CHAPTER 9
JAKE WAS SITTING ON THE floor outside Dani’s apartment when she stepped off the elevator. Her head was down, so she didn’t see him until she almost stepped on him.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I don’t have a key.” He shrugged as he got up. “Where did you go?”
“Since you followed me, that was a stupid question.” She opened the door, grabbed the key to Zach’s apartment off the hook, and threw it at him. “Six-thirty at the car.”
She slammed the door in his face.
He reopened it. “I’m sorry I followed you. I was just worried about you. Are you okay?”
“No. I am not. Now go away.” She slammed the door in his face again.
Jake laughed. “I’m right next door if you need me,” he yelled through the door before turning down the hall.
Jake was leaning on the car with two cups of coffee as Dani walked up.
“Black, three sugars.” He handed her a cup.
Dani stared at him. “Let me guess. Zach told you how I take my coffee.”
“Nope. He told me you have a love of sugar. You don’t seem the milk type. I put two and two together and came up with black, three sugars.”
She headed for the passenger side of the car. “Two would have been enough, but three is better.”
Jake laughed and got behind the wheel. “Jennifer Gordan has to be at work at nine. Jennifer Granta, not until noon.”
“Which is more likely the one we want?”
“I’m not sure. It could be either of them. Or I could have been totally wrong about his taste and it could be one of the others.”
“Great. Just great. We need privacy for the conversation. I want to catch them at home. Head toward Jennifer Gordan first.” Dani took a sip of the coffee, closed her eyes, and put her head back.
“Did you get any sleep?”
“About twenty minutes.”
Jake gave her a glace before turning back to the road. “I can do this if you want. Maybe you should go get another few hours.”
Dani opened her eyes. “How much did you get?”
He smiled. “About an hour and a half.”
“I say we close this case so we can both sleep for a week.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They were silent for the rest of the trip. Jennifer Gordan lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood on the edge of the city. There were some people heading for the car and a bunch of kids waiting on the corner for the school bus. Even though it was winter, the yards were all kept neat and cared for. She got the feeling they did not have the right Jennifer. She could not see Zach ever dating someone that would like this much peace and quiet.
“You get lead again,” Dani said as they got out of the car.
“Yes, ma’am.” Jake smiled at her.
Jake knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he knocked again.
“Hold on, I’m coming.”
Jake turned back to Dani. “She’s coming.”
Dani shook her head as the door opened.
“Jennifer Gordan?” Jake asked.
“Zach?” She whispered as her hands went to her heart. “Zach.”
“No, ma’am. I am Detective Santos. Are you Jennifer Gordan?”
All she could do was nod as she stared at Jake. “Ma’am, would you mind if we come in to talk to you for a few minutes?”
“Zach, I thought you died. The news said you were killed. I went to your funeral.”
Dani moved closer to the door. “Miss Gordan, may we please come inside?”
She backed away from the door, motioning them inside.
“Miss Gordan, I’m not Zach. I’m Detective Jake Santos. This is Lieutenant Castello. We would like to ask you a few questions about Zach.”
She stared at Jake another moment before leading them into the den. “I’m sorry. You look so much like him.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m his twin brother.”
“Zach didn’t have any brothers. Believe me, I would know if he did.”
“It was a recent discovery for us. How well did you know Zach?”
“Not as well as I would have liked, but we hung out in the same crowd back in high school. I went to his funeral. I was sorry to hear he was killed on the job. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. Did you date him back then?”
She shook her head. “No. You want Jennifer number one. I‘m number two.”
“Jennifer number one?”
“Jennifer Granta. She and Zach went out from the middle of junior year ‘til after graduation.”
“That’s a long time. Do you know why they broke up?”
“She told me she didn’t want to tie him down during his college years.”
“Do you know if she has any children?”
“Sorry, I don’t. We lost touch after high school. I haven’t seen her in years.”
Jake looked at Dani to see if she had any other questions. “Jennifer number two?”
Jennifer laughed. “There were six Jennifers in our class. Granta was number one because she had him. The rest of us got numbers of whom he would most likely ask out if they ever broke up. It seems I was second in line.” She shrugged. “It was just one of those stupid high school things. We all knew we didn’t have a chance. He was stuck on her.”
“Do you know how he took the break up?”
“Not well from what I heard. He would call her two, sometimes three, times a day to make sure she didn’t change her mind.”
“He must have really loved her,” Jake commented.
“Listen, Zach was a great guy. He was a nice guy. He would stand up for anyone that needed it. He was there for anyone that needed him. He was also a bad ass. He did what he wanted. When he wanted. Nobody crossed Zach and every girl wanted to be in Jennifer Granta’s place. Unfortunately, he only had eyes for her.”
“Can you give me an example of why he was such a great guy?” Jake shrugged. “Not for the investigation. I just need to know more about him.”
