Her Last Word(77)
“Are there any records of the team members?”
“There are names of the sponsoring organizations but not individual members.”
“So why after all this time did Jennifer’s and Erika’s killer decide to act?”
“You know how it goes. The fuse never really goes out on the crazy ones,” Logan said.
“A trigger could have been a job loss, an angry wife or girlfriend, or what I think happened, Kaitlin returned to Richmond and reawakened all his old demons.”
“What about Steven Marcus? He might have information we’re not seeing.”
“I’m meeting with Kaitlin and him on Saturday. Join us.”
“I’m not technically on the homicide unit.”
Adler shrugged. “We’ve bent a few rules before. Come with us. You have good instincts.”
“Am I gonna make Quinn jealous?”
Adler laughed. “She’ll survive.”
INTERVIEW FILE #21
THE DEAL
Friday, June 1, 2018
Trey Ricker of the Commonwealth Attorney’s office is a tall, lean man with a face too weathered for someone in his late thirties. He frowns when I ask him about the deal with Hayward. The arrangement between the Commonwealth and Hayward remains under bitter media scrutiny, and many of Ricker’s critics are calling foul.
“No one wants to deal with the devil.” Ricker’s voice is rough and deep. “And I was prepared to take the heat for it if it went sideways.”
“Would you do it again?”
“In a heartbeat.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Thursday, March 22, 2018; 10:00 a.m.
With discharge papers and instructions in hand, Kaitlin could not wait to be sprung. Freshly showered, she’d gingerly slid on a loose T-shirt, sweats, and canvas slip-on shoes. Certainly not the most attractive look, but it was progress. A knock on the door had her turning. “Come in.”
A nurse appeared with a wheelchair. “Ready to go home?”
“More than you know,” she said, smiling. She bundled up the plastic bag of her belongings with her backpack and lowered into the wheelchair.
“Do you have someone to drive you home?” the nurse asked.
She fished her cell from her backpack. “Taxi.”
The nursed hesitated. “You don’t have anyone?”
“Friends offered, but it’s simpler this way. It’s not a big deal. A short car ride home, and then I’ll go straight to the couch and put my feet up.”
The nurse unlocked the brakes. “Who’s going to take care of you at home?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll order a few pizzas and just chill. Honestly, it’s going to be a vacation.” She kept her smile fixed as if she were pitching to a big client. “Any more flower deliveries?”
“No, just the one. Such a pretty arrangement. Someone thinks a lot of you.”
That’s what she was afraid of. “Yes, he certainly does.”
The nurse turned the chair around, pushed it out the door and toward the elevator. When the doors opened, Detective Adler stepped off. He wore jeans, a white shirt with sleeves rolled up above thick wrists to muscled forearms dusted with hair, and no tie today.
“Good, I caught you,” he said, holding the door open with his arm.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Taking you home,” Adler said.
“I have a taxi.”
“You did. I sent the taxi on his way.”
Aware the nurse was watching, she kept her tone even. “I had it worked out.”
He shrugged. “The best-laid plans.”
The nurse pushed Kaitlin past him onto the elevator. “I was worried she’d be on her own. I’m glad she has you.”
Kaitlin didn’t have John Adler. He wasn’t here for her. He was here to monitor her because she was a key component of Hayward’s deal.
The challenge in his gaze dared her to get into an argument in front of the nurse. She swallowed her pride as well as a few choice words for Adler until she was actually free of the hospital.
She tossed another winning smile at the nurse. The nurse gave her a thumbs-up.
The three rode the elevator down in silence. When the doors opened, the nurse wheeled her through the automatic doors toward a black SUV. Adler moved past them and opened the passenger door. He took her backpack and bag and set them inside. As she rose, he supported her weight with his hand. She didn’t fight it. When she’d settled into the seat and snapped the seat belt, he closed the door, moved around the front of the car, and slid behind the wheel.
“I appreciate the lift,” she said.
“Sure.” He slipped on dark sunglasses.
Absently she glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was following. It was a habit that she’d finally broken until recently.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Like a million bucks. Ready to get back to work.”
He frowned. “Your plan is to rest, correct?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Feet up. Lift nothing heavier than a book for two weeks.”
“And you’re going to do that?”
“Sure. Don’t worry about me.”
She’d been going it alone for a long time, but it was nice to have someone in her corner even if it was just for a little while. “What else have you learned about Erika?” she asked.