Silenced

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Saturday

Lucy and Kate were dressed in scrubs and stood sentry in the operating room. Chain of custody was critical, especially in a complex case like this. Kate had even set up a video camera in the corner in case the court had any questions about the procedure.

It wasn’t every day that key evidence in a homicide investigation was hidden in a pet.

The veterinarian had put Chip under general anesthesia and the cat lay motionless on the table. Lucy frowned.

“What’s your problem?” Kate said. “You worked at a morgue.”

“Dead people don’t bother me,” Lucy said. “I really like this cat.”

“He should be fine,” the vet said. “Though whoever did this to him should have his license pulled. It’s dangerous. The chips they put in pets for tracking are the size of a grain of rice. This one is much bigger.”

He gestured to the X-ray that showed a square of metal on the back of Chip’s neck.

“He’s doing well,” the vet purred. “Good kitty.”

“I wish Mina’s surgery had been this easy,” Lucy said.

“She’s healthy and the doctor is optimistic,” Kate reminded her. “It’s just a long road to recover.”

“Are you doing okay with the shooting and everything?”

“It was justified. If I think too much about it, I remind myself that it was him or innocents.” Kate glanced at her. “Him, or you. Thank God you didn’t take off that vest.”

Lucy rolled her sore shoulder and winced. It still hurt, probably would for days. “Sean said I was lucky not to have cracked a rib.”

“Bingo,” the vet said. He held up the chip with his tweezers. “It’s coated in silicone.”

“Plop it right in here.” Kate held up an evidence bag. The vet dropped the chip in. Kate sealed the bag and signed the front. “Now to take this to the lab. This will be fun.”

“When can we take Chip home?” Lucy asked the vet.

“Give him a couple hours. I want to make sure there are no side effects from the surgery or anesthesia. Come by after three.”

Lucy and Kate left the vet hospital. “I’m going straight to the lab—do you want me to drop you home?”

“Can you take me to the hospital? I want to make sure Ivy’s okay. Check on Mina and Genie.”

Kate and Noah had worked a miracle to get Ivy on a tracking bracelet and into a halfway house in one day. She couldn’t leave DC until the FBI was satisfied she’d shared all information she had.

“What’s the word on Brian Abernathy?” Lucy asked. “I don’t think he’s just going to give up.”

“Everyone is looking for him. His testimony could seal the indictment on his mother. But either he or his brother killed six people. We have plenty of evidence, so as soon as we get him in custody, we’ll know for certain. He was smart on one level, but trace evidence is aplenty.”

“Noah told me Devon Sullivan is not cooperating.”

“She doesn’t need to say a word—that’s her right. But Josh Stein has her solid on major financial irregularities. And because of her wealth we were able to freeze her assets. She’s sitting in jail all weekend.”

“She doesn’t deserve to walk free.”

“We’re working double-time to get hard evidence that she ordered the murder of Wendy James.”

“What about the others?”

“If we can prove Wendy, it’ll be much easier to connect the others. Without Wendy’s case being solid, the others fall apart. At least to nail Sullivan with. Conspiracy is extremely difficult to prove. The search warrants were a huge bonus, but she has the entire Acuna and Bigelow law firm fighting every warrant, every piece of evidence. Now,” Kate said, gesturing toward the chip in the evidence bag, “if that has anything of substance, we won’t have to worry. The AUSA said the warrant on this extraction is air-tight.”

Kate dropped Lucy off at the emergency room entrance. She went directly to ICU, where Mina was recovering from surgery. Ivy was there at her bedside; a DC uniformed officer was at her door. Lucy showed her identification to enter.

Lucy whispered, “How is she?”

“She woke up. That’s good, the doctors say.” Ivy glanced at Lucy. “I let her down. The night of the fire, I picked Sara over her and I can’t forgive myself.”

“You have to. It’s hard, but you have to.” Lucy paused, then said, “Seven years ago I was kidnapped and raped by a guy I met online. Long story—I thought he was someone else. But it was still stupid on my part. My brothers went looking for me, and one of them was nearly killed in an explosion. After surgery, he slipped into a coma and stayed that way for nearly two years. I’ve tried to forgive myself—and some days, I don’t think about it. But other times, I feel hot and cold at the same time, and I picture Patrick lying in a hospital bed unresponsive. His brain working, but not working. And the guilt just washes over me. But, it’s not every day. It’s sometimes not every week.”

