1 The Ghost in the Basement

by SUE FINEMAN

  “Honey, Monique wants to talk with you. I can arrange it if that’s what you want.”

  “I don’t want to go to the police station.” She wasn’t even sure she wanted to speak with her mother after what she’d done, but she would. This time. Hannah had questions, and this could be the last chance she had to ask them.

  “You don’t have to go to the station.” He opened his cell phone and punched in a phone number. “Williams?… Yeah, she’s right here.” Donovan put the phone in Hannah’s hand. “It’ll take a minute to get her on the line.” He stood and walked to the door.

  She stared mutely at the phone in her hand, thinking about all the ways Monique had ruined Hannah’s childhood. A minute later, Monique gushed, “Hannah, darling, you simply have to help me. They’re accusing me of—”

  “You’re on your own this time, Monique. Rupert Bosch came to visit.”

  “But I was doing you a favor. You don’t need that big house, Hannah.”

  “Some favor. It’s the only home I’ve ever had, thanks to you.”

  “I explained why—”

  “How about explaining something else. Did you have another baby girl before you had me?”

  “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Eleanor Goodman told me you sold her your first baby.”

  Monique grew quiet for a few seconds before speaking again. “Eleanor’s husband raped me when I was only fourteen, and my aunt threw me out in the street when she found out I was pregnant.”

  “So you sold your baby?”

  “What did you expect me to do? I was desperate and I didn’t know what to do with a baby. Eleanor couldn’t have children and she said she’d take the baby, so we made a deal. She’d give me a place to live and pay all my expenses until after the baby was born if I’d leave the baby with her and William. A few months later, she left the hospital with the baby and I left with ten thousand dollars. It was hush money, Hannah. They were afraid William would go to prison for rape.”

  There was undoubtedly some truth in there somewhere, but Hannah didn’t believe it all. The way Monique tried to push her into having sex when she was barely a teenager, she knew Monique had been sexually active at that age herself. William didn’t have to rape her.

  “Your first baby was Donovan’s wife. They called her Maggie, and she died of breast cancer three years ago.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. The only time I saw her was the day she was born.”

  “She was blonde and beautiful, and spoiled rotten.”

  “I knew she’d be spoiled. Eleanor was obsessed with her before she was born.” Monique let out an audible sigh. “I’m sorry about the house, Hannah. I was desperate for money.” She brought out the phony tears. “I didn’t have anyplace to live and nobody to love me. I need you, honey.”

  Hannah had heard this act too many times to believe it now, and Monique was always desperate for money. She’d created the life she wanted, and now she had to live with the consequences. “You poison everyone and everything around you with your selfishness, and I don’t want you here again. Ever. Do you understand, Monique? I don’t want to hear from you again.”

  “I understand you won’t help your own mother. And you talk about selfish? You are the most selfish—”

  “Goodbye, Monique.”

  Hannah walked down to Donovan’s room and handed him the phone. “She said William Goodman was Maggie’s biological father. They took care of her while she was pregnant, and Eleanor gave her ten thousand dollars when she left the hospital.”

  “So Eleanor wasn’t lying when she said she bought a baby.”

  “Monique called it hush money. She was fourteen when William got her pregnant. She said he raped her, but I don’t believe it.” With a big sigh, she said, “Why couldn’t I have had a mother like yours?”

  He reached for her hand. “Billy probably wonders why he couldn’t have a mother like you.”

  “Will you sleep with me tonight, Donovan? I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

  She was barely holding on, and Donovan loved her so much it broke his heart to watch her hurt like this.

  He never expected to fall in love. He’d been celibate for so many years, he learned to do without sex. Now he wanted it six times a day, every day. When he was around Hannah, he felt like a horny teenager again. Sex was constantly on his mind, and the slightest touch from her gave him an erection.

  This horny teenager wanted to take her under the bleachers and kiss her and love her. He had to remind himself he wasn’t sixteen, and he had better control than that. But keeping his hands off without an invitation wasn’t easy.

