by BJ Bourg
“Very funny,” I said, relieved she hadn’t suspected I was on to her. “I’ll see you in the morning then.” I flipped the phone shut, then turned to Sally. “What the hell am I going to do?”
“I think you need to call Sheriff Burke right away and tell him what we know.”
“No way,” I said, shaking my head. “He’ll have her killed. I might be mad at her, but I don’t want her to die. I mean, part of me understands why she’s doing this—if it is her who’s doing it.”
Sally studied my face. “I think we’ve moved beyond the what-if-it’s-her phase. I think we should be concentrating on what to do next, and that shouldn’t include doing nothing.”
“I’m not saying we do nothing. I’m just saying we handle it ourselves—take her in alive—see if she confesses. She’s the missing puzzle to what happened twenty years ago. Like Larry said, she can tell us if there ever was a drug deal in the first place. If she talks, we’ll have what we need to put Sheriff Burke away and—”
“Whoa, cowboy, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Sally cautioned. “Even if she does admit to being Elizabeth James and she says what we think she’ll say, do you really think a jury would believe her? She’s a cop who killed three other cops in cold blood. She’s not exactly the best witness in a police corruption case.”
“She’s the perfect witness,” I countered. “No one would go through all that trouble and risk the death penalty for a lie, or for something that didn’t happen.”
“What if she kills again before we get to her? Are you willing to live with another cop’s blood on your hands?”
I leaned against the car and crossed my arms in front of my chest, considering the prospect. After thinking about it for about three seconds, I nodded. “Yep, I can. If you ask me, everyone involved deserves to die anyway. Sure, not the way she’s doing it, but by lethal injection. If she gets to one or two of them before we get to her, it’ll save the state a few dollars. Besides, the sheriff and his cronies are hiding under their cots at the main office. They won’t stick their heads outside until the killer is locked down solid.”
Sally shook her head slowly. “I can’t believe I’m considering going along with this. But, more than anything, I really hate dirty cops, especially those who would kill a baby and then lie about it. Okay, what’s the plan?”
CHAPTER 41
I didn’t call Bethany until I was pulling into my driveway. I’d wanted to make sure she didn’t beat us to my house. Her voice was groggy when she answered. “Hey, I’m sorry I fell asleep. I tried to stay awake. What time is it anyway?”
“Three forty-five. We got stuck in traffic.”
“Is Sally still with you?”
“No, I dropped her off.” I pressed my finger to my lips, cautioning Sally not to make a sound. “You know, we can wait until tomorrow, if you want. You sound tired—”
“Oh, no! I’m coming over right now. I want to see you. I need to see you.”
I shut off the engine to the loaner we’d gotten from the Gatlinburg Police Department and Sally and I rushed into my house. Once we were inside, Sally looked around. “What’s the plan?”
I unlocked my gun closet. “Why don’t you hide in here until she gets inside? As sure as we’re standing here, she’ll give me a hug. Once she does, I’ll latch onto her and not let go. At that point, you can rush out and handcuff her.”
Sally nodded and slipped into the dark closet. “Sounds like a plan.”
I closed the door behind Sally and sat on my sofa, trying to act casual. We spoke in low whispers as we waited, but we didn’t have to wait long. A car hummed into my driveway and came to a stop.
“Okay, get ready, Sally.”
I remained seated as I heard the car door slam. It wasn’t until I heard heels echoing right outside the door that I stood to my feet. My heart beat a steady drum in my chest. There was a knock at the door. I took a deep breath, moved to the door and opened it. There Bethany stood, dressed in jeans and a tank top. She appeared cautious. I noticed her pistol was strapped to her waistband and her hand was dangling close to it. I smiled and moved in to hug her. “God, I’ve missed you so much!”
Bethany seemed to relax in my arms; she hugged me back. I held her for several seconds, then turned and stepped into my house. I pushed the door closed and opened my arms to her. She fell into them and squeezed me tight. I sighed, realizing she was no longer suspicious and—
“What is it?” Bethany asked, pushing back to stare up into my eyes.
