Free to Kill

by Julie Mellon

  “Hmpf,” the man grunted. “Fine, come on in. You didn’t bother to show up in time to help my little girl. Don’t know what you can do now to make this right. I’m Harold Baker, Lainie’s dad.” At this admission, the man seemed to age another ten years; his skin had already gone slack and turned an unhealthy grey. What little hair he had left was combed neatly to his scalp, but his eyes were the same blue as both his daughters. He couldn’t seem to stop the tears that flowed down his cheeks. “Something mighty wrong with a man havin’ to bury his youngun. Mighty wrong, indeed.”

  Michael and Katie exchanged a glance as they followed Mr. Baker into the house. They found Rick Henderson slumped on the couch as the other people milled around. Occasionally, an elderly woman would nudge him and make him eat a bite or take a drink of water.

  “Mr. Henderson, might we have a word with you in private?” Michael asked as he slowly approached the man. The room went instantly silent, all heads turning in the direction of the agents.

  “I ain’t got nothing to hide,” Rick said, his words slightly slurred.

  “He had a few beers before we got here,” the elderly woman said. “I’m Rick’s mom, Heidi. I’ve been trying to get him to drink some water. The kids are coming home tonight. I don’t want them to see their dad drunk when we already have to tell them their mom isn’t ever coming home.” Heidi teared up as she spoke.

  “Have you found who killed my wife?” Rick asked. He was beginning to get belligerent, though the sob that broke through at the end of his question showed he was trying to hide the pain.

  “No, I’m sorry, we haven’t found him yet. But we would like to ask a few more questions, if we may,” Michael replied. Michael helped Rick off the sofa and the two of them made their way to the office at the back of the house, with Katie trailing behind.

  Once the door was closed behind them and Rick had lowered himself into one of the chairs, Michael asked, “Can you tell us about Elaine’s week, Monday through Sunday? We need to know in detail what she did, so we can look for similarities to the abduction of Barbara Jones.”

  Rick just shook his head sadly. “You know, I thought we were as close as a couple could be, but I really don’t know what she did all week. I know Mondays were the library reading day and Monday nights she spent with her sister and the kids. I had a standing poker night with some guys from church. Tuesdays were her in-service school days. She would go to the school and help out in either Austin’s or Emma’s classroom. Wednesdays she did the grocery shopping and made dinner so it was ready to just be reheated for the kids. Then she would head out to the church. The other nights we stayed home as a family. I assume she spent the other days cleaning and stuff around here. Saturdays we went to the kids’ games or recitals, and Sundays we went to church and out to lunch. There wasn’t anything that stands out. I know there were a few days a month that she volunteered at the women’s shelter and at a dog rescue place. That’s about it. She liked to keep busy, but wasn’t overcommitted so that she could always be around for anything the kids needed. All she ever wanted was to be a mom.” Rick looked up at them with red-rimmed, anguished eyes. “Why did he kill my wife, but let Barbie Jones live?”

  Katie and Michael looked at each other, not really sure how much to reveal. Finally, Katie said, “Barbie Jones is diabetic. She became unconscious because she didn’t have access to her insulin. We don’t know why he let her go, but it is likely he panicked.”

  Rick just put his head in his hands and sighed. All the life seemed to drain out of him as he absorbed one more blow. His wife had been healthy and strong and as a result she had died.

  “Rick, I need to ask you something difficult,” Michael began. “We talked to Evelyn earlier about Elaine’s schedule. She mentioned that on Mondays Elaine dropped the kids off and then went back out. She claimed that Elaine went to the library or ran various errands that she didn’t have time to do other times during the week. What do you think she did during these hours?”

  Rick looked up with wide eyes. “I thought she went over and spent time with her sister. Are you telling me she wasn’t there? She was supposed to be there!” It was apparent that Rick had no clue his wife had been anything but honest and straightforward.

  “One more question. When she left here on Wednesdays, she went straight to the church?” Michael asked. At Rick’s nod, he followed up, “And she left here at five?” Again Rick nodded.

