Skeletons In My Closet

by Dynah Zale

  Still surprised by his presence, the inside of Garrett’s mouth turned to paste and his throat was so dry; he was unable to speak.

  “I’ve seen his face on a bunch of billboards around the city, but I don’t believe we’ve ever met before.” The two shook hands as if it were their first time meeting.

  “Detective,” Lady Lanier spoke up. “The reason I summoned you to my office is because of the morning edition of the newspaper.” She held up Raquel’s picture on the front of the morning paper. “I spoke to your sergeant and he informed me that you were the arresting officer on this case.”

  “Yes ma’am that is correct.”

  She looked at the paper again before setting it down in front of her. “Although, your efforts to apprehend this young lady with outstanding warrants are to be commended, her accusations against you are disturbing.”

  Worry broke out over Garrett’s face. Lady Lanier was better than a watchdog; somehow she knew everything everybody did in the city. He was sure she had figured out his involvement in their caper. Sweat broke out along his forehead. It would only be a matter of time before she attacked them. The backlash was inevitable. There was no way he could avoid it.

  “The charges she has made against you hurt the entire Camden Police Department. Therefore, residents perceive the police negatively and ultimately the police force is labeled as corrupt.”

  “Are you trying to accuse me of something?” Detective Hart snapped. “If you are, please be straight with me; don’t beat around the bush.”

  “Don’t get upset Detective. When I first read the story I was concerned. It took me two decades to cleanse the police force of all corruption when I was mayor. I feared that the corruption I managed to rid the city of had emerged again, but once I spoke with your sergeant this morning he assured me that this was just a misunderstanding.” She played with a letter opener lying on her huge oak wood desk. “As a matter of fact he had nothing but praise for you and the eight years you’ve been with the Camden PD.”

  Relieved, that his sergeant backed him up was a load off his mind. Detective Hart thought he was going to lose his job.

  “However, he does agree that this type of publicity looks bad on the entire department so for the sake of appearances you have been placed on administrative suspension without pay until a full investigation has been concluded; if the results are in your favor, you will be reinstated with all back pay.”

  “You can’t do that.” The detective shouted. “I have rights.”

  She turned to Garrett. “Councilman, the reason I requested your presence here this morning was because I value your opinion. Do you think that by suspending the detective this is the best way to dispel any arising controversies surrounding the police department?”

  “I… uh” Garrett pulled at his collar. The way the detective’s eyes bore down on him made him nervous. It was difficult for him to convey his thoughts.

  “Do you think that the department has exhausted all possibilities before proceeding with a temporary suspension for the detective?” She asked.

  Everyone waited with bated breath to hear how Garrett was going to respond. Out of habit, he ran his fingers through his light curly hair. He didn’t want to go against Lady Lanier. If he did, then she may think he was soft on crime and was unable to handle the job of being mayor. On the other hand if he agreed with her, then the detective would quickly turn from being an ally to an enemy.

  “I believe in the detective’s innocence. If he says he didn’t do anything wrong, then I believe him. I see nothing wrong with a full investigation being conducted. That way he can be fully exonerated and we can move on.”

  The detective jumped up from out of his seat. “The both of you are nothing more than dirty politicians and I won’t allow you to use me as a pawn to push your corrupt political agenda.” He pointed at Lady Lanier, “I can’t wait ‘til the day you die. I’ll be there to spit on your grave.” Then he angrily pointed in Garrett’s face. “Man, I’ll see you in hell.” Then he stormed out the office.

  Garrett dropped his head to the ground over the hard decision he had to make.

  ***

  “God, did I make a mistake?” Garrett wasn’t asking a question, he was actually making a comment.

  “Kiel, will you show him the blue print for his life.” God wanted Garrett to see exactly how far off the path he was for his life.

  A projector screen lowered down before them and a blue print of Garrett’s life appeared. Kiel took a pointer stick to point out Garrett’s current coordinates on the map.

  “This is where you’re currently at.” Kiel’s pointer wasn’t even on the map any longer.

  “All the way over there.” Garrett was shocked.

  “Yes, it seems you veered left somewhere in your childhood and since then you haven’t been able to get back on track.”

  Garrett’s heart pumped faster. If he was that far off his God given path, then he was pretty sure it would take a miracle to get him back to where he needed to be. There was no way God was going to allow him to enter through those pearly gates.

  ***

  Lady Lanier saw the internal struggle within Garrett. “Garrett you did the right thing. Believe me.When you make that pledge to uphold the laws of this city, that oath applies to everyone. That’s why lady justice is blind; just because you carry a badge or sit on the judicial bench, a title does not put you above the law. It’s your duty to make sure everybody does what they’re supposed to do – not what they can do.”

  Garrett felt like Lady Lanier had imparted her wisdom with him for the day; it was time for him to leave. He got up from out of his chair.

  “Before you go.” She gave him a grimacing look. “I usually suppress my personal opinion in regards to any candidate’s personal life; however, I am really disappointed at the story that surfaced this morning.”

  Garrett should have known he couldn’t have gotten out of her office without addressing the issue of Blair.

