Web of Silence: A Ray Schiller Novel (The Ray Schiller Series Book 4)

by Marjorie Doering

  “That bastard!” She stubbed the cigarette out like Dunn’s face was at the bottom of the ashtray. “He’s got a lot of nerve filing a complaint. I told him Elena wouldn’t run off with Nathan like that.”

  “Didn’t believe you, I guess,” Waverly said.

  “He’s never given a damn about anything I had to say.” Her face was drawn and twisted in anger. “I uprooted myself to move here, thinking I could be a help to Elena,” she said. “It’s not like they didn’t have room for me, but here I am seven miles away.” Lips drawn down at the corners, she looked around the room with obvious disgust. “Just look at this place. Look where he stuck me.”

  The information was coming at them from directions, and with a speed, they hadn’t anticipated. “Wait a minute,” Ray said. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

  She took time to light another cigarette, her words coming at them in plumes of smoke. “I lived in Cadillac, Michigan—the only Cadillac I’ve ever set foot in. After my husband died, I let Elena talk me into moving here to the Cities. With her married to ‘Mr. Got Rocks’ and me getting older and being alone, I figured they meant for me to move in with them. In exchange, I could’ve helped around the house and taken care of my grandson. Instead,” she said, looking around the room, “this is where they dumped me.”

  “They wanted you to come here?” The surprise in Waverly’s tone bled through.

  “Isn’t that what I just said? They talked me into it. With my husband gone, Elena’s all the family I’ve got.” Jeanette tapped the ash from her cigarette. “Might as well still be in Cadillac for all the good moving here has done me. Look at this crummy cracker box Dave stuck me in. It’s not like they didn’t have enough room for me, but he decided to deposit me miles away—out of sight, out of mind.”

  “With a car, seven or eight miles is nothing these days,” Waverly said. “You do have a car, don’t you?”

  “Sure, a heap off one of Dave’s lots. It’s not like that does me a bit of good now that I’m not allowed to drive it.”

  Ray’s eyes shifted to a partially emptied cocktail glass on the end table beside her. “DWI?”

  Jeanette sneered at him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I had a few unpaid tickets, that’s all.”

  “Should’ve paid your fines,” Waverly said.

  “With what?” Jeanette sucked down another lungful of tar and nicotine. “I don’t work—arthritis. I live on John’s SSI benefits, what I get from disability, and whatever Elena doles out when the mood strikes her. Except for her coming by to drive me to my beauty salon appointment every Saturday, I barely see her at all.”

  Suddenly self-conscious, she shoved a hank of hair behind her right ear. It was as blond as her daughter’s, but unlike Elena’s, the color was the result of a chemical assist. “I must look a sight,” she said. “I waited all Saturday morning for her to come get me. I missed my weekly appointment altogether. I don’t think it’s asking too much to have my daughter give me a ride once a week. It would be ridiculous to throw money away on a cab when she’s got more than enough cash and all the time in the world to take me.”

  Her diatribe left a bad taste in Ray’s mouth. “Under the circumstances, I’m sure you can forgive her for not showing up on Saturday.”

  Jeanette Seeger’s lips pressed together in a tight thin line. “You wanted to ask me something. What?”

  “We’re getting to that,” Ray said.

  “Well, you’re certainly taking your good-natured time about it.”

  Ray took a deep breath. “Dave Dunn told us he called you Saturday night.”

  “That’s right. When I told him I didn’t know where Elena and Nathan were, he went off half-cocked about her running off with their son. She wouldn’t do anything that stupid, and I told him so. There Elena was, lying hurt in some godawful alley, and he goes shooting his mouth off, making asinine accusations to you people.”

  Ray asked, “Do you think he’s capable of hurting her?”

  “He’s already hurt her. He slept around with some little slut behind her back… and after he was responsible for her losing her voice. That ought to tell you something about the kind of man he is.”

  Ray paused, then said, “We were told your daughter was injured during an attempted car-jacking incident—that it was that injury that resulted in the loss of her voice.”

  “Who told you about that?”

