Checkmate (Caitlin Calloway Mystery Book 2) (10 page)

“Then why are you reading me my rights? I thought you only did that to people that you’re planning on arresting?”

“We do.” CC kept up her cheerful demeanor. “This has nothing to do with your assault. Personally, I couldn’t give a damn if you were banging the nanny. She was over eighteen.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Don’t care.” CC shrugged. “Unless that’s why you killed her.”

“I . . . what? She’s dead?”

“Not to worry. Juries can be sympathetic. You got caught in a trap. Your wife obviously suspected something. The girl wouldn’t take no for an answer. These things happen. A moment of rage. Now where was I? Oh yeah, you have the right to remain silent.”

“What in the hell are you talking about? Annie’s dead?”

“Come on, you knew that didn’t you?”

“No! I had no idea. I had nothing to do with this. I swear I never touched the girl.”

“You keep practicing that.” CC felt the pieces slipping into place. It was no small wonder Natalie Stern ruled her household with an iron fist; Mr. Stern’s spine seemed to be made of Jell-O. “Remember you have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?”

“Yes, I understand. But I didn’t do anything.”

“Of course you didn’t. Sorry, you’ve had a long day. Now, your wife is in jail, your boys are with your parents and your vital parts are on ice. All because a long time ago you dated someone else.”

“What?”

“College wasn’t it? I’m assuming it was before you were married.”

“How did you know? Look that was nothing.” He tried to defend himself. “Natalie and I hadn’t been seeing each other for that long. I went to a concert with another girl. Aerosmith. I knew Natalie wouldn’t have enjoyed it. That’s it. That doesn’t mean I had an affair with Annie. She’s a child.”

“Was,” CC harshly corrected him. “So, an innocent trip to see Aerosmith, over a decade ago. That’s why your wife doesn’t trust you? Seriously, you couldn’t have been that surprised she snapped. Women can be so mistrusting. When I first started dating my wife, an old flame of mine kissed me. I was surprised. It wasn’t planned or welcome. But who should walk by at that very moment, but my girlfriend.”

“What happened? After she caught you?”

“I explained what happened, and she forgave and forgot,” CC calmly explained. “That’s what normal people do. They don’t hold a grudge. They don’t hold it over your head for the rest of your life. They don’t shoot you with a taser gun. And they most certainly don’t kill the nanny. Before you get sucked in and start defending your loving wife, ask yourself something. Is this the person you want raising your sons?”

The stunned look on his face spoke volumes. CC had what she needed from the man. He gave her a tidbit of information that could prove useful. Most importantly, CC had managed to plant a seed of doubt. She had seen it time and time again. The spouse commits a heinous crime, and for some reason, their other half not only stands by them but begins to believe whatever lie the lawyers spin for the press and the jury. CC was hoping to nudge a wedge between the happy suburbanites. If Natalie Stern was forced to stand alone, there was a very good chance she’d crack.

CC made a quick trip to the morgue and crime labs. She gathered what she needed and headed back to the station. She ducked into the observation room and offered Dennis a cup of coffee while he watched the scene.

“How is she doing?”

“Mulligan?”

“Yeah.” CC watched in an effort to gauge what was going on. By the way Max was leaning back, she felt confident that Leigh was on top of things.

“She’s got her spinning her wheels,” Dennis said and took a sip of his coffee. “Helps that the lawyers seem dazed and confused. The older one is her estate attorney. The kid is the criminal lawyer. The old guy called him in after he realized how deep of a pile his client stepped in.”

“Geez, is that kid old enough to shave?”

Dennis shrugged. “He had his card. I doubt he passed the bar all that long ago.”

“That could be a problem.” CC grimaced. “Let’s hope he’s smart and not out to prove how good he is.”

“So far he’s just sitting there looking like he’s going to piss himself. Mulligan said she found what you need in the husband’s closet. She said to tell you it’s in the box.” CC noticed the standard cardboard box resting on the table. “She’s been showing Mrs. Stern pictures.”

“Annie’s family?”

“No.” Dennis chuckled. “Magazine pictures. Your vic had a crush on Shemar Moore, you know… the actor. Nothing stalkerish. Just the usual teenage girl stuff.”

“Really?”

“Listen.”

