Deadly Dozen: 12 Mysteries/Thrillers (315 page)

“Warden will see you now.”

They followed the officer down the dimly lit hallway to the warden’s office. Rob couldn’t help comparing the opulence of the warden’s office to the ragged office of Captain Jones. He allowed his glance to travel around the room, noting the cream colored carpet covering the floor, polished cherry furniture, and expensive prints lining the walls, before he looked at the man behind the desk. The warden smiled. A polished, fake smile.

“What can I do for you boys?” The warden’s eyes never left Carl’s face, as he emphasized the word “boys”.

“We’re here to see Todd Williams.” Rob took over, noting the darkening threat in Carl’s eyes, the jutting of the chin.

The warden’s grin widened, revealing perfect white teeth. “Let me see. Williams.” He leafed through the file on his desk. “Serving twenty years for armed robbery. Been a model prisoner.” He glanced at his watch. “Little late, or early, for visiting. Something you boys want to tell me?”

Rob felt Carl tense at the use of the word “boys” again. “Just want to ask him a few questions about an old case we’re working. Shouldn’t take long. We can wait, if you want. Call Captain Walsh in the morning.”

The mention of Captain Walsh’s name had the effect Rob wanted. The smile faltered. “Take them down to Room 1. Have Williams brought in.”

They followed the deputy down the long corridor, flinching as the doors opened and clanged shut behind them.

“Wait in here.”

Rob had avoided looking at Carl since they’d left the warden’s office. Knew Carl was a volcano about to erupt.

“Get it out before he gets here.”

“Son-of-a-bitch.” Carl slammed his fist against the old wooden table. “Did you see the way he looked at me? And that suit. He’s wearing a fucking Armani suit. Looked at me as if I was some kind of trash. Boys. I’d like to smash that goddamn phony nose of his.” Carl slammed his fist on the table again for emphasis.

Rob felt at a loss for words. If Gavin were here, he probably could have come up with something appropriate. Racism had always existed, and always would.

“Let it go, Carl. Let’s talk to Williams and get the hell out of here. This place gives me the creeps.”

Carl muttered something unintelligible, but sat down at the table. The door clanged open.

“Warden says you got twenty minutes.”

Rob smiled. “Thank you. We’ll let you know when we’re done.”

The deputy hesitated, but finally shrugged and closed the door behind him.

Rob had memorized the face of Todd Williams. He glanced at Carl and received a knowing nod. Instinct. Instinct told Rob the man standing in front of him was not Todd Williams, and Carl agreed.

“Have a seat.” Rob waited as the prisoner sized them up, sneered, and took a seat.

“Got any cigarettes?”

“Sorry, don’t smoke,” Rob answered, ignoring the sneer.

“How about the nigger? He smoke?”

Tension filled the room, thick, plausible.

Rob coughed. “Yeah, the nigger smokes. Carl, give our friend here a cigarette.” He waited while Carl took out his cigarettes and passed one to the prisoner, lighting it for him.

“Let me see your hands.” Rob said the words quietly, his eyes watching every move.

“Go to hell.”

Carl reached across the table, grabbed the hands and slammed them down in front of Rob. “We’ve already been there, you piece of shit.”

It took only moments of study to see what they had already expected to find. What someone else should have found. Rob remembered the lushness of the Warden’s office. The warden was scum, and when this was over, Rob was coming back and permanently wiping that smug sneer off his face.

“Good work. Who done it?” Rob asked.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rob sat back. It was Carl’s turn to run the show. Sometimes the good cop/bad cop act had its benefits. This was going to be one of those times.

“Yeah, bet you don’t. Think Williams is coming back for you? What’d he tell you? You take the heat and we’ll split the money when you get out?”

Carl laughed, a mirthless sound. Knew by the look in the man’s eyes that he’d hit the nail on the head. Slamming his hand down on the table, he bent over and got close to the convict. “Did he tell you Virginia still has the death penalty?”

The head came up, eyes panicky. “I didn’t kill nobody.”

