Conviction: Book 3 of the Detective Ryan Series

by Andrew Hess

  Mr. Lewis flipped through the pictures of the victims first, mumbling no after each one. His eyes stared at the picture of Nick DeFalco. He held it in one hand while staring at Claire’s phot.

  “Do you know either of them?” I asked.

  “This one,” he held up DeFalco’s picture first, “I saw him on the cover of the newspaper.”

  “You’ve never met him before?”

  “I don’t know. He might’ve come in for a meeting or two; I can’t remember.” He put the picture down and glared at Claire’s picture. “This one is Dr. Cain.”

  “What do you know about her?”

  “I know that we went out on a couple of dates, but kept quiet about her life. Most of the conversations were focused on me.

  “How long did you two date?”

  “A couple of weeks. We were nothing serious and never went beyond a kiss at the end of the night.”

  “How did you meet Dr. Cain?”

  “She was at the meetings.”

  “Was she there often?”

  He hesitated. I didn’t know if that was him thinking about the times he saw her, or if he was thinking of how many times he was willing to tell us.

  “I’d say about once a week.”

  “Was she ever there with someone or talking to anyone else there, anyone you can think of?”

  He shook his head, putting me back at square one. There were too many questions left on the table, but Mr. Lewis refused to give us those answers.

  “We want those names of the frequent and infrequent presenters before the end of the day,” Ms. Reed demanded. “In the meantime, these officers will escort you back to your office where they will discretely use the search warrant to look for any videos and logs for the meetings. Do we have a deal?”

  Mr. Langston conversed with his client who nodded in agreement. “Yes, I believe so. My client will fully cooperate with the investigation including releasing any videos he may have.”

  Ms. Reed shook his hand and exited the room with Mr. Langston and Mr. Lewis following her out the door.

  “You really think he’s gonna give us all of it?” James asked.

  “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  Chapter 35-Ali

  We spent hours combing through the videos trying to find Claire. Mr. Lewis informed us there would be no way to look at any videos longer than three months ago, because they were deleted. Our only hope rested on the chance we found Claire talking to someone. Hell at this point, I would take her talking to the bum on the street over finding nothing. Unfortunately, nothing is what we found on those tapes. We didn’t even see Claire on any of the footage. For a moment, I felt like all of this was a waste of time. Then Mr. Lewis emerged from his office.

  “I couldn’t access pictures of the people on the list, but here are the names of our regular speakers and some of our rare presenters as well.” None of the names on the list stood out to me, but couldn’t wait to get back to the station to run them through the system.

  I knocked on the lieutenant’s door the moment we arrived. I slipped inside after he motioned for me to enter. “What is it, Ali?”

  “Lewis gave us the list. James is running the names through the system as we speak. Once we have their pictures we can bring it to Claire to see if she recognizes them.”

  “Sounds good, but now we have a slight problem. Claire asked for a public defender and has asked for an emergency meeting which is scheduled for a half hour from now.”

  “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get down there.”

  I told James where we were going. He wanted to come with us, but I told him we needed to run the names through the system. If he got their pictures, he could send them as a text message or an email which I could show Claire.

  “Fine,” he said childishly. “But the moment I finish up here, I’m jumping in the car and coming to pick you up from the prison.”

  I walked outside the station and found the lieutenant leaning against a squad car. “Get in; you’re driving.” He tossed me the keys, which made me laugh.

  “What happened to you’ll never let me drive?”

  “Not my car,” he replied. “At least if you total one of these, I don’t have to pay for it with my own money.”

  Nicely played, old man. Jumping in the driver’s seat, I started the car, and heard it roar to life. Once the lieutenant was secured in the passenger seat, I hit the gas and floored it to Kingston.

  There was an eerie feeling of someone watching us the moment we entered the prison. I was already feeling on edge, but relinquishing my gun made me question everything and everyone around me.

  “Right through this door, Lieutenant,” one of the officers said.

  Inside the room was a pale faced Claire who looked like she had not eaten in days. Next to her was a scrawny man with shaggy, blond, shoulder length hair. I could tell he must have recently passed the bar. His suit was a wrinkled, discount priced, generic brand, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it stood out as cheap compared to the attorneys I dealt with. His hands fidgeted on the table, and I swear I could smell the rank smell of desperation coming from his side of the table.

  “Afternoon, Dr. Cain,” the Lieutenant said. “We got your message, what’s the reason for this meeting?”

  “Where’s Ms. Reed? This concerns her too.”

  “I left her a message. She should be here shortly. In the meantime, you can talk to us.”

  Claire nodded at her attorney. His hands reached into the pocket of her orange jumpsuit. He handed her a piece of paper which she pushed towards us on the table.

  “I found this on my pillow today.”

  I picked up the note by its corner and read it out loud. “Claire, you truly disappoint me. I have given you fair warning, and shown you the consequences of your actions. The time is drawing close for all loose ends to be taken care of.”

  “When did you get this?” I asked.

  “A couple of hours before my attorney called you. The prison has policies in place that prohibited me from making any calls. They had to pull a public defender to send down here to meet with me. That’s when I had him call you.”

