Suffer (10 page)

18

SHERIFF CONRAD DOYLE, ALONG WITH several officers, entered the waiting area thirty minutes after Chief Hill’s phone call. Grey and the chief spent the entire time in Dr. Singer’s office. A new primary physician and nursing staff were assigned to Kate at Grey’s request. They were already making arrangements to move her to an undisclosed location when she was strong enough to travel. A nurse alerted the men to the sheriff’s arrival.

“You come with me, Tony,” said Sheriff Doyle with a red face. “And you, Agent Collins, you stay right here and wait for a phone call.”

The sheriff and Chief Hill walked to the other side of the waiting room in an unoccupied area. “I haven’t begun to wrap my head around why you’re even here.”

“I’ll explain everything,” said Chief Hill, “but right now we need to concentrate on Kate’s safety. We’ll need at least four officers in here around the clock. The unsub nearly got to her through one of the doctors taking care of her.”

“Unsub?” asked Sheriff Doyle. “Are you a fucking junior FBI agent now?”

“Listen to me, Conrad. I know you’re pissed off, but someone is trying to finish what they started in Sugarloaf. They kidnapped the doc’s wife and told him to execute Kate with a syringe full of toxic shit. He couldn’t do it so he came to us for help. His wife is probably dead.”

“Jesus Christ!” said Sheriff Doyle, taking off his hat and rubbing his head. “So there’s more than one killer.”

“No, we’re almost positive it’s just one guy,” said Chief Hill. “Gregory Kirsk was a forensic countermeasure.”

“A what?”

“The unsub wanted to make us believe Kirsk acted alone,” explained Chief Hill. “He wrapped him up in a neat package with a ton of planted evidence. Dead men tell no tales, so he staged an accidental overdose to keep him from ratting him out.”

“Forensic countermeasures? Unsubs? Staged crime scenes? Am I talking to a police Chief or a certain pain-in-the-ass FBI agent? You can’t seriously be buying into Agent Collins’ conspiracy theory.”

“We don’t believe it’s a conspiracy, Sheriff,” said Grey, walking into their conversation.

“Speak of the devil. You must be Special Agent Grey Collins. You guys really do all look alike.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So if it’s not a conspiracy, what is it? Another theory?”

“It’s a bit more than a theory,” said Grey. “We’re dealing with a highly motivated, extremely intelligent and talented sociopath. He’s working toward a goal we haven’t identified. But we do know he won’t stop until Kate is dead.”

“So she’s the real target?” asked Sheriff Doyle.

“No. Paul was always the target.”

“According to the Coast Guard, Paul died in a diving accident,” said Sheriff Doyle. “But my theory is, he offed himself after losing his son and thinking his wife would never come out of a coma. But now you’re probably going to tell me the suspect—I’m sorry, the unsub made Paul kill himself, right?”

“He may not have known for sure he would, but either way he made Paul pay for something he did. Once we figure out what that was, we’ll be close to finding out who.”

“We think Kirsk was getting his instructions from a woman named Pamela Beaumont,” said Chief Hill. “She’s now a missing person who we can place with Kirsk shortly before he was killed. She was probably the one in direct contact with the unsub.”

“Okay, let me make sure we’re all on the same page here,” said Sheriff Doyle. “Unsub murders Caleb and tries to murder Kate; unsub makes Paul kill himself; then unsub frames Gregory Kirsk by making him follow the instructions of now missing person Pamela Beaumont, whom I’m sure you believe the unsub has murdered as well. So that makes, what, four confirmed kills and one that survived?”

“We can add Dr. Singer’s wife to the body count,” said Grey. “He doesn’t leave anyone alive.”

“And all of this is based on what?” asked Sheriff Doyle. “Theory,” he said, answering his own question. “Neither one of you has one shred of evidence. Do you wanna hear my theory? You both are out of your damn minds.”

