Some Like It in Handcuffs (23 page)

The rise of Judson’s brow and the satisfied shine in his eye let her know they were thinking the same thing.

“Time to get those warrants signed from Judge Collins.”

“Right behind—”

Judson’s phone vibrated and it danced along the polished surface of the counter. He picked it up and pressed a few buttons. “It’s a text from your brother, looks like the favor I called in paid off.”

Sunny pulled his hand down to read the message. “DNA testing in. What’s this about?”

“I sent in some of the evidence for DNA analysis. Both the cigarette butt left at the scene and the scrapings from underneath Karina’s nails. I wanted to be ready when we secured a suspect.”

Sunny narrowed her eyes. “And you were going to mention this when, Sherlock?”

“Right now.” He grinned and tweaked her chin.

“You have friends in the lab if you’re getting results this fast.”

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” He tucked his cell inside the front pocket of his jacket. “Let’s head to the lab then Judge Collins. I want to go over those DNA results before I fight for the warrants.”

****

“Explain it to me like I’m a civilian.”

Judson stood rigid. His back teeth ground together in an attempt to control his temper. The news the lab manager relayed didn’t match up to what he expected to hear.

The middle aged woman in the white lab coat leaned against the counter. “Let me present it to you like you’re a first year student.” She rubbed her temples. “The DNA harvested from the cigarette butt was useless. The evidence hadn’t been stored properly and the components were too broken down to get anything accurate enough to use in a comparison.”

Judson ran his hand across the top of his head a couple of times. “You couldn’t get anything at all?”

The scientist pursed her lips, shaking her head. “Sorry.”

“Damn it.”

“What about the fingernail scrapings?” Sunny asked.

“Those weren’t much better.” The older woman leafed through the sheets of papers secured in a clipboard.

“You couldn’t get anything—”

The woman held up her hand. “Let me finish, Jud. I managed to prove the DNA definitely belonged to a female. If you could get me something to compare it with, I’d have enough to use in an analysis.”

“Would that give us enough evidence to prove innocence or guilt?” Sunny asked.

“Most definitely, bring me in something to work with and I’ll do the tests.” She slid the clipboard on the lab table then snapped on a pair of latex gloves from the shelf above. “Not to push you out the door, Jud, Sunny, but I’m already backlogged.”

“Thanks again for your help.” Judson nodded to the woman. With Sunny at his side they walked toward the double doors leading into the equally sterile looking corridor.

“Why the long face? With a warrant we can get a DNA sample from Vivian.” Sunny walked backward down the hall facing him.

“Will it be enough evidence with the cassette?”

Sunny’s steps faltered and stopped. “There’s only one way to find out. One of us needs to talk to the DA and see what she thinks.”

“The trick will be if we can find Vivian, will the DA give us the green light. Not that I hold out much hope, at this point Vivian and Slater are probably long gone,” Judson said.

“Always a possibility, but we can’t give up.”

Judson grabbed her elbow and they walked toward the elevators which would take them to the lobby, then outside to their car. “I know the tape revealed Vivian’s lie about her meeting Karina, but I thought Slater would’ve done the dirty work. I’m still shocked the DNA is from a female.”

“Vivian. To think I blamed Slater this whole time.”

“Don’t jump the gun, Wildcat. We still need Vivian’s DNA to prove it’s her.”

“After seeing first hand how Slater cowered to Vivian, I can see her killing Karina then making Slater clean up her mess. The only thing I don’t understand is why it went as far as murder?”

They crossed the black and white tiled floor of the sunlight filled lobby. Sunny’s sneakers squeaked every other step as they neared the large revolving door centered in the bank of windows running the length of the building front. For some reason it gave Judson a form of comfort, of normalcy.

“In this line of business you see a lot of unbelievable reasons why people do what they do. We’ll just have to wait and see what she says.”

He glanced down at Sunny’s profile, her head bouncing with each step. No matter what happened he needed her to understand his feelings. There was something between them, but he didn’t know where it would lead, if anywhere. The whole fact of her job and the danger she put herself in turned his stomach. He knew if things got serious between them, it’d be a subject they’d never agree on. He didn’t want her to get any false hopes, or ideas. After last night she deserved to know where he stood. Judson stopped mid stride, and she stopped too.

