No Good Deed (22 page)

Sean hadn’t been part of the rescue operation, he’d stayed with the plane for three days waiting for Kane to show up with the hostages. Kane had stayed behind. Later, Sean learned he’d rescued the boys who’d been pressed into fieldwork for the cartels, then reunited them with their families which he also relocated so the cartel couldn’t find them. The patriarch of the family had been murdered in front of his sons when he refused to cooperate. Sean suspected Kane had done more than rescue the large extended family, but he’d never asked and Kane had never spoken of it.

“This isn’t my fault,” she said.

“No one thinks it is.”

“Kane does. He’s so … frustrating. I was on vacation. I spent three months in the outskirts of Oaxaca. It was … tough.” She didn’t say anything else. Sean could imagine the conditions down there.

“I look forward to seeing your spread.”

She smiled. “Thanks—it’s going to be good. The sisters need some positive PR, they’ve lost nearly half of their donations, but the need is even greater. The sucky economy really messes with charitable giving. I’m hoping this piece will help turn it around.”

“I’m sure it will. So why were you in Santiago?”

“I needed a break. I heard about a great little spa there and I like going to new places. I’d never been there before, other than passing through. Someone was following me, almost from the minute I arrived.”

“Who knew you were going to be there?”

She shrugged. “Andie, of course. The sisters. I didn’t keep it a secret.”

“Can I see your phone?”

She frowned, then handed it to Sean. “Blitz told me to turn it off.”

“Smart.” Sean turned it on, but immediately disabled the cellular service. Then he hacked into the operating system. No one had hacked her GPS. Then he went into the emails and there it was. Simple.

“You found something,” Siobhan said.

“Very old school, which is why it works. There’s a bcc on every email you send. It’s going to a blind account. I might be able to trace it.”

“Are you serious? Someone is reading
all
my emails?”

“Where were you on Friday morning? Around ten a.m.?”

“Friday? That’s when I left Oaxaca. The airport. Or the plane. The Xoxocotlán International Airport.”

“Don’t use this phone for email. It’s not bugged, you can call your sister.”

“Can’t you disable it?”

“Yes—but I don’t know that I want to.” He glanced at Padre. “I’ll only have one shot—they may not have thought to disable the blind account, and I can trace it, but I don’t have the time to do it now. Padre, if anything happens, call Patrick Kincaid. He’ll know what to do.”

Blitz said, “We need to go, if we want to land before noon.”

Siobhan said, “Be careful.”

Sean winked at her. “Always.” He glanced at Padre, and the priest nodded. Padre would keep an eye on Siobhan until they figured out if she was still in danger.

The other new guy, Dyson, drove them back to the plane. “I should go with you,” he said.

Blitz said, “We need two people on Siobhan until we get back. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Knock it off with the sir. I haven’t been in the army in fifteen years.” He tossed Sean one of the bags. “Let’s get your brother, Little Rogan.”

Through clenched teeth Sean said, “Don’t call me that.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lucy and Hans had to wait more than fifteen minutes before the guard returned to tell them Elise Hansen was ready to talk to them. He led the way through the maze of corridors. “I was required to notify her psychiatrist,” the guard said. “Dr. Oakley is not in yet, but I left a message.” The guard paused, then said softly, “I’m not supposed to let anyone speak to Hansen without Dr. Oakley’s approval.”

“That’s new,” Lucy said. And odd. Her attorney, maybe—but she’d already put in the record that she wasn’t here to discuss Elise’s case.

“You think she knows something about the escape yesterday.”

“Possibly, but—”

“I knew one of the guards who was killed. And between you and me, her shrink won’t let you talk to her. Dr. Oakley thinks you could damage her psyche.” He rolled his eyes. “But there’s nothing in the official file prohibiting you from seeing her.”

“She’s a piece of work,” he added. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Piece of work
pretty much summed up Elise Hansen.

Lucy recognized that they were walking a fine line. While she technically had clearance to talk to Elise, there could be an issue because Elise was under psychiatric observation.

The guard said, “Ms. Hansen is in the interview room. I’ll be right outside.”

“I’ll be observing,” Hans said.

