by J. V. Speyer
“The children need to go stay with a relative until Social Services can intervene. This isn’t optional. It can take some time before the legal authorities can get all their ducks in a row, and it definitely sounds to me as if your subject is on the verge of a significant crisis. He’s already told the children what he’s planning. They’re in danger, right now.”
Norton smiled and relaxed, beaming over at Holcombe. “Congratulations. You just saved the List family.”
Luis shook his head and closed his eyes. His leg throbbed, and he didn’t know if it was psychosomatic or not. “No one could have saved the List family, Dr. Norton. Times were different in 1971. For one thing, the teacher in that case reported his concerns to other faculty, which was the standard operating procedure at the time. Not only were his concerns dismissed, but the bodies weren’t discovered for a month after the fact because the teacher was told to stand down even though the father did exactly what the daughter said he would and claimed they were going on an emergency family trip.
“The pastor in the case was so caught up in his patriarchal ideals, he believed the father and husband still had the right to determine how the bodies should be disposed of after the fact, even though the father was the murderer. He would never have approached law enforcement with his concerns. He wouldn’t have had concerns. It took a lot for people in 1971 to worry about domestic violence in other people’s homes, and a father calmly sitting his children down, telling them he was going to kill them, and telling them to choose burial or cremation was not the red flag it is today.”
Norton gaped at Luis, and then he smiled ruefully. “You were right, Alison. He’s definitely something else. I’ll talk to the higher-ups and call you, probably tonight or tomorrow.” He shook Luis’ hand and left the room.
Luis stared after him. “Agent Holcombe, I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just a little bit confused though. I need to know what that was all about.”
Holcombe’s smile just made her look tired. “I don’t want to say anything yet. Nothing’s really in place. Just a little while longer, okay? I promise. I’m not going to leave you hanging.”
Luis didn’t want to trust her. At the same time, he didn’t have anything to lose by sitting back and letting her do her thing. He couldn’t get himself fired until the FBI’s massive bureaucracy decided if his injury merited workplace compensation or not, so he just nodded.
Just then, Donovan raced into the room. He didn’t knock. His eyes were wild. “Luis, I’ve got some news.”
Luis’ eyes fell to the ring on Donovan’s finger. Whatever the news was, it hadn’t made him jettison his ring—their engagement. He didn’t need to panic. Not yet.
“What’s up?”
Donovan took a deep breath. “Tammie Hatch had her arraignment today.”
Luis stared. “Congratulations?”
Holcombe cleared her throat. “That would be the woman who abducted you.”
“Hyena Lady.” Luis nodded. “Right. Okay.” He didn’t like feeling stupid, but he wasn’t going to fight it right now.
“And she overpowered her guard in the bathroom and escaped.”
Nothing could have prepared Donovan to have to make that notification. He knew Luis wouldn’t show much of a reaction, even if they’d been alone. Having to inform Luis in front of his foster dad though—that was something Donovan hadn’t bargained for and didn’t want to ever have to do again.
“What the hell is going on at the courthouse?” Jose got to his feet, eyes blazing. “How did she manage to pull this off? They know they’ve got a dangerous offender in their custody. What are they doing, just letting her skip along merrily?”
Donovan winced. He knew Jose wasn’t mad at him, but he still didn’t want to be his future father-in-law’s target. “They sent her into the bathroom with a guard. They followed protocol. She used the cuffs to choke her out, traded uniforms, and made her escape that way. There’s a manhunt out there now looking for her.”
“And you’re here why?” Jose’s voice was like a whip.
Luis cleared his throat. “Because he’s more useful directing people right now than he is with his nose to the ground, Jose. Remember, he’s already built the resources to find her once. He can direct fresh eyes, people who haven’t been running themselves ragged trying to rescue their damsel in distress fiancé, find a cop killer, and run a department. Because going out there himself would increase the risk of mistakes, and right now, mistakes are getting people killed.”
Luis closed his eyes and leaned back in his bed. “I should have killed her back in the asylum. This is my fault.”
