Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) (25 page)

“Yes.”

CC was more than a little thrilled when she caught a slight glimmer of fear in Val’s eyes. “I need to get moving. But I’ll be back. I expect you to have some answers regarding what you’re planning on doing.”

“I’m doing everything I can.”

“Do more. For the moment, I don’t care about the who or why behind this mess. For me and my own, this guy is the boogie man. Everyone seems to think because he failed in his attempts to rape us when we were children that somehow his actions were benign. Trust me, they were anything but. He robbed us of our childhoods. I won’t have my niece go through that. Do your job and lock him up. You can leave through this side of the house.”

Val accepted her words and departed, not bothering to say goodbye to Stevie.

Although she had no doubt that Deputy Brown would return, CC braced herself to see Stevie. She greeted Brad, who was chatting with Emma while Stevie was busy fixing dinner. CC didn’t miss the fact that Stevie was purposely keeping her back to her. silence spoke volumes.

“Sis?”

“Chase her off?” Stevie muttered.

“No, I just sent her to work.”

“Brad, I need a moment,” Stevie said in an overly controlled tone of voice. “Emma, show Daddy how to work his new phone.”

“Grown-ups.” Emma sighed dramatically and snatched the gadget from her father’s incapable hands.

CC was prepared for Stevie’s outburst. She braced for a lengthy lecture as her younger sister dragged her back over to her side of the duplex.

“Okay, let me have it,” she said before Stevie had the chance to blast her. “But before you do, let me remind you of something. A while ago, when Jamie first came back into my life, I seem to recall someone warning me about jumping into bed with her before we got a chance to get to know one another. You warned me about how we were caught up in the dangerous situation and old feelings.”

“Yes, I did.”

For a brief moment, CC was relieved to hear Stevie concede her point.

“I warned you that you were moving way too fast. And you’re right, that ended horribly. No, wait it didn’t. The two of you ended up happily married with no concept of what lesbian bed death is. Honestly, you can be such a jerk.”

“I’m just looking out for you.”

“I know, and I love you for that. However, I am an adult. Given the extreme situation we’re in, finding a little comfort in a very sexy woman’s arms wasn’t the wrong thing to do.”

“She needs to focus on the situation at hand, not bedding you.” CC struggled against the urge to go completely ballistic. “Look, maybe all of us should get out town. We’ll just wait until this blows over.”

“You want to run?”

“Yeah.” CC knew she should have felt bad about wanting to simply run. She didn’t; all she could focus on was keeping her family safe. “There’s something bigger going on. Jamie’s at work, and I know she’s safe there. How safe are you and Emma?”

“No.” Stevie’s voice was strangely quiet. “He isn’t driving us out. He doesn’t win this time.”

Chapter 27

CC hated not having answers. Someone was out there playing with them. The unseen player held all the cards, “Except one,” she wryly thought. The one wild card was Deputy Brown. She wasn’t supposed to be there. CC hoped that she would, indeed, return. Having the deputy make a play for her sister was unacceptable, but having an armed guard with military experience camped out in Stevie’s living room was a good idea.

In the meantime, she had work to do. She was at the morgue to deal with the least favorite part of her job. Billy Ryan’s family had arrived and needed to make the identification so they could take him home. Marissa had called and said she needed to discuss the tox results with her and Max. In all likelihood, she’d sign off that it was an overdose and she and Max would turn the case over to vice.

Closing the file on Billy Ryan left her with one outstanding case. As she made her way through the corridors of the state forensics building, she asked herself once again if Annie Fraser’s murder was behind all of this? She could feel it in her gut that Annie’s death had nothing to do with the drama that had suddenly appeared in her life. Someone was making a big show out of making her chase her tail.

“All smoke and mirrors,” she muttered before greeting Max who huffed and puffed to catch up with her.

“I hate these things,” he said with a grunt.

“Yeah.”

“Jamie holding up okay?”

“I think so.” They approached three people who were standing in the waiting area. CC was all too familiar with the defeated looks on their faces. “She stayed at work. I figured with all the police action going on there, it’s the safest place for her.”

“Good call.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Ryan,” CC said in soft, sincere tone. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m equally sorry to have to ask you to do this.”

