by R Weir
“Thank you for waiting,” she said, after closing her notebook. “What can I help you with?”
“I’m here about a patient of yours,” I said. “From twenty plus years ago. Belinda Woodley.”
Her eyes lit up at the name, as if she knew it. But she decided to play ignorant.
“That is so long ago,” she answered. “I’ve had a lot of babies and patients since then. Hard to recall them all. What is this about?”
Funny how she answered without saying she didn’t know the name. Excellent job of covering her ass. I would hold that in reserve.
“You were involved in the birth of her twins. At a rental farm house, not far from here, in Burlington Colorado.”
Her eyes looked away, trying to hide the recognition of my details.
“What is your interest in this?”
I pulled out my card and handed to her. The blue satin letter printing popped, leaving no doubt of my skill set. The blood red I’d originally wanted looked too graphic.
“A detective from Denver,” she stated after reading and sitting the card on her desk. “You’re a long way from home. A wasted drive, if you ask me.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I can’t tell you anything, even if I could. Patient confidentiality prevents me from doing so.”
“I have Belinda’s consent to gather the information I’m looking for.”
From my pocket I pulled out a document Barry put together for me, with Belinda’s signature and it was notarized for extra leverage. She read it over and rocked back in her chair.
“I don’t think I can help you on this.” She was having a tough time looking at me.
“Are you saying you don’t know Belinda?” My gaze was directly on her.
“I didn’t say that. All I said is I can’t help you.”
“Really. I would think the potential of charges of fraud would get you to speak. I’d hate to take this to the board of inquiry here at the hospital and make a mess of your career.”
“Are you threatening me?” Even though she said the word, her tone wasn’t threatening. She was scared of being exposed.
“I am. More than that I believe you took money to hide something from the patient. Money from a man named Simon Lions.”
Her head twitched when she heard the name. She tried to recover and act like the reaction was natural, but it wasn’t. She knew the name, there was no doubt.
“Why would I do this?” She was defiant but there was a tremor in her voice.
“Hard to say. Maybe you’re greedy. Maybe he promised you a better job using his contacts. Hell, he might have threatened you. He is a scary guy. No shame in being afraid of him.”
“You have no proof.” She was getting defensive and nervous, her hands shaking.
I pulled out some more paperwork and handed it to her. This was something Doris was able to get through her FBI contacts. It showed a large amount of money, all in cash, deposited in Abigail’s checking account right around the time Darren was born. Another deposit a month after.
“All this proves is payment for work I did,” she said after quickly reading it.
“Really? You get twenty thousand in advance and another ten grand after the delivery of the baby. No wonder why my health insurance premiums are outlandish. I think there is more to it. Either fess up, or I’m taking this to your superiors. At the very least it will get you suspended until they have a chance to review it. Maybe there are other payments you’ve received through the years for other work not on the up and up.”
She looked down at the paperwork before her, her hands still shaking, her upper lip twitching. There was little doubt she was cornered, and I had no intention of letting up. I was bullheaded when it came to things like this. She picked up the phone and called her assistant, telling her to cancel her next appointment and to not disturb her.
“What do you want to know?” Her shoulders were slumped now, as if defeated.
“Everything. I believe you knew Simon or he knew someone who knew you. He or they went and hired you to handle the birth but keep it all quiet. Does that sound correct?”
She nodded. “It was a friend of a friend. He was offering big money. I had bills from school and was just starting out, barely getting by. It was an offer too good to pass up.”
“Why two payments?”
“The first was for helping her through the birth. Simon arranged the farm house for us to live in for about a month. I would make sure all was good, she did have some issues leading up to the birth and was bedridden the two weeks before labor. It was a hard birth for her. Quite stressful for her and me.”
“Simon was there too?”
“Only for a couple of days leading up to labor. We knew it was going to happen soon since she was already dilating.”
“She was pregnant with twins. That had to be challenging?”
“It was. I’d not dealt with twins but knew I could handle it. I had trained for this in school.”
“What happened during the labor?” I kept pressing.
“It was a long time. Nearly twenty-fours before the first baby came out. All looked good and he was doing well.”
“But not as well with the second. He would die later?”
She paused, eyes not focusing, the upper lip twitching again. “Yes.”
All I had seen from her actions told me, she was lying again.
“Tell me the truth, Abigail. He didn’t die did he? You just made Belinda think he did, because Simon wanted the child for himself, and for her not to know about it.”
Rocking back in her chair further, she looked up to the ceiling, remaining silent.
I pressed on, knowing more and more that my outlandish theory was no longer a theory. “That was what the other payment was for. To keep quiet about the second son. It was part of the arrangement you agreed to upfront.”
Still nothing, her eyes not wanting to look at me. She wasn’t good at hiding the truth, in a court of law Barry would break her easily. I leaned forward in the chair, boring into her with my full gaze.
