Friday Edition, The (18 page)

It was ten o’clock Sunday morning and Rey still had not returned Sam’s page. He was usually prompt in calling back, but she told herself not to worry. She wanted to send another page when she woke Sunday, but decided against it. Sundays for Rey Estrada meant family, a day reserved for his wife and daughters. She could wait until Monday to tell him about her conversation with Gary Gorton and what she suspected about County Road 676.

Sam left her apartment and headed to the Truman County District Attorney’s Office to get Robin’s possessions from her office. It had been a month since her death on Saturday when she and Brady were at the air show. Since Sam was going to the cemetery, she asked if Brady wanted to come with her. He declined and she went alone. She stayed only long enough that afternoon to adjust the fresh flowers she bought in a vase. Robin’s grave was still dressed only with a temporary marker. Sam wasn’t looking forward to picking out a headstone.

A warm winter sun and a vast blue sky greeted her as she walked to her car, improving her somber mood. The sun always had a way of lifting her spirits. As she drove from her complex, she saw the foothills covered in winter white.

The parking lot at the DA’s office was empty. Sam picked Sunday for a reason. She did not want to talk with Robin’s co-workers. She entered the underground parking garage and pulled the Mustang into a space close to the elevator. She knew she should take the stairs because she needed the exercise, but she wasn’t feeling especially energetic and opted for the elevator.

Sam pressed the “up” arrow. One minute became two, then three. Five minutes passed and the elevator had not arrived. “Come on, come on,” she said and pressed the button several more times. She waited. Nothing happened. As Sam reached for the button a third time, she heard the distant sound of a car entering the garage. Moments later a door slammed. She could hear footsteps.

She pushed the button hard several times. The footsteps were getting closer. She had hoped to be alone today and didn’t want to make small talk in the elevator with a stranger. She pushed the button again.

“Come on,” she said. She stepped back from the elevator and looked for the stairs, realizing she could no longer hear the footsteps. It seemed almost too quiet. She glanced around the garage, aware of her heart beating hard. She had a fleeting thought of leaving and returning tomorrow when she heard the footsteps again. She looked over her shoulder and the sound stopped.

She waited and listened. Her eyes darted quickly around garage. “Hello?” her voice echoed in the distance. “Who’s there?”

She listened. Silence. She stepped closer to the elevator button and pushed hard. As she went for the button again she felt someone grab her right arm, yank and twist it behind her back with such intensity that she felt her palm touching her shoulder blade. A loud cry of pain escaped from her lungs.

Sam tried to scream, but she was shoved face first into the elevator doors. Her upper lip made impact with the door and immediately began to pulsate with pain. The collision drove the air from her lungs and she gasped until she felt a hand cover her mouth so she couldn’t shout for help.

Her attacker’s grip closed tightly around her mouth and her nose. Her eyes widened and she panicked at the thought of suffocating. She tried desperately to look over her shoulder to see who was behind her. Her aggressor was stronger and forced her to keeping looking straight ahead.

Her attacker released her arm. The fleeting sense of relief was replaced quickly with a sharp, swift blow to her right side near her kidney. She tried to cry out in pain, but her assailant’s hand was still firmly placed over her mouth. Nothing but a muffled cry escaped between her attacker’s fingers.

Her attacker struck the same area a second, then a third time. Sam felt her knees buckle. A wave of nausea engulfed her. He grabbed her arm again and twisted. It felt as if he was about to pull it from the socket. She tried desperately not to move for fear it would break. She must have bitten the inside of her mouth when her face hit the door. She tasted salty blood as it mixed with her saliva. Her lower back throbbed with a blunted pain foreign to her.

The intense pain commanded her attention, overloading her senses. She felt on the verge of unconsciousness. A thousand tiny black spots danced before her eyes, but she struggled to stay alert. She tried again to look over her shoulder, but felt her assailant’s hot breath against her neck. “Listen, bitch, we’re gonna tell you this once. Lay off, or you’ll end up like your sister.”

Sam’s attacker twisted her arm harder. The force caused her to stand on her toes to relieve some of the pressure. She tried to cry out, but it was useless. She closed her eyes hard hoping the pain would stop. He forced her into the wall. “Wanna end up like her?”

Her attacker let go of her arm and it fell limply to her side. He threatened her not to tell anyone about being attacked in the garage and she felt another piercing blow to her kidney. Her attacker finally removed his hand from her mouth. Sam gasped, both for air and in pain.

