Closing the file on Billy Ryan left her with one outstanding case. As she made her way through the corridors of the state forensics building, she asked herself once again if Annie Fraser’s murder was behind all of this? She could feel it in her gut that Annie’s death had nothing to do with the drama that had suddenly appeared in her life. Someone was making a big show out of making her chase her tail.
“All smoke and mirrors,” she muttered before greeting Max who huffed and puffed to catch up with her.
“I hate these things,” he said with a grunt.
“Yeah.”
“Jamie holding up okay?”
“I think so.” They approached three people who were standing in the waiting area. CC was all too familiar with the defeated looks on their faces. “She stayed at work. I figured with all the police action going on there, it’s the safest place for her.”
“Good call.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Ryan,” CC said in soft, sincere tone. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m equally sorry to have to ask you to do this.”
“We understand,” Mr. Ryan choked out. “In many ways, we’ve been expecting this for years.”
“Billy’s problems have been a long struggle,” the younger man spoke. “I’m Jim Robixteau. Billy and I were in the same fraternity at UC San Diego.”
“We asked Jim to join us.” Mrs. Ryan’s words were shaky. “He was at the last intervention. We thought sending Billy here for rehab would be good. He wouldn’t be able to get in touch with any of his connections, like he did last time.”
“Where was he getting treatment?” CC carefully inquired.
“McLean, it has a stellar reputation,” Mrs. Ryan sniffed.
“Max, would you take them in, please?” CC handed the Ryans over to her partner while she and Jim stayed out in the waiting area. “It’s nice of you to join them,” she said to the tall, good looking young man.
“I had no idea Billy had gotten this bad,” he said with a hard swallow. “I’ve been away. I ran into him at a funeral for another friend of ours. When his parents asked for my help, I was more than…”
“Where have you been?” CC asked when his words trailed off.
“Africa,” he said without bravado. “Peace Corp. I did two terms.”
“What was that like?”
“You’ve heard the ads, toughest job you’ll ever love? It’s true. If my family hadn’t insisted it was time for me to come home, I’d still be there. I can’t believe I’m going to another funeral. This will be the third one in a month. They say these things happen in threes.”
CC digested the information. Jim was Billy and Simon’s frat brother before they left UCSD.
“Can I ask you about Billy when he was at the university? He dropped out, didn’t he?”
“Yes and no. The frat and the university asked him to leave. I made that happen. I figured it would be easier on his parents if he quit instead of being tossed out.”
“Why was he on his way to being kicked out?”
“He had been on academic probation. Tag on his drug use and another thing that happened and his departure was imminent.”
“What other thing? If you don’t mind me asking?” She gently nudged.
“He and another brother were caught cooking up GHB.” Jim turned pale. “Don’t let his parents know. The other guy had good grades, so he transferred. I couldn’t let it slide. I was the president of Delta. I hate the image fraternities have. You know, spoiled rich boys who party and won’t take no for an answer. That’s not what it’s about. Maybe if I had reached out more to Billy…”
“It sounds like he made his choice. I know that isn’t very comforting. I’m sorry to ask you about all of this. It’s just… the other guy. Was that Simon Fisher?”
“Yes.” He was clearly taken aback. “How did you know?”
“I was the one who arrested him.”
“Oh? I don’t know very many details about Simon’s troubles, since I was away. When my parents told me, I was shocked. Simon seemed to be truly grieving over Janie’s disappearance. I even helped him organize searches. To find out it was him the whole time threw me. Then I thought about him and Billy cooking up a date rape drug during a time when he was supposed to be out looking for Janie. I can only hope he gets the help that he needs and perhaps finds his way.”
“I can see why Mr. and Mrs. Ryan asked you to join them.”
He seemed confused by CC’s compliment, further bolstering her belief that Jim was a good person.
The identification was finished. They wrapped up the paperwork as quickly as possible allowing Marissa to release the body. Jim helped Billy’s family with the arrangements.
