BODY IN THE BOX a gripping crime thriller full of twists

by E. R. FALLON

  He stepped inside. The room was stuffy. He searched for the light switch and, when he found it, he flicked it on and chuckled to himself. There was just a small bed with a cheap-looking bedspread. The green carpet and fluorescent lighting made the room look like something out of a low-budget horror film, one of those gory movies that Jimmy loved.

  He rested on the scratchy bedspread with his back flat. He hadn’t bothered to undress like he had so desperately wanted to earlier. He closed his eyes and briefly thought of the light still being on in the room, but then he figured he didn’t have to give a damn since it wasn’t his light.

  * * *

  Dino woke up and rolled over on his side. He stretched and yawned, and realized he was still on the couch. A blanket had been placed on top of him. His head pounded, although as far as he could recall, he hadn’t drunk that much last night. He rubbed his eyes, and then glanced around the room. Then he remembered. Rebecca. She was gone.

  He searched the kitchen and bathroom for a sign of her. But there wasn’t even a trace that she had been in his apartment last night. Had it been a dream? He noticed that the beer cans he knew they had left on the floor last night were gone. The trash had been taken out. So it hadn’t been a dream. She’d cleaned up, God bless her.

  He peered up at the clock: 7:30 a.m. He searched for his phone in the pocket of his coat that was still draped over the back of the couch. He went through his contacts and located Rebecca’s number.

  It rang five times before he got her voicemail.

  Everhart. Leave a message.

  He drew in a breath and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then he didn’t know what to say so he quickly hung up. He really liked her, but maybe she wasn’t as into him.

  He stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower almost all the way to the left so that the water was extra hot. Steam circulated, fogging the mirror of the medicine cabinet. He stepped out of his pants, tossed them on the tiled floor, and went into the shower.

  Dino couldn’t figure out why he was so vexed. It didn’t all have to do with Rebecca ditching him in the middle of the night. It had some to do with Bobby, and what Dino had told Rebecca last night that he hadn’t told anyone except for Terry.

  Talking about Bobby bothered him, and it wouldn’t matter who he was talking to, it just made him angry. Because Bobby had always been smart in terms of books, but stupid about life. Dino was Bobby’s big brother and was like a father to Bobby growing up, after their own father, a Vietnam vet, had killed himself. When they were kids, Dino had always protected Bobby from the creeps and gangs roaming their neighborhood, from the knife fights and gun shots that rang out in the middle of the night.

  When Bobby started hanging around Malone’s, placing lousy bets while he was drunk or high or both, blowing what money he made working at an auto body shop, Dino had merely shrugged his shoulders, telling himself that he was busy with his own life and Bobby was not a kid anymore so he had to look after himself. Then when he started trying to protect Bobby again, it was too late.

  Bobby wasn’t a kid, but one day he just disappeared, like Jake Riley had, only like Lev Ilyin, Bobby was found dead.

  Jessie had been Dino’s soulmate. She was strong and humorous, so compassionate. Beautiful, too. But when Bobby ended up dead on the sidewalk in front of her family’s tavern, Dino hadn’t been able to see her in the same light again.

  Terry had responded to the call. Dino was off duty, but he heard it on the CB radio he used to keep in the house he rented with Jessie in Marks Hill. He’d raced over there, and days later he was still rehashing the image of the gunshot wound to Bobby’s temple and his brains oozing out onto the sidewalk. Dino had been haunted by the look on his mother’s face when he told her Bobby had been killed. Terry had been there with Dino as he gave his mother the news. Jessie had come home that night, crying, and telling Dino she was sorry. He’d just pushed her away, told her he was finished and she didn’t have to move out, he would.

  And then she disappeared from his life as well, and he started over, began flirting again, got some numbers, called one he was especially fond of, asked her out, and got engaged again. Only this time, he married her, but not for long, because soon he grew frustrated and she became impatient. They got divorced. Afterward, there was no friendship between them. She simply was gone from his life. Then he met and married someone else, and they divorced as well.

