Off the Record: An Avery Rich Mystery (Avery Rich Mysteries Book 1)

by Sara Gauldin

  My day of wall watching crawled by, and I was finally freed from my neutral prison. As I re-entered the world, the front steps of the courthouse seemed like a welcome reprieve from the doldrums of the witness room. I breathed in the earthy smell of rain as I waited on the steps for Kain to emerge. I would not be able to relax until he left the court house, and I knew whether he had testified. We weren’t supposed to discuss the case, but technically it would be difficult to ban us effectively from one another’s company, since he was my ride home.

  Kain seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time to emerge from the building. I had made up my mind to go back inside to look for him when he finally walked out with Calbert in tow. I felt my body stiffen. On a practical level, I understood what Calbert’s motivation had been when he betrayed my trust. Calbert had only put Kain and I in danger in an attempt to save his daughter and son-in-law. On a rational, level I could accept that. However, somewhere, deep down on a more basic level, I could never truly trust Calbert again. He had proven that he could be compromised, and that he was willing to sacrifice me if the stakes were high enough. Because of that, working for Calbert was uncomfortable.

  “Still waiting around, I see,” observed Calbert as they approached “I thought you would have had enough of this place for today.”

  “Yes, sir, I'm more than ready to leave, but it seems like my ride wasn't in a hurry.” I gestured to Kain as I answered.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. I ran into John in the hall, and he was catching me up on his daughter and granddaughter.”

  “That sounds nice. Maybe we could actually see our loved ones if this trial ever ended," I said.

  “Patience, Detective. You know Collins has a team of slick attorneys. It's better to be thorough than to end up watching him walk away from this with an innocent verdict."

  “If you want him convicted, then find a way to get me off of that witness list,” I hissed under my breath.

  “I think Kain’s testimony tomorrow will be sufficient,” said Calbert. “After that, we should all be able to put the Collins trial behind us.”

  “Kain testifies tomorrow? How's that any better? He could compromise the case as easily as I could!” My exasperation bubbled to the forefront as I spoke.

  “That may be, Avery, but I have a better handle of what I will and won't share. I have this under control, no worries. Besides, that will keep you off the stand, which is what you want. Be happy.” Ryan’s feeble attempt to reassure me was not enough to make much of a change. If he was scheduled to testify in the morning, it was very possible I would be called next. If Collins was found innocent, then we would all be in more danger.

  I heard the demanding blare of a phone ringing. Calbert fished the device out of his pocket and answered. “Hello, Calbert speaking…Yeah, I'm headed out now. No I can’t be there, an officer dropped me off here…I’m going to call a cab…You think it won’t wait?...Hold on.”

  Calbert covered the receiver with his finger and looked at Kain. “Would you let me borrow your vehicle? There was an incident downtown and I need to get there.” He seemed to be in a rush.

  Kain hesitated. He was fond of his Mazda 6. “Well, I guess Avery and I could grab a bite to eat at one of the local places.” He retrieved his keys from his pocket and handed them over. I could read his expression well enough to know that he was not comfortable with the arrangement. "Just leave the car at the station when you're finished with it. We'll take a cab.”

  “Will do,” Calbert said. He was already headed toward the vehicle, parked down the block.

  “’Where would you like to eat?”

  “There's an Italian place a couple of blocks from here. Pasta sounds good. A glass of wine sounds even better,” I said.

  “Are you cold?” Kain asked. The warm day had given way to a much cooler evening.

  “My jacket was in your car, but I'll be fine.” I could tough out a little cool weather, but Kain was not going to accept my answer. I knew that as soon as the words left my lips.

  “I’ll just catch Calbert before he pulls off.” Kain turned and headed down the block in pursuit of Calbert. I followed him a few steps behind. He moved faster than me with those smooth flowing steps. I, the other hand, was once again guilty of wearing improper footwear, even though it had complimented my court attire. As we approached the car, Calbert was already inside. Kain waved to him to catch his attention. Calbert’s eyes were downcast as he fumbled around with the keys and the ignition.

  “Hey, Calbert, hang on a minute,” Kain called out. The ignition turned. A strange clicking sound emanated from the vehicle. It struck me as peculiar. The car usually started up immediately.

  Kain began waving his hands emphatically as he approached. “Stop!” he shouted.

  Calbert did not hear him. The car was resistant to sound. This was a great feature for dulling road noise, but not for being able to hear a warning. He shook his head. It was obvious he was grumbling because the car wouldn’t start. Why was Kain so worked up over getting my jacket? Calbert fiddled with the keys and moved to turn the ignition one more time.

  The realization hit me a fraction of a second before the blast. There was a bright flash. I felt a wave of percussion hit me like a brick wall. I felt myself falling before the world went black.

  Chapter 30

  The sound of a ringing bell blocked out all other noises. I slowly sat up and squinted through the smoke. I looked around for Kain, but I couldn't see him. I tried to stand, but the world spun in protest. Ah, the ringing was deafening. It was as though a siren was singing me my death song, and I couldn't escape it. I gave up my attempt to stand and began to crawl toward where I thought Kain had been standing. As I moved, dark spots began to swirl in my vision and my body became too heavy to carry any further. I felt the grass against my cheek as the darkness swallowed me.