“Seriously, that guy is bucking for sainthood,” CC said.
“I don’t buy anyone being that good.” Max gave a snort.
“Come on, let’s see what Vergas has for us before you canonize the guy.”
“Nice of you to join us,” Dr. Vergas tossed out a dig.
“I’ve been kind of busy.” CC rolled her eyes, not in the mood for one of Marissa’s tirades. “Let me guess. An overdose?”
“Yes and no.”
“Okay.” CC waved her hand in an effort to get Marissa to spit out the information before she was ready to file for retirement.
“The guy was shooting up with some very fine heroin and cocaine. The best money can buy. Which assisted in his death. The stuff was cut with some funky stuff.”
“What kind of stuff? Tylenol? Baby powder? Laxatives?” CC was disappointed when each suggestion was dismissed. “Fine, let’s see there’s sugar, sleeping aids, powdered milk?”
“None of the above.” Marissa had a smirk on her face. “Sodium hydroxide.”
“Which is?”
“Drain cleaner. Sorry, it’s a homicide.”
“How do you figure?” Max asked. “So the dealer cut it with something dangerous. Nothing new there. These guys will cut drugs with anything.”
“Hey, don’t blame me. Calloway was the one who told me to be extra diligent. Good thing, too, or I wouldn’t have done such an intense tox screen and just written it off as an overdose.”
“Thank you, Calloway,” Max said with a groan.
“Never saw anything like this before. The drugs were only cut with drain cleaner,” Marissa said. “This stuff is pure grade. The kind of stuff you can only buy if your parents own a small nation or you’re a big, and I mean really big, rock star. This grade of drugs can’t be found on the streets. Not on our streets anyway. I’ve already checked with Vice. If for some idiotic reason you cut this stuff, why use something lethal? Someone wanted this guy dead. And they spent a small fortune to do it. No way he walked up to a neighborhood dealer and scored this stuff.”
“Great,” CC grumbled. “The hits just keep on coming. Okay, tomorrow we head out to McLean to talk to his rehab buddies. Everyone knows the best place to score drugs is in rehab. Thanks, Vergas.”
“My pleasure.”
“Is it me, or is she getting snotty?” CC asked Max once they were free of the smells of the autopsy room.
“Didn’t you sleep with her?”
“Like a hundred years ago. I need to give Brooks a call.”
“Oh no you don’t. You are not turning this into a conspiracy. You have more important things to focus on. Take some time off. I’ll ask the boss if he wants Mulligan to ride with me. If he wants to bring her over, this would be a good time to get her involved. I’m not buying that someone went out of their way to off this guy. Sounds like he just bought the wrong bag of drugs.”
She chose not to argue. Brooks was right. Something was going on. But until her family was safe, she couldn’t focus on anything else. “You know what? You’re right. Let’s head back and talk to the captain.”
She did call Brooks and conceded that something really was going on. His excitement over her news died quickly.
“I can’t connect the dots,” CC said, “and I can’t get caught up in this.”
“
What are you saying?”
“I have to sit this one out.”
“Calloway?”
“I’m taking some time off. Once the dust settles, I’ll be on this.”
“I can’t believe you’re bailing on me!”
“My family is in danger.”
“Shit, Calloway, why didn’t you tell me? What can I do to help?”
“Keep an eye on Fisher. I don’t need to be worrying about him.” She felt a slight sense of relief. “Your friend Brown is working on the mess here in Boston. I meant what I said. Once this freaking nightmare is over, I’m all yours.”
“Just be careful, Calloway.”
“You, too.”
* * *
Val sat in the conference room staring at the board. It wasn’t that much different from the ones she had seen displayed in Calloway’s home. Mills placed a fresh cup of coffee next to her. She nodded her thanks and offered Mills a seat.
“Mary Shelley. What an idiot,” Mills said. “Although kind of appropriate.”
“Think we created a monster?”
“I think we’re the helpless villagers.”
