Last Word

by Robin Mahle

  Detective Phelps noticed the congressman enter the coffee shop. He raised two fingers on his left hand to garner the man’s attention in the near-empty café. Copeland nodded and began his approach.

  “What’s so urgent you needed to get me out of my bed at 3am? I told my wife I was going to the gym before heading in to the office.”

  “Do you usually go to the gym in the mornings?” Phelps asked.

  “No.”

  “Probably should’ve come up with another excuse, then.” The detective sipped on his coffee. “That one’s yours. Figured you’d want it.”

  “Thanks. So tell me, why am I here?”

  “I got the Medical Examiner’s report back on Janine Atherton about two hours ago. The ME called me first and said it was important that I review it as soon as possible. So I did.”

  “And?”

  “I’m sorry, congressman, but I’m going to have to have you come in and make a statement.”

  “What? I thought we had an agreement?” Copeland leaned over the table and in a hushed tone began, “I paid you not just a lot of money to keep this as far away from me as possible, but have worked to gain the favors you’ve asked for as well.”

  “Then maybe you should’ve used a condom.”

  He pulled back, appearing embarrassed. “What? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I mean you left DNA behind and you just fucked everything up for yourself—and me. This is something you should’ve been upfront about.”

  “What a minute. Okay, so I slept with her, but how the hell would they know it was me? I don’t have a goddam criminal record. Don’t they have to have you in some sort of database to know who you are?”

  “Yes. I suppose you don’t recall the swab and prints they took from you prior to being sworn in as Virginia’s Fifth District representative? What, you think that shit doesn’t show up in our system? You’re in the fucking security clearance database.”

  Phelps watched as Copeland’s face drained of color. “You have to make a statement saying you were with her the night she was killed and that you slept with her.”

  “I can’t. I can’t do that. I’ll lose everything. My wife, my family, my seat. There has to be something else you can do. Can’t you hide the report? I mean, what’s the point of having you in my pocket if you can’t do anything for me?”

  Phelps’ face turned deadpan. “First of all, I’m not in your pocket. You’re in mine. Secondly, I can’t hide the goddam report. It came directly from the ME. His files. Not mine. Look, you’ll have to come clean about your relationship with Atherton. There’s no way around it. But that doesn’t mean you killed her, right?”

  “Yeah, I mean, no. I didn’t kill her. I swear.”

  “Then you come in at 8am this morning—voluntarily—and make the statement. I’ll do my best to keep a lid on it. This doesn’t have to get out.”

  “But it will, won’t it?”

  “Depends on how much money you’ve got. I’ll keep it quiet for as long as I can. The problem I see here is that the Feds are going to get this same report in a matter of hours. And I’ll tell you, that pain in the ass Reid won’t let this go.” He sipped on his coffee again. “She won’t blab her mouth off about it, but it does mean they’ll grill the shit out of you about the other murders.”

  “I can handle that. I just can’t handle the media getting hold of this. You have to stop that from happening. Swear to me you will.”

  “Like I said. I’ll do what I can—but it’s going to cost you.”

  14

  When the ding of the elevator sounded, Kate felt the tremors from Dwight’s weighty steps, which approached with noticeable haste. She turned in his direction before he reached her. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

  “Did you see the ME’s report?” he asked.

  “Which one?” Kate turned back and began to search her computer.

  “Atherton. I haven’t seen it yet, but I just received a very interesting call from Detective Phelps.”

  “Phelps? Why did he call you?”

  “I can speculate, but I’d rather read the report first. Phelps said Representative Copeland is going in at 8am to make an official statement.”

  “Then we should get down there now.”

  “Just hang on. Find that report. I want to know everything before we go down there.”

  “Here it is.” She opened the file just as Vasquez made her approach.

  “What are you looking at? Did you just get this?”

  “Yes.”

  The three of them began to read the summary of the report and it seemed all had reached the same conclusion.

  “We got him.” Kate smiled and turned to Dwight. “We got him. We have to get down there now.”

  “I don’t want you going in there thinking the congressman is guilty.”

  “Did you read what I just read?”

  “I did. But just because they found his DNA doesn’t mean he killed her. Come on, Kate. You know better than to jump to that conclusion. There’s going to be more to this.”

  “Then let’s get over to Metro PD and see what he has to say.” Vasquez was already walking away but stopped short, noting neither was following her. “What are you guys waiting for? Let’s go.”

  Dwight gave Kate that look she’d usually only seen in Nick’s eyes. The one that told her she needed to reel it in. “We’re coming,” he replied.

  As the two headed toward Vasquez, Dwight continued. “Look, I know you’re gunning for this congressman.”

  “I’m not, but I’ll tell you, he should’ve been brought in for questioning more than a week ago. And the only reason he’s coming in now is because he knows he has no other choice.”

  “Maybe, but do not overstep your bounds. This is still Metro’s case and Phelps’ case. We’re here only to consult.”

  “Okay, I got it.”

  The team arrived shortly before Copeland’s scheduled statement, and it appeared Phelps had been expecting them.