“Nothing. Why?”
“I felt you take a breath, like you were relieved or something.”
I smiled. “I am relieved…relieved to see you again.”
There was a creak behind her, and she jerked her head around, yelping when she saw Sally coming toward us. I jumped forward and wrapped her in my embrace, then pulled her toward the ground on top of me. Her right hand reached for her pistol as she screamed, “What the hell?”
Bethany and I crashed to the ground, and I wrapped my legs around hers, pinning them to me. Her right hand was on her pistol and she was trying to drag it from its holster. Sally jumped onto Bethany’s back and jerked her right hand behind her back. After a brief struggle, Sally secured Bethany’s left hand behind her back and slipped cuffs on her. Bethany struggled to free herself, but it was no use. Sally pulled her off me and we stood.
Bethany kicked at me, smashing the heel of her shoe against my left shin. I winced, but brushed it off. “Settle down, Bethany,” I said. “It’s over.”
“Get these cuffs off of me now!” she screamed. “I’ll have you both arrested for false imprisonment!”
“Sorry, Bethany, it’s over. We know everything.” I pulled her to her feet and guided her to the sofa and let her sit. She stared up at me, face red with anger. As I began reciting Bethany her Miranda rights, her eyes grew wider as I spoke.
“London, this is not funny,” Bethany said, panic starting to tighten its grip on her throat, making her voice shake. “I’m serious. Take these cuffs off me. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re wrong. If you just stop this right now, I’ll forget this ever happened and I won’t file any charges.”
I sat on the coffee table across from her, and Sally sat beside me. I shook my head. “It’s over, Liz. We know everything…everything.”
“Why did you call me that?” Bethany asked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, London, you have to believe me. I don’t know anything.” Tears streamed down her face. She stared desperately from Sally’s cold eyes to mine. “London, you need to listen to me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I turned to Sally, nodded. She quickly got up and exited the house. When she was gone, Bethany slipped off the sofa and knelt in front of me. “Please, London, I’m begging you to let me go. I know you have feelings for me and I have feelings for you. You and I can be together, just like we both want. This is all a big mistake. Just let me go so I can prove it to you. Please, London…I love you. Let me show you how much I love you and give me a chance to prove to you that I’m not who you think I am. I’m the girl you fell for—nothing more, nothing less. Just give me a chance.”
The door slammed shut and Sally reentered the living room. She handed me the newspaper article we’d acquired from Courtney Hackenburg. I flipped through it until I found the picture of Elizabeth James and turned it so Bethany could see. “Are you denying this is you?”
What was left of Bethany’s color drained completely from her face, leaving a deathly shade of pale on her cheeks. “How… Why… Where’d you get that?”
“As you already know, this picture was taken at your uncle’s funeral. Now, you can continue to lie to us about who you are or you can keep your mouth shut. It makes no difference to us. We’ll lock you up and we’ll toss your place and retrace every step you’ve made in the last ten years. We’ll get the evidence we need to convict you of first degree murder and the district attorney will seek the death penalty—a
nd he’ll get it. You’ll go to prison and remain there until you’re put to death. You’ll be known as some crazed female sniper who began killing cops because she was bitter and blamed everyone else for life’s problems.”
I took a breath and exhaled. “Or you can tell us the truth about what happened. You can help us prove the sheriff and his thugs hit the wrong house twenty years ago and they killed innocent people and then lied about it. If we can prove they’re nothing but rogue cops with blood on their hands, a jury will have a very difficult time sentencing you to death because no one has any sympathy for dirty cops. Hell, they might even find you guilty of something less than murder…maybe even find you temporarily insane. Who knows? They might even let you walk. What is certain, though, is if you keep your mouth shut, you’ll be sentenced to death or you’ll be killed by Sheriff Burke and his men.”
