Suffer II (16 page)

Other than the dispatcher down the hall, the sheriff’s office was empty. He put on a pot of coffee and let her know he’d be in the building late into the evening. Sitting at his desk, he opened the first binder. Taped to the inside cover was a photo of Emily with her parents two months before her father died. He whispered an apology and made a silent promise as he turned the page.

When he heard voices outside of his office, he looked up at his clock. Any doubt he had about why Kate was in his town disappeared. As did any doubt of her resolve. His was strengthened when he heard the knock on his door. He smiled, shook his head, and stood as Judge Hall stepped inside.

“I take it you’re not surprised to see me,” said Cassandra.

“No, ma’am,” said Lewis. “I had a feeling I’d get a visit from you this morning.”

“You look tired, James,” said Cassandra, taking a seat.

“It was a long night.”

“I bet. Tell me what happened.”

“Greg came into my office last night babbling about being kidnapped and witnessing the murder of a young woman he met in a bar. I went to the house where the alleged crimes took place and found the young woman very much alive and well. It seems the only crime committed was Greg stalking that girl and embarrassing me.”

“I think there’s a little more to it than that,” said Cassandra. “I spoke to Greg last night and again this morning. He’s scared to death that those people are going to come after him. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he wouldn’t make up a story like that without there being some truth to it.”

“If there was any truth to his story, I didn’t find enough evidence to support it or make an arrest,” said Lewis. “I’m doing him a favor by letting it go.”

“Well, James, you’re not doing me any favors by letting it go,” said Cassandra. “This isn’t the first time they’ve harassed one of our citizens. Did you know that those same two women showed up at Brittany Greene’s home a few weeks ago asking about Emily Pierce?”

“I was not aware.”

“You’re also not surprised,” said Cassandra. “You know who they are and why they’re here. So do I.”

“I know her name is Kate Freeman and that she’s here to look for Emily,” said Lewis. “That’s about all I know.”

“She’s not alone,” said Cassandra. “You know that, right?”

“I do. I believe the other woman at the house last night was her sister.”

“She is, but she also brought an ex-FBI agent and a retired police chief with her. There’s another man named Evan Royal who incidentally owns a special effects company. Sounds like a group capable of staging a murder and coercing a false confession. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’ll be right back,” said Lewis, standing.

“What?” asked Cassandra. “Where are you going?”

“To brush my teeth and splash a little water on my face,” said Lewis, leaving the room.

Cassandra’s eyes were drawn to the binders sitting on his desk. The sheriff made no attempt to conceal them from her. She hesitated for a brief moment before picking them up. The photograph inside enraged her.

“That’s feels much better,” said Lewis, returning to his desk. “I got to the last page of those a few minutes before you arrived.”

“Where did you get these?” asked Cassandra, talking through clenched teeth.

“Does it matter?”

“It does,” said Cassandra, sitting up straight in her chair and regaining her composure. “This evidence should have been destroyed. The fact that you possess them is in direct violation of the order to expunge. This is very serious, James.”

“They were never submitted as evidence, Judge” said Lewis. “They were given to me last night.”

“By whom?”

“The same people who got Greg to confess that Brittany drugged Emily and that your son raped her.”

“You have no idea what’s happening here, do you?”

“I have a pretty good idea” said Lewis. “I witnessed Greg’s confession last night. The only problem for us is that it wasn’t coerced. I’ve been in this business long enough to know when someone is lying. He wasn’t.”

“You’re smarter than this,” said Cassandra. “I find it hard to believe that you can’t see the reason why Kate and her associates are here in Boudreaux.”

“They’re here to find the truth about what happened to Emily,” said Lewis. “They’re here to help Karla find her daughter. I don’t have a problem with that.”

“You will,” said Cassandra. “They’ll make it your problem.”

“How’s that?”

“Kate Freeman is a very sick woman and she needs help. Help that we’re going to get for her.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I did what you should’ve done the moment she walked into your office with Karla,” said Cassandra.

“How did you know about that?”

“Does it matter? What does matter is that she’s a very manipulative and dangerous woman. I’m sure you’re aware of what happened to her in Miami last year.”

“I am.”

“Then let me ask you a question.”

“Okay.”

“If you were tied to a bed, stabbed repeatedly, and forced to watch a man murder your child, what would you do after? I need you to answer me.”

“I’d hunt him down to the ends of the earth and slaughter him and whoever had anything to do with it,” said Lewis.

“Exactly,” said Cassandra. “But Kate isn’t out there hunting him down. She’s here in Boudreaux. Why? Why isn’t she back in Florida doing whatever she can to help police find her son’s killer? There’s only one answer, James. He’s already dead.”

