The Face of Fear: A Powers and Johnson Novel (35 page)

Bud reached the school bus that was stopped on Barnum Avenue, and as he flashed his badge, the officers let him through and the bus driver let him on the bus. He saw Lindsey halfway down, and she greeted him with a hug.

“Hey,” Bud said. “I’m going to bring you home. Do you want to know what’s going on?”

Lindsey replied to Bud very quickly, “It’s the man who took Monty, isn’t it?”

“Yes, honey,” Bud answered. “He was jealous you made us cookies.”

“Too bad,” she answered.

“Yes, too bad,” Bud replied. “Listen, I’m going to take you off this bus into the squad car.”

“OK,” she said. “But we have to be careful. He was driving on the side of the bus before the police stopped us.”

Bud looked at Lindsey and asked, “What time, sweetheart?”

“It was 4:39 pm when he was in the other lane.”

“What kind of car was he driving?” Bud asked.

“A green Honda Accord, license plate number ZA-4623.”

“OK, honey.” Bud looked out from the window of the bus and called over Officer Healey. He told Healey, “I’m going to take her off this bus in your car. I want the car pulled up to the side of the bus as close to the door as possible, lined up with your open window in the back. She is going to slide into the backseat of your car. First, I want traffic stopped each way. I want the officers looking outward to be sure no one unusual is watching what is going on.”

“Understood,” came the reply.

Bud looked around at the other kids on the bus and said, “Sorry, kids, we will be gone in a couple minutes.”

Traffic was stopped in both directions on Barnum Avenue, while the other police officers put their eyes on the surrounding area as Officer Healey backed the squad car as close as he could to the door of the bus. Bud had Lindsey keep her head down while he went to the stairs of the bus at the door. The detective had the squad car lined up with the back window next to the door of the bus. As he was getting ready to move Lindsey, he got a text from Cronin that Allan was shot in the head. The look on Bud’s face was apparent to Lindsey.

“Why are you so sad?” she asked him.

“People are getting hurt, honey,” Bud said.

“But you are going to protect me, right?”

“Yes, of course. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise.” He took Lindsey by the hand and blocked her with his body as he told the kids to keep their heads down. He had her stay down and then got between the car and the door. Officer Healey was on the other side as Lindsey slowly made her way down the stairs. She laid out flat as Healey and Bud held her and glided her into the backseat of the car.

“I’m taking the car,” Bud told Healey. “Go on the bus with the rest of the kids, see them off at each stop, then have the driver bring you back to the Wilkerson house.”

Healey got on the bus as Bud drove off to Belle Terre in the squad car with Lindsey.

The bus continued on Barnum Avenue as the other squad cars disappeared. The bus made a turn up Washington Street. A gray BMW stopped as a man got out and started walking toward the bus. Healey pulled out his gun and identified himself as the police.

“Get down to the ground now!” Healey yelled.

The man hesitated, and Healey stepped out of the bus and repeated himself. “Get down on the ground, or I’ll put you down permanently!” The man got down on the ground.

“Jesus Christ!” the man said. “I heard some news, and I was trying to get to my daughter.”

“Daddy,” one of the girls said. She started to come down the steps. “Is this your father?” the cop asked.

“Yes!” the girl said.

Officer Healey put his gun away and said, “Sorry, sir. I’m not taking any chances for the kids.”

“Can I get up now?” the man asked.

“Of course, sir,” Healey answered.

“Who’s going to pay for my cleaning bill?” the girl’s father said. “Sir?” the officer replied.

“I just shit my pants, and I was wondering who’s paying the bill!” the father yelled. “Never mind,” he said. “Let’s go, Erin,” He said to his daughter.

Officer Healey got back on the bus as they continued to make the rest of the stops. It was obvious to Healey that somehow the press had already gotten wind of what happened in Belle Terre and the stopping of the school bus. Parents were frantically calling the school and police about their children on the late bus. Officer Healey was a 12-year veteran of the force and a very straightforward, no-nonsense type of guy, which is why Bud chose him to ride the bus home with the kids.

The bus had only gone another couple blocks when another car flagged down the bus to get their child. This time, Healey had his hand out as a stop sign to the father. “What’s the name of your child?” he asked.