  I jerked my eyes open to see who was squeezing my arm. There was a man wearing an EMT uniform next to me. I could see the roof of an ambulance above me. The EMT was talking to somebody else nearby. I knew he was speaking because I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying over the ringing I needed to know what happened to Kain and Calbert. I needed to get out of this ambulance and make sure they were all okay. I tried to sit up, but I was firmly strapped to the back board.

  “Kain and Calbert, where are they?” I demanded as I continued to squirm against the restrains.

  The EMT, who looked barely out of high school, said something back to me that I was sure was intended to appease me. I could see his lips moving, but all I could hear was the ringing. My panic intensified. I had no way to know what had become of my colleagues, or the extent of the explosion. I realized my inability to hear was because of the explosion. There was no external source of this never-ending tone. What if I was deaf? What if Kain and Calbert were dead? Who would do this to us? Through my panic, some easy answers came to mind.

  I made up my mind that I would have justice. “It was Fredrick and Caroline George, possibly William Collins, or somebody who works for them. You have to let somebody know that has to be who did this.”

  The EMT was checking every aspect of my being. He said something else to me, but he seemed to grow farther away the more I tried to understand what he was saying. The piercing sound gradually faded.

  The next thing I was conscious of was a bright light being shone before my eyes. A voice that seemed too far away to be in the same room was saying something. “Equal and reactive…contusions….” I turned my head away from the light. When the glare had been removed, I saw a doctor examining me.

  “Here we go. Welcome back Ms. Rich.” I knew the doctor was speaking to me because his mouth matched the words that seemed to come from somewhere else that seemed far away.

  “I need to go. I have to find Ryan Kain. Where is Commander Calbert?” It was my intention to shout the words, but despite my best efforts, all I could produce was a vague mumble.

  “Relax, Ms. Rich, everything wil
l be explained in time. For now, we need to focus on determining the extent of your injuries and treating them.” I found I was able to read the doctor's lips better than I could hear him.

  “I’ll be fine, please let me up! They could come for me at any time. Somebody knows, somebody sent them for us.”

  “Nobody will hurt you. You're safe here,” the doctor insisted.

  “Please let me up!” I pushed against the backboard straps. I envisioned some killer sent by Douglas White or the George family, coming here to make sure the job had been completed. Surely that bomb was meant for Kain and I. Somebody had wanted us out of the equation badly enough to try to remove us from existence.

  "I'm just going to give you a little something for the pain while we wait for some tests," the doctor said.

  He handed a paper to the nurse as he rushed out the door.

  The nurse unfastened the straps holding me to the gurney and carefully maneuvered me onto a cot. It felt strange to be moved by someone else. Now was my chance to get out of this hospital room and find Kain before someone else did. I pushed myself up on my elbows and tried to get my bearings.

  “Lay back, Miss Rich, we need to make sure you're all right.” The nurse looked at me with annoyance.

  I scooted to the edge of the triage cot. “I’m fine, really. Where's my purse? I need to get out of here. They can find me here.”

  “Who can find you? The hospital has security. There are tons of police here to make sure you and the gentleman are safe. You can relax. I know that what you went through--"

  “What I went through is just the beginning. When they realize they've failed they'll come after Kain again, and then I'll be the last witness on the list.”

  The nurse sighed, clicked on a tiny flashlight, and shone the light in my eyes.

  I shielded my eyes. “Really? I need to leave!”

  “I have to record everything for the doctors. They think you may have a head injury.”

  “I didn’t hit my head!” I lied. Every part of my back, head included, ached and stung.

  I slid my feet toward the floor. As my feet touched the ground, the world around me began to spin. I felt my knees buckle as I began to crumple to the floor. I felt the nurse's hands grasping me, pulling me back into the bed.

  The nurse’s voice sounded mechanical and far away. “Just as I thought. I’ll page for the doctor to come back.”

  I nodded weakly as I slumped back and onto the pillows. “Kain, Ryan Kain. What happened to him? Is he here?” My voice sounded strange.

  “Yes, they took him into surgery. It's too early to tell anything else.”

  “And Commander Calbert…err…John Calbert?”

  The nurse looked at her watch as she felt my wrist. “If he’s here, he didn’t come in through the emergency room.” She slid a blood pressure cuff onto my arm and pressed the switch to inflate it.

  “Then he’s dead,” I croaked.

  “You’re alive and you need to focus on letting us take care of you so you can stay that way,” the nurse said. She began scribbling on a tablet with a stylus.

  “Did you say there are police stationed here in the hospital?” I asked.

  “There are quite a few.”

  “Could you send someone in here? I want to ask them about what happened.” Tiny flickers of light danced in my field of vision, making it hard to keep focused on the nurse.

  “I will, if you promise to stay put in that bed and not to try to get out. I don’t want to have to scrape you off the floor as soon as I leave this room.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay put.” I knew that I would. The ceiling slowly spun above me, and I wondered how hard I had actually hit my head. A new realization occurred to me. What if the police that were here at the hospital were working for the Georges instead of the department? I knew that I'd do whatever I had to in order to protect myself if it turned out to be true. And surely they couldn’t reach Kain while he was in surgery. My head throbbed in time with my accelerating pulse rate. Anyone could be on the Georges' payroll. They'd planned to kill Kain, not injure him. Could they persuade the hospital employees to turn the other way so they could finish the job?

