Closer Than You Think

by Karen Rose

  ‘I think so too. Now. But for twenty-three years, whenever I had a nightmare about that moment, it was you holding the rope. It was Jordan who came to me later to tell me that the two of you had faked her car accident. And that her body was burned.’

  ‘Jordan was even kind enough to show her photos of her mother’s charred corpse,’ Deacon added sarcastically.

  Jeremy looked horrified. ‘He showed you? Why?’

  ‘I guess he wanted me to see that nobody would question that she’d died in a crash. That her suicide would remain our little secret.’ He opened his mouth, but Faith held up her hand. ‘One more thing. The fight the day before, after the will was read? Between you and my father?’

  ‘Your father broke my nose,’ he said bitterly.

  ‘And my mother broke your heart because she didn’t defend you.’

  ‘Your father was such a fanatic. They knew I was gay by then. It had all come out the week before.’ He shook his head. ‘Because of Jordan. Anyway, your father thought that all gays were perverts. I couldn’t believe your mother believed such a horrible thing about me.’

  ‘She believed it because of me,’ Faith said, her brow crunched and worried. ‘Because I told her and my father that you’d made me very uncomfortable with the way you’d looked at me and touched me. When you tried to comfort me that day they read Tobias’s will, both my parents saw it through the lens of what I’d told them about the last time you’d touched me.’

  Again the horror. ‘But I didn’t.’

  ‘Someone with a mustache, hair, and clothes like yours did.’

  His face went slack with shock. ‘Oh my God. Faith. All these years?’

  Her lips trembled. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I made the family hate you.’

  Jeremy patted her hand absently. Using his left hand, Deacon noted. His right remained in his pocket. If he was faking his injury, he was very careful. ‘I appreciate you making it clear.’

  ‘Wait,’ Keith said. ‘What about your mother being murdered? You said it was suicide.’

  ‘I thought it was. It might still be, but . . .’ She told Jeremy about the scholarship recipients and the dates they’d gone missing. Then let him put it together.

  ‘All those bodies. In the basement. You’re sure?’

  ‘Eighteen so far,’ Faith said. ‘Many more in the last month as he tried to kill me.’

  ‘Because you’d inherited the house?’

  ‘It made sense before we knew what lay beneath the floor. Afterward, someone kept trying to kill me, and that didn’t make sense. Why kill me now? Maybe revenge for messing with his stuff, but in that case he could wait until I’m out of a safe house and walking the street. He’s taken very big risks to take me out. The cover-up of my mother’s suicide is the only thing that’s left. It’s not enough to kill me over.’

  ‘But the murder of your mother is,’ Jeremy said. ‘Because she saw the victim who’d gone missing that day and was probably in the basement?’

  ‘Maybe. We’re exhuming her body to know for sure. I need to know for sure.’

  ‘I understand. I’d like to know as well.’ He patted her hand again. ‘I have to get back to Marcus and Stone now.’

  Faith blew out a breath. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not doing this well. Not only were you implicated twenty-three years ago, you’re being implicated now.’

  ‘I know. Detective Bishop told me yesterday that the victims had been stitched by a professional. And of course I know that my cabin was used.’

  ‘It looks like Jordan is involved, but he doesn’t have surgery skills. You do. So either you are also involved or he’s figured out how to make you appear involved. Based on what I know, the second one makes more sense. Haven’t you wondered why your son was killed?’

  ‘Wrong place, wrong time. He ran away because he found out his father wasn’t a rich Russian businessman, but a broken-down homo. His words. Not mine.’

  ‘It was not the wrong place. He had every right to be there. His killer didn’t.’

  ‘I can’t believe Jordan killed my son. Mickey was his nephew. He wouldn’t kill his own flesh and blood.’

  ‘I’m his niece and he’s tried to kill me . . . how many times, Agent Novak?’

  ‘Eight. Seven in the last month. He’s killed twelve people, including a child and a federal agent, trying to get to Faith. Your son got in his way. I’m sorry, sir.’

  ‘And Jordan didn’t know Mickey was yours,’ Keith reminded him softly.

  Jeremy’s jaw grew rigid. ‘Where is he?’

  ‘We don’t know,’ Faith said. ‘But wherever he is, he’s got a hostage.’

