“When Detective Danato grabbed Katie and started to pull her out of the room, you pulled a gun and shot him in the back of the head like the little coward you are.”
“No, no,” Daren yelled. “I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me. Whoever told you it was me was lying. I don’t even own a gun.”
Dani, Jake, and Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh. “Really? I could have sworn we took a gun off you just a few hours ago when we arrested you for a second attempt at kidnapping. This time right in front of two detectives and a lieutenant with the New York City police department.”
“That wasn’t my gun. I borrowed it.”
“From who?”
He shook his head as a silent answer.
“You do realize we are going to run test on the gun we took off you this afternoon, right? When we get a match to the bullet that killed Detective Danato it’s going to put the last nail in your coffin.”
“Is that a threat, Lieutenant?” Meyer asked.
“No, sir. I don’t need to threaten him. We have him dead to rights on the kidnapping. We have fingerprints of both your clients at Jennifer Granta’s house.”
“I went out with her for over a month,” Matt yelled. “Of course my fingerprints are going to be in her house.”
Dani smiled as she pulled out a chair. She placed the file folder on the table. She looked at Jeremy for permission to continue with this line of questioning. After all, Jennifer was technically his case.
When he nodded, she asked, “In the month you went out, how many times would you say you were in Jennifer Granta’s house?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a dozen times.”
“What were your impressions of her house when you were there?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just answer the question.”
“I never really thought about it.”
“Think about it now.”
“Where are you going with this, Lieutenant?” Meyer asked.
“Humor me a moment.” She smiled.
He nodded to Matt. “I guess I thought it was nice. Neat, clean. She didn’t have much crap lying around. I guess it felt cozy.” He shrugged.
“You said clean. Would you say she cleaned the house sometime between the last time you were there until the time of her death?”
He didn’t answer. Dani opened the file and took out a few pictures. Not the pictures of Jennifer’s body. She was holding that back for now. These were just pictures of her living room.
“It looks to me like she was a little bit of a neat freak. I’d say she cleaned regularly. Wouldn’t you?”
She slid the pictures in front of Matt.
“The way I see it, you were in her house within the week before her death. I don’t think it will be too much of a stretch for the DA to prove it was the morning of her death.”
Jake took a step forward and asked. “Daren, when was the last time you were in the Granta house?”
He looked at his lawyer, but answered before he got the nod. “I was never there.”
Jeremy asked, “You do realize when a person is arrested the police have access to all his prior arrest records? Even juvenile records that are sealed?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
“So you were arrested three years ago on an attempted rape charge. When you were arrested they booked you and took your fingerprints, right?”
Daren leaned back in his chair and didn’t answer.
Jake stepped up. “Since I’m new to the area, I’ll explain how we do things in California. Then the lieutenant can confirm if that’s how they do it here.”
“There’s no need for sarcasm, Detective.”
Dani leaned forward and continued. “Detective Santos just wants to make sure they understand why they’ll be spending the rest of their life behind bars.”
She turned to Daren.
“Has your lawyer informed you the killing of a police officer is a capital offense that carries a sentence of life without parole?”
Daren slowly nodded his head.
“He doesn’t need to worry about that, Lieutenant. I’m sure with his attitude one of the other prisoners will make his stay a short one,” Jake commented as he stared at Daren.
Before Mr. Meyer could say anything, Matt spoke. “Let them talk. I’d like to know how they come to us being involved in this.”
Mr. Meyer thought a moment before motioning with his hand for Jake to continue.
Jake backed the conversation up a little. “Well, in California when we find a person’s body our crime scene investigators come in and take a million pictures. They run test for fingerprints and any fluids, such as blood or semen. They look for any possible cause for the death of said person.”
He looked at Dani. “Is that how they do it here in New York?”
“Yes, it is,” Dani answered as she sat back.
“So when you did that, Detective Vanella, did you happen to find anything that would cause us to believe Mr. Becket and his son were involved in Jennifer Granta’s death?”
“As I said… we found both their fingerprints at the scene.”
“As I said,” Matt implored, “I’ve been in her house many times. My prints are probably all over the place.”
Mr. Meyer asked, “How do you know the prints you found match Mr. Becket’s?”
Jeremy pulled a sealed bag out of his inside jacket pocket. “Mr. Becket gave me his card when we talked on Thursday. I ran the card for prints.”
Mr. Meyer glared at Becket. Jeremy continued. “Daren, since you were never in the Granta house, how did your prints get there?”
Daren looked at the floor and answered. “I don’t know.”
Dani had enough of this. It was time to find out who killed Zach. “Daren, I’m going to say this once. I’ll say it slow so you can understand. We know you were in the warehouse when Detective Danato was killed. We haven’t tracked down everyone that was in that warehouse, but when we do I’m sure we’ll get more confirmation that you pulled the trigger.”
She slowly pulled the picture of Zach’s body out of the folder and slid it toward Daren.
“Since I’m sure you didn’t wait around to take a look at him after you killed him, have a look now.”
