Revenge of Innocents (10 page)

“Who?” Carolyn pleaded. “You have to tell me who hurt you. Was it your boyfriend? If you give me his name, I’ll have him arrested.”

“I can’t,” the girl said. “You don’t understand. He’ll get out. Then he’ll come after you, too.” She shoved Carolyn in the chest. “Go away. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Jude pushed past her, running down the hall to her room. Carolyn went to the front of the house and tried to reassure the other children. Someone was missing. She was so distraught, she couldn’t remember who. “Stacy,” she said, grabbing Peter by the shoulders. “Where is she?”

“She went with my dad,” the boy told her. “Where’s Jude going? She’s not going to heaven like my mom, is she?”

“No, honey,” Carolyn said, knowing she had to do something about the younger children immediately. She couldn’t remove them from the home without a court order. “I’m leaving now,” she told Peter. “Your father will be back really soon. Help Michael get ready for bed. I promise I’ll check on you in the morning.”

Carolyn left, waiting by her car until Jude came out the front door. Carrying a plastic garbage bag filled with her things, she took off down the street. Carolyn ran after her and tackled her, both of them tumbling into the damp grass. Twice in one night, she’d had to wrestle with someone. Brad had been right. She should have gone home.

Rolling Jude over onto her back, she snapped on a pair of handcuffs. This was not the way to cuff a prisoner, but she didn’t want to cause Jude anymore discomfort than necessary. “I’m sorry,” she said, leading her to the Infiniti and opening the passenger door. “I’ll take them off as soon as you calm down.”

“Bitch,” Jude snarled. “You have no right to do this to me. I could sue you for false arrest. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Carolyn reached over and fastened the girl’s seat belt, then hit the automatic door locks in case she tried to jump out of the car. Jude stared sullenly out the window while they drove.

“You’re wrong, Jude,” Carolyn told her, pulling into the parking lot of Community Memorial Hospital ten minutes later. “Under section 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, you can be held for seventy-two hours if I believe you’re a danger to yourself or others. Right now, I’d say you’re a danger to yourself.”

“Fuck,” the girl said, “you’re going to have me locked up in a mental hospital? I thought you were my friend.”

“I am,” Carolyn told her. “And I promise nothing like that will happen if you cooperate. I want a doctor to look at you. As soon as they check you out, I’ll take you to my house. No one has to know where you are, understand? And I guarantee you no one will hurt you. Because of his work, my fiancé has bodyguards. They’re watching his house right now. You can stay in our guest room.” She paused and then added, “Do we have a deal?”

Jude held her hands out in front of her. “Take these damn things off. They’re hurting my wrists.”

“I’m not going to do that,” Carolyn said. “Not until you give me your word that you’ll stay with me. If you won’t do it for me, do it for your mother.”

“Fine,” Jude said, tears pooling in her eyes. “I’ll stay with you. Now you have to give me your word. Promise you won’t tell my father where I am.”

“I promise,” Carolyn told her, unlocking the handcuffs.

Thursday, October 14—12:05
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arolyn had dozed off in the ER waiting room. Mary Stevens tapped her on the shoulder. “I talked the doctor into letting you take Jude home, but they’d prefer to keep her for a few days and run some tests.”

“She won’t stay,” Carolyn said, sitting up in her seat. “She’ll walk and then we might not be able to find her. Did they run a drug screen?”

“She’s clean, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t use. Some drugs pass through the system fairly quick.” Mary asked her if she wanted some coffee. When Carolyn declined, she headed to the vending machine, returning and staring at the contents of the paper cup. “This is the worst shit I’ve ever tasted. I’m not certain it’s even coffee. It looks like a cup of mud.” She tossed it into the trash can. “So much for that. Okay, the doc says Jude needs complete bed rest for at least three days. You’ll have to take her to a private physician for a follow-up. The X-rays didn’t show any broken bones. Her ribs are badly bruised, though, and she appears to have taken a few blows to her kidneys and lower abdomen. There’s some internal hemorrhaging, but not enough to require a transfusion. If she becomes lethargic and gets really pale, I’d suggest you call an ambulance.”

Carolyn rubbed her eyes, smudging her mascara. “Did you get pictures of the bruises?”

“Yeah,” Mary said, massaging her shoulder. “She put up one hell of a fight, though. There’s no signs of a recent sexual assault, but the doctor found evidence of at least two abortions. The ob-gyn, Dr.Alexander, couldn’t finish the exam. She’s going to have one hell of a shiner tomorrow morning. Jude kicked her in the face. I think the only reason they agreed to release her is they don’t want to deal with her. If they admit her, she’ll be placed in the psych ward.”

Veronica had mentioned Jude undergoing only one abortion. Of course, Carolyn thought, this wasn’t something you discussed openly, even with your closest friends. “Did she tell you who beat her?”

