A Silent Fury (9 page)

“Scary.” And it was. “Look, I've got to run. Thanks for all your help.”

“Just doing my job. Take care of that head of yours.”

Wincing, Catelyn raised a hand to touch the knot at the base of her skull. Her cheek throbbed, too. “I will.”

She picked up the album that had fallen to the floor and placed it on the small table to the left of her front door. Her mother would just have to wait. She had a murderer to put behind bars.

 

Joseph heard her car pull into the driveway and let the boys know Catelyn had arrived. Dylan immediately lost what little relaxation he'd managed to achieve. Alonso blew out a sigh between pursed lips and eyed his friend.

When the knock came at the door, Joseph crossed the room to open it. She entered, her gaze zeroing in on Dylan. Seeing his slumped, dejected form, she stopped. For a brief moment, she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else; doing anything other than what she'd sworn to do.

Uphold the law.

“Catie.” Joseph breathed as he took in her bruised cheek and disheveled appearance.

She held up a hand. “I'm fine.”

Then she straightened her shoulders and marched into the den, signing, “Get up, Dylan, and let's go. I suppose Joseph's already read you your rights.” At his affirming nod, she signed as she talked, explaining that the DNA on the ring had come back matching Dylan's. He raised a hand to his chin. To the cut Joseph had noticed his first day back. The cut he'd just figured had been a result of shaving.

Hesitantly, fear radiating off him in waves, Dylan rose and held out his hands. Catelyn efficiently snapped them into place and signed, “Let's go.”

Joseph frowned at her brusqueness. Normally, in a situation on the street, he wouldn't have thought twice about it, but here in his parents' living room with a scared kid who'd just turned himself in, she seemed so…uncaring.

It hurt to watch. The Catelyn he'd known two years ago would've…no, he couldn't think about that. At least she'd cuffed the kid's hands in front of him so he could still communicate. Joseph turned to Alonso and signed, “I'll be back. Tell Mom and Dad what's going on when they get back, all right?”

He followed her to the squad car. An unmarked, beige Town Car that shouted “Cop.” Dylan obediently allowed Catelyn to herd him into the car.

Joseph settled into the passenger seat. He noticed she didn't offer him the keys. “You've changed.”

Cranking the car, she ignored his statement. At least that's what it looked like to him. They drove in complete silence to the jail. Things didn't improve as they walked inside to the booking area.

Joseph cleared his throat. “I called his parents while we were waiting for you. They should be here somewhere. At least his mother will. You never know with his dad.”

She didn't even blink, just nodded. “An interpreter is on the way.”

Even though he and Catelyn were both highly skilled in ASL, it would be a conflict of interest for either of them to act in the capacity of interpreter.

Twenty minutes later, Jonathan Wise arrived and jumped into his job with skilled professionalism. Dylan knew the man from the deaf school and seemed relieved, if a little embarrassed to see him. Dylan's mother arrived shortly after the booking process began.

The interpreter explained to Dylan that he would have a hearing within seventy-two hours. Dylan shrugged. He'd been
through this before, but had never been charged with something so serious. Once booked, Joseph led him to an interrogation room, the interpreter dutifully following.

Once in the interrogation room, Catelyn stood against the wall while Joseph sat down opposite of Dylan. The teen's mother waited in another area and his lawyer was on the way.

Staring at Catelyn, he wondered at the expression on her face. Tense, resolute. Poor Dylan.

The door opened and a heavyset woman in her mid fifties entered the room. “I'm Rose Donovan, Dylan's lawyer.”

After handshakes all around, the lawyer and her client faced off the Special Agent and the Homicide Detective.

Here goes round one, thought Joseph.

“Now, what's my client being charged with?”

Catelyn sucked in a deep breath and repeated everything she'd told Dylan when he'd been arrested. The interpreter didn't miss a thing.

“Now,” Catelyn concluded, “Jocelyn's already read Dylan his rights, the interpreter was there and we've got it on camera. He understands everything.” She passed the paper to the lawyer who tapped it and nodded. “The big question tonight is why Dylan's DNA was on Tracy's ring when he claims he never saw her that night.”

The boy signed. “All right. Here's the truth. The rest of it anyway.”

So, he had been holding back. Joseph felt anger twist his insides. “You should have come clean long before now, Dylan.”

Defiance flashed for a brief moment, then he dropped his eyes to the table. When he raised them to Joseph, he asked, “Just wait until I tell you everything before you get all mad.” Another deep breath. “I didn't kill Tracy, so I didn't think it would matter.”

Catelyn stomped to the table, leaned over and growled as
she signed, “Spill. And if you leave out a single, solitary detail, I'll nail your hide to the wall, do you understand me?”

Dylan recoiled, his own anger bubbling just below the surface. Joseph could see it clearly.

“Catelyn, back off a little, huh?”

She whirled. “Don't tell me how to do my job.”

Whoa. Her eyes snapped a clear warning. He held up both hands in the universal gesture for surrender. “Fine.”

She gritted, “Thanks.” Turning back to Dylan, she took a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

 

Catelyn felt the raging anger deep down inside. Anger at Dylan, anger at herself for being a sucker once more, anger at Joseph for butting in and coming home. And anger at God.

Her knees nearly buckled at the realization. Stiffening her spine, she made sure none of her emotions showed on her face. Professionalism in its purest form radiated from her. She'd deal with this newfound self-awareness later.

Dylan started signing. “Yes, I was there with Kelly, just like I told you before. But—” his signs slowed “—Tracy was there, too.”

