Celeste Files: Unjust (17 page)

She could only imagine the conversation Jerry and Nick had after she’d told them about the attempted stabbing, and how it had happened. Both men probably thought she was bat-shit crazy, and that John was, too, just for being with her.

“Don’t judge me or my husband,” she said to Jerry, as she walked toward the interrogation room door, her cuffed hands behind her back.

“No one is judging you.” Jerry reached for the doorknob. “I’m just hoping John knows what to do if Comeaux decides to possess you. Nick and I have no clue.”

“Call a priest,” she said. He was screwing with her. He had to be. There was no way these two men could believe her. Hell, if she wasn’t psychic and hadn’t had her own twisted and bizarre experiences, she’d recommend they throw her in a padded cell.

Jerry’s mouth tilted in a small, wry smile. “Celeste, I was being serious. We don’t want anything to happen to you. You’ve been an enormous help to this investigation. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to ID several of the women Comeaux abducted, and arrested Blake Crewe last night.”

Hope and satisfaction shoved aside the gloom and doom. “Really?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears—happy ones.

“Really. Now, I’m going to ask again, what do we do with you if Comeaux pays us a visit.”

She looked to John. “Keep me cuffed and question Denis. I think he has a ledger of some sort that has information on the men he’d sold the women to. If he’s not willing to talk…” Her chin trembled, and her throat tightened. “Hold me.”

John’s eyes softened, as he pulled her into his arms. “I love you,” he whispered against her ear. “Remember what Maxine told you. Fight him.”

She nodded and drew in a shaky breath. When she faced Jerry and Nick, she said, “I’m ready.”

Jerry opened the door to the interrogation room. A man with light brown hair and a short beard sat at the metal table wearing an orange jumpsuit. When she entered, he looked up and met her gaze. His blue eyes held worry, guilt and hope.

“Are you sure you don’t want your attorney present?” Jerry asked Gabe.

“I’m sure,” Gabe said, keeping his focus on her. “He already knows my story, and I don’t want Celeste uncomfortable with too many strangers in the room.”

“How do you know about Celeste?” Nick asked.

“My lawyer heard about the Jane Doe and Celeste. Since he knows my side of things, he thought we should meet.”

Nick raised a brow. “And how did your attorney hear about the Jane Doe and Celeste?”

Gabe looked at him. “Does it matter?”

“I don’t think so,” Celeste said, suspecting Barney had notified Gabe’s attorney like she’d hoped. John pulled out the chair across from Gabe, took her by the elbow and helped her sit. “Why did you want me here for this?”

Gabe gave a slight shrug. “I owe it to the girl, and to you. I hear Denis is bothering you.”

She smiled. “You could say that. Do you believe in ghosts?”

“I don’t know. I never thought much about it before now.” When he rested his hands on the table, the chain from his handcuffs clinked against the metal. “But I do know that Denis was a bad man. Evil like that don’t die easy.”

“Did you see Denis die?” Jerry asked.

Gabe shook his head. “I saw him being stabbed and washed overboard.”

“Who stabbed him?”

“Your Jane Doe.”

Nick folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall next to her. “Start from the beginning, and tell us what happened.”

As Gabe told them things she already knew—thanks to Barney—the air around her grew hot, suffocating. Denis definitely had his predictable moments, now was one of them. He wanted revenge, and she was sitting in front of the man Denis wanted dead.

Hatred balled in her belly, and splintered into her chest. For Denis,
for Gabe, for the dumb whore he could have made over twenty grand on if he could have delivered her.

Celeste gasped, and blinked several times. Denis was trying to push his way into her head. A part of her wanted to let him, hoping that in his hatred and rage he would give up the location of whatever records he had on the men he’d sold the women to. The other part of her wanted to prove to the dead man that she wasn’t weak or vulnerable, that
she
was in control, not him.

“Okay,” Jerry began, taking a seat a few feet away from Gabe. “So this was the first time you’d worked with Comeaux. What happened once the fishing trip was underway?”

