Roman

by K. J. Dahlen

  “Cade and Elliot are going back to Boston this morning to have a chat with Gretchen Hawks. These drawings will help them a lot. Come on, Claire is making breakfast.”

  “Good, I’m starving,” T.K. said. “I want to give these to Cade anyway.”

  A few minutes later, they entered the kitchen. Claire was frying bacon and making pancakes. India grabbed another cup of coffee and asked, “Where is everyone?”

  “Most of them are out in the courtyard,” Claire told her.

  “Is Cade out there?” T.K. asked. “I have some information he’ll need before he goes to Boston.”

  “I think so.” She had to smile as T.K. hurried out of the room. She turned to India and asked, “Does that girl ever slow down?”

  India smiled. “Not to my knowledge and I’ve known her most of her life. We met the first day of kindergarten. I’d better go and check on what everyone is doing, maybe I can help.”

  “Could you please wait a moment?” Claire asked. “I’d like to ask you something.”

  “Of course. What can I do for you?”

  “Something happened this morning and I’d like to know what it was.”

  “Excuse me?” India asked.

  Claire put down her fork and turned to look at her. “For the past ten years, two of my five sons couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other. They have behaved themselves in my presence but everyone walks on eggshells when Briar and Cade are together.”

  “I know. Cade told me this morning what happened,” India said.

  Claire just stared at her. “He told you?” After a moment she said, “I think I need to sit down. Cade hasn’t told anyone what happened in ten years.”

  “I told him Briar told me your husband set the foundation up for Quinn after he was disabled. Cade thought he was going to shock me by telling how Quinn became disabled.”

  “Cade just sort of lost it when he found Marisa,” Claire explained. “He blames Briar for not giving him the message in time.”

  “Actually, I told Cade he was lucky Briar didn’t,” India boldly told the older woman.

  “Why was that?” Claire frowned.

  “Brock Daniels was going to kill both Marisa and Cade that night. Then he was coming after Elliot. He couldn’t afford either of your sons to live.”

  “Oh, my god…” Claire whispered as her hand came up to cover her mouth in shock. “How do you know this?”

  “When I was in college, I studied the Daniels case in my psych class. He actually told a reporter what he planned to do that night. Once he murdered your sons, he was going to disappear and start over somewhere else.”

  Claire paled and looked upset.

  India got up and turned the meat Claire had been cooking. She turned the heat on under another pan and dumped the scrambled eggs in it. Turning the heat to low, she sat back down and looked at Claire. “When I told Cade what I knew this morning and he seemed shocked as well.”

  “I can imagine. My god, the evil of some people never ceases to amaze me. When Marisa was murdered we couldn’t understand why she had to die.” She paused then said, “I guess I should thank you.”

  “For what? I’m surprised Cade didn’t follow the trial or the interviews. Brock Daniels is due to be executed next week.”

  Claire shook her head and got up to finish breakfast. “Cade cut himself off from anything to do with Daniels after he arrested him. When Daniels was found guilty Cade got drunk, which is a real surprise because he doesn’t usually drink.” She chuckled. “The poor boy was so hung over the next day he was positively green.”

  India smiled then asked, “Is this case like any of the others they have worked on?”

  Claire thought for a moment then shook her head. “They have had some bad cases before but none this old. This case is fifteen years old, but I have no doubt they’ll find him. My boys are stubborn like their father. They don’t give up.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Grab the eggs will you?” Claire asked as she backed out of the kitchen.

  India grinned and grabbed the huge bowl of scrambled eggs.

  Chapter Eight

  A few hours later, India was reading some of the reports from the different police departments the victims were found in. She’d read enough to know everything she never wanted to know about this killer.

  Fallon was researching Professor Cooper Hudson.

  India watched as she walked toward the bulletin board.

  She began pushing blue pins next to the red pins that were already there. When she was finished, she turned and caught India’s look of inquiry.

  “What do the blue pins means?” India asked.

  “That’s where our Professor had speaking engagements over the years. It’s all circumstantial evidence but his trips line up with each of the murders.”

  “Is it enough to convict him?”

  Fallon shook her head. “Not by itself. We need more direct evidence than this, but this is a start.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” Fallon sat down next to her.

  “What are our chances of stopping this guy?”

  Fallon grinned. “Cade and Elliot won’t quit until we do. We’re all in on this. We’re just getting started. Before long, we’re going to know everything about this guy and we’ll figure out a way to stop him.” She got up and started to go to her office but turned to India and said, “Cade just called. They are on their way back. They didn’t get much from the artist.”

  India got up and went out to the courtyard to join T.K.

  Her friend was sitting out there drawing a picture of the bay in front of her. T.K. looked up when she saw India. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Not much. I was reading autopsy reports and needed a break.” India moved around to see what T.K. was drawing. “That’s really good.”

  “Thanks.” T.K. put down her pencil. “I’d forgotten just how much pleasure simple drawing brings me. When I pick up a pencil and put it to paper, much of the stress in my life just sort of fades away.” She grabbed India’s hands. “Thanks for bringing me here. I needed a push from you to let go of the horror of that night.”

