Chain Reaction (8 page)

‘Course not. You want a family update?’

‘I’d love one. How’s your dad … Ellen, the kids?’

‘The kids are great. Good grades, lots of friends; they really like it up there. Dad? Well, I feel like we lose another piece of him every day but the good news is that he remains pleasant and still remembers all our names most days. When he temporarily forgets one of the kids’ names, he calls them “Buddy” and they don’t have a clue.’

‘And Ellen? Your marriage?’

‘That’s best of all.’

‘Really?’

‘We’ve both been doing a lot of healing. We’ve been able to talk about the loss of the baby without getting angry or pointing fingers. We still walk on eggshells a bit with each other but that’s getting better. And we’re sharing a bed once again.’

‘That’s terrific, Ted.’

Ted blushed a bit and said, ‘Yeah. I finally got to the point where I accepted the fact that the high school romance you and I had was just that – a thing of the past. That helped a lot and it made me realize that I was as much a part of the problem in our marriage as Ellen was. I had been placing all the blame on her.’

Lucinda didn’t express the total relief she was feeling, afraid that it would sound too much like rejection. She just patted his arm and said, ‘Good, Ted. That is what you needed to do.’

‘And you? Look at you. You look fabulous. Only traces of the scarring remain. I bet those will fade even more with time.’

‘Thanks, Ted. I no longer cringe when I look in the mirror but they still stand out like flashing lights to me.’ For the rest of the ride, they shared the latest news about mutual acquaintances. Before getting out of the car at the Justice Center, Lucinda leaned across the seat and placed a kiss on Ted’s cheek. ‘Thanks for everything, Ted.’

‘The least I could do,’ he said.

Lucinda walked into her office with a list of fifty-seven names. including one girl named Emily, two named Elizabeth and one Electra – what were her parents thinking? She looked up addresses and phone numbers. She called those five girls first – although she found all but one of them at home, the parents were at work. She’d gotten times when she could interview them with a parent present. She went back to the list gathering information about the remaining students identified by last names.

She was halfway through it when Captain Holland barked, ‘My office, Pierce.’

She reluctantly rose from her desk and followed him down the hall. What are the odds, she wondered, that this summons was related to Connelly? He’s probably been whining about me since he left the Bayneses’ house. Then again, maybe the captain just wants an update on the progress at the high school.

‘Sit,’ Holland barked as Lucinda walked through the door.

The look on his face told Lucinda that she was not going to like what he had to say.

‘You’re off the case,’ he said and stared at her with an expressionless face.

She was certain what he meant but didn’t want to believe it. ‘What case, sir?’

Holland lowered his head and glared at her. ‘You know what case. The case at the high school. The explosion. You are no longer involved.’

Lucinda sighed. ‘Jeez, Captain, are you really going to cave in to a little whining from an obnoxious federal agent?’

The captain bolted to his feet and slammed both hands down on the surface of his desk. ‘A little whining? A little whining? Oh, give me patience. You threatened a federal officer with a firearm and you describe his reaction as a little whining? You are lucky that you still have a job, Lieutenant – even luckier that you still are, at least for now, a lieutenant. What were you thinking?’

‘Sir, I did not threaten him with a firearm.’

‘Really? What do you call it?’

‘Sir, I rested my hand on my gun. It was in the holster. The holster was still snapped shut.’

By now, Holland’s face was blood-red and veins throbbed in his throat and at his temples. ‘If you don’t call it a threat, what do you call it, Pierce?’

‘I just wanted him to know I was serious.’

‘Oh, he got that. He said he was in fear of his life.’

Lucinda rolled her eyes. ‘BS,’ she said.

‘Do you want me to charge you with insubordination, Pierce?’

‘No sir, I—’

‘Then clean up your attitude.’

‘I’m sorry, sir. I know my reaction was extreme but Connelly was badgering two parents who had just learned about the death of their son. He was leaping to unwarranted conclusions and he was undermining my investigation.’

‘Well, it’s not your investigation any longer. Connelly’s the lead now. Lovett is assisting him. And you are out of the picture. Go to your office right now, forward any digital evidence you have to me and pack up anything and everything else in your office connected to the case and bring it in here.’

