Beneath the Cracks

by LS Sygnet

  "Two of our victims were dumped in Darkwater proper. I want you and Crevan to team up with Charlie Haverston and scour the neighborhoods where his victims were found with the photograph of Tom Denton. We get to maintain the integrity of surveillance on the shelter for Friday night, and hopefully catch Denton in the act while still confirming that this is the guy hiring homeless men."

  "And while we're doing this, you're going to be talking to someone from the FDA?"

  "Not to mention seeing if I can figure out what Denton's area of research expertise really is. I'd like to talk to Maya about the cause of death in these homeless men again too. Cutting through all the red tape at the FDA isn't as easy as it sounds, Crevan. It could be hours, maybe longer before I reach the person who I believe can help us."

  "I can't believe this telomere stuff would warrant armed guards," Tony grumbled, "but if you say so."

  "Tony, think about the implications of finding the cure to cancer. It would be invaluable. Honestly, I don't think Denton is capable of unlocking the secret of telomerase all by his lonesome. Even if he's got a team of scientists working on it around the clock, that kind of research would cost astronomical amounts of money. Dupree is successful yes, I don't doubt that based on the size of what we saw out there today. He's obviously not pouring every cent of his profit into research."

  "So something else is funding the research?"

  "Maybe," I said. "Or maybe this telomere thing is a red herring. Denton was still nervous when we talked to him, even though we know he knew we were there and why; he couldn't get rid of us fast enough. If we can catch him in a lie, I have no doubt he'll crack under the pressure we'll be able to apply. Maybe then we can start getting some straight answers. You're right about one thing, Tony. These people are way too sensitive about identifying a bunch of homeless men."

  Busy work for my new partners was only part of my plan. Briscoe and Conall had enough to keep them occupied for two days, maybe longer. My contact at the FDA made the red tape I alluded to moot. He'd tell me what I needed to know and confirm my growing suspicions about Thomas Denton in short order. Hopefully, a website like Linkedin would tell me more about our agitated little Dr. Denton's research credentials.

  It would free me up for other things, questions I wanted to ask without Briscoe and Conall hovering over me like I was made of porcelain. If I let it slip to either one of them where I was really going, no amount of prying would get them away from my side.

  Not to mention, they'd call Johnny and rat me out. The last thing I needed was him lurking around. If he wanted to stay undercover building his case against Danny Datello, the last thing he should be doing was shadowing me.

  Yes, I was sure. Jake Cox stumbled on something far more serious than whatever caused the deaths of five homeless men. It went beyond the research of a mad scientist. If my hunch played out, we were on the cusp of determining exactly what Cox discovered that resulted in his murder.

  I'd have to be very careful in how I approached the next person that could give me the information I needed to turn a gut feeling into bona fide evidence that would point to a cop killer. And certainly, if this guy had no compunction getting rid of one cop, we were all fair game.

  Chapter 19

  My experience with men wasn't quite as limited as I led Johnny to believe. Well, it was and it wasn't. I've never suffered from lack of attention. Dad taught me to be very selective. These were lessons that came much later in life than my childhood nickname of Sprout would indicate.

  "Never doubt it, Sprout. Boys always want something. Turn the tables. Make sure you're getting more than they are. Your body belongs to you. You have the right to say what happens to it. Don't ever forget that. If you don't mind the looks you're getting from boys, keep dressing like that, but be careful. Sometimes a pretty girl can make a boy do stupid things. An exceptional one like you will turn them into downright beasts. We wouldn't want Daddy to have to shoot someone because he thought he could take more than you wanted to give, would we?"

  It was said with enough tongue in cheek humor to make me laugh and hug him and ask what I would ever do without him. At the same time, I believe part of me realized that Dad wasn't kidding around. After all, I ever knew what happened to the older boy with the slightly crossed eyes who used to follow me home from school every day when I was fifteen.

  My martial arts training hadn't begun as an adult either. Dad started taking me to the local dojo when I was six years old. Funny how these things came back to me now. All of the warnings that screamed through my head today had been woefully absent last night when all I needed was comfort.

