LUCY: The Complete Lucy Kendall Series with Bonus Content (The Lucy Kendall Series Book 5)

by Stacy Green

  I opened the car door, grateful for the icy wind in my face. The warmth of the car ride had me on the verge of falling asleep. “Undecided. Will you please wait here?”

  “You’re asking?” The cocky smirk I alternately loathed and loved appeared. “Helping you dispose of a body is all I had to do to earn that?”

  Laughing was wrong. But I did it anyway. “Yes, I suppose so. You’ve got your stripes now.”

  “Fine.” He nodded toward the room Preacher said Riley occupied. “If she’s still there, she might not be alone. And if she isn’t, text me.”

  Riley tried to slam the door on my face. “I told you I can’t help.”

  I jammed my foot in the door. “You don’t have to be afraid of Preacher anymore.”

  “Right.”

  “He’s gone.” I waited. She stared at me through the space, calculating. This girl was street-smart and no stranger to violent crime. It didn’t take her much to hazard an educated guess.

  “Did you kill him like you did that truck driver?”

  “I’m not on trial. But I’m here to help you. The Senator told me about Sarah helping him. I think you knew about what she was doing, and you’re afraid it got her killed.”

  Riley bit her lip. A tangled lock of black hair fell over her face. She swatted it away, and I took the opportunity to drop my shoulder and force the door open. She stumbled back.

  The room was every bit as crappy as the one Preacher booked for us. “Are you alone?”

  Wide-eyed, she nodded. She was scared of me. Smart girl.

  I shut the door. The room smelled like day-old cigarette ashes, cheap booze, and sex. A crudely made pipe and fine white powder littered the junky side table.

  “Preacher have you hooked on meth or coke?”

  “Neither,” she snapped. “Clients like the coke. Makes the sex better, so they think.”

  I believed her, and I understood why Riley couldn’t go to the police about Preacher. She’d gone past the point of coercion and had all but accepted the lifestyle. She’d likely be charged.

  I tossed her identification and cellphone at her. “Preacher gave this to me.”

  She looked at the items as if they were gold nuggets. “No, he didn’t.”

  “They’re yours, aren’t they? I didn’t even try to break your phone password.”

  “Who are you?”

  “You know the main answer to that, and I’m not here to talk about me. Senator Coleman said Sarah was feeding him information on Preacher and trying to find out who was really running the show. And you knew that, right?”

  She sank down on the bed, folding her thin legs beneath her equally malnourished body. “Sarah was stuck in a bad position, you know? Preacher had something on her, something that scared her. But she was trying to make it right.”

  “Did you guys spend a lot of time together?” I remained by the door, ready to fight if she tried to run.

  “Preacher trusts me more than the others,” she said. “He’d let me have an afternoon to myself. And I’d go to Sarah’s. Then she’d take me to the library so I could take classes for my GED.”

  “How’d you get there? Did you take a bus? I know Preacher didn’t give you much cash.”

  “Sarah took me. She never spent the money from him. She gave it back to me or kept it in her house. It was dirty money, she said.” Riley rubbed her eyes.

  The seed of admiration for Sarah that blossomed at the Senator’s place began to grow. She had guts. “Did she ever tell you about Sam?”

  “No. Who’s that?”

  “An abusive ex-boyfriend,” I said. “She was in hiding from him, and Preacher found out. That’s what he had on her.”

  “I thought she came from a bad past,” Riley said. “Like she didn’t want to put down roots. Her place was never really decorated, and she didn’t have a lot of clothes. Just enough to look professional at work. She always had a bag in her room, like she was getting ready to go somewhere.”

  “You never asked why?”

  Riley shook her head. “She didn’t have to tell me everything about her life. She was already doing enough.”

  More than Preacher ever did. I kept that thought to myself. “You mentioned keeping cash in her house. The police haven’t found any kind of money, and there’s virtually no financial trail. Her being in hiding explains it, but where’s the cash? You think Preacher or whoever had her killed knew to take it?”