Jennifer thought for a moment. “I guess what sticks in my mind the most is the football team. He was the quarterback.” She shrugged. “Of course. Anyway, some guys on the team were barely making it. When Zach heard about it, he formed a study session before and after practice while they were getting dressed. He would have everyone take turns reading whatever book that was required, or stand over them while they did their math homework. During these sessions he figured out that one of the guys couldn’t read. They were just passing him through because he was the star running back. He spent time with him every morning and every night until he was up where he should be. That guy got a full scholarship to college. He played football for them and came out with a degree in business management. He now owns a chain of car dealerships.”
Jake smiled. It seems Zach was a lot like him.
“Thanks for your help,” Jake said as he walked to the door. Dani wiped her eyes and followed him.
“Can I ask you something, Lieutenant?”
Dani slowly turned back around. “I noticed you were in the family seat at the funeral. You were his partner, right?”
“Yes.”
She looked Dani up and down. “From the look of you, I’d say you were more than just his partner.” She put her hand on Dani’s arm. “I’m sorry for your loss. If he was still only half the man he was in high school, he would have made you very happy.”
“It seems he was… and he did.”
Dani walked out. Jake followed.
Dani’s phone rang as they got in the car. “Lieutenant Castello… are you kidding me? … Where? … He’s with me. We’re on our way.”
She hung up.
“They found another teenager. I’m driving.” She headed around to the driver’s side. “You need to give your number to command. It seems they couldn’t get in touch with you.”
“As soon as we get back.” Jake stuck the light on the roof of the car and clicked his seatbelt in place. “I fig
ured I wouldn’t be around long enough for them to need it after our first meeting.”
“It can always be taken off the list when you leave.”
Jake stared at her. “Yeah, I’m sure it could.”
Two steps forward, one step back, he thought as Dani navigated through the morning rush hour traffic.
“Did he ever tell you that story?”
“Yes.” She gave him a quick look. “Pillow talk.”
She smiled.
“We used to talk about everything. I’m not sure why he decided I wouldn’t understand about you or Katie. I thought I was a good listener. I thought I was always there for him. I thought he knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”
She took a deep breath to hold back the tears. “I guess I wasn’t and he didn’t.”
They pulled into a spot behind the morgue van. She got out of the car before Jake could respond.
Dani walked up to the scene with her hands in her jacket pockets. She was not looking forward to seeing another dead teenager. Some things you never got used to.
Peter Glander was the first to notice her.
“How’s it going, Lieutenant?”
“You tell me.”
He stood up and looked down at the body. “Female, between sixteen and eighteen. I would say time of death between midnight and two a.m. The tattoo is on her outer left thigh.” He reached down and pulled the sheet away.
Dani knelt down to take a look. So young was her first thought. Long blonde hair covered her face. She was fully dressed in a white T-shirt and black leather skirt. She didn’t look like a runaway. In fact, she looked like she came from money.
She stood up, motioning to Dr. Glander to replace the sheet. “This one is different. Someone cares about her. Someone is looking for her.”
“I was thinking the same thing. She’s not a runaway. She’s too clean. Her clothes are new. Nails recently polished, both fingers and toes.”
“Any signs she fought back?”
“Not that I can tell from here. You’ll have a report by the end of the day.”
Jake walked up to them. “Officer O’Neil was first on scene. Woman sitting on the bench, Ms. Claire Woods found her. Do you want to talk to her or should I?”
Dani gave him a sideways glance. “We’ll both do it. You can have lead.”
They walked up to Ms. Woods. Dani kept her hands in her pockets. Jake extended his to her. “Ms. Woods, I’m Detective Santos.” He motioned to Dani. “This is Lieutenant Castello. We understand you found the girl?”
“Yes, sir. I was running through the park. Today is Thursday. It’s my long run day. Four miles.” She smiled at him.
“Is this your usual long run route?”
“Yes. I start at the 6th Street entrance and run the outside trail.”
“Tell us what you saw this morning.”
“It was quiet this morning. No one else on the path. Since I usually run early on Thursday, there are not many others out here. Occasionally I run into someone.”
“It’s not a good idea to run through the park alone.”
Again, she smiled. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.”
“Please continue,” Dani said to break their eye contact.
“I run past here to the bridge, then I turn around and start back. I saw her lying on the bench as I passed. I remember I felt bad for her. Having to sleep on a bench in the park… it’s sad, you know? When I saw her on the way back I thought I’d see if she would accept some money.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “As I walked up to her something didn’t feel right. I called out to try to wake her. When she didn’t move I knew something wasn’t right. I took my phone out. I shook her to try to wake her. Her arm fell off her stomach. I called 911. I knew she was dead.”
“Did you see anyone while you were running?”
“No. As I said, there are not many people this early on Thursday. Now if it was Wednesday there would be people all over.”
“What did you do next?”
