The Mystery of Jessica Benson (18 page)

“Yeah, like maybe you know something about the
substance abuse problem she had. You have anything to do with
that—or do you know someone who does?” Will asked.

“Look. I’m clean. I swear I haven’t done any drugs at all
in a long time. I stopped a long time before she was killed.
“I guess I kind of hooked her up when we first started
getting it on. She used, and was always looking for a supplier.
When I was first with her we did just about everything that we
could get hold of.
“I thought I could keep her interested in me by getting
her drugs. She was so wild. But she found out my source and
worked out her own discount. I’d already gotten off the crap, but
I was still hung up on her. She used to tease me with stories
about what she was doing to him in exchange for the stuff. We
used to get off on it.”
Karen snapped to attention. “Jesus,” she breathed. “
He
?
You know who the dealer was?”
“Sure. Dr. Feelgood.”
Will cocked his head and asked “Dr. Feelgood?”
“Fraga. Good old Doc Fraga. I’m sure you’ve heard
about him, huh? All these cops crawling around here like snakes.
You must have heard plenty. Jess had a way of getting under
peoples’ skin. She wrapped that pervert around her little finger
so hard she had him filling bags with shit for her. Cocaine,
Ecstasy, Xanax. You name it, he had it and she got it.”
“This is bullshit,” Will shouted. “You withheld evidence
that could be key to this case, lady. I’m gonna book you for
obstruction of justice. That’ll fix your ass up real good...”
“He might have
murdered
Jessica,” Karen interrupted.
“What’s in your head? You say you were crazy about her, but
you sure don’t act like it. How could you
not
have said anything
about this?”
“You couldn’t be further off. Fraga’s sure enough a
scum bucket but he’s no murderer. All dressed in his million
dollar designer suits and strutting like
the man
. Do you know
how that degenerate got off on Jessica?”
“Is this relevant?” Karen asked.
“I dunno. Why don’t you decide. Like, this is really sad,
but Jess used to get a hoot out of it. He used to have her lay
down on an examining table and he would run his hands all over
her body and whack himself off. She’d force him to go down her
and spank him when he did. He couldn’t have anything like
normal sex. She told me he wanted to watch me and Jess do it,
but no way I was gonna get into that scene.”
Karen looked tired. She sat back down in her chair,
shaking her head.
“Yeah, pretty sick, I know.” She looked at Will and gave
him a wicked wink. “How about you, you getting off on this,
Detective? I’ve seen you looking at me. Maybe you wanna make
some kind of a deal?”
Will moved toward Gloria. Karen jumped up, putting
herself between them, fighting the urge to smack the woman
herself.
No one spoke for a moment, and then, “Wipe that smirk
off your face,” Will shot. “Know this when I tell you, honey,
you’re on pretty fucking thin ice right now...”
Seeing that Will was well past the point of reason and
wanting to keep the session on track, Karen broke in on him. “If
you know anything more that you haven’t told us, get it out
now
.
My partner and I hate going backwards to go forward, and that’s
where we’re finding ourselves here.
“Ms. DiAngelo, I want you to think hard,
real
hard, and
make damn sure you’ve told us
everything
. And then you better
go to church and pray that the trail doesn’t lead us back to you a
third time!”
Gloria sat sulking A solid minute went by before she
finally spoke. “I wanna find out who killed her, too. How about
Luke Arnold?”
“What about him?” Karen asked.
“He’s a real creepo, and he was always watching her,
looking like he wanted to devour her. I even saw him arguing
with her right outside in the parking lot the night before she was
killed. Now
that
guy is screwy enough to have murdered her.
Forget the doc, and for sure forget Kyle. I wanted to tell you
about it the first time you talked to me. But you were so locked
onto Kyle, you got me really nervous and I just wanted to get the
hell away from you. I didn’t kill her and I really didn’t think I
could help you find out who did. But I know I should’ve said
something sooner. At least about Arnold. I never should have left
Kyle out there like this, but honest! That’s all I know.”
Karen eyed the woman apprehensively. She wasn’t sure
Gloria had told the full story yet, but it was clear she wasn’t
going to give them anymore today. “You sure there’s nothing
else you’re leaving out? Like my partner said, you don’t want to
see us come back again.”
“That’s all. I told you everything. I swear it!”
Karen sat in the car and looked at Will.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I guess. I feel like I need a hot shower and lots of soap,
though.”
“Yeah, this just keeps getting uglier. Looks like our
victim was doing everyone in town. Kinda like the high school
whore who spreads her legs for the football team. Only this bitch
didn’t limit her appetite to the team! Or even to just men. I sure
as fuck wouldn’t have walked outta the room, though. That
DiAngelo is one hot number!”
“Can you just try to focus here, Will? This isn’t about
your fantasies. We can at least collar Fraga on the drugs if we
work it right, then hit him between the eyes on the murder.”
Karen added, “I don’t think he even has a clue that he’s a blip on
our radar right now, so we can probably catch him with his
defenses down. And we’re gonna have to give that ding-dong
Arnold another shot. I can’t help but think he’s holding
something back.”
“More possibilities than we can shake a stick at, huh
Kar? You must be relieved that we’re finding out about all these
diversions from your friendly old quarterback.”
She didn’t like the way he was looking at her. A little
chill ran down her neck. It took her a moment to recover, then
she glanced toward the ignition. In a very low voice, she said,
“Let’s get out of here.”