“Belinda Woodley is dying of cancer. Someone, likely Simon, has tried to kill her now, twice, to keep all this silent. And in the process, her only son has been accused of being a notorious killer in Denver, which I believe he was framed for, again by Simon. Why, I’m not certain. He seems to want to hurt her and Darren. He is a sociopath, so logic doesn’t always come into play. Belinda’s only wish is to die knowing her son is the good person she raised him to be and not a monster. Now, damn you! You need to tell me the truth!”
I was mad, slamming the palm of my hand on her desktop. My action startling her enough to admit it, her hands shaking so much she had to cross her arms and tuck them away.
“Yes, the second child lived. Simon took him away, to have and raise for himself.” The words came out coldly, without emotion.
“Did he say why?”
“Only that he wanted an heir to mold and take over his ‘empire,’ I believe he called it.”
“You faked the death certificate on the baby?”
“Yes. He helped. He had connections to make sure nothing would ever come back to me.”
I stared at her incredulous. “You, a midwife, made that poor woman think her other son had died. You’re a piece of work, lady.” Humanity, or the lack thereof in this world, never ceased to shock me.
“I’m sorry.”
There were no tears in her eyes, so I wasn’t sure how genuine the remorse was. I hated how this woman was, only seeming to care about herself and not the lives she ruined. She needed to be thrown out of the medical profession ASAP.
I looked at her coldly. “I’d suggest you resign now and save some face. Because once this is over, I’m going to have my lawyer come for your license to practice.”
“Please no!” she cried. “I’ll be ruined.” She finally was showing some true emotion, but only because it affected her. Which had no effect on me at all.
“Good,” I answered, and
walked out, slamming the door behind me.
Chapter 72
The Butcher was enjoying a quiet day. The thoughts in his head were starting to go to other conquests. Time was taken, like he was ordered, to wait things out. Be patient and soon he could go back to doing what he enjoyed. The last woman had been a keeper, but circumstances had changed, and he had to finish her off, no matter how much he wanted to enjoy her physically. More time was taken setting up again, in his alternate location, designed like the other one in a different part of town. It was a backup in case the other had been compromised. It had everything he needed, as he waited.
For now, he was searching the web on the killer in custody. Much conjecture about him, but little facts had been given, the police and FBI not releasing details. He had been the perfect patsy, arranged to take the fall and then heat off him. He didn’t know the name, but he didn’t care. It had worked, as his master had told him it would. Now he would be free to leisurely look at profiles of creatures he might be interested in. There was plenty to choose from. Social media provided food for his hunger. Most would happily friend or accept his invitation on his fake accounts, of which he had many. He liked all races, all hair colors, all sizes. When seeing it, he would know right away, this was the one, never once second guessing.
At this time, there were probable ladies, but nothing that popped in his head as the proper one. He was waiting for the go ahead, itching to get back into the game. His master had said they would take their time, letting the legal system play out, which might take a year. Could he wait that long? He wasn’t sure but knew the consequences of not doing as he was told would be dire. The weeks dragged on, but he found ways to release, some more effective than others. The violent sexuality that fueled him raged on.
Then came a phone call from a familiar number. One that they recently changed, a new burner number in case the authorities had latched onto the old one.
“It is time,” said the voice on the other side.
He was surprised but eager. “I thought it would be longer. Did something happen?”
“Yes. We need to cover our tracks. I have a specific target for you, like with the lady in Golden. No mistakes this time. Success will help free us from persecution.”
The Butcher was still mad about losing Jill, as she was his to choose. He liked the freedom of finding his own beauties. Still he knew the consequences of not obeying.
“Is she beautiful?”
“Absolutely. A prize worth waiting for. She is bait though, someone we can use to trap another. Once they are out of the way, you will be free to choose again, when the time is right.”
“What is her name?”
The voice told him. “I’ll send you her Facebook profile. Begin putting in your plan to take her. Don’t be in a rush as she could be challenging like the lady in Golden. Bide your time and make it count. Once you have her tracked down, I’ll send you the other name and we’ll devise the best path to get them.”
The call ended, and he checked his computer, waiting for the message. The voice twice mentioning Golden, rubbing in his failure. The Butcher was concerned this was another tough target. Could he complete the task and make his master proud again?
He was anxious, nervous, waiting for the information to arrive. Within seconds he had the address and clicked it. Her profile picture showed a marvelous beauty. Slightly brown skin, with shimmering brown hair and eyes that sparkled. She wasn’t a heavy user of the social site. One picture showed her riding her mountain bikes this summer with friends. Another post showed she had recently passed her bar exam and would soon be a practicing lawyer. Smart, athletic, beautiful, she really was a prize worth waiting for. A woman worth his attention and praise. He was happy again, for she was perfect. Planning how to gather her up and place her on the table for his joy would now begin.
