Chapter 25 #2
King: Randy is going to be there in about an hour to interview Lauren.
He got most of what he needs from the recording Lauren had, so he just needs to go over a few things.
I’ve told him everything we know, so just be straight with him.
He’ll leave everything out of the report that doesn’t have to be there.
By the way, if you haven’t seen the news yet, you need to prepare Lauren.
The story was picked up nationally because the author is well-known.
Ella said it’s all over social media, too, especially Bookstagram and BookTok, whatever the fuck that means.
“Fuck,” I muttered, then told Lauren what he said.
“I don’t think I want to watch the news, or know what’s being said on social media. I’m not up to dealing with any of that right now,” she said with a sigh, then asked how Tony was feeling. She was relieved when I told her he would be discharged in a couple of hours.
Molly and Abby each called me, wanting to check on Lauren. She talked to both of them briefly, then decided to rest her voice. I got her some ice chips, which helped a little.
When Randy arrived, he looked exhausted, and I suspected he’d been up most of the night, too. Thankfully, he had Lauren’s purse and phone with him.
“We don’t need to keep those in evidence,” he explained, then asked if Lauren felt up to answering a couple of questions. She nodded, reaching for my hand and threading her fingers through mine.
“I think we’ve got a pretty clear picture of what happened already.
We’ve listened to the recording, and we also retrieved the camera footage from the studio.
We got a warrant to search his house early this morning, and we seized a number of electronics that will be closely analyzed by our tech people. ” He stopped and sighed heavily.
“Lauren, I have to be honest with you. Based on the evidence we’ve gathered so far, the prosecutor has serious concerns about whether Darnell is mentally competent to stand trial, for the foreseeable future, at least. He has regained consciousness, but he had to be given some serious antipsychotic drugs to control his erratic behavior.
He’ll be evaluated by a psychiatrist – hell, probably a whole team of them – and then there will be a competency hearing to determine if he’s capable of participating in his own defense. ”
“Are you saying that motherfucker could get away with this?” I practically snarled the words, and Randy put his hands up and motioned for me to calm down.
“Absolutely not, I promise you that. There is too much evidence against him for that. He will be charged with a number of crimes, but he may be held in a secure psychiatric facility for treatment until the doctors and the court determine that he’s able to actually stand trial.
Regardless, he will not be a free man, and I sincerely doubt he ever will be again. ”
“What is he being charged with?” Lauren looked anxious as she waited for his answer.
Randy’s gaze softened as he studied her. “The prosecutor won’t make the final decision on everything until all the evidence is analyzed, but to start with he’ll be charged later today with attempted murder for his attack on you.” She flinched and I put my arm around her.
“He’ll be hit with felony assault for Tony.
The camera footage shows that he approached him in the hallway and they exchanged a few words.
Tony stood up and turned around to look in the window of the booth you were in, and Darnell hit him over the head with a flashlight.
We recovered one of those heavy steel Maglites at the scene.
He duct-taped him and dragged him, unconscious, down to the supply room.
It doesn’t appear that he was trying to kill him, he just wanted him out of the way so he could get to you. ”
He paused, and the expression on his face darkened.
“Based on the confession you captured on the recording, as well as some things he said to the hospital staff once he regained consciousness, he’ll also be charged in the death of Nadia Zelinsky, his high-school girlfriend.
She disappeared on her way home from her after-school job almost thirty-five years ago.
I was just a patrolman then, so I never worked her case, and her file has been with our cold-case unit for over thirty years.
There was some evidence at the time that she’d been abducted, and she was presumed dead even though her body was never found. ”
“Was that bastard a suspect then?”
Randy shook his head at my question. “No. I talked to Ray Delgado, the cold case detective in charge of her file, early this morning. Darnell was interviewed at the time, of course, since he was her boyfriend, but he was a quiet, seventeen-year-old honor student. He was the captain of his school’s wrestling team and had even qualified for the state championship tournament twice.
He’d never been in trouble with the law.
Everyone they interviewed said he was a good kid, that he adored Nadia, and that they had a good relationship.
” He paused, and sighed again, looking as if he’d aged a few years since we’d seen him last night.
“She had complained to her sister and several friends that a man kept harassing her at the mall where she worked, so the detectives at the time focused their attention on trying to identify him, as well as investigating a few known sex offenders living in the area. They never considered Darnell as a suspect at all.”
“Has her family been told?” Lauren whispered as a tear rolled down her face. She reached for the small box of tissues on the bedside table.
Randy nodded. “Delgado called and talked to her mother at seven o’clock this morning.
He wanted to notify them before they saw Darnell’s name on the news.
Her father is under hospice care at home.
Cancer. He likely only has weeks to live.
Her mother broke down and said his dying wish has been to find out what happened to Nadia.
She was so grateful that they’re going to finally get some answers before it’s too late. ”
Lauren gasped, and then started sobbing, and Randy and I both teared up a little. I couldn’t imagine the pain that family had endured all these years.