Corey’s eyes darted around. “Where’s Thayer?”
“Getting dressed. The police called and asked her to come down to the station.” She looked at Corey with concern. “Thayer told me everything. How are you doing?”
Corey took a moment to think about the truth of that. “I’m okay,” she finally said. “I’m glad you’re both here.”
Rachel gripped her hand. “Get dressed and we’ll head back into town with you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“In the meantime Dana and I are going to do some damage to your leftovers.” She headed to the kitchen.
“Plates are to the left of the sink,” Dana called out as Corey headed to the bedroom, the normalness of the moment easing her tension.
Thayer was already in soft worn jeans and slipping on a long-sleeved T-shirt. Corey’s eyes were drawn to the gauze bandages around her wrists.
She saw her looking and pulled the sleeves of her shirt down. “I don’t want people to see.”
Her voice was strong and clear but Corey heard the grief behind it. “I know, babe.” And she did. The shame of being a victim, however misplaced, was real and brutal.
Thayer sat on the edge of the bed while Corey dressed in her own jeans and T-shirt. “Do you want kids, Corey?”
Corey’s head popped through the neck of her shirt. “What?”
“I’ve never asked if you want to have a family—be a mom—because, I do. Not right now but soon, and we should know that about each other.”
“Yeah, babe, I want kids—a couple, at least. I’m an only child so, you know, siblings would be cool. You know, maybe a dog first.” Corey was relieved to be able to answer her honestly but she worried about Thayer’s casual way of discussing something so significant, especially at the moment.
“Yeah, a dog would be nice. This place deserves a dog. Will you stay here with me, then?”
Corey buckled her belt before dropping to her knees in front of Thayer. “For as long as you want.” She ran her hands over Thayer’s legs.
“Forever?” Her golden eyes were piercing in their intensity. “I want forever, Corey.”
She sat back on her heels and sucked in a breath. “What are you asking?”
“I’m asking you to move in with me.”
Corey’s mouth opened but no words came out.
“I know it’s soon and crazy and before you think it, I can tell you this is not the trauma talking. I’ve wanted this—wanted you, wanted us—from the first moment you undressed me with your eyes in the morgue.”
Corey snorted a laugh. “That’s romantic.”
“I’m not asking you to give up your independence. I don’t want that either. I have a life outside of us too. I’m not even asking you to give up your condo. Just maybe move the things over that are important to you so this can be as much your home as it is mine, and we can see how it goes. I want you to be my partner not my girlfriend—to cook dinner with me, to relocate your movie collection and your posters. To mow my lawn—our lawn—and help weed the garden when you have time. And other things not chore related. I want to make decisions about our future together.” Thayer took a breath. “Do you want that too?”
Corey looked away, her mind spinning with arguments of too soon, U-Haul memes, and lesbian bed death horror stories. But over the din of her doubts all she could hear was the one word screaming from her heart—yes. “Can we get a lawn tractor?”
Thayer smiled, eyes dancing. “And a dog.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Officer Warren was waiting for them at the desk when Corey and Thayer walked into the station, hand in hand. They hadn’t spoken much, each lost in her own thoughts but taking comfort from the other’s nearness.
“Good morning, Dr. Reynolds, Ms. Curtis.” He nodded to each of them politely and handed them each a visitor’s pass. “I’ll take you up.” The door buzzed open as soon as he had his hand on it.
The room was alive with the lights and sounds of police work, but Corey knew she was not imagining it when the din quieted in a wave as they walked through. Her eyes flicked to Thayer, walking tall and confidently. Thayer’s hand tightened in hers, and Corey knew she was reacting to the looks—some with admiration, some with sympathy and some with curiosity.
They traversed the entire room to the back offices and Warren knocked sharply on Lieutenant Williams’s closed door before pushing it open. She rose from behind her desk and Collier and Steph stood from the two chairs on the opposite side. All eyes were on Corey and Thayer, full of concern, but no one spoke for a beat, perhaps unsure what to say.
“I’m okay,” Thayer announced into the strained silence. “We both are.” She raised her hands, wiggling her fingers to emphasize her words. “My career as a concert pianist is not in jeopardy.”
Lieutenant Williams smiled appreciatively at her humor. She gestured to the vacated chairs in front of her desk. “Please, Dr. Reynolds, Ms. Curtis, have a seat.”
Corey waited for Thayer to sit before taking the other chair and moving it closer to her before sitting. She idly wondered if she thought it was Thayer who needed the closeness or if it was she who needed reassurance. It probably didn’t matter and they both benefited.
“Thank you both for coming down,” Lieutenant Williams began, not returning to her chair but perching casually against the edge of her desk in front of them. “I hope we can get you in and out of here quickly and back to some normalcy in your lives.”
“Beginning to think this is normal,” Corey muttered, pressing her lips together in silence when Thayer shot her a disapproving look. She could see from the corner of her eye Steph suppressing a grin and Collier rolling his eyes.
Lieutenant Williams, if she heard, chose to ignore Corey’s snark and pressed on. “The hospital has been keeping us updated regarding Harold Crandall, and though critically injured, he is expected to make a full recovery. We have made a series of arrests with regard to the distribution of methamphetamine in this city.” Her eyes flashed to Corey. “But that you’re already aware of, of course.”