Jake moved closer to him so he couldn’t move away from the photo. “You killed a man for trying to protect his daughter.”
He slammed his hand down on the photo, moving it closer to Daren.
“No, it wasn’t me. I swear it wasn’t me.”
Dani pulled Jennifer’s photo out of the folder and placed it down next to the one of Zach. “You killed a woman for trying to protect her daughter.”
Tears started in Daren’s eyes. “It wasn’t me.” He pushed the photos away. “I would never do that to anyone. I could never do that to anyone.”
Dani ignored his plead and continued. “We know you were in Jennifer Granta’s house. We can assume that you killed Detective Danato because he was taking Katie away from you. What we don’t know is why you killed Ms. Granta and why you would let your father take the fall for you.”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” he said quietly to the floor, before lifting his head and saying more clearly. “I didn’t kill anyone. I swear it wasn’t me.”
Matt finally realized that he was going to go down for the murder of his old girlfriend if he didn’t get Daren to man up and tell them what happened. He walked over to Daren and pulled him out of his chair. He pushed him against the wall and stood toe-to-toe with him.
“Daren, I do not know what the hell is wrong with you, but I promise I will get you the help you need. I love you, but I will not go to prison for you. Do you understand?”
“But Dad, it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it.”
“Then who did?”
Daren leaned in to Matt’s ear. “He’ll kill me if I tell.”
Matt leaned into Daren’s ear. “I have to agree with the detective. If you get thrown in prison, your attitude will get you killed.
If you tell them, he’ll be the one in prison. He won’t be able to touch you.” He stepped back. “Tell them.”
Daren scanned the room before focusing on Dani. “I want a deal.”
Of course he did, Dani thought. “Tell me who killed Detective Danato and I’ll think about it.”
Mr. Meyer spoke up, “No. Deal first. No prison time. Mr. Becket will get him the help he needs, but no prison time.”
Jake yelled, “He’s an accessory to two murders, an accessory to a kidnapping and a primary in another kidnapping and you think we’re going to let him walk?”
“If you want to find out who killed your detective, you’ll make the deal. Otherwise, charge my client or we’re out of here.”
Dani hit the button to stop the recording. She motioned to Jake and Jeremy to step outside.
“We have him on the kidnapping,” Jake said as soon as the door closed. “We’ll wait him out. He’ll eventually fold under the pressure. That little prick is not walking out of this a free man.”
Dani leaned against the wall and put her head back. “Yeah, he is.”
She took out her phone and called for an ADA. She didn’t have the permission to make a deal like this. It had to come directly from the DA’s office.
“Dani, you can’t do this. He can’t walk.”
“He won’t. I promise he’ll do some time and he’ll never go near Katie again.”
“You can’t promise that. Next time he could kill her.”
“Don’t you think I know that? What I don’t know is exactly what happened to Zach and Jennifer. I need to know. I need to know who killed Zach. I promised him I’d find out who killed him. Daren has the answers I need to keep that promise. Nothing else matters.”
Jake stared at her a long moment before saying, “Not even Katie?”
Dani pushed him back. “Don’t you dare lay a guilt trip on me. You know I think the world of Katie. I will do anything for her.”
“If that’s true, you will not approve whatever deal they’re cooking up in there.”
Jake walked away. It was going to be at least another fifteen minutes before the ADA got there. He figured he might as well try to walk off some of his frustration.
Jeremy rubbed her arm. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.”
She started to walk. Just before she entered the squad room she turned to Jeremy.
“When we were together did I ever break a promise I made to you?”
“You mean besides the one that we would be together forever?”
She had to smile. If she had to pick one thing she missed about Jeremy, it would be his sense of humor. Before she had met Zach, she would wonder whether breaking up with him was the right thing. Once she met Zach, she knew it was, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss Jeremy. “Yeah, besides that.”
“No. You never broke a promise to me.”
“Then how can I break a promise to the man I was going to marry? The man I loved more than anything?”
Jeremy’s smile slipped a little. No, he wasn’t still in love with Dani. He knew that she and Zach were together, even though he hadn’t seen her in over two years, but it still stung a little to hear how much she loved another man. “You can’t.”
“Even though to do that I have to betray Katie and Jake?”
“You’re not betraying them. You’re getting them answers. You’re giving them the answers they need so they can move on with their life. While they may not see that today, they will someday.”
She leaned against the wall and put her head back. “So I let him have a deal that may put Katie’s life at risk in the future? I let him walk when while he wasn’t the one that pulled the trigger, he was the one that set in motion Zach’s death.”
Jeremy leaned against the wall next to her. “Do you have any other leads? Is there some information that you have that will bring you to the answers without Daren’s information?”
Dani ran what information they had through her head. It wasn’t much and it wasn’t going to get the killer. “We have the name Drums and Tim gave us. Billy something-or-other. But they weren’t able to give much of a description to the sketch artist, so that was a bust.”
She thought for another moment.
