If She Ran (Martina Monroe Book 2)

by H K Christie

  "You can thank dear-old-dad for that. He said I had to hide them. Evidence, he said. Like it made a difference. He had a fit, so I had my girls help me bury them."

  Rhett was corroborating all the stories from the witnesses.

  "What about Heather? How does she fit in? Jordan didn't send her," I said.

  "No. Jordan was out of commission by then, and I needed a third. Willow's light was fading fast. I knew it. Raquel and Layla knew it too. Have you ever known you were about to lose something so dear? It's devastating," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

  "How did you meet Heather?" Hirsch asked.

  "Women should really be more cautious meeting men on the Internet. It was almost too easy. All I did was set up a fake profile and tell her everything she wanted to hear. As soon as she stepped out of her car, I knew she was perfect. I sedated her and brought her back to my place. She would've been a wonderful addition. That was until you two showed up with all your calvary and your guns and your violence."

  I'd had enough of this creep's narrative. I glanced at Hirsch. I wanted to nail Rhett and all the detectives to the wall. "Are we done here, Hirsch?"

  "Before you go, I have to ask, how did you find me?"

  "Your friend Jordan told us about you," Hirsch said.

  "Before he died?"

  "Definitely, considering, he's not dead. We were at the house when he was shot," Hirsch explained.

  He shook his head and chuckled. "Dad screwed up this time. That's perfect. At least, I'd done my part and got rid of Jonathan and made it look like an accident. Dad's going to love that." He laughed some more.

  I had a feeling Rhett hated his father. "What you're saying is your father, Jeff Kinsey, hired someone to shoot Jordan Day, and you killed Jonathan Day?"

  "That's correct. Jonathan and I were hiking buddies. Sad to see him go. He was so surprised when I pushed him. I didn't feel good about it."

  "You know, we have your father in custody," Hirsch explained.

  "Oh, he's going to hate that."

  "What else can you tell us?" Hirsch asked.

  "I'm an open book."

  "What did you do with the women’s cars that were left at the BART station? And what about their cell phones?" Hirsch asked.

  "That was the easiest part. Just dumped them in the Bay."

  "In Discovery Bay?" I asked.

  "You got it, sister."

  "Are you willing to sign a statement?" Hirsch asked.

  "You'd like my autograph?"

  "We would," Hirsch said.

  "No problem."

  Hirsch stood up. "I'll bring in a stenographer so she can type out your entire statement and then you can sign it."

  "Great. Looking forward to it."

  We exited the interrogation room, and I turned to Hirsch. "What a piece of work. I can't wait to talk to his father."

  47

  Detective Hirsch

  I stared up at the photographs of the seven women who were abducted by a sick man. Their worst nightmare, Rhett Kinsey, had a friend who had supplied him victims and a father in law enforcement that covered up his crimes. What was wrong with this world that these situations were even possible? Thankfully, the case was coming to a close, at least for us. However, for the survivors, it was far from over. Whatever the law threw at Kinsey and associates, I didn't think it could be enough. They had taken so much from the young women and their families. I hoped Kinsey didn't get the death penalty. He deserved to be chained at the ankle without the possibility of freedom—ever again.

  Martina and I had already started receiving calls from reporters. There must have been a leak somewhere. We'd avoided them for now. The press conference was in a few days, and we'd be able to tell the public what we'd uncovered. One of my goals of the press conference, agreed upon by Sarge, was that we needed to convey to our fellow officers to take more care in missing person cases and not be so quick to deem them runaways. If someone reported them missing, chances were it was because there was concern for their well-being.

  Rhett Kinsey had told us we would find his first three victims buried on the property, but I wondered if there would be more bodies than he'd told us about. We needed to be sure before the press conference. If we weren't sure, we'd get dozens of calls from family and friends of missing persons who thought Rhett might have taken them, too.

