Serial Separation (19 page)

The list according to my notes looked like:

Paddy summarized the next action: “Team, it looks like we need to intercept the kidnapping of JJ this Friday. Paul, I want you to contact Lowell P.D. to bring them into the loop to see how we can shadow JJ and his gang.”

“Another step is to review a list of available waterfront-accessible buildings off the beaten path. Mike, can you take the lead on that? Mercedes and Scott, Mike could use your help. Nice job everyone.”

Chapter 53

It had been a busy day, but they made significant progress. Mike was waiting for his guests at his favorite pub. He thought about Scott’s comment regarding Mercedes making him uncomfortable.

He purposely wanted them to work closer together so they would be more comfortable. Staying overnight in the same cabin might have been taking it a little too far.

Lisa had been acting very strangely. That could drive Scott to a safer haven. He wondered if Scott purposely let himself get hoodwinked by Mercedes. She obviously wanted to be with him, knowing that the roads were very treacherous. With this new assignment, they were going to be working closer together.

Maggie came over to check on him. “Did they stand you up?”

“No. They’re not late yet, but they will be. Wait, I see them coming.”

He noticed how well they complimented each other as they approached. He also noticed Maggie stayed to eyeball Scott again—and the striking redhead with him.

“Hello, Maggie, good to see you; hi, Mike. Maggie, this is Mercedes; Mercedes, this is Maggie . . . she has to put up with us,” I said winking at Maggie.

Mercedes shook Maggie’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Maggie.”

Maggie grimaced. “Wow, what a handshake. I think it’s nice to meet you. What will you folks have?” Maggie noticeably stared at the front of Mercedes’ yellow sweater when she took her coat off.

Mercedes responded, “I’ll have a Bloody Mary, please.”

“Just the usual, Maggie, thanks,” I said. We all watched Maggie walk away shaking her hand. First impressions were lasting ones.

Shortly, Maggie returned, throwing the coasters on the table and setting our drinks.

Mike toasted. “Here’s to our quick capture of these killers.”

Mercedes and I acknowledged his toast.

Mike said, “I’ve been with Paddy most of the afternoon. Have we discovered anything related to properties?”

Mercedes responded. “Mike, I called my dad’s office. One of the associates is going through property records looking for available buildings along the waterfront. The focus is on the Boston Harbor area. Scott and I, and you, if you’re available, will review the properties in person later. That is, if Scott and I are allowed to work together?”

* * *

Mercedes must have hit a nerve. Mike had a problem swallowing his beer. I looked at him and then at Mercedes to see if her comment had been a serious one. She looked like she was waiting for an answer. I just kept my mouth shut, looking at Mike.

He hesitated too long, answering, “Sure, that’s no problem. It’s fine with me. How about you, Scott? Do you have any problems working with Mercedes?”

I hadn’t expected a question being fired at me. “No. No problems here.” I could feel the heat around my neck, knowing I had turned red.

I looked at Mercedes, who was now smiling, getting a kick out of my reaction. Wow, she really looked good in that sweater. How had I missed that all day? My gaze did nothing for my complexion, I’m sure.

Her knee touched mine, and I jumped.

Mike’s attention was drawn to Maggie, waiting on another table. Mercedes’ knee touched mine again, along with her hand, and she whispered to me, “That reminds me . . . you still owe me an answer.”

She had me trapped again. I couldn’t react to her touch without drawing more attention, but my face still maintained its color.

“So, Scott . . .”

Mike’s voice made me jump.

Mike continued. “So, Scott and Mercedes, you both contributed to our session this morning. I’m glad you’re both working with us on this. Mercedes, can you tell me more about your father and his business? It’s nice of him to help us collect this information.”

Mercedes moved only her hand, brushing her hair back. “My father is in real estate and has been for several years. He lucked out by investing in some property, which the city of Boston included in their revitalization project. He made his fortune with that one deal, and I’m sure it’s helping with my education as we speak.”

“My mother and sister are also in the business. My sister manages some leases for him, and my mother runs the office. I manage one property myself because I’m close by. He says it gives me some experience.”

Mike nodded his head. “Where’s the property you manage?”

“The building is near where the
Constitution
is docked.”

“Is it right on the water?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact it is,” she said, smiling at both of us.

That caught Mike’s and my attention immediately. Before Mike could ask the next logical question, she added, “However, it’s not remote.”

Maggie’s timing was perfect, since I didn’t know what would have come next in this line of questioning.

“Can I get you folks another round? How about something to eat?”

Mike responded. “I’m ready. Why don’t you bring them another, unless they disagree? Can you bring the menu for Mercedes? Thanks.”

Mercedes got it right out without any delay. “Mike, if you want to ask me any further questions . . . go ahead. I’m not stupid. If you think I’m in any way connected with these killings, I’ve got too much to lose, and, also, wouldn’t be foolish enough to put myself so close to this investigation. So, the next move is yours.”

Maggie arrived with the menu and handed it to Mercedes. “Mercedes, do you attend Harvard or one of the local colleges?”

Mercedes relocated her knee and answered. “Yes, I do . . . oh, what a gorgeous ring. Are you engaged?”