Her enemy stepped away from her and she dropped to the concrete. The stark cement floor commanded all her senses. When she felt the swift kick to her midsection from her assailant’s boot, she was free to cry out in pain, but only whimpered, too weak to produce the slightest sound. She could feel drops of saliva and blood dripping from her mouth and the cold as it rose from the ground.

She lay crumpled and twisted on the ground like a pile of old rags, breathing shallowly, trying desperately to stay conscious. Her eyelids became heavy and the feeling of pain was fading away. She hoped it was over. Sam felt herself slipping from consciousness, as though a black veil was being dropped over her eyes.

Her aggressor lowered himself next to her. His breathing was labored.

“No more,” she wheezed. “Pl … please.”

“The next time we come it’ll be worse,” he breathed into her ear. “Think about this the next time you visit the police garage.”

She felt another hard blow to her midsection. She whimpered and curled inward, holding her stomach. Her assailant moved away. A thick silence slipped through the garage. The pain and the cold were too much. She closed her eyes.

“Please, no … no more,” Sam breathed and coughed. It made her ribcage expand, blinding her with more pain.

“If we have to come again, it won’t be for you, bitch, but for your daughter.”

“No,” she pleaded.

“And say nothing to no one about what happened to you here today, or it’ll be the last thing you ever do,” her attacker growled and rose from the ground. Her eyes were glazed, but she saw him standing over her. There was something over his face making it impossible for her to identify him.

Sam heard the sound of her assailant’s footsteps retreating into the distance. She didn’t have the strength to lift her head to see which direction he headed. She heard a car door open and slam shut. She began to lose consciousness just as she heard the squeak of car tires roll against the slippery surface of the garage.

Before her attacker left, he had dropped something in front of her. Sam felt it hit her lightly on the cheek before it fell to the ground. She tried to reach for it, but didn’t have the strength. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment then closed.

On the ground before her was a business card. On it was a police shield.

The car slowly entered the underground garage. It was dusk and he knew by now that any vehicles except the one he had come to find would be gone. He came to find her. If she were still here, he would take her somewhere to get help. He saw Sam’s Mustang and knew she could not be far from it. He slowed his car to a crawl as he neared the Mustang. He parked next to hers and got out of his car scanning the garage. It was empty and cold. Amber garage lights glowed in the distance.

He walked toward the elevator, his shoes tapping lightly against the smooth garage surface. He kept his hands stuffed deep in his jacket pockets, his shoulders turned inward. He stopped when he saw Sam. She was still lying on the ground near the elevator. They had been following her for days, waiting for the right moment. He knew the beating had happened around one. It was almost 4:30 p.m.

He had not witnessed the attack, nor could he bring himself to participate. What he had done to Robin had been more than enough. It had haunted him since. He reached her and bent down beside her. She was on her side, her right arm stretched out above her head, her head resting on her arm. Her left arm was lying lifelessly across her stomach.

He brushed her hair from her forehead. He noticed her lip was red and puffy, but not split and there was no other bruising about her face or shoulders. He knew the remainder of her injuries and bruises would be hidden on her torso.

He saw the business card face down in front of her. He knew what it said and left it where it lay. He found her purse and fumbled through it to find her keys. He collected the business card and dropped it in her purse, knowing she would find it.

He walked to the Mustang and unlocked the passenger door. He returned to her and slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her easily from the ground. Her body felt cold, indicative of the place she had been lying the last few hours.

She did not stir. He managed to get her inside the Mustang, started the car and drove away. As he passed beneath the amber garage lights, the reflection highlighted her swollen lip.

There was only one place he knew he could bring her for help. He couldn’t take her to a hospital emergency room. They would ask questions, and he could stand the chance of being recognized. He arrived at Grandview High School, where the special needs basketball team would be practicing. There were only a few cars in the parking lot when he entered. He saw Todd Matthews’ Toyota Tacoma pickup parked near the main doors.

It was dark now and he worried less about being seen. He checked his watch. The team would be practicing at least another hour. He had time, but did not want to take advantage of it. He slowed the Mustang to a stop next to the truck. Sam was still slumped in the passenger seat. She had not stirred once during the ride.

He left the keys in the ignition and got out of the car. The sun was gone and the air had turned cold. He turned his jacket against the wind. Streetlights illuminated the area. He walked quickly to the end of the long parking lot and disappeared into the murky light. He left no trace behind, not even his shadow.