“We can –”

“I’ve heard enough, Chief,” said Sheriff Doyle, cutting him off. “Here’s how this is going down. You’re going back to Sugarloaf today and taking two weeks of administrative leave. The only thing saving your job right now is a damn near perfect service record. If I find out you’re even thinking about this case, your career is over. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Conrad, you’re making yourself perfectly clear,” replied Chief Hill.

“Address me as Sheriff Doyle or sir. You just lost your privilege to call me anything else. One of my deputies will be driving you home. As far as you, Agent Collins, a phone call shortly from your boss will finally get you out of my state and out of my hair. Your theories almost cost Chief Hill his career, but I hope it does cost you yours. The FBI tried to screw me years ago with their theories, and I haven’t forgotten one second of what the Bureau put me and my department through. Neither has the State of Florida.”

“I don’t care what the Bureau put you through,” said Grey, stepping closer to the Sheriff. “That woman lying in there is my family. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure nobody ever hurts her again. Badges aside, if anything does happen to her, I’m holding you responsible.”

“Are you threatening me, Agent Collins?”

“Absolutely.”

Chief Hill stepped between Grey and the sheriff when he noticed the deputies moving in closer. “Kate’s family doesn’t need to see this, Grey. We’ll sort this out later.”

Grey didn’t take his eyes off of Sheriff Doyle as his phone alerted him to a call. After the third ring, he backed away. The screen identified the caller as his boss in Atlanta, SAC Frank Perkins.

“Yes, sir,” said Grey, answering his phone.

“
Grey, I don’t know how you managed to kick so many hornets’ nests at the same time, but congratulations. I believe it’s a new record
.”

“I apologize, sir. Things have gone from bad to worse down here. Kate’s primary physician admitted he was –”

“
I know all about it. Trust me. I’ve heard it from several different levels, including the governor’s office
.
They agree the best course of action is to move her to a more secure location when she’s ready. We’ll be handling the logistics.”

“We?”

“
As in the FBI field office in Miami. And let me answer your next question for you. No, you won’t be assisting the Miami agents. In fact, I’d prefer if you came back to Atlanta for a few days and let things settle down
.”

“Is that an order, sir?”

“
It’s not an order; it’s just a strong recommendation. Grey, I know you don’t want to leave her and I’m not going to force you, but it’s a very delicate situation down there. The Miami office has been trying to smooth things over with the sheriff’s department for years. The fact that Doyle is allowing the FBI to handle the relocation and protection of Kate is a huge step in the right direction
.”

“So the Miami office wants me to leave as well.”

“
Like I said, it’s a huge step forward for them. They don’t want anyone to jeopardize the progress. This is a good thing, Grey. Kate will be safe and under the protection of a small army of federal agents. If the unsub makes another attempt while she’s in our custody, it becomes a federal case; our case. And Sheriff Doyle agrees
.”

“As long as I leave and end my investigation.”

“
That’s the deal. The sheriff’s department and local Florida authorities will maintain the lead on tracking down the unsub. We’ll give him any support he requests, but his guys will make the arrest
.”

“I don’t have much of a choice here, do I?”

“
This is about Kate. If you stay down there, it’ll be you and maybe two uniforms protecting her in an unsecure hospital. You can’t be there twenty-four hours a day. If you leave, Miami has already dedicated ten agents to her case alone, but will add more if needed. She’ll be treated in a secure location the Secret Service uses when the President is in town. She’ll become the Bureau’s top priority in Florida. You’re not abandoning her by leaving, Grey. You’re giving her the best possible chance to live
.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be back in Atlanta this evening.”

“
You made the right decision, Grey
.
Come see me tomorrow morning and we’ll iron out the details of her relocation
.
You can stay there with her until the Miami agents arrive
.”

“Will do. Thank you, sir,” said Grey, ending the call.

He looked over at Chief Hill, who was still getting an earful from Sheriff Doyle. Grey walked over to where Evan was sitting and joined him. They both sat for a moment before speaking. Grey explained the situation.

“Oh, Abby is gonna love you,” said Evan.

“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that conversation. All she’s going to hear is that I’m leaving again and allowing her sister to become a sitting duck.”

