“So you don’t find any of this strange or unusual?” Steve asks.
Wendy rolls her eyes. “No, I don’t. I have been counseling individuals for over ten years, and I’ve met or counseled hundreds, if not thousands, in my ten plus year career. Let me ask you, how many life insurance salespeople in San Diego County alone have ten or more people they’ve sold policies over a ten plus year period die in a twelve-month period? Does the FBI investigate each of them, as well?”
“I have no idea, but no. we don’t investigate life insurance salespeople whose policy holders die.”
“So then why is it seemingly so unusual for a domestic violence counselor to experience fewer deaths than a life insurance salesperson with similar career longevity? Shouldn’t that require investigation by the FBI, since the life insurance salesperson certainly has a greater knowledge of his policyholders than I do of my client’s spouses? Shouldn’t they require the same scrutiny?”
“I see your point, Ms. Stevens, but please bear with me. Why hasn’t this been the norm for your entire career, if it isn’t so unusual?”
“Well, now I’m not sure it hasn’t, given how loosely you’ve defined people associated with me. Do you have statistical data to indicate this year is an anomaly?”
“No—”
“Please don’t tell me you had me fly all the way to Boise to question me on the hunches of your girlfriend to keep your position inside her panties and yourself in good standing with her,” Wendy says, dripping disdain, and Steve’s face loses all its color.
At this point, Jay can’t let Steve continue to get beaten to a pulp, so he decides to jump in and start questioning Wendy about Tyler and Jim. “Wendy, let’s shift gears here a little bit and focus on what happened with Tyler and Jim, please.”
After a moment of prolonged eye contact with Steve, daring him to say something else, Wendy turns her attention to Jay and smiles sweetly. “What would you like to know about Tyler?”
“We were able to review the reports from the deputies and their dash cam videos, but we don’t know what the gist of your conversation was with Tyler before he decided to jump off the bridge. Since you’ve been very clear that he wasn’t your client, I suspect you’ll have no confidentiality problem relaying your conversation for us.”
“None whatsoever. Long story short, he was very upset,” Wendy says, and proceeds to explains about removing the children from his custody, the photographs, and his admission to selling child pornography. “I told him we had a thumb drive, and we were going to turn it over to law enforcement. About this time, the police were arriving on the bridge and he looked around, then just… jumped.” Wendy pauses, allowing mixed emotions to flash across her face. “I thought finding Gayle Baxter’s body hanging was awful, but it’s nothing compared to watching someone take their own life.”
“I’m sure it was awful for you to witness. Did you or he say anything else?”
“Nothing that isn’t in the police report.”
“Alright. Let’s talk about Jim Bush,” Jay continues.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything from how you two met to what kind of relationship you had with him to how it ended and why you were having dinner with him the night he died.”
Wendy starts to tear up and allows several of the tears to run down her cheeks. Taking a few deep breaths, she gratefully accepts several tissues from Jay, so she can wipe her eyes.
After a few moments, she clears her throat and explains. “Jim and I met as a result of my being a board member of the Stevens Environmental Restoration Fund. Jim was at a dinner the board was holding for two positions and was being considered for the Vice President of Business Development. I remember thinking he was extremely attractive when I first saw him, and then when he sat next to me at the dinner table I became distracted by him again because of how good he smelled. Anyway, we hired him after an exhaustive interview process that weekend.
After Jim started working for SERF, he stopped by my office in San Diego and took me to lunch. We both admitted we were attracted to each other and decided we would keep our dating quiet until we were sure our relationship might progress beyond a few casual dates. Then a couple of weeks after our first date I had to be in San Francisco for an emergency SERF board meeting so I asked Jim to dinner, but since our timeframe was so short he decided to make dinner for me at his new place in Sausalito. The dinner was scrumptious and we wound up having incredible sex. In fact, I’d probably rate it the best sex of my life thus far. We decided to start dating more seriously after that, and I gave him a key to my penthouse.
He came to San Diego for a business trip and we had some terrific sex again, but I had to be in Los Angeles for a conference early the next day and didn’t plan on getting back until late. I couldn’t stop thinking about him so I skipped out on the conference and got home sooner than expected.” She pauses, breathing deeply again. “I-I found him in my bed with another man. I was devastated. I kicked him out of my house and personal life, telling him I would only speak to him on a professional level from then on. He kept trying to get me to meet with him, and I finally couldn’t say no anymore. The night we had dinner was the first time we had seen each other since I kicked him out of my place, and that pretty much sums up our entire relationship.”
Steve and Jay sit in shock for a moment. “Um,” Jay finally says, “Wow. Thank you for sharing all of that with us. Did you know Jim was allergic to peanuts?”
“Yes, I did. He told me on our first date. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that. When he took me to lunch we went to a favorite restaurant of mine and he mentioned he was allergic to peanuts. That’s when he told me he always carried an Epi-pen and that’s how I knew where it was the night he… died. I tried to save him. The doctor said that, maybe, if he’d had a second Epi-pen it may have been enough.”
“Who selected the restaurant for dinner?”
“I did, because I heard the food was good.”
