by Sandy Smyth
Before they got to Kate and Tom, Mike took them through to the therapy room where they examined the hidden passage in detail.
It was a few minutes after they left the therapy room before they got around to where Tom and Kate were sitting. Mike had made sure that the guests were introduced to each and every member of the crew, while John seemed to be speaking very seriously with Ben. Finally, Ben stood and nodded in agreement and they walked toward Tom and Kate at the same time the others did.
The handshakes were effusive as Tom greeted his old friends.
“Kate, I want you to meet Ian Davies and Trent Palmer, two old friends I haven’t seen in almost ten years. Ian, Trent, this is my wife, Kate,” he said proudly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” said Kate quietly. “And thank you for coming.”
“I think,” said Mike, “that we should find a place where we can sit and talk privately.”
“Absolutely, Mike, why don’t we adjourn to the library?” Tom steered his chair toward the door, and the others followed.
* * * *
Kate sat at the table in the library, listening apprehensively as the men discussed the situation.
“From the games this asshole is playing, he’s clever, he’s dangerous, and he’s sick.” Ian stated. “That’s a bad combination. Not only that, but he’s a long-range planner willing to risk exposure. He’s already proved that when he learned Tom was coming home from the hospital and was having a special physical therapy room constructed. He walked in bold as brass and conned the whole construction crew and bosses until he was able to construct his secret spy room right under their noses. Let me make one other point. This guy was not only able to mix with the contractor’s crew without a problem, he was able to do high quality work and do it quickly and by himself. That gives us another, higher category of construction workers to check.”
Ian turned to Trent. “Any thoughts, Trent?”
“That’s a good point, Ian. I also think we need to start at the beginning. We need to find out what precipitated the attack on Tom. We have the date of the car accident, and we’re going to have to work backward from that date to see if we can find anything that connects to Tom in any way, no matter how tenuous. Don’t you agree, Ben?”
“Let me make note of the date of the accident, and I’ll check our office records for any local reports or calls that happened within a month or two of the accident,” Ben said slowly. “My only problem is that with one deputy in the hospital I can’t promise an early answer. I’m really stretched thin. I can only promise that I’ll do my best.”
Mike made a notation in a small spiral notebook. “I may be able to help you, Ben. But I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
“Hey, I’m sure you’re better with computers than I am, so any help you can give will be appreciated. I’ll even let you use my office, Mike.” Ben sighed deeply. “Well, since I’ve got my assignment, it’s time for me to get back to the office and file my reports. If anything else comes up, be sure to call me. Ian, Trent, it’s been a pleasure. Tom, I can see myself out. Oh, before I go, Kate, would you please pass along my compliments and thanks to Mrs. Mallory? Dinner was fantastic.”
“Will do, Ben. Good night.” Kate sat quietly while the men discussed possible avenues of action and investigation. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Tom,” she said hesitantly. “When did you start walking with crutches or a cane? Do you remember?”
The room suddenly went silent as they all looked at Tom.
“I guess,” he said hesitantly, “maybe a month, or a month and a half ago. But I wasn’t really walking. It was more lurching and stumbling and frequent falls, even with the crutch or the cane. Why?”
“Because this maniac had to have a reason to attack you again after almost three years. And those letters on your bed were an attack, or at least the threat of an attack. I believe he was satisfied as long as he could see you were suffering and confined to your wheelchair. But once you began showing a marked improvement, once it looked to him as if you were going to walk again, he had to act.”
“She’s right! Damn it, she hit it on the button. There is no other reason for the renewed threat that makes sense.” John paced back and forth in frustration.
“But why? Why did he attack me in the first place? I can’t think of any possible reason.” Tom’s fist came down on the table with heavy force.
“We’ll find the reason, Tom. Just give us a chance. Since Ian’s now working out of Los Angeles and I’m out of San Francisco, we can check for information from counties surrounding yours that Ben wouldn’t have access to. Ben will handle the local area reports just fine, with some help of course, since he’s shorthanded. Now Ian and I have to get going. We’ll decide how we’re going to split up the information search en route to the airport. For now, hang in there, Tom. We’ll be in contact with you soon. It was a pleasure meeting you, Kate.” Trent shook her hand with a slightly distracted smile on his face.
“Tom, we’ll be in touch. Congratulations on your marriage. Your wife’s not only beautiful, but extremely intelligent. But then, you always did have the devil’s own luck.” Suddenly serious he said, “It’s been a real pleasure, Kate. I’m so happy for you and Tom.”
Within thirty seconds they were gone, and a pensive silence settled throughout the room. Finally, Mike picked up his cell phone and called Connor, requesting that he and Carolanne come to the library for a meeting.
As soon as Connor and Carolanne were seated, John and Mike outlined the facts, as they knew them, of the initial attack on Tom and as much background as they could.
“The biggest problem we have is that Tom can recall nothing in his past that would incur a cold, murderous rage of this magnitude. This is no simple case of feuding neighbors, or road rage, or anything that mundane. We believe this is a case of the perpetrator’s mindset, his perception of something he believes Tom was involved in. As you know, what we thought was a car accident was, in fact, an attempt at murder. We believe that something occurred within a month or two of Tom’s accident and that the perp is punishing Tom for a perceived wrong.” John sat down, and Mike continued.
