by Dale Mayer
At that, Owen shook his head. “You sure you should go alone?”
“Why not?” She didn’t know him anywhere near as well as she did her partner Rodney, but he was a good guy, a good family man, and a good detective.
“I’ll come with you,” Owen said.
Lilliana nodded. “Not a bad idea.”
“If you guys are all in, then why don’t I go with Kate, and you guys can call in these a-holes,” Rodney said.
“Sure,” Owen replied, “that works. So, which three do you want?”
“Not Brandon. The other three.” With that, the list of names and contacts was handed over, and, as Kate headed out, she looked at her partner. “I wasn’t expecting all that.”
“I wasn’t either, and that’s one of the reasons I’m with you now. Because if they feel like a second person is warranted, I don’t want to be sitting on my ass, making phone calls, while you’re out alone, facing whatever the hell’s happening next.”
“I’m just surprised.”
“Don’t knock it,” he said, with a cheerful smile. “Might not ever happen again.”
She burst out laughing at that. As they got into his car, he said, “Let’s head into the Heights.”
“Is that where they live? Wow, swanky. They must have money then.”
“Exactly.”
As they drove out, she sent Simon a text. Heading up to Pamela’s mother’s place, hoping we can talk to her. She got a response back right away.
Good luck.
Any insights for me?
Twelve.
She frowned at that. “Hardly room twelve in a house,” she grumbled. She looked over at her partner. “Simon says room twelve.”
He rolled his eyes at that. “That’s weird, unless she’s in a motel or something.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know what that’s about either. Let me read his message again.” And then she corrected herself. “Oh, wait. He just said twelve. I’m not sure that it’s room twelve.” Frowning, she studied his texts and shrugged. And then sent him a quick text. What’s the number for?
That, my dear, is your department.
She snorted at that. “He has no idea about the number.”
“He really just gets raw information, doesn’t he? He can’t put it together in any logical sequence, so it’s hardly even helpful.”
“Yeah, you’re preaching to the choir here.” She shook her head. “Remember? I don’t really believe in half this stuff, and then he gives me something that seems random and stupid, but then it fits. So, yeah, twelve. I don’t know what to do with it, but, hey, I’m trying to be open-minded.”
“I think you’re doing really well, considering.” Rodney glanced at her. “This is pretty crazy stuff for anybody.”
“This whole case is a mess. I hate to say it, but I’m wishing for a nice little open-and-shut murder of an old rich guy by his young gold-digging wife or some BS like that.” She laughed at her words. “It makes a whole lot more sense when it’s flat-out murder, crisp and clear, instead of these kinds of cases.”
“These are hard but more fun in the end, and they’re also the ones that you remember.”
“Maybe, but it’s hardly something that you want to remember.”
“No, but these are the ones that stick with you. Look at how many people we’ve got involved now.”
“Too many,” she whispered.
He looked over at her, then smiled. “It’s okay, you know.”
“Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. I don’t know. It just feels like it’s all about to break wide open, and I don’t know which way it’ll go.”
*
Simon urgently contacted Pamela. “Help is coming. You need to do something so they can find you.”
“No. I told you. I can’t be saved.”
“And that’s crap. I don’t even know if you’ve done anything terrible or not, but you can’t keep existing like this.”
“I have to suffer the consequences,” she whispered.
“Or do you want to do something that your daughter would be proud of?”
There was a hesitation and then almost a hiccup in her voice. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t have to spend your life in there, being this prisoner. Help is on the way.”
“Nobody will find me,” she said.
“Why not?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Look. I know that you’re blind and that you can’t see. But that doesn’t mean other people can’t see you.”
“Yes, but I’m also injured from the accident. It’s not a pretty sight.”
“Nobody gives a crap about pretty on the outside. It’s more about pretty on the inside,” he snapped. “Either you’ll do something to help this woman find you, or you’ll be stuck in this position for the rest of your life.”
“I could probably leave if I tried. I do go out sometimes. but you don’t understand.”
“There is no way I can understand unless you tell me something so I can,” he said in frustration, “and, so far, you’re not doing that.”
“No. Because—” And then she stopped.
“Because what?”
“I just feel like it’s better if I’m here.”
“So, then you’re not a prisoner.”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried to leave. They keep the door shut, and, when I try to open the door, it’s locked.”
“So—”
“I think they just do it for my, … you know, to keep me alive.”
“So you don’t try to commit suicide?”
“Yes,” she said in a fretful voice.
“How often do you get out of there?”
“Every once in a while.” But something odd was in her voice.
“Meaning?”
“I do go out and meet some people every once in a while.”
“And does your family know about it?”
“No,” she whispered. “And I shouldn’t be telling you either.”
“Why not?”
“You wouldn’t understand. Unless you’ve ever loved and lost, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, I’ve loved and lost. I understand a hell of a lot more than you might think I do,” he snapped. He could sense that she was fading away from him again. “Have you done anything to hurt other people?”