  Not to mention, I wanted a confession from Sergeant Jeff Kinsey about his involvement, as well as the other two detectives. I wanted to know how far Kinsey had gone to cover up his son's crimes. Kinsey was a disgrace to the badge. I was very much looking forward to taking him down.

  It made sense now how nobody had made the connections when all the detectives were actively covering it up. Now I wondered how many other crimes that team covered up or didn't investigate properly. Once the officer's names were announced, any defense lawyer worth a damn could try to get their client's convictions overturned, citing the arresting officers were law-breakers. How many criminal convictions would be overturned when the officer's misconduct was made public? It was another stain on the department.

  After this case, I was definitely taking time off to find a house, pack up my apartment, and start living my life. My transition apartment was even getting me down. After a long day, I wanted to come home to a sanctuary, not a reminder of my failed marriage. Maybe I'd even take a vacation.

  The door to the war room opened. I nodded at her. "Hey, Martina."

  She walked over to where I stood and stared at the board. "We're almost done."

  "That we are," I sighed. "It's sickening to think that members of law enforcement turned a blind eye as if these women were disposable and not worth finding. Not worth saving. I think it's nearly as bad as what Rhett Kinsey did to those women."

  "I fully agree with you."

  I shook my head. "Jeff Kinsey has already lawyered up. He swears he's not talking to us, but I think he'll change his mind when he finds out what his son told us."

  "Did Rhett finish signing his statement?" Martina asked.

  "Yep. Since he's pleading guilty to all charges, there won't be a trial. In exchange, the DA took the death penalty off the table. His sentencing will be fairly soon. The DA is gunning for seven life sentences to be served consecutively without the possibility of parole."

  "Good. At least the survivors won't have to go through a trial."

  "I agree."

  "Are you ready to interview Jeff Kinsey?"

  "Yes, sir."

  We headed out of the war room and entered the interrogation room where his son, Rhett, had been the night before. Jeff Kinsey sat smugly next to his union rep and the same lawyer he'd given his son. I almost felt bad for him. The lawyer, that is. After introductions, I said to Kinsey, "I understand that you're denying any knowledge of your son's crimes, the attempted murder of Jordan Day, and obstruction of justice."

  "That's correct. I deny all charges," he said straight-faced.

  "That's interesting because we have witnesses that heard you tell your son to get rid of the bodies. We also have statements from your detectives who said you'd instructed them to not investigate the missing women. And the best of all, is that we have a sworn statement from your son that says you hired someone to kill Jordan Day. So, you can decide to claim your innocence, but I have evidence and witness statements to the contrary," I said.

  Jeff Kinsey's face turned bright red. "My son didn't say that."

  "Oh, yes, he did. Rhett's quite chatty these days. I don't know if you know this, but he dismissed his lawyer yesterday and told us absolutely everything. He just signed his statement earlier this morning. What was the term Rhett used to describe him?" I asked Martina.

  She smirked. "I believe Rhett kept referring to him as his dear-old-dad. And that his dear-old-dad had hired someone to kill Jordan Day and was fully complicit and he knew about the abductions and subsequent murders."

  Kinsey shut his eyes and breathed in and out of his nostrils. His lawyer placed his hand on his ar
m. "You don't have to say anything. They don't have any evidence."

  "Not true. We have evidence," I said.

  The lawyer leaned over and whispered in Kinsey's ear. There were head nods and back-and-forth whispering for a minute or two. The lawyer sat up straight and looked into my eyes. "My client will cooperate, but Jeff denies all the allegations. His son is lying. He did not know of what was happening in the barn."

  Martina cocked her head. "What was happening in the barn?"

  We had said nothing about the barn.

  The lawyer stammered for a moment before he said, "Look, he didn't know about the girls. And he certainly didn't hire anybody to kill Jordan Day."

  I shrugged. "I suppose this is the point of the conversation where I think you know we just caught you in a lie. We didn't mention the barn and the fact you know something had been going on in the barn shows your client is complicit. Oh, and by the way, Jordan Day is still alive."