  “Why do you ask?” It hurt Rick to ask the question. His confusion warred with curiosity and fear.

  “Well, the ladies at church said that Elaine was always late. That she came rushing in right at seven or a few minutes after. We were just wondering why it took her two hours to drive ten minutes down the road.” Michael left the thought hanging, hoping that Rick would reveal something.

  “There is no way my wife was having an affair,” Rick declared. He was adamant that this could not happen. “I would have known if she was having an affair. She was never unfaithful. We’re Catholic, for crying out loud.”

  Michael just nodded and thanked Rick for his time, finding it interesting that Rick’s thoughts immediately jumped to an affair. Promising to find out the truth and to keep Rick updated with progress, the agents left the house.

  “Where to next?” Michael asked Katie as they buckled their seatbelts.

  “I think we need to go back and talk to Father Joe and also find out who this David character is. I find it interesting that he’s never mentioned in the police report of Elaine’s disappearance.”

  Michael pulled a U-turn in the middle of the residential street and headed back toward Christ the King Church.

  Pulling into the parking lot behind the church, Katie and Michael saw Father Joe tossing garbage bags into the dumpster at the back of the lot. “Evening, agents, what can I do for you tonight?” Father Joe said as he wiped his hands on his trousers.

  “Didn’t peg you for one to take out the trash, Father,” Katie observed.

  “Well, David didn’t show up today, so someone has to do it. We are a small parish, so that falls to me.”

  Katie’s antennae perked up at this information. “What is David’s last name?” she asked calmly.

  “Williams,” the Father replied. “Why?”

  “We just find it odd that he was never mentioned in the report filed on Elaine’s disappearance. You would think that all employees of the church would have been interviewed,” Katie replied. Michael stood back and let Katie take the lead. This was a circumstance that required directness, not finesse.

  “Well, David wasn’t around that day. Wednesdays he takes off and goes, well wherever he goes on his day off,” Father Joe said. “He seems to have had a difficult life, though he doesn’t talk much. He just does his job and doesn’t bother anyone.”

  “What exactly is his job?”

  “He does all the chores around this place. Mows the lawn, does the landscaping, cleans the facilities, takes out the trash, moves anything heavy. He usually set up the room for the ladies on Tuesday nights so it was ready when they gathered on Wednesdays.”

  Katie paused a minute. “So he would have known Elaine and Barbie?”

  “Of course. He would have seen them at mass or any other time they came into the church.” Father Joe was beginning to get indignant. “Don’t go trying to blame this on him. He’s a gentle soul, wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

  Michael stepped in, “We are still looking at everyone. We just thought it odd that he wasn’t mentioned in the police report. It makes sense now if he wasn’t around that night.” Glancing at Katie, he saw the daggers she was shooting his way. He just raised his eyebrows and turned back to Father Joe. “Can you tell us what Elaine confessed to you on the Wednesday she disappeared?”

  “Now young man, you know confessions are privileged information.” All the calmness Father Joe had disappeared at the question.

  Katie smirked at Michael. Even she knew that question was out of line. Katie hadn’t been raised with any formal religi
on, but she had read enough on the subject to know Catholics took their traditions seriously. She decided it was once again her turn to ask the questions.

  “Father, since you cannot break that confidentiality, might I run a theory by you?” She waited for his acknowledgement before continuing. “Let’s say a respected wife and mother was becoming bored with her life. She was in her mid-thirties with two young elementary-aged children, a husband that worked and provided for the family, and not enough to occupy her time now that the kids were in school. Let’s say that her dreams of being a mother and housewife were not living up to expectations. So she began to look elsewhere for something to fulfill her. She had two nights a week to go out and be free. She meets a man, one thing leads to another, and she’s involved before she knows it.” Katie paused to gauge Father Joe’s reaction.

  “That is an interesting story, but I’m afraid I can neither confirm nor deny its correctness. Elaine was a wonderful woman who loved her family with all that she had. She was a good Catholic.” That was as much as Father Joe was going to say on the subject. He didn’t directly dismiss the idea, though.

