The Face of Fear: A Powers and Johnson Novel (48 page)

“What about you?” Paul said. “When are you going to catch some sleep?”

“I’ll pull the drapes and catch ninety minutes here and there,” the Detective Lieutenant answered. “Gina will be keeping an eye on me. Any questions? OK, good, see you later, Bud stay here for a moment.” The door shut behind Paul and Cronin started to speak immediately.

“What’s up Detective?”

“I think,” Bud said, “when this is all over, it will be best to have a new partner.”

“What is the issue?” Cronin asked.

“Trust,” Bud answered. “We used to tell each other everything, now it’s different, this case has changed us. I can’t remember the last time I smiled or cracked a joke to control the levity.”

“It’s your decision,” Cronin replied. “We will see when it’s over, in the meantime, you better work together for the next twenty four to forty eight hours or more lives could be lost.” Bud nodded as he walked out of Cronin’s office and sat down at his desk. Finally, Paul stood up and said he was going to Patty Saunders apartment and if he wanted to tag along he was welcome.

Bud answered, “I’m coming, but I’ll take my own car.”

Deborah Lance went out to the mailbox to get the mail and was very excited to see something had arrived from Bud. She dropped the rest of the mail on the kitchen table and took the envelope to her bedroom to insure she would have total privacy. She pulled out the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet that had a post it note attached to it. It read, “The song is for my mother but it’s you that inspired me to write the words. Deborah read the lyrics to the song called “I’m Missing You.”

“I’m Missing You”

Verse 1

If you could feel my heart

And touch the tears to my pain

Then you’d know how much you were a part

Of dreams that never came

Verse 2

Life is never fair...to some of us it’s true

But I feel you in my prayers at night

When I am missing you

Chorus

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I miss your smile

I miss your touch

I miss the way

You loved so much

Verse 3 (Violin Verse)

We never said goodbye

After all these years I cry

So when I smile with a tear in my eye

It’s when I think of you

Verse 4

The gift you gave to me...was a heart that could see

So I know that you’ll be with me...

Even though I’m missing you

Chorus

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I’m missing you

I miss your kiss

I miss the nights

I miss the way...you held me tight

Solo Instrumental

Verse 5

Life must go on

And it’s you that makes me strong

So my gift to you is this song

'Cause I ammissing you.

Verse 6

Wherever I may go

Or whatever I may do

Just know I will always love you

Cause I’m missing you

Yes, I am missing....you.

Deborah cried as she read the lyrics that were so touching to her. She picked up her iPhone and sent a text to Bud.

“You are a kind and gentle soul. Thank you for sending me those beautiful lyrics.” She held the paper to her chest as she closed her eyes and let her thoughts run free with what she was feeling at this moment. She got herself together and went back downstairs to where her father was reading the morning newspaper.

“Father,” she said, “when do you think we are going back to Long Island?” He answered without even looking up at her.

“By the looks of this new tweet from Rachelle, maybe within a few days.” Her tweets were now carried in over three hundred newspapers across the country and her face was becoming more and more recognizable simply by her having over one hundred thousand followers and growing every day since
Newsday
started giving her a featured presence in the paper. He showed her the paper and said that maybe she would call her later to see how she was doing. She did try her about ten minutes later but was told her number was disconnected. She sent Bud a text to ask her about her number and if he saw her. He acknowledged that he would and told her he was on his way to see Patty Saunders. She wrote back, “don’t tell her hello from me.” Bud pulled up to Patty’s Fair View apartment and was not surprised to see two FBI agents sitting across the street. He went over to the car as Paul pulled in and parked near Bud.

“What’s going on folks?” Bud shouted as he approached the car. “Just doing our job, Officer Johnson. Hey, isn’t Johnson slang for dick?” one said as they started laughing.

“Never heard that one,” Bud replied, “and it’s Detective and I wouldn’t do jokes about dicks if I were you because according to Officer Lynagh, you two don’t have any dicks.” As Bud started imitating them in an exaggerated way only he could do.

“Here’s my identification! I’ve got it here officer! Don’t shoot me! Please don’t shoot me! I’ll miss my Mommy!”