Before he could speak, she said, “I think you should go see the judge and I’ll pay a visit to Benny, then Maggie. Sound good?”

She looked up at him with bright, shiny eyes and his heart turned over. The excitement on her face jumped across the thin space between them and landed in his heart. “Afterward straight home, Sunny, I’ll meet you there. We need to talk.”

****

After Judson left her at the apartment, Sunny called Benny to see if he had time to talk. Tasha answered the phone informing her Benny was visiting an old friend, Maggie. She couldn’t believe her luck.

In one visit Sunny could accomplish two things on her list. The time had come to reveal her identity to Benny. Then after she made sure Maggie was okay, she’d convince the older woman to tell her the truth. Maggie was leaving the notes, and the state of her health told Sunny someone had to be helping her. That could be where Benny fit in or maybe the neighbor boy who delivered her meals. Either way Sunny pressed down on the accelerator as she sped toward Maggie’s place.

The presence of an unmarked police car outside Maggie’s building sent relief through her. Sunny smiled when she knocked on Maggie’s apartment and Benny pulled the door open wide.

“Sweetheart, what a surprise. We were just talking about you.” He moved aside so Sunny could pass.

“Good, I’m just in time to hear the good, bad and ugly.” Sunny walked into the sitting room and smiled at Maggie, tucked into her familiar flower covered chair with a crochet hook in one hand and a ball of multi colored yarn in another.

Maggie’s lips parted wide to reveal her pearly white dentures, but she remained quiet.

“Having you both in one spot is making my job easier.” Sunny looked from Benny to the older woman.

“Exactly what is your job, honey? Did you give up on delivering flowers?” Maggie’s eyes twinkled.

“Oh Maggie, I’m too smart to fall for your feeble old lady act.” Sunny giggled.

“She’s onto you,” Benny said, grinning at Maggie. He perched on the arm of her chair.

“Did you come to confess that you’re Sunny Kennedy, PI?” Maggie’s steady gaze followed Sunny. She sat on the sofa across from the older woman.

Sunny sank into the cushions. “How long did you know my secret?”

“Oh honey, I knew from day one. It was the same night Benny stopped by to pay me his weekly visit. I heard Vivian and my boy arguing because he recognized you from a picture in the paper from years ago. You gotta remember my boy’s tuned into the cops. He knows a lot about who is who and what is what.” Maggie resumed the work on her afghan.

“So you started sending me the clues.” Sunny frowned when Maggie didn’t flinch or break concentration. Still moving her yarn she only nodded. “How did you get them to me?”

Maggie glanced from Benny to Sunny, shaking her head. “Old ladies have many secrets, and this one neither of you will believe.”

“Try us.” Benny shifted so he could see both Sunny and Maggie.

“I take it you two were just getting started on your conversation when I showed up.” Sunny looked at Benny.

“I’ve only been here a few minutes. After my conversation with Slater at the bar, I decided to pay dear little Maggie here a visit.” Benny placed his arm along Maggie’s shoulders and pulled her toward him for a quick hug. She smiled and patted his arm with her hand, their affection for each other obvious.

The yarn and crochet hook in Maggie’s hands were placed gently onto her lap before she leaned back, swallowing hard. “My boy isn’t as bad as everyone believes. Slater was the one delivering the messages to you.”

Sunny jerked forward at the same time as Benny.

Maggie giggled. Sunny could tell she relished the attention. Her cheeks turned pink and her shiny eyes grew even brighter. “Vivian wrapped my boy around her finger tighter than a two hundred pound pig wearing a size three tutu. But after all these years he had enough.”

“What happened to make him decide that?” Sunny asked, biting back her laugh at the older woman’s analogy.

“Most of what I’m telling you I’ve heard through the walls, but Slater filled in the missing parts for me when we started all of this a few weeks back.”

Sunny’s chest thumped. She ran her tongue over the roof of her mouth in an effort to make her saliva glands work.

“All those years ago Vivian did pay Karina a visit, even though she denied it to you, Benny. I knew the truth.” The older woman’s gentle touch on Benny’s arm warmed Sunny’s heart. “I always wanted to tell you, but I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what, Mag?” Benny asked.

