by E. R. FALLON
He glanced at Rebecca with a small smile.
“But to tell you the truth, I don’t recall a child coming in with that type of injury.”
He counted his change as he held his can of soda under his arm.
“You know, you might want to check out Stygian Town,” he suggested. “We get a lot of Eastern European immigrants coming into the ER from there, since there’s no hospital over where they are, but sometimes they turn to their own doctors, who aren’t what I would call real doctors, if you get what I’m saying.”
Dino nodded. He handed the doctor his card. “Thanks for your help. If you remember anything at all, please give us a call.”
Doctor Cohen stood still for a moment, as if he expected Rebecca to hand him her card as well. When she didn’t, he hesitantly walked away.
Dino chuckled. “I think he was waiting for your number, Everhart.”
“It bothers me when they think of me as a woman, and not as a cop.”
“But you are a cop, and you don’t need anyone to tell you that.”
“That’s true,” Rebecca said. “We’ll head back, and then I want to check out this Stygian idea. Stygian. Is that some sort of nickname?”
“Yeah, only the locals use it.”
As they were stepping through the automatic doors Dino’s cell phone rang.
“It’s Terry,” he said.
Dino put the phone on speaker so they both could hear.
“What’s going on?” Dino said. “Rebecca’s here. We have you on speaker.”
“Got one,” Terry said cheerfully.
“The 911 caller?” Rebecca asked.
“Yeah,” Terry said. “And it’s a he, not a she. But his voice sounds soft just like the tape.”
“Is he coming in?” Rebecca asked.
“Yep. He’s on his way as we speak.”
“We’re heading back,” Dino said. “It’s been a long day.”
Chapter Four
Tulia switched the light on as soon as she stepped through the front door, shutting it quickly behind her, and checking twice to make sure that the lock and bolt were both in place. She had begun this pattern when a drug dealer named Carl Richardson, who Terry had arrested while working in the narcotics division, began stalking them. He’d repeatedly threatened them in late-night telephone calls. He’d vowed to get his message through to Terry by hurting his wife.
The fact that Richardson was in prison now didn’t comfort Tulia very much. Terry had warned her that Richardson, although his street power decreased by being in prison, still had loyal people in the area. And even now, Tulia dreaded coming home late at night, and she still followed the same precautious routine. She had suggested to Terry that she get a gun permit and learn to shoot, but Terry hadn’t liked the idea of having another gun around the house. He’d said he feared that Jimmy or one of his friends might goof around with the weapon. So Tulia had settled for a can of mace and a home alarm system.
“Jim—” she said.
She stopped herself short, remembering that Jimmy was at basketball practice, and wouldn’t be home for another hour or so.
Tulia removed her long overcoat and hung it up in the hallway closet. She went upstairs to the master bedroom to change. Just as she was slipping out of her work clothes and putting on a pair of sweatpants and one of Terry’s old T-shirts, she heard her cell phone ringing downstairs. She had left it in her purse, on the small hallway table.
She ran down the stairs, wondering if it was Jimmy or Terry and something was wrong. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Tulia?” A man’s voice replied. It sounded too smooth to be Terry’s.
“Who is this?” Tulia demanded. She was fearful that Carl Richardson had obtained her cell phone number, but she wasn’t going to let anyone intimidate her.
“It’s Andrew Falter. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Andy?” Tulia said with a burst of energy in her voice. “How are you? How did you get my number?”
“I know the girl who manages the front desk at Stevenson’s Automotive. She mentioned you’re their accountant. She gave me your number. I hope that’s all right.”
“It’s fine. It’s great, actually. I mean, to hear from you.”
“It’s good to hear your voice again. Say, what has it been, five years? How are you? How’s work?”
“Work’s good, but I’ve been better,” Tulia answered honestly. “The last time we spoke it was at your wedding. I remember it very clearly. You were so nervous.” She let out a sympathetic laugh.
“I was, I know. I was a man acting like a boy, isn’t that what you told me?”
“Yes, something like that. Sometimes I can’t help sounding like a mother. It’s a habit, you know?”
“And you’re a great mother, I bet,” Andrew said.
“I remember I was so frustrated at your wedding. My dress was tailored wrong, and it was so tight around my hips. I was afraid it would rip if I moved.” Tulia laughed.
Andrew chuckled.
“Sorry, I don’t know where that came from,” Tulia said, suddenly feeling silly.
“It’s wonderful to remember something from the old days.”
“Yeah, it is. Are you still working for that law firm?”
“Yes, in Manhattan.”
“How is Cheryl?”
There was a pause at the other end of the line and Andrew cleared his throat.
“We aren’t together anymore,” he said.
“But you always seemed so happy with Cheryl.”
“What can I say? People change. Cheryl received a job offer in Atlanta, and I didn’t want to be that far away from my mother after she started getting sick. Cheryl’s not a family-oriented person, and she just couldn’t relate.”
“Andy, I’m so sorry to hear about you and Cheryl, and your mother. Is your mom all right now?”
“She might have cancer.”
Andrew spoke in such a way that Tulia wanted to somehow reach into the phone and give him a big hug.