The guard opened the door to a small observation room that adjoined the interview room. “Dr. Vigo, you can use this room. You’ll be able to watch and listen. A recording is made of all interviews with psychiatric hold inmates, though they’re restricted without a warrant.”

“Thank you,” Hans said. “I’d like a moment alone with Agent Kincaid.”

“Watch yourself with her,” the guard said to Lucy and stepped into the hall.

Lucy wondered what the guard knew—or suspected.

Lucy looked through the one-way mirror. Elise sat at the table, her left arm restrained to a bar in front of her. Her right arm was still in a sling from when she’d been shot two weeks ago, and her forearm was in a cast. If Lucy was right, then Elise had set the whole thing up. Elise had tried to get Lucy killed. She hadn’t planned the attack, but she’d played her part perfectly.

“Are you ready?” Hans asked her.

“Hans—I know what you’re thinking, but I’m fine. I can handle her.”

He nodded. “It’s harder when you’re dealing with a true sociopath. You have great compassion, Lucy.”

She didn’t see that. Sometimes, she felt as cold as Elise Hansen. Emotionless. Yet, it broke her heart that she didn’t believe a sixteen-year-old was redeemable. She’d always believed that criminals were more a product of their environment than of birth. She couldn’t believe that God would be so cruel as to predispose an innocent young baby to grow into a psychopathic killer. She and her older brother Dillon had argued about it many times.

“Some people are born evil,” Dillon had said. “They know what they’re doing is wrong and they do it anyway without any remorse.”

Looking into Elise’s eyes, Lucy knew without a doubt that she had been born bad and she’d grown up in an environment that encouraged her natural—her
sociopathic
—tendencies. She had no remorse and more, she enjoyed every minute of her life.

“I’m okay, Hans. I know exactly who she is.”

Lucy stepped out. The guard at the door told her the rules—don’t give the prisoner anything, don’t take anything from her, don’t touch her.

Lucy hesitated, just a minute, to mentally shield herself from whatever games Elise wanted to play. She had to remember that Elise would exploit any weakness she saw.

“I get a trial by jury. My brother and I always win.”

When Elise said that two weeks ago, it had unnerved Lucy and she hadn’t been able to hide her reaction. Lucy couldn’t let Elise know if she hit another sensitive spot.

Her face impassive, with just a touch of disdain, Lucy entered the interview room.

“Elise Hansen,” she said with a small smile. She sat down across from the teenager and made a point of looking her over and nodding. “You look well.”

She looked much younger without all the makeup. Her bleached-blond hair had started to grow out, revealing dark-blond roots. She looked almost innocent.

This girl didn’t have an innocent bone in her body.

“So do you,” Elise said with a half smile. “I knew you’d be back, Agent Kincaid. Lucy, right? Lucy Kincaid.” She had a sparkle in her eye. She was already enjoying the conversation, in the
I have a secret you don’t
kind of way. “Where’s my lawyer?”

“I’m not here about your case. I have some questions relating to another matter and was hoping you’d answer them.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Elise shrugged. Curiosity shone in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to ask. It was a game, Lucy reminded herself. A game Lucy would have to play if she wanted to get anything useful from Elise.

“There’s really nothing in it for me to help you, is there?”

“I didn’t say I wanted your help. But if you’d like to think of it as helping me, that’s fine.”

Elise leaned forward and spoke very softly. “You know I’m getting out tomorrow.”

“Maybe you will,” Lucy said openly and without anger.

Elise glanced at Lucy’s hands. “You didn’t have that ring on last time you were here. So you’re getting married.”

Lucy mentally hit herself that she hadn’t taken off her engagement ring. Though why would it matter? What could Elise do with the information? Why was Lucy fearful that she knew?

Because, Lucy thought, any personal information Elise had could be used against her.

“I wanted to share some information,” Lucy said, ignoring the comment about her ring.

Elise grinned. “Really? Out of the kindness of your heart? You think I’m that naive?”

“I don’t think you’re naive at all, Elise.”

“So spill.”

“Tobias helped a former DEA agent escape from custody yesterday,” Lucy said.

“Huh.” No other reaction. Not even curiosity. “What’s it to me?”

“Why not you?”

“Me?”

“He left you here.”

She laughed. “I’m not going to be here much longer. I’m getting out tomorrow.”

