Had he been that into what he was doing that he hadn’t heard the knock on the door? Must have been. “You should have rung the bell,” he grumbled. “Did you know there’s a warrant out for your arrest?”
Dylan’s throat bobbed again in time with the jerky nod of his head. His right hand curled into a fist that he shook with the sign for “Yes.” “I know. I saw the teachers talking about it in the office. They didn’t know I’d come down there to turn in some papers. They were saying that you were on the way to arrest me.”
“So you ran.” A statement.
Dylan nodded.
“And got my brother in the middle of it. What kind of friend does that?”
Tears gathered in Dylan’s eyes and Joseph hated to be so harsh, but the kid needed to realize the seriousness of his situation.
Dylan nodded, signing, “I know. That’s why when Alonso insisted I come find you, I had to do it.”
“He insisted, huh? Where is Alonso anyway?”
“He’s waiting on the porch. He said I had to do this. Turn myself in and let you see that I’m not guilty. That I’m willing to let you help prove that I’m not a killer. So, will you help me?”
Joseph stood and strode through the room, into the foyer and opened the door. His brother sat on the two-seater swing, rocking like he hadn’t a care in the world. He looked up when Joseph appeared in the doorway to sign. “Get yourself in here, little brother.”
A frown marred the teen’s forehead, but he didn’t argue, just rose and followed Joseph back into the house.
Once in the den, Alonso looked at Dylan and signed, “Well, did you ask him?”
“Yes.”
Joseph looked back and forth between the two. He signed to Alonso, “So you convinced him to turn himself in.”
“Yeah. Running was stupid and I told him that. I also told him that you would prove he didn’t kill Tracy or hurt Kelly but he had to turn himself in.”
The weight of his younger brother’s unwavering faith fell heavily on Joseph’s shoulders. “You told him that, huh?”
Alonso shrugged, signing, “Sure, it’s what you do and as you’re always saying, it’s what you do well, so why wouldn’t you be able to help my friend out?”
Joseph paced from one end of the room to the other, then turned to face his brother and sign, “All right, Mom and Dad went to the late movie after supper. I want to get this taken care of before they get back. So, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to call Detective Clark and let her know that I’m arresting you, all right?”
Dylan’s eyes went huge, but he didn’t say anything. Joseph continued, keeping his signs fluid, “You may have to spend some time behind bars, but I’ve got friends in the system and can probably get you in a cell by yourself, all right? So no one would bother you. It’ll buy us time to find out who’s behind all this, okay?”
Some of the fear left Dylan at Joseph’s reassurances. Being deaf, the kid would be terrified to be in a place where communication would be limited. Not that there weren’t other deaf inmates, but the majority of them were adults. No way was Joseph letting this kid be subjected to that if he could help it. “Who gave you a ride when you ran from here earlier?”
“Chad drove by and we hopped in.”
“Chad, huh? I thought he was mad at Dylan.”
“Naw, they made up. After he calmed down and he and Dylan talked about it, he doesn’t think Dylan had anything to do with killing Tracy any more than I do.”
“Why wasn’t he in school?”
Alonso flushed. Joseph answered for him. “Skipping, huh?”
His brother offered a shrug and looked away.
Joseph picked up his BlackBerry and punched the number he had on speed dial for Catelyn.
Officers crowded her small cottage-style house. The two-bedroom, two bath home glowed brighter than a Christmas tree on December 25.
Neighbors peered out windows, some stepped out onto their porches, and Catelyn knew she’d be the recipient of more casseroles and desserts than she’d be able to eat over the next few days. Not that her neighbors didn’t genuinely like her and visit occasionally, but Catelyn had a feeling visits would triple. They were good people, just a nosy bunch.
Paramedics and medical personnel swarmed her and she fought them off claiming she was fine. They insisted on bandaging the cut on her cheek. She let them just to get them off her back. Itching to get back in and help the crime-scene guys process her den, she finally pushed the good-intentioned hands away and hopped off the back of the ambulance. “Thanks, guys.”