  Thank God that was done.

  My wagging tongue danced a little too close to reality for my comfort. I couldn't trust the power of Johnny Orion not to unleash it with his sincere and truth-sucking gazes either. I needed distance. And a really good excuse for it, because if he laid hands on me again, good intentions be damned. He was addictive. I couldn't let him become necessary than I suspected he already had.

  I drummed my fingers for a full minute back at Downey after Briscoe and Conall left me to my own devices and wondered how to pull it off. If things stayed on track with Orion as they had so far this week, he'd be showing up with suits and ties and a whole drawerful of other items for the small empty walk-in closet opposite mine.

  "What would you do, Dad?" I murmured. The answer was simple. Orion would simply vanish if he got too close to anything Dad didn't want him to know. My heart had been tenderized a little too much for that drastic measure. Johnny's sincerity wasn't the biggest temptation. That empty hole in my chest wasn't quite so all-consuming when he was around.

  I pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on something I could do right now. The small black address book was worn from years of use. Its cover was cracked; the leather peeled off one of the corners. It was a relic from days before smartphones ruled our lives. Since I have always gone through electronic devices faster than the average techie, I hung onto the antiquated book. Good thing too. I have a knack for remembering numbers by recalling the pattern they make on the keypad of the phone, but it had been too many years since I spoke to Dick Kerry.

  I dialed the direct number to his office and prayed that he hadn't retired.

  "Richard Kerry."

  "My old friend Dick."

  There was a long pause while recognition of a voice sought the correct nerve pathway to associate the sound with a face and name. Finally he laughed. "Oh my God. Helen Eriksson."

  "You remembered."

  "I don't think I could ever forget you, my dear. How is my favorite and most inquisitive fellow federal employee?"

  Good. Word hadn't reached every nook and cranny of federal office space since my hasty departure. "Ever inquisitive, hopefully still a favorite. How have you been, Dick?"

  "SSDD," he spoke the acronym code for same shit, different day. "They keep adding things to our list of things to approve. We still haven't recovered from the tobacco fiasco, so you know how it goes. What about you? Does the bureau have you hot on the trail of some dastardly serial killer? Let me guess. He's killing with some strange form of bacteria and you –"

  "It's nothing quite that dire, Dick, and if it were, wouldn't I be calling the CDC?"

  "Point taken, though it cuts me to the quick. What can I do to help you?"

  "I've got this consultation in Darkwater Bay. Without getting into all the particulars of the case, I spoke to a researcher at a place called Dupree Farm this morning and he mentioned that he's doing work on telomeres."

  "At a farm?" Dick's fingers clacked across his keyboard. "Dupree Farm. Never heard of it. Which means next to nothing. It's not exactly my…oh. There they are. Dupree Farm, a rather large dairy with an excellent record from our vantage point. Telomeres you say?"

  "I had a similar reaction. Doesn't that seem a little unusual to you?"

  "Let me pull up another record," Dick said.

  I waited, listened to more key strokes.

 
; "Hmm. If they're doing work on telomeres out there, we have absolutely no record of it, Helen. In fact, we don't have them listed as a research facility at all. Perhaps I should red flag this file and get someone to look into it."

  "Could you hold off on that for a few days?" I bit down on my thumbnail. "See, I suspected that you wouldn't find anything about their research at all. This place is beyond bizarre, Dick. We're talking armed guards and a perimeter that would make the military jealous."

  "At a dairy farm?"

  "Yeah," I laughed softly. "Pretty unbelievable, isn't it?"

  "I'll say. How much time do you need, my friend?"

  "A week?"

  "Honey, if I red flagged this sucker right now, it'd be months before anyone got around to opening an investigation unless there was evidence that the food supply was being tainted somehow. And since Dupree has passed every random milk test and onsite evaluation of their practices, I doubt even a red flag could bump the place up on the list. Unless you find something else."

  "I might be wrong."