“William, Billy,” the father said.

Healey called out to Billy, who came up to the front. Officer Healey asked Billy if the man was his father. The boy was off the bus after he identified the nervous parent. There were eight more kids left on the bus. There was only one more interruption along the bus route from a nervous parent, but there were no incidents. Regardless, Healey was prepared at each stop, whether it was an interruption or a regular stop, and required each child to identify each parent before letting them off the bus. Some of the mothers weren’t sure whether to be grateful or mad that the officer spoke to them with one hand on his gun while it was holstered. Healey was only 5’8”, but his presence in a police uniform and his serious demeanor were very intimidating to most. As the last child got off the bus, Healey looked at the bus driver and said, “Let’s go home, Kato.” It went right over the driver’s head, so Healey was more direct, saying, “Take me back to Belle Terre before taking the bus to the yard, please.”

Bud had arrived at Bell Circle and dropped Lindsey off with her family and explained the situation.

“Don’t leave me,” Lindsey begged Bud. “He will be back.”

Bud kneeled down to her and asked, “Honey, why will he be back?”

“Because he now knows I remember everything.”

“Listen, I will stay here, but in order for me to catch this guy, I wil have to leave when I get a police officer here to stay with you.”

“Then, Officer Healey, please,” she replied as her mother held her. “Why him?” Bud asked.

“Because I know he can be trusted, Detective Johnson.”

“OK, I will have Officer Healey stay with you, Lindsey.” Bud went on, “How come you were not at school this morning when Monty was taken and you baked cookies for Allan and me?”

Her father answered, “Lindsey has afternoon sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays where she takes advanced high school courses. Today she only had one class at 3:00 pm.”

Bud kneeled down to Lindsey again as he looked around the area. He said, “Honey, is there anything else you think may be important in this case that you may have forgotten to tell me?”

“I don’t forget anything.”

Bud looked at her father who said, “Lindsey remembers pretty much everything, but you will have to ask her directly, specifically.”

“OK,” Bud said. “That’s good to know. I’m going to bring you photos, and I will want you to tell me if you recognize or have seen anyone, OK?”

The mother, Sharyn Wilkerson, spoke up, saying, “Listen, I’m really scared and I have to say that I don’t want my child involved.”

Bud asked her to walk with him away from Lindsey. When they were out of earshot, he said, “Ma’am, I’m afraid to tell you that she is already involved. Somehow the people involved have found out they have messed with a genius of a girl, and they will not want a kid with what appears to be a photographic memory around for them to worry about. Our best chance of stopping this may involve your daughter. I understand your concern, but we will not let her out of our sight unless she is in the house with you and one of our officers is outside. During school, I will have Officer Healey, who she trusts, with her at all times. Ma’am, please, more important than solving the case, whoever is behind this may not want her alive. It is my belief that we have not asked her the right question yet, but when we do, it would be extremely helpful.”

The mother agreed, and Bud radioed for Healey to bring his unmarked cruiser back up to the Wilkersons. As soon as Justin Healey got the message, he informed the bus driver to take him to the security building in Belle Terre. When he finally arrived, Bud told him he would be Lindsey’s bodyguard during the day and rotating shifts at night. He would clear all of this through Cronin. Bud took his car back as Healey stayed with Lindsey for protection until the night shift.

As Bud got in his car, he yelled to Lindsey, “When was the first time I showed you my identification?”

“It was 11:07, Detective Johnson.”

“Did you notice the number on the identification?”

“Number 1669, Detective Johnson,” the girl answered.

Bud nodded and said, “That’s right, Lindsey.”

As he got in his car, Bud said aloud to himself, “I feel sorry for the poor bastard who marries her; he’s got no chance.”

Bud reached the security building as the medical examiner was loading up the body. He asked for a moment and pulled the sheet down from Allan’s head.

“I’m sorry, friend. I promise you, it won’t be in vain.” He put his hand on the side of Allan’s head for a moment and closed his eyes as if he was saying a silent prayer. He pulled his hand away and gently pulled up the sheet over Allan’s head. He walked toward Cronin and asked where Paul was.