“That’s not the way it went down!” Agent Barnes yelled.

“Well,” Bud said “watch the funny jokes about dicks then or I’ll do a YouTube video you wouldn’t believe. Paul walked up to the car, “Any problems here?”

“No, Detective Sergeant,” Bud said as he walked away. Agent Barnes spoke up again.

“You got a pretty sick partner.”

“Yeah,” Paul answered. “It’s what we like about him.” Paul caught up with Bud as they knocked on Patty’s door. She answered within a couple minutes and invited them in.

“How’s it going?” Bud asked.

“It’s fine,” Patty answered. “I don’t think I need everyone watching so close. Why would anyone come out for me at this point when they know I’m being watched?”

“Well,” Paul said, “let’s see how much someone wants you dead.” Bud looked at Paul and thought the remark was strange coming from Paul.

“Ms. Saunders,” Bud spoke, “do you wear your vest when you go out?”

“Yes,” she answered. “I’m wondering if I should be back in jail, there is no privacy, and how do I know the apartment isn’t bugged?”

“If it is, it’s for your safety,” Paul replied. Patty just shrugged it off.

“If I want to get laid, I don’t want the whole world listening to my screams and moans.”

“Well,” Bud said, “just be happy there isn’t a camera here,” as he laughed and continued, “or is there?”

“Very funny,” Patty answered. Paul’s BlackBerry as well as Bud’s buzzed at the same time. It was another tweet post by Rachelle. This time it was a photo of Ghost Face imposed over a mountain of money. The caption read, “You may think it’s FUNNY, but I don’t want the MONEY. It’s TRUE, I only want YOU.”

“What the,” Bud caught himself and looked at Paul who was surprised he didn’t finish the sentence. Bud replied to his look, “I’m trying to watch my language.”

“Lindsey has an effect on you like that.” Paul nodded.

“Who the fuck is Lindsey,” Patty asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Paul answered her. “You have our numbers, just be careful. Come on Bud, we have to go to our other assignment.” As they left the building, they looked at the tweet sent in from

Rachelle again. It was the Ghost Face costume from Fun World posing with its arms out on a pile of money. There was a legal description in the bottom left corner that read
sightingsghostface.com
. Paul called it in for Officer Franks to find out information about the web-site. Normally he would have called a detective to find out but he was instructed from Cronin to try and limit the involvement to those already working the case. Bud looked at Paul as he made the calls about
Sightings Ghost Face
and was getting more and more curious about why Rachelle would send a tweet like that. It was obvious the money at the Lance mansion was an issue and the statement YOU in capital letters was meant for someone that Rachelle knew.

“See you at the school,” Paul said without even turning around to Bud. Paul walked to his car, got in and drove away as Bud stood in front still entertaining his thoughts. The two FBI agents were sipping coffee as Johnson walked by. Agent Barnes asked him how it went. Bud continued to walk by saying, “Kiss my ass.” Barnes said to his partner, “No thanks, dickhead.” Bud drove away and headed down to Port Jefferson High School. Paul was already waiting for him by the front door when they walked in and visited the principal and asked if there had been any problems. There had been none. They visited with the teachers and found out what time recess was and when the kids normally went outside since the school year was coming to an end and it was the last week of session. The kids were also allowed to go outside during their lunch break. Paul and Bud stayed and looked at the outside area where Lindsey would normally be.

Eric Pierson waited patiently with his binoculars waiting for Lindsey and her guardian officer to pull up in his unmarked car so he could take her out. He decided he would take out Officer Healey for free as well. After about an hour and all the school buses came and went, he slammed his binoculars down and made a call to Ron Buckner.

“The little angel didn’t come to school today.”

