by Katie Moon
But Brielle shook her head. “I don’t think so. I was shocked when I found out she was part of it because of how much she worshipped Eric. He was the apple of her eye. However desperate she was, I don’t think she’d have it in her to hurt him,” she mused.
Officer Corey threw his hands up in the air. “Well then, I’m back to square one,” he said, frustrated. “I’ll talk to the brother next, I guess. He seemed less than cut up that his brother’s dead.“ He rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before dropping his hands to his sides in resignation. “This isn’t the only investigation that’s stumping me,” he added, turning to stare at Bruce through the glass. “We’ve been looking into the reports of stolen identity and personal information. When we dug deeper into the registrar’s office’s access history for each of their files, guess whose name they all had in common?”
“Who?” Brielle asked curiously.
“The girl who went missing recently, Claire Kunis,” Officer Corey responded, still looking intently at Bruce, who was drumming his fingers nervously on the interrogation room table.
Brielle’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” she exclaimed.
Officer Corey turned to her and nodded, eyebrows raised. “I know. They told me right before I went into the interrogation with Bruce. Turns out she worked in the registrar’s office, so she had access to the files of every student who attended the school. From what we saw, she accessed every single file that was illegally used only a couple days before the issue was reported. It’s created an entirely new feeling to her disappearance. Is it connected to her criminal activities? Is she not missing, but hiding?” he reflected, more to himself than Brielle, shrugging. “It seems like with every case we dive into, the more we learn, but the further we get from having any real knowledge of the—”
He stopped abruptly, swinging around to watch the door creak open. A young female officer stuck her head in, looking agitated. “Corey, you have a call you need to take,” she explained, glancing quickly at Brielle.
“Not now, Anderson,” Officer Corey muttered distractedly.
Officer Anderson took another step into the viewing room, glancing again at Brielle. “You’ll want to take this,” she said insistently. Hesitating for a moment, she added, “It’s Theo Walters. He says he wants to give information on the person who hired him to kill Eric Artimer.”
21
A drumming sound echoed down the bright white hallway as Brielle bounced her toes back and forth on the shining tile. Fixing her eyes on her hands, she attempted to keep them still by clinging to each arm of her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jared pacing back and forth between her and Mr. Artimer. Randall had left only minutes ago to get some air, stating that he couldn’t take the stress of waiting and needed a break. Her impatience was just about to boil over as well. It had been a full hour since they had received the call from Kevin Trent. Theo Walters, she corrected mentally. It was hard to believe only days ago, she had stood face to face with such a depraved man hiding behind a mask.
Brielle’s eyes lingered on Mr. Artimer, who was seated a few seats down. Mr. Artimer sat leaning forward with his elbows resting on each knee with his hands folded in front of him, staring glassy-eyed at the floor. He had not said a single word since Brielle’s outburst at his wife hours before. His head hung on his lifeless neck like a dying fish being pulled from the water, the last hopes for life fading from his eyes. She had not observed any tears on his face, but he had taken two trips to the restroom, and upon return both times, his eyes were pink and slightly swollen. Now, he sat waiting, his thumb gently stroking the gold band on his ring finger.
Brielle felt a rush of pity. Theo Walters had not been the only one to wear a mask. Mrs. Artimer’s deceit with her husband’s own brother in the shadows of their marriage was a wound Brielle did not know if they could heal. To be betrayed by the one who knew your deepest vulnerabilities, your truest self… that is a calamity of the heart that no one should bear. In that moment, Brielle felt that her misfortune was less than that of Mr. Artimer’s. Her love had been stolen from her unwillingly. His had turned her back and walked away.