“Yeah, well Todd Williams did. And you’re Williams, right? Got the fingerprints to prove it. We’re gonna fry your ass. Let’s go, Rob, get this piece of shit transferred.”

Rob rose, ready to follow Carl’s lead.

“No, wait. I didn’t kill nobody. He didn’t say nothing about no murder. I ain’t frying for that son-of-a-bitch.”

Sitting down, Rob grinned. It had almost been too easy. “Who did your hands? And who the hell are you?”

#

Loyalty didn’t cover murder, and two cigarettes later, Sid Williams had told them everything he knew.

Rob slammed his hand against the wall, ignoring the pain that immediately spread through his fingers. “Dammit, Carl, we don’t have time to run down every plastic surgeon in Washington, D. C.”

“Got no choice,” Carl answered, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. “Otherwise, we go in there blind.” Shaking his head in amazement, Carl continued, “Used his own brother. The mother-fucker used his own brother to cover for him.”

“Yeah, the profilers will have a field day with this one. And we don’t have a damn clue what Williams looks like now. We better head to Glade Springs. Warn Gavin what he’s up against out there.”

Carl shivered, knowing he might live to regret what he was about to say.

“Have you thought about that?”

Rob frowned. “What are you getting at?”

“If Williams is the Mother’s Day killer, this may be the only chance we’ll get to find him, take him down.”

Rob rubbed his fist, the pain subsiding to a dull ache. He knew he’d said before that catching the killer was worth any cost, but could he really do that? Could he take a chance on sacrificing Gavin? It wasn’t a choice he should have to make. He hit the wall again, welcoming the pain. He didn’t have a choice.

“What are you going to tell him about the fingerprints?”

Carl slapped him on the back. If anything happened to Gavin, Rob would never forgive him. Hell, he’d never forgive himself. “We’ll think of something.”

“Yeah, it better be good.” Rob frowned as they walked down the prison corridor. Something was eating at him. They banged on the gate and waited to be let out.

“Find what you needed?” The deputy opened the gate.

“Maybe.” Rob shrugged. “Has Williams had any other visitors lately?”

“Wait a minute and I’ll check.” The deputy left them standing in the hallway while he went inside the cubicle and checked his roster. “Yeah, says here he had a visitor about three months ago. A Jeremiah Campbell.”

Rob exchanged glances with Carl, but kept his thoughts to himself. What the hell was Jeremiah Campbell doing visiting Todd Williams?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Millie opened the door on the second knock. “Why, Sarah, honey, come in. What’s the matter? Is Nikki sick?”

“Millie, I need you to watch Nikki for me while I pack. I have to get out of here.”

Taking the sleeping child, Millie placed her on the couch and pulled Sarah into the kitchen. She’d seen the kind of panic she saw reflected in Sarah’s eyes before. Shock. “Now, you just sit down for a minute. I’ll fix us some fresh coffee, and we’ll talk about this.”

Sarah twisted her hands, her eyes darting from one spot to another. “I don’t have time to talk. I’ve got to get her out of here.”

“Running away never solved nothing, Sarah. You trust me, I know. Whatever you’re running from always catches up to you sooner or later. Besides, if you’re gonna lose either way, you might as well stay and face the music. Now you sit down there like I told you. Ain’t nobody going nowhere until you’ve had some of Millie’s special brew.” Millie watched as Sarah numbly obeyed. Young whippersnapper. Full of spunk and fight one minute, running like a scared goose the next. Something had gotten under the girl’s skin. Pulling the brandy from beneath the sink, Millie poured a healthy dose into the cup before filling it to the brim with strong black coffee.

“Here, you drink this.” Millie sat down across from Sarah and watched as she took a long gulp, coughing and sputtering as the brandy burned its way into her system.

“Millie, what the hell did you put in this? Poison?”

Millie laughed. “Good brandy. Put some color in your cheeks, too, so it must be working. Drink up.”

