Straddling the ATV’s hours after beginning their search, Eric and Richard rested on a low hill overlooking a small meadow surrounded by tall pine trees. The trees blocked out the setting sun, even though it was barely four in the afternoon. Guided by an aerial map of the land that covered nearly three square miles, this opening in the trees would be their last stop before returning for Claire.
Richard alit from the vehicle, stretching his limbs. “Man, I feel like I’ve been on a horse. I don’t think we’ve covered half of this land. It could take days to go over it all.”
Eric squinted into a ray of sun spiking through the trees. “We didn’t expect to find something right away.” The meadow below, thick with growth, was pungent with the scent of the surrounding pines. Something about the seemingly innocent visage made him uneasy.
Richard turned to him, following his line of sight. “What do you see?”
“I don’t know. Those shrubs in the meadow look like Blackthorn bushes. I had to get rid of some near the house last summer; they have nasty thorns. Not sure I’d expect to find that many of them bunched together in the middle of the woods.”
“Why not?”
Eric squinted in the direction of the meadow. “They’re pretty common, but those look like they’re in a pattern of some kind.” He shuddered at the thought of such a lovely scene being the site of a mass burial. “Come over here and take a look at them from this angle.”
Richard walked over to Eric. “I see what you mean. The outer ones almost seem to form a circle. Too perfect to be random growth?”
Eric tried counting the shrubs. “Hard telling, but that would be my guess.” Eric’s gut told him this was it—the women were resting in the meadow, buried under the Blackthorns. Wilson’s private cemetery. His chest tightened with a sickening dread of what they’d find underneath the thorny branches. “Let’s try digging below one of the smaller ones.”
He drove down into the meadow, the trailer behind his vehicle bouncing noisily behind him on the rough terrain. When they reached the meadow, Richard asked, “Sure you’re okay with this?”
Eric sat on the ATV, wondering if he were close to Kayla.
Richard offered, “I can do this, Eric. Why don’t you wait back at the house with Claire?” Richard jumped off the ATV and stood next to the smallest bush. There’d been rain the last few days, making the ground spongy and easily tilled by the spade he retrieved from the trailer. After he lifted out the first few shovelfuls of soil, he repeated, “Sure you want to do this?”
Eric, standing at Richard’s side holding a spade of his own, wasn’t sure. It was one thing to be looking for graves, but the fact that one of them could be the resting place of his missing wife was something else. But he’d known what he was getting into—had gone looking for it—done everything in his power to make this day happen. He started digging beside Richard. The fresh smell of the disturbed soil filled his nostrils, sickening him as if the scent were that of rotting flesh.
The bush itself came out easily, its spidery roots trailing a scent of hewn earth that reminded him of hunting night crawlers as a kid. But the ground was frozen once they got down about a foot. They unzipped their jackets and continued to work their way into the hardened soil. Forty minutes later, about two feet into the ground, Richard’s spade hit something solid. They carefully exposed a heavy, green plastic tub about five feet long, the kind kept on patios to store things like cushions and gardening implements.
Richard tossed the shovel aside.
Eric said, “Open it.”
“We can’t open it. If it’s what we think it is we might compromise the evidence. It’s time to call the local authorities.” Richard took out his phone and dialed the number of the county sheriff he’d talked to the day before.
“This is Detective Richard Conlin from the Milwaukee Police Department. I talked to you yesterday about the former Morehouse land. We’re on the property now.”
Eric couldn’t hear what the other person said, but Richard’s next words were, “I think we found them. If we did, I’m guessing there’s at least twenty, maybe more. They appear to be marked with Blackthorn bushes. It’s getting dark fast. I’m not sure we can do much more tonight.” He paused, listening. “No, We can’t do any more here until a forensic team arrives. I’ll call in to my people; they’ll get the state crime scene techs to come out.” Then in response to something said on the other end, “We don’t want a media blitz, so keep it quiet. Bring tape and lights. We’ll keep watch until the experts get here, however long it takes.”
Richard closed the phone. “He’s coming over to see what we have. I need to make a couple more calls. Why don’t you go back to that motel we saw in town and check us in. Unless you want to stay here at the house.”
“Sleep here?” Eric shook his head. “No way. I’ll make the arrangements for us at the motel, but I’ll be back. I’m not leaving this spot until they’re all brought up. It’s the least I can do.”
119
Six days later the exhumations were completed and every inch of the grounds examined. The bodies, which James had carefully wrapped in heavy quilts before placing them in their coffin-like plastic tubs, were transported to the state crime lab for identification.
Milwaukee’s new Chief of Police had stayed in constant touch with the process, and thanks to Richard and the group, submitted the names and photos of the women they assumed to be the victims. The formal ID process, once started, would take weeks to complete.
Because of a four-karat, emerald-cut diamond ring, Kayla Schindler was the first to be tentatively identified. The ring, along with the designer dress she’d been wearing the night she disappeared, cinched the ID for Eric, but the authorities were still awaiting conclusive DNA evidence before making a positive ID. With the discovery of her body among the others, there was no doubt that Kayla’s death had been at the hand of the same perpetrator.
