by LS Sygnet
“You believe that I gave it my best shot, right?”
“I know you love Crevan very much. He’s gonna take some time and think about my offer. Shelly took him out of the rotation based on Belle’s murder. He’ll have nothing but solitude to consider what comes next.”
“Well, regardless of the public face he tries to put on what happened tonight, the gossips are going to spread his orientation like wildfire. I can’t imagine that he can return to the closet now.”
Johnny jerked his head toward the other side of the squad room. Shelly and Alex Waters were exiting her office. Apparently, his protective custody ended with an explanation of how his brother died.
“He asked about Crevan tonight,” Johnny said.
“Specifically?”
“Yep.”
“In what way?” I asked.
“In the way that I’m pretty sure a guy asks about another guy that he’d really like to get to know.” He held his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Seems like a decent guy, Doc. It might not be such a bad thing for Crevan to finally be who he’s hidden all these years.”
“I wasn’t judging. Well, maybe worrying a little bit about what Aidan Conall will think of all of this. Maybe he’ll be too wrapped up in grief over what happened to his pastor to attack his son right away.”
“Don’t count on it,” Johnny said. “Waters identified this Reverend Hellfire.”
“Aidan?”
“Yeah,” Johnny said. “Nothing on the horizon looks particularly easy for our friend, Helen.”
“Either one of them.” My thoughts drifted back to Devlin, safely ensconced in my house, hopefully drugged to peaceful oblivion.
“You know Chris would probably go ape shit if I made the same offer to Devlin that I did to Crevan tonight. Would it make you happy too?” Johnny asked.
I shrugged one shoulder. “That would leave Shelly in a bigger bind than ever, down three detectives. Good detectives.” Grief over Ned Williams had yet to fully set in with any of us, I was afraid.
“Four,” he whispered in my ear. “She’s losing you too, Doc.”
“Thanks for making a stronger case. I’m tired of this job, but at the same time, I don’t want all the progress these people have made to crumble because the good folks are defecting to OSI.”
“New blood in the detective squad was the best thing that ever happened to Central Division. Give Shelly a little credit, Doc. She’ll fill the gaps with competent people. Meanwhile, I could really use the experienced guys at OSI, men who not only understand the problems in Darkwater Bay, but in Montgomery too.”
“Is something going on out there?”
“Maybe. Joe’s not sure yet. There was talk a few months ago about Datello setting some things in motion that would really challenge Joe’s reelection campaign.”
“I remember Devlin mentioned something about that a couple of weeks ago.”
“Well, the conductor of that orchestra might’ve been taken out of commission, but perpetual motion being what it is…”
“Joe’s got vulnerabilities.”
“Yeah, so there may be need for some expansion of OSI’s responsibilities to justify our existence.”
“What will you do if Joe loses the election and OSI is shut down?”
“Well, I don’t see that happening, but voter peculiarities can never be predicted. If it happens, I’ve still got the security business Dad started. I’ve got you,” he nudged my shoulder. “We could hang out in retirement until we drive each other nuts and both decide to get back to work.”
“So what happens next?”
“We wait and see how things shake out in November,” Johnny said.
“I meant with Underwood.”
“Ah. We’re having a press conference at Central Division in…” Johnny glanced at his watch. “A little over two hours. Underwood’s leaving MSUH shortly to be taken to an arraignment hearing where Zack expects a public defender to be appointed. Then he and I will join Shelly, laying out bits of this case for the media so that we don’t get crucified for withholding the fact that a madman has killed four people in the past five days.”
“Would you be offended if I sit this one out? I’m beat, and I’d really rather not endure the press’s questions.”
Johnny threw caution to the wind and kissed me softly. “I’ll have one of the guys take you home. You ready to leave?”
“I need about twenty minutes to finish my part of this report,” I said. “Longer if you keep distracting me.”
Johnny chuckled. “I’ll set up the transportation now. By the time you’re done, I suspect we’ll be getting ready to do our perp walk at the courthouse.”
He left division before I finished my report. I was with a uniformed officer almost to the outskirts of Darkwater proper when the disturbing call came across the radio.
“All units in the vicinity of the district courthouse, please respond.”
Terry Grady grabbed the radio. “Unit 270 responding. We’re about a mile from the courthouse, over.”
“Report of a shooting at the courthouse, 270. All units requested for backup.”
“We’re on our way, over and out.” He flipped on the lights and sirens and sped into the city proper. “What do you make of it, Eriksson?”
“Who knows?” My heart thudded hard. Shooting. District courthouse. Perp walk. “God, I hope it wasn’t another one of ours –”
My cell phone rang.
“Eriksson.”
“Where are you, Doc?”
“On my way to the district courthouse with Officer Grady. What happened?”
“Underwood is dead.”
“What?”
“Jesus,” Johnny muttered. “Out of nowhere, Madden shows up and guns him down, Helen. He’s in custody, but it’s mayhem over here.”
“How long will you be tied up at the scene?”
“Probably all day. I called Chris. He’s gonna head over and help process this mess. If you want to take the Expedition and head home, he can bring me over later.”
