Murder Strikes Twice: A Catrina Flaherty Mystery, Book 2 (Catrina Flaherty Mysteries)

by Pendelton Wallace

  “Crap.” Something didn’t compute. “How come in all of our research, we didn’t discover he’s a sailor.”

  “He’s not. His new girlfriend apparently is. It sounds to me like they’re planning on taking off on a cruise around the world.”

  What the hell? He hasn’t been arrested for anything. There’s nothing stopping him from leaving. We have to move fast, before he gets away.

  “Sounds to me like a guilty man,” Catrina said. “He must feel us breathing down his neck. He wants to get out of Dodge before the law comes down on him.”

  ****

  The call came in just as Catrina was getting ready for work.

  “Hello?” Catrina answered her home phone.

  “Cat? This is Tami . . . Tami Price.”

  Catrina could hear the heavy sobs on the other end of the line.

  “Hi Tami. Are you okay?” Catrina felt that familiar tingling down her spine.

  “It was him. Mr. Barrett.”

  “What was him?”

  “He raped me . . . I think.”

  Catrina knew exactly what to do. She’d been here too many times.

  “Tami, where are you? I’ll be right over.”

  “I’m at the . . . the . . . Bartell’s Drug Store on Capitol Hill.”

  “Okay, listen, I want you to meet me at the Harbor View Emergency Room. Hang tight. Don’t take a shower or clean up until I get there. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Tami said in a tiny voice. “Harbor View.”

  Catrina never thought much of traffic laws and there was hardly one she didn’t break on the dash to the hospital. Within ten minutes she pulled into the hospital parking lot.

  “Catrina Flaherty.” Catrina flashed her badge at the nurse on the desk too fast for the poor woman to read. “Where is Tami Price?”

  The flustered nurse consulted her clipboard. “Uh . . . she’s in ER three.”

  “Thanks,” Catrina said, as she flew down the hallway.

  “Cat Flaherty,” she said, as she flashed her badge at the rape crisis team member. “This woman is my client.” She turned to Tami, looking like a child curled into a fetal position on the bed.

  “Tami, how you doing?” Catrina gently took Tami’s hand.

  “It was horrible, Cat.” She sobbed so hard Catrina could hardly understand her.

  “Take a deep breath, sweetie. Hold it in, good, good. Now breathe out slowly. I need you calm down and tell me exactly what happened.”

  “I don’t remember it well. I finished up for the day and Mr. Barrett sat at the breakfast bar when I started to walk out. He asked me . . . he asked me if I wanted a drink. He had a bottle of Chardonnay open.”

  Catrina wrote in her notebook as fast as she could. “What happened then?”

  “I decided it wouldn’t be good to turn him down, he’s my boss and all. He already had a glass of wine poured for me. I took the glass and we chatted about Debby and getting her into a good pre-school and all . . . I felt like I was losing control of my muscles . . . I think he was pushing my legs open . . . then I don’t remember anything until this morning.”

  “What happened this morning?”

  “I woke up naked, in his bed. He was lying beside me, naked too. My wrists and ankles were bruised. There was blood on the sheets. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. I slipped out of bed and got dressed.” Tami broke into a hysterical crying fit.

  “That’s okay, Tami. This isn’t your fault. He must have slipped you a date-rape drug.”

  “I’m not on any birth control. I went to the drug store get a morning-after pill then called you.”

  “That’s good, Tami.” Catrina petted her hand. “Good thinking.”

  “Cat, I can’t take it anymore.” Tears began to flow. “I can’t go back there. But then I think about little Debby. What will happen to her if I didn’t go back? He hardly even notices she’s there.”

  “Don’t worry about her now. I have a friend, a woman detective on the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Squad. I’m going to give her a call. She’ll come down and talk to us. The SACAS works closely with Child Protective Services. They’ll pick Debby up and take care of her until this is all straightened out.”

  Talesha Nash, a petite black detective with attitude who fought her way through the Academy with Catrina, joined them in the hospital. She ordered a rape kit, drug screen and took Tami’s statement. Agreeing with Catrina, she called Child Protective Services.

