by LS Sygnet
“Except you did solve a few really heinous murders out here,” Datello said.
I poured hot chocolate into two cups. “We managed to get Southerby off the streets once and for all, stopped some drug dealing white supremacists, and arrested a murderous homophobe.”
“And Gwen’s murderer,” he said. “That meant more to me than you could possibly know, Helen.”
The light bulb in my head clicked on. “Frank Bennett was like the father you lost, wasn’t he?”
“He was a good man, a good friend. He helped me see that I really didn’t have to be as ruthless as I was raised to behave, Helen. I wasn’t that old when I came back to Darkwater Bay.”
“You’re really an environmentalist,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, I guess I am. I love this city. I wanted to protect it, to make it a better place, not one full of crime. But I probably brought Uncle Sully with me unwittingly.”
“Well, his days are numbered. You’ll testify, explain what he’s done and Franchetta will corroborate that much credibly. I don’t think any jury in the world would doubt that he’s killed a bunch of people.”
“How many people have you killed?” Datello asked quietly.
“Is this part of the sting operation, Danny? Get me to confess and you give evidence against me too?”
“You know better than that. It’s just that my imagination is a little bit out of control where you’re concerned. Sort of like you imagined Wendell killed more than he ever did.”
I sighed. “Outside the line of duty? Only one.”
Yet I wasn’t entirely that innocent. I enjoyed killing Umberto Gutierrez and Andy Gillette. I certainly felt no remorse for Alfred Preston’s death. While I technically had nothing to do with Fulk Underwood’s murder, I made sure the man who pulled the trigger didn’t pay for his crime. And I seriously planned to murder Datello. And Mitch Southerby. It crossed my mind more than once to make Seleeby vanish too. And if I were completely honest, there was a very black moment at the bay where Tony Briscoe might’ve met his maker by my hand too.
“I think you built your father up into this great heroic monster, just like I refused to see that mine was probably every bit as bad as Uncle Sully,” Danny said. “We’ve both been running away from who we really are, Helen. The irony is that neither one of us has to be like the men who raised us. It’s all a choice. People aren’t born good or bad. We choose what to do.”
“When this is all over, there will be consequences for what I’ve done. I don’t doubt that. I just hope that my sons have a better shot at a normal life than I’ve had,” I said.
“I doubt Orion will let anyone hurt you, Helen. As much as I dislike the guy, it’s pretty obvious that he loves you.”
“Yeah,” I said over the rim of my cup. “If only that were enough.”
Chapter 34
David Levine slapped a file down on Johnny’s desk. “His name is Brent Koehler, age forty, a former Army Ranger who was plucked out of the military for special operations with an agency who wants very much for his identity to remain private.”
“Meaning he’s been off their grid for some time now,” Chris Darnell said grimly. “They don’t want egg on their face. One of their groomed psychos went freelance on them.”
“Are you serious?” Johnny shook his head in disbelief. “That shit actually happens?”
“If special forces hadn’t been able to get to Osama bin Laden, who do you think would’ve done the job, Johnny? Granted, these kinds of missions are blown way out of proportion by conspiracy theorists, but it does happen. Not as often as they used to because technology has rendered the lone man on the ground obsolete, but they’re still useful assets in highly populated areas.”
“Where a drone would cause a human rights uproar,” Johnny said. “So how does somebody in Darkwater Bay hook up with a guy like this? I can’t imagine that Helen’s theory on militia and soldier of fortune underground publications is how this guy got around.”
“You’d be surprised,” David said. “But speaking of Helen, where is she?”
“I had Crevan take her home hours ago,” Johnny said. “I already told you that we’ve got a team watching Henderson’s place. Crevan’s heading that up. The second we find him, I want him out here for questioning.”
“He’s probably anticipating as much, given the location of this latest murder, Johnny. Honestly, now that we know there was a connection between him and the orderly from that hit and run accident, and in addition to his relationship with Terrell Sanderfield, he can’t possibly think we wouldn’t want to have a serious conversation.”
Johnny crunched the knuckles of his right hand into the palm of his left. “I’m getting answers once and for all. This bullshit stops, David. It’s been going on for far too long.”
“I don’t disagree, but at the same time, I think it would be to our advantage to involve Helen in this conversation with Henderson. She’s the last person he’d expect to interrogate him.”
Eyes narrowed, Darnell’s this time. “And don’t you suppose that might create more problems when we have no legal reason to detain Mr. Henderson? He’ll walk out of here and probably tell whoever is instigating this particular crime wave. Tipping our hand, letting them know that we know who Helen really is, I don’t think it’s a mistake we can afford right now.”
Johnny disagreed. “Chris, they probably at least suspect we’ve figured out that much. It’s impossible to think otherwise. In fact, they’re probably amazed that everyone didn’t notice the resemblance between Helen and Crevan the moment she arrived in Darkwater Bay. Florence Payette said a couple of months ago after the Datello baby was abducted, that Eugene Sherman was excited about Helen’s arrival in town. I’m thinking excitement wasn’t the positive kind. Of course, she’d never talk to me after I scared her half to death.”
