by Ladew, Lisa
Cecilia raised an eyebrow and turned to Kara. “Partner as in …?”
“Police Department partner.”
“Ohhhhh …” Cecelia said and a blush rose on her cheeks.
Joe chuckled at her. “What did you think when I said partner?”
“Oh, like ... I don't know.”
“Did you think she was my girlfriend?”
Cecelia dropped her eyes for a moment. “Actually I thought you meant gay lover. Like maybe she was transgender.”
Joe roared with laughter and slapped his hand on the small outcropping of desk in front of him. Kara thought about what Cecilia had said and bristled briefly that the woman had thought she was a man. She knew she didn’t look like a man, well except for the muscles. She poked Joe hard in the ribs. “That makes you the gay one.”
Joe pulled himself together and looked at Cecilia. “Yeah what’s up with that? You of all people know I’m not gay.”
Cecelia shrugged her shoulders. “People change …”
Ivy jogged over to them. “I hate to break up this reunion but did you guys forget what we’re here for?”
Joe didn’t miss a beat, introducing Ivy quickly. “Cecilia, this is Kara's sister, Ivy. And we are here on some pretty serious business. Hey – maybe you know. We are looking for a guard who has the nickname Po-po."
Cecilia just stared at them for a moment and Kara saw a wariness steal into her eyes, almost as it had in the doctor's eyes. Cecilia looked down at her desk, obviously flustered and not sure what to say. Kara turned to Joe, hoping he would push. She touched Ivy on the shoulder and motioned for her to move back a little bit so Cecilia couldn’t see them.
Joe knew exactly what he wanted her to do. He leaned on the outcropping of desk and spoke quietly to Cecilia. “We really need to know who this guy is, Cecilia. Why is everybody so scared when we mention his name?”
Kara could barely hear Cecilia's voice coming out of the holes in the glass.
“Look, he doesn’t work here anymore. I probably should keep quiet.”
“Why?” Joe asked. “If he doesn’t work here then what is the big deal?”
Cecilia didn’t say anything for a few moments and then her voice was even lower. Kara had to strain to hear. “I think he was blackmailing Dr. Doctor. I don't know about what, but he scared me. The whole situation scared me. How he would hang out even when he didn't have an appointment. How Dr. Doctor was always so angry when he left ...”
“Just give me his name Cecilia. I’ll never tell a soul that it was you who told me.”
“But you have to tell, don't you? You have to put it in your report. I heard he's a cop now. He'll know.”
Kara saw Joe fluster for a second and she stepped forward. “Cecilia, I think I know who it is. Can you just confirm for me? We will never put your name in a report or mention you to anyone.”
Cecilia nodded hesitantly.
“Seth Howell?”
Joe stared at her, open mouthed. Ivy sucked in a breath but Kara didn't look at her. Her eyes were on Cecilia. Cecilia nodded once and Kara pressed her lips together, nodding back at her.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at the big clock on the sterile wall.
Chapter 26
The trio retreated back down the small hallway, towards the check-in desk where they could grab their guns and get out of there. Kara broke the strange silence. “He used to be a prison guard. I never asked him where.”
Joe responded to that, shaking his head the whole time. “I’ve never seen him say a harsh word to anyone. It totally clashes with my image of him.”
Kara nodded, negating Joe’s words. “I have. It was strange, like he had two different personalities. In fact, now that I think about it, it almost seems obvious to me.” She shuddered, thinking how she’d been riding in the same car with a murderer. How he had almost become a police officer. She cautioned herself not to jump too far too fast. Just because he had been the guard on the night that Dawn had lost her hair didn’t prove that he was the murderer and the stalker they were looking for. But it felt right to her. It felt right enough to scare her badly. Now they just needed to prove it, and quickly, before tomorrow when he was supposed to come back to work.
They retrieved their guns and Kara looked around again for a clock. It was almost noon. “Look guys, I have to go when we get back to the station. I have an appointment at 2:00 and it’s important. I know you two have to work at 2:45, but go back to the conference room if you can. Lay out all of our evidence that points to Seth.” She pulled the piece of paper that Sgt. Gale had given her out of her pocket and handed it to Joe. “Do it right. We don't want to ruin his life with a false accusation too … unless it’s him, and then we want to ruin the shit out of it.”
