside the drain pipe outside wrapped in plastic to protect it.”

  “We should go, Kacy.” Dave was casting a worried look at the sky. “The last thing I want is to get snowed in with Kurt Lange.”

  “We’ll say goodbye to Melanie.” I placed a hand on Charles’s arm. “Please be careful around Kurt and Katherine until we find out if they’re involved.”

  Charles nodded, but I noticed the subtle tightening of his jaw muscles and the veiled threat beneath his words. “We’ll be careful until we know for sure.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Dave was suspiciously quiet on the drive to Kurt and Katherine’s, and my own thoughts were morbid. “Want to tell me what you’re thinking?”

  “All those kids missing made me think about Mary Elizabeth and Tina Fae. I don’t think Martha and I could have stood it if we’d lost one of them.” He turned to face me. “What are you thinking?”

  “I’m wondering if Kyle’s daughter is one of the missing children and that’s why he wanted the money. If he’s only been clean four years, she couldn’t be more than two or three.”

  Dave nodded. “That could be what made him look into the others.”

  I couldn’t imagine what the parents of those children had gone through. “The parents that adopt these kids, they’re usually good people, aren’t they? I mean, they can’t have kids and will pay anything to get one.”

  “Some of them. Probably most of them.”

  “But?”

  Dave’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Did you ever see your adoption papers, Kacy?”

  “Shit!” I wanted to turn around and go through those articles again, looking for a set of twins stolen twenty-nine years ago. “I can’t do this, Dave. I can’t sit in the same room with those people and act like everything is okay.”

  “Take a deep breath and count to ten.”

  “Damn it, I could count to a freaking thousand, and it wouldn’t make a difference. I want to pistol-whip Kurt Lange until he tells me the truth.”

  “All we know right now is Kyle and Simon found some kind of link between these missing children. If they found it, then we can find it too. We still don’t know what Kyle took or where he put it. You go after your parents with no evidence, and Kurt Lange will destroy you and me. If he doesn’t kill us first.”

  Dave turned to emphasize what he was about to say next. The pity in his eyes hit below the belt and pissed me off, but his words were like a river of ice. “Maybe Kyle did this for money, or he was trying to help his daughter. Or it’s like Charles Wilson said: he wanted to make you proud of him again.”

  “They were playing detective, and once they had it all together, Kyle would take it to you.” If Kyle had known Kurt and Katherine were involved, he would have stopped at nothing to get the evidence to convict them. “It was none of the above. Whatever Kyle took was worth far more than a million dollars. He was trying to get the evidence of Kurt’s involvement so he could turn it over to me.”

  “Now you’re thinking. You ready to go meet with your parents?”

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  “Do I need to take your gun before we go in there?”

  “Do you want to dance for Martha again?”

  “That’s my girl. Spitfire and sass.” He drove in to the driveway leading to the mansion. “Wonder what it costs to have all those lights?”

  “Our salaries for the next six months.”

  “How’s the arm?”

  “Not too bad.” I glanced at the house, dreading what lay ahead, but knowing Dave was right. The best way to get what we needed was to be close to the source. And as long as I kept Kurt convinced we didn’t know anything, the safer Dave and I would be. “Want to open my door for me? It will look better if I play the invalid a little.”

  Dave chortled, climbed out, and came around the car. “Invalid. They’d have to hog-tie and shoot you full of dope to keep you down.”

  “Shhh… don’t give them any ideas.”

  A light dusting of snow covered the sidewalk, and the storm Dave had been worried about was still brewing overhead. His stomach growled. “I should have let you have that piece of cake before we left.”

  The door opened before we had a chance to knock. Kurt smiled and ushered us in. “Let me take your coats.”

  “What’s that smell?” Dave asked, shedding his overcoat. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  “Mother and I were getting ready to sit down to an early dinner. I hope the two of you will join us.” He slipped an arm through my right arm, and Dave gave me a warning glance. “You’re far too thin, Kassandra.”

  “You may regret this. My partner is a bottomless pit, and he’s starved.”

  “Best news I’ve heard all day.” Kurt led us down the hall and into a small dining room. “I thought this would be more comfortable than the formal dining room. Much easier to talk this way. I hope you don’t mind.”

  It took a lot of willpower not to blurt out a sarcastic remark as I remembered the times when Kyle and I had sat at one end of that huge formal dining room table with Kurt and Katherine at the other end. No one spoke to us, and we weren’t allowed to speak to each other. “This is lovely. Thank you.”

  Kurt held my chair for me. “I’ll let Mother know we’re ready.”

  “Do you guys say grace or anything I need to know?” Dave took a seat beside me, looking as uncomfortable as I felt.

  “Beats me. I’ve never seen this guy before in my life.”

  Dave shook out his napkin and laid it across his lap. “I’ll pick up my knife and fork and be ready.”

  “Kassandra, darling, and Mr. Capello. How lovely of you to join us.” Katherine sashayed into the room, bending to kiss me on the cheek. “You do look pale, my dear. Are you getting enough rest?”

  “I’m fine Kath… Mother.”