“Ian and Trent are going to pull information from the surrounding counties and townships on any incident that has any relation to Tom, whether it relates to a car of his, a cat of his, or anything else of his that could be twisted into a reason for murder.”
“May I say something?” Carolanne asked.
“Go right ahead. At this point we welcome any suggestions or viewpoints.”
“I think it might be a mistake to concentrate only on any files that refer to Mr. Martins by name, or to a possession of his. I think any file regarding serious injury, accident, or death should be brought to Mr. Martin’s attention. For example, it could be that he might recognize a person involved in an open case of battery, murder, or accident. Even a cold case could have a perp acting to prevent any further inquiry. I’m sorry, Mr. Martins. I know it wouldn’t be pleasant to have to look at many of the files, but I think it could be important.” Carolanne shrugged and sat back in her chair.
“I don’t care if I have to look through thousands of files, as long as I can get this maniac off of our backs. Whatever it takes, I’ll do. You can bring the damn files by the truckload if you want, and I’ll search through every single one,” Tom said forcefully.
“I agree with Carolanne and Tom,” said Kate as she grabbed Tom’s hand in support.
“Actually, so do I,” Mike said slowly as he leaned against the desk. “But that’s another problem we have. We need to get this information as soon as possible. Ben has promised to try to get his files together, but with one deputy in the hospital, he’s hamstrung. There is no way he’ll be able to spread himself that thin. I’ve offered to help him out with the computer and paperwork, but I’m on the target list, too. I was hoping…” He looked at Carolanne with raised eyebrows.
“That I’d volunteer?” Carolanne asked
with a grin.
“Yep. That’s exactly what I was hoping. Are you?”
“Yeah. I’m definitely volunteering. As long as I’m not officially working for the sheriff’s office, it’s fine.”
“No, you would still be on our payroll, with a hefty bonus thrown in. You’d be there only as an outside consultant. Would that be okay?”
“Perfect. I’ll be at his office first thing in the morning.”
“That honestly helps, Carolanne, because you actually have an understanding of the type of files we need,” said Mike with relief. “But, just for my own information, why do you have a problem working for the sheriff’s office?”
“It’s a well-known fact that Sheriff Ben Whittaker has a very rigid ‘no fraternization’ policy with his employees. Now, Connor will tell you that on company time I don’t fool around, at all, ever. But on my own time, after working hours, well, that sheriff had better turn in his cowboy boots for a pair of fast running shoes.”
The room erupted into chuckles and into outright guffaws. Except for Connor, who looked slightly scandalized.
“Carolanne,” Mike said through his laughter, “my money is on you!”
“As it should be,” she said with a wink. “Now, if there is nothing further you need me for, I’m going home to get my beauty rest.”
“We’re through,” said John, still smiling. “Go get him, Carolanne. But make sure someone walks you to your car.”
She nodded and walked out of the room with a quick wave of her hand.
“As much as I hate to say it,” John began slowly, exhaustion heavy in his voice.
“I agree. We need to be available for Connor and the teams tonight,” finished Mike. “In fact, I think one of us ought to grab a cot and sleep down there.”
“No need to grab a cot,” Tom said. “There is a mattress in the closet in the therapy room along with sheets and pillowcases. When I first started therapy, the pain would be so severe it would sometimes cause me to black out for a few seconds. Or I would be so exhausted by the end of a session that I’d have to stretch out on my back for a short period of time. No comments, please. I know I was overdoing it, and I knew it then.
John stood up and yawned and stretched. “I’ll head on down there now, find out the status of the teams and what’s going on before I turn in.”
“That’s a good idea, John. But I don’t think our perp is going to do anything more tonight. There are too many people here now. And he was busy as hell this morning and again early this evening. I’m sure he’s aware now that his secret hiding place has been found or he wouldn’t have had to use the pool this afternoon. This isn’t going to be over for a while, at least until we find out who this madman is, but I think tonight, with our teams all over the place, he won’t attempt another break-in.”
“I agree, Mike. Although we’ve still got to have the rooms all checked and make sure he doesn’t have a third or fourth way to access the interior of the house. That’ll take at least twenty-four hours, or more, depending on what we find. We still don’t know if those cameras were remoted outside the mansion or if there’s a recorder inside.”
“We’ll get him, but as you said, until we’re sure he can’t get into the mansion, one of us is going to have to stick to Tom and Katie like glue,” Mike remarked. “Why don’t I stay with them tonight, and we’ll switch off and you can take tomorrow night?”
“Thanks, Mike, I appreciate it. Maybe I can get my brain squared around in time for breakfast tomorrow. Care to join me?”
“You bet. Mrs. Mallory has made fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow. I’ll even brew your favorite coffee.” Mike smiled warmly at John.
“I’ll look forward to it. Good night, all,” he said as he nodded and left the room.
“He’ll be fine, Mike,” said Tom.
