The Botanist (34 page)

Chapter 52

Cody sat at his desk staring out the window a week later. He watched the wind blow gray clouds around an overcast sky. A storm had camped over Mt. Dessicate for the past week. It refused to rain
or
to leave; it just sat there.

Cody knew the feeling. He’d spent an inordinate amount of time staring out windows over the past seven days. The case was barely over, but already he looked back at it as though it had happened years ago, wondering if this would be the case that defined his career. Would it define him as a cop? Would it define him as a man?

A knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts. Frank and Court were around, but they were out tying up loose ends for the case that couldn’t be tied from the station, so Cody was alone in the back office. Lars Stieger filled the doorway. He hadn’t seen the man for most of the week.

“Stieger. Please come in.” The two men clasped hands.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Detective.”

“Not at all. I’m glad for a break. What brings you out?” He pulled Frank’s chair out from under the desk and motioned to it. Stieger sat and Cody pulled his own chair around so the two men could face one another.

“Came to say goodbye actually. I’m heading back up north this evening. I wanted to tell you that I was glad to meet you and glad to work with you. I respect the hell out of what you did here, Detective. It was a job well done.”

Cody was touched. Stieger had been on the job for thirty years. That kind of praise didn’t come lightly from a man like him. “Thank you. Of course we wouldn’t have known the details without your help. The criminologists will study that journal for years. The Botanist’s psychopathy was . . . unique. You’re a good PI”

Stieger ducked his head at the praise and gave a hint of a smile. Cody suspected Stieger was not the sort who smiled much.

Cody cleared his throat. “I never heard; was your client’s daughter among the dead?”

The smile disappeared and Stieger nodded. “She was.”

Cody sighed.
“I’m sorry for her.”

Stieger nodded.
“Thank you. I’ll tell her you said so, but I think it’s high time she got the . . . closure she needs. Maybe now she can move on.”

“Closure,” Cody repeated, “but not peace?”

Stieger studied the carpet before answering. “I’m not sure that with this type of crime the families ever find peace, not completely. But burying a body is a step in the right direction.”

Cody nodded.

“Have you heard about Colleen Hinckle?” Stieger asked.

“No. What about her?”

“She died yesterday.”

Cody gaped. “Was it the cancer?”

“Officially, yes, but it was the case, too. We tried to tell her gently, but when she learned that Landes had been out there all these years, that this torture was going on, she took it hard.”

“That wasn’t her fault,” Cody protested. “Even if she’d come forward the day after she saw him, chances are that Landes had already been dragged into the desert. No one knew where this place was. No one would have had any idea where to look. I doubt it would have made any difference at all.”

“Agreed, but Colleen couldn’t be convinced of that. She took to her bed and stayed there. Until yesterday.”

Cody closed his eyes and shook his head. “There are so many things about this case that are just . . . just . . .”

“Not right,” Stieger finished for him.

Cody nodded and they sat in silence for a time.

“How’s Ms. Thompson doing?” Stieger asked.

“As well as can be expected. I haven’t spoken to her much. Her family is here, and I haven’t wanted to intrude. The doctors tell me she’s healing just fine, though with broken ribs it’ll be a month before she’s back on her feet.”

Stieger nodded.

“She’s a strong person,” Cody continued. “I think she’ll come through all right. She may never speak to
me
again, but . . .”

Stieger cocked his head to the side. “Why do you say that?”

Cody shrugged, wishing he hadn’t. “She was traumatized by what happened.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“No, but she’ll always associate me with this experience.”

Stieger frowned, and Cody could tell he didn’t understand.“Didn’t it ever bother you, Stieger, when you were on the job? This is what we do, and the work can be rough.” He glanced out at the dark clouds. “Sometimes
very
rough. But even if the people we help trust us, even if they’re grateful to us, they’ll still always associate us with the worst of the experiences of their lives. Didn’t that ever get to you?”

Stieger regarded Cody in a calculating way for several seconds before speaking. “You have feelings for this woman.”

Cody sat back with a soft laugh. Cody supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that the PI had figured it out so quickly.

“I barely know her. But I think it might have been possible . . . in some lifetime.”

