One Small Sacrifice

by Hilary Davidson

  “Do you have any idea how much it costs to light this place?” Will asked. “Heat this place? It’s a big old white elephant, and I can’t unload it.”

  “I thought you were doing well for yourself,” Alex said.

  “The past few years haven’t been easy,” Will muttered.

  Alex turned away from him and headed back to the kitchen. He opened the door to the cellar and headed down the rickety wooden steps.

  CHAPTER 41

  SHERYN

  “So, I haven’t come up with much on Stanton,” Rafael said, squinting in the bright fluorescent light of an unfamiliar hallway. “But I thought his home address was interesting. Kind of a secluded spot near Huntington on Long Island.”

  “Secluded enough to hide an adult woman?”

  “I’m way ahead of you, partner. Called Huntington PD to make a home visit. Stanton’s cleaning lady was there. They only got as far as the front door, but everything looked copacetic.”

  “I’d feel better if they’d gotten inside.” Sheryn stopped suddenly. “Hold on; I think we took a wrong turn. I really hate hospitals.”

  They were back at the Weill Cornell Medical Center on the Upper East Side, slowly making their way to the Brain and Spine Center. When they found it, Sheryn asked for Yasmeen Khan. They didn’t have to wait for long.

  “We need to show you a couple photos,” Sheryn said, holding up a picture of Kevin Stanton. “Have you ever seen this man?”

  Yasmeen stared at the screen for several seconds. “I’m sorry—I don’t think so. Should I know him?”

  “Don’t worry about it. What about this guy?” Sheryn had a new picture on her screen.

  Yasmeen inhaled sharply. “That jerk. I’ve met him, unfortunately. His name is Will Sipher.”

  “When did you meet him?”

  “At the housewarming party Emily and Alex had back in February. He was drunk, or possibly high, or both.”

  “Sounds like a charmer,” Rafael said.

  “Oh, yeah. Oozing charm, or something,” Yasmeen said. “He kept saying to Emily, ‘Do you miss me?’ He was like her shadow that night. He used to live in her building.”

  “Was he coming on to her?”

  “He was hitting on all the women there, including me,” Yasmeen said. “But he was bugging Emily. I asked Emily about him later, and she told me not to even mention his name. She didn’t like him.”

  Sheryn filed that piece of intelligence away. “That’s helpful. We also need to take a look at Emily’s office while we’re here. I have a warrant this time.”

  “Alex and I were in there yesterday. I guess he told you about that?”

  “He did,” Sheryn said. “What can you tell us about his visit?”

  “Alex came over in the morning. We talked for a while. He’s so worried about Emily. We both are.”

  “And he unlocked her office?” Rafael asked. “He had a key?”

  “Um, no. He just, uh . . .” Yasmeen’s eyes were wide. “Am I getting him in trouble?”

  “Just tell us the truth,” Sheryn said evenly. “All we care about is finding Emily.”

  “He picked the lock. I have no idea how,” Yasmeen said. “It happened so quickly.”

  “And when you got inside her office, what did you do?” Sheryn asked.

  “First, I tried her computer. But it’s password protected, and we couldn’t figure out how to get in,” Yasmeen said.

  “I guess Alex Traynor doesn’t have hacking skills,” Sheryn remarked lightly.

  “Definitely not. And Emily wouldn’t use a pet name or anything obvious as her password. It would be a random string of numbers and letters.”

  “You know, it’s funny to be talking about Dr. Teare’s office in the abstract,” Sheryn said. “Let’s go see it for ourselves.”

  Even though the office was next door, it took a few minutes to get the administrator, review the warrant, and obtain a key. Finally, Yasmeen nudged it open. Nothing had been disturbed since the day before.

  “Our people in TARU won’t have any problem cracking that computer,” Rafael said. “We’ll bring them in. For all we know, there could be train-ticket information on here, or destinations Emily researched.”

  “Do you think that could be true?” Yasmeen asked. “That Emily just chose to go away somewhere?”

  “Let’s just say it’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Rafael said.