Corey inhaled deeply and offered an apologetic smile. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Well, while your presence at our operation was unexpected and troubling, it did open a door to an opportunity we don’t normally have.” She turned her attention to Thayer. “Dr. Reynolds, you’re aware of the active connection from your phone to Ms. Curtis’s?” At Thayer’s nod she went on. “What you may not know is Sergeant Collier recorded the entire…”
“Assault,” Thayer supplied.
“Yes, your assault.”
Corey stiffened in her chair, apparently the only one with a problem with the direction the conversation was taking.
“The quality is not the best, but we were able to reduce background noise and clean it up to make it clearer, and we will certainly be able to use it as evidence in bringing charges against Crandall for assault and forcible confinement, for starters.”
Thayer nodded. “I’m grateful, I guess, that something positive will come from something so…” she sighed, her eyes closing, briefly, “...harrowing.”
Lieutenant Williams’s expression turned grim. “I’m sorry to have to ask you this, but I’m hoping you will agree to listen to the recording and let us know if there was something said that could help us strengthen our case, something that didn’t get picked up by the phone.”
Corey’s eyes jerked to Thayer, who visibly paled at the request. Her own heart thudded painfully in her chest at the thought of listening to Thayer being afraid and in pain. It wasn’t her decision, and she clenched her jaw so hard, in an effort not to speak, she thought her teeth might break.
“We have time,” Lieutenant Williams held up a hand. “We don’t have to do this now.”
“No.” Thayer inhaled deeply. “It’s not going to get easier with time, and if there is something, I’m more likely to remember it now. Play it.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Harold Crandall’s v
oice filled the room from Lieutenant Williams’s laptop, the recording starting right after he had initially subdued her.
Thayer sucked in a breath and leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees and steepling her hands over her mouth as she listened to her own ragged breathing and terror-laden voice.
She closed her eyes as the recording continued and concentrated on removing herself from the emotions of yesterday and keeping herself present in the room today. It was over and she was unhurt. Harold Crandall, when he recovered, would be going to prison and Robert Crandall was already in hell. She could listen to this without reliving it and provide them with the information they needed. She was strong, she was safe, she wasn’t alone, and she could do this.
“Oh, god, what is that? Twenty-pound test what does that mean?”
The faraway sound of Corey’s voice coming through the recording did nothing to diminish the fear and agony Thayer heard, and she sat straight up in her chair, eyes flying open. It hadn’t occurred to her that she would hear the other end of the connection, and hearing Corey’s naked desperation was like a knife turning in her gut.
Corey sat frozen in her chair, staring at nothing, her hands gripping the arms so tightly the skin of her fingers blanched. Her whole body was so powerfully tense it looked as if she might shatter.
“Stop,” Thayer commanded. “Stop the recording.” She turned to Corey and pried her hand from the arm of the chair, gripping it hard in one hand. “Corey, look at me, please.” She reached to the back of Corey’s neck feeling her muscles like stone under her hand.
She turned, meeting Thayer’s gaze, and her distress was a living thing. Thayer knew her expression was a mirror of what she must have looked like the night Corey was brought in by ambulance, unconscious and fighting to breathe.
“Corey,” Thayer said strongly and squeezed the back of her neck to encourage the muscles to loosen. “Please try to relax, sweetheart.”
“I’m okay,” Corey insisted, nodding her head and swallowing hard. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Thayer frowned at her, knowing she was lying. Everyone in the room knew she was lying. “Go ahead.” Corey looked to Lieutenant Williams. “Play it to the end.”
Thayer nodded in agreement. This time as she listened, she focused on Corey, not taking her eyes or hands off her and trying to ease some of the tension from her neck.
Lieutenant Williams closed her laptop at the end of the recording after Harold Crandall grabbed Thayer from the deck and dragged her over to the shed and away from the phone. She looked intensely at Thayer and Corey in turn. “Thank you for doing that. I find it hard to listen to it, so I can’t even imagine what you must feel.”
Thayer sat back in her chair, closing her eyes and pressing her fingertips against her temples while she collected herself. “That’s actually a pretty good quality recording in my opinion.”
“Almost like you can imagine it happening,” Corey deadpanned and reached for her hand.
“Stop it,” Thayer admonished halfheartedly as she laced their fingers together, just happy that she could make a joke, however dark.
“Is there anything you want to add?” Lieutenant Williams asked. “Anything that he said that we can’t hear?”
“No.” She shook her head. “What you have is…comprehensive.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Lieutenant Williams returned to her chair on the other side of the desk. “Sergeant Collier, would you like to fill them in on the rest?”
Now that some of the pressure was off, Corey felt some of her tension easing. She blew out a quiet breath and turned her attention to Collier.
He cleared his throat and straightened from the windowsill he had been leaning against. “We got DNA results back from Dr. Marsh this morning. Not that there was any question at this point, but the body is Robert Crandall. We also received results from the tox screen on the hair.”
“And?” Thayer asked.
