Lauren (23 page)

Back in the 53rd Precinct, Jack was going over the VI-CAP cases, when he came across a murder in Ridgeburgh from four years ago. He was shocked, when it turned out to be a woman by the name of Sarah Tennellie. As he further investigated, he realized it was Eddie's wife who was the victim, and that her killer was never found. There was a semi-partial print at the scene, but no match in the system, until now. As Jack researched the case more deeply, it became apparent Ben Silver was responsible for the murder of Sarah Tennellie.

Jack got ready to question Salina, when Tom appeared by his desk. He gave the new information to Tom, who was just as shocked.

"Holy shit. I had no idea his wife was murdered. Do you think Lauren knows?"

"I don't know, but it looks like Silver is the one responsible for murdering Eddie's wife."

Tom looked over the case file, and all the notes from the investigating detectives.

"It states that she was raped and murdered. Why didn't he act out his fantasies, like with the others?” Jack said, as Tom continued to read.

"This happened four years ago. It was probably his first kill. Maybe he needed the time to come up with a better plan. Maybe the husband coming home, or something, freaked him and made him rush. Who knows."

"Or, maybe he was satisfied with knowing that he killed a top cop's wife, and got away with it. Tennellie has quite the reputation, you know, and Silver, I'm sure, is like most organized offenders. He wants to cause upset, chaos, and confusion. His first kill, and he got away with it. The victim's husband is a detective, no less, and even he can't catch his wife's killer. That success gave him the confidence he needed."

"We have to call Lauren. We need to tell her about this, and we need to tell Tennellie,” Jack said.

"Maybe we should have his partner do it."

"Whatever you think, Tom. I'll call Lauren."

"I'll call Eddie,” Tom said.

Interrogation Room Three

"We got your ass on multiple counts, Salina. We're talking ten years minimum,” Jack said, as he questioned her.

"What do you want from me? I didn't do shit.” Salina gave him a wicked look.

He wanted to beat it out of the low-life, trash bimbo, but he knew that wouldn't help him find Silver any faster. He needed to be patient. This was their only hope.

"Let's not play this game, Salina. You know the drill. You've been busted before. This time, you were dealing on the same block as an elementary school. You ran from a police detective, resisted arrest, and attempted an assault on a detective. I'd say you're up shit creek."

Salina rolled her eyes, but Jack could tell she was thinking about what he'd said.

"What the hell was that detective doing there, anyway? That's entrapment, man. She was just waiting for me."

"The funny thing is, Salina, Detective Phelps was actually looking for you, to ask you a few questions, in regards to a case we're working on. Now, if you were to cooperate and give us some concrete information, then maybe we can call the D.A., discuss a better deal with these charges."

"What is it you want to know?"

"Everything about Ben Silver."

"Ben Silver. That sicko? What did he do, now?"

Jack wasn't surprised an individual like Salina didn't keep up with the news, or current events. Maybe, this was a good thing. Sometimes, even the toughest people froze when it came to murder.

"What do you know about the little fetish he has with the fifties and sixties?"

"Damn, man. Is that guy still into that funky shit? I hated that era. It sucked."

"So, you played along with some of his games? You know a bit about him personally?"

Tom McNulty, the commander, and the chief, were listening in behind the two-way mirror.

"He was the worst lay I ever had. He made me dress up in these funky poodle skirts, wear those silly cheerleading shoes, with the fuzzy balls on them, and then we danced to this ridiculous song. After he tied me up, he would boss me around and smack me a little. I wasn't into that, but he was really into it. When it came to screwing, he was the worst. I swear that guy liked the whole dress up part more than anything. He was weird.” Salina made a circular motion with her finger, against the side of her head.

"How long ago did this happen between you two?"

"Shit, man, not lately. I mean he's hot—a good-looking guy with a great body—but this was over a year ago. He took me out on a date, and we started talking about bondage and shit, and the next thing I knew I was in his truck, driving up north, somewhere in the woods."

Jack tried to remain calm. Salina was talking like a canary, and he didn't want to lose it, now. The place Ben had taken her to, over a year ago, could still exist.

