Conviction: Book 3 of the Detective Ryan Series

by Andrew Hess

  Chapter 12

  Rodney texted me late last night asking to meet up in the morning. More explicitly, he told me to go for my morning run. I woke up earlier than anyone else and quickly threw on my running gear. I figured if I was going to the walkway, I might as well jump back into my routine and go for a run. Passing Amanda and slipping down the hall to the living room, a feeling of guilt swept over me. None of them knew I was going to meet Rodney; it was how we wanted to keep it that way. I quickly scribbled a note saying I was going for a run. Turning off the alarm, I slipped outside, relieved there wasn’t a squad car parked in front of the house already.

  Driving to the Mid-Hudson Bridge was the first piece of normalcy I felt in a long time. It reminded me of a time that wasn’t so chaotic. It was a time where I didn’t have to fear for the safety of not only myself, but also my sister. It was my alone time to let my inner most thoughts rise to the surface with a clear mind.

  When I pulled into the dirt parking lot, I was surprised to see Rodney standing there waiting for me. He was dressed in black workout pants, a gray t-shirt with a black hoodie, and running sneakers.

  “You want coffee first, or after the run?”

  “You actually plan on running?”

  He approached which rendered me cautious. “I started coming here every day since the shooting hoping we could talk. I figured it was the best way to come see you, only you never showed. After the first two days, I decided to walk up and down the path trying to find you. It wasn’t so bad, so I started doing it every day until they arrested me.”

  I had to admit, Rodney looked like he shed some weight since the last time I saw him up close. “Let’s have the coffee first. This way I can be sure neither of us does anything stupid during the run.”

  “You really think I would hurt you, Ali?” I could tell he was offended by the comment, but wasn’t meant to come across that way.

  “No, it’s to make sure I don’t knock you over the rail.” I grabbed the coffee in Rodney’s left knowing he always drank with his right hand. I smiled and jabbed him in the shoulder to let him know I was joking. He walked back to the road and looked up and down it to make sure no one was approaching. “Don’t worry I came alone. You can pat me down too if you think I’m wearing a wire. Maybe I should strip?”

  “Cut the crap, Ali. You can’t blame me for being paranoid. The court is rushing to start my trial, and you randomly decided to hear my side of things. It’s just a little suspicious.”

  “Yeah, well things changed.”

  “What things?”

  “Off the record?” I waited for him to nod his confirmation. “I had an impromptu meeting with Dr. Cain the other morning. She was trying to cut a deal with the A.D.A. saying she was getting threats not to talk to us. Her defense attorney wanted to protect her client and said they would help us in our investigations for protection and a prison transfer.”

  “What investigations?”

  “Supposedly, there are a few including the Campus Killer.”

  “What? Ali, you solved that one. You took the son of a bitch down. He’s dead. How can there be anything more to that investigation?”

  “She’s claiming he had help, and the person that helped is the one that left the message for her.” I could see hearing Dr. Cain’s accusation was bothering Rodney, but he needed to know why I was giving him the chance to clear the air with me. To do that, I needed him to trust me.

  “What else happened?” he asked.

  “I came home that night to find someone had broken into Thornton’s house. Whoever’s been leaving me flowers everywhere, decided to leave more of them, this time on the bed I’ve been sleeping in.”

  “You think it’s the same guy that left them on your desk that night?” Rodney knew the same thing I did. If this was the same guy, it could potentially clear his name.

  “I don’t know. If it is, I plan on taking him down once and for all.” I glanced up at Rodney knowing his brain was processing everything I told him. “Don’t go blabbing to your attorney about any of it yet. If we can’t turn up shit, I don’t want it blowing up in your face.”

  “Okay, Ali. I won’t say anything until you give me the go ahead.” He took a long sip from his coffee, swirled it around his cup again and polished it off.

  “Now, start talking. Tell me what happened that night.”

  “When you got those flowers and the message, I panicked. The last time you thought Amanda was in danger, you left her in my care and I fucked up. I left her with the other officers. It was a mistake that haunted me for six months. So when I bolted from the station was because I wanted to ensure she was okay.”

  “Rodney, you were ordered to investigate the matter. I don’t blame you for what happened.”

  “You might not, but I did. I floored it to your house and got there before anyone else did. I didn’t think to call backup because I knew you and Thornton were on your way. Not wanting to waste any time, I broke the door and entered your house. I tried the light switch, but the power wasn’t working. I called out I was with the Ulster County P.D. twice, but no one answered. I swept the rooms like I was supposed to, but the minute I entered Amanda’s, I felt something hit me in the back of the head.”

  “Was it a large or small object?” I asked. “Was it overtly heavy or just enough to do a little damage?”

  “I don’t know. Based on the lump on the back of my head, I’d say it was something that could do some damage.” He rubbed the back of his head for the added emphasis. “Next thing I knew, you were shaking me and then screaming.”

  Nothing Rodney told me seemed different than what he put in his official statement. I looked at the hospital paperwork Rodney tried to get me to look at. The lieutenant made a copy and kept it in hopes I would come around and try to look at the situation from a “cop’s” point of view instead of the grieving girlfriend’s.

