Fatal Consequences

by Marie Force

  Outside the house, two officers stood watch. Even though she knew them, Sam still showed them her badge and gave them a moment to thoroughly study it, as they were required to do.

  “Go ahead, Lieutenant.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sam found Selina on the sofa in the living room, curled up under a blanket nursing a cup of tea.

  “You couldn’t sleep either?” Selina asked.

  “Someone tossed a Molotov cocktail through the window at my house last night. Do you know what that is?”

  Eyes wide with fear, Selina nodded. “Was anyone hurt?”

  Sam took a seat across from her. “Fortunately, my fiancé and I weren’t home at the time.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Do you know why I told you that?”

  Selina shook her head.

  “Because I want you to know that these people aren’t above throwing fire into the home of a high-ranking police officer and a United States senator. Did I mention my fiancé is a senator?”

  Selina swallowed hard and shook her head again.

  Sam placed the six photos she’d brought on the coffee table. “Have you ever provided sexual services for any of these men?”

  A tear rolled down Selina’s cheek. Judging by the raw redness of her eyes, it wasn’t the first she’d shed during that long night. “Him,” she said, pointing to the speaker. A shudder rippled through her petite frame. “And him.” Grimacing, she gestured to Cook.

  “What about him?”

  “No. I haven’t had sex with the vice president of the United States.”

  “Well,” Sam said. “That’s a relief. The speaker of the House of Representatives and the senior senator from Virginia will be enough for one morning.”

  Selina gasped. “Oh, my God! I didn’t know! I didn’t know who they were!”

  “I know that, Selina, and they knew it too. In fact, that’s exactly why they recruited immigrant women.” Sam heard the click of the final pieces fitting into place. “It was because you wouldn’t recognize them. They were counting on that. Even though some of you worked on Capitol Hill, you probably didn’t pay much attention to politics.”

  “What’s going to happen to me?”

  “I need you to testify.”

  “I can’t do that! I can’t have my family find out how I really got the money. I could never live with the shame of that.”

  “Could you live with another woman being murdered or raped because you didn’t help me stop these bastards?”

  Tears streamed down the young woman’s face. “How can this be happening? I just wanted to save my mother…I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I can help you, Selina, but I need to know I can count on your testimony before I arrest Bartholomew.” Sam paused to let her words sink in before she went for the jugular. “You’ll have to pick him out of a lineup of men and then testify against him in court. You’ll have to recount—in detail—what he did to you.”

  Hand to mouth to muffle her sobs, Selina shook her head.

  “If you refuse to testify, Selina, my case against Bartholomew will hinge on whether he left any DNA on your clothing the night of the attack. And even if he did, the assistant U.S. attorney may refuse to prosecute without your testimony. That means he goes free to do this to someone else. He continues to get away with victimizing women while holding a lofty government job.”

  Selina’s muffled sobs echoed through the silent room.

  “I need you, Selina. Regina and Maria need you.”

  “Regina can go to the devil! This is all her fault.”

  “Maybe so, but she helped you find a way to pay for your mother’s surgery. And trust me when I tell you that no one deserves what was done to her. No one.”

  Sam sat very still and let Selina think it through as the other woman continued to weep bitterly.

  “I went to college, you know? In Belize. I got a degree in business, and I came here hoping to make something of myself.” She swiped at her face with the sleeve of her shirt. “But when I got here, it was so bad. No one would hire me because I wasn’t a citizen or because they had someone better. I was lucky to get the job with the cleaning company.”

  “I’m sure you worked very hard,” Sam said, trying to be patient.

  “I worked until my hands ached and my fingers were blistered and sore. I worked overtime and weekends, but it wasn’t enough. If only my mother hadn’t gotten sick. None of this would be happening.”

  “My father was shot two years ago,” Sam said. “He was a police officer doing a routine traffic stop and was shot by the driver. He’s paralyzed and in a wheelchair. We still don’t know who did it, and sometimes when I think that whoever shot him is out there going on with his or her life while he’s stuck in that chair…” Sam’s throat tightened with emotion. “I understand that you’d do anything you could for your mother. I get that.”

  “Even something illegal?”

  “Whatever you had to do.”

  “Will I be charged?”

  “I’ll talk to the assistant U.S. attorney about immunity for you as soon as I leave here. But first I need to know if I can count on you to testify. That’ll be her first question.”

  “How do I go into a public court and tell people what that animal did to me? How do I do that?”

  “We’ll get someone to help you through every step of the process. We have rape counselors specially trained to assist victims and prepare them for court. I’ll get you all the help and support I have at my disposal.”

  “And how will you keep me alive long enough to testify?”

  “Our entire case hinges on you. We’ll take good care of you. You have my word on that.”

  After another endless stretch of silence, Sam leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Will you help me, Selina? Shall I go arrest Jack Bartholomew so he can pay for what he did to you and probably other women too?”