It was 5:30 p.m. when the team finished basketball practice. Todd and Brady left the school fifteen minutes later, after cleaning the gym. The night air was cold against their skin and Todd pulled the zipper on his sweat jacket up under his neck. Brady watched Todd and went to do the same, but realized his hooded sweat top was a pullover.

“Pull your hood up, bud,” Todd said.

They were headed toward the truck, gym bags in hand, when Todd looked in the direction of his vehicle and stopped. He squinted at the red Mustang parked next to it.

“That’s Sam’s car,” Brady said quickly. “We rode in it Saturday when we went to the airport. It’s a cool car.”

“It sure is,” Todd said, but his voice was preoccupied. “But what the heck is she doing out here? It’s freezing.”

“She should’ve come in and watched,” Brady said.

“She’s sitting in the passenger side,” Todd said as he got closer. “And she’s slumped over.” Todd dropped his gym bag and sprinted toward the car. Brady followed, dropping his bag and running as fast as his pear-shaped body would allow. Todd already had the door open and was kneeling next to Sam when Brady reached the Mustang.

“Is she asleep?” Brady asked.

“No,” Todd replied not looking over his shoulder. “Something happened, but I don’t know what.”

Brady stood behind Todd and watched as he tried to wake Sam by tapping her gently, but firmly on her cheek. She did not respond.

“Sam,” Todd called. “Come on, Sam, wake up.”

He tapped her cheek again, but there was no response.

“Sam? Can you hear me?”

Todd studied Sam’s face. “She’s hurt her lip doing something.” He tapped her cheek harder. She stirred and moaned lightly. Her hands had been lying lifelessly on her lap until now, but when she moved her right arm against Todd’s touch, she grimaced and her moan became a cry of pain.

Her outburst startled Todd and Brady took several steps back. Todd tapped her cheek again. She opened her eyes and blinked slowly. She couldn’t manage the effort to keep them open. Todd tapped her cheek again. “Sam, wake up,” he said.

She opened her eyes and looked at Todd, uncertain.

“Sam, it’s Todd. You’re all right.”

“No!” she cried out and tried to push Todd away so she could escape. But the pain stopped her and she fell back against the car seat. “Please, no more,” she whimpered.

Todd frowned. “Sam, it’s Todd. You’re safe now. It’s all right. What happened?”

Sam looked at Todd then Brady with recognition. She scanned the perimeter of the parking lot, realizing she was a passenger in her own car. “How’d I get here?” she asked, looking at Todd.

Her blue eyes were round and wide with wonder and fear. Todd thought she looked like a frightened child. He patted her gently on the shoulder. “I don’t know,” he answered. “Did you know we were here at the high school practicing tonight?”

Sam looked at the building. “That’s Grandview?”

Todd nodded when Sam directed her attention to him.

“Were you practicing tonight?”

Again Todd nodded.

“No, uh, I guess I didn’t know that, did I?” she asked.

When Todd opened the car door he had checked for an odor of alcohol, but didn’t tell Brady about his speculation she might have been drinking. The interior, however, smelled only faintly of Sam’s perfume. “Sam, do you know how you got here?”

She looked at him sheepishly, confused. “No, I don’t know.” Sam blinked slowly. Her brain felt fuzzy and she was becoming increasingly aware of a dull ache in her lower back and midsection. She winced.

“What’s the matter?” Todd asked and put his hand on her shoulder.

“My back, everything hurts,” she said.

“Sam, try and remember what happened,” Todd said.

She shivered. “It’s so cold,”

“Let’s get in my truck,” Todd said and turned his attention to Brady. “Bud, give me a hand getting her out of the car.”

“Sure,” Brady said.

Todd gently pulled Sam’s arm and she cried out in pain. Brady jumped back again. “What is it?” Todd asked, taking his hand away quickly.

“My arm. I … uh … hurt my arm.”

Todd and Brady managed to get Sam into his truck. She was sandwiched between them when they drove from the parking lot. The move exhausted her so she closed her eyes and rested her head against the back window. Suddenly she opened her eyes wide and stared at Todd as if the events of that afternoon had returned from the shadows. “I was going to Robin’s office to get her stuff,” she announced in a weary voice.

“On a Sunday?” Todd asked. He turned on to Wadsworth to take Sam home.

“I wanted to go alone, Todd. I didn’t want anyone else to be around. I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. But I … uh … didn’t make it to her office.”

Todd glanced at her briefly. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“I didn’t make it,” she said. “I had parked in the underground garage and was waiting for the elevator and I … I remember it didn’t come.”

