Brooklyn Body: The Madison Knox Brooklyn Mystery Series (Book 3)

by M. Z. Kelly

  I shook my head. “Something tells me that he doesn’t want to be found. I think maybe I’ll go by the place on my own one of these days.”

  “Just be careful,” Amy said. “Something about that guy seems off to me.”

  “There’s a lot of that going around.” I stood. “I think I’ll take a walk over to Balfour Chapel and clear my head before calling Sam.”

  As I put on my coat, Amy said, “Just be sure you stay away from Thorndike and his crazy wife. I don’t want you being cursed.”

  I exhaled. “My life’s already one big curse.”

  I found the chapel deserted, except for a minister who was making preparations for an afternoon funeral service.

  “You’re about four hours early,” he said, smiling, when he saw me enter the chapel. “The services start at one.”

  “I live here.” I saw his surprised expression and felt the need to explain. “I rent the caretaker’s quarters and sometimes help with security.”

  He came over to me. “Oh, I see. It must be...” His eyes lifted, taking in the massive cathedral. “You must see a lot of things, living here. It’s an amazing place, in many ways.”

  If he only knew. “Yes.”

  I started to move on, but his words stopped me. “It’s going to be okay.” He held out a hand. “I’m Mark.” His smile came again. He was probably in his late fifties, with thinning white hair and blue eyes. “As in Mathew, Mark, and...you know the others.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Madison.” I held on his eyes as I shook his hand. “What did you mean?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “You said ‘it’s going to be okay.’”

  I decided his smile was ever-present as he answered. “Most people find themselves in a chapel because something’s not going well. I just wanted you to know that whatever the problem is, it won’t last.”

  It was my turn to smile. “How can you be so sure?”

  “A wise man once said, ‘All things must pass.’”

  My smile grew wider. “George Harrison.”

  He nodded. “There was the Beatle, amongst others.”

  I felt a sudden lightness being in his presence and because of what he’d said. “Thank you.”

  “Of course. I’m usually here in the mornings if you ever need to talk.”

  I thanked him again and decided to go outside for some air and to make my call. The morning was cold and clear as I dialed Sam’s number and held my breath.

  “I was afraid you wouldn’t call.” His voice was hesitant, full of concern.

  “This is business, not personal.”

  “But I need...”

  I knew that I needed to be firm with him. “No. Not now. Not like this. I have a favor to ask.”

  He sighed. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

  I spent the next ten minutes telling him what had transpired with Amy’s case since we’d last talked, Christina Blaze’s apparent relationship with both Jeremy Halsey and Aaron Benedict, and her possible involvement in Billy Mercer’s death, as well as that of his mother.

  I then got to the point. “Benedict has convinced Effie Blaze that he will kill Christina, unless she leaves three million in cash in a trash receptacle in Manhattan. She’s agreed to the ransom demand, but we need help taking Benedict into custody and recovering the money.”

  Sam explained he would need to advise the agents working the case, then added, “Let me make some calls, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Okay.” I started to end the call when he said, “I filed the paperwork.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “The divorce papers. I filed them yesterday. Everything will be final in six months.”

  I sighed. “Just make sure it’s what you really want.”

  “I have no doubt, and, when you’re ready, I’d like to talk and explain some things.”

  “That would be good.” I got back to the issues at hand. “I’ll wait for your call back on Benedict.”

  I went back inside the chapel, scanning the pews for the minister I’d talked to earlier. He was nowhere in sight. It seemed strange to me, since I hadn’t seen him leave. I left the chapel and walked back to my apartment, thinking sometimes you receive a gift when you least expect it. All things must pass. The truth in that simple statement never seemed clearer to me.

  SIXTY-FOUR

  Christina shifted her weight, feeling the tightness in her arms and legs. Her eyes fluttered open. There was the steady hum of the engine, the smell of cigarette smoke.

  She was seven and lying on the cramped floorboard of her father’s truck. She remembered Daddy telling her she had been bad and would be punished. It was cold here, the air swirling in through the open passenger window. Her hair was matted, and her lips burned from thirst. Above her there was a soft golden light filtering in from the open window. The sun was coming up, and soon, she knew, the punishment would follow.

  Daddy told her that she deserved to be punished. It was because she had cried, and told her mother that it hurt “down there” when she went to the bathroom. Mommy had gotten angry with Daddy, and she remembered him hitting her until she stopped moving. She hadn’t seen Mommy since Daddy had put her in the car.

  Later, a long time later, Daddy pulled his truck over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. He looked down at her as she cowered on the floorboard. “I don’t want any trouble from you. If you cry, or act like a baby, I won’t be coming back.”

  “I will be good, Daddy. I promise.”

  He came around to the passenger door and opened it. The air was cold as he roughly pulled her out of the truck, then slammed the door. He had her by the hand as they walked through the desert. There was nothing but sand and brush here. No road. No buildings. Christina thought maybe this was what it was like on the moon.