“Will they let her go with Kate?”

“Probably not.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re a dead man.”

Sheriff Doyle finished his rant and left Chief Hill standing by himself in the back of the waiting room. Grey felt bad for putting him in that position, but he knew the chief had a thick skin. He joined him in the corner.

“I’m sorry, Chief.”

“Fuck that guy. So what’s the new plan?”

“The plan is, I’m leaving and so are you.”

“I don’t get that plan. We’re throwing in the towel? Doesn’t seem like something you’d do.”

“Doyle agreed to let the FBI handle the relocation and provide a substantial security detail for Kate. If the unsub tries again, it’ll become a federal case and we’ll take over the investigation. But until then, Doyle’s the man in charge.”

“As long as you and I leave Miami and stop poking around, huh?”

“Exactly,” said Grey.

“Doyle isn’t an idiot. He managed to get both of us to leave town and is still keeping the FBI out of the investigation.”

“Apparently.”

“Well, the most important thing is keeping Kate alive so she can get stronger and tell us who did this to her,” said Chief Hill. “I do feel a little better knowing federal gunslingers will be looking out for her.”

“I doubt she knows his name,” said Grey. “But she’ll know enough to lead us to him.”

“Lead us?” asked Chief Hill with a raised eyebrow. “That sounds suspiciously like we’re not going to stop poking around.”

“Right again, Chief. I’ll play Sheriff Doyle’s game for now, but there’s no way in hell I’m gonna stop looking for him. And there’s no way in hell I’m gonna let that prick shut the door in my face. Doyle has an agenda, Chief. You and I’ll find out what that is and shove it down his throat.”

“Looking forward to it,” said Chief Hill with a grin.

Grey said good-bye to the chief and went to face the music with Abby. He took a deep breath before turning the corner to enter Kate’s room. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Abby leaning over Kate and whispering in her ear. She was stroking her hair and holding her hand.

He stood silently and hoped Abby would understand why he had to leave, but knew she wouldn’t care about the reasons. The thought of telling her she would have to break her promise to stay by Kate’s side made his stomach turn. She would just think of him as being a coward. In a matter of seconds, Grey would be making her hate him again.

19

TWO WEEKS HAD PASSED SINCE Grey walked out of Kate’s hospital room and left her under the protection of Miami field agents. Abby surprised him by taking the news well that she had to leave her sister and wouldn’t know where she was being taken. She didn’t like the idea of leaving Kate, but she understood it was the best way to keep her safe from another attack.

Since arriving back home in Atlanta, Grey had been ineffective at discovering Sheriff Doyle’s agenda or moving any closer to uncovering the identity of the unsub. Not having the ability to utilize the Bureau’s assets was making any investigation impossible. Contact with Chief Hill would jeopardize his friend’s career and put Kate’s safety at risk. If Sheriff Doyle found out either of them were still pursuing the case, the deal he had brokered with the FBI would disintegrate.

Grey woke up feeling more frustrated and defeated than at any other point since the day Caleb was murdered. As he was putting on his jacket to leave for work, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He recognized the area code on his screen as central Florida.

“Grey Collins speaking.”

“
Hello, Grey
.”

“Kate?”

“
The one and only
.”

“Are you okay? I mean, you shouldn’t be calling me. Are the agents with you?”

“
Slow down with the questions and listen to me
.”

“Okay.”

“
I’m at a rehab center in Ft. Lauderdale. I’m safe and the agents are outside the room. I’ve already spoken to Abby and she’ll be here in the morning. I want you here as well. Can you make that happen
?”

“I can. Kate, this is incredible. I can’t believe I’m talking to you. How are you feeling?”

“
A little
s
tronger every day. I’m a bit of a medical mystery to everyone here. I took my first steps yesterday. They told me it would take months before I could walk.”

“
Do you remember anything about
.–?

“I don’t want to talk about that right now, but I remember enough. I know what happened to my baby and I know Paul is gone. I also know what happened to me.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Do you know who it was?”