“And, I’m sure it will come as no surprise, but it showed a long history of drug abuse.”
“So, cause of death?” Corey asked.
Collier shrugged. “Unknown but drug related for near certain. Given the fact he was found naked underneath his house, it may be fair to assume he was suffering some sort of psychotic break. Whether that’s what killed him as opposed to simple dehydration, we’ll never know. In any case, the investigation into his death is closed.”
“You say that like there’s a part that isn’t closed,” Corey commented. She was pretty much way past caring about the skeleton, but she wanted to know how the story ends.
“We’ve been following up with some cold cases with unmatched DNA available and we’ve had three hits so far.”
Corey straightened. “You were right.”
He nodded. “They were all unsolved sexual assaults. Two in Oneonta and one here. The matches are just partials, but we’re going to have the lab guys look at it all again and the investigating officers go back over the evidence with an eye toward Robert Crandall.”
Corey shook her head. “Jesus Christ.”
“We obviously can’t bring him to justice but we will be able to offer some closure and perhaps, peace of mind to these women. It’s early days and Officer Warren is still checking into cases. There may still be more, probably are.”
“I’m not sure whether to hope there are or there aren’t more,” Thayer commented.
“I’m with you there, Doc,” Collier agreed. “In any case, you two are free to go. Did my best to keep your names out of the press and I think it may have worked this time. There are so many witnesses from the bait shop who are tripping over each other for their ten minutes of fame that the press hasn’t pushed for too much about you.”
Thayer smiled. “Thank you but I won’t hold my breath.”
“We better go see Lil,” Corey suggested.
“Right.” Thayer groaned. “Ugh. What’s the opposite of ‘third time’s a charm’?”
Lieutenant Williams walked them to the door of her office and while Steph lingered with them, Collier ducked behind them toward his desk. “Thank you both for coming down and for all you have contributed…” She took a breath, “...and sacrificed to help us build our case.”
Thayer nodded. “We’re glad we were able to help.”
“Please, don’t hesitate to call if there’s anything we can do to support you, and I would be happy to provide some recommendations for some great people who could help you through this if you need to talk.”
Thayer breathed a laugh. “Thank you but I have a therapist I intend to call—again.” She glanced at Corey. “Since I met Corey I’ve had to become an expert at mental health self-care.”
Lieutenant Williams arched an amused brow looking between them.
Corey frowned. “Wow, Thayer, that stings.”
“Sorry, sweetheart.” Thayer reached for her hand. “That didn’t come out like I intended. I just mean I never expected my life in Jackson City to be so fraught with danger.”
Corey groaned. “Not really selling this whole moving in together thing right now.”
Thayer laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.”
Steph grinned. “You guys are moving in together?”
“It’s been proposed.” Corey pursed her lips and eyed Thayer.
“And accepted.” Thayer smiled at her adoringly and squeezed her hand.
“Hmm,” Corey grunted but her eyes shone with love.
“I’ll walk you out.” Steph gestured toward the exit.
Corey raised Thayer’s hand and kissed the back. “I’ll catch up.” She gestured vaguely in the direction of Collier’s desk.
“Sure.” Thayer nodded before joining Steph.
Collier was bent over his keyboard, tapping away and Corey was shocked, given his love for a pen and notebook that he could type. She dug in her pocket and held out her hand.
“Found this in the yard this morning and wanted to make sure you got it back.”
&nbs
p; He looked up at her and then to the knife she held out to him. He pushed himself to his feet and leaned back against his desk so they were closer to the same height. “Keep it.”
Corey looked at the knife and back to him, puzzled.
“So, you can remember.”
She laughed humorlessly. “You think I could forget?”
He studied her for a long moment before he closed her hand around the knife gently and covered her hand with his own. “To remember how badass you are.”
Corey stared at his hand over hers before meeting his eyes, feeling the last of her anger toward him fall away. “I never forget that either.” She grinned cockily but jammed the knife back in her pocket. He snorted a laugh and she decided to run with it. “You know, um, I understand the police academy accepts applicants as old as thirty-six. Was thinking you could write me a recommendation.”
Collier stiffened, his face draining of color.
Corey fought a laugh. “I kinda got a taste for all this detecting—” She froze when Collier clutched his left arm, his face contorting in pain as he slumped against his desk with a groan. “Collier! Oh, shit.” She reached for him and looked around wildly for Thayer, her heart leaping to her throat. “Hang on, oh, Jesus.”
He relaxed his face and straightened up and Corey stared, blinking at him in confusion as he broke into a shit-eating grin.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her hand going to her chest, her heart still pounding. “You fucking bastard.”
He threw his head back and roared a laugh. “Yeah, well, you had it coming with that stunt, Curtis. The academy—you are so full of shit.”
Corey tried to stay pissed but he was so happy about his joke she had a hard time keeping a straight face. “Just remember when your fat ass does finally keel over you’re going to end up on my table.”
“And that very thought is what’s going to keep me alive for a very long time until I die peacefully in my sleep of natural causes.”
She shook her head, her smile sobering. “Thank you, Collier.” She blew out a breath. “For being there for Thayer—and for me.”
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