  “But, if we’re being honest, the longer Dr. Teare is gone, the more it suggests foul play,” Sheryn said. “That’s why we need your help, and why you need to be completely honest with us.”

  “I thought Alex was going to show you the letters,” Yasmeen said. “That’s why he took them.”

  “We haven’t seen them yet,” Sheryn said. “There was a . . . situation yesterday, and the letters seem to have gone missing. Why don’t you tell us about them?”

  “They were in here.” Yasmeen walked around the desk and pulled open the bottom-right drawer. She rifled through it, finally pulling out a file. “There were six letters, and they weren’t threats, exactly, but they were scary. They said Alex was a murderer and that he would kill Emily next. None of them were signed.” She opened the folder. “Alex put the letters in one envelope to take with him. There’s not much here, just the other envelopes. Maybe they have fingerprints on them.”

  “You never know,” Sheryn said, taking the folder from the doctor. She stared at the envelope on top. “It’s got her home address on it, not her office address.”

  Yasmeen nodded. “Yes. But look closely. They don’t have post office markings on them.”

  “Huh,” Sheryn said, her brain busy on another track. “She kept the letters here, at her office.” Sheryn closed her eyes and gave her head a shake. Reset that brain. Don’t make assumptions. “Rafael, when I interviewed Alex Traynor yesterday, he told me about the letters and that he found them at the office. I assumed they were sent to the office. But they weren’t. They were delivered to her home.” She held the folder out for him to take. “If they didn’t go through the mail, somebody had to hand deliver them.”

  “Be a hell of a lot easier if they’d run through the post office,” Rafael grumbled. “For all we know, the letters could be old.”

  “Not that old. Cori Stanton died less than a year ago, and the letters referenced her death.” Sheryn turned to Yasmeen. “Did Emily ever mention anything about feeling threatened or feeling like someone was watching her?”

  “I don’t think so. But I probably wouldn’t know if she did. Emily doesn’t really talk about things like that,” Yasmeen said.

  “Has she had any trouble at work?”

  “None. She’s fantastic with her patients.”

  “Sure. But any trouble with the staff?”

  “No. Nothing like that,” Yasmeen said.

  “What was her fight with Alex about?” Sheryn asked suddenly. “You told me about it when we first met. You must’ve talked to Alex about it yesterday.”

  “I really don’t want to talk about that,” Yasmeen said. “Honestly, you should ask him.”

  “I’m asking you.” Sheryn stared at the doctor until she ducked her head.

  “He was worried that she might be using drugs,” Yasmeen said quietly. “He confronted her about it.”

  “Was she?”

  “No. Absolutely not.” There was no doubt in Yasmeen’s voice. Her gold earrings chimed as she shook her head.

  “Alex Traynor isn’t a kook, and he’s had his own problems with drugs,” Sheryn said. “He wouldn’t have come running in here for no reason. Why was he worried?”

  Yasmeen chewed on her lip while she stared at the floor. “Emily wrote some prescriptions. They weren’t for any of our patients here.”

  “What kind of drugs?”

  “Sedatives. And opiates.”

  Sheryn tucked that away for reference. “How many prescriptions?”

  “I’m not sure. Please don’t get her in trouble.”

  “She’s
already in trouble,” Sheryn said. “We’re doing everything we can to help her.”

  When Yasmeen left, Rafael shut the door behind her. “And now the search begins. Remind me what we’re looking for, exactly?”

  “Evidence of a double life, because something’s not right. Sandy, my old partner, thought Emily Teare was an angel, but I’m not so sure.”

  “If she was using drugs, that could explain a lot. She could be off on a bender.”

  “She’s normally so controlled,” Sheryn said. “But control freaks are funny that way. Pull on a thread, and the whole edifice can unravel.”

  Sheryn went through Emily’s desk while Rafael tackled the file cabinets. They worked methodically and meticulously. “Aha!” Rafael announced, after an unusually long silence. “A clue!”

  “Good, ’cause I’ve got nothing.”

