Before Kennedy could finish her statement, the man in the mask picked her up with one hand, snapped her neck and released her. Kennedy fell to the ground like a rag doll.
Teddy finally woke up at about 7:30 AM. She could hear Lance and Basil in the kitchen going on and on about the antidote, and how, once it became public, it would shake up the science community. After several solid months of work that included reconstructing the research, creating and testing the antidote, the boys — as she now called them — had something to celebrate. Several positive members of the dissident movement had volunteered to be guinea pigs and after receiving the antidote, all were negative within forty-eight hours of receiving it and even just days later, their bodies’ natural regeneration processes had begun to counter and correct some of the side effects caused by the medications some of them had been taking.
With everything going as planned, the only thing left to do was release the last conspiracy paper that Basil had written under the pseudonym name DaKira and bring the Reverend Wiley up to speed. Teddy knew Wiley would be the voice that people would listen to.
As Basil and Lance continued their celebration, Teddy received a call from Blake. Over the past few days, their relationship with Blake had already settled into a partnership, so neither she nor the rest of the team found it odd that he would call so early in the morning.
“Good morning. Mr. Jones,” Teddy said in low voice. “You’re up early this morning.”
“Good morning to you, too,” he said. “Listen, Teddy, I don’t know how to say this, but this isn’t a social call.”
“What’s wrong, Blake?”
“I need to see you. I’ll be in the park in thirty minutes. Meet me there. I have something to discuss with you and I need to tell you first before we tell the others.”
“Okay,” she said, “but can you give me a hint as to what is going on?”
“Just meet me in the park, and Teddy, please do not say anything to Basil or Lance. Do not let them know that you are leaving to meet me. Make up something … anything … . Just do not let them know I’m here.”
“No problem. I’ll see you in the park in thirty minutes.”
“Hey, fellas, I’m going running,” she yelled down the basement stairs. “I should be back in about an hour.”
Teddy made it to the park just as Blake was pulling in.
“I didn’t know you were a runner,” he said.
“I’m not really, but I needed something to explain why I had to leave the house so early and this seemed like the most logical thing to do without arousing too much suspicion.” “I see. Always thinking on your feet.”
“So, now that I’m here, what was so important that I had to jog to the park to hear?”
“I’m sorry that I have to tell you this,” he said, gently reaching out to grab her hand. They found Kennedy’s body this morning at the same location where they found Isabella’s. Like Isabella, she had been tortured and based on my source, her neck had been snapped and she had been mauled. I know this is difficult for you, but Teddy, you must maintain your composure.”
“Maintain my composure?” she screamed, horrified that another woman she loved had been murdered. “How do I do that, Blake? Tell me: how do I do that?”
Blake wanted to comfort his friend. He knew that once she settled down, it would dawn on her that today was the anniversary of Isabella’s death. “I’m here for you, Teddy,” Blake said, extending his arms. “I’m here for you.”
Teddy’s tears seemed relentless. Her pain had found its way out and now, with the barricade broken, she could not stop weeping. All she could do was rock back and forth in Blake’s arms like a child, holding herself as if she were trying to keep from exploding.
Unable to do anything about Teddy’s pain, Blake simply held her tighter, never once letting go. He was no longer fond of Teddy; he was in love with her and he knew he would protect her with all his strength.
After the initial mourning passed, Blake and Teddy began to strategize. They knew they had to deal with Lance. Blake didn’t trust Lance as Teddy did. He believed that at a moment’s notice, he could explode. Lance was too volatile. But Teddy didn’t fear his volatility and she understood his resentment toward her.
“This is going to destroy Lance,” she said.
“I know,” Blake responded. “But we have to make sure we control how he finds out. Based on my source, whoever killed Kennedy made it personal. Did Lance ever report her missing?”
“No, he didn’t,” she said.
“Well, that’s a problem. Even to me that’s suspect. So, at a minimum, he has to come up with a reasonable explanation why and that’s where you come in. You have to make sure that when he talks to the police, he has his story straight.”
“You’re right,” Teddy replied, still reeling herself. “I need to get back to the house and deal with this head on. What are you going to do?”
“I need to get back to DC,” Blake replied. “From there, I can manage this process a little better.”
“Manage the process better? What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
“I have an inside source who keeps me up to date on what’s going on inside the bureau.”
“Can you trust this person?” Teddy asked.
“With my life,” he replied. “But, listen, I didn’t just come down here to tell you about Kennedy. It was important, but it wasn’t my only reason.”
“Oh?” Teddy looked at him inquisitively.
“My other reason was to bring you this. It’s the newest militaryissue titanium bulletproof vest. It will save your life. We’ve already been through a lot, but now we’re at the point where the Velvet Mafia is going to start coming after you. With the release of the first two DaKira Papers, they know you have found what they wanted you to find and that your team has developed the antidote. You and I both know they will eventually reveal themselves.”
“Thanks, Blake, but I really don’t think all this is necessary. Plus, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I think I can handle whatever comes my way.”