Joe looked at her levelly. “You know this is too much of a coincidence not to be him right?”
“I know, but we still have to be sure. Do it right. Hand him to Gale on a silver platter so she can arrest him right away. We don't want him to run.”
Joe and Ivy nodded and Kara knew they understood the gravity of it. She kissed Joe on the cheek and pulled Ivy into a hug. “Let’s head back to the station but as soon as we get there I have to take off. Sorry if I don't talk to you guys on the way back. I’m going to sit in the backseat - I have something to think about.”
Ivy looked at her appraisingly but didn’t say anything. Joe left her alone too. She was glad. What she was going to do at 2:00 was going to be very hard for her, but it had to be done. It was only right.
***
Kara parted ways with her friends at the police station, climbed into her car and drove home, then put on her uniform and headed back out immediately. She drove to the courthouse and began looking through the family court dockets, looking for Rowe vs. anyone. She didn’t know Kensi’s last name.
She found it! Rowe vs. Forsberg in room 2A. She climbed the steps slowly, still thinking over exactly what she was going to say, if they even let her speak. They had to let her speak. If Zane lost his chance at maintaining his parental rights there was a good chance he would never forgive her. It was her fault he was sitting in the cell block, probably unable to even make a phone call. With murder cases, the police have forty-eight hours to charge someone, and they don't have to allow that someone to make a phone call until they charge them. And it hadn’t been forty-eight hours yet.
Kara found her way through the hallways that were lined with people and pushed open the door to 2A. There was no judge on the stand yet and people were milling about and talking in soft voices. She walked to the middle of the room and sat down behind the lawyer for the defendant, a stocky man with salt and pepper hair. She tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, “Are you Zane’s lawyer?”
The older man spun in his chair and looked piercingly at her. “Yes.”
“He won’t be able to make it today.” She grimaced but knew she had to tell the truth. “He’s in the cell block.”
The man’s face didn’t even register surprise. “For?”
Kara waved her hand. “It’s not important. You have to get the judge to postpone this.”
One of the man’s silver eyebrows raised pointedly. “It’s extremely important. The judge will want to know and it may affect her decision.”
Kara leaned forward and whispered even more softly. “He’s been arrested for murder, but he didn’t do it. He’s being framed.”
Now the man’s face registered surprise. “And who are you?”
“I’m the officer who arrested him, but I got it wrong. I got the wrong guy. My partner is trying to arrest the right guy right now.”
“I think I better hear the whole story, and quickly.”
They bent their heads together and Kara tried to make sense out of what was a very convoluted drama. Within three minutes, the judge came in and banged her gavel on the podium, calling for quiet. The lawyer spun around and Kara leaned back, biting her lip. She hadn’t even gotten out three quarters of the story.
Kar
a looked around slowly, trying not to let dread overcome her. She saw Kensi immediately in the aisle across from her. Kensi was looking at her curiously. Kara avoided her eyes and sat straight in her seat, waiting to see what would happen, swallowing too many times.
The judge called for order and then addressed the lawyer in front of Kara in a sharp and unyielding voice. “Mr. Phillips, is your client here?”
“No ma'am, and he won’t be joining us today, unfortunately. I have a stand-in for him though and I am requesting postponement of your ruling.”
“If he didn’t show up, perhaps we should just rule on the sentiment expressed in this letter,” the judge said, holding up a piece of paper.
Mr. Phillips stood and addressed the judge again. “No ma'am, my client did not write that letter. He would be here right now if he could. He does not wish to give up his parental rights.”
Kara looked over at the lawyer in front of Kensi, wondering if he would jump in. He had a smile on his face like he was enjoying the exchange.
The judge folded her fingers at Mr. Phillips and wearily asked, “Who is the stand-in?”
Mr. Phillips moved to the side so the judge could see Kara. “Officer Kara Price.”