“I didn’t raise you to be that kind of cop, Luis.” Jose ruffled Luis’ hair. “You did the right thing, although I have no freaking idea how. You saved her, and I’m proud of you.” He turned to Donovan. “Luis is right. I lashed out, and I apologize.”
Donovan sat gingerly on Luis’ other side. “No, no. I know I’m not actually responsible for prisoner transport or courtroom security, and I’m kicking myself for it too. I totally get it.” He massaged his temples. “My mom is updating the team looking for her with as much information as we have. Which, I’ll admit, is a lot.”
“Captain Carey is a force of nature.” Holcombe gave a little smile. “If it weren’t against recruiting rules, I’d be trying my damnedest to get her into the Bureau. Who’s leading the search on our end?”
“Kevin Rourke, of course.” Donovan huffed out a little laugh. “He’s convinced Morales he needs a lot of assistance, now that Luis is in the hospital. In reality, he’s keeping Morales from doing too much.”
“Good. Morales’ mom would reassign me to Alaska if I let him get hurt worse.” She shuddered. “I’ll keep Borchard and Wragge out in Southwick to work on that case. You get Fontana for Hatch, along with anyone from Organized Crime who Rourke catches looking at social media when he walks through their space.”
“Awesome, ma’am.” Donovan pulled out his phone and started texting. “Luis, I know you’re tired, but what can you tell me about Hatch?”
Luis winced. “I barely interacted with her at all. Certainly not enough to build a proper profile from.” He took a deep breath. “She’s local. She doesn’t believe she’s acting out of malice. She put water in the room where she left me at first. It was drugged, but her plan was to drug me up so I wouldn’t cause trouble, then release me when you handed her boyfriend back. I think she sincerely believed you’d give in to her demands. The thing is, when I didn’t follow her plan, she showed her sadism directly. She incapacitated me with the shot to the leg but chose to pistol-whip and kick me well past the point where I lost consciousness.”
Donovan saw red, but only for a moment. “I had the chance to shoot her when I arrested her. I should’ve taken it.”
“Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.” Luis flashed a quick grin at him. “In all seriousness, I wonder if we shouldn’t be looking at Hyena Lady—er, Tammie Hatch—for some of the deaths Gelens is currently on the hook for. She has a lot of rage, and she’s supremely loyal to Gelens, past the point of reason. And he’s an extreme narcissist, so there’s no way he feels the same way about her. She’s bound to have some jealousy issues, even if Gelens’ other partners aren’t there of their own free will.”
“Good point.” Holcombe passed Luis his tablet. “This should keep you out of trouble until you can get home. You can take a look at the other cases and flag the ones you think are suspicious.”
An objection rose up like bile in Donovan’s throat. Jose’s face darkened, so he was probably thinking along the same lines. Luis was injured. They still weren’t sure they could save the leg. Why on God’s green earth would Holcombe be trying to eke productivity out of a man injured on the job?
Then he saw the way Luis’ face lit up.
“I’m on it.” Luis accepted the tablet and opened it. “Is there anything else you want me looking into while I’m at it?”
“You can feel free to answer any messages looking for
a consultation. Obviously, nothing that would require you to be in the office or traveling, but if they just want your opinion, that’s fine. You’re good at what you do, and there’s no reason you can’t keep using your brain while you recuperate.” Holcombe straightened up. “I’ve got to go. Judge Sullivan still wants you to finish testifying, so I’ve got to go negotiate to figure out how to make that work.” Her sensible shoes made almost no sound on the linoleum floor.
Jose glanced between Donovan and Luis. “I’m going to go back to the hotel and clean up a little, okay?” He directed his gaze at Donovan. “I can trust that you’ve got him?”
“Yes, sir.” He didn’t need to ask to know exactly what Jose meant. “We’re good for a while.”
Jose softened a little. “I’ll see you tonight.” He ruffled Luis’ hair again and left.
Donovan and Luis were alone. They sat in silence for a long moment. Donovan had no idea what was going on in Luis’ head, but he knew the turmoil in his own. It kept bubbling up until he couldn’t hold it back.