Before stepping through the door, she scanned the front of her house and driveway. Four police cars sat outside her home. “I only wanted one unit,” she muttered under her breath.
And yet, she was secretly touched. They’d heard about one of their own being in trouble and had immediately responded. Couldn’t ask for more than that.
Sighing, she braced herself and went inside. Silently, she surveyed the mess. Then heard her phone ringing—somewhere. Where had she left it? Looking around, she spotted her purse on the table just inside the foyer by the door. Oh, right. Grabbing the bag, she fished the phone out and answered it on the last ring.
“Hello.”
“Catelyn?”
“Joseph?”
“Yeah. You busy?”
She looked around and gave a small laugh devoid of humor. “Um, a little bit, yes. Can I call you back in a couple of hours? Oh, wait a minute, what time is it?”
“It’s around eight-thirty, I think. I just wanted to let you know I’ve got Dylan Carlisle here my house. I’m placing him under arrest. You want to meet me at the station or come here?”
The floor shifted beneath her feet. “Excuse me? Did you just say you had Dylan Carlisle?”
“Nothing wrong with your hearing, is there?”
“Um, okay, right. It’s just I’m a little busy. Someone broke into my house and I’m dealing with the aftermath.”
“What?!”
She winced and pulled the phone away from her ear. “Nothing wrong with my hearing, remember?”
“Are you okay?” he demanded.
She was so tired of telling people she was fine. “I’m fine. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“You got it. We’ll be waiting on you.”
Ten minutes later, Catelyn finished giving her statement and once again assuring everyone she suffered no serious side effects of her run-in with the attacker.
Finally, the crime-scene guys packed it in. Sarah Hinson, part of the CSU team, stopped her as she rushed for the door. “We’ll check out the prints and stuff, but I’ll tell you right now, this is looking similar to the break-ins going on over on the west side of town.”
“I’ve heard about those, heard the chatter in the office, but haven’t really kept up with what’s happening.”
“Whoever’s involved is getting bold. They broke into a home with the owners there.”
Concern pinched her. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Nope, the old man was asleep on the couch. His wife was downstairs in the basement in their home office. Perps walked in an unlocked door and started hauling stuff away. Started in the bedrooms and worked their way forward. By the time the guy woke up and realized someone was in his house, it was too late. They ran, climbed into a waiting van and took off. The guy just said it was a nondescript blue van. Didn’t even get a license plate because he didn’t have his glasses on.”
“Scary.” And it was. “Look, I’ve got to run. Thanks for all your help.”
“Just doing my job. Take care of that head of yours.”
Wincing, Catelyn raised a hand to touch the knot at the base of her skull. Her cheek throbbed, too. “I will.”
She picked up the album that had fallen to the floor and placed it on the small table to the left of her front door. Her mother would just have to wait. She had a murderer to put behind bars.
Joseph heard her car pull into the driveway and let the boys know Ca
telyn had arrived. Dylan immediately lost what little relaxation he’d managed to achieve. Alonso blew out a sigh between pursed lips and eyed his friend.
When the knock came at the door, Joseph crossed the room to open it. She entered, her gaze zeroing in on Dylan. Seeing his slumped, dejected form, she stopped. For a brief moment, she looked like she’d rather be anywhere else; doing anything other than what she’d sworn to do.
Uphold the law.
“Catie.” Joseph breathed as he took in her bruised cheek and disheveled appearance.
She held up a hand. “I’m fine.”
Then she straightened her shoulders and marched into the den, signing, “Get up, Dylan, and let’s go. I suppose Joseph’s already read you your rights.” At his affirming nod, she signed as she talked, explaining that the DNA on the ring had come back matching Dylan’s. He raised a hand to his chin. To the cut Joseph had noticed his first day back. The cut he’d just figured had been a result of shaving.
Hesitantly, fear radiating off him in waves, Dylan rose and held out his hands. Catelyn efficiently snapped them into place and signed, “Let’s go.”
