Chapter 4
“Jesus, Kevin, you sure know how to kick a girl when she’s down.
” She shook her head, finished her water, and started to rise, looked at the guards, and sat back down.
“I like to say I’m six years older than Ryan, but in actuality, I’m ten.
It’s a vanity thing, but whenever I could, I would lie about my age.
For ten years, I had Mom and Dad all to myself.
Their love, their attention, their devotion, and yes, their money. Whatever I wanted, I got.”
She shook her head and started playing with the empty water bottle. Neither of the two guards left in the room said anything or took it from her.
“The second I found out Mom was pregnant, I was overwhelmed by several emotions. I’m telling you this because I had to unpack all this in my therapy sessions.
Anyway, I knew Mom and Dad wanted more children.
They told me all the time that they wanted more.
When it didn’t happen, we all realized I would be the only one, and I think that’s when Mom and Dad really started to spoil me. Then Mom got pregnant.”
“Stop,” Kevin said as he held up his hand. “I’m going to be seeing Ryan in a few months. May I record what you’re about to say, then show it to him?”
“Sure,” Karen said with a shrug, and they both looked at the guards.
“I don’t see any reason not to,” one of them said, as she settled in a chair.
Kevin pulled out his phone, and he propped it up to get the angle he wanted, and nodded to Karen.
“Hi, Ryan,” Karen said to the phone. “I know you probably don’t want to see my face ever again, and I don’t blame you.
I was a first-class royal bitch to you your entire life.
I have no excuse for it. None whatsoever.
I’m making this video to tell you that I’m sorry for my treatment of you, and I hope that one day, you can forgive me.
” She sighed, drew in a deep breath, looked at Kevin, and went back to looking into the phone.
“From the minute I found out Mom was pregnant with you, I resented you. I wouldn’t be an only child any longer, and I resented the hell out of you for taking my parents away from me.
I don’t know if you know the truth, but as I just told Kevin, I’m ten years older than you, not six.
I wasn’t as smart as I claimed to leave home early to go to college.
I was eighteen when I left, not sixteen.
That was on me, no one else. Anyway, over the years, I resented you because it seemed like no matter what you did, it was effortless.
You read a book and could recall what you read.
You looked at a math problem and could figure it out in seconds.
You tried out for sports and was the captain of the team before the first game.
Then you joined the Navy, and immediately became a SEAL.
I’m not saying that it happened that fast, but it seemed like it to me.
No, you were not the golden boy, you were treated just as equally as I was.
I just resented the hell out of you because I wasn’t alone with Mom and Dad any longer.
Everything you did, you succeeded, on your own merit. ”
She shook her head, wiped her forehead, and plowed on.
“As we grew older, I grew more resentful. When Mom and Dad died, you weren’t there, which left me to deal with everything.
I’m still working through this with my therapist, but I believe that because I already resented you, my grief from their passing compounded the resentment.
I told no one this next part, not even Kevin or Caleb, and I’m not saying it now to hurt you, I’m saying it because it’s a hard fact, and it added to my feelings toward you.
” She looked up at Kevin, and didn’t speak until he gave her a nod, then she looked directly into the camera.
“Both Mom and Dad’s last word was your name.
I was the one that took care of them, I was the one that did everything for them, but your name was the last word they spoke before they passed.
So, yeah, my resentment of you grew. When you finally came home, that’s when I lost it on you.
I’m sorry, I know it’s a little too late, but I am truly sorry.
I do not expect you to forgive me, but that’s your prerogative.
I will not force you, you have the right to your feelings, just like I did mine.
” She reached up and wiped a genuine tear, but her voice was steady as she finished.
“It’s my own stupidity that led us down the path we are on now.
I’m talking about us not being close. That’s on me.
No matter what happens, know that I love you, I wish you well in this life, and I hope you’re happy.
” She wiped several more tears and turned away.
Kevin quickly stopped recording, and wiped a tear of his own.
The room remained silent for what felt like hours, but was only fifteen more minutes before the door opened, and Detective Bennett stuck his head inside.
“Lassiter,” he said with a clipped voice, and Kevin rose to go out in the hall.
