“Beaumont got away, if only for a little while. She didn’t tell anyone about what she saw?”
“Not that we know of.”
Esposito nodded. “We tried to prosecute a case a couple of years ago. It quickly went nowhere. They have politicians in their pockets, align with influential people.”
“So we just let them go on?” Ellie couldn’t help it.
“Not exactly,” Russo said. “We’ll have to convince Raphael to reach out to his family, his father Daniel in particular, and tell them he has someone interested in the group. This is tricky. Beaumont was an exception—they don’t often take new recruits, because according to their manifesto, they are already too ‘poisoned’ by the outside.”
“Lovely,” Jordan said. “How are you getting your man in?”
“Figure of speech, I hope.” Bethany leaned against the desk. “It should be a woman.”
“Why? Doesn’t it make more sense for men being interested in that lifestyle?”
Derek shot Jordan a quizzical look in response to her question.
Ellie thought of recent conversations with her ex Rhonda who had briefly dated Raphael Deane. What if…?
“They are on edge, with Raphael’s arrest. They’d be more inclined to believe a woman, if she says all the right lines. And we need him to introduce her.”
“I’m not sure how this can work,” Jordan said. “If they are letting him take the fall, why would they do anything for him?”
Ellie had the same question, but Bethany had an answer prepared for them. “If killing Beaumont was some sort of test, Raphael passed. For the family to continue business as usual, they need to act all outraged about the ‘black sheep,’ but they can turn around and be all about forgiveness the next moment if he offers them remorse and dangles a prize in front of them they can’t resist. If it all works out, we can work with A.D.A. Esposito on a deal.”
Valerie nodded. “I’m not happy about it, but if that means we finally get them, I’ll take it.”
“What are you saying?” Ellie flinched as Kate jumped to her feet.
“Officer McCarthy.” Bristol’s tone was level, but held a clear warning.
“He murdered her, possibly raped her too. I saw the body. How can we make any sort of deal with scum like him?”
“I understand your feelings,” Bethany said softly. “Unfortunately, he has something we want: Access. That has the potential to change the lives of many women and children. I believe Jennifer was about to talk. She wanted whatever she saw out in the open, and we’ll best do our job by respecting that wish.”
She was good, Ellie had to give her that.
“You all know that Rhonda Marks came in to tell us about Raphael Deane in the first place,” she said. “She knows him, didn’t quite understand his intentions, but she gave us a first hint of something bizarre going on. What if I could make the contact—”
“Ellie,” Jordan said sharply. “Stop it right there. I’m sure what Dr. Roberts is meaning to say is that she already chose someone for the job.”
“I’m sorry, Officer Harding, but that’s right.” Bethany frowned. “Agent Strickland should be here right now. I’m not sure…”
“I’m here, I’m here. Sorry. My cab got stuck in traffic and it was either wait it out, or walk. In which case I wouldn’t be here yet.”
Ellie was quite sure that Jordan wasn’t going to let her off the hook yet, but everyone else’s attention was on the agent who had just entered the room. Upon a first impression, she looked younger than Ellie, which bothered her.
She had brought them Rhonda who could identify two of Deane’s friends, so they could catch him. She was ready to step up, and Bethany knew her.
The psychiatrist regarded the younger woman with something akin to indulgent affection.
“Meet Agent Strickland. Raphael Deane will introduce her to the family.”
“How do you know this will work?” Jordan asked, still sounding frustrated. “You said they don’t trust anyone, hardly ever take in anyone from the outside. Why do you think he will help us?”
“Because he has no choice. I read his confession. There’s hardly anything to sugar-coat that he killed Beaumont, and A.D.A. Esposito is ready to go for the maximum penalty. Given that kind of choice, most people reconsider their loyalty to the family.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“We can always go back to Officer Harding’s connections, but that would be a last resort.”
Jordan’s expression said that she was more than grateful.
“Then let’s make sure it doesn’t come to that.”