“
No, I have no idea. His face is still blurry in my head, but I don’t think a sketch is going to help anyway
.”

“Kate, I’m so sorry we weren’t there for you and Caleb. Paul was –”

“
I don’t have much time to talk. The agents assigned to me know you and Abby are coming. They won’t stop you, and they won’t let anyone else know you’re here
.”

“How did you manage that?”

“
I’ll explain when you get here. It’s good to hear your voice, Grey. You’re one of the first people I thought of when I regained consciousness
.
I’m tired of looking at strangers. I need what’s left of my family here with me
.”

“I’ll be there.”

She ended the call, leaving Grey stunned and standing alone in his kitchen. He grabbed the closest chair to him and sat down. He couldn’t believe how strong and clear her voice was when she spoke. Less than a month earlier, he doubted she would live to see the next day, let alone speak again.

Grey also thought of the silent deal he made the first time he saw her in the ICU. He promised to look after Paul and her family if she promised to heal and come back to them. He failed to keep his end, but she was still keeping hers. In spite of any directives from the FBI or Florida authorities, Grey was prepared to do whatever Kate asked him to do.

He called his partner and told him he had a bad case of stomach flu and would be bedridden for a couple of days. He didn’t want his colleagues to know he had left town, so he decided to drive himself the eleven hours to Ft. Lauderdale. He arrived at a hotel near the rehab center late in the evening. He hoped the pint of whiskey he picked up earlier would help him sleep. The booze had little effect, and the alarm showed him no mercy as the sun peeked through the curtains of his room.

*****

Sheriff Doyle left his house and drove several miles outside of town to an abandoned gas station. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t being followed and nobody was watching. He entered the building from a side door and walked into the service garage. He had received his instructions through an email message the day before. It’s how he’d been receiving all his instructions since the first message two months earlier.

He noticed a large manila envelope sitting out of place on a counter cleared of debris. He carefully opened the package. Inside was the usual disposable cell phone, but there was also an unusual smaller envelope with “Do not open” written in bold black letters. He looked at his watch, turned on the phone, and waited.

*****

Abby walked into the main lobby of the rehab center at 9 a.m. She was surprised to see Grey sitting in a chair looking like he hadn’t slept in days. She looked around to see if there were going to be any more surprises before walking toward him.

“What are you doing here?” asked Abby. “If you think for one second you’re gonna stop me from seeing –”

“Easy, Abby,” said Grey. “Kate called me yesterday. She didn’t tell you I’d be here?”

“No, but she also thinks I can’t keep a secret,” said Abby.

“You’re going to need to keep this one for as long as possible.”

“I know. Don’t worry. I made sure nobody followed me.”

“I don’t know what she’s up to, but this is very dangerous,” said Grey. “Did you tell anyone you were coming?”

“Like I said, nobody followed me and nobody knows I’m here. I’m not an idiot, Grey. I just want to see her.”

“Okay. Let’s go up.”

“You look like shit by the way,” said Abby with a smile.

“Good to see you, too.”

*****

The loud ring in the silent garage startled Sheriff Doyle. He looked at the small screen, but it only identified the caller as “unknown.” He took a deep breath before answering.

“I’m here.”

“
Hi, Conrad. How are you doing today
?”

“I want to talk to my daughter. I want to talk to Melissa now.”

“
Sure thing, but first I want you to pick up the other envelope. You got it
?”

“I do.”

“
Okay, open it up
.
You’re gonna love this
.”

Sheriff Doyle opened the envelope and removed two photographs. His hands started to tremble as he looked at the first. It was a human torso lying in a large pool of blood. The arms, legs, and head had been removed. The second photo was of the missing parts displayed on a table. He recognized the head as belonging to Dr. Singer’s missing wife.  Sheriff Doyle began to puke.

“
You okay, Sheriff
?
You still with me
?”

“I am,” said Sheriff Doyle, wiping his mouth.

“
Tell me the truth, Conrad. What was going through your head when you saw the first photo
?”