Stieger heaved a deep breath. “After a big, horrible case like this, you’ll always question things, Cody. Sometimes only small things, sometimes everything from one end of your life to the other. And when the questions come, sometimes there
are
no answers. I’ve always been a believer in God. The only advice I can give you is to know that everything you did in the desert had to be done. You brought down a killer and saved lives—maybe a lot of lives if you consider how many more victims the Botanist may have taken had he been allowed to operate for years longer. Colleen may not have been meant to save Landes back then, but maybe she was meant to shed some light on the mystery now. For myself, I choose to believe that everything happens for a reason, and that God knows what he’s doing. That said, let the chips fall where they may.”

Stieger was right. Though Cody’s parents had never been particularly religious, he too had been raised to believe in a benevolent higher power. What else could he do? Follow the questions in circles until he lost his sanity?

“Well.” Stieger rose after a short silence. “I have a few loose ends to tie up before I hit the road. I just wanted to shake your hand one more time.”

Cody got to his feet, and the two men shook.

“Thank you again, Mr. Stieger. For everything.”

“If you’re ever up north, look me up.”

“I’ll do that.”

With a final nod, Stieger was gone.

Cody slid his chair back to its normal place behind the desk and fell into it, feeling drained. Resting his head in his forearms, he closed his eyes. He didn’t realize how close to sleep he was until the ringing of the desk phone next to his ear jolted him upward.

Irritated with himself for being so tired—and so jumpy—Cody answered the phone with more gruffness than usual. “Oliver.”

“Detective? Warden Lincoln here, from the prison?”

“Of course, Brett. What can I do for you?”

“I have some . . . unfortunate news.”

Cody’s hackles rose. “I assume it’s about Resputa.”

“Yes. Detective, he’s escaped custody.”

“What?”

“We were doing a routine transfer. There was a vehicular collision, which we’re pretty sure was staged. The officers performing the transfer were ambushed. One of them’s dead.”

“Why haven’t I heard anything about this yet?”

“It just happened, not an hour ago. When I found out, my first calls had to be to the political channels. My next call was to you. We think he’ll just hightail it for Mexico. Every law enforcement agency in the state will probably be called up in the next few hours to try and head him off.”

Cody sighed, feeling dizzy. “Thank you for the call, Lincoln. I appreciate it. Is there anything at all I can do?”

“I’ll keep you posted, but as I said, requests for your help probably won’t come through me. I just wanted you to hear it before the press informed you.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Goodbye, Detective.”

Cody hung up the phone. One step forward, two steps back. The Botanist was dead and couldn’t haunt anymore highways, but now Resputa was loose again, and there was a good chance he’d pass somewhere close to Cody’s jurisdiction. He knew there’d always be another monster in the world to chase, but he, for one, needed a respite between the hunts. Evidently, he wouldn’t get that this time around.

“Cody?”

Cody turned his head and then was instantly on his feet. “Alex!” The chair Stieger had used was still near the door, so Cody motioned Alex toward it.

Her limp was profound but he knew it was more about her ribs than her legs. He took her elbow and guided her to the chair, which she sank into. Her face was peaked and dark circles adorned the lower lids of her eyes. Even her labored breathing betrayed the pain she was in.

“When did you get out of the hospital?” he leaned against Frank’s desk.

“Today. About an hour ago.”

“Should you be walking around?”

She managed a tight smile. “Probably not, but the drive back will be pretty miserable, so I might as well get what exercise I can.”

He returned the smile. “You’re driving back with your parents?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

She looked self-conscious. “Now.”

Cody studied the carpet, hoping his disappointment didn’t show. Today, it seemed, was a day for goodbyes.

“I wanted to thank you, Cody.”

Cody grimaced. “Please don’t thank me, Alex. This has been one long nightmare for you from start to finish.”

Alex gazed at him steadily, her green eyes bleak. “True. But you got me through it. You saved my life, Cody, more than once. I won’t forget it.”

The finality with which she said the last sent a pang through his chest.

“Anyway, it wasn’t just me this was a nightmare for. You lost things, too.”

Cody didn’t reply to that. He didn’t know how, and he didn’t trust his voice. He’d avoided thinking about Tom for nearly a week. The funeral was tomorrow and Cody had decided to deal with his grief as little as possible until then.

“How are you doing?” he asked quietly.

Alex studied her hands in her lap,
“I know there’s this . . . thing between us, but . . .” she clasped her hands together so tightly that they trembled. Her voice grew thick. “I have so much to figure out now, Cody. I have so much to wade through.” She looked up at him with glistening eyes. “I can’t stay.”