  “Father, you do realize that if Elaine Henderson was having an affair, it could be what got her killed?” Katie said in exasperation.

  Father Joe fired right back, “What would be the connection then between Elaine and Barbie? Barbie is as innocent as the driven snow. She didn’t deserve this.” His anger revealed more than he intended.

  “So you’re saying that Elaine had an affair, but Barbie didn’t.” Katie returned. “Interesting.”

  “You are putting words in my mouth, young lady,” Father Joe said. “Do you have any other questions?”

  “No, that’s all for now. Thanks for your help.” Katie smiled angelically as she turned and headed back to the car. Michael just shook his head and followed, mumbling under his breath about headstrong women and the need to always be right.

  By the time Michael got in the car, Katie was dialing the phone. “Who are you calling?” he asked. Katie just smiled as she waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

  “Lucy, it’s Katie Freeman. We met in the break room the other day? I was wondering if you could do me a favor?” She paused as Lucy responded. “Great, I need you to look up a man named David Williams. He currently works for Christ the King Church in Shelbyville, but that’s all we know about him.” Katie just “mmm’d” and “uh huh’d” for the next few minutes before thanking Lucy and hanging up.

  Michael just shook his head and turned the car toward home.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The Bed & Breakfast was full of life and laughter when Katie and Michael walked in. Kevin was standing at the sink cleaning up the supper dishes while Caroline stood folding a load of towels. Ten-year-old Ian was sitting at the table working on homework, his brow creased in concentration.

  “What’s a cellar?” Ian asked.

  “Well, it’s…”Caroline began.

  “It’s a basement,” Michael cut in, grinning as a chorus of “Uncle Michael!” rang out from all three kids. They crowded around Michael as he walked through the door. He hugged the boys and swung little Carrie up into his arms, planting a loud smacking kiss on her cheek as she screamed out a laugh. Placing Carrie back on the floor, Michael leaned over and kissed his sister’s cheek and shook hands with his brother-in-law. “I sure hope you saved some dinner. It smells wonderful,” Michael said with a longing glance at the refrigerator.

  “You know I did. I figured you two would be much later than this. Have you already wrapped up your case?” Caroline started pulling covered dishes from the refrigerator and warmed them in the microwave.

  “No, we haven’t even had a break in the case,” Katie said as she sat in the seat Caroline waved her toward. Katie’s mouth was watering at the smell of the food. She knew without asking that Caroline had made meatloaf and mashed potatoes. This was confirmed as Caroline placed the plate in front of her. There were also green beans and cornbread. “This was my favorite meal that my mom used to make. She used to call it the free man’s meal,” Katie offered, as she picked up her fork and dug in.

  Michael looked over in surprise. “This is a southern meal. I thought you grew up in Arizona?”

  “I did, but I don’t think my mom is from there. Come to think of it, she has a slight southern accent. Hmm, I never put that together until now.”

  “You don’t know where your mom is from?” Ian asked. “We did a family tree at the beginning of the school year and I had to learn just about everything for hundreds of years about my family. What did you ever put on your family tree when you did one in school?”

  “I didn’t go to school,” Katie replied. Seeing the shock on his face and the horrified look Kevin and Caroline directed toward her, Katie hurriedly said, “I had to go to school at home. My mother taught me right in our kitchen. I think it was much harder than actually going to school. Can you imagine your mom being your teacher?”

  Ian looked aghast as he thought this over. “You mean you never left your house?”

  Katie sighed inwardly. She never talked about herself and now she had opened the door for questions. She knew Michael was listening closely, as his fork had stopped moving toward his mouth and was suspended in mid-air. “Well, I left the house, but never the property. See, my mom had about the same size property you have here, but she had walls around hers, not fences. We spent the morning out in the garden, planting or weeding or harvesting. When it was really hot in the afternoons, we would spend it indoors doing my schoolwork. In the evenings, I had to do my chores, like clean my room or do the dishes.”

