Beneath the Cracks (22 page)

"How do we ask around the neighborhood
without word gettin' back to Denton and scarin' him off?" Tony
asked. 

"Two of our victims were dumped in Darkwater
proper.  I want you and Crevan to team up with Charlie
Haverston and scour the neighborhoods where his victims were found
with the photograph of Tom Denton.  We get to maintain the
integrity of surveillance on the shelter for Friday night, and
hopefully catch Denton in the act while still confirming that this
is the guy hiring homeless men."

"And while we're doing this, you're going to
be talking to someone from the FDA?"

"Not to mention seeing if I can figure out
what Denton's area of research expertise really is.  I'd like
to talk to Maya about the cause of death in these homeless men
again too.  Cutting through all the red tape at the FDA isn't
as easy as it sounds, Crevan.  It could be hours, maybe longer
before I reach the person who I believe can help us."

"I can't believe this telomere stuff would
warrant armed guards," Tony grumbled, "but if you say so."

"Tony, think about the implications of
finding the cure to cancer.  It would be invaluable. 
Honestly, I don't think Denton is capable of unlocking the secret
of telomerase all by his lonesome.  Even if he's got a team of
scientists working on it around the clock, that kind of research
would cost astronomical amounts of money.  Dupree is
successful yes, I don't doubt that based on the size of what we saw
out there today.  He's obviously not pouring every cent of his
profit into research."

"So something else is funding the
research?"

"Maybe," I said.  "Or maybe this
telomere thing is a red herring.  Denton was still nervous
when we talked to him, even though we know he knew we were there
and why; he couldn't get rid of us fast enough.  If we can
catch him in a lie, I have no doubt he'll crack under the pressure
we'll be able to apply.  Maybe then we can start getting some
straight answers.  You're right about one thing, Tony. 
These people are way too sensitive about identifying a bunch of
homeless men."

Busy work for my new partners was only part
of my plan.  Briscoe and Conall had enough to keep them
occupied for two days, maybe longer.  My contact at the FDA
made the red tape I alluded to moot.  He'd tell me what I
needed to know and confirm my growing suspicions about Thomas
Denton in short order. Hopefully, a website like Linkedin would
tell me more about our agitated little Dr. Denton's research
credentials.

It would free me up for other things,
questions I wanted to ask without Briscoe and Conall hovering over
me like I was made of porcelain.  If I let it slip to either
one of them where I was really going, no amount of prying would get
them away from my side.

Not to mention, they'd call Johnny and rat
me out.  The last thing I needed was him lurking around. 
If he wanted to stay undercover building his case against Danny
Datello, the last thing he should be doing was shadowing me.

Yes, I was sure.  Jake Cox stumbled on
something far more serious than whatever caused the deaths of five
homeless men.  It went beyond the research of a mad
scientist.  If my hunch played out, we were on the cusp of
determining exactly what Cox discovered that resulted in his
murder.

I'd have to be very careful in how I
approached the next person that could give me the information I
needed to turn a gut feeling into bona fide evidence that would
point to a cop killer. And certainly, if this guy had no
compunction getting rid of one cop, we were all fair game.

Chapter 19

My experience with men wasn't quite as
limited as I led Johnny to believe.  Well, it was and it
wasn't.  I've never suffered from lack of attention.  Dad
taught me to be very selective.  These were lessons that came
much later in life than my childhood nickname of
Sprout
would indicate. 

"Never doubt it, Sprout.  Boys always
want something.  Turn the tables.  Make sure you're
getting more than they are.  Your body belongs to you. 
You have the right to say what happens to it.  Don't ever
forget that.  If you don't mind the looks you're getting from
boys, keep dressing like that, but be careful.  Sometimes a
pretty girl can make a boy do stupid things.  An exceptional
one like you will turn them into downright beasts.  We
wouldn't want Daddy to have to shoot someone because he thought he
could take more than you wanted to give, would we?"

