“I should probably wait for Sanjay to get back to me,” she told herself. Instead of going home, she decided to stop by a café to have dinner. She was hoping Sanjay would get back to her and she would have time to visit Diaz.
She was halfway done with her meal when someone bumped into her table while walking past her. It was the same hoodie guy! “Wha…?” She could only see his back as he hurried out of the restaurant. Tanya sat in shock. How did he know I was here! How long has that guy been following me? What does he want? Her eyes fell on a thick white envelope now lying on her table. “What! Where did that come from?” she whispered to herself, looking around. The hoodie guy was nowhere in sight. He must have left it behind!
Tanya’s hands were shaking as she picked up the envelope. She turned it and saw a typed note, “Might be useful.” Confused, she ripped open the envelope with her knife. There were a bunch of papers neatly folded inside. She took them out and straightened the pages. As she began reading, her jaw dropped open. She hurriedly called a waiter to pay the bill for her half-eaten food and rushed out.
Sanjay led the squad towards a house. There were only a handful of houses in the area that featured basements with cellar doors, fortunately. They were able to limit the search without losing time. This was the second to last house they were going to search. The others were all clear. Sanjay was hoping to find something soon. There was only one house left after this. The sun was setting, and it was beginning to get dark. Sanjay signaled the men to head towards the back to find the cellar door.
When they arrived at the backyard, the cellar door was already open. This was not a good sign, Sanjay thought. It meant the people here probably already left in a hurry. The team proceeded with caution, and the minute they arrived in the basement, Sanjay knew they had found the place. There were some old couches and chairs around a filthy table. There was a small fridge against the wall, a dirty sink, and a few small appliances on the counter.
“Sir! Back here. You want to see this,” one of the men signaled Sanjay.
Sanjay went towards the back of the room to find various small dark rooms. This is where Diaz had been held. He opened each room and found a few water bottles and a bucket lying on the floor in each of them.
“Get the forensics team here immediately. Seal the area. Go check if anyone is living in the house. I highly doubt someone would be living there, but they might have left something behind. I want each and every room thoroughly searched and dusted for prints.”
He moved towards the last room and saw the two chains with cuffs at the end still lying on the floor attached to a pole. He knew Diaz was kept in this very room. The rest of the rooms didn’t have the chains. One of the men found two-three more chains stashed under the sink. There were also a few cleaning supplies.
The forensics team arrived within a few minutes, and soon enough, one of them found blood between the floorboards near the stairs of the basement. “It looks fresh. Probably not more than a day old,” a forensic team member told Sanjay.
He nodded, “Can you please take it to the lab immediately and put it on priority?”
Before he could get a reply, someone called for him from the backyard. An officer appeared on the stairs, “Detective. You need to see this. The soil has been disturbed in the backyard. We think they buried a body here.”
“It could be the guy who helped Diaz,” whispered Sanjay as he followed the officer outside. A few men were digging into the soil a few feet away. A few minutes later, they noticed a white cloth. “It’s definitely a body, sir,” announced one.
They carefully managed to take out the body and lay it on the ground. Sanjay walked close to it as a police officer unwrapped the cloth. “Female. Age between 55 to 60. Gunshot straight to the forehead. It was quick. I will take the body in for identification.”
Sanjay sighed, “No need for that. I know who she is. That’s Ellen Coons. Wife of one of my murder victims.”
Aria finished her dinner, threw away the trash, and placed the tray on the counter. With a wave to the inmate taking her tray away, she started heading towards her cell. Before she could climb to the second level, someone harshly grabbed her arm and pushed her inside another cell. “What the…”, she stretched her hands in front of her to prevent her head from hitting the wall. She turned around and saw that she was surrounded. It was Carrie and her gang. “Time’s almost up. I hope you have decided to become friends with me and my gang here,” Carrie said, closing in on Aria.
