‘Is there anything I can do, Ricky?’ Lucinda asked.
‘For another one of your wife’s breakfasts, I’ll do anything you need,’ Jake added.
Ricky laughed. ‘You can come on out for breakfast any time, Jake. Lucinda, the lawyer said if we go to trial, we might need you to testify, but he’s hoping it won’t come to that. He said usually these family things can be worked out. I’m not sure I want it “worked out”. You ask me, Lily’s reaction is normal – it’s been building for a long time, thanks to our sister’s continued provocation. Maggie’s out of control. Something needs to be done.’
‘But what, Ricky? What could we possibly do?’ Lucinda said as she watched an angry woman in a tight spandex skirt move across the parking lot as quickly as her garment would allow. When Lucinda realized she was heading for the car, she said, ‘Listen, Ricky, something’s happening here. I have to run. I’ll catch you later.’
The woman’s fist hammered on the passenger side window. Jake rolled it down and the woman said, ‘You cops?’
So much for our undercover presence, Lucinda thought.
‘Yeah,’ Jake said. ‘Is that a problem?’
‘You vice?’
‘No. I’m FBI. The lieutenant here is Homicide.’
‘So you’re not here to bother girls trying to earn a living?’
‘No, ma’am,’ Jake said.
‘Well, then, somebody stole my damn car.’
‘From this parking lot?’
‘Well, I live here. Where else?’
‘When did you notice it missing?’
‘It was a couple of days ago. But I thought a friend borrowed it. I just found out she didn’t.’
‘Have you reported it as stolen?’
‘What do you think I’m doing here? Are you sure you’re cops?’
Lucinda tried to suppress her laughter and put her hand over her mouth to hide her spontaneous smile. The woman leaned into Jake’s window and said, ‘What you laughing at, girlie? You better not be laughing at me.’
‘No,’ she said, pointing a thumb at Jake. ‘I’m laughing at him.’
‘Yeah, well, he is a pretty sorry excuse for a cop. Maybe I should be talking to you.’ She backed up and walked around to Lucinda’s side.
Lucinda got out of the car and said, ‘C’mon, let’s sit over on that bench and call it in together.’ Lucinda relayed the details about her car along with the woman’s name and phone number and slid back behind the wheel.
‘A 1998 green Hyundai Elantra – I can hardly believe it’s still on the road. Nobody would steal that car unless they were simply desperate to get away. It has to be Mack Rogers. He’s not coming back for his truck, Jake.’
‘Damn, I guess we’ll have to start looking for her ride and hope we find him with it. Did you emphasize the importance of finding it?’
‘Yeah, they’re sending it out to all the patrols as we speak. We’ll find him.’
‘I still don’t feel right abandoning the truck.’
‘You could just tow it in.’
‘Yeah, I think I’ll keep the watch up for another twenty-four hours first.’
‘You love stake-outs that much?’ Lucinda asked.
‘With you, I do.’
‘Don’t start, Jake. I already agreed to a temporary living arrangement with you after my surgery – don’t push your luck.’
Jake pressed his lips together and held his hands up, palms out.
‘Jeez, Jake, you’re even more juvenile than I am. If you do the little girly thing miming that you’re locking your lips and throwing away the key, I’m getting out of this car and walking home.’
THIRTY-FOUR
When their relief arrived, Jake and Lucinda decided to go into their respective offices to catch up on paperwork before a busy Monday hit. Lucinda dropped Jake off at the FBI offices and pulled into the Justice Center lot. She was halfway to the back door when her cell rang.
‘Pierce,’ she answered.
‘I’ve got an arrest warrant for you.’
‘For whom, sir?’
‘Chris Phillips, who else?’
‘But, sir, I didn’t think you were going to take action this weekend.’
‘Do you want to arrest him, or not? I can get someone else.’
‘No sir, I would very much like to make that arrest.’
‘Then, get in here and pick up the warrant and go get him.’
