At the age of twenty-three, Julius returned and asked to restart his sessions and stopped coming about six months ago. Memories of the abuse have a hold on him, especially since his mother’s still alive.
At the time the state removed Julius from the home and sent him to me, it was in my opinion that Julius, who was afraid of his mother, did not act out with malicious intent. I still believe this to be true. However, after an updated session, I have learned that the damage from his past has carried over into his adult life. His recent confession about being responsible for the death of several women in an ongoing case has forced me to terminate our doctor/client relationship.
His ability to control when and where he strikes makes him a menace and unpredictable.
I have forwarded my concerns to the proper authority.
Outpatient Treatment: Counseling with me since he was twelve.
Sessions Stopped: At the request of client – April 3rd.
Reason for Restart: Client requested – October 13th
Lily clutched her blouse as pieces of conversation from the time she met Julius until the message from the auto body shop ravaged her brain.
The tip her dad got from her husband. Dad’s trip to Greenbay had to do with Celine. Julius was with Dad the night he was murdered. Julius is CtryGeek23.
Behind her, Julius cleared his throat and said, “I’ve been looking for that.”
Chapter 38
With the help of the state trooper, Evan was able to cross over the median, exit off the highway and use the back roads to come back into town.
Back at the station, he described in detail the package Lily had received and the information Gus had on Julius to Sergeant Owen and Alec.
“Has anyone stopped by Blanchette’s house?” Sarge asked.
“No, sir,” Alec said.
“We’ll start there. We need to get to her before Julius realizes we know about him. And keep this in-house. I don’t need I.A. getting wind about the binder, just yet.”
Evan nodded and left. He couldn’t get to his car fast enough as images of the victims flashed into his mind, burning like acid into his brain.
Hold on, Lily.
*
Lily held the binder in front of her like a shield. “You killed Celine and my dad.” She jumped off the couch. “And all those women.”
Julius quickly moved in, grabbing Lily by the wrists. “Don’t reject me! I couldn’t bear it if you did that. I’m sick and need help.”
The pleas from Julius rattled Lily’s emotions. Be careful. Julius’s playing the victim card. He ripped two people from my life, and then pretended to be concerned. “Let me go.”
“I can’t do that. Because to you I’m no longer your husband. I’m your suspect. I slept in your bed, smelled your scent. Made sweet and sometimes, animalistic love to you. I was right under your nose.
“Unfortunately for you, that binder isn’t leaving this house. And neither are you.”
“Then kill me now. Because there’s no way I’m going to allow you to do to me what you did to Celine.”
“You’re better than Celine ever was. In bed and as my other half, she never measured up. But to satisfy your curiosity, your sister knew the type of man I was. She liked it. Then I told her about my past and what Mom had done to me. It was if she was repulsed by me. She rejected me.”
“That’s why you killed her?”
He cocked his head.
Lily’s mind raced to figure a way out as Julius’s grip loosened around her wrists. She knew that without her gun, her next move better be swift.
In one motion, Lily wrestled her wrists free from Julius’s grasp, pulled the binder toward her face and swung, smacking the binder across his cheek.
Julius grunted and swiped at Lily, catching a lock of her hair as she ran toward the hallway.
Crunching of tires coming up the drive gave Lily a burst of exhilaration and new hope as her bare feet padded the tiles leading toward her safety.
Then a sharp pain cut across Lily’s scalp. She heard nothing more. Felt nothing. Knew nothing.
*
Sweat covered Julius’s brow as he dumped Lily into the dirt hole in his shed. You were supposed to live. Julius closed the doors and sprinted toward the house.
*
Evan struck the glass door with his closed fist. Answer the door, Lil.
“Lily’s truck is gone,” Alec said. “We might’ve missed her.”
“Something doesn’t feel right. It’s taking them too long to answer the door,” Evan said. He turned to Nick. “Go talk to the detectives assigned to watch Julius.”
“I’m on it,” Nick said and left.
Julius opened the door. “What do you want?” Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.
“Have you seen Lily?” Evan asked.
“She left for work. Why?”
“No one’s seen her,” Evan said. “Mind if we look around?”
“I do. But if you insist, make it quick.” Julius stepped back and let the detectives in the house.
Evan and Alec adjusted their vests and walked inside.
Evan rushed through the hall and stopped at the bottom of the staircase. “Lily?”
No answer.
He turned to his right and preceded into the living room, while Alec and Julius remained at the front door.
A floral scent lingered in the air. Lily’s favorite perfume. Did she leave? Maybe she stopped somewhere along the way.
As Evan moved further into the room, he noticed an empty wine glass sitting next to Lily’s black butterfly hairclip on the coffee table and a pair of loafers placed neatly on the floor by the couch.
Suddenly, Evan heard something vibrating. He whipped his head in Julius’s direction. Lily’s husband had his back to the living room and was talking to Alec.
Evan fell to his knees, searching for the vibration. He swept his hand underneath the couch. Damn. Where is it?
He sat up and slid his hand between the cool leather couch cushions.
Tightness formed in Evan’s chest as he took hold of a cellphone. He pulled it out.
It was Lily’s.