Aria took a step back. She was surrounded and couldn’t possibly make a run from there. Even if she tried, Carrie would beat her in an instant. She gulped and tried not to look too scared. “I need to know who you want to get rid of?” Aria asked, buying some time. It would be lights out in a few minutes, and they would all have to head back to their cells before the doors are locked. There was no way Carrie would want to get into trouble. All she had to do was keep her talking.
Carrie gave her an innocent smile, “Does that mean you are going to do it?”
“Just tell me who?”
Carrie looked at her for a few minutes, “Alright. You would like this. I am sure you can’t wait to get rid of her. She has been creating problems for many. It would be better if she is gone.”
“Who?”
“Rachel.”
“Umm…”
Carrie raised her eyebrow, “Don’t tell me you now have a soft spot for her. You were the one who beat her up so bad! I hear she will be out of the isolation room soon. We can get you your chance. Make it quick.”
“Wait! No! I can’t just get rid of …”
Carrie took a step closer to Aria, “You said you would do it.”
“I… I didn’t say that. I just want to know everything before I decide.”
Carrie’s expression instantly turned into a glare, “I told you it wouldn’t be good for you if you try weaseling your way out of this. Remember, you wanted my help? Or have you forgotten?”
“I am not that desperate for your help. I am sure I’ll be fine without a cellpho…. Oouuffff!!”
Carrie had punched Aria’s stomach. She clutched her stomach in pain, her eyes getting watery. “You better do as I say, girl. Otherwise, what I will do to you … you’d wish you were dead.”
Aria frowned at her, “I am not a killer. I am not taking someone’s life.”
“Oh, yeah? You are not a killer, eh? Who killed her boss in cold murder? Who got his job after he was dead?”
Aria looked at Carrie, surprised.
“Yeah. I have my resources. I can find out all the details about anyone inside this prison, just with a single call.”
“I am not a killer!”
Carrie grabbed Aria’s hand and twisted it behind her back, “I am giving you three days. Get rid of that girl, or we will be coming to get rid of you!”
“Who exactly would be coming to get rid of her? You three?” a voice behind them said.
Carrie immediately let go of Aria, and they all turned around. It was Kelly!
“This doesn’t concern you, walk away from this,” Carrie calmly told her. Kelly moved closer. She was unnerved by Carrie and her friends. Aria wanted to shout a caution at her, but Kelly seemed utterly at ease.
“Whatever happens in this prison, concerns me,” Kelly announced.
“Get away from here, newbie. I will make your life miserable,” Carrie glared at Kelly.
“Who are you calling a newbie, newbie?”
“I ain’t no newbie. I have been in this prison for years. Whereas, the two of you just arrived. I will skin you both alive, and no one would figure out who did it.”
“Listen, kid,” Kelly stepped forward. She was towering over Carrie, “I have been in this prison long before you three combined. I was transferred, see? I know every guard here. I know all the old inmates here… all of them would be willing to do whatever I tell them to do.”
Aria noticed Carrie’s two friends backing away. Her heartbeat was slowly getting back to normal. Just
then, they heard the first warning bell for lights out.
“You better stay clear of Aria, and me. If I see you near us, I will be skinning you alive. You hear me?”
Carrie gulped but stood her ground. Aria stepped around her and grabbed Kelly’s arm, “Come on, we have to go. The doors are about to get locked. Let’s get back to our cells.”
Kelly gave Carrie a push before getting out of her cell.
Aria asked, “Was that true? I thought you were arrested recently? You know Carrie can find it out, and we’ll be in trouble then.”
Kelly simply gave her a mysterious smile, “So much you don’t know. Didn’t I tell you I am not a good person?”
Aria stood still watching Kelly climb down the stairs towards her cell. The second warning bell jolted Aria out of her thoughts, and she rushed back to her cell.
Tanya was frantically calling Sanjay. “Pick up. Pick up. PICK UP!!” she yelled at her phone. She was sitting in her car parked outside the café. She had to speak to Sanjay. This was huge! She didn’t know who else to go to. She knew Sanjay would know what to do.
