Cloaked in Blood (22 page)

Her eyes widened.  “You have an
envelope her mother might’ve licked?”

I nodded and pulled only the flap of the old
document out of my bag.  It was encased in plastic for
preservation.

“Helen, where did you get this?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

“Is this because I told Johnny what you were
doing when you disappeared?  Don’t think I haven’t started
putting things together myself, Helen.  You suspect this
Sherman woman might’ve been abducted too.  Whose DNA is
this?”  She waved the buccal swab at me.  “Yours? 
Crevan’s?”

“Just run the test, and for God’s sake,
don’t share the information with anyone other than Johnny or
me.”

“Crevan knows too.”

“Fine.  You can tell Crevan.  I
don’t have to explain to you how sensitive this case is. 
We’ve still got some very bad people at large, folks who deserve to
rot in hell rather than profit from the suffering of others.”

“You don’t believe in hell.”

“Well, maybe I should.  Maybe these
bastards are revising my previous position on the subject.  If
I could tell you more, I would.”

“This shouldn’t take long.  You wanna
hang while I have Billy run the samples for comparison?  It’ll
take longer with the envelope flap.  I’m assuming it was
discovered in her personal items in Montgomery.”

“We’re not sure it’s from her mother, but
it’s worth a shot.”

“Fair enough.  The buccal swab looks
fresh.  Dare I ask who it’s from?”

“For the time being, let’s just call him
John Doe until we know if it’s a match to her or not.”

“His mtDNA will be different, Helen. 
Unless it’s from another long lost brother.”  She scowled at
the sample in hand.  “Or do we think she’s related to you and
Crevan?  Don’t tell me the family had yet another daughter
given away.”

Her words slammed into me.  “My parents
didn’t
give
me away!”  Or did they?  More
specifically, did Aidan give me away?  If I ended up with
Wendell and Marie, and Dad’s biological child ended up with Lyle
Henderson, friend to Aidan Conall…

I swallowed the knot inching its way up from
my belly.

“Sit,” Maya said quickly.  “I’m sorry I
said that.  It certainly wasn’t what I meant.  Have you
seen either of them since you learned the truth?”

“Either of whom?”

“Aidan or Kathleen Conall.”

I nodded.  “I met Kathleen.  She
knows the truth.”

Maya ruffled my short hair fondly. 
“Hard to miss that fact these days, princess.  You two
look
like siblings now.”

I twisted away from the light touch. 
“She’s a stranger to me.  Wendell is my…
was
my
father.  No one could ever replace him in my heart.”

“Yeah.  We’ve had this conversation
before, and I am sorry, Helen.  I know you wanted answers from
your father before he died.  It’s part of what’s driving you
now, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I said.  “I’m assuming that
it’ll be longer than a few hours for the DNA results.”

“I’ll call as soon as we’ve confirmed a hit
or a miss.  In the meantime, we need to get together and catch
up on the happier news in life.”

“Is there any?  I hadn’t noticed
lately.”

“You’re not enjoying the pregnancy yet?”

Oh, that.  I forced a weak smile. 
“Honestly, I haven’t had much time to enjoy anything lately. 
At least I’m not puking up my shoelaces anymore.  The doctor
is satisfied with my appetite and weight gain.  The ultrasound
shows everything progressing well.”  I shrugged.  “The
nursery is ready.  What more is there to say?”

“I’d think Johnny would want to keep you as
far away from his investigations as possible, all things
considered.  I got the impression from both him and Crevan
that in this up to your eyeballs though.”

“Maybe the hairs on my
chinny-chin-chin.  Oh, Maya.  How can I walk away from
this?  It’s about me, my life, the safety of my
children.  When Sanderfield was murdered, I was terrified that
the real people behind all of this are starting to mop up any
witnesses that might expose their crimes.  Don’t tell me you
didn’t have the same idea.”

“I won’t lie.  It was pretty ballsy to
murder a state senator, one running for governor to boot.  If
it’s really connected to Sherman and Gillette and all the others,
it’s an act of desperation, and I don’t doubt your gut
instinct.  I never have.  But I also know there’s way
more going on here than you’ve told me.”

“It’s Johnny’s case.  What he chooses
to divulge is up to him.”

She snorted.  “Come with me to the
lab.  We’ll get Billy started on this right now.”

