Damaged

by Stacy-Deanne

  “Why Maryland?”

  “He has family here in Baltimore and they claimed they would help us out and help him get a job but he slipped more into drinking and after that nothing else mattered to him. I wanted to go back to Philly, but he got possessive and controlling.” She flexed her toes covered in red nail polish. “I fell out with my family because of him. I was just a shell with no self-esteem and no confidence. Only the thought of my daughter kept me going.”

  “Can’t imagine you without confidence.” He scratched over his goatee. “You have more in your pinky finger than some people have in their whole body.”

  “You can credit that to Jonathan. We met at this plant convention he was speaking at.” Her face brightened. “I love plants and flowers. That’s something we have in common.” She blushed. “I’d never met someone so brilliant and commanding. He has this aura about him that stops you in your tracks and...” She touched her bosom. “He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen.” She snickered at Winston. “One of the most gorgeous, anyway.”

  “Sounds like you hit it off.”

  “He was as drawn to me as I was to him. We become friends and, I confided in him about my husband.”

  “And, he used that to lure you away because you were vulnerable.” Winston straightened up. “I can guess the rest of the story.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Didn’t he have plans to start The Circle before you came along?”

  “Well, yes but—”

  “He recruited you, Shauna. Like he does every woman.”

  “No, he cared about me.”

  “He planned to hook someone that day, and you were it.”

  “You’re making me sound like a naïve child.”

  “He focused in on your vulnerabilities and made you think he was your savior or the only one who understood you. That’s what cult leaders do. He took advantage of the situation.”

  “Jonathan loved me. Our relationship was different from him with the other women.”

  “Is that why you’re here alone? What does Jonathan have to do to lose your loyalty?”

  She cut her eyes from him, taking a sip from her cup.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  A Week Later

  “Are you sure?” Winston sat at attention in his office when the officer assigned to tail CeCe Babbitt reported what he’d seen.

  “Yep.” The middle-aged, balding white man held his waist. “Babbitt went to West Chelsea Boulevard last night, the exact spot where Prisha’s body was found.”

  Winston propped his elbows on the desk.

  “He was there for about twenty minutes. Sat in his car crying and then he left.”

  “This is big.”

  The cop rubbed the back of his neck. “Why would he go over there and cry?”

  Winston sipped cherry soda from a can. “Stay on him because we might be close to something.”

  The man tipped his head. “Sure thing.”

  Connie walked in as the officer left. “I got news on CeCe Babbitt.”

  “What a surprise.” Winston told her about CeCe going to the scene of the crime. “That doesn’t sound like the act of an innocent man, does it?”

  “Wait until you hear what I got to say.” She rocked in front of his desk. “Just got off the phone with a guy who works with CeCe. He says CeCe is a great worker but had issues with a few females who left the job due to his harassment.”

  Winston rubbed his mouth, contemplating the info.

  “CeCe wouldn’t leave the women alone so they quit. The worker told me the names of the women so we can talk to them.”

  Winston rocked back and forth. “I’m guessing the women didn’t report him to the boss.”

  “Sometimes it’s easier for victims to leave than to fight. You think CeCe is our guy?”

  “He’s guilty of something whether it’s killing Prisha or not.”

  ****

  “Hello there, Travis.” Winston smiled when Travis answered the door the next evening. “Sorry to disturb you.”

  He straightened his wrinkled T-shirt. “Something wrong?”

  “We’d like to speak to Charlie and he wasn’t home so we guessed he was here.” Connie pointed at Charlie’s Toyota pickup truck in the driveway. “Looks like we’re right. May we come in?”

  “Come on.” Travis walked them to the kitchen.

  Susan caught sight of the detectives and sighed, looking into her plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

  “Fuck.” Charlie chewed. “To what do we owe this lovely surprise?”

  “Wanna come into the living room so we can discuss it in private?” Connie asked.

  “No.” Charlie wiped spaghetti sauce from his mouth. “You got anything to say you can say it in front of Susan. I got nothing to hide.”

  Travis slid into the chair across from Susan, staring at the detectives.

  “You lied to us, Chuck,” Winston said. “You said you were home asleep between midnight and three when Prisha was murdered but that’s not true is it?”

  Charlie swallowed food, lowering his bushy eyebrows.

  “You were with Kathleen Lasko.” Connie hooked her thumbs in the belt loops of her slacks. “She told us.”

  “Kathleen Lasko?” Susan’s eyes shot darts at Charlie. “Charlie?”

  He stared at his plate.

  Susan grinned, crossing her arms. “You were with Kathleen Lasko?”

  Travis wrapped spaghetti around his fork. “You fucked up now, Big Chuck.”

  “Shut up.” He reached across the table toward Susan. “It’s not what you think. We just talked.”

  Travis smirked, chewing.

  Charlie stared at Susan with desperation in his eyes. “I’m telling the truth.”

  “From what Kathleen told us,” Winston said. “You and she had a fling behind Susan’s back. Is that true?”

  “A while back.” Charlie sighed. “Susan already knows and forgave me.”

  “And you were supposed to stay the hell away from her,” Susan screamed. “You forgot how you begged me to take your ass back?”