Sarah sipped the coffee slowly this time. Millie was right, she did feel better. Millie was the one person in Glade Springs who had penetrated the shell she’d wrapped around herself. She loved and trusted the old woman. The tension of the past week, the sleepless nights, and the fear of the past few hours caught up with her. Laying her head on the table, Sarah sobbed.

Millie came around the table and gathered the young woman in her arms, patting her gently on the back. “There, there, honey. It’s all right. Millie’s here. You just cry it out.”

Millie held Sarah until she stopped crying. Then she poured another cup of coffee, putting a healthy dose of brandy in it for herself, as she listened to Sarah pour out the whole sordid story of Todd Williams. No wonder the poor girl had kept to herself, afraid to let anyone close to her or Nikki. The gray eyes twinkled as she thought of Gavin McAllister and his reaction to Nikki and Sarah. Smart as a tack, dumb as a coal bucket. Couldn’t see the forest for the trees in front of him. She’d have to do something about that.

Finished, Sarah sat emotionless, drained of all feeling. Confession really was good for the soul. Millie squeezed her hand gently.

“I have to stay, don’t I?” Sarah whispered.

“Yeah, honey, you do,” Millie answered. Most people already knew the answers, just needed somebody to sound the questions off of.

Sarah drew in a ragged breath and glanced at the child sleeping peacefully on Millie’s sofa. “Can I leave her here for a while?”

“You know that child is welcome here for as long as you need. You, too, if you want to stay.”

Sarah smiled sadly, pushing back her chair and standing up. “No, it’s me he wants. As long as Nikki is safe, I’ll be okay. She’s been wanting to go see Mr. Archibald’s new butterfly garden. Would you take her for me?”

Millie hesitated, a slow flush creeping up the wrinkled old face. She’d been avoiding Clarence since the night he’d come to dinner.
Running away never solved nothing. If you’re going to lose either way, why not stay and face the music?
I’m a darned old fool, Millie chided herself before answering Sarah. “I’ll take her.”

#

The knock on the door woke Gavin from an uneasy sleep. The dreams were closing in. Glancing at the bedside clock he saw that it was only six a.m. Didn’t anyone in this godforsaken place sleep? Probably the mayor this time, he muttered to himself. “I’m coming!” he yelled.

Gavin jerked open the door, his patience at an end.

“Millie, what are you doing here?” Something in her eyes warned him to be careful. Nikki poked her head around from behind Millie, a mischievous grin lighting up the small heart-shaped face.

“Well, are you going to ask us in or not?” Millie grumbled, unaccustomed to being left standing on the doorstep, especially her own doorstep.

“My home is your home.” Gavin grinned and waved her in.

“Nikki, sweetie, you go get Aunt Millie’s music box. We’ll take it to the shop with us today.”

The child’s face lit up with sheer joy at the prospect of being allowed to play with her favorite treasure, a tiny ballerina that danced whenever she opened the lid.

“We don’t have much time, so you listen to me, Gavin McAllister. Don’t know why you’re here, and don’t care. Sarah needs you. Nikki does, too. Now you go talk to that girl, and you help her.” Millie moved quickly to the bedroom and stood at his closet, tossing a shirt and pants on the bed before moving on to the chest of drawers for socks and underwear.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Start getting dressed,” Millie growled, irritated by his lack of understanding and movement.

“Millie, whoa, slow down a second. What’s wrong with Sarah? And I can’t get dressed with you standing there watching me.”

“As if at my age I’ve never seen a man before. Somebody’s trying to kill her, that’s what. And fool she is, she’s decided to use herself as bait. Get dressed, you ain’t got much time.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to turn around. Realizing she’d met her match for stubbornness, Millie relented, turning her back to him. “All right, already. You dress, I’ll talk.”

Gavin moved quickly, aware that Nikki might return at any second. He found his hands shaking as he buttoned his shirt, listening to Millie tell how Sarah knew who the killer was. Some old partner she’d had in D.C. She was home now, packing Nikki’s clothes. Meant to send the child away while she used herself as bait to catch him.

“He’ll kill her, and then he’ll find little Nikki anyway. That’s the way it always works. The past always catches up with you eventually.”