  Kurt pulled out her chair for her then took his seat as Hilda walked into the room with a tray of water glasses.

  “Wine, Mr. Capello?” Katherine asked.

  “No, thank you. I don’t drink.”

  “Four glasses of tea, Hilda.” Kurt issued the order, and Katherine’s nose curled upward. I doubted she’d ever eaten a meal in her life without at least one glass of wine.

  “Please, don’t pass up the wine on our account. We don’t mind. Do we, Dave?”

  “Not at all.” Dave picked up his knife and fork and looked around expectantly. “What’s that old saying? ‘Where’s the beef?’”

  “In that case, Hilda, three glasses of tea and a glass of wine for Mrs. Lange. Then please bring in the main course.” Kurt’s voice held a tinge of anger, but Katherine seemed oblivious to it.

  She turned away from him with a smile.

  “I understand you visited Charles and Melanie today. How are the poor dears? Simon has been such a disappointment to them.”

  Like Kyle and I were to you? I wanted to scream at her, but I lowered my gaze to the drops of condensation running down the side of my glass. “Actually, they’re doing well. I don’t think Simon’s death was a huge shock. With his drug history, they’ve been living with that fear for years. Charles took us out to the garage and showed us the mockup and plans for a new wing at the children’s hospital they’re dedicating to
Simon. I think as long as they stay busy, they’ll be okay.”

  Kurt was watching me closely, and I breathed a small sigh of relief when Hilda returned with two maids, carrying plates of grilled chicken paillard with Greek salad. “I’m sorry, Mr. Capello. We don’t normally have a huge evening meal unless we’re doing a dinner party. I’ll be happy to ask the cook to prepare something else for you if you’d like.”

  “Nah, this looks okay.” Dave forked up a bite, looked it over, then plopped it into this mouth. “It’s good.”

  Dave knew how uncomfortable I was, and it wouldn’t have surprised me to hear him burp or fart to bring a little humor to the table. Kurt’s stern look as he picked at his food told me he wasn’t amused.

  I didn’t want to spend the next hour making small talk. “How is the Christmas party coming, Mother?”

  As I’d hoped, she regaled us for the next thirty minutes with her lavish plans and superstar guest list. My eyelids grew heavy, and thankfully, Dave intervened.

  “I think I should get Kacy home before she falls facedown in her plate.” He rose and held my chair for me. “Thank you for dinner.”

  “A moment alone, Kassandra?” Kurt asked. “It’s important.”

  “Why don’t you warm up the car, Dave? I’ll be out in a minute.” I followed Kurt to his private office. Like the rest of the house, it was lavish and neat to the point that I wondered if anyone used it. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Where are you on the investigation of Kyle’s murder?” Kurt lit a cigar and puffed. The question was innocent enough for a father to ask, but his stance was stiff, and he only smoked when he was upset.

  “Nowhere. Simon was the only real lead we had.” I rubbed my left arm, which was beginning to ache. “I don’t know how much longer the commander will let us work on it before he shelves it as a cold case.”

  “Your mother would like it dropped. I’m announcing my candidacy for the Senate office at the Christmas party. She believes Kyle’s history and the viciousness of his death will damage my chances.”

  I turned away from him. I might control my tongue, but the hatred I was feeling at that moment would be hard to hide. “Is that what you want?”

  “No, but it might be for the best. Enough people have died already. I would hate to see something happen to you, the Wilsons, or your partner.”

  A horn blew outside, and I reached for the doorknob and opened the door. Kurt was clever, and nothing he’d said could be used as a threat, but we both knew the threat was there. “I’ll talk it over with Dave and the commander. If no new clues surface, we’ll move on.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Dave leaned across the seat and opened my door, nodding to the piece of paper with bug written on it in huge letters. Kurt might be clever, but my partner was a genius. I slid into my seat and buckled my seat belt. If my father wanted to hear what we talked about, then I didn’t want to disappoint him. “They want us to drop the case.”

  “What do you want to do?” Dave took off slowly. “If Mr. Lange pushes, the commander will make us drop it.”

  I watched the windshield wipers go back and forth, anger building inside me. “He’s announcing his run for the Senate at the Christmas party.”

  “And he thinks Kyle’s murder will lose him votes.” Dave had caught on to my ploy. Kurt would never believe I would quit.

  I expelled my breath as loudly as I could. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We don’t have a single clue to follow. Simon didn’t know anything, and the Wilsons are clueless. I think they’re dedicated to helping others because they could never help their own son. I’m going to visit Melanie tomorrow. Charles will be fine, but Melanie is depressed. Kyle’s responsible for what happened to Simon, and having someone to talk to can help Melanie through this.”

  Dave turned and winked at me. “I figure Kyle stole a bunch of drugs from his buddies, sold them, and got caught before he could skip town. That’s a nice thing you’re doing for Mrs. Wilson. You want to go home now?”

  “Your stomach’s growling again. Find a burger joint, and I’ll buy you a cheeseburger.”

  “You don’t have to say that twice.” Dave picked up speed and headed toward Arlene’s.