“I could talk to her,” David said. “She was comfortable with me.”
Johnny nodded. “Though I’m not sure how that helps us at this point. Sherman is dead.”
“She identified Preston as an associate of Sherman,” Chris said. “Who’s to say she can’t definitively identify other men involved in all of this? We’d barely have a case left against Melissa Sherman if it weren’t for Florence Payette. I think if we’re going to utilize Helen, it would be far wiser to have her working with Payette than it would to let her anywhere near Henderson.”
“I won’t allow Helen’s involvement in this any further,” Johnny said. “That’s final.”
“Is she in agreement with that?” David asked.
“We’ve reached an understanding. Putting her in the middle of a case that seems to revolve around her in the first place isn’t a good idea. There’s a huge conflict of interest,” Johnny said. “It could actually damage the prosecution’s ability to successfully put these guys away for life if their likely first victim is involved in the investigation.”
“Her insight could be valuable, Johnny,” David said. “Loathe as I am to admit it, she did benefit from a unique education as the daughter of Wendell Eriksson. I suspect he honed her instincts without either one of them even realizing it.”
Datello’s paranoia, recently transferred to Wendell and Helen fluttered to Orion’s thoughts again. Why did David keep insisting that Helen be part of this investigation? Did he have another motive, like Datello alleged? If so, what could it possibly be? He’d intimated that things were dire with the government’s star witness Eddie Franchetta. Did his sudden arrival back in Darkwater Bay have more to do with the bureau’s suspicion that Danny came back home? Did he suspect that Helen knew where Datello was, that she still wanted to see him dead for ruining her career?
“Johnny?” David cocked his head to one side. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, David, but I have to agree with Chris. Helen stays far away from all of this. If you want to talk to Payette again, be my guest, but I don’t want any of this mentioned in Helen’s presence, discussed with her or her opinions sol
icited. She’s pregnant. Her priorities have to change.”
“And what would she say about your orders?” David bristled.
“I already told you. She agrees with me completely.” Johnny glanced at his watch. “It’s late. I’m exhausted. We’ve got Henderson under surveillance. I’m going home. Chris, will you walk me out?”
“Johnny, I thought perhaps we could discuss this further, that you might extend your hospitality again,” David said. “You were right you know. Helen did call to apologize.”
“I’m sorry,” Johnny said. “I mean it. This doesn’t come home with me. Call me later after you get some rest. On the cell, not my home phone.”
David frowned but agreed. “I guess I’d better find a hotel room then. I’ll be in touch.”
The door barely closed before Chris asked, “What the hell is going on, Johnny? Something happened at that crime scene tonight. If you had such a huge problem with Helen’s involvement in this, why was she there in the first place?”
“I wanted her out of there before David showed up.”
“But why? I thought they were close. He actually helped us when Collangelo closed OSI.”
“I saw something in Lyle Henderson’s apartment earlier. We need to get a warrant and get in there right away.”
“Why?”
“Because I think we have another crime scene.”
“Seriously? Nobody reported –”
“I know what I saw. The light across the street? What was left by the time anyone else saw it, it illuminated something.”
“What?”
“A body on the sofa in that apartment. I don’t know how anybody found out that the sniper failed before the media hopped on the story, but somebody did.”
“He could’ve been watching, making sure that Henderson was shut up for good, Johnny.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Which means he might’ve seen who killed Koehler.”
“Do we actually know specifically where the nine-one-one call came from?”
Johnny shook his head. “Devlin’s back. I’ve had him keeping an eye on a few things for me out of sight. He’s checking on that call, and processing the roof of the Hanging Gardens right now. If somebody was up there watching the sniper, I want to know about it.”
“Why are you only telling me this now?”
Johnny’s face twisted with exasperation. “We haven’t exactly had two minutes alone, Chris. I think it’s obvious why I didn’t want to say anything when Crevan was around. I can’t trust him not to tell Helen everything he knows out of some misguided sense of sibling loyalty.”
“I’m still a bit confused about why you’re cutting her out of this, Johnny. All along, even when I’ve had reservations about dragging her back into the fray, you’ve disagreed. And for the record, I don’t think she agreed with how you sent her away earlier.”
“I know she didn’t. She won’t like it that I’m keeping her out of this, Chris, but I have no choice anymore.”
“You aren’t going to explain to me why you feel that way, are you?”
“I can’t yet,” Johnny said. “It’s just too inconceivable.”
“If you saw someone else in Henderson’s apartment tonight, you need to tell me. It’s not safe for only one man to know this thing, Johnny. What if something happens to you?”
“You trust Devlin. I know he’d do anything to protect Helen, even if that thing meant keeping her in the dark.”
“But you think I’d tell her?”
“I’m afraid,” Johnny admitted. “I’m terrified for her, Chris. For the time being, let’s just leave it at that. Get the warrant for Henderson’s apartment. I’m heading back over there to meet Devlin. When you get it, call and meet us there. I promise, I’ll tell you what I saw then.”
