by Dirk Patton
“You mentioned this when we spoke yesterday, but I’d like to circle back. You and your husband argued in front of your home. He struck you and you responded by threatening to kill him, with your weapon drawn and aimed. There’s a notation in here that a video of the incident exists. Have you seen it?”
“No.” Katarina shook her head and looked down. “But it’s going to be bad. I’m sure I looked unhinged, even if he had just hit me. I kind of went off.”
“And there’re also multiple witnesses to the event. Correct?”
“Half my neighborhood saw it.”
He was quiet as he made another series of notes.
“What else do they have?” she asked as he kept writing.
He finished what he was doing, closed the file and slipped the pen into his breast pocket. Turning, he faced Katarina and took a breath.
“Here’s where we stand and our next steps. The evidence, on the surface, is both damning and compelling. You were seen and recorded threatening your husband’s life with a gun, then twenty-four hours later he is found dead in your home of a gunshot wound from that very same weapon.
“That will allow the prosecution to charge you with pre-meditation and moves us into the arena of a capital crime. While not good, this also means that it will be months, if not more than a year, before this ever goes in front of a jury. Plenty of time for us to develop an effective defense.
“That said, I have a meeting this afternoon with the US Attorney assigned to your case. She’s very aggressive, and also very talented. However, she is also practical and knows that going to trial is never a sure thing. She may very well make an offer if you’re willing to consider pleading to a lesser offense.”
It took Katarina several seconds for his words to sink in.
“No fucking way! I’m not pleading to something I didn’t do! It has to be Pettigrew or Collins, or both, setting me up.”
He nodded at her answer to a potential plea deal before continuing.
“Why would the Special Agent in Charge and an agent from the Office of Professional Responsibility set you up, Katarina?”
“I have no idea.”
Despite her response, she was willing to bet the next time she saw Collins, there would be a demon floating behind her face. She couldn’t understand why they’d targeted her, but that was the only theory that she could come up with that even remotely made sense. Unfortunately, she couldn’t share it with her attorney.
Before he asked another question, his phone chimed and he looked at the screen, scrolling and reading for nearly a minute.
“That was my investigator,” he said. “Agent Collins is dead.”
Katarina stared at him with her mouth open.
“How?” she finally blurted.
“She lives on one of those houseboats on Lake Union. Apparently, she slipped and fell off the dock the night before last. Struck her head on a submerged rock and drowned. Her body was found yesterday morning. So far, it’s being classified as a tragic accident.”
“What are the odds of that coincidence?” Katarina breathed.
“I don’t believe in coincidence, Agent Daniels. Especially not when it involves one of my clients.”
“You’re not saying---”
“I’m not saying anything, Agent. But, and forgive my phrasing, if you’re to be believed, one of the two people who could substantiate your claim regarding your service weapon just happened to die several hours before that very same weapon was used to murder your husband.”
“And point the blame at me.”
“Keep a low profile, Agent Daniels. Do not do anything that would prompt the judge to revoke your bond, and do not, under any circumstances, contact anyone involved in this case. It is much easier to assist in your own defense if you’re not behind bars.”
“What are you going to do?”
“As I said, I’m meeting with the US Attorney this afternoon. Before that, I’ll bring my lead investigator up to speed. His name is Harry Fry and he’s a retired Seattle PD detective sergeant. He’s very good at what he does. He’ll be contacting you once I’ve spoken with him. Other than myself, he’s the one person with whom you can speak freely. Any questions?”
Katarina slowly shook her head and Vance pressed a button on the console next to him. Within seconds, her door was opened from the outside by the chauffeur and when she looked out she was surprised to see they were parked in front of Liam’s house.
“Remember, Agent Daniels,” Vance said before she could exit the vehicle. “Trust no one. There is no rational explanation for your service weapon being found at the murder scene when it had already been confiscated. You appear to have an enemy who is willing to stop at nothing to ensure you are put away.”
She nodded in thought and stepped out onto the curb. Ignoring her, the chauffeur closed the door, got behind the wheel and drove away. Feeling more lost and alone and afraid than at any point in her life, Katarina turned to look at Liam’s front door.
How could she drag him any deeper into this? Regardless of her feelings, he didn’t deserve to have his life and career placed in jeopardy by someone he hardly knew. Raising her phone, she scrolled through her contacts and initiated a call.
“Baldwin,” she said when it was answered. “Can you pick me up?”
Twenty-Five
After picking up Katarina from in front of Liam’s, Baldwin drove across Lake Washington to the eastern suburb of Kirkland. A quick stop at a small convenience store and she had a new, disposable phone, then at her request they drove to a small café.
She was famished but wanted to talk to Liam before any more time passed. While Baldwin went inside to get a table, she found his number in her iPhone and copied it over into the new one. Getting ready to dial, she looked up when a pretty soccer mom herded two young children out of the café and stared in shock.
