Dead Weight

by Ragan, T. R.

  “Why the hell did Andrea Kramer hire you in the first place?” Roth asked her.

  “Andrea was sure that all the evidence she gave me would point to Melbourne. If she couldn’t have him, she wanted him to spend the rest of his life in jail. When she realized I wasn’t going to take Melbourne down without sufficient evidence, she decided to take matters into her own hands. After her husband left her and took the kids, I think she snapped. Jane just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  He nodded. “What about Melbourne’s secret program?”

  “I think he truly believed he was providing a service for women who he thought could not help themselves.”

  “So he wasn’t in cahoots with Andrea?”

  “I don’t think so. I would bet he knew Andrea was in love with him, but he had no idea how dangerous she was.”

  Detective Roth was called away.

  As Andrea was led down the stairs, Lizzy stayed at her side. “Why did you kill Diane?” Lizzy asked.

  “I didn’t kill her. Melbourne and his floozy assistant have hidden her away somewhere, I’m sure of it.”

  “You killed your sister and buried her in the woods.”

  “I would never do such a thing. I was always trying to help my sister. She wanted so badly to be beautiful like me. When we were little we looked like twins. But then Mom died and Diane wouldn’t stop stuffing her face.”

  “You said you gained a lot of weight, too. You did the very same thing. You ate because you were sad.”

  “I was nothing like Diane. I realized I had a problem and I took care of it.”

  “She loved you, Andrea. She thought you walked on water and you killed her.”

  “I already told you I didn’t kill her. She could be lounging on the beach in Hawaii for all we know.”

  “Give it up, Andrea. They found her body. Multiple stab wounds.”

  Andrea’s face paled. “You have no proof.”

  “How did you get those cuts on your arms?”

  “Trimming the rose bushes,” she ground out.

  “Vivian’s in the hospital,” Lizzy told her. “The doctors say she’s going to pull through. The police are waiting to talk to her.”

  Andrea’s face turned an ugly shade of red. “Anthony Melbourne is the killer and you know it. I handed you the evidence on a silver platter, but you were too stupid to see what was right in front of you.”

  “That’s enough from you,” Detective Roth said as he joined them, his voice a bored drawl. “Put her in the car.”

  Lizzy’s phone rang. She clicked a button and put the phone to her ear.

  “It’s me, Jessica. The reporters are swarming the office and I can’t get through the door.”

  “How did they find out about Andrea already?” Lizzy asked.

  “They didn’t. It’s Hayley. She’s been arrested. They’re saying that Hayley is the same girl that you and I saw in that crazy video on the Internet. It’s all over the news. What are we going to do?”

  Chapter 40

  The Reunion

  “Why didn’t you stop him, Mom?”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “You knew,” Carol said. “More than once I saw you standing outside the door peeking in. If the father of my children ever touched one hair on their bodies, I would never just go on as if nothing had happened. I wouldn’t still be living with him either. I would have killed him. I would have stabbed him, driven a knife straight through his heart.”

  A long stretch of silence followed.

  When Carol called the hospital, the doctor had told her that her mother would be lucky if she made it to the end of the month.

  Her mother looked older and yet the same. Carol couldn’t help but wonder if she was born like that...dead, without any spark. “Why are you still with him, Mom?”

  “I didn’t know how to leave him.”

  Carol looked away.

  “Not everyone is as strong as you, Carol.”

  “Didn’t you ever, just once, want to pack up and leave?”

  “Where would I have gone?”

  “Anywhere. To the dump. Who the fuck cares? To the fucking dump. Better to live IN garbage than with it.”

  The door to the hospital room opened. It was Frank. He looked from Carol to Ruth.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Carol told the man whom she would never again call father.

  “What is she doing here? What is going on, Ruth?”

  “I’m saying goodbye to my daughter.”

  “Get out...now,” Carol said, her voice calm yet firm, a deadly glint in her eyes.

  He pointed a finger at Carol. “If you think you can talk to your father that way, you are profoundly mistaken. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Carol reached into her purse and pulled out a pistol. She cocked it and aimed the barrel at Frank’s chest. “Wrong again, Frank. One more step and you’re going straight to hell. No passing Go. I should have shot you twenty-one years ago.”

  “Ruth, tell her to put the gun down.”

  Ruth let her head fall back onto the pillow. “I’m sorry, Carol. So sorry. You were right about everything...except I could never have stabbed him through the heart.”

  “Why not?” Carol asked.

  “Because he doesn’t have one.” Ruth looked at Frank. “Go away, Frank. I’m tired. I already talked to Detective Roth. He has the pictures you took. He’s waiting for you back home. Tell him hello for me, Frank, will you?”

  Chapter 41

  One Week Later

  For the past thirty minutes, Lizzy had talked to her therapist non-stop, getting it all out. Once she was finished, her shoulders fell. She looked at Linda Gates and waited to see what she had to say.

  “It’s not your fault that Hayley is in jail.”