I
n South Florida there is no such thing as
unseasonable
heat.
Tropical weather is as common in winter as in the summer, and
that was so even before scientists identified a hole in the ozone
layer. Though December was nearing an end, Kyle Sands felt the
practice field might as well have been a furnace.

The Coach showed no mercy and was ruthlessly
overworking the players. Everyone was fighting shredded nerves
and hair-trigger tempers. The defense was hitting harder than
necessary and the offense was hitting back. Tempers exploded.
A couple of times players had to be pulled apart to stop them
from killing one another. It was a bad time for everyone and
there were no signs it would be getting better any time soon.

Kyle’s breathing was labored — too many downs, too
many hits, and too many aches. His offensive line kept screwing
up and he was left uncovered and feeling like he had a target
painted on his chest. He hadn’t had a chance to speak with Karen
and as a result took more than one sack because his thoughts
were on her and not on himself or his game.

Utley came prancing onto the field, looking like his
uniform was air-conditioned. Kyle grimaced as he limped over to
the bench where James Lundy sat. Lundy was out of uniform,
wearing his usual basketball shorts and tank top. A damp towel
hung from his neck and Kyle noted his heavily wrapped ankle
and the crutches by his side.

“What’s the prognosis?” he asked as he sat beside his
friend.
“Sprain, man.”
“X-rays?”
“Yep.”
“How bad? You going to be able to play Sunday?”
“Fuck, yes. You think I’m gonna let
this
take me out of
the hunt? I’ll deal with it.”
“Don’t push it. You’ll end up sitting out the playoffs.”
“Mind your own sweet self, white boy. I planning on
running
at least
three TDs in this week’s game. Just make damn
sure
you
don’t go screwing it up. I got records to break this
season, and when that’s done I’ll take care of healing myself.
“And speaking of your screw-ups, let’s talk about
your
miserable life, huh? You eating your Wheaties and keeping your
nose clean?”
Kyle gave a feeble chuckle. “Ha. Got nothing better to
do with my time.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I saw the way you been looking at
that detective chick. You like to live dangerous, dawg.”
Kyle cuffed James’ arm and said, “You’re subtle
enough.”
“Yep, subtle, that’s me. I know you well enough to
know when you got some woman running through your brain,
right, white boy? You got that look now. Don’t take Einstein to
figure who it is.”
“So you’ve decided it’s Karen, huh?”
James winked and pointed at his buddy. “
Karen
, yo? See
what I’m sayin’, man?
Karen
. Last I heard it was Detective.”
“Well, keep your theories on the down-low, okay, man?
I’m serious. Anything even
sounds
like friendly, much less
romantic, would put both her and me up shit creek. Fact is, and
I’m not trying for the pun here, but it
could
send me up the
river.”
“How bad you got it for her, Kyle?”
Kyle ran his hands through his hair and shook his head.
“Real bad.”
“Happened fast.”
“Nah. Only as fast as a bolt of lightening. And now I’m
dancing on shards of glass.”
“She feel the same?”
“I’m hoping.”
“That partner of hers gets wind of this and you both be
slop for the pigs.”
“True.”
James winced, and stuck his bandaged foot into a tub of
ice that sat on the ground beside them. Looking down at his
ankle, he said, “I sure didn’t need this shit.” He gave out with a
painful moan and adjusted himself on the bench. “You hear
Gloria’s back?”
“Yeah. Saw her for a couple of minutes, but she didn’t
seem to want to stick around and visit with me.”
“She wrapped my ankle. I got some interesting news for
you.”
“Talk.”
“You a man of few words today. Make it easy to hang
with you. Uh, I don’t mean in the literal sense. It’s a figurative
statement.”
“Stop editorializing and get to the fucking point.”
James half-chuckled, and said, “Chill, dawg. Lady
Gloria got called out of the training room when she was
wrapping me. On business. Po-lice business. Seem they finally
come around to talk to her again.”
Kyle hissed out, “Yes! You know which cops?”
“No, but there was some nice irony going on there.
Arnold the one who came to get her. You do
not
want to be in
the same room with those two when this shit be done with.”
Kyle replied that he didn’t want to be anywhere near
those two regardless.
“I hear you, boy,” Lundy added. “I hear you loud and
clear.”

