“I get it,” Val said. “The thing is, I just can’t take your word for it. There’s a chance he was heading this way. The only people he knows up here are you and your daughters. I just want to find him and put him back in jail.” She slid her card across the table.
“You’ve seen my girls? They okay? I mean are they—”
“They’re fine.” Val tossed money down on the table and shrugged. She knew it was cruel. If Maria was going to talk to her, she had to have some leverage.
She wasn’t surprised to feel Maria’s hand on her arm or the request for her to wait. “My shift is over at one. Is there any way we can—”
“I’m kind of busy.” Val sounded bored. The pleading look in Maria’s eyes gave her the upper hand. “Fine. I’ll meet you across the street in the park.”
Maria whispered a thank you, and Val grabbed her bag. After making her exit, she broke out her laptop and searched for a signal. She popped her Bluetooth in her ear and went to work. The life of a US Marshal might seem exciting in the movies; in reality, there were a lot of little details. Paperwork, legwork, and good old-fashioned work were involved. Tracking down someone who didn’t want to be found went one of two ways: an early onset of stupidity and the guilty party was safely behind bars before the sun went down, or the guilty party was someone who possessed enough brain cells to fly under the radar. Albert “Bert” Beaumont was turning out to be smarter than Val had initially assumed.
By the time Maria joined her on the park bench, the only thing Val had to show for her efforts were a sore butt and a possible sighting at a fleabag motel on Route One. She was frustrated that no one was busting a sweat to find this guy. If it hadn’t been for Mills and the leverage she pulled, Val would have been on her own on this one. Normally, that wouldn’t bother her. But for a small city, Boston seemed to have a lot of hiding places.
When Maria arrived, she nervously took a seat next to Val, completely unaware that a federal agent had just been assigned to watch her morning, noon, and night.
“The girls, they’re okay?” Maria timidly asked.
“As far as I could tell.”
“Sorry. I don’t have a right to ask, do I?”
“You tell me.” Val’s interest was limited to Albert. She was listening to Maria’s sad tale simply because it might give her an idea as to where the weasel might be hiding. “I’m not here to judge you.”
“Ever sit back and look at your life and wonder what the hell happened?” Maria asked. “I don’t suppose you do.” She gave Val a curious look. “I had a good life. A good husband. Joseph was the love of my life. He had a good job with GE. We had two beautiful children, and then it was all gone. Funny that when your world is about to collapse, you really don’t see it coming. Donny, that was my boy, he was being picked on. We told him to ignore those boys, they’ll get tired and leave him alone. That didn’t work. They went from picking on him to out and out bullying him. Day after day he’d come home all beaten up. That was it for me. I went to the school. Twice. They claimed nothing was happening, except Donny’s attitude had changed and his grades were in trouble. It was like they blamed him. It was early on a Monday morning when Caitlin found him. He hung himself. Nothing can prepare you for losing your child that way. After he died, everything changed. Joe ended up shutting down completely. He worked longer and harder hours. He fell asleep behind the wheel. No surprise since he had been working back-to-back doubles for weeks. Three months, that’s how long it took for everything to happen. In three short months, I lost my son, my husband, and failed to see that my little girl was pretty much raising herself.”
“Hard thing to live through,” Val said.
“I never really pulled it together,” Maria continued seemingly unaware that Val was even there. “About a year and a half later, I met Albert Beaumont. I called him Bert. Albert sounded too dorky. Caitlin seemed fine around him. Bert was like a Godsend. He treated me right, not like I was damaged goods. Most folks tiptoe around you after you lose a child. Lose your husband and your child, most people just stay away. Bert was great. A couple of months later he moved in, and we got married. In the beginning, when Caitlin started acting out, I thought she was just missing her father. I couldn’t believe the things she said Bert tried to do to her. When she took a baseball bat to him, I was convinced that she needed help. Social services got involved when she went to the police. We all agreed that she was just angry about her dad. After Stevie was born, Caitlin doted on that girl. I let her. She watched her baby sister like a hawk. I had hoped that it would help, you know, that she’d start getting along with Bert. Things got worse. My husband knew just the right things to say, so no matter what, I’d believe him over my daughter. In the end, I lost both my girls, because I chose my man over my children.” Maria grew silent. The look in her eyes was clear; she was beaten. She sat there seemingly unable to speak until finally she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Val sat there studying Maria. The woman seemed relieved to have finally told someone her story. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that Maria was telling the truth. No way she’d accept responsibility then turn around and give good old Bert another chance.
“Miss Gallagher,” she said slowly, “it couldn’t have been easy.”
“Don’t offer me an out.”
“I’m not. Like you said, you chose your man over your kids. That doesn’t get you a pass. I just want to make sure he ends up where he belongs. You have my card. If you hear or see anything, call me.”
“You’re direct.” A hint of a smile colored Maria’s face. “My Joe was like that.”
“So are your girls,” Val said as she stood. “You want me to pass a message on to them?”
“No.” This time Maria sounded defeated. “Like you said, I don’t get a pass. But thanks.”