  She glanced up at Daddy as they walked. He was a big man, with dark hair and angry eyes. She didn’t understand the things he did to her when he came into her room at night. All she knew is that it hurt, even when it was over and he left her alone. She had told Mary, one of her classmates, what Daddy had done. Mary had said it was something called “sex”, and it was wrong for a daddy to do that to his daughter. That’s when she had told Mommy and got into trouble.

  They walked for a long time before Daddy stopped. The sun was a glowing yellow ball now. It shone in her eyes as he bent down to her. “Do you know what happens to bad little girls?”

  Christina shook her head.

  “They go to a place where there is no light. It’s dark there, and, if you stay in the darkness long enough, you go away forever and never come back. Is that what you want?”

  “No. I will be good.”

  Daddy nodded, and they walked over to a place where there were rocks piled in a circle and a hole in the ground. She looked into the hole, seeing nothing but darkness, and wondered if there was a bottom.

  “This is the darkness I told you about, the place of punishment. You must stay down there and not say a word until I come back for you. Do you understand?”

  Christina’s body trembled. “I’m scared.”

  Daddy smiled. “That’s good. Fear is the beginning of obedience.”

  She wasn’t sure what he meant, but he moved quickly after that. He scooped her up into his arms and held her over the hole. Even as she screamed, she heard Daddy say, “Remember what I said about not saying a word.”

  He dropped her into the abyss.

  Christina didn’t remember what happened after that. When she finally woke up, it was cold and dark, so dark that she couldn’t see anything. This was the place that Daddy had told her about, the place where you could go away forever and never come back.

  As the hours passed, Christina gave up on ever seeing Daddy again, or anyone else. The silence and the darkness were her only companion here. In time, she grew weak, so weak that she no longer felt hunger or thirst. As her eyes closed, she grew tired and slept for a long time.

  “Hello.”

 
It was a girl’s voice. Christina opened her eyes, but saw only darkness.

  The voice came again. “I’m here.”

  Christina blinked her eyes, wishing she could see into the darkness. Even though her throat was burning, Christina managed to say, “Who are you?”

  “My name is Melissa.”

  The long-ago images receded. That day had marked the beginning, the day that Melissa had finally surfaced. Since that day, there had been only brief periods when Melissa was in control. Christina had done her best to hide from the truth, deny her altered personality and her relationship with Aaron, and her involvement in Billy Mercer’s death. That was over now. Melissa was now the dominant, while the Christina personality was hiding in the shadows of this new life.

  Now, as she made preparations to steal the fortune of the mother who had never protected her, Melissa was filled with hatred. After she took every cent her mother had, she would come back and kill her, just as she’d killed her father years after he’d come back and pulled her out of the well.

  Melissa gathered everything she needed in a small duffle bag. She then walked over, pushing Aaron’s foot under the bed and pulling down the covers. It would probably be several hours before the motel maid found his body. By then, she would be rich, and her mother would be dead.

  As she closed the door to her motel room, she knew this was the moment she had been waiting for. Christina was gone. Melissa would soon be rich and have her final revenge.

  SIXTY-FIVE

  It was almost nine that night by the time I drove Amy and Max to Manhattan. Sam had given the agents assigned to investigate the bank shootings the details about Effie Blaze being contacted by Aaron Benedict and her plan to make the money drop. They had contacted Blaze, and she’d reluctantly cooperated, allowing them to place a miniature tracking device in the bundle of money. Sam and the other agents planned to be undercover on the street near the drop location. We had not been authorized to be involved in the investigation, but Amy and Max had convinced me to drive into the city and watch what happened from a distance.

  As I drove, Amy mentioned what I’d previously told her and Max about my conversation with Sam. “Sounds like you two are gonna get back in the sack. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “I think Sam has a lot of explaining to do before that happens.”

  “But he did file for divorce,” Max said.

  I met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Filing the paperwork is one thing, but still being involved with his ex is another.”

  “You still think they got a thing going on?” Amy asked.

  “I got the impression there are still some feelings there. Other than that, I’m not sure.”

  Amy said something about Sam being ready for a new cook in his kitchen, then said, “It looks like I’m gonna be on the shelf for good. I’m about ready to give up on GuySwatter.”

  “I think that’s smart,” I said. “You haven’t had the best results.”

  “I could ask Sonny if he knows anyone who’s single,” Max offered. “Maybe you need a guy who’s a little older, like Sonny. Someone who’s mature.”

  Amy sighed. “Yeah, maybe I should check out the local convalescent homes.”

  Max glared at her. “What you trying to say?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything personal. Sonny’s still a stud. I’m just feeling a little desperate.”

  I pulled to the curb about a block up the street from where the money drop was to take place. Even though it was late, the area had a lot of traffic.

  “You gonna let Sam know we’re here?” Amy asked me as we waited.

  I got out my phone. “Yeah. We need to hear how things go.”

  I got Sam on the line and explained where we were and why. He wasn’t happy about us being nearby, but said he understood and would call us about how things went.

  From where we sat, we had a distant view of the trash receptacle on 65th Street. We’d just about given up on seeing anything worthwhile, when my phone chimed.