“Nothing. The dispatcher asked if I thought I was in danger. When I said I felt it was clear. She told me to find cover and wait for the police. That’s what I did.”
“Thanks for your help, Ms. Woods. Can you please leave your address and phone number with the officer in case we need to get in touch with you?”
She grabbed Jake’s hand with her left hand, pulled a pen from a pocket on her sleeve with her right, and proceeded to write her number on his hand.
“You can call me anytime. I’ll be available.” She flashed him the brightest smile Dani had ever seen.
Dani turned back to Officer O’Neal.“Write it up and get it to me before lunch.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Dani went back to Dr. Glander. “Do you still have the other two?”
“Yes. We still have not been able to figure out who the first one is and William’s parents are out of the country. They’ve been informed and should be back tomorrow.”
“Can you have them all together in a room in… say…” She looked at her watch. “Two hours?”
“Sure. You want to tell me why?”
“We’re missing something. Maybe it will click if we look at them at the same time.”
“I assure you, Lieutenant, I have been very thorough with this case.”
“I know you have. I’m not saying you missed something. I’m just saying we are missing something. Please have them in one room.”
“I’ll call you when it’s set.” He sighed as he walked back to the body with his head down.
“Thank you.” She spoke to a few more officers and the lead CSI officer before she headed for the car. Jake was right behind her.
“Where to?”
“I thought I’d go talk to Jennifer Granta.”
“I’m not invited?”
“I figured you would rather have breakfast with Ms. Woods.”
Jake took out his handkerchief and tried to wipe the number off his hand. “I did nothing to encourage that.”
“I know. Your chick magnet must be turned on.” Dani laughed to herself as she got into the passenger seat.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he got in behind the wheel. He held out his hand for the keys.
“Many things.” Dani pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought.
“Don’t I know it! You want to fill me in on what specifically you are concerned with at this moment?”
“I have this strange feeling we need to find Katie fast.”
“You’re afraid she may end up like that girl?”
“Let’s just say I want to make sure she doesn’t.”
Jake blew out a breath before pulling away from the curb.
CHAPTER 10
JAKE SLOWLY DROVE DOWN JENNIFER Granta’s block. This neighborhood was not nearly as nice as Jennifer Gordan’s. This neighborhood was only three blocks from Yankee Stadium. The heart of the Bronx. He pulled into the alley across the street from the address. Jake started to get out. Dani sat there staring at the building.
Jake blew out a breath. “Talk to me.”
“He was in love with her.”
“So?”
“Before Zach and I finally gave into our feelings, he would date a lot. We both did, though me not nearly as much as him. Anyway, every time someone would ask how his date the night before had gone, I would walk away. I didn’t want to know about it. I knew it meant nothing to him. It was just a date. Zach never got close to anyone he dated. Actually, he never dated someone more then three or four times, but I didn’t want to hear about them. Now I have to interview a woman that he was very much in love with. I always thought he was afraid of love because of the two women your father was serious about. Now I get the feeling it is because of the woman in that house. The mother of his child. Because of her, I had to fight twice as hard as any woman did for his love. I practically had to beat it into his head that I wasn’t going to leave him.”
She took a slow, deep breath.
“It see
ms I didn’t do as good a job with that as I thought. I’m not sure I can talk to her without beating the crap out of her for hurting him so much.”
Jake was silent for a moment. “The way I see it, she did you a favor. Because she broke up with him, you had two very nice years with Zach. Years that you will always remember. Years that no one can ever take away. She may have turned him off love with other women he dated, but you were woman enough to make him fall again and fall hard.”
Jake took her hand. “He loved you. I know I didn’t have much time with him, but every time he mentioned your name during one of our phone conversations, I could hear the love in his voice. The first time I saw him we talked for over four hours. Every time he mentioned you, it was with a smile.”
He released her hand and motioned to the house. “At one time he loved that woman in there. That was over fifteen years ago. On the day he died, he loved you. That is what you need to be thinking about.
“I wish I could believe that.” Dani got out.
Jake followed. “I think I should take lead on this one. I wouldn’t want to explain how the Lieutenant beat the crap out of a witness.”
“Oh, you think it’s going to be easy for you? She is going to take one look at you and have a heart attack.”
“Yeah, I figured that. I’m trained in CPR,” he laughed.
Against Dani’s better judgment, she smiled. “Okay, it’s all yours.”
Jake took a deep breath before he knocked. Jennifer answered the door quickly enough, but she had a phone to her ear. She took one look at Jake and dropped the phone bringing her hand to her heart.
“Zach? My God, Zach.”
“No, ma’am. I’m Detective Jake Santos.”
“She shook her head. “Zach.” She threw her arms around him. “Oh God, Zach, I thought you were dead. They said you were dead.”
Jake looked over her head to Dani. He grabbed Jennifer by her shoulders and moved her back.
“No, ma’am. My name is Jake Santos. I’m Zach’s brother.”
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