  “Anything else?” I asked.

  “Ali, you have to believe me. I didn’t shoot Matthew.” He looked at me with his big brown eyes. “I’m really sorry he died that night. He was a good man, and I know you loved him.”

  I drained the last bit of my coffee and tossed it in the garbage. Backhanding Rodney’s gut, I decided to egg him into a run. “You ready to show me what you got, big man?” I started stretching and watched him do the same.

  With the warm-up complete, we took off down the walkway, finding Rodney was keeping up with my pace. He wasn’t huffing and puffing away like he did the last time he tried to go on a run with me. As much as I enjoyed the time to myself, it felt nice to have someone to share the run with. It felt even better to trust Rodney again.

  When we finished, we said our goodbyes and I told him I would keep him updated if we found anything useful in our investigation. We ended our morning with a hug and him thanking me for bailing him out of jail.

  It was no surprise the house was empty when I got home. Rodney and I spent a couple of hours at the walkway. Amanda must have gone to work, but James was supposed to be helping me with our case. I wondered if he got called-in to work.

  Taking advantage of the alone time, I stripped out of my sweat soaked clothes and took a nice hot bath. The heat relaxed my tensing muscles and eased my stress until I heard the buzzing of my cell.

  Wiping my hand on a towel, I grabbed the phone and saw Detective Thornton’s name displayed on the screen. “I was wondering how long it would take before you hunted me down.”

  “You don’t think I had eyes on you the moment you left the house this morning?”

  I didn’t know if I should feel honored or concerned he had me followed with such ease. “Well, I’m back at the house now so you can relax.”

  “I know; that’s why I’m calling you. A 9-1-1 call came in earlier giving us an anonymous tip about a dead body. A car came out to investigate and well…I think you better come out here and take a look.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “I really think you need to get down here and see for yours
elf.” The tone in his voice brought out the seriousness of the situation.

  “Text me the address and I’ll be down there in a bit.” Hurrying out of the tub, I dried off quickly and grabbed a pair of gray dress pants and a black button down shirt. Slipping on a pair of heels, I briskly walked to the car and input the address into the G.P.S.

  There were two squad cars, an ambulance, and a C.S.U. van sectioning off the block. I vacated my car halfway down the block and walked the rest of the way. I texted James as I walked up the block and showed my badge to the officers guarding the perimeter. James met me moments later as I walked up to the front door.

  “You mind filling me in?” I asked.

  “It was him, Ali.” My heart sank into my stomach with those three words. “The victim was found in the bedroom.”

  “Do we have a name?”

  James flipped through his notepad. “According to her driver’s license, the victim was Sheila Nichols.”

  Based on the amount of people walking through the house, I already knew printing the door or checking for any foot print indentation was out of the question.

  “Are you sure it was him?” As we entered the bedroom, I saw roses similar to the ones found on my bed strategically placed around the victim’s body. A single black rose rested on her chest with her hands clasped around it. Yup, it was him. “Do we have a cause of death?”

  “Nothing official, but in my opinion, it appears to be asphyxiation. We won’t know for sure until the M.E. gets here.”

  I placed a pair of white gloves on and approached the victim’s body. She was young and beautiful. Her golden blond hair covered her bare shoulders. She was positioned in such a manner to look as if she were laying in coffin and we were at her funeral. I surveyed the bedside area discovering a folded card concealed by the hair surrounding her neck.

  Hello Detective Ryan,

  The game is on my dear. Come and get me.

  The Puppet Master

  “I think this confirms it.” I showed James the note. “It’s the same guy.” I bagged the note for evidence and handed it off to the C.S.U. team. While walking around the house, I noticed several framed pictures sitting on a shelf. Each one showed Sheila with two women who I assumed were her friends. “James, come here for a minute.”

  “What’s up, Ali?”

  I showed him the pictures. “Anyone in these look familiar?”

  “Shit, she was friends with Dr. Cain and her attorney.”

  “We need to bring Ms. Reynolds down to the station and find a way to break the news to her and her client.”

  Chapter 13-Ali

  The call to Rebecca Reynolds was not a pleasant one. We couldn’t tell her the news over the phone, but had to convince her to come down to the station for an important meeting. When pushed, I told her it was detrimental to her client and needed to discuss the matter with her privately before she brought the information to Claire. Reluctantly, she agreed to meet me at my station.

  I arrived at the precinct minutes before the expected meeting. I asked the lieutenant if I could commandeer one of the interrogation rooms, close it off from everyone and turn off the cameras. Thankfully he agreed due to the circumstances.

  When the precinct door opened, I knew Ms. Reynolds had entered the building. The officers sitting at their desks gawked at the gorgeous woman strutting past them in five inch heels and short skirt. Placing her briefcase on my desk, she stuck out her freshly manicured hand.

  “Detective Ryan, it’s nice to see you again.” I shook her hand and gestured for her to walk down to the hall. “Your call sounded urgent.”

