Detective Wade Jackson Mystery - 03 - Thrilled to Death

by L. J. Sellers

  “Great. He’s probably in Canada by now.”

  “Could be. McCray and I called every hotel and motel in the Eugene/Springfield area. He didn’t check in using his own name or license plate number, and no one recognized him by description.”

  “Good work, though.”

  “What’s next?”

  Jackson tapped the paper on his desk. “I have a warrant to search some files at Dr. Stella Callahan’s office. She’s the psychiatrist Danette Blake saw before she disappeared, and we learned from the boyfriend that Courtney Durham was seeing Callahan as well.”

  “That can’t be coincidence.” Evans pulled up a chair. “What’s your theory?”

  “Either Callahan is a predator or associated with predators or somehow inspired both girls to stage a disappearance for attention.”

  Evans made a face. “What do we know about Callahan?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’ll go run a background check, then I’d like to go with you to search her office.”

  “Thanks.”

  While he waited for the psychiatrist to call, Jackson tried Elle Durham again. This time she picked up and in a sleepy-slurred voice said, “What do you want?”

  “It’s Detective Jackson. I need to ask you a few more questions.”

  “I don’t have any answers. Why does God hate my family? Do you know?”

  She was high on something, but Jackson didn’t think it was alcohol. “I’m sorry for your pain, Elle. I don’t know why these things happen. My parents were murdered, so I know a bit about how you feel.”

  “Was Courtney murdered?”

  “We don’t know yet. Her autopsy is tomorrow morning, and I’ll call if I learn anything new. Do you know Stella Callahan?”

  “Yes.” A pause. “She’s an acquaintance.”

  “Did you know Courtney was seeing her professionally?”

  “Of course. I recommended Stella. She’s very good. Courtney was getting better.”

  That was an arguable point. “How long have you known Dr. Callahan?”

  “A few years. Hang on a sec.” During the break, he heard fumbling and swearing. “Sorry about that. I met Stella at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon. We were on a committee together and became friends. She really helped me after Dean died.”

  “I’m glad she was there for you.” Jackson cringed, remembering her husband had gotten drunk and electrocuted himself in their hot tub. “I hope you’ll start seeing Dr. Callahan again. You know, to help you with Courtney’s death.”

  “There’s not much point.”

  He wasn’t sure what else to say, so he asked, “Do you know Danette Blake?”

  “No. Should I?”

  “Probably not. Thanks for your time.”

  Around nine o’clock, Evans waltzed up to his desk with a funny smirk on her face.

  “What is it?”

  “Stella Callahan has no criminal record, no unpaid parking tickets, no pending lawsuits.”

  “But?”

  “She used to be Stan Callahan.”

  “No shit?” Jackson was too surprised to process what it might mean to his investigation.

  “Five years ago, Stan Callahan legally changed his name to Stella. They have the same social security number. Stan Callahan has no criminal record either.”

  “Did he have a sex-change operation?”

  Evans handed him a printed file. “I don’t know. He was living and practicing in Medford. After he changed his name, he moved to Eugene and opened a practice here as Stella.”

  “Any ideas for how this affects our cases?”

  Evans laughed a little. “As far as I know, there’s no documented reports or research showing that transsexuals are prone to any type of crime.”

  “As a woman, she wouldn’t likely have sexual feelings for her female clients, would she?”

  “It depends. Sometimes, a partner in a heterosexual marriage will have a sex-change operation, and if their partner is accepting of it, they stay together. They often continue to have a sexual relationship. I think.” Evans looked as confused as Jackson felt.

  “I’ll have to ask her about it.”

  “I want to be there.”

  “She may not call back. We might have to track down the owner of the building and search her files without her.” Jackson continued to think of Dr. Callahan as a woman, because that was his first perception.

  “I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “You don’t have to do it now. Go home and get some rest.”

  “Will you call me if you question the doctor tonight?”

  “We’ll see how late it is.”

  Evans touched his shoulder. “Okay, but I’m available.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  After Evans left, Jackson stretched out on the soft couch in the room they used to question minors. He hoped to sleep for a few minutes, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Stella Callahan and whether she still had a penis. If she did, had that penis been interested in Danette? Interested enough to seduce or kidnap her? He’d left Stella three messages, all telling her to call him immediately, no matter what time it was.

  Just as he was drifting off, the front desk officer came into the room. “I knew you were still here.”

  Jackson sat up, wondering what time it was.

  “I’ve got the Redding California Police Department on the phone. They have Eddie Lucas in custody.”

  Thank God. Maybe he would finally get a break in this case.

  Jackson hurried out to the front desk and picked up the outside line. “Jackson here. I issued the attempt-to-locate and arrest warrant for Eddie Lucas.”

  “Captain Sam Pogue. We’ve got Mr. Lucas in a holding cell at our department. A uniform officer tried to pull him over for making an illegal turn and he took off. It wasn’t much of a chase. Lucas turned down a dead-end street moments later and it was over. The officer brought him in and our desk clerk recognized his name from the interstate watch list.”

  “Great news. How soon can your department transport him here? I’m investigating a suspicious disappearance and a suspicious death.”