“Are you still married?” he asked.
“Yes, Terry and I are still together. We’ve been . . . Oh, never mind.”
“That’s terrific. Jimmy must be in high school now.”
“Yes, he just started high school, and he already made the basketball team. He’s making pretty good grades too.”
“That’s wonderful. You must be so proud. Are you still living in Greenwood?”
“Yes, we still live in the same house. We finally paid for someone to remodel the kitchen.” Tulia was running out of things to say.
They’d run out of news.
“That must be nice,” Andrew said.
Tulia could hear the sound of typing in the background.
“Do you still live in Edison?” she asked.
“Yes, but I’ve moved into my own apartment. We sold the house, for lower than we purchased, but that’s just how it is these days.”
“Andrew, do you want to have lunch with me?” Tulia suddenly said. “I mean, if you’re not too busy, of course.”
“I’d love to,” he replied, sounding pleasantly surprised. “You pick the place and the time, and I’ll be there.”
“You always were too polite. How about tomorrow? At Lulu’s? You remember where that place is, right? I bet you haven’t been there in forever . . .” She stopped herself, remembering Lulu’s was where Terry and his cop buddies ate. “No. I want to go to Pierre’s instead, the café near the post office in Greenwood. Ever been to Pierre’s? There’s plenty of parking out front, and it’s much more pleasant than . . .”
“Sounds wonderful,” Andrew interrupted. “Around one?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you then.”
“Goodbye. Tulia. It was great talking to you.”
“Same here, Andrew. Take care. I’ve missed you . . .”
Tulia hung up before he could reply. She was afraid of what he might say back.
She put the n
ews on. Then she turned the volume down and removed her slippers. She lay on the couch, and closed her eyes. She tried to picture Andrew Falter.
He was a little taller than Terry, she recalled, but had similar warm brown eyes. His voice was beautiful, deep and smooth. He was a bit younger than her.
She had met him at college, where they were both completing bachelor degrees in accounting. Back then, he was an unflappable, charming young man, who was never without a smile. She was a busy married woman with a toddler, and was attempting to finish her degree after an unsuccessful start years before.
But they had become friends fast, and their friendship had lasted past graduation. She remembered Andrew as being one of the first men who could really make her laugh. More than Terry could.
Tulia had never cared for Andrew’s girlfriend Cheryl, who he eventually married. Her father was a prominent criminal attorney. Tulia always felt small and dumpy whenever she was around her. Cheryl was a tall, talkative, vain young woman whom people couldn’t help but notice. Tulia had lost touch with Andy after he married her.
Tulia remembered the time Andrew had kissed her, the only time. It was at his wedding of all places. He was drunk, but she wasn’t. They had run into each other in the parking lot at the reception, which had lasted well into the early morning. Terry’s parents were watching Jimmy at their house, and Terry had left the wedding reception early because he had to work a shift.
Andrew was retrieving Cheryl’s purse from the limousine when he happened upon Tulia, who was getting in her car to drive home. He had walked up to her, she remembered, offering her his dimpled smile, and had declared that she was much too precious to open her own car door.
“Say, wouldn’t your husband have a problem with you drinking and driving?” Andrew had teased as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips before she had a chance to step into the car.
“I haven’t been drinking,” she said.
She was the one who had put her arms around his waist next. Her dress had a large teardrop cut in the back. He kissed her neck a few times and gently stroked her face and caressed her bare back. But she was the one who had also stopped them from taking it any further. If she hadn’t, who knows what would have happened? The parking lot was quiet, and no one was in the limo.
She hated lying to Terry, but she knew how much it would upset him.
Now, as Tulia rested on her back, alone in the warm house, with the news anchors murmuring in the background, she slipped her cool hand down the front of her panties, gliding through the pubic hairs. She tickled herself softly, relishing in the silky wetness and reliving the sensations she had felt down there when her skin was being stroked by Andrew Falter’s long fingers.
Chapter Five
Dino immediately recognized the man seated at Terry’s desk but he couldn’t quite put a name to the face. The man looked around Dino’s age, thirty-six, but this man was thin with a slightly bent posture that made him look as if he lacked confidence. He was wearing an old green bomber jacket. He probably hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, and he could have used a haircut, but he was speaking to Terry in a clear, educated tone. Dino noticed that Terry seemed relaxed, and was leaning back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head, and his legs stretched out in front of him.
“Dino. Rebecca. This is Henry Riley. He’s the one who called. Henry, meet Detectives Cooper and Everhart,” Terry said.
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Dino said as he shook Henry’s hand.
Henry’s pale face flushed. “You’re Dino Cooper. We grew up across the street from each other.” Henry’s voice did sound soft.
Dino abruptly released his hand from Henry’s limp, damp shake. “You’re Jake Riley’s brother,” he said.
Henry nodded. “Nobody’s said that to me in a long time.” He smiled slightly. Suddenly, Henry looked like a little boy. “It’s been a long time since any cop’s talked about Jake.”
He smiled at Rebecca and shook her hand.
“Did they ever find him, your brother?” Dino immediately wished he hadn’t said anything.