Maggie beamed. “Yes, I just got engaged. Thank you so much.”

I thought to myself, Mercedes is really, really good.

Mercedes looked at the menu, ordered quickly, and we added our orders to hers. Maggie pretty much danced away. I watched Mercedes and Mike looking at each other; neither was speaking, just looking. I was just about to break the deadlock when Mike spoke.

“So, Scott, what more can you relate about JJ?”

I was happy to intervene. “He played hockey extremely well. We called him ‘Tippy,’ as he had a patented move—he would come streaking down the ice looking like he was going to shoot on goal, and then he would sweep behind the net and stuff it in the far side of the goal. It worked continually for him even though the goalies knew the move was coming.”

“He’s also black. He had a reputation on the ice—not someone you would want to mess with. He would lose his temper quickly if he was checked. He would often have fights. Those girls would really get excited about the hitting and resulting fights.”

I reached for my drink when Mercedes’ knee and hand interrupted me.

I continued. “I played on the ice with the four of them, but they were a different level of player. I liked playing the game, but those players seemed to be on a mission.”

Mike drank some of his beer, nodding his head. “So, Mercedes, how do you want to tackle reviewing the list of properties?”

She leaned closer to whisper across the table. “Does that mean I’m no longer a suspect?”

Mike leaned closer to her. “I have another question, but I’ll wait a few minutes before I give you an answer.”

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds. Mercedes spun on her stool and headed in the direction of the restrooms.

I looked at Mike. “Mike, are you serious about this?”

“Not really. She’s so good at putting people on the defensive . . . I wanted to see what she was made of. It’s actually getting pretty interesting. Watch what happens later.”

Maggie brought our food and a third round of drinks. Mike gave a questioning look, and she gave us a point of her head toward the owner. He signaled it was on him.

We would be on our third drink—not much for us, but it might loosen up Mercy’s tongue. Oh, I shouldn’t have thought about that. She broke my thought by arriving looking in control again.

She finished her second Bloody Mary and had a questioning look on her face about the new drink. Mike gestured toward the man standing next to Maggie. “That one’s on the house. I guess he has this thing for redheads; we never got a free drink before.”

She looked to where Mike pointed and blew him a kiss.

We finished our food and a portion of our new drinks. I’d had enough to drink, and my stomach was satisfied. There was a deafening lack of conversation.

When Mercedes finished the last of her meal, Mike leaned across the table again and quietly asked, “So, Mercedes, what do you really do to occupy your time on weekends?”

Chapter 54

After talking with Neil, Jeremy decided to share what happened to him with Dottie. She deserved to know more than anyone else. If he didn’t make things better between them, there might not be a ‘them.’

He called Dottie, telling her he wanted to take her out to dinner. That wasn’t a lie, but his real plan was to tell her what happened to him. He was early picking her up at her dorm. It was cold outside, but the roads were in good shape. Once they were inside his car, they kissed.

He could tell she was surprised by how passionately he kissed her.

She straightened her hair. “Well now, that’s the way to greet a lady. Did you just see a sexy movie, or what?”

They kissed again, and it had the same passion as the last one. “Dottie, I have some things to tell you. It has to do with what’s been bothering me.”

“JJ, you have my attention. I’ve missed you being like this for weeks now. Can we just hold the talk and continue?”

Minutes later, they were still parked in front of her dorm. She realized they were attracting an audience. The girls at the dorm’s front window were clapping. She waved, straightening out her blouse, pushing Jeremy away.

“JJ, let’s get going. We can pick this up later. They’re keeping score in the window,” she said, pointing her thumb toward the dorm.

Jeremy bent and looked, smiled, and waved to them. He gave the thumbs-up sign and started the car. He had picked out a nice restaurant where he felt they could eat dinner and still have privacy.

“JJ, where are you taking me to dinner?”

“I thought we would go to
The Top of the Hub.
”

He sensed her looking at him, but he did not make eye contact.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

“You know damn well nothing is wrong with that. Are you going to propose to me?”

“If I was, don’t you think you just ruined the surprise? Do you want to get married?”

“That better not be your proposal, mister.”

He just stared at her for a couple of seconds, until he heard the loud horn.

* * *

Jeremy reacted just in time, avoiding the collision with the cab. However, his heart was thumping. Dottie was holding her chest, looking like she stopped breathing.

“JJ, please don’t ever do that again. We’ve both worked too hard to get where we are. I want to be around a little longer.”

He watched the road and turned in at the Prudential Center garage.

“Dottie, that’s the subject I want to talk to you about—being alive.”

While he was receiving a parking slip, she just sat there trying to comprehend. Shortly, they were riding up to the fifty-second floor to the restaurant. Jeremy wondered how they would be greeted, as some restaurants reacted in strange ways to blacks. However, the maitre d’ greeted him respectfully.

“Good evening, Mr. Johnston.” He bowed his head slightly to Dottie. “Your table is available, and you will have a nice view of the city. May I ask, is this a special occasion?”

Jeremy thought for a moment. “Yes it is . . . this is a celebration of the rest of our lives.”