  “Will the others come forward so your case doesn’t hinge only on me?”

  “We can hope for that, but in the meantime, it all comes down to you.”

  “If I testify, do you promise it won’t be for nothing? He’s a powerful man. I don’t want to see him go free.”

  “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure he gets what’s coming to him.” She thought of Peter being released from prison and remembered that even her powers had limits. “But I won’t make you a promise I may not be able to keep. We’ll do our very best. That’s all I can do.”

  “Will you arrest the other men too? The speaker and the senator?”

  “I don’t know that yet, but we’ll be pursuing charges against anyone who was involved with running the organization, anyone who provided the services and anyone who sought them out. If that includes the speaker and the senator, so be it.”

  Selina sat very still as she thought it over.

  Sam’s heart beat hard and fast. This was it. The whole thing hung on one tiny woman who was in way, way over her head.

  “Since I need you to keep me alive as much as you need me to testify, I guess we both need each other.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “Okay,” Selina said, seeming resigned now to her fate. “I’ll do it.”

  Sam reached over and clutched the other woman’s hand. “Thank you.”

  Sam felt like she’d expended a day’s worth of energy on the half hour she’d spent with Selina. But she’d gotten what she needed, and that’s what mattered. Before going to HQ to meet Freddie, she headed for the Washington Hospital Center. Even thought it was still early, she hoped to find Jeannie McBride awake.

  Michael was coming out of Jeannie’s room as Sam approached the door.

  “How is she?” Sam asked.

  “Seems a little better today. They’re going to release her later on.”

  “That’s good.”

  He shrugged.

  “Are you okay?”

  “She refuses to talk to me about what happened. I’m trying not to push her, but it’s just�
��it’s hard. Not knowing…”

  Sam rested a hand on his arm. “Try not to push. She’ll tell you if and when she feels able to. Until then, you just have to be patient and supportive. That’s what she needs from you right now.”

  “I know.”

  “Hang in there. It’s only been a few days.”

  He nodded. “You’re right. It’s all about her and what she needs.”

  “Did she talk to the counselor?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Sent her away. Said she didn’t need it.”

  Sam hated to hear that. “I hope she’ll consider it at some point. You might want to, as well. Can’t hurt anything.”

  “I’ll think about it. She’s awake if you want to go in. I’ll give you a few minutes.”

  “Thanks.” Sam pushed open the door to find Jeannie sitting up in bed. “Hey there. How’re you feeling?”

  “A little better. Did you see Michael?”

  “In the hallway. He seems like a really nice guy, Jeannie.”

  “He is,” she said, sighing. “He wants me to tell him what happened…”

  “There’s no rush. You don’t have to talk about it until you feel ready.”

  “What if I never feel ready?”

  “Well, you may have to testify…”

  Jeannie shook her head, as if the very idea of it was too overwhelming to imagine.

  “You’re sure you won’t consider talking to the counselor?”

  “I’m sure. At least the HIV test came back negative—for now. I have to be tested again in three months.”

  “That’s a huge relief.”

  “It’s something. Right about now, I’ll take it.”

  “I hate to ask you this, but do you feel up to looking at a few photos?”

  Jeannie cast a wary glance at Sam. “Of what?”

  “Possible suspects.”

  Jeannie gripped the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Do I have to?”

  “I could really use your help. We have a pretty good case for rape against one of them, but I can’t pin the murders on him. At least not yet.”

  “I only saw his eyes…”

  “Then that’s what I’ll show you. Okay?”

  Gritting her teeth, Jeannie nodded.

  Sam took a moment to fold the six sheets of paper so just the eyes of the men were showing. And then she lined them up on the bed next to each other. “Take your time.” She watched Jeannie force herself to look at the first one. And then her eyes darted across the array.

  “No. None of them.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’ll never forget those eyes. Ever.”

  “I appreciate you taking a look. I know it was hard for you.”

  “I know you’ll need my help and my testimony. I just have to find a way to tell Michael first.”

  Sam reached for the other woman’s hand. “May I offer a suggestion?”

  Jeannie nodded. “Of course.”

  “It seems to me that worrying about telling him is causing you grief that you hardly need on top of everything else. Maybe if you just tell him and get it over with, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.”

  “That’s not a bad suggestion.”

  Sam smiled at her. “Gee, thanks.”

  Jeannie thought about it for a moment. “I’m going to tell him and get it over with. Then I’ll let him tell my mother. I really couldn’t deal with that.”

  “It always helps to have a plan. Just remember he loves you—all he’s thinking about is you and what you need.”

  Jeannie bit her lip and nodded. “He’s been amazing.” She blinked back tears. “He’s hardly left my side since it happened.”

  “Where will you go when they release you?”

  “His house has a security system, so I guess I’ll go there even though it’s in the same neighborhood where it…happened.”