“I think I’ll collect Crevan before I go,” I said. “If the place is gonna be swarming with police and journalists after this mess, it’ll hardly provide the solitude he needs right now.”
“Good idea. I’ll see you when you get here. I’m really sorry, Helen. I know this isn’t how either one of us wanted this to end.”
“I suppose it isn’t. Where’s Madden now?”
“Holding cell inside the courthouse.”
“Have his lawyers arrived?”
“Not yet. I doubt they can get through the mess over here if they’ve been notified. Does that matter?”
“Would you let me talk to Madden before I go home?”
“It’s open and shut, Helen. He’s on video.”
“I know. I’d just like to talk to him – off the record if you prefer.”
“I guess it doesn’t much matter at this point. Listen, when you get over here, find me when you’re ready to leave. Looks like we’re doing battle with channel 9 over the footage of the shooting.”
Johnny disconnected the call as Grady pulled into the alley next to the courthouse. “Thanks for the ride. They’re gonna need you here longer than I can stay,” I said.
I used my key card to access the side entrance to the district courthouse. The building thrummed with energy. I ignored it and made my way down to the holding cells for the court. I flashed my badge. “Scott Madden,” I said. “Orion authorized the visit.”
“He’s refusing to speak to anyone but his lawyer,” the guard said.
“He’ll see me. Please take him to the room used for confidential communication between attorneys and clients.”
“Won’t this gonna be on the record?”
“No,” I said. My father’s blood sang through my veins. Sometimes justice missed the mark. Sometimes, the blind lady needed a nudge in the right direction.
Madden’s eyes widened in surprise when he stepped inside the room. “I want my lawyer,�
� he said.
“You need to be quiet and listen to me, Scott. I’m about to break the rules and give you some information that could very well save your life.”
Wary eyes squinted. “Is this some kind of trick?”
“Not at all. This is the same room you’ll see your lawyer in later. No cameras. No audio recordings. You need to do exactly as I say.”
“All right. I’m listening.”
“Do not answer any questions. Not from your lawyer, the police, the prosecutor, not even your family, Scott. You need to stop speaking entirely from this point forward. If you have to say something, try hard to make very little sense.”
“What? Why would I –”
“Above all else, do not make eye contact with anyone. No one, do you understand me? I don’t care if they try to lure you with the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. Do not speak. Do not look at her or anyone else.”
“What the hell is that gonna do?”
“Johnny Orion knows I’m trying to talk to you – off the record of course. At some point, the prosecutor’s office may ask me to evaluate you.”
“And?”
“I want you to appear not responsible for what you did. Johnny and I shared our suspicions of Underwood when we saw you this morning.”
“Wait a minute. You’re gonna help me look crazy so I can beat this thing?”
“I’m not an advocate of murder, Scott, but I believe what you did upstairs was a public service. Before we arrested your former employee, he very likely destroyed the life of someone I love very much. Yes. I want to help you beat this. No one can know. Can I trust you?”
He nodded quickly.
“Do as I say. It’ll look like you snapped, had some sort of psychotic break related to the profound grief over your nephew’s murder. The gun you used, how long have you owned it?”
“Twenty years, maybe longer.”
“Excellent. I assume there’s a paper trail to prove this?”
“Yeah, but… this doesn’t make any sense. Why would you help me? I get it that your friend got hurt. I get it that you hated Underwood for probably the same reasons I did, but –”
“Don’t say it. I can’t hear you confess. I’ll have to give testimony at some point. I could be asked if you ever indicated that this was premeditated, and I won’t perjure myself. Do as I said. You’ll be free in no time at all.”
He averted his eyes and remained silent.
“Don’t fidget or behave in any manner that indicates nervousness. This is important, Scott. You’ve got to appear to be in shock, unable to remember what happened this morning or why. Don’t nod. Just do it.”
No response.
“Good luck. I’ll do everything I can to persuade the DA to deal for treatment instead of prosecuting you for murder. When that happens, we’ll talk again.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. It was the last thing Scott Madden said for a very long time.
As I walked out of the courthouse and crossed the street to La Pierre Tower, I realized that even though I hadn’t pulled the trigger this time, I was still thinking like Daddy’s Girl.
Chapter 39
Moonlight flickered through the clouds above the bay. The bioluminescent plankton glittered like a living oil slick while water lapped against the side of the ship near the shore. On board, three men met, a rare occurrence for them to congregate in one place. Usually it was too risky, required a more clandestine approach.
Tonight was different. Desperate times and all that shit.
“Luke,” the youngest of the three men muttered under his breath. “The son of a bitch killed Luke Napier. Granted, there were weaknesses, but he didn’t deserve what was done to him. He was a good man.”
“Unfortunate, but what has that got to do with us, with our operation here? I’ll tell you. It means nothing.” Eugene spoke, unrattled. He’d been through more than the other two men, had been banned from countries for his so-called crimes. The loss of a single life wasn’t even a blip on the radar of regret as far as he was concerned.