Gabe looked directly at Celeste. “Did he show you what he is?”

Despite the heat surrounding her, she shivered. “Yes. And what he can do.”

With a nod, Gabe said, “When Denis dropped anchor to fish, I knew we weren’t near the Keys like we was supposed to be. I asked him about it, and he said he’d changed his mind. That the best catch was in international waters.” He shook his head. “I’ve been fishin’ for over twenty years and know that ain’t necessarily the truth. Deep waters is all you need, don’t matter what country’s coast.”

“
The dumb ass wasn’t as gullible as I thought,
” Denis said.

“I asked Denis if we’re using rods, nets or both,” Gabe continued. “He looked out to the water and said we don’t need neither, then pointed starboard. When I looked over, I saw a boat in the distance, and got nervous. I asked Denis what was going on, and he said, ‘When that boat gets here, keep your mouth shut and do what I say, or you’re dead.’”

“You didn’t think to try to subdue Comeaux, and call for help?” Nick asked.

“Oh, I thought about it, until I saw that he had a knife and gun on him.”

“Understandable. What happened when the other boat arrived?”

“Denis had me help tie that boat to ours. As far as I could tell, there were only two men on the boat. They both spoke Spanish, so I didn’t know what they were saying to Denis. All I know is that one of them brought up two young girls from below deck. The girls had rope around their wrists and ankles, and their mouths were gagged.” He leaned forward. The metal chain connecting his cuffs to the table stretched as he rubbed his forehead. “I felt just awful. They was cryin’, and the one looked like she’d been beaten. Before I could ask Denis what the hell was goin’ on, he told me to help bring the girl who wasn’t beat up onto our boat. The foreign guys started shouting and kept trying to push the other girl onto our boat, but Denis shook his head.”

“
I wasn’t about to pay for damaged goods,
” Denis said with a chuckle.

Celeste ignored the bastard, ignored the heat and the sweat trickling down her back. Denis was not joining this party. Not yet. She wanted to hear Gabe’s version of what had happened before Denis had his say.

“Denis and the two other guys started arguing. The girl kept getting pushed toward our boat, and Denis kept shoving her away. The only word I understood was
dinero
.”

“Did Denis give the men money?” Jerry asked.

Gabe nodded. “He pulled out his gun, handed me the money and told me to give it to the men. After they took it, they pushed the beaten girl into my hands. I, ah…” He cleared his throat. “I held onto her arms and looked into the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut. I wanted to pull her onto our boat and clean the blood from her nose, but Denis told me to let go of her and untie our boat from theirs. One of the men tried to stop me, but Denis pointed his gun at him. I don’t know what he said, but what happened next…I can’t get it out of my head.”

“
This fucking dumbass cracker can’t tell a story,
” Denis said. “
C’mon, sugar, let me talk. You know what I can do. Don’t make me give you another example.
”

“Denis wants to talk,” she said, and waited for everyone in the room, but John, to laugh at her.

“Do you think you can control him?” John asked.

Denis’s laugh filled her head. “
Just try, sugar.
”

Fuck you.
“Yes, I can control him.” She looked to Jerry and Nick.

Jerry let out a sigh. “What the hell? I’ve never interviewed a ghost before. Let’s hear what the bastard has to say.”

You heard them. Now why don’t you help Gabe tell the story?

“
My pleasure, sugar
,” Denis responded, his tone smug as he tried to infiltrate her mind and shove her thoughts aside.

She held her ground.
I want to hear everything. If you push me again, I’m leaving the room.

“
You’re a bossy bitch. Careful, or I’ll give your husband another reason to leave you.
”

“Well?” Nick prompted.

“Well,” Denis began, and although it was her voice she heard, knowing she wasn’t the one talking scared the hell out of her. What if he completely took over? What if he stayed in her head, decided he’d camp out in her body?

Your weakness is that you think the spirits are more powerful than you, and they’re not.

