The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller (19 page)

“Whatever, Rick.” Matt protested. “I saw you making eyes at her. I don’t think she even realized I was alive.”

Rick waved his hand in the air, dismissing the idea. “Found out she’s a little coo—coo.” He made circles in the air near his ear with his forefinger. “Lady is nutso to have a baby, and let’s just say the new director Dr. Mercer, isn’t so high on her list of people she likes.”

Rebecca’s gaze narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Guess she and the former director, Dr. Stein, had an arrangement. She and her husband weren’t able to get pregnant and couldn’t afford to go through in vitro, so the good old doctor said he would help her out at no charge, but he was fired before they could do the procedure.”

“So, how does that help us?” Rebecca asked impatiently.

Rick sighed loudly as if completely annoyed that she couldn’t put two and two together. “How it helps us is that when she approached Dr. Mercer for the same favor, she pretty much kicked her out on her ass. Even threatened to can her if she brought it up again.”

Rebecca circled her finger in the air, a sign for him to explain what she was missing.

“Ruth Dawson is privy to almost everything that happens in that place, and with a little encouragement, I think she may open up about what goes on behind closed doors.”

Realization dawned on Rebecca. In a business like that, it paid to keep your mouth shut. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if the interviews from the previous investigation were full of half—truths and cover—ups.  Ruth Dawson may prove to be invaluable, if they could get her to open up. “Nice work, Jonesy. I think we need to talk to her again.”

She opened her door and shot him a look. “And we need to find Dr. Stein again. Something tells me he might be guilty of more than just fraud.”

Rick pushed off the car and stepped towards Matt. “How about we follow up with Mrs. Dawson? I don’t think she’s too keen on you anyway. You and Agent Gray need to see if you can talk to Richard Hudson again and find out if there is a reason Dr. Stein would be targeting him.”

Rebecca opened her mouth to protest, but quieted when she saw the look Rick was giving her. Had it been anyone else, she would have told him to fuck off as rudely as possible, but this was her partner, and she trusted his judgment.

Rick held his hand up, and she threw the keys over the car begrudgingly. “Agent Gray, can you make sure our little Foxx makes it home safe and sound?”

Jordan’s lip curled up. She would almost bet Rick was throwing them together on purpose. She shot him a grateful smile and could swear she saw him smirk knowingly.

Jordan tossed her keys up and down loudly, mocking Rebecca and her misfortune at being forced to ride with her. She pivoted and headed toward her car without a word. She was just starting the car when Rebecca opened the door and flopped down on the passenger seat.

Rebecca watched Jordan slide the shifter into first gear with practiced skill, her long fingers almost caressing the knob. She felt a shudder run through her body, and she had to force away images of Jordan stroking her until she came out of her mind. She let out a loud sigh. “This doesn’t mean anything.”

“What would it mean?” Jordan cocked an eyebrow questioningly. “We’re investigating a lead. Nothing more.”

Rebecca let out a disappointed sigh. She wasn’t sure what she wanted Jordan to do or say. All day, a quiet nagging pulled at her from somewhere in the recesses of her mind. She had acted irrationally this morning, and in her haste, lashed out at Jordan for no reason. Despite her feelings of guilt, she wasn’t sure exactly how to smooth things over. Saying she was sorry seemed inadequate.

She studied Jordan’s jaw in the late-afternoon sun and marveled at how handsome she was. The muscles in her jaw clenched reflexively, and Rebecca knew she was still pissed. She had every right to be. She had practically dumped her this morning, accused her of sleeping with Dr. Mercer. No wonder she was angry with her.

Rebecca watched her closely, waiting for Jordan to feel her gaze and turn and meet her eyes. It never happened, and the miles burned away in uncomfortable silence. Finally, unable to take the distance she had put between them, she laid her hand on Jordan’s thigh. She felt the tight muscles ripple beneath her palm and half—expected her to push her away. “Remember that night?”

Jordan didn’t answer right away. Of course she remembered that night. Her body still ached from sex in the close confines of her car. At the time, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off of each other. Looking back, anywhere but the car would probably have felt better. Unable to stop herself, she chuckled. “Yeah, I remember.” After what seemed an indeterminate wait, Jordan’s hand came off the gearshift and covered Rebecca’s.

