Monster In The Closet (The Baltimore Series Book 5)

by Karen Rose

  ‘Unless Jazzie wasn’t a target,’ Joseph said.

  Taylor scoffed. ‘Why wouldn’t she be? If she saw him either killing her mother or afterward, why wouldn’t he want to silence her?’

  ‘Okay,’ Joseph said, ‘let’s assume she is a target. Why wait until today?’

  ‘She’s been watched pretty carefully,’ Ford said. ‘Maybe he didn’t have a chance.’ And then Joseph’s meaning clicked in his head. Oh. ‘JD said they’d kept it out of the press and the police reports that Jazzie was hiding behind the chair and had seen her mother’s killer. Maybe he just found out.’

  ‘All right,’ Joseph said. ‘Who told him?’

  Taylor puffed out a breath. ‘The only people – other than us – who knew that Jazzie found her mother’s body first were Lilah, Janie and maybe Eunice. I’m not clear on how much Lilah might have told her, but my money’s still on Jarvis’s mom. I’m betting Lilah wouldn’t give him the time of day.’

  Joseph nodded. ‘I agree. But Lilah hadn’t told Eunice that Jazzie was hiding behind the chair. She didn’t trust her not to blab it to everyone and put Jazzie in danger, even if it was inadvertently. How would Eunice have known?’

  Taylor bit at her bottom lip. ‘Lilah was so excited that Jazzie talked yesterday. She probably told Eunice that.’

  ‘She did,’ Maggie confirmed. ‘Lilah called me after she left with the girls yesterday. She wanted to make sure that I’d heard about Jazzie’s breakthrough. I could hear Eunice chattering in the background. They were both so excited.’ She frowned, concentrating. ‘Eunice was on the phone, too, I think. Her voice is loud, so I heard her talking, but there were gaps, like the person at the other end of the line was talking too. She was telling someone that this was a huge breakthrough.’

  ‘That might have been enough,’ Taylor said tentatively. ‘If Gage learned that Jazzie was talking and that Lilah and Eunice were heralding it as a huge deal . . .’ She trailed off, clearly discomfited by Joseph’s even gaze. She swallowed hard and continued. ‘Gage is smart, right? Fitzpatrick told us this morning that he framed that homeless man – what was his name? The one who was murdered yesterday morning.’

  ‘Toby Romano,’ Joseph told her.

  ‘Yes, him. How exactly did Gage frame him?’

  Joseph hesitated, contemplating, then shrugged slightly. ‘Gage left a brooch where Romano could easily find it. Romano was picked up after trying to pawn it, but Fitzpatrick didn’t believe Romano was guilty. Gage became impatient because Romano hadn’t been arrested yet, so he upped the ante by planting some of Valerie’s stolen jewelry in Romano’s pockets so that it would be found with his body. That’s the theory, anyway.’

  Taylor leaned forward, her expression intense. ‘Well, if I were Gage, and I was impatient that Romano hadn’t been arrested, and all of a sudden people are excited about Jazzie’s talking when she hasn’t since the murder, I’d worry. I’d wonder what Fitzpatrick knew that I didn’t. I’d be afraid of what Jazzie knew – and what she’d said to her therapist.’

  Joseph nodded. ‘So would I.’

  ‘And,’ Ford said, pushing back the anger that once again roared to life inside him, ‘he was waiting for Taylor, not Jazzie.’ Anger mixed with sick dread. ‘He has his daughters, Joseph.’

  Joseph exhaled a weary sigh. ‘I’d have to agree. With all of it.’

  ‘What are the odds those babies are still alive?’ Maggie asked, voice trembling.

  ‘Not good,’ Joseph admitted.

  Ford felt the shudder that passed through Taylor and he squeezed her hand. It wasn’t fair. Jazzie was just a little girl and none of this was fair. Then again, the bad things that had happened to him and Taylor weren’t fair either.

  ‘And now Gage’s mama shows up in the ER after being abandoned in a park,’ Taylor murmured.

  Ford knew the park where Eunice had been found. ‘That park has a huge playground.’

  Taylor flinched. ‘My God. Lilah said the girls had gone out with Eunice. That woman delivered her granddaughters to him. What kind of person does that?’