The old woman closed her eyes then swallowed hard as she fought her tears. “Vivian. She scared me, always did. After she killed your girl, she called Slater from a payphone down the road, half crazed. I don’t think she meant to hurt her like she did, things got outta control, tempers flared and Vivian overpowered poor little Karina.”

Benny stood and rubbed the side of his neck. Stress lines around his mouth deepened. “Keep going.”

Sunny hated for him to hear all of this, but she needed to know the truth and deep down he did too.

“From what Slater told me, Vivian got out of hand when Karina mentioned the baby.” Maggie’s voice shook.

“Vivian couldn’t stand the thought of Karina and I having a child, especially since she’d never be able to,” Benny murmured.

“I think it had more to do with Vivian never being able to have
your
child,” Maggie stated.

Benny nodded, remaining quiet.

“My boy rushed to Vivian’s side. Vivian told Slater about the message on Karina’s answering machine telling her what time she’d be over. It upset Vivian that the tape could prove she’d been the last one to see Karina alive since it had recorded her voice starting to leave a message and then Karina picked up. It recorded their conversation then too. Anyway, he sent her home then cleaned up the apartment as best he could.”

“So, Slater switched the tape out?” Benny asked with a thick voice.

“My boy told me he found several tapes in a drawer and threw one of those in the machine. Slater kept the one he took.” Maggie turned her attention to Sunny. “It was the tape I sent you, honey.”

“Thanks.”

“He used the tape for leverage so Vivian would agree to the one thing he wanted most in the world. Or at least what he thought he wanted most…” Maggie’s voice trailed off, her eyes losing focus. Her swollen, aged fingers reached up and brushed the side of her face, wiping aside a single tear that slid down her withered cheek.

“Marrying Vivian.” Benny’s voice shook.

Sunny found it difficult to suck in a breath of air. This answered so many things.

“I know it seems a drastic measure, but my boy loved Vivian. He thought after time she’d love him too. But, it was never to be. She used my boy to save herself. And he let her because he loved her that much.”

“What changed?” Sunny asked.

“Twenty-six years of being brow beaten, used, lied to and living with hate. The thing eating him up the most was his constant lies to his best friend.” Maggie’s eyes softened when she glanced at Benny. “Slater told me what finally made it sink home was when she threatened to hurt me. She’d threatened it before, but from what he told me she started to plan it out.”

Sunny nodded, a shiver slipped down her back. “When they kidnapped me she made the same threat, which is why there are two officers here with you.”

A shadow of a smile spread across Maggie’s pale, pink lips. “I know, honey, and I thank you for that. But, at this point I’m not afraid of Vivian any longer. I’m just an old lady that has lived my life as best I can. But, I’ve always regretted not coming forward with what I knew about Karina. I’m trying to right my wrong.”

Vivian was to be pitied; she’d wasted her whole life fueled by hate. And, whatever Sunny had thought of Slater, it changed. Her heart ached for all he’d gone through over the years. To love someone and have it not be returned, she was learning that lesson as well, and understood his pain.

“Maggie, I’m so sorry.” Sunny rose from her seat to hug the older woman.

“All those years ago guilt tore at me and I would send notes to Karina’s father, but I don’t think he ever paid them any mind.”

Sunny kneeled in front of Maggie. “Mr. DeVito kept the notes, but he thought Benny sent them. He could never let up in his belief of Benny’s guilt.”

“Well, now he’ll know for sure.” Benny bit the words out.

“Your suspicions all along about Slater knowing something were right on target, Benny,” Sunny said.

“Right. When I saw Slater earlier, he was panicked, upset, the worst I’ve ever seen him. He told me some of what happened, told me about you being an investigator, then convinced me to come over here and have Maggie tell me the rest.” Benny sagged into the sofa Sunny already vacated, his face pinched, eyes sunken and hollow. “He didn’t want to hang around long. He was worried about Viv and what she might do if he wasn’t with her.”

“Where are they?” Sunny moved to sit beside Benny, grabbing his hand. She squeezed his fingers.

“After what they’d done to you, he knew everything had come to a head. They’re at the store. He’s trying one last time to talk her into telling the police everything.”

“What happens if he can’t?” Sunny glanced from Benny to Maggie, but their gazes were locked. She saw fear on their tight lipped expressions.