During the short drive from Waltham to Boylston, Val tried to process everything she’d learned in the last twenty-four hours. It amounted to a whole package of nothing. Bert should have bolted, but instead he headed to Boston. She couldn’t shake the sudden feeling he was there, lurking in the shadows.
“Who are you planning on visiting?” She couldn’t help asking out loud as she pulled her sedan up to the curb by the police station.
Chapter 18
“That’s the GPS tracking,” Leigh said, handing CC the information. “Puts Mrs. Stern in the park the day Annie disappeared.”
“During the kid’s naptime,” Max added. “Her suit is going to have a helluva time explaining that one.”
“You didn’t hear?” CC asked. “Mrs. Stern’s new suit is none other than Gilmore Standorf.”
“Well, that’s just dandy,” Leigh grumbled. “Has he ever lost?”
“A couple of times,” Max said. “The last time was the People vs. Sasha. Calloway made him look like an idiot. Standorf didn’t know whether he should spit or wind his watch.”
“I remember that one,” Leigh said and smirked. “A slam dunk as I recall.”
“No such thing,” CC said. “Which is why we need to check everything. Good old Snaps is still sitting on the fence regarding the assault charges.”
“How can he stand by her? She tasered his nuts.” Max shivered.
“Same as a woman in an abusive situation,” CC said. “Right now, Mr. Stern is iffy at best. Then there is spousal privilege, and whatever other crap Standorf can scrape together to keep the evidence out. Our biggest edge is the statements Mrs. Stern made to Mulligan.”
“Hard to explain,” Leigh said. “Mrs. Stern claims the girl quit but didn’t take anything with her, including her phone and her passport. GPS from the family SUV puts her in the park where we found the body. Standorf will go with hearsay. He’ll also try to get her confession thrown out. We still have Annie’s belongings being left in the house. No teenager leaves their cell phone behind.”
“Standorf is shrewd.” CC tapped her chin. “The DA needs everything we can get.” The phone on her desk rang, breaking her train of thought. “Callowa
y.”
“Calloway, it’s Mills. We need to talk.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s kind of personal.”
“What’s up?” she asked, already sensing why Mills was calling.
“I-I heard something,” she stammered. “It’s about Albert Beaumont. I should have talked to you sooner.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard he took a runner,” CC said and grunted. “Had a US Marshal on my doorstep last night. I’ll be honest with you, when Deputy Doodad showed up on my doorstep, I was ready to call Finn and rip into him. I can’t figure why they think Beaumont would look me up. Last time I saw the guy, I called him a lying piece of dung and promised that he’d rot in jail.”
“Word is he was spotted heading this way,” Mills said. “Could be just on his way to Canada. Never know.”
“Let’s hope,” CC responded quietly. “Thanks for giving me the heads-up.”
“Hey, it’s what we do. Again, sorry about not calling you sooner.”
“I know how these things go.”
“Truth is, it would have got lost if the out-of-towner hadn’t pulled some mighty big strings.”
“Brown?”
“Word is she has friends in high places. Good thing, because Finn wasn’t listening to Connecticut. Still I should have given you a shout.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mills.”
The call ended. Still troubled, CC returned her attention to Max and Mulligan. She tried to focus on the evidence. In the back of her mind, she kept asking one question. “Why in the world would Bert Beaumont come to Boston?”
“What is it?” Max wasn’t one to waste time. He probably guessed something was bothering CC. Maybe it was the way she kept banging her desk drawers and cursing like a sailor that gave her away.
“Mills was giving me a heads-up about Albert Beaumont.” Her mind was trying to process the information. “Seems he ducked out of his halfway house. Already had a visit from the Feds. He might be heading this way.”
“Beaumont?” Max said. “Who in the hell let that bastard out of prison?”
“Don’t care,” CC muttered. “I just want to know why he’s headed to Boston. The only people he knows here are me and Stevie.”
“And your mother.” A cool voice cut in.
“Ah, Deputy Dumb Ass,” CC said with a snarl. “Any reason you chose to leave that part out of our little chat last night? You know, the part where he was in the area.”
“Might be in the area.”
“If his wife is here, that would explain it,” CC reasoned.
“Ex-wife,” Val said.
“Mom finally did something smart.” CC tried to shrug it off. “Good luck with your search. If you find him, feel free to shoot him.”
“Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else,” Val suggested.
“We have work to do.” CC didn’t care if she sounded curt; she wanted this woman gone. “Some of us are interested in putting the bad guys away.”
“Nice.” Val grimaced. “I heard about your case. Suburban mom whacking the nanny. Sounds like you got her dead to rights.”
“Never know,” Max said, glaring at the marshal. “She’s got an expensive mouthpiece.”
“Murder rate is up around these parts,” Val said.
“The economy is down,” CC noted. “Most of what we get is gang related or domestic. Not much investigating involved. This case is different. Mrs. Stern is a pious pain in the ass.”
“No lie,” Leigh added.
“The one night she was in lockup, she managed to unite the skinheads and the sisters against her. Had to put her in protective custody.”
“Sounds like a real piece of work.”
“You could say that,” CC said. “Now that you’ve played nice, are you ready to explain yourself? Why didn’t you tell me Beaumont was in the Boston area?”