  ‘The eleven-year-old Detective Bishop mentioned yesterday,’ Jeremy said.

  ‘Roza,’ she said. ‘If he runs to pattern, he’ll try to pin this on you. He chose your ex-wife’s cabin to bury some of his bodies. He might choose one of her other properties to hide. We want to find him before it’s too late. I know you want to get back to Stone and Marcus, but can you take a look at this list of your ex-wife’s holdings and tell us which one he’s most likely to choose?’

  Jeremy’s cheek muscles flexed as he ground his teeth. ‘Sonofabitch,’ he whispered. ‘He kills my son and then tries to pin his crimes on me? Let me see that list.’

  It took him only a minute. ‘The one near Woodland Mound, down on the river. The entrance to 275 is only five minutes away. It has sensors to let him know you’re coming. It’s also up high on a hill, so he’ll see you long before you see him. What else do you need?’

  ‘Give me just a minute.’ Deacon texted Isenberg with the house’s location so that a tactical squad could be mobilized, but used only if the way was clear. If Jordan was keeping Roza there, they didn’t want to storm in and get her killed. ‘Since Jordan seems to have posed as you several times, can you give us any identifying marks that set the two of you apart?’

  ‘I have a scar above my lip. Got it when we were kids. That’s why I have the mustache.’ Jeremy hesitated. ‘Jordan has only . . .’

  ‘Only one ball,’ Keith finished bluntly.

  ‘He had cancer when we were seventeen,’ Jeremy said. ‘He’s infertile.’

  Faith tilted her head, puzzled. ‘How did you know that, Keith?’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s my business to know everything that threatens Jeremy.’

  ‘Keith is very conscientious and his memory is long. We’ve known each other since high school, when Jordan was not kind to either of us. The trouble with my family came to a head two weeks before my father died.’

  ‘Because Jordan outed you,’ Deacon said. ‘Because you were going to tell your father he was skimming Foundation funds.’

  ‘I did tell my father and Jordan’s strategy backfired. It appears that our father could hate me for being gay and listen to my accusations about Jordan’s embezzlement at the same time. He investigated and found out I was right. He told Jordan that he would never work for the Foundation again. Jordan was livid. Blamed it on me, vowed retribution.’

  ‘What kind of retribution?’ Faith asked.

  ‘The usual. He’d ruin me. Make me sorry I was ever born. That kind of thing.’ Jeremy’s eyes dropped to the desk. ‘He’s done that now. My son is dead.’

  ‘Twenty-three years later,’ Faith said softly. ‘What did he do twenty-three years ago?’

  ‘Went to Della, told her what I was. He hoped she’d throw me out. Humiliate me.’

  ‘But your ex already knew,’ Deacon said. ‘Stone told us she knew all along.’

  A weary nod. ‘Della and I met when I was working my way through undergrad. She was thirty, lonely, had just divorced a gold-digger – Stone and Marcus’s father. She was wary of being wanted for her money. I was wary of family only wanting me for parts. We hit it off.’

  Faith blinked at him. ‘That’s a strange thing to say, Uncle Jeremy. For parts?’

  Jeremy studied her face. ‘How much do you know about Joy, Faith?’

  ‘Obviously not enough.’

/>   ‘Joy had leukemia. This was the late sixties and there were limited treatments then. Bone marrow transplants had only been done with identical twins. Then in ’68, a transplant was done with siblings and everyone was so excited. But your mother wasn’t a match for Joy.’

  ‘No way,’ Faith said. ‘Are you going to say that Gran had you for your bone marrow?’

  ‘Yes. I didn’t know until I was about eight. Jordan had done something bad and Father was furious, as he always was. He blurted it out in a rant, how worthless we were. That Joy should still be alive. That was hard to understand at eight. It’s hard to understand at forty-four.’

  ‘Was Jordan angry about being conceived for his marrow?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ he said with a nod. ‘Especially when he got cancer himself. Do you know what DES is?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘It’s a drug that was given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages. It’s now banned. My mother was older and nearly miscarried three times. She was desperate to hold on to us.’

  ‘Because of Joy,’ Faith murmured. ‘She needed your bone marrow.’