"Up north, huh? Any idea where?"

"Shit, honey, I'm a city girl. I'm not into that hillbilly shit. But, his place was tucked away nice, and it was filled with lots of toys in the basement.” Salina crossed her legs, and winked at Jack.

"Toys? What kind of toys?"

"Sex toys, cutie. You know. Handcuffs, whips, and restraints of all kinds. He even had dolls with pierced boobs and everything. It was sick.” She laughed.

"About how far up north, out of the city, did you go? Do you remember any signs?"

"How the fuck would I remember? This was over a year ago, and I wanted to forget that night, and Ben."

"If you saw the place, would you recognize it?"

"Maybe. It was during the day when we went."

Tom McNulty came to the door, holding a map. “If I say some of these names, do you think you can tell me if they sound familiar? We need to find this location."

Salina winked at him, held her fingers against her temple, and leaned her head back. “I remember a parkway, and the development that his house was in."

"I thought you said his place was private, in the woods?” Jack said.

"The house itself was, but you had to drive through a small group of nice houses first, and there was a dead end sign in the cul-de-sac. I thought he made a wrong turn, until he headed down a narrow little driveway. The house was at the bottom of the hill."

[Back to Table of Contents]

It was late afternoon, and Lauren was tired, but she stayed at the hospital a bit longer, waiting for word on Lizzy. Jack called her to give her an update on the evidence found at her house. Then, he hit her with the worst news possible.

"Are you sure Ben Silver killed Eddie's wife?” Just saying it made her stomach feel queasy.

"The prints match, and there are a few more small connections, like a description of a strange vehicle in the neighborhood, the night of the murder. Also, similar descriptions of the same vehicle were seen the day before the murder. At the hospital she worked at, as well. I'm sorry, Lauren."

She took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with tears. This information was sure to send Eddie over the edge. He was already giving her a hard time, wanting her to stay with him, until the case was through and they found Silver. She knew once he found out about the connection, he would revisit his past. That was sure to send him on a rollercoaster of emotions.

"Who told Eddie?” she said.

"Tom called him. He was shocked, to say the least. His partner was with him, though, and the chief of police knows, too. We don't want this leaking to the press right now. They're already beating us up."

"I hear you. I'd better call Eddie. Then, I'll head to the precinct. I want to try and be there before you finish questioning Salina. I'm glad the D.A. is working with us."

"Me, too."

They were both silent a moment. “And, Lauren, be careful when you speak with Eddie. He's a man who lost his wife to murder. The fact that he has ... feelings for you could lead him to be..."

She sensed Jack's uneasiness about the situation, and she knew he was concerned for her safety, as well. The last thing he would do was act overprotective of her. He knew it would piss her off.

"Jack, it's all right. I know what you're trying to say, and I'll be gentle with him. I can only imagine the effect this information had on him. In fact, I can see the argument coming already."

"I'm worried about you too, Lauren. I know you're blaming yourself for Lizzy's abduction."

"Jack, please. Let's not even go there. You damn well know that you would blame yourself, if you were in my shoes. You also know that I can take care of myself."

Jack was silent. Lauren waited for his response.

"Okay, Lauren. I'm not going to fight with you. Just be safe, and give Eddie my best."

"I will, Jack, and thanks."

Lauren hung up, and before she could flip her phone back open, it rang.

"Lauren, I want you to leave that hospital and head to my place now,” Eddie demanded, in a stern voice.

She knew this would be a possible reaction. She needed to remain calm, to settle Eddie down. This had to be a real nightmare for him.

"I heard, Eddie, and I'm so sorry—"

"Lauren! Get here now!"

Tears stung her eyes. Poor Eddie. She wished he were with her, and she could console him, but that wasn't the case. She had an interrogation to do, and her place was here, in the city.

"You know I can't leave."

"You have to leave. Silver wants you."

"You don't know that, Eddie. He's trying to scare us, to throw us off."

"Well, you should be scared. You should be damn scared. He's a ruthless killer, and he's gonna go after you next. I won't stand by and let this happen again!"