The pain increased and she swallowed hard to continue. “I remember I heard another car pull into the garage. And then I remember going to press the elevator button again when someone grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back.”

“What’s going on?” Todd asked.

She was afraid of what they might do to her daughter, but before she could stop herself, she heard herself say, “They’re after me now.”

Sam thought of the text messages she had been receiving. “I’ve been threatened.”

Todd shook his head in disgust. “I should’ve been more insistent that Robin talk to me. Maybe this wouldn’t be happening.”

Sam shook her head. “You could’ve insisted all you wanted, she wouldn’t have told you. She knew what was at stake and she didn’t want to put you, me, anyone she loved in jeopardy.”

Sam looked from Brady who had his head down, staring at his palms to Todd. He was concentrating on the drive, but his eyes were narrow, tiny slits. She knew he was angry, angry with Robin for not telling him, angry for not asking for his help.

Sam went on. “Do you know how long this has been going on? Months, Todd, months. Probably longer for all I know and I only found about it after her death. And now they’re coming after me and they won’t stop until they get to April. They killed Robin because she wouldn’t back off, what makes you think they won’t do something to April if I don’t stop? Then I will give ’em what they want. I’m done! I’ll just back the fuck off!”

They turned onto Sixth Avenue as Sam told them what happened in the garage.

“We’re going to Lutheran,” Todd said and pulled into a convenience store parking lot to turn the truck around.

“No!” she said. “Take me home. I can’t go to the hospital.”

“You might have broken ribs. You could be bleeding internally, Sam. We’re going to the ER.”

“Take me home, please, Todd. Don’t you see? I can’t report this. They threatened me not to say anything about the beating and to stop the investigation or else they’ll do something to April. I can’t have that happen. My daughter, they said they would harm her…”

Her voice trailed off and she buried her face in her hands. Tears rushed forward. “She’s all I have left. I can’t let anything happen to her. I … I just can’t. If they hurt her, I’ll die, too.”

Brady rested his stubby hand on her back and rubbed gently as she cried. He looked at Todd. The look of pain and anguish was mirrored in their eyes. They stayed in the lot until Sam finished crying and collected herself. When she sat up, she saw herself in the rearview mirror. Her red and swollen eyes matched her puffy lip. “Take me home, Todd, please. It’s just some bruising. I’ll get over it.”

Reluctantly Todd drove from the parking lot and headed to Sam’s apartment. Sam sighed deeply and closed her eyes. When she laid her head on Brady’s shoulder he straightened up as tall as he could. She was asleep within minutes. One glance at Brady told Todd that he was glad to feel useful. “You’re doing a good job, Bud,” Todd said.

And when Brady looked at him, Todd grinned and winked.

“Really?” Brady said, sounding surprised.

They drove in silence, and Brady’s face radiated with satisfaction. When Todd parked in front of Sam’s building, he rested his hand gently on her thigh.

“Sam, we’re here. It’s time to wake up.”

Sam opened her eyes with great effort, but kept her head on Brady’s shoulder. Todd knew she was in pain and it bothered him she refused medical attention. He asked again to take her to the hospital, but she refused.

“At least let us help you upstairs,” Todd said.

Sam agreed. Brady and Todd supported her like bookends as they climbed the two flights of stairs.

“I just want to lie on the couch,” she said.

Todd and Brady helped Sam to the sofa.

“Call if you need anything,” Todd said.

“I will,” she said flatly and without emotion.

Brady followed Todd to the door, but stopped before going outside.

“Let’s go, Bud,” he said.

“My dad has a bank account,” Brady said looking from Sam to Todd.

When they offered no reaction to his comment Brady turned and followed Todd.

Moments after they were gone, her telephone rang. Sam struggled to her feet to answer it. “Hello,” she said weariness evident in her voice.

“Sam? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Judie, how are you?”

“I’m doing well, but you sound awful. Is everything all right?”

There was a moment of silence as Sam grimaced as she struggled to settle in the couch. The pain in her body was all encompassing. “It hasn’t been one of my better days,” she said and clenched her teeth over the pain. “What’s up?”

“Can you stop by my office in the morning before you go to work?”

“Sure, why?”

“Well, I’ve been going over Robin’s autopsy report.”

“What do you mean?” Sam said, forgetting her pain.

“I mean something has bothered me about it from the moment I laid eyes on it,” Judie said. “And I think I finally figured it out.”

“I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”