The judge glared at Kara over her glasses and then raised her chin. “Officer Price, counselors, approach the bench please.”
Kara stood, confused. She had only been in criminal courts before and they were never this informal. She walked to the large desk the judge was sitting behind with the two lawyers.
The judge spoke to her, her voice low. “Why isn’t Mr. Rowe here?”
Kara swallowed nervously. This was where it counted. “He’s been arrested ma’am, but he didn’t do it. And he doesn’t want to give up his parental rights. He never knew about that child until a bit more than a week ago but now that he knows about her he wants to be her father.”
The judge pulled back slightly. “Arrested for what?”
“Arrested for murder, your honor, but he didn’t do it. I know he didn’t do it.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Can I start from the beginning, Your Honor?”
The judge stared at her openly and then nodded slowly.
Kara poured out the entire story, including the parts where Zane had found out about Zaina and swore he never knew anything about her. She finished up by sharing that she had been the one who had arrested Zane and how she had known almost immediately that it was the wrong thing to do. Then she told the judge what they had uncovered this morning and who they thought was framing Zane. The story took twenty minutes to spill through and by the time she was done, Kara felt drained and shaky.
The judge's lips were pursed, like she’d heard that exact same story at least forty times before. She lifted her chin at all of them and said, “Return to your seats.”
Kara scrambled back to her seat, heart beating madly. Had she been convincing enough?
The judge spoke again. “This matter is postponed until the next available court proceeding. See the secretary on your way out for a date.” She pointed her gavel at Kensi’s lawyer and looked over her glasses again. “I expect you to find out who could be responsible for sending this letter.” She held up the piece of paper and shook it.
Kara breathed a sigh of relief and tried not to slump. The judge had believed her. Zane would get another chance. She looked over at Kensi and her lawyer and saw them huddled together, both talking over each other. She turned to go, wanting to get out in the hall where she could call Ivy and Joe and see what had happened in the last two hours.
As she pushed the door open she heard someone running behind her. She turned around in time to see Kensi, running after her in her heels and exquisite white dress.
Kara watched her calmly, sizing her up. Was Kensi going to try to hit her? Scream at her? Stupid move, but not uncommon.
“Officer, officer?”
Kara raised her eyebrows and nodded sharply, stepping away from the door so Kensi would have to follow and they didn't block it.
“Sorry, I just wanted to ask you a question.”
Kara simply waited.
Kensi brushed a lock of blonde hair off of her forehead and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really think that Zane didn’t write that letter?”
The question threw Kara off a bit. Was Kensi trying to get the blame off of herself? She nodded slowly. “I know he didn’t.”
Kensi shook her head and her face crumpled. “Oh God,” she said, looking miserable.
Kara's curiosity was instantly piqued. “Are you saying you didn’t?”
Kensi looked at her sharply. “Me? Why would I write the letter?”
Kara did not see any signs of deceit in Kensi’s open gaze and manner. If it hadn't been Kensi, then who did it? “In order to keep Zane from having access to Zaina,” she finally said slowly
Kensi’s face looked stricken. “I would love for Zane to be a part of his daughter’s life. But he doesn’t want that.”
“Who told you he doesn’t want that?”
“M-my dad.”
Kara pressed her lips together and nodded. This was all starting to make sense to her. “What does your dad think of Zane?”
Kensi blinked her eyes several times. “He’s never liked Zane.” She lowered her eyes. “My dad’s kind of a snob I guess. He’s always tried to influence who I date and Zane was the first guy who didn’t fit in his plan.”
Kensi stared at her sadly and Kara wondered if her dad had been the one to write the letter. She decided to leave it alone for now, she had bigger fish to fry than a controlling father.
She rubbed her hand against her face. “Well, uh, Kensi, I have to get …”
Kensi interrupted her. “So why isn’t Zane here?”
“Your lawyer didn’t tell you?”
“I didn’t give him a chance. I wanted to catch you before you left.”
Kara nodded. “You should talk to him. I was only supposed to tell the judge,” Kara lied.