  “How long were you away from your cell?” Esposito asked.

  “I was out in the yard, so I guess it was an hour.”

  It was more than enough time for someone to slip in and place the note for Claire to find. With the inmates in the yard, the cell doors would remain open, which meant it could’ve been a guard or an inmate. The list of suspects of possible accomplices was endless.

  I looked to the lieutenant hoping he would take the lead and tell us what to do. “I think it’s best for you and for your attorney to wait here until Ms. Reed arrives.” He stood up and opened the door. A tall woman with short, blond hair towered over the lieutenant. I wanted to laugh, but bit the inside of my cheeks to prevent the grin from spreading across my face.

  “What’s going on here?” Ms. Reed asked.

  I kept the note pressed between my thumb and index finger as I held it for her to read. “What should we do about it?”

  “The prison transfer has been approved. We’ll be moving you first thing in the morning.”

  “Where am I being moved to?” Claire asked.

  “We’re keeping that quiet for now. We don’t want word of the transfer or where you’re going to get out.”

  “So what am I supposed to do until then?”

  “I will speak to the warden. You will remain with the two guards posted outside your cell and will not leave there under any circumstances until tomorrow morning. Is that understood?”

  Claire nodded her head showing us she agreed. Ms. Reed motioned for me to bag the note as evidence before she exited the room.

  We met her outside in the parking lot a few minutes later. “I don’t like this,” I began. “Whoever this guy is, he’s getting too close. He was able to kill two of Claire’s friends without leaving as much as a shred of evidence to tie anyone to the homicides. Now he’
s threatening to tie up loose ends.”

  I started to wonder what other loose ends he planned on tying up. Was it just Claire, or were all of us on his hit list?

  “Ali, there’s nothing more we can do until we make the transfer,” Ms. Reed said. “We’ll meet back here first thing in the morning.”

  Esposito agreed, but cleared his throat loudly to get our attention. “I don’t want us to take any chances, which means I am placing you both under police protection.” I went to make a smartass remark, but the lieutenant cut me off. “I don’t want to hear it, Ryan. You are both heavily connected to these cases and I can’t risk losing either one of you.”

  “Fine, Detective Thornton and I will__”

  “You will both stay home with units watching the house. I will send a couple of officers to keep watch over Ms. Reed as well and we’ll meet at the precinct at six in the morning. Is that understood?” He turned towards me and stared as if he knew I would defy his orders.

  “Okay, I promise I won’t go anywhere,” I replied. “But if something happens, someone better call me immediately.”

  We drove back to the station together where the Lieutenant assigned a few officers to watch over Ms. Reed and me. I wasn’t happy about it, but understood why the lieutenant gave the order. With this psychopath on the loose, I wasn’t willing to take any more chances.

  Chapter 36-PM

  Seeing the police show up at the office made the Puppet Master feel uneasy. They were getting too close to the truth. Once they uncovered his name, there would be no place left to run, nowhere to hide, and no one to pin it on.

  Although it was a standard squad car, he knew Detective Ryan was behind it. He caught her there the day before and was accompanied by the Don Juan wannabe that spent more time ogling her ass than focusing on the case. They had only spent fifteen minutes in the office, but he was sure they didn’t have anything concrete. Seeing the two uniformed officers show up tipped him off that something was wrong.

  He continued to watch from his car as the officers entered the building, but after a half hour, there was still no sign of them. That’s when the panic set in.

  “They’re in there too long.” He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “What do they got on him?”

  The Puppet Master waited impatiently in the car, watching the building closely. When another car pulled into the parking lot, he recognized the driver as the company’s attorney.

  “Shit, this isn’t good.” He looked around the lot, noting the two uniformed officers were the only police presence. “Maybe this is nothing. Maybe they’re here for something else.”

  Ten minutes after the company lawyer arrived, he was walking out the door with a tall, well-dressed man, he knew as Mr. Lewis. They were flanked by the two officers who brought them to the back of the patrol car. Lewis was placed in the backseat, but he was not handcuffed.

  “They must be bringing him down for questioning.” He needed to act fast, but debated if he should follow them or not. He gave them a three minute head start before turning the key in the ignition. He didn’t want to tip them off by following either car, so he drove his own path to the police station.

  He pulled to the back of the lot, seeing both the squad car and the attorney’s car parked near the doors. Lewis was being helped out of the backseat when another car pulled into the lot. The short, blond hair and perfectly pressed pant suit screamed authority as the Assistant District Attorney stormed up the steps to the door.

  The Puppet Master watched as she mumbled something to the officers, but couldn’t hear them so far away. Once they disappeared inside, they were beyond his reach. There was no way to know what Mr. Lewis would reveal to them. His eyes scanned the lot and found Detective Ryan’s car.

  That was the last straw. He needed to end things before his plan was ripped away from him. There was only one way to divert their attention. He needed to add another victim to his list. He needed them to feel the desperation he felt in that moment.

  He grabbed his phone and dialed his friend at the prison. “I need one last favor from you.”

