by Karen Rose
‘You mean she was a stooge,’ Isenberg said.
‘That’s my assumption, given that this perp’s already used staff at County to drug me and at the jail’s infirmary to kill Alice. If Belinda was being coerced into lying to Dani – like Eileen Wilkins was coerced into trying to kill me – maybe she’s also being blackmailed. I assume she’s using. If her husband makes enough for a pricey house, maybe he makes enough for her to fund her side habit and she buys her drugs from the Professor, versus stealing them like Eileen did.’
‘Makes sense,’ Isenberg said, sounding reluctantly impressed. ‘It appears that Belinda cut out shortly after Mr Kennedy brought Dr Novak in here. One of the patients reported seeing her turn white as a ghost, then she grabbed her purse and ran. A volunteer in the shelter saw her leaving, got the scoop about Dr Novak from the patients, called 911 first, then the director of the clinic. He arrived a short while ago and has been very helpful.’
‘That’s good at least,’ Kate said. ‘You’ll call us with any news?’
‘Right away. If there’s nothing else?’
‘No, Lieutenant,’ Kate answered, surprising Decker.
He waited until she’d hung up. ‘You didn’t tell her about Stone’s connection to the Professor.’
‘No, I didn’t. Not yet. Not until after we talk to Stone.’
Decker raised his brows. ‘Who is we?’
‘You and/or me. I’m not sure if he’ll be more comfortable talking to me or to you.’
‘We’ll both go,’ Decker said, intensely satisfied that she’d included him so easily. ‘If he only wants one of us, the other can stand guard. But let’s check on Dani before we go.’ He stood when she did and lifted her chin with his finger, turning her head one way then the other. ‘Not too much damage from crying, but if you want to fix your face, I’ll wait.’
‘I don’t carry makeup in my bag. Just a tablet, extra ammo and my knitting.’ She peeked in the bag. ‘A couple FlexiCuffs, a few protein bars, a bottle of water, and a book.’
He smiled. ‘In case you get bored.’
‘Nah. The book’s a ruse.’ She winked at him. ‘It’s for if I want to spy on people in the vicinity without them noticing me.’
His smile broadened, because she was so damn cute. ‘Does that ever work?’
She held up the book and his eyes popped at the title. ‘It’s one of those uber-hot erotica books,’ she said.
He cleared his throat, all the blood in his head threatening to go south at the thought of what she’d read. ‘I, um, see.’
Her grin was small and brief, but wicked. ‘It makes me invisible because most people won’t make eye contact with me when I’m reading it. So yeah, it works.’ She returned the book to the bag and he wanted to whimper. ‘I got paper for folding. Some Kleenex. But no makeup. Sorry.’ She made a face. ‘What you see is what you get.’
He grabbed the back of her neck and hauled her in for a kiss that he’d intended to be hot and hard and horny, but quickly changed to long and lush and tender. He framed her face with his hands, enjoying the way her whole body softened for him. He ended the kiss with a little bite to her lower lip, making her smile. ‘That’s better,’ he whispered against her mouth. ‘I am very happy that what I see is what I get, because I like what I see.’
She was breathing hard, her eyes wide. ‘Good to know.’
He stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides. ‘Come on. Let’s go see Stone.’
Twenty-one
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Friday 14 August, 6.30 P.M.
The ER waiting room was a lot more crowded when Kate returned, Decker at her side. He was hobbling more slowly, leaning more heavily on his cane, but he was moving under his own power and she bit back the impulse to nag him to sit.
‘Wow,’ Decker murmured. ‘This is one hell of a crowd.’
‘Dani knows a lot of people,’ she murmured back. ‘Lots of people love her.’
Their eyes met for just a moment, but long enough that she saw the wistfulness in his and figured he’d seen the same in hers. ‘They’d be here for you too,’ he said quietly. ‘The core group at least. You’ve got family here, Kate.’
‘Thanks to Deacon, I do. Stick around for a while, Davenport. They’ll suck you in too.’
His mouth curved. ‘I think I’d like that,’ he said. He turned back to the standing-room-only waiting room. ‘So who are all these people?’
Kate pointed at an older couple sitting between Deacon and Adam. ‘That’s Adam’s mom and dad. They raised Deacon and Dani after their parents died. The teenager sitting between Deacon and Faith is his brother Greg. Nice kid.’