  She wanted comfort tonight, not sex.

  Didn’t she?

  Chapter Sixteen

  On Friday, in a news conference in his courtroom, Judge Robert J. Harvey announced his retirement from the bench. Donovan attended the news conference along with all the detectives who had been fired or walked off the job in protest. Although they had been invited, Captain Cordelli, Chief Vittore, and Mayor Porcini were not there.

  The judge talked about Cordelli and his improper actions, and about the Porcini-run city government and the Vittore-run police department protecting him. “In another city, Captain Cordelli would not only have been fired long ago, he would have been prosecuted for his actions. Instead, he was protected because of his family connections. The mayor is his uncle, and the chief of police is his cousin. This takes nepotism to new levels, and the citizens of River Valley deserve better. The law must apply equally to everyone, regardless of their family name. Two of the best detectives this city has to offer have been fired without just cause, and the others walked out in protest, while an incompetent man, himself a criminal, was promoted to captain. There’s no excuse for that.

  “I’m calling for Mayor Porcini to put aside his family loyalties and do what is right for River Valley. Replace the chief of police, fire Captain Constantine Cordelli, and reinstate the detectives who were unfairly fired.”

  A reporter shouted a question. “Do you have proof of Captain Cordelli’s actions?”

  The judge pointed the remote toward the screen to his right and pushed a button. Someone in the back of the room dimmed the lights, and reporters in the room watched several videos, including the one Trevor had taken.

  Peterson and Carson grinned. “Way to go, Judge,” whispered Carson.

  “Is he running for mayor?” asked Peterson.

  Donovan shrugged. He’d be an excellent choice, and he’d bring the respect to the job that had been missing with the Porcini organization. “He’d have my support.” Anyone who had the courage to stand up against the political machine in this city had his support. They were long overdue for a change in leadership.

  When the public saw the news conference, the new captain would lose all credibility. One reporter speculated that the fired detectives could sue the city over their dismissal. Donovan didn’t want to sue anyone. He wanted Cordelli and Vittore gone, he wanted his job back, and he wanted the department to regain the respect of the citizens of River Valley.

  <>

  While Donovan was at the news conference, Hannah walked outside to take the garbage out and someone grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth. His other hand groped her breasts. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest. She was eight all over again, fighting off a child molester while her mother was locked in the bedroom with another man.

  She could handle this. She would handle this. Forcing herself to relax a little, she twisted her head and bit his hand. He yelped and let go of her, and she kneed him where it would hurt the most.

  Using every bit of energy she could summon, she ran out into the street, into the traffic where she could be seen. Waving her hands, she screamed as loud as she could. “Help me! Help!”

  Cordelli clenched his jaw and came after her, yelling, “Police. You’re under arrest.”

  “For what?” she yelled as cars started pulling around her. “For
not letting you put your filthy hands on me?”

  A siren sounded in the distance. Someone had called 911. Maybe Pop had heard her. He was in the living room, watching the news conference when she walked outside.

  Cordelli lifted his chin. “You’ll be sorry, bitch. I’ll make you and lover boy pay for this.”

  By the time a police car stopped at the curb and the officer asked, “What’s going on?” Cordelli was gone and Hannah couldn’t stop shaking.

  She walked inside the house with the officer and gave a statement. “He ambushed me out by the alley, and he put his hands on me again.”

  Pop’s face darkened with anger. “If you don’t charge that pervert with assault—”

  “He’s a police detective,” said the officer. “The 911 caller reported he was trying to arrest her.”

  “Bull,” said Hannah. “He was angry because I fought him off and kicked him in the balls.”

  “Why didn’t you run into the house?” Pop asked.

  “Where he could lock me in a bedroom?”

  “Why did he want to arrest you?” the officer asked.

  “He didn’t want to arrest me. He wanted to rape me. If I’d gone with him, I promise you I wouldn’t have ended up at the police station.”

