“Ricky told us ghost stories while we ate s’mores by the fire,” Emma chatted away without taking a breath.
“Were they scary?” Stevie asked.
“No. Sorry, Ricky.”
“It’s okay,” he said and smiled brightly.
“Where’s Auntie Jamie?”
“She had to work, peanut.”
“I thought…” Ricky began to say.
“There was an emergency at the hospital.”
“Is anyone hungry?” Stevie was excited as she headed toward the kitchen.
“Sorry, Stevie,” Brad said. “We stopped at IHOP. One last treat before the trip was over.”
“I had a pancake that was as big as my head!” Emma exclaimed, almost drowning out the knock at the front door.
“Oh, lookie,” CC said when she greeted Deputy Brown. “Come on in.” CC was fully prepared to harass the deputy, but something in her demeanor told CC to back off.
“Ricky, thanks for the help,” Val said in crisp tone.
“Anytime. I had fun,” he replied.
“Now maybe you can start your vacation.” CC tried to gauge what was going on. The case was over, which should have made Val happy. The chilly air that swept in along with the stoic brunette was unsettling.
“Not just yet. I came to pick up my stuff and…”
“Right.” CC assumed she needed a moment alone with Stevie. “Hey guys, why don’t we take Emma next door and—”
“That’s okay,” Val said. “Maybe the boys can take Emma next door and check out the chessboard? Your aunt thinks she has you cornered.”
“Okay.” Emma sighed dramatically. “Time for grown-up talk. Come on, Ricky, you’ll love this chess set Auntie Caitlin bought for me. It’s Disney.”
“That kid doesn’t miss a thing. Sorry about the interruption,” Val said once the three of them were alone. “Something has come up.”
“I gathered that.” CC was truly miffed that Val had spoiled Emma’s homecoming. “Did you get a lead that might direct us to whoever has been pulling Bert’s strings?”
“Aiding and abetting is a felony but not my job. I only go after them when they run,” Val said. “I’m still going to look into it. My job is done or was. I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just spit it out. Albert Beaumont died this morning.”
“What?” CC was shaken. This news was the last thing she expected.
“How?” Stevie asked.
“He was being moved to what we thought would be a more secure location and was shivved.”
“Someone stabbed him on the way to the bus?” CC couldn’t believe it. Based on the look on Val’s face, she was troubled by the situation. “Stevie, are you okay? I know he was who he was, but he was still your father.”
“I should feel something. Right now all I can focus on is Emma being home and safe. As far as Bert goes, I’m numb.”
“Deputy, do you want me to follow you downtown or are you going to insist I ride with you?”
“Wait,” Stevie said. “What the hell’s going on?”
“I’m in a position to make his death happen,” CC said. “I didn’t,” she added for Val’s benefit. “But Deputy Brown would be remiss in her duties if she didn’t question me in a formal setting. This happened on her watch, and she has to do everything by the book.”
“Cops.” Stevie looked and sounded indignant.
“We can take my car,” Val said.
“I’ll be right behind you,” CC said. “I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible.”
CC didn’t miss the curious look Val gave her. She didn’t feel a need to expand on why she was in a hurry. She simply headed out to her car and sped towards downtown.
During her drive, she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that Bert was dead. She didn’t miss or grieve for him; she was more curious about the circumstances than anything else. The only thing she could come up with was whoever Bert was working for more than likely thought of him as expendable, more so after he got caught. CC was hopeful that whoever stabbed him held the key to the mysterious mastermind.
“Are you carrying?” Val said once they had reached the federal offices.
“No, I am not carrying a weapon. With my niece coming home I secured my weapons. You can search me if you’d like.” She opened her long gray trench coat.
“No need.” Val seemed apologetic. CC wondered whether her demeanor was real or was she just putting on a show. The higher the body count got, the fewer people she trusted.
“Hey, Frank,” she cheerfully greeted the older man. “They brought you in as well? What, no Mac C, or haven’t you gotten around to him yet?”
“A barroom full of cops verified that he was unaware Beaumont had been apprehended,” Val said drolly. “Detective Donnelly has been cleared as well. Can we get things started, Detective, or would you like to contact your union rep first?”
“I don’t need legal advice. I’m anxious to get this over with. Frank, would you mind waiting for me?”
“I’ll be right here, Cattie.”
“Thanks.” She followed after Val, who once again was giving her a curious look as they entered the interrogation room. “I understand that I have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. I also understand that this interview is being recorded.” She took a seat.
“You in a hurry?”
“I thought I made that clear. Is the recorder on?”
“Yes.” Val announced the time, date, and their names for the record. “Detective Calloway, after you left the federal building yesterday afternoon, where did you go and who did you talk to?”
“After you apprehended Albert Beaumont, I called my wife and sister to inform them that my stepfather was in custody. I also called my partner, Detective Sampson. Would you like my cell so you can check the call logs?”
“As much as I love your phone, just your permission to run a check on the number will be more than enough.”
“You have my permission. Now back to my activities on the day in question. Later that day I confirmed with you that my niece could come home. After Beaumont had been processed, I went directly home and spent time with my wife and sister. We called it a night around eight thirty. My sister may have waited up a bit later. She might have been expecting a visitor.”
