The hunt, p.36
The Hunt, page 36
“I just got off the phone with the lawyer in Mumbai. It’ll take about a week to register the documents and then you get your final papers.”
“Then what?”
“Then we get married.” A long pause. “After that, I go to India and get your son.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Not about getting married. Not at all. Are you nervous?”
“No,” I lied. “What about India?”
“I’m not thinking about that yet. I don’t get nervous or anxious when I’m on a mission. I sort of get this heightened awareness, this focus. It’s actually exciting.”
“Just please be careful.”
“Always.” He drew me closer. “How do you want to get married?”
“You mean like a ceremony?”
“Yeah, like a ceremony. Gabe’s coming in at the end of next week. We can have something small with just Juleen and him, if you’d like.”
I thought a moment. “I really don’t want Juleen to see us getting married. I’ve only been separated from Devek for months.”
“She knows what’s going on, but she’s your kid. Do what makes you feel comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
“If you don’t want to go intimate, then how about this? You’ve been here almost three months. You’re a resident, but even if you weren’t it wouldn’t matter. How about if Gabe comes here and watches Juleen while you and I have a blowout in Vegas?”
“What do you mean by blowout?”
“Shows, dinners, shopping, massages, gambling, and lots of sex, which will happen regardless of where we are.”
“I don’t gamble.” I paused. “Do you?”
“No. It’s a waste of money and I have an addictive personality. But I’ll give you like five grand to play the slots. Fuck-it money. Pack some nice clothes and let’s cut loose.”
I hesitated. “Will you be doing business there?”
“I’ve got some housekeeping, sure. I have a list of possibilities that I’ve let slide since I’ve been with you. I’ll just be interviewing, Terry. And even if you don’t believe in my sterling character—which is very dubious—I wouldn’t do anything that would get me in trouble with the law. Prostitution is illegal there. If I’m interested in anyone, I’ll buy a plane ticket and finish up the interview in my territory.”
“When I’m gone?”
“Yes, when you’re gone. Nothing while you’re here.” I was quiet. Finally, he said, “Terry, if you want me to sell the place, I’ll do it. Badger would buy it in a heartbeat.”
“Why would you do that?” I was stunned. “You love what you do, right?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got the best job in the world. The question is do you love what I do?”
I thought about that for a long time. “No, I don’t love what you do. And yes, I do get jealous when I think about it. But I think we’re both beyond a reset of who we are. Let’s keep the status quo for now.”
I felt tears in my eyes. I was so emotional lately. “Thanks for the offer, handsome. I appreciate it. Vegas sounds fun. Let’s do it.”
“Great. I’ll arrange everything.”
I waited a beat. “I’ve been looking online at houses in Vegas—in and around the city.”
“I thought we decided on Reno.”
“I know, but Vegas is more international. My children are used to India—it’s not only crowded, but it’s also a hot climate. I think they’d do well in the desert.” I paused. “Also, they’re not white. Sanjay is really dark. I think they’d be more comfortable in a bigger city.”
Silence. Then Chris said, “You want to look for houses together while we’re there?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think two, three days there would do the trick.”
I turned around and kissed his lips. “Thank you for everything, Christopher—for saving me, for saving Juleen, for getting Sanjay back, for helping me heal, for doing all my divorce work, for all your financial support, not only this time but over the years. You have always been there for me. Always.”
“That’s truer than true.”
“Chris, I really want you to be happy. Do whatever you want—as long as it’s legal. You have my unwavering support.” I kissed him again. “There will never be another man in my life. I swear. I take you as is. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” A pause. “Let’s get some sleep.”
“Okay.” I turned over and closed my eyes.
A minute passed. Then he said, “When you were with Devek, did you ever think about me?”
“All the time.” I sighed. “I missed you in bed. I missed your excitement. I missed your craziness. I missed you.”
“So why didn’t you contact me? I reached out about a hundred times.”
“I know. I was afraid. And I had Juleen to think about. As time passed, Gabe said you had a girlfriend. I thought you’d moved on.”
“I tried everything to forget you. Nothing worked.” He kissed my neck. “I don’t think a day went by when I didn’t think about you.” A pause. “Mostly not good thoughts.”
