From the Heart: Romance, Mystery and Suspense a collection for everyone (38 page)

Chapter Thirty-eight

Maggie reacted as any woman would watching her husband handcuffed and led away, barefoot in blue jeans, in the dead of night, and told nothing that made any sense.

Richard was stuffed into the backseat of a police cruiser and had yelled, “Call Sam, Diane too. Tell them to get me a lawyer. Don’t talk to these guys Maggie, just--”

The deputy slammed the back door so she couldn’t make out what else he said.

She raced barefoot after one of the officers, stumbling blindly over the hard ground. “Where are you taking my husband?” She tried to reach out and touch the officer’s arm who hurried behind the others. “To the Sequim Detachment. Please step back, ma’am.” He held out his arm to brush her back as if she were a common criminal—a woman of no importance.

Maggie placed her hands against the window of the cruiser where Richard stared back. The cruiser pulled away, forcing her to leap back.

Now, as the sun peeked over the mountains, she raced out of the house with Ryley in tow, locking an anxious Daisy in the house. She leaped into Richard’s big diesel truck. “Ryley, come on.”

She ground the starter when she forgot to push the button to prep the diesel. “Dammit.” She slapped the steering wheel, and this time waited for the ding and started the engine. Ryley just closed the passenger door when she shifted in reverse and backed up, right over Ryley’s bike he’d forgotten to put away.

She glanced at Ryley. He said nothing as he peered at his crumpled bike in the side mirror. She hit the gas and sped down the driveway and knocked over the newspaper box staked on the road at the edge of the driveway when she cut a sharp right onto the road. She wasn’t used to driving Richard’s large one ton. And being stressed, tired, and damn near freaking out, she probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Ryley appeared small in the passenger seat beside her. His hair was flattened on one side, and stuck straight up on the other.

Richard’s cell phone rang on the seat beside her. One handed, she held the cell phone to her ear. “Hello.” Her voice trembled.

“Maggie, its Diane. I just got your message. What the hell’s going on?”

She had been so freaked out after the officers left, she couldn’t remember what message she left Diane. “Richard’s been arrested. They said he killed Dan. The officers took him to Sequim Detachment. That’s your detachment, right?” Her voice was breathless and filled with urgency. And she was driving too fast.

“Maggie, where are you right now?”

“I’m on my way to Sequim, to where the cops took Richard.”

“Turn around and come to my house. Do
not
go to the precinct. Listen to me. You are the last person who should be walking in there right now. You’ll only make it worse for him. I’ll see what I can find out. Do you hear me, Maggie? Go to my house. Meet me there!” Diane yelled, which was so unlike her.

“Diane, I want to see my husband. I need to get him a lawyer. I’ve called Sam too, but he didn’t answer his cell phone. I don’t know how many messages I left. Why can’t you guys answer your phones?”

A loud beep cut through the line. Maggie pulled the phone away and glanced at the number on screen. “Diane, Sam’s on the other line. I gotta take it.”

“Okay, okay. But do not go to the detachment, meet me at my house. Do you understand? Maggie!”

“Yes, okay, I will.” She clicked off before Diane could say anymore, before she missed Sam’s call.

“Maggie, it’s Sam. What the hell’s going on? I’ve got twelve messages from you that Richard was arrested.”

“Oh Sam, they showed up an hour ago and took him in handcuffs. They said he killed Dan. I need to get him a lawyer.”

“Where are you, Maggie?”

“I was on my way to Sequim to the police station where they took Richard, but I just spoke with Diane, and she doesn’t want me going there. She wants me to go to her place.”

“She’s right. I’ll take care of a lawyer for Richard. You just go to Diane’s, and if by any chance the police try and question you don’t talk. Ask for a lawyer.”

“Sam, I don’t know anything. What the hell’s going on? Is Dan really dead? And when would Richard have killed him? None of this makes any sense.”

“Maggie, I don’t know. But I’ll find out what’s going on. Go to Diane’s.”

“Sam, which ferry are you coming over on?”

He hesitated. “Marcie and I are already here.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Diane wasn’t home when Maggie pulled in. Ryley said nothing as he frantically clutched the seat belt across his chest. Maggie leaned back and really looked at Ryley with his pale face and eyes
staring like any frightened child whose world has been rocked, again.

“Ryley, I know you’re scared. So am I. But Diane and Sam are going to help.”

He turned only his head to face her. “Did Dad kill Dan?”

The way his innocent yet worldly gaze searched and pleaded for her honesty, she knew if she lied, their shaky bond would be forever severed.

“I don’t know anything, Ryley. But your dad wouldn’t do something like that. I’m being honest with you. I don’t know how long Diane’s going to be. Do you want me to take you to one of your friends?”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving. I want to know what’s going on.”

Maggie nodded and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. She couldn’t shelter Ryley.

She touched his arm. “Let’s go in and wait.”

