Conviction: Book 3 of the Detective Ryan Series

by Andrew Hess

  Entering the bedroom, I searched for my cell phone. I dialed A.D.A. Reed’s office and had the secretary connect me.

  “Detective Ryan, this really isn’t a good time. I have court in an hour, and need to make sure I have everything.”

  “Sorry, I won’t take up much of your time. I was hoping you could help us set up a meeting with Claire Cain and her attorney soon. We have some questions.”

  “Well that’s going to be quite difficult. It seems the news of her friend Sheila spooked her, and she feels like it’s her fault since she had the meeting with us. Now she refuses to have any contact with us unless it’s in the courtroom.”

  “What about the deal?”

  “I was in the process of negotiation, but since she refuses to cooperate, that deal is off the table.” I was a little thrown off by Claire’s change of heart. “Now if that’s all, I really do need to be on my way to the courthouse.”

  “One more thing. We wanted to meet with the District Attorney to convince him to drop the charges against Detective Rodney Johnson.”

  “Good luck with that. He seemed pretty set on charging and convicting him. If you plan on making such a request, you better have some damn good evidence to change his mind.”

  “I was hoping you might be able to help with that. I wanted to get my hands on a few of the reports and crime scene photos to look over.”

  “I don’t think there’s much I can do to help.” She let out a deep breath. “But I’ll see what I can do. Meet me at the courthouse for lunch.”

  “Thank you.”

  James emerged from the bathroom as I finished my call. Beads of water dripped down his body as he peaked around the bedroom door.

  “Are we all set?”

  “Change of plans. Claire’s no longer feeling talkative since her friend was murdered.” Feeling my eyes linger a bit too long, I decided to jump off the bed, pretending to search for something in my closet. “Has the D.C.P.D. turned up anything new on her case?”

  “No, but I’ll put in a call to the medical examiner’s office in a bit.” Using the towel wrapped around his shoulders, he dried a part of his head. “So, there’s no meeting today?”

  “I talked to the A.D.A. and she’s going to look into helping us get the files I need to prove Rodney’s innocence. I’m supposed to meet her for lunch later.”

  “Okay, I’ll go check in with my lieutenant to see if any new leads turned up.”

  “What’s the matter; you don’t wanna have lunch with us?”

  “You don’t need me there cramping your style. You’ll do a great job convincing her to give you what you want.”

  “Are you sure this has nothing to do with her hating you for acting like an idiot during our past meetings?”

  “What do you mean, acting like an idiot?”

  “I mean you using your,” I raised my eyebrows and let out a couple of coughs, “charm.” I was referring to the time James and I needed to ask for a search warrant and he tried flirting with the Assistant District Attorney to get what he wanted. She wasn’t too fond of his advances and we ended up spending the weekend on a stakeout to make sure no one tampered with any evidence.

  “We both know I messed up that day. Can we please let it drop already? The woman hates me, and it’ll be better if I don’t go.”

  I laughed it while brushing past him. “Okay, but I’ll let her know you said hi.” I entered the bathroom and closed the door.

  I could hear him yell, “Not funny, Ali,” through the door.

  I turned the knobs on the shower and let the water run. With the door closed, I was trapped in the scent of James’ body wash. It was the same relaxing smell from the couch blanket. I felt like he was standing right behind me, wrapping his arms around my body. I wanted to lean back and melt into his chest.

  Wait, what the hell was I thinking? I hurried to wash up so I could run out of the shower and away from the scent that seemed to hypnotize me. Once I was rinsed off, I bolted from the bathroom and back into the safety of my bedroom.

  “Everything all right in there?” he yelled.

  “Yup, I’m fine; just stubbed my toe on the way out.”

  I didn’t want to take the chance of him coming to make sure I was okay, I quickly placed socks on my feet before throwing on the rest of my clothes. The moment I was dressed, I put on my ankle boots and made the mad dash for the front door.

  “What’s the big hurry?” James asked.

  “I just remembered Claire’s trial is set to resume today. Maybe I can talk to her attorney before she leaves.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  An hour later, I arrived at the courthouse in search of A.D.A. Reed. After getting through security and checking my weapon, I headed for the information desk in hopes of finding which courtroom Claire Cain’s case was being tried in. They pointed me to the correct room, and I slipped inside without drawing too much attention to myself.

  The defense was pleading for her client’s release, citing the prison was not safe and that she was receiving threats on her life as well as her friends’ lives.

  “Your Honor,” Reed said loudly. “The defendant and her attorney attempted to work out a deal with the prosecution in return for information that could impact several pending cases. We were in the process of negotiation when the defense backed out of the deal.”

  “Is this true Ms. Reynolds?” the judge asked.

  “Yes, Your Honor. However, I’d like to approach to explain the circumstances surrounding the situation.”

  “Alright, both councils step forward.”

  I watched as they moved towards the judge’s bench. From where I sat, the attorneys seemed to have an intense conversation with the judge, no doubt they were discussing the death of Claire’s friend, Sheila Nichols. After several minutes of discussion, the judge sent them back to their respective tables.