“Take a look, Mrs. Stern.” Leigh slid a copy of People magazine over to the confused woman. “That was Annie’s dream man. Can’t say that I blame her. Shemar Moore is seriously hot.”

“I got to agree with Mulligan on that one,” CC said.

“Really?”

“I feel very secure in my sexuality, but even I have to admit that is one good-looking guy. Don’t you think so?”

“Guys don’t notice things like that.”

“Maybe.” CC returned her attention to the interrogation.

“Now look at him and look at your husband.” Leigh slid another photo across the table. This one was of the Stern family. “This guy is tall, dark, buff, and very handsome. No offense, but your husband is a scrawny, dweeby guy. Not even close to Annie’s ideal man. Why in the world would you think she’d even look at him twice?”

“Good,” CC said. “Time for me to make an appearance.”

CC swooped into the interrogation room filled with confidence. She kept a large envelope close to her chest.

“Mind if I join in?” She pushed Max aside so she could sit next to Leigh. “Mrs. Stern, so nice to see you again. I hope you’re enjoying our accommodations.”

“You piece of…” Natalie Stern snarled. “You had me locked up in that disgusting cell. The people, and I use the term loosely, were disgusting. I plan on filing charges.”

“Yeah, me, too.” CC yawned. “Nice pictures. So tell me which is harder, being locked up with your fellow citizens or having an attractive teenager flaunting her bits and pieces around your husband?”

“The girl was a slut.”

Both CC and Leigh looked over at the lawyers. The older one seemed concerned. The younger one seemed confused. CC couldn’t help thinking that a halfway decent lawyer would have called an end to the Q and A long before CC arrived.

“You can’t blame her,” CC said when the lawyers failed to object. “She was a kid. Interesting how you keep referring to Annie in the past tense.”

The youngster finally spoke, “That doesn’t mean anything.”

CC felt a jolt of adrenaline when his voice cracked. “Sure it does. So, what was it? The way she threw herself at good old Snaps or-”

“How did you…?” Natalie’s face turned beet red.

“Hey, I get it. You trained him. Forgave him. And here he goes again, sneaking off to an Aerosmith concert with some British chippy. Worse, messing around in your house. The house you picked out. You did, didn’t you? Found the right neighborhood. The perfect house to raise your children, and this girl comes in and takes what’s yours. So tell me, where did you find it?”

“What?”

“Her bed was trashed.” CC opened the envelope without revealing the contents. “Under the bed? Beneath the mattress? Between the sheets? Kind of ironic, since if it wasn’t for you, he’d still be wearing those silly suspenders. Yeah, if it wasn’t for you, good old Snaps would be trolling rock concerts with some phi beta fuck ’em whore. So where did you find the belt?”

“What belt?” The youngster tried to intervene, seemingly unaware of the wild look in his client’s eyes. “I think this interview is—”

“The nightstand!” Natalie bellowed. “The whore left it out in plain sight. Flaunting their dirty little affair in my face. I showed her.”

“Yes you did.” CC grimly slammed the evidence bag containing the belt that had been wrapped around Annie Fraser’s neck. The same belt that had choked the life out of the vibrant young woman. “This belt? This is what you used to choke the life out of her? I bet she denied the affair when she found you in her room.”

“Lying bitch.”

“She stood there in your home, lying to you.” CC shook her head. “You had the belt. Proof that she was screwing your husband. I bet you bought this belt for him, didn’t you?”

“Of course. I can’t let him shop on his own. She told me I had no right to be in her room. Her room? Then she called me insane for accusing her of sleeping with my husband. I had the proof.”

“Yes, here it is.” CC tapped the bag. “You had to protect your family. Claim what is yours. What woman wouldn’t?”

“I wouldn’t,” Leigh said.

“You.” Mrs. Stern brushed her off. “What do you know? A divorced civil servant.”

“Tell us about it,” CC said. Mulligan slid a legal pad of paper and a pen across the table.

“That’s enough,” the older lawyer finally said. “Natalie, we need to take a moment.”

“No.” Mrs. Stern shook her head. “That girl was ruining everything. My sons listened to her more than to me. What does that tell you?” Filled with self-assurance, she snatched up the pen.

“Natalie.” Once again, the lawyer was unable to stop his client. Natalie Stern muttered bitterly while furiously scribbling down her thoughts.

“Seems your client is ignoring your advice, counselor.” CC couldn’t help rubbing salt in the wound.

