by Terra Kelly
He glanced around, then leaned in and kissed her tenderly. He leaned back. “I promise.” He pulled her to her feet. “Now go before I change my mind.”
Vikki laughed. “Come sweets, let’s go watch Buffy reruns together.” She looped her arm into Preslie’s and they headed out.
Preslie whispered. “Call me later.” He nodded.
Miles made his way back to the adjoining room next to the interrogation room. Erickson, Cooper, and Finley were all there talking. Miles cleared his throat. “Did you find an interpreter?”
Erickson raised his hand. “I can sign, so I’ll go in there with you.” Erickson had a younger sister that was deaf, so was fluent in sign language. “Unless you want me to go in alone?”
Cooper spoke up. “No, I want Miles to talk to him. You will sign for the kid. We need answers and today. If David had no one important working for him, we may have this case almost solved. Of course, David will be behind bars for a long time. You can’t try to kill someone three times and think you’ll get off free and clear.”
Miles sighed and turned to Erickson. “Ready?” Then he walked into the interrogation room. He had a feeling the kid was scared. He sat down in the chair across from him. “I’m Sergeant Callahan. This is Sergeant Erickson, who will sign for you.” The kid didn't nod but was staring at Miles. He looked at Erickson. “Ask him his name?”
The kid stayed silent for about ten minutes but broke and talked. He let them know his name was Gary and that he was David’s brother. He lived in a group home but David asked him to stay at his place. He let Miles know he was twenty-seven. He told Miles and Erickson he likes his hair buzzed and hates wearing a beard. He shared that David told him to grow his hair out and get a beard. He was supposed to just stay at the house, eat the food, watch TV, and sleep. David checked on him regularly but was not there much. When Miles asked about drugs, Gary seemed scared to answer. What they found out in the conversation, David made Gary take drugs. Gary told Miles and Erickson he was not only hearing impaired, he also had a slight learning disability and struggled with understanding many things. Every time he would take the drugs, it made it hard for him to comprehend anything.
Miles looked at Erickson. “This drug David made him take. What was it?” He waited for the answer and felt more sure by the second they had this case solved.
Gary nodded his understanding of the question and shared everything about the drug. Apparently, David created this drug and was testing the effects on his brother. It was an injection and was supposed to freeze up an area. Eventually it would cool off and spread throughout the body. If anything, it sounded dangerous. The fact that David was testing it on his brother, screamed asshole. Miles glanced at Gary. “Do you feel you need to see a doctor? How often was David testing the effects of his drug on you?”
Gary shook his head and said, “No.” He leaned back in his chair and went silent.
“One more question," Miles said. "Who else is working with David?”
Gary seemed confused and in a broken voice. “Nobody.” He then signed to Erickson, he had a few college students that helped sometimes but otherwise just David.
Miles and Erickson stood and headed out. Once the door closed to the private room, Miles made a sound. “You have got to be kidding me? This fucker has been trying to kill his ex-girlfriend. Testing out a possible new drug to sell, on his brother. Hiring college students to sell, spy, and god knows what else. Please tell me we have enough evidence to put him away now?”
Cooper gave a strangled laugh. “Oh yeah, this asshole will not see the light of day for a long time. I plan to make sure of that myself.”
They had a psychologist speak with Gary. When she came into the room to share her assessment, she sighed. “He has been traumatized. I’m worried about his well-being at this point. I would suggest he stay in the psychiatric unit for observation.”
“I can’t image testing a drug on my sibling. Let alone an unknown one," Erickson said pissed off. "Wow, you think you’ve seen it all, then this.”
Miles shook his head in disgust. “Personally, I wanted to kick David’s ass for other reasons. Now, I want to see him rot in jail.” He threw the file down on the desk. “Seriously, how? Why? What the fuck is wrong with people?” Shaking his head. “Okay, so he had college students following us. We need to see if there is anyone else we need to be concerned about. Otherwise, it looks like we have enough evidence to take him down.”
The team spent the next week going through everything with a fine-tooth comb. They searched every inch of David’s house. They were also able to grab a couple more people that were following Preslie and Vikki wherever they went. In the end, the evidence was stacked against David so high he would spend a lot of time behind bars.
Eleven
After the week Miles had, he needed to see his kids. He talked to Angie the night before and planned to pick Gracie and Jack up around 4:00 p.m. They ran to see him the moment he pulled into the driveway. He bent down to get showered with hugs and kisses.
Gracie laughed. “Daddy, we missed you.” Jack shook his head in agreement.
Miles smiled. “I missed you both, too.” He picked up Jack and stood, then grabbed a hold of Gracie’s hand. He turned toward Angie who was standing in the doorway. “I’ll have them home around 8:00 p.m.”
Angie nodded. “Okay.” She looked at the kids. “Be good you two.” She then turned, walked back inside and closed the door.
Miles squeezed them closer. “Who wants dessert before dinner?” They both screamed “Me” and cheered so loudly. He made sure they were secure in their car seats and then started the car. He took them to Greg’s Ice Cream Shop, it was their favorite.
When he pulled up to the building, Gracie gasped, “Ice Cream?” She turned to her brother. “Look, we get our favorites.” They both were smiling from ear to ear.
