Baby Girl Doe (Stephanie Chalice Thrillers Book 5) (20 page)

Search for Gus Lido: Day 2, Afternoon

“How’s Max doing?”

“He’s fine,” Ma said over the phone. “Ricky just fed him and is about to take him for a walk in the stroller.”

My throat tightened. “Are you telling my men that I love them?”

“Every chance I get, honey. Now tell me what’s going on over there? Give me some good news.”

“The good news is that every cop east of the Hudson River is out looking for Gus, whether they’re getting paid for it or not. The bad news is that we still don’t have anything solid to go on.”

“Nothing?”

“No. Nothing.”

There was silence on the line. Ma, who usually had something to say about everything, was at a complete loss for words. What could she tell me—that she was angry Gus hadn’t been found yet . . . or just keep my chin up? The tension was so thick you couldn’t cut it with a blowtorch. “I’m sorry, honey. I just don’t know what to tell you.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything, Ma. Just take care of my little boy. I’ll bring his daddy home.” That was the mother and wife in me talking. The cop knew that precious seconds and minutes were ticking away, and with each passing moment, the chances of successfully recovering Gus grew smaller and smaller. I couldn’t imagine a future without my husband. I tried desperately to keep from getting morose. Whenever a bad thought popped into my mind, I did my best to switch gears. I was doing a pretty good job of staying productive. I just had to make the time count. “I really have to go, Ma. I have to go out and knock down some doors.”

“I know you do, Stephanie. Just be smart about it. Don’t do anything . . .”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence. “I won’t. Love you, Ma.”

“Love you too, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you later.”

I disconnected and turned to Ambler. He was crouched over, talking on the phone. I could tell by the shade of red on his face that things were not going well. He slammed the receiver down on the cradle.
That confirms it.
“What happened?” I asked.

He looked over his shoulder and then stood. His skin looked hot to the touch. “The son of a bitch JAG wouldn’t accept our subpoena. They won’t unseal Alden’s record.”

“Why not? I mean, can he do that?”

“It’s the goddamn military, Stephanie. It’s like another civilization. The bottom line is that whatever Alden was involved in must have been pretty important stuff. That’s the only reason I can come up with for them not cooperating. I mean, for God’s sake, this took place more than twenty years ago. Even JFK’s records are a matter of public record now.

“Yeah, JFK’s records are out there, but not the truth about his murder.”

Ambler shook his head woefully “I hear you, kid. I just don’t know what to say.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “What’s your game plan for today?”

“I’m heading over to Kaley Struther’s place. We just received a warrant to go in.”

“Good.”

“Honestly, I was going in one way or another. I just can’t wait anymore. I have to make something happen.”

“I know what you mean. I’m not exactly feeling patient myself. I think I’m going to take a jet down to Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. I’ve got a good buddy down there who might be able to help. If I leave now, I can catch up with him for dinner and fly back first thing in the morning.”

“You think he’ll help?”

“I think it’s worth a shot. Jack Bancroft is a good man and a dear friend. I just hope he’s at the base.”

“Well then, get your ass down to Texas. You’re no help to me here, walking around with your red face and piss-poor attitude.” I kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, Herb. Thanks!” A tear popped from my eye. “I’m out of here. Call me if you get through to Bancroft.”

“Will do.” I could tell he wanted to say something to boost my spirits, but he didn’t. He sat down and got back on the phone.

I was hurrying to my SUV when I noticed a familiar face approaching.
“Smote?”

“Chalice, hi. Hey look, I’ve got time on my hands, and I’d like to help. Do you mind if I ride shotgun? I hear you’re on your way over to this Kaley Struthers’ house.”

“Yeah. The warrant just came through. We’ve been searching for her, but she’s completely off the radar. I have to tell you, the judges out here have two speeds: slow and slower.”

“Agreed. Do you think Struthers’ absence means she’s with your husband?” Smote’s question could have been taken in two ways. “Um . . . you know what I mean.” He wasn’t suggesting that Gus was being unfaithful.

“Yes. I know what you mean, and yes the thought has crossed my mind. If she is involved in Gus’ abduction, there’s a very good chance that’s exactly where she is. Get in. I’m driving.”

We spent all of five seconds waiting to see if Kaley was home and would answer the door. The police detail assigned to us surrounded the property. Pulaski gave them the nod, and the door was taken off the frame. Police officers poured into the house. I was accustomed to leading the way, but I had no official jurisdiction in Suffolk County, so I had to wait outside until the coast was clear. The Boys in Blue didn’t keep me waiting long. Pulaski reappeared at the doorway in less than thirty seconds and waved me in. “The place is empty,” he said. “No sign of Struthers.”

