Closer Than You Think

by Karen Rose

  ‘Have Crandall run a search for all their real estate,’ Isenberg said, then grimaced when Tanaka tapped his wrist. ‘I know it’s time for me to go. I hate these things. Goddamn vultures.’

  ‘What do you plan to disclose?’ Deacon asked.

  She stood up, gave the coat of her uniform a tug. ‘That we’ve found victims buried in the basement, but not how many. That there is a commonality of age, race, coloring and educational status. But not the Plexiglas, nor that he embalmed them.’

  ‘And don’t mention the autopsy stitching,’ Bishop added.

  ‘That too will remain undisclosed.’

  ‘What about the child?’ Adam asked. ‘Will you disclose her existence?’

  ‘Yes, along with her description and her name. Adam, have Crandall coordinate a call center. We’re about to get a flood of calls from desperate parents. I want anyone who is outside or doing any fieldwork wearing vests. Vince, that includes your teams. Go. Track down the leads we have and get some new ones. Keep me up to date.’

  When she was gone, Deacon took out his phone. ‘Okay, let’s divvy up the work here. I’ll make the list and email it to all of you. Adam, we need an ID on the grocery store woman ASAP. Her killer could be hiding in her house right now. Also, as soon as she is conscious, find out what she saw.’

  ‘Will do. And when I’m done there, I’ll find out where Corcoran was when the tracker was placed under her Jeep.’

  ‘I’m going back to the O’Bannion house,’ Tanaka said. ‘I want to watch Johannsen operate the ground-penetrating radar. Maybe pick up a few tricks. Although I hope never to need them again. We’re also going to X-ray the walls. We still haven’t found his stash of souvenirs.’

  ‘The organs he removed from his victims,’ Bishop said. ‘Shit.’

  ‘If Faith remembers the layout of the house from before,’ Adam said, ‘maybe she can help Vince locate the hidey-holes.’

  Ask her to go back into that house? No fucking way. ‘No. She’s not able to do that.’

  Bishop’s eyes narrowed. ‘Says who?’

  ‘Says me. She nearly passed out the last time I forced her to go down there.’

  Adam and Bishop shared a glance. ‘Shouldn’t we ask her what she wants?’ Bishop asked.

  No, because she’ll say yes. But he knew Bishop was right. ‘Fine. I’ll ask her, okay?’ He stood up, needing to get his blood moving so he could stay awake. ‘Scarlett, will you drive us to Jeremy’s house? I’ll catch some z’s on the way.’ He hesitated as he passed Adam’s chair. They couldn’t function as a team with the way they’d been behaving. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I still think you’re crazy,’ Adam said under his breath. ‘But Dani said I should trust you.’

  That the two of them had talked about him didn’t surprise Deacon a bit. It actually made him feel a little better. ‘You might stop by later and speak to Greg.’

  Adam’s dark brows went up. ‘How much trouble is he in?’

  ‘A whole helluva lot. He’s at my house. He was afraid to put Tammy under any more stress. She could use a visit from you too. Scarlett, let’s go see Uncle Jeremy.’

  Cincinnati, Ohio, Tuesday 4 November, 7.35 P.M.

  ‘You can come out now,’ Agent Pope said, holding out his hand to help her up from the floor, where she’d been hiding for the last mile of the journey back to Novak’s house.

  Faith groaned quietly as she climbed out of the car. ‘This is getting a little old.’

  ‘Better old than dead,’ Pope said soberly. The man had not cracked a smile since his arrival that morning. Not waiting for her reply, he went into the house to check for invaders.

  Someone screamed and Faith rushed inside to see Dani Novak backed up against the dishwasher, a frying pan held tightly in a two-fisted grip.

  Pope’s hands immediately lifted, palms out. ‘Easy, Dr Novak.’

  ‘It’s okay, Dani,’ Faith said quickly. ‘He’s a Fed.’

  Dani relaxed, as did Pope. ‘I’m sorry, ma’am,’ he said. ‘I thought you were expecting us.’

  ‘Colby, sure.’ Dani spread her hand over her heart. ‘I didn’t know about you.’

  ‘I was on outside duty when you came in before. I’m going back out there now. As soon as I can hear again,’ he added in a mutter, making Faith laugh.