“For now,” he said.

“Annie Fraser was a British citizen,” Leigh forewarned the suits. “They aren’t happy. Neither am I. Annie was nineteen. She had her whole life in front of her until she had the misfortune of meeting your client.” While making her point, Leigh slid a sheet of paper over to CC. Max nodded while CC smiled at the waiver. Natalie Stern had been advised of her rights, and she had even signed the papers to prove it.

“For the love of God, Natalie, stop writing.”

“What kind of deal are you offering?” The younger lawyer watched in horror as his client shoved her signed statement into CC’s hands.

“None.” CC sounded bored while she read the statement. “Why would we? She’s confessed in writing and on audio and videotape. She’ll be arraigned in the morning.” CC checked her watch. Her eyes bulged as she noted how much time had passed. “Make that in a couple of hours. Relax, boys, she’ll hire someone new. All you have to do is enter a not guilty plea. Just one more thing.” She nodded to Leigh.

Leigh removed another evidence bag from the cardboard box. She tossed the belt onto the table.

“What?” Natalie sputtered.

“That’s your husband’s belt,” Leigh said triumphantly. “We executed a search warrant and found it in his closet. That” she stressed while pointing to the other belt. “is Annie’s belt.”

“No. I know what I saw. This is some kind of cop trick. I won’t be fooled.”

“Look at the pictures again,” Leigh said. “The one of Annie with her family back in England. She’s wearing the belt. You murdered the girl because she had the misfortune to share your sense of fashion. She never touched your sorry excuse of a husband.”

“You did,” CC said. “Shot him in the nuts with a taser gun. Which is illegal on so many levels. The saddest part of all of this is a young girl is dead because you were too lazy or stupid to look in your husband’s closet. Do you need a moment with your counsel before we kick you back to your cell?”

Natalie Stern sputtered and howled about being framed. CC, Max, and Leigh ignored her. They packed up the evidence and made a hasty retreat.

“I feel like I need a shower,” Leigh said once they made it safely into the hallway.

“Calloway!” Justine Harper, a young ADA, emerged from the audio room. “How much do I love you?”

“Feeling chipper this morning, are you?”

“I watched the whole thing. Damn, you got her good.”

“Yeah.” CC handed over the signed statement. “Mulligan did the work. This was her case. I just wish we had found the girl alive.”

“We all do,” Justine said. “But I’m not going to feel bad about having a slam dunk in my pocket.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” CC rolled her eyes. “You know by the time she hires a smarter, more expensive suit, the circus will really get started. He’ll argue probable cause, all of a sudden Natalie’s idyllic childhood will be traumatic because Daddy raised his voice once or missed a dance recital. Or my all-time favorite, she’ll claim she should have been on meds and the fairies told her to do bad, bad things. If by some miracle, her confession and the interview tapes get booted, we’ve got nothing and she walks.”

“Just get me your statements, ASAP.”

“Thanks for reminding us,” Max grumbled. “Us being new in town and all. Come on, ladies, I’ll buy the coffee.”

*   *  *

Val knew she had ruffled more than a few feathers. She didn’t care, and she wasn’t in the mood to stroke bruised egos. She dove right in. With a team together, she would start a plan. She figured that Beaumont had limited funds available and would be looking to stay with friends or family. But she couldn’t really find anything that would indicate he had anyone in the area who gave a damn about him. She’d keep digging to see if she could shake something loose.

In the meantime, she put together the teams, one to watch the Calloway sisters and another canvassing the local shelters and rooming houses. On the run and just out of prison, this guy was probably on a budget. The bus ticket would only set him back thirty bucks or so. Still, Val was betting that the little money Beaumont earned from his crappy roofing job didn’t leave much for shelter or food.

Where the hell was this guy? Why the hell would he go anywhere near his well-armed and extremely angry stepdaughter? Or did he just run to safer ground and was she wasting precious time?

Chapter 10

Jamie had a short meeting with Jack before he left for the day. Then she met with the other doctors who would be assigned interns and residents. She knew who she wanted to keep for herself. Alvarez topped the list. She had to give her a day shift instead, so the young doctor could work out her babysitting issues. Jamie was impressed. Not only that as a single mother she had put herself through med school, the young woman was showing signs that one day she would be a great doctor. Jamie hated handing her brightest student over to another doctor.