“Good. Most of them survive. It was Frankenstein’s creator that got it in the end.”
The rest of the team shuffled in. There were a few faces missing because they were working a detail; the only notable exception was Finn.
“Where’s Finn?”
“Reassigned,” a commanding voice said.
Val was the only one in the room who didn’t jump when the lead field officer stormed in. “Oh.” Val shrugged with an air of indifference. “And my new liaison will be?”
“I am.” Chief Deputy Lester Ledger had a slight twinkle in his eyes. Val had briefly met the man when she first arrived. She liked him. Despite his small stature and graying hair, he possessed a strong presence. She finally felt as if her luck was turning.
“Because?” She didn’t really care. She was happy to be rid of Finn; the guy was a slacker. Now that she knew the reason why he was dragging his feet, she liked him even less.
“When one of my people explains to me that it wouldn’t have mattered if he had followed protocol because the perp wouldn’t have been apprehended, I find that to be a piss-poor excuse.”
Val stiffened ever so slightly when she spied the subject of their conversation entering the room. Detective Calloway was right behind him.
“My notes.” Finn slapped a very thin folder down in front of her.
“Gee, thanks,” Val said as she flipped through the three pages of nothing.
Finn ignored her jab and turned, almost running directly into Calloway.
“Mark,” CC said in a taunting tone. He muttered something under his breath that only Calloway could hear. Whatever it was made Calloway smirk.
“Three pages.” Ledger was clearly disgusted as he flipped through the notes. “We’ve got a sexual predator roaming the streets, and he gives me three pages. Detective, please join us.”
“Sure, Les.” CC seemed to accept his terms. Val wasn’t so certain. “Any more coffee?”
“I’ll get you a cup,” Mills merrily volunteered.
“Tell me again that Finn didn’t do anything,” Ledger tried to say to Calloway in a quiet tone.
Everyone in the room tensed up. The US Marshals had a zero tolerance for domestic incidents. It was one of the reasons Val chose to serve with them after her departure from the military. If Finn had stepped anywhere near going over the line when he busted up the little party, it would mean losing his silver star. No ifs, ands, or buts.
“No, he did not,” CC said. The tension seemed to lift as Mills placed a fresh cup of coffee down near the still standing detective.
“Why not take a seat?” Val didn’t enjoy the fact that Calloway was towering over her. She wasn’t in the mood for a power struggle. She felt a small twinge of relief when CC shed her coat and took a seat next to Ledger. Val shook her head. Not a big power play, but a strategic move just the same.
“Detective Calloway is on temporary leave from the Boylston PD,” Ledger told everyone. “We all know this case is hitting close to home for her. I’ve invited her here out of courtesy. Detective Calloway has worked with us on many occasions, and I don’t see her as a threat to this investigation.” He turned to CC. “That doesn’t mean you are a part of this investigation. Is that understood?”
“Afraid I’ll go all Dirty Harry on you?”
“Yes. I need to know that you understand that Deputy Brown is in charge. Now, let’s get to work. Brown, tell me what we know and what we don’t know. And do it quickly. Every second this piece of garbage is on our streets is one second too long. Understood?”
Val proceeded to explain the situation. How the tips came in just a little too late. The prepaid cell phones and the near misses they had encountered. She went over every detail and concluded with more questions than answers.
“That’s it. We’re guessing that someone is guiding his hand. The who or why is unknown. For the moment, our main concern is catching him, which is why we need to figure out where his next stop will be. I think he’ll show up somewhere very close to the Calloway residence. As we all know since the Adam Walsh Act, the Marshal Service is responsible for sex offender tracking. Dropping the ball on this one isn’t making the suits in the capital happy. That’s why they’ve agreed to let me stay on.”
“Why do you think, he’ll show up near the Calloway home?” Ledger asked.