It was one thing to search a home for clues, and it was another to desperately comb through every scrap and detail, knowing that your husband’s life might hang in the balance.
How can I be sharper?
I wanted to be supersensitive, and needed to kick my sixth sense into top gear. I was going through the contents of her desk when Smote came over to me, holding a small stencil.

“What do you make of this?” he asked.

I had seen it before. It was a ring with an arrow sticking out at two o’clock, a cross below six o’clock, and an arrow with a slash through it at ten o’clock. “It’s a tattoo stencil. There are tattoo pens in the desk.”

“Is it some kind of symbol?”

“Ya. The arrow represents man. The cross represents woman, and the third is a combination of the two. It’s a transgender symbol.”

“A transgender symbol?”

“The transgender community is more outspoken in the city than I imagine it is out here. I see this from time to time. It’s a symbol of solidarity for their community.”

“By transgender you’re referring to—”

“Anyone, Sully: transsexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, cross-dressers . . . it’s pretty much a catchall for any sexual alternative.”

“So Struthers may fall into one of these categories herself.”

“That’s one theory. Judging by the basic tattoo equipment I found, it looks like she only does this as a hobby.”

“There’s another possibility,” Smote said. “She may be too embarrassed to go to a tattoo shop. If that’s so, she may be trying to keep her sexual preference a secret.”

“I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. In any case we should take a look at all the tattoo shops out here to see if her name pops up. It’s a pretty basic design—she may have created it herself, or she may have purchased it from a tattoo shop or an online store.”

“I’m on it,” Smote said. “I’ll brief Pulaski.”

Smote hustled into the next room, and I sat down at the desk.
What are you hiding from me, Kaley? What don’t you want me to see?
Other than the tattoo paraphernalia, I didn’t see much of note. I didn’t see a physical address book, but our warrant also gave us access to her cell-phone account. If she had an address book on her phone, it would be ours shortly.

I found an iPad charger, but no iPad. I searched everywhere in the room, but it didn’t turn up.