  Pop motioned toward the TV, where reporters were still talking about Judge Harvey’s news conference. “You missed the news conference. Constantine Cordelli won’t be arresting anyone now.”

  Long after the officer left, Hannah huddled in the corner of the sofa, shaking with anger. What would Donovan do when he heard what happened? She could swear Pop to secrecy, but it wouldn’t do any good. Someone at the station was bound to tell Donovan.

  <>

  Donovan was riding a wave of euphoria when he walked into the house on Livingston Avenue. One look at the bruises on Hannah’s face, and that euphoria vanished. “What in the hell happened to you?”

  “Your friends at the station didn’t tell you?”

  He lifted her chin to look closer. It looked like a handprint. “Tell me.”

  “I took the garbage out and Cordelli grabbed me from behind.”

  “I’ll kill him.”

  “He’s walking funny right now, and he’s mad as hell. He tried to arrest me.”

  “He can’t arrest anyone now. He’s a wanted man.”

  Pop shook his head. “He may be a wanted man, but he’s also a dangerous one, like a wounded animal.”

  “It isn’t the first time he’s come after me. I should have been watching.”

  “In your own backyard?” said Pop.

  “Everywhere.”

  “C’mon, let’s go,” said Donovan.

  “Go where?”

  “To the station to file a formal complaint and get some pictures of those bruises. Pop, you’ll have to get Billy from school today. I don’t want him or Hannah to go anywhere alone until we get Cordelli locked in a cage.”

  The station buzzed with excitement. This was the first time Donovan had gone there as a private citizen and not as an officer of the law. An officer took pictures of the bruises on Hannah’s face and she filled out the paperwork to file a formal complaint against Captain Constantine Cordelli.

  By the time they left the station, an APB had been put out for Cordelli. Donovan didn’t want to arrest him. He wanted to kill the son-of-a-bitch for putting his hands on Hannah. For hurting her and scaring her.

  She looked up at his face. “Remember one thing. I know how to fight back. I promise you, Cordelli is hurting more than I am, and if he touches me again, he’ll be walking funny again. If that bastard thinks I’m like my mother, he’d better think again.”

  <>

  The Sunday afternoon planning session turned into a celebration. Giving Judge Harvey their evidence had turned out to be the right thing to do. He spoke as a respected private citizen concerned about the welfare of his city and the citizens of that city. If he wasn’t retiring from the bench, Porcini would have found a way to force him out. Now Porcini could be forced out.

  “The arrest warrant on Cordelli is icing on the cake,” said Perkins.

  Yes, it was, thought Donovan, but he didn’t want the man coming after Hannah again. And he would. Cordelli had a vicious temper, and he’d want revenge. Whatever else he did, he had to protect Hannah from another attack.

  Peterson glanced at Hannah. “We have to put that man behind bars before something else happens.”

  Donovan nodded. His men understood the importance of protecting Hannah. Every one of them had offered to take turns watching the house. He felt proud to be associated with such a fine group of men.

  Three days later, Police Chief Vittore announced his resignation. His temporary replacement would be Bob Plunkett, the retired police chief from Springfield.

  Two hours after the announcement, Plunkett called Donovan into his office and offered him the captain’s job.

  “As much as I’d like to take the job, I suggest you reinstate Captain Rogers. He’s close to retirement, but Vittore pushed him out so he could put Cordelli in.” Donovan cocked his head. “Are you offering my old job?”

  “Yes, I suppose I am, unless Captain Rogers decides not to come back.”

  “In that case, I’d definitely be interested in the job. What about the other men?”

  “They refuse to return to work without you, Detective Kane. Apparently, it’s all or none, and we can’t cover your work with officers who aren’t trained detectives.”

  “What about Perkins?”

  “He’ll be reinstated, but he won’t return without you.”

  “He’ll be lead on his team?”

