“Who said I changed my mind?”
Flustered, he stammered out a, “Well—I…” before he pulled it together. “Your lips did. Pretty emphatically, actually.”
Olivia tried to hide her smile, but it showed through her eyes, glinting with flecks of gold. “Maybe my lips were just desperate to keep yours quiet. It’s quite an arduous task, you know.”
When she cocked her head at him, Will countered, tucking that stray tendril behind her ear and cupping her cheek.
“Yeah. It seemed like a real chore.”
She leaned in, just teasing him now. “Like doing the dishes.”
“Vacuuming,” he whispered, his mouth grazing hers. “Folding the—”
Her hand in his hair, Olivia pulled Will in.
“Laundry,” she finished, before kissing him hard.
No sooner had Will opened the front door, letting himself and Cyclops inside, than the landline rang. Only one person had ever called him at that number.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Where have you been, William? This is my fourth call.” Retired Captain Henry Decker managed to make him feel like a kid again. Ten years old and in trouble, bracing himself as his dad snatched the belt off the brass hook in the bedroom. Since Will’s visit in March, they’d been on speaking terms again.
“Kinda busy with work right now. You have my cell, if you need to reach me.”
Grumbling, his father continued, “I hear you’ve got yourself quite a case. Four victims, two of them children. That’s a damn shame.”
“We made an arrest. I think we’re close to solving it.” Will hated the way he sounded, still anxious for his father’s approval. Telling lies to make him proud.
His father harrumphed. “I saw it on the news. Sounds like you’re pinning it on a fellow officer.”
Ignoring that not-so-subtle dig, Will replied, “I’m not pinning anything on anyone. I’m following the evidence, like you taught me. We have video of Officer Montgomery arguing with Peter Fox right before the murders. It got physical. Besides, innocent men don’t make a run for the Canadian border.”
“You sound like John Q. Public, son. Everybody wants to blame the cops these days. But looking guilty and being guilty are two different things. Don’t forget that.”
Will bit his tongue, taking satisfaction in knowing his father would blow a gasket if he saw his list of suspects, two cops’ names writ large.
“What does your girlfriend think about it?”
“Olivia’s not my girlfriend. She’s a forensic psychologist. Chief Flack hired her to help.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Will sighed.
“Is that where you were tonight?”
“I’ve gotta go, Dad. It’s getting late.”
“Just be careful, son. You don’t know how much of her daddy she’s got in her. Until the shit hits the fan, you never can tell if a woman will be there for you when it counts.”
Resisting the urge to slam the phone back into its cradle, Will mumbled a goodbye. Leave it to Henry Decker to bring him right back down to earth.
*
The Downtown Star
Secrets Exposed! Murdered Attorney Caught in Love Triangle with Hot Cop!
Peter and Hannah Fox appeared to have the perfect marriage. Three beautiful children, a lavish mansion in the hills, and a successful law practice. Sadly, Santa Barbara’s perfect family met a tragic end on July Fourth weekend, when Peter, Hannah, and two of their children were shot and killed while on vacation in the sleepy town of Fog Harbor, leading many to wonder about the dark secrets that led to their demise.
Stunning revelations in the days following the brutal slayings suggest the Foxes’ picture-perfect façade was nothing more than a well-crafted illusion to disguise Peter’s multiple affairs with much younger men. Twenty-eight-year-old Jonah Montgomery, dubbed by Santa Barbara locals as the “hot cop,” was arrested at the Canadian border after reports that he brandished a weapon at Fox at a seedy Fog Harbor motel. In still shots of security footage obtained exclusively by The Downtown Star (see below) Fox, age fifty-one, can be seen wielding a golf club at the door of the bridal suite, where Montgomery was a registered guest. Another photo appears to show Montgomery threatening Fox with a gun in an apparent lovers’ quarrel. Police have not officially charged Montgomery in the murders of the Fox family but he remains in a Fog Harbor jail, having been denied bond.
