Where Secrets Lie

by R E Gauthier

  Jumping up quickly, Kelsey asked, “What happened? Did Washburg make a move or did we get results?”

  Nikki’s smile grew larger “In a matter of speaking, yes. The rush on the DNA from the man’s body came back as a positive match to the DNA from the envelope Mr., and Mrs. Nolan gave us. The samples from the hairbrush and toothbrush comparisons were inconclusive.”

  “What…what does that mean?” Kelsey was trying to shake the cobwebs from her head.

  “Well, we have the verification we needed to identify the body as that of Kyle Nolan. We now know he’s dead and Paul Washburg is the main suspect in his murder. We may have found a break in the case as well. There was a secondary contributor of DNA samples on one of the items from Kyle Nolan’s apartment. We believe it was placed on these items to make identifying the body more difficult.”

  “I’m not that awake, Nikki can you speed up this explanation.” Kelsey stood and stretched.

  Nikki nodded. “We have one distinct male sample mixed with the known DNA sample of Kyle Nolan’s toothbrush, retrieved from his apartment. I have theorized that Paul Washburg was the contributor. Do you know what this means?”

  Realization dawned on Kelsey. Hope bubbled to the surface. She smiled. “It means we may have a sample of Paul Washburg’s DNA. Can we verify it?”

  “We can send a technician to the senior home in New York to collect a saliva sample from Nancy Washburg and do a mitochondrial DNA analysis to determine if the foreign sample from the toothbrush is from a male child of Nancy Washburg.”

  “I knew he wouldn’t be able not to taunt us. We may have found the one mistake that could put him away for a long time. We can look more closely for DNA samples on evidence collected from the other bodies and their burial sites. We could have the irrefutable evidence; Washburg didn’t think we could find.”

  “We do have a problem; we’re not going to be able to collect a sample from Nancy Washburg without letting her son know we’re onto him. We cannot get her sample without consent and getting a court order will be difficult.”

  “Then we do it without consent. We get someone to collect a discarded item with Nancy’s sample on it. We don’t need it to build a case, but it will give us probable cause for a search warrant.”

  Torres interjected, “I can call one of my buddies and have them pose as a visitor to the senior home to gain access to Nancy Washburg. We’ll have him collect a sample of her DNA.”

  Kelsey nodded. “Any other results, what about toxicology?”

  “Yes, the body’s tissues were positive for high concentrations of Heroine, Fentanyl, and Ketamine. We’ll have to wait for the full report for cause of death, but it sure to be an overdose.”

  “Great, everything is falling into place, has Lambert or Gillis called to report in this morning?”

  Nikki shook her head. “No, all has been quiet on that front, I called to check in with them before I went and got our coffee and they said they saw nothing that warranted further investigation.”

  “I’m going to go get a shower and then you, and I can go for our shift.” Kelsey directed her comment to the tall woman stretched out in the armchair. “Don’t get used to doing that because today we’ll be taking shifts. You’ll have the first watch.”

  “Hey, why does that sound unfair? Do you think that sounds fair to you, Nikki?”

  Nikki shrugged. “Don’t get me involved in this. I have to sleep in this room with her.”

  “Weren’t you the one who said you could manage on less sleep than I could?” Kelsey raised an eyebrow and then turned to enter the bathroom. “I’ll even let you go get the food and drive today,” she tossed over her shoulder as she closed the door. Kelsey heard the loud chuckles and Nikki tell Torres that she had walked into that one.

  ***

  Down-the street from Ashley Foster’s Apartment, Early Morning, March 15, 2012

  Kelsey and Torres arrived at the ‘watch’ location, and the first thing Kelsey did was kick off her shoes and put up the sun-blocking windshield and side window covers. Today, they wouldn’t be suffering from the heat, and she could stretch out in the front seats and get some rest. “You have the first shift. Wake me up in two hours. Today we’re going to do this the ‘right’ way and maximize our potential by taking turns.”

  “What if I see something, we should check out further?” Torres asked.

