by T. R. Ragan
She turned away from him, her eyes back on the road in front of them as she rested her head against the leather seat.
He drove well past the exit to La Casa. Twenty minutes later, when he pulled into his two-car garage and shut off the engine, she’d long been fast asleep.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was after five when Hayley heard Lizzy return from a run around the neighborhood. She found Hayley and Kitally waiting for her in the living room.
“We’re ready to have a quick meeting when you are,” Kitally said.
“OK, let me grab a few things and we’ll do this.” In another minute, Lizzy returned holding a file, and she took a seat in an upholstered wingback chair facing the couch. She looked at the clock. “Jessica won’t be returning for another hour, at least. Let’s talk about what’s on the agenda for the next few weeks.”
“I think we should talk about Wayne Bennett,” Hayley said.
There was noise in the kitchen—the shuffling of drawers and the opening and closing of the microwave door. They all sat quietly and waited for Salma to finish what she was doing. It was at least five minutes before the girl walked into the living room, holding two bowls of popcorn. “Here,” she said, setting the bowl on the coffee table between them. She made eye contact with Hayley and then Lizzy. “OK, I can take a hint. I’m outta here.”
The girl’s stomach looked like a watermelon. It was hard for Hayley to believe she could walk without falling over.
As soon as Salma disappeared, Lizzy said, “This is never going to work. Maybe we should update one another at a later date.”
“We just have to make do,” Hayley said.
“You two need to find out what the deal is with Salma . . . if she has family who’s worried about her.”
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Kitally said.
“About Wayne Bennett,” Hayley went on. “Have you found anyone who will testify against him?”
“Not so far. It’s going to be tough. Bennett’s threatening his victims and their families with their lives.”
“What about the young woman he had with him last night? The girl who left with the police?”
“They took her to the station to fill out reports, but she refused to press charges against him.”
“I have an idea,” Kitally announced.
“Let’s hear it.”
“As I mentioned to you on the phone, Bennett owns at least a dozen rental homes, including the one you visited last night. Why don’t we set up cameras in every house that isn’t occupied? If and when he takes someone to one of the houses, we’ll have a video recording of what he’s doing.”
“Tommy has agreed to install the cameras if we can get access,” Hayley added.
“Not a bad idea,” Lizzy said. “Although illegally obtained evidence won’t be admissible in court.”
“Unless we say that the videos were sent to us by an anonymous person.”
“Well, even then, probably. Still, it’s worth a shot. Let’s set up surveillance on the homes to see which ones are empty and go from there.” Lizzy opened her file and looked through her notes. “Owen Dunham. I’ve been meaning to ask you two about him.”
Hayley shrugged it off. “We dealt with that problem.”
Lizzy lifted a brow. “So what happened? The plan was to place stolen items in the trunk of his car.”
Lizzy turned to Kitally. “Hayley seems to have lost her voice, so why don’t you fill me in.”
Kitally crinkled her nose but didn’t say a word.
“One of you better tell me what’s going on or the meeting is over.”
Hayley grunted. “I cut off his balls and tossed them in the river.”
Lizzy looked perplexed. “You’re kidding, right?”
Hayley shook her head.
Kitally refused to make eye contact.
Lizzy looked over her shoulder as if she thought someone might have overheard. Then she turned back to face Hayley and said in a low voice, “What would possess you to do such a thing? You don’t think you’re going to be the first person investigators think of? Three years ago, you cut off a man’s penis and now someone’s testicles, and you don’t think anyone is going to put two and two together?”
Silence.
“What is your ridiculous fetish with male body parts anyhow?”
Hayley refused to answer such a ridiculous question. Lizzy wasn’t herself and hadn’t been for a while now. If it were up to Hayley, every convicted rapist would have his testicles removed. “Owen Dunham and I do not share any connection whatsoever,” Hayley told Lizzy matter-of-factly. “Our paths never once crossed before that night. I never even heard his name until he showed up on our list.” Hayley lifted her hands in frustration. “You might feel better about this if you look at the file and read over his long list of criminal activity.”
“I guess I should be happy you didn’t kill the man,” Lizzy said as she looked deep into Hayley’s eyes. “Because you’re not a killer. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“Hayley threatened to come back and remove whatever was left if he went to the police,” Kitally added. “I think Dunham got the message loud and clear.”
Hayley stared back at Lizzy, unblinking, refusing to look away as she waited for her to move on to the next guy on the list. Because, clearly, Lizzy would not be able to handle the truth. The harsh reality was that Hayley had gone back that very night and taken care of Dunham for good. Kitally and Lizzy would never know what happened. It only mattered that Dunham would never have a chance to hurt anyone else again.
Lizzy’s shoulders visibly relaxed before she said, “So all evidence was removed?”
“Trust me,” Hayley said. “It’s all been taken care of.”
“I’d like you both to stay away from Dunham and Holmes for now.” Lizzy looked over their list. “What’s going on with the Ghost?”
“Nothing so far. There hasn’t been a sighting in days.”
“Well, good. Maybe she’s lost interest.”
“What about Scott Shaffer—number four on the list?” she asked next.