“He is with the family and will accompany them to St. Charles Hospital.” Cronin showed the note to Bud that was found on Allan’s body. Bud read it and slapped his leg with it.

“There was no press about Lindsey. How and why does the killer know?”

Cronin looked at Bud and said, “It means there are no rules to this game. You don’t give any information other than to Paul and myself about this case. Understood?”

“What about the FBI? Sherman and O’Connor are still involved on the kidnapping angle.”

“No additional information without my OK to anyone,” the detective lieutenant barked. “Understood?”

“Yes,” Bud answered. “I’ve got Healey on protection duty during the day, and I need two shifts of officers at night on Bell Circle. OK?”

“Just do it,” Cronin answered. “I’m going to the district attorney’s office.”

“Boss, it’s after 6:30 pm,” Bud replied.

“He can have a late dinner,” Cronin answered. “Get yourself to St. Charles to support Paul and the family. Get Lindsey squared away for school in the morning, and you and Paul meet me in the office by 11:00 am tomorrow.”

Bud nodded as Cronin drove away. He got on the phone and had Officer Dugan and Franks for the next few nights outside of Lindsey’s house. He went back inside to where he was just with Allan only a few hours earlier. He touched a few things and saw there were a couple of chocolate chip cookies left. He moved his fingers over them as if they were a magic wand, hoping to reverse time to when the plate was full of cookies and this had not yet happened.

He reached the door as Agents Sherman and O’Connor arrived. They expressed condolences as Bud nodded, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk. He just wanted to get to the hospital, where he was sure they were being counseled by professionals. He also wanted to see Paul. The body count was getting high, and the media coverage was going to be all over this as pressure built on Cronin.

As Detective Lieutenant Cronin was driving south on 83 to Yaphank, he called Ashley and demanded the meeting not wait until the morning. There had been another murder and a threat on a 12-year-old girl, and there was not time to waste.

Ashley made a desperate plea to the district attorney and won him over when told of the murder and the possible threat to the girl. District Attorney Steinberg was already in his car and closer to Cronin’s temporary home in the sixth precinct, so they all agreed to meet there in 20 minutes.

Bud arrived at the hospital and was led to a private room, where he hugged Paul and met Allan’s family and two children. His widow was almost inconsolable at times and other times seemed OK. It appeared to Bud she was in shock, which was understandable. They stayed with the family for more than an hour, and Paul promised he would be in touch with them as to the case and life afterward.

The two of them drove to Z Pita as they had planned earlier in the day and took table three in the back of the restaurant so they could have privacy. They were so deep in conversation that Joey Z, who always walked around and greeted them, left them alone.

Bud grabbed Paul’s hand and held it, saying, “I’m sorry, my friend.” Paul lowered his head but held back the tears. “It’s just us, Paul, let loose.”

Paul cleared his throat and said, “Thanks, but as the boss said, I’ve got to hold it together, at least ’til this is over.”

There was a question Bud wanted to ask Paul, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, Bud replied, “Paul, that’s just it. We have to get this thing solved before we have another body. We have to share the information we have with each other and Cronin. He doesn’t even want us to give new information to the FBI.”

“Bud,” Paul answered, “I’m not sure yet about what’s going on, but when we asked Rachelle about her Twitter and her writings, she told us to speak to Cronin. Deborah and her father go to Florida because of him, and now we are told not to give information to the FBI, which means we basically tell them the same thing: go speak to Detective Lieutenant Cronin.” Paul continued, “We have always handled these cases, and I know this is a complex case, but I feel like we have reached a point where we are puppets and he’s holding the strings.”

“Listen, you have always been the voice of reason,” Bud said to him. “But this case, you are different, and you know why? Because of Rachelle and now Allan. You are on this case because Cronin trusts you with our lives, but Paul, you have got to handle this as the terrific cop that you are. There’s no one better than you when questioning or finding a 'badass.’ We need you; I need you.”

Paul shook his head and said, “Well, you are good at feeding egos, my friend.”

“It’s more than that, my friend, when it’s the truth,” Bud said. Then he looked up at Rebecca and said, “Hey, how about some coffee?”