Miles took them in and let them order whatever they wanted. Gracie loved to get the peaches and cream flavor and Jack loved the roasted marshmallow flavor. Miles got something different every time he was there. Today he decided on the lime chiffon. They all three made their way to the little table by the front window. Jack asked to sit on Miles’ lap and Gracie wanted her chair right next to her daddy.
Miles gave Jack a kiss on the cheek. “So, what’s new Jack? Meet any girls in school?”
Jack giggled. “Daddy, I four. I play.” He leaned into Miles and rested his head on his shoulder. “We miss you lots. When are you going to come home?”
Miles was ready for this conversation but it still made him sad. He looked down at Jack and then at Gracie. “I had to get a different home, remember? Mommy and Daddy couldn’t get along in the same house.”
Gracie sighed. “It’s just that, well, we liked waking you both up at the same time. Now the guy with Mommy gets mad if we wake him up.
Miles scowled. “Mommy has someone stay with her? Is he there every night?” He was trying to keep his emotions tamped down, which was difficult.
Jack nodded. “Yup. Julian from your band. He stays at the house.”
Gracie scrunched her nose up. “But he’s not fun.”
Miles watched them both and felt bad for what happened. If he had a choice, he would never have put the kids through any of this. If he could go back in time, which he couldn’t, he would make sure Angie wanted to be with him. He would also make sure she was okay with being a cop’s wife. His mind wandered to Preslie, and he wondered if she was okay with the cop life. He knew from some of his team members and their wives it wasn’t ever easy. If you make that decision to marry a cop, or even a firefighter, it comes with risks.
He looked at them both again. “Still want dinner? Or more ice cream?” He wasn’t trying to win the father of the year award, he wanted his kids to know how much he loved them. His kids were his life and brought him such happiness.
He tickled Gracie's side. “How would you feel about me dating another girl?” He was nervous for her answer.
She pondered the
question for a moment. “I’m not sure. Is she nice?”
He laughed. “She’s very nice. She loves kids, too. She would love to have kids of her own someday.”
Jack's eyes went wide. “Really? I could have a brother to play with someday?”
Miles was speechless. He sat there for a moment trying to regroup his thoughts. “Well, I just met her, so I don’t know. I’m not sure how she feels about me.”
Gracie smiled. “You like her though?”
Miles brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Yes, I do. I like her very much. She makes me laugh a lot and you know how Daddy loves to laugh.”
Jack and Gracie giggled. Gracie's head moved up and down in agreement. “We do. You always tell us how much you love our laugh.”
Jack nodded. “Daddy, you fun.” He leaned in to hug Miles and smashed his ice cream against his chest. They all three burst out laughing.
Miles didn’t expect their conversation to go so well. He honestly thought the kids would be upset with him, instead they surprised him.
Miles was on his way home after dropping his kids off. His phone buzzed. “Hey, princess. You okay?”
“More than okay. I was curious if I could call Erickson? I would like him to go see Gary with me tomorrow.” Preslie wasn’t for sure what his reaction would be.
“Do you want me to go with you?” He pulled his car over to the side of the road and pulled up Erickson’s number.
“I was hoping to go and just talk to him privately, but I don’t know sign language. Plus, he doesn’t need a lot of people hovering over him.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Here’s the number.” He wasn’t for sure if he should be upset, but he knew he was being silly.
“I forgot to ask," Preslie said. "Were you able to get any answers from David on why he tried to kill me?”
He paused. “No and I know that’s not what you want to hear. Is that why you’re going to see Gary?”
“Yes, but also to be a friend. He doesn’t have very many people he can trust. Don’t be mad, okay? I’ll share everything that’s discussed.” She made a kissing sound in the phone. “Come on love bug, you know you can’t stay mad at your Princess.”
He laughed. “You do make it difficult. So, is Vikki planning on staying the night again?”
“I don’t know, you will have to hurry and find out.” She hung up before he could say anything. He looked at his phone and shook his head.
Preslie called Erickson and asked him if he would join her when she visited Gary. Erickson was happy to help. Last night when she talked to Miles, he indicated they still didn’t know why David tried to kill her. She was hoping maybe, just maybe, Gary would have those answers.
At the hospital, they both had to check in and give every detail imaginable about themselves. After security was done asking them every question under the sun except their underwear size. They both were asked to be seated for a moment. They ended up waiting for about twenty minutes. A nurse came over. “Hi, I’m Gary’s charge nurse. He’s been agitated, you sure you want to see him still?”
Preslie nodded. “Yes. I may calm him some if he remembers me?” Preslie and Erickson followed her back.
The nurse smiled. “Nothing will calm him not even meds. He may have withdrawals from not getting any of the drugs. His emotions and reactions are the same as someone who needs a fix.”
Preslie and Erickson stayed silent while the nurse lead them to the back. Preslie felt bad for the poor guy, now he was considered a drug addict because of David.
The nurse opened a door to a small room, Gary was sitting at a table taping his fingers and shaking his one leg up and down. He looked up and stared right at Preslie.
It had been months since Preslie and Gary had come face to face with one another. Preslie sat down in the chair across from him. “Hi, Gary.”