  “No way,” Riley said. “She had a little lockbox thing, hidden under the floorboards in her bedroom. That’s where she kept it. Along with…” she chewed on her lip.

  Sensing the turning point, I edged forward, fighting the urge to bully her. Now was not the time to show her how cruel I could be. “What?”

  “Sarah kept information in there too. She had a notebook with everything she knew about Preacher’s organization. It had all the names of any pimp she encountered, all the kids and where they came from—if she knew—and the people she thought might be running the real show.”

  My heart pounded. An entire list of suspects the police would have to acknowledge. “Why did she keep it in her house instead of with the Senator? Did he know about it?”

  “I don’t think so. I gave her information, you know?” Riley picked at a patch of dry skin on her hand. “Whenever I found out something new. And when I’d ask what she was going to do with it, she’d talk about the timing and having a bargaining chip. She said the best way to get what you wanted in life was to always have something the other person wanted.”

  I sagged against the door. Sarah had planned to give the notebook of information to the U.S. Attorney in exchange for her silence on his dalliances and his help in bringing Sam to justice.

  “So she said nothing to the Senator about the notebook?”

  Riley shook her head. “She wasn’t sure she could trust him.”

  “Why?”

  Riley dragged her hands through her messy hair. “One of the newer boys said he was inspected by a man whose cologne was so strong he sneezed in the man’s face. The kid was blindfolded, but he remembered the fruity smell. And that he smelled it the entire car ride.”

  “The Senator wears a fruity cologne,” I said. “But Preacher claimed he didn’t know who the boss was. If the boy was with the leader–”

  “He wasn’t brought in by Preacher,” Riley cut me off. “He was delivered to an empty house by the man with the stinking cologne. Left tied up and cold and with wet pants. Preacher showed up hours later.”

  “Car ride?”

  “In a fancy car,” was all the kid said. “Soft leather and very quiet.”

  “And Sarah truly believed it could have been the Senator and not just a coincidence?”

  “I don’t know,” Riley said. “I just know she wasn’t ready to bring that information to his office yet. That’s what she said.” Tears sprouted in her eyes. “Last time I saw her, actually. It took me a while to get the chance to see Sarah, and when I told her about the new kid and the cologne, she said she was going to look for the boy.”

  “We need to get that notebook,” I said. “I just agreed to let the Senator handle the sex ring investigation, and I might have played right into his hands.”

  “It’s too late,” Riley said. “She was worried Preacher was on to her, and he’s got her locket.”

  “So?”

  “The serial number on the locket was the code to her lockbox. He took it, probably the night he killed her. Whatever information she had is gone. Even if we get to the lockbox, it’s useless.”

  The chain in my pocket seemed to burn. I reached inside and brought out the shining necklace. The heart swung gently from side to side. Riley stared. “How did you get that?”

  “That’s for me to know, and you to not worry about,” I said. “Preacher didn’t know this had a code. He thought it was from her mother, and he took it to upset her.”

  “Maybe that’s what he told you.”

  “Trust me, he was speaking the truth. He had
no idea. Will you take me to Sarah’s house?”

  Riley stepped out into the bitter weather with her patented hunched over stature. “Where are you parked?”

  “The Audi with the black rims.”

  “Jesus, you got some money.”

  “It’s not mine.”

  She halted. “No way. No one else.”

  “You can trust him. He’s the guy who showed up the night I found you at the Rattner, but I promise, he’s good.”

  She snapped her head back and forth. I really didn’t want to do this today. She was coming whether she wanted to or not, but I was bone-tired. I didn’t feel like physically fighting with her.

  “He knows more about me than anyone,” I said. “Believe me, he could get me in a lot of trouble. But he won’t, and we need him.”

  “You’re going to get me killed.”

  I shook my head. “No chance.”

  I started for the Audi, but she remained rooted in place. “Look, you don’t have to go,” I called back over my shoulder. “I can find out where Sarah lived on my own. But don’t you want to help the woman who did so much for you?”