  I led her to the interrogation room I had setup. “Please, have a seat” I waited for Rebecca to enter the room and take a seat where a suspect and their attorney would sit. I closed the door then turned off the cameras. “I want you to know, nothing in this room will be recorded.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  I took a seat across from her. “The Dutchess County Police received an anonymous call this morning saying they found a dead body.” I opened the folder I placed on the table prior to Rebecca’s arrival. “We found this picture at the victim’s house.” I slid the picture towards her.

  “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

  “No, it’s not a joke.”

  “Then tell me why you have this picture. What did you hope to gain by showing this to me?”

  I finger pointed to the woman in the middle. “The woman I’m pointing to was found dead inside her home.”

  Rebecca slammed her hands on the table. “That’s bullshit! That’s my friend Sheila.”

  “Sheila Nichols of Wappingers Falls,” I said to be more precise. “I know this is a shock and you’re upset.”

  “Upset? You damn right I’m upset. You’re sitting here lying to me about my friend dying to do what; force me to lose it and get disbarred? Or were you hoping to use this picture as a way of getting me thrown off Claire’s case for a conflict of interest?”

  “I saw the body myself. Once we get clearance, I can take you to the M.E.’s office and you can see for yourself.” She stared at me, unable to move as I kept the serious look of concern on my face. “I really am sorry for your loss.”

  Rebecca collapsed into the chair. “So Sheila really is dead?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Does Claire know about this?”

  “No, we felt it would be better coming from you.”

  I could tell she was holding back tears, trying her best to contain her emotion in front of me. “Can I have a few minutes?”

  “Absolutely. Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right outside.” I left the copy of the picture I showed Rebecca on the table and took the original and the folder with me.

  “How’d it go?” the Lieutenant asked.

  I stared at him in disbelief. No matter the reaction, it never goes well. How can telling anyone someone they loved died ever go well?

  “How do you think it went?”

  “You know we have to look at her as a potential suspect.”

  “Can we give her fifteen minutes to grieve before grilling the poor woman for information?”

  “Fine, but don’t let her out of here until you get as much from her as you can. I don’t wanna find out she was behind it just to get her friend off the hook.”

  I pushed him away and walked back to the interrogation room. Rebecca sat there teary-eyed at the photo. I knocked on the door before entering, giving her a moment to compose herself.

  “Sorry to interrupt Ms. Reynolds, but I do have to ask you a few questions about Sheila.”

  “What did you want to know?”

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  Rebecca sat back in her chair looking as if I just slapped her in the face. “Are you insinuating I had anything to do with her death?”

  “No, I’m trying to establish a timeline and narrow it down to the last person that saw her alive. I would like to think, being her best friend, you would want to help as much as possible with the investigation.”

  Rebecca’s eyes flared up. “I hope you find whoever did this and put a bullet in their head.”

  Okay, that was a yes to helping us. “I understand. However, first we need to establish the last time you saw Sheila.”

  “I saw her three days ago. We met for coffee at a Starbucks on Route Forty-four.” Rebecca’s body language suggested she was telling the truth.

  “What did you two talk about?” Rebecca threw daggers at me with her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I need to know.”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “It started off fine. We talked about the usual, shoes, clothes, guys. I tried to see how her job hunting went.”

  “When did she lose her job?”

  “A couple of days after you arrested my client.”

  Replaying the investigation in my head, I remembered meeting Sheila the time I stopped by Dr. Cain’s office to ask her a couple of questions. “She was Dr. Cain’s secretary?
”

  “Personal assistant,” Rebecca corrected. “She worked for her shortly after Claire went into private practice.”

  “So I assume she didn’t take it very well when Dr. Cain was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder.”

  “This has nothing to do with my client,” she snapped.

  Thoughts of our previous conversation fluttered through my head. Claire was given a warning about talking to the police.

  “This may have everything to do with your client.” I reached up and turned the cameras on in the interrogation room. “Wait here; I’ll be right back.” Exiting the room, I tracked down the lieutenant and told him my theory.

  “That’s a strong accusation, Ali. You better be sure you have proof before mentioning it to that woman.”

  “I think we need to get A.D.A. Reed down here now.”

  An hour later, Stacy Reed entered the station. She made a beeline for the lieutenant’s office, finding me sitting in one of the chairs.

  “Detective Ryan, I’m a little surprised to see you here. I thought you were still on leave.”

  “Circumstances beyond our control dictated otherwise,” the Lieutenant said as he squeezed in behind her. “Why don’t we all have a seat and get you up to speed?”

  Reed sat down next to me but turned her chair to face both of us. The lieutenant told her everything that transpired since our meeting at the Kingston precinct with Dr. Cain including her friend Sheila being murdered in her own home.

  “Do you really think the person Claire Cain was referring to is the same that broke into Detective Thornton’s house and killed Ms. Nichols?”

  My instinct wanted me to grab a megaphone and shout “Hell Yeah,” into it. Instead I sat there calmly nodded my head. “Yes, I do.”

  “How sure are you? Are you willing to bet your career on it, Detective Ryan? Are you willing to risk your theory against setting a murderer free from prison? Because that’s what will happen if you’re wrong.”

  I sat straight up in my chair and looked A.D.A. Reed in the eyes. “I’m willing to bet my life on it. Because if I’m wrong, the person who broke in will kill me.”