  ‘Exactly. The doctor put Mother on DES to save the pregnancy. DES is linked to many kinds of cancers in the daughters exposed in utero. In the sons, there is a tentative link to testicular cancer. I don’t believe for a moment either the doctor or Mother knew the possible side effects at the time, but when Jordan got cancer . . . Mother felt guilty that she’d given it to him, especially since having us didn’t even help Joy.’

  ‘That’s terrible on every level,’ Faith said.

  ‘I know. Jordan hated Joy, and he hated me because I wasn’t angry and because I didn’t get sick. We were twins and in his mind we were supposed to do everything the same way. He hated Maggie because she and I were close. He hated Mother and Father and the staff. Jordan was a difficult person to live with. He’d get into these rages and then you’d see him a few hours later and he’d be fine. Inevitably we’d find something broken. Or dead. A bird, the cat. My dog. We could never prove it and Mother would never believe it. Father didn’t care. He kind of closed up shop when Joy died. Now I realize he suffered from depression, but then, it just hurt that his grief over Joy was bigger than any love for us.’

  ‘I knew Jordan didn’t like you, but I never got that he hated your mother or mine.’

  ‘Because he’s very good at hiding it. He’d lash out when you’d least expect it and in ways that could never point to him. When I realized he was siphoning off Foundation money, I didn’t say a word until I had incontrovertible proof.’

  ‘Which was?’

  ‘Copies of his bank statements – a secret account. He kept the papers hidden. I wouldn’t have known had I not watched where he filed them. I made copies of them and of the Foundation statements. That’s what I gave to our father two weeks before he died. A week later, Jordan was kicked out of the Foundation.’

  ‘A week?’ Faith asked, and Deacon knew she was thinking of the victim who’d been taken then, and the one taken a week later, when Jordan realized he was getting nothing.

  ‘Almost exactly. When my father disowned me, I was actually relieved. Ours was a desperately unhappy family that I couldn’t wait to leave. I’ve made my own family with Della and now with Keith. I love my children like my parents never loved me. And now I’ve lost one.’ Pain slashed across his features. ‘I used to hate my mother for only having me for parts, but now I know how she felt, what it’s like to lose a child. I would do almost anything to give Mickey back his life. I suppose I can’t hate my mother too much for wanting to save Joy.’ He stood unsteadily. ‘I need to get back to my children and to Della. She’s not doing well.’

  ‘I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.’

  ‘You can, a little,’ Jeremy said. ‘You lost your mother.’

  Faith swallowed hard. ‘Twenty-three years ago.’

  ‘But you didn’t know the truth until now. The pain is fresh and you have to grieve. Just like we will over Mickey.’ He clasped her shoulder with his left hand. ‘You’re all I have left of my sister, and the time is right to put the past behind us. Do you have my number?’

  ‘No, so let me enter it into my new phone.’ When she finished, she gave him a sad smile. ‘Take care, Jeremy.’

  Deacon had the two men escorted to the lobby by an officer, then turned to Faith. ‘I’m going out to the property he mentioned. I’ve got the SWAT team closing in, securing all the exits.’

  ‘Do you still think he’s involved?’

  ‘I don’t want to. I want to like him. Bishop thinks he genuinely cares for his sons. If that’s the case, he could never hurt Mickey. And if he ever had been working with Jordan? I don’t think he is now.’

  ‘How can I be sure?’

  ‘I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out. Stay—’

  ‘Stay here, stay safe. Yeah, yeah.’ She pulled his head down for a quick kiss on the mouth. ‘Go. Find Roza. And you stay safe too. He’s focused on you now as well.’

  Cincinnati, Ohio, Thursday 6 November, 1.20 P.M.

  God, what are they doing in there? He’d been curled up on the floor in the back of the Bentley for nearly an hour. Maybe they weren’t coming back. Maybe they had been arrested.

  That would be most inconven— Ah. Voices. Coming this way. He stayed down, waiting.

  The driver door opened first and the gorilla got in, leaned over and opened the door for his twin, who slid into his seat, a hangdog expression on his face.

  ‘I’m tired, Keith.’

  ‘You want me to take you home? I can make you some soup.’

  ‘No. Take me to Della’s. I’m afraid she’ll do something to herself and then the boys and Audrey will have to deal with the grief of that too.’

  Keith started the car. ‘She’s stronger than you give her credit for. She doesn’t need you.’