“How are you planning to do this? I assume the Bureau will be responsible,” the lieutenant remarked.
“This is a joint operation now,” Russo said. “Deane knows he’s isolated from his family’s influence. We’re giving him a chance. He’d be crazy not to take it.”
“The thing is, he already is crazy, but let’s say you can convince him, what’s going to happen next?”
“I’m certain we will convince him, and Agent Strickland is ready,” Bethany said with confidence. “Thank you, Lieutenant, for providing us with the resources. We appreciate it.”
Ellie had followed the exchange with disappointment, then excitement, for being a part of this, until she saw Kate’s expression. She instantly felt guilty—and all of that before she had a chance to talk to Jordan. This would not be easy.
* * * *
There was no time to catch up with Ellie before Jordan followed Valerie, Bethany and the other agents to the interrogation room. She and Derek stayed outside in the observation area with Valerie and Agent Russo. Jordan wondered if this was the smart decision. Deane clearly didn’t believe in female authority of any kind—she had seen her share of that.
At the moment, her thoughts were drifting slightly, to the pointless argument with Ellie, her knee-jerk reaction of removing herself from it. She had been ready to apologize this morning, but then Ellie came up with the idea of offering herself as bait.
By now, Jordan knew that every now and then, she needed to take leaps, not steps forward, and that she was willing to take a risk, but this was going too far. Thank God Bethany didn’t feel the need to prove something to either of them. Lilah Strickland was young, granted, but she had field experience, and had studied the Prophets of Better Days for a long time. Besides, only small details wavered—men who believed in a patriarchal society were usually pretty easy to decipher.
Jordan was aware that her thoughts were going in contradicting directions. She simply didn’t want Ellie on the frontline of this, no matter how good it might be for her career. If that was selfish, then so be it. With the history of this group, Raphael Deane might not have been the first to commit a murder.
“Mr. Deane. Agent Strickland and I would like to talk to you about the options you have from here. We know about your family, and we have some important questions.”
Deane’s gaze rested on Strickland for a long time before he looked at Bethany. “You’ll have to ask them, then. I did my part. I told the police I did it.”
“True, but I don’t think this was all your plan. We hear that you were supposed to bring Jennifer back into the fold. I assume she was resisting.”
“I killed her. Then I panicked and tried to think of a way to get rid of the body. I put her in a garbage bag and drove her to the landfill. That’s all. It has nothing to do with my family.”
“That’s what you said, Raphael.”
He scoffed, obviously unhappy with Bethany addressing him with his first name.
“Frankly, it doesn’t look good for you. Killing a woman in cold blood because you don’t agree with the way she lives her life won’t get you the sympathy from any jury. You’re making it very easy for the prosecutor.”
“Aren’t you happy, bitch?” he asked in a scathing voice.
Bethany regarded him with a small, amused smile until he looked away.
“We are curious about your father and
uncles. You tell us everything we want to know—we might be able to help each other.”
“I don’t know what you want from me. Those are honorable men, taking their rightful places as head of the family. I know it’s something that is mocked and dismissed on the outside, this is why we keep to ourselves.”
“And the women know their place too?” There was an edge to Bethany’s voice. Jordan admired her self-restraint at this moment. “That is, if they don’t, you show them?”
“I thought you had questions.” He grinned. “You already know everything.”
“There’s a lot that we don’t know,” Strickland said, sitting across from him. “I’ve been interested in the Prophets for a long time. You get them to open the door for me, and A.D.A. Esposito might go a little easier on you.”
Deane shook his head. “I told you, I wasn’t acting on their behalf. Why do you think I could get them to do anything for me? They haven’t even sent a lawyer yet. I assume my father and uncles are angry at me, and I can’t blame them. This, getting attention, leads to their names being smeared all over again.”