‘Yes sir.’ Lucinda was puzzled what changed the DA’s mind about not bothering a judge on the weekend. In a couple of minutes, she was on the sixth floor, walking into Reed’s office. ‘What changed since Friday?’
‘Phillips’ travel plans.’
‘Where is he? At the airport?’
‘Nah. Not yet, anyway. He went by his brother’s house and dropped off the key to his front door and asked him to stop his mail and home newspaper delivery. Apparently, his sister-in-law is not too fond of him. After Phillips left the house, a police officer knocked on the door. Phillips’ brother got all belligerent about invasion of privacy but his wife blurted out that her brother-in-law had plans to leave the country for an indefinite period of time. That started a yelling match between the couple. The officer warned them not to get physical and left them to their squabble.’
‘Where is Phillips now?’ Lucinda asked.
‘He’s been circling around the neighborhood where Trevor’s grandparents live. I suspect he’s trying to figure out how to get Trevor out of the house. Keep in touch with dispatch, they’re in constant contact with the cop on his tail. Get him – but do it easy. Don’t cuff him unless it’s absolutely necessary.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘We don’t want to make a spectacle out of this. It could have far-reaching consequences.’
‘To your re-election campaign?’
‘Get out of here,’ Reed said. ‘And go do your job.’
Lucinda located Phillips parked at the curb, a block away from the home where Trevor lived with his grandparents. She pulled up behind him, got out and approached his silver BMW. She was beside the rear of the vehicle when the engine roared and Phillips peeled away.
She ran back to her car and set off in pursuit, with three other police vehicles just behind her. She flipped on the multicolored lights and siren hidden in the grill of her car and slapped a portable round light on top of the roof. She was surprised when Phillips pulled to the side of the road.
She parked lengthwise in front of his car and called for a patrolman to do the same in the rear. Then, she got out of the car and approached Phillips.
He popped out of his Beamer and stood with his hands on his hips and his elbows jutting out at his sides. ‘Looks like harassment to me, officer.’
She held up the warrant and said, ‘Sir, you are under arrest.’
‘I called my attorney as soon as I saw your lights. He’s on his way. We have plans to sue your department unless you abandon your harassment immediately.’
‘Sir, step away from your car and put your hands on top of your head.’
‘And if I don’t, what are you going to do? Shoot me?’
‘I’m sorely tempted, Phillips, but I’ll control myself. Step away from the vehicle.’
‘I have witnesses – not just your cop buddies. Look around you. People are coming out of their houses. This is not the type of neighborhood where folks are used to seeing a gathering of cop cars.’
‘Phillips, if you do not step away from the car, I will have to take steps to forcefully secure you. I have an arrest warrant and you need to comply with my orders.’
‘I’m not going anywhere until my lawyer gets here.’
Lucinda sighed and caught the eye of the nearest patrolman who immediately moved towards her. Lucinda reached back to make sure her gun was secured in her holster and then took four quick steps over to Phillips. She grabbed one wrist off his hip, pulled it behind his body and bent it back.
Phillips squealed and tried to writhe out of her grasp. ‘Police brutalit
y,’ he screamed. ‘Somebody help me.’
The officer slapped a cuff on the wrist Lucinda held and grabbed Phillips’ other hand and connected them together behind his back. Phillips yelled, ‘Help! Help! Somebody help me!’
Lucinda made a quick visual assessment of the curious neighbors. Fortunately, none seemed willing to intervene. Some were on cellphones. I hope one of them is calling the media, Lucinda thought. It would be great if television cameras caught the former congressman making his perp walk from the car to the jail.
THIRTY-FIVE
Monday morning, Lucinda woke up with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at her bedside clock, just past four a.m. She knew she’d never get back to sleep. Her anxiety about the coming day raced through her bloodstream and set off alarms throughout her nervous system. Her mouth was dry, her palms moist, her skin crawled and zings shot through her brain.
The last thing she needed was a jolt of caffeine but she convinced herself that a warm mug of coffee in her hands was just what she needed to calm down. In the short term, she was right. The first sip slid down with soothing warmth but by the time she’d finished her first cup and started on her second, her nerves jangled like a streetcar racing downhill.