“Why would you ask me that?” she said, her voice wary.
“I don’t know. Maybe because you’re scaring me.”
“I scare myself,” she said quietly.
“What is going on?” he roared, and she immediately shut down. He stared at his phone in his hand, wondering if he should call Kate. But what would he tell her? That this was a slightly crazy lady, who may or may not be locked up. And then he realized that Kate really needed to talk to Pamela. Kate really needed to get some information from this woman.
“Listen, if you want to get loose,” he called out to Pamela quietly, “this is your chance. This is your chance to redeem yourself.”
She whispered back, “There is no redeeming me.”
“There is, if you want it bad enough. Cops are on the way because they need to talk to you. They need to talk to you about your accident and the other related accidents.”
There was a jolt to his system, as he realized it was her jolt. He nodded. “Yes, and they are the ones who can help you.”
“No.” She sounded almost frantic.
“Yes,” he snapped. “It’s time.”
Almost as if she gave in, she whispered, “Yes, it’s time.” And she cried.
He didn’t know how to convince her this was the time for some real change, even just some little improvement out of the mire of guilt and agony and self-hate that she and others had built around Pamela. Simon could only hope that Pamela got the message he had intended. He sat back, prepared to wait, and hated every minute of it.
He had a gnawing sense of something wrong, something not quite right. But he had to trust that Kate was on it. It’s just that he knew�
��to his own folly—that sometimes just being on it didn’t mean jack shit. Things still went wrong. He thought about the little bit he knew about this woman and the things that he’d heard from Kate, and he realized it was still a wild open field of chaos.
He shook his head, walked over to his kitchen, and put on a pot of coffee. It would be a hell of a long day. No way he would rest until he knew how this ended up playing out. And he could only hope that Kate would come and tell him at the end of the day. But he knew that, if things went wrong, she wouldn’t get free from this for hours yet.
Chapter 21
Kate walked up to the beautiful house. It was a huge brick estate. With Rodney at her side, she stared at it in surprise. “It’s easy enough to see why they think they won’t necessarily have to deal with the law,” she murmured.
“And yet we’re still not exactly sure what’s going on here.”
“No, but it is damn well time to find out.” She knocked on the door, and, when a maid answered, Kate identified herself with her badge and asked to speak to Pamela’s parents.
The woman frowned. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll let them know that you’re here.”
“Please do,” Kate said in a cool voice.
“How many times have we come across maids in our work?”
“This may be the first time for me, but, of course, you’re acting all blasé, like it’s business as usual.”
He laughed. “Wouldn’t that’d be nice … to have a maid, you know?”
“Laundry, buying groceries—and cooking—that’s what I would have mine do,” she said.
“Did you ever unpack?”
“Hell no,” she said.
“I suppose they could do that too then.” He chuckled.
“Nah, that’d be a waste of time. I’ve got out just what I use.”
Then the massive front door opened again, and they were allowed to enter the foyer. As the maid turned to look down the hall, Kate watched as a well-dressed—almost overdressed—woman scurried toward them. Kate smiled at her. “Are you Sarah, Pamela’s mother?”
“Yes. Why are you here?”
Kate held up her badge and identified herself. “I told you that we needed to ask Pamela some questions.”
“No, you don’t understand. Pamela is not in any shape to answer questions.”
“Then you need to explain just what that means,” her partner said.
“She’s not all there now,” her mother replied. “This all had a terrible effect on her nerves.”
“So, is she of a nervous disposition?” Kate asked, pressing. “Because that doesn’t mean the same thing to me as it probably does to you.”
The woman frowned at her. “Look. I told you already. She’s not capable of talking to you. That’s all there is to it.”
“No, it’s not. That is not all there is to it. We need proof that she is alive and well,” Kate said flatly. “And we’re not leaving until we get it.”
The woman looked at her in shock. “What are you saying?”
“You heard me. Now where is your daughter?”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“I think it’s you who doesn’t understand, and frankly you’re not helping your case.”
At that, a booming voice called out, “Who’s at the door?” Kate braced herself as the father came around the corner. He glared at them. “What on earth are the cops doing at my house?” he said, with a sneer.
“We’re looking into the well-being of your daughter. We have a few questions for her,” Kate said simply.
“This is outrageous. I’m calling my lawyer.”
“You absolutely may call your lawyer, and, if that’s your preference, we’ll see you down at the station bright and early tomorrow morning, with your daughter in tow, please,” she said.
He stopped. “Did you hear me say I was calling my lawyer?”
“Did you hear me say that that was totally fine? You’re certainly allowed to do that. It doesn’t quite make sense, since we’re merely looking into the condition of your daughter. But, hey, if you feel you need to have legal representation for something like that, it’s your prerogative. However, you will show up at the station with your lawyer, your wife, and your daughter, tomorrow morning at nine. Understood?”