“I thought it was my daughter. I thought you killed her.”

“
I knew it! Perfect. That’s exactly the effect I was going for. I am truly gifted, but understand this; it will be her if you fail me one more time
.”

“I don’t understand. How did I fail you?”

“
Where’s Abby
?
Where’s Agent Collins
?”

“She’s with her parents at Kate’s house in Miami. My guys are watching her right now. Agent Collins is back at work in Atlanta.”

“
Did you forget what I told you about trying to be slick with me? And what would happen if you ever lied to me? Do you want me to send your daughter back to you one piece at a time
?”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t lied to you.”

“
Then why did I just watch Abby walk into a hospital and meet Grey in the lobby
?”

“What? That’s impossible! Hold on.”

Sheriff Doyle put the disposable phone on the counter and dialed a number on his personal cell. He demanded the officers assigned to watch Abby enter the house and verify her location. A minute later, he dropped his head and ended the call.

“I had no idea,” said Sheriff Doyle, resuming the call on the other phone. “Please, don’t hurt Melissa. This was my fault.”

“
You’re right, it is your fault. But
it’s okay. You can’t help it that you’re incompetent and stupid. But if you fail me again, I’m going to make sweet, sweet love to your little princess as I’m cutting her open. She looks so good tied up to my bed wearing those tiny blue panties. She really is quite a looker
.”

“You sick bastard,” said Sheriff Doyle, gritting his teeth. “If you touch her, I’ll –”

“
Do you really want to finish that sentence, Sheriff? Do you really want to piss me off? Look at the goddamned photos, Conrad! I kept that bitch alive for almost two days while I worked on her. The only time I stopped is when she passed out from the pain. As soon as she came around, so did I. The doc pissed me off; the doc failed me.

“Your daughter is with me now, not you; I own her now, not you. So shut the fuck up and listen to me. The only reason I let her live and don’t fuck her to death is because your pathetic ass is somewhat valuable to me, but not much. Have you calmed down now
?”

“Yes, I’m calm.”

“
Good. Because today I’m trying to figure out exactly why I need you. Obviously, I now know where the feds are keeping Kate. You’ve done nothing to help me find her
.”

“You never told me to find her. You told me to stall the investigation and keep my detectives from finding you. I’ve kept the FBI out of this and destroyed damn near every piece of evidence we’ve collected. I’m extremely valuable to you.”

“
You are laughable, but I’ll give you credit where it’s due. You really do belong in politics, Conrad. For the most part, you’ve kept the feds off my back, but I just watched the most dangerous one walk into Kate’s hospital room. When we finish, I want you to march over there and arrest him
.”

“What? I can’t arrest him.”

“
Can’t?
Of course you can. You’re the fucking sheriff, and he’s interfering with your investigation. When you arrest him, his boss will yank him out of the state for good. And if he resists, shoot him. I don’t give a shit
.”

“Arresting an FBI agent isn’t as easy as you make it sound.”

“
I’m pretty sure it’s easier than you knowing I’m fucking Melissa in her ass while I’m choking the life out of her
.
But, hey, it’s your call
.”

“I’ll arrest him. You just keep your filthy hands off my daughter. Let me talk to her now.”

“That’s the spirit. Oh, and make sure the press is there. I wanna watch your boys taking him away in handcuffs on the six o’clock news. That would be priceless. Hold, please.”

“
Daddy
?”

“Hey, baby girl. Are you okay?”

“
No, I’m not okay. Why am I still here? Why can’t you find me? Did you see what he did to that woman? He killed her in the next room, daddy. I heard her screaming for two days. He’s going to kill me, too. I know he is. Please, get me out of here! Please
!”

“I will, angel. And I promise he’s not going to hurt you; I promise. He needs me. Just hold on for a little bit longer. This is all going to be over soon. I will find you. I love you so much.”

“
I love you, too, Daddy. Please hurry
.”

“
Yes, hurry
,” said the male voice returning to the call. “
You have a big day ahead of you. Good-bye, Daddy.
”