I smiled although he couldn’t see it. “I’m sure.”
“Anger kept me going. It motivated me to take control of my life, to do what I wanted and fuck the rest. This is my place! This is me!” Pause. “But in a way, you were the catalyst behind my success.”
“Then you should be thanking me.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Chris said. “All I’m saying is that jealousy and misery can take you far. They can take you to some very strange places.”
CHAPTER 26
McADAMS KEPT CHECKING his phone to make sure they were taking the right roads. The car was passing through rural countryside—miles of oaks, pines, and maples—as they wended through the Ozarks. Not a lot of civilization through these hillsides. The reception kept going in and out. He finally gave up and unfolded the paper map they’d picked up at the St. Louis airport. “I think we’re on the right highway.” A beat. “Where the hell is Kelbo?”
“Just follow the marker line that the woman at the rental place drew.”
“The map doesn’t give me the exit road.”
“That’s why she told us there were only two exits: Piedmont Avenue and Main Street. I’ll take Main. You never can miss with a Main Street. If we get lost, I’ll call Loretta Stoltz.”
“If we ever get some reception. We should have gotten a car with navigation.”
“This is what they had available,” Decker said. “Besides, you kept saying you could do it on your phone.”
“I didn’t realize we’d be in the middle of the boonies.”
“Harvard, I may not have gone to an Ivy League school, but I can follow a marker line on a paper map.”
“Yeah, yeah.” McAdams folded the map. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black linen pants that, after a long car ride, were sorely in need of ironing. “How long are they keeping Brock Baer behind bars?”
“Bail hearing is tomorrow. We couldn’t have timed it better.” Decker drove steadily. He was comfortable in a blue cotton shirt with long sleeves rolled up at the elbows and dark blue slacks. “Now let’s see if he’ll talk.”
“He was arrested for burglary. Why would he talk to us about a murder case?”
“You’re right. If I were him, I’d just deny it and immediately ask for a lawyer.” Decker thought a moment. “What we have to do is approach this from a nonthreatening way.”
“Ask him for his opinion.”
“Exactly, Harvard,” Decker answered. “You say something like, ‘You were Pauline’s husband. What do you think happened?’”
“He’s been through the system,” McAdams said. “He may be too savvy for that approach.”
“Yep. But a lot of criminals are not only egotistical, they’re dumb. They don’t think things through. That’s why they’re criminals. Unless you get the rare breed like Donatti—who’s taken his psychopathology and channeled it into a very profitable business.” Decker checked his watch. They had flown into St. Louis last night and left the airport motel at seven a.m. It was close to nine in the morning. They still had time on the road to devise a strategy. “I’m open to any other ideas you may have. Here’s your chance to get creative.”
“I don’t feel creative.”
“A wing and a prayer are always good options,” Decker said.
“Sure, we can roll with that,” McAdams said. “You do the winging and I’ll do the praying.”
SERGEANT STOLTZ WAS over six feet with wide shoulders and long arms. She was leading Brock Baer into an interview room, a shuffling man in an orange jumpsuit. He was cuffed in front and was being kept in the station house jail until Kelbo finished processing the paperwork to transfer him to Springfield. His charges were multiple counts of breaking and entering and burglary. Baer was of average height and build, but even with his grizzled face, Decker could tell that a good-looking man lurked somewhere inside. His stubble was brown, as was his hair. His face looked to be around mid-forties, although his posture suggested an older age. He appeared not to have slept much, having red-rimmed, milky eyes framed by sagging eyelids and pronounced bags.
The small interview room was bare basics: a table crammed against a wall with seating for three. The felon sat jammed between the table and the wall with Decker sitting next to him and McAdams on the opposite side. McAdams had a notepad and his iPad. On the tabletop were three bottles of water and a station house tape recorder. McAdams was also recording the interview on his iPad.
Stoltz said, “You hungry, Baer? I’ve got some potato chips and corn chips.”
“Both.”
“No problem,” Stoltz told him. “These two men have a few questions for you.”
Baer rubbed his eyes with his right hand and his left hand came along for the ride. He stared at Decker, then at McAdams. He said, “You two from Springfield?”
