by Gary Birken
“Did your ex-wife tell you that?” Jody asked.
“No.”
“Then how do you know about the meeting?”
“Adele has a big mouth. She loves to gossip. Suffice it to say, we still travel in some of the same circles.”
Jody noticed his hands were wrapped tightly around the armrests of the chair and that they were quivering.
“Would you mind telling me how long have you been in a wheelchair?” she asked.
“About eight months.”
“Were you injured?”
“No.”
“I assume . . . I mean, are you completely unable—?”
“I am confined to this wheelchair, Detective. I’m paraplegic and completely reliant on this contraption to get around.”
“Have you had any direct contact with Dr. Connolly in the past few months?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
“And you’re quite certain she hasn’t tried to call you or contact you in any way?” Jody asked.
“No,” he said, pushing himself up in his chair.
“You realize, Mr. Kaine, that even if you are correct about Dr. Connolly’s actions, there’s no law against an individual asking questions about somebody else.”
“Unless that person has criminal intent . . . or so my attorney tells me.” Kaine brought his chair a few feet closer. “If you don’t believe Dr. Connolly’s done anything wrong, why are you here?”
“She’s concerned that you’re holding her personally responsible for the deaths of your sons and that you have threatened her with bodily harm.”
“I would say she’s half right. Anyway, tell her I said to prove it,” he said with a self-righteous scoff.
“That’s not an answer, Mr. Kaine.”
“Maybe I should be the one making that accusation.” He paused for a few seconds and then asked, “Before you came over here today with these ridiculous allegations, did you know I was unable to walk?”
“No,” Jody answered.
“Has it occurred to you that it would be a bit of a task to assault somebody from a wheelchair?”
“Under most circumstances. I would agree,” Vic chimed in.
“Most circumstances?”
“With all due respect, you appear to be a man of means.”
Kaine laughed. “Meaning I could hire somebody.”
“It’s hardly an original idea,” Vic said.
“I guess if I were that hell-bent on revenge, I would want the pleasure myself. I wouldn’t farm out the job.”
“May I ask what happened to put you into a wheelchair?” Jody inquired.
“I have Guillain-Barré syndrome. It’s a very rare disorder that otherwise healthy people can acquire after a viral illness. As you can see, I have a rather severe case.”
“I assume you can substantiate the—”
“My neurologist’s name is Myron Steddman. He practices in Fort Lauderdale. His phone number’s in the book. I’ll call him and give my permission to release all of my medical records to you.” He maintained his silence for a few moments before saying, “Now, does that about do it?”
“Just one more question,” Jody said, studying him intently to see his reaction. “Does the name Gideon mean anything to you?”
His expression never changed, nor did he demonstrate any outward signs of apprehension.
“I’m hardly a biblical scholar, but as I recall, Gideon was an angel.”
Vic gave Jody’s arm a light tug.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Kaine,” he said. “We apologize if we disturbed you.”
“We may want to speak with you again,” Jody added.
“Maybe next time you could extend me the courtesy of calling first.”
Vic didn’t say a word until they had left the house and were on their way back to the car. Jody had been his partner long enough to know that once his teasing started, it could be merciless.
“A superhuman killer with extraordinary strength,” he said with an obnoxious chuckle.
“I may check out his story anyway.”
“Now there’s a brilliant idea. I mean, why not take a case that has already been a colossal waste of time and compound the lunacy by continuing to investigate it?”
“I said I might.”
Vic opened the door for her. While she was getting in, he asked, “What was all that about Gideon?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said dismissively. “Let’s go.”
Vic walked around to the driver’s side and got in.
To her surprise, and absent any underpinning of cynicism or sarcasm, he said, “You know as well as I do that Mason Kaine didn’t hire somebody to drag Dr. Connolly out into the Everglades and kill her. He’s got nothing to do with any of this.”
Without saying another word, he started the engine and slowly pulled away from the curb. “I know,” Jody said.
CHAPTER 88
At a complete loss for words, Morgan forced a smile. “I was just about to give you a call.”
“You sounded pretty upset on the phone,” Will said, taking a few steps forward. “I thought I’d take a chance and see if you were still in your office. I thought perhaps you’d like to talk about things.”
“That was nice of you, but I’m fine . . . really.”
His manner and voice were collected. “Are you sure? You seem very nervous.”
“It’s the ER. They just called. They’re mobbed with patients. I was just on my way over to help out.”
“Maybe we should talk for a few minutes before you go.”
“I really appreciate the offer, but really, I don’t have the time right now.”
“Eileen called me again. Bob Allenby’s really pressing her for my report.”
“I’m a little surprised to hear that. I thought Bob would still be a little preoccupied. His son was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. The last I heard he was still up in Gainesville.”
“He is. Eileen told me she’s been in touch with him by phone and e-mail. It’s a shame about Mike,” he added. “I told her a little white lie and said my report was practically ready. I’m supposed to fax it to her first thing in the morning. I just want to make sure I’m comfortable telling them you’re okay to continue your clinical practice. I’m sure the ER can get along without you for a few minutes,” he said, walking over to the door and closing it.