“You think she’s responsible for that?” asked Lewis.

“I cashed in a favor and was able to speak to the lead investigators on her case. They told me it was still open, but they had been reassigned. As far as they know, nobody in their office is working on it. They said it might have been bumped up to the FBI, but my contact in the Miami field office says it wasn’t. I cashed in another favor, and the assistant district attorney is going to do a little more digging for me. I have a strong feeling she’ll be answering some tough questions very soon.”

“That’s one hell of a conspiracy theory,” said Lewis. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you need to be careful about where you hitch your wagon,” said Cassandra. “It won’t look good for you when it’s discovered that misguided vigilantes being led by a mentally unstable woman are running around your parish with your blessing.”

“It’s not uncommon for victims to become advocates and help other victims,” said Lewis. “She didn’t have any control over what happened to her. I think helping Karla find Emily is how she’s dealing with the loss of her son.”

“You barely know this woman, and you’re willing to risk your reputation, re-election, or worse, for her? You need to help me understand why.”

“You’re holding the reasons why,” said Lewis, pointing at the journals. “My gut tells me I made a terrible mistake by ignoring Emily. A mistake that probably cost that poor girl her life.”

“What are you saying, James? You’re not seriously thinking of opening an investigation, are you?”

“No.”

“Good,” said Cassandra. “Because that would be an even bigger mistake.”

“That sounds a little bit like a threat, Your Honor.”

“Stop it, James. It isn’t a threat. Karla has convinced this woman that her squeaky clean daughter has gone missing for no apparent reason. We both know differently. It’s tragic and sad that Emily ended up addicted to heroin and throwing her life away, but it happens. That would be difficult for any parent to accept, but this needs to stop. Kate Freeman and her hired thugs need to go home.”

“You want me to run them out of town?” asked Lewis. “That’s a bit archaic.”

“So is threatening to kill someone if they don’t confess to doing something they didn’t do,” said Cassandra.

“I’m not convinced anymore that Emily voluntarily used cocaine and wanted to have sex with Greg and Mark,” said Lewis. “After you read those journals, it’ll be hard to disagree with me.”

“We’ve gone over this time and time again, James. I agree that Mark and Greg did something incredibly stupid, but they didn’t rape that girl. You know that Emily was out of control. You arrested her several times for possession and prostitution. She was a mess and put her mother through hell and obviously still is.

“I’m sorry all of this happened to her, but she brought it on herself. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. She made those decisions and suffered the consequences. There’s nothing more to it than that. Everyone has moved on with their lives that she tried to destroy. Don’t let her ruin yours now.”

“Karla hasn’t moved on,” said Lewis. “She deserves to know what happened to her child. I plan on making sure that happens.”

“We’re talking in circles now,” said Cassandra, standing. “If you’re not willing to protect the people of Boudreaux, I will.”

“You know what? I am tired,” said Lewis.

“I can tell,” said Cassandra. “You’re not yourself right now. Take the rest of the day off, James. Go get some sleep and give me a call tomorrow. We’ll work through all of this.”

“You need to know something before you leave, Judge. I’m not tired because I haven’t slept. I’m tired of trying to convince myself that Brittany didn’t drug Emily and that Mark didn’t rape her. You and I both know he did, but I hid behind the law instead of enforcing it.”

“You need to be very careful right now with what you’re saying,” said Cassandra, taking a step closer to him. “I’ll bring your world crashing down on your head if you reopen this wound. You have no idea what a mother will do to protect her child.”

“I really don’t care, Cassandra.”

“You’ll address me as Your Honor. Or have you forgotten that I’m a federal judge?”

“I suspect not for long,” said Lewis. “Just like I suspect I won’t be sheriff for long. I know you covered up a crime to save yourself and your son, and I stood by and did nothing. My gut tells me you’re somehow responsible for Emily’s addiction and her death, but I don’t know how you did it. I don’t have a shred of evidence, and you made sure there wouldn’t be any to find.”

“You’re right,” said Cassandra, smiling. “You won’t be sheriff for long, and there is no evidence to find. I’m not sure how all of this is going to help you sleep better tonight, but I really don’t care either. Just remember it was your decision to end your career in disgrace, not mine.”

“You’re wrong, Cassandra. I’ll sleep like a baby tonight. You’re a powerful and very dangerous woman, but I believe you’ve met your match. Kate’s not leaving this town until she finds the answers to questions I didn’t ask. I’m not afraid of you and neither is she.”

“Well see about that, James.”

Bullet was having the time of his life while destroying Emily’s. Judge Hall kept her end of the bargain, and his business was booming in his new home on the outskirts of town. It was part of his incentive to be creative and relentless.