  Rafael held up a metal object. It was a flat, square box. “It’s magnetic,” he said. “Found it hiding on the underside of the cabinet.” He slid it open. Inside lay a silver necklace, a medallion on a chain. Sheryn picked it up and held it up to the light. She’d seen it in every photograph of Emily in the field. There was an image of a man in the center, and around the edge was inscribed REGARDE ST. CHRISTOPHE ET VA-T-EN RASSURÉ.

  “Behold Saint Christopher, and go on in safety,” Sheryn murmured, holding it in the palm of her hand. For a moment, she had the oddest impulse to put it on. She held it up and realized the chain was broken. Why not just buy a new chain, she thought, or have it repaired? What did it say about Emily that, when something broke, her impulse was to hide it from daylight?

  “Damn,” Rafael said. “I thought I was onto something.”

  “Not going to fault you for trying. When did TARU say they were coming in?”

  “Should be in an hour.”

  “Good. Because there’s somebody we really need to talk to.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “Bobby Costa.”

  Rafael smirked. “That guy? Are you kidding?”

  “Don’t you recall what he said when we met him?” Sheryn asked.

  “I remember him petting Emily’s robe,” Rafael said. “Like he was Gollum and it was the Precious.”

  “He asked us, ‘Is that one of the letters?’” Sheryn said. “Remember?”

  Rafael whistled. “Damn, you’re good. He said something about a letter upsetting her. She went to see him about it.”

  “I wonder what else he knows,” Sheryn said. “Let’s hunt him down.”

  CHAPTER 42

  ALEX

  The cellar wasn’t quite as desolate as the rest of the house. There was broken-down patio furniture piled against the wall, plus a collection of wine bottles that was probably worth more than the furniture. Funny that Will hadn’t gotten rid of that, Alex thought. Priorities.

  “I hope you’re satisfied,” Will said, coming down the steps behind him. “What did you think, that I was holding Emily prisoner here?”

  “It didn’t seem like a stretch,” Alex said. “Not anymore.”

  “It’s as if you suddenly think I’m a monster.” Will picked a wine bottle at random. “Come on, let’s have some Château Pétrus.”

  “I’m not drinking with you.”

  “Well, you know I hate to drink alone,” Will said, marching up the stairs.

  Alex followed him. “I found the woman you hired to break into my apartment on Sunday.”

  “It wasn’t a break-in,” Will said. “She had a key.”

  “Is that supposed to be funny?”

  “If I stop joking, you’ll know I’m dead,” Will said.

  “There’s nothing funny about what you did. Just tell me why.”

  “Why, what, exactly?”

  “Why you would be such an asshole?” Alex asked. “Why you would betray me?”

  Will slapped his forehead. “Stop being so dramatic, Alex. You’re acting like the world has ended. Let me be the one to tell you that it goes on spinning no matter what.”

  “Just tell me what you did.”

  Will sighed. “There’s nothing sinister about it. Emily and I had a little arrangement.”

  Alex barely resisted an urge to choke the man. “What kind of arrangement?”

  “Don’t look so shocked! It was just business.”

  Alex felt weak in the knees suddenly. “The prescriptions Emily wrote. Were those for you?”

  Will nodded. “I have certain needs that most doctors don’t understand. Emily was helping me out.”

  Alex slammed his fist on the counter. “Don’t bullshit me. Those prescriptions weren’t all for your personal use.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not gainfully employed anymore,” Will said. “In fact, thanks to my conviction, I’m not even employable.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning that I have worker bees who’ll fill prescriptions in the Tri-State Area. They work for a small cut. Don’t give me those horrified eyes, like you just saw a dead man. We’ve had conversations about what a waste of resources the war on drugs is. I’m not some kingpin who hurts people. I’m a man with issues, who knows people with the same issues.”

  “That’s how you justify what you’re doing?”

  “I’m not hurting anyone,” Will claimed. “It’s just a business arrangement.”

  “There’s no way Emily would ever go along with what you’re doing.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” Will said. “Everyone’s got their soft spot.”