‘Is this really necessary, sir?’

‘The decision has been made, Pierce. They didn’t even tell me until it was a done deal. The police chief called me after he hashed it out with Lovett’s FBI supervisor and ATF Deputy Federal Security Director Wesley. And just for the record, Pierce, I am really pissed off at you this time and haven’t decided what I am going to do about it. And, no, it’s not the political embarrassment of being ultimately responsible for you that has my dander up; it’s the fact that an explosion at one of our high schools – the one closest to this office – has been taken out of our hands; one of our kids is dead and we cannot be involved in solving the case – that is all because of you. It’s all on you, Pierce, and that pisses me off. Now, get out of here and go get those files together.’

As she was walking through the doorway, the captain said, ‘One more thing, Pierce.’

She turned around and said, ‘Yes, sir.’

‘Lovett has been ordered not to discuss the case with you. Don’t pressure him or he might end up out of a job. And while we’re at it, you all ought to stop seeing each other socially until this case is wrapped up.’

Socially? He doesn’t know we’re living together? We haven’t gone out of our way to publicize that fact but we also haven’t tried to hide it. I had assumed everyone knew. Maybe I should call Jake and make sure he doesn’t volunteer the information unless he’s directly asked.

When she reached her office, she continued to think about the wisdom of making that call or waiting to talk to him that evening. She first emailed every case-related file on her computer to Holland. Then she got an empty business envelope box and stacked documents in it. She picked up one of the two notes she found in David Baynes’s room but her hand hovered over the pile. She set the piece of paper off to the side. She did the same with the other message as well as her handwritten list of David’s friends. When everything else was in the box, she sat down to think.

It was important evidence but they needed the cooperation of David’s friends. If Connelly goes in there with his hostile, suspicious attitude, the kids will balk at cooperating and the parents might hire attorneys. That would cut off all communication and stop any possible answers in their tracks. No defense attorney on the planet would want a teenager talking to law enforcement when Homeland Security was raising the threat of terrorism charges.

Lucinda picked up the notes and her lists with notations about addresses, phone numbers and times of parental arrivals, slid them into a manila folder and walked down the hall to the copier, grateful that she could get there without going past Holland’s office. She made copies of all the documents and returned to her office where she slipped both the copies and the originals into her satchel.

Putting the lid on the box with the other evidentiary documents, she lifted it and carried it down to Holland’s office. ‘Where do you want me to set this down, sir?’

‘Over there by the wall. Is that everything, Pierce?’

‘That is what you ordered, sir.’

Holland looked at her with indecision etched in his brow. If he demanded a direct answer to his question, she knew she couldn’t lie to him but she hoped it didn’t come to that. ‘Is there anything else, sir?’

His wariness still showed in the expression on his face but he waved his hand and said, ‘No. That will be all. Why don’t you call it a day? If the chief comes down here while he’s still in a fever pitch, it won’t be good for either of us if you’re still here.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘You’re deskbound for now, Pierce, until I say otherwise. Understood?’

‘Yes, sir,’ she said and spun on her heels, making a fast exit. She needed to get out of there before she said something she’d regret.

In her car, she pulled out her cell and hit the button for her favorites list, then pressed Jake’s cell number.

‘Lieutenant Pierce,’ Jake answered, ‘I cannot discuss the case with you. Please don’t call this number again.’

L
ucinda’s heart felt as if it stuttered and stalled before it began beating again. Her hands shook as she guided her car into a parking space on the side of the road.
Don’t call his cell ever again. Did he really mean that? No. Of course not. Someone must have been with him. He was warning me and acting tough for his audience. Who was with him? Connelly? Or his supervisor, the Wicked Witch of Washington, DC? Or ATF Deputy Regional Director Wesley? Whoever – it doesn’t really matter who it was, does it? He’ll explain it all when I see him. I just need to go home and wait until he gets there.

After feeding Chester and snacking on Havarti, stoned-wheat crackers and a glass of Pinot Grigio, she got restless and anxious. What if he doesn’t come home? What if it’s all over? What if he did really mean it?