120
Lisa walked into Bernstein’s office for a scheduled appointment. Sitting across from him in a recliner—but not reclining—Lisa told him what she’d done. “My problem is, I’m not feeling guilty about it. For days, I even felt proud of having pulled it off.”
“Lisa, as you know, I’m not required to report a crime you have committed as long as I’m certain that you are not a danger to yourself or anyone else.” He paused and tented his fingertips together, touching the joined index fingers to his lips. “That said, I don’t believe you are either of those things, but if at any point I feel differently, then I won’t be able to retain your confidence.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t have to give you the technical jargon I would another patient. You’re aware of how this could affect you. I will remind you though that not everyone in your circumstances experiences PTSD. The fact that you haven’t, and possibly never will, does not make you a bad person.”
Lisa winced.
“Do you feel that you’ve become a bad person?”
“No, I believe what I did saved the lives of many more women.”
“Yes, it very well might have. But that would lead us to a discussion of the pros and cons of vigilantism, wouldn’t it?”
Lisa paused for a moment. “In the eyes of the law, vigilantism is never permissible. But we both know it’s often overlooked—unprosecuted.”
“That’s true. But if you’ve come here for approval—or absolution, you’re in the wrong place. Have you considered talking to a priest? Making a confession?
“I’ve never found answers or taken comfort in organized religion. I believe that God is forgiving—and understanding.”
He studied her. “We aren’t here for theological discussion or debate. I believe the fact that you aren’t agonizing over this goes to your inner strength—your faith in your own morality.
“I’m not sure yet exactly why, but I believe part of your decision to eliminate Mr. Wilson goes back to your hatred for Lawrence—your plans for him. It’s possible that a part of you felt cheat
ed when you didn’t have to carry it out.”
Lisa’s mind drifted back in time. Lawrence.
He went on, “I also feel that the support of your friends has been essential to you, and will continue to be.”
“But not all of them know about it. Only TJ.” Lisa frowned. “It bothers me that I haven’t been able to tell Eric.”
“Is your reluctance to tell him based on wanting to protect him from this knowledge, or is it fear that what you’ve done may hamper his feelings toward you?”
“Both, I’m afraid.”
121
More than thirty days after the trip to Mellen, Detective Richard Conlin received the final report. All but two of the bodies had been on the group’s list. Only one had yet to be identified. After he finished reading, he picked up the phone.
When Lisa answered, Richard said he wanted to see her. She pretended to check her schedule, trying to ignore her racing pulse. Was today the day she’d be arrested?
She said, “I’m busy today, but I have time from noon to one.”
“That works for me. I’ll bring lunch.”
Lisa hung up the phone, her tension dissipated. He’d hardly be bringing lunch to someone he was going to arrest.
They ate the tacos he brought sitting across from each other in the conference room. Richard seemed amiable enough, and when they finished eating, he opened a battered leather briefcase and took out a file-folder. “This is the final report—I thought you’d like to see it. All the bodies except one have been identified.” As he handed it to her, he said, “I’ve never apologized to you.”
“For what?”
“That first day you came to my office—I didn’t believe you.”
“There wasn’t anything substantial to convince you with at the time. The decision not to open a case based on the statistics hadn’t been yours to make.” It was easy to be gracious now that everything was settled, the bodies identified, their killer dead.
Lisa opened the folder, curious why he’d brought it to her rather than to all of them. She read through it, feeling a sense of satisfaction that their work had been the catalyst leading to the identification of the women. Her sense of accomplishment melted into disquietude as she realized whose name was missing—Jamie Denison. She looked up from the folder and saw sadness in Richard Conlin’s eyes. Now she understood his visit. “You want me to tell TJ.”
122
When Rollie called to tell her he’d found the perfect place for her new business, TJ thought there was no harm in looking even though she was nowhere near ready to begin the endeavor. As soon as she saw it though, she knew the large, two-story duplex off of State Street on the outskirts of Wauwatosa couldn’t have been a better fit. An insurance office had been on the first floor, so it was equipped for a business and the upstairs was a spacious, four-bedroom flat. The place had been taken over by the bank when the insurance business didn’t work out and was being auctioned off.
Eric had gone with her the day of the auction, acting as her advisor for the sale. She’d gotten a fantastic price and only used part of the money Jeff had left her.
She’d miss living downtown, but she’d only be minutes away. The view from the upper floor where she’d reside wasn’t nearly as breathtaking as the one from her high-rise, but the historic riverscape of Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley would be, nevertheless, an inspiring form of relaxation.
Her eyes welled with tears, remembering that Jeff had made her dream possible and vowed she would make him proud of her.
TJ was organizing boxes in her apartment, getting ready for the move, when her cell phone buzzed. She looked down to see it was Lisa, but before she could open the phone, the doorbell rang.
She wondered who’d gotten in without buzzing. Putting the phone back in her pocket, TJ opened the door to see Tommy Rennicke standing at her doorstep, looking uneasy.
“Some lady let me in. I hope that’s okay,” He shuffled his feet, shaking drops of rain from his shoes. “Uh, you said I could talk to you about the shooting. You know, when you came to my school.”