Lucy knew remnants of that time would continue to haunt her. But she would survive and grow stronger because of her job, her family, and Sean. “The decision you made Tuesday morning, you made out of love. Love for your sister, love for the girls at Hawthorne Street. Mina knows that, in her heart.”

The nurse came in. “Your ten minutes are up.”

Ivy nodded and she and Lucy left.

“How’s Sara?”

Ivy smiled. “I don’t know what happened in the church, but she’s doing amazing. Come see her.”

Lucy pulled a box from her pocket. “This really helped. I know you want it back.”

Ivy squeezed the box. “Thank you.”

Sara was in the pediatric wing. She, too, had a guard on her door. Lucy was more concerned about Ivy—Brian Abernathy wanted to kill her more than anyone else. But no guard had been assigned to her. No one knew where Abernathy was—half the team thought he’d left DC. Lucy didn’t believe it.

Sean walked down the hall toward them. He was carrying a large bouquet of daisies. Lucy smiled.

Sean shook his head. “These are for Sara. But I got you your own daisies, plus…” He took his hand out from behind his back. “A white mocha.”

Lucy took the coffee drink from Sean happily and kissed him. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

They showed ID to the guard and went into Sara’s room. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed and playing games on an iPad.

“Where’d you get that?” Ivy asked.

“The hospital delivered it. Look at the card.”

Lucy read over Ivy’s shoulder. The card was generic. Inside, there was no message, just initials.

S.R.

Lucy looked at Sean. “That’s sweet.”

“What is?”

“The gift.”

Sean shook his head and took the card. He stared for a long time, so long that Lucy was worried. Then he grinned. “Hey, kid, can I see your toy? Can you believe I don’t have one of these?”

Sara handed it to him and he handed her the flowers.

Lucy watched Sean check all the settings and apps. Then he downloaded an app. It took Lucy a minute to realize it was an anti-tracking app; it blocked GPS signals.

“What?” she mouthed.

“You can never be too safe.”

“I agree,” Ivy said. “I like your boyfriend, Lucy.”

“Me, too.” Lucy took Sean’s hand. “I’ll keep him around.”

“How’s Chip doing?” Sean asked.

“He’s recovering. We can pick him up in a few hours.”

“Good, I don’t want him spending the night in the hospital. If he’s anything like me, he’ll hate it.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, then laughed. “He’s going to be a spoiled cat.”

“I have to spoil someone while you’re at Quantico.” He kissed her forehead.

Ivy said, “Can I ask a favor?”

“Anything.”

“I’d like to meet Detective Reid.”

“We’d better do it now. I hear she’s going home today.”

“I’ll keep Sara company,” Sean said. “Any racing games on that thing?”

Sara giggled. Lucy and Ivy walked out. Lucy said, “She’s amazing.”

“I know.”

“And you get the credit.”

Ivy didn’t say anything.

“You okay?”

“I’m getting there.” She paused. “Is it wrong to not feel anything about him being dead?”

Lucy didn’t have to ask who she was talking about.

“No.”

She whispered, “Is it wrong to be glad?”

Lucy sighed. She shook her head. “You’re going to feel a lot of different emotions over the next few weeks. None of them are wrong. Just don’t linger in any one place, if you know what I mean.”

“I do. Thank you.”

Genie was in another building. They crossed the courtyard when Lucy saw a familiar figure walking briskly to catch up with them.

“Senator,” Lucy said, stunned.

“It took me forever to track you down, but Noah thought you might be here.” He smiled at Ivy. “Senator Jonathon Paxton.”

Ivy shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.” She was skeptical, and looked to Lucy for direction.

“I interned for Senator Paxton years ago. He gave me a recommendation to get into the Bureau.”

“I just came from meeting with AD Rick Stockton and he filled me in on the case. I also talked to Cathy Hummel at MARC. I wanted you to know, Ivy, that Cathy and I are establishing a foundation in the name of Chris and Jocelyn Taylor. And the first thing we’re doing is rebuilding the house on Hawthorne Street. I’ve already talked to the owner, we’re going to arrange a financially beneficial agreement for her, and I’ll rebuild. It’ll be a place for young women in transition. Cathy said the hardest age group to work with are eighteen to twenty-five—most programs are for minors.”