Seeing no way out, she said, “Okay,” then, looking at her watch, continued, “but I really don’t have—”
“I’ll have you out of here in a few minutes,” he assured her again, walking over to the door and closing it.
“You can leave it open. There’s nobody in my secretary’s office.”
He looked back at the door, ignored her suggestion, and then sat down. He removed a black leather computer case he was carrying over his shoulder and set it next to him.
“Did you find out anything from those ID pictures?”
Morgan’s first impulse was to deny she’d been able to get them, but when she saw him staring at her desk, she chose a different approach. “I looked through them, but it turned out to be a dead end.”
She felt his hard look on her. It was followed by a reserved but skeptical grin. “I’m not sure you’re being truthful with me,” he said.
“That’s ridiculous, Will. I have no reason to lie.”
“All evidence to the contrary,” he said, pointing at the envelope in her hand. “I think you have all the reason in the world to lie.” He moved forward in his chair. “I’m guessing you have Mason Kaine’s photo right there in that envelope, which means you have mine as well.” He interlaced his fingers behind his neck, leaned back, and sighed. “If I told you I was there that night in the emergency room seeing one of my patients, you probably wouldn’t believe me.”
Seeing no reason to continue the cat-and-mouse game, Morgan shook her head slowly.
“I think we both know you don’t have privileges to practice at Presbyterian.”
&nb
sp; He grinned and then lightly slapped his thighs.
“This is good,” he said. “We’re definitely making progress. I assume the photo of Mason shows no space between his teeth.”
Morgan said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said. “Knowing how compulsive you are, I’m going to assume you also have the photo IDs that were taken outside the Cardiac Care Center the night Alison Greene died.” Will extended his legs, crossing them at the ankles. “When did you first suspect that Mason Kaine had nothing to do with your father’s death or the Code Fifteens?”
Morgan was careful to listen to what Will was saying. Her only thought was to keep him calm.
Will renewed his question. “I asked you when did you know it wasn’t Mason Kaine?”
“After I was rescued from the Everglades.”
“And how did you arrive at that revelation?”
“The man who kidnapped me was quite talkative. He obviously wanted me to think he was Mason Kaine, but some of the things he said didn’t hold together.”
“For instance?”
“He talked about the night his sons died. He mentioned holding his wife and trying desperately to console her, but his wife was actually his ex-wife, and she was ten thousand miles away in Thailand.”
“That would seem like a foolish blunder if he was trying to persuade you he was Mason Kaine.”
“Maybe he’s been walking around for a long time with more grief than any one person could bear. I’m guessing he just got caught up in the emotion of the moment and slipped.”
Morgan watched the same supercilious smirk cross Will’s face. “A very interesting observation. I think you mentioned there was more than one thing that made you suspicious.”
“He spoke in a very hoarse voice. I’ve taken care of enough people with laryngitis to know the real thing when I hear it. He was obviously trying to disguise his voice. He also made sure I didn’t see his face. Kaine would have no reason for doing that.”
“Nor would anybody else who was planning on feeding you to the alligators.”
“I think a part of him was subconsciously hoping I’d survive through the night. He hinted about it a couple of times and even sprayed me with insect repellant.”
“Why would he go to all that trouble if he wanted you to survive?”
“Maybe making me suffer was more appealing to him than killing me.”
Will applauded slowly. An arcane expression spread across his face.
“You keep saying he, Morgan. I think we both know who kidnapped you.”
Seeing no reason to retreat now, she said, “Your dentist did an excellent job. How did you find out I was looking for a man with gapped teeth? That’s one thing I never mentioned in any of our sessions.”
“Your friend Dana provided me with the information. I called her in the ICU and told her I was from the legal department. She was quite willing to talk about Miss Greene’s unfortunate death and I. Ogden.”
“The anagram was a nice touch,” Morgan said, her instinct telling her that Will wouldn’t try anything violent in her office.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your connection to Andy and Jason Kaine?”
Will stood up and pointed to his watch. “It’s getting late. We should be going. We can talk more on the way.”
Morgan got up from her chair but remained behind her desk. Looking at him with a stony glare, she said, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Will sighed and took a step closer to her. He placed his hands on the edge of her desk. “That would be a bad decision for both you and your baby. My advice is to rethink it.”
“There are people all over the place. If you touch me, you won’t make it out of the building.”
He shook his head slowly. “Don’t try and con me, and don’t think for an instant I won’t kill you right here if you force me to.”
“You’re too smart for that.”
Will paused for a few seconds before responding. His manner remained unruffled, his voice calm.
“This morning, I mailed a report to Eileen regarding your present mental status. It didn’t paint a very encouraging picture. It says that in my opinion you’re clinically depressed and that you are incapable of safely discharging your clinical responsibilities. It also said that I considered your behavior to be unpredictable and that a period of inpatient psychiatric care with suicide precautions should be considered.”