  Opening one eye, Kelsey said, “I can trust you’ll know if it’s important enough to wake me or you can handle it alone.” Seeing Torres smile and nod, Kelsey closed her eye and drew in a few deep breaths. “Okay, set your watch, two hours from now.” A relaxed state took over Kelsey’s body and mind as sleep enveloped her.

  ***

  Consciousness crept into Kelsey’s mind before she opened her eyes. Her ears picked up the constant hum of the electricity inside the van. Kelsey felt the warm, soft leather of the front seat of the van. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her nose, she smiled. Nikki told her the batteries could handle the extra load of a compact coffee machine, so Kelsey used some of their funds to buy one. Without opening her eyes, Kelsey drew in a deep breath and licked her lips. “Mmmm, that coffee smells heavenly.”

  “I thought you’d rather wake up to the smell of coffee and not the sound of my voice. You were sleeping so soundly, I hated to wake you at all, but you did say two hours; it has been a bit over that now.”

  Stretching her arms over her head and tilting her neck from side to side, Kelsey tried to draw out the kinks of sleeping upright. Opening her eyes, she welcomed the dim light with the sunshades in place over the windows. “I certainly needed that rest. I feel so much better than I did waking up earlier. Has there been any movement?”

  “Not much to speak of; Deb’s getting bored, so she’s playing a video game. I got an email from the State Troopers that checked out the property, where Washburg is staying. They said they didn’t see him, but the car he drove here is parked at the cabin. He must have another vehicle he’s driving around while here.”

  “Well, he wouldn’t want to draw much attention to his whereabouts if we were looking for the car. I wish he would make contact so that we can get this over with.”

  “The best things in life are those we have to wait for; Paul Washburg will get caught, it’s only a matter of time.”

  “I know, but I have more I want to be doing at the moment.”

  Torres asked, “how is that going?”

  Frowning, Kelsey thought about the non-existent movement on the investigation into her deaths of her cousin, aunt, and uncle. Her eagerness to wind up this case that they had been working on since last September pulled her to a stand-still. “Not good; once I had the vision about Washburg and the mask he made, we’ve been here trying to stop him and put him away.”

  “It must be frustrating for you to have to wait longer to get the answers you’ve been looking for all these years.”

  Kelsey couldn’t imagine being anymore frustrated, but she knew they had to stop Washburg before he hurt anyone else. Aisling, her aunt, and uncle were dead and as far as she knew their killer remained unpunished. Not knowing if the individual or individuals responsible for their deaths had hurt anyone else, she had to contend with the most pressing danger she could prevent. “I’ve waited this long; a few more days won’t make a difference. The answers will still be there once we put this bastard behind bars.”

  “Well, since you’re awake now, I’m going to have a rest. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, but even just resting my eyes will be good to refresh my mind.”

  “Thanks for the coffee; I can return the favor and have a nice big cup ready for you when you’re through resting. If you do fall asleep, when do you want me to wake you?’

  Torres climbed into the front seat, Kelsey had recently vacated. “Oh, this seat is nice and warm. It was the best idea to get those sunshades to block the sun. It’s much more comfortable here than it was yesterday. Don’t let me sleep for more than two hours; I won’t be any help to
you if I do.”

  Kelsey nodded, as she poured her coffee in her insulated cup. “Not a problem, get the rest when you can, I’m thinking Washburg is going to make his move soon.”

  “You haven’t had any visions?”

  “No, when my sleep patterns are messed up my visions don’t come to me as they usually do.”

  “We’ll get him, and it will happen because of your visions.” Torres took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Remember no longer than two hours.”

  “I’ll be sure to wake you if you fall asleep by the two-hour mark. I cannot have you of no use to me.”