  After he’d dressed, he walked to the bus stop and took the bus to Morgan’s, where he’d left his car last night. On the drive back, he stopped and parked a few blocks before the station, ready to face the morning line at Starbucks. As soon as he entered, the smell of the freshly ground coffee awakened his senses.

  He’d cracked his neck a few times before he made it to the counter. Dino didn’t like waiting. The server was a young guy around twenty, wearing a green apron. He had a nose ring and a tongue piercing that was noticeable from the angle Dino was standing.

  “What can I get for you today?”

  “Two uh . . .” Dino peered up at the menu. “Grande house blends.”

  “You got it,” the guy said as he rang up the total. “Ten thirteen.”

  “It’s that much?”

  The guy nodded. He didn’t seem amused and looked at Dino like he thought he was a cheap old man. Dino handed over a twenty-dollar bill and watched carefully as the guy counted his change. Then he dropped a few bucks into a desperately empty clear container marked Tips Thanks!

  “Hey, thanks,” the young guy called out in surprise.

  Dino merely nodded in his direction. At the pick-up counter a chubby red-haired man handed him the two cups of coffee Dino had ordered for Rebecca and himself. He headed for the exit. An even longer line of harried commuters grabbing a coffee before going to work at the nearby office buildings had formed since he’d arrived.

  He felt that a walk to the station would do him good, so he left his car where it was. He could pick it up later and drive it to the station parking lot. Outside he navigated the now busy sidewalks and made it halfway to the station, only to glance down at the cups of coffee he was carrying and laugh at himself. Rebecca had left his apartment without saying goodbye. She sure as heck wouldn’t want him bringing her coffee. Seeking out a trash can, he tossed in one of the full cups and then turned around. He dialed Terry’s cell. He planned to tell Terry that he wasn’t coming into work today. Then he went back and got into his car. There were a lot of hours left on the meter, which would make the next person who parked there happy. Some people had all the luck.

  * * *

  Terry awoke in the bed at the Super 8 Motel. His neck felt stiff and ached as if he had slept on it the wrong way. He touched his chest and realized he was still wearing his suit.

  He was stepping into the shower when he heard his phone ringing in his jacket on the bed. Thinking it might be important, he shut off the water and ran out to answer it.

  Dino cleared his throat. “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Dino. How’s it going?”

  “I’ve been better. Listen, I’m not going to come in today.”

  “You know, that’s funny, I was thinking the same thing. Is Everhart going in?”

  “Probably. Look, why don’t you call her? Tell her we’re not coming in.”

  “Why don’t you?”

  Dino sighed. “Well, she probably doesn’t want to hear from me right now.”

  “Oh really? And why is that?”

  “Because last night we . . . she came over to my apartment.”

  “And?”

  “And well, you know.”

  “No, I don’t know. What the hell happened?”

  “We, uh, you know.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Okay, I screwed her. You happy now?”

  Terry almost dropped the phone. “What? I hope you don’t chase her away. I like her. She’s a good cop.” There was a pause. “What was she like?”

  “Are you kidding me?”r />
  “Well, she is attractive. I’m married, and even I know that.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “And why’s that? Because you might actually like her? You’re afraid to admit that?”

  Dino breathed out. “No. Because she’s our partner, it’s not nice.”

  “Since when were you ever nice?”

  “Look, are you going to call her or what?”

  “I’ll call her. But something serious must’ve gone on between you two last night, or else you wouldn’t be so damn shy.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Terry hung up and thought about Dino and his luck attracting women. He wondered if he didn’t have the same luck simply because there was something about him that repelled some women, including, these days it seemed, his own wife.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rebecca sat at her desk in the corner and studied the photographs of Lev Ilyn’s body. She didn’t notice the tall woman peering in at her from the doorway until the woman cleared her throat. She wore old sneakers and three very dirty overcoats that were fraying at the cuffs and hems. She was wearing black fingerless gloves. Pieces of matted hair stuck out from her red knitted hat. She smelled strongly of sweat, and carried two plastic grocery bags, stuffed to the brim with newspapers.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?” Rebecca asked. “How did you get in here?”