  ‘Eunice never thought Gage was guilty,’ Maggie said quietly. ‘She didn’t think he was capable of the violence used against Valerie. But she loves those girls. She wouldn’t have just delivered them to him like lambs to the slaughter. Gage must have gotten to his mother. Manipulated her into bringing the girls to him.’

  ‘Guess Eunice figured out her mistake a little too late,’ Ford said bitterly, thinking of how frightened the girls had to be. If they were still alive. Please let them be alive. ‘But . . . the hospital told Lilah that Gage’s mother was here, that she was in critical condition, that the girls weren’t with her in the park. Why hasn’t Lilah called the police?’

  ‘I think that is the question we need to focus on,’ Joseph said. ‘Lilah doesn’t strike me as an irresponsible woman. Either the girls are safely with her, or something else is going on.’

  Ford was about to ask what Joseph’s team was doing to find out when a creative curse uttered loudly by the window had the four of them turning toward his mother, who was still engaged in a conversation on her cell phone that had suddenly become intense.

  Taylor glanced at the clock on the wall. Clay had been in surgery for almost two hours. ‘Is Daphne discussing Clay? She looks upset.’

  Joseph shook his head. ‘No. She’s still dealing with her office.’

  Taylor watched Daphne warily, as if she didn’t believe Joseph’s claim. Joseph, to his credit, didn’t seem rattled, but that was just the kind of guy he was. Ford was happy his mother had found someone to take care of her. For just a little while, he’d thought he might have found that for himself. You still might. She hasn’t gotten on that plane back to California yet. And planes do fly both ways. And they have engineering firms in California too.

  ‘Your mom fell apart when I told her about Clay,’ Joseph murmured, cutting into his thoughts. ‘And when I told her that you’d been shot? I thought she was going to pass out.’

  ‘I’m all right,’ Ford said, quietly but firmly.

  ‘She knows that. That’s what’s keeping her going right now.’ Joseph cleared his throat, then continued at a normal volume. ‘And I’m keeping our promise to Clay. JD promised that he’d keep Taylor safe. I’m your personal bodyguard until he gets here.’

  ‘When will that be?’ Taylor asked.

  Joseph’s slight smile was enigmatic. ‘When he gets here.’

  Baltimore, Maryland,

  Sunday 23 August, 6.20 P.M.

  JD was losing his patience and his temper. He knocked hard on Lilah Cornell’s apartment door – for the umpteenth time. ‘Miss Cornell, this is Detective Fitzpatrick. Please open this door! I need to speak to you.’

  He knew she was in there. Or somebody was in there. He’d seen the slight movement of the drapes in her living-room window, and her car was parked out front. But she refused to answer his attempts – or those of anyone else – to communicate with her.

  The hospital had called her cell and home phones to tell her about Eunice. She’d answered neither and they’d left messages. She’d called back almost immediately, telling them that she’d be there as soon as she could. But she hadn’t shown up, and both he and Joseph were concerned. JD had called her, but she hadn’t answered his calls either. So he’d come by in person. And now the seconds were ticking away in his head as he knocked, called Lilah’s phone, and cajoled through the door.

  If those little girls had been taken by their asshole father, their time was quickly running out.

  That their asshole father was hiding in their apartment was a real possibility. That Lilah was in there hurt was also a possibility. No one had seen her get hit by any of the bullets, but nor could anyone say with any certainty that she hadn’t been. It had been too chaotic.

  He knocked again. ‘Miss Co
rnell, if you do not open this door, I’ll be forced to break it down. I’m concerned that you were injured in the shooting.’

  ‘I’m fine, Detective,’ she said through the door. ‘Everything is fine.’

  JD frowned. ‘And the girls?’

  ‘They’re fine too, but they’re exhausted. They’re sleeping – or trying to. You’re making enough noise to wake the dead.’

  His frown deepened. ‘Can you please let me in? I’d like to check on them.’

  ‘I can assure you, Detective,’ she said, her tone abruptly changing from that of the caring aunt he’d spoken with over the last month to one that was commanding and more than a little harsh. Suddenly she sounded like the attorney she was. ‘I know when a child simply needs sleep. Eunice took them to the park to run off some energy because Jazzie was nervous about meeting with Miss Dawson. Janie said that Jazzie had a panic attack when they couldn’t find their grandmother, that she was terrified. They thought that maybe she’d lost them too and had gone home, thinking that was where they’d go. They had no idea that she’d collapsed.