Catelyn blew out an annoyed breath. Dylan didn't notice but Joseph shot her a look. She ignored it. “Go on.”

“When I walked up to meet Kelly, she and Tracy were arguing. I only caught part of the conversation, but what I understood was that Tracy wanted Kelly to get involved in something and Kelly didn't want to.”

“What was she trying to get Kelly involved in?”

“I'm not sure.”

“But you have an idea?” This question came from Joseph. The lawyer's sharp eyes missed nothing and Catelyn knew she'd stop her client if it even looked like he was going to say something to incriminate himself.

Dylan nodded. “I think Tracy was trying to get Kelly to join The Skulls. The gang. It's getting really popular, growing by pretty big numbers.”

“But Kelly didn't want to?” Catelyn furrowed a brow, concentrating hard.

“No. She thinks gangs are stupid. She and Billy both do. They're more into the church scene, not the criminal stuff.” With a sense of relief, Catelyn took note of Dylan's use of the present tense when he talked about Kelly. If he did know where she was, he just told them that she was still alive.

If he knew where she was.

“Anyway, I asked her what they were arguing about and she refused to tell me. Tracy started yelling at me about staying out of her business and told me what a loser I was.” He swallowed at the memory and wiped a hand across his lips, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

Catelyn and Joseph shared a look. And waited.

“Kelly got mad—” Dylan opened his eyes and finally signed, “At Tracy. She lost her temper and told Tracy she was done with their friendship, that blackmail was really low, but if she ever got her life straightened out or if she ever needed any help, Tracy could count on her to help, but if she kept doing the stuff she was doing, then they were done as friends.”

“Wow, that's pretty heavy stuff,” Joseph empathized. “Blackmail, huh?”

Dylan nodded, then stared at the table as though gathering his thoughts.

Catelyn leaned in, not bothering to hide the ire she felt. “Wait a minute, Dylan, you didn't mention the blackmail issue before. You didn't think that was important?”

He dropped his eyes from hers. “I didn't actually remember it until just now.”

She tapped his hand and his eyes rose to meet hers. “Do you know who she was blackmailing?”

Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he signed, “No, I promise. I don't have a clue who she'd be blackmailing.” He ran his fingers over his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose and signed, “Kelly was wearing my jacket. I'd given it to her earlier that day at school. When we turned to leave, Tracy grabbed the back of the jacket and jerked. Kelly's arms pulled back and the jacket slipped off. Tracy gave it a toss—” he mimicked the move like he was flinging something aside “—and when Kelly stumbled, Tracy pushed her to the ground.”

“And you came to Kelly's defense, didn't you?” Joseph signed and asked the question at the same time, his voice soft, his signs slow. The interpreter mimicked his movements for the camera.

Dylan looked miserable. “Yeah, I did. When Kelly fell, Tracy went after her and lifted her foot like she was going to kick her right there on the ground.” He looked around the table. “I couldn't just let her do that. I grabbed Tracy to pull her away from Kelly.”

“So you pushed her?”

He gave a shake of his head. “No. I just grabbed her arm and pulled. That's when her hand flew back and her ring…” Fingers touched the healing spot on his chin.

Understanding crossed Joseph's face and he gave her another look. She kept her gaze on Dylan. “Then what?”

“I let go and told Kelly to come on. She refused. I begged her and she said she had unfinished business and wanted me to leave. I started to argue with her, but she was getting mad, yelled at me to go away, so…I left. I don't know what happened after that.”

Startled at the abrupt ending to the story, Catelyn sat back with a thump. “That's it?”

Dylan shrugged. “That's it. That's why I didn't say anything about being there. I don't know what happened after I left,” he
reiterated. “I didn't think it was important. I didn't think anyone would believe me. I just…”

Catelyn stared at him as he trailed off. He met her gaze, then dropped it to the table. Did she believe him?

Joseph did, she could see it written all over him. And she trusted Joseph's judgment although she gave him a hard time sometimes. Frustration gnawed on her insides. Blackmail. That put a new twist on things.

Who was Tracy blackmailing and what kind of information did she have on that person?

Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was pushing 11:00. “Joseph, do you have any more questions?”

He looked surprised at her inquiry, like it shocked him that she'd bother to include him. Hurt bit her heart. Did he really think she was that hard-nosed? That she didn't respect him as a professional?

Well, it's not like you've been the most cooperative person in this partnership,
her conscience sniped at her. Shame filled her and she avoided his gaze by watching Dylan's lawyer gather her stuff.

Joseph nodded. “I've got two questions. What was the relationship between Tracy and Zachary?”

“They were brother and sister.”

“We know that,” Joseph said patiently. “But did they get along? Hang out? That kind of stuff.”

“No, they didn't like each other much. I mean, they did and they didn't. When Zachary did what Tracy wanted, they got along fine, but Zachary wanted out of the gang. He said something about coming into some cash and didn't need the gang anymore.”

“Wait a minute. Do you know what he meant by that?”

“No, I never saw him with any big amount of money. Anyway, Tracy didn't want him to try and leave and was
pushing him to stay in, calling him names and stuff, bullying him about being weak.” He twisted his fingers. “I think she was scared that if Zachary tried to leave, the gang members would come after her and make an example of her. I don't know if that's what happened or not, but it wouldn't surprise me.”

Joseph made a notation in his notebook. Catelyn felt her mind whirl with this new information. Then Joseph signed his last question. “Dylan, where did you go when you left Kelly?”

The boy paused then signed, “I just drove around, went downtown and watched the people coming and going from the bars, wishing I was old enough to go in.”