  “Hello,” the woman said, stepping through the door. She approached Rebecca’s desk. “I’m Clara. There was no one at the front desk.” She reached out to shake Rebecca’s hand.

  Rebecca didn’t hesitate to shake her hand. “I’m Detective Everhart. Someone’s supposed to be at the front.”

  “Oh, I like you, Ms. Everhart,” Clara said, smiling. “You’re not stuck-up like most people are. A lot of people think they’re too damn good to shake my hand.”

  “Is that right?”

  Clara nodded. “You see, some folks think I’m nothing but a bum. I’m more than that. Used to be a Rockette, back in the fifties. Had my own apartment on Madison Avenue. Then I married a terrible man who stole my money and left me, and then I drank a little too much, and now I’m here.”

  Rebecca became less on guard. “Is that so? I’m sorry to hear that.” She noticed that despite Clara’s weathered skin, there was still evidence that she had once been pretty.

  “Yes,” Clara said.

  “How can I help you, Clara?” Rebecca asked. “If you’re here to report a crime, you should check in with the desk sergeant first. That way, things will move faster. Would you like me to see where the desk sergeant is? He’s supposed to be at the front. Something must’ve happened. I’d be happy to find him for you.” Rebecca started to get up.

  Clara shook her head. “No, that’s not why I’m here. The other day, two of your fellows came to where I live, under the overpass. They were big, handsome fellows.”

  Rebecca sat back down and tilted her head. “Do you mean Detective Cooper and Detective Jackson?”

  “Yes, that’s them.”

  “They aren’t here today, but I’m on their team, so to speak. How can I help you?”

  “Mind?” Clara gestured to Dino’s chair.

  Rebecca shook her head. She was intrigued. Rebecca put the photos away.

  Clara dragged Dino’s chair over to Rebecca’s desk and sat down. She placed one of her bags in her lap and the other one on the floor. She patted the bag on her lap.

  Rebecca smiled and gestured to the bags. “What are all of those newspapers for?”

  “I like to read the papers and collect the stories.”

  “Oh,” Rebecca said.

  “I read a lot. Say, I heard about the boy who they found in the box. I’ve got the article right here with me.” Clara reached down to the plastic bag on the floor, dug her hand inside it and removed a crinkled piece of newspaper. “Here.” She gestured for Rebecca to take the article.

  Rebecca accepted the piece of paper. She set it on her desk and smoothed out the wrinkles.

  “You see, that’s the article I saw.”

  Rebecca nodded as she read.

  “They asked for people to contact the police if they knew anything at all. Say, did I ever tell you about the time I met Marlon Brando? It was at the Palace Theater. I was a teenager. Boy, was he handsome.”

  Rebecca looked up at Clara and interrupted her mid-sentence. “Please, Clara, if you know anything at all about what happened to the boy we found in the box, please tell me.”

  Clara cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. “Okay, Ms. Everhart. I guess you haven’t got all day to listen to my stories. I’ll just leave now. Maybe I’ll come back. If I have time.” Clara rose to go. “See you some other day, then,” she mumbled, as she collected the plastic bag from the floor.

  Rebecca touched her arm. “Wait. Please don’t go. I’m sorry. Please stay. I really need your help.”

  Clara eyed her with interest and sat back down. “Well, like I was saying, when I saw the article in the newspaper about the dead boy, and how you police are looking for the doc. You see, I remembered your fellows coming to where I’ve been living and asking around about that little punk, Stan,” Clara said. “And it reminded me of something. Let me correct myself, it reminded me of someone. You see, I have diabetes, and last year my foot started to hurt a lot. The doc helped me out.”

  “The doc?”

  Clara nodded. “The other day, I thought of the doc because Stan knows him too. He probably didn’t tell your fellows about it, though. He’s not a very helpful person. He’s selfish. He’s a junkie. They’re all like that. I should know.”