  Kelsey watched Torres settle in the seat and put earplugs into her ears. In a few minutes, the regular breathing signaled that the tall, older woman had fallen asleep. Smiling Kelsey put on the headphones and switched on the audio to pick up any noises surrounding the apartment building. The hidden microphones picked up the sounds of people talking, car horns as they whizzed by, and birds calling from nearby trees. The video screens in front of her displayed several images of people going about their daily routines. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  Taking out her phone she tapped the icon for Miranda and sent a text. Mo Chridhe, how is your day going? Waiting to get her reply, Kelsey scrolled down to Nikki’s image and tapped it to send her a text as well. Torres is resting. How is it going? Her phone beeped as a text came through. Miranda’s photo popped up.

  Kelsey read the text; her fiancée sent her. Nanna and I practiced our yoga earlier and then had some breakfast. I’m helping Nanna make some oatcakes for an afternoon tea social she’s going to today. You must be very busy. When will you be coming home?

  Frowning, Kelsey knew she couldn’t answer that question, but thought it was best, to be honest. Tapping out the words, she texted back: I cannot talk right now. We’re getting close, and I hope we’ll be wrapping up the case soon. I miss you. There was a pause before she saw Miranda’s reply. Nibbling on her lip, she watched the icon signal that her fiancée was writing.

  I miss you too. I know you haven’t been sleeping well because you’re not coming to me at night. Please take care of yourself. Nanna is worried about you and so am I. I love you, and Nanna sends you her love as well. Be safe and come back to us soon.

  Kelsey sent back that she loved and missed them both and would be back as soon as she could. As she closed out the text window, Nikki’s photo popped up on the screen. Tapping the icon, Nikki’s reply to her text popped up. I’m glad you texted me. I was waiting to hear from you before I tried to reach you. We have a development you’ll be interested in; the foreign dirt, found at the scene, where they found Kyle’s body, is an exact match for the soil found on the bodies, located on the Washburg Estates last year. We’re one step closer. We have the probable cause to search all and everything to do with Paul Washburg.

  Realization sunk in for Kelsey. Their investigation found another mistake Washburg made, and it would lead to them being able to build a solid case against him. She decided to have Torres call her private investigator friends in New York and have them bring in Nancy Washburg. Kelsey sent back a text to Nikki, thanking her team of forensic experts for pulling this off and congratulating them on a job well done. She asked Nikki to contact Judge Rita Hogan to issue a search warrant for all property of Washburg Estates. She also checked with Nikki, to see if the forensic team had found more connection between the two fires.

  Frowning, Kelsey read Nikki’s reply. I’ll call her as soon as we’re finished. Sorry, nothing has come back yet, but I’m hopeful they may find some biologicals and maybe even DNA that we can match to Washburg.

  Kelsey sat back after ending her text conversation with Nikki. Finally. Their investigation was making progress, and they might be able to put Paul Washburg away. Now, we need him to make his move.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Down-the-street from Ashley Foster’s Apartment, Late Afternoon, March 15, 2012

  The day flew by quickly even though, nothing of any importance occurred at the apartment building. Torres woke up from her nap and was as happy as Kelsey was to learn their noose around Washburg’s neck had tightened considerably. They were now waiting to hear back from the private investigators Torres had on the senior home in New York. They went to execute the search warrant and take Nancy Washburg into custody for questioning, but the facility staff said that the woman was not available due to having a doctor’s appointment. Instead of making a scene, Torres instructed her PI friends to await the confirmation that Paul Washburg’s mother was back in her room before they took her into custody. They had law enforcement officers executing the search warrant on the Washburg Estates in Middleburg, Virginia. Kelsey decided not to tip Washburg off by going to the cabin and searching it and the car. They’d have the time once they caught him in the act of attempting to take the life of Agent Deborah Norman, disguised as Ashley Foster.

  Time ticked down, and Kelsey could feel the tension building inside of her. Sensing the end was near, she could hardly wait until they could put Paul Washburg away for a very long time. “Lambert and Gillis should be calling soon. Still nothing from New York?”

  Shaking her head, Torres said, “Nothing. I’m starting to get worried. What if something happened to her?”

  “Don’t you go taking over the worrying; that’s my job. I need you to be like Nikki and keep me thinking positive here.”

  Torres shrugged. “I’m concerned that she’s at her appointment for a long time. Something could be wrong.”