Maggie dug out the spare key hidden under the big rock in the flower garden and had just shoved the key in the lock when Diane drove in spewing gravel and dirt. She jumped out of her SUV dressed in her uniform and slammed her door.

“Diane, what did you find out?”

Diane wiped her damp forehead as she stepped onto her front porch and glanced at Ryley.

“He needs to hear what’s going on, Diane. I promised Ryley I wouldn’t keep the truth from him.”

Diane slid open the door, and motioned them in. She flicked on the kitchen light as the sunrise didn’t quite fill the dim room. “Right now, Richard’s being questioned. I couldn’t get in there, and I was called into my boss’ office and ordered to stay out of the investigation. They know we’re friends. IPB’s been called in to investigate my link with Richard. This happened so fast it doesn’t make sense. I did find out, before I got my hand slapped, a call came in early this evening to 911. Untraceable number. No idea who called, just that it was a woman. She said Dan McKenzie was dead. She gave the 911 operator Richard’s name as the man who killed him, and said he did it at the last house built on Richard’s and Dan’s property, the one just dry-walled. When the police arrived, there was blood everywhere. Two 9 mm slugs were found at the scene and enough blood to be ruled a homicide.”

“I don’t understand. You just said
enough blood
. What about Dan?”

“There was no body. The detectives assigned have concluded the body was moved.”

“Diane, that makes absolutely no sense. If there’s no body, how can they say Dan was murdered? Maybe it’s not even his blood.”

Diane waved her hands in front of her face to stop Maggie’s rant. “Look Maggie, they’ve built cases with far less. The crime scene technicians will type match the blood to Dan’s from his medical records. They’ll reconstruct the scene. But from the 911 call, the woman identified Richard as the one fighting with Dan and said Richard pulled out a gun and shot Dan. That’s all I know.” Diane turned away, grabbing her coffeepot and then filling it with water. “I’m going to try and get a hold of that tape.”

“My dad was at home all night with us,” Ryley piped up in a voice determined to challenge.

Maggie pivoted to face her eleven year old boy. Why hadn’t she picked that up? “Ryley’s right. Richard was home with us. He didn’t go out. I’m his alibi, call them, or better yet let’s go down there, and I’ll tell them. They’ll have to let him go. It’ll clear this whole thing up.”

Diane gestured for her to stop when all she wanted to do was bounce out that front door.

“Slow down. We will, but it’ll be with a lawyer.”

Maggie tapped her forehead as if just remembering something. “Sam said he would take care of a lawyer for Richard. Sam and Marcie are already here.”

Diane hesitated and opened her mouth to say something, and looked like she felt strangely out of the loop.

Diane yanked her cell phone from her belt and turned away from Maggie as she dialed and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Sam… yes, Maggie’s with me. Why are you in town?”

Maggie crossed her arms and paced in the bright airy kitchen.

Diane sighed and faced her. “We’re on our way down now, Sam. Maggie’s Richard’s alibi. Okay, okay we’ll meet you there.” She clicked off her cell phone and clipped it to her belt. “Let’s go. Sam’s just retained Harper Lee. They’ll meet us down at the Sequim Detachment.”

“Harper Lee? I thought you guys hated him. You called him a blood sucking, slimy scumbag of a lawyer. Why would Sam call him?”

Diane’s face remained hard when her gaze shifted to Maggie’s. “Because when the shit hits the fan, he’s the one lawyer you want representing you. He’s good… slimy… but he’s really good. Let’s move it, and see that Richard’s home in time for breakfast.”

Chapter Forty

Breakfast was exactly what
didn’t
happen. What they walked into when they entered the front doors of the Sequim detachment was trouble. Sam and Harper Lee were nowhere to be found. But Diane’s boss was at the front window and refused to allow Maggie and Ryley access. Diane was buzzed in through one of the brown locked doors. Maggie was told to sit and wait in the eight-by-ten sterile entryway that had locked doors and sealed glass.

After an hour, Maggie tapped the reception window. “Excuse me, I’d like to see my husband, Richard McCafferty. Your officers brought him in hours ago.”

The dark-haired cop behind the glass had a pot belly and glasses. He slid open the glass window. “Sit down, ma’am.” He pointed his pen sharply at the empty plastic chair beside Ryley.

She gripped the counter, and the cop jabbed his pen in the air pointing toward her chair. “Ma’am, either sit down or leave.”

So she returned to her seat and patted Ryley’s hand.

“Mom, why is this taking so long? Why won’t they let us see Dad?”

She shook her head and stared at the cop behind the glass. “I don’t know, Ryley.”

The front door opened and an elderly couple walked in. A very different smiling cop slid open the window, greeted them, and laughed at something the white-haired gentlemen said. The cop handed the elderly man a piece of paper. He thanked the cop, and the couple turned to leave. The woman’s eyes widened when she glanced at Maggie and Ryley, and she hurried with her companion out the door.