Kensi watched her closely, her eyes searching Kara’s. When she spoke again, her question made Kara catch her breath. “Are you his girlfriend?”
Kara didn’t know what to say. Was she his girlfriend? She thought of their dates and the incredibly hot moments on his couch and partially smiled before the image of her pointing her gun at him wiped it off of her face. She'd had a chance to be his girlfriend, but she ruined it. She shrugged a shoulder. “Not really …”
Kensi narrowed her eyes, not understanding. But she had one more thing to say. “He’s a good guy, you know? If you guys do get together, treat him right. He deserves it.”
Kara shook her head slightly, her thoughts spinning. The woman who had cheated on him was calling him a good guy? “Thanks, ah, thanks.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I have to get going now.”
Kensi nodded, her eyes sad.
Kara turned and jogged out of the courthouse, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she went.
Chapter 27
Seth waited until dark, his tiny sedan parked at the entrance to Kara's subdivision, along the route she always took home. He wore the same outfit he’d worn several times before in her neighborhood. Platform boots, several pairs of pants and sweatshirts, and a shirt tied around his waist to make him look bulkier than he really was. A baseball cap pulled low over his face hid his hair, and beard dye in his goatee colored the red to black. He knew he was unrecognizable from a glance.
Kara hadn't been home all day and he wondered where she was. He berated himself for sending her the pictures that had caused her to give her phone over to tech. Now he couldn’t track her.
But he hadn’t been able to stop himself from doing it. Seth didn’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. His body reacted harshly to sugar and anything else he tried to take in made him feel only sleepy or angry. The only rush he got in life was when he contacted one of his ‘girls’ or when he played his games with the police.
He had captured that image of Kara and, seeing it, hadn't been able
to help himself from sending it to her. She wasn’t one of those girls where you could find her nudes plastered all over the Internet. He'd never even seen her in a bathing suit. He knew the pictures would have an impact on her and he had wanted to see it.
He knew that she was not at her boyfriend’s house though. He chuckled to himself, thinking of Rowe in the cell block, being charged with murder. That would take the arrogant bastard down a peg.
When darkness fell and Kara was still not home, Seth got out of his car and walked the three blocks to her house, two of the special items he had brought with him in his hands. He did not worry that she would recognize his car because she’d never seen it. It was his second car that he only used on missions like this.
He walked up her driveway like he belonged there and dug the key to her house out of his pocket. He didn’t have to worry about the close neighbor who sometimes watched Kara's dog. He had sent her to Las Vegas on a trip she won from a radio station. Or at least that’s where she thought she won it from. In reality, he had set up the entire operation and bought the hotel and gas card out of his own pocket. Better safe than sorry. He smiled again at his own genius, unlocking the house quietly and slipping inside.
This was where it got sticky. The dog complicated everything. But the dog was only a puppy and Seth hoped he would be vulnerable to the plan. The dog was sleeping on its pillow and lifted its head in surprise, looking at Seth. “Duke,” Seth called quietly. He hoped Duke would recognize him as a friend, since he had been here with Kara, plus he had come by and fed the dog treats twice when Kara was at work. He had never been comfortable with dogs in his life, but when Kara had gotten the puppy, he had started making frequent visits to the Humane Society, under the guise of pretending he wanted to adopt a puppy. A particularly helpful volunteer there had worked with him to get him over his nervousness with dogs.
He pulled the bloody steak out of the plastic bag he was holding and held it out to Duke. Duke wagged his tail and trotted over immediately, making the steak disappear. Seth watched him eat it, then slipped the muzzle he held in his other hand over Duke's mouth easily. He fastened it around the back of Duke's head with a grin of triumph as Duke tried to back away. Nothing could stop him now. Seth grabbed Duke by the collar, opened the door to the backyard and pulled Duke outside into the crisp night air. He wanted to close the dog door, but he didn’t quite dare because Kara might see it when she came in the house and that would put her immediately on guard. Instead, he pulled a large planter box in front of it from the outside, so that Duke couldn’t get in, but Kara wouldn’t see anything wrong.