“I know. I know. He’s already done a hell of a job in pulling himself together. It’s just that after all this time—I never dreamed he felt that way.”
“Face it, Mike, it’s been that kind of a day. We’ve all been on a string of emotional roller coaster rides which started at breakfast and took us up and down over and over again for the rest of the day and into the evening.” Kate rubbed her face with both hands. “At least we’re ending the day on a positive note. I’m done for the night. I’m almost falling asleep just sitting here.”
“You’re right, Kate. It’s time for us to turn in for the night …together. No more separate bedrooms,” said Tom with a yawn. “Never did like roller coasters,” he mumbled as he turned his wheelchair toward the door. “Come on, Mike. You’re with us tonight.”
Chapter 10
The bar was on the edge, sliding inelegantly toward the seedier side of the business. Located on the outer perimeter of upscale lounges and sports bars, The Bird of Paradise had failed miserably to attract the high-end clientele it had aimed for. The only “birds” currently in the bar were those “soiled doves” who sold their services to the highest bidder, and they were watching the sloppy drunk at the bar with wary caution. Each of them had been with him at one time or another in the past few weeks and had the bruises and scars from his fists to prove it. The only reason the bartender didn’t throw him out was the size of his bar bill. That kind of money was scarce in this neighborhood. Barney had warned him to clean up his act and keep his hands off of the girls or he’d call the cops.
If he had only wanted sex, it would have been no problem. They didn’t call him “the dickless dude” for nothing.
Once the pattern of his drinking had become common knowledge, the girls had formulated a plan of escape. At the first obscenity leaving his lips, the girls who had no customer on the line would exit, one at a time, until only one was left. The bartender would then distract him so that she, too, could escape. By the time he reached the out-of-control stage, the women would be gone. Some of the women would find another bar or just call it a night, and a few would go around to the back of the bar to the storage room and wait until “dickless” left.
* * * *
But tonight Marylou was still talking to an older man in the far booth. She’d had high hopes that he’d come through as a paying customer. So far though, all he wanted to do was talk about another woman, which actually wasn’t all that unusual. He was starting to creep her out though, calling her Rosie, even though she’d told him several times that her name was Marylou.
He had also scolded her for cutting her hair and for wearing makeup, for God’s sake. For the last three years she’d worn her black hair cut in a short mop of curls. Her large hazel eyes were her best feature, and she used eyeliner and shadow to accent them. Tonight she was wearing green contacts, but she also had blue and brown contacts just for a change. Maybe she’d give it up for tonight and take the loss.
“Mister, I gotta go to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”
“All right, Rosie, but hurry up. I’m getting tired.”
She made it into the restroom and stared at her reflection wearily. Her eyes were bloodshot and her makeup beginning to streak. She had just turned twenty-one last month and looked every bit of thirty-one, at least. And the customers seemed to be getting weirder and scarier. The fun and excitement was gone.
Definitely time to get out of the business, before she ended up in the hospital, or was drugged out of her mind and roped into Salazar’s stable of girls, or worse. And Salazar had been eyeing her lately. He had been making it obvious that her time as an independent was running out. Suddenly, the neighborhood was becoming very dangerous, if not deadly. Tonight was no exception. “Dickless” had been glaring at her as she walked by.
“Well, Marylou,” she said to her reflection in the mirror. “There’s no time like the present, is there?” She popped her contacts out, grabbed a paper towel, took the small tube of makeup remover from her purse, and began scrubbing her face. After discarding the third paper towel and patting her face dry with another one, Marylou looked into the mirror with a start of surprise.
&nb
sp; It was no longer her working face looking back at her with tired eyes, naked without the necessary heavy makeup. It was definitely the old Marylou, looking much younger and looking hopeful. Anticipation, determination, and hope stared back at her from the face in the mirror. She could make a new life work. She would make a new life work.
Frantically, she searched her purse until she found the card with the phone number on it. Consuela, the woman who ran the area safe house just down the street, had told her she could call day or night and someone would either come and get her or make arrangements for her to be admitted to the safe house.
Marylou grabbed her cell phone and dialed the number immediately. She couldn’t understand where the sudden uneasiness and fear had come from. She’d been walking and working these streets at all hours for several years, but now, with the hope of a new future and the new possibilities in front of her, she was afraid. Afraid something would take away her chance to change her life, to get out of the downward spiral she could see sucking her deeper and deeper into nothingness.
The arrangements took barely sixty seconds to make by phone. Consuela advised her that she would be at the bar within ten minutes. When Marylou told her about “dickless” and how he’d used his fists on her and others, Consuela said that she’d bring Reuben with her and for Marylou to lock the door and wait in the ladies’ room. Quickly, Marylou shot the flimsy bolt on the door.
While she waited, she began cleaning out her purse. She hummed a light melody as she threw away the dark, heavy cosmetics she’d been using and resolved to buy lighter, more natural-looking makeup as soon as she could.
The sudden rattling as the doorknob was turned, followed by a fist pounding on the door, startled her, and she let out a small, frightened gasp. Her heart began thudding with fear.