  Kinsey's face melted. That got him.

  "That's right. Martina, my associate, saved Jordan's life. We were with him when he was shot at. We've kept him in hiding, making you think he was dead, but in reality, he's one of our star witnesses. It's because of him we know all about Rhett's and your crimes. Jordan says you threatened him when he started questioning why the women he was sending to your son kept disappearing. Like I said, we have evidence and eyewitnesses."

  Kinsey and the lawyer whispered amongst themselves. "We'll take our chances at trial. We're done here."

  He was going to drag this out. He was going to put those women through hell. My blood boiled. I spat, "You're a disgrace to the badge," then picked up my files and exited the interrogation room.

  Martina followed me out. She called out, "Hey, wait up."

  Down the hall, I turned to her. "Even when he's caught red-handed, he won't do the right thing. He swore to serve and protect. It's cops like him that give us a bad name and why witnessess don't want to talk to us. It's why crimes don't get solved."

  "We'll get him. Give him a few days to consider things. Maybe he'll have a change of heart."

  "I hope so, but I'm not counting on it. The truth is, all we have is witness testimony. I'm not sure if the forensic team will uncover any physical evidence. Kinsey probably knows there won't be any. The women said they heard him, but they can't actually identify him—just his voice and the fact that Rhett referred to him as dad. Jordan Day's attempted murder may be difficult to prove. If he doesn't talk, we'll have to keep looking until we find something to nail him on."

  "It's not how we hoped it would go. At least four of the women are home with their loved ones."

  Martina was right. The most important aspect was that we found them and they were free.

  48

  Martina

  Three days later, I stood at the foot of Willow's hospital bed as she lay sleeping. Her mother and sister, Poppy, were by her side. "How is she doing?"

  "The doctor says it's leukemia. They've put a treatment plan in place. She's weak from her captivity and lack of nutrition. But we're hopeful. She's a fighter."

  "Yes, she is." To have survived the last four years proved Willow was tough. Now I hoped she was tough enough to beat leukemia. What a wicked hand to be dealt. We chatted for a few minutes. I explained the timing of the press conference and some logistics before I told them I'd be back the next day to check on her.

  I waved and exited the room, which was still guarded by the sheriff's department. Although we believed we had all known suspects in custody, Jeff Kinsey still wasn't talking and hadn't admitted that he had hired somebody to kill Jordan. Which meant there could still be a killer out there who may come after the women in order to silence them. Although Hirsch and I both believed it was unlikely, it was better to be safe than sorry.

  I continued to Heather's room. Heather was sitting up with a fan of playing cards in her hands, while her mother and Kaylie sat in chairs next to her with their own set of cards. If I had to guess by the pile on the table, it was a game of Go Fish.

  "Hello."

  Heather smiled. "Hi, Martina. Are you here to tell me I can get out of here?" It was good to see Heather in such high spirits. Another strong woman. I wondered how the experience would change her. The cheery outlook gave me hope it wouldn't destroy her. Maybe it would make her even stronger. "What did the doctor say?"

  "They said I can go at any time. I'm just waiting for you to tell me it's safe."

  I frowned. I might be acting overly cautious with Heather and the others. With only one outstanding suspect, Jordan's shooter, they were likely safe. But I preferred them in a safe hospital room versus being at home with just a patrol car outside. "If you can give me a few more days, I think we'll be able to wrap everything up."

  "I suppose that is better than the alternative," Heather said.

  "Bridget, Kaylie, how are you?"

  "Happy that we have Heather back," Bridget said.

  "Yeah, but we're kind of tired of cafeteria food. It's kind of icky," Kaylie said.

  "I hear you." A lightbulb went off. "Give me a minute and let me see what I can do about that." I stepped away from the bed and dialed my mother's phone number.

  "Hello, Martina."

  "Hi, Mom. How are you?"

  "I'm doing well. What's up?"

