Suffer (16 page)

30

KATE LEANED BACK INTO THE couch and honored his request. She held nothing back. Grey couldn’t help but be impressed with her methodical attention to every detail, but he also was taken aback by the cold and expressionless conversation.

Everything she was saying made perfect sense, but she sounded eerily similar to the numerous predators and serial killers he had interviewed while with the FBI. What concerned Grey the most was her seamless transition from talking about how to capture the monster to killing him. There was no hesitation or second thoughts. She was committed, and there was no doubt in Grey’s mind she would follow through to the end.

The group stayed together until early afternoon when Kate excused herself to begin her rehab. She no longer needed any assistance to stand from a sitting position. She carried the cane instead of leaning on it. In a final show of her accelerated recovery and determination, she made her way up the stairs in half the time it took a week before.

Grey walked away from the team without speaking and made his way to the pool. Chief followed him and brought the bottle. He asked that Abby and Evan give him a few minutes before joining them.

“You’re gonna need this,” said Chief, handing him a glass.

“Thanks, buddy.”

“You know, I can’t figure out what’s pissing you off more,” said Chief, dropping into the water. “The fact her plan is rock solid or that she’s really the one in control of everything.”

“Neither one pisses me off, Chief. It’s the cavalier approach everyone else is taking. None of them has any idea what’s coming. None of them knows what it feels like to take a life, regardless if that life needs taking. They look at me like I’m some kind of bureaucrat trying to take the diplomatic approach to all this.”

“Nah,” said Chief, “they just think you’re being a pussy.”

“You’ve always had a way with words.”

“I don’t believe in using them to tap dance, but notice I didn’t say you were a pussy. They just think you’re acting like one.”

“And what do you think, Chief? Am I completely off the mark trying to protect them? You know what’s out there and what he’s capable of doing. They’re playing a game right now, but when the shit hits the fan, all that changes. It becomes real and it becomes dangerous.”

“Well, first of all, you know I don’t think you’re a pussy,” said Chief after taking down the drink like it was a shot. “And second, you’re not off the mark trying to protect them. But you’re way off thinking Kate is playing a game and doesn’t know what he’s capable of.”

“You’re onboard with what she wants to do and involving Abby and Evan?” asked Grey, refilling Chief’s glass.

“You’re damn right I’m onboard,” answered Chief. “As far as Abby and Evan, they’re involved whether you like it or not. I’d rather have them here than worrying about them out there.”

“Do you mind if I ask you why?”

“When did you get so polite?” asked Chief with a grin.

“Seriously, Chief, why are you here? Why are you willing to risk so much for her? And I’m not being a dick. I really wanna know.”

Chief took another long drink and then dunked himself in the water. When he came up for air, he finished off the glass. “Because I’ve had enough.”

“Whiskey?”

“No, asshole,” said Chief. “I’ve had enough of the system I’ve worked in for the past forty years. Or should I say have been held down by for the past forty years. How many times have you sat in a courtroom and listened to the bullshit spewed by a slick defense attorney for a scumbag? Then that same scumbag walks out of the courtroom a few hours later a free man.”

“Too often,” answered Grey.

“And they don’t walk because they’re innocent. They walk because their lawyer was smarter than the prosecutor. Or some rookie detective screwed up on the verbiage of a warrant. And don’t get me started on the whole jury of my peers crap. Most of them are just pissed they got selected and want the damn trial over with as soon as possible. That’s just the beginning of what’s wrong with the system.

“The bottom line is, I have the chance to put my hands on one evil sonofabitch and make his punishment fit the crime. The way it should be done. Even if we did turn him in and he got a death sentence, he’s automatically scheduled for appeals. The taxpayers will fund every one of them, and he’ll grow old on death row. They’ll probably do away with the death penalty altogether by the time he’s scheduled to fry. I’m not willing to take that chance with this guy. I want him dead now. So should you.”

“I do want him dead,” said Grey. “Believe it or not, I wanna be the guy pulling the trigger. But you still haven’t answered my question. Why her?”