“So you care,” Lilah Strickland said softly. “Either way, the sooner you help us, the sooner their names will be out of the headlines. I imagine that’s motivation for you. Let’s face the facts. You’re looking at life without parole at the very best, and that’s not even a given. This offer isn’t going to stand indefinitely. You get me on the inside, they’ll bring it down to life with the possibility of parole.”
“I’d advise you to talk to your lawyer. You have two hours,” Bethany announced. “After that, you’re on your own.”
“You are not qualified,” he seethed. “You are unable to see their greatness.”
“Well, you have the chance to educate us. We’ll be back.”
Bethany left the room, and Strickland followed her.
Jordan still questioned the wisdom of sending her into the lion’s den, but in any case, it wouldn’t be Ellie. That was the good news. Now she had to find her before Deane would come to any sort of conclusion—she still had to apologize.
* * * *
Ellie was on her phone in the break room, ending the call when Jordan came inside.
“Hey. Do you have a moment?”
“Sure,” Ellie said cautiously. “Did he take the deal?”
“Not yet. They gave him two hours.”
“Okay.” Ellie turned to the vending machine to get a coffee and a chocolate bar. Silence ensued for a few uncomfortable moments.
“Look, I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t think we needed to discuss this. It’s awkward enough to be working together.”
“You think?” Ellie spun around, nearly spilling her coffee. “It’s awkward for me, too, when everyone knows except me.” She looked tired. “I don’t want to fight with you. I love you.”
“Same here.”
“I wish you had told me, that’s all.”
“I made some bad choices,” Jordan acknowledged. “I know that. You know it too. I don’t like to be reminded of them all the time, and so…I took the easy way out. I’m sorry. Can we talk about what you offered earlier? I’d appreciate it if you shared something big like that with me first.”
“Because you always share the big, important things?” Ellie picked up her chocolate bar. “I’m sorry. This is not the right moment. I understand what you’re talking about, I really do, but this is my career. I need to make those decisions. You don’t check with me every time you’re about to go into a situation that might be dangerous, and I don’t ask you to even though I wish I could. I worry about you, but I can’t stop you from doing your job. That’s a dilemma I’ll have to live with, and I guess the same goes for you.”
When Jordan didn’t say anything, she went to leave the room.
“Ellie, wait.”
Ellie carefully set down her coffee and snack, and let herself be embraced. The moment didn’t last long, as Lilah Strickland entered the room with a cheery “There you are. I’ve been sent to get you—Deane and his lawyer have come to a conclusion. You don’t want to miss the fun.”
That was mostly meant for Jordan, but Ellie obviously had a few more minutes to spare.
* * * *
The public defender was sweating, and they soon learned it was not a good sign for any of them.
“I don’t think any one of you understands the meaning of loyalty,” Raphael Deane said. “I will not betray my family. I know what you’re after, and you’re not going to get it, disrupting the peace of our community.”
“This is ridiculous, and you know it,” Bethany told him. “You think they’ll be looking after you? You said it yourself, they didn’t send a lawyer. On the other hand, I’m sure your attorney has told you you’re making a big mistake.”
“By not ratting out those closest to me? No. You can lock me up forever, or kill me, for all I care. The Prophets and their legacy will live on, and you can’t stop them. They are only getting more powerful each day.”
The megalomaniac rhetoric was giving Jordan a headache. She found it chilling, wondering how many weapons there were on each of the compounds, and if an apocalyptic vision was part of their plan. Of course. It always was.
There was already too much craziness out there that went unchecked, indulged. Usually, women and children were the ones to suffer.
“I tried to convince my client, and informed him about all the possibilities,” the attorney said. “He is unwilling to cooperate.”
“I can see that,” Bethany muttered. “I’m very sorry to hear that, Mr. Deane. This is out of our hands now.”
Jordan could tell she was feeling defeated. She knew from experience that Bethany didn’t take that feeling well—she had to talk to her as soon as possible. They could bring back Rhonda Marks, and the friends she’d meet while dating him, try to find any other former members of the Better Days cult. She would do what she could to make sure Ellie wouldn’t go near any of them.
