Chapter 11
Chapter 11
“C ocaine.”
The man’s name was Eric Cafferty. He didn’t have a record, but his driver’s license verified his identification. He didn’t seem to want to tell lies.
His only concern was for his daughter.
Vicky was amazed by the fact they were arresting people who pulled at her heartstrings—such as this man.
He was simply a mess.
The good thing was it wasn’t hard at all to get him to talk.
“I should . . . I should have known better. I mean, you know, it starts out that you’re at a party, just having a good time, you’ve got a few drinks down, and someone says you should do a line of cocaine, and you do. Next, you’re doing a few lines, and then . . . then you get the nights when you don’t even remember what you did. I was at a meeting—I mean, I tried to get clean once—before my wife divorced me; and then it was, you know, what the heck? Maybe we shouldn’t have been married anyway, but Marci was pregnant, we were just nineteen . . . she wanted the baby, and we both gave up college. I started working for a transit company. Then . . . I mean, it was all right. But we were both still young, we went to parties.... I meant to clean up. I went to a party where there were no drugs—guy having it had a brother who was a cop. And his brother told him a story about a guy who started with pills because of an accident. He was kept on them, and suddenly the doctor wouldn’t give him any more. He started trying to get more, doing cocaine, whatever, lost his job, lost his wife, lost everything—and went to a hospital with a gun—not to hurt anyone else, but to shoot himself so that they’d give him more pills.”
“Addiction is truly a horrible disease,” Vicky said.
He looked up at her with damp, hazel eyes. “I guess I’ll get clean in prison,” he said. “And I don’t care. I really don’t care. As long as . . . as long as my baby is all right. I’m divorced, but oh my God, I love that little girl! She is everything in the world to me, and she doesn’t deserve to pay for me being such a horrible human being.”
“Eric, you’re not a horrible human being. You have a disease. And I think you’re going to be all right, but—”
“I won’t be charged with murder? I mean . . . that would be incredible. I hope they believe I had to do it. Oh, man, he wanted me to shoot you—”
“You did have a gun.”
He sat back. “Not even my gun.”
“All right. There are just guns in hospital supply rooms these days?” she asked dryly.
He shook his head. “Well, not usually. I was told in the text to go to the restroom on the first floor. There would be a nurse’s jacket and ID there, and then I could get up to the third floor, where they had Hasani. Then I was to go to the supply cabinet and sign into a locker there. A tray was there that looked like the kind a nurse would walk around with, and there would be ‘items’ necessary on the tray. I about died when I saw the gun, but . . .”
He leaned back, shaking his head. “The text came with a picture of my little Ellie being dropped off at her school. The picture and a warning. I didn’t even know about the gun, but . . . when I had it . . . and then he lunged at you with that needle. . . .”
“You’re not going to be charged with homicide,” she told him. “I don’t even know what they will charge you with, but I promise, we’re all going to help you as much as possible. What we need to know is who you were getting these messages from.”
He shrugged. “They were signed by Hasani,” he said. “I—I never saw the number before.”
“Was the picture of your daughter recent?” she asked him.
“Recent?”
He seemed puzzled by the question.
“Hang on,” she told him.
Hurrying to the evidence locker, she procured his cell phone and made her way back quickly to the interrogation room.
She handed him the cell. “Find the message and show it to me, please.”
He keyed into his phone and then handed it back to her. The directions for what he was supposed to do were just as he said—along with a warning that Ellie would die a brutal death if he didn’t. And there a picture of a little girl, adorable, in a little school uniform that included high socks and bows in her pigtails that matched the navy blue of her shirt.
But studying the picture, Vicky frowned. It was giving her more than she had hoped for. There was a sign behind the child that welcomed parents to a back-to-school night—with a date that was at least six months in the past.
“It isn’t a recent photo, Eric. I believe this was taken immediately after you got your first free fix from the man, so he could let you know he had you under control when the time came he needed your help.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“I don’t think your daughter is in any danger. I sincerely believe Hasani’s power over people died with him. But when we arrived, Hank saw to it that patrolmen will be watching over her and your ex-wife. Eric, there’s no guarantee, ever, that we’re safe, but . . . I don’t believe your Ellie is going to be in any danger.”
“Even if people find out that I killed Hasani?”
“We will never let that news out. And I believe any competition he has is simply going to be glad he’s out of the way.” She looked at him and offered him a weak smile. “There will be charges, but you may even get away with probation—and court-mandated rehab.”
