by LS Sygnet
“Helen, you’ll do no such thing.”
I glanced up at Dad. “How can you possibly know who I’m talking about?”
“Because I know you. You think that all of this is related somehow. I suspect that Marcos and Southerby merely wanted to prevent the federal authorities from getting their hands on the information Danny and Mr. Ireland held. As for this psychopath Jerry Lowe, he is an opportunist. Not unlike Mr. Varden and Mr. Kelly, he won’t tell you anything helpful. He loves the game too much.”
I thought about Dad’s natural abilities as a profiler, how he pegged Johnny the moment he laid eyes on him, how something happened to convince him to help Danny Datello even knowing that I blamed him for the misfortune that was my marriage to Rick Hamilton. Yet he hadn’t met these other people.
“How can you be sure Uncle Sully isn’t behind all of it, Wendell?” Danny asked. “Hell, the man was supplying components to terrorists.”
Dad’s eyes glittered. “Yes, well that comes as no surprise. There were rumors back before my incarceration that he had some sort of nefarious plans for his waste management facility. It’s simply fortunate that a natural disaster brought attention to his operation there, that Franchetta hid the weapon that probably killed your cousin there as well.”
“But Agent Soule said Franchetta recanted that story.”
“I’m sure he’s experiencing more than pangs of doubt about turning on his master. His story will probably change ten times between now and the trial. This is why it’s imperative that we keep you safe. Regardless of any consequences for your cousin’s death, be it by suicide or murder, he will answer for a number of other crimes, thanks to your testimony.”
Datello nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
“And you know as well as I do, Danny. If Sully thought Rick embezzled money from him, nothing would convince him that he was wrong. Franchetta probably did pull the trigger. I would like to know who or what has compelled him to protect my daughter all of a sudden.”
“Forget it, Dad. There’s no way you could get into a federal holding facility to question him,” I said.
“Yet according to your mentor, someone has gotten to him and encouraged him to implicate you in Rick’s death.”
“It was suicide.”
Datello fell silent.
“Danny, whether you want to accept it or not, Rick put that gun to his head the moment he told you he wanted into Sully’s operation. It was suicide. You know that. You avoided the family business because you’re better than that. You wanted more from life than the cold existence Sully led.”
Regret mingled with reluctance. “I suppose if I were in a similar situation, I might prefer to pull the trigger rather than have to wait for one of Uncle Sully’s men to do the job for me.”
Minuscule relief began to leech into my cells – until the chime that signaled an arrival at the gate sounded.
My eyes widened.
“Expecting company?”
“No, Dad, I’m certainly not.”
“Where do you want us?”
I pointed to the stairs. “Keep going up until you get to the top floor. I’ve got a gun safe in the closet. You know the combination, Daddy.”
“I do?”
I nodded. “If you think about it, there’s only one number we’d both know by heart.”
Dad grinned and gestured to Datello, who was already on his feet ready to run for cover.
“Be prepared for anything, Dad. I’m trusting you to have my back.”
“For God’s sake, Helen. If it’s someone that shouldn’t be here, don’t open the gate.”
Chapter 18
Johnny met Crevan in the lobby at Dunhaven.
“I can’t believe we’re back to Jerry Lowe,” Crevan said. “He’s not exactly someone I ever wanted to sit across the table from ever again, Johnny.”
“He said something to you the day Helen arrested him,” Johnny said. “I never gave it a second thought until Helen and I were comparing notes this afternoon. It concerns me in light of other things we know now.”
“Is this where you tell me what you know about Wendell?”
“Yeah, but after we see Lowe. I’ve got Chris conferencing with Judge Hathaway right now about getting him into protective custody.”
“Is that really necessary? We vetted the new administrator here, Johnny. Lowe’s being kept essentially in isolation on the locked ward out here. Nobody’s going to get to him.”
“Just the same, at the very least, I want our people guarding that wing. Helen’s right, Crevan. Lowe knows something. He hinted at it during that interview after she arrested him.”