“Nobody will . . .”
Will raised his finger to his lips and then reached inside his sports coat and removed a small black handgun. He raised the gun, leveling the barrel at her forehead. “If you refuse to go with me, I’m going to shoot you. Before you hit the floor, I’m going to call the police. It’s a matter of complete indifference to me how long it will take for the first person to arrive. By that time the gun will be in your hand. Nobody will suspect I had anything to do with your death. All I did was witness your suicide. I even tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Nobody’s going to believe that.”
“Based on your recent behavior, I think they will. Anyway, it’s a moot point because you’ll be dead. You should think about something else. When you die, so does your baby. The decision’s yours. Refuse to go with me and I’ll shoot you right here in your office. If you come, at least you’ll prolong the inevitable. I guess if I were in your situation, I would take every precious second I could get. You’re a bright woman. Maybe you’ll even figure out some way out of this.”
Morgan’s fear paled in comparison to her rage. Every muscle in her body seemed to spasm at the same moment. With every drop of self-restraint she could summon, she clung to her composure. A few more seconds passed. Will remained silent, his hand holding the gun directly on her. It didn’t take Morgan long to realize he was right.
“You’re insane,” she told him, coming out from behind her desk.
“Not really. At least I’m offering you a chance to live. That’s more than you gave my sons.” Seeing no good alternative, she started for the door. “Just one thing before we leave,” he told her. “If you scream or try anything funny after we leave this office, I’ll shoot you in the abdomen. The good news is that you’ll have a reasonable chance of surviving. The bad news is—your baby won’t. I’m not sure that’s something you would ever be able to live with.”
“There was no need to kill my father. He had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Your father got off easy. He deserved to die a more horrible death.”
“Why would you do all those horrible things? Is Mason Kaine blackmailing you?”
“I never met the man.”
“Then why would the deaths of his sons fill you with such hatred and revenge? None of this makes any sense.”
“To those you have to answer to, it makes perfect sense.”
“Stop playing games, Will.”
“You were right about one thing, Morgan. I want you to suffer. I want you to feel the same never-ending pain I’ve had to endure since the night you destroyed my family. Your crime against them was way beyond simple incompetence. It was cruel and depraved.”
“Your family? What are you talking about?” she demanded in a voice that did nothing to disguise her frustration. “You just said you never met Mason Kaine. What were his sons to you?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you so bent on—”
“Let’s go,” he said. “There’ll be plenty of time for questions later.”
Morgan made her way slowly out from behind her desk. “Where are we going?”
“North Perry Airport.” Morgan stopped and looked at him as if he had misspoken. “Don’t look so surprised,” he said. “It’s about time I took you up on your offer to go flying. And feel free to call me Gideon,” he added with a chuckle. “I think you’ve earned the right.”
CHAPTER 89
With his hand wrapped around her forearm, Wil
l led Morgan down the hall to the back stairwell.
They exited the hospital at the far end of the cancer center, directly across the street from the parking garage. Without uncurling his grip, he escorted her across the street, where they took the elevator to the fourth floor. As soon as they stepped off, he gestured toward the opposite side of the parking deck. He said nothing. It was obvious to Morgan he knew precisely where she had parked.
Walking toward her car, Morgan’s mind was reeling. For the moment she felt safe but Will was right about one thing; every minute she could steal increased her chances of getting away. She had no doubt there was a method to his madness, but his intent to have her fly him somewhere made no sense to her. Five thousand feet above the ground with her at the controls would be one of the few safe places left to her. She could only surmise that Will’s fondness for playing mind games was responsible.
When they reached her car, he extended his hand. “Keys,” he said. “And I’ll take your cell phone too.” Morgan reached into her purse, retrieved both of the items he requested, and handed them to him. Will opened the passenger side door. “Get in.”
She complied and then watched him take a careful look around before casually walking to the driver’s side and climbing in. Morgan stared straight ahead in silence. She tried desperately, but she couldn’t figure out why Will considered Mason Kaine’s family his. She thought about their sessions at his guesthouse and what they had discussed. She flogged her memory to recall everything he had said about his family, hoping to find the clue that would explain his psychotic behavior.
They drove west in an early evening mist. Morgan could see the lights of the airport in the distance. Her mind’s eye focused on Will’s family portrait she had so admired. She could clearly she his wife and two sons, all of them dressed impeccably in white.
Morgan suddenly turned toward Will.
“My God,” she muttered. Finally, after so many weeks, she understood what had driven him mad.
“Will, I’m . . . I’m sorry. I . . . I had no way of knowing.”
He said nothing.
“Johnson,” she whispered more to herself than him. “Will Johnson,” she repeated in a louder tone. “It’s such a common last name. I never stopped to . . . I mean it never occurred to me.” Morgan stopped to gather herself. “I’m so sorry.”