“I will go to rehab, and I’ll stay in rehab, and . . . but whatever my punishment, it’s worth it for my daughter!”
“Well, your decisions haven’t been the best,” Vicky told him, “but I believe you must be a great dad.”
She smiled and rose, taking the phone with her. “Let me see how things are progressing,” she told him.
Hank had been carrying out some of the necessary communications while she had spoken with Eric. He had been in the observation room since he had finished, and he met her in the hallway as she exited.
“There’s a basket case for you, I’m afraid,” Hank said.
“I really hope Eames is into helping him, too,” Vicky said. “Hank, this picture he sent as warning is several months old. Not enough for the child to really change, but . . .”
“He didn’t have anybody on the kid. Not yet, anyway. He just got insurance on everyone with whom he ever did any kind of business. But you don’t need to worry. We sent patrol out to watch over her and the ex-wife. They live in a gated community, but as we know, anyone can get into any kind of community when they want. But it makes it a little easier on the cops.”
“What have they told the ex-wife?” she asked.
“Just that he was involved in a situation, that he was fine, and—as I know you wanted—he was involved in saving the lives of others.”
“Am I crazy? I just feel so sorry for that guy.”
“You’re not crazy. His heart is in the right place. Like many young men and women—and older men and women—he became a victim of his own addiction. Anyway, let’s get tech on this number.”
“Burner, I know it’s a burner.”
“Of course. But maybe we can learn something. Hey, sometimes crooks get stupid and buy their phones with credit cards. Let’s get this traced and hope that maybe our man—or woman—was stupid.”
“Or arrogant,” Vicky said thoughtfully, “certain that they would never be caught, and they were above suspicion!”
“That’s possible, too,” Hank said. “I’ll take this to tech. I sincerely believe other people are safe now, but I wonder if we should get something out there in the press. The man did die from injuries sustained in the Everglades, and anyone who was under his thumb because of drug addiction should come in, talk to us, and be guaranteed access to help.”
“That would be great. But that’s going to be—”
“I don’t think that’s even a call Eames can make. It’s a federal situation.”
“Right. Okay—”
She broke off. Eames had returned with Adrien, and seeing them, Vicky looked at Hank and said, “And here they are. I’ll wait for them. You get the phone to tech.”
Hank headed off.
Eames looked weary. “I’ve called a press conference—”
“I had an idea,” Vicky said.
Eames groaned, and Adrien grinned.
“Of course you do. I was going to run it through with you both . . . I’ve got fifteen minutes. But I suppose I will listen to your idea, Vicky.”
She nodded, smiled at Adrien, turned, and headed to the office. When they were there, she put forth her idea about offering anyone who had been involved with Hasani to come in for help—no charges rendered for the drugs.
“I’ll call my people,” Adrien said, rising. He paused, looking at Eames.
But Eames actually smiled. “I like it. If we start getting a slew of people, we can feel more confident that we’ve really ended things. Vicky, what did you find out about our friend with the gun?”
Vicky relayed the conversation she’d had.
“He really was trying to save my life,” she told him.
Eames still appeared happy. “We’ll see what we can do for the man.”
Adrien ended his call. As he did so, the door burst unceremoniously open.
Hank was there.
“You’re not going to believe this!” he said.
“What? Tell us!” Eames said.
Hank glanced at Vicky.
“You were right. About arrogance and someone thinking they’re above suspicion. The phone was a burner—yes, pay as you go. But they traced the serial number, found the convenience store, and found the credit card with which it was purchased.”
“Hank, spill!” Vicky cried.
“The good doctor. Dr. Leonard Miller—the very man treating Andrei Hasani!”
“We need to arrest him, now. I’m going to call ahead. We have a few men at the hospital still; they can get him before he leaves,” Eames said.
“I’m going to head over in case—” Hank began.
“Hell, I’m going, too.” Vicky stared determinedly.
“Make it a threesome,” Adrien said.
They were headed out of the office without waiting for a go-ahead, but Eames just called after them, “Hopefully, he’ll be in cuffs by the time you get there.”
They hurried out to the parking lot, and Hank shouted, “I’ll drive!”
At the car, Adrien opened the front passenger door for Vicky. She grimaced and jumped in, while he quickly took the back seat. Hank went for the driver’s seat. He maneuvered the car perfectly, and they were soon at the hospital.