Crevan shuddered. “The man gave me chills that day, Johnny. The way he looked at me, and then at Helen, I wondered if he didn’t suspect the truth about her even then.”
Johnny froze. “You think he knew she was your missing sister?”
“He wasn’t very old when it happened. How could he possibly know about that?”
“Never underestimate the enemy,” Johnny said. He depressed the buzzer at the receptionist’s window.
“Can I help you?”
Johnny held his badge up to the window. “We need to speak to the hospital administrator immediately. It’s official state police business.”
The woman nodded and disappeared immediately.
“You recognized Helen right away, Crevan,” Johnny said. “If I hadn’t been so smitten with her, it might not have taken me so long to see the resemblance.”
“When did you notice?”
“January,” Johnny said. “When my memory wasn’t quite back yet. She was comforting you after Belle’s murder, and I thought, my God, they look enough alike to be related. But then, I was under the impression that your twin was a brother and not a sister. And I still didn’t make the connection even after Charlie Haverston gave me the file about the first infant abduction from Saint Mary’s Hospital because we’d just learned that Helen was pregnant that day and we were both a little distracted. Why didn’t you confide in me?”
“We’re adults, Johnny. From what I knew about Helen, she worshipped her father, even though she wanted us to believe he was dead. I envied that relationship she had with him. How could I destroy it by telling her the truth, that she came from a worse gene pool than she imagined? You know it plagued her, probably since Wendell’s arrest. She wondered if she was destined to be like her parents.”
Johnny sighed. “I know,” he said. “Come to find out, her biological parents aren’t any better than Wendell and Marie were. Forgive me, Crevan, but I’ve never much cared for either one of them.”
“Mom is…”
“Spineless,” Johnny said coldly. “But I get it. She’s guilty of bad taste in men.”
“She does love us, and I think that Helen’s arrival here gave her the courage to stand up to Dad.”
The entrance doors to the hospital buzzed a moment before they swung open. The new administrator, Kayla Young beckoned with one hand. “Please come in, gentlemen. I presume that you’re here about our most notorious patient.”
Johnny took the lead and followed her down the hallway that had been remodeled since his last untimely visit to Dunhaven. The putrid green walls were now soothing creams and gold-tones. He and Crevan followed Young into her office.
“We have concerns about Jerry Lowe’s safety.”
“You know that Commander Darnell has been incredibly helpful with the criminal background checks on all of our employees, myself included. Access to Mr. Lowe is strictly limited to his attorney, his physicians, and clergy. Under the laws governing involuntary commitment, we don’t have the right to limit access to those people.”
“I understand,” Johnny said. “But at the same time, I’d like to place officers from OSI in Jerry’s locked ward for extra security.”
“Has something happened that I should be aware of? We have over a hundred patients at Dunhaven currently, commander. I have a professional obligation to make sure t
hey’re all in the safest environment possible.”
“It’s come to my attention today that there are people at large in this city who might have reason to kill Jerry,” he said. “This isn’t merely suspicion, Mrs. Young. It’s a very credible threat from people who had a vested interest in Jerry Lowe remaining in power in Darkwater Bay’s police department. He knows things, and whether he’s willing to divulge those secrets or not, he’s still in a great deal of danger. These folks won’t want to take the risk that his treatment is successful and he realizes that he can do the right thing and tell the police what he knows.”
“I understand your concern,” Young said after a moment’s reflection. “Let’s go ahead with the police presence. As you know, we’ve kept Mr. Lowe entirely secluded from the other patients since the crimes committed her last year. As I said, the only people in contact with him have been his physicians, his attorney and a clergyman.”
“Lowe is Catholic,” Johnny said. “Which priest has been visiting him? Naturally, we won’t be able to question the man, but we can –”
“He’s not a Catholic priest, Commander Orion,” Young said. “In fact, he’s more what you would call a fundamentalist pastor.”
