Chapter 23
“Mayor Burnett?” Audrey stuck her head around the door.
“Yes?” She lifted her eyes from the report she was reading, removing her dainty glasses, and tucking her glossy hair behind her ear.
“Chief Walcott is here to see you.”
Tammy glanced down at the slim gold watch at her wrist. “Well at least he’s on time,” she replied, straightening in her seat and tidying up the reports on her desk. “Please show him in.”
Chief Walcott did not look himself, although he had always been an austere looking man. His eyes were dark and narrowed with suspicion, his mouth was set in a tight, unforgiving line as he removed his hat. The man was obviously wound tighter than a spring.
“Please take a seat, Chief Walcott.” Tammy indicated the seat in front of her desk. There would be no cozy chats on the couch over tea this time.
He inclined his head in greeting as he sat down. “Mayor Burnett.”
“I seem to have received a great deal of complaints about your conduct lately.”
“From who?” he asked suspiciously.
“Why don’t we start with Morley Ridge,” Mayor Burnett answered coolly. “I received a phone call from their administrator telling me that you have been calling almost daily with regard to Charles Connell and his escape.”
Chief Walcott’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I believe he is not only involved in the recent murders, but directly responsible for them.”
“And your proof?” she asked expectantly, raising one slender brow, which folded into a frown when no answer was forth coming.
“Let me be clear on this matter now. Unless Charles Connell is found on Mercy soil, he is not your concern. That case is out of your jurisdiction.” She folded her hands on the desk in front of her, linking her fingers.
“Which brings me to my next point... Olivia West.”
Chief Walcott’s gaze hardened, and his jaw clenched so tightly she was surprised she didn’t hear it crack.
“Miss West is a legitimate suspect I’m pursuing in a multiple murder case.”
“No, she isn’t,” Tammy replied coolly. “You seem to forget, Chief Walcott, that I have access to all your files too, and I see nothing concrete to suggest that Olivia West is in any way involved with these killings.”
“Mayor Burnett,” he grated from between clenched teeth.
“Save your breath, Chief,” she answered in disdain.
“It has also come to my attention that you had a personal involvement with one of the victims from the earlier murders. I’m not interested in the nature of that relationship, but I will tell you now, I will not have my chief of police on a personal vendetta.
This is your one and only warning. Unless she is caught actually carving out someone’s internal organs with a bloodied knife clutched in her fist, stay the hell away from her.
If I get even one sniff of misconduct, I will suspend you pending a full investigation into your handling of this case. Do I make myself clear?”
“As glass,” he replied, his eyes coldly calculating as he stood abruptly. “Is that all, Mayor Burnett?”
“I think that about covers it. Just do your job, Chief,” she remarked pointedly. “Or I will find someone else who can.”
He glared at her with barely concealed anger before stalking from the room.
She sighed as he slammed the door behind him, already able to tell he had absolutely no intention of toeing the line, which left her with a big problem on her hands. If she couldn’t trust her own chief of police, she needed to find someone she could.
She pressed the intercom. “Audrey, could you put me through to the Philadelphia PD, 39th precinct. I want to speak with Captain McCallister.”
“Sure thing, Mayor,” Audrey answered, and hit disconnect.
Tammy stood restlessly and paced across to the window, watching the dreary gray clouds burst open with spiteful slaps of rain, which began to hammer at the glass.
“Mayor Burnett.” Audrey’s voice came through. “I’m afraid Captain McCallister is currently on leave. Apparently, he was injured in the line of duty.”
“Injured?” She frowned. “How? What happened?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have that information, Mayor. Should I see if I can get his home number for you?”
“No, it’s alright, I already have it.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Thank you anyway, Audrey.”
“Mayor,” she acknowledged as the line clicked dead.
Tammy sat down at her desk and picked up the phone, dialing the number she had memorized. It rang and rang. She was just wondering if she should hang up when a deep, smooth voice answered.
“McCallister.”
“Layton?” She spoke softly. “It’s Tammy.”
“Tammy?” he repeated in surprise, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice.
“I was told you’d been injured.” She cleared her throat softly.
“Nothing too serious, just a bullet to the shoulder. Damn thing got infected,” he replied, the low, gravelly sound of his voice curling in her belly. “Can’t even trust the criminals to clean their own guns these days.”
