Deadly Treatment (26 page)

D
aniel got up early and paced around the empty house. With nothing to do on the Castello case but wait, Taylor and Malone had left for a day of looking at houses. Thoughts of his mother, Shannon, and his past all but consumed him. He circled the phone several times before finally picking it up and calling.

‘Hello?’ Shannon groggily answered

Daniel paused and then tentatively spoke ‘Hello Mom, it’s me.’

‘Hi, how are you? Where are you?’ Her voice immediately
brightened..

‘Look, I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything; I just needed some time for it all to sink in.’

‘That’s okay, son; it was your turn to walk out on me.’

It was a poor attempt at humour, but it was enough to break the tension. They spoke for over an hour before Shannon said she needed to go to work. Daniel gave her his number and they both agreed to talk later when her shift ended.

The day dragged on slowly for Daniel; mooching around the house wasn’t half as much fun as hanging out in Vegas. He tried to keep himself entertained by watching TV and then going on line and chatting with his friends on Facebook.
Friends
was a very loose term of course, they were friends he had met on line, and friends he was never likely to meet in person. In an attempt to be a bit of help to the Costello case, he did some research on the insurance broker, Richard Harrison, but his heart wasn’t really in it, so all he managed to find was where he lived and a bit of career history.

As six o’clock rolled around, he started to visualize what was happening in Vegas. Shannon would be finishing her shift and changing out of her sparkling attire. She’d then go outside the casino, smoke a cigarette, and hail a cab that would make its journey to her house. She’d then possibly put the coffee machine on and while it brewed she’d light up another cigarette, remove her makeup, and slip into something more comfortable. Daniel was almost pacing out her moves trying to get the timing right. At six-thirty-five he picked up the phone and dialed.

‘Hello?’ she answered.

‘Hi Mom, it’s me again.’

‘Hi Daniel, I’ve just got in.’ He could hear the teaspoon clink on the side of her cup, and he smiled to himself.

Again, they chatted for hours. They talked like old friends, slowly piecing together the missing years of their lives. Daniel continued to ask direct questions like where his father was buried — and why had she never contacted him. Shannon danced around some of the answers, but comfortably answered others — namely, his father was buried in San Francisco.

‘So, how is your business going?’ she asked.

‘It’s steady, always something to do, but nothing real urgent.’

‘I’m very proud of what you’ve managed to do; you’re obviously very talented.’

Daniel blushed at the compliment from his mother. By the time Taylor and Malone returned from the house hunting, Daniel had almost talked himself hoarse.

He rang off with Shannon, saying he would call again in the morning. Smiling, he then turned his attention to Malone and Taylor.

‘How did it all go?’ he asked.

‘Been a long day, but I think we’ve found a place that puts a smile on Taylor’s face.’ There was little joy in Malone’s voice as he spoke; it was really going to be difficult for him to give up his old family home.

‘That’s great!’ Daniel replied excitedly, although some of his joy was, in fact, the residue of his reunification with his mother seeping through.

Malone said nothing.

Daniel waited a moment before speaking again.

‘I took your advice and gave my mom a call. It’s been good; we’ve been talking for hours…’ Daniel beamed as he spoke.

Malone held up his hand to stop him.

‘That’s really good, Daniel, but if you don’t mind, I’m tired now. Can we talk about it tomorrow?’ He didn’t wait for an answer; he just walked off to bed.

Deflated, Daniel turned to Taylor; she gave him an apologetic look and then followed after Malone.

‘That’s just great,’ he said sulkily, and went off to bed himself.

The next morning, Malone was up early and crashing around in the kitchen making coffee and burning toast.

‘Whoa, you trying to smoke us out?’ Taylor joked as she came out to the kitchen and waved her hand around her nose. ‘Do you want me to do that?’ she asked, and then made another suggestion. ‘How about we all go for breakfast at
Denny’s
?’ knowing that the Grand Slam pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausage seldom failed to put a smile on Malone’s face.