  “Who’s the doc?”

  “Mr. Henry. I can’t remember his last name.”

  “Henry Riley?” Rebecca said.

  “Yes, that’s him.”

  “Henry Riley performed an operation on you?”

  “Yes. It was a small procedure, but the man saved my foot. I heard others weren’t as lucky. It’s not like we have much of a choice. He seems like a good man, but some believe he’s a little strange.”

  * * *

  It was late in the afternoon when Dino found himself purchasing a piece of pizza at Mario’s Pizzeria around the corner from his apartment. He knew Mario from growing up in Marks Hill, and Mario usually threw in a free soda or an extra piece of pizza when Dino ate there. It was too late for lunch, but too early for dinner, so the place was quiet.

  Dino was sitting at one of the tables in the back, picking at the greasy cheese, when his phone rang. He wiped his hands with a napkin, took his phone out of his pocket and saw Rebecca’s name on the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s me, Everhart.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I have to tell you something. It’s urgent.”

  “You want to apologize for skipping out on me this morning? I wanted to make you breakfast. I really did.”

  “Come on, it can’t be more than what it was.”

  “And what would you say it was?”

  “A late-night screw. I like you, but I don’t have the time to get involved in a relationship, especially not with someone I work with.”

  “Forgive me for thinking it was something more.”

  “Not now. I just can’t.”

  “You want me to just forget it ever happened, right?” He sighed. “So, what did you have to tell me that was so urgent?”

  “It’s about Henry Riley.”

  “What about him?”

  “This homeless lady came into the station a few minutes ago. She managed to get past the front desk. She claims she knows Henry Riley. She said he operated on her foot. She told me the homeless people think of him as their doctor. He knows how to do surgery, Dino.”

  “You think—”

  “Wait,” Rebecca said, cutting him off. “There’s more. I was finally able to reach his probation officer. He didn’t know Henry’s whereabouts. Henry hasn’t been in to see him in a while. Rem
ember the misdemeanor I told you about?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It was for shoplifting clothes from a department store. Children’s clothes. Specifically, boy’s clothes.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “I’m thinking we better haul him in. I tried Jackson’s cell, but he’s not picking up.”

  “No, let me go over and talk to Henry alone for now. Maybe he’ll open up more if it’s just me. I knew him growing up.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Dino?”

  He loved hearing her say his name. He cleared his throat to stop his emotions from taking control. “Yeah. I’ll call you in two hours and let you know if I think we should bring him in.”

  “Okay. Don’t forget to call.”

  “I won’t.”

  Dino wiped his hands with the napkin again. He tossed his half-eaten piece of pizza into the trash can. He waved goodbye to Mario.

  He headed a few blocks east to the Second Avenue House to talk with Henry Riley. He didn’t want to go to the station and take the Crown Victoria simply because it meant the possibility of running into Rebecca. He hadn’t smoked in a very long time, but he stopped for a pack of cigarettes on the way since he figured that Henry Riley smoked. Most ex-cons did.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tulia sat at the vanity table in her robe, gazed into the mirror and applied her mascara. She puckered her lips and blew a kiss at the glamorous woman who looked back at her. She listened for the familiar sound of Terry coming home, but it never came. Probably for the best, she thought. He hadn’t even called her, though.

  Jimmy was in the kitchen eating the Rice Krispy treats she had made after she’d finished work earlier than she had expected. She had told Jimmy she would be going out tonight to celebrate her co-worker Denise’s birthday. She didn’t like lying to her son, but if she told him she was seeing her old friend Andrew Falter for dinner, and at his house, it was possible that he might tell Terry. Sometimes she’d heard them whispering while watching sports games together. But not lately.

  She got up and picked up her phone from the dresser. She found Dino Cooper’s number, which Terry had given to her in case of an emergency. Was this an emergency? What if it was? She wasn’t sure about calling Dino, but she figured it was the best way to inquire about Terry’s whereabouts without actually speaking to him. Because, despite everything, she was worried.