“All of his little guest appearances have been quick and almost without a sense of purpose.” Val didn’t miss the way CC winced. “Until now. When he showed up at Dr. Jameson’s work, it was a clear indication that the stakes have been raised. He won’t be stupid enough to show up at Detective Calloway’s job. That leaves his daughter and granddaughter. There’s a long weekend coming up. My plan is to place Emma Quinn, the granddaughter, somewhere safe. His daughter, Stevie Calloway, works from home and doesn’t venture far from there. It makes sense that he’ll show up in the neighborhood. It’s accessible by your wonderful subway system. Easy for him to show up and duck out.”
“How can you be sure he hasn’t been there already? Or he’ll even be spotted if and when he does?” Ledger asked.
“Despite bordering on the city, it’s a quiet neighborhood,” Val explained, “with a good Neighborhood Watch. We’ve been tagged every time we’ve been there. You have some very observant neighbors, Detective. Even your mail carrier made us, which means we need to integrate people,” she added, informing the team she was less than pleased that they hadn’t managed to observe without being spotted. “Right now, Dr. Jameson is working at the hospital. Beaumont’s ex-wife, Maria Gallagher, is home in her apartment in Waltham. Stevie Calloway is at home with her daughter along with her daughter’s father, Brad Quinn. And Detective Calloway is gracing us with her presence. These are the key players. Some of you may have deduced that I like being the one in control. Up until this moment, some unknown factor has been running the show. That stops now.”
“You have a plan?” Mills asked hopefully.
“I do. First we get Emma Quinn out of harm’s way. Then we move at least one operative into the Calloway residence.”
“Excuse me?”
Val could tell by the tone of her voice that CC was less than pleased.
“We want to do this without tipping our hand.” Val fought to keep her voice as professional as possible. “As you astutely pointed out earlier this evening, Detective, every child in the area is in danger as long as Beaumont is on the loose. We’ll need your sister’s permission, of course. I’d like to move her with Emma.”
“She’ll say no.”
“I know. For the moment, our team needs to review our tactics so we can blend in. Starting with a new gardener. I noticed that your wife and sister maintain the yard work. Also, your new home needs work done. I’ll go over the more intricate details later with you and your family.”
“Not warming up to you,” CC said with a snarl.
<
br /> * * *
CC sat back and listened to Deputy Brown’s plan. On paper, it wasn’t half bad. The only problem was if it ended badly her family’s well-being was on the line. She did her best to listen without interrupting, making only a few suggestions before she agreed to be there when Brown talked to Stevie.
After the meeting broke up, CC asked Val to join her for a private chat. It was time for the deputy to learn that she wasn’t the only one with control issues.
Once inside a quiet office, CC held her breath, wondering if what she was about to do was pure genius or incredibly stupid. Val was studying a file with her back to CC. Quietly, CC drew her weapon and placed it against the back of Deputy Brown’s head. Before she could cock her weapon, she was on the floor, her 9mm wrenched from her grasp. She struggled to catch her breath as she found herself kneeling on the floor staring up at Val’s carefully aimed Glock.
“Have you lost your mind?” Val emptied the clip of CC’s gun.
“Not just yet, but I’m getting there.” CC held up her hand to show Val she wasn’t going to try anything stupid. “I just had to be sure before I trusted you with the most precious thing in my life.”
“About?”
CC remained calm, knowing that if she made one twitchy move she’d be dead.
“I had to know the phantom we are chasing isn’t you. Like you said, you’re not supposed to be here. That makes you a wild card. I did some digging into your past and couldn’t find out a lot. Makes me wonder just what it was you did in the navy.”
“You dug into my past?” Val asked with a laugh.
“Stevie tried to dig into your past.”
“I figured as much, since you can’t work your phone. Are you satisfied that your family’s going to be safe in my hands? Or maybe I should kick the shit out of you first. You know, just in case you need a little more convincing.”
“No, I’m satisfied.” CC rose to her feet. “That makes twice you could have hurt me, or worse, and you didn’t. I can trust you with my sister’s life. Not her virtue, but her life. Can I have my gun back?”
Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) Page 20