She went out on the balcony and paced. Which one of them would stay in their new apartment? That was easy.
I can’t afford it on my own. I certainly will miss this view of the river. I wonder if I can get back into my old building? Until I actually speak to Jake, all I’m doing is creating senseless agitation.

It was a good time to call Charley, the twelve-year-old girl who’d become a big part of her life since Kathleen Spencer, Charley’s mother, had been murdered.

‘Hey, Charley,’ she said when the girl answered the phone.

‘Lucy! It’s been a horrible day.’

‘What’s wrong, Charley?’

‘Well, I just missed getting an A on my algebra quiz. One stupid question. And I don’t know how I got it wrong.’

‘You’ll make up for it. Those things happen.’

‘Not to me. Not in algebra. It’s sooo easy. I can’t believe I was so dumb.’

‘You’re not dumb, Charley.’

‘Duh. I know that. But I put down a really dumb answer. And that’s not all.’

‘What else happened?’

‘You remember Madison?’

‘One of the girls involved in the vandalism last year?’

‘Yes. She’s back. They made her repeat eighth grade.’

‘Is she bothering you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you tell the principal?’ Lucinda asked.

‘Lot of good that did. She told me it wasn’t charitable to diss someone who’s trying to suck up to you.’

Lucinda conjured up an image of that language coming out of the principal’s mouth and chuckled. ‘She used those words?’

‘Not all of them. She did say I was being uncharitable for not accepting her apology.’

‘Oh, so she was apologizing to you?’

‘Yes. Do you realize how annoying that is?’ Charley asked.

‘Maybe she’s changed. Maybe she’s sincere.’

‘Puh-leez! Not you, too.’

Lucinda realized that wasn’t an argument she could win and changed the subject. ‘The reason I was calling is that I was just thinking that it was about time we did something together.’

‘Yes, yes, yes. Sunday is Mother’s Day. Me and Ruby made cards for you.’

Lucinda felt an ache deep in her chest. ‘I think that would be a great idea, Charley. Since the three of us all lost our mothers, we ought to stick together.’

‘Well, I kinda wanted some time just with you but we can do that another day. Ruby would be real sad if we left her with Dad on Mother’s Day. What do ya wanna do?’

‘I thought we might go for tea at the Olde English Shoppe. There will be a lot of mothers and daughters there but I don’t mind that if it wouldn’t bother you and Ruby.’ Lucinda mentally crossed her fingers. It would be a good sign of healing if Charley didn’t object.

‘That would be fun. And Ruby’s still just a little girl so she’ll probably want to pretend that you’re her mommy. Would that be OK?’

‘Yes, Charley, it would be perfectly OK,’ Lucinda said as a tear dropped from her one real eye.

‘Oh, but do we have to wear white gloves to go to tea?’

Lucinda chuckled. ‘I don’t think that’s necessary.’

‘Oh, good. Ruby had to wear white gloves when she was a flower girl last year – and boy did she make a mess of them!’

‘All right, then, make sure it’s OK with your dad and I’ll drop by for you and Ruby at three o’clock on Sunday afternoon.’

‘Cool. But, Lucy, mean girls are mean girls forever. Just like some of the bad men you lock up. They don’t stop being mean; they just learn better ways to trick people.’

Sounded like a good working definition of a sociopath, Lucinda thought but she said, ‘You don’t think people can change, Charley?’

‘Oh, sure,’ the girl answered. ‘But they have to have some good inside their hearts – and Madison? Her heart is as black and rotten as a banana left in a locker all semester.’

F
or another hour, Lucinda stewed and fretted. She thought of calling Jake despite what he said but then thought better of it. She couldn’t bear it if she called and got the same response as the last time.

Finally, the front door opened and Jake entered the apartment. She rushed towards him and exchanged a kiss. He pulled back and put his index finger up to his lips.

‘Jake, what’s—’

He raised his finger again and shook his head. ‘How about we go for a walk down by the river?’

‘A walk?’

‘We’ll put on some suitable shoes and take a nice walk,’ he said, stepping past her to the bedroom. He sat on the side of the bed, pulled off a pair of green Converse high-tops and slipped on a pair of Rockport walking shoes. ‘Get a move on, Lucy. Time’s a-wastin’.’