Blake wanted so much to reach out to her and tell her how he felt, but he knew he couldn’t. The last thing Teddy needed was to deal with more emotional baggage right before she was going into battle.
“You’re right,” he said. “You can take care of yourself. This is just extra insurance.”
Without saying anything, Teddy took the vest and put it on under her sweatshirt and left for the safe house.
Blake had faith that as long as she had it with her, she would know when to put it on.
By the time Teddy got back to the safe house, Lance and Basil had just finished their breakfasts. The energy in the house was as it had been before she left; both Lance and Basil were in great spirits. Basil was packing for his trip to Chicago and Lance was making the second edits to the third and final DaKira Paper.
Teddy had been in the house less than five minutes, but before she could muster up courage to tell them what she had to, Lance’s home line rang. When they had moved into the safe house, their landline numbers had been transferred to the safe house to give the appearance they still occupied their homes. Once the receivers were picked up, they triggered a speakerphone and anyone listening would be able to hear the conversation.
It took Lance about four rings before he picked up his phone and for a brief moment, Teddy thought that he might let it go to voice mail, giving her a little more time to come up with her approach. But that didn’t happen.
“Yes, this is Lance St. John. Who is this? Yes. So, what is this about? I see. Okay, I’ll be in in the morning. Thank you.”
The look on Lance’s face confirmed Teddy’s suspicions. She knew it had been the police because he was no longer in the good space he had been in just moments before. Now he was dazed and flushed.
“Lance, what’s wrong?” Teddy asked.
“That was the District police. They want me to come down to police headquarters. They want to ask me a few qu
estions.”
“Did they say what this was about?” Teddy asked.
“No,” Lance replied, clearly searching his own wandering thoughts for the answer. “They just want me to come in and talk to them tomorrow.”
Teddy knew she couldn’t continue as if she didn’t know what the call was about, but she also knew she couldn’t jump right into the conversation and tell him Kennedy was dead. She had to prepare him for the possibility Kennedy could be dead and at the same time, prepare him for his conversation with the police.
“Before you do anything,” she said, “let me try to get some Intel on the situation. It could be nothing or it could be something about Kennedy.”
“About Kennedy? What are you implying?”
“Calm down, Lance,” Teddy said in a calm and rational tone. “I just find it strange that you would get a call from the police asking you to come in to see them on the evening of the anniversary of Isabella’s death.”
“What are you saying?”
“Nine years ago today, Isabella was found dead. So I don’t think your call is a coincidence. In light of all we’ve uncovered, as well as the buzz around the DaKira Papers, it could be a trap. Or some sort of message.”
“A message? Are you trying to tell me Kennedy is dead?”
Lance could barely contain his emotions. Just the thought of Kennedy being dead was something he had never imagined. In his mind, when everything was over, she was coming home and together, they would work on their relationship.
“Lance, listen to me,” she said, trying to calm him down. “Right now we’re just speculating. And I know just the thought of Kennedy being dead is painful, but we still don’t know anything. Before you go down to police headquarters, let me see what I can find out. I know this is hard on you and I’m really sorry. But remember: if she is dead, you never reported her missing. So, when the police start asking you questions, you have to know what it is you are going to say. If not, you will become their first and possibly, their only suspect. And if you are taken into custody, you will be a sitting target.”
Lance shot Teddy a look that would kill. The last thing he was worried about was being a target for the Velvet Mafia. Teddy could see, in that split second, that Lance was ready to snap, but she couldn’t let his disposition stop her. She had to push the issue.
“This is how we have to think about the call,” she said. “If she is in fact dead, we know who did it. And I promise you that we will bring them to justice. Trust me on this, Lance. I know how the police think. Let me see what I can find out first. Once I know what is really going on, we can better devise our plan.”
Reluctantly, Lance acquiesced. As Teddy prepared to call her sources, her phone rang.
“Hey, Teddy, are you sitting down?” the caller said.
“Who is this?” she asked, looking at her phone to see where the call was coming from.
“This is Agent Jason Walls. We worked together nine years ago today on the Isabella Cardosa murder.”
Teddy was immediately suspicious. This was too much for a coincidence. First, Lance received a call to come to the DC police station and within a few minutes, she gets a call from a bureau agent who claimed to have worked with her on Isabella’s case. Teddy kept her guard up as she went along with the caller and like any good detective, she was engaging.
“Oh, yes. Hey, Walls, what’s up?”
“You won’t believe this but I’m actually at the same location where we found Dr. Cardosa nine years ago. This time we have another dead woman.”
For privacy, Teddy walked out of the room. Lance was within earshot and until she really knew who was on the other end of the phone and what he wanted, it was best he didn’t hear her conversation or see her reaction to the caller’s news. Blake had already told her that Kennedy was dead, but he hadn’t given her many details. If she had to tell Lance, she needed to know everything before he started questioning her about the caller.
“Well, who is she and why are you calling me, Agent Walls?”
“According to her identification, her name is Kennedy St. John. At this point, it looks like her neck was snapped. Oh yeah, there is one more thing: like Cardosa, this woman died a horrible death. It looks like she was mauled.”