It was said with enough tongue in cheek
humor to make me laugh and hug him and ask what I would ever do
without him.  At the same time, I believe part of me realized
that Dad wasn't kidding around.  After all, I ever knew what
happened to the older boy with the slightly crossed eyes who used
to follow me home from school every day when I was fifteen.

My martial arts training hadn't begun as an
adult either.  Dad started taking me to the local dojo when I
was six years old.  Funny how these things came back to me
now.  All of the warnings that screamed through my head today
had been woefully absent last night when all I needed was
comfort. 

Thank God that was done.

My wagging tongue danced a little too close
to reality for my comfort.  I couldn't trust the power of
Johnny Orion not to unleash it with his sincere and truth-sucking
gazes either.  I needed distance.  And a really good
excuse for it, because if he laid hands on me again, good
intentions be damned.  He was addictive.  I couldn't let
him become necessary than I suspected he already had.

I drummed my fingers for a full minute back
at Downey after Briscoe and Conall left me to my own devices and
wondered how to pull it off.  If things stayed on track with
Orion as they had so far this week, he'd be showing up with suits
and ties and a whole drawerful of other items for the small empty
walk-in closet opposite mine.

"What would you do, Dad?" I murmured. 
The answer was simple.  Orion would simply vanish if he got
too close to anything Dad didn't want him to know.  My heart
had been tenderized a little too much for that drastic
measure.  Johnny's sincerity wasn't the biggest
temptation.  That empty hole in my chest wasn't quite so
all-consuming when he was around.

I pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on
something I could do right now.  The small black address book
was worn from years of use.  Its cover was cracked; the
leather peeled off one of the corners.  It was a relic from
days before smartphones ruled our lives.  Since I have always
gone through electronic devices faster than the average techie, I
hung onto the antiquated book.  Good thing too.  I have a
knack for remembering numbers by recalling the pattern they make on
the keypad of the phone, but it had been too many years since I
spoke to Dick Kerry.

I dialed the direct number to his office and
prayed that he hadn't retired.

"Richard Kerry."

"My old friend Dick."

There was a long pause while recognition of
a voice sought the correct nerve pathway to associate the sound
with a face and name.  Finally he laughed.  "Oh my
God.  Helen Eriksson."

"You remembered."

"I don't think I could ever forget you, my
dear.  How is my favorite and most inquisitive fellow federal
employee?"

Good.  Word hadn't reached every nook
and cranny of federal office space since my hasty departure. 
"Ever inquisitive, hopefully still a favorite.  How have you
been, Dick?"

"SSDD," he spoke the acronym code for
same shit, different day. 
"They keep adding things to
our list of things to approve.  We still haven't recovered
from the tobacco fiasco, so you know how it goes.  What about
you?  Does the bureau have you hot on the trail of some
dastardly serial killer?  Let me guess.  He's killing
with some strange form of bacteria and you –"

"It's nothing quite that dire, Dick, and if
it were, wouldn't I be calling the CDC?"

"Point taken, though it cuts me to the
quick.  What can I do to help you?"

"I've got this consultation in Darkwater
Bay.  Without getting into all the particulars of the case, I
spoke to a researcher at a place called Dupree Farm this morning
and he mentioned that he's doing work on telomeres."

"At a farm?"  Dick's fingers clacked
across his keyboard.  "Dupree Farm.  Never heard of
it.  Which means next to nothing.  It's not exactly
my…oh.  There they are.  Dupree Farm, a rather large
dairy with an excellent record from our vantage point. 
Telomeres you say?"

"I had a similar reaction.  Doesn't
that seem a little unusual to you?"

"Let me pull up another record," Dick
said. 

I waited, listened to more key strokes.

"Hmm.  If they're doing work on
telomeres out there, we have absolutely no record of it,
Helen.  In fact, we don't have them listed as a research
facility at all.  Perhaps I should red flag this file and get
someone to look into it."

"Could you hold off on that for a few
days?"  I bit down on my thumbnail.  "See, I suspected
that you wouldn't find anything about their research at all. 
This place is beyond bizarre, Dick.  We're talking armed
guards and a perimeter that would make the military jealous."