‘He’s terrified.’ Decker’s observation was softened by compassion he didn’t try to hide.
‘Yeah, he is. Dani’s been like his mom all these years.’ She moved on before the thickness in her throat became more tears. ‘That group of women over there? I only recognize a few of them. Of course, Bailey you know.’ The nurse had followed them from Alice’s apartment to the ER in her own car and now gave Decker a completely clinical assessment. Whatever she saw must have satisfied her, because she returned her focus to the baby blanket she was crocheting. Kindred spirit, Kate thought. ‘The tall African-American woman next to her is Kendra Cullen.’
‘I know. I saw her on TV when the two of you escorted Addison from his office.’
Kate’s worry over the lack of contact from the girl who’d sought Kendra’s help surged again in a wave, but a knowing look from Decker helped her push it back. Still, it couldn’t hurt to pray. Please let her be alive. Please.
‘I think the short woman next to Kendra is her sister, Wendi,’ she went on. ‘And the young woman with the cane? That’s Corinne Longstreet. I’ve never met her, but I read the news clips about her. Got abducted nine months ago and was held captive, but she managed to escape and save a little girl’s life in the process. She works for Meredith now.’
‘The intern who does art therapy,’ Decker remembered.
‘I guess so. And the little woman at the end is Delores. She was also nearly killed by the same man who abducted Corinne. Who also killed Stone and Marcus’s youngest brother, Mikhail, and nearly killed Marcus. Mikhail was only seventeen at the time.’
‘Fuck,’ Decker breathed. ‘And now Stone’s recuperating from nearly being killed himself? Now I know what you mean about him having been through the wringer.’
‘And that’s only the tip of the iceberg,’ Kate muttered, remembering the other articles she’d read. ‘Stone’s got childhood issues out the yin-yang. I’ll fill you in on the way up to see him.’
‘Which is why you don’t want to push him on the Professor,’ Decker said softly.
She nodded. ‘I’m stunned that he’s not still a junkie. I don’t want to drive him back to using.’
‘If he starts using again, it won’t be because of you. Sounds like he’s got a million other reasons to use even if you don’t say a word. Still, we may want to give someone the heads-up so that he can get the support he needs afterward. Maybe his brother?’
‘We’ll have to play it by ear. Diesel said Marcus doesn’t know, so I’m thinking that’s a secret I don’t want to be responsible for cracking open.’ She scanned the faces thoughtfully. ‘Delores, I think. She visited him in the hospital last week. Wouldn’t leave his side.’
‘What does Delores do?’
Kate chuckled. ‘She runs a shelter for dogs. Nearly everyone in this group has adopted one of her animals, including Deacon, whose shoes will never be the same. Puppy teeth.’
Decker’s wistful look returned. ‘I was just thinking yesterday that I’d love to get a dog. Now that I’m not under anymore.’
‘Then Delores is your woman.’
He leaned sideways on his cane so that his mouth brushed her ear. ‘
I’d rather that be you, actually.’ Then he leaned back in one fluid motion, straightening as if he hadn’t said a word. But his mouth quirked up slyly. ‘You’re blushing, Kate.’
‘I wonder why.’ Pulling her hormones back under control, she found Scarlett Bishop in the group. ‘I’m going to see if there’s any news on Dani, then we can go.’ She started toward the woman with the black braid, but didn’t make it two steps before Scarlett headed her way.
‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ Scarlett said urgently, then gave Decker a critical look. ‘Weren’t you just in a wheelchair, Davenport?’
‘Old news, Bishop,’ Decker said lightly. ‘Try to keep up.’
Kate shook her head. ‘Don’t even try,’ she said to Scarlett. ‘He’s got a mind of his own. I think it’s in his ass, which is why he’s not sitting on it right now.’
Scarlett snickered and Decker growled. ‘Kate,’ he said warningly.
‘Decker.’ Kate echoed his tone, then looked back at Scarlett, who was pursing her lips hard to keep from smiling. ‘How’s Dani?’
Scarlett abruptly sobered. ‘We haven’t heard yet. But at least we know the team that’s in there with her now. The surgeon is a friend of Carrie Washington’s and Carrie vouches for her.’