“Hello?”
“Where were you! I have been trying to get in touch with you for ages!” Tanya said as soon as Sanjay picked up.
“I was on a search, left my phone in the car. Geez Tanya, there are like 50 missed calls from you. Are you okay?”
“We have to meet. I have something to tell you… something to show you… I can’t do it over the phone… it is urgent!”
“Yeaahh… there is something I have to tell you too. We found something in the search… but yeah, not over the phone. Listen, I will be home in 30 minutes. Meet me there.”
Tanya was waiting for Sanjay on the steps of his apartments when his car pulled in. They both rushed upstairs, both eager to share their latest findings.
“Should I tell Clark? I feel like he should hear this too,” asked Tanya, taking out her phone.
“No!” Sanjay exclaimed, “Leave him out of it for a while.” He started taking out some food he had bought on his way. He was famished. Signaling Tanya to sit, he started eating. “Help yourself.” Tanya declined, “I just ate, thanks.” Then Sanjay announced, “Ellen Coons is dead. We found her body today.”
Tanya stared at him, her eyes wide, “No!”
Sanjay decided to spare her the details. There was no need for her to know where and how they found her body. “What did you want to tell me?”
Tanya quickly filled him in about the guy in the hoodie, “I was legitimately terrified when I saw him not only at the store but again at the café. He was obviously following me and I’m pretty sure he was in the parking lot at work too.”
“Did you get a look at his face?”
Tanya shook her head, she stood up and took out the white envelope and handed it to Sanjay. “No, but he left this on my table when he was walking out of the café. I was so shocked at first when I saw that hoodie again… It took me a few seconds to notice this on my table.”
“What is this?” Sanjay asked as he took out the papers. He looked up to see Tanya smiling at him. “A way to get Aria’s case reopened.”
Sanjay started reading. It was a correspondence between two people, a few financial reports, bank statements, and more. Someone had gotten hold of the emails and texts and printed them out. The conversation hinted about the plan to take down Coons, and it even mentioned framing Aria.
“What…” Sanjay’s eyes were wide. He looked at Tanya, stumped, “but…”
“I know,” Tanya replied, “and best of all, I know who one of those people are.”
“Who?”
“Whitney Fox!”
Chapter 9: The Appeal
“I need to get out of here,” Diaz said, looking at Sanjay. He was sitting right across from her hospital bed. “I am feeling much better. Plus, I have to start working on the case again. We can’t let Aria stay stuck in that prison any longer.”
Sanjay had just shared the recent findings with Diaz and how Tanya had immediately recognized Whitney Fox as the person in those letters. He looked at her skeptically. “It has only been three days, Nicole. You need to rest and regain your strength. I am doing everything I can to help her. Just tell me what you need to get done, and I will make it happen. I want you to get better so you can help Aria properly.”
“Yeah. That’s what I said. I am feeling better.”
“Sure!” Sanjay rolled his eyes. “The doctor said you need more time, and they are going to keep you under observation.”
“I am fiiiiiine!”
“Yeah. I hear you. Listen, I need you to get in touch with your guy. The one you asked to retrieve the lost emails from Aria’s computer. He might have found something.”
“I am already on it. I contacted him last night. He said he found something and he is going to send me the details here. Thanks for getting me my laptop, by the way.”
“That’s great! See, you can still help Aria right from your bed.”
“But… I have to talk to her and start working on the appeal. We need to first gather sufficient evidence so that I can file for the appeal. It has to be strong. I can’t just stay here …”
“Nicole! I am working on it. We already have some evidence. Plus, your guy is hopefully bringing us some more evidence. Oh!” He picked up his bag from the floor, “that reminds me… here,” he handed Diaz a USB. “I found this in Coons’ place. It was hidden underneath his desk drawer. I bet there is something in it. Some proof. It is password-protected, and I am guessing it would be encrypted too. Ask your guy if he can get in it too.”