  We traveled the rest of the way in silence, figuring we’d given whoever was listening enough to convince them we were quitting. Kurt was buying time and hoping to find whatever Kyle had taken before the police did. I wasn’t content to let him off the hook though. “I never asked Kurt or Katherine about our real parents. I wonder if they know Kyle’s dead?”

  Dave parked and whipped around in the seat. I gave him a thumbs-up and grinned. “Kyle and I were adopted.”

  “I wouldn’t go there if I were you. If they’re alive and they gave you up, they had a good reason.” Dave opened his door and climbed out. “I can smell that burger from here.”

  I laughed and exited the car. “You’re a bottomless pit.”

  Arlene smiled and waved as we walked in, and Dave chose a table in the back, away from the other patrons. I could tell by the tightness of his butt cheeks that I was in for it.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Kacy?”

  “My arm hurts, and I’m sick of that bastard getting his way. Besides, it’s normal for a child to wonder about their real parents. I’ll bet you fifty dollars he stops by to see me tomorrow and brings up the adoption and tells me my parents died in a tragic accident.” I waited until Arlene finished taking our order before continuing. “And it opens the door for me to do a little computer research looking for my real parents without raising too many questions. I think that’s where we need to start, because I think that’s when Kurt got involved in all this.”

  Dave nodded. “I got a question. If Simon had been clean for four years, what was the overdose about? And he didn’t look clean the night we picked him up.”

  “I should have caught that. If he’d been a continual user, an eight ball wouldn’t have overdosed him. I think he knew they’d find him eventually, and he figured that was an easier way to die. It was his first attempt at suicide. The night we picked him up, he was still playing the drug addict part. He wouldn’t betray Kyle, not even to me.”

  “That makes sense in a weird, stupid way.”

  Arlene brought our plates of cheeseburgers and fries, and we ate in silence.

  “What do you think of Commander Park?” Dave asked.

  I squirted a ton of ketchup on the salty fries while I thought about Dave’s question. “I don’t think he’s in the field enough to know what’s going on, and he doesn’t trust his officers to tell him. Overall, he’s a good man who makes bad decisions because he’s too politically involved. He should be more like the guy on Blue Bloods and take up for his officers even if it meant resigning his position.”

  “If Kurt pushes, he’ll shut us down.”

  “I thought we were shutting down anyway, as far as they were concerned. What’s on your mind?”

  Dave took a notepad from his pocket and scribbled several lines. “We’ve got your real parents to think about, but what I want to know is what happened the weekend Kyle went home to change him. It had to be something huge to make a kid turn his whole life upside down.”

  “He never told me, and trust me, I asked him a thousand times what the hell was wrong with him. We were sixteen. He should have been discovering girls and planning for his future like I was.”

  Dave glanced up with a twinkle in his gray eyes. I’d stuck my foot in my mouth. “That’s why all those dates I set you up on failed. You should have told me.”

  “Those dates you set me up on failed because most of them were cops or religious fanatics and bored the crap out of me. I still don’t know where you’re going with this.”

  “What was your brother’s drug of choice?”

  “Cocaine usually, although I’m sure he tried everything out there. I’m tired, Dave. Whatever you’re thinking, please spit it out.”

  “I think he saw or heard something that weekend
—something that could have gotten him killed. But that would have raised too many questions. So instead of killing him, they made sure he was addicted before they let him leave. With cocaine, that can happen after a single dose. With a full week, the kid didn’t have a chance.”

  Dave may not have realized it, but he’d given me another reason to blow Kurt Lange’s brains out. I shoved my plate across the table. “Here, you can have it.”

  “I’m full.” Dave penned another note in his book.

  “Why the questions about Park?”

  “I don’t want the investigation shut down. We can turn it in a different direction, find some answers, and take the heat off the Wilsons or other people that might be in danger.”

  “Like me?”

  “Yeah, like you.” He glared at me across the table. “We’ll talk to Park Monday and hit the drug dealers. Somebody out there knows something, and if we cause enough damage, they’ll talk.”

  And if they didn’t talk, they would at least take action against the people who’d put them on our radar. I might not have to kill Kurt after all.

  “There’s something else you need to think about.” Dave scraped a glob of ketchup off my fries. “If these people are into illegal adoptions and kidnapping kids, there’s gonna be some high-profile names on that list.”

  List. “Dave Capello, you’re a freaking genius.”

  “I am?”

  “That’s exactly what Kyle stole. The list of names of those involved or the list of who adopted the stolen children. Or both.”

  Dave grinned and licked his fingers. “That’s me. Brains and brawn.”

  I returned his grin, reached for a fry, and rolled it around in the ketchup. Knowing what Kyle had stolen didn’t solve our problems, but it made it more urgent that we find those lists before Kurt and his business partners did. And maybe in all this mess, I’ll find Yoshe. I think that’s what Kyle would want me to do.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  I wasn’t ready to rush out and do something stupid, but I was ready to talk in my own home without someone listening in. I had Dave remove all the bugs and put them in his trunk. We planned to turn them over to forensics first thing Monday morning, and if we were lucky, one of the bastards had left a print. Kurt was too smart for us to string him along on the drivel we’d been feeding him for long.