She closed her eyes, letting the image fill her mind that begged to claim her attention during every waking moment. Her heartbeat quickened as she pictured his chiseled jaw, the light scruff that sometimes dusted his chin, his deep, olive eyes. His handsome face smiled at her, and she felt a thrill shoot through her heart as he brushed a gentle curl off his forehead. Oh, Eric, she thought, besotted. What were you involved in? Why didn’t you tell me? Brielle bit her lip, fighting back her own tears. Was that the essence of humanity? Were all people walking around, masquerading as innocent bystanders, while their elaborate masks hid a soul of greed and conceit? She could not bear to believe that. But then why had Eric been killed?
Before she could consider the question any further, she heard a door scrape open, followed by the drum of multiple pairs of feet marching down the hallway. Hopping up from their chairs, Brielle, Jared, and Mr. Artimer gaped down the hallway. Sandwiched between two guards was Theo Walters, with Officer Corey following two steps behind. Theo was sauntering with a smug grin on his face, looking unconcerned at the fact that his hands were in shackles.
As he and his guards approached the watching group, he gave Brielle a wicked smile, winking brazenly. “Hey, darling. How’s the head?” he asked arrogantly, his eyes fixed on the white bandage taped to her forehead.
She opened her mouth to utter an angry retort, but Officer Corey cut her off. “Shut up, Walters,” he snarled, giving Theo a slight shove through the door to the interrogation room. Through the glass, she could see Theo grinning broadly at her, his eyes glinting. Tearing her eyes away from his, she stopped Officer Corey before he could enter the room.
“Corey, I know this is an open case. But can I—?” she stopped, pointing at the door to the viewing room.
He stared at her for a long moment, measuring her up. “Fine,” he said finally. “Don’t try to interrupt, though. You’re only observing.” He spun on his heel and marched into the interrogation room, letting the door swing shut behind him. Brielle could feel Mr. Artimer and Jared’s eyes on her as she ran to the viewing room door and pulled it open, but they did not follow. Theo Walters was lounging in the chair that Bruce had vacated earlier, leaning back confidently. Brielle felt a surge of anger at the stupid grin he continued to wear as he watched Officer Corey.
Officer Corey, on the other hand, had lost the relaxed, open air he usually carried. Sitting with his back stiff and straight, Brielle noticed for the first time just how broadly built and muscular he was. He spread out a handful of papers in front of him, perusing each page carefully. “Theodore Walters, born 1982 to Jamie Walters. Father unknown,” he recited. “Mother committed suicide at age twelve, is that right?”
The haughty smile had not faded from Theo’s face. “Your ability to read is inspiring. Maybe cops aren’t as big of idiots as I always thought,” he sneered.
Officer Corey smiled back coldly. “Let’s cut the crap then. We have you on camera killing Eric Artimer. We know you did that intentionally. We know you were the one who attacked Brielle Daymon down the street from your apartment. I’m curious to know what you think you can offer us that will keep you from going down for this,” he said.
To Brielle’s astonishment, Theo laughed. Leaning in, he said quietly, “You don’t have anything. You have a man get into a terrible accident that no one intended. You can keep hooting your horn about having me, but we both know your evidence is circumstantial at best. But if you offer me, say, immunity? I may be able to theoretically jog my brain about the circumstances of the accident.”
It was Officer Corey’s turn to laugh. He leaned even closer so that his face was only inches away from Theo’s. “You think you’re untouchable. But imagine what we can find on you when we dig deeper. Maybe I should look further into your last trip to Michigan, or maybe your mother’s death?” he countered in a hushed tone.
Theo’s cocky smile faltered for a moment, but it returned quickly. He leaned back and sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Officer Corey leaned back as well, turning his eyes back to the papers in front of him. “Let me be very clear with you, Mr. Walters. I am personally going to make it my mission that you see the inside of a prison cell. If you don’t want to cooperate, I’ll make sure it’s on Death Row. If you choose to cooperate,” he continued, his eyes moving back up to study Theo’s face, “perhaps we can avoid the chair. It’s your call.”
Brielle stared at Theo, holding her breath. The smug smile had been wiped from his face, and he glared at Officer Corey with an ugly grimace, sizing him up. “I want a guaranteed removal from Death Row, and placement in a medium security facility. I’m not gonna help you just to get locked up with serial killers and rapist crackheads,” he instructed firmly, sitting up straight.
