by Alexa Steele
She smiled at the memory and instantly felt better. Detective DeFranco was no match for her. If she needed to deal with her she would. She had been to hell and back. This was just a mere wasteland, in between. Now that word was out about the connection between Joslyn and the girls, things would speed along. The morning’s papers offered up the kinds of headlines she had dreamt of. SOCIALITE’S AND TEENAGE GIRLS’ DEATHS CONNECTED. SERIAL KILLER PREYS IN POSH GREENVALE. MYSTERY DEEPENS AS DETECTIVES CALLED IN FROM BRONX.
The crests had worked.
Pretty soon, they would all be lured back into her old world: the world of Dunmore.
CHAPTER 27
“How the hell did this happen? Who leaked it?” Bella barked furiously into the phone.
She listened to Dennis’s reaction then erupted.
“It had to have been one of your guys ’cause it sure as hell wasn’t one of ours!”
“Ugh!!” she moaned when she hung up. She wanted to punch something, but there was nothing to hit. She put her head in her hands, oblivious to Mack watching her. They had stopped at the diner after the funeral for lunch and to cool off and had not spoken very much on the way from the cemetery, each hot, tired, and in their own heads.
“What did he say?” Mack drawled.
“What you would expect. Nothing. That the leak didn’t come from them,” she answered sourly.
“This is exactly what we didn’t fucking want!” Mack acknowledged.
He rubbed his hands through his hair and looked for Rosie. She was nowhere in sight so he turned his attention back to Bella.
“Well, I got info you’re gonna want to hear,” Mack offered. “Might lighten the mood.”
“Where were you yesterday by the way?” Bella barked, throwing the full thrust of her focus upon him. “Why didn’t you answer my texts? Did you even read them?”
“I read ’em,” Mack replied, a bit self-consciously. “By the time I did I had already become buddies with the guy you texted me about. I was one step ahead of you, and that ain’t easy,” he chuckled.
“OK,” Bella answered, brushing the compliment aside. “So why not answer me?” She was irritated about the crests being leaked to the press, and now felt irritated in general.
Mack didn’t say anything. He shrugged, stretched his arms high over his head, took a deep breath, and yawned. He seemed out of it.
“What’s up with you?” Bella asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Nada, nada,” he answered. “Just tired this morning, that’s all.”
She looked at him carefully now, for the first time. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was messy, and his eyes looked glassy.
“Did you sleep last night?” she asked.
Mack gave a short chortle and diverted his eyes.
“Want to hear what I found out?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
“We can’t work this together if you fall off the radar like you did yesterday,” she stated.
“You’re right,” he said sweetly. “I’m sorry. I just kind of checked out a bit, I guess.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I found my way to a party where the beer didn’t stop flowing and I kind of came up for air a few hours ago. Trying to get my head back on straight.”
He saw Rosie then and motioned for her to bring over coffee.
“You have any Advil on you?” he asked Bella.
Bella couldn’t believe her ears.
“Are you kidding me? You pulled an all-nighter with a bunch of fucking high school kids and got drunk?”
“Not drunk. Smashed to hell. You gotta see how these kids party. Ain’t seen anything like it, ever I think. The parents are out of town for the weekend. Fell asleep on the kid’s couch.”
He rubbed his temples and grinned. “Man, I ain’t as young as I used to be,” he laughed.
Bella looked at him in disbelief. “Jesus Christ.”
“Listen, if Billy hears about this he might pull me. Truth is, I wasn’t so pumped about working this. I admit it. But now that I’m here, I’m kind of getting back into it. Can we keep this one between ourselves? Won’t happen again.”
Bella didn’t know what to say. In the few instances where she had been forced to deal with a partner’s bad judgment she had found herself losing faith, and respect, almost instantly. She looked at Mack—his unshaven face, rumpled hair, and huge tattooed arms—and realized that in the last few days he had actually grown on her.
He had impressed her with the way he handled Jamie, Ethan, Weber, and the group of women they had encountered. He held his own with the men and sweet-talked the women with precision. He asked good questions and listened well. And his instincts seemed fine-tuned and aligned with hers. They had yet to butt heads so far.
On a personal level, there was something about him she found comforting. She had never needed or looked for chivalry from any of the guys she had been paired with, but on more than one occasion, Mack had shown a protectiveness over her she couldn’t help but appreciate, and like. He swooped in to save her from Stephanie’s intrusiveness. He offered to get her coffee on more than one occasion. He inquired into how she felt. Maybe because Ryan was no longer around she was more susceptible than normal to these gestures. In any event, Ryan or no Ryan, she had grown to like him. Much to her surprise, Bella was in no rush to get rid of him. That, in and of itself, was no small feat.
“Do you give me your word?” she asked.
He nodded and crossed himself. “Scout’s honor.”
“OK.”
Bella looked over her shoulder to see Rosie hurrying toward them.
“Sorry, sorry…crazy morning,” sang Rosie as she poured hot coffee. “What else do ya need, sweetie?”
“Any extra Advil in the back?” Bella joked.
Rosie ran off to look.
“So how’d it go?” Bella asked. She felt calmer now.