They barely flashed their credentials at the entrance and hurried up to the floor where Hasani had been shot, and Dr. Leonard Miller had last been seen.
They ran into the two guards left on duty on the floor almost immediately.
One was Sadie Jenkins, another coworker Vicky knew well, and she hurried over to her.
“We’ve been searching; hospital security has been searching—we haven’t found him yet,” Sadie told her. “And no, he wasn’t due to leave yet. His shift doesn’t end for another hour or so.”
Vicky thought about her conversation with Eric, how he had been told to find the nurse’s jacket and then go to a storage room.
“Storage, we need to search all the storage rooms,” she said. “It’s where he stashed the gun for Eric to get earlier,” she explained.
“We need hospital help,” Adrien said, and he quickly stepped in front of one of the nurses stepping down the hallway, asking her for directions.
The young woman instantly looked worried and a little frightened, but not so much so that she couldn’t point out the several rooms on the floor.
“Split up,” Adrien said.
“Heading down the ell,” Hank said.
“I’ll go left,” Adrien said.
“Fine. I’ll go right,” Vicky agreed.
They moved quickly. Vicky reached the first storage room. She tried the door, and it was locked. She saw the young nurse had chosen to follow her.
“Do you have a key?” Vicky asked.
“I can get one,” the woman murmured.
She ran off to do so. Vicky thought she could hear movement in the room, but she wasn’t sure.
“Why would this be locked?” she whispered when the nurse returned.
“It, uh, shouldn’t be,” the nurse replied.
“All right, thank you. Get back, please,” Vicky said.
The young nurse obeyed her. Vicky waited, twisted the lock as quietly as she could, and threw the door open, then stepped back.
Gunfire ensued, but she was well out of the way.
Naturally, once again, the halls suddenly filled with screams and people.
You don’t run toward gunfire! Vicky wanted to shout.
But among the people hurrying her way were Hank and Adrien. She warned them to stop.
“Stop it, Dr. Miller. We all know who you are. There’s no way out for you now. You should have never used a credit card to buy that phone, sir. What I can’t understand is how you came under the influence of such a man!”
“I . . . I just bought the burner and gave it to him!” Miller cried from within the storage room.
“And you bought a gun to leave for another man to kill me?” Vicky asked.
“I—I thought he wanted to kill himself. He told me that all was lost and that . . .” A deep sigh followed his words. “I don’t know how he knew, but he knew I’d helped myself to some medications, and he was going to turn me in.”
“You’re making it a hell of a lot worse, Dr. Miller,” Vicky said. “Just come out. He probably never had anything true on you. It sounded like a good ploy to him. And you fell for it. Come on now—make it easy on yourself!”
They waited. She looked at Adrien, who nodded.
“Dr. Miller, just come out,” Adrien added. “We know where you live. We can freeze your bank accounts. Please. Like she said, don’t make it harder on yourself. You haven’t hurt anyone yet. Don’t hurt us, and don’t hurt yourself any more than you have already!”
And to Vicky’s amazement, it was just that easy.
Dr. Leonard Miller walked out of the storage room with his hands over his head.
Hank moved toward Dr. Miller to do the honors and cuffed the man.
“Let’s go, Doctor,” Hank said.
Dr. Miller hung his head as they walked out. The hospital administrator on duty came running up to them on the way out. Adrien hung back to speak with him and explain the situation. He explained that forensics would be back, but it appeared that trouble for the hospital would be over.
Adrien sat in back with the prisoner, and they returned to the station, where Eames awaited.
“I’m taking this one myself,” Eames told them, as he led the doctor to an interrogation room. “And, not to worry, Vicky. We’re working with young Eric. We have patrol watching out for his family, and we’re working with an attorney. He’s getting leniency, probation, and court-mandated rehab. I think this experience will have taught him something. We can only hope.”
Eames started walking away but stopped. He turned back to the three of them.
“Go home. It’s been one long day, and there are other detectives here, you know.”
“Yes, sir!” Hank called.
“Wait, sir!” Vicky said.
“Yes?” Eames paused, and she walked over to him. “You, too, sir. You finish with the good doctor, and you go home. Oh, your press conference—”
“Over and done with while you were at the hospital,” he told her. “With federal blessing and cooperation, we have the invite out for anyone involved with the man. So—”
“You will finish this and go home,” Vicky told him.
