Roman

by K. J. Dahlen

  “But would Lydia be that stupid?” Elliot asked. “I mean to use her own paper and leave fingerprints on the pictures? She doesn’t strike me as a stupid person.”

  “What if she never thought John would turn the pictures over to the police?” Cade reasoned. “She might have thought he would never do that or show them to anyone.”

  “But could she take that chance?” Briar wondered aloud.

  “She’s just arrogant enough to believe her own hype,” Cade concluded. “Let’s wait and see if the others can come up with another link between the Hudson’s, Lydia and the judge.”

  “Boss, I think I found something,” Jerah said as she came up the hall and into the living room. “This may or may not mean anything but there is a slight connection between Lydia and a bouncer that Flynn once employed, a man named Boyde Lucien. Boyde was linked to the beating of a man linked loosely with Flynn. According to the testimony of the man, he told the police from a hospital bed he tried to cheat Flynn out of money from a series of drug sales. He was one of Flynn’s dealers and his pot always came up short. He said as soon as he saw Boyde he knew he was in trouble. He offered to give back the money but Boyde told him Flynn wanted blood. The man was lucky to be alive. When Flynn was arrested for setting up the beating, Lydia claimed her client had nothing to do with it. Two days later, Boyde Lucien was found beaten within an inch of his life. After he was released from the hospital, he disappeared. His body was found three weeks later. The Medical Examiner told the police Lucien died shortly after his release from the hospital. This was ten years ago.”

  “What does that have to do with the judge?” Cade asked.

  “Judge Carsten was the first judge to hear the case and curiously, he requested to be excused from the case. He pled he couldn’t be partial to the defendant as he had already sent him to jail years before.”

  “And had he? Did Carsten put Flynn in jail before this?”

  Jerah nodded. “He sent Flynn to jail for domestic abuse. Flynn was high on dope and had beat Gretchen. She ended up in the hospital for three days.”

  “Was that enough to get Carsten off judging Flynn for the Lucien beating?” Elliot asked.

  “Yes, according to the court records Judge Robert Paulson judged Flynn and sent him to prison for two year,.” Jerah told them.

  “Did anything happen to Carsten around that time?” Cade asked.

  “Not to John Carsten but there was an incident to India Carsten,” Jerah said.

  “What was that?” Briar asked.

  “According to the police reports, her foster family at the time complained that they no longer felt safe with her living there. Apparently, someone drove up to the house and began asking the kids some questions about India. He wanted to know where India was or what time she would be home. When the kids didn’t know or wouldn’t tell him the guy moved down the block and parked for a while. When the kids told their foster parents, they went as far as to feel the safety of the other kids was in jeopardy. The parents, Ken and Sandy Michaelson called social services that same afternoon and had India removed by supper time.”

  “Wow, India just couldn’t catch a break.” Briar commented.

  “Did anyone find out who the man’s name was?” Cade asked.

  “No, by the time the police arrived the man was gone, of course,” Jerah replied.

  “So far, all we have in conjecture and speculation.” Cade sighed. “We still need something to tie her directly to Flynn’s empire.”

  “We have her prints on the pictures and the paper,” Elliot reminded him.

  “And she could say the paper was stolen,” Cade countered.

  “And her prints on the pictures? How does she explain that?” Briar asked.

  “She could say she saw them but didn’t put much emphasis on them as a credible threat. The fact she never told anyone about them could be she simply didn’t have to. Nothing was ever done directly to India so there was no threat.” Cade shook his head. “We need something she can’t explain away, something so damaging it will take away her credibility.”

  “I think I might be able to help you with that.” India’s voice came from the hallway as she entered the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “What do you know that we don’t?” Cade asked.

  “All day I’ve been thinking about the murder of that poor woman,” India told them. “Then when I saw Flynn’s attorney Ms. Garvin, I thought there was something about her that bothered me but I couldn’t remember what it was.” She motioned back down the hall, “T.K. and I were talking a few minutes ago. I’m sorry I didn’t bring this up before but around that time in my life so much was happening. The day I was told my mother died, I remember running away for a few hours. I needed to be alone for a while and I went back to the warehouse to think.” She paused and sat down. “I had been there for a while when I heard someone else come into the place. It was just like the night of the murder. They came in the same door Cooper came in just a day and a half before. I quickly hid. There was a hole in the wall and it was just big enough to hide me. I heard two pairs of footsteps coming up to the second floor and I could hear them talking.”

  “Could you hear what they were saying?” Cade asked.

  “Not at first. But when they got closer, I could hear a woman’s voice and a man’s voice. The man was saying something like there might be a problem and the woman’s voice asked what kind of problem. Then he said there might have been a witness and she sounded disgusted. She told him she didn’t care about his little sideline but she had to keep his father out of the whole mess. That was her job and she wasn’t going to blow it now. She knew all too well how Flynn reacted to failure. The guy laughed and told her not to worry, he had her back. The woman snickered and said he had nothing of hers, nothing at all. Then she said something about the murder of the judge’s daughter. The man said it was all taken care of and her head was now a part of his collection. The woman wanted to know if he’d taken care of the daughter’s brat. The man said he couldn’t get close to her yet. That would take time and patience but one day, he would have her head as well.”

