by Carsen Taite
She glanced at her cell phone, which she’d placed on the table in case Danny called. Days like these were exactly why relationships were out of the question. What if she’d been with Danny, naked and willing, when the call had come? Would she have even answered the phone? Doubtful. Still, she was entitled to a little fun, wasn’t she? Late at night when her mother was dreaming sweet dreams about the past, the only thing she ever seemed to remember—surely then she was allowed a respite.
When Danny called tonight, she’d invite her over, and, if she was willing, indulge in a bout of passion and relief. But if Danny wanted more, she’d have to cut it off. More wasn’t possible, advisable, or attainable.
The chicken pot pie was rich and she managed to eat only half. She gave her tray to a passing employee and looked up just in time to see her mother walk out of the dining hall with her entourage of elderly men. She practically ran across the room, dodging waiters and residents, and then skidded to a halt as she watched her mother give each one of her escorts a peck on the cheek.
She waited, off to the side, secretly hoping her mother would head off to her room and they could have a quiet moment, even if she wasn’t lucid. She was totally unprepared for what happened next.
“Marty Lawson! I can’t believe you’ve come to visit. I was just talking about you.”
Vivian rushed toward Ellen, and Ellen turned to look behind her. It wasn’t until she was swept up in a tight hug that she realized what was going on.
“Mother?”
“Don’t yank my chain. It’s me, Vivian. I’m so excited to see you. We have a lot to talk about.” Vivian’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I think you might be in trouble again.”
“Trouble?” Desperate to cut through the mystery of her mother’s words, Ellen played along.
“You know what I mean.” Vivian play slapped her shoulder. “Don’t be an imp.” She grabbed Ellen’s arm. “Come along. We can talk in my room.”
Ellen, arm linked with her mother’s, followed her to her private room. As they entered, she noticed the Grisham book lying on the dresser. The one Vivian had insisted had been stolen. Everything else was in perfect order. Bed made, every framed photo perfectly in line, not a thing out of place. Vivian hopped on the four-poster bed and patted the space beside her. “Sit; we need to catch up. Where have you been?”
Ellen sat down slowly, using the time to come up with an appropriate response. Her mother thought she was Marty and she wanted to talk to her as Marty. Dispelling that notion seemed like a bad idea. Besides, she was curious about the trouble she’d referred to. Did it have something to do with Marty’s death? She decided to play along.
“I’ve been around. What have I missed?”
“Don’t be coy. You know.”
Marty might, but Ellen didn’t. She considered ways to keep the conversation going. “I do, but I didn’t think it would cause trouble. Is everything okay?”
“You’ve got to keep a better eye on the pledges. I know you’re not in charge of them, but you’re the responsible one. She’s a rule breaker, that one.”
She who? Only one way to find out. “She?”
“You picked her. You should handle it.”
Was Vivian talking about a pledge or a sorority sister? And what did she mean? What did she think wouldn’t “cause trouble”? As she struggled to frame a question, she saw the curtain fall. Vivian was fading. Any minute now and she wouldn’t remember who she was, where she was, or anything about this conversation. No time to be subtle. “Who did I pick? What should I handle?”
“Please bring me some new towels. I’d like to take a bath before bed.”
Just like that. Ellen wasn’t Ellen or Marty. She was a servant. She tried one more time. “Mother, let’s talk about Marty.”
A blank look told her all she needed to know. The conversation was over and her mother might never bring it up again. She left to get the towels, and then she read the Grisham novel until her mother fell asleep.
Several hours later, at home reading in her own bed, loneliness swept over her. Her mother was in another world, and her father, several states away, may as well have fallen off the face of the earth. And her phone was silent. Almost midnight and no message from Danny. Not a text. Nothing.
She’s busy. She said she was working late, big case, lots to do. Ellen hated to admit how much she’d counted on her call, another date, and another opportunity to try again.
Probably for the best. No matter what Danny said, she wasn’t convinced they wanted the same things. If Danny was up for a one-night stand, fooling around, no strings, then she wouldn’t have taken off the other night. She would’ve stuck around, taken what Ellen was ready and willing to offer. But it wasn’t what she wanted, so why bother calling?
Ellen sighed and snuggled into the covers. Funny, she was the one who didn’t want any strings, but here she was obsessing about why Danny hadn’t called. The irony brought to mind the picture of her mother, the uppity socialite, prim and proper, yucking it up with a crowd of older men. As her head hit the pillow, all Ellen could think about was how nothing was what she expected.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Danny sat in her office with the door shut, staring at her phone. She hadn’t called Ellen last night, but she could still remedy the situation. Call her now, at least warn her that she and Flores were on their way to disrupt her world.
Sarah had tried to reach Ellen yesterday, but she’d already left the office. Sarah had tried to reach her on her cell, but she hadn’t answered and she didn’t want to leave a message that might have her rounding up the sorority’s lawyers. Danny knew she should’ve called herself, that Ellen would’ve answered her call, but she would’ve answered expecting something else. Something Danny knew she couldn’t give, no matter what she’d told herself.