  “Any more bomb shells like this and I doubt you’ll be elected to office.”

  That sounded like a threat and Garrett took it seriously.

  “No, ma’am. You won’t hear anything else like this coming from my camp.”

  “Good.” Her secretary entered and set down a fresh cup of tea. “You have a blessed day.”

  ***

  Garrett left out the front of her offices with his hands stuffed deep in his pants pockets. He slowly strolled along thinking about the detective. “I have to call him.” Garrett had to make Detective Hart understand why he sided with Lady Lanier.

  Garrett pushed the keyless remote to unlock his car. Before he could swing the car door open somebody came up behind him. Dragged him into a nearby alley and pushed his face up against a wall.

  A huge black pistol dug into his temple. The sound of the bullet shifting into the chamber caused Garrett to break out in a heavy sweat. Hot heavy sticky breath filled his nostrils. “What would you do if I pulled this trigger?” It was Detective Hart. “You’d be helpless, just like I was a moment ago in that old woman’s office. You sat there like a punk; allowing an eighty year old woman to dictate my future when you could have put an end to it all with just one word.”

  “What did you want me to do?” Garrett stammered.

  The detective turned Garrett around and stepped back. The thrill of being in control left a crazed look in the detective’s eyes. He leveled the gun at Garrett’s chest. He could see fear in Garret’s eyes. Happy, the detective got what he wanted, and that was power over Garrett.

  “I can’t go home and tell my wife that I’m suspended without pay.”

  Garrett held his hands up. He didn’t want to make any sudden moves that would result in him getting shot. “I think you’re over reacting.”

  “I did this because of you.” The detective shouted. “This is what you wanted.” He aimed the gun at Garrett’s head. “I should shoot you and then go to the papers and confess everything.”

  Garre
tt watched the detective carefully. He looked uncomfortable holding that gun. His hand was unsteady, and the way perspiration seeped through his clothes was a dead giveaway that the detective was just as scared as he was.

  “If you do that, you’ll walk away with nothing.” Garrett pretended like he was no longer scared. “I’ll be dead and you will not only lose your job but also your standing in the community. If you shoot me they will hunt you down and throw you in prison for the rest of your life if they don’t kill you first. Nothing will be gained.”

  Garrett put his hands down. “Be patient. Internal Affairs will conduct a simple investigation and find nothing. You’ll be reinstated and sent back to work with pay.”

  “How can you be so sure?” By his actions, Garrett wondered if he had ever shot anyone before.

  “Listen, this is all for show. Lady Lanier said so in her office.” Garrett was lying again. “We just want to show the voters that the government still has control.” That put the detective at ease.

  “Trust me, in a few weeks this will blow over. Just keep a low profile for a couple weeks and you’ll be back to work in no time.

  “All right.” The detective walked away. “Councilman, don’t forget I am never far away.”

  Chapter 49

  His cell phone rang again. It was the third time that day. Every time a call came through, Garrett sent it straight to voicemail. Blair had been gone for over three weeks and everyday Dr. French left messages for him to return her call. None of the messages left sounded urgent so he assumed that Blair’s progress was going well. He felt no need to call her back. Garrett justified his actions by believing that he was doing what was best for his son.

  Through a bit of digging, Garrett learned that Raquel posted bail through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Since then, Raquel’s declaration to the press that he was a fraud and a horrible father caused a drop in the polls. Not only that, his campaign was going into severe debt because of the lack of contributions by his supporters, Mecca was still angry with him over Blair’s whereabouts, and he still had to keep an eye out on the investigation into Detective Hart.

  Garret was busy answering emails when his secretary walked in and handed him two letters. The first letter was from the family courts. His hearing for permanent custody for Blair had been set and he had to appear in court two weeks from today. He glanced at the return address of the second letter. It was from a lawyer’s office. He tore into it. The contents forced him up from his chair and out the door. In his haste to get out the door, he knocked over the letter from the courthouse and it fell to the floor underneath his desk.

  His secretary called out to him, “Councilman, where are you going? Did you forget you have a meeting in twenty minutes?”

  Garrett ignored her and raced to his car. He traveled to a part of the city he hadn’t been to in years. This area was marred with late night drive-by shootings and prostitutes on every corner. He pulled his car into a parking space outside of Northgate high-rise projects. It looked the same as it did a decade ago. The place was still littered with trash, drunks and drug dealers. Residents sat out on rusted balconies trying to catch a breeze in the hot summer sun.

  Inside the lobby he stepped onto the only working elevator. It smelt like someone had just finished using the elevator as a toilet. He looked down at the floor. A baby’s soiled pamper laid in the corner. Garrett held his breath until he reached the twelfth floor. Then he quickly found apartment eighty-six. He knocked hard on the front door.

  “Who is it?” A woman yelled from the other side.

  Garrett cleared his throat before answering. “Councilman Dunn.”

  The door opened slowly. Crystal Cousins stood before him. Still wearing her work uniform as the night clerk at a local hotel.

  “Can I speak with you?” She didn’t look like she was willing to talk. “I won’t take up a lot of your time.”