Maggie looked down at the worn blue jeans and heavy black coat she normally wore out in the garden. She brushed her tangled hair back with her fingers. She probably looked as if she’d spent the night in jail. Maggie strode to the window again and tapped the glass when the cop ignored her.

He slid open the window. “Ma’am, I’m going to ask you one more time to take a seat.”

“No. Where’s Diane? I want to see Diane.”

The cop leaned back to take a look around the corner.

“What about Sam Carre and Harper Lee, my husband’s lawyer? I understand they’re both here. Or let me talk to your boss. I’ve been waiting over an hour--”

“Hey, if you don’t sit down, I’m going to have you and your kid thrown out of here!” he yelled and then picked up a phone as if to call someone.

She had no time to do anything before the side door flew open, and Sam and a short balding man wearing designer gold-rimmed glasses, hustled out the door from the inner sanctum of the detachment.

“Sam, where’s Richard? What’s going on?” She grabbed his arm and didn’t notice the officers who followed Sam.

“Maggie, this is Harper Lee. He’s the lawyer I retained for Richard.”

Harper thrust his large hand toward her, a gesture that seemed a little formal under the circumstances. Nonetheless, she accepted his cool touch and was somehow hustled out the front door, his hand draped across her shoulder, aware that Sam followed with Ryley.

“Wait, where are we going? Where’s Richard?”

“Keep walking, my dear; we’ll talk in the parking lot, not within a police station where they’re listening in.” Harper was her height, and he let go of her shoulder when they reached the middle of the lot where she’d parked Richard’s truck.

Sam somehow got Ryley to sit in the truck and wait for them. Harper removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked tired.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“There will be an arraignment this afternoon… a bail hearing, at which time I’ll attempt to get the charges dropped.”

“I don’t understand. Richard was home all night with me and Ryley. I’m his alibi, we just need to tell them, and they’ll let him go.” She stared at Sam and then Harper. She couldn’t understand why they weren’t jumping all over this, instead their faces appeared grim.

“Your alibi is unlikely to hold any water. I already presented that argument, but the DA has information on your drug history, sleeping pills and anxiety medication, both of which destroy your credibility as a reliable witness. And they’re contacting Children’s Services to have Ryley removed from your care because of your drug addiction, and his primary caregiver, Richard, is in jail.”

She placed her fist against her mouth to stay quiet. All she wanted to do was scream, so she blinked back the burning tears that wouldn’t allow her to suck it up and stay strong. “I’m not taking them anymore, Sam you know. And a doctor prescribed them to me. I’m not an addict.”

“Maggie, you need to listen to this guy. He’s good. He’s telling you the facts, and this is what we have to work with. They were ready for us when we walked into the precinct. The DA was already at work with the detectives hammering away at Richard before we got there. He said nothing, but someone’s been building up a case against Richard for some time. They have details on your suspected addiction to prescription medications. Someone had already investigated you to destroy your credibility. So far, they’re one step ahead of us. Richard apparently told them he was home all night, to ask you, and one of the detectives made a snide comment, ‘You mean with your junkie of a wife? That won’t fly.’ He punched the officer, and by the time we got there, Richard was cuffed to the interrogation room table.”

Harper cut in. “Look, I shut it down. They can no longer question Richard without my presence. But now we have an additional charge of assaulting an officer. This detective has had numerous accusations of police brutality and harassment. So I’ll attempt to get that charge thrown out or at least reduced. Children’s Services? Nothing may happen there, so let’s not panic. I will be preemptive and contact them on your behalf. Let’s at least flush out that threat. They receive hundreds of complaints daily, and rarely do they result in removal, even in the most extreme cases. You have supportive friends, so we’ll tackle that issue if they contact you. But I prefer to be prepared and cover all bases. Do you have family or friends who can take Ryley if the situation arises?”

She hollowed inside while panic rose from the threat of losing another child. She gaped at Sam. “Sam, help me. I can’t lose another child. I’m just getting him back. My mother could… but she’s traveling right now, visiting my brother John.”

“Worst case scenario Maggie, Marcie and I’ll take him. He’ll stay in the family.” Sam gripped her shoulder and held her as if she needed support to stand.

“So, what now?” She pressed her hand against her chest to settle the ache expanding like a balloon.

“Go home. Get ready for the hearing this afternoon. Wear a dark suit. Put on some makeup… presentation’s everything. This is a battle of wits, we’re going to force them to show their hand and flush out who this 911 caller is.” Harper dug in his pocket for a set of keys.

“What about the body? Diane said there is no body. How can there even be a murder charge? For all we know, Dan’s holed up in some back road motel laughing over the trouble he’s caused.” She didn’t want to leave without Richard. Surely there had to be something they hadn’t thought of.

Sam and Harper shared a look that spiked the hairs on the back of her neck.

“Maggie, there was a security camera installed outside the house. It shows Dan McKenzie being dragged out of that house and tossed into the back of a pickup truck and covered with tarp.”

Sam continued. “The last frame of the video shows the man’s face when he turns toward the camera. It’s Richard.”