Something occurred to me then.
How stupid.
When she was in our rental house, she had given me her phone number in case we needed a sitter for Max. She had sent her contact information from her iPhone to mine, including her address, phone number, and email. She wasn’t answering her phone, but her house had Wi-Fi, so I picked up my cell phone and FaceTimed with her using her email address. I heard the familiar iPad notification jingle in the next room. I flew out of my chair and into her bedroom. I repeated it again and found her iPad buried in the bottom of her sock drawer. It wasn’t passcode protected and when I flipped the cover shocking images filled the screen. The wallpaper was a montage of snapshots, two women making love, Kaley Struthers and Camryn Claymore.

~~~

Pulaski marched into the bedroom with Smote at his side.

“Chalice,” Pulaski announced as he approached the doorway, “we found a wireless CCTV link in the upstairs closet, closed circuit TV.”

Pulaski and Smote looked at one another and rushed toward me.

“What’s wrong?” Smote asked.

I covered my eyes and tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. There was a video stored on the iPad. It was a video of Gus and me . . . making love.

“It’s only good for short-range transmission,” the crime scene officer explained.

“How far?” Pulaski asked.

“Half a mile . . . one kilometer max.”

I was shaken. Having spent the night in a hotel room I had completely forgotten that our summer rental was a mere stone’s throw from Kaley’s home. I couldn’t believe Kaley had been watching the two of us during our most intimate moments. I felt violated and dirty. I couldn’t believe I let her touch my baby. I wanted to strangle her so badly I could almost feel my hands around her throat.

Smote sat down next to me and handed me a bottle of juice. He hadn’t seen the video, but I had explained to him and Pulaski what was there. “Crime scene techs are at your rental now. I’m sorry, Chalice,” Smote said. “This is a sick, sick, sick world.”

The iPad was already on its way to police headquarters. Like it or not, every fragment of data on that machine was going to be viewed, analyzed, and catalogued. Police personnel were going to watch the two of us together. I couldn’t imagine walking back into police headquarters not knowing who had seen the videos and who had not.
You’ve just got to be strong. Hold on
, I told myself. Yo
u’ve got to fight. Gus needs everything you’ve got, all that and more.

A text message came in from Ambler:
On my way to the airport. Meeting Bancroft for dinner. Talk later.

He didn’t know what had just happened, and I wasn’t in a rush to tell him or anyone else for that matter. I was wounded, fighting not to collapse. I didn’t have a clear direction, but I knew I couldn’t stay in that house any longer.

“I’m going across to the rental,” I told Smote. I handed him back the bottle of juice.”

“Let’s go,” he said. “But drink the juice.” I took the bottle and sipped as we walked through the woods to the house. I could see the rooftop as soon as I left Kaley’s place. It was on higher ground, almost in line of sight from Kaley’s front porch. “Christ, she could see us anytime she wanted to.” I pointed to our bedroom window for Smote’s benefit. “But that wasn’t enough. She had to stick a camera right up my ass.”

“Okay, Chalice. Definitely justified—I completely understand but try to cool down. You’re not doing yourself or Gus any good fuming the way you are. You’ve—”

I’d stopped dead in my tracks.

“What’s the matter?” Smote asked.

I pointed. A tech was on a ladder just outside my bedroom window, prying a wire out from beneath the vinyl siding. A lump formed in my throat. I remembered awakening from my dream about Nigel Twain to the sound of hammer thuds and my son screaming. I awoke to find Camryn’s brother, Ray on a ladder outside my window. I stood motionlessly for a moment trying to picture Ray outside my bedroom window. The more I stared, the clearer his image became. An idea popped into my head, a strange one admittedly but one I couldn’t dismiss.
Nah, it couldn’t be.
And then suddenly I was sure . . . The person up on the ladder pounding nails into the house was Camryn Claymore, dressed like a man.

Commissioner Bratton strode into the conference room and pulled up a chair next to me.
Pulaski sat down across the table from us. “Pulaski just briefed me, Stephanie. Now I want to hear it from you. What’s your take on this? Why do you think Struthers was spying on you and your family?”

The crime scene team had pulled apart the rental house and found cameras in almost every room—pencil cameras, tiny enough to be hidden in the smallest most undetectable places. Selected video segments had been stored on a computer in Kaley’s basement. There were random snippets of the family, not only Gus and me, but Ma and Max as well—those were few and far between. The only “feature-length” videos were of Gus and me making love. I spent the late afternoon watching us together. Beautiful moments Gus and I had shared were now something tawdry and cheap. We were no longer a loving couple—we were victims, and our most private moments had become evidence.

“Why, Commissioner? I don’t know why. I’d say it was because I took it upon myself to look into matters that didn’t concern me . . . but we had met Camryn Claymore days before everything began. Was it a coincidence that we happened to meet her in the MTK Café right after Bill Alden’s house burned to the ground? I don’t know. If I had to guess . . . Camryn and Kaley are probably into kink. They’re into these spy videos, and Camryn saw a couple she thought she and her gal pal could get off watching.”

My thoughts ran to Kaley, Ms. Sunshine and Sweetness, the girl who allegedly volunteered at church, as holy and pure as Jesus himself. How the two of them must have laughed at us. Kaley had shown up at the front door our first morning in the house. She said that finding her new neighbors was happenstance, but now I had to consider the possibility that Camryn had tipped her off to visit us. “Check out this couple,” Camryn must have said. “Two rubes with hot bodies. I can’t wait to watch them . . .” But Kaley had said too much. She was just making conversation when I asked about Alana Moore and Sarah Fisher. I don’t believe she had any clue that she was laying out a trail that I would be compelled to follow.

“Stephanie? Detective Chalice, are you all right?” Bratton’s hand was on my shoulder.

I shook my head. “Sorry. I must’ve zoned out.”

“No apology necessary,” Bratton said. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. It’s amazing you’re able to work through this at all.”

“Camryn and Kaley are definitely in this thing together.” I pictured Max on Kaley’s lap and shuddered. “Why this blew up the way it did . . . I don’t know. Maybe they’re two sex-crazed women who saw Gus in action and wanted him for themselves; or maybe it’s because I got too close to something and taking Gus is their way of getting back at me.”

“Pretty brazen,” Pulaski said. “I mean, abducting a cop? That takes real balls.”

“Camryn knew we were cops. It didn’t stop her from watching the two of us in our bedroom. I think brazen barely sums it up. I think they’re full blown sociopaths, and somehow they’re connected to Alden’s death and maybe the other two cases I’ve been investigating. Camryn’s brother Ray burned to death in that car fire right after I called to complain about him. Maybe in some weird way she holds Gus and me responsible . . . I don’t know.” My head slumped. I felt weak and nauseous.

“A warrant to search Camryn’s home will be here within the hour,” Bratton said. “We’ll add her face to Struthers’ and get her profile out on the media.” He lifted my chin. “We’re close. You just don’t want to admit it to yourself because you’re afraid of getting your hopes too high. No self pity now, okay? We’d be nowhere if it wasn’t for your strength and perseverance. It’s only a matter of time until we tighten the noose around their necks. I guarantee it!”

“Thanks. I’ll be okay in a minute.” I could sense Bratton’s strength and commitment, and it helped to buoy my spirits. I had a sense that he was one of the great ones, great in the spirit of my father and Chief of Detectives Sonellio. Men whose hearts were as pure as gold. I had to fight to keep myself from languishing in despair.

He’s right,
I told myself.
We are getting close.