  ‘He never jokes,’ Faith explained to Dani. ‘I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you were on shift.’

  ‘Greg woke up and found he was the only one here, except for the Feds. He was nervous with Agent Colby in the house, even though I told him it was to guard you. Between you and me, I think he’s still rattled about the trouble at school and just wanted the company, so I got someone to cover the rest of my shift. I made Greg and Colby grilled cheese sandwiches for supper. Are you hungry? There are a few left.’

  ‘Sure.’ Faith sat at the center island while Dani fixed her a plate, then leaned in and looked at Faith’s forehead with a frown.

  ‘You popped your superglue.’

  ‘Last night,’ Faith admitted. ‘Deacon tackled me to keep me from getting hit with a bullet. I bandaged it up and figured I’d tend to it later.’

  ‘This is later,’ Dani said. ‘I’ll fix you up, but eat first.’

  She did, silently realizing how hungry she was. ‘That was delicious,’ she said, pushing the plate away. ‘I haven’t had grilled cheese in a long time. It was always my go-to comfort food when times got stressful. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in weeks. I’ve been living on takeout food.’

  ‘Sounds like the past several years have been stressful, Faith. And based on what I’m seeing in the news, it doesn’t look like it’s about to get better any time soon. I checked on the results of the blood I drew last night in the ER. You’re low in iron and vitamin D. You need to eat better and take vitamins.’

  Faith sighed. ‘I always mean to take vitamins, but then I forget. I’ll add it to the list of all the things I’ve got to do.’ On her phone she opened the list she’d composed while waiting to talk to Jordan and typed a few new lines. ‘Eat better, take vitamins, schedule a physical, get a new phone and a new car. Find someplace to live and get a big dog for protection.’

  ‘A dog?’ Dani grinned. ‘I love dogs. I’ve wanted one forever, but I haven’t lived in a house of my own since Mom and Bruce died. I was either in a dorm or an apartment. Where will you go to get one? Maybe I’ll go with you and pick one out for us – for me and Greg and Deacon.’

  ‘I’ll definitely go to the pound.’ Faith frowned as a thought occurred. ‘But I won’t be able to afford to buy a house for a while. If I get an apartment, I can’t get a dog after all.’

  ‘Don’t you already have a house? That big house on the news – that’s yours, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah, but . . . I don’t know if I can live in it after all this. I mean, Arianna was tortured there. How can I live there?’

  ‘I don’t know the answer to that. But if you don’t live there, what will you do with it?’

  ‘Sell it, I guess. I don’t know anything anymore.’

  Dani patted her hand. ‘Don’t worry about it now. We’ll still go to the pound together and you can help me pick out my dog.’ Her gaze became unapologetically curious. ‘Besides, if you start seeing a lot of Deacon, you’ll be here all the time anyway.’

  Seeing a lot of Deacon. Faith’s cheeks superheated as her mind replayed the memory of a boldly nude Deacon Novak striding toward her. Yeah, she’d seen quite a lot of Deacon this afternoon. And she planned to see even more of him later.

  Dani cleared her throat. ‘Okay, that’s enough of that. I guess that answers my question. I think my face is turning red just from watching your face turn red. He’s my brother. There are some images that simply should not be in a sister’s head. No more details, please.’

  Faith rolled her eyes, embarrassed. ‘I didn’t give you any details.’

  ‘You didn’t have to. Your face told me plenty.’

  ‘My face is saying all kinds of things
today,’ she muttered. ‘Of course it’s your fault.’

  Dani’s eyes – one brown, one blue – opened wide. ‘My fault? How?’

  ‘“He’s a good man, Faith”,’ Faith mimicked. ‘I was doing all right with being angry with him last night. But then you sang his praises.’

  Dani’s smile was affectionately proud. ‘He is a good man. He’s always been my rock. My mother wasn’t home that much after our biological dad died. She had to work two jobs to make ends meet, but Deacon took care of me while she was working, even though he was only ten years old. He made my school lunch, helped me with my homework, fixed dinner. Made sure I had clean clothes and that my hair was brushed. Even took my temperature when I was sick.’

  No wonder Deacon had been so angry with Jordan. Her uncle had encouraged her to ditch school, giving her beer and cigarettes when she was fourteen. Deacon had had better parenting skills at less than half Jordan’s age. ‘That’s quite a load for a little boy to carry.’