  “Thanks for coming down on short notice. I know how busy you guys are,” Phelps began. “The congressman will be here in a few minutes. Why don’t we go back to my office?” He reached to Kate and gestured for her to lead the way. “Agent Reid.”

  She walked along the corridor, trying to assess what Phelps’ slant was going to be once Copeland arrived. The conversation she’d had with Quinn also sprang to mind and she realized her observations of the congressman could be vital. Would he fit her initial profile of the unsub or Quinn’s idea of who was behind the murders?

  Phelps closed his door. “Before he gets here, I’d like to establish some ground rules. I get that you all are the Feds and you can pretty much take over this investigation, especially considering it now appears to involve a member of congress.”

  “That’s not why we’re here, detective,” Dwight replied. “We read the ME’s report. We understand that there is physical evidence that Mr. Copeland was with Janine Atherton.”

  “That’s correct, and Mr. Copeland is respecting the investigation by offering up his statement.”

  “But the fact of the matter is, it’s taken Copeland almost two weeks to come in and it appears the only reason is because of the forensics.” Kate noticed Dwight’s dagger-like look and changed her tone. “Regardless of how long it’s taken, we can now at least rule out the congressman as a suspect. That has to be done if we wish to pursue other leads.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Agent Reid.” Phelps’ line buzzed. “Detective, Mr. Copeland is here to see you.”

  “I’ll come and get him. Thank you.” He turned to Dwight. “If you all would remain here, I’ll bring him back. It’s best if we do this in here and not in an interrogation room. I don’t want the man to think he’s being placed under arrest.”

  “Whatever you think is best, detective.” Upon his departure, Dwight turned to Kate. “Agent Reid, if you’re having difficulty remaining impartial, then maybe you should let Agent Vasquez and me handle t
his.”

  “No. I’m fine. I apologize if I overstepped. I’d like to stay—please.”

  “Don’t make me do something we’ll all regret,” he replied.

  Within minutes, Phelps returned with the congressman. “Mr. Copeland, I’d like to introduce you to Agent Reid, Agent Vasquez, and Supervisory Special Agent Jameson. They’re helping us find Janine’s killer.”

  “Good morning. I didn’t expect an audience.”

  “Mr. Copeland, it’s imperative we understand your relationship with Ms. Atherton so that we may continue to work toward excluding those she knew as possible suspects and look for her true killer.” Dwight offered his hand.

  “Thank you, Agent Jameson.”

  “Please, have a seat. This shouldn’t take long.” Phelps guided him to the chair and returned to his desk. “As you know, you’re here because you and Janine attended a fundraiser the night of her death and according to the medical examiner’s report, it appeared you two were intimate on that occasion as well. And so we’d like to ask you some questions as it pertains to that.”

  “Okay.”

  “And just for the record, you’re here voluntarily and are not considered a suspect, but a person of interest in the investigation.”

  “I understand.”

  Hiding his anxiety seemed a chore as Kate watched him fidget in his seat and his eyes dart back and forth. Maybe Dwight was right. Maybe she shouldn’t be there because all she wanted to do was to watch him squirm, confident he was hiding something. “Excuse me for a moment.” She wandered the halls until spotting a break room and once inside, Kate took inventory of her priorities as she peered through a window and onto the busy street. She was convicting this man before he even opened his mouth. A fatal flaw in someone who wore a badge. Once a champion of justice, she was not affording the congressman the same approach. But the worst part of all was that it wasn’t because of him directly, it was Phelps and how he’d been skirting around her since she came on board. Assuming the two of them were operating together seemed logical but what if she was wrong?

  If she couldn’t get her act together, Dwight would throw her off the case and that would not only jeopardize the investigation, it would jeopardize her chances of working for Quinn because he would find out.

  Kate returned to the office where Phelps was already engaging Copeland in a series of questions. Dwight cast a wary eye as she closed the door behind her. “I apologize for the interruption.”

  Phelps nodded to her and redirected his attention to Copeland. “As you were saying, you and Janine were at the fundraiser and you left about twenty minutes before her departure.”

  “That’s right.”

  “How do you know when she left? Did she contact you?” Kate was contravening but couldn’t help herself in this instance.

  “Yes. We are—were close. She indicated to me that she wanted to leave and I said that was fine. And so she did.”

  After yet another scathing glance from Dwight, Kate finally pulled back and watched as Phelps threw soft-ball questions at the congressman. Still, she observed him and still, he was nervous. Probably for the political life he was about to lose.

  “Okay, Mr. Copeland. I think that should cover everything.” Phelps began to rise. “Please call me if you think of anything else.”

  “I will, detective. Thank you.” Copeland turned to Kate. “Agent Reid.” He offered his hand.

  “Sir. Thank you for coming down.” She returned a reluctant handshake.

  They waited for Phelps to escort the congressman out and it didn’t take long for Dwight to pounce on Kate once again.

  “You mind telling me what the hell is going on with you?”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything at all. We’re observers and that was my only job.”

  “You’re damn right. In case you’ve forgotten, that man is a member of congress, not some thug on the streets being hauled in to flip on his boss.”

  “You think he deserves a pass because he’s a politician?” Kate’s anger began to rise.