“I’ll be honest with you,” said Chief. “I don’t know exactly why. It could be because of what I saw in that house with my own two eyes. It could be because I see how hard she fights. Maybe I’m just getting tired of watching bad people hurt good ones and then getting away with it. Maybe I’m just getting old and want a shot at taking some of that hurt and giving it back. Whatever the reason, I’m all in.”

“So am I, Chief,” said Grey, handing him the empty bottle. “How about going all in and bringing out another bottle?”

As soon as he asked, Abby and Evan strolled onto the pool deck with more supplies. Evan had a grin from ear to ear walking behind her. He almost bumped into her when she stopped.

“I’m really starting to love my job,” said Chief, looking up at Abby. “And it’s mainly because of that uniform. Are you trying to give an old man a heart attack?”

“You’re not old, and yes, I’m trying to give you a heart attack,” said Abby. “Would you like me to go back inside and put on a sweater?”

“No, ma’am. I don’t want you to change a thing.”

Evan dropped his towel and performed a perfect cannonball two feet from Grey. Abby didn’t flinch as she was doused with water. He popped up laughing, but was met with three pairs of disapproving eyes.

“What are you?” asked Abby. “Seven? We came out here to have a serious conversation and you do that. Brilliant.”

“Oh, come on,” said Evan. “All we do is have serious conversations. Excuse me for trying to lighten the mood around here.”

“Tell a joke next time, son,” said Chief. “You’ll look less like an idiot.”

“Whatever.”

Abby gracefully dove in and surfaced between Chief and Grey. “I still want to have that conversation.”

“By all means,” said Grey.

“And I want it to be the last time we have it,” said Abby, changing the mood. Evan stopped smiling as well and joined the group. Grey sensed a united front.

“My sophomore year at Boston College, my roommate was raped and beaten.” Her opening statement grabbed their attention. “The police found the three men responsible and they were arrested. Of course, their lawyer made them plead not guilty and it went to trial.

“At first, she didn’t want to testify. Even three months after the attack, she was still so afraid of them she didn’t want to be in the same room. But I helped convince her it was the only way to put them behind bars. It was one of the worst mistakes of my life.”

“What happened?” asked Evan.

“They tore her life apart,” said Abby. “The defense attorney painted a picture for the jury that Ann was nothing short of a slut. They brought witnesses that said she was flirting with all of them at a party. They even dug up a girl she fooled around with two years earlier to show that she was some kind of sexual deviant. But the kicker was showing the jury naked pictures she sent from her phone along with a sex video she made with an old boyfriend.

“Then she had to listen to each one of the attackers lie about how she enticed all of them to have sex with her. They told the jury she was drunk and wanted to do something wild. They said she told them she wanted it rough and to tie her up. She had a broken nose, three cracked ribs, and was covered with bruises.

“By the time she took the stand, she was a trembling mess. She had to tell the jury, which was nearly all men, every detail of the attack and what they did to her. She had to relive the moment over again with the three suspects twenty feet away glaring at her. The defense attorney chewed her up and spit her out. He confused her and twisted her words to the point she just hung her head and started crying. All of that happened in front of her father, mother, and most of her friends.”

“Don’t tell me they walked,” said Evan, shaking his head.

“All three,” said Abby. “The judge declared it a mistrial because of a hung jury. One out of the twelve prevented a guilty verdict. We found out later that juror had been prosecuted when he was younger for sexual battery on a minor. Somehow that little fact slipped through the jury screening process, but it didn’t matter. She was found dead six weeks later.”

“They killed her?” asked Evan with a pained look.

“Drug overdose,” said Abby. “I don’t know if it was her or them, but I do know, if she hadn’t listened to all of us telling her to trust the system, she’d be alive today.”

“Sound familiar?” asked Chief, looking at Grey. “How many of those stories are out there?”

“Nobody here needs to convince me that the system is flawed,” said Grey. “So all of you can stop with the horror stories about why you’re here. I’m sorry about your roommate, Abby. Paul told me about it right after it happened.”