“Luis, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
Luis stared at him for a long moment. Then he put his hand on Donovan’s. “I love you. I respect you. You’re an incredible detective, you’re an amazing lover, you’re a brilliant man, and it’s not your job to protect me. Don’t get me wrong—I appreciate that you want to. I love that you want to. I spent a long time feeling so exposed and so unprotected that it . . . it kind of confuses me and thrills me at the same time that you’d even want to.
“But it is not your job. We both have dangerous jobs. Things happen, and we can’t be attached at the hip.” He winked. “For one thing that would make sex kind of weird.”
Laughter exploded from Donovan, surprising even him. “Christ, Luis.”
“He ain’t here. Right now it’s just you and me.” He squeezed Donovan’s hand. Then he brought Donovan closer and kissed him.
Donovan glanced at the door, which Jose had helpfully closed. Then he threw himself into the kiss. He’d missed this. He’d been so focused on finding Luis, and making sure he was going to recover, that he hadn’t taken the time to treasure the little details. Luis hadn’t shaved, and his stubble tickled where it brushed against Donovan’s skin. His toothpaste was still fresh, his hair still a little bit damp from the shower.
And he held on to Donovan like he thought he might disappear at any minute.
“Was it really bad there?” Donovan kept his voice down. They were alone, but anyone could walk in.
Luis kept hold of Donovan, but he looked up at the ceiling as he spoke. “There were times I thought I must be unhinged if I thought I was getting out. Um.” He scratched at the soft cast on his leg. “I didn’t . . . I just didn’t want to be the guy who just sat there and patiently waited. I couldn’t have gotten out without help. You get that, right?”
“Lightfoot?”
“Among others.” He closed his eyes. “I think they’re staying out because hospitals freak them out, but they’re still around. The clergy members who keep dropping dead outside? That’s Mike. And the fires? That’s Boom-Boom.”
“Boom-Boom?” Donovan almost didn’t believe him. If he’d been dealing with anyone else, he wouldn’t have.
“He doesn’t really talk much. He curses, he mutters, and he starts fires. No one’s quite sure how long he was in there or what he did to get there. He started the fire that torched the place. We needed a distraction. They’re the ones who carried her out beyond the fire doors. They didn’t want to do it, but I insisted.” He swallowed hard and looked up. “I don’t . . . I let them help me. I asked them to help me. And I showed them how to get out of the asylum. Mike’s a murderer with religious delusions. Boom-Boom is a pyromaniac. Mike’s a good guy—”
Donovan snorted. “Except for the killing?”
“I know why he does it.” Luis shrugged. “I don’t agree that it’s the best way to address his issues, but I’m not about to pretend that they aren’t valid. And, hey, look at Lightfoot.”
The temperature in the room dropped by at least twenty degrees, and a foul stench polluted the air.
Donovan edged closer to Luis. He still couldn’t see or hear Lightfoot, but he could feel the temperature drop and anyone could smell the stench in the air. “If that’s one of the ghosts that helped Luis, I owe you a massive debt.”
Luis didn’t tense up at all when the ghost showed up, so Donovan knew he had to be on fairly solid ground in terms of his assumption.
“Captain Lightfoot says you’re welcome.” Luis took a breath. “And wants us both to know he’s keeping Mike away from clergymen who aren’t perverts, so there’s that.”
“Thanks, Captain.” Donovan tried to follow Luis’ eyes so he could directly address their unseen ally. “I appreciate it.” God, this was weird. Had Luis felt this weird when he first started seeing ghosts? At least he’d had something to see.
“Also, Millie approves of you.” Luis blushed. “She, er, yeah I’m not going to repeat that. We’ll just leave it at she approves.”
Luis didn’t get embarrassed easily, especially not by anything sexual. Donovan almost wanted to know what this Millie character had said, but he kept quiet.
“The whole place? Really?” Luis glanced up at Donovan. “The whole building—the main building at Medfield—is gone. Burned to the ground. I guess Boom-Boom is pretty thorough.”