  “Nothing happened, honey.”

  She hit the table. “Then what the hell are you seeing Kathleen for?”

  “See what you started?” Charlie jumped up in Winston’s face. “Why is this your business?”

  “Back your ass up.” Winston touched his gun. “And, don’t ever jump in my face again.”

  Charlie sat. “You want to ruin my life?”

  “No, we want you to come clean,” Connie said. “If you’re so innocent then why are you lying?”

  “Because I love Susan. Of course I’m going to hide I was with Kathleen but nothing happened. And, this proves I didn’t kill Prisha.”

  “You were with Kathleen until one-thirty,” Winston said. “That left you plenty of time to kill Prisha.”

  “I didn’t kill her!” He kicked under the table. “And, I told you if you have anything else to say about this to talk to my attorney.”

  “Is that why you got mad at Prisha?” Susan asked. “That’s why you went to see her, isn’t it? She knew you were seeing Kathleen again.”

  “Prisha got the wrong idea, and I needed to explain things.”

  “Sounds like a motive,” Travis muttered.

  “Kathleen’s brother just died, and she needed someone to talk to. We’re still friends.”

  “Friends?” Susan sat forward. “You fucked that slut behind my back for months and you have the nerve to say you’re friends?”

  Winston and Connie looked at each other, tucking in their lips.

  Susan exhaled. “You promised me you’d stay the hell away from her.”

  “Bad move, Chuck.”

  Charlie exhaled, making a fist. “Say another word, Travis.”

  “Get out of my house.” Susan threw her paper towel in her plate. “Now.”

  “Susan, I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Now, Charlie.” She avoided eye contact. “I can’t even look at
you.”

  “You happy, Detectives?” Charlie shoved his plate and stood. “I’m filing harassment charges.” He passed them, rolling his eyes.

  “Fine with us.” Connie shrugged. “Good luck claiming us doing our jobs is harassment.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Connie grimaced. “No thank you.”

  Charlie left, slamming the front door.

  “If you ask me, good riddance.” Connie looked at Susan.

  “No one asked you.” Susan left the kitchen.

  “Well, I’m grateful for you relying this information, Detectives.” Travis shoved spaghetti into his mouth, winking. “Much obliged.”

  ****

  Rena did a double take as she passed the infirmary. She stood at the door and watched through the crack as Jonathan and Dr. Neumann carried on their conversation.

  “I’m concerned about Deidra,” Neumann said. “I think we need to stop giving her Jonathan’s Web.”

  Jonathan turned from the stainless steel table. “Why?”

  “I examined her today, and she says she’s been having heart palpitations.” The lanky, six-foot-four Neumann stroked his sculptured cheeks. “From what she says it must be the medicine. She wasn’t having these issues before that.”

  Rena pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath.

  “How often is she having palpitations?” Jonathan walked around, rubbing his chin.

  “She says not all the time, but she’s having more and more of them. They last a minute or two then stop.”

  Jonathan focused on the pasty, 60-year-old. “How do you know it’s Jonathan’s Web? Could be something she’s eating.”

  “Come on, Jonathan.” Neumann’s face fell. “You’ve been pumping her with a mind-altering drug for months and you expect there to be no side effects?”

  “My Columbia lab is one of the best in this world. We tested Jonathan’s Web for years and saw no side effects. At least not any worth worrying about.”

  “You tested it on rats and a few people for a few weeks and stopped it. Dee has been taking this drug for three months with you increasing her dose every few weeks. Jonathan, you’ve been putting it in her food, water, everything.”

  “It’s full of herbal vitamins.” He insisted. “Jonathan’s Web is as harmless as a daily vitamin.”

  “Even vitamins become toxic if abused or taken at high levels.” Neumann’s heavy lids fell over his turquoise eyes. “Your expertise is plants. My expertise is people. Take it to heart when I say Dee is taking too much of this stuff.”

  “If I stop giving it to her she’ll leave me, and I can’t let that happen.”

  “You’re willing to risk Dee’s health to keep her here?”

  “Yes.” Jonathan paced. “I can’t lose her, Neumann. She means too much to not just me but The Circle.”

  Rena covered her mouth, gasping.

  “We’ll keep an eye on her health,” Jonathan said. “In case something goes wrong.”

  “She needs to go to the hospital and get some tests.”

  “No!” Jonathan tossed the container of thermometers across the room. “She’s not leaving me, ever. I’d rather her die than to leave me.”

  Rena closed her eyes.

  “You can’t mean that,” Neumann said. “If you love Dee you’d want to make sure her health is okay.”

  “That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?” Jonathan leaned against the table. “The only way I’ll stop giving her Jonathan’s Web is if I know she can’t leave me.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Maybe it’s time we all leave.” Jonathan breathed into his hands. “For Wales.”

  Rena moved from the door, breath catching in her throat.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “Please sit down.” Nilan welcomed Winston and Connie into his vibrant orange and gold hotel room.

  “How have you been?” Connie sat in the upholstered chair beside the glass doors of the terrace. “Stupid question.”