‘Carrie is the ME,’ Kate told Decker.
‘So Dani is in good hands,’ Decker said. ‘That’s a relief.’
‘Every little bit helps,’ Scarlett allowed. ‘But that’s not why I came over. Do you see that guy over there?’ She pointed to a middle-aged man pacing the hallway, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He looked over his shoulder, saw them watching him, and sent them a look so vicious that Kate blinked.
‘You mean Mr Psycho?’
‘Yeah. You missed some fireworks. Ah, dammit.’ Scarlett sighed when Deacon got up from his seat and joined them. ‘I told you to stay out of this.’
‘I am,’ Deacon said levelly. ‘I haven’t killed him. Yet.’
‘And you won’t,’ Scarlett said firmly. ‘Dammit, D, I just broke you in. I don’t want a new partner because you got yourself thrown in jail.’
Kate and Decker shared a glance. ‘O-kay,’ Kate said. ‘So who is he?’
‘Tim Rawlings,’ Deacon said and swallowed. He was furious. ‘Guard at the jail.’
‘The squirrelly one?’ Kate asked, all kinds of bells going off in her mind. ‘The one who was Alice’s guard?’
Deacon nodded once. ‘The very one.’
Decker pivoted, using his cane for balance, watching the man glare at them. ‘Who’d he bring in? Wife or kid?’
‘Kid,’ Deacon confirmed. ‘Son, aged sixteen. Convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea.’
‘Kid’s still alive, right?’ Decker said. ‘Because he’s still here pacing. So it wasn’t cyanide.’ He turned back to them, blond brows lifted. ‘But ricin’ll do that to you, if ingested.’
Deacon gave him a measuring, almost approving look. ‘That it will.’
Scarlett rolled her eyes. ‘They’re bonding,’ she said to Kate in a stage whisper, earning them both disgruntled glares from the men. ‘Diesel told us about your theory that Dani’s attacker was really after you, Davenport, so I gathered a few facts.’ She gave Deacon the eye. ‘Because now that Dani’s involved, Deacon and Adam should be recusing themselves from this case too.’
‘Jesus,’ Kate muttered. ‘We’re dropping like flies.’
‘Which might be part of his strategy,’ Decker murmured.
Deacon made a scary noise in his throat. ‘Fucker.’
Scarlett squeezed Deacon’s arm in sympathy. ‘An opinion shared by all of us. Probably even by our pacing guard. His son is Tim Junior. The paramedics and a pair of uniformed cops responded to a 911 call received from a cell phone registered to Charlie Chalmers, also aged sixteen. The caller said his friend had taken something. Responders arrived at the address provided by the caller and found Tim Junior in serious distress, but still communicative. He told them he’d taken some uppers plus “something special”, but he didn’t know what. He was given the drugs by his friend Charlie after they’d finished playing basketball at the park.’
‘Excellent,’ Kate said, excitement buzzing down her spine. ‘So we can talk to this Charlie and get him . . .’ She trailed off at the look on Scarlett’s face. ‘Charlie’s dead, isn’t he?’
Scarlett nodded sadly. ‘That’s how we got all the phone info so quickly. The medics got the kid loaded up and the uniforms went to the park to see if Charlie was also sick like Tim Junior. Kid wasn’t breathing and they couldn’t find a pulse. They followed procedure, called it in as an OD, and another pair of medics packed Charlie up. He was DOA. His body’s in one of the bays back there. Such a waste.’ She sighed. ‘Anyway, one of the medics saw me in the waiting room with all these people after he’d dropped Tim Junior off. The medic pulled me aside, told me that the dad was acting weird. They were zoned to go to County, but the father protested so vehemently, they brought him here. He said the father had been yelling about killer nurses in the Professor’s pocket, that his kid wasn’t safe at County. The medic had heard that one of the County nurses had been found dead after trying to kill a federal agent, so he thought I should know.’
‘So this was a warning to the dad,’ Kate said quietly. ‘Don’t spill the beans.’
‘I wonder why the Professor didn’t just kill the dad directly,’ Decker added. ‘He killed Sidney after she’d served her purpose, and then Eileen after she’d botched hers. Why not kill the guard who, if he didn’t poison Alice directly, probably knew who did?’
