Unexpected Consequences
Page 18
“I need you to find another contact on the Brookfield PD. One that will work with us.”
“Excuse me?” Nick lowered his feet from the desk and leant forward. “What are you talking about? Kapman’s on your payroll now.”
“Kapman’s out of commission.”
“What? What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t do anything to Detective Kapman. He should have been better at covering his tracks. He would have been very handy to have at my disposal.”
“What happened?”
“It seems the young detective has been found out. Police discovered missing evidence and Detective Kapman is the main suspect. Well, he and his guest that evening.”
Nick made no moves, showed no emotion. He wasn’t going to give this son of a bitch the satisfaction. “So what do you want me to do?”
“Find his replacement. I’m sure you know others from your academy days. Perhaps the elder Kapman brother. He may be a good option.”
“Ronald? Not a chance in hell, Vinny. Look, I’ve done my time at the cop shop. I go anywhere near there and I’ll be arrested. I doubt Kapman is singing my praises right now.”
“I’m sorry, Nick. I wasn’t suggesting you had a choice.” Vincent stood from his chair and rounded the desk to stand in front of Nick. “I need a contact on the department. I’d like you to find me one.”
“Sorry, Vinny. It’s not happening this time.” Nick stood and turned towards the door.
“Have I not proved to you I mean what I say?”
The tone in Gianelli’s voice made Nick stop in his tracks. “What does that mean?”
Vincent walked slowly towards the bar and poured himself a drink. After taking a long sip, he spoke. “Nick, you’ve proven to be a very good employee. You work efficiently and successfully, given the right motivation.”
Nick remained silent and watched the gangster walk back to his desk and sit in his large leather chair like a king on a throne. “You certainly were concerned when poor Miss Braden went missing. I’d hate to see something so awful happen to her again. She seems like such a nice girl. But, working in the poor area of town the way she does, things happen. Bad things.”
“You son of a bitch, you leave her out of this. She’s got nothing to do with this.”
“If I were you, I’d work on getting a contact in the Brookfield PD. But you’re free to do what you feel is right. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m quite busy.”
Nick rushed out of the front entrance and climbed on his motorcycle. As he sped away, peeling rubber on Gianelli’s expensive cobblestone driveway, his mind was processing hundreds of thoughts at once. I can’t do this. A contact at the police department? Who? I can’t go anywhere near there without getting arrested. But if I don’t, Kelsey could be hurt. Now what do I do?
He sped into the night, trying to make sense of it all. What was he going to do? Maybe if he just took the blame for the missing evidence, he could exonerate Bart and take Kelsey out of the line of fire. Would things be even worse if he did? It seemed no matter which option he weighed, the potential result could be disastrous.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Well, it’s about time you showed up. I’ve been waiting for ten minutes!”
“I’m sorry, Mr Gianelli.” Anthony stumbled closer to his boss’s desk as he finished tucking in his shirt. “I was…um…detained.”
“When I call you, I expect you to respond immediately. The whores will still be there after I’ve finished with you. That’s why they’re kept on the premises.” Gianelli grumbled and took a drink. “I’ve already got one employee thinking with his dick. I don’t need another.”
“I understand, sir.” Anthony had to bite his tongue. He’d worked his ass off over the years making his way up the organisation’s ladder. Now, the power was right in front of him. He just needed to get rid of Gianelli and…
“We seem to have a problem with Mr Jensen. I’m afraid he’s not as cooperative as he once was. I think he needs a bit more motivation.”
Anthony wasn’t disappointed in this news. He’d hated Jensen since they’d first met and anything he could do to make the man’s life hell would be a welcome assignment. What he really wanted to do was put a bullet in his head, but for now, he’d accept Gianelli’s idea of motivation. “The woman again?”
“Can you handle it by yourself this time?”
“Not a problem.”
“Then see to it.”
* * * *
Bart had been sitting alone in the small, barren interview room for well over an hour when he finally stood and began pacing. After Wilson had revealed the events of Friday night, including his visit to the evidence room with Nick, Ms Langer had insisted that he be escorted to the holding room where he’d been sitting ever since.
His nerves were shot as he busied his mind with images of what was about to happen. He’d be questioned, arrested and locked up. His career was over. His life as he knew it was over, and it was all because of the man he’d once called a friend.
“Nick Jensen,” Bart sneered. He kicked the rickety chair away just as the door popped open.
“Detective Kapman, so sorry to keep you waiting.” Ms Langer entered with two policemen, a fellow detective of Bart’s, along with a uniformed officer. “Have a seat.”
She was all business, no chit-chat and no emotion, just right to the point. Bart realised as he watched her pull items from her briefcase that he was now her new mission. If she couldn’t put away a big crime lord, she’d make a name for herself by taking down a highly respected cop turned dirty. She set a file folder on the table with a legal pad beside it before taking her seat.
“Sit, please. We may be here for a while,” she said while scribbling on the pad. The interrogation was about to begin.