  “What about your friends? When did you see them? Didn’t you get to play? And what about TV?” Little Tommy’s eyes were huge as he asked all these questions.

  Katie just laughed. “Well, we didn’t have a TV, so I never watched any. I only had friends when we had people staying with us. See, my mom helped women from the local women’s shelter. If they needed a place to stay, they could stay with us for however long they needed, as long as they followed the rules. Some stayed a few days and others stayed years. Sometimes they had daughters that came with them. I had a playground and there was a small lake we could swim in. It wasn’t so bad.” She smiled at Tommy and Ian as they both still looked horrified.

  “Man, no TV, I bet you didn’t even have a Nintendo.” Ian shook his head in disbelief. The adults just laughed.

  Seeing that Tommy was about to ask more questions and knowing Katie really didn’t want to answer anything more, Michael quickly asked, “So, Ian, why did you need to know about a cellar?” Katie shot him a grateful look as they both resumed eating.

  “I’m working on this report for school. I have to research the Underground Railroad. Some of the stuff says that cellars were used, but I didn’t know what a cellar was. Why didn’t they just say basement?” Ian asked with a disgruntled tone.

  Katie tuned out the conversation as her thoughts remained in the past. Her heart ached to see her mother again. The one rule her mother had for the women who came onto the ranch, as it was called, was that they never brought a man, or allowed one to enter. Sarah Freeman had been firm in her belief that her daughter never be exposed to the “evils of man,” and she had made sure that Katie was sheltered from anything Sarah deemed to risky. The one person who ever defied that logic was Patty Harris.

  Patty had come to the ranch before Katie was born and had never left. A deep friendship had formed between Sarah and Patty, though they were as different as night and day. Sarah had long dark hair, or at least she had when Katie left eight years ago. She also had the big green eyes that Katie had inherited. Patty had short blonde hair, light brown, almost golden eyes, and a more pragmatic approach to life. Patty thought Katie should know what to expect from the world, whereas Sarah though she should be protected from it. Patty was the only woman allowed to come and go from the ranch without question. She would make runs into town and barter for the things that the ranch needed. Patty
also registered Katie for homeschooling and renewed licenses or paid taxes, basically anything that needed to be done but couldn’t be accomplished from within the walls. She also went to the library and brought back books for Katie. As more and more things began to be put online, she argued with Sarah that Katie should be allowed to learn as much as she could. That was how Katie ended up graduating high school at sixteen and nearly completing a bachelor’s degree online by eighteen.

  The only fight Katie ever witnessed between her mom and Patty was when Katie announced that she was leaving the ranch. Katie wanted to go to college and experience all the things she had read about. And Katie had read plenty. She was secretly hooked on romance novels, though she also devoured anything having to do with history or crime and punishment. Katie had watched how her mother had run the ranch and knew there was no leniency for any offense. If one of the women returned to their abusive situation or allowed a man to come to the ranch even just as far as the front gate, that woman was escorted out. Mostly, the women stayed long enough to heal from their physical wounds and left, taking their children with them.

  It wasn’t until Katie read Peter Pan that she found out that men were once boys. She tried once to talk to her mother about why none of the women who came to the ranch had boys, but her mother refused to answer. It was Patty who later explained that Sarah had been hurt in her past and that she didn’t want boys or men around. She explained that Sarah was trying to protect Katie. But as Katie grew up and her world expanded through books, her longing to get out and experience life grew as well.

  On her eighteenth birthday, Katie registered for the upcoming semester at Arizona State. It was close to home but still far enough away to have some freedom. There were two months until the fall semester started when she told her mother that she would be leaving. Sarah blamed Patty for corrupting Katie and putting all these ideas into her head. Patty insisted that Sarah wouldn’t always be around, that Katie needed to grow up and learn about the real world while Sarah was still there to help. Sarah just looked at Katie and told her she had twenty-four hours to get off the property and that there would be no financial support.