“Mauled?” Teddy replied as she sank down on the couch.
“Yes, mauled. And — get this — her clothes were folded neatly and placed on a table in the corner.”
“Okay, and what’s so significant about that?” she replied, trying to maintain her own calm.
“On top of the clothing was a wallet containing her driver’s license and a picture.” “A picture?” Teddy asked. “Yes, a picture.” He replied. “The picture was a picture of you and her. I want you to know that brass is all over this, and they’re going to be calling you once they process the scene. But chances are, they won’t find anything incriminating.”
“Oh, really?” Teddy said as she tried to discern his motives. “So, Walls, why are you telling me this?”
“Because you need somebody on the inside you can trust. This case is going to be very messy and I just wanted you to hear about it from someone on the inside. The way they’re acting leads me to believe they are trying to make this a homosexual murder and all trails point to you as some psychotic lesbian killer. Let’s face it, Alexander. This is your second trip down this aisle.”
It didn’t take Teddy long to figure out that based on the caller’s tone, he was trying to elicit a certain response from her — an emotional denial and an outward protest of condemnation. But she wouldn’t bite. She had played this game long enough to find she was slightly insulted. Was Agent Walls the best they had?
“Thanks, Walls, for the heads up.”
“You’re welcome and if you need me for anything, you have my cell number.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said before hanging up.
For about ten minutes, Teddy sat to collect her thoughts. The stranger had said a lot and she needed to put as many pieces together as she could before she had to deal with Lance. It didn’t surprise her that the agency was trying to make Kennedy’s death about her sexuality. What concerned her more was the messenger. Who was Agent Walls? And could he really have worked with her nine years ago? In her mind, only one agent stood out and it wasn’t Walls. It was an older man. Teddy couldn’t recall his name but she did recall his actions. Unlike the other agents, this agent came to her aid when she was at her lowest point. Based on Teddy’s assessment, Walls sounded too young to be this man, so who was he and how had he gotten her cell number?
Regardless of the messenger, it was clearly a message, and Kennedy’s death proved it.
Lance walked into the room. “Who was that you were talking to?” he asked aggressively. “I thought you were going to find out why the police wanted to see me.”
“I was and I did,” she said. “Sit down, Lance.”
“It’s Kennedy, isn’t it? Is she all right? Can I go see her?”
“I’m sorry, Lance,” she said as she took his hand. “Kennedy is dead. The cops found her today in an abandoned building.”
In an effort to console his friend, Basil placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder. Both Basil and Teddy knew this was Lance’s moment and they had to give it to him no matter how uncomfortable it felt. When he was ready, he would let them know. Until then, they embraced the sound of silence with the respect it deserved.
Finally, in a barely audible but calm voice, Lance asked Teddy how Kennedy had died. Teddy knew that whatever she said, she had to try not to expose that she had died a cruel and painful death.
“What does it matter how she died?” Teddy asked gently.
Lance jumped to his feet. Sensing what was about to happen, Basil leaped up, too. But before he could stop the inevitable, Lance had his hands around Teddy’s neck and the two of them were wrestling on the floor. Lance was choking the living daylights out of her, but Teddy was fighting back. She hit Lance so hard that Basil knew, once it was all over, he w
ould know he’d been in a fight. Even Basil had to take a few punches before he could pull Lance off her.
As Basil restrained Lance, Teddy struggled to get to the couch and up off the floor.
“How did she die, Teddy?” Lance yelled as Basil held him tightly.
Still out of breath, holding her neck, Teddy responded. “She was mauled to death, damn it. Now are you happy?”
Lance fell to the ground weeping.
“Listen, you two,” Basil said. “I know this is a tough time and I’m sorry for your loss. But we still have work to do and we owe it to Kennedy and everybody else caught up in this web to finish what we started.”
“I agree,” Teddy said as she looked down at Lance, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, Lance, but we can’t fall apart now. We have to get through this together.”
Lance said nothing. He just sat on the floor trying to hold in his emotions.
“This is what I propose,” Basil said. “Lance and I will return to DC tonight and I will accompany him to the police station tomorrow.”
“That’s good,” Teddy said, still sore but fully engaged. “That way the two of you can work on Lance’s responses.”
“Then, once the interview is over, Lance and I will go to the morgue to see Kennedy. Then, once I get Lance settled, I’ll continue on to Chicago as planned,” Basil continued.
“And we all know what I’ll be doing,” Lance said as he finally stood up and walked over to where Basil and Teddy were sitting. “I’ll be preparing for a funeral.”
Basil stood up, directly in front of Lance, assuming a position of authority. He could no longer take Lance’s aggressiveness. “Once again, my friend, we are both sorry for your loss, but it’s time to accept some responsibility. This may be hard to hear, especially right now, but Kennedy’s relationship with Teddy happened because your relationship with your wife was broken. So, if you’re going to be mad at someone, it’s time you take a look at the man in the mirror. Trust me. I’ve been there and once you do, you won’t stare too long.”
Basil could see from the look on Lance’s face that the message wasn’t sitting well and that any slight gesture would set off round two.
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