  “Come on; you know this shit can cost me my job.”

  “One last note, and I promise I won’t ask you again.”

  “You know this obsession of yours is getting out of hand. They have two guards on her at all times.”

  “I’m not surprised. You’ll have to wait for the inmates to leave before you do it.”

  “What if I get caught?”

  “You won’t. The guards will be too focused on keeping an eye out for her. They won’t be looking at the cells.”

  There was a long pause between them. “You swear this is the last time you’re gonna ask me to do this?”

  “I promise; you’ll never hear from me again.”

  “Fine, what do you need it to say?”

  The Puppet Master told him the cold callus words to write on the paper while keeping his eye on the door. “Text me when it’s done.”

  Slouching in the driver’s seat, the Puppet Master watched as Lewis, his attorney, Detective Ryan and Thornton exited the station. He was tempted to follow them, but decided he was better off taking a field trip.

  Following the A.D.A. around was the perfect way to get close enough to get what he needed. She arrived at the courthouse and hurried inside. He watched her carry her briefcase into the building, noticing she left her purse behind. Once he saw the doors close behind her, the Puppet Master made his move.

  He jimmied the door open and retrieved her purse. Pulling the keys from it, he placed the bag back and closed the door. He sped off to the nearest hardware store to get a copy made of her key, adding it to the collection he already had, including Claire, Detective Thornton and Detective Ryan’s.

  “Decision time,” he said with an evil grin plastered to his face. Holding the four keys up to his eye level, he whispered, “eenie meenie miny moe, one of you needs to go.” He continued rambling until he singled out one key. “Looks like we have a winner.”

  He made sure to place the keys back in the purse before Ms. Reed returned from her court sessions. The waiting game was the only way he would succeed. He was sure the night would end in one of two ways. He would kill his next victim, or he would be arrested.

  He spent hours watching his targets as they huddled together at the prison. Seeing how fast they arrived meant Claire received his latest note. He knew she must have called an emergency meeting trying to plead for extra protection or to get her moved. Little did they know, a prison transfer was exactly what he wanted. It was the only way to get her out in the open to make his move, to get the revenge he craved. He just needed to add one more piece to his plan.

  With the conclusion of the meeting at the prison, the Puppet Master watched as his victims sped back to their precinct. He followed them, but made sure to stay back enough for no one would notice. Halfway back to the station, he realized following them around was pointless. He couldn’t get close enough to hear anything they said, and would only bring him one-step closer to being caught.

  The decision was made to detour from the path and make his way to his selected victim’s house. He parked at the end of the block, far enough to keep out of sight.

  He waited for two more hours before seeing the car pull onto the street and into the driveway. She was accompanied by a patrol car, which sat in front of the house. They exited the car and met the Assistant District Attorney by the front door. They entered the house first, most likely to ensure no one else was there waiting to surprise their assignment. Little did they know the man they were looking for was down the block watching everything they did.

  “So, it looks like someone’s got a little protection,” the Puppet Master cackled. “You think two little cops are gonna stop me?” His eyes flickered back to the house as one of the officers returned to the car. “You better hope they’re as good as you think they are.”

  He waited until eleven that night. The officers were in the middle of switching their guard du
ties. It was getting late, and was past the time Ms. Reed typically went to bed. The lights died off moments after the officers traded places, leaving one of them outside as the lookout.

  He let everyone settle in and let their guards down as they got comfortable for the night. Once an hour had passed, the Puppet Master turned the corner and drove around the block. He approached the front of the squad car. He knew it was a big risk, but he needed to eliminate the lookout first.

  Parking across the street, the Puppet Master walked up to the driver’s side and knocked on the window. It startled the officer inside as he woke up and flung the door open. His gun was drawn, shoving it into the Puppet Master’s face.

  His hand relaxed and smiled. “What the hell?” He made the mistake of holstering his weapon after seeing a face he recognized. It was a mistake that was about to cost him his life.

  The Puppet Master lunged forward plunging the tip of a switch blade he had hidden in his sleeve into the officer’s throat. The shock knocked the officer back as his hand reached for the gun. But the Puppet Master was relentless. He continued stabbing until the officer lay motionless on the ground.

  He knew there was one more cop he had to get rid of before going after his target. Using the key he made earlier in the day, he unlocked the front door and entered the house. The plan hadn’t been tested like he did with the others. If it had, he would have known the layout of the house and where to find the other officer.

  Pulling a small flashlight from his pocket, he clicked it on and searched the first floor for the second cop. Quietly he crept into the living room and found the couch. The officer’s body was sprawled out laying face-up. Steadying the light on top of the couch cushion, the Puppet Master kept his hand hovered over the officer’s mouth as the knife rested on the throat. In one quick motion, he clapped the hand over the mouth and pierced the skin with the knife, slicing the officer’s throat.

  The officer’s hand reached for his gun, but the Puppet Master expected it. He restrained the flailing arms. The more the officer struggled the more blood he lost. Within two minutes the officer bled out on the couch, eliminating another obstacle from his path.