  “It’s okay.” Nilan pushed his hands in the pockets of his wrinkled jeans; his hair stood in sprigs. “I’ve been better.”

  “Being strangled is a cruel way to kill someone,” Winston lowered himself into the seat by the television. “It’s almost always personal. We feel her killer was close to her and hated her very much.”

  Nilan approached Connie, sniffling. “Do you have any news?”

  Winston glanced at Connie who caught his silent suggestion for her to take the lead.

  “We might’ve found something but not sure how you’ll take it,” she said.

  “Just tell me.” Nilan sat on the orange and white bedspread. “Nothing can be worse than what’s already happened.”

  Winston scratched behind his ear. “Connie.”

  “Gee thanks, Winston.” She sighed. “We heard from computer forensics. They’re through searching Prisha’s computer.”

  “Yes?” Nilan blinked.

  Connie cursed under her breath. “She’d done a lot of research on stalking and incest.”

  “Incest?” Nilan frowned. “What on earth would she be looking up incest for?”

  “That’s what we wanted to know, and I also read something in her diary,” Winston said. “About you and Prisha having a strange relationship. One she called ‘beyond repair and disturbing’.”

  “Wait.” Nilan rubbed his thighs. “Are you accusing me of something?”

  “It’s a delicate subject,” Winston said. “But it’s our jobs to ask these questions. We can’t think of any reason for her to be looking up incest and the effects of it if not—”

  “Get out.” Nilan jumped up, pointing to the door. “Get out of my room!”

  “Mr. Banerjee.” Connie stood, gesturing to him. “Listen to us—”

  “Get out!” He marched to the door. “How dare you insinuate something so vile?”

  “We’re trying to solve this case,” Winston said. “We’re not accusing you but we need to know what’s going on.”

  “What about how she described your relationship?” Connie asked. “What did she mean by that?”

  “How the fuck should I know?” Nilan shook a fist, sweat brewing on his forehead. “I lost my daughter who I loved more than anyone and you have the nerve to come in here with these disgusting notions?” He opened the door. “I want you out now. I have nothing to say to either of you.”

  “This is an investigation.” Winston walked past the table. “You’re obligated to answer our questions—”

  “I’ve never touched my daughter in a sexual manner ever.” He huffed and puffed. “Get out.”

  “Mr. Banerjee, we didn’t mean to—”

  “Leave, Detective Wilks.” He turned his back to them. “Don’t speak to me again unless you have solid information about my Prisha.”

  ****

  “Woo.” Dee jumped as Jonathan came up behind her at the waterfall and put his arms around her waist.

  “I’ve been looking for you.” He kissed the back of her neck. “You disappeared after dinner. Did you meditate today?”

  “Hm-mm.” She closed her eyes, laying back on his chest. “It’s so peaceful out here. I was just thinking about things.”

  He walked in front of her, sliding his hand across her hip. “I want to talk to you.” He took her hand and pulled her to the concrete bench. “It’s serious.”

  She held her dress as she sat beside him. “Something wrong?”

  “No.” His eyes flashed underneath the outside lighting that illuminated the garden at night. “Everything’s right. It’s perfect. Before I continue, do you love me, Deidra?”

  She looked at her lap and then at his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Are you willing to give me all of you and not look back?”

  “Is this about sex again?”

  “No, it’s about our future and the future of The Circle. Are you willing to trust me and go with the flow? Are you ready for our new, destined life together?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” She kissed
him. “Whatever you wanna do, I’m with it.”

  “That’s what I needed to hear, darling.” He kissed her hand and held it to his heart. “All I want is to make you happy for the rest of your life. It’s time for a new journey, Deidra. Remember the compound in Wales?”

  She nodded.

  He pulled her into him and put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s time to go there.”

  Her breath quickened. “For how long?”

  “Forever.”

  “Jonathan.” She stood. “I...I don’t know about this.”

  “What don’t you know?” He rose, grabbing her hand. “I love you more than anything. That’s all you need to know.”

  “But, Baltimore is my home. It’s where I was raised and I’ve never lived anywhere else.”

  “Wales will be your home now.” He dragged his index finger over her cheek. “It’s time, Deidra. There’s nothing left for us here.”

  “What’s the rush?” She pulled her hand back. “When did you decide—”

  “This needs to happen now.” He grabbed her. “Don’t you see we’ll never be able to live our lives here? There are too many outside forces trying to stand in our way. I’m tired of Winston, the police, your friends, we don’t belong here anymore.”

  “What about Lydia?” She clutched the bodice of her white dress. “You expect me to just leave her?”

  “We’re going to Wales not Mars.” He cackled. “She can visit.” He displayed a suggestive smile. “Maybe she can come with us.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, we can make her a part of The Circle too.” He stroked her arms. “I was gonna ask you anyway to ask her to come back here so I can spend time with her.” He glanced at her bosom. “She’s a marvelous creature.”

  “What are you saying?”

  He slipped his hand inside her bodice, gripping her breast. “I want Lydia and I want you to arrange it for me.”

  She gasped. “Jonathan—”

  “I want her.” He gave her a sweeping kiss that stole her lipstick. “Just for one night. Can you do that for me, Deidra?”