  “Or someone hasn’t reported back to your PI’s that she’s back in her room. Have them call the home again.”

  Kelsey’s phone buzzed as she watched Torres place her call. Looking at the call icon, she saw the familiar number of Special Agent Susan Lambert. “Where are you?” Kelsey asked as soon as the call connected.

  “We’ll be at the exchange spot in two,” Lambert said.

  “Good. We’ll see you soon.” Kelsey stood and stretched. Torres was still in the middle of listening to the person on the other end of her call.

  Ending the call and putting her phone in her pocket, Torres smiled. “Okay, they’re on their way to pick Nancy Washburg up. Was that Lambert?”

  Nodding, Kelsey handed Torres the keys to the van. “We should leave; they’ll be there waiting for us.”

  The drive from their surveillance spot to where they met with Lambert and Gillis was a silent one. After updating the two agents on the goings-on in and around the Apartment building, Torres and Kelsey drove back to their motel in silence; both women lost in her thoughts.

  Pulling into the designated parking spot, Kelsey saw the rental, that Nikki drove already parked and Nikki greeted Kelsey and Torres at the door of the motel room, she shared with Kelsey. “I’m glad to see you two; I need to bring you up to speed on all the developments.”

  “I’m eager to hear it, and I’m not sure about Torres, but I need a shower and a change of clothes first,” Kelsey said.

  Nodding Torres said, “I’m with you there, and we have some things to tell you too, Red.”

  ***

  Village Inn Motel, Early Evening, March 15, 2012

  After a hot shower and a change of clothes, Kelsey was feeling much better than when she arrived earlier at the motel room. By the sound of the voices in the other room, she could tell Torres was finished showering and dressing in her room. Kelsey heard some laughter and muffled chuckles.

  “You two sound like you’re having way too much fun for women who have spent the better part of a week in a motel room.”

  Still giggling, Nikki tried to speak. She held up her hand and kept laughing instead.

  “What Red is trying to say is that the motel office clerk has a huge crush on her.”

  Torres’s words sent Nikki into another fit of chuckles.

  Kelsey smiled, at least the two of them were enjoying themselves. “Well, maybe after this case is over, you can ask her out on a date.”

  Nikki stopped laughing long enough t
o say, “it’s not a girl but a seventy-something man with a beard down to here.” Nikki indicated to her knees.

  “Oh, Red he looks like a sweet gentleman. I bet; he could take care of you in a way befitting a southern belle like yourself.”

  Nikki explained that the clerk offered to help her with their meal. Torres had made some comment about how they didn’t have any men to take care of them, and the clerk said he’d be happy to assist in any way he could. He told Nikki she reminded him of his dearly, departed wife Myrtle when they met. “I’m betting it was like sixty years ago when he still had all of his teeth.”

  Nikki and Torres Laughed heartily.

  Kelsey joined in on the ribbing of Nikki and then asked if Nikki remembered the gravy. “I’m sorry, but I’m starving, right now, must have been all the rest I got today.”

  Nikki took a large styrofoam container of gravy out of the bag and popped a fry into her mouth. “Yeah, Torres was telling me you had more naps than an old lady planning for date night.”

  Chuckling, Kelsey said, “Well, I’m more rested than I have felt in days. We have to be on our toes. I have a feeling Washburg will make his move soon, maybe even tonight.”

  “Speaking about him, I have some news about those break-ins at a few clinics. In each one they were missing only one drug can you guess which ones?”

  “Heroine, Fentanyl, and Ketamine are my guesses,” Torres said with a smile before taking a bite of her hamburger.

  “Give that lady a prize. Not only have three clinics reported missing one of those drugs each, but they also had glass syringes stolen.” Nikki made a grand gesture with her two hands.

  “Why do you think he switched to glass?” Torres asked.

  Nikki shrugged. “My theory is they can be smashed to destroy evidence. But they’re more traceable because so few people still use them.”

  “Any leads on the perpetrator in these thefts?” Kelsey asked as soon as she had eaten enough to quell her hunger pangs.