Chills & Thrills: Three Novel Box Set (72 page)

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

Since hanging up from her chat with Jeanine Horner, Gem had been busy gathering information. She had immediately Googled Melanie Schneider plus murder. A handful of stories popped up.

The New Jersey Centennial read:

Local Mother Murdered in Cold Blood, Baby Abducted

Melanie Schneider (38) was found shot to death outside her home in
 
Bergen County this evening. Her nine-month old son Oliver Schneider is missing and believed to be with her long-time friend, Jeanine Horner, of Balkinese, Germany according to Mrs. Schneider’s husband, Robert. The two women were spotted having dinner at The Franciscan Country Club earlier and left together. Police believe Horner was involved in a plot to murder Mrs. Schneider and abduct the child. A search is underway for Horner who is also traveling with her twin daughters. Her husband, Dr. Ryan Horner, has not been reached. Police are also looking into the possibility of another assailant who helped Horner.

Gem had sat back in her chair as if sucker punched, shaking her head. Holy God, what a mess. What in the hell is going on?

Think. Think. Think. She leaned back over the desk and Googled Frauen Pharmaceuticals, then Peter Redding, and finally now—after two hours—she once more opened her file on the Petersen case, and started to connect the dots.

When Gem finally looked up from her computer screen and saw the darkened hall, she felt momentarily uncomfortable. No wonder, considering all she’d been involved with lately. Thankfully she wasn’t completely alone…she could still hear the janitorial service cleaning the office next door.

Gem leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the facts swimming around in her head. Dr. Hamilton had been murdered in cold blood. He’d also had a grant funded by Craig Johnson. Craig Johnson hung himself on his yacht two days prior. Her neighbor, Chad Wentworth—nephew to Senator Wentworth—shot himself the same night as Johnson’s suicide. Johnson and Chad Wentworth shared the same radical views. Wentworth and his high-brow, white cronies apparently hung out at an estate out in the boonies doing who knows what.

A week ago she’d received an e-mail from Chemmadderhorn telling her to keep an eye on her neighbor. Now, Chemmadderhorn’s wife, Jeanine Horner, tells her his real name is Dr. Ryan Horner. The woman claims she is on the run and her friend Melanie Schneider has been murdered. Okay, confirmed. The original e-mail also mentioned the horrific Petersen murders.

Damn. Dr. Ryan Horner…her brain was searching memory bank because she knew she’d heard the name before.

Details.

Gem took a swig of her cold coffee and rubbed her tired eyes.

And now, the kicker. Peter Redding and Frauen Pharmaceuticals. The one thing she could find on Redding was he owned the private pharma company that mainly produced products for women…pre-natal vitamins, meds for menopause, an anti-anxiety med, a med for depression. Frauen Pharma’s returns were good. They’d shown high profits for the past five years.

The one tie-in she’d found to bring this whole thing together was Redding was a major supporter and contributor to Senator Wentworth’s campaign.

There were two things Gem needed to do. One was fill Pazzini in on what she’d learned, and then find Jeanine Horner. Because Gem had the distinct feeling Mrs. Horner was in serious danger.

As for Dr. Ryan Horner who called himself Chemmadderhorn there was not much on him at all. He’s a chemist, as his wife had said, and works for Frauen. Then it hit her. That detail part of her brain. She remembered exactly who the chemist was and where she had met him—in that town car, three years ago just after The Petersens’ murders, in front of her townhouse. In front of Chad Wentworth’s townhouse. Jesus! What was going on here?

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Redding reached across the bed and twirled Susan’s long blonde hair between his fingers. She was glorious. And she had been pivotal in moving the Covert Reich Project forward. Funny how things have a way of working out. Who would have ever thought meeting Susan Hamilton at a bar after an argument with her then-husband would have worked to his benefit?

Susan rolled over onto her side and faced him. The fireplace in his room still crackled with the last embers. Susan had certainly done the job of alleviating his tension for the past few hours. She propped herself up on the pillow. “You know it’s been a lovely evening, Peter, but we need to talk.”

“I say we talk over breakfast.” He reached his hand out and caressed her breasts.

She gently pushed his hands away. “No, this is important. That cop. That detective. Pazzini. He was at my house asking me and my daughter all sorts of questions. I’m afraid, Peter. I’m afraid he could tie us together and somehow discover I am an accomplice to Jake’s murder.”

“That won’t happen, Love. I’ll take care of him.” He kissed her lips hoping to quiet her.

“How do I know that?”

He sat up now. “Because you trust me. We have a relationship based on trust.”

“Yes well, I want more. I’m no longer content with being your convenient fuck buddy. Jake is dead. The cops are on me and I want them off because I plan to move into this house with you.”

“Excuse me?” Redding said.

“You heard me. I’m done being ignored until you need something from me, especially sex. You’re not going to get the milk for free any longer.”

A wicked smile spread across his face and he started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” She asked, pulling the sheets up around her bare chest.

“You, dear. You’re hysterical.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “I’m glad you think I’m keeping you entertained…but let me remind you, I’m the one who made this all possible. Without me, your little project would never have made it off the ground. If I don’t get what I want, there will be hell to pay.”