* * * *
Kelsey looked at her bedside clock, wondering how long she’d spent turning restlessly in her bed. It was two a.m. After Faith had left, she’d barely picked at some food, fielded a few calls from her worried family, soaked in a nice warm bath, and slipped quietly into bed. That was four hours ago and still she’d yet to find sleep.
Her mind was working far too hard to relax. She thought of the nightmarish days in captivity, and the panic of being chased through the emergency clinic until she’d been drugged and locked away in a cold, dark room. She was thankful that her time there, though scary and unpleasant, hadn’t been as horrific as it could have been. She’d been relieved when she’d been told that Wally, who’d been stupid enough to give her his real name, hadn’t succeeded in raping her as he’d intended. Why, she didn’t know, but he’d been found shot dead beside her in the emergency clinic. She was also thankful that, other than a few bumps and bruises, and some lingering lethargy from the drugs they’d given her, she was physically unharmed. She’d relived the experience many times as she’d lain awake, but the bulk of her thoughts always seemed to drift back to Nick.
When she’d awoken in the hospital wrapped in his strong embrace, she’d felt the unmistakable euphoria that only a budding romance can provide. For a brief moment, she had allowed herself to believe that all was well—they were happy, they were together, and all of the bad had faded away. But once she’d remembered his involvement with the thugs who’d taken her, as well as his goal of corrupting her beloved brother, she had pushed him away just as fast as she could. He wasn’t the man she’d thought him to be, and everything between them had been a lie.
Now, as she’d done while she’d been imprisoned, Kelsey closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to drift back to their time together. A few days ago, she’d thought nothing but good things about him, but now she had a whole new perspective. Now she analysed every word he’d said, every move he’d made. Things started to stand out to her—the vagueness about his family, his work, and even his home. The way he would seemingly distract or divert her attention if she asked a question that may have been too revealing. It all began to make sense.
She remembered the night he had interrupted her dinner w
ith Bart. “His shock was genuine, right? I mean, he couldn’t have known,” she whispered to herself. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to analyse what had happened or convince herself into believing what she wanted to be true. She groaned in frustration and finally threw off the covers, giving up on the idea of sleeping any time soon.
Kelsey tugged off her nightgown and slipped on a comfortable pair of sweats and her beaten-up baggy sweatshirt with plans to cuddle on the couch and watch some TV. With her thick, warm woollen socks completing her ensemble, she hoped to lose herself in an old movie and a glass of her favourite wine—no, perhaps a bottle of her favourite wine. Maybe if she got drunk, the thoughts and memories would fade enough to allow her the sleep she so desperately needed.
Just as her foot touched the bottom step of the spiral staircase the lights in the apartment flickered out, leaving her in complete darkness. “Ugh, not again,” she grunted and turned to head back upstairs. The circuit box was located in the closet of her bedroom.
Bart had told her the wiring in the building still had bugs, despite having been upgraded during construction. Occasionally, and for no apparent reason, the breakers would trip. She’d got used to it in the weeks since she’d moved in and had made mental notes to have it inspected, but, as busy as she’d been, it hadn’t been a priority. Until now, it had been a minor annoyance, but in her current state of mind, it caused her frustration to rise to a monumental level.
The overcast skies completely hid the moon, leaving the bedroom in total darkness. She slid one foot in front of the other, making her way around the bed and towards the closet door. Normally she was a tidy person, but today she hadn’t worried about where she had dropped things. Now her mind wrestled with the memories of what may lie in her path. She was fairly sure she’d tossed her dirty clothes in the basket in the corner, but she wasn’t going to take the chance of tripping over something and ending up with a broken bone. That would put a period on the end of a perfect day.
With every step Kelsey took, a strange feeling of unease grew. She stopped and listened. What was that? When she again began walking, she turned her head when she thought she heard something behind her. “Who’s there?”
Her only response was dead silence. She shook her head. “Great. Now I’m imagining things.” Not wanting to take a chance, she quickened her journey to the closet, anxious to get the lights back on.
She was grabbed from behind and immediately overpowered. One arm wrapped around her waist and the other clamped over her mouth, taking away both her chance to escape as well as the power to scream.
In one swift motion, she was thrown face down on the bed and pinned by his body. She managed a quick, muffled scream while the attacker pulled his hands away, but between the bunched-up blankets and the constriction of her chest from his weight, there was no way anyone, including the officer assigned to watch her door, was going to hear anything. Having no idea of his intentions, she struggled frantically when she heard him fumbling behind her.
“Please… No… Don’t do this… Please…”
Just as the last word had escaped her lips, she recognised the pungent scent. She gave one last attempt to break free before a damp cotton cloth was applied firmly to her mouth and nose. Her muffled screams lasted only seconds before she was forced to inhale the bitter-smelling fragrance and the room began to fade.
The next thing Kelsey knew she was being pulled from the bed and thrown over someone’s shoulder. Unable to move a muscle in her body, and only vaguely aware of what was happening around her, she knew the path he was taking as he exited the room through the rooftop doorway, shutting it firmly behind him.
With the absence of moonlight, the darkness gave him complete privacy. All he’d have to do was take her down the fire escape and into the back alley behind her building. There were no lights, there were no security cameras, and without her ability to scream, there’d likely be no witnesses.