“We understand,” Mr. Ryan choked out. “In many ways, we’ve been expecting this for years.”

“Billy’s problems have been a long struggle,” the younger man spoke. “I’m Jim Robixteau. Billy and I were in the same fraternity at UC San Diego.”

“We asked Jim to join us.” Mrs. Ryan’s words were shaky. “He was at the last intervention. We thought sending Billy here for rehab would be good. He wouldn’t be able to get in touch with any of his connections, like he did last time.”

“Where was he getting treatment?” CC carefully inquired.

“McLean, it has a stellar reputation,” Mrs. Ryan sniffed.

“Max, would you take them in, please?” CC handed the Ryans over to her partner while she and Jim stayed out in the waiting area. “It’s nice of you to join them,” she said to the tall, good looking young man.

“I had no idea Billy had gotten this bad,” he said with a hard swallow. “I’ve been away. I ran into him at a funeral for another friend of ours. When his parents asked for my help, I was more than…”

“Where have you been?” CC asked when his words trailed off.

“Africa,” he said without bravado. “Peace Corp. I did two terms.”

“What was that like?”

“You’ve heard the ads, toughest job you’ll ever love? It’s true. If my family hadn’t insisted it was time for me to come home, I’d still be there. I can’t believe I’m going to another funeral. This will be the third one in a month. They say these things happen in threes.”

CC digested the information. Jim was Billy and Simon’s frat brother before they left UCSD.

“Can I ask you about Billy when he was at the university? He dropped out, didn’t he?”

“Yes and no. The frat and the university asked him to leave. I made that happen. I figured it would be easier on his parents if he quit instead of being tossed out.”

“Why was he on his way to being kicked out?”

“He had been on academic probation. Tag on his drug use and another thing that happened and his departure was imminent.”

“What other thing? If you don’t mind me asking?” She gently nudged.

“He and another brother were caught cooking up GHB.” Jim turned pale. “Don’t let his parents know. The other guy had good grades, so he transferred. I couldn’t let it slide. I was the president of Delta. I hate the image fraternities have. You know, spoiled rich boys who party and won’t take no for an answer. That’s not what it’s about. Maybe if I had reached out more to Billy…”

“It sounds like he made his choice. I know that isn’t very comforting. I’m sorry to ask you about all of this. It’s just… the other guy. Was that Simon Fisher?”

“Yes.” He was clearly taken aback. “How did you know?”

“I was the one who arrested him.”

“Oh? I don’t know very many details about Simon’s troubles, since I was away. When my parents told me, I was shocked. Simon seemed to be truly grieving over Janie’s disappearance. I even helped him organize searches. To find out it was him the whole time threw me. Then I thought about him and Billy cooking up a date rape drug during a time when he was supposed to be out looking for Janie. I can only hope he gets the help that he needs and perhaps finds his way.”

“I can see why Mr. and Mrs. Ryan asked you to join them.”

He seemed confused by CC’s compliment, further bolstering her belief that Jim was a good person.

The identification was finished. They wrapped up the paperwork as quickly as possible allowing Marissa to release the body. Jim helped Billy’s family with the arrangements.

“Seriously, that guy is bucking for sainthood,” CC said.

“I don’t buy anyone being that good.” Max gave a snort.

“Come on, let’s see what Vergas has for us before you canonize the guy.”

“Nice of you to join us,” Dr. Vergas tossed out a dig.

“I’ve been kind of busy.” CC rolled her eyes, not in the mood for one of Marissa’s tirades. “Let me guess. An overdose?”

“Yes and no.”

“Okay.” CC waved her hand in an effort to get Marissa to spit out the information before she was ready to file for retirement.

“The guy was shooting up with some very fine heroin and cocaine. The best money can buy. Which assisted in his death. The stuff was cut with some funky stuff.”

“What kind of stuff? Tylenol? Baby powder? Laxatives?” CC was disappointed when each suggestion was dismissed. “Fine, let’s see there’s sugar, sleeping aids, powdered milk?”

“None of the above.” Marissa had a smirk on her face. “Sodium hydroxide.”

“Which is?”

“Drain cleaner. Sorry, it’s a homicide.”

“How do you figure?” Max asked. “So the dealer cut it with something dangerous. Nothing new there. These guys will cut drugs with anything.”