  ‘They walked home, and Jazzie was in a near emotional meltdown by the time they got here, terrified that she’d been abandoned. Plus the heat didn’t help. They were overheated and dehydrated. When I got back, they were both in the living room, cooling down and dozing off. Janie told me what had happened. Jazzie wrote on her notepad that she didn’t want to see Miss Dawson today. I put them to bed and took a bubble bath myself. That is why I didn’t answer your calls or your banging on my door. Now you’re up to speed, Detective.’

  She spoke too carefully and he wished he could see her face, because he did not believe a word she said. It was too pat. Too rehearsed. ‘I’d like to see you for myself, ma’am.’

  ‘Oh, for the love of—’ She jerked the door open, just a crack, but it was enough to see that her expression was annoyed and she wore a filmy robe that left very little to the imagination. Startled, he yanked his gaze back up to her face, which was now grim. ‘There. Now you see me. Are you satisfied, Detective? Now please. You need to leave me alone. Jazzie does not want to talk to Miss Dawson. You need to respect that.’ She started to close the door, but he held it open with the palm of his hand.

  No, he was not satisfied. She was lying. She hadn’t once asked about Eunice or the aftermath of the shooting. She hadn’t asked if anyone was hurt. The woman he’d dealt with for the last month would not be so callous and cold.

  Her expression appeared to be annoyed, but her eyes and the set of her mouth were grim. Plus, she hadn’t taken a bubble bath. If she’d just gotten out of the tub, he would have detected some scent, and there was none, but he did smell sweat. The room behind the front door was cool. He could feel the temperature difference from where he stood. She shouldn’t be sweating. The robe was a ruse, intended to startle him into leaving. She was terrified and hiding it well, no doubt thanks to her experience prosecuting criminals.

  JD wondered if she was being held at gunpoint, or if Gage was threatening the children to ensure her cooperation. He leaned forward, trying to see as much as he could of the apartment through the cracked door. It was impossible to know if anyone was there.

  ‘Miss Cornell, your brother-in-law Gage Jarvis was the shooter this afternoon. He was trying to kill Miss Dawson. He nearly succeeded in killing Healing Hearts’ head of security. Mr Maynard is in surgery. He may not make it.’ Even as he said the words, JD prayed he was wrong, but he wanted to paint the most accurate and frightening picture for Lilah Cornell.

  She drew a breath. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll pray for him.’

  He gave her an intense look and silently mouthed, ‘Is Gage in there with you?’

  She shook her head. ‘No,’ she said aloud. ‘There is no one here but me and my nieces. Now I need you to go. If you continue to knock on my door, I’ll file a complaint with BPD.’

  JD ground his teeth, beyond frustrated. ‘If he calls you, please let me know.’

  ‘I will.’ She started to close the door.

  ‘Miss Cornell,’ he said urgently. ‘He was shot this afternoon. He’s wounded. He may come to you for help.’

  Her laugh bubbled out, just shy of hysterical. ‘I can assure you that Gage Jarvis will not be asking me for help. Now, good day.’

  She closed the door with a snap and he could hear the deadbolts being turned.

  He stood there for several seconds, breathing evenly and attempting to stem his frustration. He needed a better plan. He needed to see inside that apartment. He needed to know if those girls were really safe or not.

  His gut told him they were not. For now, he’d have to treat this as a hostage situation until he knew more. He sent a flurry of texts to Joseph, updating him on the status and recommending a hostage retrieval team.

  Joseph texted back right away. Agree. Will send agents to maintain surveillance on LC’s apt and all exits. U focus on finding Jarvis in case he is not inside. Might be somewhere else with easier escape route. Also his wound is bad, he will need med attn.

  That was true, JD allowed. This apartment building would be hard to escape from, and Gage had shown a talent for planning. If he were hurt and bleeding, Lilah Cornell would be the last person he’d allow to take care of him.

  Any sign of Gage at Denny’s house? JD texted.

  None yet, came Joseph’s reply. Will assign Hector to head HRT.