The three of them spent the next hour or so eating, laughing, forgetting, and remembering. It finally gave Daniel a chance to tell them how good it was getting know his mom and his past, and Taylor and Malone started to talk about the house they were keen on.

Still laughing and joking, they arrived back at the house. Daniel ducked into his room and Malone and Taylor went to the kitchen to put on the coffee; even though they didn’t really want any, it was just force of habit. Also out of habit, Taylor spread the property pages of the paper out on the counter while Malone checked the machine for messages; the indicator light flashed the number two. Malone pushed the button and went back to making the drinks.

‘Hi Malone and Taylor, Erin here. I’ve had a call from Detective Rodriguez; he thinks they’re going to attack the hotel tonight, so I thought maybe you’d like to go down there and have a stake out of our own. I’d like to be there in case Joshua is with them. Anyway, give me a call back and tell me what you think.’

Malone gave Taylor a sounds like a good idea look, but Taylor looked back disapprovingly. There’s no way I’m going to be stuck in a car all night with Aaron, she thought.

The machine beeped and the second message started.

‘Hi, this is a message for Daniel. You didn’t call this morning. I hope you haven’t abandoned me again,’ she laughed. ‘Anyway I thought that maybe you’d like to go to see your father’s grave in Frisco, I’ve got some vacation time owing so I could split from here anytime, we could have some fun and spend some of our hard-earned cash.’ She laughed again and the message went dead.

Malone stood frozen to the spot.

‘What is it? What’s the matter?’ You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Taylor said alarmed as she looked at him.

‘That voice! — it’s her!’ The message was playing back in Malone’s head and the words
split
and
cash
screamed out at him.

‘The tone, the words’ the way she speaks — It’s her!’

‘What are you talking about?’ Taylor asked again.

The fatal answer-phone message from years ago — one he’d replayed over and over until it burned a deep groove in his memory banks, now boomed at full volume from the speakers inside his head.

‘I know who has your daughter, Mary. She’s locked in a room under my boyfriend’s place. I can’t tell you over the phone where it is. Meet me on east corner of 124
th
street and Alameda at three. He’s gonna find out it’s me who told, so bring a couple of grand cash so I can split. Oh, and come alone, no cops.’

‘I’m telling you, that’s fucking her! That’s the woman who killed my wife!’ he yelled.

Daniel came bolting from his room.

‘What’s the matter? What’s going on?’

Malone was speechless as he replayed Shannon’s message on the machine. Taylor told Daniel that Shannon’s voice sounded like the woman that killed Malone’s wife.

‘Not sounds like —
It is her!
’ Malone yelled as he listened to her speak.

‘Don’t be ridiculous — Of course it’s not,’ Daniel said smiling as he off-handedly dismissed Malone’s misdirected ranting’s.

Malone turned around and aggressively pointed at Daniel.

‘I’m telling you, it’s her. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. That is the woman who killed my wife.’

‘Malone, you have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve got it wrong. My mom wouldn’t hurt a fly, she’s honest and hardworking. Plus, there’s hardly anything to her. I’ve seen the pictures of your wife; there’s no way my mom would be able to attack her.’ Daniel was getting defensive and the meaning of his words were coming out wrong.

‘Are you calling Barbara fat?’ Malone was moving towards Daniel.

‘Both of you calm down,
now!
’ Taylor Screamed. ‘Daniel, could you please leave us alone for a minute!’

Reluctantly, Daniel went off to his room.

‘Malone, come and sit with me a moment,’ she said as she took his hand and led him to the couch, flicking Charlie out of way as they sat down.

‘Honey, I just want to talk to you and I want you to listen and not speak. Can you do that for me?’ Taylor’s voice was soft and careful as she continued. ‘Now, I know you’re sure that Shannon is the woman who killed Barbara, but…’

‘But nothing,’ Malone jumped in, ‘it’s her.’

‘Please let me finish,’ Taylor said quietly.

Malone closed his mouth.

‘Like I said, I know you believe that Shannon killed Barbara; but honestly, what are the chances of Daniel’s mother — Daniel, the guy who helped you in your search for your daughter — being the woman who killed your wife? Don’t you think it’s more likely that you’re just watching Daniel grow closer to his birth mother, and you can feel him becoming less dependent on you?’