“Is this where you tell us again that we don’t understand?” asked Abby, raising her voice and trying to stand taller in the water. “That we’re too naïve and have to believe the system will work for us this time? Christ, Grey, you really –”

“Enough,” said Grey, standing much taller than Abby. “The part you don’t understand is that I’m trying to protect you; all of you. My only mistake is not realizing you don’t want to be protected – you want blood. This may blow your mind, Abby,” said Grey, drifting closer to her. “But I want it more than you can ever imagine.”

“Here comes the pain,” said Chief, drifting backward. Evan tried to do the same, but without taking his eyes off Abby, Grey reached over, grabbed Evan by the arm, and pulled him back.

“I’m done trying to protect,” said Grey. Abby and Evan’s eyes grew wider as the veins in his neck began to bulge against his reddening skin.  “You want blood? The Chief and I are gonna get it for you, but you’re gonna follow my rules, not Kate’s. You’re gonna follow every order we give you without question. If you feel like testing me, ask one; it’ll be your last. You move, stop, and speak when we tell you. No exceptions. We’re going to need your help, but we’ll ask for it. Don’t offer.”

Abby and Evan looked at each other and then back at Grey, waiting for him to say something else before they dared to speak. It was a side of him neither one of them had experienced. In an instant, he went from friend to boss.

“When I glide away and have another drink with Chief, you two are still gonna be standing here. You’ll be looking in each other’s cute little faces with your wide eyes and open mouths trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. Well, let me make it crystal clear for the both of you. You just got what you wanted.”

They looked up at the strange man towering above them. The bulging veins subsided and the natural tone returned to his face. Grey was waiting for them to speak, but instead received a chuckle from Evan.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?” asked Grey through clenched teeth.

“You just called me cute, bro.”

31

GREY GLIDED OVER TO CHIEF, who had a drink waiting for him. As predicted, Abby and Even were still standing in the middle of the shallow end looking at each other, but they were both trying to hide smiles instead of trying to figure out what just happened.

“We’re working with children,” said Grey, accepting the glass. “You do know that, right?”

“It would be kind of creepy thinking of Abby as a child, but Evan is definitely yours,” answered Chief, raising his glass. “To our children!”

“Okay, now you’ve both lost your minds,” said Abby, making her way to the stairs. “I’m going to check on Kate. I’ll be back in a bit.”

She knew all three would be watching as she left the water. She stopped on the last stair and quickly turned her head, catching all three staring. “Shame on all of you for staring at a child.”

Evan made his way back to Chief and Grey. “I will never grow tired of watching her get out of the pool.”

“Easy, tiger,” said Chief. “She’s a teammate now. Besides, after Grey’s little speech, you don’t stand a chance.”

“Excuse me?” said Grey.

“Oh, come on now. You know women are attracted to men who take charge,” explained Chief. “You just took charge, my friend. I must say it was a nice speech.”

“Speech or no speech, he’s twenty years older than her, and she still thinks he’s an ass,” said Evan. “I like my chances.”

“Can we talk about something else?” pleaded Grey. “And for the record, I’m nine years older than her.”

Evan and Chief looked at each other and smiled. “Okay, let’s fill Evan in on what we know about Mr. Ronnie Perkins.”

“Much better,” said Grey.

“He and Paul were tight,” said Chief. “They started with basically nothing and grew it into a multimillion dollar company.”

“You mean Paul grew it,” said Evan, correcting Chief. “I remember him telling me Ronnie was a bit lazy and didn’t like doing the tedious work. He said he had great ideas, but had no clue how to make them a reality.”

“Very good points, Evan,” said Chief. “You mind if I finish?”

“Sorry, Chief,” said Evan. “I’m just not sure how much you know about them.”

“Kate helped me fill in the blanks,” said Chief, approving of Evan’s enthusiasm. “She suspected him for a while, and you’re right, he was lazy. Very intelligent, but lazy. Kate said it was the only time she and Paul ever had any marital problems.”