  “Dave Dunn,” Ray said.

  Seeger sneered. “That being the case, you can be sure you only heard half of the story.”

  Waverly ran a finger over his mustache and said, “Wanna tell us what you think we missed?”

  She settled back in her seat. “About four years ago,” she began, “one of Dave’s hoity-toity friends invited him to bring Elena and the baby to spend a few days at his place at Hilton Head.” The rhythm of Seeger’s words slowed, allowing her to draw out her time in the spotlight. “Just before they got there, Dave stopped for gas—some station on Palmetto Bay Road.” She took time to light up another cigarette. “Palmetto Bay Road—that sounds so idyllic, so peaceful, like nothing bad could ever happen in a place like that, you know?”

  She tapped the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray before beginning again. “Anyway, Elena went to the washroom around the back of the station while he filled the tank. When she came back around the corner of the building, she saw a man about to get into their car. It wasn’t the car she was worried about, but she saw Nathan still buckled in his seat in the back—only five or six months old then, and where was his father? Dave, that bastard, was standing inside the station, waiting around to pay for their gas. Elena screamed for help and ran to stop the man.”

  “Well…”—Seeger flicked her cigarette ash into the ashtray—“She fought to keep that bastard from getting inside the car and driving off with the baby, but Dave didn’t even get his ass outside until after that maniac pulled a switchblade and slashed my daughter’s throat. By the time he got out there, the carjacker had run off. The cops never did catch him.

  “If Dave had used the brains God gave him, he’d have taken Nathan inside with him, or at least waited until Elena came back. If he’d done either of those things, my daughter would still be able to talk like a normal person. But no. He left Nathan in that car—a helpless baby—all by himself. There’s no telling what would’ve happened to my grandson if it hadn’t been for Elena.”

  Ray had heard too many similar stories. People never seemed to learn. “He made a major error in judgment,” he said. “No one ever thinks that kind of thing is going to happen to them.”

  She leaned forward, anger simmering behind her eyes. “Are you defending him?”

  “No, but I doubt there’s anything you can say to him that’s worse than the beating he probably dishes out to himself on a daily basis.”

  “Then I guess I’ll have to step up my game.” She sat back, her crossed leg keeping time with her fingers drumming on the arm of her chair. “I suppose it’s because he felt so damn bad that he went out and found himself some little slut to comfort him, right?”

  “About that…” Waverly said. “Any idea who the woman was?”

  “If I knew, she wouldn’t be sleeping with anybody else ever again.”

  “All right,” Waverly said, “we get it. Right now, though, we’re more interested in knowing if your former son-in-law has ever done anything to your daughter directly. Like has he ever struck her, shoved her… things like that. Has he ever threatened her?”

  “I’ve never seen bruises or scrapes on her, but she never confides in me anyway so who’s to say?” Jeanette narrowed her eyes and pointed her cigarette at Ray. “The way you two are talking, it sounds like you think Dave’s the one who shot my daughter.”

  “We’re not saying that, but we need answers to start piecing information together.” Ray moved on, trying to keep the momentum going. “On Friday night, your daughter went out with a man named Derek Printz. The dead man found beside her in the al
ley later was Lewis Lundquist. Do you know anything about either of them?”

  A nasty laugh preceded her answer. “Elena doesn’t tell me anything else, what are the chances she’d tell me about them? Until I started calling around looking for her Saturday morning, I didn’t even know she’d gone out. Rachel told me.”

  “Rachel Beatty?” Ray asked.

  “That’s her. She told me the Schwartz woman babysat Nathan Friday night.” Jeanette raised her hands palms out and shook her head. “Heaven forbid Elena should ask the boy’s own grandmother to watch him instead of the likes of Georgia Schwartz.”

  Georgia Schwartz. There was that name again. For someone they’d never met or spoken to, she was starting to feel like an old acquaintance.

  “Got something against the woman?” Waverly asked.