  ‘It was, but he never complained, not until we were forced to move in with Aunt Tammy and Uncle Jim.’

  ‘I thought you and Greg lived with them after your mother died.’

  ‘We did then too. Deacon also lived with us then, but for only a few months. He graduated high school and left for college. But when Mom was alive, before she remarried and had Greg, it was Deacon and Mom and me living with them. Mom nearly worked herself to death for a year after our father died, but we still couldn’t pay the rent. It was Uncle Jim’s house, but Jim had to move us out so that he could rent to someone else. Tammy later told me that they’d covered Mom’s rent for months before he moved us out, but Deacon and I didn’t know that then. Deacon hated him for evicting us, for making Mom cry. But most of all, I think, because Jim treated him like he couldn’t take care of us, like he was just a kid.’

  ‘He was just a kid.’

  ‘I know. Looking back, Jim was trying in his own rough way to give Deacon back his childhood, but Deacon didn’t see it that way. I’m still not sure he does.’

  Deacon’s need to take care of Greg now was making even more sense. ‘How long did you live with them?’

  ‘Four years. Then Mom met Bruce. I think we were all a little afraid she’d jumped into marriage with Bruce because she was desperate to get away from Uncle Jim, but it turned out better than any of us could have imagined.’

  ‘Bruce was a good stepfather, then?’

  Dani smiled. ‘The best. He was the dad he didn’t have to be but was. He even adopted us. For the first time Deacon had a true father figure. I mean, Jim took us in but we never forgot that it was only because of his kindness that we weren’t homeless. Bruce . . . loved us. Wanted us. We were a family. When he and Mom died, it was like . . . well, like your whole life you got old crusty bread, then someone gives you a steak dinner. But then they take the steak away and you have to go back to eating crusty bread. The bread sustains life, but it’s not the same.’

  ‘And it’s almost worse because now you know what you’re missing.’

  ‘Yeah. But at least Deacon and I had the time with Mom and Bruce as a loving family. Greg never got that. Tammy’s nurturing, but Jim can be . . . well, hard to live with.’

  ‘Adam grew up with Jim, too,’ Faith murmured. ‘Which may explain a lot.’

  ‘Adam’s a good man,’ Dani said loyally. ‘Although I can understand how you might think otherwise right now. He called me last night after the two of you talked. He was very worried about Deacon being led astray again.’

  Again? Who led him astray the first time? Faith was tempted to ask, but knew the answer needed to come from Novak himself.

  Dani had bitten her lip as if she’d said too much and wished she could take it back. ‘Adam’s been worried about you counseling offenders,’ she added hurriedly. ‘I sent him a link to the victim forums, but I don’t know if he read them. Sometimes he cares too much and it gives him tunnel vision. He gets very protective of his family, Deacon especially. But that’s his wrong to right. I’ll get my bag and fix you up.’

  ‘Wait, Dani. Why Deacon especially?’ This was a topic she felt more comfortable pushing with Dani than Deacon.

  ‘Deacon wasn’t always the big strong guy he is now. When he was young, he was skinny and shorter than other boys his age. He was nerdy and geeky and way too smart. Plus, we looked different.’ She tugged at the white streak in her hair. ‘Now, this is cool. Then, not so much. It’s hard being the different kid.’

  ‘And Deacon’s eyes made him even more different. He was bullied?’

  ‘Unmercifully. Adam, on the other hand, was big even then, just like Uncle Jim.’

  ‘Adam took up for Deacon?’

  ‘Unfailingly. Deacon hated the arrangement, but he hated getting the snot knocked out of him even more. Adam taught him to fight back, but that just made things worse. It was looking pretty bleak until the summer before Deacon went to high school. We moved into Bruce’s house, changed to a new school. That same summer, Deacon hit a growth spurt.’

  ‘The bullying stopped?

  ‘No, not really. It just changed. He was all long legs and beefy arms and big shoulders, but he was still a geek. He still had different hair and eyes. He just was able to fight back better. He fought a lot. Was in the principal’s office a lot. Then he finally found a way to deal.’

  ‘The whole coat, hair, sunglasses persona?’