  “Is he the best qualified?”

  “He and Peterson are both qualified, but Perkins has been covering Cordelli’s ass and functioning as lead on Cordelli’s team all along. He’s earned it.”

  Plunkett sat behind his desk staring at Donovan. “I heard you could be a hard-ass at times.”

  Donovan stared him in the eye. “And a damn good detective.”

  “A damn irritating one,” he muttered. “We’ll do it your way. I’ll offer Captain Rogers his job back and all the detectives, including you, will be reinstated immediately.”

  “What about the school crime prevention program Captain Rogers and I set up? Cordelli and Chief Vittore shot it down for political reasons.”

  Plunkett made some notes. “We’ll see about starting it up again.”

  “Okay. Good. I have more comp time coming, and I’d like to take it now.”

  “Vacation?”

  “No, sir, comp time. I still have five weeks of vacation coming, maybe six. It’s been so long since I took a vacation, I don’t remember.”

  “That’s a good way to burn out.” The chief stood and offered his hand. “Don’t stay gone too long.”

  Donovan shook his hand. “I’ll be back the first of the year, before if you get in a bind.” Sometimes being a hard-ass paid off. He had his job back and Cordelli and Vittore were both gone.

  Things were looking up.

  <>

  The situation with Monique had left Hannah depressed and withdrawn. She tried to stay upbeat for Billy’s sake, but it was a struggle. Memories of her childhood, of fighting off Monique’s men, of being left alone for days at a time, and of being locked in the trunk of that car, haunted her. Monique had been a lousy mother, and trying to sell the house out from under Hannah was the final straw. This time, she’d pay for her actions. Maybe she’d spend time in prison, but prison wouldn’t change Monique, and Hannah didn’t want to deal with her again. If and when she had children of her own, she didn’t want Monique around them.

  Her mother’s criminal history explained so much. Unexpected windfalls and shopping sprees, sudden moves across town or to another state, and Monique’s frequent name changes. It was unusual behavior for a woman who’d once been married to a police officer, but Hannah had never suspected her mother to be a criminal running from the law. She always thought it was just the way they lived.<
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  When she was fourteen, Hannah had to fight off the man they were living with and his friend, who was there often. Instead of helping her daughter, Monique encouraged Hannah to let them do what they wanted. She said she could make a lot of money doing it with older men. Hannah was so upset, she stole five hundred dollars from her mother’s purse and packed her bags. She was determined to make a better life for herself, and to her, that meant living in River Valley, with her grandparents. All she had to do was get there. She was ready to go when Monique said her grandparents had died. That day, Hannah locked herself in her room and cried for her grandparents and for herself. Everyone who loved her was dead.

  A part of her spirit died that day, the part that dared to hope for a better life. She distanced herself emotionally from Monique, which left her with no one. Running away was always an option, but she stuck it out through high school, living on her own much of the time and fighting off Monique’s men when she had to.

  Determined not to make her own children live as she had, Hannah put herself through college and made real friends, including Trevor, but she never told any of them what her life had been like growing up. Instead, she focused on the future. A future without Monique.

  For the four years Hannah was in college, Monique left her alone, and Hannah felt free to live as she wanted. Now she was free of Monique for good.

  To get her mind off Monique, Hannah picked up Charity’s diary and asked her what her room looked like when the house was built. Holding the diary, Hannah walked into the room. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to clear her mind and let the vision come through. When she opened her eyes, she saw the room as it had been in the past. The wall beside the hidden staircase had been paneled, and so had the ceiling, which was now painted white. The other three walls were papered with a delicate yellow rose pattern. The bed had a white quilt embroidered with yellow roses, and the rug that covered most of the gleaming wood floor was dark green, with roses woven into the pattern. The lacy white pillows on the bed each had a big yellow rose embroidered on it.

  “It’s beautiful, Charity. Thank you for showing me.”

  Donovan’s voice brought her back to the present. “What are you doing?”