“Oh, um…” Val stammered. “I guess that’s it.”
“Who did it?”
“Lawrence Cha… Charanski.”
“It’s pronounced Sharkansky.” CC’s shoulders slumped. “Damn it.”
“You know him? Isn’t that just great.”
“Shark? We grew up together. We were in the same classes, until he started being held back. He finally dropped out around my junior year,” CC said. “Nice guy, even though he was the neighborhood thug. His sister used to be Stevie’s best friend. After they started school, Carol seemed to be following in her older brother’s footsteps. She ended up turning her life around. She’s a social worker for DSS now. She’s done a lot for the kids in this city. I’m guessing it doesn’t look good for me that the guy who stabbed my stepfather was a former classmate of mine.”
“No it doesn’t look good. You not only hated the victim, you had one helluva motive for wanting him dead. The only thing working in your favor is that you spent most of yesterday in the company of federal agents. Now I get to question all of them.”
“Add yourself to the list, since I spent most of my time with you. Look, I didn’t have anything to do with Bert’s death. I don’t doubt that a lot of people would sympathize with my motives if I had. Crossing that line isn’t who I am. Also, with Bert dead, I might never find out who targeted me and my family in the first place. Now if I promise not to leave town, am I free to go?”
“Yes.” Val snatched up her files and left of the room.
CC didn’t like the sound of hesitation in Val’s voice or the abrupt way she ended the interview. She wasn’t in a position to start an argument, but she did want some answers. CC chased after
the deputy, fighting to keep in her ire in check.
“Is Shark here? If it’s okay, I’d like to talk to him. You can record the whole thing,” CC said as Frank approached them. “I cooperated with you, and there’s a chance I might be able to get him to talk.”
“You’re still a suspect.”
“When was I out of the task force’s watchful eye? I didn’t have the time to mastermind a hit.”
“Do it,” Frank said, “or I’ll tell everyone that I lied about you having Ted Williams’s number tattooed on your arse. Don’t think I’m bluffing. I’ll toss you right into the Sevens and let Mac take it from there.”
“Oh, that’s not what she has on her ass.” CC enjoyed the sight of Val’s eyes bugging out.
Val gulped. “Okay, but we videotape everything.”
CC knew it wasn’t fair, but she did enjoy seeing Val squirm. She even had the bad manners to snicker when the deputy darted off to set everything up.
“Thanks for sticking around, Frank, and for the backup.”
“Anything for you, Cattie.”
“Do you still have connections in Revere?”
“A few. What’s up?”
“My wife’s boss is missing.” CC didn’t like the gnawing feeling in her gut. “He lives in a condo across from the beach. It’s probably nothing, but it’s out of character for him to not show up for work.”
“I’ll make some calls.”
CC thanked him just as Deputy Brown made her approach. Val told her everything was in place. She could have a short informal chat with the suspect while it was being videotaped. Val and Ledger would be watching from the other side of the mirror. CC agreed to the terms, anxious to find out if her old classmate knew why Bert was running around Boston yanking her chain.
“Shark!” She greeted the burly bald man shackled to the table. She made certain that she pronounced his name the proper Revere way, which was to drop the “r” and say it loudly.
“CC!” He tried to stand, only to be halted by his chains and the deputy standing behind him. “Sorry. I’d give you a hug, but I’m all tied up. How the hell are you kid?”
“Same old Shark.” She smiled and took a seat in the uncomfortable plastic chair on the other side of the table. “Damn, it’s been forever. I miss those days when you’d drop off a bag of fried clams from Kelly’s when I was working the overnight at that gas station.”
“It was nothing.” He waved her off.
“Yeah, like it was nothing giving me a ride home after my shift and not blabbing my real age to the owner.”
“I heard you’d become a cop.” He smiled and quickly changed the subject. CC found it interesting that he didn’t seem to mind being chained to a table because he had just murdered someone, but talking about his sensitive side made him uncomfortable.
“Carol said you’re doing good.” He seemed to enjoy the impromptu reunion.
“So is she.”
“Yeah, she turned it around. I’m proud of her. Even when she keeps harping on me to get my shit together.”
“Ever think of listening to her?”
“This is who I am.” He shrugged as if sitting there in chains clad in an orange jumpsuit was nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, given his long history with the legal system, this probably was the norm. “Heard you married a hot blonde,” he added with a wry grin.
“That I did.” CC couldn’t refrain from laughing.
“Damn, CC you really got it going on,” he complimented her. “Good for you.”
“So, Shark, hate to throw a wet blanket on the party.” The uneasy feelings she’d had earlier resurfaced. “Want to tell me why you killed my stepfather?”
“Oh, that? Didn’t like him.”
“Neither did I,” CC said. “But shanking him? That’s a bit much.”
“Carol is doing good, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” CC was confused as to why the conversation returned to his kid sister.
“Yeah, I’m proud of her.”
“You should be. What happened, Shark?” Her voice shook as she asked the question.
“When?”
“This morning, when you killed a man.” CC wasn’t fooled by his stalling tactics.
“Not much of a man, if you ask me,” he responded with a shrug.