  That caught Alex short. “Soft spot?”

  “I convinced her to help me—that’s all.”

  Alex couldn’t let that go. “What did you mean by soft spot?”

  “Some people value themselves over everything else,” Will answered cryptically. “They might respond to threats, but they won’t help others out. Emily’s not like that. She wants to help people.”

  “How did you get her into this?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  Alex didn’t think about what to do next. On an instinct he didn’t realize he possessed, he shot one arm out and grabbed Will by the throat.

  “Tell me.” Alex’s voice was a rough rasp.

  Will stared at him in open astonishment, but he didn’t answer. Alex squeezed his throat, feeling flesh give way under the pressure of his fingers. They glared at each other, until Alex noticed Will’s pulse. Rapid and frantic, it felt like it was reverberating through his own hand. He realized where he was and what he was doing, and he let go. Will fell back against the counter, coughing.

  “Never thought you’d go full Neanderthal on me,” Will choked out. “The things love makes you do.”

  “How did you get Emily to agree to this?”

  Will coughed again. “She did it for you, of course.”

  Alex froze for a moment. He had never imagined that Emily would trade in her integrity, her honesty, and her career for him. “What are you talking about?”

  “The night Cori died . . .” There was a small catch in Will’s voice, and he coughed again. “Someone actually did witness her death. I was on the roof with you. I saw you do it.”

  Alex’s knees buckled, and he caught himself on the countertop. It was his ultimate nightmare. Jump, whispered Cori’s voice in his head, but that was a ghost he’d conjured out of thin air. She wanted to die, he reminded himself, but that was his fault. He’d been responsible for a young woman’s death in Aleppo; he’d cost Maclean his life. He had always known that he was ultimately responsible for Cori’s death, too, because he’d helped her along her self-destructive path. But he’d never imagined that he’d actually pushed her off the ledge.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “Cori was in a foul mood that night,” Will said. “I’d ended things with her, and she was not happy about it. She’d had these delusions that I was going to put a ring on it. Can you imagine? Trading down from Hadley to her.”

  “I didn’t know you two were involved.” Alex’s voice sounded hollow. He was so c
old all of a sudden. His breath rattled in his chest.

  “We weren’t in a relationship, Alex. Just sleeping together on occasion. Though she built it up in her head to be so much more.”

  “What. Happened. On. The. Roof?”

  “Cori was furious that you rejected her. It was as if you’d insulted the essence of her being. She’d come downstairs to try to make me jealous, and I told her to go away. She said she’d make me sorry, but she finally left. I opened my window and heard you two arguing on the roof, but I couldn’t hear that clearly, so I went up. Cori was swearing she’d destroy your relationship with Emily. She was going to tell her you were sleeping together.” He wiped his eyes. “She shoved you, and you shoved her back. That was it.”

  “I actually pushed her off the roof?”

  “It was an accident, Alex. Cori was, what, a hundred and ten pounds? And you’re one ninety. She went flying over the edge.”

  Alex slid down the wall until he hit the floor.

  “Don’t you remember any of this?” Will’s tone was acid. “Doesn’t any of it ring a bell?”

  “Your foot was broken,” Alex murmured. “You whined about it all the time. I don’t believe you came up to the roof. It would’ve taken you an hour.”

  “I was motivated by the fear of Cori’s insanity,” Will said. “And I was on some painkillers, so it didn’t really hurt. I saw the accident. I know you didn’t mean to do it. You were both out of your minds.”

  Alex was quiet for a long time. Will rinsed a glass under the tap and poured himself a drink.

  “That’s how you forced Emily to break the law, to risk her own career,” Alex said finally. It was hard to get air into his chest. It felt like it was collapsing, like someone had pulled the pin that held him together and he was deflating for good.

  “Think of it this way, Alex. Emily loves you so much she was willing to risk all of that for you. You should be thrilled. I wish I could find a woman who would love me like that.”

  “Did she . . . did she see me push Cori?”