He shook his head, looking over at Hank and Adrien. “Be careful of this one!” he warned, but he smiled at Vicky. “I promise I’ll go home after, Detective. I promise.”
He went on, and she returned to Adrien and Hank where they stood in the hallway.
“So . . .”
“It has been a really long day,” Adrien told her. “We haven’t eaten—except for the donuts Hank so kindly brought this morning.”
“I know a great restaurant on Griffith Road. The Field. Irish, lots of great food. And some great beer,” Hank offered.
Vicky laughed, and Adrien looked at her. “The Field! Yeah, I’ve been there with my family. So, let’s head on out for food!”
They did. It had been a long day; they needed to wind down. They talked in general as the waitress took their order. An Irish band was playing, and they enjoyed the music.
But when they were finishing up and coffee was being served, Hank grew serious.
“Do you think it’s really over?” he asked.
“Snake’s head,” Adrien told him. “I do. I believe there will be a mop-up, and I believe people will come in. Vicky’s idea was a good one. And trust me, the federal government is always happy to see illegal drugs off the market.”
“So, are you going back to D.C.?” Hank asked him.
Adrien grinned as he glanced at Vicky.
“Actually, I live in Northern Virginia,” he said.
Hank waved a hand in the air, rolling his eyes. “Whichever! When do you go back?”
“I don’t. I was transferred down here. We have several field offices down here—here, Tampa, West Palm . . . more. I was transferred here, in Broward. I grew up here.”
“You’re staying?” Hank asked.
“I am.”
Hank looked perplexed.
“What is it?” Vicky asked him.
“Am I losing a partner?” Hank asked.
“Hank, you couldn’t lose me if you tried,” Vicky assured him. “You’re—”
“Like an extra dad?” Hank asked.
Vicky and Adrien both laughed.
“Big brother!” Vicky told him.
“All right, then. But I do imagine we’ll work together in the future. It’s amazing how well this worked because everyone was working together. And thanks for that great relationship I feel I’ve got now with Mike and Lance, and that can be so important, too,” Hank said.
“Oh! Yeah, they’re going to bring back the band, and we’re going to see them play one night!” Vicky said.
Adrien groaned. “Only if you guys sing.”
Hank laughed. “Only if you know classic rock!”
Their waitress brought the check.
“On the county tonight or on the Feds?” Hank mused.
“How about just on me?” Adrien suggested. “Truly, my pleasure. My thanks to those with whom I was privileged to bring in a case.”
“Well, we could—” Hank began.
“Yeah, but so can I,” Adrien said.
Hank looked at Vicky. “I guess I don’t need to offer to bring Adrien home, since he’s staying at your place.”
Vicky glanced nervously at Adrien, but that look she gave him might have given Hank the greatest amusement of the night.
“Oh, come on, Vick, you’re a grown-up who works all the time and tends to live like a nun. You two . . . yeah, not a long acquaintance, but man, do the two of you click!” He leaned closer, addressing them both. “That doesn’t happen all the time in life. Met my wife at a Halloween party. And I knew then that it was just right. That’s not always true, but sometimes it is. We were married by Christmas, and it’s been almost twenty-five years. So . . . whatever the future brings, grab happiness and the great human touch when you can!”
“I’m so glad we have your blessing!” Adrien told him, and Hank laughed again.
“Go home! And rest well.”
They managed to leave, Hank in his car, Vicky and Adrien in hers.
“I do have a car,” he told her. “It’s at my brother’s house.”
She smiled. “Well, I think we may have a day off soon, and when you take me riding, we can pick up your car.”
“We may need a drive-by before then,” he told her. “My ‘quick’ bag, or grab bag, or whatever you call the overnight thing I always have packed doesn’t have that many articles of clothing in it.”
She grinned. “And I need to return that dress.”
Adrien was silent for a minute.
“That was presumptuous of me,” he said.
“What?”
“That I was going home with you.”
“Actually, it was presumptuous of Hank!” she said, smiling. She turned to him, frowning. “Maybe it was presumptuous of me, too. I mean, you probably want to figure out how to really establish yourself here and—”
“I found a great place to live,” he told her. “Assuming the current occupant likes my idea.”
“Where?” she asked. In all the time they’d been together, he hadn’t said anything about being interested in a place.
“You do have an extra room, though, of course . . .”
She grinned.