  Lizzy exhaled. “This time, Linda, it is my fault. For months I’ve seen obvious signs that something was wrong. Hayley hasn’t been herself. My other assistant pointed it out more than once. I knew Hayley was out walking the streets at night, but I took her for her word and never imagined she was seeking revenge. Every single one of those men deserved to be punished, but Hayley is the one who will pay the price.”

  “What is it exactly that you think you could have done?”

  “I could have been there for her. Instead, I swept it all under the rug, figuring I’d deal with Hayley once I tied up a few of the cases I was working on.”

  “If you were there for her, would she have listened?”

  Lizzy shook her head. “No, she would have gotten angry and left the apartment.”

  Linda nodded.

  “But that’s not the point.”

  “What is the point?”

  “The point is I didn’t try hard enough.”

  “So this isn’t about Hayley,” Linda said. “It’s about you.”

  Lizzy thought about that for a moment. Once again, Linda was right. She looked at her therapist, the woman she’d been confiding in for fourteen years. “Are you trying to tell me that I can’t save everyone?”

  Linda nodded.

  “And I can’t take on guilt every time someone close to me makes bad choices?”

  Linda kept on nodding.

  They had been down this road a million times before. The good news was that Lizzy caught on a little faster each time. “What about Jared?”

  Linda angled her head just so. “What about him?”

  “Why am I so afraid of moving in with him?”

  “Because you’re a very smart woman. You’ve been living alone for a long time and you want to make sure he’s the right man for you before you make a big commitment such as moving in.”

  “Wow,” Lizzy said. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  Linda chuckled. “I have confidence in you, Lizzy. I’ve always told you that you’re a smart one, and you’ve never let me down; so keep being smart. When you’re ready to fully commit to Jared, I’m sure you’ll have no problem mov
ing in with him and accepting him for who he is.”

  “What about telling him I love him?”

  “What about it?”

  “I feel sick to my stomach every time he says the words.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I feel guilty for not saying the words back.”

  “Do you think Jared expects you to say the words back to him?”

  The answer came easily. “No,” Lizzy said. “I’m sure he doesn’t. He loves me for who I am, the good and the bad. If I never said the L word, he would be fine with it.”

  “You’ll say the words when the time is right and when you feel it in here.” Linda put a hand over her heart.

  Lizzy knew she was right. “I’m sorry I missed so many appointments.”

  “Don’t be. You were busy.”

  “It must be nice to have all the answers,” Lizzy said.

  Linda smiled.

  ***

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner?” Lizzy asked Jessica.

  “And be a third wheel?”

  Lizzy rolled her eyes.

  “The truth is,” Jessica said, “I have a date with Casey. He’s taking me out for a hamburger and a movie.”

  “Well, good for you.” Lizzy could tell she had something else on her mind. “Go ahead, Jessica, say it. I’m all ears and Jared won’t be arriving for a few more minutes.”

  “It’s about Hayley. I’m worried about her.”

  Lizzy stopped chopping carrots for a moment. “I thought you two didn’t like one another?”

  “We don’t see eye to eye for the most part,” Jessica said, “but I like her. And I think she likes me, too, although she would never admit it.” Jessica smiled. “I know this is wrong of me to say, but I’m proud of Hayley. She didn’t kill anyone. I know she must have wanted to kill those men, but she didn’t. She used restraint and that’s not something I thought I’d ever say about Hayley Hansen.”

  Lizzy nodded in understanding. “Jared’s going to make sure she has a good defense lawyer.”

  “I’m glad.” After a moment Jessica added, “I heard that Farrell is suing after all.”

  “Don’t worry about him. We have pictures of your bruises. I saw the welts with my own eyes. He’s not going to get away with it. The company that hired me to watch Farrell is backing us up one hundred percent.”

  A knock at the door put an end to their conversation. Jessica grabbed her purse, looked through the peephole, and opened the door. “Hi Jared.”

  “Hi, Jessica. I heard you did some great work with the Fullerton case.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t easy, but I found Carol. Speaking of which, your girlfriend owes me a raise.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

  “See you both later,” Jessica said. “Enjoy your evening.”

  Jared shut the door, locked it, and then headed straight for Lizzy. Without a word said, he took her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I missed you,” he whispered into her ear.

  “I’m glad you’re home,” Lizzy said. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks.”

  “I don’t like being away from you. Move in with me, Lizzy.” He took hold of her hand and kept his gaze on hers. “It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? Thirty years from now, Forty years from now? What’s it look like?”

  Lizzy laughed. He had just quoted a passage from The Notebook. “You memorized that for me?”

  “Nobody but you.”

  “I love you, Jared Shayne. I really do love you.”

  “Don’t tease me,” he said.

  “I’m not teasing. And it’s not just because you quoted such a wonderful passage from my favorite movie.” She stood on her tippy-toes and kissed his cheek and then his nose and his chin. “I love you.”

  She looked away for a moment, her eyes wide with wonder. She inhaled. “I feel okay.” She looked at him again. “Telling you I love you feels good.”

  “I love you, too, Lizzy Gardner,” he said, holding her tight again. “You know that I do.”