“I’m inclined to agree with you. Still, it doesn’t explain why you went to all of this trouble.” CC tried to keep calm.
CC patiently waited for him to answer. He just sat there with a bored look. If it weren’t for the turmoil she felt was lurking just below the surface, she would have been convinced that nothing was amiss.
“Would you like for me to get in touch with Carol?” She threw out just to get him talking again.
“Nah.” He blew off the suggestion as if she had offered to buy him a cup of coffee. “She doesn’t need to be bothered by this crap.”
“I think she’s going to hear about this. Better she hear it from a friend.”
He sat there for a moment, just studying the dilapidated table. CC thought she had lost him. Just as she was about to say her goodbyes, Shark looked up. There was a pained look in his green eyes as he held her gaze.
“I asked her how she got it together,” he said. His tone was still light, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions. “You know about all the trouble she got into when she first started school.”
“Yeah. Things started to go wrong for her around the time she stopped hanging around with Stevie.”
“I never understood it,” he said, the tension finally showing in his voice. “Out of the blue, she just changed. After she cleaned up her act, I asked what had happened. She told me that she got therapy and that helped her pull it together. Now she helps a lot of kids.”
“She’s great. The kids in this city are lucky to have her. Still doesn’t answer my question.”
“To change like that all of a sudden,” his tone turned grim. “She stopped eating, talking, and wouldn’t hang out with her friends. Then she started acting up. I thought she was just being a pain in the ass.”
“Oh, my God.” CC felt her world collapsing.
“She told me what happened.”
“No, I watched him. I made sure—”
“He stayed away from Stevie,” Shark finished for her. “It was just before school started. She was outside playing in the yard. He drove up and offered to take her for an ice cream. She knew not to go with strangers, but this was Mr. Beaumont.”
Shark hesitated for a moment. “I found out he was doing a stretch down in Connecticut. Sadly, I don’t have any juice down there. I was working on it. Then I get word my fish is swimming right up here in Boston. A little infraction, good timing, and it was like Christmas came early.”
“I didn’t know.” CC felt like she was going to throw up. “I thought I kept everyone safe.”
“Geez, CC, you were just a kid yourself. I heard you went to the cops long before Stevie was born. You’re not the one who dropped the ball.”
“A jury might be sympathetic,” she tried to reason with him.
“No jury.” He dismissed the idea with an air of indifference. “I did it. I’m pleading guilty. I’m all for saving the taxpayers money. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Good thing it happened up here. No death penalty.”
“Shark, you’re talking about life without parole.”
“I did it. I planned it. I acted alone.”
“I doubt that.”
“All on me,” he said with a brilliant smile. “I know you don’t agree, but some folks just need killing, and the guy who molested my baby sister tops that list. At least with the long weekend, I get a couple of extra days up here enjoying the peace and quiet.”
“Then back to Walpole forever?” CC still couldn’t believe what was happening.
“Not that much longer than I was already looking at.” He shrugged. “Truth is, when I’m on the inside, I stay clean, sober, and work hard. On the outside, I’m looking for the easy way to make a buck.
Instead of working, I steal or sell drugs. If the loudmouth next to me in the bar bugs me, I’ll punch the shit out of him. I just don’t handle being out well. Inside, I’m a straight arrow with focus. Don’t argue with me on this. The bastard got what he deserved. This has nothing to do with you. This is on me.”
“Damn it, Shark. This doesn’t have to end this way.”
“Just do me one favor? Watch out for Carol.” He grimaced. “She’s gonna be pissed when she finds out. She told me to let it be, said she visited him down in Connecticut and got closure, whatever that means.”
“I never understood the concept. I’ll keep an eye on her for you, and maybe I’ll even visit you.”
“Uh, I’d like that, but having a cop show up to say hi wouldn’t be good for my health.” He laughed. “How about a Christmas card or some clean socks on my birthday? Just let me finish this my way.”
“Are you sure there isn’t anything else about this you want to share? Like how you knew he was here, or how you managed to get so close to a federal prisoner?” He just sat there with a blank look on his face. “Nothing huh? Okay then, have it your way. Take care and watch your back.”
“You do the same.”
She felt the urge to hug him; instead, she waved and walked out. She wasn’t surprised when Ledger and Brown met her outside the room. “You got everything you need?”
“That should wrap this up,” Ledger said.
“He had to have help to organize this,” Val tried to argue.
“No way he’ll rat out anyone.” CC explained. “Shark’s an honorable guy. He’ll do what he said. He isn’t going to recant. He’ll go in for his arraignment on Monday and plead guilty, because he didn’t like Beaumont.”
“Tuesday, long weekend,” Val corrected her. “You sound certain he won’t decide that life in prison is more than he bargained for.”
“He’ll do his time and keep his mouth shut. Like I said, for a thug, he’s got a strong sense of honor. Now, if you’re done with me, I have something I need to do.” She walked away, not waiting for a response, and caught up with Frank who was sporting a very grim look.
“I’ve got bad news. They pulled a body off the beach this morning. John Doe with sketchy details. Might not be your guy.” She wanted to believe him. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that things had just gone from bad to worse.
Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) Page 27