An inside source tells The Downtown Star that Fox had a history of seducing younger men online which went far beyond his dalliance with Montgomery and occasionally crossed the line of legality, with him sending nude pictures to adolescent boys he met in a barely legal chatroom. “Peter paid off more than a few young men,” the source adds. “No price was too high to keep his dirty little secrets. It’s not surprising his lies finally caught up with him, but his family suffered too, paying the ultimate price. That’s the real tragedy here.”
Twenty-Eight
The morning sun warmed Will’s back as he knocked on JB’s front door. JB greeted him with a wheat bagel in one hand and a gossip magazine in the other, Princess dancing at his feet. He broke off a piece of bagel that Princess gobbled in one gulp.
Behind him, Tammy rolled her eyes. “People food isn’t good for her, remember?”
“Wheat bagels are not people food,” JB argued, sneaking Princess another bite. “So, big day today, City Boy.”
“Yeah. The photo lineup.” Will had lain awake half the night thinking about it. That and Olivia’s hands finding their way beneath his blue button-down. “I hope Thomas pulls through. We really need something concrete to go on.”
“I was talking about my doctor’s appointment. If I get the all-clear, I can resume a moderate level of physical activity. You know what that means?”
“You can finally get your ass off the sofa and help Detective Decker solve this case?” Tammy gave Will a wink.
JB wiggled his eyebrows at her, giving her a playful swat. “Not exactly.”
Chuckling, Will made his way inside and pointed to JB’s laptop, which sat open on the coffee table. “Speaking of, did you find anything in Fox’s files yet?”
“Just a lot of guilty-as-sin clients. The guy sure had a knack for finding loopholes. It’s no wonder he made bank defending the scum of the earth.”
His curiosity piqued, Will took a seat in the armchair. “Loopholes?”
“Get this. Fox defended an inmate at Valley View on a murder rap. The guy had killed another inmate who came into his cell uninvited. Fox argued he should get off the hook because a man is allowed to defend his dwelling from intruders.”
“The jury bought that?”
“Didn’t need to. The DA pled down to voluntary manslaughter to be served concurrent to the drug case the guy was already doing time for. He got out in five years.”
Will grimaced. “Sheesh.”
“And check this out.” JB revealed his copy of The Downtown Star, slapping it on the coffee table in front of Will. “Tammy picked up a copy at the bagel shop. Underage boys? It sounds like Peter had a lot in common with those dirtbags he defended.”
“Is this what it’s come to?” Will scanned the front page story skeptically. “If we’re building our case on rumors from The Downtown Star, we’re in big trouble. It’s not exactly the bastion of journalistic integrity.”
“Your case, City Boy. And I thought you could probably use the help, bastion or not.”
“I’m doing perfectly fine.”
“That bad, huh?” JB returned to his spot on the sofa, carting Princess under his arm. “So, about this lineup. Are we taking bets?”
Jessie waited for Will at his desk. “What’s the word?” he asked her, hoping to start the day with some good news. Though he’d already spotted Graham over her shoulder, brooding. “You talk to Bastidas’s wife?”
Jessie nodded, a worried furrow marking her usually sunny face. “She confirmed his alibi. Fourth of July fireworks, just the two of them.”
“How
sweet.”
“And his story about the burn. She said her father worked as a roofer too, so she knew exactly how to handle it. According to Gabriella, Elvis’s boss begged him not to go to the doctor. I guess the work site isn’t entirely OSHA compliant, if you know what I mean.”
Will nodded glumly. Chet had emailed his reply to the photograph Will had sent him, confirming that the mark on Bastidas’s hand appeared consistent with a tar burn.
“What about the tattoo?” Will asked Jessie. “Did Gabriella know when he’d gotten it?”
“She wasn’t sure. But she said that it wasn’t there during their last family visit a few months ago. She admitted Elvis had beef with a lot of people, Fox included, but he’d calmed down in recent years. He was trying to set a good example for her younger brother, Pedro, who lives with them. Trying to help Pedro avoid making the same mistakes.”
“Why do I get the feeling there’s a but here?”
Jessie lowered her voice. “Gabriella told me she’s been worried sick ever since Elvis was released. Word on the street is that Oaktown’s got a price on his head. Payback for the murder of Tim McKenzie. Apparently, those bullet holes on the Chevy are fresh. Elvis refuses to leave Fog Harbor. He thinks it’ll make him look like a coward. He didn’t even tell his PO about it, and she’s worried her brother may do something stupid to try to impress him.”