  ‘Exactly. The coat was a gift from Bruce. I think that man understood us better than anyone else ever had. Maybe ever will.’

  I’m not so sure about that. Faith had wondered why Novak would want to be so visible, but he wasn’t. Not really. ‘Deacon created the person he wants everyone to see. Because if he could manipulate the perception, he could keep people from hurting him.’

  Dani smiled. ‘I’ve always hoped Bruce wouldn’t be the only one who understood my big brother. Let’s get that gash closed up. And then I want you to lie down and get some of that rest I ordered last night.’

  Cincinnati, Ohio, Tuesday 4 November, 8.45 P.M.

  ‘Novak, wake up.’ Bishop tapped Deacon’s shoulder. ‘We’re here.’

  Deacon opened his eyes, needing a second to orient himself. Here is where? Oh right. The mansion in front him was his first clue. They were sitting in front of Jeremy O’Bannion’s estate in Indian Hill, one of the ritziest burbs of Cincinnati. Less than a half-hour from downtown, it was an area that Deacon’s family had never had cause to visit.

  Bishop brought the car to a stop and pointed to the stately old plantation-style home at the end of a driveway holding a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce. ‘That’s it.’

  Deacon noted the dark sedan parked further down the street – the agent watching Jeremy’s mansion, which was the picture of simple, understated wealth. ‘Jeremy looks like he’s doing just fine, despite being cut out of Granny O’Bannion’s will. What little I turned up on him said that his ex-wife is wealthy. Her name is Della Yarborough.’

  Bishop whistled. ‘The Yarboroughs are old Cincinnati money.’

  ‘Like Alda Lane’s husband?’

  ‘Take Lane’s net worth and add a few zeros,’ Bishop said. ‘I don’t know how much of her money Jeremy got in the divorce versus what he earned on his own by being a surgeon, but he’s clearly invested well. What else?’

  ‘Faith remembers him “looking” at her when she was a little girl.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Bishop said softly. ‘Tell me he didn’t do what I’m thinking.’

  ‘She said he never touched her. She told her father about the inappropriate looking. Her father had disliked Jeremy before that, and afterwards, he wouldn’t allow her to be alone in the same room with him. She had Jeremy unofficially investigated years ago.’

  ‘Hm. Not surprising. I take it she didn’t find anything?’

  ‘She said there was no indication that he’d ever had a single complaint. He does charitable work in the city, used to be part of Doctors Without Borders. He started teaching when he was injured in a car acc
ident years ago and lost the use of his right hand.’

  ‘Lots of car accidents in this family,’ Bishop observed.

  ‘True. I confronted Faith about her mother’s death, Scarlett. The family made up the accident story because they were “more Catholic than the Pope”, and suicide wasn’t just any sin; it was the big sin.’

  ‘Suicides weren’t given church burials back then,’ Bishop murmured.

  ‘Exactly. I tried to get more information, but she got so upset that I stopped.’

  Bishop raised a brow. ‘You’ve gone squishy, Novak.’

  He rolled his eyes. ‘Let’s do this.’ Despite the fact that the sun had set two hours before, he slid on his shades just in case he needed to throw Jeremy off balance, and he and Bishop walked to the door through an immaculately kept garden.

  ‘There’s a guest house in back,’ Bishop murmured. ‘I saw it on Google Earth. Plenty big enough to store two hostages.’

  ‘Maybe we’ll go for a stroll when we’re done.’ Deacon rang the bell.

  The door was opened by a blonde in her mid twenties. ‘May I help you?’

  ‘I’m Special Agent Novak and this is my partner, Detective Bishop. We’d like to speak with Dr O’Bannion.’

  ‘He’s not available.’ The woman started to close the door.

  Bishop flipped out her badge with one hand and held the door open with the other. ‘He’s here,’ she said flatly. ‘Please tell him to come to the door.’

  Panic skittered across the young woman’s face. ‘What is this in reference to?’

  ‘That’s between us and Dr O’Bannion,’ Bishop said. ‘May we come in?’

  ‘No,’ the woman said. ‘You can’t.’

  ‘Hailey?’ a male voice interrupted. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You’ve got visitors, Dr O’Bannion,’ Hailey said, keeping her chin down but her eyes up.