She tried to cuddle with Chester but her anxiety oozed through her fingertips, causing him to wriggle away and take refuge on the window sill cleaning his hindquarters. Knowing she’d be in court that afternoon, she chose her outfit with care, deciding on her favorite suit in a muted gray, with a four-button jacket and pencil skirt. She selected her classic black pumps with four-inch heels to give her a one-inch height advantage over DA Reed – something she was certain would come in handy before the day was over.
She drove out of the parking garage as dawn shot pink slivers through the skyline. Arriving at the Justice Center, she checked her email and voice messages and grew restless once again. Looking at her watch, she knew it was too early to find anyone in the lab or to locate someone in the court clerk’s office willing to update her on Phillips’ bail revocation hearing scheduled that morning in the criminal court.
Not knowing what else to do, she dug into the Sherman files again, making sure she’d memorized every little detail she’d need when she testified for the defense that afternoon. When her cell rang, she was grateful for the interruption.
Pulling it out, she looked at the screen. Charley. She knew she shouldn’t answer it but she just couldn’t bring herself to ignore it.
‘Lucy, Lucy, I don’t know what to do,’ Charley wailed.
‘What’s wrong, Charley?’
‘At first, I thought I should rip it off my locker and tear it limb from limb and stomp on it. Then, I thought it would be better if I just ignored it. Pretend it wasn’t there and that it didn’t bother me at all. But then I thought, maybe it’s evidence. And so I called you. I know I’m not supposed to but I–I–I . . .’
‘It’s OK, Charley. I’m glad you called. Now, you need to talk slower and start at the beginning.’
‘I was so scared when I saw it,’ Charley sobbed.
‘Breathe, Charley, breathe. Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly.’ Lucinda listened as Charley did as instructed. ‘Now, one more time, atta girl. OK. Tell me what scared you.’
‘The doll,’ she said in a quavering voice.
‘What doll, Charley?’
‘The one hanging from my locker with a noose around its neck.’
Lucinda jolted to her feet. ‘You stay right there, Charley.’
‘But I’m already late for class.’
Lucinda hurried to the stairwell, going down the steps as quickly as her heels and tight skirt would allow. ‘Don’t worry about class. You stay by your locker. If anyone gives you any difficulty with that, you have them call me or police headquarters. Understood?’
‘Yes, Lucy. I’ll be here.’
Lucinda popped the light on top of her car again, amazed that she’d had to use it two days in a row, when she’d gone for weeks without even thinking about it. She sped down the road with siren blaring. She pulled up in front of the school, screeching to a halt in a no-parking zone.
Grateful for the PTA Open House where Charley had given her a tour of the school that included a visit to her locker, Lucinda headed straight there without stopping in the office – a clear violation of school policy. Rules, however, were never her priority in a crisis situation.
She found a frightened-looking Charley standing by a locker. Next to her a rag doll with blonde yarn hair hung from a noose tied to the handle of the door. Someone had colored a red tongue lolling from its mouth and drawn block Xs over its eyes.
Lucinda wrapped her arms around Charley and gave her a hug. ‘Now, another lesson in evidence collection,’ she said with a smile.
‘Cool!’
Lucinda pulled out her cell and snapped photos from a couple of angles and distances before she touched anything. She slipped on latex gloves, gathering fingerprints first, even though she suspected that there might be too many overlapping prints for it to be worth the effort. She was surprised when she lifted a few very sharp whorl patterns.
Down the hall, a voice rang out, ‘Hey, hey! What’s going on here?’
Lucinda turned and saw a woman in a red suit barreling in her direction, the large key ring on her waist jingling. She whipped out her badge and held it up. The woman slowed her pace. ‘You’re supposed to report to the office before going out into the school.’
‘Sorry,’ Lucinda said, gesturing toward the locker.
‘Oh, my,’ the woman said and reached a hand to Lucinda. ‘Camilla Stovall, principal.’