“You’re not only hysterical, Susan, but you’re delusional as well. I would think twice before you make threats toward me. I’d watch your step.

“Out of control?! I am not out of control and I won’t allow you to continue to treat me like this. I demand respect from you, Peter.”

“Oh Susan. You’re nothing but a whore who I used to help me get something accomplished. I appreciate your help. You’ve been compensated quite well, I might add. You’re lucky I remained interested in you after I got the information I needed about your ex. If I wanted you out of the picture, all it would take is a snap of my fingers and you’d be history. So let me give you a word of advice. Threats don’t work with me. If you don’t want to wind up in a plot next to your ex, you’d better be a good little whore and keep your mouth shut.”

Her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Sounds as if you’re threatening me now.”

“Simply stating a fact.”

“And what if your facts don’t impress me?”

“Then you’re being a fool.” Redding stood up and headed to the bathroom. On his way there he called back to her, “You know the way out, Susan.”

A few minutes later, Redding came out to find Susan still in his bed. “I told you to get out,” he said.

Tears were in her eyes. He sighed.

“I’m sorry, Peter. I am. I just panicked. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ll do whatever you need me to do. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. How he hated groveling. Disgusting. And for a minute there, he’d been mildly impressed at the spine Susan appeared to have developed. He walked over to her and leaned down as if he was going to kiss her. She looked up at him with her big, tearful blue eyes. “I really am sorry, too.” He placed a hand on either side of her neck and then snapped it. Her eyes were wide with shock as she died within seconds.

God, he was tired of problems. At least Susan Hamilton wouldn’t pose one any longer. She should have left when he’d told her to.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

Ryan couldn’t believe it. He’d made it to Heathrow and so far no one seemed to be taking any notice of him. Now he needed to find a flight back to the States. He still had the hunting knife he’d bought at the pawn shop. He would have to get rid of it before going through security but until then, he thought it prudent to keep on hand.

He checked the flight schedules and saw one was leaving in two hours for Newark. It would take a miracle to get on that flight. He had to try though. It would get him to New Jersey by 3:00pm and if he made it through customs and rented a car, he could be with Jeanine and the kids by nightfall.

Of course those two hours would give Redding’s men two additional hours to find him in Europe. Once his name went onto a flight manifesto, it would raise certain flags. Ryan was not so naïve as to think Redding’s boys couldn’t find him anywhere at any time. They had means, methods, and more members than anyone imagined. But he had to take that risk.

The first thing Ryan did was head to the money exchange counter at the airport where he exchanged his spare Euros for Pounds to pay in cash for his ticket. Thank God he’d had the foresight to set a little cash aside every week for the last several months. But now he didn’t have much money left after the purchase, and he knew once he was in the States, he’d have to use his credit card. But at least he would be one step ahead of the game.

He walked toward the security line and then remembered the knife. Backing away, he headed in the other direction toward one of the airport pubs. Ryan walked into the men’s restroom towards a stall. He didn’t have much time since the security lines were long. He had to act fast.

There were a couple of men at the urinals. Ryan closed the stall door behind him. He opened up his backpack and reached in for the knife.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He hadn’t heard anything out of the ordinary but something didn’t feel right. Maybe he was being paranoid but better safe than sorry. Ryan grabbed the knife and put both feet on the toilet, raising himself just high enough to discretely peer over the stall door.

A guy was at the sink washing his hands. Otherwise the bathroom appeared empty. He could hear the flight announcements over the loudspeaker in the pub beyond. Ryan dropped silently down to the floor and shook his head. He was way too wound up. Right now, he needed to get rid of the damn knife and get through security. Once there, it would be a lot harder for anyone to come after him.

He turned to set the knife down behind the toilet, when the stall door was kicked in. The loud, metallic bang echoed off the walls. Hands immediately went around his neck and his legs were kicked out from under him. Ryan fell towards the open toilet but managed to grab the rim before hitting ground. Remembering the large knife he held in his hand, he jabbed backwards, hard. A scream sounded behind him and the hands around his neck dropped. He turned to face his attacker. Ryan recognized him immediately. Frederick Färber. He was the one who had taken him in San Diego and forced him to watch the DVD of the Petersen murders, and he had told Ryan he had been the one to murder Selena.

A rage stirred inside Ryan. Färber was bleeding from a slash mark on his right side. Ryan kicked the man in the stomach, sending him flying straight back through the open door and knocking him against a sink. Färber’s head thunked hard against it. He staggered and regained his balance, desperately swinging a right hook into Ryan’s face. Ryan stumbled back a few steps. His attacker lunged towards him, giving Ryan only seconds to swing the knife downwards into the man’s chest. Färber took two steps back, his large hands covering the open wound above his heart, his eyes wild. There was blood everywhere. Ryan grabbed Färber before he collapsed and shoved him into a stall, onto the toilet seat. Ryan arranged the unconscious man so he wouldn’t fall off the toilet.