“Excellent, Mr. Johnston, we will provide some suitable bubbly to acknowledge that. Would that be acceptable?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Jeremy gave Dottie his arm, following as the maitre d’ guided them through the nearly dark restaurant. She squeezed his arm, and he smiled at her.

When they were seated, the maitre d’ took their napkins from each goblet and placed them on their laps. “Your server, Nicolette, will be right with you. Enjoy your meal—and the rest of your life.” He smiled at them, bowed, and glided away.

“Jeremy, this is beyond my grandest expectation.”

“Do you think we should do this more often?”

“Are you paying for your education? If you are, we better not.”

Their server was equally elegant. They ordered their entrées; Nicolette helped him order a suitable bottle of wine.

He finally had a moment alone to talk. “Dottie, I do have something I need to explain to you. First, I am going to apologize for how I’ve behaved the last few weeks. Second, you are the love of my life, and I don’t want to lose you. Third, I would love to marry you; can you stand me for the rest of your life?”

Nicolette came to the table. Dottie held up her hand to wait. “Are you actually asking me to marry you?”

Nicolette turned on a dime and left them alone.

“I hope I just did. Let me try that again. You are the love of my life. If I’m going to celebrate my life . . . I need you in it.” He got out of his seat and knelt on the floor. “Will you marry me and fulfill my life?”

Nicolette was standing next to the maitre d’, whispering in his ear.

“Holy shit—Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Yes!”  She was hugging him while he was still kneeling.

The maitre d’ glided over to their table and popped a bottle of champagne.

“Congratulations . . . on a very nice start. I take it she said ‘yes?’”

“This is compliments of the house. He poured from the bottle and disappeared.”

They got reseated, held hands, both smiling while tears streamed down both of their faces.

* * *

They had a wonderful meal. Jeremy couldn’t remember much other than he was finally very happy. He felt like he had just won a significant battle, the pressure on his chest finally gone. He waited until they had finished their meals and a special dessert prepared and served by the pastry chef, with his compliments.

“Dottie, I have to tell you what has been bothering me. It relates to why we haven’t had sex in weeks. What I’m going to tell you will really shock you, but it’s the truth. You can’t tell anyone about it. Do you promise?”

She studied him and then answered. “On one condition. If you are going to tell me you were with another woman . . . the marriage is off.”

Nicolette came by and asked if they would like an after-dinner cocktail. He replied, “Dottie, you should order something. I would like a Drambuie on the rocks, please.”

“I’ll have a Frangelico on the rocks, please.”

“Hon, I wasn’t with a woman . . . I was with four.” JJ rushed to continue. “I was held against my will.”

Her expression changed from anger to uncertainty.

Nicolette brought the drinks and the check. “Congratulations . . . this was my first proposal.” She smiled and left quickly.

“I’m going to tell all of this. It is totally the truth. Please let me get it all out.”

She moved her chair so he could talk without anyone else hearing.

“It happened early November on a Friday night. I was kidnapped by a gang, and the next thing I knew I was naked, blindfolded, and tied up. More particularly, I was hung by my ankles. I can’t tell you about the things they, the women, did to me, but I have scars. I’ve been hiding them from you, which is why we haven’t had sex.”

He stopped and settled the bill, and Nicolette glided in from somewhere and took it.

“Thank you for the excellent service Nicolette.”

He guided Dottie from the table, smiling to the wait staff.

They noticed Dottie looked still surprised by the proposal.

He continued when they were alone. “Anyway, they showered me, brushed me, whipped me, and did other things that made me regret being a man. This went on the entire weekend. Remember the weekend Neil and you questioned where I was?”

“Yes.”

“Well, come Sunday, I really wanted to die. I wanted the pain to end . . . I didn’t care about anything . . . I just wanted the pain to stop. They stretched me out on this table, or platform. They removed my mask and showed me some kind of device. I think this is how these women dismember the men you’ve heard about.”

“Oh my God, Jeremy.”

He held up his hand. “My eyes couldn’t focus on them. Not enough to recognize them, if I saw them now. There were three of them. I was shown a knife, and I could tell by where they held it what they were going to do next. That’s when I heard a new voice.”

He took a deep breath, his eyes giving away his emotion. “It got quiet. They had gone away for what seemed like over an hour. I was cold, but it gave me time to say my prayers, and say good-bye to you.”

Dottie reached for a handkerchief in her purse.

“They came back, untied me from the platform, and hustled me to a car, still tied, blindfolded, and naked. They drove for maybe thirty minutes, throwing me out in the woods.”

The elevator arrived at the ground floor, and they both exited, trying to hide their tears from the guard on duty in the lobby.

“When I got my blindfold off, and managed to get untied, I made it out of the woods to the street. I realized where I was—the Medford woods. Some college kids saw me and thought it was a hazing.”

Outside the building, he hugged her. “When they saw how badly I was beaten, they stopped laughing and listened to me. They got me clothes and drove me to Kenmore Square. I was lucky to make it to the dorm.”

“JJ, I’m so sorry. I wish you had told me before now.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?”

She slowly wiped the last of the tears, smiled, and put her arms around his neck. “Yes, and I think it’s time for me to tend to those neglected wounds.”