“No. I’d say we are pretty much dead in the water at this point.”
“Then the answer is yes. You give him the deal.”
Dani stood up straight and nodded at Jeremy. Then she walked into the squad room. “Katie! My office now!” she yelled across the room.
Katie walked in behind Dani. “I know I didn’t do anything wrong, so what’s up?”
“Sit. I’ve got some news.”
Slowly she lowered herself to the chair in front of Dani’s desk. “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”
Dani wiped her face with her hands. She was just about to fill Katie in when Jake came barging in.
“You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry. I made a promise.”
“Promised what,” Katie asked.
“I promised Zach I would find out who killed him.”
“Doesn’t Daren know?”
“Yes, he knows, but he won’t tell us without a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
She stood up and walked around her desk. She was just about to speak when Jake burst out, “She’s going to let him walk.”
“Who walk, Daren?”
“Yes. I’m sorry Katie. The only way he’ll tell us who killed Zach is if we let him walk on all the other charges.”
“Including the kidnapping,” Jake added, to make sure she understood.
Katie looked back and forth between them. “But if he doesn’t go to jail, he’ll come after me again.”
“No. I promise that won’t happen.”
“You can’t promise that,” Jake argued.
“I can and I am.” Dani took Katie’s hand. “Listen, I have to let him have a deal, but I’m not going to let him walk. He’ll probably get two years, maybe three. Unfortunately he’ll only do half the time. We’ll keep tabs on him. His father already said he would get him any help he needs. He won’t come after you again, but in case he tries I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.”
Jake laughed. “Oh, that should be fun to watch.”
Dani glared at Jake before turning to Katie. “Are you okay with this?”
She took less then five seconds to think about it before she stood up. “Yes. If it’s the only way to find out who killed… my father, then yes, I’m good with it.”
There was a knock on the door as Dani gave Katie a hug. Jeremy came in with the ADA right behind him.
“This better be good,” she said, taking the seat Katie had been in. “My feet are killing me.”
She took her shoe off to rub her foot.
Dani sat behind her desk again. She clasped her hands together, resting them on the desk. “How does the name of the guy that killed Zach rate?”
She dropped her foot to the floor. “Okay, you got my attention.”
“I think I’ll just go back to work,” Katie said and headed for the door.
“You can stay if you want.”
“Willy and I are close to finding the others. I should get back.”
“It’s going to be okay, Katie. Please trust me.”
She nodded and walked out. Jake leaned back against the door. Dani explained the situation.
“Are you sure you want to let him walk?”
“No, he’s not walking. He does three years minimum on the kidnapping. He has to be cleared by a psychiatrist before he gets out.”
“He could get at least twenty years if we go to trial.”
“He didn’t kill Zach or Jennifer. I want the guy who did.”
“We’re not sure about Jennifer,” Jake commented.
“You’ve seen him in that interrogation room. He’s scared to death. He may be a big talker, but there is no way he has the balls to kill anyone.”
She sl
ipped her shoe back on with a sigh. “Let’s go see what we can do.”
CHAPTER 40
THIS TIME, WHEN THEY WALKED back into the interrogation room, Dani did not hit the switch for the recorder. She introduced ADA Pedleton to the Beckets. Twenty minutes later, she walked over to the wall and hit the switch on the recorder.
Pedleton did better than they had expected. Five years on the kidnapping and accomplice to murder, with one year suspended if he got the help he needed and was cleared by a psychiatrist. Of course that would only hold if the name he gave was the murderer, and he testified at the trial for that guy.
Dani took lead again. She sat across from Daren. More calmly then she felt she asked, “Who killed Detective Danato?”
They stared at each other for a good minute before Daren whispered, “Billy did it. Billy killed them both.”
Dani jumped up. “Billy who? What’s his last name?”
Daren looked around the room before he put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands.
Dani leaned over the table until she was six inches from Daren’s face. Through clinched teeth, she asked again, “What is his last name?”
He mumbled at the table. “Lacca. Billy Lacca.”
Jeremy asked, “Billy or William?”
“I have no idea. I only know him as Billy.”
Dani continued, “Where can we find him?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a few days.”
Dani was getting tired of pulling information out of him. She was about to choke the answers out of him, but her eyes met Jake’s. She could tell he was fuming and was very close to killing him himself. Her heart was beating in her ears. Her mind was going a mile a minute. She finally had the answer to who killed Zach. Now she just had to find him.
She took a step closer to Daren at the same time Jake took a step toward him. Daren jumped up, backing himself against the wall. Mr. Meyer jumped up, putting a hand on Daren’s shoulder. Matt stepped in front of him. Jeremy stepped in front of Dani and Jake.
“Back off, Lieutenant.” He put his hand on Jake’s chest to stop him.
Dani snarled. “Not on your life. Step aside, Detective.”
Jeremy leaned into Dani. “You can’t hurt him. For one, it will not get us the information we need. For two, Mr. Meyer will have you arrested, then you’ll never get the guy.”
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