The woman’s little girl, no more than seven or eight, was looking at her. But it wasn’t the big brown eyes that startled her. It was the hissing demon floating behind the child’s face. Unable to tear her eyes away, she watched until the kids were loaded into a car and driven off.
A shudder passed through her. While she hadn’t given it any thought, it simply hadn’t occurred to her that evil could possess a child. Not that there was any reason she could think of that it couldn’t, it just didn’t fit with her expectations despite Zophiel’s warning.
A tingle of revulsion gripped her as she thought about the implications. Not that she was on board with the idea of hunting down and killing the possessed to destroy the demons that inhabited them, but she sure as hell wasn’t about to start murdering children.
The iPhone suddenly vibrated in her hand and with a small squeal of surprise, she dropped it. Feeling foolish, she scooped it off the pavement, unconcerned with the freshly cracked screen. It was still working, vibrating away and displaying Liam’s name. The glass crackled slightly when she pressed the button to accept the call.
“Hi! I was just about to call you.”
“Heard you were bonded out. You okay? Where are you?”
“I’m with Baldwin. There’re some things I have to take care of and he’s helping me.”
His lack of response to the information spoke volumes.
“Liam, he’s my partner’s brother and an old friend. There’s nothing between us.”
“That’s not what I was thinking,” he said after a few more seconds of dead air.
“I can’t drag you into my shit. You don’t deserve that.”
“If I’m not worried about it, why should you be?”
She took a deep breath before answering.
“Because you have a life and a career to think about. The last thing you need is a girlfriend that’s toxic to both.”
“I thought...”
“What?” she prompted when he didn’t continue.
“I thought... well, we both said some things last night. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I can’t imagine how you must be feeling with e
verything you’re dealing with right now.”
She went quiet, remembering the conversation they were having before Pettigrew showed up and arrested her.
“Liam, I...”
He stayed silent, waiting.
“I meant every word,” she finally said in a rush. “And that’s why I think you need to stay away from me until this is all resolved. Pettigrew’s probably already called your boss---”
“Don’t care,” he said, cutting her off. “I’m not the one that did anything wrong. He had no business trying to search my house without a warrant. Besides, my boss is a stand-up guy. I’m not worried about him, or my career or any of the rest of it. But I am worried about you.”
“Liam---”
“I’m not going away, Katarina! Not unless you tell me you don’t want to be with me.”
Standing there, leaned against Baldwin’s SUV, she struggled to hold back tears. Liam’s words had given her a bright spot to look forward to, but fear of what her immediate future held nearly broke her heart.
“Where are you staying?” he asked, surprising her with the sudden change of topics.
She thought for a moment before laughing. Her home was an active crime scene and sealed. She couldn’t go to Brody’s. She didn’t have a credit card with more than a hundred dollars available for use, so renting a hotel room was out of the question.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” she admitted.
“There’s a key hidden in my backyard. It’s under the fifth brick from the left in the planting bed by the back fence. Go there. I’ve got some things I have to take care of, but I’ll be home by mid-afternoon.”
Everything about the idea of staying with Liam was bad. From how the prosecutor could use it against her, and possibly him, to the chance of him finding out about her other problems. But at the moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to be with him.
“I’ll be there,” she said softly.
Neither spoke for several seconds, then she cleared her throat and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I’ve got to go,” she said. “Baldwin’s waiting for me. I’ll have him drop me off after we get something to eat.”
“I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
There was more silence as neither of them wanted to hang up. It felt to Katarina like there was something else Liam wanted to say, but he finally said bye and dropped the connection. With a deep sigh of anticipation and worry, she put both phones away and went into the café.
Baldwin was at a table in back, sipping black coffee. A waitress approached as soon as she sat down and she ordered without looking at the menu.
“That was Liam,” she explained without him having to ask.
“So, tell me about this new boyfriend of yours.”
She saw something pass across his face, but it was gone so quickly she wasn’t able to read it.
“What?” she asked.
Baldwin watched her as he worked on his coffee.
“Got something to say, Baldy, just say it.”
“Fine. I think it’s a really bad idea for you to go gettin’ involved with this guy.”
“Why’s that? Jealous?”
“After only one night, when we were both drunk? Four years ago? Gimme a break.”
“Then what?” she challenged.
“One, he’s a cop. Two, he’s your alibi. Your only alibi. Three, I don’t like him.”
“Well, I do like him, but I appreciate your concern. I really do.”
They stopped talking when the waitress arrived with a large platter. A huge, double stacked burger with enough fries to feed both of them.
“Sure as hell hope you know what you’re doing,” he said after the waitress was out of earshot.
Katarina looked at him but had already taken a big bite of the burger and couldn’t answer.
“How do you stay in shape, eatin’ like that?” he asked with a grin.
“First thing I’ve eaten in two days,” she said before taking another bite. “I got arrested before I could have dinner last night.”
After that, she ate without pause, polishing off the burger and leaning back with a sigh of contentment as she began munching on the fries.