It wasn’t a perfect way to fix things, and Rebecca knew she would still have some amends to make, but it was a start. More than she would have allowed herself with any woman before and when her chest clenched tightly, Rebecca knew that she would spend a lifetime making amends if she needed too.

Jordan brought the car to stop in front of Richard Hudson’s house, and she squeezed Rebecca’s hand reassuringly. Maybe it was her way of saying we are okay for now, or offering her strength for what they were about to do. It didn’t matter which, for Rebecca felt like with Jordan at her side, she would be able to face anything.

They knocked on Richard Hudson’s door and waited, hoping he would at least agree to talk to them. The past couple of months had been hell on him. Falsely arrested and accused of his wife’s murder, as well as the other victims at the hand of the Chicago Detective Division would put Rebecca pretty far down on the list of people he would be willing to talk to. She only hoped that his desire to catch his wife’s killer would help outweigh his outrage.

When he finally answered the door, the hatred was evident on his face, and Rebecca expected him to order them off his porch. He looked much more haggard than he had two months ago. His skin was sunken and sallow, and his eyes looked empty. He looked to be thirty pounds lighter than he was when they first met, and she thought emaciated was a good word to describe him. “Talk to my lawyer.”

Rebecca worried that he might play that card. What they needed right now wasn’t him lawyering up, although she understood. “Mr. Hudson, please. Tell us about Dr. Stein.”

The door stopped closing, and he met her with a searing glare. Maybe, he could hear the desperation in her voice. Perhaps it matched his own. More than likely, she was right, and Dr. Stein had more to do with the murders than he let on. “What?”

“Elizabeth’s killer is still out there. We need help finding him.” Her voice held an almost desperate tone, which she hoped he would pick up on and agree to at least talk to them. “We just want to ask you a few questions about Dr. Phillip Stein.”

Richard Hudson rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He dropped his head wearily and opened the door, letting them in.

Jordan followed Rebecca in. He motioned toward the couch and flopped down opposite of them in a large recliner. Jordan eyed the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table. From the looks of it, he was subsisting on alcohol only and eating very little. “Mr. Hudson, we appreciate you letting us in. We’re hoping you can give us some information on Dr. Stein.”

The look of anger that had previously mellowed into mild disdain came back full force. “I’ll help anyway I can. I told you that before. My only concern is catching Lizzie’s killer and bringing him to justice.” He downed the glass and refilled it before he continued. “At least this time, you aren’t concentrating on the wrong man.”

Rebecca winced. It wasn’t often that the forensic evidence pointed to the wrong person and truth be told, she felt like shit for imprisoning the wrong person and allowing one more woman to die. “We’re very sorry, Mr. Hudson. I can’t make up for that, but I can promise to do whatever is in my power to catch the real killer. Your wife…and you deserve that.”

“Thank you for that. No one ever tells you they are sorry. Just some shit about how the forensic evidence isn’t always a hundred percent, no skin off your back. Stuff like that.” He downed another shot and refilled it again. His hands shook unsteadily, and drops of whiskey hit the table and splashed almost silently. “What do you need to know about that bastard?”

Rebecca’s eyebrows shot up, and she threw Jordan a look. It would seem that not everyone was a fan of Dr. Stein, and they were about to find out why. “What can you tell us about Dr. Stein?”

“Besides the fact that the guy is a royal fucker, not much.” He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was silent for several moments, and Jordan could almost sense that he was replaying some past meeting. “The guy is supposed to be some miracle worker, giving unlucky women the gift of children, and he was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That bastard hit on my wife.”

Rebecca’s sixth sense suddenly went wild. Things were suddenly starting to fall into place. “What happened?”

“What do you mean, what happened?” Richard leaned forward again, eyes flashing. “I put him in his place. Never messed with her again.”

Jordan leaned forward, meeting his eyes. “Was the clinic aware of the problem?”

“Hell yes, they were. I spoke to his assistant, Dr. Mercer. I requested that Dr. Stein no longer handle Lizzie’s procedures. She assured me that the proper disciplinary action would be taken.”