“But you didn’t know about them pan searing the fish in peanut oil?”
“Not until someone mentioned it that night. It’s not something I ever needed to be concerned about and quite frankly it never crossed my mind to check on it.”
“Especially if you were angry with Jim for his infidelity,” Steve interjects.
Wendy sucks in a breath. “Listen here, you asshole. I don’t particularly like what you’re implying. First of all, after you’re weaned from your mother’s breast and you’ve experienced a few heartbreaks, you’ll come to learn that some people simply aren’t worth the time and effort it takes to be with them. You don’t plan to kill them; you just move on with life because you’re better off without them.”
“That may be true, but the server said you guys were looking to get back together because that’s what you told her.”
Wendy nods. “Yes. We had started to explore that possibility, but then he went into anaphylactic shock and we never got to a decision point, which doesn’t help your girlfriend’s theory. If we were getting back together, why would I want him dead? I’ve already told you, he was the best lover I have ever had in my life. I would have kept him around for the sex alone, and there was so much more for us than that.”
Jay clears his throat, shooting Steve a look, and suggests they take about a fifteen-minute break so he and Steve can chat, and then come back and finish up.
“I promise we’ll get you on your way soon, Wendy.”
She sniffs. “Sounds fine to me. I could use a minute to myself.”
The two agents leave her.
CHAPTER 25
cat and mouse
After fifteen minutes, Wendy is still sitting in the interview room, and Steve pops his head in.
“Are you okay to hang out for just another ten minutes or so? Jay just received an important phone call and he needs to finish it up before we can come back and conclude our interview.”
Wendy looks at her watch, sees it’s nearly ten o’clock, shrugs, and says, “I sup
pose so as long as it’s not going to be too much longer tonight.”
Steve promises he’ll hurry Jay along and they’ll finish up as soon as possible.
When Jay and Steve walk back into the interview room, Jay is carrying a yellow legal tablet with multiple pages of scribbled notes.
Wendy thinks, what in the world is all of this about, and what angle is he intending on using now?
Jay looks at Wendy and makes probably the most intense eye contact anyone has made with her in a decade. She finds it somewhat unnerving.
“Wendy, I’m going to shift topics now, and I ask that you please indulge me for a while because I need to get some information before I tell you about the conversation I just had with Detective Briggs of the San Diego Police Department.”
“Okay, what information do you need?”
“Do you know Connie Jackson, and is she one of your current clients?”
Wendy’s heart leaps into her mouth. “Yes, I know her, and yes, she is a current client, although I have also referred her to another counselor recently. Is she safe? Is she okay??”
“Yes, she is fine, but her husband is dead.”
Wendy’s mouth drops open. “Excuse me? What happened?”
“Before I answer that question, did you and Connie talk about a safety plan and will you please tell me what it was? This is very important.”
“Okay, yes. Connie told me her neighbor across the street is out of town for several months and if there was a problem with Al, she could stay in the neighbor’s house until the police arrived. I spoke with her right before I left today and told her to remember to go there if anything happened while I was gone this weekend. I don’t know its location.”
“Okay, thank you. Here is what we know so far. About an hour ago, Connie was upstairs getting ready for bed and Al was downstairs in the living room watching television. Connie heard glass break and thought Al was drunk again and probably dropped his glass on the tile and it shattered. She called downstairs to see if he was okay, and after about ten minutes she got concerned and went downstairs to check on him. She found him dead in his chair with his glass on the floor next to him, void of its contents. There was blood all down the front of him, and it’s clear he was killed from a gunshot wound that entered through the back of his skull and exited through his face below his left eye.”
“Oh, my God! Who shot him?”
“They don’t know. They found the shot originated from the second floor of a neighbor’s house, directly across the street. There was forced entry through the back door, and it appears the shooter used some type of homemade suppression device, because the forensic lab found a few fragments of plastic bottle and cotton. I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Do you own any firearms?”
“No and I never have. Can you seriously think I had something to do with Al’s murder?”
“I’m just covering all the basics, that’s all. You obviously couldn’t have killed him. You’ve been sitting here with us. Do you know anyone who owns any firearms?”
“The only person I know with guns is Sean Green, and he’s here in Idaho as well.”
“Thank you. It appears the person who shot Al knew what they were doing. With the homemade suppressor, no shell casing found at the scene, and a .223 caliber weapon that’s a favorite of the United States Military and law enforcement personal, it’s obvious they know how to cover their tracks. No latent fingerprints or tool marks at the point of forced entry have been found,” Jay says, looking puzzled and concerned.
“Who in the hell would do such a thing and why?” Wendy asks.
“Well, that’s what everyone is trying to figure out. Would you mind me inspecting your telephone?”
“For what reason? I’m beginning to feel like I’m a suspect. Am I?”
“Well, we were looking at you as a person of interest because so many people around you have died or committed suicide, but now I have to admit, this murder throws a different light on this entire investigation.”
“So am I a suspect or not?” Wendy asks to clarify.