As long as he followed her instructions and produced results, Judge Hall kept him invisible to police. She told the sheriff the property was owned by the state and was being used in a year-long sting operation by the DEA. She said Bullet was the bait they were using to catch bigger fish. He was told to steer clear of the house and assist from a safe distance in the ongoing federal investigation.

Planting heroin in Emily’s backpack was easy enough. After rumors of drug use and promiscuity were verified by her best friends behind her back, it was less of a shock when she was arrested at school for possession. Her pleading to police and school officials that it wasn’t hers was a story they had heard many times from closet addicts. She was suspended pending the outcome of the charges. Her applications for college scholarships on behalf of the school were revoked.

When teachers and friends attempted to reach out to Emily’s mother, they received no response. Most who tried to help held the opinion that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. They came to the conclusion that the family was unable to cope with Hank’s death and turned to drugs to ease their pain.

Emily remained vigilant with the drugging and sexual assault charges, but her erratic behavior and recent arrests made it difficult for law enforcement to pursue. On several occasions, she called the police, stating there were prowlers on her property and that she could hear voices outside of her bedroom window. They showed up twice in one week to investigate, but no evidence of a crime was found. Her subsequent calls were dismissed as drug-induced paranoia.

Throughout her ordeal, there were only two adults in town with any influence who tried to help her. Judge Hall instructed Brittany to steal from her parents and plant drug paraphernalia in the guest room Emily often used. When they noticed items were missing and then found the drug kit, Brittany’s parents banned Emily from the house and told Brittany to cut all ties with her best friend. They were heartbroken with Emily’s spiraling descent, but they had to make sure Brittany didn’t go down the same drain.

Judge Hall was pleased with Bullet’s work to destroy and disgrace Emily. The town devoured the story of a good girl gone bad and dismissed the idea that the son of a respected state judge had raped her. There were no whispers or rumors that Emily was being framed or that there was a conspiracy to cover up a sexual assault. Satisfied that the primary goal of discrediting Emily’s allegations against her son had been reached, Judge Hall was prepared to ease the pressure. Bullet wasn’t.

When the deal was made, Judge Hall regarded Bullet as a drug-pushing thug wannabe from the swamps. She thought of him as weak-minded, easy to manipulate, and expendable when the time came to end their agreement and part ways. She didn’t realize that she had made a deal with the devil. He had his claws deep into Emily and had no intention of letting her go.

Bullet was a psychopath. He had no regard for laws or the rights of others. He lacked remorse and felt no guilt when destroying lives by feeding their addictions and collecting payments. His propensity for violence to solve problems and keep others in line came as natural to him as breathing air. The judge may have been through with Emily, but Bullet wasn’t. He was just getting started.

She was exhausted. The constant harassment by Bullet’s associates in the late hours left Emily tired and weak. The black void on the other side of her bedroom window was filled with ominous footsteps and strange noises. She would hear voices whispering that she was going to die. Trembling with fear, Emily would grab a knife out of the kitchen and sit on the floor next to the couch where her mother was sleeping or in the process of passing out.

On a regular basis, their car was sabotaged, phone and power lines were cut, and dead animals were left as gifts on the back porch. As if they knew the moment she closed her eyes to sleep, they would bang on the side of the tiny house until they heard crying. They were told to wear her down and not to stop until she was broken.

There were days when she had to go into town to buy groceries or pay bills. She would run her errands as fast as she could so she could get back home to protect her mother. Sometimes she would return to find the doors wide open and items rearranged in the house. The most recent visit by the poltergeist scared her the most. On the table next to the couch was a large bullet. When she picked it up, it had her mother’s name written on it.

Early in the terror, she called Tyler and asked him to come over. He thought the harassment was part of Brittany’s plan to make him Emily’s hero. On the first night, he realized it wasn’t. After the second night, he always had an excuse as to why he couldn’t stay.

Emily had nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Night after night, day after day, something would be lurking in a shadow waiting for her to let her guard down. They were told to never reveal themselves and never to lay a hand on her. They were told to be ghosts.

Deprived of sleep and too tired to eat, Emily sat in a chair next to her mother. She was watching late night TV when the power was cut – again. She sat in the darkness for several minutes. Her heart began to race when she heard footsteps walking up the back stairs. The stretching of the spring on the screen door let her know that someone was on the porch. The creaking of the rocking chair let her know that someone wasn’t leaving.

It took her a few minutes to find the courage to stand. Emily found it strange that there was light coming through the window in the kitchen. Her mother was asleep as she grabbed the knife off the table and made her way across the room. Standing at the window, the stranger made no attempt to hide his face from her. One of the ghosts had revealed himself. With a smile, he motioned for her to come outside. In her state of delirium, she turned the knob.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you, Emily,” said the stranger. “I promise. I just wanna talk to you.”