  The curtain moved back, and a uniformed officer stepped into the room. “The nurse said you asked for an officer?”

  “I was wondering about what happened, and about the Commander. Can you give me an update, Officer..." I squinted through the blinking lights saw a familiar scar, and scooted away. How could I be sure of Tom Parker's former partner?

  “Derick Adams, sir…err…ma’am.”

  “Officer Adams. I’m sorry about that. This hasn’t been the best day.” I tried to get a clear view of his face. Was he here to finish the job?

  “No, I guess not,” he grumbled.

  “The Commander?” I asked.

  “He was killed in the blast. We have half of downtown shut down while we try to find out what happened.”

  I swallowed hard. “What do they know so far?” I wondered if I could believe anything he said.

  “I think you need to rest. There’s no point in worrying about it here,” Adams said.

  “We both know they blew up Kain’s car before he could testify, not Calbert’s. I'm next on the witness list, so I think I have plenty to keep in mind.”

  Adams coughed. “You may have a point, Detective.”

  The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Was he threatening me, or acknowledging that I was in danger from others? “I know I do. How many guards are posted in the hospital now?” My stomach churned. The knowledge that crooked cops were part of the equation made an armed guard an asset and a liability.

  “Just four of us for now. There were more here at first, but most of them were investigating the Commander’s death. They've gone to the courthouse to look for evidence where the explosion happened.” I nodded and settled back into the cot. If Adams had wanted to kill me he would have already done it. Instead, he seemed more uncomfortable than I was, which was noteworthy, considering I was lying in the hospital.

  “Who assigned you to stay as a guard?” I asked.

  “I volunteered,” Adams said. He looked at me with an expression of fierce determination that I could not quite interpret.

  “Let’s just clear the air. I know you were Tom Parker’s partner, and I've noticed you glaring at me in the halls. Are you here to take care of business for Parker, or for Will Collins?”

  Adam’s jaw clenched. “He was my partner and my best friend until he left to do security. He wanted the money that came with it, but he didn’t want to see how they were using him, and changing him.”

  “So you knew he was involved in their illegal activities?” I made sure my eyes never left his, even though the white lights would not relent. I reached over to hold the IV pole nearby; it could be a weapon if I had to use it.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t know the specifics. I tried to get him to get out, but when I couldn’t, I started investigating him myself.”

  “So you took on your own partner’s case? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”

  “It is. I was working on it on my own time, but when you came on board, and Tom was arrested, I knew you'd find out I was investigating him myself.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I groaned.

  “I was trying to protect you. Once Lou found out you were on Parker’s case, she put a target on you. She was his inside contact, and I was so close to getting the proof I needed to put her away.”

  “What proof did you need? Were you waiting for her to make a move on me?”

  “Yes, but I would have stopped her. You weren’t in any real danger.”

  I took a deep breath to compose myself. “I think you're wrong about that. Whoever planted that bomb was targeting my consultant and me.

  “The bomb wasn’t in the Commander’s car?” he sputtered.

  “No, it was...”

  Adams stormed out before I could finish my sentence.

  Chapter 31

 
As Derick Adams disappeared down the hallway, I felt more overwhelmed than before. I had always suspected him of being one of Tom Parker’s inside people. The bond between partners, who face danger on the job, day in and day out, is a tough one to sever. His claims left me a lot to think over, and my mind did not want to cooperate.

  As I lay there with memories of Kain, the explosion, and this crazy case that had landed us here whirring uselessly around in my head, another nurse came into the room. She looked at my bracelet, scanned it, and made some notes about all the equipment on her tablet.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “I feel pretty good. I'm ready to head home,” I lied.

  “The doctor wants to keep you the rest of the night for observation.”

  I glanced at the clock: eleven-thirty p.m. “They told me that, but I really need to be going.” I wondered where Lou Johnson was. I pictured her in the middle of the investigation, and if the explosion had been her handiwork, she would already be covering her tracks. If that was the case, she would be busy with her cover up, which would explain why she wasn’t here at the hospital, trying to finish me off. The time to catch her in the act was now, and Derick Adams was on his way to find her. What if he was only on his way to warn her?

  “I’ll have the charge-nurse come in and talk to you.” She finished poking at a machine and left the room.

  I waited for what seemed like hours. I stared at the television as I relaxed into the pillows. They seemed to surround me and cradle me, as if they cared deeply for my well-being. The show was mildly entertaining, but I found that I couldn’t grasp the plot. The clock’s hands lolled around the dial. I glanced at the bag the nurse had hooked to my IV and realized that the morphine was likely the reason for my sudden lull in consciousness. This was no time for altered reality. I reached over and pushed the call button to summon the missing charge-nurse.

  Later, the charge-nurse strolled in. She seemed leisurely and overly joyful. I glanced at the clock. Three endless minutes had passed since I had watched my last nurse leave the room.