  “Nancy, this is Talesha . . . Good, how about you? . . . Listen, I have a new case here that might need your intervention.”

  Talesha went on to explain what she had learned about the Barrett Case.

  “In an hour?” Talesha said. “Good, I’ll see you there.”

  Talesha turned to Catrina and Tami. “CPS will meet me there in about an hour. I need to get going.” She took Tami’s hand. “Tami, thank you for calling us in. I know that it takes a lot of courage.”

  “Hand me my bag,” Tami asked, after the police woman left. “When I woke up and found him in bed next to me, I snapped. I got dressed as quietly as I could, then as I was leaving his house; I noticed that the door to his office was open.” She reached in her purse. “I got these for you.” Tami handed Catrina a spiral bound notebook and a map.

  ****

  Catrina sat and waited in her SUV for Talesha, her friend from SACAS, to show up at the Pike Towers condos.

  What could be taking her so long?

  Her cell phone rang, it was Mary Beth.

  She pushed the button on her steering wheel. “Watcha got for me now?” Catrina asked.

  “Hi Cat, I’ve got the scoop on Barrett’s girl friend.”

  “Great,” Catrina dug her notebook out of her purse. “Go ahead.”

  “Okay, first of all, she was in the Peace Corps. For a while.”

  “For a while?” Catrina asked. “What does that mean?”

  “She got thrown out.”

  “What the hell?” Catrina lifted her eye brows. “How do you get thrown out of the Peace Corps?”

  “She was leading protests against the government. She was an organizer. The government declared her persona non grata and deported her.”

  Catrina sighed and paused for a moment. “Well, knowing the third world, the government probably needed to be protested against.”

  “I know, Cat. But the Peace Corps takes a dim view of that. The volunteers have to be a-political. That’s the only way they’re allowed in the country.”

  “That’s interesting.” Catrina checked the parking garage entrance to see if Talesha was coming yet.

  “I got more. Apparently Miss Waitley spent her teenage years as a crew member on the Adventuress.”

  “What’s the Adventuress?” Catrina asked.

  “A boat. A big sailboat. I guess it’s over a hundred years old and is one hundred thirty feet long. It’s used as a sail training ship for disadvantaged youngsters. They also charter it out to earn money for the foundation.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hailey spent five summers as a crew member training the kids. She must have learned a lot about sailing in those years.”

  “Hmmm . . . I guess she might be capable of taking a sail boat on a long ocean voyage. Why don’t you call Chris? He’s a sailor. He’ll know about this stuff.”

  Chris Hardwick was Higuera’s best friend. They were college roommates and had been joined at the hip ever since. He had a big racing sailboat that Higuera crewed on.

  “Got it, call Chris Hardwick.”

  “Good work. See you later.” Catrina started to reach for the disconnect button.

  “Wait a minute, Cat.” Mary Beth practically screamed into the phone. “There’s more.”

  “What more could there be?” Catrina drummed her finger nails on the steering wheel. Where is that woman?

  “She’s had two abortions.”

  Catrina sat stunned. “The preacher’s granddaughter? I don’t think her church believes in abortions.”

 
“Nope. I don’t think her family knows about the abortions, either. They were both at a Planned Parenthood Clinic and she was over eighteen. If she didn’t tell her family, the clinic sure wouldn’t.”

  “Well, well, well. Our little miss girl-next-door seems to get around. I wonder if Barrett knows about her past. He always goes for the holy-roller type.”

  “I’ll keep at it.”

  “Good girl. I’ve got to go now. My detective is here.”

  ****

  Catrina jumped from her car to meet Detective Talesha Nash.

  “Talesha, I’m glad you’re here.” She held out her hand to Talesha.

  “Yeah, but what you doing here?” Talesha pointed at Catrina then pulled her hand back. “You didn’t need ta come down here.”

  Catrina shrugged. “I’ve been on this bastard’s trail for a while now. I had to be here to see him taken away.”

  “You might be a little early on that, girl,” Talesha said. “We don’t got no evidence yet. All we got is Tami’s statement.”