“Hey, don’t blame me. Calloway was the one who told me to be extra diligent. Good thing, too, or I wouldn’t have done such an intense tox screen and just written it off as an overdose.”

“Thank you, Calloway,” Max said with a groan.

“Never saw anything like this before. The drugs were only cut with drain cleaner,” Marissa said. “This stuff is pure grade. The kind of stuff you can only buy if your parents own a small nation or you’re a big, and I mean really big, rock star. This grade of drugs can’t be found on the streets. Not on our streets anyway. I’ve already checked with Vice. If for some idiotic reason you cut this stuff, why use something lethal? Someone wanted this guy dead. And they spent a small fortune to do it. No way he walked up to a neighborhood dealer and scored this stuff.”

“Great,” CC grumbled. “The hits just keep on coming. Okay, tomorrow we head out to McLean to talk to his rehab buddies. Everyone knows the best place to score drugs is in rehab. Thanks, Vergas.”

“My pleasure.”

“Is it me, or is she getting snotty?” CC asked Max once they were free of the smells of the autopsy room.

“Didn’t you sleep with her?”

“Like a hundred years ago. I need to give Brooks a call.”

“Oh no you don’t. You are not turning this into a conspiracy. You have more important things to focus on. Take some time off. I’ll ask the boss if he wants Mulligan to ride with me. If he wants to bring her over, this would be a good time to get her involved. I’m not buying that someone went out of their way to off this guy. Sounds like he just bought the wrong bag of drugs.”

She chose not to argue. Brooks was right. Something was going on. But until her family was safe, she couldn’t focus on anything else. “You know what? You’re right. Let’s head back and talk to the captain.”

She did call Brooks and conceded that something really was going on. His excitement over her news died quickly.

“I can’t connect the dots,” CC said, “and I can’t get caught up in this.”

“What are you saying?”

“I have to sit this one out.”

“Calloway?”

“I’m taking some time off. Once the dust settles, I’ll be on this.”

“I can’t believe you’re bailing on me!”

“My family is in danger.”

“Shit, Calloway, why didn’t you tell me? What can I do to help?”

“Keep an eye on Fisher. I don’t need to be worrying about him.” She felt a slight sense of relief. “Your friend Brown is working on the mess here in Boston. I meant what I said. Once this freaking nightmare is over, I’m all yours.”

“Just be careful, Calloway.”

“You, too.”

*   *  *

Val sat in the conference room staring at the board. It wasn’t that much different from the ones she had seen displayed in Calloway’s home. Mills placed a fresh cup of coffee next to her. She nodded her thanks and offered Mills a seat.

“Mary Shelley. What an idiot,” Mills said. “Although kind of appropriate.”

“Think we created a monster?”

“I think we’re the helpless villagers.”

“Good. Most of them survive. It was Frankenstein’s creator that got it in the end.”

The rest of the team shuffled in. There were a few faces missing because they were working a detail; the only notable exception was Finn.

“Where’s Finn?”

“Reassigned,” a commanding voice said.

Val was the only one in the room who didn’t jump when the lead field officer stormed in. “Oh.” Val shrugged with an air of indifference. “And my new liaison will be?”

“I am.” Chief Deputy Lester Ledger had a slight twinkle in his eyes. Val had briefly met the man when she first arrived. She liked him. Despite his small stature and graying hair, he possessed a strong presence. She finally felt as if her luck was turning.

“Because?” She didn’t really care. She was happy to be rid of Finn; the guy was a slacker. Now that she knew the reason why he was dragging his feet, she liked him even less.

“When one of my people explains to me that it wouldn’t have mattered if he had followed protocol because the perp wouldn’t have been apprehended, I find that to be a piss-poor excuse.”

Val stiffened ever so slightly when she spied the subject of their conversation entering the room. Detective Calloway was right behind him.

“My notes.” Finn slapped a very thin folder down in front of her.

“Gee, thanks,” Val said as she flipped through the three pages of nothing.

Finn ignored her jab and turned, almost running directly into Calloway.

“Mark,” CC said in a taunting tone. He muttered something under his breath that only Calloway could hear. Whatever it was made Calloway smirk.