  That was a good choice. Hector had been trained in hostage retrieval. Okay. ETA and ID of surveillance agent?

  Ingram is 15 min out.

  Excellent, JD thought. Agent Ingram was new to their team, but had proven himself to be a good cop. Okay. Will keep u up to speed.

  Pocketing his phone, JD leaned on the wall outside Lilah’s door and waited, listening for any sound of life inside, but he heard nothing. Her apartment was as quiet as a tomb.

  Baltimore, Maryland,

  Sunday 23 August, 6.25 P.M.

  Ford and Taylor both jumped when Joseph’s phone started buzzing like a swarm of bees. They’d been sitting silently, hand-in-hand, waiting for news of some kind. Maggie had gone back up to the surgery waiting room to sit with Stevie, and Daphne was still on the phone, her tone alternating between whispered conversation and loud cursing. Whatever she was talking about, it didn’t appear to be good.

  Taylor opened her mouth, no doubt to ask if he had information on either Clay or the little girls, but Joseph shook his head before she could speak.

  ‘These are all from JD,’ he said. He fired off a series of responses, then looked up to meet their expectant gazes. ‘He’s spoken to Lilah Cornell and she claims the girls came home from the park on their own and were sleeping. She would not allow him to come in and he doesn’t believe her story.’

  ‘Could Gage be inside?’ Taylor asked.

  ‘Possibly. I’m assigning a hostage retrieval team.’

  Taylor chewed on her lower lip. ‘She accepted a call from the hospital, but won’t accept calls from the police?’

  ‘Technically she didn’t accept the call from the hospital,’ Joseph corrected. ‘They left her a message to call them back and she did.’

  ‘Did they tell her in the message that Eunice was here?’ she asked.

  Joseph shook his head. ‘No. They just told her to call back. Why?’

  ‘Calling the hospital back makes it sound like she was worried that someone might be hurt. Like maybe the girls. Because she didn’t know. They’re not there with her.’ She shrugged. ‘Lilah’s not going to talk to you, but she did try to talk to the three of us earlier – Ford, Clay and me. Maybe she’ll talk to Ford and me if we go over there.’

  Joseph laughed, and it wasn’t a pretty sound. ‘And there I was thinking you had an actual brain in your head. One of your trio is fighting for his life right now. In what parallel universe did
you actually think I’d let either of you do that?’

  Taylor didn’t flinch and Ford respected the hell out of that. He also agreed one hundred percent with Joseph that Taylor shouldn’t be anywhere near Lilah, proximity-wise, but talking to her? Yeah, that seemed like a better idea than having JD bang his head against a wall.

  ‘In the universe where two little girls have likely been taken by a killer,’ Taylor said evenly. ‘You can try to force Lilah to talk to you, but she won’t. Not until she knows the kids are safe. Or dead. One or the other.’ She stood and looked at her clothing, spattered in Clay’s blood. ‘I’d like a shower and a change of clothes, but what I need is to go to the OR waiting room now and sit with Stevie. And meet my grandfather. I’ve put it off long enough.’ Her smile had a razor-sharp edge. ‘I think I have enough of a brain to find the surgery floor without help, as long as it’s safe to travel across the hospital. But of course I’ll follow your wishes.’

  Joseph’s voice was mild but his eyes were narrowed. ‘You’ll need an escort. I’ll get an officer to walk you up.’ He typed a text into his phone and hit SEND. Within a minute, a uniformed policewoman stood in the doorway.

  ‘What do you need, Agent Carter?’ she asked.

  ‘This witness needs to be escorted to the OR waiting room. Taylor, stay with Officer Meyer. Please.’ Joseph waited until Taylor was gone. ‘Will she do as we ask, Ford? Please tell me she’s smart enough not to try leaving the hospital to talk to Lilah herself.’

  ‘She is,’ Ford said. ‘She won’t like it, but she’ll be safe for Clay’s sake.’ And I’ll make sure of it. He’d follow her up to the surgery waiting room after he found out who his mother had been talking to. He’d heard Daphne say the words ‘IT’ and ‘breach’, and neither sounded good.

  His mother finally finished her call and came to sit next to Joseph. ‘Damn stupid phone. The only good reception is next to the window.’