“You mean people like you?” Officer Corey shot back at Theo, clearly disgusted.
Theo’s expression hardened, but then he relaxed. “Look, you need my help to get to this guy. We can jab and prod at each other all day, but we both want something the other has. So let’s just come to an agreement. Guaranteed no death penalty at a medium security prison, and I’ll even throw in a second nugget on a case you’re dying to solve,” he reasoned, raising his eyebrows significantly.
“What case?” Officer Corey asked, distracted.
Theo leaned in again, clearly wanting to create a dramatic reveal. “Remember the two girls who went missing a year ago? I think their names were Becca Broadbent and Jenna Grant. I can tell you what happened to them,” he whispered.
Brielle clasped her hands over her mouth as a gasp echoed through the viewing room. At the table, she could see Officer Corey staring at Theo, his eyes wide. Theo smiled back, clearly pleased with the reaction he had garnered.
“If you had something to do with their disappearance…” Officer Corey whispered, his voice shaking with restrained anger. Before he could continue his threat, however, Theo raised his hands innocently.
“Relax, cop. I didn’t have anything to do with it. I just happen to do careful research on the individuals I go into business with and stumbled upon the information,” he said, but he continued to smirk at Officer Corey, clearing relishing his furious reaction.
Brielle’s mind was racing. So whoever was behind Eric’s death was behind the disappearance of those two women? What was there to connect them? They had happened almost an entire year apart, had different MOs, and no social connections whatsoever. Her eyes darted from Theo’s maddening grin to Officer Corey’s hard stare.
After a minute that felt more like dozens, Officer Corey leaned back in his chair. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “No death penalty in a medium security prison. If we successfully arrest the person who hired you. You have to see this through all the way. I’ll have another officer write up a contract.” He nodded at the African American officer standing statuesque by the exit, who reciprocated the nod and disappeared out the door. Officer Corey looked back at Theo. “Now start talking,” he demanded.
Theo smiled broadly and bowed his head. “Yes sir,” he said mockingly. “What, pray tell, would you like to know?”
“Let’s start from the beginning. Assuming it was a man, how did he contact you?” Officer Corey inquired.
Theo nodded, looking up at the ceiling in thought. “There’s a chat room on the dark web where people can make requests that are more, let’s say, off-color in the eyes of the law. You can only enter the chat room by referral from a past client, so the discussions can be kept away from prying eyes like you and your friends,” he said, nodding towards Officer Corey with an amused look. Officer Corey frowned deeply.
“How does that communication work then?” he asked, scribbling notes on a small, slightly bent notepad he had pulled from his pocket.
“Just like your usual job site. A client posts a job that he needs done, the required skill set needed to complete the job, and the compensation,” he said. With a chuckle that made Brielle’s blood boil with anger, he added, “Although I’ll grant you that the jobs would be a little too distasteful for some people.”
“What did your client’s post say? And was there a name affiliated with the post?” Officer Corey fired off quickly, glancing up from his jotting.
“Yeah, there was. The post was listed under the name Brute2e. It said he, or she, I guess, was looking for someone who could kill a college student and make it look like an accident. That’s my specialty, between you and me. Offered $12k. It wasn’t as much as most people offer, but the target was simple enough that it seemed worth it. Studious college kid, not especially connected in terms of powerful friends, just your usual, nothing-special kid. It should’ve been easy enough,” he finished, shrugging nonchalantly. Anguish and anger simultaneously bombarded Brielle as the words played again in her head. He was special to me! she wanted to scream angrily. He was everything to me! You have no idea what he was! Her heart felt about ready to burst, and she rested her hand gently on the glass to keep steady.
“How did you contact him?” Officer Corey continued, his face remaining impassive.
“Responded directly to the listing. Got a message back telling me to purchase a burner phone and submit the number. After that, he always called,” Theo explained.