K
aren sensed the change immediately upon entering the squad
room. The air was charged with electricity owing to the latest
breakthrough in the Benson case. Last night when she and Will
got back to the station, they started the process of obtaining
warrants to search Joe Fraga’s office and home. Today they
would meet him, armed with the information Gloria DiAngelo
had supplied.

Will was in the back of the squad room talking
animatedly with Bill Benjamin. Frank Garcia stood looking
solemn, arms crossed, listening to Tom Grant whose beer gut
bobbled over his belt as he gestured wildly. Garcia saw her and
beckoned her over to them.

“Hey there. Nice score from that trainer y’all chatted
with yesterday. About time we got something to go on,” he said
as he gave her a gentle thunk on her back.

Karen winced. “I don’t know. I’m eating, drinking and
sleeping this damned case. Seems everyone involved needs some
big time priming before they give over any information. We’re
on a two interview minimum with all the wits.”

Grant stopped gnawing on his upper lip and added, “This
Fraga sounds like a real winner. If we can’t nail him for murder,
well get him on the drugs. That’s worth some points, at least.
Kaufman was telling us the perv was keeping Benson stoned so
he could get a piece of her action.”

Karen nodded. “Yeah, that pretty much seems to be the
deal there. He’s dirty and not just a little sick, but for some
reason I’m not feeling him for murder. From what DiAngelo told
us about his sex life, or whatever you want to call it, I’m
thinking he’s way too much of a coward to be our guy.”

Garcia shook his head. “Hmm. I don’t know about that,
just ‘cause they can’t fuck doesn’t mean they can’t kill.
Kaufman’s saying he thinks the doctor is totally capable of
murder.”

“Will said that?” Karen rubbed at her temple. “That’s the
first time since we caught this case he’s considered anyone but
Kyle Sands. How refreshing.”

“Between the two of you it’s amazing you’ve gotten
anywhere on this thing. You guys better start putting your
personal crap on a rack somewhere, or you’re both going to be
looking at new partners soon.”

“Tom, don’t get me wrong here. I’m not badmouthing
Will. It’s just that he seems to be stuck on Kyle Sands as the
killer, has been from day one. That’d be fine by me if there
weren’t a minefield of other suspects. There are so many players
around that it boggles my mind. Uh, I don’t mean players as in
the
Demons
. I’m talking about the whole picture, as in
all
the
people. Jesus, God almighty, I need a break. I’m talking so even
I don’t understand myself.”

“Interesting that you should mention Kaufman so set on
Sands, because the way he’s been telling it, you’re the one stuck
on Sands, but not as a suspect.”

“Will said that?” She could feel her face flush, and
found the room suddenly stifling. She tugged at her collar.
“Well, uh, you know, like you said, he’s pretty bent on
Sands for the bad guy, but claims you been giving Sands the eye.
Says you haven’t been behaving in a professional manner when
it comes to that guy.”
Frank Garcia, who had been listening to the exchange,
added, “Uh huh, that’s true enough. He’s been talking around for
a coupla days now. Don’t get your panties up in a wad over it,
though, Karen. You know Kaufman when he goes off on a tear.
But Tom said it right. The both of you gotta put this crap behind
you and move on. Captain gets word of this bullshit and you’re
both gonna be S.O.L.”
Karen took a deep breath and started to respond, but
Garcia averted his eyes and nodded his head. Will and Benjamin
were coming toward them.
“Hey doll,” Will called out, as though everything
between them was just fine. “We been waiting for you. Time to
roll out and take some prisoners.”
Her emotions must have written themselves all over her
face because he lost his smile and hesitated before continuing.
“What’s eating you, Detective Brandt? Haven’t had your coffee,
or what? Didn’t these jamocas do it for you? The warrants went
through without a problem and we got teams ready to hit Fraga’s
home and office at the same time. That ought to blindside the
bastard. I’m feeling real good about this.
Psyched
even.”
Through her teeth Karen hissed, “You’re
psycho
is what
you are.” She turned on her heels, starting toward the door.
“Let’s take this outside.”
Everyone in the squad room turned their eyes toward
Will. He looked around and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m
innocent,” he chuckled. “Must be her time of month!”
One of the female detectives in Robbery called out,
“Watch it Kaufman. We got rules to handle sexist cops like
you.”