  “Meow.”

  Smiling, Jared bent down and picked up the kitten. “How did Peter Pan get here? I thought he was at my house?”

  “Her name is Hannah.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Hannah?”

  “Don’t ask. It’s a done deal.”

  He set Hannah back on the ground, wrapped Lizzy in his arms and kissed her neck.

  To love and be loved, Lizzy thought, knowing she was one of the lucky ones.

  ***

  Two days later, Lizzy followed Jared into the front entrance of the California Division of Juvenile Justice. Usually visitors were not allowed to visit until after thirty days, but Jared had pulled some strings so she would get a chance to see Hayley.

  After checking I.D., they were asked to leave their cell phones and other personal belongings at the front desk. A final check and a frisk allowed them to follow an unarmed guard to the Level 2 facilities where Hayley was being kept. Firearms were only allowed outside of the institution. The DJJ was a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation where education and treatment services were provided for some of California’s most serious youth offenders, ranging in age from 12 to 25. According to the reports Lizzy read, teens with mental health problems were failing to be rehabilitated. The place felt cold and smelled sterile. It made Lizzy sick to think that Hayley was somewhere inside.

  The most serious offenders were locked down for 23 hours a day. Not as punishment, the institution said, but as a means to keep the teens safe.

  They followed the guard down a long narrow hallway, where the only sound was the click of their heels. It was early. Most of the incarcerated youths were still asleep. Hayley didn’t sleep much, which bothered Lizzy further, since she wondered what Hayley would do to keep herself busy.

  They entered a room that resembled a school cafeteria. A guard stood at a door on the other side of the room. The guard next to them said they had ten minutes. Then he stepped back, arms stiff behind him, and waited quietly.

  Hayley sat alone at a long table in the center of the room.

  When Lizzy had first met Hayley she had black spiky hair. Her hair was layered now, flyaway pieces framing a pale, heart-shaped face. Most of the black had grown out, revealing her natural color, a rich dark chocolate, the same color as her eyes. All of her piercings had been removed. She wore a one-piece brown uniform. She was not cuffed. No chains around her ankles. For that Lizzy was thankful.

  Lizzy looked at Jared, who gestured for her to take the lead. He followed behind and took a seat at the same table, but sat quietly a few seats away. Earlier, he’d made it clear that he would be right there if she needed him.

  Hayley’s hands rested on the table, one on top of the other, the stub of her pinky finger clearly visible.

  Lizzy put her hands on top of Hayley’s and looked into her eyes.

  “Don’t you be sad,” Hayley said.

  Lizzy smiled. “Everything’s going to be okay. Jared’s going to help me get you out of here.”

  “Assault with a deadly weapon is considered a felony,” Hayley told her. “It’s punishable by up to four years in state prison. That’s not counting fines up to $10,000, which we both know you can’t afford.”

  Lizzy looked at Jared. He nodded his agreement with her assessment of the situation. As usual, Hayley had done her homework.

  A moment of silence passed before Lizzy said, “I left some books for you at the front. They’ll give them to you after they check everything. There’s also an iPod from Jessica. She said it was old and she wanted to get a new one anyway.”

  Hayley smiled. “I hope she downloaded some decent music. Have you ever heard the music she listens to?”

  Lizzy forced another smile. She
could hear the strain in Hayley’s voice as she put on a strong front.

  “I know I disappointed you,” Hayley said, her tone serious. “I’m sorry about that, but I’m not sorry for anything I’ve done.”

  “You didn’t kill that man. I’m thankful for that.”

  “I wanted to. My intention was to finish Brian off once and for all. I cannot and will not lie about that. That man does not deserve to be living and breathing.”

  A sigh escaped Lizzy.

  “You don’t need to worry about me. I realize this place has a bad reputation. Ninety percent of those released from this place end up in adult prison. It’s overcrowded. The food sucks and the suicide rate is high. But you still don’t have any reason to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “Time is up,” the guard said.

  “Is there anything you need?” Lizzy asked. “Anything I can send you before we get a court date set up?”

  “Nope,” Hayley said. “I’m good.”

  Jared stood and waited for Lizzy.

  “By the way,” Hayley added, “I heard that you saved Vivian. I guess you didn’t lose your mojo after all.”

  Lizzy squeezed both of her hands since they weren’t allowed to embrace one another.

  Hayley looked at Jared and thanked him for finding a way to visit. He told her to hang tough.

  As the guard led them out, Lizzy looked over her shoulder, but Hayley had already disappeared through the door across the room.

  The building was empty and quiet. Despite the dreary gloom weighing heavily on Lizzy’s psyche, the depressing darkness inside of her blossomed right then and there into single-minded resolve. This was not the ending. It was only the beginning. She would do a thorough investigation, and she would utilize every contact she’d ever made to find out everything she could about the men Hayley had singled out for retribution. And then she would stop at nothing until Hayley was back home where she belonged.

  ***

  Books by T.R. Ragan

  ABDUCTED (Lizzy Gardner Series #1)