“I have no intention of showing up.”
“In that case, we’ll be issuing a warrant for your arrest,” she stated in a steady tone.
He took a deep breath. “How did it get to this?” he asked, obviously trying for a much more genial approach.
“It came about because you refused to even discuss why we’re here.”
“I have this thing against the cops.” He waved his hand in front of her, as if able to swat her away. “Seeing you set me off.”
“I’m not concerned about what set you off,” Kate replied in a harsh voice. “I want to speak with your daughter.”
“You can’t do that,” he said.
“And why is that?”
“My daughter’s not here,” he said.
Kate looked over at the wife and witnessed her bottom lip trembling. “I see. Where is she?”
“She’s off with her friends. I don’t even know where she is these days. She is an adult, Detective.”
“She is, indeed, an adult, and yet we have a strong suspicion that she is not free to come and go. As a matter of fact, we have reason to believe that she is essentially your prisoner.”
He looked at her in shock, and she watched his lips firm up, where there had been a little bit of a nervous tic in the corner of his mouth. She nodded. “So we’re here to get proof of life and assurance that she is free and clear to move around on her own.”
“Good Lord. What do you think this is, a prison?”
“You know, for some people, that might be a prison they are completely happy in, but we’ll hear it from her, thank you very much.”
“And, as I said, she’s not here,” he replied, his voice harsh.
“So you say, and, since we have a suspicion regarding the welfare of your daughter and find you wholly uncooperative, we’ll get a warrant and return. In the meantime, we’ll still see you and your entire family down at the station in the morning for questioning. Thank you for your time. Now we’ll need to speak with your maid.”
“You can’t.”
“Obstruction of justice.” She beamed. “I love it. At this rate we’ll arrest you and take you down to the station in handcuffs. I’m sure the neighbors will love to see that show.”
“Oh, Gerard,” his wife whispered.
“They’re bluffing,” he snapped.
“We’re not bluffing. Produce your daughter so that we may speak with her, and all of this can blow over.”
“And if we don’t?”
“I just told you.” Kate’s voice remained equally firm. “Absolutely no way will we walk away now, until we can speak to your daughter and can ascertain that she’s not come to harm.”
“Why didn’t anybody give a shit about my daughter when she was in that accident?”
“It was my understanding that the driver was charged.”
“So?” he said. “Do you think that makes up for the loss of our grandchild?”
“No, of course not. Does keeping your daughter prisoner make up for the loss of your grandchild? Or the fact that Pamela was also a victim?”
“She should have never been riding to work on that ridiculous bicycle,” he sneered.
“Ah, is that how it works for you? Because her husband had their only car, and so she had the bike?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You don’t get to punish her just because you hold her responsible.”
“Maybe she’s punishing herself.”
“Maybe so,” she said flatly. “I’d like to see for myself, so where is she?”
He glared at her. “I’m calling my lawyer.”
“I think I’ll call mine as well.” She pulled out her phone and called the DA. As so
on as he answered, she said, “I need a warrant,” and went on to give the address.
“Pretty high-falutin neighborhood. What’s it for?”
“Suspicion of kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, obstruction, and we’ll likely have more to add once we go through the place. They’re refusing to produce any proof that their daughter is alive and well. We have it on good authority that she is being held against her will and is not free to walk around.”
“And this daughter is how old?”
“She is twenty-nine.”
“Okay, give me five.” And she hung up. She pocketed her phone and just stood here, waiting.
Gerard stared at her in shock. “You’re serious.”
“I am absolutely serious. Finding out that you’re imprisoning somebody makes me that way in a hurry. And pissed off, by the way, but that’s okay. Why don’t you really call your lawyer, and we’ll see what he has to say about all this.”
“Look. We got off on the wrong foot.” He tried to calm things down.
“We’re still on the wrong foot,” Kate said calmly, “because you have yet to produce your daughter.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to get that warrant.”
“That’s fine. It’s in process.”
“Not once my lawyer gets a hold of you,” he said.
Rodney shifted at her side.
“I’m sorry, are you threatening me?” she asked.
“Just your job,” he said calmly. “Do you think a slime like you gets to keep a job after you threatened me?”
“Do you think a slime like you gets to keep anything after we find out you’ve imprisoned someone?”
He stared at her and looked over at his wife. Her bottom lip was trembling even more, and the tears in her eyes were clearly evident, as she silently pleaded with her husband.
“So now the real question at this point is this.” Kate turned to look at Pamela’s mother. “Do you want Gerard to let your daughter go and tell the truth, or are you just protecting all this that your husband has done, so that you don’t lose out on your fancy home here?”
The woman gasped, and then she burst into tears.
“Don’t you say a thing,” he snapped at Sarah.
But she bawled uncontrollably.