  “Preacher did stuff for me too, you know? I keep helping you, and either him or one of his boys will kill me.”

  “Is that what he told you when he took the little boy you were babysitting?”

  She stilled. “What? I took him back to his mother after we talked.”

  I turned to face her, feeling as if I were caught up in the pivotal moment of a high stakes film, when the music reaches a fervent peak and the final bomb is dropped. “Then Preacher took him after that. His picture is on a website advertising his services to the scum of the earth. Preacher provided his boss with it. What do you think of your big savior now?”

  Fat tears squeezed out of Riley’s eyes. “You telling the truth?”

  “I’d never lie about something like that.” At least that much was true.

  Shoulders sagging, she slumped to the car. Her posture screamed defeat, and I knew she’d play by my rules now. It’s interesting just what exactly will break a person’s will.

  I opened the backseat and gave Chris a pointed look. “This is Riley. I’ve assured her you will be nice.”

  She slipped into the seat as if she expected it to open up and suck her into the fine leather.

  “Hi.” Chris turned around and flashed the smile I’d fully expected him to use.

  Riley flushed and stared.

  “What’s going on?” Chris asked.

  I quickly filled him in and then reached for his phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “Todd.”

  “What?” He snatched the phone from me.

  “Todd? Who’s Todd?” Riley said from the backseat. “You didn’t mention anyone else.”

  I locked the doors and motioned for Chris to apply the child locks. “Detective Beckett isn’t going to arrest you. He’s trying to find Sarah’s killer. That’s all he cares about.”

  “Are you serious?” Riley burst out. “He’s a cop! I thought we were going to get the locket, maybe you’d take care of things yourself.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You killed people!”

  I leveled an icy stare at her. Chris didn’t turn around, but the tension crackled between us. He’d do whatever I needed him to do. “I think you’re mistaken.”

  “Beckett isn’t vice,” Chris said. “And you’re a valuable witness. If all this information works out, you’ve got a lot to bargain with.”

  “And isn’t that what Sarah taught you?” I said. “If you haven’t learned it yet, you’d better start.”

  She looked between the two of us, anger and fear crawling over her skin. “You’re going to get me killed.” She fell back into her seat.

  “Now explain to me why we’re involving the guy who,” Chris glanced at Riley, “isn’t always your fan.”

  “Because breaking into her house isn’t going to do any good. Todd needs to go in himself.”

  “He won’t have a warrant. We’ve already been through that scenario.”

  “Crime scene that’s already been investigated,” I said. “All he needs is the key. I’m hoping he still has it.”

  “And then what?”

  “He finds the information, he brings the real deal down. The Senator’s cut out–if he’s not the one we’re after–and Todd gets the glory. Now how do you think he’s going to see me after handing him that?”

  Chris put the car in gear. “Well played.”

  In the backseat, Riley groaned. “I think you people might be scarier than Preacher.”

  I hid my smile.

  30

  Todd met us outside of Sarah’s gated community. He punched in a code at the gate, and we followed him through the narrow, winding loops until he stopped in front of a small, cookie-cutter brick and tan house with a red front door.

  “So,” Todd said as we all got out of the car. “You’ve been doing your own investigation instead of lying low like I told you. Why am I not surprised?”

  I grinned. “You know me well.”

  “More than I want to, I think.” A moment passed between us, Justin’s words echoing in my head. Did Todd want information instead of action? If he only wanted the knowledge that he was right, he’d likely have the answer some day. But if he wanted to get inside my head and understand why, he needed to squash that fantasy. He didn’t need to see the true monster taking shape in my heart.

  Chris cleared his throat and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “This is Riley. She’s the one who gave us the information.”

  Todd gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. His sharp gaze remained on me. “Seems like the district attorney is re-thinking things after Dietz and Coleman called. Imagine my surprise to be brought into that conversation.”

  “They owed you that much,” I said.