  "An occurrence I know is rare," he said. "Keep me posted. If you find something that warrants our immediate attention, consider it done. If I have to light the fire by invoking the name of the FBI, I'll do it."

  "I doubt that would be necessary. Like I said, I just found the place a little…off."

  "It's wonderful hearing from you, Helen, no matter the reason. You shouldn't wait until you find something that falls into my professional realm before picking up the phone and calling. Beth and I would love to see you again if you're ever in town. Bring that handsome husband of yours."

  Oh boy. "Thanks, Dick. I'll have to call you some time when my work load is lighter. I'll be in touch about the other thing."

  A single sterling rose extended, its velvety petals tickling under my chin. My eyes darted up from the desk. Orion. Of course it was Orion.

  "Take care, and give my love to Beth."

  Johnny perched on the edge of the desk appropriated for my use. "Something rare and beautiful for someone rare and beautiful." He bent over to steal a quick kiss.

  I turned my head and let his lips brush my cheek. "Johnny, you shouldn't be here. You certainly need to stop the public displays of affection. At least while I'm working," I added at his downcast expression. "Why are you here?"

  "These are your favorite, aren't they?" He procured a bunch containing what I suspected were eleven more of the silvery lavender roses from behind his back.

  "How could you possibly know that?" I pressed the bouquet to my nose and inhaled. "They're beautiful, Johnny. Thank you."

  "Helen, your bedroom is swimming in these, although I didn't know what they were called until I visited the florist. Have you had lunch?"

  I glanced at my watch. Two fifteen. Opportunity for some necessary distance was banging at the door. "I'll stop working for lunch on one condition. Actually, it's not a condition. I'll let you decide what you want. Lunch with me now, or dinner with me later."

  "I can't have both?"

  "Nope. I've got a ton of work to do. Which reminds me, why aren't you grilling me about who Dick is?"

  "Because whoever he is, there's a Beth waiting for him at home, so it doesn't matter."

  "I'm not sure which is worse, your impatience or the insane jealousy," I grinned. "So which is it, Orion? The diner across the street right now, or the same menu for a quick bite at six?"

  His lips pursed and forehead puckered. "I don't think I care much for either option. Why can't I have you for a real dinner, preferably at home?"

  "You're right. We should do lunch and forget dinner. I should save that time slot for Charlie, Tony and Crevan anyway. They might've found someone by then who recognized the man I spoke to this morning."

  "All right. Does that mean I get you for dessert later on?"

  "Hmm…I've been considering a stakeout at the shelter, Johnny. Of course that'll depend on what the guys learn with their canvass in Darkwater proper this afternoon, but I hate to make plans that'll have to be cancelled later. How about…" I watched his level of suspicion spike along with his eyebrows, "we keep this evening open just in case nothing else happens with the investigation. I'll be a lot closer to the penthouse than my place anyway."

  "That does sound tantalizing."

  And shifted control back into my court, which Johnny blessedly didn't realize. "So, lunch at the greasy spoon?"

  The phone on my desk rang. Yes! Couldn't have planned this better if I tried. I held up one finger and grabbed the phone. "Eriksson."

  "Yo, we got us a positive ID on one Dr. Thomas Denton. You wanna hear the real kicker?" Briscoe asked.

  "Sure."

  "He just picked up a van load of shelter guys from Darkwater proper this Saturday past, about two hours after that, our latest dumpster dude turned up in Downey. I reckon he dumped Cox and then made his way to Darkwater proper for some replacements."

  "How many?"

  "Two."

  "Men, Tony. How many men did he pick up?"

  "Six."

  "Hmm. Do me a favor and keep looking for others who can confirm that information. Try working your way back to Downey with a description of the van. I want to know if any other shelters were visited between the two locations."

  "We'll do. Are we gonna powwow later?"

  "Six at the diner across the street from the division," I said. "I trust that meets your standards."

  "You made me a very happy man. How goes the FDA thing?"

  "Wrapped in more red tape than Santa's workshop. I'll fill you in at the diner."

  Briscoe hung up, but I pretended to continue the conversation. "I see. Is he sure?"