  “Detective, we’re ready,” the beat cop said as he approached Talesha.

  “Now alls we gotta do is wait for the case worker.”

  In a couple of minutes a white compact with an “Official Government Vehicle” decal on the door pulled into the parking lot.

  “Hi, Talesha,” the slightly plump middle-aged Asian woman said, as she extended her hand to Talesha.

  “Kathy, meet Cat Flaherty.” Talesha pointed to Catrina. “She put me onto this case. Cat, this is Kathy Lee, my friend from CPS.”

  “Hi, Kathy.” Catrina shook her hand.

  “Let’s get goin’,” Talesha said.

  The two officers and the case worker followed Talesha. Catrina fell in step with them.

  Talesha stopped “Cat, you can’t go up there. We can’t take no civilians with us.”

  Damn. “Okay. I’ll wait here.”

  Catrina retreated and stood next to her Explorer.

  Time slowed down. Every time she looked at her watch, it had only advanced a tick or two.

  She reached into her vehicle and grabbed a water bottle.

  What’s taking so long? Catrina paced.

  After what seemed like a lifetime, the elevator doors opened. Kathy carried the child, flanked by the two police officers. Talesha brought up the rear.

  “How did it go?” Catrina asked.

  “About like you’d expect,” Talesha said. “He yelled and shouted, got all defensive, called his lawyer. He’s going to make a big deal out of this.”

  Why not? After all, they just took away his child. But if Tami’s to be believed, he didn’t care that much about the girl anyway.

  “What now?” Catrina asked.

  “Kathy will take the girl to an emergency foster home until this is resolved. I’ll go back and work the evidence. The rape kit should be done by now. It’ll take a couple of days to get the tox screen back.”

  “Can you do a DNA match on the semen?”

  “Assuming that there is semen. We still only have Tami’s story. But yes, if there’s semen, we can do a match if we can get a sample of Barrett’s DNA. It’ll take two or three weeks to get that back.”

  “Do we have enough evidence to compel him to submit to a DNA test?”

  “That’s a question for the DA. I’ll call Petrocelli this afternoon.”

  Catrina almost dropped her teeth. “PETROCELLI? How come you have to call him?”

  Talesha shook her head. “The DA knows Petrocelli wants to run against him next year, so he buried him in the sexual abuse department.”

  “My God. Petrocelli is the worst ADA I’ve ever met. He couldn’t win a case with a hundred eye witnesses.”

  “We gotta to play the hand that’s dealt us.” Talesha opened her car door. “Have a good one, Cat. And thanks.”

  Talesha climbed into her car and pulled out of the garage.

  Catrina stood and stared into space.

  Petrocelli! What a dog.

  Rico Petrocelli had once arrested Catrina and Ted on hacking charges. Catrina’s attorney, Jennifer Trask, ate his lunch and they were free before they had a chance to get comfortable. He was the asshole who arrested Lisa Adams when her drug-dealing husband skipped town leaving her with a basement full of cocaine. It just couldn’t get worse than this.

  “I knew you were behind this,” a baritone voice said behind her.

  Catrina turned and saw an extremely good-looking man, about six feet tall, wearing tight jeans and an even tighter T-shirt that showed off his muscles and washboard abs.

  “Barrett!” She gasped.

  “You meddling bitch. Why couldn’t you just leave well enough alone?”

  Catrina stepped towards Barrett. “Because you murdered both of your wives and are looking for a third. You didn’t really think you could get away with it, did you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes twinkled and a grin spread across his face.

  “You damn well know.” Catrina sized him up.

  If he attacked her, he’d be a formidable opponent.

  “I’m tired of your interfering. It stops right here.” Barrett reached in his pocket and produced a large folding knife. He pulled the blade out and stared at Catrina. “You’re going to pay for this, bitch.”

  Catrina smiled at him. “Sticks and stones.”

  She flipped her wrist and a metal rod that looked like Harry Potters magic wand appeared in her hand.

  Barrett laughed. “What are you going to do with that thing, cast a spell on me?” He inched closer to Catrina.