"I have a job to do, Tennellie,” Lauren yelled back at him, then took a deep breath. Eddie was suffering now, and she cared too much about him to fight with him like this.

"God damn it, Lauren. Please, just do this for me?"

The tears escaped her. Wiping them away, with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath. She debated going to Eddie, or staying right here, where she felt she needed to be. This was her job, her profession. The battle went on within her.

"I know you're worried, Eddie. I'm sure this news has brought back some bad memories and it hurts, but I'm not Sarah."

"Lauren.” She heard the intake of breath, and the angry tone of his voice.

"This is my case. I need to stay on the front lines. Now, I'm staying here a bit longer. Then, I'll be back at the precinct with Jack and Tom. I'm sorry, Eddie. I'm sorry that you have to go through this..."

The line went dead. At first, Lauren thought maybe Eddie hung up on her, but then she looked at the battery sign on the phone. There was no more power.

"Shit!” She closed up the phone.

The hospital stayed crowded, as Lauren sat in the waiting area, along with other officers and the Lopez family. She looked down at her cell phone. She wanted to call Eddie back, but the thought of a continued argument didn't appeal to her.

There was no change in Lizzy's condition, and Lauren felt she'd be more useful at the station, despite her feelings of guilt. She knew she had another battle at home, and decided to take a quick ride that way, to see how badly the mess in her house was. She'd freshen up, then head back to the precinct, as planned.

She told Johnston where she was headed, and that she'd be back later.

She pulled the unmarked police car in front of the house, parked on the street, and walked up the driveway.

When she entered, she was relieved the house wasn't as messy as she'd expected. She looked forward to cleaning it later. It would keep the case off her mind.

By habit, she walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Only one bottle remained. She grabbed it, and when she went to twist the cap off, she noticed it was broken. Her heart started pounding. She thought she heard something in the hallway.

Quickly, she drew her weapon, and felt the unsettling sensation of fear.

Ben Silver entered her mind. Looking at the bottle of water, her gut instinct controlled her next move, and she dumped half the water bottle down the drain. Then, she walked toward the hallway, with her gun drawn.

There was no one in sight. She convinced herself that the sound she heard was only in her imagination. Waiting a moment, to be certain she was alone in her home, she absorbed the quiet sounds. There was the humming of the refrigerator, the rattling of the air conditioning unit outside the window, and the slow
ticking
of the grandfather clock, sitting in the hallway. With each
tick
of the pendulum, she almost withdrew her weapon. When no one appeared to be around, she turned, and headed back toward the kitchen.

She only had a second to react, as the large figure tackled her, pushing her against the wall. The hit was hard, her shoulder throbbed, and Lauren reached for her gun. Pulling it from the holster, she fired one shot, just grazing Silver's side.

He hit her full force. They wrestled to the floor. Lauren swung her fists, and made contact with Ben Silver's face, numerous times. Struggling to get to her feet, she turned her back to him, and kicked him in the stomach, as she grabbed fistfuls of carpeting.

As she neared the garage door, she reached for her gun.

Ben grabbed for the gun, too. He snatched it first, and used it to hit her in the head.

She collapsed to the floor. She tried to recover, as the blood dripped from the head wound, and into her eyes. The pain radiated through her neck and shoulders, as she endured the numerous blows Ben continued to inflict on her body.

Her ribs ached, and her stomach muscles clenched, as she held herself around the waist, spitting up blood, falling into the fetal position on the floor.

Silver dragged her by her hair, down the rest of the hallway, and to the door that led to the garage. She kicked her legs and tried to fight, despite the fact her head throbbed, and she couldn't see.

Quickly, he tied her hands and legs with rope.

Lauren tried to regain her strength, but her head was fuzzy. The phone started ringing, in the kitchen. She prayed that someone was coming.

Silver picked her up, and carried her into the garage. Her personal car, a black Grand Am, sat there. Silver opened the trunk and dropped her inside, despite her continuous effort to kick and squirm. She tried to pull herself up out of the trunk. The move was intervened by his fist: a right hook to her jaw. He closed the trunk, and got behind the wheel of her car.