  I glanced up at Johnny and shook my head lightly. "All right. If you're sure, yeah. I'll come right over." I replaced the receiver.

  Johnny's shoulders slumped.

  "Sorry…"

  "You're not gonna get so wrapped up with this nonsense tonight that you forget to call me about…us…are you?"

  I rose and stepped close to where he perched against my desk. Wedged between his thighs, I hinted at a more intimate meeting later. "Not on your life, Orion. You should be glad we're making good progress on this case. It was your detective that died last weekend after all."

  He growled, and his hands spanned my waist. "That doesn't mean I have to like it that the job isn't nine to five."

  "Walk me out?"

  "Sure," Johnny sighed. "Ah the life of the man who loves a cop."

  "Yeah, yeah," I grinned. "Let's not pretend I don't know the truth about what you do for a living. We're in the same boat here."

  His fingers dug into my side. "Are we?"

  "We're both working in law enforcement," I said.

  "Oh." Johnny's eyes darted away. "I thought maybe you were telling me something else."

  "Johnny –"

  "It's all right. You're gonna need more than three or four days to see what I've known for months. We just feel closer than a few days, Helen. You know?"

  I reached for the roses on my desk. "Why don't you take these home with you, and we'll figure out what to do with them later."

  "I was thinking a vase might be…oh. Oh. Mmm, a bed of roses. I like that, honey."

  With a wave from the car, I headed in the general direction of Darkwater proper before veering toward Beach Cliffs. The plan had gelled in my mind after Johnny showed up with his bouquet of flowers. Everyone expected me to play a certain role – Johnny wanted the besotted woman; Briscoe wanted a brilliant but obedient profiler; I still haven't figured out what Conall wants yet. The patrons at Uncle Nooky's Bar and Grill would be no different.

  The trick to gaining their cooperation lie in catching them off guard, just like I'd done to Johnny with a tiny suggestion that the roses might have another use later tonight rather than wilting in a vase on a table somewhere.

  I knew exactly where the box that contained the proper role was stored in my house.

  Chapter 20

  "Eight." Briscoe beamed a
nd dropped his notes on the table of the booth where I sat waiting for them at dinner time.

  I rose and hugged Charlie Haverston. "Good to see you, my friend," I said.

  "Sorry about Saturday night. Maybe you'll do it again sometime when Rose and I can be there."

  "I'd love that." I turned my attention back to Briscoe. "Eight what?"

  "Eight witnesses who not only identified Dr. Denton, but confirmed that he had six men in a van when he left the shelter in Darkwater proper. Well, one of the shelters. They got quite a few of 'em as it turns out." Tony slid into the booth and waved a finger in the air at the waitress.

  I flipped through his notes. "Well, this confirms my instinct that he lied to us today. Now we need to catch him in the act. I'm concerned that with our attention, showing up at his lab the way we did and asking about the homeless men, that Denton might be wary of trolling at his usual haunts Friday night. Jason Blake said he was scheduled to be at the Sixth Avenue Shelter for a pickup."

  "There were a couple of places in Darkwater that had never heard of him, Helen. We could stake them out Friday night," Charlie offered. "You could have your guys at Downey keep an eye on Sixth Avenue. Whoever sees him first can haul him in for questioning."

  "That would be fantastic, Charlie. But I'm thinking he might be inclined to pick up his recruits before Friday and avoid us all together."

  "We're on it," he said. "I can have the shelters in Darkwater proper under surveillance in ten minutes if that's what you want."

  "What do you two think about camping out on Sixth Avenue?" I asked.

  Crevan shrugged. "I don't see why we can't. We can head over there right now if you like."

  "What I'd like," Tony said as the waitress approached with a plate heaped with burger and fries, "is to have five minutes to wolf down a little sustenance before I go freeze my ass off all evening watching some damn homeless shelter. Molly, could you get me a couple of coffees to go?"

  She smacked her gum and winked. "Sure thing, Tony."

  "Did you make any progress with the FDA?" Crevan asked.