  “The security system is a good idea—especially until we catch this guy.” Sam checked her watch. “I’m sorry, but I have to run. We’re arresting the chief of staff to the vice president this morning.”

  “Wow! Wish I could be there for that.”

  The spark of interest she saw in Jeannie’s soft brown eyes reassured Sam. “You’ll be back with us before you know it. Until then, focus on recovering from your injuries and anything that makes you feel better.”

  “I’ll feel better when you find the guy who did this to me—and the others.”

  “I’ll find him, and I’ll make him pay.”

  “I’m counting on that.”

  Sam hugged her detective. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks. If you see Michael out there, will you tell him I need to talk to him?”

  “Sure.” Sam left the room and found Michael in the waiting room at the end of the long hallway. “I think she might be ready to talk…”

  He jumped to his feet. “Really?”

  “I have to warn you…I’ve heard a lot of hideous crap in twelve years on this job, but what happened to her…it’s bad. You need to prepare yourself.”

  A tick of tension pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw. “I appreciate the warning.”

  “If either of you need me for anything, she has my number.”

  “Thanks for everything.”

  “No problem.”

  Chapter 29

  Sam’s next order of business was a phone call to the U.S. Attorney’s office as she drove back to HQ to meet Freddie.

  “What’ve you got, Lieutenant?” asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Faith Miller.

  Sam laid out her case against Jack Bartholomew. “I’ll need a warrant for his DNA, which will hopefully be a match for DNA that may or may not be on the clothes Selina was wearing the night of the attack. But even without the DNA, she’s willing to do a lineup and she’ll testify. I’m hoping other victims will come forward after we arrest him. We’ve got him on rape and soliciting a prostitute.”

  Faith was silent for a long time. “Did she seek medical attention?”

  Sam had been expecting that question. “She couldn’t afford it. She sent all the money she made home to her family, but she took several days off of work after it happened. I can get the owner of the cleaning company to testify to that.”

  “She didn’t tell anyone what had happened?”

  “No.”

  Faith went silent again.

  “Come on, Faith, you’re killing me here! You know we’ve got enough.”

  “I don’t want to see another case fall apart before we get to trial.”

  “That’s a dig on Gibson, right?”

  “Forrester isn’t happy with how that case fell apart. He’s warned us to be more careful in the future that all our ducks are in a row before we move forward.”

  “So where does that leave me with Bartholomew?”

  “Call me when you hear from the lab. Until then, hold off.”

  “You gotta be kidding me—”

  “Sam, I’m not budging on this. You’re talking about the top aide to the vice president of the United States. I want an airtight case before you go near him.”

  “Fine. You want airtight, I’ll get you airtight.”

  “Excellent. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

  Sam ended the call and let out a growl of frustration. Opening the phone, she called the chief. His administrative assistant put her right through.

  “Good morning, Lieutenant.”

  “I need your help with the lab.” She explained the urgency of the situation to the chief. “Can you lean on them for me?”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  “He’s the key. I have a feeling if I can get him in here and lean hard on him I can get him to roll on the others. He won’t want to go down alone. All I need to know from the lab right now is that there’s male DNA on the clothes. We can test it against a sample from him after we have him in custody.”

  “I’ll make the call. Where’s your detail?”

  Sam glanced in her
rearview mirror. “Right up my ass where they belong.”

  “That sounds rather…uncomfortable.”

  “You said it.”

  Snorting with laughter, the chief hung up.

  Now all she could do was wait—and hope the killer didn’t strike again while they were waiting on the lab.

  Nick and Christina were in a meeting with other key campaign staff going over the next week’s schedule when one of the administrative assistants interrupted them.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Senator, but Judson Knott is here with Mitchell Sanborn.”

  Startled, Nick glanced at Christina.

  Looking equally surprised, she shrugged.

  “Send them in,” Nick said. To the others in the room, he added, “Would you please excuse us for a moment?”

  The staffers collected their belongings and passed Knott and Sanborn on their way out.

  “Gentlemen.” Nick shook hands with both men and invited them to sit across from him and Christina. “This is a nice surprise.” The last time Nick had seen Sanborn, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he’d mentioned the party’s potential interest in Nick making a run for the White House in four years. Nick still had trouble believing he’d actually been part of that conversation. “What can I do for you?”

  “We’ve been hearing some disturbing rumblings on the Hill,” Sanborn said in his deep Kentuckian accent. The former governor of the Bluegrass state had sandy brown hair shot through with silver and intense dark eyes. “Things that have us quite…worried.”

  Pretending to be baffled, Nick glanced at Judson, the chair of the Virginia Democratic Committee. “What kind of rumblings?” he asked.

  Sanborn’s eyes narrowed. “That your girlfriend—”

  “Fiancée,” Nick said.

  “My apologies,” Sanborn said. “Your fiancée is investigating members of our own party for consorting with call girls. I don’t have to tell you what that kind of scandal would do to the party, especially with the midterm elections just a few short months away.”