She started dialing Ellen’s number, but halfway through she stopped. What was the point? Professionally, a heads up was the wrong thing to do. Personally, she shouldn’t care. They didn’t really even know each other. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about her?
“You ready to go?”
She looked up into Sarah’s icy eyes. “I told you I’d meet you out front.”
“Didn’t feel like driving around in a circle until you showed up. Besides, I figured I could see where the JV squad works.”
Danny resisted rising to the bait. Sarah had been full of digs over the course of the last twenty-four hours. No reason to expect she was going to change anytime soon. She grabbed her briefcase. “Come on, let’s go.”
On the ride to Ellen’s office, Sarah pumped her for information. “What’s this Davenport like? Stuffy old bitch or girly young amateur?”
“Neither.”
“Okay, then what’s she like?”
“How would I know?” Danny hated the direction of the conversation. “You’re going to take the lead on this, right?”
“What’s the matter? I thought you were all cozy with her? Scared she’ll tell you no?”
“You’re the cop. I’m just along to make sure you get what we need without violating anyone’s rights.”
“And here I thought you were here because you wanted to catch a killer.”
“Are you always this abrasive? Does it get you far?”
“Usually does the trick.” Sarah pointed. “That the building?”
“Yes.” George shouldn’t have offered her up for this interview or should’ve let her handle it on her own. She knew that last wasn’t possible. If Ellen turned out to be a witness at trial, it would be important that someone other than the trial attorney handled her initial interviews. But she couldn’t stomach the idea of Flores roughing her up. She’d dealt with federal agents before and was all too familiar with their hardball interview techniques. After going back on her promise to call last night, she owed Ellen the courtesy of a gentle approach. “And I’ll take the lead. Your demeanor is going to shut these people down.”
“Whatever. I’ve got a gun and a bad
ge. I don’t need to wave them around to feel like I’m in charge.”
While they were waiting for the elevator, Danny tapped Sarah on the shoulder. When Sarah turned to face her, she said, “Make no mistake. You’re not in charge. This is our investigation. Nothing federal about it. You’re here to offer your ‘expertise.’” She couldn’t resist delivering finger quotes. “And when you’ve offered all you have to give, you’ll be leaving. I’ll be prosecuting this case with one of my colleagues. At the Dallas County courthouse.”
“Whatever you say, Soto.” Sarah motioned to the opening elevator doors. “After you, Miss In-Charge.”
Danny strode into the lobby, instantly recognizing Ellen’s assistant. She put on her most engaging smile. “Excuse me, I’m, I mean, we’re looking for Ellen.”
The young woman grabbed her hand. “You’re the attorney, right? I’m Jill, Ms. Davenport’s assistant. Where’s the handsome detective you brought last time?”
Danny laughed as she felt Sarah bristle beside her. “Good to see you again.” She waved at Flores. “This is Special Agent Sarah Flores. We’d like to see Ms. Davenport. It’s important.”
“I understand. She’s in. I’ll let her know you’re here.”
A moment later, they followed Jill into Ellen’s office. Ellen didn’t stand to meet them. In fact, she barely looked up from her desk. Danny didn’t need to see her eyes to know she was pissed. Pissed and beautiful. Stunning really. Not calling her last night had been a mistake.
*
The last thing Ellen had expected when Jill buzzed her was a visit from Danny. The second to last thing she hadn’t expected was for Danny to show up with another beautiful woman. Like salt in her wound. What had Jill said, Special Agent Flores? Apparently, this was not a social call. She kept her head down for a minute, pretending to read the junk mail on her desk, while she gathered her thoughts. When the silence became uncomfortable, she faced the women seated across from her desk. “What can I do for you?”
Danny spoke first. “Hi, Ellen, we need to ask you a few questions related to Marty Lawson.”
Sarah shot Danny a surprised look, and Ellen wondered about the dynamic between them. Had they known each other long? Had Sarah replaced George on the case? Didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Danny was here for business and no other reason. Well, she could be all business too. “Whatever you need. Tell me what you want to know.”
“We need access to all your files, especially alumnae records. And we need it fast.”
Ellen focused on Sarah who had made the request. “When I said whatever you need, I didn’t expect you to ask for that.”
“We can get a subpoena.” Again Sarah, but this time Danny placed a hand on her arm and shook her head. Sarah softened her insistent tone and smiled brightly. “Sorry, we’re working really hard to catch a killer, and it’s important we explore all avenues.”
Ellen flashed to last night’s conversation with her mother. “Do you have some reason to believe one of our alumnae might be involved in Marty’s death?”
Danny answered this time. “To be perfectly honest, we don’t know. At the very least we’d like to see what connections we can find between Ms. Lawson and your current members.”
“Is this because Joyce’s case is related after all?”
Again meaningful looks passed between Sarah and Danny. Danny cleared her throat. “It’s not public information yet, but there has been more than one death that we are reasonably sure is related.”
“A serial killer?”
Flores leaned forward, again with the bright and shiny smile. “Nothing for you to worry about, except to the extent you can help us catch him.”