“Really,” said Evan. “I never would’ve guessed. They were the perfect couple since their first date.”

“Her complaint was that he was spending nearly sixteen hours, seven days a week at the restaurant, while his partner was there for less than eight and took the weekends off,” continued Chief. “I think it irritated her seeing her husband work so hard, but then watching Ronnie enjoy the fruits of his labor. Paul didn’t think he could do it without him, though. I suspect Ronnie knew that as well. When he did show up for work, he was good. No denying that.”

“So how did Paul end up the millionaire and Ronnie a regional manager?” asked Evan.

“That’s where the motive starts to grow,” answered Chief. “After two years, Paul separated himself a bit from Ronnie and came up with his own concept for a restaurant. Ronnie didn’t think it would go anywhere. That didn’t matter because Ronnie had zero capital to invest. It was all Paul and Kate.

“Paul handed the keys to the first business over to Ronnie and put all his energy into the new concept. A year later, Paul’s restaurant became one of the most popular hot spots on South Beach. Six months after that, he opened the second store, and that one took off as well. The rest is history.”

“If Ronnie had nothing to do with the second business, how does he stand to make money off the sale?” asked Evan.

“Very good question,” said Chief, patting Evan on the shoulder. “Ronnie’s business started to tank. Paul offered to buy him out for more than it was worth. He then offered him a job with his new company. Kate said he felt a personal obligation since they started the dream together. It allowed Ronnie to get out of debt, but he was working
for
Paul and not
with
him.

“And to Ronnie’s credit, he worked his ass off. He had to start at the bottom just like every other manager in Paul’s company. He washed dishes, cooked food, took orders, and even cleaned a bathroom or two. After six months of that, he became the general manager of the flagship South Beach store. A year later, he took over as regional manager in South Florida. In Paul’s eyes, he was becoming the partner he wanted when they first started. He was very impressed with him, and so was Kate.”

“Then why hire someone to kill them?” asked Evan.

“Because he’s up to his neck in gambling debt,” said Chief, “to the tune of about $150,000. That’s the connection we found in the financial and travel records given to us by our friend Carlos at the Bureau. Ronnie makes about $220,000 a year, but he blows twice that amount when he takes his trips to casinos around the country. Right now, his bank statement shows a balance of under $1,500.”

“Who does he owe the $150,000?”

“Another great question, Evan. You’re pretty good at this.”

“I can’t tell if you’re messing with me, but I’ll say thank you anyway.”

Grey smiled as Chief continued. “Carlos reached out to a few confidential informants who gave up the name Alfonso Bernard Perez, or Little Al. It’s a bit of play on words since he weighs a dainty three hundred and fifty pounds. He’s a loan shark and all around piece of shit. He’s holding Ronnie’s marker.”

“How much is he going to make from the sale?”

“A cool two and-a-half million,” answered Grey. “That’s what we call a motive.”

“If Paul didn’t sell, he’s still on the hook to pay back Little Al,” said Evan. “I’m guessing Al’s not a nice guy.”

“You’d be correct,” said Chief. “He’s got a reputation for sending leg breakers if anyone is a day late, but Little Al isn’t the boss. He’s just a cog in the wheel. Carlos has a few ideas on who’s running the show.”

“Look, I get that two million is enough to motivate someone to extremes, but it doesn’t make sense to me that they’d kill Paul’s family to make him sell,” said Evan. “That seems almost too extreme, doesn’t it?”

“All kidding aside,” said Chief, “you are pretty good at this. I agree with you. There were a hundred different ways to do that without killing. A threatening phone call could’ve done the trick. Paul was on the fence about keeping the company. If his family’s safety was at risk, he would’ve sold it without question.”

“So why then?”

“We’ll let Ronnie answer that,” said Grey. “If he doesn’t know, he’ll give up who does.”

“How do you know he’ll talk?” asked Evan.

“Because he has a family, too,” said Chief. “A wife that’s way too good for him and a daughter a little older than Caleb.”

“So we get to him through his family?” asked Evan.

“That’s how you get to anyone,” said Grey.