“I guess he is. I mean there’s a reason they boarded the buildings up. It’s a shame—I think the town made a good amount of money renting the building out for movie shoots and stuff.” Donovan couldn’t bring himself to care much, however much money the town had made. Whatever evidence had been lost when the building burned was mostly superfluous. Hatch had filmed herself confessing to the crime.
There was still plenty that could go wrong. She could possibly convince a jury that Luis had gone along with her willingly, that he was an accomplice, but the idea was far-fetched enough that Donovan refused to worry about it.
“Please let them know I’m recovering. I’m in a surgical ward—for bones, not brains. And I’ve got people with me pretty much all the time, so I’m not in danger.” Luis smiled at the air, which probably contained Lightfoot and this Millie person. “Seriously, though. Thank you for all you did to help me.”
The room returned to normal temperature. The rotten stink departed. All that was left was Donovan and Luis.
Donovan turned to Luis. “How come you didn’t ask the ghosts to help find Tammie?”
Luis sighed. “Because they’ll kill her. And we still need to try her.”
Donovan grimaced. Managing people who could face no consequences for their actions was more of a challenge than he thought.
Chapter Fifteen
Luis had dreaded this moment, which was odd for him given that it moved the case against Gelens along. Until now it hung in limbo, the jury sequestered lest media coverage of the missing agent prejudice them in the case. Now Luis could complete his testimony against a serial predator and, hopefully, send him to prison for the rest of time.
Er, for the rest of his life. Luis knew a little too much about the afterlife to make statements about the rest of time.
Now that the time was here though, he dreaded it. He’d showered carefully and dressed in a collared shirt and shorts that could be hidden by a blanket. The outfit was a compromise. Luis hated to appear as anything but a consummate professional before a jury, but they’d see the bruising and the hospital setting. And the doctors didn’t want him in anything they couldn’t get rid of easily if they had to.
The first person to arrive was the defense attorney, Andrew Morello. He brought a giant gift basket of coffee-related products and looked ready to cry. “I am so sorry. You wouldn’t have been in that position if I hadn’t helped to get you onto the gurney.”
It was true, and Luis knew it. He also knew better than to hold a grudge about it. “What, you mean you didn’t think too closely interrogate the EMT who showed up
just when a witness collapsed in a heap on the ground? For shame, Mr. Morello. For shame.” He made himself laugh. “Honestly, I should have been more careful. I should have brought lunch from home, for one thing. And I definitely should have picked up on the water I didn’t order.”
Morello looked at him a little funny. “You’re not blaming yourself, seriously?”
“I’m supposed to pick up on stuff like that. It’s literally my job. Sure, there were extenuating circumstances, but I’m still supposed to know better.” He made a face. “You know how it is.”
“I do.” Morello gave him another look, long and searching. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, but the arrival of Fahey and Sullivan chased the words away. He stepped to the side and let the AV tech following them set up a camera and wire them all with microphones.
Sullivan held up a hand. “Before we start, and before we go live to the jury, I need to make one thing clear. Agent Gomes, I’m very sympathetic to your situation. I can see you’re in pain, and I know what you’ve been through must have been terrifying. I spent five months as a POW in Vietnam, so I’m not pulling your leg here. I really do know.”
Luis looked up. He hadn’t known about Sullivan’s background. He’d assumed Sullivan had just kind of sprouted there on the bench. “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Agent. I’m sympathetic, but I do have a job to do. I’ve got a perfect record going. I haven’t had a single case overturned because of technicalities or judicial errors, and I’m goddamn proud of that fact. I’m not willing to risk it.
“I know exactly who did this to you because we have her on camera confessing to it. Mr. Gelens may have instigated it, and may not have. But he’s not on trial for the kidnapping. That’s still under investigation. I cannot, and will not, allow questions or references to his potential involvement in the abduction into evidence before the jury. Mr. Gelens is entitled to a fair trial, even with the serious charges against him, and I will not jeopardize that right. Do I make myself clear?”