“We’ve got some business to take care of. You need to make the call. Brody says the crash site’s been released, so tonight’s good.”
Katarina nodded but didn’t pick up her phone. He watched her but didn’t push. He knew it was difficult for her to cross this line but believed she would resolve herself to do what was necessary.
“He’s really given us no choice, has he?” she asked quietly.
Face impassive, Baldwin shook his head. Sighing, Katarina picked up the disposable phone, dialed a number and held it to her ear.
“Agent Daniels?” the Retriever asked when he answered.
“It’s me.”
“Very smart of you to switch phones.”
“Tonight at the crash site” she said, refusing to be drawn out. “Are you ready?”
“And will there be a team of FBI agents waiting to arrest me?”
“Do you want it or not? Thanks to you I’ve got some problems of my own and don’t have time to keep fucking around.”
“I’ve found that creating stress in a person’s life is a great way to motivate them to cooperate. Suddenly, what I’m asking of them is no longer that important.”
Katarina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to make the man feel the pain he was causing her.
“I’m sure you know where the crash site is,” she said without opening her eyes. “Meet me there at ten PM.”
“Why so late, Agent Daniels? Are you planning a little surprise for me that’s best sprung under the cover of darkness?”
Katarina opened her eyes and looked at Baldwin as her heart raced with worry that the man wouldn’t take the bait.
“That’s when I can be there,” she snapped. “Seems I have some legal issues that are requiring my attention.”
There was a long stretch of silence before she heard a low chuckle.
“I do not think so, Agent Daniels. Meeting you in a remote, dark forest is not what I had in mind. Here is what you shall do.”
She listened for close to a minute, then closed the phone to disconnect when he dropped off the line. Baldwin was watching intently, waiting for an explanation.
“He didn’t go for it,” she said, shaking her head. “Wants me to bring it to him somewhere else.”
“Where?” Baldwin asked with a frown.
“On the nine thirty ferry to Bainbridge Island.”
Baldwin’s eyes opened wide in surprise.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he hissed.
“Guy’s good,” Katarina said. “He knew I was planning something.”
“No, he didn’t know, he’s just not stupid. Now, he’s picked a place that’s going to be packed with people. This just got a whole lot harder.”
“Then we need to figure it out,” she said.
“What’s there to figure out?” Baldwin asked. “Way too public to risk trying to take him out. You’re gonna have to just let him have the cash.”
“Fuck that!” Katarina spat. “He killed Matt and set me up to take the fall. I’m not rewarding him for that!”
“Then I’m all ears, because he picked about the perfect place for an exchange. We’ll be on a ferry, miles from the closest shore. People everywhere, especially with good weather like today. All it will take is for one thing to go wrong and there’ll be thirty cops waiting for us at the dock.”
As frustrated as she was, Katarina knew Baldwin was right. Not only was every inch of a ferry covered with surveillance cameras, she knew from experience that the boat would be filled to capacity with both locals and tourists enjoying the beautiful evening on the waters of Puget Sound.
“Follow him,” she suddenly said.
“Off the ferry?”
“Yes. When it docks, unless he walked o
n, he’ll have to get off in Bainbridge. They don’t let cars make round trips. So, you and your guys follow him. Take him someplace not so public and get the bag back.”
“Lots of things that can go wrong with that plan,” Baldwin said doubtfully.
“Not if we’re prepared. We send two guys across early. The Bainbridge ferry terminal only has one way out and they can be waiting to track him when he goes past.”
“And what if he doesn’t get off? Maybe he does walk on and just rides back across. You know what it’s like down at the main terminal. It’s a goddamn madhouse when a ferry docks, and it’d be easy to lose him in downtown.”
“Well,” Katarina said. “Unless you’ve got another idea, whoever’s following him had better know what the hell they’re doing.”
Twenty-Six
Baldwin and Katarina pulled into the train terminal parking lot an hour later. They were there to pick up the duffel of cash, even though she was unhappy about having to use the real thing to draw out the Retriever.
“Guys and I are gonna scout the ferry and both docks later this afternoon,” he said before they got out of his vehicle.
“Good. Once we’ve got the cash, keep it with you and drop me at Liam’s. Pick me up by eight.”
He paused, looking at her with his eyes hidden behind a pair of wrap-around sunglasses. His face was unreadable.
“You shouldn’t be there,” he finally said. “Anything, and I mean anything goes sideways, last thing you need is to be caught on video at the scene. Call him and tell him he’s meeting me.”
She immediately shook her head.
“He’s the one that killed Matt. I have to talk to him. Maybe I can get him to say something that will help me prove my innocence.”
“Not worth the risk,” Baldwin insisted. “You want him interrogated, we can handle that. Wouldn’t be the first time we got someone to talk that didn’t want to.”
“I have to see him, Baldwin,” she persisted. “I can’t explain why, but I have to see him. There’s only one way he got my service weapon, and that’s if he’s working with Pettigrew. I have to get some answers!”