  “I don’t want to know how you found out Dietz was pulling the strings or what the Senator’s got that made him back off,” Todd said. “The important thing is the DA is looking at this Sam Townsend now.”

  “Is Lucy in the clear?” Chris asked.

  “The DA is still deciding. But I think we’ll hear something by the end of the day.”

  “What about Townsend?” I asked.

  Todd fumbled a small notepad out of his pocket. “He quit his job in Columbus a month ago, and no one’s heard from him in over two weeks. His bank said there was a major cash withdrawal around that time, and we’re pulling his credit card records now. We’ve got his picture out to every station and agency in the area. Hopefully we’ll get a hit.” Todd toed the ground with his worn dress shoe. “Thanks for doing this mostly the right way, Lucy. You could have broken into this place like you did the storage locker, mucked things up. Instead you trusted me enough to call. I appreciate that.”

  Preacher’s dead, frozen face with his flat eyes stared back at me. Only hours ago I killed a man. Not by poison this time, but by physical force. Brutally and without conscience. It was as if I’d been in a mind-altered state and suddenly everything snapped back into place. For the first time since Preacher died, I understood the reality of my actions. My knees buckled. Cold permeated my insides so forcefully I thought I’d never be warm again.

  Chris’s hand on my elbow–a gentle squeeze–was the only thing that steadied me. I cleared my throat. “Yeah well, I’m hoping you won’t forget it.”

  “Believe me, I won’t.” Todd had noticed my sudden switch. He chewed the corner of his mouth, obviously aware something more was happening. Before he could ask questions, I retrieved the locket and handed it to him.

  “The serial number is supposed to be the lockbox’s combination.”

  “Where’d you get this?”

  Sarah wore it at the time of death. I killed the man who took it from her. My prized ability to lie failed me, whether from exhaustion or guilt.

  “I stole it,” Riley spoke up and saved me. “Snuck in and got it out of Preacher’s pant
s when he was passed out.”

  “Brave girl,” Todd said. He seemed to believe her. “Where’s the lockbox hidden?”

  “Under the loose floorboards beneath her bed.”

  “All right,” Todd looked straight at me. “Wait here.”

  He disappeared into the house. Chris moved to get back into the car, but I focused on Riley. “Why’d you lie for me?”

  “Bargaining chips, remember?”

  I laughed. “You’ll be just fine.”

  Inside the car, I couldn’t stop shivering. What happened to the confidence from an hour ago? The steely resolve that I’d done the absolute right thing? I felt like the new girl in school all over again, all the nosy eyes seeing past my bravado and figuring out exactly who and what I was.

  Chris put his hand on my knee. I turned to explain, to flush my sins, but I caught site of Riley in the backseat. Chris and I looked at one another for a long minute, the air between us loud with silent conversation. He finally nodded. He knew the crazy running around in my head.

  “It’s all right,” he said. “It was right.”

  I sank back into the seat and tried to convince myself of exactly that.

  Todd returned fifteen minutes later. His face was rosy with excitement, his steps so quick he nearly slid down the sidewalk. In his gloved hands was a plastic bag containing a large, red notebook. “It’s all here. Names, dates, just like she said. Some are johns, some are the kids and where we can find them. Lots of stuff about Preacher, which gives him motive. Ideas about who his boss is. She makes a case for Dietz. Mentions him by name.”

  “What about the Senator?” I couldn’t help seeing him at Ward 8 talking to the bus boy. Was that boy’s picture on the web site? I hadn’t seen it, but I could have missed it.

  “Nothing. Maybe she wasn’t certain enough to write about it,” Todd said. “I’ll probably have to turn it over to Crimes Against Persons/SVU. But this is big.” He looked at Riley, who’d shrank into a mute ball in the backseat. “Listen, you’re a big witness for us. I don’t want to take you in and stick you in a cell to keep you from running. Would you be willing to stay at a shelter I work with until I can find you a more permanent place?”