Malone was about to jump to his own defense and tell Taylor that she was wrong, in fact every emotion inside him was telling him not listen to her, to blot her out and get on the next flight to Vegas — everything but logic. Logic was a tiny voice that was growing in size with every second that passed. Logic was repeating Taylor’s words, “what are the chances of the mother of the guy that helped you in your search for your daughter turning out to be the killer of your wife?” He thought about how he believed significant people came into his life for a reason; maybe Daniel was there to right the wrongs of his mother. But Logic then joined forces with rational thinking, coincidences like this were inconceivable; it was impossible; it was absurd.

‘What do you suggest we do then?’ Malone asked glumly.

‘How about we get Daniel to ask…’

‘Like she’s going to tell him she killed my wife? I can hear the conversation now, “Mom did you kill Malone’s wife?” “Oh yes, dear, there was nothing on TV that day.”’ Malone said sarcastically.

‘Have you finished?’ Taylor asked; again Malone went silent. ‘What I was going to say was, get Daniel to ask her subtly where she was around the date of your wife’s murder. At least then we can find out if she was in Vegas, Frisco, or even in the damn country.’

Logic and Rational thinking gave off a big cheer as Malone sank back in the couch and reluctantly said, ‘I guess we’ll try it your way first.’

Elwood’s phone rang and he answered it gruffly.

‘Yeah?’

‘It’s time to move on Vince and Scott. And you have the authority to tie up any loose ends.’

The phone went dead on the other end. The message was simple and it was what he was expecting: Time to go to work.

T
aylor had been in earlier and explained to Daniel what she’d said to Malone: that she was sure it was all a big misunderstanding, but for Malone’s sake and her own, would he please get a few more specific details on what Shannon had been up to around the date of Barbara’s murder. She finished by saying it would be nice for everything to go back to normal.

At six thirty-five, Daniel was on the phone to his mother again.

‘Hi Daniel, so you haven’t disappeared then,’ Shannon joked as she answered the phone.

‘Yeah, sorry about that, I had to run an errand this morning. How was your day?’

‘’Bout the same as usual, some winners some losers and not much in between.’ She was in good spirits. ‘Any thoughts on the message I left for you?’

As soon as Shannon mentioned the message, Daniel instantly thought of Malone’s take on it. Although he had nothing to compare it to, he listened to her voice wondering if it really did match the message left almost six years ago. He wondered if her voice belonged to a vicious and brutal murderer.

‘Daniel, are you there?’ she asked.

‘Uh yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something else. What did you ask again?’

‘I said, did you have chance to think about the message I left, about going up to ‘Frisco and me showing you your father’s grave. We could even go to Disneyland when we get back; we could dress up in Mickey Mouse ears and eat cotton candy…’

Vicious and brutal murderer,
Daniel thought as she spoke, sure she is.

‘Sounds like a great plan, I’d love to.’ Daniel replied.

They continued to talk for a while, mostly about Shannon’s time with his father, DC. The way she told her stories, he could feel the joy oozing from her as she spoke.

‘Where were you six years ago?’ He suddenly blurted out in his usual direct fashion.

He was sure she was going to say New York or ‘Frisco or Vegas or…

‘Six years ago, let me think… I’d have been in LA then, why?’

‘Oh, uh…no reason,’ he stammered, taken aback by her answer. ‘You’ve been such a globetrotter, I was just trying to picture where you were at different points of my life. I… uh…was in my teens then.’ He was still trying to steady himself.
Just because she was in LA, it doesn’t mean anything,
he thought.

‘You ask the strangest questions,’ she laughed. ‘So I’ll call in to work now and tell them I won’t be in tomorrow, and then I’ll let you know my flight details as soon as I get them,’ she continued chuckling.

‘Great,’ he replied absently.