‘Pleasure to meet you,’ Lucinda said, holding up her glove-clad hands. ‘Afraid I can’t shake hands right now.’
‘Of course not, I’m sorry.’ She turned back to the locker. ‘Who in heaven’s name would do a thing like this?’
‘I think you probably know, Ms Stovall. You spoke to Agent Lovett about three girls last week.’
‘Yes, those girls. You think they did this? Well, I’ll get them all called out of class right now.’
‘I wish you wouldn’t, ma’am. I’d really like to get this evidence back to headquarters for analysis without giving them any warning. But I did need to see you about Charley. I don’t think she should be attending school until this matter is settled.’
‘I agree. If you’d charge those girls, I could have them transfer to the alternative school.’
‘Hopefully, that will happen soon. Right now, I need to get back to this,’ Lucinda said, pointing to the locker.
‘Of course. Charley, step over here, we’ll talk about what we need to do to keep you from falling behind in your courses.’ The principal and Charley moved over to the other side of the hall.
Lucinda cut the rope in between the doll and the handle; then bagged and labeled the doll with the noose attached. She took a few close-up shots of the knot still tied to the locker, before removing and securing it, too.
When she’d packed up the supplies and evidence, she stood quietly, waiting for the other two to finish up their conversation. Lucinda thanked Camilla and finally shook her hand. ‘Ready, Charley?’
‘Yep,’ she said, bouncing down the hall, her fear gone as if it had never existed, as if the doll and its accompanying threat were nothing more than a momentary distraction.
Lucinda parked at the condominium tower and went inside with Charley. Charley begged her not to leave. ‘I’ve got to get that evidence down to the lab, girlfriend. Duty calls. I’ll check in with you later today.’
‘Won’t you get in trouble for calling me?’
Lucinda almost said, ‘Screw it,’ but stopped just in time. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.’
‘Thank you, Lucy.’
‘Love you, sweetie,’ she said as she planted a farewell kiss on the young girl’s forehead.
Back at the Justice Center, Lucinda went straight to the forensics lab. She peered through the windows in the door, hopin
g to avoid Audrey Ringo. When she saw no sign of the woman anywhere within her range of sight, she slipped through the entrance and went to Beth Ann Coynes’ work station.
‘Lieutenant,’ Beth Ann said with a smile. ‘What brings you here?’
She handed the evidence to the technician, explaining the morning’s events as they signed the transfer of custody papers.
‘That’s right,’ Beth Ann said. ‘That’s the little girl that Cafferty busted for vandalism, right? You’ve known her for a while.’
‘Yeah. Has any of that evidence from the interview rooms been processed yet?’
‘I’m running DNA profiles right now. But fingerprint analysis is already completed. Lesley matched the prints on two of the soda cans to the ones on the can of red spray paint.’
‘Excellent,’ Lucinda said. ‘Has anyone spoken to Sergeant Cafferty about that?’
‘No, he said he’d be down at lunchtime. But if you want to let him know now, that’s fine.’
‘Actually, Beth Ann, if I call him, he’ll probably stall for a while. But if someone else lets him know about this morning’s incident at the school, he might take it more seriously.’
‘I can take a hint, lieutenant,’ Beth Ann said with a smirk. ‘I’ll give him a call; tell him about the prints and the school. I’ll tell him we recovered evidence from that scene this morning. When I say “we”, I am including you; but he doesn’t need to know that.’
‘Thanks. Let me know how it goes. My debt to you increases every month.’
‘Just doing my job, lieutenant.’
‘Don’t short sell yourself. I’d say something to Audrey but I doubt that’ll do much good. I’ll try to talk my captain into putting in a good word for you.’
Lucinda went down to the first floor where both sides of the hall were lined with courtrooms. She peered around corners and columns to make sure she didn’t accidentally bump into DA Reed. She approached a pair of deputies outside of Judge Thurston’s chambers. ‘Has the bail revocation hearing started in the Phillips case?’
‘Just underway,’ one of the deputies said, pushing open one of the double doors.
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