“Nope,” Mary said. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t know,” Carolyn said. “I’m assuming it was a boyfriend. Drew said she hangs out with some unsavory characters. We’re seeing more of these cases every day. You know, girls Jude’s age or younger who become involved in abusive relationships. Because she refused to incriminate him makes me think that’s what’s going on here.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little strange that Jude shows up like this on the same day her father decides to throw her out of the house?” Mary asked. “The doctor said a lot of her injuries weren’t recent. Because of Veronica’s death, Drew knew people would be looking into every aspect of his life. If we found out he beat his daughter, we might think he killed his wife.”

Mary had been at home when Carolyn called her. Since she hadn’t said anything, she assumed she didn’t know about the incident in the parking lot. Drew hadn’t been home, which made her wonder if he could have been the one who attacked her. But Stacy was with him. It was hard to believe Drew would bring his daughter along. He knew Carolyn carried a gun. If she’d been able to get to it and had started firing, Stacy could have been killed.

“First, we find the mother dead in a cheap motel,” Mary said, sitting down next to Carolyn and stretching her long legs out in front of her. “Now we’ve got her obnoxious, abused daughter on our hands. I know Veronica was your friend, but this family needs its own police department. This is a nightmare.”

“More than you know.”

“Jude had a cell phone in her purse that came up stolen. I called the owner, a girl named Sally Owens. She says it disappeared while she was at school the other day, so Jude may have found it and intended to give it back the next time she saw her. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise me if she stole it. Sally’s not close with Jude, but she failed to graduate last year, so she’s in some of the same classes. Sally has a better excuse. She has leukemia. Right now, it’s in remission.”

“Did you ask her if Jude had a boyfriend?”

“Slow down, will you?” Mary said. “I’ll tell you everything if you’ll stop talking and listen.”

“You were the one doing all the talking,” Carolyn said, opening her purse and pulling out her compact to check her face. Right now, it was just red and a little swollen. She dusted it with face powder. Then she opened and shut her hand several times, trying to make the muscles loosen so the pain would go away. She was so tired, she had trouble focusing her eyes.

“If you’ll stop rubbing your eyes, you won’t have a problem.”

“Please, Mary,” Carolyn said, fed up with people telling her what to do. “If I want to rub my eyes, I’ll rub my eyes.”

“Knock yourself out,” Mary tossed back. “The next time you have something hanging out of your nose, I won’t tell you.”

“Just tell me about the boyfriend.”

“Bitch,” Mary shot back.

Both women glared at each other, then burst out laughing. “Okay,” the detective said, “now that I’ve chipped away some of that doomsday dust you carry around with you, Sally claims Jude was infatuated with a guy named Reggie Stockton. Stockton graduated last year. He was dating another girl who dropped out of school and moved away. Jude used to tell everyone he was her boyfriend, which wasn’t true, according to Sally. If this other girl is no longer in the picture, maybe Stockton reconsidered and started going out with Jude. Here’s the kicker. Stockton is black.”

Carolyn became excited. “He could be the person who rented the motel room. Jude may have been in an abusive relationship like I said. Veronica could have found out and gone after the guy. He got her gun away from her and killed her.”

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Mary said. “Just because the guy’s black doesn’t mean he’s a murderer. We’re beyond that type of thinking, aren’t we?”

“You’re the one who emphasized his race,” Carolyn argued. “I’ve never been prejudiced against anyone. Track down Stockton and bring him in for a lineup. If the room clerk at the motel identifies him, we may have our killer.”

The emergency room was packed. A child sitting next to them vomited, and the two women got up and continued their conversation outside. “Even if Drew isn’t responsible for what happened to Jude,” Carolyn said, leaning against an ambulance, “I’m not sure he’s fit to care for three young kids right now. He’s drinking, and he hired a young girl as a nanny who acts likes she’s brain-dead.”

“Have you talked to Veronica’s sister yet?” Mary asked. “Under the circumstances, I’d rather see the kids with a relative than a stranger.”

“I don’t have any contact information on Emily. I’m sure Drew has it, though. She’s an attorney in San Francisco.”

“Is she married?”

“Single.”

“If the sister’s an attorney,” Mary reasoned, “she shouldn’t be hard to find. You know Veronica’s maiden name, don’t you?”

“Robinson. But Emily doesn’t like kids. Veronica wanted me to raise the children if something happened to her and Drew.”

“You can’t take on the world, woman,” the detective told her. “How would you work and take care of three kids? You’ve got Rebecca and Marcus to consider. If you’re not careful, you’re going to lose your man. Trust me, that guy is first-class goods. If I had someone like that on the hook, I wouldn’t take any chances.”

“It might be better if we separate Jude from the younger children,” Carolyn said. “I’ll try to get her to tell me who beat her. As soon as we know, we can file assault charges. Of course, if it’s her father, we may be looking at something more serious.”

“I don’t know how long Jude’s been away from home, but the doc doesn’t think she’s been eating. Are you sure about this? Now’s the time to bail out. There may be more than just one problem with this kid. If you want my opinion, there’s a shitload of them.”