He nodded, the sadness stealing in softly. “I think I knew that.”

Her brow dimpled in distress, and her gaze returned to the ground.

“What will you do?” he asked.

“I have no idea. I don’t know how to even begin to move past this. How do I . . . deal . . .?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “How do I . . . ?”

Cody came to squat in front of her chair and put a hand on her knee, wishing he knew what to say to make her feel better. “It’ll get easier,” he finally managed, swallowing the lump in his own throat. “You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, Alex. You’ll figure it out.”

When she looked up at him, her eyes were green pools of melancholy. “He’s been out there, Cody, this whole time—most of my life. And I didn’t even remember him. All the time I was being raised—and loved—and educated—he was . . .”

“That’s not your fault, Alex. None of it is. You were just a baby.” Cody wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “The life you’ve had—it’s what he would have wanted for you. If he could have known that you were safe all this time, it would have helped him—”

“But he didn’t know it! He still doesn’t know who I am or . . . He can’t wrap his head around anything that’s . . .
real.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about, Alex.”

Alex looked at her hands again and more tears fell onto them. “I know. But knowing that doesn’t change how I feel.” Her face crumpled and she covered it with one hand, leaning forward and resting her forehead against his shoulder.

Cody put his arms around her, but rested them there rather than pulling her close. She was still fragile, and he didn’t want to cause her more pain.

After a few minutes she sat back. She took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and squared her shoulders. Despite the moisture on her face, she suddenly looked regal.

“My parents are waiting for me.”

Cody helped her to her feet and put an arm around her waist, allowing her to lean on him as they walked. When they emerged from the station, both Alex’s parents were leaning against the side of their gray rental sedan.

They came forward and each took one of Alex’s arms, helping her to the car. Getting her situated her in the back seat was a painful process. When she was finally squared away, her head resting against the seat and gazing out at Cody, her mother came to stand in front of him.

Cody had never been formally introduced to Alex’s mother. He realized he didn’t even know her name. She was middle-aged, perhaps a few years older than his own mother, and petite. She opened her mouth several times, but then shut it. Cody didn’t know what to say to her either. He felt shame, in the face of Alex’s parents, that he’d let their daughter come to such harm. He knew that, like Alex’s guilt, his was illogical, but he still couldn’t imagine an appropriate thing to say to her mother.

Finally the little woman reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her awkwardly, and when her body shuddered a moment later, he realized she was crying. “Thank you so much,” she whispered, then let go.

As she made her way around to the passenger-side door, Alex’s father came forward. He stuck out his hand, and Cody shook it.

“Thank you, Detective”—Vern’s solid, bass voice was grounded as ever—“for keeping your promise.”

“Of course,” was all Cody could think to say.

Vern got behind the wheel, both he and his wife fastened their seatbelts, and then the car was pulling out of the lot.

Cody watched the car until long after it had disappeared from his view. Thunder sounded in the distance, but somewhere high above him, the sky cracked open.

Finally, after a week of waiting, the rain came.

Chapter 53

“Ow!”

Cody looked up at the desk in front of his to see Mason scowling and rubbing the back of his head.

The young man glanced self-consciously at Cody before going back to his report.

Cody rolled his eyes. “Frank, stop throwing pencils at Mason. You’ll give him a welt.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Frank’s muffled voice came from the hallway. This was the first slow night they’d had in months. Frank and Court were making the most of it. Cody gave Mason an encouraging smile before going back to his paperwork.

Mason McLeod was hired to take Tom’s place as Mt. Dessicate’s newest detective. Of course, if the town kept growing, more would follow. Mason was a quiet, serious man about Cody’s age. He could hold his own against Frank and Court, but he got irritated when they wouldn’t stop joking, and he was still trying to find his niche.

Cody had only worked with the man for two weeks, but he could already tell that Mason would be an excellent detective. He had a quiet dignity, patience with people, and a knack for making connections faster than anyone else.

Of course, Frank and Court couldn’t help themselves but play pranks on the newbie. They had been merciless the first few days of Mason’s employment, and Cody wondered how and if Mason would settle in. He’d missed Tom terribly those first few days, so much that it was hard to breathe, but that, too, had passed. When on the third day, as Frank announced he was headed home, Mason nonchalantly stuck his foot out and sent Frank sprawling, Cody knew he’d fit in just fine.