She held up one finger and lifted the phone with her free hand. “Lucy, it’s Kayla. Could you get me the name and phone number of the pastor who’s been visiting Mr. Lowe for the past several months? Sure. Just call me in my office when you’ve got the information.”
Crevan squirmed in his chair and glanced at Johnny. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Goddammit,” Johnny snarled. “I’d lay every dime I own on the name of this fundamentalist pastor.”
Mrs. Young disconnected the call. “As I said, we’re prohibited from restricting attorney and clergy visits. It’s part of the patient rights. We can discontinue – at least on a temporary basis – telephone privileges and access to writing materials, but only if we can show evidence that the privileges have been abused.”
Her phone rang. She answered with, “Lucy?”
Johnny and Crevan both leaned forward in anticipation.
“Thanks, Luce. I appreciate the quick information.” Young hung up again. “The pastor’s name is Reverend Lyle Henderson. Lucy says he’s a harmless old man.”
“My ass,” Crevan spoke low, for Johnny’s ears only.
Johnny had his cell phone out dialing the moment he heard the name. “Chris, it’s Johnny. Crevan and I will stay here until you send the first officer to guard the unit where Lowe’s being held. We got confirmation. The suspect has had unfettered access to Lowe for months.”
“Mrs. Young,” Crevan said, “if it would be possible, we’d like to speak to Jerry Lowe while we wait for the security detail to arrive.”
“You think that Reverend Henderson is a threat to Jerry? I simply can’t believe it!”
“Of course we don’t suspect him,” Crevan covered smoothly. “I’ve known Pastor Henderson for years. He’s taken over the preaching at my parent’s church since their minister’s death in January.”
She relaxed.
“But at the same time, we can’t divulge the reasons why we have concerns that this elderly man is visiting someone like Jerry Lowe,” Crevan said. “Spiritual rights aside, Lowe is very dangerous, Mrs. Young.”
“Believe me, I’m completely aware of his alleged crimes.”
Johnny jaw tensed. “Have you been made aware of the evidence against him, ma’am? It’s extensive, and quite disturbing.”
“No, and I wouldn’t want to see it,” she said. “It’s enough to know that he’s been charged with more than twenty murders, Commander Orion. I wouldn’t want any personal bias to affect the care he receives here.”
“Would it be possible for us to see him?” Crevan repeated his request.
“I’m sorry, gentlemen, but under strict orders from Mr. Lowe’s attorney, no one is allowed access to him outside Mr. West’s presence. I’m sure you understand. But we do give regular updates to the court regarding his condition and progress.”
Johnny rose and extended his hand. “I thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Young. If Mr. Lowe is eventually deemed unfit to participate in his defense, I still want to make sure that he’s safe, that some unwitting person permitted visitation isn’t used in some nefarious manner that might stunt his treatment or endanger his life.”
“When should we expect this additional security?”
Johnny glanced at his cell phone. “Commander Darnell just sent me a text message. The judge issued an order granting us special permission to guard Lowe. The security detail is on the way to the hospital right now. He should be here within thirty minutes.”
“Excellent. And the name of the officer?”
“Powell,” Johnny said. “I’ll have Chris fax a duty roster to you. Hopefully this issue will be resolved soon and the normal hospital security will be sufficient.”
Half way across the parking lot, Crevan’s cell phone rang.
“Conall.”
“It’s Devlin. Where are you?”
“Hold on,” Crevan said. “Johnny’s with me. When we get in the car, I’ll put you on speaker phone.”
Johnny’s expression hardened. Two days they’d waited for something concrete from New York. Maybe now he’d get some answers.
“Go ahead, Dev,” Crevan said.
“I’m in Poughkeepsie, guys. I’ve spent the last two days talking to people in Henderson’s old neighborhood, the schools, grocers, mailmen –”
“We get the point, Devlin. What did you find?” Johnny didn’t bother hiding his frustration.