“I got in with JJ, real name Johnny James Holden. He’s a kid as you know—sixteen years old—but he’s the go-to guy for late-night study jams, long tests—just like you said—anything and everything when your stamina and focus need a little boost.”
“What does he deal in?” Bella asked.
“Speed, Beans, Black Beauties, Christmas Trees, Double Trouble, Molly—he’s got it all. I found Johnny where they said he’d be and we had a little chat.” Mack smirked.
“And?” Bella raised her eyebrows.
Mack had gotten what he wanted and more.
“JJ knows Carly well,” Mack began. “He was introduced to her this year by one of her best friends and one of his regulars. She and her friend were good for a bag of thirty-milligram babies a month, at three grand a pop. They have been grinding them up, snorting, the works. Joslyn was right—about Carly and about it being sold at school.”
Bella closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “Does this friend have a name?”
“Sure does.” Mack grinned. “A name you will recognize. Jessie Jordan.”
Bella’s eyes widened.
“Son of a bitch,” she exhaled.
“Yeah, they’re into it big time. Not only that, JJ thinks Jenna knew all about it. He said Jessie bragged her mom gave her money as long as she got straight A’s. He didn’t know what, if anything, Jos knew. Claims he never met her.”
Bella didn’t respond right away. She was thinking about what kind of mother gives her kid money to buy drugs. After a moment she spoke.
“So he has nice amounts if he’s selling a bag a month just to our girls,” Bella noted. “Where’s this kid getting it?”
“Took a hard line with him to get the name. He was more than reluctant to give it up. But he did when he heard where he was headed. You ready?” Mack’s eyes sparkled with adrenaline.
Bella could feel a doozie coming.
“Ridley Westin.” Mack said flatly.
Bella jaw dropped. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“He’s been supplying him for months. Kid’s scared shitless no
w.” Mack smirked again.
“So that’s it?” Bella said, beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. “It makes sense. It all connects. Does Billy know?” she asked. “What more do we need?”
“Billy knows. I texted him this morning. They’ve got everyone looking for him. Makes sense on a lot of levels. He had motive, opportunity, he’s a killer. Fucking creep. I can’t get wait to get my hands on him.”
Bella was lost in thought a moment and didn’t respond.
“You text Billy and not me?” she teased. “Now I’m hurt.”
“You I had to tell in person,” he smiled.
“Why kill the girls though?” Bella asked, beginning to feel uneasy.
“Don’t know. But I’m sure it’s all connected through the drugs. I’d bet my life on it. He must have known Jos was snooping around.”
“We still don’t know what the crests mean,” Bella pointed out.
“Probably some sick message he picked up in prison. Maybe gang related. Who knows? Hey, the guy was supplying JJ. Jos was snooping around. He got wind of it and took care of her. Now he’s on the run. Open and shut.” Mack looked satisfied.
“OK, so what do you want to do until we have him? How do you want to play it with the girls?” asked Bella. “Want to get narcotics up here?”
“Not yet,” Mack answered. “We’re up here. Let’s take a crack at them ourselves. Let’s pay Jessie a visit and invite good old dad into our tête-à-tête. Nothing like the prospect of your little girl being hauled off to jail, especially when she’s waiting to hear from her dream school, to get a dad talking. Maybe he and mom know more than we realize,” he grinned. “Let’s have some fun.”
He was revved up at the thought, like a little boy who knows he’s about to enter a candy store.
She pictured Jessie curled up on a chair at Erika’s kitchen table, swearing she and Carly bought only one pill. What a little liar.
Just then Mack’s cell vibrated with a text from Billy.
URGENT. CALL ASAP.
“Let’s call from the car,” Mack suggested as he motioned for the check. “They must have found Ridley.”
CHAPTER 28
“Listen up,” Billy barked into the phone. They were sitting in their car in the parking lot. “You ready?”
Mack and Bella shared a look.
“You got him?” Bella asked.
“Who?” Billy grunted.
“Ridley!” Her expression was one of impatience.
“This has nothing to do with Ridley,” Billy said, sounding grave. Bella looked surprised and disappointed.
“OK, so what’s up?” Mack asked.
“Mikey burned the midnight oil on your hunch, my dear. We may have hit pay dirt.”
Mack raised his eyebrows, surprised. Bella drew a blank. For a moment, she did not follow what Billy was referring to. She was so consumed with thoughts of Ridley that she forgot Billy had promised to have Mikey look into Weber’s past. Bella switched gears.
“Talk to us,” Bella said.
“Apparently, Weber worked at Dunmore from 1984 to 1986, just like she told you. What she neglected to mention was how she stayed on after her boss, the head psychiatrist in the female ward, was fired amid accusations of sexual abuse. Weber took over the position from him and remained there for the next four years.”
Billy paused and they could hear him taking a deep breath.
“She inherited some pretty crazy shit,” he continued. “The only reason the hospital weathered the bad publicity that came with those accusations was because of the support it received from its patron saint, Bobby Barker, a wildly popular television entertainer for children. He gave the place millions of dollars. Took the hospital under his wing as his pet project.”
Again Billy paused. Bella was glad he did. She was trying to process where he was going with this and why someone would have a vested interest in a hospital for the criminally insane.