Within an hour, Shannon called back and told him it was all booked. Daniel grabbed his notepad and the nearest pen quickly taking down the details; then absently going over the ink again and again as they continued to talk. She would fly in to LAX at ten and they could then catch the midday flight up to San Francisco, spend a day or so there, and then fly back to LA. Since it was close to Disneyland, if they had time she’d show him where she grew up in Norwalk. Shannon spoke a little more about her about her childhood, and then ended by saying ‘I need to save some of this till we’re there or we’ll have nothing to talk about.’ She laughed and then said good bye. Daniel hung up, excited about the trip.

He ripped the page off the pad, folded it and put it in his jeans, then went out to tell Taylor and Malone about the call.

‘It’s not her.’ He said to them.

‘So she wasn’t in LA six years ago then?’ Taylor asked relieved.

‘Well, sort of.’ Daniel tried to dance around the question.

‘What do you mean sort of? Was she or was she not in LA six years ago?’ Malone snarled, looking directly at him.

‘Okay. Yes, she was in LA six years ago, but that doesn’t mean anything.’

‘I knew it – it’s her.’ Malone was up and strutting around the room. ‘From the second I heard that voice…’

‘Calm down, Malone,’ Taylor yelled as she desperately trawled her mind for another logical argument to settle him down.

‘I’m telling you, it’s not her.’ Daniel was adamant.

‘And I’m telling you it is,’ Malone yelled back unyielding. ‘Give me her address; I’m going to Vegas right now.’

Daniel, would you please give us a second again. Daniel threw his arms in the air, and stormed out of the room.

‘Look at me,’ Taylor said to Malone. This time her tone wasn’t soft, it was angry and fierce.

‘What do you think you’re doing? Don’t take all of this out on Daniel. He’s only ever been on your side. Regardless of what you may think at the moment, he’s the innocent one, and right now he’s happy. If Shannon isn’t Barbara’s killer, then all you’re doing in pushing the closest thing you have to a son away from you…’

She let her statement hang for a second before carrying on. ‘But, if she is her murderer, then prove it. Get Logan on the case and find the evidence. Yelling and screaming at Daniel is not going to help, nor is tearing off to Vegas to confront Shannon. Take a moment to think about it. If you go see her and she’s guilty, she runs; if she’s innocent, you lose Daniel. Either way, you lose. Do the right thing, call Logan.’

Malone knew she was right.

‘One other thing: right now, you’ve got another person who needs you — Erin Costello. You’ve done so much for that woman; don’t let her down now. She and her son are both depending on you.’

Although still angry, Malone knew what she was saying made sense. He grabbed the phone and called Logan, telling him all about the answer phone message and that she was his wife’s killer. Although skeptical, Logan knew not to question Malone’s gut feelings, ‘I’ll do a full background check immediately,’ he replied.

Malone hung up and paced around the room; finally, he picked up the phone again. The last thing he wanted to do at that moment was to help another human being, but Taylor was right, Erin needed him. ‘Hi Erin, it’s Malone, I’ll be over at midnight to pick you up.’

Taylor went into Daniel’s room again and sat on his bed next to him.

‘Look, Malone has got it stuck in his head that Shannon is the one. I suggest that we let him run with it. Over time, the truth will come out and we can look back at this and laugh. For now, please understand that he loves you, but he’s under a lot of pressure.’

‘It’s okay. He’s wrong. I know he’s wrong, but I also know what he’s like when he gets something in his head.’ Daniel nodded feigning that he understood.

‘Thanks,’ she said and got up.

As Taylor smiled and left, Daniel slipped his hand in his pocket and felt the paper with the details of his trip;
maybe if everything goes well I could move to Vegas,
he thought.

‘Where were you six years ago?’
Daniel’s question was rattling around her head. It was such an odd and specific question even for him. It wasn’t exactly clear as Shannon tried to remember where she’d been and what she’d been doing six years ago. There were a lot of drug-filled years she couldn’t fully account for. General vicinities and overviews were difficult enough to recall, but specifics, they were a different matter — they were nigh on impossible.
Six years ago, LA six years ago
she thought.

‘
Oh fuck!
’ she said out loud as she suddenly remembered where she knew the surname Malone from.