  "I'm at the hospital, speaking with Heather, and I just met with Willow's family, and next I'm going to check on Layla and Raquel. There's been a bit of grumbling about the hospital food." I hoped that was a big enough hint for my mother to understand what I was asking.

  "Say no more. How many of them are there?"

  "We have four families."

  "How long will they be in the hospital?"

  "It could be a few days for most of them. Willow's family will be here considerably longer."

  "Let me work on a menu. I'll be over in a few hours."

  "Thank you, Mom."

  "Think nothing of it. I'm happy to help. It's the least I can do for them after all they've been through."

  It was amazing how different my mother was from how she was when she was drinking. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a real mom. A protective, nurturing, and loving mom who always wanted to help. Despite all of my losses, these days I was feeling pretty darn lucky.

  "Is Zoey still at school?"

  "She is. You know she's been talking a lot about getting a dog."

  Did we need a dog? "Is that right?" I said with hesitation.

  "You know I could help take care of it, and it could be nice. Dogs are great for guarding the house. What do you say?"

  I knew Zoey loved animals and dogs were great companions. Considering Zoey wasn't likely to get another sibling, maybe I should give it some real thought. "We can talk about it when I get home, but did you have something in mind?"

  "Well, yes, we've been looking at the Humane Society's website, and there's some adorable abandoned pups who need good homes..."

  I know they asked me for permission, but I had the sneaking suspicion the decision had already been made. "All right, I'll look at the photo when I get home."

  "I'll let you tell Zoey."

  I shook my head. "Sounds good. I'll see you when you get here."

  "All right. You give those girls my best and ask them if they have any special requests."

  "I will." I hung up the phone and returned to Bridget, Kaylie, and Heather. "Some good news. My mom is going to come by later with a home-cooked meal. How does that sound?"

  "That sounds amazing," Heather said.

  "She asked if you have any special requests? She'll be happy to get you whatever you want."

  "Anything would be great. I'm not picky," Heather said.

  "Okay, if you change your mind, text me. I'm going to go check on the others." I waved and made my way to Raquel's room. Her mother, father, and sister surrounded her. They were clearly overjoyed to have Raquel back in their lives. I grinned and approached. "Hello."

  Raquel smiled. "Hi, Martina."
/>   I was happy to see Raquel with more color on her cheeks and her eyes just a little brighter. "How are you feeling?"

  "A lot better. Have you heard how Willow is doing?" Raquel asked.

  "They're hopeful. She's strong, but I think you know that. They've started her treatment for the leukemia. Now we pray and hope that she'll beat this too."

  Raquel nodded.

  "The three of you got pretty close?"

  "We did. I don't think I could've made it through the last four years without them. They gave me strength when I felt weak. We were truly in it together."

  "That is wonderful. The three of you are truly exceptional," I said.

  "Heather too. When she arrived, we were devastated. We knew what it meant for Willow and what was in store for Heather. When Heather told us you'd been looking for us and that we were on the news, we couldn't believe it. Heather swore you would find us and that she knew you personally. Thank you so much, Martina. I don't know how we'll ever repay you."

  I looked at her family and back at Raquel. "Unnecessary. It's enough to know that you're safe and sound."

  "Speaking of, will she be able to leave the hospital soon?" her mother asked.

  I explained to them the situation with the outstanding suspect and that we wanted to be safe rather than sorry. They all seemed to agree it was the best approach. "I have a bit of good news. My mother has offered to bring dinner for everyone—home-cooked. She's asked me to find out if there are any special requests."

  Raquel sheepishly asked, "Could she bring blueberry muffins? They're my favorite."

  "I'm sure she'll be able to swing it. She loves to bake. I'll let her know."

  A small smile crept up Raquel's face.

  "I also wanted to let you know we are having a press conference tomorrow. We will release the names of the victims and survivors. I wanted you to be prepared."

  "Okay, thank you for letting us know," Raquel's mother said.