“I wish I could, but I need to get
home.  David Levine is back in town, and I have no idea if
Johnny’s dragging him home for dinner or not.”  Actually, that
part was half true.  I was itching to learn if Johnny
successfully managed to convince David that I need space.  He
had a vested interest in keeping him at bay too.

My cell phone rang.  “Speak of the
devil.”

“Give him my regards, and tell him that
we’ll call as soon as we’ve got the DNA analyzed.”

It wasn’t Johnny calling, it was Dad.

“Well?” he asked crisply.

“Well what?”

“Did Johnny tell you why Levine is really
here?”

“They’re still together as far as I
know.  Did our other guest call you?”

“He did,” Wendell said.  “I’m sitting
outside this God forsaken assisted living out on Hennessey Island
right now.  He went to the market and got home about five
minutes ago.  Doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere soon,
Helen.  Do we really believe he’d be the one watching
you?”

“No,” I said, “but we do believe that he’s
in this up to his plugged hairline.  If he’s got someone else
doing the watching for him –”

“Like those investigators you mentioned that
tried to apprehend you in Washington?”

“Yeah, like that.  If he’s hired
someone to watch me, you’ll spot them.  Come to think of it,
you’d probably learn more following me than you will following
Lyle.”

“Did you deliver my DNA to your friend?”

“Yes.”

“Helen, I don’t care if it matches this
woman’s sample.  It changes nothing.”

“Perhaps it doesn’t, but it will answer some
of the questions we have.”

“Or pose more than we want to
consider.  Like why Lyle would raise my daughter and give me
someone else’s.  What was the point of that, when they knew
full well that I didn’t marry to start a family?”

“Did Marie know that you rescued other
children?” I asked one of the many questions that had been nagging
me for decades, since I started to scratch the surface of who my
father really was.

He cursed.

“So perhaps they knew you didn’t have it in
you to reject your own child.”

“Of course I didn’t.”

“But I’m not your child, Daddy.”

“You
are
.  And neither of you
are children anymore, Helen.”

I cleared my throat.  “How long are you
sticking around out at Lyle’s place tonight?”

“Until I’m sure he’s not leaving.”

“And how do you plan to accomplish
that?”

Dad’s laughter sent a warm ripple of
affection deep into my bones.  “Because he’s on the tenth
floor, and I’m across the street on the roof of a building with a
perfect line of sight into his apartment.  I can see his every
move through my binoculars.”

“How far is this place from Danny’s
casino?”

“Half a block.  Why?”

“So Sanderfield was killed half a block away
from where his step-father lived.”

I heard the rustle of Dad readjusting his
position.  “Uh-huh.  And from this vantage point, I’ve
got a clear view of the exit from the casino.  By God,
Sprout.  This sniper might well have pulled the trigger from
this exact location.  Did Johnny search the area looking for
anything the guy might’ve left behind?”

“Of course he did.  There was nothing,
not a shell casing, not a cigarette butt.  Not even a drop of
sweat.”

Dad snorted.  “From what I’ve seen of
your fair city, the place doesn’t get hot enough to produce much
sweat.  Jesus, is it always this chilly and damp here?”

“The weather has been remarkably clear for
the past few weeks.  Wait until the fog returns.  It’s
like living on a cloud.”

“Darling, do we know where Sanderfield was
headed when he left the casino?”

“Uh, brunch with Lyle, I believe. 
That’s what his security detail said.”

“Which explains why they weren’t exiting the
hotel and entering a car.  It’s less than a five minute walk
down the street.”

“Risky proposition for a politician. 
Rather like JFK’s ride in a convertible, wasn’t it?” I said
dryly.  “Then again, I’m sure Sanderfield was too arrogant to
think someone might’ve assassinated him.”

“Helen, whoever shot him, if this was in
fact the location he used, could’ve taken out Lyle at the same
time.  I can truly see just about everything in his
apartment.  It’s rather more upscale than what I was
expecting.”

He described it when I asked what he
meant.

Apparently, Lyle could afford a luxury
assisted living residence.  Dad said the terraced high rise
resembled more of a hanging garden structure than a place that
housed elderly tenants in need of help with their activities of
daily living.  Lyle’s spread was an airy loft on the tenth
floor, floor to ceiling glass in the south facing structure, marble
and granite interior, lushly furnished.