“As far I can tell, he’s been lying low and staying out of trouble,” Hayley said. “I’ll keep an eye on him and let you both know when he’s on the prowl again.”
“Sounds good. Other than doing surveillance on Wayne Bennett’s properties,” Lizzy said, “I need you both to go to Miriam Walters’s place of work.”
“The missing girl?”
Lizzy nodded.
“Where does—or did—she work?”
“At the mall. It’s all in the file, along with a short list of people who might have seen Miriam with Bennett.”
“What exactly do we want to know?” Kitally asked.
“We need to talk to anyone who might have been in close contact with Miriam before she disappeared. Did she mention going away for a while? Do any of her coworkers know what she used to do after she left work? Did she ever talk to anyone about Wayne Bennett? Did she ever meet him for lunch? If so, where did they go?”
They heard the rattle of keys before the front door opened. It was Jessica, home early. She left her belongings on the table and joined them in the living room. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Hayley said.
“You all look pretty serious for it to be nothing.”
Lizzy shrugged. “Just getting up-to-date on a few things.”
“That’s right,” Kitally said, her voice a little too cheerful. “We were talking about Lizzy’s newest client, Gus. He lost his wife, and he thinks someone at the Shady Oaks Nursing Home is responsible. In fact,” she said, turning to Lizzy, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the note that was written on the stationery in your file. I’m pretty sure I found a match.”
Jessica stepped closer and picked up the list of names. “What is
this?”
Lizzy snatched the paper out of her hand and tucked it inside the file on her lap.
“What’s going on?” Jessica demanded.
A phone rang.
It was Lizzy’s cell. She picked up the call as she came to her feet and walked away from the group as she listened. When she returned, she had her coat and keys. “I have to go. I’ve got a live one.”
“Does it have to do with Wayne Bennett?” Hayley asked.
Lizzy nodded.
“President of SRT? That Wayne Bennett?” Jessica asked.
“One and the same,” Lizzy said. “He’s using his nonprofit organization to take advantage of young vulnerable women.”
“And he’s getting away with it,” Kitally added.
Jessica followed Lizzy to the door. “So who was that on the phone?”
“A girl named Olimpia Padula who says Bennett raped her. She’s willing to talk, even if it means sitting in front of a jury and telling her story.”
“Mind if I come along?”
Lizzy shrugged and then turned back to Hayley. “You two get busy working on the things we discussed. We’ll talk later.”
“What about Gus and the nursing home?” Kitally asked.
“Take care of it,” Lizzy said before she left the room. “You can fill me in later.”
Moments after Lizzy and Jessica left the house, Kitally saw Salma peer into the living room. “Is it safe?”
Kitally smiled. “Yeah, they’re gone. You can come out of hiding.”
Salma came in and eased herself into a chair with an enormous sigh. Kitally knew it wasn’t possible, but it seemed as if the girl’s belly had expanded since the last time she’d seen her.
“Your boss can be scary at times,” Salma said.
“She’s really not so bad,” Hayley said. “She’s just angry at the world right now.”
“I don’t know if angry is the right word,” Kitally said. “When I look into her eyes, I don’t see the same Lizzy Gardner. This new Lizzy seems possessed.”
Hayley sighed. “She’ll be fine. She just needs time.”
“Well, I didn’t want to tell you this in front of Lizzy,” Salma said, “but I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the Ghost.”
That got Hayley’s attention. “Yeah, what about her?”
“I think I know who you’re looking for.”
“Do you know her name?” Kitally asked.
“No, but before I slept in the park, I was living with a friend who was dating a guy who lived on Fedora Street. He had a roommate who looks just like the person you two were discussing the other day: skinny, pale-skinned, and she had white hair that she gelled to make it look like she had a porcupine on top of her head. You can’t miss her. She definitely stands out in a crowd. And she’s funny about her sneakers.”
“How so?”
“She has a dozen pairs of white sneakers, and if she gets a scuff mark, she throws a tantrum.”
“That’s gotta be her.” Hayley looked at the time. “I’ll pull up a satellite map on the Internet, and you can show me where she lives.”
“Why don’t we go for a drive,” Salma said, “and I’ll show you exactly where the house is.”
Kitally got up, ready to go, but Hayley hesitated, probably conflicted about having a pregnant teen as a ride-along.
“I need to get out of here,” Salma said. “I haven’t been outside since you two brought me here.”
“My car?” Kitally asked.
“I just filled my tank,” Hayley said. “We’ll take the Chevy.”
Hayley and her beloved hunk of junk, Kitally thought, but she gave her a one-handed salute. “Whatever you say, boss.”
They took the ramp to US 50 West and continued on to Business 80 toward West Sacramento. Kitally was sitting in the passenger seat, and she turned to the side to look at Salma. “How are you feeling?”
She rubbed her belly. “Fine.”
“You look like you’re ready to explode. How does it feel to have a person growing inside you?”
Hayley shook her head at Kitally’s question but said nothing.
“It’s a strange sensation,” Salma said. “Especially when the baby kicks like it wants out.”
“Bizarre,” Kitally agreed.