Evan stood up, shoved Lily’s phone into his pocket and joined Alec and Julius in the hall.
“Are you done?” Julius asked. “I told you she wasn’t here.”
“I think you can understand why we’re worried about her,” Alec said.
Julius smiled. “If you’re done now, I’d like to get to bed.”
Evan whipped his fist upward, slamming it into the center of Julius’s face. “You sonofabitch.”
Alec jumped between his partner and Julius, separating the two. “It’s time to go, man.”
“Police brutality? It’ll make a great article for The Rock River Daily. Get out of my house!”
Evan snatched out of Alec’s grasp and stormed out of the house. “He’s done something with Lily.”
“I’m right there with you, partner. But we’ve gotta keep our shit together,” Alec said.
“I found her phone in the couch.”
Nick walked up to them. The concern etched in his face stopped Evan in his tracks. “The other detectives said no one has left the house.”
“So where’s her truck?” Alec asked.
Evan spun and ran to the garage. He retrieved his flashlight from his back pocket, switched it on and waved it over the insulation on the bottom of the garage door. “It’s not shut all the way.”
Evan crouched down to grab the handle, trying to lift the door. It wouldn’t budge. Then, he lay on his stomach, flashing the light between the gap and peering inside. “All I can see is tires.”
“It has to be hers, right?” Alec asked.
Evan repositioned himself hoping to see more from a different angle. “Wait a sec.” Evan slid his arm underneath, pointing the flashlight upward and over the silver vehicle. “It’s her truck. She’s still here.”
“I’ll go call Owen,” Alec said.
E
van got to his feet. “Tell him to send Ryan and his team, now!”
*
Sergeant Owen’s assistant, Nia, knocked lightly on the open door. “Robert Vaughn from Internal Affairs is here to see you.”
Owen looked up, forced a smile as Nia showed Robert in and closed the door behind her. At six foot one, the old friend turned acquaintance had a voice more authoritative than Owen and had earned his title as the head “narc” cop in the district. If only there’d been more time to prepare for the unexpected visit. He extended his hand. “Did I miss your call?”
Robert’s gaze held Owen’s as he shook his hand. “Nope. I thought I’d stop in for a bit. I’m more of a visual person and wanted to see for myself the efforts being made to find Detective Blanchette. Where is she?”
“We’re trying to track her down.”
“Is she hurt? Being held against her will?
“I don’t have all the details. Two of my detectives are on their way to her house.”
Robert paused for a moment. “This entire case is going to form a media blitz, once word gets out about what happened to Sanchez. Does Detective Blanchette know her suspect’s been murdered?”
“No. I’d just gotten the call and was going to tell her when I saw her tonight.”
“Dotson let it slip to a reporter that Detective Blanchette threatened to do harm to Sanchez.”
“C’mon. Both you and I know Dotson’s game. He was a dirty cop and now he’s a dirty lawyer. He’ll use whoever he has to make sure his client’s shit doesn’t stink.”
“It’s a nightmare for all involved.”
“We’re real close to closing this case. All I’m asking for is a little more time.”
“Time is something you don’t have. You should have a better handle on your people,” Robert said, turning to leave. “You’ve got twenty-four hours.”
Owen’s assistant passed Robert on his way out. “This just came from Landon’s secretary. Landon emailed her in case something happened to him.”
Owen skimmed through the list. “It’s a file on Julius.”
“See the highlighted note?” Nia asked.
“Lily received a copy of the file. It’s in that damn binder.”
Chapter 39
Pain pounded Lily’s body as she rolled over onto her back, sat up slowly, and opened her eyes. A round of memories came back, along with waves of nausea.
An icy draft whistled outside the shed while Lily felt her way around in the dark. The wall around her began to disintegrate in her hands. She crawled several more feet to the right, and again the damp barrier crumbled beneath her palm.
Lily froze. She was trapped.
Am I in a hole?
She stood, swaying unsteadily. Then she pushed off with her feet, jumping into the air along the sides of the hole in search of a flat surface.
When Lily landed back onto the cool earth, the soles of her feet stung. Cognizant that this was the beginning signs of frostbite, Lily continued her desperate search for a way out. At one point, Lily rolled her ankle on an object, bringing her to her knees.
Pain paddled her ankles as if she’d fallen into a patch of tiny needles. She closed her eyes for a moment until the pain ebbed to a slow pulse. Opening her eyes again shed no additional light on her situation. She blindly groped for what had tripped her.
Her fingers traveled over plastic zippers in front and pockets made of netting on each side of a bag. It’s a back pack. What kind of hell hole did you put me in, Julius?
Again, Lily stood. I’ve got to get out of here. She hobbled over to the wall and leapt into the air. After a few more attempts, she found a surface just above her head. She dug her nails into the firm soil above and, with all she had, pulled herself up, using her feet to push herself up the dirt wall. With each movement, pieces of soil fell away.
Soon, Lily slid back down to where she’d begun.
Taking a step to her right, Lily found a sturdier spot and repeated the maneuver, finally hoisting herself out of the pit and onto the shed’s dirt floor.
