Serial Separation

by Dick C. Waters

  Mike noticed there was total silence in the room. “Those men chased Jason’s kidnappers and have not returned, or they might have seen the police activity near their building and kept going. At this hour, the police are still processing the arrested members.”

  Mike paused to drink some coffee. “Boston P.D. simultaneously conducted a raid of suspected Calumet gang locations in Roxbury. The State Police assisted, but at this time I can’t say how many arrests were made.”

  One of the members asked, “Any word on Jason?”

  Mike responded, “Obviously, the focus is on where Jason may have been dropped. However, we have nothing at this time on where they took him. This is all I have at this time. Hopefully, progress can be made to determine where Jason is currently being held. If things follow their normal course, we only have until Sunday afternoon to prevent him from being killed.”

  Mike looked over at Paddy to see if he wanted to add anything.

  Paddy stood. “Thanks Mike. The AG is going to be happy if we can collectively prevent the gang war.”

  He looked over to Scott momentarily. “Scott has narrowed down the property listings. We may be close to identifying a property that fits what Mercedes had outlined. However, more work is required to complete that review. Thanks for your efforts, Scott.”

  He realized he needed to mention Mercedes to avoid any questions at this time. “Mercedes isn’t here. She’s not feeling well.”

  I was thinking whether Mike had shared anything with Paddy regarding my concerns involving Mercedes. Paddy knew the part about her not feeling well, but did he know about my suspicions?

  Paddy continued. “The Mass. and New Hampshire State Police are still looking for Jeremy Johnston. For those unaware, Jeremy related to friends that he was kidnapped in early November by a gang, held all weekend, and tortured by women. They fortunately let him go having been mistaken for his cousin Jason.”

  Paddy continued. “My hope is he will be located soon and brought here to tell us what he can remember about who held him and where. Does anyone have anything else to report or any questions about what we covered?”

  I thought about what I told Mike. I know I did the right thing, but why did I feel so bad about saying something? Remembering Mercedes’ words, she wanted us to be friends. What friend would do what I had done?

  Chapter 66

  The sweet smell of freshly baked pastry should have attracted everyone on the block. Lisa was glad the coffee shop was open this holiday weekend. However, there were only a few people in the shop.

  She and Judy avoided the pastry, sticking to their coffee, sitting in their favorite booth near the back.

  “Judy, Scott called me late last night. Did I wake you?”

  “No, I didn’t hear a thing.”

  “Well, he called to tell me he was helping investigate waterfront properties that might be suitable for those killings. However, when he returned to the task force office he was informed that Jason, Jeremy’s cousin, was indeed kidnapped. He also said that two gangs are close to going to war over the abduction.”

  “Lisa, oh no. I also heard from Neil this morning that the task force and police are searching for Jeremy. They are looking to see if he can shed any light on who held him and where.”

  Judy added, “He was very lucky not to be killed. I think it helped him to pop the marriage question to Dottie. They went away for the weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if they still went to the Balsams.”

  They both quietly sipped their coffee.

  Lisa thought about her ordeal with Jimmy, but she was able to put it into perspective, remembering she had not been raped. However, she thought about what she experienced and wondered whether these men had suffered before being killed.

  “Lisa, Neil told me something that could be important. You might want to pass it along to Scott. I can’t tell if it will help them, but you mentioned Scott is assisting with the investigation. He might be the right one to alert. He could decide if anyone else should be made aware of it.”

  “Judy, this is so strange how this involves our little group. What did Neil tell you?”

  * * *

  They both refilled their cups, but this time they couldn’t avoid purchasing a freshly made coffee roll. They returned to their table, glad the coffee shop was not filled with people to notice their sins.

  “Lisa, you know Neil is in the National Guard. Well, after he learned from Jeremy about his kidnapping, and escape, he remembered someone in his guard unit asking questions about Jeremy.”

  “It was a couple of weeks before Jeremy’s kidnapping. Neil didn’t think much of it at the time, just passing conversation. However, after he learned about what happened to Jeremy, he thought differently.”

  “You said he was asking questions. What kind of questions?”

  “Well, Lisa, it wasn’t a guy in his unit . . . it was a woman. The questions she asked were about where Neil lived, but it was after she confirmed JJ was his roommate. He said she used ‘JJ,’ but knowing Jeremy and his cousin’s nicknames were the same—Jeremy’s kidnapping two weeks later had new significance.”

  “Wow, Judy, it does seem to tie in. I’ll let Scott know about this as soon as I talk with him, especially since everyone believes women are killing these men. Now that Jeremy’s cousin has been kidnapped, maybe Jeremy was just the wrong guy.”

  “Jeremy is lucky they let him go, and Dottie is lucky too . . . being engaged.” Judy paused. “How are you and Scott doing in that regard?”

  Lisa smiled. “Scott is very busy with the task force—too busy—but things are much better between us. We cleared up some things the other night, and some things were no longer up in the air—if you get my drift?”

  Judy studied Lisa a few moments. “Does that mean you’re over the Jimmy thing?”