They reconvened in the conference room shortly after.
“Damn it,” Bethany cursed. “I was sure he’d take the deal.”
“Now what, back to the drawing table?” Jordan asked.
“I’d like to speak to those friends, Ellen Slater, Dwayne Whitman and Rhonda Marks. Meanwhile, Lilah can work with Officer Harding and bring her up to speed. I need an officer to go over their websites, see if anything clicks.”
“Why not me?” Kate asked. “I was first to talk to Mrs. Beaumont…”
“We’re all right here, Officer McCarthy,” Bethany said. “You may see Sergeant Bristol. Thank you,” she added with a pointed look when Kate was about to open her mouth to protest.
“Now, Agent Strickland, Officer Harding, get a room and get started on this. Let’s bring those friends here.”
“I already called Rhonda,” Ellie said with a look to Jordan that was more defensive than apologetic.
“Great. Then we can all get to work. Detectives Rogers and Carpenter, and Henderson, please come with me. I have the information on those cases we’re looking into.”
Bethany was in the mode she liked best: Telling everyone what to do.
* * * *
“This is exciting,” Agent Strickland said. “It’s the first time I’m on a multi-departmental task force like this. Gives me more of an idea how the local precincts work.”
Ellie nodded and smiled, not wanting to be impolite, though she wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Maybe this was just a streak of bad luck—if that was the case, she hoped it would go away soon.
There wasn’t much to learn from the Better Days websites. Comments were strictly moderated, and so the people who were accepted were those who believed in the lifestyle: Men as the head of the household, women as their submissives. It would have angered and frustrated her on the best of days, but she was far from having a good day. She understood Bethany’s hope for making this a bigger case than the murder of Jennifer Beaumont. With Deane being uncooperative, they were on a tight schedule.
He was the murderer, no doubt about it, but they still didn’t know if he had acted on someone else’s orders. A couple of cold cases that might or might not be related. Meanwhile, there were newer cases in Homicide, and it was only a matter of time before the lieutenant would remind everyone of their urgency.
That didn’t include the current strain on her relationship with Jordan. She wanted to go home and crawl under a blanket. Of course, that was not an option. Ellie knew she was lucky to get exactly the spot she’d hoped for, working with someone from Bethany’s team.
This was probably the only bright spot—they had a common goal, and for that, each of them could put their differences and petty feelings aside.
“It’s messy,” Lilah tried again. “The problem is, they are secretive about what’s happening on the inside, and they are in bed with some powerful people. Makes you wonder how many bosses and politicians want to keep women on a leash.”
“Too many,” Ellie muttered. She had always thought that men like Darby, or Josh Ward, were only the extreme of something dangerously ingrained in society. Boys will be boys. Men could take whatever they want. “My friend put in lots of hours with missing persons,” she said. “Maybe it’s better that we don’t get to sweeten the deal for Deane. Either way, he’s a killer.”
Lilah regarded her curiously. “Sure, but we have to find a way. Any way. They keep children hostage from their mothers if they don’t obey the rules. A bunch of grey-haired old white men tell them what to do every day in their lives, and Raphael? He’s not smart enough to come up with a murder plan. You don’t panic and then try to get rid of the body like that. Someone told him what to do.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
Ellie wanted to slap her hand against her mouth. This wasn’t what she’d meant to ask, though her question confronted her with an uncomfortable truth. She might usually forge ahead, but that was her way of dealing with fear. Fear that there were too many of them, coming out of the woodwork every time they put one of them away. To her relief, Lilah didn’t seem to think she was silly to ask.
“Oh, I’m terrified. No agent has ever been on the inside. They have a rigorous vetting process, which makes it even more interesting that Jennifer was accepted so quickly, and that she had time to go back to college, contact her mom and even try to come home. Punishment wasn’t as swift as you would expect.”
Initiations (Carpenter/Harding Book 5) Page 2