“He’s got some guy in there right now,” Dad
said.  “White tee, white pants, name tag, and if my eyes don’t
deceive me, it reads
Nate
.”

“An orderly?”

“Mmm-hmm, looks like it.  He’s not
actually doing anything but watching Lyle sauté something on the
range.  Leeks maybe.  Who the hell eats sautéed
leeks?  Ah, never mind.  He’s added some chicken
now.”

“Dad, I’m not particularly interested in his
food preferences.”

“Everything is important, Sprout.  I do
believe the old bastard is making cock-a-leekie soup.  Ah,
yep.  He’s got prunes out now.”

“What’s the orderly doing?”

“Mirroring my disgust.”

I chuckled and engaged the Sync function on
the Expedition so I could continue my conversation with Dad while
driving across town.

“They’re certainly engrossed in
conversation,” Dad said.  “Seems like this young man Nate is
more than a casual acquaintance.”

“He could be inquiring after Lyle’s
needs.  We can’t be sure unless you’ve been hiding some
unknown skills from me.  Like lip-reading.”

“Well,” Dad grinned, “I did all right with
that back in the day, but I haven’t had time to undergo any Lasik
surgery since my untimely demise, so my vision isn’t what it used
to be.”

“Don’t bullshit me.  You read the kid’s
name tag.”

“Fair enough, my dear.  Whatever
they’re discussing, neither one of them scores high marks for
elucidation.  Lyle seems irritated.  Nate is
defensive.  Waving his arms a bit.  Now why on earth
would they be arguing?”

“Maybe Nate has done some extra work for
Lyle.”

“It would appear so.  Lyle’s pointing
his knife toward a breakfront.”

“And?”

“Nate’s walking toward it.  He’s
opening a drawer…”

“And?  Don’t keep me in suspense,
Dad.  I haven’t got all night.”

“It’s an envelope.  Can’t see what’s in
it, but Nate is looking.  Shit.  It’s cash.  He just
pulled it out, Helen.  Looks like quite a bit of cash.”

“More than a lowly fill-in pastor should
have on hand?”

Dad snorted.  “Lyle never had trouble
laying his hands on money, Helen.  What he didn’t bilk the
parishioners for in Poughkeepsie, Marie supplied with her part-time
job.”

“You’re talking about the robberies.”

“Indeed I am.  From what I could
surmise, Marie filled his coffers with more than a million dollars
over the years she forced me to watch her back.”

“Is that why they called you Jersey Third
Eye?”

Dad burst out laughing.  “You do
realize that
she
was Jersey Third Eye, don’t you,
Sprout?  And I suppose it is the reason she earned the
moniker, at least in part.  You see, they said
it’s like he
has eyes in the back of his head
.  Which of course, was
me, the eyes in the back of her head.  The Jersey part came
not from any of the locations of the heists, but that one of the
drivers told the police that the
man
who robbed them was
built like a Jersey cow.  Believe me, it was not a
compliment.”

I laughed.  “So they described a man
with a fat body, proportionately small head and thin, short
legs.”

“I couldn’t have described her better
myself.  One of the heists took place in my precinct’s
jurisdiction.  My partner, Sarge and I observed the witness
interviews.  I about laughed myself silly when the guy
described Marie.  The fact that they assumed she was a man was
rather amusing as well.”

“Why didn’t your attorney point any of this
out at the trial?”

Dad fell silent.

“Daddy?”

“I wouldn’t let him, Helen.  If we’d
lifted a finger to fight the charges, I would’ve been acquitted,
but it would’ve haunted you forever.  You’d have been Jersey
Third Eye’s daughter.”

“I was anyway.”

“Yes, but they quickly forgot because I was
locked away, on death row for awhile too, until the legislature’s
moratorium on capital punishment.  The world remembers the
crimes much longer when the criminal evades justice.  When he
doesn’t, we quickly forget and move on to the next public demon
that has earned our hate.”

“I think we should be watching Nate. 
Unless the rules have changed, I don’t think it’s exactly kosher
for Lyle to pay his caregivers under the table.”

“You’re right of course,” Dad said. 
“This is a bonus.  Nate’s never seen me before in his
life.  And while he might recognize Danny, the little sleuth
won’t see me coming.”