  The group all sat silently. Briar was concerned at the look on her face but he said nothing and let her finish.

  India swallowed hard and went on, “She told him to be careful not to let his father down, or he would turn on him too. The man called her by name, he said, ‘Lydia, don’t you worry about the relationship between my dad and me. I have something he needs and as long as I do, he won’t kill me.’ He said he didn’t doubt the day would come when he was no longer important to his father and that his dad might try to kill him but that day was in the far future and he would be ready for his dad when it happened.”

  “Did you hear anything else?” Briar asked as he took her hand in his.

  India shook her head. “They moved out of range shortly after that. I couldn’t hear anything for the longest time. I was about to move when I heard the door clang shut. I stayed for a while longer just to be safe. Then I headed home. Mrs. Hobbs was there waiting for me and she took me away to another home that night.”

  “How could you have forgotten something like this?” Elliot asked with a frown.

  “I don’t know.” India shrugged. “It was something she said today at the deposition that made me remember the incident. Like I said before it was a rough time for me. When my mom died, my whole world stopped. I couldn’t even imagine life without her in it. I was just a kid remember.”

  “What was it she said?” Briar urged.

  “It was more the way she said Flynn’s name. I thought for a brief second that I heard her say that name before.” India shrugged.

  “She’s going to say this is all made up. The pathetic attempts at linking her to her client’s actions.” Cade growled.

  “What if you could find her fingerprints on the second floor of the warehouse?” India asked. “Would that place her there?”

  “Yes it would but after this long, how can you be sure her
fingerprints will be there?” Cade asked.

  “It’s worth a try,” Briar said. “What have we got to lose?”

  “Ok, we can go back up there tomorrow and see what we can find,” Cade agreed. “That will give us a chance to talk to the DA about Ms. Garvin being just as guilty as her clients. The Hudson’s are due to be arraigned in court in Boston in three days’ time. We have to have enough evidence to convince a judge by then or we’re dead in the water and she gets away with everything.”

  “We can’t let that happen.” Briar seethed. “I think we need to look at the kidnap attempt as well.”

  “I think that’s a stretch.” Cade shook his head. “Maybe we can connect Boyde Lucien to that but not Lydia Garvin.”

  “And it’s not like we can actually ask Boyde about his involvement either,” Briar added.

  “No we can’t ask him but if we can tie him to the incident maybe we could show a pattern.” Cade reasoned.

  “What are you guys talking about?” India asked. “Who is this Boyde person?”

  “What do you remember of living with the Michaelson family?” Cade asked.

  “I thought that was the one family I could live with for a long time.” India looked saddened. “Then suddenly, I was whisked away without knowing why. I think I was twelve at the time, why?”

  “We think someone tried to kidnap you from that house and the kidnapper was an associate of Flynn Hudson,” Cade told her.

  India’s eyes got huge in her face. “Why wouldn’t anyone tell me?”

  “Probably for the reason you just stated, you were only twelve at the time. They didn’t want to scare you.” Briar patted her hand.

  T.K. had joined them a few minutes ago and sitting next to India, she had listened to the conversation. She turned to India. “Do you remember that one guy we saw following us to the library? I think we were almost twelve and had just found each other again.”

  India thought for a moment then nodded. “Now that you mention it, I do remember him. It was like a few days before I left the Michelson’s. He drove a small car which I thought looked ridicules. He looked like he was such a big man cramped in a little car.”

  “Do you remember what he looked like?” Jerah asked.

  “Maybe I could draw him?” T.K. said. “I got a better look at them.”

  “Them?” Cade interrupted. “Them as in more than one?”

  “Yes.” India turned to T.K. “There was more than one person in the car that day. There was a woman in the car with him. I remember now because she was smoking and her window was rolled down. We had to walk right past the car on our way into the library.”

  “I’ll go get started on the drawing.” T.K. got up and went to her room.

  “I hope this helps your case.” India sat there thinking for a moment, then asked, “So you’re telling me the Hudsons have been following me most of my life?”

  “It’s beginning to look like it,” Briar told her.

  “But why?” she asked.

  “We aren’t quite sure about that yet,” Cade replied.

  “Does there have to be a reason?” Briar asked.

  “I think so,” India said. “There has to be a reason for someone to follow me all my life and I’d like to know what that reason is.”

  “Maybe something will turn up in our investigation,” Cade offered. “We aren’t done yet.”

  “I need some air.” India got up and went out to the courtyard.

  “Do you think this has anything to do with John Carsten?” Briar asked.

  “What do you mean?” Cade frowned.

  “From what you told me earlier about your visit with John and Peggy Carsten, I think they are hiding something. Maybe there’s a connection maybe there isn’t. I think it would be worthwhile to check it out anyway.”

  “Check it out then,” Cade told his brother. “You have connections in the court system we don’t have.”

  Briar got up and went to his room.

  Elliot turned to Cade and asked, “Did you get the feeling John was holding something back when we were talking to him today?”

  Cade shrugged. “It’s possible. Maybe we just didn’t ask the right questions today. Being an attorney, John may have been waiting for the right question before he volunteered the answers we were looking for.”

