The Inner Sanctum (21 page)

"That's a little Big Brotherish, isn't it?" Todd asked.

"It's nothing compared to what some agents do."

"Tell me more about that."

"Maybe some other time." Being a revenue agent meant being able to get almost any kind of information on someone you wanted. It was tempting, and as in all walks of life, some individuals gave in to the temptation. "Anyway, I found something interesting."

"What?"

"One of the people currently working for Elbridge Coleman recently received two payments from an organization known as Liberation for African-Americans. And that person received the payments while he was working for Coleman."

"Isn't LFA that militant group headed by the Reverend Elijah Pitts?"

"The group is headed by Pitts, but it's far from militant. In fact, it's done some very good things for Baltimore's inner city. You know, youth programs, work education programs, that kind of thing. But I still can't understand why someone who had worked for LFA would also work for Elbridge Coleman. You have to admit that LFA and an establishment Republican like Elbridge Coleman are pretty much at opposite ends of the political spectrum."

Todd pushed out his lower lip. "I agree, but maybe the person is a secretary with no particular allegiance to a political party. Maybe the allegiance is simply to their children, who need to eat. Maybe it's just a case of someone picking up a little money on the side at one job and working full-time at the other."

"Good point," Jesse agreed, "and in the case of the Coleman campaign this individual is receiving regular payments, which would support your theory. The thing is, I can determine the annual salary of the person by reviewing the withholding payments and assuming a tax rate. The person is making almost a hundred thousand dollars a year at the Coleman campaign, if I've calculated correctly."

"Not a secretary."

"I doubt it."

"What about the money from LFA?" Todd asked.

"That's where it gets even more interesting. Judging by the withholding amount, the gross amount must have been almost two hundred thousand dollars."

"Jesus." Todd shook his head. "And you're sure this person was being paid by Coleman at the same time?"

"Yes."

"That is strange, especially given the amounts."

"Wait," Jesse said. "It gets better. A week after LFA made the withholding they came back to the IRS and claimed they had made a mistake. They claimed there had been a computer error in the payroll system. That the withholding payment should never have been made."

"Sounds like they were covering up a mistake."

"Exactly. So why would someone be working at both places?"

"Working for one and gathering information on the other," Todd offered. "That's what comes to mind first."

"Right. And it seems to me it would make more sense if the person was really working for LFA and trying to get information on Coleman." Jesse was talking quickly now. "Why would Coleman care about LFA?"

"Maybe he wants to know if LFA is going to hold demonstrations at his functions or something."

"That sounds weak to me. It's a lot for Coleman to risk for not much return."

"At least I'm trying."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have criticized you."

"It's okay." Todd picked up his milk shake and took another sip. "I don't know, counselor, you've stumped me. But why would LFA necessarily want to know what was going on at the Coleman campaign?"

"Maybe LFA would pass information on to Malcolm Walker. I think Senator Walker is close to LFA--at least, every time I see Pitts on television he's calling Walker a good friend. Maybe the person is ultimately spying for Walker, stealing strategies, that kind of thing. If the person is making a hundred thousand at the Coleman campaign, he or she is one of the top aides, because that's a lot of money for a campaign worker, even in a United States Senate race. The person would have access to very sensitive information."

"So then this person alerts Walker as to Coleman's strategies, through LFA, so that Walker can have the jump on Coleman. And if they were ever caught, it would be LFA's ass and not Walker's."

"Right."

Todd shook his head. "Sorry to throw a monkey wrench in your theory, Jess, but I thought you told me the file you got from Neil Robinson's summer home indicated that the improprieties were at the Coleman campaign."

Jesse didn't answer for a moment. "I know. That kind of shoots everything down, doesn't it?" She was suddenly dejected. "So what do we do, private investigator?"

"There are only two real options," he answered quickly.

"And they are?"

"Try to get a look at personnel files at the Coleman headquarters and/or at LFA." Todd took the straw out of the milk shake, turned the large glass up, and finished what was left.

"Do you really think Coleman or LFA is going to just hand over personnel files to us?"

He smiled brazenly. "Of course not."

She caught her breath. "Are you talking about breaking into those places?"

Todd shook his head. "Not both. If I happen to get caught breaking in somewhere, I certainly don't want it to be at the headquarters of a man running for the United States Senate."

"So then it's LFA headquarters."

"In the dead of night, baby." Todd slammed his fist down hard on the table. For a moment the buzz of the restaurant went silent as people looked around at Todd and Jesse. Then slowly the sound level returned to normal. "Sorry about that." He winked as he pulled his head down like a turtle going into its shell. "I got a little carried away for a second."

"Are you sure you want to break into LFA?" She shook her head. He was like a bulldog once he got into something. Nothing stopped him.

"I don't have any other ideas. I told you I did this morning on the phone, but that thing kind of fizzled this afternoon."

"I just don't want you to get in any trouble."

"That's why you're going with me to LFA. You'll be able to talk us out of trouble if we get caught."

"I can't go with you!"

"You have to. I won't know what to look for. And I'm not going back if I don't get the right stuff the first time, that's for sure."

Jesse began to protest again, but she realized he was right. She nodded her head slowly. "All right."

Todd rubbed his hands together. Another opportunity to be with her. And it would be dangerous. She would be aroused. Maybe he could finally break down her resistance.

"You're certain?" The man could hardly contain himself.