  “The drop is happening as I speak,” Sam said from his location on 65th Street. From a distance, we saw a woman, who we assumed was Effie Blaze, drop a bag into a trash can. Sam continued, “I’ll keep you on the line, and...” He paused, then said, “Hold on. Something’s happening.”

  We all watched as a motorcycle came roaring down the street at a high rate of speed. It slid to a stop near the trash receptacle, and we saw a helmeted rider reaching over to it.

  “It must be Benedict, picking up the money,” Amy said.

  Sam came back on the line, confirming what was happening. “We’ve got some action. There’s a motorcycle...somebody has the money, and is...”

  His words were cut off as we watched the motorcycle coming up the street in our direction. Fast. As it zoomed passed us on the opposite side of the road, Amy said, “I can’t be sure, but if I was placing bets, I’d say that’s Christina.” She glanced at me. “Put this beater in gear, and let’s follow her before she gets away.”

  SIXTY-SIX

  Christina, in the persona of Melissa, felt the exhilaration as she zoomed up the street on her motorcycle. She had her mother’s money in her possession. Now it was just a matter of executing the rest of her plan.

  She rode two blocks before slowing and turning into a parking garage. She quickly made her way up to the second level, where she’d earlier parked a rental car. The transfer of the money to the car took only seconds before she was heading back out of the garage.

  She slowed as she saw a car approaching from the opposite direction. Christina kept her head down, but glanced over as it passed. She recognized the woman in the passenger seat. Amy Ross, the investigator she’d hired, was in the car with a couple other women. They had to be following her.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror as she left the parking garage. The car she’d spotted made a U-turn and began trailing her. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor and screamed, “If you try and stop me, you die!”

  SIXTY-SEVEN

  “That’s Christina!” Amy screamed, as we entered the parking garage. “Turn around! NOW!”

  I did as she said, fishtailing onto the icy road, nearly hitting another car as we made our way down the street.

  Amy got my phone off the console and got Sam on the line. “We’re following Christina. She’s in a black Ford, heading west on Columbia.”

  She ended the call, telling Max and me, “Sam’s with the other agents. They’re getting into their car, heading toward us. Let’s stay on her tail.”

  “Easier said than done. She must be going at least sixty, and there’s traffic...” I stopped talking as, ahead of us, I saw Christina slam on her brakes. Her car skidded on the frozen road, hit another vehicle, and went sideways. It flipped over twice.

  “Pull up!” Amy shouted, as we saw the door of the overturned car opening, and Christina stumbling out. “She’s gonna make a run for it!”

  We piled out of the car and followed on foot from a distance as Christina made her way up the street. She was carrying a bag, probably the money she’d stolen, along with a gun. The sidewalk was crowded as she turned, spotted us, then opened fire.

  “Get down!” Max yelled.

  We found what little cover we could behind a bus stop as the bullets flew around us. When I looked up the street again, I saw Christina turn, heading down 72nd Street. I had my phone out and let Sam know what was happening.

  “We’re right behind you, closing on your location,” Sam said.

  Up ahead, we saw Christina turn a corner and disappear into the shadows of an alleyway. A car roared up behind us and stopped. It was Sam and the other agents.

  “She’s headed down the alleyway,” Amy said, motioning for them to follow.

  “She’s armed,” I added.

  Moments later, Sam and the other agents led the way as they turned down the alleyway. At their direction, I stayed back with Amy and Max. I then stopped dead in my tracks as I looked down the alleyway with my friends. Christina B
laze was kneeling at the end of the alley, with her gun leveled in our direction. She began shooting!

  SIXTY-EIGHT

  In that moment before she fired her weapon, the darkness surrounded Christina. Time slowed to a crawl, then receded. She was again the little girl who, at one time, had been trapped in the bottom of the well, and again heard the voice of Melissa calling out to her.

  “Do you understand what’s happening?” Melissa asked.

  Christina nodded. “I’m going away.”

  “It’s the only way I can protect us.”

  “You’re here because of Daddy, aren’t you?”

  “You know what he did to us. It was wrong.”

  Christina sat in this dark world for what seemed like a long time, the realization about what had happened hitting her for the first time. “We killed him.”

  “Yes. We were in high school. He left Mother and spent the night with another woman. When he left in the morning, we shot him.”

  There were tears on her cheeks. “It was wrong.”

  “No. What he did was wrong. I’m glad he’s dead.”

  Christina took a breath and asked the question she thought she already knew the answer to. “What happens now?”

  “I have to protect us. There’s no other choice.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “I know, but I’ll be right here with you.” Melissa reached over and took her hand. “Are you ready?”

  Christina nodded, and, in that moment, the two girls became one. They stood, the world exploded, and the forever darkness enveloped them.

  SIXTY-NINE

  Christina’s actions had left the FBI agents with no choice. The hail of gunfire they unleashed lasted only seconds, but it was enough to bring Christina Blaze, along with her alter personality, Melissa, to the edge of oblivion.

  As my friends and I walked over to Christina’s body, I saw that the slain reporter was still breathing. Amy bent down to her, uttering the one word that was on everyone’s mind.