“OK,” he answered, “Let me call the voice and see what he wants to do.” He called back Eric within five minutes to tell him they would all go to the house tonight and eliminate all of them. He told Eric the plan was for tonight. Elimination of Lindsey and her family, the same with Phil Smith and Patty Saunders as well as Bud Johnson and Rachelle Robinson. Tonight the bloodbath would take place. Eric asked Ron about Deborah Lance and the answer was, “Who gives a shit about her as long as we get the cash and we frame the right person to take the fall.” Eric disconnected from his call and drove away. He was never observed or seen by Paul and Bud. They left the school and were each on their way to see Rachelle when Bud got a text from Paul that he was going back to his apartment and it was probably best if Bud checked on Rachelle himself. Bud received the text when he parked his car on Prospect Street as he was walking toward the front door. He waved to the officers sitting in the police cruiser about twenty yards away and knocked on the door. Rachelle had just blow dried her hair and was quite stunning with no makeup and blue jeans. She invited him in and he asked where Madison was. She laughed and told him.

“Remember she has to work,” and told him she had dancing classes and that some school districts were already out for the summer so her busy season was almost in full swing. Rachelle asked where Paul was and Bud told her the truth.

“He thought you would be more comfortable without him being here.”

“Oh,” she answered. Bud could see the look of disappointment on her face.

“Rachelle, Cronin has sent us here, I mean me, to insure you stay put inside the house for the next twenty-four hours.” She folded her arms and shook her head.

“Yes, I know. I’ve been here writing. I only go out to the hospital to see my therapist and Sherry.”

Bud replied, “I know, Sherry is being released today but you can’t see anyone, just for a day or so, and speaking of writing, we have been talking about your tweets in the past, but this time, now you put the Ghost Face character with a message from a website called Sightings. What’s this about Rachelle? Let me help you please.” Rachelle’s head looked down on the floor and with a broken voice said, “I can’t, I simply can’t right now.”

“Rachelle,” Bud replied “don’t tell me you are involved with this.” She looked at him.

“Don’t you understand? In order to protect everyone, I can’t tell you. Not yet.”

“Rachelle,” Bud answered, “I’m going to pray tonight as I have the past few nights. My prayers tonight will be about you. I have been praying that no more innocent people are killed. My prayer tonight will be that you are one of those innocent people. Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

“Yes,” she answered. “You are telling me if I’m not innocent, you won’t lose sleep if something happens to me.”

“No,” Bud said. “Not true, but I’m putting my faith on the line for those who are not up to their asses in being worried about the money. There is a twelve year old girl mixed up in all of this. We have lost Victoria, Timothy, Allan and almost lost Sherry and you. My priority will be saving the lives of those innocent. By the way, how did you find this Sightings website?”

Rachelle looked away from Bud and spoke, “I think it’s time you spoke to Detective Lieutenant Cronin.”

Bud replied, “I was wondering when we were going to get to that. OK,” he continued, “stay inside.” He went to the door and looked back at Rachelle with her arms folded and looking away. “Bye Rachelle.” She turned her head to look at him and he could see the tears of pain in her eyes as she said goodbye. As the door shut, she spoke aloud to herself.

“I’m only doing this to help prove his innocence.” She walked to her room and fell on her bed and curled up like an infant in her mother’s womb.

Bud was going to drive over to Z Pita and see what Paul was up to but decided to go to the Wilkerson house in Belle Terre without him. He drove up, waved at the cruiser and was let in the house by Lindsey’s mother Sharyn. He wasn’t in the door two minutes when Lindsey walked up to him and gave him a big bear hug. Healey came up behind her and waved to Bud.

“Lindsey,” Bud spoke, “can we speak for a few minutes?”

“Sure, let’s get some breakfast,” she answered. They sat down at the kitchen table and Bud was asked if he wanted coffee and breakfast from Sharyn Wilkerson.

“No, thank you Ma’am,” Bud replied. “Coffee and a bagel is just fine, kind of watching my calorie intake.” Lindsey couldn’t help but speak up.

“Actually, Detective Johnson,”

He interrupted her with a, “Oh God, here we go again,” as Healey and Sharyn laughed.

Lindsey ignored his comment and continued, “The calories in a bagel depend on the size and the diameter of the bagel. We have mini bagels here that have seventy-two calories in them, the average deli bagel is three and a half to four inches in diameter which has over two hundred and eighty nine calories and that’s without any condiments. They are a carbohydrate rich food and will give you plenty of energy to help you with your daily tasks.” She continued as Bud just kept silently nodding his head looking at her as if she had Eveready batteries inside of her.