“Why?” Ivy said. “Why do you want to help?” She sounded not only skeptical, but threatened. As if he were going to start making demands.

“Because I can. I’ve given a lot of money to MARC and similar groups over the years, and I think this cause is worthwhile.”

He looked at Lucy, expecting her to vouch for him.

And on this, she could. Because even though she had some deep-seated problems with the senator, he did want to help others. He needed to help others. Maybe as penance for crimes he’d never admitted to.

She said, “I think it’s a good thing. Is MARC running the house?”

“Yes, they’re already set up, why create additional bureaucracy?”

“Thank you, Jonathon,” Lucy said.

He smiled and took her hand. “It’s always good to see you, Lucy. Please, don’t be a stranger.”

He turned to Ivy, shook her hand, then walked off.

“I have a hard time trusting people who give without wanting something in return,” Ivy said.

“He’s not doing this for you,” Lucy muttered.

“What?”

She shook her head. “The senator is running from his own demons, I think. Philanthropy makes him feel better about himself.”

Ivy said, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!… For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

“Appropriate,” Lucy said.

“I don’t even believe anymore.”

“It’s okay,” Lucy said. “I have a hard time when bad things happen to kids like Sara. But then I remember that the doctors never thought Patrick would wake from his coma.”

They went up to Genie’s room, which was filled with her family, including her grandson Isaiah. Genie seemed pleased to see Lucy, and relieved that the case was resolved.

“They’re making me take two weeks off,” Genie grumbled.

“I’ll come visit.”

“You’d better.”

Lucy stepped aside so Ivy could talk to Genie. At first, Ivy didn’t say anything. She looked around at the roomful of people, then stared at her feet, nervous.

Genie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Glad to finally meet you,” she said to Ivy.

“I’m sorry,” Ivy mumbled.

“About what? Protecting your family? You got nothing to apologize for, girl. I think that”—she gestured to the security bracelet around her ankle—“is punishment enough.”

“Thank you for everything you did for my friends. Lucy said you’re a great cop, and you cared about them, even when they were dead.”

“Stop,” Genie said, her eyes tearing. “Someone has to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. I’m no saint.”

“You are to me,” Lucy said.

* * *

Sean was playing games with Sara on her iPad, while putting together the truth behind Senator Paxton’s lies.

From the beginning he’d been the one playing with Sara’s life. All the tidbits Sean had picked up from Lucy’s investigation and from the senator himself found their proper places.

Sergio had kidnapped Sara and brought her to Ivy. He’d been the one who’d bought the virtual phone number so Ivy could reach him. Yet he’d allowed Paxton to play the game with Crowley, to release the photographs to the media that started this entire chain of events spiraling out of control.

That Sara was away from the bastard who’d raised her, and Ivy would probably get off with probation, were a small silver lining in a sea of blood—the blood of six people who’d been killed to cover up the crimes of Devon Sullivan and her cohorts.

Paxton was a danger not only to Sean but to others. He played the role of master chessman, sacrificing pawns and others in his quest to win whatever endgame he had in mind.

And it incensed Sean that he was getting away with it.

Not forever. He’d threatened Sean, but more egregious, he’d threatened Lucy. Sean didn’t care how long it took, but he would destroy Jonathon Paxton.

The door opened and Noah stepped in. He looked worried. “Kate said Lucy was here with Ivy.”

“They went to visit Detective Reid,” Sean said.

“What’s wrong?” Sara asked. She sat up. “Did something happen?”

“No,” Noah said. “Everything’s fine. You sit tight, I’m going to talk to Sean for a minute outside.”

She didn’t believe him, and neither did Sean. He followed Noah out.

“What?” he demanded.

“We thought Abernathy took a train to New York, but when it arrived at the station, he wasn’t on it. It’s just a precaution, but we should let Lucy know—”

Sean didn’t let him finish. “Reid’s room is across the courtyard,” he said as he bolted for the staircase.

* * *

Lucy and Ivy left Genie a few minutes later and went back across the courtyard to the pediatric wing.

They were just passing the fountain in the middle of the garden when the hair rose on the back of Lucy’s neck and she felt eyes on her.

“Ivy!” she said sharply, pulling her to her side. They were being watched.