  “I have made my decision regarding this matter, and have decided the defendant will remain in lockup until a deal can be reached.” He banged the gavel as he spoke. “This case is in recess. You have one week to figure this matter out before we move on. Is that understood?” Both attorneys nodded in agreement. He banged the gavel again and had the bailiff approach the bench to call the next case.

  A.D.A. Reed saw me as she packed up her files and made a beeline for me. “What are you doing here, Detective?”

  “Besides meeting you for lunch, I was hoping to get a word with Ms. Reynolds about meeting with her client.”

  “That’s not happening, not right now anyway.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the courtroom before anyone from the defense noticed me. “Look, I might be able to broker the deal with them now that the judge denied her request. But if she sees any cops, especially you, they might decide to keep quiet.”

  “Okay, I get it. I won’t go near them.” I looked around to make sure no one was nearby. “Were you able to look into the other matter we discussed?”

  “I don’t have the files on me. I put in the request before I left. The D.A. doesn’t have a problem with you looking them over, but will not let you take them with you. I’ll call you when he has the files ready for you to look at.”

  “So I’m guessing lunch is out of the question?” I joked.

  “I’ll be in touch.” Reed stormed off down the hall towards her next courtroom for another case, while I stood there with renewed hope.

  Grabbing my phone, I called the Johnson house. Instead of hearing Rodney’s voice, his wife answered. “Mia,” I said with a bit of surprise.

  “What do you want, Ali?”

  “I was looking for Rodney.”

  “Well, he’s out right now. Besides, his lawyer told him not to talk to you or any other cops until the trial is over.”

  “Mia, I’m trying to help your husband.”

  “Help him into a nice cozy cell you mean.”

  “No. We already met privately. I’m trying to sort out what
happened in hopes of getting the charges dropped.”

  “You’re lying. If he’d met with you, he would’ve told me.”

  “We wanted to hash it out without anyone else getting involved. I told him what I knew and he told me what he could remember.”

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

  “You don’t. You just have to trust me like Rodney does. In the meantime, tell him I have some updates and other potential leads I’m looking into.”

  “You really think you found something?”

  “I don’t know. I’m waiting to get my hands on a few reports first. Hopefully they can confirm a few things.”

  “Fine, I’ll tell him, but you better not be lying to us.”

  “Mia, you’ve known me for too long. I would never lie to you or to Rodney. Just tell him to meet me tomorrow morning. He’ll know the spot.”

  Chapter 20-PM

  The Puppet Master let a few days pass before deciding to make his next public appearance. Sitting in his personal office, he chose to sit and watch the screens to monitor Ali’s movements within James Thornton’s house. After the fire at the florist, he figured she would be more on edge, but she wasn’t. She walked in the door with a box in her arms.

  He watched the monitors intently, trying to zoom in on what Ali was reading, but she took the file to a part of the couch not covered by cameras. The desire to know what she was focused on was strong.

  “It has to be something big if she’s working from home in the middle of the day.” He continued to watch, but saw no movement from her until hours later. Once her big bad protector came home, he had no hope of knowing what she was up to, at least not while they were home.

  He waited until the next morning to check the monitors again. The first image he saw was Ali passed out on the living room floor with James’ arm draped around her.

  “He’s getting too close to her,” the Puppet Master growled. He knew if they got any closer, Thornton would do anything to protect her. That was something he couldn’t let happen. He glanced back at the monitor to see Ali had woken up and was gathering up the files. “That’s right, Ali. Make it easy for me to find them.”

  He watched her disappear down the hall, another dead area he hadn’t anticipated on. Checking the other feeds, he was unable to pick up where Ali snuck off to with the box. His hand slammed the top of the desk. Wherever she placed it, the Puppet Master knew he would have to rip the place apart to find.

  Glancing at his watch, the Puppet Master realized he was running behind and needed to hurry to the courthouse. He arrived in time to handle a few personal matters before taking a seat. The bailiff ordered everyone to rise. When he did, he saw the dark haired woman he met with countless times before.

  Dr. Claire Cain, dressed in the Halloween orange jumpsuit, walked to the defense table. She locked eyes with her attorney, Ms. Rebecca Reynolds. Being best friends with the defendant has its perks. The Puppet Master knew Claire told her friend everything, another potential liability in his mind.

  His attention quickly switched to the other attorney. She was arguing a point against her opponent to the judge. Seeing the two of them standing at opposing tables, was like watching day and night fighting each other. The two were complete polar opposites.

  A.D.A. Reed was naturally tall, rigid, with short blond hair. She wore pant suits, or long skirts that fell beneath her knees. She abided by all the rules set before her, and never considered breaking the law in the slightest regard. She was cold and heartless, but respected for doing what it took to put criminals behind bars legally.

  Rebecca on the other hand, had long blond hair. Her height was due to the five or six inch heels she wore on a daily basis. She wore tight, slightly revealing clothes, giving everyone something to look at in hopes of distracting a witness or the prosecution. She was cunning, but relied much of her strategy on her two biggest assets.