“Yeah, it used to do somersaults, I swear, but now that there’s less room in there, it sort of hurts when it pushes its feet into my ribs.”
“Ouch.”
It was quiet for a moment before Salma said, “So when’s Lizzy’s baby due?”
“What do you mean?” Kitally asked.
“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
Hayley frowned. “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know. Seems obvious. Every little smell makes her sick to her stomach, she hardly eats, and she has a definite baby bump.”
Kitally looked at Hayley. “Do you think she could be?”
“No. I think Salma has baby on the brain.” Hayley looked into the rearview mirror. “No offense.”
Salma smiled. “No offense taken. Besides, I know I’m right. Everything I said, plus her mood swings and the stuff she eats.”
“She did turn down a Rice Krispies Treat the other day,” Kitally said. “And come to think of it, she doesn’t drink coffee anymore. I thought that was odd.”
“Take the next exit,” Salma told Hayley.
In another few minutes they were on the 1600 block of Madrone Avenue. Unfamiliar turf for Kitally. All three of them were quiet as Salma pointed and told Hayley to take a left.
“Never mind,” Salma said. “That might be her up ahead.”
Sure enough, a skinny girl dressed in black jeans and a dark sweatshirt with white spiky hair was heading for the gas station on the corner.
Hayley pulled into the gas station just ahead of the girl and told Kitally to roll down her window. “Hey, you,” Hayley called.
Unconcerned, the girl turned toward them and strolled over to the window. “What’s going on?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where we could find some weed, would you?”
“I might.” She leaned lower so that she could see all the way to the backseat. She pointed a finger toward Salma. “Don’t I know you?”
Salma’s eyes widened. “I don’t think so.”
The girl snapped her fingers. “You’re Jane’s friend, Salma. Why don’t you girls wait right here while I head inside and buy some smokes?” She smiled and then touched the collar of Kitally’s blouse. “I like your shirt.”
“Thanks.”
“There’s a decent party happening a few blocks away,” the girl said, walking backward toward the mini-mart. “Maybe you can give me a ride.”
“Sure thing,” Kitally said. After she watched the girl disappear inside the mini-mart, she said, “We’ll give her a ride straight to the police station on Jefferson Boulevard.”
Hayley looked over her shoulder at Salma. “So that’s the same girl, right?”
“That’s her. She hasn’t changed a bit,” Salma said. “If we’re giving her a ride, we need to be careful. That girl has a mean temper, and there’s no telling what she might do.”
Kitally looked at Hayley. “We found the Ghost. Should I go inside and keep an eye on her?”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
Before Kitally could get out of the car, Hayley grabbed her arm. “Never mind.” She gestured toward the parking lot behind the building. The girl was sprinting across it. “Looks like she’s making a run for it. Buckle up.”
Hayley gunned it, squeezed her way between the guy pumping gas and the mini-market. A man filling his tank held his arm high in the air and shook his fist at her.
The Ghost was fast, running toward a chain-link fence and then vaulting over it into a backyard and disappearing w
ithout losing a step.
“Whoa, can she fly or what?” Kitally said.
The Chevy’s tires squealed as Hayley made a sharp right out of the gas station, bouncing over the curb and tossing them around inside the car, lifting a grunt from Salma in the back.
Hayley shot down the block and made a right onto a quiet neighborhood street, hoping to cut the girl off on the other side. The Ghost couldn’t have made it through all the yards in the block, but Kitally saw no sign of her.
As Hayley swept around the next corner, circling the block, the underbelly of the car began to shake and the wheels rattled. “This thing doesn’t sound good,” Kitally said. “There’s smoke coming out from under the hood. You need to pull over!”
Hayley ignored her.
“Oh no!” Salma cried out. “Not now!”
Glancing over her shoulder, Kitally found Salma wincing in pain. Her clothes, along with the backseat, were weirdly dark. No, not just dark. Wet.
“She just jumped another fence at the end of the block,” Hayley said. But when she floored it, the car shook and the engine hissed in protest.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Hayley said as the car slowed. She pummeled the gas pedal with her foot, but it didn’t do any good. The engine died. Holding tightly to the wheel, she coasted slowly to the curb.
Leaving the keys in the engine, Hayley jumped out of the car and headed after the Ghost.
“Get back here!” Kitally shouted. “We have a problem!”
It was no use. Hayley was gone.
Kitally looked back at Salma. “Don’t you dare have that baby right now. This is not a good time.”
Salma panted, her face red and pinched. A sheen of sweat covered her forehead. She did not look well.
Kitally grabbed her cell phone, exited the car, and ran to the corner to read the street signs. She called 911 and told them what was going on and where they could be found. Then she hung up and ran back to the car.
When she opened the back door and looked inside, she didn’t like what she saw. She knew how to make a bomb. Hell, she could sew a designer dress by hand without using a pattern and speak Mandarin and Italian fluently, but she knew nothing about bringing a baby into the world. The notion that she’d ever find herself in this predicament had never once come to mind. If the girl had been choking, she could do the Heimlich, but helping someone birth a baby was nowhere near her forte.