Bethany hung her head and cried. Sally placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Look, if you talk to us, we can protect you. We’ll get you shipped out of here and we’ll see to it that the sheriff and his men are taken down. You have our word.”
After a long moment of silent weeping, Bethany looked up into my eyes. “Promise me they’ll pay for what they did.”
“I promise,” I said.
“No, I want to hear you say that the sheriff and his men will pay for killing my little brother and my dad and for framing my mom. They can’t get away with it or everything will—” Bethany broke down in uncontrollable sobs. When she’d calmed down a bit, she continued. “If they get away with it, then everything I’ve done will have been for nothing and my family will never get justice. I’m the last chance they have.”
I cradled Bethany’s face in my hands. “I promise you this; the sheriff and every single one of those bastards responsible will be brought to justice. They’ll be arrested, tried and convicted for murder. I give you my word.”
Bethany appeared to relax a little and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll talk under one condition…you get me out of Magnolia Parish as soon as we’re done here. Put me in another jail—any jail—just as long as it’s not Magnolia. If you lock me up here, I’ll never live to see justice served for my family. You already know that.”
“Arrangements have already been made,” I said, “but we need to hurry. Tell us what you did and why you did it.”
“That’s me in the picture,” Bethany began softly. “I’m Elizabeth James.”
Although I already knew that to be the case, I was still shocked to hear her say it out loud. “Go on,” I coaxed.
“I was sleeping at a friend’s house the night Sheriff Burke—he wasn’t the sheriff back then; he was a narcotics agent—and his team killed my dad and baby brother and framed my mom. Afterward, I went to live with my uncle, Kenny James. He raised me like I was his own daughter. He taught me how to take care of myself. He taught me how to fight, how to shoot, how to cook, how to clean my own kill, how to do everything. He was like a dad to me.”
“What about the court hearings?” I asked. “Did you attend any of them?”
Bethany shook her head. “Uncle Kenny wouldn’t let me. After I told him what I knew, he insisted I stay away. He didn’t want anyone knowing I existed. He was afraid if the sheriff and his men found out about me, they’d try to get at me.”
“What did you tell him?” Sally asked. “What is it that you knew?”
“I told him I was home the day before the raid and I knew the cops were lying about the drugs because no one came to visit that day. Not a narcotics agent, not a cop, no one. I remember that day like it was yesterday, every little detail. It’s funny how a traumatic event can burn even the most mundane parts of a day into your mind.” Bethany sighed, then shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. The chains from the handcuffs rattled as she moved. “After the last court hearing, Uncle Kenny told me they declared my mom legally insane and placed her in a mental hospital. He and I would go visit her as often as possible, sometimes as much as two or three times each week.
“And then one day”—Bethany bent her head and cried softly—“we went to the hospital and they wouldn’t let us see my mom. They took Uncle Kenny into another room while a nurse stayed with me and then he came back and told me…he told me that my mom was dead. The hospital called it a suicide, but I know it was the medicine. They did it. They gave her too much medicine. My mom would never commit suicide. She loved life too much. She loved me too much. She would never leave me alone…ever.”
“What happened after that?” I asked. “After your mom died?”
“The case just went away. The district attorney considered it closed, and even after my uncle pulled enormous strings, the FBI refused to launch a full investigation. They claimed to have looked over the case and didn’t find any evidence of misconduct. They said everything checked out and that it was all my dad’s fault, but I knew better. The sheriff and his gang of outlaws stole everyone I loved away from me. They destroyed my childhood…my entire life.”
Sally moved over to sit beside Bethany and dabbed at Bethany’s eyes with a napkin. After a few moments, I asked Bethany to continue.
“After that night, there wasn’t a day I didn’t think about getting revenge. Like you”—Bethany nodded toward me—“I fantasized about killing each and every one of them bastards.”
Sally turned a curious eye my way and mouthed the words, What the hell?