  She held the door open for him to enter. Inside her apartment pictures of all three of her sons decorated the walls; but most were of Markell. She was a woman that was still in mourning over her son.

  She turned the volume down on her television set before sitting down in her living room.

  Garrett started the conversation. “I got a letter today from your lawyer. What made you decide to include me in with your law suit against Principal Schneider and the Camden Board of Education?”

  “I came to you for help.” She pointed her finger at him. “When you told me everything had been taken care of, I trusted you. I even had faith when you said that you would look into the details AFTER my son was dead, but still I heard nothing. To me,” Crystal spoke so fast her words were slurring together, but it showed how upset she was. . . “there is no difference between you and the other men running for mayor. They lie and you lie. Except they never lied to my face like you did. I intend to use this lawsuit to show those phony politicians in city hall that our children are not disposable. You can’t use them and you won’t use me.”

  The fact that he was supposed to give Schneider a call had completely slipped his mind until now. “I apologize if you feel as though I was acting insensitive in anyway.” Then he used Blair as his excuse. “I’m sure you’ve read the papers about my own son and the mistakes I’ve made recently with him.”

  “Yes, I read all about it.”

  “Then, you know that putting my family back together has been a top priority for me.”

  “I think that article made me lose all respect for you.” She looked down on him with pity in her eyes.

  “Ms. Cousins, I can see you’re a really smart woman and I am no longer going to insult you by playing mindless head games. The reason I came here today is to make you an offer, and I hope you seriously consider it because this may be the only time I can make this kind of offer to you.” Crystal listened closely to what he was about to say. “I cannot under any circumstances have my name included in this lawsuit. This will ruin any chances I have of winning the election in November.” Crystal felt no sympathy for the councilman.

  “I can see you don’t care, but I know for a fact that any lawsuit is going to be costly. It’s going to take a lot of your time, energy and resources to see this through.”

  “Yes, well it will be well worth it.”

  “Yes, it will, but I’m here to make it a bit easier for you.” His words got her attention. “You’re asking for a million dollars in your lawsuit, but I am prepared to give you one hundred thousand dollars. Cash. Today. If you agree to remove my name from that lawsuit.”

  Crystal was shocked by his offer.

  “If you sue the Board of Education it is very likely that you will win, but they have enough resources and power to drag this out in court for years. It could be ten years before it’s even heard in court and even longer before you see any money. What I’m offering will help you with all of your everyday expenses; put some away for your children’s education. One hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money for a single mother.”

  The only thought running through Crystal’s mind was how she would finally be able to provide for her boys without living paycheck to paycheck. It was difficult taking care of two growing boys by herself. They ate constantly and her youngest outgrew his sneakers every three months. “Okay, I’ll take the money, but I won’t call my lawyer until I have the money in my hand.”

  “No problem. I’ll be back by noon.” Garrett wasted no time leaving her apartment. The plan was to go straight to the bank and access the campaign benevolence fund. Sawyer specifically set up this account for unforeseen emergencies that arose while he was on the campaign trail. At the time Garrett thought this was a waste of resources he never imagined it would ever come in handy. He smiled at the thought that Sawyer was still taking care of him, even from the grave.

  Chapter 50

  Garrett drove to the bank. Inside he grabbed a withdrawal slip, then he gave it a second thought and tossed it in the nearest wastebasket. A withdrawal of one hundred thousand dollars was something h
e didn’t want to draw attention to. So he asked for Mrs. Tilley the bank branch manager. She was someone he trusted and had always been helpful with his banking needs.

  “Councilman Dunn, what can I help you with today?” She led him to her office.

  “Well, there is a benevolence account my previous campaign manager Sawyer Wasserman set up some time ago. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but he suddenly passed away in the spring and now I have a need to make a withdrawal from that account.”

  “Okay, let me take a look.” She pushed some buttons on her computer. “Is this account connected to your campaign accounts?”

  “Yes ma’am it should be.”

  She searched the screen. “Oh yes, I see where this is noted as the benevolence fund.”

  “Great, I need to withdraw one hundred thousand dollars all in one hundred dollar bills, please.” The woman’s face turned sour. Her eyes shifted from Garrett back to the screen. “Is there something wrong?”

  “Councilman, when is the last time you accessed this account.”

  “Probably not since the spring. Sawyer, was responsible for its oversight, not me.”

  “Oh! Well that would explain why you’re not aware that there are only two pennies left in this account.”

  “What?” Garrett screamed loudly.

  The outburst led Ms. Tilley to print out all account activity. They scanned each transaction together. “Here is a thirty thousand dollar purchase at a jewelry store. Mrs. Tilly moved her finger down the screen. “A purchase of a brand new Lexus and the last transaction seems to be a transfer of funds for over one hundred thousand dollars to another account under the name of…” She hit a few more buttons and Sawyer’s name appeared.

  “That can’t be right.” Garrett mumbled. He didn’t believe Sawyer would steal from him. It had to be somebody else in the campaign because Sawyer was dead.

  “Mrs. Tilly what was the date of that last transfer?”

  “April thirteenth.”

  “That’s the day Sawyer died.”