Billy continued. “He donated so much money, in fact, that he was given his own set of gold keys, a suite in which to stay during his frequent visits, and free rein and access to all of the patients, most importantly the women.”
Mack and Bella looked at one another. They understood instinctively that whatever was coming next wasn’t going to be pretty.
“What the public and authorities did not know at the time, and what would eventually come to light, was that Bobby Barker was a sadistic sexual predator. His name and involvement were protected during the first eruption of accusations, those in which Dr. Weber’s boss was fired. But, four years later when the second and final wave of accusations hit Dunmore—that’s when the hospital was finally shut down. Those four years when Bobby reigned were the ones when Weber ruled the female ward.”
There was complete silence on both ends of the phone now, as if all three of them needed to digest this information, to process what it meant. Bella finally broke the silence.
“How’d he get away with it so long?” she asked, incredulous. She thought of what Ryan had told her about the place.
“Money,” Billy said simply. “He bought people off and gambled that accusations by patients wouldn’t be heeded. He was right. They were criminally insane inmates, for Christ’s sake, doped up half the time, growing old behind bars, forgotten by their families. Who the hell was going to take their word over his?”
“But Weber’s boss got shown the door,” Mack observed.
“A lucky break and an isolated incident,” Billy replied. “One of his targets choked on her vomit and died in bed. The autopsy showed she’d been raped. She was nineteen. DNA nailed him.”
They were quiet.
“The chaos at the hospital grew worse,” Billy continued. “Bobby wasn’t satisfied with only raping the women. He befriended the most violent patients in the place, who helped him run the hospital. The staff turned a blind eye. Bobby and his posse held female-only dance parties as social relief for the patients, visited any room they wanted at night, even those—ahh, it’s too sick to say—even those who were paralyzed. He befriended Jerry Janson—you might remember him better as the Creepy Crawler?”
“Mother of God,” exhaled Mack. Bella stared into the phone, shocked.
Billy continued. “This may never have come to light, but for the grace of God. Two female patients saved years’ worth of evidence and went straight to the authorities when they got out. A federal investigation followed into the hospital, its staff, and Barker personally, culminating in his being charged with hundreds of counts of aggravated sexual abuse and rape.”
Mack and Bella didn’t say a word.
“You still there?” Billy growled into the phone.
“Still here,” Mack answered solemnly.
“Weber, maybe sensing the imminent storm—who knows—resigned before it got into the press,” Billy continued. “She was asked to testify against Barker, but invoked doctor-patient privilege—most of his victims were her patients. There were no formal charges brought against her, although there were rumors she liked women too. No one could prove a thing. Barker never admitted wrongdoing and died awaiting trial.”
Bella leaned back and put her hands to her forehead.
“Motherfucker,” exhaled Mack.
“So she’s worse than I even expected,” Bella whispered.
“Don’t get too excited,” Billy cautioned. “We have no connection between her and those girls, nor do we have evidence or motive with our victim. Ridley’s still the star suspect at this point.”
“No motive my ass,” replied Bella. “Freed was calling her out, going to expose her to the ethics board as a highly paid drug pusher. And those two girls were gay. Maybe Weber...” Bella trailed off.
“They had a fight, plain and simple. People have fights all the time. Carve me a path from there to murder and I’ll be all ears. Three murders, that is. Gotta go, kiddies. Got some heavy shit going down here. Talk later.” Billy was abrupt. And then he was gone.
CHAPTER 29
“
Jessie, my dear, I don’t like being lied to,” began Bella. “I get real sensitive about that, ya know? Here I thought we were having a heart-to-heart. Then I find out we weren’t.”
Doug and Jessie sat crammed in the airless back seat of the police car wondering why they had been pulled from the Freeds’ home at such a time of grief. The unmarked car was one of many lining the Freeds’ cul-de-sac and driveway. A police barricade kept the media at bay, and officers directed foot traffic to and from the house. The sun hid behind a large cluster of clouds but it was still sweltering, and its light cast a deep orange and pink glow over the treetops, houses, and lawns.
Bella didn’t crack a smile. Mack had wanted to speak to these two and Bella had deferred, as he seemed convinced Ridley was their guy. After hearing about Weber’s past, however, Bella wasn’t sold yet. She thought there might be more to this triangle of death than they were seeing so far. She and Mack sat in the front of the car, each turned backwards so they could get a good look at their two occupants. Doug looked confused.
“What are you talking about?” Doug asked Bella.
“Why don’t you tell him, Jess?” Bella suggested.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jessie snapped.
“No? Let me refresh your memory then.” Bella smiled knowingly, like she had been down this road before, only a million times. And she had.
“I asked you point-blank about your relationship with JJ. And I believed you when you said you didn’t know him well. And then a little birdie informed me that you do know him well. Very, very well,” Bella sighed.
“Who’s JJ?” Doug asked.
“He’s your friendly neighborhood drug dealer, Doug. Works out of your beloved high school selling Adderall to all the precious, coveted straight-A students, like your daughter—at least the ones who want to stay that way.”
Doug looked at his daughter in shock. Jessie didn’t so much as flinch.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you what I knew,” Jessie replied deadpan.