“Might be,” Val repeated. “You know how these leads go. It might be a bunch of crap. I’ll tell you what I know. I’d really prefer to do it in private.”
“Fine. Do you like crappy coffee? Ours is the worst in the country.”
“Actually, Paramus has the worst. Maybe we could get a breath of fresh air?”
“Dunkies?” Leigh and Max requested in unison.
“You want me to bring the both of you coffee? Break room’s down the hall and to the left.” CC charged out of the squad room with Val behind her.
“No offense,” Val said, “but what the hell is it with this town and Dunkin Donuts? I swear there’s one on every corner.”
“Because there is. And before you ask, it isn’t about the donuts.”
“But the coffee sucks?”
“What? I’ll ignore that, for the moment. Only because I have a list of questions for you.”
“Such as?”
“Why didn’t you tell me my beloved stepfather might be in the area? Why are you flying solo? Bit unusual for a marshal to be tracking a fugitive all alone.” CC felt a steady pounding in her ears from her steadily rising blood pressure.
“I didn’t tell you until I had to,” Val said as she followed after CC. “No need upsetting you or your family. If I could bag Beaumont, then let you know, all the better. I haven’t got him, just a feel that he’s in the area. That’s why I went to you alone.”
“So you have a team in place?” CC stopped dead in her tracks. “You’ve been watching my family? Son of a bitch!”
“Mostly your sister.” Val remained calm. “Wouldn’t you? Come on, why else would he show up here, if not for his kid and hers?”
CC’s stomach churned. It was too much. After all these years, her own personal bogeyman was back. She was furious that she and her family were being watched. “You should have come to me sooner.”
“Come on, Calloway. You know what it’s like. You have to get into their heads. It’s a dark place. I’m doing what I have to do. The more I know, the easier it will be to catch him. There’s no reason other than your family for him to come here.”
“My mother.”
“I don’t think so.” Val shook her head. “She saw the light after his arrest in Connecticut. Dumped him and ran. Chances are he doesn’t even know she’s here. Hell, I had trouble finding her.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“Did you know?”
“I wasn’t looking.”
“Who does he know here besides you? You never left even after your family moved out of state.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” CC fought the urge to throttle Val. “I was fifteen, and they kicked me out because I’m a big dyke.”
“Where were you? I’m looking at a three-year gap.”
“What difference does it make?” CC shouted only to receive a blank stare in return. “It isn’t germane. The only contact I had with my family was my kid sister. Her safety was all I cared about. As for the rest, I got by.”
“Someone had to be helping you. I know this is hard. I hate prying into another cop’s life.”
“Back then, it was considered striking out on your own.” CC forced the words out. “Look, the last thing my loving mother said to me was, ‘If that’s the way you are, go live with your funny uncle.’”
“Jesus, you were fifteen.”
“I never said we were the Waltons.” CC was already weary of the conversation. “Like I said, I got by. With the exception of my sister, no one in the family knew where to find me. Eventually, I did end up living with my uncle. Just find Beaumont. My family has been through enough.”
“I’ll find him, and I promise to keep you in the loop. Just tell me, is there anyone who might have coerced him into coming up here? Like your uncle?”
“Mac?” CC scoffed. She knew what the good deputy was thinking. “Look, he was pissed when he found out what was going on. I told him to stand down. After all these years, why bother? Do me a favor. Mac C isn’t a favorite with the boys in blue. Unless they need to place a bet. Most of them don’t know he’s my uncle. I’m a clean cop.”
“I got you,” Val said. “No one knows he’s your uncle, and you’d like to keep it that way. I still need to talk to him.”
“He’s at the Lucky Seven. Usually hooked up to a tank of oxygen. Refuses to give up the smokes. Uncle Mac can barely walk across the street. I doubt he has the energy to set up a hit on a guy he hasn’t seen in twenty-some-odd years.”
“Thank you, and I will keep you in the loop.”
“You better. Trust me, my bad side isn’t where you want to be.”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
“He took a powder about a week ago?”
“Yes, why?”
“Could be nothing.” CC hesitated, her heart thumping. With everything going on with the Stern case, she had forgotten about the strange greeting card. “I was in California for a night, and my sister got a weird greeting card in the mail.”
“What did it say?”
“Happy Father’s Day.”
“Jesus.” Val gaped at her. “Where is it? I need to have forensics look at it.”
“They already are.” CC unclipped her new cell phone. “Corey, it’s Calloway.” She listened to his grumbling for a moment before cutting him off. “Yeah, I know you’re busy. Did you get a look at that card I dropped off?”
“Yes, and I came up with nothing. The only prints I can trace back to postal workers, your sister, and your wife. No DNA on the envelope either. Whoever sealed it used garden variety tap water.”
“Hold on to it. There’s a marshal by the name of Brown on her way to see you. Give it to her and tell her what you told me What about the DNA tests on those belts for the Fraser case?”
“You never let up,” Corey grumbled. “Just got the results, two hits the victim and Natalie Stern. That should make the DA happy. So, do I get a cookie?”
“Your wife is going to kill me.” CC almost laughed. “Help me wrap this one up and you get cheese cake.”
“I love you.”
“What?” Val asked once CC hung up.
Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) Page 13