  “That’s a good question, but I think I’ve put it behind me. Scott and I are picking up where we left off. I can even overlook some unfortunate things Scott did over Christmas. I think when he’s no longer connected to the task force; he might even follow Jeremy’s lead. I’m ready. How do you and Neil stand?”

  “How about the six of us share a wedding? You know, we could have had a very interesting weekend if we had all gone skiing, that is, if we remembered to bring the skis.”

  They both laughed.

  * * *

  It was windy when Lisa and Judy left the coffee shop to return to their dorm. Lisa was occupied with thoughts of Scott and the recent kidnapping. She contemplated what she would do if Scott was the kidnapped victim.

  It must have been the cold, amplified by the wind that created a chill down her spine. She wrapped her arms around her body. She noticed that Judy seemed to be oblivious to the cold and the wind.

  Lisa was now very concerned about Scott’s role with the task force. Scott had played hockey in the same league with these other men—it could have been Scott who had been kidnapped. What about the next kidnapping?

  She needed to let Scott know about Neil’s female guard member.

  She thought about being married to Scott. Would he still be connected to investigative work or venture into something else?

  Last year was filled with stress, and nothing had changed lately. All of his free time had been devoted to the last task force. She knew Scott well enough to know that he wouldn’t be involved halfway with the new task force. She could already see how involved he was. The late phone call last night was an example.

  She had wanted to spend more time with him over the holidays. Maybe they should have gone away this weekend. She recalled the warmth of his body the other night.

  “Look out, Lisa!” Judy grabbed her arm. Lisa was about to step off the curb into an oncoming cab. Judy must have noticed at the last second—the cab was going much too fast and could never have stopped in time.

  “Lisa, you were going to step right into traffic.” Lisa didn’t reply, looking at Judy with a faraway stare. Judy held onto her arm the rest of the way to the dorm.

&nb
sp; When they arrived, Lisa immediately made a call to Scott’s apartment. She let the phone ring for a couple of minutes, but there wasn’t any answer. She knew the number to the task force office and tried him there.

  “Hello, task force office.”

  “This is Lisa Anderson. Is Scott Tucker there?”

  “Hello, Lisa. This is Mike. You just missed him. He went back out a few minutes ago to resume looking at some waterfront properties. Can I tell him you called?”

  “Yes, please, will you? I’ll be at the dorm. Happy New Year, Mike.”

  “Happy New Year to you. Sure, Lisa, I’ll be sure to tell him. Maybe the three of us can get together to toast the New Year?”

  “That would be very nice. Just let Scott know when you want to do it.”

  After the call, she wondered if she should have told Mike about what she was going to tell Scott. She thought about calling back, but it would be better to talk with Scott about it. Mike only mentioned Scott had left. She wondered if he left alone, or was he with the woman from the other night?

  It was Saturday. Would he be done in time to call her back before their date tonight? Would he make the date, or be tied up again?

  It wouldn’t have to be any place special. She just wanted to be with him. If they had gone to the ski area, would they be skiing or just enjoying each other’s slopes?

  Her smile was momentary. She considered him checking out properties alone. He might be safer if he was with another person—even if it was another woman.

  Chapter 67

  Paddy received the phone call they were waiting for, alerting Mike. The New Hampshire State Police located Jeremy and Dottie. The young couple decided not to make the long drive to northern New Hampshire and stayed at a Salem, New Hampshire, motel for the weekend instead.

  “Paddy, do you think Jeremy would be more comfortable with Dottie present during our questioning?”

  Paddy didn’t immediately answer. “Mike, I think there are some aspects of his ordeal that he might not want to talk about in her presence. Let’s see how it goes without her.”

  “Mike, have you had any luck reaching Mercedes?”

  “No. I’ve tried several times, and there’s still no answer. She doesn’t have the phone off the hook, since it’s not ringing busy. However, she could have disconnected the phone, since she wasn’t feeling well.”

  Mike thought of Scott checking out those remaining properties himself and wondered if he should have sent Paul with him. The task force was still waiting for a full listing of properties from another source to identify the missing two properties.

  Scott said he still wanted to check out the other remaining properties just in case he was wrong. Scott’s words echoed in Mike’s memory—Jason’s life might depend on it.

  Mike had also considered sending a patrol car by Mercedes’ apartment building to see if her car was there. He still had the balance of the afternoon and this evening to reach her or take some other action.

  Mike pictured the mutilated bodies of the men. He tried to picture women, but he kept trying to put Mercedes’ image into the picture. No matter how many times he tried to force her into this process, he could not really believe she could do it.

  Could she be that good, to give the impression of being a good girl while really being a vicious woman?

  * * *

  The New Hampshire State Police told Jeremy the task force needed to talk with him regarding his being kidnapped. Jeremy and Dottie were not under arrest, so it was a strong suggestion on the police’s part to have them drive to the task force office.

  They were offered a cruiser, either to take them or escort them. However, Jeremy decided to drive his car to the office rather than deal with having to get his car later.

  Jeremy considered how embarrassing it would be for Dottie to ride in a police car. He wanted to avoid upsetting her or make her more nervous than she already was. It was bad enough their weekend lovemaking had been interrupted.

