Текст книги "Cruelest Month"

Автор книги: Aaron Stander

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Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

48

The noon rush was long over and the room was near empty when Ray and Sue sat down at a table far in a corner of the hospital cafeteria with Ken Lee Park.

“Thank you for believing me,” he said, half standing to shake their hands. “That was my first fear.”

“As soon as our dispatcher put you through to me, you sounded credible. And then when I checked the address you provided, the car with the broken window, blood all over the interior….”

“Did you have to force your way into the house?” asked Ken Lee.

“No, the garage door was standing open. Her assailant was in too much of a hurry or just careless.”

“How did you know she was in trouble?” asked Ray.

“She was wearing a satellite communicator on a lavaliere. It allowed me to keep track of her. It also had an emergency communicator on it. The device suddenly went dead. First I called, then I viewed her security cameras.”

“How did you know about the Hollingsford estate?” asked Sue.

“The people she had been watching; it’s a complicated story.”

“So start at the beginning,” said Ray. “Tell us about your friend. Why was she here?”

Over the next 50 minutes Ken Lee Park talked. He provided a carefully crafted tale of why Mackenzie Mason, née Caitlyn Hallen, had returned to Cedar County. He left out actions on his part or Mackenzie’s that probably violated state or federal law.

“So what did she intend to do to these men?” asked Ray, after Ken Lee had finished.

“That was probably the weakness in the plan. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted justice rather than revenge. She wanted them to go to jail, but didn’t think there was anyway they would ever be prosecuted. By yesterday she was ready to give up on the whole idea and fly back to California.”

“The cell phone, the one she left at Jim Moarse’s place….”

“The original intent of that device was to make sure that she could get the attention of local law enforcement if she was in trouble. As it turns out, it worked perfectly when she wanted you to find that crime scene.”

“How do you know about this stuff?” asked Ray.

“Corporate security and intelligence. This is what I do.”

“And Ms. Mason?” asked Sue.

“She works as a project manager for tech companies.”

“What’s the nature of your relationship with her?” Sue pursued.

“Good friends. She often employed my company in recent years. But our involvement was more than casual.”

“Why now?” asked Sue. “It’s been decades.”

Ken Lee ran his hands over the stubble on his face and head. “The death of her brother…I don’t how to explain it…the festering wound…which sounds too clichéd. But it was always there. She told me about his death soon after I got to know her. Every so often she would search for Sabotny. Finally finding him was the key to…well, the key to something. One day his name popped up. There he is back in Cedar County, living very openly. She needed to come back here. Try to figure out how to get some kind of retribution. I tried to talk her out of it. But that was what she needed to do, so I did my best to support her.” He looked from Ray to Sue and back to Ray. “What happens now?” he asked.

Ray shook his head. “I don’t know what the prosecutor will do with all of this,” he said. “In the end, circumstances suggest that Mason was acting in self-defense. As for Sabotny, if he lives, he’ll be charged with two murders, kidnapping, and a host of other things.”

“How about the death of Terry Hallen?”

Ray looked at Sue and back at Ken Lee.

“I guess I know that’s impossible,” he said, shrugging. “Sabotny managed to take out all the guys involved. The truth will probably never be known.” He paused briefly. “Having him in jail; I think that will be enough. She will be able to get some kind of closure.”

“Sabotny—did you do any background work on him?”

“You hear things along the way. On the plane last night I was thinking about that, thinking someone might be interested in him. I put a few things together. It’s just the surface, public info, gathered legally. But I think some of it might be of interest to all sorts of folks.” He reached into his shirt pocket and held out a thumb drive. “Is there anything else, Sheriff?”

“I’m sure there will be.”

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s pretty up here. I hope to get to know the place while Mackenzie is recovering. Now if you will excuse me, I’ll go up and see if she’s awake yet.”

They watched him walk away.

“Interesting man,” observed Sue. “A rather exotic couple. They would turn heads up here.”

“Doesn’t take much,” said Ray, passing her the thumb drive.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“Need to know. He told us just what we needed to know, and nothing more. There will nothing on that drive that came through illegal channels or would compromise any of their sources, but I bet they know a lot about Richard Sabotny and his associates.

“You know the dance at this point. We need to get everything on paper and really tight. Sabotny will have sufficient funds to put together a good defense. Let’s make sure we don’t give his lawyers any openings.”

49

Simone arrived in Ray’s lap before Sue had cleared the door.

“We do better at co-parenting than most,” she said, setting a bright purple milk crate on the conference table.

“She’s very special, and neither of us is poisoning the water. She picked mature parents. How are you today?” asked Ray.

“It’s amazing what a couple good nights of sleep will do. That and the weather, the wonderful sunshine and warm temperatures. How quickly we forget about the months of gray skies and barren landscapes. And the ever enthusiastic Simone seems even more so. I took her for a run on the beach last evening, and she was beside herself playing in the surf and chasing gulls.”