As she heard the tap of his feet against the metal of the fire escape, she knew all hope for a rescue was lost. It was the last thought in her mind when the drug took its full effect, forcing her to close her eyes and quietly lose consciousness while being carried by her silent attacker towards her unknown fate.
She’d thought her nightmare was over. Unfortunately, it seemed to have only just begun.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Ronald, come on. You’re really not going to let me talk to him?”
“He’s in solitary, Faith. I can’t give him any special privileges. It may make things worse for him.”
“Oh, get off it, Ronald. The only reason he’s in solitary is because he’s a cop. They’d kill him if you didn’t isolate him.”
“If you want to talk to him, go to the visitors’ centre. You can meet with him there.”
Faith shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m not going to visit my detective husband in a row full of glass stalls. I want you to have him brought to an interrogation room so we can speak privately.” She approached him and laid her hand on his arm. “Ronald, he’s not just my husband, he’s your brother. Please?”
He sighed and nodded as he grabbed the phone. “Yeah, it’s me. Can you have Detective Kapman brought up to interrogation room three right away? Thanks.”
“Thank you, Ronald,” Faith said in relief. “We both appreciate this.”
“I’ll give you thirty minutes. A guard will be outside the door.”
Faith smiled at him as he exited, despite his stand-offish demeanour. Good or bad, that was Ronald—all business, especially when it came to police work. Regardless, the fact that his brother had been accused of something that went against everything he believed in certainly didn’t help his attitude.
A few minutes later, a distraught and exhausted Bart entered the room, straight into the embrace of his loving wife. “Are you okay?” she asked softly in his ear.
“Yeah. I just want out of here.”
“What happened, Bart? I get a call last night that you were arrested for tampering with evidence and that you’re being held in solitary. What’s this all about?”
“Sit down, honey. I’ve got a story to tell you.”
* * * *
Thirty minutes later, their meeting was over. Following her handcuffed husband, a dumbfounded Faith left the room. She gave him one last kiss before he was escorted back to his small cell. His words had stunned her, and, even though she trusted her husband, his story was hard to believe. When she’d got the phone call alerting her to his arrest, she’d never imagined he was actually guilty. Now that she knew what had happened, he would need damn good representation. Her new job was to find the best attorney possible.
Just as she pulled her phone from her purse, Faith looked up to see Ronald turning the corner, heading back to his office. She now saw what she hadn’t earlier. He was troubled and worried, but, in his position, he had to keep it together. That was the best way he knew how to help his brother.
“Thank you, Ronald,” she said softly. He nodded, his face softening slightly and a small smile breaking through.
“Captain!”
Ronald and Faith turned to see a uniformed officer rushing to find him. “Yes?”
“They’re trying to reach you, sir. It seems… It seems there’s trouble with your sister.”
“Kelsey? What trouble?”
“The officer assigned to her door last night went to check on her and…”
“And what?” Faith asked, not entirely wanting the answer.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. She’s missing.”
* * * *
Gianelli was sitting behind his desk when he heard the commotion in the hallway. There were a few shouts, a sudden crash, and the obvious indication of a struggle taking place. Just as he was about to pick up his phone to enquire, his office doors slammed open and the livid man stormed into the room.
“Nick. So nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked with his normal calm demeanour. Without breaking his gaze, Vin
cent waved off the two bodyguards who’d rushed in, ready to remove any threat to their boss.
“Where is she?” Nick said with a heaving breath.
“I’m sorry?”
“Cut the crap, Vincent! Where is she?”
“Who are you talking about?” Gianelli asked with a bit more force than usual.
“Kelsey Braden! Where is she! Where’d you take her this time?”
Gianelli shook his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t give me that shit! She’s missing again, and I know you have her! Now where is she?”
Vincent sat back in his seat, his elbows on the arms of the chair and his fingertips tapping together. “Believe what you want, Jensen. You’ve been given an assignment. If you are unable to complete it, even with added incentive, I’ll find someone who will. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m quite busy.”
“This isn’t over, Gianelli. Kelsey had better be found unharmed, or I’m coming after you. And I’ll personally make sure you don’t hurt anyone else again.”
“Is that a threat, Jensen?”
“It’s a promise, you son of a bitch.” With one final death stare, Nick gritted his teeth and left in a huff before Gianelli’s henchman had a chance to throw him out.
When he heard the front door slam, Vincent pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Send Anthony in, TJ.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Anthony’s not here.”
Vincent looked at his clock. “Where is he?”
“I haven’t seen him today, sir.”
“Very well.” He released the button and picked up his phone. When the call went straight to voicemail, Vincent became irritated. “Anthony, get your ass back here. I told you to take care of the woman, not fuck around.”
He hung up angrier than he had been when he’d dialled. Something about this didn’t sit right. If Anthony had completed his assignment, he would’ve pranced into his office like a peacock. Since giving Nick the ultimatum, he couldn’t count on him, either. Vincent’s two best men were now unavailable, both because of the same woman. He pressed the intercom button again.