Diaz took the USB from him, “You are telling me this now. I am pretty sure this might have some answers for us.”
“I just want this case to reopen so that I can formally start investigating again. I will be able to use all the resources and manpower from the precinct. Right now, I am limited in what I can and can’t do. Tanya has been helping a lot. But there is little that she can do without breaking the law. She is willing to, I tell you,” He chuckled, “I have to make sure she stays in line.”
Diaz sniggered, “She is a feisty one. I am glad Aria has a friend like her, though. God knows I would do anything to have a trusted friend with me.” After a moment’s silence, she asked, “Did you find anything about Ellen?”
Sanjay had been avoiding this topic with Diaz for the past three days. He didn’t want to make her stressed because of her situation. He knew it would be painful for her to realize Ellen was murdered just a few steps away from where she was kept, especially since Ellen was kidnapped because she decided to help Diaz with the case. Sanjay also knew he couldn’t keep it from her any longer. So, he cleared his throat and explained what had happened. Diaz stayed silent as she listened, her eyes were wide, and Sanjay would see her blood pressure slightly rising in the monitor.
“We have to bring these people down. Coons, Ellen, the guy who helped me, and Aria deserve justice. Three people lost their lives because of them, and Aria is stuck in prison. I don’t even know the name of the guy! He told me he was threatened… said they would harm his family. God knows how many people are stuck like this, forced to do their dirty work,” Diaz fumed.
Sanjay nodded. “They will get justice, and the people behind all of this will get their due punishment. I promise you. We are going to get them.”
They were interrupted by a knock. Sanjay turned around as a police officer standing guard at the door poked his head by slightly opening the door ajar, “Sorry to disturb you detective, but there is a …” he looked back, “meathead, is it?” and then turned to look at Sanjay again with an amused expression on his face, “a guy named meathead saying you are expecting him.”
Confused Sanjay looked at Diaz, who was giggling, “Yeah, send him in,” he said to the officer and turned to Sanjay, “That’s my guy.”
“Meathead?” Sanjay raised his eyebrows.
“For security reasons, that’s the name he chose to go by,” Diaz grinned. Just then, a small, young man enter
ed and nodded at Diaz.
“You look well, Nicole,” said Meathead, with a blank expression on his face. He turned to Sanjay and nodded. Sanjay raised his eyebrow, clearly amused.
“What do you have for me?” Diaz asked, ignoring the expression on Sanjay’s face.”
“I was able to retrieve most of the emails from the email address you provided me. I printed them all out. A lot of them were emails sent twice. I was going to ignore them but realized the attachments in them were slightly different. The different attachment ones were sent only to the email address you gave me, and the rest, without specific attachments were sent to everyone else. They seem like regular work emails, but I figured those additional attachments might be what you are looking for.” He pulled out a brown envelope and handed it to Diaz, “I printed those out for you too.”
“Damn!” Diaz exclaimed. “Thanks, Meathead!”
Sanjay was stunned into silence, but immediately spoke up, “What about the videos with the stalker? Did you manage to find something?”
“Well, not yet. I mean, there are a lot of videos, and then Diaz disappeared. So, I stopped going through them. I can start again.”
“Yes, please. We would really appreciate it. Even the slightest angle you can get of the guy’s face might help a lot.” Sanjay added.
“Anything else?” Meathead asked, with the same blank expression.
“Well…” Diaz handed him the USB. “It is password-protected and possibly encrypted. We really need the information inside this drive. Do you think you would be able to…”
Meathead scoffed, “Of course I would be able to. I got this really great hackin…”
“I would like to remind people in this room that I am a detective, and I am obliged to report any wrongdoing to the police,” Sanjay cleared his throat.
“… this new software I just paid for that can help me retrieve lost data…” Meathead continued, glancing at Sanjay.
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