  “First thing tomorrow when the day shift comes on. We’ll have Lucas there by early afternoon.”

  “Thanks. If there’s going to be a delay, call me.”

  Jackson gave the captain his personal cell phone number and got off the phone. Now that he had the Callahan connection and Brett had moved into prime suspect position, Lucas didn’t seem as important to the investigation. Still, Jackson felt better knowing that everyone who had been involved in Courtney’s kidnapping adventure was being watched by police officers.

  He went back to his desk and gave Evans a call to update her. She would sleep better knowing some of her hard work this day had paid off. He took a Vivarin tablet to keep him awake for the session with Callahan. As soon as he swallowed it, Jackson wondered what affect it would have on his heart and his kidneys. He would have to ask his new doctor. The thought pissed him off.

  Stella Callahan finally called at 10:17 p.m., as Jackson was getting into his car to drive to her house. “I’m sorry for the delay in returning your call. I was at the Hult Center watching a performance by Ballet Fantastique. Afterward I went for a drink with a friend. I just now turned on my phone.”

  “I’d like to meet at your office in twenty minutes.”

  “Is this about Danette Blake? Why can’t it wait until morning?”

  “It’s also about Courtney Durham, and I have to attend her autopsy in the morning. The first three days of a homicide investigation are critical.”

  Callahan drew in a sharp breath. “Homicide? Are you saying Courtney was murdered?”

  “Her death is suspicious, and I need to talk to you.”

  For a moment, all Jackson heard was the noisy bar in the background.

  “I didn’t even know she was dead.” Callahan’s voice shook with emotion. “I still won’t violate patient confidentiality.”

  “I have a s
earch warrant for your files. I could have tracked down the owner of the building and started going through them without you, but my preference is to ask questions. I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”

  Jackson hung up before she could argue. He was too tired for bullshit.

  The building was dark, and no cars were in the parking lot. Jackson hoped the shrink wouldn’t blow him off. If she did, he’d find her, cuff her, and bring her into the department. He was through treating Callahan with kid gloves. Either she was involved in both kidnappings or there was something in her files that linked Courtney and Danette. He wanted that information right now. Jackson wondered if he should have called Evans. Was there any chance the doctor would get violent if backed into a corner?

  He had his phone in hand to make the call when a small SUV pulled into the lot. Finally!

  Dr. Callahan opened the door to the downstairs lobby. Jackson touched his weapon out of habit as he climbed out of the car. He trotted toward the door, feeling the stents shift and pinch in his gut. He’d never thought he would look forward to a major surgery with such enthusiasm.

  Inside the building with the lights on, Jackson could see Callahan was still dressed for the theater in a gray pantsuit and lavender shirt. Choking on the psychiatrist’s perfume, he followed her up the stairs.

  Once they were in her office, Callahan turned to him. “I fully intend to read the subpoena and not let you see anything that isn’t specified.”

  “I’d like to get most of what I need from asking questions.” Jackson handed her the paperwork. “I still need you to photocopy everything in Danette Blake and Courtney Durham’s files and deliver it to police headquarters first thing in the morning. Your cooperation is vital.”

  “I’d like to help you. I just don’t see how I can.” Callahan sat and skimmed the subpoena.

  Jackson decided to deal with the gender issue first. “I know you used to be Stan Callahan when you practiced in Medford. Why did you become a woman?”

  Callahan pressed her lips together, stared at him for a long minute. “The subject is irrelevant, but let’s get it out of the way.” She squared her wide shoulders and took a breath. “I was born a hermaphrodite, someone with mixed genitalia. My parents saw a penis and decided I should be a boy. They were wrong. After a lifetime of living in the wrong skin, I decided to get comfortable with myself. I started taking estrogen. I grew my hair out, moved to Eugene, and began dressing and living as a woman.”

  “Which gender are you sexually attracted to?” Jackson hated this conversation, but he had to know who the doctor really was.

  “I’m mostly asexual. I’ve never had much of a sex drive, and my genitalia are too confusing for most men to deal with. So I simply abstain.”

  “Are you now, or have you ever been, sexually attracted to young women?”

  “No.” The doctor looked amused by the question.

  “Do your clients know anything about your gender issue?”

  “No.”

  Jackson didn’t know where else to go with the subject. Worse yet, he didn’t know how to verify anything the doctor had just told him. “Tell me how Courtney came to be your patient.”

  “I assume her mother referred her to me.”

  “How do you know Elle Durham?”

  “I met her and Dean through the Chamber of Commerce. Elle and I were on a committee together and we became good friends.”

  “You were friends with both Dean and Elle or just Elle?”

  “I knew them both, but Elle and I spent more time together.”

  “Do they know you used to be a man?”

  “No.” The doctor’s neck muscles twitched.

  Was she lying or withholding? “Does Elle know?”

  “She knows I’m asexual.” Callahan frowned. “Why are we talking about me and my relationships? Do you suspect me of something?”

  “I suspect everyone. It’s my job. When did Courtney first come to see you?”