Henry shook his head. “No. Jake was never found.”
Dino smiled in sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
Henry shrugged. “It’s not your fault. I don’t know why you’re sorry.”
Something about Henry’s response seemed odd, but Dino dismissed it as the reaction of a family member of a homicide victim, someone who might have felt isolated from the outside world because of their bad experience. The truth was that Dino, although a detective, didn’t quite know what to expect from a man who had lost his younger brother growing up and who still knew absolutely nothing about his whereabouts all these years later.
Terry glanced at Dino and Rebecca then at Henry. “How about we all go have a chat? Maybe Mr. Riley can help us out,” he said.
Henry seemed tense, but he rose and followed them upstairs to a back room usually used by the narcotics division for talking to witnesses. It was better lit and more inviting than the similar room downstairs used for interrogations. Terry brought Henry a cup of coffee and sat directly across from him while Rebecca and Dino sat next to Henry, a tactic Dino used to make Henry feel more relaxed and more likely to talk.
Henry peered around the room curiously and then took a sip of his coffee. He muttered, “Thank you,” after he had taken a quick drink and placed the cup down on the table.
“What do you do for a living, Henry?” Dino asked.
Henry turned and stared back at him blankly. Then he blinked a few times. “I used to work at the school.”
“The school?” Terry said.
Henry nodded and mentioned a school that Dino and Rebecca had visited earlier in the day.
“We were just there,” said Rebecca.
Dino saw the look on Henry’s face, and added, “But not for anything to do with you.”
“Oh.” Henry gave Rebecca a half-smile.
Dino wondered why these guys always seemed so comfortable talking to Rebecca.
“Do you have any gum?” Henry said to no one in particular.
“No,” Dino said.
Terry shook his head. “Henry’s the fellow that called in,” he reiterated.
“Is that right?” Dino said.
“Yes, I called. It was me.”
“You found the boy in Beech Hills?”
Henry nodded. “I live near there, in the halfway house. But it’s only temporary. I’ve made it halfway, and I’m going to make it all the way.”
Dino eyed him skeptically.
“That’s our slogan at the center I just moved into,” Henry explained.
“Do you mean the Second Avenue House?” Dino asked. “Is that where you’re staying? Near Alexander Street? Why did you wait until you got close to home to call 911?”
“Yes, I’m staying there,” Henry said quietly. “I couldn’t find a payphone in Beech Hills that wasn’t broken.”
“What are you doing at the halfway house? Did you do time in prison?” Dino said.
Henry shook his head vigorously. “No. I drink too much sometimes, but I’m law-abiding. I had nowhere else to go.”
“But you’re still drinking?” Dino asked. “You mentioned you drink too much sometimes.” He waited, knowing an explanation would come.
“I’ve been in a bad way ever since I was fired,” Henry said.
“The school fired you?”
Henry nodded.
“Why? What did you do?” Terry asked.
Henry sat up in his chair. “I didn’t do anything. They fired other people too.”
“Do you mean there were layoffs?” Rebecca suggested.
Henry looked at her. “Yeah, that’s what they told us.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dino said. “What was your job at the school?”
“I worked in maintenance.”
“Did you like working there?”
“It was okay.”
“Have you ever been convicted of a crime, Henry?
” Dino asked.
“Yes. Shoplifting.”
“Henry,” Terry said. “Now, I know this is going to be hard for you, but I need you to tell us what happened exactly when you found the boy last week in Beech Hills.”
“I’m not sure if I can remember.”
“We need your help, Henry,” Dino said.
“Yes, Henry, we really need you to help us,” added Rebecca.
“It’s terrible. What happened is terrible,” Henry said.
“Did you know the boy?” Dino asked coolly. “Did you put him there?”
Henry rose from his chair, his face reddened in anger. “Why would you say such a nasty thing?”
“You’re not denying it.”
“I didn’t, okay?”
Rebecca got up and patted Henry on the shoulder. She gently guided him back down to his seat. Dino watched him. Something about the guy was off, and Dino wondered if they were about to get a confession.
“No one doubts you, Henry,” Rebecca said. “Please tell us what you saw.”
Henry put his hands to his face and rocked back and forth in the chair.
“I drank too much that day,” he said. “That’s why I’m in the halfway house. I just wanted to get some fresh air. It’s so warm and noisy inside that place. Sometimes I walk past the old factories. It’s quiet there. I think about Jake when I walk. Anyway, when I was walking, there was this thing sticking out into the road. It was big, so I looked inside. I was curious. That boy — it was so horrible. I thought it was Jake. Not really. But that’s what I imagined. I touched his face. He was so cold. I yelled for help, but no one came. So I found a working payphone and called you guys.”
Rebecca spoke to him in a soothing tone. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Henry.”
“Did you notice anybody else around?” Dino asked.
Henry stared at the white surface of the table and shook his head.
“Why didn’t you come forward earlier?”
“I don’t understand.”
“He means why didn’t you tell 911 your name?” Terry said.
“I was afraid they’d think I did it.”
“Why would we think that?”
“It happens on TV shows all the time.”
“This is real life,” Dino said.