Chapter 9
Twenty minutes later, Nick and Jillian walked into the Miami Police Department.
She noticed the same burnt coffee smell present in the air as the previous time she’d been there, and the desk sergeant looked as weary as he’d been that morning as well.
His eyes brightened as if he recognized her but couldn’t recall why as they approached.
“We’re here to see Detective Simons,” Jillian said.
“Right. Mugging case from the other day,” the man said.
“Good memory,” she said.
“I’ll let him know you’re here,” the sergeant said.
A few moments later a tall, lanky man in his thirties in a came out to greet them. “Hello, you must be Nick and Jillian, I’m Detective Simons partner, James Kohl. Follow me to the interrogation observation room.”
As they walked down the brightly lit corridor, Kohl talked. “Simons just walked into the interrogation room as soon as we got the call you had arrived. He explained to her he was held up because of another case he was working on the murder of Judge Stevens. Her face went ashen.”
“Of course it did,” Nick said.
“I mean, out of all the detectives on the force, what are the odds that that murder of a judge would land on our desk when Simons was already investigating her kid’s disappearance,” Kohl said opening the door to a room for them to enter.
“She wasn’t expecting that. The same judge who heard her custody case. ”
“I wonder if she knows we suspect her,” Jillian said.
The room was dimly lit, and a large mirror allowed them to see into the interrogation room where Simons and Geneva were. “Let’s have a listen, shall we?” Kohl reached up and adjusted the sound volume. “This should be interesting.”
“She looks wonderful,” Jillian said, getting a good look at Geneva for the first time in four years.
“She’s gained weight, there are no dark circles under eyes.
Her hair has a natural luster. She looks like she did in her photos before she got hooked on the pain medication.
Maybe she really has kicked it this time. ”
Nick reached for her right hand and gave it a squeeze, and she smiled at him. “That would be good for Travis.”
“Yes, it would.”
The scraping noise as Simons pulled out the chair opposite from Geneva at the table and sat drew their attention to the interrogation room. He placed a folder in front of him but didn’t open it. “Can you tell me if you go by Ms. McGinty still or something else?”
“I’ve resumed using my maiden name,” she said. “It’s Reyes.”
“Okay. Ms. Reyes, can you tell me where you were yesterday, all day?” Simons began. “We’d just like to have a timeline for our records. Tell me what you did yesterday.”
Geneva was silent for a moment, then placed her hands on the table in front of her, fingers splayed apart.
“I started my day as normal yesterday. I had breakfast then went to my counselling session with my addiction counselor Dr. Virginia Bell. I can provide you with her information if you want it. She’s been the first therapist who has been able to help me in all my attempts at getting sober.
And I am truly thankful. I feel human again. ”
“Afterward I met my parents for a leisurely lunch at the Miami Yacht Club,” Geneva continued.
She sat back in her chair and played with her double strand pearl necklace, running her thumb and forefinger over the glossy pearls.
“Mom and I went shopping afterward while dad and a few of friends went fishing. Later we were invited for cocktails with Mayor Suarez and his wife Gloria–being in recovery, I didn’t drink of course– then dinner at Ariete.
” She looked all innocent in her expensive René Alta ensemble.
He only knew the designer because his wife was gushing all the time over the woman’s clothes wishing she could afford them, even on clearance.
Geneva smiled at him and bit her lower lip, shrugging her shoulders. “Do you know them, detective? I only ask because my parents sold them their vacation home in Boca.”
Simons didn’t even bat an eye. “You won’t mind if I verify your being at the Yacht Club with Roberto? Or even at Ariete with Michele? I too have my connections.”
“Of course,” she said, fluttering her lashes at him.
“One more question, when was the last time you spoke to your divorce attorney?” Simons asked.
Surprise parted Geneva’s lips and confusion replaced her earlier arrogance.
Shrugging, she said, “I don’t know. Probably when I contacted her a year or so after the divorce when I got out of rehab and wanted to try to get the custodial rights ruling overturned.
She told me that with all my previous failures at rehab, no judge would hear my case, let alone overturn it, until I had been clean and sober for five or more years. ”
“Ha,” Kohl said softly. “All mama and daddy’s money couldn’t buy her what she wanted most. Spoiled bitch.”
Geneva looked down at her hands and curled her fingers back toward her palms.