Baffled, Chris watched him leave, unsettled by the outright secrecy Johnny displayed when he lied – by omission at least – to David Levine. Inconceivable, he’d said. He couldn’t mean that he didn’t trust David Levine. Yet what else could be more inconceivable than Helen’s mentor being involved in this somehow?
Devlin stood at the edge of the roof of the Hanging Gardens Assisted Living. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of the building across the street. The area itself was completely clean. Not a speck of evidence existed that anyone had been up there watching for a kill shot from the dead assassin. No discarded water bottles. No smashed cigarette butts. Nothing that would be worth dusting for prints.
Johnny approached from behind. “Any information on that call to 9-11?”
Dev nodded. “Untraceable cell phone. The call lasted fifteen seconds. It was a man’s voice. He said, somebody just fired a gun on the roof of the building at 2240 Casino Way on Hennessey Island. I saw a flash of light. Send an ambulance. He hung up. Dispatch called the division on Hennessey Island, and the cops arrived to investigate within five minutes.”
“And they found our victim Brent Koehler.”
“Yeah,” Dev said, “though it was another thirty minutes before they discovered the body.”
“Even though he cited the roof as the location of the shooting?”
“Uh-huh. Cops searched the building floor by floor for any suspicious activity on the way up. They found nothing until they reached the roof.”
“Chris is getting the warrant for Henderson’s apartment.”
“Johnny, are you sure about what you think you saw?”
He nodded. “I know what I saw. He was there, Devlin. He was there, and he already knows that Henderson is dead. Why pretend he wasn’t in Darkwater Bay yet? What the hell is he really doing?”
“You said Helen’s been suspicious lately.”
“She has.”
“Why would Levine be hiding what he knows about this investigation?”
Johnny started pacing. “I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure that out, Dev. I suppose it could be because they lost Datello, and he’s afraid of what might happen if he shows up here.”
“I thought we were convinced that Datello isn’t quite the demon we once assumed.”
“He isn’t. Well, at least I don’t think he is. Helen’s convinced. Ordinarily that would be enough for me, but she’s way too close to all of this to be objective. In fact, she’s done her best work when the case isn’t too personal for her. Sometimes I wonder if on some level she didn’t know all along that Crevan is her brother.”
“What do you mean?”
“That case in January, Underwood. When he outed Crevan like that in a room full of cops, I don’t know. Something happened, and she never told me the truth. I can tell when she’s lying to me.”
“Again, what do you mean?”
“I wondered at the time why she wasn’t outraged that Scott Madden gunned Underwood down the way he did. And then she went on the record stating that she thought he had some sort of psychotic break when he realized that Underwood killed his nephew.”
“It’s plausible,” Devlin said. “Isn’t it?”
“With Helen? Of course it’s plausible. Her lies are always extremely plausible. That’s what makes her so gifted at deception. And she has this… skill. People want to believe she’s telling the truth.” He cast a disparaging glance at Devlin. “Don’t bother denying it. She did the same thing to you.”
“True,” he said. “I had a rather rude awakening in that department. But to help someone get away with murder? I just don’t see it.”
“Think about it. Wendell might’ve been convicted for a crime he didn’t actually commit, but he was far from being an innocent man. Look what she did about that.”
“Are we sure Wendell wasn’t part of this human trafficking ring?”
Johnny’s cell phone rang. “Yeah.”
“It’s Chris. I’ve got the warrant. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Devlin and I are on the roof. We’ll wait for you.”
“John, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. When I talked to Judge Hathaway, he asked why the FBI and OSI aren�
�t working together to coordinate their search warrants.”
“Shit!” Johnny hissed. “Lights and sirens, Chris. Get here as soon as you can.”
Chapter 35
Johnny had fifty officers from Darkwater Bay and the state police barricade the neighborhood and seal off the tenth floor of the assisted living residence. “Nobody up here without my express authorization. I want the other tenants evacuated. Get their families down here to pick them up, whatever you have to do. Understood?”
Devlin nodded. “And what about Levine? If he shows up with federal agents, how are we going to keep them out?”
“Call me immediately.”
“Johnny, is it safe for you to go in there alone?”
He pulled out his phone again and called the scene commander and reissued his orders. “Understood? Nobody gets to the tenth floor but Chris. Nobody.”
“Sure thing, commander.”
“Let’s break down the door,” Johnny said.
“What happens if you find the body where you think you saw it?”
“I guess we’re arresting David Levine on suspicion of murder.”
Devlin blew out a slow breath. “That’s gonna cause a stink, Johnny.”
“I know what I saw.”
“Yeah, you saw him in the apartment, shining a light around the place a good two hours after we know that Koehler was killed. If somebody was watching and saw that the kill shot from that roof didn’t hit Henderson, he could’ve been upstairs witnessing from the roof, hurried down to this apartment and killed Henderson and left before the neighborhood was crawling with police again. Hell, he might’ve made the call to emergency services after he killed Henderson, not when he saw Koehler die.”
“So why was Levine in that apartment?”
Devlin shrugged. “I’m not saying that this doesn’t warrant an official conversation with the man, but arresting him? Let’s be cautious here. That concern you had about Helen being too close to this case could apply to you too, Johnny. She’s your wife after all.”