"Absolutely," Roth replied. "I have a copy of a credit card receipt from last March when she purchased the gloves. And I have the lab telling me that the hair from the glove almost certainly belonged to a blond woman. There are only two women in the department with blond hair as long as the one from the glove."

"Kill her right away. But make it look like an accident."

"Yes, sir."

"And, Roth, get that file if you can. But make sure she doesn't see another morning."

Becky Saunders had been Jesse's psychotherapist for twelve years and never charged her a dime for the many visits, even though that flew in the face of professional canons. Becky had been on duty the day Jesse--an emotional wreck--had entered the hospital for the operation. The particulars of Jesse's case had been so disturbing to Becky that she had stayed in the recovery room for five hours after the procedure talking with Jesse about what had happened, assuring her that she needn't feel guilt, that it wasn't her fault. And they had developed a bond that had lasted ever since. Jesse did Becky's taxes every year, but it wasn't as if she did it in an attempt to compensate Becky for the visits. They were simply friends helping each other the best way they could.

Just like tonight. Becky had already seen six patients today, and it was past ten o'clock in the evening. But Jesse had called and asked for an appointment at the last minute. And Becky had agreed immediately.

Becky opened her second pack of cigarettes of the day, lighted one, and inhaled. "So Todd Colton is becoming a larger part of your life again."

"Yes."

"He asked if you two could start dating, is that right?"

"Yes," Jesse replied again. "I told him no."

"But you thought about saying yes, didn't you?"

"I did," Jesse admitted.

"Do you think that would be a good idea, to start dating him?"

"That's what I'm here to find out."

Becky took another puff from her cigarette. "You know what I think."

"Tell me again." Jesse had heard Becky's opinion so many times, but it was always therapy to listen.

A column of smoke rose from the cigarette tip and curled around Becky. "I'm going to go through the whole thing," she warned.

"I know."

Becky felt the beginnings of a headache, but ignored the dull throbbing over her eyes. "You'd been sailing with Todd since early in the morning." Her voice was raspy from years of smoking. "It's a beautiful day, you're having a great time together, and you both realize that you're crazy about each other. You go back to his parents' house that evening because they're away on a trip. You make love for the first time in your life."

"Yes."

"Afterward, Todd takes you home. He walks you to the door, kisses you good night, and leaves. You come inside. You're an hour past your curfew. Your stepfather, Joe, is waiting up, and he starts in on you as soon as you come through the door."

"Starts in on me," Jesse repeated sarcastically. "That's an understatement. He was screaming at me. God, I hated him."

"He's had bourbon. Normally he wouldn't have been drinking, but your mother is on an overnight retreat with one of her church groups. Joe follows you to your bedroom, still screaming at you."

Jesse felt the anger and resentment building, as it always did. But it helped her to go through this. It helped to be able to share the physical pain and mental anguish of those moments with someone who understood. Pain and anguish that twelve years had not healed. It helped to share all this with someone who didn't judge. Who wouldn't be devastated knowing. They had been over it so many times, but it was cathartic on every occasion--once she was past the attack.

"He pins you down on the bed, pulls your clothes off, and--"

"--rapes me." Jesse finished Becky's sentence, then let out a long slow breath. "He rapes me." She said it again. It was part of the therapy to say it--and repeat it. She hadn't even been able to say it once until five years after the attack. Now she could say it twice in a row, sometimes three times.

"So in the same night you've lost your virginity to Todd and been raped by your stepfather. You're a psychological mess, and the person in the world you're closest to, the one you've always turned to for everything, can never even find out. You won't let her help you this time."

"Can you imagine if I had confided in my mother or told the police and filed charges? Can you imagine if my mother had found out? Found out that her husband had raped her daughter? And her entire congregation at Sacred Heart Church would have found out. She's a devout Catholic. It would have pushed her over the edge. She would have committed suicide. I couldn't tell her."

Becky allowed Jesse to finish, then moved on. "A month later you find out you're pregnant, and you don't know who the father is." Becky closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't know how you kept it together. You were a very strong woman, even then."

Jesse felt tears coming and coughed a few times to help hold them back. "I didn't feel strong."

Becky saw the tears. "You still have such a violent reaction to all this. That's why I don't think it's a good idea for you to see Todd, or anyone you associate with the attack. I think you've still got ghosts inside that you and I haven't found yet. If you and Todd became involved, those ghosts might make an appearance. I'm not certain the results would be good."

"But the tests showed the baby wasn't Todd's." Jesse was pleading his case. "That it was Joe's. And Todd still took care of me. He took me to the hospital and paid for the abortion." Jesse let her head fall into her hands, and the tears suddenly spilled down onto her blouse. "I was going to go to an inner-city clinic, for God's sake. Todd wouldn't hear of it. He insisted I go to the hospital and have the operation done right. Who knows what would have happened to me at the clinic? A week after I was going to go there the government shut the place down because they lost a young woman on the table."

"Keep him at a distance, Jesse. He's got a lot of baggage too."

"He knew it was Joe's, and he still took care of me. And he's never said anything to anyone. He's just been there for me whenever I've needed him." Jesse wiped the tears from her face. "He was so wonderful to me during that time. He got me to you."

Becky watched Jesse carefully. There must be some terribly stressful outside forces putting pressure on her. She had suddenly become vulnerable again. "Is that it?"

"Is what it?"

"You just said he got you through all that. Do you feel you owe him? Is that the real problem?"