  Jeanette shrugged her bony shoulders. “I saw her once—never actually met her, but I hear she’s got enough wedding rings to wear on nearly every finger of one hand.” Her leg swung harder. “Men are such idiots. All she’s got to commend her are her tight ass and big boobs. Apparently that’s enough, though. I don’t understand why Elena spends so much time with that woman instead of with her own mother.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Waverly said.

  She crushed the cigarette in the tray and dragged another Virginia Slim from its pack. “I’ve been worried sick about Elena ever since Dave called on Sunday.” She dabbed a knuckle under her eye. “I’d be at the hospital with her now, but what would be the point? She wouldn’t know I was there anyway, right?”

  Ray’s eyes narrowed. Hell could freeze over before he’d offer his sympathy if that’s what Jeanette Seeger was waiting for.

  She looked away, avoiding his stare and said, “The two of you sitting in my living room asking pointless questions is waste of time, too.”

  “A man was killed,” Ray said, “and your daughter’s in a coma. Until we can talk to her firsthand, Detective Waverly and I have to gather all the information we can.”

  “Well, don’t hold your breath waiting for Elena to come out of it,” she said, “because even after she does, she won’t be able to talk to you anyway.”

  “We’ll work our way around that.” Ray said.

  Her lips curled back. “Damn that Dave. If it hadn’t been for him, my daughter would still be a normal person.”

  Waverly bit his tongue and proceeded. “Let’s talk about the custody thing. How far do you think your ex son-in-law would go to gain full custody of your grandson?”

  Jeanette planted both feet on the floor. “That’s the second time you’ve made noises like he had something to do with the shooting. If that’s what you think, tell me so.”

  “I’ve already told you we’re just trying to gather information,” Ray said. “It’s routine.”

  She hitched her hips to the front of the seat. “Routine, my ass. Was it a mugging or not? I want to know.”

  “So do we, Mrs. Seeger,” Ray said. “Eventually your daughter should be able to clear that up. In the meantime, we’re continuing the investigation.” He stood and set his hands on his hips. “You haven’t answered Detective Waverly’s question yet.”

  “About the custody issue?” She smirked. “Of course Dave wants Nathan; he’s his son.”

  Waverly pushed harder. “Do you think he’d resort to violence to get him?”

  For long seconds, her eyes shifted around the room. Refusing to meet their eyes, she finally answered. “No, Dave wouldn’t do that.”

  “That was an awfully long pause for an unqualified ‘no’,” Ray said.

  “You asked, and I gave you my answer,” she said. “Take it or leave it.” She rose, went to the door, and held it open. “There’s nothing more I can tell you, so unless you’re sticking around for my company…”

  “Thanks for your time,” Ray said as he stepped out.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Waverly echoed, handing one of his cards to her. “Call if you think of anything that might—” The door closed in Waverly’s face. He turned to Ray. “The only use that card’s gonna get, is if she decides to pick her teeth with it, buddy.”

  “No kidding.” Ray got into the car. “That woman’s a real piece of work. She’s so upset over her daughter that she can’t be bothered to go to the hospital. She practically makes Dave Dunn out to be the spawn of Satan and then pulls back at the last minute. A pang of conscience, I suppose.”

  “I don’t know,” Waverly said as they pulled away from the curb. “I’m not sure she’s got one.”

  Ray flipped his right turn signal on.

  “Where are you going?” Waverly asked.

  “There’s a Blue Door Longfellow restaurant near here. One of your favorites, right? I thought we’d grab lunch there.”

  “Listen, if it’s all the same to you, how about just picking something up at a drive-thru? It’ll be quicker.”

  Eyes flicking in Waverly’s direction, Ray said, “We are allowed a lunch break, you know.”

  “Yeah, but I’d just as soon skip it. I’d like to wrap things up early today.”

  “You have plans or something?”

  “Yeah, I have plans.” Waverly gave him a hard look. “Is that hard for you to believe?”

  “No. Relax, would you? What’s bugging you, Dick?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “All right, fine,” Waverly said. “If you’re gonna make a big stink out of it, stop wherever you want.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Ray said. “I don’t give a damn about where or even if we stop. What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing.” Waverly looked out the side window. “You’re my partner, not my keeper. Just drop it, okay?”