“We’ve really only known each other for about three days,” he said seriously. “And that is presumptuous of me, but . . .” He looked at her again. “I don’t want to go to any home that isn’t where you are.”
She smiled and nodded. “I do have an extra room. We’re not far from the ranch. We can spend plenty of time riding and playing with the dogs and, oh! One condition!” she told him.
“And what might that be?”
“I want a dog. I want Blue. I love dogs, and I’ve wanted a dog for so long, but I was worried about my hours. Okay, we’re still both going to be working all the time, but with two of us . . . there’s a nice yard here, and the kids next door are good kids and can help and—”
“It’s okay. Blue is yours if you want her. Or,” he added, smiling. “Ours.”
“Do you think . . .”
“Think what?”
She glanced his way quickly and then gave her attention back to the road. “Do you think Hank is right, that maybe . . .”
“Yes,” he said simply. “I do.”
They reached her house and went in quickly. It was only about ten o’clock, but it had been a long, long day.
Showers were a necessity.
And fun.
As they began peeling away their clothing, Adrien teased her again.
“At least tonight you’re not going to have to pretend you’re afraid of snakes.”
She made a face at him and shook her head.
“Only the human variety,” she assured him.
“Ouch! Did you just call me a snake?”
“No! Why, did you think I was afraid of you?” Vicky asked.
“I’m a little bit afraid of you,” he returned, grinning.
And then he had her in his arms, and he added, “Afraid you’ll decide I’m not at all the Florida almost-cowboy you just might not want into the future.”
She smiled. No one knew what the future would hold.
She did know she wanted to give it every chance in the world.
She rose against him to press a kiss against his lips and whispered, “This cowboy feels a little long-day icky right now . . .”
“Oh, but I will fix that!”
He caught her hand and led her to the bathroom and turned on the water.
“I’m going to try the romantic thing again,” he said, sweeping her off her feet.
“Just don’t fall! It’s a shower, slick!” she cried.
He didn’t drop her. And the shower was slick and wonderful, and after, it was the same incredible mixture of urgency, sensation, and laughter, too.
The night stretched ahead . . . and it was incredible.
Nothing interrupted them until the sun had been up and Eames called.
“Oh, no, what now?” Vicky asked.
“I’m calling you to tell you to take the day. Some of Adrien’s coworkers up in the Tampa area arrested Rafael Rodriguez. He didn’t have any redheads with him, but they did find a truckload of cocaine that was in his car when they found him and pulled him over for being impaired. Better yet—Vicky’s idea is paying off. We’ve had ten calls from people asking for help who had at least met Hasani and received pictures of loved ones with warnings they would pay their dues when asked. Tie-up is happening fast. You guys will both get some time off after this.”
“Both,” Vicky murmured, glancing at Adrien.
“Oh, sorry—all three of you. Hank has been wanting to take his kids to Disney. Now he’ll get the chance. And you and Adrien . . . well, you two just enjoy. Do not come in today. Do you hear me? Do not come in today,” Eames said firmly.
“All right, sir, but—”
Eames laughed. “Don’t worry; I’m setting a few things in order, taking care of a little more of the paperwork, and I’m going home. I’m taking my wife to Hard Rock for a day at the spa, a little poker, and lots and lots of hours just soaking up sun at the pool!”
“Great! I’m glad to hear it.”
“Oh, Adrien will call in, I imagine, but tell him he’s been given the day off, too.”
“Um . . .”
Eames ended the call.
Vicky looked at Adrien, grinning and shaking her head.
“Eames knew about us, too! How? I mean, we didn’t go near each other when we were working, and we didn’t . . .”
“Chemistry,” he said.
“What?”
He laughed, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling.
“Sparks were probably flying all around us!”
She batted him on the arm and lay down next to him again. “Seriously . . .”
He curled toward her. “Maybe they all just saw the admiration in my eyes every time I looked at you.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. But I’m glad. And I’m glad that two of the most important people in your life seem to think it’s great. Now I just need to meet your folks and your sister and her family.”
“Hey! At least I have only one sister—I need to meet two more of your siblings and your parents and . . . wow.”
“All in good time,” he assured her, but he kissed her lightly on the lips and rose above her and reminded her, “We have the day off.”
“I’m going to get to ride that horse!” she said.
He grinned, nodded, and said, “All in good time.”
And she smiled, too.
It was actually going to be their first real morning together.