“Henderson and his wife did in fact have another daughter, only she isn’t twenty nine years old. She’s ten years older, and yes, her name is Melissa. Funny thing about it though, nobody seems to recall Suzy actually being pregnant.”
“Interesting,” Johnny said. “So now we’ve got to figure out a way to get Sherman’s DNA.”
“That’ll be the easy part, Johnny,” Devlin said. “She’s in county lockup. Just get her dinner tray. She’ll leave DNA on her cup, her utensils, you name it. Maya should be able to get an adequate sample for testing. The only problem I see is the sample for comparison.”
Johnny clenched his fist and hammered it against the steering wheel.
“We’ll get Helen working on that end of the problem, Devlin. If she can get in contact with the other party involved, I’m certain she can convince him to submit a sample for testing.”
“You realize the inherent problem with that,” Dev said, “considering that the rest of the world, including the FBI who has a vested interest in the outcome of this case, will wonder where we got a sample of his DNA since he was allegedly cremated a couple of months ago.”
“So maybe Helen has an old envelope with his saliva on it,” Johnny growled. “We’ll figure it out without implicating my wife. Are we clear, Devlin?”
“As a bell, sir. I didn’t mean to imply that we should expose the truth of the matter to the FBI.”
Crevan sighed. “We know, Dev. Things have just been a little strained around here lately. No surprise there. When are you coming back?”
“I’m sticking around until tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got one more interview scheduled with the high school librarian tomorrow morning. I’d like to get my hands on a year book with a photo of Melissa Henderson. Might be useful leverage, proving that Sherman is really this Henderson woman, just as a backup plan in case we can’t get the DNA sample.”
“Good thinking, Devlin. Do me a favor and text your travel itinerary to me when you’ve got it,” Johnny said. “And if you can bring home a year book, all the better.”
Crevan chatted with Devlin for another few minutes without the speaker engaged while Johnny left Dunhaven. Instead of returning to Beach Cliffs, he drove to Downey.
“Are we going to solicit Maya’s help?” Crevan asked.
“Not until I’ve got Sherman’s dinner tray bagged as evidence.”
“We could just get a subpoena for her DNA.”
Johnny glanced over at his friend as they sped across town. “And risk Henderson finding out that we’re onto him? I don’t think so, Crevan. Her meal tray is fair game.”
“Are you concerned that Henderson is the one providing spiritual counseling to Lowe?”
“Does the sun rise in the east? They’ve covered their bases, Crevan. God only knows how much they know about what we’re doing. Helen’s not going anywhere without me ever again. Me, or you or Devlin. I suspect they haven’t stopped watching her since she came into town.”
“Do you think they’re figured out that Wendell’s not only alive, but here?”
“Considering how proficient he is at disguising himself? I doubt it. But I’m sure it raised red flags if they’re aware that Helen met with a priest. She’s not exactly shy and retiring when it comes to expressing her absence of faith.”
Crevan stared out the window for several silent minutes. Dark clouds rolled over the city, and soon, large raindrops splattered against the windows of the car. The squeak of the wiper blades was the only break in the heavy silence.
“Henderson must know Helen’s an atheist,” he finally spoke. “Given that he knew Wendell, he might recognize the man regardless of a disguise.”
Johnny was well aware, plagued by the thought that Helen’s plot to free her father from prison might yet be exposed to people who would see her convicted for the crime she committed. “We’ll have to deal with it if it happens,” he said. “In the meantime, we need to work quickly to prove that Henderson is the mastermind behind the human trafficking scheme, Crevan. I can’t shake this feeling, but I know it in my bones. We’re running out of time.”
Chapter 19
I depressed the button on the intercom. “Yes, can I help you?”
“Surprise. Open the gate and let me in, my dear.”
Shit. “David, is that you?”
“I haven’t been gone that long,” Levine chuckled. “Let me in already. It’s starting to rain.”
I glanced toward the staircase and saw Dad peeking down from the top. “Stay up there, for God’s sake!” I hissed. “I’ll try to get rid of him.”