  The New Hampshire State Police were considerate, but it still created a scene at the motel. He wanted to explain the situation to the many observers, but it was impossible. The sooner they were away from the motel the better.

  As he drove across the state line, he could tell an unmarked police car was following them at a distance, but he didn’t mention it to Dottie.

  He was holding Dottie’s hand. “Hon, I’m sorry our plans for the weekend were interrupted. We did have a few minutes together . . . I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “JJ, I understand what the police want to talk with you about. If you can help save your cousin, that’s more important. We have our lives ahead of us—he might not. It would be great if you could recall something that aids the police.”

  She licked his ear, which made him uncomfortable, knowing a police car wasn’t far behind. However, he wasn’t about to stop her.

  “Why are you driving so slowly?”

  “I don’t want to get stopped on the way to the task force office. I might be able to explain rushing, but it could get confusing. Besides, the longer it takes us, the more time you have doing what you’re doing.”

  She obviously liked his answer, judging from her focused attention.

  “Jeremy, I’m so happy you’re safe. It would have killed me if you had been murdered. I found your scars interesting. I could have spent the entire weekend making sure they were not bothering you.” She blew in his ear, and he adjusted himself. “You’re not getting excited again, are you?”

  He knew she could tell it was a rhetorical question.

  Chapter 68

  Mike hung up the phone.

  “Paddy, that was the Mass State Police; Jeremy’s car is within a block of the office.”

  “Thanks Mike. Colleen is due any minute to be with Dottie while we question Jeremy.”

  Mike was hopeful; Jeremy might be able to shed some light on the building where he was held.

  The door to the office opened, and they both expected to see Jeremy and Dottie enter.

  Paddy acknowledged Colleen. “Colleen, thanks for coming in on such short notice. Jeremy and Dottie are about to arrive. As I mentioned on the phone, please try to make Dottie comfortable about Jeremy talking with us.”

  He continued, pointing upstairs. “You can use my office, which should prevent any problems. However, if you feel you need me, please don’t hesitate to get me. We’ll be in the conference room.”

  “Paddy, I’m glad you called me.”

  The door opened slowly, which was very out of the ordinary.

  He read the task force sign on the building. “I’m Jeremy Johnston.” He stepped into the small reception area. “This is my fiancée, Dottie Copeland.”

  Paddy walked over to them. “Hello, Jeremy, Dottie.” He shook both of their hands. “I’m Patrick O’Brien, and this is Colleen Evans.”

  Colleen came over and greeted both of them.

  Paddy then added, “Jeremy, Dottie, this is Mike Miller and Paul Brosque. They will be joining us while you, hopefully, help us with our investigation.”

  Mike noticed Dottie looked very nervous. However, before he could say anything, Paddy continued, “Colleen, if you wouldn’t mind making Dottie comfortable in my office upstairs, we’re going to be with Jeremy in the conference room.” Paddy motioned toward the end of the hall.

  Paddy took a position at the head of the table and indicated to Jeremy to take a seat to his left. Mike and Paul were on the other side of the table, facing Jeremy.

  “Jeremy, I want to thank you for coming in to talk with us. I want to apologize for ruining part of your weekend with your fiancée. Congratulations, by the way.”

  * * *

  “Thank you, Mr. O’Brien.”

  “Jeremy, please call me Paddy. I want to start by making you feel more comfortable. This is a voluntary discussion, although locating you might have been a little intimidating.”

  Jeremy quickly responded. “Well, Mr.—I mean Paddy—we were kind of engaged at the t
ime. I thought they were going to kick the door in. Dottie almost fainted when they announced they were the State Police looking for Jeremy Johnston.”

  Paddy continued. “Jeremy, here’s the deal. I would like this to be a conversation about your early November ordeal. You were kidnapped by women we believe are behind these recent killings. Last night, they kidnapped your cousin Jason.”

  Paddy stopped, realizing Jeremy’s reaction to that news. “You weren’t aware of his kidnapping?”

  “No. Not at all. I might have expected it, but I didn’t know anything about it.”

  “Well, he was kidnapped by what we believe to be the same gang who kidnapped you, and we’re trying to locate where they took him. That’s what this session is about.”

  He continued, “We’re hoping you can shed some light on either the women who held you, or the location. This could take some time, but the more you talk about it, the more things might come to the surface. Would you like anything to drink?”

  “No, thanks, not at this time.”

  “Please let us know if you need anything, or need to take a break. Dottie is upstairs in my office with Colleen. I thought some of what you might tell us could be disturbing to her.”

  “Mike and Paul are both detectives with the Boston P.D. assigned to our task force. Scott, Scott Tucker, who you know, is also helping with our investigation.”

  He continued. “In fact, he is out right now trying to identify available waterfront properties which could be used by the women. Please tell us what you can about what happened.”

  Jeremy did not immediately respond to Paddy’s request.

  Paddy continued. “Perhaps what we have on the board could help provide some guide for what happened to you.” Paddy pointed to the board behind Jeremy.