Joseph frowned at her brusqueness. Normally, in a situation on the street, he wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but here in his parents’ living room with a scared kid who’d just turned himself in, she seemed so…uncaring.
It hurt to watch. The Catelyn he’d known two years ago would’ve…no, he couldn’t think about that. At least she’d cuffed the kid’s hands in front of him so he could still communicate. Joseph turned to Alonso and signed, “I’ll be back. Tell Mom and Dad what’s going on when they get back, all right?”
He followed her to the squad car. An unmarked, beige Town Car that shouted “Cop.” Dylan obediently allowed Catelyn to herd him into the car.
Joseph settled into the passenger seat. He noticed she didn’t offer him the keys. “You’ve changed.”
Cranking the car, she ignored his statement. At least that’s what it looked like to him. They drove in complete silence to the jail. Things didn’t improve as they walked inside to the booking area.
Joseph cleared his throat. “I called his parents while we were waiting for you. They should be here somewhere. At least his mother will. You never know with his dad.”
She didn’t even blink, just nodded. “An interpreter is on the way.”
Even though he and Catelyn were both highly skilled in ASL, it would be a conflict of interest for either of them to act in the capacity of interpreter.
Twenty minutes later, Jonathan Wise arrived and jumped into his job with skilled professionalism. Dylan knew the man from the deaf school and seemed relieved, if a little embarrassed to see him. Dylan’s mother arrived shortly after the booking process began.
The interpreter explained to Dylan that he would have a hearing within seventy-two hours. Dylan shrugged. He’d been through this before, but had never been charged with something so serious. Once booked, Joseph led him to an interrogation room, the interpreter dutifully following.
Once in the interrogation room, Catelyn stood against the wall while Joseph sat down opposite of Dylan. The teen’s mother waited in another area and his lawyer was on the way.
Staring at Catelyn, he wondered at the expression on her face. Tense, resolute. Poor Dylan.
The door opened and a heavyset woman in her mid fifties entered the room. “I’m Rose Donovan, Dylan’s lawyer.”
After handshakes all around, the lawyer and her client faced off the Special Agent and the Homicide Detective.
Here goes round one, thought Joseph.
“Now, what’s my client being charged with?”
Catelyn sucked in a deep breath and repeated everything she’d told Dylan when he’d been arrested. The interpreter didn’t miss a thing.
“Now,” Catelyn concluded, “Jocelyn’s already read Dylan his rights, the interpreter was there and we’ve got it on camera. He understands everything.” She passed the paper to the lawyer who tapped it and nodded. “The big question tonight is why Dylan’s DNA was on Tracy’s ring when he claims he never saw her that night.”
The boy signed. “All right. Here’s the truth. The rest of it anyway.”
So, he had been holding back. Joseph felt anger twist his insides. “You should have come clean long before now, Dylan.”
Defiance flashed for a brief moment, then he dropped his eyes to the table. When he raised them to Joseph, he asked, “Just wait until I tell you everything before you get all mad.” Another deep breath. “I didn’t kill Tracy, so I didn’t think it would matter.”
Catelyn stomped to the table, leaned over and growled as she signed, “Spill. And if you leave out a single, solitary detail, I’ll nail your hide to the wall, do you understand me?”
Dylan recoiled, his own anger bubbling just below the surface. Joseph could see it clearly.
“Catelyn, back off a little, huh?”
She whirled. “Don’t tell me how to do my job.”
Whoa. Her eyes snapped a clear warning. He held up both hands in the universal gesture for surrender. “Fine.”
She gritted, “Thanks.” Turning back to Dylan, she took a deep breath. “Go ahead.”
Catelyn felt the raging anger deep down inside. Anger at Dylan, anger at herself for being a sucker once more, anger at Joseph for butting in and coming home. And anger at God.
Her knees nearly buckled at the realization. Stiffening her spine, she made sure none of her emotions showed on her face. Professionalism in its purest form radiated from her. She’d deal with this newfound self-awareness later.