The memory of Maxine’s words gave Celeste the confidence boost she needed. She couldn’t see Denis like she had last night, but she could
feel
him crowding her mind. She gave him a mental shove.
Say what you need to say, then get out of my head
.

Her mouth involuntarily slid into a grin. “Bossy bitch.”

“What was that?” Jerry asked.

“Don’t you worry about it, detective,” Denis said. “Now, Gabe here is a piece of shit. If I had a knife, I’d slit his throat for what he’s done to me.”

“I didn’t do anything to you,” Gabe shouted. “You’re a kidnapper and a murderer. You deserve to be dead.”

“You deserve to be in prison. I’m going to see to it.”

“For what? You’re the one who killed that girl.”

Jerry held up a hand. “Whoa, back up. What girl?”

“The girl no one wanted,” Gabe said, his eyes filling with tears. “Denis shot her, and the two men tossed her overboard.”

“I don’t know what Gabe’s talking about. He’s the one who killed the girl. Hell, he’s the one who set this whole thing up. Those pictures you found in my trailer? They’re Gabe’s. He’s been at this for years. Him and Lou Reese. When Lou blew his ACL, the two of them came to me, wanting to use my boat to keep their business afloat,” Denis said with another grin.

He’s lying.
Angered by Denis’s audacity, she took control. “That’s not true,” she said.

“Celeste?” John asked, his voice holding both wariness and relief.

She nodded. “It’s me. Denis is lying. I saw him abduct Solana, and kill Miguel, the man who helped him. I can hear his thoughts and know he’s trying to frame Gabe.”

“Since we didn’t find Gabe’s fingerprints on the box of pictures, or any of the pictures, for that matter,” Jerry began, “I wasn’t buying his BS.” He cocked his head. “Are you doing okay?”

She met John’s gaze. “I’m in control,” she said, then turned to Jerry. “Do you want Denis back?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Tell them the truth
, she said to Denis.

“She really is a bossy bitch,” Denis said with a sigh. “Okay, okay, so I was the one abducting the women. I’ll admit it, and I’ll admit that I shot the Colombian girl. But she’s the only girl I’ve killed. I found homes for the rest. Those two Colombian bastards needed to understand how I do business. I buy and sell women, and provide a nice service to men in need of feminine companionship. I don’t have time to play nurse, no matter how much that little Colombian girl could’ve gotten me. I shot her so they understood that Denis Comeaux won’t accept damaged goods.”

God, you’re sick
, Celeste told him.
Make this quick. I want you out of my head
.

Denis turned to John. “How’d you sleep last night?”

That’s it. You’re gone
, Celeste yelled, and shoved Denis.

“I’ll be good,” Denis said. “Just let me finish telling the cops what Gabe did to me.”

“I’d rather hear more about the woman you shot,” Nick said.

“Why? It’s not like you can prosecute me and send me to Death Row? Little too late for that.” Denis chuckled. “You can’t even notify her family. I don’t know her name, and those Colombians beat her to the point I couldn’t tell you what she looked like. Ain’t that right, Gabe?”

Gabe nodded. “He’s right. I couldn’t describe her, but I can tell you what the other girl looked like.”

Denis’s rage heated her chest. “You do that, and while you’re at it, tell them how the two of you conspired to kill me.”

Gabe slammed his palms against the table. “That ain’t what happened. After Denis forced me—at gunpoint—to tie the girl up in the cabin below deck, I didn’t see her again until the night of the storm.”

Denis’s memories of that night filled Celeste’s head. The black sky, the clap of thunder, splinters of lightning, the wind, the swell of the waves and how they tossed the boat.

“We knew the storm was coming,” Gabe continued. “I told Denis we should forget trying to reach Everglades City and head for one of the inlets along the coast until the storm passed. He wouldn’t. He kept telling me I was a dumbass, when he was the one who thought he could beat the storm.” Gabe stared at Denis. “Who’s the dumbass now?”

Denis lunged forward, but Celeste quickly forced him back in their seat.
Don’t
, she told him.
Do it again, and I’m evicting you
.