Will contemplated banging his head against his wall. The last thing he needed in the middle of a quadruple murder was a gang shootout. “Alright. Get in touch with Bastidas’s parole agent. Let him know what’s going on. I’ll stop by and see Gabriella this afternoon.”
After Jessie had returned to her desk, Will slumped into his seat and began preparing three photographic arrays for Thomas, selecting offenders with similar physical characteristics to his suspects. As he worked, he detected a noticeable absence.
Graham had never been so quiet. He sat there with his perfect coif, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes fixed on his computer screen. Resentment wafted from him, filling the six feet between their desks with the kind of noxious tension that Will hadn’t suffered through since his days in San Francisco. Back when he’d been branded a snitch and worse for testifying against his brother—and fellow cop—in the wrongful death trial that sent Ben to prison for six years.
When Lieutenant Gary Wheeler appeared in the doorway and gave Will a single nod of his head, his stomach flip-flopped. Thomas had arrived. Chief Flack already waited in the observation room with Olivia. Will collected the photo arrays, tucking them inside a plain folder that gave away nothing of its life-altering contents.
Graham finally lifted his face, shooting daggers at Will as he stood.
“This is where the rubber meets the road, Bauer.” Will couldn’t resist goading him. Though he would’ve preferred something less subtle—slapping handcuffs on the guy or cold-clocking him in the face—the chief would not approve.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Will walked away without an explanation, relishing Graham’s frustration.
He poked his head into the observation room, giving Olivia a small wave.
Chief Flack met his smile with indifference. “Ready, Decker?”
“As ready as I’m going to be.”
“You prepared two photo arrays, correct?”
He barely nodded, preferring not to outright lie to her. No way in hell would the chief approve of his third suspect.
She gestured to the folder. “Let me see them.”
Will slipped the first two pages out and handed them to the chief. She studied the photos, nodding to herself, satisfied. Then, she pointed to the door. “You wait with Doctor Rockwell.”
“Wait with… what?”
“You’re heavily invested in this case, Decker, and I am too. I think it’s best if we take a back seat, especially with such a vulnerable witness. We both know the gold standard of lineups is double-blind procedure, so I asked Officer Bullock to administer.”
Will saw him, then, over her shoulder, waddling toward them. Bulldog Bullock, aptly named for his prominent jowls, his underbite, and his stocky, bow-legged frame. His temper too.
“Chief, are you sure?”
She raised her eyebrows in warning, and he knew better than to ask again. He slunk away, taking the folder with him, the third suspect burning a hole right through it.
Twenty-Nine
Olivia positioned herself directly behind the two-way mirror, her heart heavy with worry for little Thomas. He sat in a chair that was much too big for him, his small blue sneakers swinging inches from the ground. Officer Bullock plopped into the chair beside him, while Thomas held tight onto Aunt Nora’s hand. In the other, he gripped his stuffed dog. His favorite army man, Ranger Rob, stood guard on the table. Olivia felt proud of him for being brave. He must’ve remembered what she’d told him yesterday. No one would let the bad man hurt him or his aunt. Even so, she felt guilty for making empty promises. Until they’d found the Foxes’ killer, Thomas was in danger.
Deck paced like a lion in a cage behind her, while Chief Flack stood by, his watchful keeper.
“Okay, Thomas. I’m going to show you some pictures. I want you to take your time and have a close look at them.” Bullock placed the first photo array on the table facing the boy.
Thomas’s face remained an unreadable blank.
“Do you recognize anyone?” Bullock asked.
Thomas cast an uncertain glance at Nora.
“Go ahead, honey. Answer the question.”
He returned his eyes to the photographs, scanning right past Bastidas’s most recent prison photo, and shook his head no.
Olivia watched as Bullock collected the photo stoically. In its place, he set the second array, Jonah’s picture at the bottom center. The officer repeated the instructions and waited while Thomas studied the photographs one by one. He paused, placing his finger on Jonah’s face.