“You shouldn’t joke about that.” She frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Tammy.” His voice softened. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re calling?”
She sighed. “I’ve got trouble, Layton, we’ve a murderer on the loose.”
“I thought Thomas Walcott was chief?” he mused. “He’s a good man, a good cop. I’m sure he’ll catch the killer.”
“He’s part of the problem,” she muttered.
“It’s looking like a repeat of the murders from twenty years ago.
He had a personal relationship with one of the original victims, and now he’s on some sort of personal vendetta.
He’s fixated on someone who doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the killings.
I was wondering, if I sent you the case files, would you look them over? ”
“I can do better than that. I can be with you in about five and a half hours.”
“Layton.” Tammy frowned, feeling guilty. “You’re supposed to be recovering.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m on leave until the end of the month, so I have plenty of time to help you straighten this mess out.”
“Alright,” she relented. “As long as you’re sure. I could use all the help I can get right now.”
“It’s no problem, Tammy, you know that.” She could hear the amusement in his voice. “Besides, it’ll give me something to do other than watching daytime TV until my brain rots. The question is, should I book a motel, or are you going to put me up?”
She laughed warmly. “I’ll have Audrey book you into the motel.”
“You’re a hard woman, Mayor Burnett.” He sighed in mock resignation.
“I’ll see you later today then?”
“Yes, you will.”
Hanging up the phone, she felt a weight lift. With a small smile tugging at her lips, she turned over the boring report and began to read once again, but for some reason, she couldn’t concentrate.
***
Chief Walcott stalked out of the main entrance and stormed down the steps to the sidewalk. Ignoring the rain, he headed back toward Main St.
The nerve of that woman! How dare she tell him how to do his job!
He could do it a helluva lot better if she would stop interfering.
Well, to hell with her. If she wanted proof, he’d get her god damn proof and then she’d be forced to admit he’d been right all along.
Olivia West and her father were both murderers.
He rounded the corner and stopped abruptly. Ducking back around the corner, he watched Olivia standing on the sidewalk in front of the Old Mercy Mutual Savings and Trust. Close enough for their voices to carry on the cool fall air.
“Are you ready?” Theo asked.
Olivia stared at the bank a moment longer. “Yes.” She paused, then she shook her head. “No.”
She turned to walk away, but Theo simply caught her by the arms and steered her gently back to the door.
“You need to get this over with, Olivia,” he told her. “You cannot put all this behind you until you do. It will always be there at the back of your mind.”
“I know.” She blew out the breath she’d been holding. “You’re right.”
“Come on.” He took her hand in his and tugged her toward the door.
As she walked through the door into the light open space, she pulled her hat off and stuffed it in her coat pocket.
“Can I help?” a member of staff greeted politely.
“Um, I’d like to speak with the manager,” Olivia answered nervously.
“Certainly, Miss…”
“West,” she replied, watching with some amusement as the woman’s eyes widened.
“I’ll let him know you’re here.” She disappeared momentarily and arrived back with a short man with very little hair and a really wide forehead.
“Miss West,” he greeted her courteously. “I’m George Banbury, the manager. Please…” He gestured toward a desk with two plain, utilitarian gray padded chairs tucked neatly in front of it. “How can I help you today?”
“I, uh…” She sat down in one of the seats with Theo next to her. “I’ve recently found out that my aunt held a safety deposit box here, and I have the key to it. I just wondered how I would go about getting access to it?”
“That’s not a problem. Evelyn West did indeed rent a box with us, and your name is already listed. You are more than welcome to access its contents. All I require is a valid form of identification.”
“I have my driver’s license.”
“Perfect,” he replied as she handed it to him.
“Can I remove the items if I choose to?” Olivia asked, following Mr. Banbury into a back room that was filled with row upon row of metal boxes.
“That is your right.” He nodded. “The box is paid up in full for several years. We can either refund the fee back to you if you wish to surrender the box, or you can keep it and store other items in it. Your key, if you don’t mind, Miss West.”
She handed it to him and watched as he unlocked the box and pulled out an interior metal container, carrying it over to the table in the center of the room and setting it down.
“I’ll just give you some privacy.” He inclined his head politely and left the room, quietly clicking the door closed behind him.