Dylan started signing. “Yes, I was there with Kelly, just like I told you before. But—” his signs slowed “—Tracy was there, too.”
Catelyn blew out an annoyed breath. Dylan didn’t notice but Joseph shot her a look. She ignored it. “Go on.”
“When I walked up to meet Kelly, she and Tracy were arguing. I only caught part of the conversation, but what I understood was that Tracy wanted Kelly to get involved in something and Kelly didn’t want to.”
“What was she trying to get Kelly involved in?”
“I’m not sure.”
“But you have an idea?” This question came from Joseph. The lawyer’s sharp eyes missed nothing and Catelyn knew she’d stop her client if it even looked like he was going to say something to incriminate himself.
Dylan nodded. “I think Tracy was trying to get Kelly to join The Skulls. The gang. It’s getting really popular, growing by pretty big numbers.”
“But Kelly didn’t want to?” Catelyn furrowed a brow, concentrating hard.
“No. She thinks gangs are stupid. She and Billy both do. They’re more into the church scene, not the criminal stuff.” With a sense of relief, Catelyn took note of Dylan’s use of the present tense when he talked about Kelly. If he did know where she was, he just told them that she was still alive.
If he knew where she was.
“Anyway, I asked her what they were arguing about and she refused to tell me. Tracy started yelling at me about staying out of her business and told me what a loser I was.” He swallowed at the memory and wiped a hand across his lips, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
Catelyn and Joseph shared a look. And waited.
“Kelly got mad—” Dylan opened his eyes and finally signed, “At Tracy. She lost her temper and told Tracy she was done with their friendship, that blackmail was really low, but if she ever got her life straightened out or if she ever needed any help, Tracy could count on her to help, but if she kept doing the stuff she was doing, then they were done as friends.”
“Wow, that’s pretty heavy stuff,” Joseph empathized. “Blackmail, huh?”
Dylan nodded, then stared at the table as though gathering his thoughts.
Catelyn leaned in, not bothering to hide the ire she felt. “Wait a minute, Dylan, you didn’t mention the blackmail issue before. You didn’t think that was important?”
He dropped his eyes from hers. “I didn’t
actually remember it until just now.”
She tapped his hand and his eyes rose to meet hers. “Do you know who she was blackmailing?”
Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he signed, “No, I promise. I don’t have a clue who she’d be blackmailing.” He ran his fingers over his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose and signed, “Kelly was wearing my jacket. I’d given it to her earlier that day at school. When we turned to leave, Tracy grabbed the back of the jacket and jerked. Kelly’s arms pulled back and the jacket slipped off. Tracy gave it a toss—” he mimicked the move like he was flinging something aside “—and when Kelly stumbled, Tracy pushed her to the ground.”
“And you came to Kelly’s defense, didn’t you?” Joseph signed and asked the question at the same time, his voice soft, his signs slow. The interpreter mimicked his movements for the camera.
Dylan looked miserable. “Yeah, I did. When Kelly fell, Tracy went after her and lifted her foot like she was going to kick her right there on the ground.” He looked around the table. “I couldn’t just let her do that. I grabbed Tracy to pull her away from Kelly.”
“So you pushed her?”
He gave a shake of his head. “No. I just grabbed her arm and pulled. That’s when her hand flew back and her ring…” Fingers touched the healing spot on his chin.
Understanding crossed Joseph’s face and he gave her another look. She kept her gaze on Dylan. “Then what?”
“I let go and told Kelly to come on. She refused. I begged her and she said she had unfinished business and wanted me to leave. I started to argue with her, but she was getting mad, yelled at me to go away, so…I left. I don’t know what happened after that.”
Startled at the abrupt ending to the story, Catelyn sat back with a thump. “That’s it?”
Dylan shrugged. “That’s it. That’s why I didn’t say anything about being there. I don’t know what happened after I left,” he reiterated. “I didn’t think it was important. I didn’t think anyone would believe me. I just…”
A Silent Fury Page 8