Nora’s breath hitched. Behind Olivia, Deck stopped moving. His regular footfalls suddenly still.
“You recognize him?” Bullock asked.
Again, Thomas looked to Nora, who offered him a nod of encouragement. “That’s Daddy’s friend,” he said.
“Daddy’s friend,” Bullock echoed. “Tell me about Daddy’s friend.”
“His name is Jonah. He came over to the house before to talk to Daddy. He told me I could ride one of his horses.”
Olivia turned to Deck, who’d joined her at the mirror. Horses? she mouthed, thinking of the tourmaline horseshoe she’d found sunk at the bottom of the Ocean’s Song swimming pool.
“Did Jonah hurt your family?”
Thomas scrunched his face. He looked like he might cry, gripping the stuffed dog to his chest. “The bad man did it. He showed Mommy his badge, and she couldn’t tell he was the bad man. And then, he came inside and it was loud and Mommy screamed and Dylan fell down. But me and Ranger Rob chased him away. We went to the fort to get more ammo.”
Bullock thumped his fat finger against Jonah’s picture. “Is this the bad man, Thomas? Is Daddy’s friend the bad man?”
Thomas whimpered, a gut-wrenching sound. “Can we go get ice cream now?”
“Not yet, honey. Soon.” Aunt Nora smoothed his hair and put an arm around his small shoulders. “Is Daddy’s friend Jonah the bad man you saw?”
The little boy leaned into her for a moment, gathering himself. Then, he took an audible breath and spoke so fast Olivia had to focus to understand him. “I don’t think so ’cause he wouldn’t have hurt Daddy and he’s nice to me and he promised I could ride his horse named Ginger in the parade…”
While Thomas rambled about feeding apples to Ginger, Olivia retrieved her phone from her pocket and typed a few words into the search bar on a hunch. She clicked the link on the screen and scrolled through the website, half-heartedly searching for Jonah’s name. When she actually found it, accompanied by a photo, she stared in disbelief at the caption.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Moun
ted Unit Reserve Member Jonah Montgomery and his mount, Ginger, assist with a search-and-rescue operation near Cathedral Peak
Olivia passed the phone to Deck, just as Officer Bullock collected the second photo array. Thomas had finally run out of words. Ignoring the officer’s last-ditch questions about the bad man, Thomas marched the army man across the table, pointed his tiny gun at Bullock, and made shooting noises until Bullock surrendered.
“Give me a second,” Bullock told Nora, hoisting himself to his feet.
Seconds later, he opened the door to the observation room and heaved a sigh, tossing the photo arrays on the nearest chair. He ran a hand across his head, disturbing his combover. “Kids are exhausting. Give me a coked-out criminal any day.”
“So, what do you think?” Chief Flack asked.
Bullock threw up his hands, his beady eyes widening. “I think he’s four years old and doesn’t have a goddamned clue what he saw. If he’s your star witness, you’re in big trouble.”
Olivia winced. Thomas wasn’t just the star witness. He was the only witness.
Without a word, Deck headed out the door and into the interview room, greeting Nora with a sad smile. “Let me walk you both out.”
Chief Flack and Officer Bullock followed behind him, stopping in the hallway to debrief. Bullock’s grumbling was still audible. After they left, Olivia stood there flummoxed, replaying what Thomas had said. The little boy had seen far more than she’d imagined. He had witnessed the murders of his mom and brother, possibly his sister too. Chilling in its own right but made worse by a single realization. If Thomas had seen the killer, the killer had seen him.
Olivia turned away from the empty interview room and spotted the folder Deck had left behind, resting beneath a chair. An edge of white paper protruded from the top. She knew she shouldn’t open it. She should simply return it to Deck. She should keep her civilian nose out of official police business. And yet, after taking a cautionary glance at the door, she peeked inside at a third photo array. No need to scan the two rows of suspects; her eyes were drawn straight to the face familiar to her. The one belonging to Graham Bauer.
One Child Alive: An absolutely gripping crime thriller packed with nail-biting suspense (Rockwell and Decker Book 3) Page 12