A man in a hoodie walked briskly toward them. Lucy saw a flash of metal up his left sleeve.

“Brian,” Lucy said.

He stopped, whether startled because she knew his name or because she’d spotted him.

“Stay behind me,” Lucy told Ivy.

“I just want her,” Brian said. His voice was garbled and he sounded sick.

“No you don’t,” Lucy said. “You don’t want to kill anyone.”

“Get out of the way.”

He stepped toward her.

“Ivy, run,” Lucy said.

She didn’t, but took two steps away. “Stop!” Brian commanded and showed the knife. “I will kill your friend, Poison Ivy.”

“You won’t,” Lucy said. Her mind ran through Psycho 101, as her favorite professor called it. Then she remembered Brian wasn’t a psychopath. He had no remorse, but he got no pleasure from murder. It was a means to an end.

“I just want to leave,” Brian said. “I hate this city. These people. I never wanted to come back. She made me.”

Lucy took a gamble.

“Your mother.”

“To keep Ned out of trouble.” He barked out a laugh. “Ned! Dumb-ass brother of mine. And she thought he walked on water.”

“I’m sorry about your brother.”

“Yeah. Well.” He sniffed. “I loved him, you know? Really. He was so stupid sometimes, but we were buds.”

He was grieving, she realized. And he probably had never felt real grief before.

“My nephew was killed,” Lucy said, working on building a rapport. She didn’t dare look, but she sensed movement in her peripheral vision.

“Nephew?” he said with a sneer.

“We were the same age. My oldest sister and my mom were pregnant at the same time. And it was like losing my brother. Justin and I did everything together.”

“Yeah.” He paused, used the back of his hand to wipe his nose. “I always looked out for Ned.”

“This can all stop, right now. Put the knife down, Brian.”

“I can’t. I have to finish this.”

“Look around you. They’re not going to let you leave.”

He did, and Lucy hoped she was right. That there were cops along with the spectators.

“I just want to go home.”

“Where’s home?”

“Hawaii.”

Lucy gambled. “They’re not going to let you go, and if you throw that knife, you might kill me, but you’ll be dead when a dozen bullets hit you. And Ivy will still be alive because she’s behind me. I’m not moving. You don’t want to kill me because I’m not the problem, am I. It’s your mother who started this game.”

If one of those cops got an itchy finger, they’d lose their only witness to Devon Sullivan’s culpability in Wendy James’s death. Lucy had to talk Brian down.

“Dear God, I hate that woman.”

“I’m not a big fan myself.”

He coughed, then winced.

“Are you hurt?” Lucy asked, showing genuine concern. “I heard you fell on a sprinkler head.”

“It’s bad. Still bleeding a bit. Hurts like hell.”

“We’re at the hospital. There are a hundred doctors here who can take care of that. Give you something for the pain.”

He didn’t say anything.

Lucy sensed movement to her right. She put her hands up and to the side, hoping the security guards knew to stand down. Behind Brian she saw Noah and Sean approaching slowly. Noah was using hand signals to direct Sean, who nodded. They were splitting up, Noah going right, Sean to the left. Both outside of Brian’s peripheral vision.

She briefly caught Sean’s eye. His expression was focused. He gave her a half-smile while his attention was on Brian’s knife.

“Brian, let me help you.”

“Can you just step aside so I can finish this?” he said without heart.

“I can’t. But I can make you an offer I think you’ll like.”

“There’s nothing.”

He was in pain, sick, and depressed. Worse, he’d lost hope. He knew he wouldn’t leave the courtyard alive if he tried to kill Ivy. Suicide cocktail right there.

“Lower the knife.”

He dropped his hand an inch.

“Good. Your mother is going to prison on a multitude of crimes, but she’s telling us she had nothing to do with killing Wendy James and the others. She says that’s all you.”

He grimaced. “Bitch.”

Lucy knew he wasn’t talking about her, he was talking about his mother.

“If you help us prove her wrong, help us prove that she ordered the hit on Wendy, then I will do everything in my power to get you back to Hawaii.”

“You’re not going to let me go free. I’m not stupid. Not after what I’ve done.”

“No, you won’t be free, but there’s a federal penitentiary in Honolulu.”

Brian’s face brightened. His hand dropped another inch. “You can do that?”