“I have a gun” said Emily, talking through a narrow opening.

“No, you don’t,” said the stranger, laughing. “But I do know you have a knife. I ain’t got nothing on me.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Billy, but most folks call me Bullet.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“It ain’t me, sweetheart,” said Bullet. “But I can make it stop. All you have to do is come out here and talk to me. I don’t want us waking up your mother.”

“How?” asked Emily, stepping onto the porch. “How can you make it stop?”

“Come on, now,” said Bullet, holding his smile. “Close that door and sit down. If I was gonna hurt you, I already would have.”

“Why is this happening?” asked Emily, taking a seat across from him. “Why are you doing this?”

“I told you,” said Bullet, “it ain’t me. It’s Judge Hall. You know her, right?”

“Yes,” said Emily. “Mark’s mother.”

“Yep,” said Bullet. “That’s the one. I work for her. She told me to plant those drugs and get you arrested so nobody would believe your story about him raping you. And the way things are looking, I’ve done my job. Nobody will believe a word that comes out of your mouth.”

“Then why don’t you leave us alone?” asked Emily, fighting to be strong and hold back her tears.

“Well, that’s the problem here,” said Bullet. “She ain’t paying me to leave you alone. She’s paying me to fuck with you and make you go crazy.”

“I give up,” said Emily. “You win. Tell her she won. I’m not going to press charges, I swear. I’ll drop everything if you just leave us alone.”

“Ain’t up to you, sweetheart” said Bullet. “That’s up to me.”

“What do you want from me?”

“I want you to get a good night’s sleep,” said Bullet. “And I’m gonna give you something to help you sleep. That’s all I want. You do that for me, and I call off my dogs. You do that, and nobody will mess with you or your mama anymore.”

“You just want me to take a sleeping pill?”

“Oh, no,” said Bullet, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a tin box. “This is much better than a pill.”

“What is that?”

“A little bit of heroin,” said Bullet, opening the tin. “This will make you feel much better and give you the best night of sleep you’ve had in a long time.”

“I’m not taking that,” said Emily.

“Why not?” asked Bullet, preparing the drug. “Everybody in this town thinks you already do it, so might as well do it then.”

“Please, just go away,” said Emily.

“Do you love your mother?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Do you wanna see her get hurt?”

“No!”

“Keep your voice down,” said Bullet, drawing the heroin into a syringe. “She wakes up and comes out here, and I’ll have to bash her fucking head in. Now sit your ass down before you piss me off.”

“I don’t want –”

“Shut up,” said Bullet, leaning forward. “I’m offering you a way out of this shit. I don’t have to do this. All I have to do make your life hell and the judge hands me a bag of cash.

“This is just enough to make you feel better and go to sleep. You ain’t gonna get hooked on it. Can’t you see that I’m trying to help you? I don’t like doing the things she told me to do to you. I think you’re a sweet girl and don’t deserve any of this, but that ain’t up to me.

“You do this and I tell the judge tomorrow that we messed with you all night as usual. I tell her we’re driving you batshit crazy and you’re falling apart. But we won’t do a thing to you. You take this, and me and my boys leave you alone tonight. Isn’t that what you want? You want us to leave you and your mother alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then hold out your arm and look away,” said Bullet. “This will be out of your system by tomorrow morning, and then you can get on with your life. I’ll make sure Judge Hall knows you won’t go after her boy, and all this will go away. I promise you it will.”

“Why would you do that for me?”

“I told you,” said Bullet, wrapping a rubber band around her arm. “I don’t like doing this to you. You’re a good girl that got caught up in some shit. Ain’t right what the judge has been doing to you, so I’m gonna make it stop. We have a deal?”

“What is it going to do to me?”

“Sweetheart,” said Bullet, finding a vein. “This is gonna make everything feel good again. I promise you that. After this little prick, it’s gonna wash over you like a warm bath. Everything you’ve been worrying about is gonna go away, and you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight.”

Bullet pushed the heroin into her and pulled off the rubber band. The instant rush caused Emily to sit up straight. She became rigid and started breathing heavy.

“Now, don’t fight it, girl” said Bullet, rubbing her arm. “Just go with it. It won’t work if you fight it.”

Her exhaustion and sleepless nights in terror didn’t allow her to fight. Her shoulders dropped and she leaned back into the chair. Bullet held her hands and gave her words of comfort as the drug coursed through her veins. She smiled as her fear, stress, and pain were replaced by euphoria.

Along with every other lie he told her, it wasn’t a little bit of heroin.