She wanted to ask how he’d found her, but realized that if Tommy had the computer skills of most teenagers, finding her wouldn’t have been too difficult.
“Sure, come on in. How’d you get here?”
“I’ve got my dad’s truck—I have my license now. Our school’s in the playoffs today over in Shorewood, so he let me use it.” He looked around. “Nice place. Must be really cool to live in the city.”
She offered him a soda, wondering what he wanted, but knew she had to let him get there on his own.
He looked around as if making sure no one else was there. “If I tell you something, will you have to tell the cops?”
“Depends. Did you commit a crime?”
“Dunno. Maybe.”
“Talk to me.”
Tommy swallowed. “I can’t stop thinking about it. Sometimes it wakes me up at night . . . I have these nightmares. I guess I have to tell somebody it might be my fault that guy died. You know . . . James Wilson.
“You shot him.” TJ couldn’t imagine where this was coming from. Why would the kid think he’d shot Wilson or that he was in any way responsible?
“Um . . . no, I didn’t shoot him. But I found him there. He might have been alive.”
The kid looked like he was going to faint. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me about it.“
She led him to the couch.
He told TJ about an incident with his dad’s sled. Without permission, Tommy had taken his father’s new snowmobile out for a spin. Wilson had run him off the trail and never looked back to see if Tommy was hurt. “He forced me off the trail and just left me there. I could have needed help. I hated him for that; used to think about killing him—even planned how I’d do it. So when I found him, I didn’t do anything—just went back home and waited for someone else to find him—just like he did to me. That’s what I never told anybody.”
TJ sat next to him on the couch. Tommy had his face in his hands, obviously tortured with guilt. She put a hand on his back, waiting to see if he’d have anything more to say.
He looked up at her. “I saw another guy leaving the trail right after I heard the shots. I didn’t tell the cops about that either.”
“Why not?” she asked softly.
Tommy pulled off his hat, leaving his hair in stiff peaks. “There wasn’t anything to tell. It was just a guy. It was snowing. I couldn’t see much, couldn’t even tell what his sled looked like. He was too far away.” He swallowed. “And if it was him, if he killed the guy?—I wanted him to get away with it.”
TJ sat back. The boy looked like he was fighting back tears. It would be self-serving, but she said, “If you’re sure there’s nothing you saw that could help the police, then it doesn’t matter if you didn’t tell them, does it?” The cop in her cringed at the blatant manipulation; the tiniest detail could be important in any investigation.
Tommy released a deep breath. “I guess not. But what if I could have saved him?”
“Tommy, whoever did it made a killin’ shot, and two more to be positive he was dead. Guy probably was dead before he hit the ground, would have bled out in minutes. There was nothin’ you could have done for him.”
“Are you sure?”
Now for the big lie. “Yeah. I saw the autopsy report.”
Tommy Rennicke walked out of her apartment a short time later, standing taller. TJ relieved him of his burden, but assumed one of her own. She hadn’t done the right thing—but it was the right thing for the kid—and for Lisa.
123
Walking with Phanny along the streets next to Lake Oconomowoc, Lisa contemplated the direction her life had taken. She felt good about putting the families of the missing women at peace and that their murderer wouldn’t be terrorizing any more women. But personally, for her little had changed. She was busier than ever with her practice; the publicity that came with the group’s part in the discovery had made them all household names. I
n an attempt to smooth out the rough edges of her life, she was still seeing Bernstein. Their discussions had progressed from James Wilson to her ineffective relationships. She felt like they were making headway.
At Eric’s request she’d stayed on in his house long after TJ and Shannon had left. It had been comfortable living with him, but little changed between them. They remained friends, nothing more. On the day of Kayla’s memorial service, Kayla’s sister Dawn had clung to Eric, apologizing over and over for not believing in him. Lisa knew all about Kayla’s family, their rejection of Eric and their input to the police, spinning Eric as Kayla’s murderer, even expanding on the most trivial details to cement his conviction.
She couldn’t help but notice that Eric and Dawn left the service together, or that he didn’t come home that night until after midnight. Eric had apparently forgiven the woman. At length.
After a few days of quickly glossed-over phone calls when in Lisa’s presence, she was certain Eric was spending time with Dawn. Not that she could blame him—the woman was striking, a tall, auburn-haired beauty like her sister.
Using Paige’s possible return as an excuse, Lisa moved back home. It would have been awkward to stay with Eric under the circumstances, and she was glad to be back in her own home.
Their walk wound back to her house. Lisa looked at it affectionately. Despite her loneliness, her home was her sanctuary.
Later that night, Lisa sat in the screened porch overlooking the lake. A half moon lit the night while Phanny snored softly at her feet. The trees were just starting to sprout, the cool air smelled of spring, newly mown grass, and fresh earth. She heard the ripples of the shoreline lapping at the rocks.
Lighting up the yard, the glare of headlights interrupted the tranquility of the night. Lisa no longer panicked at the sound of someone approaching and knew she’d come a long way since the days she’d been stalked by a murderer. She stood to see Eric climbing the stairs to the deck.
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