  “I think we both did. No one should go through what we did, especially a kid.”

  “Your life hasn’t been an easy one has it?” T.K. asked. “At least I had family to fall back on, after your mom died you had no one.”

  India looked out at the bay. “Maybe that’s what made me part of who I am today.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Being alone never bothered me much. As a kid, I had my Mom, then after she died, it just was the way things were. You were about the only friend I ever had but it was enough. Then after I was put into foster care, I moved around a lot, but after the night we witnessed the murder, I knew what I was going to do with my life. I used to sneak into my grandfather’s court room and watch the trials he presided over. The lawyers for both sides’ one telling one side and the telling another side, that’s what intrigued me. How could both sides be right? Then I found the law library and I began to read. That place opened up a whole new world for me.”

  “You know, after you left, I missed you so very much. I hoped one day, you would come back into my life. You were right when you said we had to find this guy.”

  “We have to stop him.”

  “I know. He’s been the source of my nightmares for years. I couldn’t get what he did out of my head and I didn’t know how to make it stop.”

  “Make what stop?” India asked.

  “I would relive that night over and over in my head. I had the same nightmare every night. One night I woke up screaming and when I looked at my fingers, they were covered in blood. I had scratched my neck so hard to keep my head attached I clawed my throat and drew blood.”

  “Oh, my god…” India whispered.

  Before India could say anything more, there was a commotion in the house and they got up to see what it was. As they entered, they no
ticed Cade and Elliot were there.

  “Well, that was a wasted trip,” Cade told everyone. “Ms. Gretchen Hawks is a certified nut job.”

  “How so boss?” Faith asked.

  “She has a website where she takes orders for her ceramics. She told me she gets an order for a set of four jars every once in a while. The jars are similar to the jar India buried and each on has a different name cartouched on it. She said she had done several orders for this guy but she couldn’t remember what his name was. For being a business person she doesn’t keep very good records. She didn’t have one receipt she could find with any kind of name or address for the guy who bought the jars.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “She had a plausible answer for everything.”

  “So it was a dead end then?” T.K. asked. “I didn’t think she had anything to do with this killer.”

  “After meeting her, I’m not so sure,” Elliot added. “I think she’s hiding something.” He took a piece of paper out of a folder and pinned it next to the portrait of the killer. The photo he added was a picture of Gretchen Hawks in a brochure for her school.

  T.K. frowned when she saw it next to the picture of Cooper Hudson.

  “What about the local police?” Quinn asked. “Did they have anything to help us?”

  Cade shook his head. “We took Captain Kingston with us but he didn’t really have too much to say. He is still looking into Jenna’s murder file.”

  “I managed to find a trail of Cooper Hudson’s speaking engagements. They coincide with the murders almost place for place,” Fallon informed them.

  “I haven’t found much on our elusive Mr. Hudson yet, but I’m still looking,” Faith spoke again. “By all accounts, he’s a brilliant man and scholar but there’s not much personal information out there on him.”

  “Kingston said we would be getting a call from his Medical Examiner this afternoon,” Cade informed the group. “He said there was something about the original autopsy he wanted to discuss and compare notes about. His name is Ian McKensie.”

  “Come on people,” Cade raved. “We need something more on this guy! We can’t get this far and no further. We need another lead.”

  “Don’t worry brother, something more will turn up,” Elliot assured him. “It always does.”

  Jerah popped into the room and she didn’t look happy. She handed Cade a report. “We just got another call from Richmond, Virginia. They found another body and this one is a recent kill, no more than five days old. Her name was Leaha Malcolm.”

  Silence spread over the room like a heavy blanket.

  Cade looked at the report in his hands, then looked at Elliot. “Let’s go to Richmond. I want to talk to the police and see this body for myself.” He glanced at Jerah. “You are coming with us. You’ve read the other autopsies. You can compare them to this latest kill.” He gazed at the others in the group. “Get on it people, we have to come up with something new.”

  India watched as Cade, Jerah and Elliot left for the airport and everyone else scrambled to various workstations.

  T.K. went back outside to her sketch pad. She returned shortly, sat down on one of the sofas and began to sketch.

  “What are you doing?” India asked.

  “Working on a hunch I hope doesn’t go anywhere,” T.K. replied.

  India was silent as her friend continued to draw.

  About a half an hour later, T.K. put down her pencil and stared at her rendering of Gretchen Hawks. Then she got up and pinned the drawing next to the one of Cooper Hudson. Returning to her seat, she stared at both drawings.

  India couldn’t understand what T.K. was thinking and finally she asked, “What do you see that I don’t?”

  Briar, Quinn and Faith wandered down the hall towards them and paused to listen to T.K.’s answer. Finally, she looked at India and said, “Don’t you see it?”

  “See what?” India turned her head and shared at the two drawings.

  “Gretchen shares the same eyes and nose as our killer,” T.K. finally told her. “She has the same jawline and ears too. I think she’s somehow related to Cooper Hudson.”

  India caught her breath as what her friend was saying hit her. She turned back to the drawings and looked closer. Everything T.K. said was true. “Gretchen is his mother?” she whispered.