“So you heard his voice then? Could you recognize it?” Officer Corey asked sharply, but Theo shook his head vigorously.
“He always used a voice changer to make it sound deep and robotic. I always thought of him as a man, but he could be a kindergarten girl for all I know,” Theo admitted, looking unconcerned as he scratched his nose casually.
“Hmm. What was the number?”
Brielle saw Theo reach into his pocket and start fishing for something, letting one hand hang lifeless as its handcuffed partner shuffled around noiselessly. “See for yourself. It’s the only number in the phone,” Theo said indifferently, sliding the small black phone across the table to him. Brielle watched, so still that the flap of a butterfly’s wing could have been heard in the viewing room, as Officer Corey reached over and seized the phone. With a few silent taps, he held it up to his ear, waiting.
Would the killer answer the phone? Brielle suddenly felt lightheaded and, realizing that she had been unconsciously holding her breath, quickly gulped down large gasps of air. She turned and gazed out the small window of the viewing room door where she could see Jared continuing to pace anxiously. She knew that outside the door sat the men that Eric had loved most, however conflicted their relationships. Had one of them been secretly feeding a hateful beast inside that drove them to turn on their friend, or brother, or son? Would one of them answer their phones and reveal themselves? Before she could move towards the window, however, she heard the small click of a phone connecting. Gently, she pressed her ear against the glass and listened. In the silence, Brielle could just make out the words that echoed from the phone: “We’re sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel this is in error, please check the number dialed and try again.”
Her heart sank as Officer Corey pulled the phone away from his ear and set it down. “Alright,” he began again, and Brielle could hear the frustration edging into his voice, “Did the person tell you anything about why he wanted Eric killed?”
Theo shrugged. “Not more than the name. I’m used to people in my line of work wanting to keep their motives close to the chest, so I didn’t ask. I did most of the research myself, finding out Artimer’s address, schedule, close relationships, etcetera. All I was supposed to do was text him when it was done,” he said.
“Was that the last time you contacted him?” Officer Corey asked.
“Nah, one more time after that. I called him when you all started posting my face and Kevin Trent’s name all over every visible space. I wasn’t about to go down alone for it all. That’s when he told me to burn Trent
and move on,” he replied. Then, remembering, he added nastily, “Oh, and he told me to give a warning to the little princess watching me from behind the glass.” Grinning broadly, his eyes whizzed over the glass, searching for some sign of where exactly Brielle was. Instinctively, she stepped back. Quaking with fear, she watched those spine-chilling eyes move back and forth across the spot where she was standing, unable to see her. “You back there, gorgeous?”
“That’s enough,” Officer Corey exclaimed tersely. “So you admit you attacked her?”
Theo turned back to meet Officer Corey’s heated gaze. “Sure, whatever,” he said condescendingly.
“And the girl who was found mauled by bears in Michigan during your stay there? Did you attack her too?” Officer Corey fired back abruptly.
Brielle gasped as Theo’s eyes widened, his cocky grin frozen on his face like a petrified hyena. It was clear that Officer Corey had blindsided him with such a sudden change of topic. After a pregnant pause, Theo’s face relaxed, and he gazed shrewdly at the man sitting across from him. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said in a controlled voice.
It was Officer Corey’s turn to smirk condescendingly. “Sure you don’t,” he said with a slight sneer. “You’re just an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time, right?”
Theo said nothing, his eyes darting away from the officer’s gaze before looking back defiantly.
Officer Corey changed the subject. “You said you have information concerning the disappearances of Becca Broadbent and Jenna Grant,” he said.
“Yes,” replied Theo sulkily, and all signs of superiority were gone. “When I work with someone, I want to see that they won’t burn me. That’s what’s kept me out of prison, at least up until now. So I always do little background checks on the clients I work with, just to see what kinds of stuff they get mixed up with. I wanted to know how much of a liability he’d be for me.