Simons finally opened the folder in front of him and showed her an array of pictures of the two guys who had abducted Travis. “Do you recognize either of these young men?”
She looked at him as if his questions puzzled her and then at the photos. “Should I?”
“Just take a good look and see if you recognize them.”
“I don’t. I have never seen either of them before,” she said. “Honest.”
He took the photos back and returned them to the folder. “Thank you.”
“Who are they?” she asked.
“They are possibly persons of interest,” Simons said getting up from the table.
“Thank you for coming in and answering my questions. If I need anything further I’ll be in touch, Ms. Reyes.”
“Should I be concerned? Am I in danger?” she asked.
“Has someone threatened you?” Simon’s voice was flat and neutral.
“What does Nathan have to say about this?” she demanded her eyes welling up with tears. “Or does he even care? I’m sure he hasn’t even returned from his damned honeymoon.”
Nick elbowed Jillian and whispered, “How’d she know about that?”
Jillian shrugged. “I haven’t a clue. I don’t know if Mr. McGinty was in touch with her before his wedding or not.”
“It wasn’t my fault I got addicted to pain pills! I was in a car wreck, and it messed up my back badly. You don’t know what it’s like…But I’ve been sober now for fourteen months and I would be a good mother is someone would just give me a chance!”
“I’ll show you out,” Simons said, opening the door to the interrogation room for her.
Geneva sniffed, picked up her Chanel bag and flounced out of the room, high heels clicking on the polished floor.
“Wow,” Nick exclaimed into the silence. “What do you make of that?”
“She just told us enough to establish her alibis,” Kohl said resignedly. “She’s a tough nut to crack. And I’m not buying that poor me it’s not my fault act. I’m not sure if she was on the up and up or if she was putting on an act the whole time.”
“I’m with you there,” Jillian said. “She really hid her addiction well.”
“Let’s go to my office,” Kohl said, leading them out. “Simons said you were bringing down letters for him as evidence?”
“Yes,” Jillian opened her purse, pulling out two envelopes and handed them to Kohl.
“Each have different postmarks, and I received them before I was mugged the first time. But I didn’t think anything about it because the letters didn’t make sense to me.
That’s why I didn’t mention them to Detective Simons.
I wouldn’t have even thought about them if Nick hadn’t asked if anything out of the ordinary had happened when he was questioning me in the hospital after my hit and run. ”
“Simons has filled me in on your case,” Kohl said. “It is a doozie. And Nick believes Geneva is behind it all.”
“Here’s what I think,” Nick said. “Deep down she resents Jillian for testifying against her during the divorce and custody hearing. Jillian has been raising her son for her all these years while Geneva has been in and out of rehab. Now that she’s sober she still can’t get her child back because she has to prove she can stay sober for years and like her lawyer told her, it will be years before a judge will even consider a custody hearing. ”
Jillian smiled at Nick and touched his arm. “I can see why you’re a JAG officer. That was some summation. If I were in trouble, I’d want you on my side.”
He leaned toward her and said softly. “I am on your side.”
“I’m glad.” She leaned in as well, their eyes locking and she felt a warmth flood through her. Could this be happening? Here? Now? After all these years had she met a man she was attracted to while she was going through a crisis of all things. It didn’t seem right when Travis was missing.
“These letters are strange,” Kohl said, disrupting their moment. They pulled away and looked at him.
“I thought so when I received them,” Jillian said. “Strange enough that I didn’t pay them no mind. And they came far enough apart I didn’t really connect them.”
“Yet, you kept them?” Kohl said, his brow arched. “Any reason for that?”
She nodded. “Maybe my subconscious knew they were important?”
Simons entered and tossed the folder on his desk. “Well, how did you like the show?”
“Are you sure it was a good idea to let her leave?” Kohl asked, quickly switching his focus from the letters to Geneva once more.
“We have no reason to hold her, but I’ve assigned undercover detectives to follow her,” Simons replied. “They’ll report in if she knows where Travis is and goes to him, we’ll be on her like a flee on a coonhound.”
“What about her parents?” Nick asked.
“Them too,” Simons said. “I’m not taking any chances that they are not involved in this up to their eyeballs. And I don’t give a shit if they sold the mayor a house or a gold-plated doghouse to go with it. If they’re in on their grandson’s kidnapping, I’ll personally throw their asses in jail.”