  Catrina pushed a button on the side of the wand and two more sections clicked into place with a click, revealing a metal police baton.

  Barrett lunged at her. Catrina stepped back and swatted his wrist with her baton. The knife clattered to the floor.

  “Cunt!” Barrett charged Catrina.

  She tried to step out of his way and smash the baton against his shins, but he was too fast. He hit her like a running back taking out a safety. She went crashing to the cement, with him on top. Catrina tried to breath, but couldn’t get any air into her lungs.

  “You’re mine bitch.” He pulled at her blouse, sending buttons flying.

  Catrina struggled against him as he straddled her.

  He jerked her bra up and crushed her breast in his big hands.

  She tried to shake him off.

  He laughed, backed up slightly and reached for the zipper on her jeans.

  Mistake, asshole. Catrina slammed her knee into his groin.

  “Arghh!” He yelled, grabbed his crotch and rolled off of her.

  Catrina sprang to her feet.

  Barrett rolled around for a moment then stood.

  Catrina went into her boxer’s stance.

  “You can’t be serious,” Barrett laughed. “You really think you can fight me?”

  He stepped into her and threw a punch. She floated like a butterfly out of his reach.

  Catrina dodged and slammed the palm of her hand under his chin.

  His head snapped back.

  Catrina followed with a hammer blow to the side of his head, then a left to his throat.

  Blood flew from Barrett’s nose as he staggered back. He saw his knife on the floor. “I’m gonna cut you bad, bitch.”

  Barrett grabbed for his knife and stood up.

  “You idiot,” Catrina shouted, reaching behind her back. “Like Sean Connery said, didn’t anyone tell you not to bring a knife to a gunfight?”

  She pulled the ugly looking Glock 17 from its holster in the small of her back.

  Barrett froze.

  “Drop the knife.”

  It took a moment, but eventually he realized he was beaten and dropped the knife.

  “Okay, hands on your head. Now take two steps back, get on your knees.”

  Barrett did as instructed.

  Catrina’s heart beat wildly. This was the trickiest part of a takedown.

  Barrett’s eyes darted
around, looking for a way out.

  She had a perp who surrendered, but wasn’t secured. The whole thing could go south in a hundred ways. She carefully worked her way back to her car and produced a set of handcuffs from her purse.

  “I’ll bet this isn’t the first time you’ve had a set if these on, you bastard.” Catrina cuffed him. “Sorry they aren’t velvet covered. I’ll bet you used all sorts of kinky toys with your little honeys at the Sorento.”

  “Huh? How do you know about that?”

  “I know more about you than you know about yourself. Now you just stay there nice and quiet while I call the police.”

  ****

  Jennifer Trask’s office was on the fifth floor of the Federal Court House in Bell Town. As usual, parking was all but impossible. Catrina finally found a lot with an open spot and ridiculous prices.

  She left her gun and collapsible police baton locked in a secret compartment under the floor of her car. The metal detectors at the entrance to the building would pick them up.

  The receptionist took Catrina back to Jennifer’s office.

  “Hi, Jenn.” Catrina stepped into the office. It had a big window with a gorgeous view of Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains beyond. “Looks like you’re just moving in.”

  Cardboard boxes were piled on every available inch of floor space.

  “I never thought I’d be working for the Dark Side,” Jennifer said as she picked up a box from a chair to make room for Catrina.

  “So, your appointment must have been confirmed.”

  Jennifer laughed. “You know how the wheels of government turn. I thought it would never come through.”

  The new U.S. Attorney was Catrina’s oldest and best friend. They met way back when a young Jennifer handled Catrina’s divorce case. Catrina’s husband, a sergeant on the Seattle Police force, mentally and physically abused her. Catrina was a cop too, but she didn’t fight back. She was young, naive and thought she deserved it. It just got worse and worse. His sexual appetite was insatiable. The things he made her do.

  When he wanted to watch her have sex with other men, she had enough. Catrina took their son Billy and left, but nothing was ever easy. In those days, it was impossible to get any help from the police when the perp was a brother-in-blue. Jennifer had been her life-line to sanity.