After a moment, Jay shakes his head. “You are not a suspect. We had you here to clarify several points, which you have graciously done. I’d just like to go through your phone with you to see if there are any unusual calls or messages you’ve received in the last couple of days. I would also like you to call your service to see if anyone left you any type of weird message today.”
“Okay fine, but the only calls I received today were from Sean, Jessica, and Mona and all of them were routine. Do you want me to dial my answering service now? I can put them on speaker phone so you can hear what they’re saying.”
“Please do.”
The service answers and Wendy checks messages and all incoming calls. There are ten calls. Eight of them were referred directly to Pegge Peterson, one was a salesperson that was referred to Mona, and one was a message from Bonnie, wanting Wendy to call her about the next scheduled board meeting.
“Thank you. Are you sure that’s everything?” Wendy asks the service person.
“Yes, ma’am, that’s all.”
“Did Connie Jackson call my office?”
“No, not that we are aware of.”
“Thank you, that’s all,” Wendy says and hangs up. She turns her attention back to the agents. “It’s possible that Mona received a call from Connie while Mona was still handling the phone in the office.”
“Would you mind calling her and asking her if she did?” Steve asks.
Wendy nods and dials her number. When Mona answers, Wendy tells her she is on speaker phone with Agent Mather and Agent Davis.
“Did Connie Davis call the office today?” Wendy asks.
Mona says, “Yes, she called and wanted to speak with you, but I reminded her you were out of town, and she asked if I could connect her to Pegge, so I forwarded the call to Pegge’s office. Why?”
“Apparently someone shot and killed her husband tonight.”
“What? What the hell is going on?” Mona asks, surprise ringing in her voice.
“I have no freakin’ clue,” Wendy says.
“Mona, this is Agent Mather, did Connie tell you or anyone you know of where the spare key for her safe house is hidden?”
“I think she may have mentioned that it was under the rock in the dirt in the wine barrel planter or something, on the back porch. I don’t know if she told anyone else.”
“Thank you for your help, Mona,” Mather says, then leaves the room to make another telephone call.
Wendy takes a moment to reassure Mona that things are fine, then ends the call.
Mather returns a few minutes later and tells Wendy, “I have a few more questions, and then I’ll drive you to your hotel, since it’s so late.”
“That won’t be necessary. I can call a cab.”
“Absolutely not. You have flown to Boise at my request and have been here much longer than any of us expected. The least I can do is drive you to your hotel on my way home.”
Wendy nods. “Very well, if you insist.”
“I insist. I have to take Steve to his hotel by the airport anyway, so it isn’t out of our way.”
“Then let’s finish this meeting up so I can open the mini-bar at the hotel and have a few drinks. After a day like today, I deserve it.”
Mather nods his understanding and agreement. “I just want to recap and clarify our previous discussion, and bear with me if my thoughts are somewhat scattered. I’m trying to shift back to where we left off prior to our break. Did I understand you correctly when you said the only people you knew, or had several discussions with, out of the ten people we discussed were your brother, Mark, Tyler Crookshank and Jim Bush?”
“That’s correct, with the understanding that my brother and I hadn’t spoken to each other for several years prior to his murder.”
“Just out of curiosity, why was that?”
“Because my brother was a lying, manipulative, person whose only thrill, besides his beautiful wife, was to con
trol people with the use of his enormous wealth. In short, I always thought he was an asshole.”
“Yet he left you over six billion dollars and some beautiful real estate in La Jolla?” Mather asks.
“Yes, but that doesn’t make him any less of an asshole. It just makes him a rich asshole.”
“I have one final question. Is there any reason why your fingerprints would be in Nancy Davis’ house?” Mather asks and, with that, snaps the trap that he believes will be the snare for Wendy Stevens.
A GLIMPSE OF
UNANTICIPATED CIRCUMSTANCES
BOOK 4
The FBI investigation is turned upside down when another of Wendy’s clients’ husbands is clearly murdered while Wendy is unquestionably out of town. This begins a series of extreme political maneuvering between Jay Mather and Steve Davis as each man struggles to make sense of the facts of the case.
After Jay is convinced that Wendy is the target of an angry former client’s spouse, rather than a killer herself, he abandons protocol and good sense and begins dating Wendy. Wendy flourishes in her relationship with Jay, as Jerry Summers provides details surrounding the unbelievable drama of a day in the life of a serial killer.
In this fourth book of the ‘Un’missable Series, Jerry Summers builds on the readers’ love/hate relationship with Wendy. Summers works to establish Wendy’s humanity, reveal her tortured past and disdain for injustice, and soften her hard edges to reveal more of her incredibly complex personality. This more in-depth exposure of Wendy will keep you struggling with your own beliefs about good versus evil and right versus wrong.
The struggle is real for Wendy, and it will be very real for you, too. Watch for Book 4 in winter of 2016, and endeavor, with Wendy, to figure out where you draw the line.
The ‘Un’missable Series includes: Uncontrolled Spin, Unmerited Favor, Unrestricted Behavior, and Unexpected Circumstances (winter, 2016).
Unrestrained Behavior: The Pleasure and Risk of Choice (The 'Un'missable Series Book 3) Page 24