  Briar came closer and inspected the drawings as well. Even he could see what T.K. said was true. “Oh, my god...” He stared at T.K. for a moment then turned to Faith. “Find me Cooper Hudson’s birth certificate.”

  Faith turned and went back to her office. Briar sat down next to T.K. and India. “How did you know?”

  T.K. looked at him. “I didn’t, not until Cade pinned her picture next to my drawing. Then I saw the similarities. I couldn’t believe it but it turned out to be true. Even as I drew it I knew the truth.”

  “Cade is going to go ballistic when he finds out,” Briar muttered.

  India gasped. “I hope he didn’t tell her about us.”

  Briar shook his head. “Cade knows how to talk to someone and not spill the beans. He wouldn’t have mentioned anything about there being witnesses to the murder.”

  “He wouldn’t have to,” India said. “Just the mention of the jar might have been enough to get her thinking. There has only been one jar that we know of that went missing. If Gretchen tells Cooper, he’ll know there is someone out there that saw what he did. He came back to the warehouse looking for the jar, remember?”

  T.K. jumped up and began to pace. “We have to get out of here!” She cried out as she began to panic. “We have to hide, go somewhere safe where he can’t find us!”

  “You aren’t going anywhere.” Briar grabbed her hands and pulled her back down on the sofa. “You and India will be perfectly safe right where you are. Cooper Hudson will never find you here.”

  “I hope you’re right about that,” India told him. Fear was threatening to overwhelm her too. This new development was unexpected and she was sharing T.K.’s fear of being discovered.

  Faith came back from the office area. Quinn, Fallon and Kanan followed her. “She is correct. Cooper Judson is Gretchen Hawks’ son. Only there is no official birth certificate. He was born at home and she didn’t register the birth. It was years later before his birth was recorded.”

  “What else did you find?” Briar asked.

  “Well, according to the legal paperwork, his father’s name is Flynn Hudson and his birthdate is April 19, 1961. He was born at the home of Flynn’s mother Loretta Hudson in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Flynn still lives on the farm he grew up on.”

  “We have to call Cade. This might be the break we’re looking for,” Quinn said.

  “I’ll call him. I need you to find as much information as you can on Cooper, Flynn and Gretchen,” Briar told his brother. “Cade is going to want a full report by the time he gets back.”

  Chapter Nine

  While Elliot piloted the small plane toward Richmond, Virginia, Cade sat with Jerah in the body of the plane. They were going over the forensic files dealing with the killer’s signature. When his phone rang, Cade answered, “Hello.”

  “Cade, you aren’t going to like what we just discovered,” Briar said.

  “What did you find?” Cade asked.

  “Gretchen Hawks is our killer’s mother.”

  There was silence for a moment before Cade exploded. “What the hell!”

  “When you pinned her picture up next to Cooper’s T.K. began to notice they shared similar traits. She drew a drawing of Gretchen, like the one she did of Cooper and placed it next to the drawing she did of Cooper. We dug into his background and found when and where he was born and legal papers that claimed he was born at home. He was born in Sunbury PA.”

  “Okay, this is what we’ll do. As soon as we compare notes with Richmond M.E. we’re going to go back to Boston. We have to go through Kingston to talk to Gretchen again. This time, I want the right to search her house and grounds.” He hesitated then said, “We’ll be back someti
me tonight. If you guys get anything else, you call me right away. See what you can get on Flynn Hudson. I’ll call you when we leave Boston, if there’s time, we’ll stop by Sunbury and check things out there too.”

  Cade glanced at Jerah. He could see she had heard his end of the conversation. “Gretchen Hawks is Cooper Hudson’s mother.”

  Jerah gasped. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I wish I was. I also wish I had known this the first time we went to Boston.” Cade got up. “I need to talk to Elliot about this.”

  He was back a few minutes later.

  Jerah had been checking something on her computer. “Damn how did we miss this before?” She turned the laptop so Cade could see what she found. There on the screen was an article on Cooper Hudson and next to him stood Gretchen Hawks.

  “Once we get done in Richmond, we’re going back to Boston and have another chat with Ms. Hawks. It seems she’s got some explaining to do.” Cade seethed.

  An hour later, they are sitting in police Captain Mack Evans office.

  Mack Evans sat behind his desk and listened to what they had to say.

  “We have reason to believe this murder is connected to a string of murders that began fifteen years ago in Boston.” Cade passed Evans a file.

  Evans opened it and read the similarities. He then stood and asked them to follow him to the morgue. When they got there, he introduced them to Coroner Steve Brummer.

  Steve opened a vault in the cooler section.

  Cade stood as still as stone as he viewed the headless body in front of him.

  Steve began to explain what he found when he did the autopsy, “I found the heart, lungs and other internal organs missing, along with her head. Her fingerprints tells us her name is Leaha McCall and she’s been missing only days.”

  “Was she found wrapped in bright orange linen’s?” Jerah asked.

  Steve nodded. Then he moved over to a table and picked up an evidence bag. “This jewelry was found in the linen.”

  Cade took the bag and looked over the costume jewelry. There in the bag was an Egyptian Ankh. He passed the bag to Jerah and Elliot.