Gary looked perplexed and signed something. Erickson could follow along. “He's confused. He said he remembers you and wants to know why you’re here?”
Preslie smiled. “I didn’t want you to think you were all alone. I wanted to apologize for what David put you through.”
Gary shook his head and signed again. Erickson was talking as Gary signed. “You never spent time with me when you were dating David. Why would you care now?”
She sighed. “Gary, I need your help. David not only hurt you, he hurt me too.” She paused letting Erickson finish signing. “He tried to kill me three times. Did you know?”
Gary stared at her, then he signed again. Erickson cleared his throat. “My brother would never do that, he loved you. Why would you say that?”
Preslie pointed at her face and then pulled the collar of her shirt away from her neck. There were still areas where the skin was damaged and scarred. She stood and pulled up the hem of her shirt and showed him her stab wounds. “I’m sorry Gary but he tried to kill me. I’m okay, but I don’t understand. That was the only area of this whole case that remains unsolved. Anything you know would help put my mind at ease.” She paused for a moment. “When I left, I said nothing, I grabbed my belongings and bailed.”
Gary sat there silent for a moment. He looked toward the mirror and seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked shocked and signed at an increased speed. Erickson almost had difficulty keeping up. “He said something about a journal. You have lots of them. Do you still have them?” Preslie seemed confused. Gary continued signing. “There’s a possibility he left something in one of your journals?”
Preslie’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious, Gary? This is huge information. I will go check all of them.” She stood and looked back at him. “Can I come see you again?”
Gary nodded. “Yes.” They exchanged looks that meant they both could relate. They knew what David had done to them was unacceptable. Preslie reached forward and squeezed his hand.
Preslie and Erickson headed out of the hospital side by side. Erickson glanced over at Preslie. “You going to call Miles or should I?”
“I’ll do it now," Preslie said reaching for her phone and found his number in the contacts. “Hey, can you meet Erickson and I at my house? We're at the hospital now.” She hung up and shook her head. What the hell was going on? What did David put in her journals? She looked over at Erickson. “He’s on his way over now.”
They took about thirty minutes to get to Preslie’s house, the traffic was congested on the highway. When they pulled into her driveway, Miles was leaning against his SUV. She loved how that man looked. He had this way about him that made her get all tingly inside. She cleared her throat and hopped out of the car. “Hi, there.” She smiled as she walked up next to him. “Well, there’s a possibility David put notes or something in one of my journals.” She walked toward her front door. “Gary didn’t have details, but he mentioned my journals.”
They spent several hours locating all her journals and going through them. Preslie had an addiction to journals and would write just about anything in them. Some journals even had the beginning of story ideas, she was never one to finish a story. Each journal was personal, so this situation was awkward. They skimmed each book, looking for different handwriting. There were fifty books to go through. After about the thirtieth book, Erickson yelled, “Got it.”
Preslie glanced over his shoulder, there was different handwriting in the back of the journal. It was about three pages with awkward penmanship. There were names, addresses, phone numbers, driving schedules, and even drug amounts for people. She looked over at Miles, who was already calling someone.
“We need to talk to Cooper. You did it. You have the missing link we need to indict David on all the charges that are against him and his cohorts.”
They ended up putting the book in a plastic bag to keep it protected. Preslie went back to Miles’ place, while the guys went to the station to share the news with their team. When Preslie walked into his place, she reset the alarm. She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of wine. She walked over and sat down at the barstool and took a sip of h
er wine. They did it, they had all the answers they needed. Except for one. Why? Why not ask her for the book or try to steal it? Well, all that mattered was David was behind bars and they had the case completed.
At about 9:00 p.m. she went to bed. She stripped out of her clothes and laid down. She was just drifting off to sleep when she felt warm arms wrap around her body. She moaned. “Hey there, Mr. Callahan.”
He laughed. “You couldn’t stay awake?” He kissed the side of her neck and nipped at the bottom of her ear lobe.
She made a sound of contentment. “The last few weeks have been way too exhausting. You must be freaking tired?”
He nodded. “That I am, princess. I noticed in one journal you like to write stories. I didn’t have time to read anything. I noticed the beginning of a story. Did you used to write?”
She turned to face him. “I would get an idea for a book and just write the idea down. Somehow my life would get chaotic and I never had time to finish it.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I have thought about writing again. Who knows, maybe I will someday.”
“Well, there are fifty books with several story ideas to choose from.” He pulled her in closer and nuzzled her neck. “If you want to write, you should do it.”
“Maybe I will.” She moved her knee in between his legs and rubbed over his ever-growing erection. “Now, let’s make a story of our own.”
Several days later, on a Saturday night, Torn Pieces was the opening band at a local bar in downtown Toronto. It had been over a week since everything went down. David was being moved to Maplehurst Correctional Complex on Monday. It was a large jail that held about 1,500 inmates. The case would go through the court system for a while. Since Toronto did not allow capital punishment, it was a matter of finding out how many years he would be sentenced. Preslie laughed at the thought. David would not do well in jail, he was too controlling. He was also to fancy pants and orange was so not his color.