  “Okay, we aren’t going to get into this here.” Vasquez stood between them. “Let’s just get back to the office and we can discuss it further.”

  It was a rare occasion when Dwight and Kate would disagree, but on this one, she knew she was in the right. Phelps was a dirty cop and was protecting Copeland as evidenced by his questions. But she couldn’t prove it—not yet.

  The tension was palpable, yet no one spoke on the drive back to the WFO. Kate knew she’d messed up and it would be up to her to apologize. It wasn’t a position in which she’d often found herself, but Dwight deserved an apology.

  Once they’d made it back inside, the words Kate had expected to hear came almost the second they stepped off the elevator.

  “Reid, can I speak to you for a moment?” Dwight didn’t stop and instead continued toward his office.

  Kate turned to Vasquez. “Guess I deserve this.”

  “Hold your ground. I think you might be right on this one. Come find me when you’re done.”

  “Yep. Thanks.” Kate continued while Dwight had already disappeared beyond the corridor. When she arrived, he stood at his door.

  “Have a seat.” He closed the door behind her.

  “Look, I know what you’re about to say…”

  “I don’t think you do, Kate. You see, I’ve always been on your side. Always. I know the shit we deal with in the field and the sickening crimes we’re expected to solve.”

  “Then why are you…”

  “Let me finish. Whatever is going on between you and Detective Phelps needs to stop—now. I get he’s an asshole. Anyone with eyes can see that. But that doesn’t mean you can dismiss his role in his own goddam investigation.”

  “But this isn’t like the others we’ve worked on. I mean, this guy dodges my calls, doesn’t give me all the information. Did you know I had to get Janine Atherton’s phone records myself because Phelps wouldn’t forward them to me? And now there’s this whole weird relationship between Copeland and Phelps. Did you listen to those questions? Are you kidding me? He was the last guy to see Janine alive, left DNA evidence behind, and never once does Phelps ask if he was the one who killed her. Kind of an important thing to establish, don’t you think?”

  “It doesn’t matter what we think. Our job isn’t to indict Mr. Copeland. That’s Phelps’ job, should it come to that. Our job is to help him find the person responsible for killing all three women and regardless of their past dealings with Copeland, I think you can see that the man is not a killer. Let alone the fact that he has alibis for his whereabouts when the other women were killed. So, I’m only going to say this one more time: back the hell off Phelps and do your job, Agent Reid. I get that you likely won’t be here for much longer, but I will. And I’ll be the one to suffer the wrath of the Metro Police if you sour that relationship.”

  Kate went slack-jawed and it took her a moment to realize it. Never before had Dwight spoken to her this way. Of course, never before had she ever given him cause to. “I’m sorry. I was unprofessional and I apologize. You warned me and I kept on.”

  The tension in Dwight’s shoulders seemed to release. “Kate, this just isn’t like you and so I realize that you truly believe something else is at play here, but until you find out what it is and whether it involves the congressman and or Phelps, I implore you—stay in that man’s good graces. If he’s in the congressman’s pocket, your life is about to get infinitely more complicated and with what else you’re trying to accomplish right now, I wouldn’t test fate.”

  “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

  “Get what you can from Pearson in Baltimore, from Vasquez, and I’ll do what I can on my end to liaise between the two of you if necessary. But do not ruffle his feathers or Copeland’s until you are damn well ready.”

  “Okay. I won’t.” She began to rise, tail tucked between her legs.

  “Kate, I’m saying this for your own good as well as mi
ne. How likely do you think Agent Quinn is going to be to bring you on if you’ve had a scuffle with local police that had the potential to damage an active investigation?”

  She only stared back at him.

  “I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m trying to watch out for you—just like I always have.”

  “I know.” She headed back to her desk where Vasquez waited with what appeared to be bated breath. “I’m not fired or anything, if that’s what you’re waiting to hear.”

  “I didn’t think you’d get fired. Look, I understand where you’re coming from with this, but I bet whatever Jameson said to you, he’s probably right.”

  “So you think I should back down too?”

  “Yes and no. You just need to remember that you’ve already started down your own path, without Phelps, and I’ll help you with that.”

  “Thank you.” On her desk were the business cards Meredith Bowen’s boss turned over. This was information Phelps knew nothing about. “Hey, I’ve made some progress on a few of these contacts, but you think you could give me a hand on a few more?”

  “Those belonged to the latest victim?”

  “Yeah. I need to know if she knew Copeland and how. Jameson can’t shoot me down if I have legitimately connected the three victims to the congressman. At least, I don’t think he can.”

  “Then hand over some of those puppies.”

  The congressman threw his keys on his desk and dropped into his chair. His office at home was the only place he believed he could go right now. Because if he went back to the Hill, he feared people would ask where he’d been. Officially, it was a personal appointment that didn’t show up on his calendar, but if he was forced to lie about his whereabouts, that would make matters worse. Instead, he called Phil and told him he wasn’t feeling well. So now he sat at his desk at home and dropped his head into his hands.

  He had to start preparing for the inevitable. Phil was already doing most of the leg-work, but it would be up to him soon enough to start taking the hits. Copeland wondered who would be next and prayed it would not happen again, but the odds were against him.