  17

  Ray had barely set foot inside his front door when Gail came out of the kitchen.

  “Oh,” she said, the pleasure evident in her voice. “It’s you. Hi, honey.”

  “Who were you expecting?” He managed to give her a quick kiss before she hurried away. He followed.

  “I’ve been waiting for Laurie to get home so she can watch Joey and Krista for a while. Now that you’re here, she’s off the hook.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To Julie’s.” Gail got plates from the cupboard and set them on the kitchen table. “I’ll try not to be gone too long.”

  “What’s going on at Julie’s?”

  “She’s doing some redecorating and wants my opinion on drapes, carpeting… that sort of thing.”

  “She does know you’re the one who picked the Moss Rose paint for our living room, doesn’t she?”

  “Haha.” She took utensils from a drawer and set them beside the plates. “Joey and Krista are upstairs. I picked up supper at KFC. You can serve the chicken hot or cold—whichever you prefer. There’s coleslaw in the fridge, potato salad, too.”

  “You’re leaving right now after I managed to get home early for a change?”

  “Sorry, honey. If I could predict when that’s likely to happen, I could plan accordingly.” Gail didn’t stop moving; she just slowed down. “Like I said, I’ll try not to be gone real long.”

  “Try hard, okay? I was hoping we’d get to spend some time together.” He reached into the refrigerator, grabbed a chicken leg from its red-and-white cardboard tub, and took a healthy bite.

  “Aren’t you going to wait for the kids?”

  “This is just to tide me over for the next five or ten minutes. Dick was in such an all-fired hurry to call it quits today we wound up skipping lunch. He’s got some kind of plans tonight, but he wouldn’t say what, though.”

  “It’s not like he has to clear them with you, Ray.”

  “I don’t expect him to.” He waved the drumstick in her direction. “But there’s definitely something serious going on with him, babe.”

  “Why? Because, unlike you, he’s making time for something other than work?”

  “Ouch.”

  “You could take a lesson from Dick,” she said. “Sometimes I wish
you were more like him.”

  He came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. “Okay, right now… tonight… I’ll start growing a mustache and double up on my meal portions. It might take a while, but I’ll try to put on thirty or forty pounds and grow an over-sized ‘cookie duster’ for you.”

  Gail pulled away. “Not funny, Ray. You know what I mean. Besides, I prefer my men slim and clean-shaven.”

  “Your men?” He smiled and opened his arms, the chicken leg still in his hand as he went to give her another hug. “Is there something going on I don’t know about?”

  She backed away. “Stop where you are. I don’t want you getting grease on my clothes.”

  “Killjoy.” He took a last bite of chicken and disposed of the bone. “Actually,” he said, turning serious, “you’d be impressed with the way Dick is starting to look. He’s been dropping pounds like crazy. Did I tell you that already?”

  “Repeatedly.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not talking about nine or ten pounds anymore. His clothes are starting to hang on him.” He watched as she got glasses from a cabinet. “I’m really getting worried about him, Gail.”

  “Getting?” she said. “You’ve been worrying about him for weeks already. Maybe Phyllis finally talked him into losing some weight,” she said.

  “Her nagging’s never made a difference before. Anyway, he’s not eating better; he’s barely eating at all. That’s not the Dick I know.”

  Keeping her back toward him, Gail pointlessly folded paper napkins into neat triangles. “Like I’ve said before, hon, whatever’s going on is his business. Leave it alone.”

  “That’s getting harder to do every day.” He frowned. “Maybe it’s a mid-life crisis. The weight loss… The crappy moods… If he buys a sporty convertible, Phyllis might want to consider putting him on a short leash.”

  “Ray, for heaven’s sake…”

  They heard the front door open and close. He thought Gail’s eyes looked misty as she spun around and walked into the living room, but dismissed the notion for lack of cause.

  Seconds later Ray followed after Gail as Laurie hung her jacket in the guest closet.