I shrugged like I didn’t know what Bethany was talking about.
“Each time I’d shoot a target with Uncle Kenny, I’d imagine I was shooting one of them right in the eyeball. Little did he know I was preparing myself for the day I’d return to Magnolia Parish…the day I would claim the souls of those who wrecked my life.”
I stared at the beautiful woman in front of me, my heart going out to her. I knew all too well how she felt. She and I were so much alike, with the only difference being she acted out her fantasy and mine had remained in my head. “So, you admit to being the one who killed Captain Landry, Captain Abbott and retired Captain Wainwright?”
Bethany nodded slowly.
“Why’d you wait so long?” I asked. “You worked here for years, so why’d you start when you did? Why not kill them sooner?”
“I couldn’t do it as long as Uncle Kenny was alive. He would’ve known it was me and it would’ve destroyed him. From the first day he took me to live with him, he began working hard to teach me to let go…to forgive them for what they did. He said God would punish them in the end and that I should move on with my life. He said my family would’ve wanted it that way.” Bethany slowly shook her head. “I wasn’t like him. I couldn’t forgive them, no matter how hard I tried, and I couldn’t wait for God to punish them.”
“So, your uncle was the only thing holding you back?” I asked.
Bethany nodded.
“And when he died—”
“When he died, I was lost. I had nothing to live for. Nothing holding me back anymore. I was free to carry out my plan, to make those bastards pay.”
“How’d you get hired on without the sheriff or anyone else knowing who you were?” Sally asked incredulously. “And how’d you get rid of your real name?”
“I didn’t. My real name is Bethany Elizabeth James. Everyone always called me Elizabeth or Liz. After I got married, my name legally turned to Bethany Riggs.”
“Your uncle’s friend said you didn’t stay married long,” I began. “What happened?”
“I tried to follow my uncle’s advice, tried to move on with my life. I got married to a guy who seemed nice enough, but he turned out to be a real prick. I ended up divorcing him six months later. After that, I decided to move back home.”
“Here in Magnolia?” I asked.
“Yeah. I got the job with the sheriff’s office and began trying to gather as much information as I could about that night.”
“You killed Wainwright first,” Sally said. “Why?”
“I couldn’t find the reports from that night in any of his files at work, so I figured h
e might’ve hidden them at his house.”
“Did you find anything?” I asked.
“I found the doctored police report. Most of it was a lie, but it did name every officer who was involved with the incident and it gave me exactly what I needed.”
“Your hit list?” I asked.
Bethany nodded.
“How can you sit here so calmly and talk about how you killed fellow cops?” Sally wanted to know. “Cops you worked with day in and day out? How can you do it?”
“They’re not cops,” Bethany explained. “You and London are cops. Them…they’re parasites. They’re no better than the criminals you all put away every day. Being dead just means they won’t be able to hurt anyone again…ever.”
After several moments of silence, I asked, “What was the deal with Captain Landry? Why’d you take him out in the middle of a hostage standoff?”
“Why not do it then?” Bethany looked confused. “It was the perfect time. I was passing on the bridge just as everything was going down and realized I could see the scene from up there. We had the roads blocked off, so there was no danger of anyone passing by and seeing me. It was the perfect setup.”
“But why Captain Landry? Were you going in any particular order?” I pressed.
“He was the only one I could get my crosshairs on…the only one who showed his eyeball,” Bethany said flatly. “If the sheriff had been standing there, it would’ve been his ass going down. In fact, you saved his life at the funeral.”
I cocked my head sideways. “What do you mean?”
“I planned to take out the sheriff right after I took out Abbott, but you tackled him to the ground before I could get a clean shot on him, and I wasn’t about to risk hitting an innocent person. I was going to try to get another shot at him, but when I saw you lift your phone over the stage, I knew you had my location pegged. I slipped out, put my rifle in my car and melded into the officers who were running around the cemetery.”