The Wife of a Lesser Man (LA Cops Series Book 1) (19 page)

“Really?  She hasn’t come around the office in a while either.”

“She’s busy with work too.  With the kids gone now she’s been spending more hours at the school.  By next term she’ll probably be full time again.”

Richard nodded but picked up on the hesitation.

“You guys okay?  I mean, since the heart attack?”

Mark looked at Richard like he had two heads.  “I think you’ve been hanging around Lisa too much.”

Richard noted the diversion and was about to challenge Mark further when Charlie’s car pulled up beside them.  Charlie nodded a hello and exited the car as they did the same.

“Hey, Andy said you’d be dropping by.  I’m just getting back from the hospital.  Visiting hours end at 9:00,” Charlie said.

Mark met Charlie and put his arm around his shoulder.  “How’s Madeline?”

Charlie sighed and leaned his head to the left, towards Richard.  “Not so good.  They’ve stopped the chemo and there isn’t much more they can do.”

Charlie unlocked the door and ushered the guys in.

“Can I offer you anything?”  Charlie asked.  There were empty containers of fast food overflowing in the garbage and half empty packages of buns, various baked items and sandwiches arranged like blocks all over the counter tops.

“Sure, it looks like you could use some help eating this stuff.”  Richard half laughed.

“We’re starved.  Do you remember the last time you ate?”  Mark asked Richard.  He shook his head.

Charlie took some clean plates out of the dishwasher and placed them in front of the guys; he added one for himself. 

“I’m a nervous eater,” Charlie explained, packing two crescent rolls and a donut on his plate.

“At this rate I’ll put on more than what Madeline’s lost before all is said and done.”

Neither of the guys responded. 

“So what brings you guys here?” 

“Unfortunately not good news,” Mark explained.

Charlie took a bite of his donut and some jelly slid down his chin.  Richard grabbed a napkin out of the holder nearest him and handed it over. 

“Well, lay it on me.  I’m used to bad news,” Charlie said, thinking maybe they hit a snag in the case.  He had no idea what they were about to tell him, nor was he prepared for the news.

“Reed’s mother found a bullet casing in Karen’s things,” Mark said without preamble.

Charlie immediately stopped eating and dropped the donut on his plate.  His face went blank and the colour drained. 

“Nobody knows yet, so take it easy,” Richard said, trying to calm him.

Charlie was looking at a spot of jelly that landed on the table.  His eyes didn’t leave it.  It was like he was in a daze.  Richard looked at Mark like he should say something.

“We’ve got some time, Charlie.  There’s no need to worry.  I’ve got your back,”   Mark said, trying to reassure him. 

His words did not help.  Charlie knew what this meant.

“If evidence finds a match to the print, the news will spread quickly and nobody will care how it was found,” Richard ventured.

“We also have a picture that could lead us to a person of interest,” Mark added.

Charlie sat with the blank look still on his face; like he wasn’t hearing what the guys were saying.

Richard leaned over and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder.  “You okay buddy?”

Charlie blinked and nodded but said nothing.

Mark found his most comforting voice.  “Listen.  All you need to do right now is pray for Madeline, as we all have been doing.  Worry about her.  Don’t worry about any of this.  We’ll take care of it.”

Charlie looked at Mark apologetically and shook his head slowly.  Mark asked, “Do you need a stiff drink or something?”

“No, but the doctor gave me some tranquilizers to help me sleep.  I think I need one.”

Still stunned, Charlie was about to get up when Richard stopped him.  “You sit.  Where are they?  I’ll find them.” 

Charlie pointed towards the bathroom.  “In the medicine cabinet,” he instructed.

Richard entered the washroom and opened the cabinet.  It was like a pharmacy, packed with so many prescription drugs, he could spend an hour counting them all.  “Uh, buddy, which one is it?”

“Lorazepam.  It’s the only bottle with my name on it.  The rest are Madeline’s.” 

“Jesus Christ.  Shouldn’t she have some of these with her?”  Richard asked; picking each one up and reading the name, looking for the one with Charlie’s on it.

Charlie scratched his head and had a look of disgust on his face.  “Shit.  Sorry, mine are on my night stand in the bedroom.”

“No problem, man.  I would’ve gotten lost in there anyway,” Richard said as he walked to the next room.

Richard walked back into the kitchen carrying the coveted pill bottle.  “I’m sure you would’ve found something in Madeline’s plethora of drugs that would’ve done the trick anyway.”

Charlie gave him a strange look, Richard thought he might have offended him but then Charlie’s eyes went to the ground, like he gave up.

Richard placed the bottle on the table and Mark immediately read the label.  The prescription was filled recently.  “You gonna be okay?  Do you want one of us to stay with you?”  Mark asked.

“No, I’m pretty much out once I take a few of these.  I’ll be up in the morning, feeling fresh once again.”  Charlie said with a hint of sarcasm.  “I wish there was a pill that would make my wife feel like that.”

“I wish there was a pill like that, too.  It would make
all
women go to sleep when they’re in a bad mood and wake up feeling fresh.  We would have a
much
easier life,”  Richard said.  Neither Mark nor Charlie responded.

“Too soon?”  He asked, searching Mark’s face.  Mark looked at him and pursed his lips.  “I think it’s time for us to go.” 

“Thanks for stopping by,” Charlie said, rising from his chair.

“No trouble at all.  We’ll be in touch.”  Mark followed Richard to the door.

When Charlie closed the door, Richard said, “Why didn’t you warn him about Lipkus?”