“What’s up?”
“We have the phone call Strokes made. It was for two minutes and twelve seconds.”
“To whom?”
“A known gang leader. Drake is with the Warden getting copies of Strokes’ file. We’ve alerted Boggs, and he said he will handle things from there.”
“Okay, is it okay for me to return home?”
“Yes, Boggs alerted the entire house and the guys back at the station are filling out a sign-up sheet to take turns staying at your house. Both while you’re at work, and at night. We’ve got your back, Lassiter.”
“Thanks.” He sighed and scrubbed his face. After he paced in the hall several times he turned to his friend, and colleague. “Question.”
“What’s that?”
Kevin looked up when Brooks joined them. “First, let me tell you that I was heading to HR today when Boggs called me into his office for this shit.”
“Why?” Bennett asked.
“I’m retiring. I wanted to see what my package would be before I talked to the boss. However, I have a job already lined up in another state. When I told Karen that I found those boxes with the shoes and purses?” He looked at Bennett and left the statement as a question.
“Yes, what about them?”
“I called my son’s girlfriend and she and her mother told me to bring them with me, because they either want to purchase some of them, or will help me sell them.
I’m only saying this because I won’t be here for more than two more months.
This shit won’t go away overnight, and I already know I’m leaving.
With that said, now onto my question. Should I get personal security? ”
“What do you mean?”
“No offense to any of you guys, but you have lives. I can make one phone call, and within two days, three tops, I can have at least a dozen retired Navy SEALs camping out in my home.”
“Jesus, how the hell do you know that many?”
“Remember a few years back that I said my brother-in-law was captured while on deployment? He returned to the office. I think it was you that patched him up.”
“The guy with the eye patch?”
“Yes, he’s Karen’s brother. I can call him, and he could grab some of his buddies and come here. I don’t think you need him for this case, but after what I just recorded, he might want to see Karen.”
“Do it,” Boggs said, and everyone turned to see their captain standing there with the Warden. “Now.”
Kevin nodded and stepped into the room that Brooks had just came out of, drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He pulled out his phone, accessed his contacts, and let his finger hover over Ryan’s name for a few seconds.
“Carter,” came the barked reply after only one ring.
“Ryan, it’s Kevin.”
“Oh, hey,” the voice softened. “How are you doing? You ready to leave Seattle yet?”
“Actually, I am. It should be soon, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh, then why are you calling. Oh shit, did Karen do something?”
“Sort of,” Kevin said and explained the situation. When he finished, the line was dead and he thought it had been dropped until he heard Ryan swearing. “Ryan, she’s different. It’s hard to explain, but if I had to sum it up in one word, I would say hard. She recorded a message to you.”
“Do you have it?”
“Yes, would you like me to send it to you?”
“Please.”
Kevin did what he did, and waited until Ryan came back on the line.
“Fuck,” he said quietly. “Does she want me to come there?”
“No, but I do. Not for Karen’s sake, but for mine.”
“Why?”
“We’ve been able to trace the phone call Strokes sent, the one that she told the person on the other end to take me out, it would be a mark on their bingo card?”
“Yes, what about it.”
“The call went to a known affiliate in a street gang here in Seattle. They are known to come up with a bingo card and collect marks. The lower people in the organization move up the chain with more marks. If they get a full bingo card, then they become part of the inner circle.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. I’m not fearing for my life yet, but I’m wondering if you and a couple of your former teammates would like to come to Seattle for a couple of weeks.”
“I’ll be there,” Ryan didn’t hesitate. “What about Caleb?”
“No, he doesn’t need to know until it’s all over.
I’m at the prison now, and we’re working on getting Karen transferred to a different facility, because her life is in danger.
I have my buddies at work stepping in to protect me, but they have families, and frankly, Ryan, I trust you and your SEAL teammates over these guys.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re good cops, but I feel you guys would have an edge over them. ”
“I understand. How many people do you need?”
“I’m thinking three, maybe four. And I don’t know if I can ask this, but maybe you guys can drive, and I can pack my stuff in your trucks for the ride back.”