"At a dairy farm?"

"Yeah," I laughed softly.  "Pretty
unbelievable, isn't it?"

"I'll say.  How much time do you need,
my friend?"

"A week?"

"Honey, if I red flagged this sucker right
now, it'd be months before anyone got around to opening an
investigation unless there was evidence that the food supply was
being tainted somehow.  And since Dupree has passed every
random milk test and onsite evaluation of their practices, I doubt
even a red flag could bump the place up on the list.  Unless
you find something else."

"I might be wrong."

"An occurrence I know is rare," he
said.  "Keep me posted.  If you find something that
warrants our immediate attention, consider it done.  If I have
to light the fire by invoking the name of the FBI, I'll do it."

"I doubt that would be necessary.  Like
I said, I just found the place a little…off."

"It's wonderful hearing from you, Helen, no
matter the reason.  You shouldn't wait until you find
something that falls into my professional realm before picking up
the phone and calling.  Beth and I would love to see you again
if you're ever in town.  Bring that handsome husband of
yours."

Oh boy.
  "Thanks, Dick. 
I'll have to call you some time when my work load is lighter. 
I'll be in touch about the other thing."

A single sterling rose extended, its velvety
petals tickling under my chin.  My eyes darted up from the
desk.  Orion.  Of course it was Orion. 

"Take care, and give my love to Beth."

Johnny perched on the edge of the desk
appropriated for my use.  "Something rare and beautiful for
someone rare and beautiful."  He bent over to steal a quick
kiss.

I turned my head and let his lips brush my
cheek.  "Johnny, you shouldn't be here.  You certainly
need to stop the public displays of affection.  At least while
I'm working," I added at his downcast expression.  "Why are
you here?"

"These are your favorite, aren't
they?"  He procured a bunch containing what I suspected were
eleven more of the silvery lavender roses from behind his back.

"How could you possibly know that?"  I
pressed the bouquet to my nose and inhaled.  "They're
beautiful, Johnny.  Thank you."

"Helen, your bedroom is swimming in these,
although I didn't know what they were called until I visited the
florist.  Have you had lunch?"

I glanced at my watch.  Two
fifteen.  Opportunity for some necessary distance was banging
at the door.  "I'll stop working for lunch on one
condition.  Actually, it's not a condition.  I'll let you
decide what you want.  Lunch with me now, or dinner with me
later."

"I can't have both?"

"Nope.  I've got a ton of work to
do.  Which reminds me, why aren't you grilling me about who
Dick is?"

"Because whoever he is, there's a Beth
waiting for him at home, so it doesn't matter."

"I'm not sure which is worse, your
impatience or the insane jealousy," I grinned.  "So which is
it, Orion?  The diner across the street right now, or the same
menu for a quick bite at six?"

His lips pursed and forehead puckered. 
"I don't think I care much for either option.  Why can't I
have you for a real dinner, preferably at home?"

"You're right.  We should do lunch and
forget dinner.  I should save that time slot for Charlie, Tony
and Crevan anyway.  They might've found someone by then who
recognized the man I spoke to this morning."

"All right.  Does that mean I get you
for dessert later on?"

"Hmm…I've been considering a stakeout at the
shelter, Johnny.  Of course that'll depend on what the guys
learn with their canvass in Darkwater proper this afternoon, but I
hate to make plans that'll have to be cancelled later.  How
about…" I watched his level of suspicion spike along with his
eyebrows, "we keep this evening open just in case nothing else
happens with the investigation.  I'll be a lot closer to the
penthouse than my place anyway."

"That does sound tantalizing."

And shifted control back into my court,
which Johnny blessedly didn't realize.  "So, lunch at the
greasy spoon?"

The phone on my desk rang. 
Yes!  Couldn't have planned this better if I
tried.
  I held up one finger and grabbed the phone. 
"Eriksson."

"Yo, we got us a positive ID on one Dr.
Thomas Denton.  You wanna hear the real kicker?" Briscoe
asked.