The Butcher would hunt Melissa Diaz like an expert gamesman.
Chapter 73
Back in Denver, the next day I tried calling the front desk at EverCare, but Grace no longer worked there. Catalina must have pulled her off the surveillance when they thought they had their killer. I was working everything through Doris now, since Catalina wouldn’t give me the time of day. I called to give her the scoop on what I found in Goodland. She was shocked by what she heard.
“Oh my. She led her to believe the second boy died? What kind of woman would do that?”
“One who made a lot of money off lying, erasing a chuck of her college debt. Simon is quite persuasive and resourceful.”
“With all I’ve seen in the world, the crazy killers I’ve interviewed, I’m still stunned by human behavior I’ve not seen before.”
“Our business brings us in contact with the colorful side of life,” I said. I then changed the subject. “Can you find out who was doing surveillance work at the front desk at EverCare for the FBI? They must have pulled her, and I need her to look at a picture of Darren Woodley and see if he is the same person that visited Simon claiming to be his nephew and got into an argument with him. Her cover name was Grace.”
She sounded apprehensive. “Having me sneak around Catalina is likely not good for what’s left of my career working with the FBI.”
“I thought she could kiss your ass?”
“She can. But it’s still nice getting paid by the government. Their budget isn’t like any other business and they don’t seem to care about profits.”
“Are you saying I need to find her myself?”
She sighed. “No, I’ll find out who she is. But I need you to understand there are limits, and I’m nearing them. Did you want me to get the picture to her or did you want to talk with her?”
“If you can get her the picture and ask her that would be great. She can call me if she’s not sure what I’m asking. You’re a peach, Doris.”
I had already talked with Jonas, giving him the details of Goodland. We decided to take a trip to visit Simon tomorrow, but talk to him together this time. I knew it would likely set things in motion and bring Wolfe to my doorstep, but I was prepared to deal with that. Some ideas rolled around on what to do, like seeing if the Denver SWAT team was available to hire out for protection. But I had some subtle things that might work as well. If none of those options were successful I could always plead for mercy and cry a lot.
Suddenly feeling hungry, I checked the fridge. Nothing looked appetizing, so I decided to go out to eat, going over choices in my mind as I reached the Mustang. My heart sank as I noticed a large SUV pull up beside me. I’d half hoped I wouldn’t see it again, though I knew they’d be back eventually. Sure enough, it was my Chinese friends and they didn’t look happy, as they both got out and stood on either side of me.
“Jarvis, I’ve been waiting to hear from you,” said the main man, who had done all the talking. “Why do I have to come to you to get answers? Have you found Aleksi?”
“Hello Guo,” I said.
Surprise filled his face. “I see you’ve figured out who I am. Impressive.”
“I had some help. Your wife’s name is Ting. She is a party boss in one the provinces in China. A powerful woman, as you said she was.”
During the meeting with Aleksi, working with the information I gave him, after a few calls, he came up with the names. After some back and forth, including my wish that he didn’t kill them outright, which is what he preferred, we worked out a plan and what I would tell them. The answer wouldn’t be what they hoped for, but it might appease them for the time being.
“After an endless search, I was able to track him down,” I said. “After talking and explaining you were looking for him, he wanted me to give you a message.”
Guo hung his head in anger. “Why did you tell him this? That is not what I told you to do.”
“I owe Aleksi. And I have no intentions of selling him out. It is not good for my health to do so.”
“It won’t be good for your health now either. My man here can break a few of your bones and we’ll see if you change your tune.”
“This is a mistake, Jarvis,” said Guo.
“I’m sure it is. Now are you going to listen to what Aleksi wanted me to tell you or do we escalate this into a bigger thing than it needs to be?”
I had the advantage and wasn’t going to give it up. He crossed his arms and nodded.
“Aleksi’s message was simple. Tell your wife it was business, between two competitors. The two Chinese men, including her brother, were overly aggressive, where putting them down was the only option. He is happy to meet anytime with you or your wife to discuss this. If you care to make it personal and go to war, he is ready for that as well. But understand that nobody will win, and a lot of blood will be spilled. It is your call. Take it or leave it.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes. He said to leave me alone. If you continue to press me, you will die. He will have you in his sights and pull the trigger. If you don’t believe me, look under the back-driver’s side of your SUV.”
Guo waved for the big man to walk over. He kneeled, reaching under until he found it, his normally blank face showing surprise and a flicker of horror as he pulled something loose before showing it to all of us. The explosive device looked exactly as how Aleksi described it to me.
“He said when you found it, to let you know it isn’t rigged to blow. But the next one will be. Or maybe it will be a sniper with a laser scope, who puts a hole in your head from eight hundred feet. He can get to you at any time and you won’t know what hit you. Is that clear?”
“We’ll see about that.”
My smile was ear to ear when I reached into my pocket pulling out a piece of paper I’d put together.