Rebecca sucked in a breath. A knowing look passed between she and Jordan, and she could see a look of confusion pass across Jordan's face before she buried it just as quickly. Why had Dr. Mercer lied? Was she covering for him? And, if so, why?  “How did Dr. Stein react to being caught?”

“He had the nerve to threaten me. He said he would take me to court. His last words to me were you will pay.”

Rebecca smothered a smile. That pretty much cinched it. Means, motive and opportunity. Dr. Stein had all three. Getting caught, and subsequently disciplined, would be the perfect motive to frame Richard Hudson for murder. The pieces were finally starting to line up. “Have you seen Dr. Stein since then? Has he tried to contact you?”

“No. You have to understand, Detective Foxx, I made it very clear to Dr. Stein that if he gave us any trouble or tried to back up his threat, I would make things extremely difficult for him.” He leaned forward again, and the glaze in his eyes disappeared. “Why are you asking me all these questions about Dr. Stein?”

Rebecca decided it was time to level with him. She owed him that much at least. “We have reason to believe he may be involved in the killings and is trying to frame you for the murders.”

“That fucking son of a bitch!” Richard slammed his fist on the coffee table. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Please, Mr. Hudson.” Rebecca’s eyes pleaded with him. “Let us do our jobs. Killing him isn’t going to bring Lizzie back. I know it’s asking a lot, but can you promise me you won’t go after him? Please let the CDD do our job.”

“Like you did it when you arrested me?” His voice was a sneering growl. “He killed my wife, and the bastard is going to pay.”

Rebecca leaned across the table and clasped his hand tightly, trying to make him listen to reason. “Lizzie wouldn’t want that. She wouldn’t want you to give up your life trying to find misguided justice. Don’t let her die in vain. If there is justice to be had, let us get that for you.”

His nostrils were still flaring, but he didn’t respond. His eyes started to well up, and Rebecca hoped, no prayed that somewhere deep inside, the voice of reason would prevail. She didn’t want to have to throw the guy in jail twice. “I can promise you this, Mr. Hudson. I won’t rest until he is serving a life sentence with no hope of parole.”

He didn’t reply, merely pulled his hand away and nodded at the door. He was already raising the bottle of whiskey to his lips when Rebecca and Jordan slipped out the door.

“Guy’s a mess.” Jordan said softly. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose one wife, much less two.”

“I wasn’t blowing smoke in there.” Rebecca punched the unlock button. “I’ll see to it that bastard rots in jail.”

She started the car and headed back to District Five. Rick and Matt were already there, faces buried in what looked like day-old donuts. “Hey, boss. Find out anything good?”

A cryptic smile spread across her face. “It’s something so good that if I were straight, I’d kiss your ugly mug.”

Matt busted out laughing, and Rick shot him a glare that said to knock it off. “Oh yeah? Well, me and Matt may have struck pay dirt as well.”

Rebecca pulled up a chair in front of the whiteboard and straddled it hooking her arms over the back. “Don’t tease, Jonesy. Tell us what you got.”

Jordan swiped a donut and perched on the corner of the nearest desk. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but what Rick relayed to them was the furthest thing from her mind. “Apparently, Ruth Dawson and Dr. Stein were closer than what they originally led on. They had an affair about five years ago.”

Rebecca leaned forward, waiting for the link. Rick saw the impatient look in her eyes and paused just to piss her off. “It was short—lived, and nothing came of it. But Mrs. Dawson said while they were sleeping together, she helped him take frozen, uhh, samples to his house. She didn’t say anything because of their arrangement.”

Jordan shook her head and dusted off her pants. “Bastard paid her to keep her mouth shut.”

Rebecca concurred. “It would have been nice if she would have told us that the first go round.”

Rick nodded. “Said she was too scared to. Dr. Stein had a temper, and he threatened to fire her if she opened her mouth. She needed the income since her husband worked construction and it was seasonal.”

“She say why she was coming forward now?” Rebecca stood up and added a new section to the whiteboard with the words Ruth Dawson and affair written next to Dr. Stein’s name.

“Said she didn’t feel right someone else paying for his crimes…if he was truly guilty. My guess is she will feel safer with him in prison than out on the streets. And get this?” A Cheshire grin broke out on Rick’s face. “Tell ‘em what you found out, Matt.”