  Jeremy turned to Keith, anger heating his face. ‘You need to lay off. I had a life with Della and she was good to me when I needed a friend. She needs me now.’

  ‘She shielded you and you hid behind her.’

  ‘So what if I did?’ A huff of irritation. ‘Take me to Della’s or get the hell out and let me drive myself.’

  I like that better. Get out. Get out.

  ‘No, I’ll drive you. I just don’t have to like it.’

  And then they were off. The pair were silent until they’d left downtown.

  ‘Where’s the cop?’ the gorilla asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ came the weary reply. ‘Maybe we passed a test.’

  That’s music to my ears. He really hated killing cops. It was usually more trouble than it was worth. Except for Susan Simpson. She’d been completely worth it.

  But Susan was gone now. In the hands of the cops. They’d taken all of his things. He was going to have to start over. But he would manage it. I’m far stronger than anyone gives me credit for, too.

  He stayed in position until the Bentley got on the highway. Then he eased up, pushing the barrel of his pistol against the temple of his twin, who gasped. ‘Keith!’

  ‘Both hands on the wheel where I can see them, Keith,’ he said calmly. ‘If you take one pinky off that wheel, I’ll blow his fucking head off. And you know that I will.’ He shoved his pistol harder against his twin’s temple. ‘Both hands on the dash, Jeremy, even the gimpy one.’

  ‘What do you want, Jordan?’ Jeremy asked, furious but obedient.

  ‘What I’ve always wanted. Everything.’

  Cincinnati, Ohio, Thursday 6 November, 1.20 P.M.

  ‘Is she stable?’ Faith asked Bishop as they stood on the observation side of the glass. On the other side was Jade Kendrick, hunched into as small a space as she could manage.

  Bishop shrugged. ‘I’m going to try to talk to her. Do you think you can keep her calm?’

  ‘I can try. Are you asking me for a consult?’

  She shrugged again. ‘I heard you’re back to therapy. Isenberg said you got canned.’

&n
bsp; ‘Like a tuna. Come on. Let’s try to talk to Jade.’

  Jade didn’t look up when they came in, her gaze steadfastly pointed to her feet.

  ‘Hi, Jade. I’m Faith.’

  Jade’s head jerked up, her eyes wide. ‘You’re Barbara’s granddaughter.’

  ‘Yes. And you’re Roza’s aunt. Can I sit down?’

  Jade nodded. ‘I can’t tell you anything. He’ll kill her. He’ll kill me.’

  ‘I don’t think he’ll kill her,’ Faith said. ‘She’s too valuable as leverage. He wants me.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I’m a threat to him. I know his secrets. He tricked me into keeping them when I was only nine years old.’ She told Jade about her mother, about how Jordan had manipulated her. ‘He wants me dead. He will trade Roza for me. I hope we can find him before it comes down to that. Jade, why didn’t you tell my grandmother? I know she liked you.’

  ‘She wouldn’t have believed me. She doted on Jordan. Let him get away with just about everything. I think, in a way, she was a little afraid of him, too. She was dependent on him. If she complained, he’d find out.’

  ‘The cameras. I know.’

  ‘There was never any privacy for either of us. She put on a happy face because she knew he was watching.’

  ‘Did he hurt her? My grandmother?’

  ‘No, not like that. But he hurt me and I think she knew that. That’s why I couldn’t tell her about Amy or Roza. She couldn’t even defend herself. He always knew what I was doing. And then he’d disappear for days and I’d know what he was doing to some poor woman.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’d hate him, but I’d be a little relieved too, because he wasn’t doing it to me.’

  ‘That’s human,’ Faith said softly. ‘You can’t be angry with yourself over that. It will have to come with time. When he sent you on vacation when I came to visit, where did you go?’

  ‘To his house.’

  Bishop leaned forward. ‘You mean his apartment over the studio?’

  ‘No. It’s an actual house. I don’t know where it is, though. He always tied, blindfolded and gagged me. Put plugs in my ears so I couldn’t hear anything. He’d park in the garage and take me out of the van, so I never saw the neighborhood. He’d take me straight to the basement. Sometimes he’d stay with me, but if he had a woman in the other basement, where he kept Amy and Roza, then he’d go there.’