Three months had passed since the Botanist case was closed. Cody’s work load was finally lessening, though it would never be as light as it once had been. All the reporters had finally moved out of Mt. Dessicate, but the Botanist had put their tiny, desert community on the map, and more people were moving in daily.

Cody didn’t feel like abandoning his town just because of all that had happened, but why a person would want to move to a thirsty little community right after a sadist had ravaged it was beyond him. Still, people continued to show up. The mayor was forecasting major growth for Mt. Dessicate over the next five years.

Cody couldn’t care less.

He’d tried hard to stay busy over the last twelve weeks and, in truth, it hadn’t been very difficult. He’d worked cases, tied up loose ends, and helped his parents move up north.

Much of his time was spent with Tom’s family, especially little Hank. Each of the children was dealing with their father’s death in their own way. Cody could only hope that his presence helped, rather than hindering their grief process.

Cody had broken down and called Alex once, a month after she left. He only got a voicemail. He’d left a lame, ridiculous message. She hadn’t called him back. When he’d been up north helping his parents, he hadn’t bothered to try and see her. She was obviously trying to move on with her life; he needed to forget her.

Resputa hadn
’t been found. He was long gone now, probably hiding some place in South America. Cody hoped he’d have a chance to put Resputa back in prison, to keep him from exploiting any more children. He also hoped he’d never have to see or deal with Resputa again.

Cody looked back down at his report. He’d read the same paragraph five times. He resolved to get through this last one and call it quits for the evening. He was looking forward to going home and spending the night on the couch in front of the T.V. Actually, the thought made him lonely, but at least he wouldn’t be working.

Ten minutes passed without any harassment from Frank or Court, and Cody had the vague thought that it was some kind of record. Then he heard Court’s harsh whisper.

“Psst! Mason! Come here!”

Cody glanced up but otherwise ignored the situation.

With a long-suffering sigh, Mason got up and went out into the hallway. Cody could hear excited whispers, but he ignored them.

Next came Frank’s voice. “Hey Cody, would you come out here?”

Cody didn’t move. He didn’t want to screw off with the others; he wanted to finish his report.

“What’s the matter, Frank?”

“Just come out here a minute.”

“I’m busy. What do you want?”

Something stung Cody
’s ear. “Ow!” He brought his hand up to his ear and looked down to see a pencil rolling away from him. “What was that for?”

Frank stood in the doorway, looking annoyed. “Cody,” he said through clenched teeth, jerking his head to the side and widening his eyes. “Get
out
here. Now.”

He disappeared behind the wall, not allowing Cody a reply. With an annoyed sigh, Cody got up. Resolved to give Frank a piece of his mind, he strode through the door and came face to face with . . .

“Alex!”

He practically screamed her name. Frank and Court stood a few feet down the hall, pretending the baseboards were the most interesting thing they’d ever seen, snickering loudly. Mason, standing behind them, looked utterly confused.

“Wha—what are you doing here?” Cody managed.

Even Rose decided that now was the perfect time for some coffee. She got up from her desk in the lobby and came to stand at the coffee pot, which just happened to be much closer to where Alex and Cody stood facing one another than her desk was.

Alex was resplendent in fitted blue jeans and a mauve cotton top. Cody had never seen her look more alluring. She stepped forward so that she was looking up into his face. “I’m here to see you.”

Cody glanced back at his office, wondering why he’d been so upset a moment before. What had the report he’d been reading been about? He couldn’t remember.

“Have you eaten?” he blurted.

She shook her head. “I’ve been on the road for a while, so . . .”

“You wanna go to Faye’s Diner? It has awesome French fries.”

Alex’s smile broadened. “I’d love to.”

“Give me a second?”

She nodded, and Cody went back into his office. He grabbed his jacket, since autumn was now in full swing, turned off his computer, and snatched his keys from the desk. He went out and held his hand out to Alex. She took it, and he pulled her toward the front of the building.

“Who is that?” he heard Mason whisper as he towed Alex past a grinning Rose.

“It’s his future baby-mama,” Court answered.

Slap!

“Ow!”

“Don’t say that when she can hear you,” Frank whispered loudly.

“Would you quit hitting me?” Court didn’t bother to whisper at all.

Beside him, Cody felt Alex shake with silent laughter. Allowing himself a small smile, he slipped his arm around her waist and guided her out into the night.