She scrambled to her feet, making her way over to the tiny window located by the doors, and scanned the backyard. Where’s Julius?
The stinging sensation returned. I have to make it to my truck and go for help.
But first she needed to find something warm for her feet.
Lily switched on the light and whirled around to see the pit that had almost become her grave.
Lying inside were women’s clothing, jewelry and what looked to be textbooks. His treasures. Julius buried all the victims’ personal items here. As Lily peered closer, she noticed a heap of white towels covered in a dark brown liquid. Bloodied towels? Probably what he used to clean up the mess.
Lily went to the corner by the window and retrieved her old pair of gardening clogs. She slipped her feet inside and parted the doors. She figured the run from the shed to the side door of the garage was about forty feet.
She stepped out of the shed and shot across the backyard, over to the entrance leading into the garage. She went inside, climbed into her truck and quickly switched off the dome light.
As she reached into the console for her spare key, she heard a voice from behind. “Lily?”
Lily snapped her head around to see Ryan, from VTFU, standing at the driver’s window. “I’m okay, but Julius’s the one we’ve been after. I think he’s still in the house.”
Ryan keyed his shoulder mic and in a low tone said, “We’ve got Detective Blanchette. We’re going to send her out through the side door.”
“Copy that,” Alec said.
Send me out? It should be we’re coming out? Lily glanced up in the rearview mirror and recognized another member from the team holding his position off to the side. Then she looked back at Ryan.
Ryan avoided her eyes.
Lily climbed out of the truck. “Why aren’t we leaving together?”
“Sarge wants you taken somewhere safe,” Ryan said. “Julius’s still inside.”
“So go get the bastard.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“What do you mean it’s not that easy? Julius would have to have some sort of leverage. Like a hostage.”
Ryan nodded.
“Is the hostage one of ours?” Lily asked.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Sarge just pulled up,” Alec said, standing at the door. “He wants to see you, Lily.”
“And you’re stalling. Who’s the hostage?”
“Evan,” Alec said. “Julius demanded to see Evan. He said if we didn’t comply, he was going to kill you. That was twenty minutes ago.”
“And you let him go in?” Lily asked, grabbing her tactical vest from off the backseat. “Julius can’t stand Evan and will kill him just to get at me. I’m going in.”
“We need to follow up with Sarge before you go inside,” Alec said.
“There’s no time,” Lily replied.
Alec walked out, then came back in. “Then you’re taking one of us.”
“I’ll go with her. But I lead.” Ryan helped Lily with her vest.
“Fine,” Lily said, clicking the belt on the vest in place. “Turn down the volume on your radio. We’re going to enter in through the laundry room.”
“All the lights are off in there except for one,” Ryan said. “It’s on the east side of the house.”
“That’s the living room,” Lily said, reaching underneath the driver’s seat for her gun. “Julius’s probably holding Evan there.”
Alec said, “Evan wouldn’t want you doing this.”
“I’m not going to stand here and argue about what Evan wants. I want him out of there.”
Lily went on to give a brief description to Ryan of where to go after exiting the laundry room. He acknowledged and soon they were standing in the kitchen.
Moving as silent as cats, they approached the main hallway leading to the carpeted stairway.
It was quiet.
Still.
&n
bsp; Ryan touched Lily’s hand, signaling that he was going first.
Lily followed, trying to contain the fears bursting forth about the man who truly had her heart; Evan.
The heavy breathing from Ryan and Lily finally slowed to a quieter, rhythmic pace as they did a visual search of the front room, looking for any sign of the two men.
Off to the far left, next to the fireplace, sitting upright on the couch was Evan; his face and gray polo were bloodied and his hands were tied behind his back.
Evan.
Just behind them on the stairwell, Lily heard something bang against the banister.
Lily turned her head.
There on the stairs, in the dim light, stood a masculine build, reminding her of the night in the cornfield where Julius stood after attacking Serena Fellows.
“Halt!” Ryan said, pointing his firearm.
A shot rang out.
Lily made a dash for the front door and switched on the light, illuminating the stairwell.
On the floor next to Lily’s feet, Ryan lay in a heap, unresponsive.
As Lily drew her nine millimeter, Julius spread out his arms. “I’ll go to my grave happy, knowing you’re alive, but for you to stay that way, you’ll have to be the one to take my life. I want you to end my misery.”
Anger churned in Lily’s throat as she worked to keep herself calm. You’re not going to get away that easy. “Drop your weapon!”
“You’re the reason why I was living.” Julius pointed his gun at his wife.
Lily steadied her aim and fired. Again and again.
Julius lurched forward and tumbled awkwardly down the stairs, landing at the bottom with his limbs twisted underneath him.
Lily bent down next to Ryan, keeping the gun pointed at Julius as if she expected him to get up and come after her again. “Can you hear me?
Ryan groaned. “Yeah.”
The front door jamb splintered as Lily’s colleagues forced their way into her house, shouting orders to one another.
“Check upstairs,” Alec said.
“Lily?” Evan called.
Lily placed her gun in her holster and rushed into the room to aid her partner. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Promised Lies (A Detective Blanchette Mystery) Page 26