He quickly searched Färber’s pockets for a cell phone and his wallet for money. If the guy woke up, he would have difficulty contacting anyone without a phone or cash. Then Ryan wiped down the handle of the knife and placed it inside Färber’s jacket. He closed the stall door behind him, cleaned himself as best he could, and exited the restroom. He did his best to appear calm and ordinary as he rapidly walked away from the pub towards security, boarding pass in hand.

Ryan knew there was no turning back. One of Redding’s other henchmen could locate and kill him, or he could be arrested for the attack he’d just committed. Amazingly, he made it through security, found his gate, and took a seat in the waiting area, trying hard not to look conspicuous even though he was terrified. Passengers were beginning to line up at the gate—the plane was boarding.

Ryan took Färber’s cell phone from the man’s his pocket and searched through the contact list. It didn’t take him long to find Redding’s information. Ryan knew exactly what he needed to do next.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

It was already three in the morning, and neither Julio nor Kelly had gotten any sleep. After returning from the Buena Vista, they’d stayed up to see what they could find out about Brightman, Pearson, and Jake. They were looking for a connection…the missing puzzle piece.

It took some time, but they eventually uncovered a link between Pearson and Brightman. Thanks to Julio’s “side jobs,” he had an unusual amount of access to normally secure government databases. He’d spent part of the night on the telephone talking to different people and asking for favors. But the link between Pearson and Brightman wasn’t found in a government or covert database. Instead, she discovered it four web pages in via Google.

Kelly let out a low whistle. “Hey, Julio, think we hit the jackpot. At least a little.”

Julio was in the kitchen getting her another cup of coffee. He came over, setting a mug down on the table, and bent over the laptop. “What is it?”

“Read that.” She pointed to the screen.

Julio leaned in closer and clucked his tongue.

The article was from an East L.A. community paper, dated 2009.

New Women’s Health Center Opens in East Los Angeles:

A new women’s health center opened on Monday morning in East Los Angeles. Located in one of the poorer areas of the city, the much-needed center is a welcome addition to the community. With a women’s homeless shelter only two blocks away, many young women will receive the care they need. The center is non-profit and staffed by volunteer doctors. A top obstetrician and neo-natal pediatrician from County Hospital, Dr. Pierce Brightman and Dr. Joe Pearson, also serve on the board and volunteer one day a week at the center. Brightman says his main goal is to educate the women who come to the center. “We will provide free pre-natal vitamins to ensure pregnant women in the community are receiving proper nutrition and care.”

“I had no idea either Pearson or Brightman were such good Samaritans,” Kelly said.

“I doubt they were,” Julio replied. “If I had to guess, I would say the three girls who died at the hospital visited this clinic. And they either lived close by or at the shelter.”

“Lupe Salazar lived at the shelter for sure.”

“Right. In any case, there’s a good chance Brightman and Pearson are murderers.”

“What? Like serial killers?” Kelly was skeptical.

“No, not exactly.” Julio grabbed a few papers off the printer. “There were drugs in those young women and their babies. At least we know for sure they were in Lupe and Baby S. And they weren’t your typical street drugs, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay. Look here.” He pointed to the top paper in his hand. “This article came out in 1991. There was even a special on 60 Minutes about Farrakhan’s rhetoric.”

“Louis Farrakhan?”

“Yup. He had all sorts of crack-pot theories about how the U.S. government was out to get African Americans. For example, he accused the government of targeting forty-ounce beer specifically at black people, to disempower them. He also claimed the same about crack-cocaine, and even went so far as to say AIDS was a bio-weapon the government used to keep the population of various races down.”

“Really?”

“Really. Now it sounds crazy and I personally think Farrakhan was off his rocker. But, like I mentioned to you last night, governments around the world have done things exactly like what Farrakhan claimed. In fact, in the 1970’s, there was a college text book titled  "Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment.” It was co-authored by Obama science czar John Holdren. This guy and the co-authors stated that compulsory, government-mandated "green abortions" would be a constitutionally acceptable way to control population growth and prevent ecological disasters, including global warming, because a fetus was most likely not a "person" under the terms of the 14th Amendment.

“Where are you going with this?” Kelly asked.

“Hear me out,” Julio said and took a sip of his coffee. “The authors of this text also suggested government-mandated population control measures might be inflicted in the United States against welfare recipients. They argued involuntary birth-control measures, including forced sterilization, may be necessary and morally acceptable under extreme conditions, such as widespread famine brought about by "climate change."

“You think the government is covertly aborting fetuses or sterilizing welfare recipients to try and control the population?” Kelly asked.

“I think it’s possible, and I think Brightman and Pearson were on someone’s payroll. I don’t know how they are giving the drugs to the women, but I’m convinced it’s happening.”

Kelly sat back for a moment and thought about the various tests women have to undergo during pregnancy. Then she looked Julio in the eye. “It’s the pre-natal vitamins. It has to be. It’s something a pregnant woman takes regularly. Most of the other tests involve blood withdrawals but few require injections or medication.”

Julio nodded thoughtfully. “I think you’re onto something, Kelly.” He stood, yawning. “And now, my dear, I say we try to get a couple hours sleep. I should have everything arranged for our island adventure by seven and then we’re off to chat with Dr. Brightman.”