  “I think it was in December, but let me check.” Callahan rolled the desk chair over to a file cabinet behind her and flipped through folders in the top drawer. She pulled two files and rolled back to her desk. “Might as well get these out if I have to copy them for you.”

  “Thanks.” Jackson waited while Callahan looked for Courtney’s intake record.

  “Yes. December 13th was her first appointment. I believe she called a week before that.”

  Jackson jotted down the date. “What was her basic problem? Why was she here?”

  Callahan calculated how much she could withhold.

  Jackson tapped the subpoena on the desk between them.

  “Specifically, she had a sexual dysfunction. Generally, self-destructive impulses. Yes, I think those conditions are related.”

  Jackson would get back to all that if he needed to, but first he was looking for a connection. “When did Danette come to see you?”

  Callahan pushed Courtney’s file aside and flipped through the second one. “March 20th. She’d only had three regular appointments.”

  “Why was she here?”

  “She was depressed and overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for her baby. She also had issues with her mother’s unwillingness to help her with the child.”

  “Did she ever talk about giving up Micah?”

  A small pause. “Yes.”

  “Don’t make me read the whole file. I’m trying to find out what happened to these young women.”

  “Right at the end of our session, Danette said she was thinking of giving her baby to his grandmother to raise.”

  “Do you believe Danette is capable of simply taking off? Of leaving the baby and going somewhere else to start over?”

  Callahan mulled it over. “Yes. It’s certainly possible.”

  “Did you prescribe her medication?”

  “An antidepressant. She had post-partum depression.”

  “Do the two women know each other?”

  “I don’t think so. They live in very different worlds.”

  “Did you prescribe Courtney medication?”

  “I considered it, but she was already self-medicating with alcohol and illegal drugs and had no desire to stop. I didn’t want to add to the mix. I worried she would overdose.” Callahan twisted a strand of hair. “How did Courtney die? You indicated she was murdered.”

  “We’re not sure yet. Her body had no obvious signs of blunt force trauma.” Jackson didn’t want to say too much. If Callahan were involved, she might accidentally provide details she shouldn’t know and incriminate herself.

  “Have you done toxicology tests?” she asked. “Did Courtney overdose?”

  “They’re being processed.” Jackson shifted uncomfortably from the pressure he now felt. “How did Danette end up here?”

  “Young Mothers Outreach referred her. I do a certain amount of pro bono work, and they call me when they have someone who needs immediate treatment and can’t afford it.”

  Jackson recalled Kera mentioning Danette’s association with the center. “Why did Danette need immediate treatment?”

  “The assistant director, Lisa Harkin, thought Danette suffered from post-partum depression, which can be very serious and lead to psychosis. After the initial consultation, I put Danette on Paxil. During her last visit, I changed her prescription to Lexapro.”

  “Tell me what you know about Young Mothers Outreach.” Jackson made a note of the name.

  Callahan stood. “It’s late and I’m tired. Can we do this tomorrow?”

  “We’re almost done.”

  “Would you like some water?” She moved toward a mini-refrigerator under a workspace behind her desk.

  “If it’s bottled.”

  Callahan handed him a container of water, then paced as she talked. “The center was started by Elias Goodbe, who’s also a member of the Chamber of Commerce. I think he was looking for a tax shelter and decided to do something good for the community at the same time. The charity offers a few basic services to young wom
en with babies who have limited resources. Services such as daycare, help with finding jobs, some counseling, and help with accessing other resources, like me.”

  It was another long shot, but Jackson asked it anyway. “Is Courtney in any way associated with the outreach center?”

  A short pause. “Not that I know of.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “This conversation is straying outside the scope of your subpoena.” Callahan sounded sure of herself, but her sudden rapid eye movement indicated discomfort.

  “I’m prepared to handcuff you and take you into the interrogation room at the department if I don’t believe I’m getting the truth here.”

  “Elle Durham, Courtney’s mother, contributed money to Young Mothers Outreach.” Callahan’s voice rose in pitch. “That’s all I can tell you about a possible connection.”

  “But not all that you know?”

  “As far as I know, Courtney and Danette were not acquainted and have nothing in common except they both were my patients. Danette probably abandoned her baby, and Courtney probably overdosed, I’m sorry to say. I think you’re making too much of this.”

  “Did you know about Courtney’s kidnapping?”

  Callahan was taken aback. “I saw Elle’s public statement on the news Tuesday night, but I didn’t take it seriously.”

  “Why not?”

  “I know Courtney. I know Elle. I understand the game.”

  Jackson unconsciously leaned forward. “What game is that?”

  “Their relationship is complicated, and I’m not going to discuss Elle.”

  “Did you know Courtney arranged for her own kidnapping through a company called ThrillSeekers?”

  She pulled back, eyes widened. “I did not know that.” Callahan was either a good actress or was genuinely surprised.

  “She never discussed it with you?”

  “No. I would have discouraged her.”

  “Is it possible you gave her the idea that disappearing would be a good way to get attention?”

  “Of course not.” Now she looked offended.

  “What about Danette? Could you have inadvertently given her the idea that she should walk away from her troubles?”

  “Absolutely not.” Callahan folded her arms across her chest. “What are you getting at here?”