  As the Puppet Master tossed around the possibilities of who would be a better fit for his next victim, the courtroom door closed. His attention turned towards the woman creeping up to an empty space in the row of seats.

  So many victims, so little time. The Puppet Master’s eyes darted to all the security in the room. The desire to kill all his enemies in one shot was tempting, but wouldn’t allow him the satisfaction he truly wanted. Ali, your time is coming to an end. Soon you’ll know the truth; you’ll know why I chose you be the one leading this charge to find me. But by the time you know the truth, it’ll be too late.

  He continued to listen to the banter between the attorneys. The defense attempted to gain the release of her client, citing she was receiving death threats in prison. They weren’t threats, they were promises he intended to deliver on. As long as Claire continued to keep her mouth shut, the Puppet Master would let her and her friends live.

  Her first betrayal came when her and her attorney called for an immediate meeting following his note. Jumping to the conclusion he would hurt her, the defense attorney stepped in to call an emergency meeting. It defied his message and warranted punishment for both women.

  Hearing the judge order Claire to remain in custody until a deal could be reached, the Puppet Master knew it was only a matter of time before Rebecca Reynolds made another poor decision and forced her client to speak to the police again.

  Once court was adjourned, A.D.A. Reed tore through the crowd, pulling Detective Ryan along with her. There was no way of knowing what they were saying. It wasn’t like he could eavesdrop without drawing attention to himself.

  Waiting for another opportunity to slip out unnoticed, the Puppet Master snuck to the back of the room and ducked out the first time the door opened. He thought it would give him the chance to interrupt the detective and the prosecutor, but no one was there.

  He slipped his spare phone from his pocket, sending a text message to a friend. I need your help. I need to send one more message. Meet me outside the courthouse in ten minutes.

  The reply came back with a thumbs up, letting the Puppet Master know the meet was on.

  Sitting in his car, the Puppet Master waited for his cohort to arrive. The Sonata pulled up next to his car with the window rolled down.

  “We need to stop meeting like this.”

  “Hopefully there won’t be too many more times when I need to ask for this type of favor.” The Puppet Master had a type-written message folded up and presented to his friend.

  “This the last time. If I get caught, I could lose my job.”

  “We all have something to lose, some more than others.” The Puppet Master rolled up his window and sped out of the parking lot. He hurried to Thornton’s house, hoping to break-in before either of them returned from their day.

  When he pulled up to the sidewalk a few houses away, he noticed a different car was parked in front of the house. It wasn’t just some random person stopping off across the street or next door. No, it was a Dutchess County squad car. Knowing it was impossible to get past the officers inside, the Puppet Master drove past, eying up the house.

  “This round goes to you, Ali. But don’t get used to it. The walls you build have surrounded you, will all come tumbling down soon enough.

  Chapter 21-Ali

  The moment I left the courthouse, I called the lieutenant to see if he had any updates for me. With no leads from the fire or car crash, and nothing new from Sheila’s murder, I decided to go home and dive into the box of files. No one was home, which made it easier to concentrate on the material.

  Entering the closet, I pulled the step ladder into place and retrieved the box from the attic. I dragged it back to the living room and set it next to the couch before making a pot of coffee.

  Opening the box, I removed the top folder, knowing full well what it contained. I decided to begin with Claire’s files, wanting to go through the material a bit more carefully than James did the night before. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but there may have been something he overlooked. If I could find the link that tied Nick DeFalc
o and Claire Cain together, maybe I could use it to find the man that’s been stalking me and possibly set Rodney up for murder.

  Digging through the files, I found reports documenting the search and seizure of video tapes from Ambrose’s house, and the hours we spent watching every debaucherous deed he did to those women. There was nothing that stuck out connecting Ambrose to Evan, so I moved onto the next file.

  One by one I sorted through each folder as the sun slowly began to set. The orange glow hit the nearly empty box as I let out a sigh.

  “There’s gotta be something I’m missing.”

  I reached for the last two files but heard the buzz from my phone. Reaching for my cell, I recognized the number as the District Attorney’s Office.

  “Is this Detective Ryan?” the man asked.

  “Yes it is.”

  “Detective, this is Richard Garrett with the District Attorney’s Office. Stacey Reed, forwarded your request to view the files from the Rodney Johnson case.”

  “Yes, sir. I believe he is innocent and would like a chance to prove it before he stands trial.”

  “Is this just a hopeful theory or do you have actual proof?”

  “I am ninety-five percent sure my theory is correct. I believe those files can help me prove Rodney is innocent.”

  “Come down to my office. I’ll let you look over the files and you can tell me this theory of yours.”

  “I’ll be down in a bit.”

  I placed my cell on the couch and heard the door open. I didn’t bother looking up from the files on my lap. I had to get through the last two before I met with the D.A.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still working on those files,” James said. I looked up to see him staring at me in disbelief.

  “I need to find the missing link. I need to figure out this connection and find a way to prove Rodney is innocent.”