  “What would he consider the right question?” Elliot asked.

  “I don’t know, yet.” Cade sighed. “We have until tomorrow morning to find out what that is.”

  “What do you suppose all of this has to do with India or her mother?” Elliot asked. “Could all of this be Flynn’s attempt to get a judge on his payroll?”

  “No I don’t think so, if that were the case he should have known he picked the wrong judge. John Carsten can’t be bought or blackmailed into submission.”

  “Perhaps Flynn thought he could break him,” Elliot suggested. “He’s arrogant enough to try it.”

  “So why put India through hell?” Cade asked. “John hasn’t had anything to do with her all her life. What purpose would that serve him?”

  “We might just find out if we can unravel his life,” Elliot said. “We’re missing some deep dark secret that only Flynn knows.”

  “Let’s hope we can find it out before it’s too late.” Cade shook his head and sighed.

  ~* * * *~

  A few hours later, they heard the sound of humming coming down the hall. Cade and Elliot knew what the sound was, Quinn’s wheelchair.

  Cade looked at Elliot as they waited for Quinn to reach them. When they could see his face, they knew he’d found something. “What did you come up with?”

  “I found out Flynn Hudson is not a very nice man.”

  “Quinn…” Cade growled. “We knew this a week ago. What did you find out that put that particular look of disgust on your face?”

  “How about the fact that Flynn Hudson doesn’t carry his father’s last name?”

  “We know that too. Why don’t you just come out and say it?”

  “Okay, Flynn’s full name is Flynn Jefferson Carsten Hudson.”

  Cade sat forward in his chair. “What did you say?”

  “I think you heard me.” Quinn stared at him.

  “And just who is Jefferson Carsten?” Cade asked.

  “He’s John’s older brother,” Quinn informed them.

  “What do we know about Jefferson?”

  “We know he graduated high school just about ten months before Flynn was born and he spent the summer after graduation traveling. He went on to go to college at Harvard and he took the New York Bar exams 6 years later. He’s married now and has three grown sons.”

  “He must have been the summer bum Dillman told me about,” Cade muttered. “I wonder why he never made himself know to the Carsten family?”

  “Could you imagine him trying?” Elliot asked. “He’s nothing like the Carstens and I seriously doubt he would fit into their world. We have to tell them what we found.”

  “We have to tell who what?” India asked as she and T.K. came back into the living room. T.K. was carrying a sketch book with her.

  Cade looked over at Elliot and Quinn. “Let’s get everyone together and figure out where we stand with information.”

  Faith, Fallon and Jerah joined them in the living room. Cade looked over at Jerah and asked, “Did you find anything we can use against Lydia?”

  “I think before she gets started you should see the drawing T.K. has,” India interrupted.

  Cade turned to her. “What did she remember?”

  “Just look at the drawing.” India nodded.

  T.K. handed him the drawing face down. When he turned it over, he gasped. Staring at it for a moment, he looked up at her. “Is this really what you saw that day?”

  T.K. nodded.

  Cade passed the drawing around. “You know she’s going to claim because you met her today you just drew her into the drawing.”

  “But I didn’t,” T.K. defended herself. She paused to look at
the drawing. In the small car was Boyde Lucien. He was in the driver’s seat, but what drew your attention was the passenger. It was a younger Lydia Garvin, but it was definitely her. Back then, her hair had been longer but the eyes remained the same. They were still the same piercing gray eyes she had today.

  Jerah picked up the drawing. “How do you remember something from so long ago in such detail?” T.K. had drawn the scene from total recall but the detail in her drawing was astounding.

  “I don’t know how I did it but it’s something that I’ve always been able to do.” T.K. opened her book again and passed along another drawing. This one was of Lydia’s hand and on her ring finger was a distinctive ring. It was an s curve wrapping around the finger. One curl of the s held a green stone and the other curl of the s held a diamond. On the back of the s were several smaller diamond chips. The detail was astounding.

  “Maybe if you can prove she owns such a ring you can connect her that way,” T.K. said. “This is the ring she was wearing that day.”

  Cade gazed at Jerah and asked again, “What else did you find out about her?”

  “Lydia was born Lydia Jean Jenner, in New York. She is forty six years old…”

  “What did you say her name was?” Fallon asked.

  “Lydia Jenner,” Jerah repeated.

  “Did she have any brothers or sisters?”

  “There is one sister, Karen Jane, why?”

  Fallon turned to Cade. “Karen Jane Jenner changed her name when she left New York thirty five years ago. She went to the art institute of Boston under the name of Gretchen Hawks.”

  “Lydia and Gretchen are sisters?” Cade concluded. “Now it’s all starting to make sense.” He looked over at his brother Quinn. “Were you able to get any information on Flynn’s finances?”

  Quinn nodded. “Most of the money is under the name of Karen Jenner. Now it makes sense. I couldn’t figure out why the money was under someone else’s name. However, I did notice a transfer in the last few days. Someone transferred most of Flynn’s money to an offshore account within the last twelve hours. We can’t find out whose name the account is under but I’ll bet Lydia has control of the account.”