“Maybe.”

“Definitely.”

“Do you know Nicole Rollins?”

There was a sparkle in her eye. She
wanted
Lucy to know that she knew Nicole. “Nicole
who
?”

Lucy said quietly, “You know exactly who I’m talking about. She works with Tobias. In fact, I think she’s in charge of the entire operation and your brother—if Tobias really is your brother—works for her.”

Elise smiled. “Girls
are
smarter than boys. Most of them, anyway.”

Lucy didn’t say anything. She watched Elise, waiting for her to continue.

Elise didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. She stared back at Lucy, not intimidated in the least. Lucy didn’t expect her to be and let the silence hang.

Lucy was very good at the cold facade. She could sit here all day. And she’d given Elise enough to make her curious. If Elise wasn’t curious, she, too, would have sat there and stared all day. But curiosity … it might be Elise’s only weakness.

Elise spoke first, her lips curved into a half-smile.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last two weeks, Agent Kincaid. I learned that my behavior is a result of abuse I suffered as a child. Abuse I barely remember. I learned that I sell my body as a way to gain the love and affection I never had as a little girl. There’s hope for me, Lucy.”

She was lying. Sitting there regurgitating whatever her shrink had told her. She didn’t believe a word of it, but there was no doubt that she could play the role for a judge and jury.

“Elise, you’re not getting out. You’ll be locked up for a long, long time.”

Elise leaned forward and dipped her head slightly, so her hair fell in front of her face. She whispered so quietly that Lucy doubted the recording could pick up the words, though Lucy heard them very clearly. “You are wrong, Lucy. Very, very wrong.”

Then tears slipped out of her eyes, completely unexpectedly, and for a split second Lucy was surprised. She had interviewed suspects who could fake emotion, who could force themselves to cry, but not so spontaneously.

“Why would you say that to me?” Elise said.

“What do you think I said?”

“That you want to lock me away forever and ever.”

“I didn’t say that, Elise.” She kept her voice calm, reminding herself that Elise was acting for the camera.

“You hate me. Why are you so mean?” Her voice rose. “What did I ever do to you?”

Voices outside the door distracted Lucy, and then the door opened.

Dr. Barbara Oakley stormed in. “Agent Kincaid! I did not give you permission to speak with my patient.”

“She has information regarding an ongoing investigation.”

Oakley walked over to Elise and squatted next to her. “Elise, I’m going to take you back to your room, okay?”

Elise sobbed and nodded. “I’m sorry, Dr. Oakley. I wanted to help, really, b-b-but I don’t know what she wants from me! I don’t want to be locked up. I don’t want to die in jail. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong!”

Her voice was pained, in anguish, a complete reversal from five minutes ago. Certainly, when Lucy showed Dr. Oakley the recording, she’d see that Elise was manipulating her and the system.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Elise. This is not your fault. We’ll talk about this later.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Elise repeated.

Dr. Oakley ordered the guard to unlock the restraints and take Elise to her office. As soon as Elise left, Oakley turned to Lucy. “I’m filing a complaint with your superiors.”

“That was an act,” Lucy said. “She’s manipulating you.”

Oakley stared at Lucy, her eyes wide and full of rage. “I’ve been a psychiatrist for longer than you’ve been alive, and have worked with juvenile criminals for the past decade. You have no idea what Elise Hansen has suffered. Yes, she’s manipulative. She’s had to be in order to survive. Do you even understand what girls like Elise have lived through? The abuse, the rapes, the complete devaluing as a human being? I’ve worked daily, for two weeks, to get her to open up to me, and we’ve made great progress based on mutual trust and understanding. You set us back. She’s terrified of being locked up.”

“That girl is scared of nothing,” Lucy snapped.

Hans Vigo walked in and said, “Dr. Oakley, I’m Dr. Hans Vigo with the FBI.”

“And you’re responsible for this? Who do you think you are? Have you ever worked with abused children? I’ll be taking this up with your superior as well, Dr. Vigo. Let me make this perfectly clear: Elise Hansen is under my care, as a patient and as a ward of the court. Neither of you is allowed to speak with her again unless both myself and her lawyer are present. Your actions show complete disdain for the plight of victims and is on its face a gross abuse of power.”