Sue paused for a long moment and looked at Ray. “Getting some closure on the Fox murder, that was a special gift. I was absolutely frustrated by all the wheel spinning. You are more patient than me,” she observed.

“Does anything tie Richard Sabotny to the Vincent Fox murder?”

“No. That said, I need to work the Moarse home again, same with the Jeep. At this point nothing suggests Sabotny was part of that crime. My guess is that Moarse was solo on the Fox abduction, a desperate man going after some low hanging fruit.”

“When time allows,” said Ray, “I’d like to connect the dots in that investigation, as if we were preparing to take the case to the prosecutor. I want to make sure Moarse had no accomplices, including Sabotny. I don’t want anyone to walk from that crime.”

“Like they were almost able to do in the Terry Hallen murder,” said Sue. “Justice delayed is justice denied. And our finding the truth in this case was a matter of luck. Think if his death had been thoroughly investigated at the time.”

“It’s justice of sorts, and sometimes you have to be thankful for what you get. The bad guys all paid a price. If Sabotny survives, he’ll never see the outside again. And Mackenzie, bruised and battered, will heal. She got justice for her brother. Now she will have closure, and that’s a good outcome.”

“If everything hadn’t fallen into place….”

“But it did. And we, especially you, did everything right to get a good outcome.”

“The Doc, too, Ray. She’s a good woman.”

“The planet’s were in proper alignment.” Ray pointed to the crate, “Money in there?”

“Yes, everything is signed for, complete custody trail. I thought your plan was to hold on to it until we were sure that….”

“You’ve got all the serial numbers and photographs. Now that we have several federal agencies involved, it might be months or years before this is all resolved. Ma French called yesterday wondering about the money, saying she had a bit of an emergency. She found it. Let’s return it to her. We’re doing everything according to law and policy. In this matter it won’t be justice delayed.”

The words were hardly out of his mouth when Jan was standing at the door, Ma French, at her side.

“Please come in,” said Ray, “Why don’t you sit here.” he pulled a chair for her at the conference table. “Sue has the cash you found. We need you to count it and sign off that we have returned it to you.”

“Oh, Ray, do I really have to count it. I trust you.”

“Yes, you really do. We will sit here quietly so you can concentrate.”

They watched as Ma French made stacks of bills, counting out loud to ten as she constructed each pile. “It’s all here,” she said after she finished. “Okay if I keep this envelope?”

“Absolutely,” answered Ray. “You mentioned on the phone about needing money. What’s going on, Ma?”

“Well, I need to get some roofing done. It was bad to begin with, and a big branch came down on it a couple of weeks ago when we had that last ice storm. But the big thing is Roxy. I mean she found the money and all.”

“What’s going on with Roxy?” asked Ray.

“Well, the vet says it’s hip dysplasia. Both hips. She’s a young dog with lots of years left. And Ray, that dog means everything to Bobby, especially since Pa’s gone. Roxy, that’s his friend, his constant companion. And when I’m over at the school working, I’m comforted to know Roxy is there with him.”

“So what’s the cost?” asked Sue

“I think it will be about $5,000. The vet says after the surgery I’ve gotta be sure that Roxy doesn’t get fat. It will be hard to teach Bobby not to keep giving her treats. But Roxy should have a long happy life.”

“So is $10,000 enough?” asked Ray.

“Well, it will take care of Roxy and do the roof over the back of the house. Maybe the rest of the roof will last as long as we need it. The money is a godsend, just a godsend.”

“Before you go will you sign on this document that we’ve returned the money to you, and that you’ve counted it,” said Sue, sliding a form in Ma’s direction and handing her a pen.

“Thank you so much, both of you,” said Ma, using the table to help push herself to her feet.

“Thank you,” said Ray, reaching for her hand. “I hope things go well with Roxy.”

“They will Ray. They’ve got to.”

After Ma left Sue said, “We need something like this every day to keep things in perspective.”

“We do. Let’s order some sandwiches to go, take Simone to the beach for a run, and celebrate spring before the weather changes. The mountain of paperwork these events have created can wait till later this afternoon.”

Author’s Note:

I am greatly indebted to Heather Shaw for the cover photo, design, and interior layout. I am in awe of her artistic skills and literary sensibilities.

Special thanks to Sergeant Roy Raska and members of the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office for sharing their knowledge and expertise in answering my questions about police procedures.

And, finally, Mary K, who provides support, friendship, and wise counsel as the book moves from a few random notes to a final draft.

A Final Note:

Readers of this series are aware of the importance of sea kayaking in the stories. For more than a decade I have benefited from the friendship and instruction of many skilled kayakers. There is a special bond between members of this small community who share the exhilaration and danger of paddling on the Great Lakes. It is with sadness that I remember Dave Dickerson. He was one of the best waterman in the sport. I am so sorry, Dave, we missed that last paddle beyond the shelf ice.

Books in the Ray Elkins Series:

Summer People

Color Tour

Deer Season

Shelf Ice

Medieval Murders