“You miss the point, Eugene,” the literal middle man said softly. He was middle in age, but also in his role of mediator between to factions about to enter into battle. If anything was unnecessary, it was that – in fighting. It would be the end of them, and a divided front was the last thing they needed.
“Then what is the point? She’s a woman, for God’s sake, inconsequential.”
The youngest glared. “Are you certain of that, Eugene? As I see it, you’ve got the least to lose here. What risk does she pose to you?”
He chuckled softly. “True enough, I’m a very old man, but that hardly precludes me from prosecution. The stakes in this are no less for me than the two of you. Granted, you don’t see me weeping over any prospective social losses –”
“Because you’ve started over before?” the middle man asked. “We’re all too old to consider pulling up stakes and starting over somewhere else. Besides, there are roots here, considerations that cannot be so easily dismissed.”
“Hmm,” Eugene grinned. “My wife would agree. So what do we do about this latest wrinkle? I thought our man inside assured us that Franchetta was certain that Helen Eriksson would disappear after Datello was arrested. We made sure it happened, and here she is, still in Darkwater Bay, still posing risks to our operation. And yes, my young friend, still the thorn in your proverbial or perhaps literal side. So what do you propose we do about it? As the two of you are so fond of reminding me, I’m too old to beat around the bush, so let’s hear your suggestions.”
“Death would suit me just fine,” the youngest uttered under his breath.
“Excuse me?”
“Eugene, he’s frustrated. This hasn’t been easy for him, and well… other than Luke’s rather grisly murder, there have been a few other disturbing developments –”
“Rumors,” the youngest man snarled. “Just rumors!”
Middle man patted his arm. “Of course they are. But regardless, we’ve put off the final solution for far too long, relied on faulty information from people who clearly had no idea what Helen Eriksson’s true agenda in Darkwater Bay was all along. So now, we face a decision.”
Eugene shrugged. “I’m open to suggestions. It’s no secret that I’m not the decision maker in this little partnership of ours. I presume you asked me to be here because of my connections.”
“Yes,” the youngest nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this, considering what it’ll take to be rid of her once and for all.”
Eugene smirked, “And here I thought that murdering one’s former spouse should’ve done the trick. Yet here we are. Clever how all of that has suddenly shifted from murder to suicide.”
“Our man inside doesn’t buy that for a second,” youngest shook his head adamantly.
“So you’ve said,” Eugene nodded. “So what’s the bill? Who are you looking for to take care of the problem?”
Middle man and youngest man shared a brief glance.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” middle man asked.
“An anchor around her neck suits me just as well.”
Eugene barked out a rasped laugh. “Let’s not forget what got us into business in the first place.”
“We know your motivation, Gene,” youngest man sneered, “and it has less to do with profit than it does –”
“Let’s not rehash, gentlemen,” middle man mediated. “We’ve been observing her quietly for months, Gene. She’s headstrong, willful, resourceful and completely lacks hesitation of any kind when it comes to eliminating obstacles. She won’t go easily.”
Eugene rubbed his surgically tightened chin. “So we’re thinking someone who enjoys the challenge, yes? He can’t be put off easily by disobedience.”
“She’ll still have to be broken a bit before the transaction,” middle man said.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Gene chuckled. “Our friend rather enjoys that responsibility in the time he spends with the mercha
ndise prior to the transaction taking place. She’ll break. They all do.”
Youngest curled his fingers into the lapel of Eugene’s coat. “I want this done, do you understand me? I want it done now! I want this woman gone, out of our lives once and for all. I don’t want to have to worry that she’ll ever come back, ever show up again. Are we clear, Eugene?”
He regarded the almost insane fervor in his determined partner’s eyes, wondered if he’d ever felt so strongly about anything in his life. Sure, he knew there was history with this woman, that his business associate had good reason for her to leave Darkwater Bay, but could he possibly understand what he was sentencing Helen Eriksson to?
“You do realize of course, that the results can be… unpredictable when training begins later in life.”
Youngest opened his mouth, but middle man cut him off.
“We’re aware, Eugene, which is why I believe he’s asked for a collector who has no qualms about doing anything to keep his merchandise in his possession. And I shouldn’t have to remind you that you just promised us that they all break in time.”
“Yes, I’m just not certain there could ever be enough time for this one to break. I read the papers after all.”
“Can you find someone or not?” youngest hissed. “That’s the bottom line here. Either you can do the job, or you can’t Eugene. If not, stop wasting my time, and I’ll find someone who can.”
Eugene wondered where, if the church directory might offer the solution the young man sought. He stifled his laughter. “You already know the answer to that question, my friend. I’ll make the contact and arrange everything on the receiving end. If you want this transaction to remain profitable, I’d suggest the timing coincide with our planned delivery to Darkwater Bay in a few weeks. Or are we concerned that the good detective can’t mind her own business for even that long?”
“She’ll mind it.”
Gene regarded his partners, the grim determination of one, the barely concealed irritation of the other as he tried to mediate, to broker one more deal. It had been a good run, but perhaps it was time to pull up stakes and retire somewhere without the stress that seemed to shroud these two.