They continued their conversation for a few more hours in the pavilion at the boat dock. Chief and Evan polished off the rest of the bottle as if it were an indoctrination ceremony of the newly formed team. Having a sense that the unsub was watching them from across the water, Grey didn’t keep the same pace.

“Well, that was fun,” said Chief, standing and stretching. “But we’ve got an early morning and I’m old as dirt. So I’ll bid you goodnight, gentlemen.”

“Right behind you, Chief,” said Evan. “I’m cooked. Besides, I’m pretty sure Grey is a vampire, so he doesn’t need any sleep.”

“Sleep well, ladies,” said Grey as the two wobbled back to the house.

It was a humid night that motivated Grey to take one last dip before retiring for the evening. He enjoyed the solitude of floating on his back and looking up at the night sky. Hearing the low hum of the pool filter while his ears were submerged completed his isolation.

Once again it only took a few minutes before his meditation was disturbed by a presence. He opened his eyes to see Abby standing over him in the same spot as two nights before and wearing the same distracting bathing suit.

“You and I have some unfinished business,” said Abby, crossing her arms.

“Is there any way we can do this tomorrow?” asked Grey, sensing a confrontation.

“No,” she said and turned to walk to the stairs.

Grey looked up at the serenity of the sky and said his farewells. Whatever the subject, he knew an argument was sure to follow. He was growing tired of the process.

Turning over in the water and pushing himself to where his feet could touch the bottom, he watched as Abby disappeared under the surface and swam toward him. In an impressive display of underwater dexterity, she popped up inches away from him without her top.

“Do I still look like a child to you?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned back. There was no fight in Grey to keep his eyes on hers. The only battle raging was his struggle to catch his breath. Before he could inhale, she pressed her wet chest into his. “This is the part where you kiss me.”

As red flags began flapping furiously in every direction, he followed her command and lost his breath again as he kissed her. He slowly drew his hands up her body to her face and closed his eyes. He wanted to lose everything in the moment, but reality snaked its way between them.

“What’s happening here?” whispered Grey, killing the moment.

“You’re going to ruin this by speaking, aren’t you?” she whispered back. “We’re kissing, detective. And you’re about to tell me how wrong you think it is.”

“Things are a little crazy right now and –”

“I didn’t mean you should tell me,” said Abby, cutting him off. “But I figured you might react this way. So let me give you the short version.” She pulled him down to her and kissed him again. “I’m not going to dance around the breakfast table tomorrow like a giddy schoolgirl with an afterglow. I’m not going to ask you to marry me, but tonight I want to forget. I just want one night of feeling good about something. And right now, being in your arms feels very good. Don’t think about anything else except what’s in front of you. Can you do that?”

“My God, you are beautiful,” said Grey, sliding his hands down her back and squeezing her ass. “You know we’re about to make a big mistake.”

Abby took advantage of the buoyancy and raised herself off the pool floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist, which helped him dismiss the sea of red flags. She then pushed herself up so her breasts were in his face as she looked down at him with a sideways smile. Abby held the position for a moment before lowering herself back down to eye level. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she pressed her lips hard against his.

“I’m not trying to ruin the moment, but there are cameras everywhere,” said Grey, mumbling into her lips.

“Is there one in your room?” asked Abby, leaning back again.

“I hope not,” said Grey.

“Then ask me to your room, stupid.”

“I have to tell you, I’m a little conflicted,” said Grey, finally looking her in the eyes.

“You don’t feel conflicted,” said Abby, squeezing her legs and feeling his hardness between them.

“I’ll tell you right now I’m powerless against you,” said Grey. “I never thought a moment like this would ever happen between us. There was always something about you that intrigued and scared the hell out of me at the same time. You’re the most beautiful, sexy, interesting, and terrifying woman I’ve ever met. And in a few minutes, I’ll be fucking you. So, yes, I am conflicted.”

“I didn’t say anything about fucking,” said Abby, acting surprised, but ending the act with a smile. “Grey, be conflicted tomorrow.”