Mark walked to the car and opened the door.  Once they were seated he explained “Charlie’s a smart guy. I don’t need to spell it out.”

…

Shelley pulled up to the house just as Mark was exiting his car.  He looked spent.  His tie was already loosened and hanging sideways and the first two buttons on his shirt were undone.  He didn’t bother to grab his jacket out of the car. 

“Hey, I know you.”  Mark said, winking at Shelley as she exited her car.

“You do, do you?  You look like a stranger to me.”  She said, pulling her body in closer so he could put his arm around her.

“Long day?”  She asked rhetorically. 

Mark looked at his watch.  “Long indeed.”

Shelley headed upstairs and Mark began watching a comedy show and grabbed himself a drink from the fridge.  When he came back from the kitchen he sprawled out on the couch.  As he stretched his legs out, he hit his feet on Shelley’s purse.  It had been left open as her keys were still on the couch.  He put her keys back in it and saw the card Matt left her.  He read the note on the back: ‘Call me sometime if you want to go for a drink again’, with a smiley face in place of the dot above the ‘i’ in ‘drink’.

Mark’s heart began to race. 

Chapter 16

Mark heard a knock and Lisa’s head appeared.  He nodded.  She entered and closed the door.  She had a file in one hand and a pad of paper and pen in the other.  Mark gestured her to take a seat.

She looked at him and lifted her eyebrows, taking a deep breath.  “Andy’s not in yet but I’ll save you the trouble.  No luck with Jacqueline’s family and the boyfriend checks out.”

Mark recognized the intense look on her face.  “So what’s the good news?”

“We got a print from the bullet casing.  It’s a match to a stalking case in the system.  The guy’s name is Peter Hatcher.  Monica Sutherland’s picture is too obscured, but we have his mug shot and his last known address.”

Mark nodded.  “So who was he stalking?”

“The cops weren’t sure if he was after the kids or the girl but she’s a Kindergarten teacher.”

“You got an address for her?”

Lisa nodded.  Mark looked at the clock; it was only 7:45 am.  “It’s too early to do anything yet.  Hand me the file?”  Lisa handed it to him and he opened it. 

“So how did this guy go from stalker to murderer?”  Mark asked, flipping through the file.

“You’re the expert.”

“And what was up with the note?  ‘Find Me’?  It doesn’t make sense.”

There was another knock at the door and Richard’s head appeared.  “You stealing my lady?” 

Lisa smirked, “Ain’t no ladies in here.”

Richard entered and took the seat beside her.  “I dreamed we caught the guy.  Any chance that might come true today?” 

Mark’s head cocked to one side.  “Slight chance.  But I doubt he’s at the same address.  He’d be stupid if he was.”

“He was stupid enough to leave a clear print,” Richard said.

“If he were that stupid, we’d have a lot more evidence,” Lisa added.

“You’re right.  This is personal.  The way he shoots, too.  Straight in the head?  That’s personal.  Na, he’s seasoned and calculating,” Mark added.

“I was hopeful,” Richard said.

“Keep your hopes with romance my friend.”

Lisa stifled a laugh.  Richard looked puzzled. 

Mark interjected.  “Okay, buddy, you want to come with me to this creep’s place?  See what we’ve got?”

“After you.”

…

“So what have we got so far?”  Richard asked.  He was looking through Peter Hatcher’s file as Mark drove.

“I don’t know.  He likes Kindergarten teachers or Kindergarteners.  That’s as far as the cops got with him.”

“Well obviously he likes women who work with kids.  Look at the pattern.  Karen Reed was a child and youth worker and Jacqueline Kent was a social worker.  This lady, er, Stacey Miles was a teacher.”

“Hey, you should warn Shelley.”  He said.

Mark looked at him angrily.  “You know, buddy, you seriously need to know there’s a time and a place for jokes.”

Richard put his hand up.  “Sorry, sorry.  You’re right.” 

His face reddened, the veins in his neck popping, Mark said “First that joke about Madeline and her pills and now this!” 

“You know, buddy, you’re absolutely right.  I need to learn to shut up.  No more jokes.  I promise.” 

Mark’s brows were still furrowed, but he took a deep breath and visibly relaxed.  “Yeah fine.” he said, “Continue.” 

“Okay, what else have we got here….not….much,” Richard said.

Mark’s phone beeped and he looked at it.  It was Shelley sending him a text message.  ‘You didn’t tell me how it went at the doctors the other day. I’d like to know what’s going on.’

Mark said under his breath, “Yeah, me too.” 

“What was that?”  Richard asked, looking up.

“Nothing.” 

“Are you okay?  Still mad at me?”

“No…it’s not that….never mind, everything’s fine.” Mark put his phone back in the console without answering the message.

Richard knew Mark never ignored any messages that came from the office.  Something was up between him and Shelley.

“I know I pissed you off earlier, but if there’s something on your mind….”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now……  I need to figure something out first.”

Richard didn’t press. 

Mark pulled into what was supposed to be Peter Hatcher’s current address:  a quaint little bungalow on an average street.  There was one car parked in the driveway and a baby stroller on the porch. 

There was a storm door and a wooden interior door.  Mark opened the storm door and knocked gently on the interior door.  The storm door creaked as it closed and clicked shut.  Moments later a young woman carrying a toddler opened the wooden door but left the storm door closed. 

She was tall and thin with long blonde hair in a ponytail on top of her head.  Her pink bathrobe revealed a matching pair of pink flannel pyjamas underneath.  Her face registered surprise.

“Oh my, is everything okay officer?” she asked.