“I have to take her,” Carolyn said. “Veronica was my best friend.”

“What about your wedding?”

“We’ve already decided to postpone it. I have to look after Jude, Mary. I promised her that I’d protect her.”

“One thing I learned from my mama,” Mary said, “is never make promises you can’t keep. This girl is trouble. If it doesn’t find her, she’ll go out looking for it.’“

“Sounds like Jude and I have a lot in common,” Carolyn said, returning to the hospital.

By the time they pulled into the circular driveway at Marcus’s home in Santa Rosa, it was one thirty in the morning. Jude hadn’t said a word during the thirty-minute drive. Carolyn carried in a paper bag they’d given her at the hospital, containing two bottles of prescription medication. One was a muscle relaxant and the other a painkiller. Checking the paperwork, she saw that it was time for Jude to take the pills.

“This place is gigantic,” the girl said, gawking at the size of the living room. The cathedral ceilings made it seem even larger. “What does this guy do for a living?”

“Marcus is a computer programmer,” Carolyn said, leading her into the kitchen. “Once I give you your medicine, I’ll show you your room. I have some pajamas you can wear. I’ll bring in the things you brought from home in the morning. The doctors want you to stay in bed so your body can heal.” She read the back of the bottle. “You need to eat something. You’re not supposed to take these on an empty stomach.”

“My stomach isn’t empty,” Jude told her. “I ate a ton of graham crackers at the hospital.” She snatched the pills out of Carolyn’s hand, popped them in her mouth, then walked over and put her head under the faucet.

“We have glasses.”

Jude wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I don’t drink out of toilets.”

Veronica’s daughter was so tough and belligerent, Carolyn wondered if she’d picked a fight with someone, maybe even another girl. She started to ask her, then decided against it. She couldn’t see a female administering such a severe beating. Because of the bruises, she hadn’t paid much attention to anything else, but she did recall thinking that Jude was too thin. Just because a person was slender, however, didn’t mean she wasn’t fit. Jude’s younger sister, Stacy, seemed to be developing in the same fashion. Stacy, though, looked as if she was going to be tall like her father. Jude was the same height as Rebecca, around five-six.

She escorted Jude to the guest room on the first floor, down the hall from the room she shared with Marcus. “I’ll be back in a minute with a robe and some pajamas.” She tilted her head toward the adjoining bathroom. “Make yourself at home. I’ll have Josephine pick up some shampoo, deodorant, and other necessities for you in the morning. If you want anything in particular, make a list.”

“Who’s Josephine?”

“Marcus’s housekeeper,” she explained. “She’s a great cook. Tell her what you like and she’ll make it for you.”

When Carolyn returned with the nightclothes, Jude was passed out on top of the bedspread. Carolyn turned out the light and sat in a chair in the dark. The guilt and emptiness she’d been experiencing seemed more bearable now. Before she left the room, she brushed Jude’s hair back and kissed her lightly on her forehead. A part of Veronica lived on in her children. By making sure they were safe, Carolyn had a chance to redeem herself for not being there when her friend needed her.

The kind of sleeper who woke at the first trace of light, Marcus had blackout drapes in the bedroom, so when Carolyn awoke, she assumed it was still early. When she realized he wasn’t in the bed, she rolled over and squinted at the clock, seeing it was after nine. She saw a note on the end table. Marcus said he’d decided to let her sleep, and that he’d already called Brad Preston and told him she wouldn’t be coming to work today.

God, Carolyn thought, hoping Brad had made good on his promise not to tell Marcus what happened the night before. Jumping out of bed, she shoved her arms in her terry cloth robe. Just because she didn’t own a company like Marcus did didn’t mean the work she did wasn’t important. People like herself were the backbones of society. Without them, the fires wouldn’t get put out, the injured wouldn’t be transported to hospitals, trash would litter the streets, and criminals would terrorize the city.

Carolyn went to the bathroom and stared in the mirror. The bruise on her face wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. Her arm looked bad, but she could cover it with a long-sleeve shirt. Maybe the person who’d attacked her was just a twisted prankster. If he’d wanted to, he could have really hurt her. She covered the area on her face with the gooey makeup one of the wedding planners had insisted she buy.

Had Marcus or Rebecca even noticed that Jude was in the guest room? Carolyn rushed down the hall, looking inside and finding the girl asleep under the covers. Closing the doors, she was crossing the living room toward the kitchen when she collided with Josephine. “Forgive me,” she said, kissing the woman on the cheek. Marcus thought it was strange that she kissed the housekeeper. She adored Josephine, but the main reason was they were both Catholic. The church called it the “kiss of peace.” Particularly in countries like Italy, where Josephine was from, the old traditions were still practiced. “We have a houseguest,” she told her, “a girl. She’s had a rough night, so let’s try not to wake her.”

Josephine was a tiny woman with gorgeous olive skin. She stood five feet and couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds. Regardless of her size, the woman could move a piano as if it were made out of plastic.