“I know a lot of people high up in the FBI. And I will tell them, I swear to God, I will tell them that you voluntarily dropped that knife, that you showed remorse to me for your crimes. That you will help fill in the blanks in their case against Devon Sullivan.”

He looked at her quizzically. “What about Clark?”

Her heart raced. “Clark Jager?”

“Yeah. Can’t I testify against him? Do you know what he’s done?”

“No, I don’t.”

Brian laughed, and it ended in a cough. “This whole thing was his fucking idea.” He dropped the knife. “I’ll tell you everything, but please, I really need a doctor.” He fell to his knees.

Both Sean and Noah ran to Brian. Sean kicked away the knife while Noah cuffed him. “He needs a doctor, Noah.”

“I’ll get a guard on him and take him to the emergency room.”

Lucy turned to Ivy. “You’re okay, right?”

She said, “He killed them?”

“Yes. We think so.”

“And shot Mina?”

“Are you okay?”

“He’s so … pathetic.”

“Some of us get handed great parents, and life still turns bad. Others get bad parents, and they either overcome it—like you—or they become what they hate. Remember you are better than your father.”

“My mother tried to save us. That’s why she died.”

“Then remember her sacrifice and rise above what’s happened. I know you can do it, Ivy.”

“Can I go to Sara?”

“Of course.”

Lucy watched her leave.

“Lucy.” Sean came up behind her.

Without a word, Lucy wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. She didn’t realize until that moment that she was shaking.

Sean ran his hands up and down her back until her adrenaline dropped. “Let’s get Chip and go home. I have a hot tub that’s begging for us to enjoy it.”

Lucy tilted her head up and kissed him. “I need it. Please don’t let me out until I’m shriveled like a prune.”

“That’s an attractive vision.” Sean frowned. He kissed her. “Stop scaring me, Princess.”

“It’s been one of those weeks. I’m sure you’ll have your chance to make me worry.”

“We have two weeks until you go to Quantico. Think I can get you to take a couple days off? Two? Can I hope for three?”

Noah came up to them. “How about four?”

“We’ll take it,” Sean said.

“You’ve earned it, Lucy,” Noah said. “Not just here, but yesterday. Matt Slater told me what he said to you the other day.”

“I wish he hadn’t—”

Noah put up his hand. “I didn’t go out on a limb bringing you in as an analyst. You’re an asset, and I trust your judgment. Matt shouldn’t have put those doubts in your head. He feels shitty about it.”

“He should,” Sean said.

“It’s over and forgotten. I just hope Matt will forgive me. I kind of promised Abernathy that he might be able to serve his sentence in Hawaii.”

“I heard. And if he can put Clark Jager and Devon Sullivan in prison for the rest of their lives, I’ll make certain he serves his time in Honolulu.”

They walked toward the parking lot.

“Why are you here?” Lucy asked Noah.

“Kate called. The chip you pulled out of the cat?”

“She could read it?”

“It has everything we need to put Devon Sullivan away, and she only pulled ten percent of the data off. Audio recordings, some video, JPEGs that appear to be snapshots of financial documents. Kate’s planning on spending all weekend categorizing the information. I told Josh Stein and you’d think he’d won the lottery.”

“A great ending to a really miserable case,” Lucy said.

“I need to check on my prisoner. See you on Monday.”

Sean frowned. “I thought you gave her four days off.”

“The four days before she reports to the Academy. We need all hands next week going through the mountains of evidence and paperwork.”

“I’ll be there,” Lucy said.

Noah went into the hospital, and Sean put his arm around Lucy. “Now can we go get our cat and sit in the hot tub?”

He steered her toward his car and grandly opened the passenger door for her. She slid into the leather seat and closed her eyes.

A week of paperwork followed by four days alone with Sean. She finally admitted to herself that she needed the time away.

Sean got into the driver’s seat and Lucy asked, “Where do you want to go on our vacation?”

“I hesitate to call it that, considering how our last vacation turned out.” He turned the ignition. “How about a cottage up in Cape Cod?”

“Massachusetts? That’s kind of far.”

“Not by plane. I got word this morning that my Cessna is ready. I’m picking her up on Monday. While you’ll be neck deep in paperwork, I’ll be flying over the Adirondacks.”

“You know what? After being shot down in that plane, I’ll take the paperwork instead.”