This woman gave her the creeps. Did she think she was stupid? Like she was going to hand over all their files without a good reason why? Plus she’d just tripped over her own request. “Him? Well, that wouldn’t be one of our members. Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll search the records? That would probably be more palatable to my board.”
“You shouldn’t discuss this with your board. Or with anyone.” Sarah delivered the warning in a stern voice.
“I understand your need to keep a lid on this, but I have an obligation to keep my board informed about anything that affects the sorority, its members, or its reputation. If you can’t tell me more, then I’m afraid you’re going to have to talk to our lawyers.” Ellen shot a pointed look at Danny, ready to hear her take on the subject. Was she going to let this Flores dictate the tone of this meeting, because if she was, then why was Danny even here?
Danny didn’t disappoint. “Agent Flores, I need a moment alone with Ms. Davenport. Please step outside.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I need you to step outside.”
Flores stood and looked between Ellen and Danny, shaking her head. She left the room grumbling about amateurs, her complaints punctuated by the slamming of Ellen’s office door. Danny waited until the door stopped shaking before leaning forward. “I’m sorry.”
Loaded words. Ellen wanted to ask if her apology included walking out the other night and not calling last night. Or was Danny’s regret confined to showing up here, unannounced, seeking nothing more than business?
Better not to get into all that. “Okay.”
“Pretty sure she’s used to bullying people to get her way.”
“And how do you get your way?” Oops. That one had been hard to resist. “Look, I’m sorry too. We obviously got off on the wrong foot. You’re here on business. We’re both professionals. Tell me what you really need, and I’ll do my best to help.”
Danny glanced back at the door. “I can’t tell you much. There’s no evidence to suggest that Joyce Barr’s death was anything but a suicide. However, our investigation has led us to believe that the sorority might be a common thread among several recent murders.”
“Several? Exactly how many are we talking about?”
“You’ve heard the recent news stories, warning folks about opening their doors for unexpected deliverymen? Reports of assault?”
“Sure.”
“Those assaults were actually murders.”
“And you’ve been hiding that little detail from the press? How many?”
“Four that we know of.”
“Oh my God! And you think they are connected to the sorority?”
“We know that at least three of the women were Alpha Nu members. Another pledged, but then dropped out. May be a total coincidence, but we don’t have any other viable leads, so we’re looking at everything.”
“If I give you access to our files, can you at least tell me what you’re looking for and what you’ll do with the information you find?”
“I can’t tell you exactly what we’re looking for because I don’t know. Something, anything, that connects our victims to each other. Any kind of pattern that will hopefully give us a clue to the killer’s identity.”
Ellen pointed at her closed office door. “And if I don’t cooperate, you’ll sic her on me?”
“Not my call, but yes, I think she’ll wind up getting a grand jury subpoena or a search warrant if you won’t work with us voluntarily. You’ll have to get your lawyers involved, and if the judge orders you to turn over the records, then you won’t have much control over who sees them after that. If you share them with us on your own, then I guarantee you, I’ll guard the privacy of your members.”
Could Danny keep such a promise or was she just trying to get Ellen to trust her? Should she trust her? Danny had thrown Flores out of the room for this little chat. She wanted to trust her, but she had to know something first. “Why didn’t you call? Last night. I mean I get it if you changed your mind about seeing me, but you could’ve called. I don’t want to sound like I’m looking for something here.” She took a deep breath and pushed on. “I’m not, I mean I wasn’t really interested in anything more than a casual date. Fun, you know, with no obligations. But still…”
Danny’s fac
e flushed and she cleared her throat a few times. “Like I said, I’m sorry. I can’t mix work and fun. We discovered this possible connection yesterday and Flores called here, but you were already gone. She tried to reach you on your cell, but you didn’t answer. By the time we finished up work, it was too late to swing by your house.”
No, it wasn’t. Late last night, she could’ve used a visitor to help her forget the odd visit she’d had with her mother. Remembering the visit gave her pause. What had her mother said about Marty’s death? I knew it would happen and I would be next. That’s what she’d told the staff at Cedar Acres. And she’d said to her: Keep a better eye on the pledges. She’s a rule breaker, that one. Beyond odd. Almost as if her mother was connecting Marty’s death with the sorority. Or not. More likely her statements weren’t connected to each other at all. There wasn’t much rhyme or reason to her mother’s ramblings. No need to send Danny chasing leads that didn’t exist. Besides, as far as she knew, her mother didn’t know any of the other women who’d been killed, and the last thing she wanted to do was interfere with what little peace her mother had by sending the cops her way. She’d give them only what they asked for.
“I’ll give you access to the files, but I need your word that they will remain private.”
“I can guarantee that right now, but if we turn up a solid lead, I may not be able to keep that promise.”
“I understand. I just need to be able to assure my board that any release of information was absolutely necessary. I don’t want any individual’s private information exposed unless it’s essential.”
“Got it. I can make you that promise.”
No matter what Danny promised and no matter how much she wanted to believe her, she needed to take care of something before she gave her access to the files. “I need a few hours to pull together the data.” She looked at her watch. “Why don’t you come back after lunch, say around two?”
“Perfect.”