‘That is a damn good question,’ Deacon said, jaw still clenched. ‘Rawlings was so glib this afternoon when I interviewed him. Such a smug bastard. He’s not so smug now.’
Decker pivoted to study the man once again, being obvious about it. Rawlings turned his back and stared at the doors leading into the ER. ‘No, now he’s terrified and furious.’
‘The furious is my doing,’ Scarlett admitted. ‘The medic and I were still talking when the uniforms radioed him that the second boy was dead at the scene. I called Carrie right away, asked her to come and supervise the contents of Tim Junior’s stomach after it was pumped. She’s on her way. I called Isenberg and she gave the order not to allow the father back there, in case he tried to silence his son somehow.’ She nodded toward two uniformed officers, one standing against the wall closest to where Rawlings paced, the other by the exit. ‘They’re here to watch him. He’s not under arrest – yet – but we’re not letting him leave either. If he tries to leave, they’re under orders to cuff him.’
‘Did he try to silence his son when the medics were working on him?’ Decker asked.
‘I asked and the medic said no. He was quiet when they got to the house. Just let them in and pointed to his son.’
‘Like he was expecting them,’ Decker said. ‘Even though he hadn’t made the 911 call.’
Kate followed his thought. ‘Because he had already been informed. I’m betting Charlie Chalmers didn’t make that 911 call either. He was probably already dead. Where are his effects? I’d like to look at his cell phone.’
‘With his body,’ Scarlett said. ‘I’ve got a uniform back there too. He’s watching both boys, making sure nobody removes any evidence.’
‘Where is Mrs Rawlings?’ Decker asked. ‘I’d have thought she’d be here.’
‘Another good question,’ Scarlett said. ‘She wasn’t answering her phone, so I sent a unit to their house. Neighbor said the wife and two kids tore out of there with suitcases.’
‘She’s on the run,’ Kate said. ‘Trying to protect the kids she has left.’
‘Have Charlie’s parents been notified?’ Decker asked and Scarlett nodded.
‘The ER called them when Charlie arrived. They got the number out of his phone. They didn’t tell them that he’d di
ed, only that he was here. Both parents are on their way.’
Kate sighed. ‘I’ll do the notification. Hopefully by then we’ll know if Rawlings’s son will live, because I want to haul the man’s ass into an interview room and ask him a few questions.’
‘There are rooms here,’ Deacon said, menace dripping from every word. His eyes locked on Rawlings, who still stood with his back to them, arms crossed. ‘I’d like to talk to him myself.’
Kate was trying to think of how to defuse the ticking bomb that was her former partner, but fortunately Faith picked that moment to join them, sliding her arm around Deacon’s waist.
‘I need you,’ Faith said quietly. ‘Please come back with me. Please trust Kate. Please.’
It was the final please that did it. Deacon shuddered, his gaze dropping to his clenched fists. ‘I want to beat it out of him, Faith. He knows who did this. He knows how to contact him.’
‘I know, baby,’ she whispered. ‘And Kate and Decker will get it out of him. Now come sit with me and the others. Greg needs you. I need you.’
He nodded, allowing his fiancée to guide him back to their chairs, where he dropped into the same miserable position, back bowed, head down.
The moment Deacon was sitting, Rawlings turned to face them, mocking triumph in his eyes. And Kate’s temper snapped. She wanted to throttle the guard until he turned purple. But that wasn’t going to solve anything. So instead she leaned close to Scarlett. ‘Can you alert the uniforms that Rawlings might try to make a break for it?’ she whispered.
‘Gladly.’ Scarlett went off to do as Kate asked.
‘Decker, can you do me a favor?’
‘Depends. You’re not planning to ditch me, are you? This is just starting to get interesting.’
She spared a second to smile up at him. ‘No, but I need to make sure I have the proper information before I peel that man’s skin off his bones.’ From the corner of her eye she saw that Rawlings had turned his mocking smirk on her. Good. He’s listening. ‘Can you get any notes that Agent Novak took while at the jail today? I’m specifically interested in anything he learned from the young woman who started the fight with Alice. I’d like a full background check on her – her family, friends, former employers, cellmates past and present. Anyone who could have been used to coerce her behavior. Especially children – her own, or her brothers’ or sisters’.’