Stoltz answered: “No, they’re not from Springfield, but that’s where you’re headed. I’ll be back with your chips. Try to be cooperative. It’ll get you further than being a mule.”
Baer remained silent, but there was hatred in his eyes.
To Decker and McAdams, Stoltz said, “Be right back.”
“We’ll still be here,” Decker said. After she left, he said, “How are you feeling, Baer?”
“Me?” He took a bottle of water and opened the cap. He drank greedily. “This is good. The tap water here smells like shit. I think they get it from the toilet.”
“There’s been some flooding in the area. Gets into the pipes.”
“A reason don’t make it taste any better.” He finished up the bottle. “I’ll take yours if you’re not drinking it.”
“Help yourself.” Decker pushed the bottle over to him.
Stoltz came back in and plunked around a half dozen bags of chips on the table. “Don’t make a mess, Brock. I do the cleanup myself.” To Decker and McAdams, she said, “Just give a holler when you’re done.”
“No problem,” Decker said.
After she left, Baer said, “Bitch!” Silence. “Treats me like I’m three.” He imitated her: “Don’t make a mess. What the fuck does she think I’m going to do? Shit in the corner?” When Decker gave a small smile, Baer said, “Yeah, you get it.”
Decker threw him a bag of chips. “How’s the food here?”
“Not good, but not as shitty as prison. You ever been inside?”
“Me? No. I’m an honest cop. I keep my nose clean because I know what would happen if I went inside.”
“You’d be hamburger, old man,” Baer said.
“Maybe, but I’ll never know.”
“You …” He was looking at McAdams. “You’re a pretty boy. You’d be very popular.”
“I’m already popular,” McAdams said. “And my friends don’t expect me to spread my cheeks.”
Baer opened the chips. “Why are you here?”
The question Decker had been waiting for. “Why do you think we’re here?”
“No fucking idea. That’s why I’m asking.”
“Detective McAdams and I are from Greenbury, New York. Ever heard of it?”
“Nope.”
“Doesn’t ring any bells?”
“Not a one.”
“It’s a small town best known for its colleges. Its population consists of retirees and a lot of second-home owners. It’s pretty because it’s surrounded by dense woodlands and trees, and it’s a great place to go camping and hiking in the summer. The forests are thick, and you can bury things there and no one will find them for years and years.” A pause. “Ring any bells now?”
Baer was quiet and continued to eat his chips.
Decker said, “Our body has a name. Pauline Corbett. You two were married.”
“And now we’re not.”
Silence.
McAdams said, “You show an amazing lack of curiosity about what happened to your ex-wife.”
“That’s because you’re going to tell me, so why should I ask questions?” He opened a bag of corn chips.
“When was the last time you saw Pauline?” Decker asked.
“I don’t have to say anything to you.” Baer was munching happily.
“It’s a simple question.”
“And I don’t have to answer it,” Baer said.
“I’m just trying to get a timetable.”
“No, you’re trying to get something on me.”
McAdams said, “We already have something on you, Brock.”
Decker said, “We’re just trying to give you a chance to explain the situation.”
“What situation?”
“A DNA situation,” Decker said. “Meaning we have yours in odd places.”
Baer stopped eating momentarily.
“I’ll explain that later,” Decker told him. “Let’s go back to the beginning, Brock. When was the last time you saw Pauline?”
“If there’s a DNA situation, you probably know the answer.” A pause. “I don’t have to talk to you.”
“We know what happened,” Decker said. “We know when it happened. What we don’t know are the circumstances … if there was a reason for what happened other than a drunken brawl. If you give us your explanation, you’d be helping yourself.”
Baer was quiet.
“Okay,” Decker said. “This is what we have. We have enough to arrest you for murder because we have your DNA mixed with Pauline’s DNA. We know you stabbed her—”
“Nope,” Baer said. “See? That’s why I don’t say anything. You morons jump to conclusions.”
“Then enlighten us,” McAdams said.
Baer threw down the bag of corn chips. He leaned back and exhaled salty breath. “I didn’t stab anyone.”
He seemed remarkably calm for someone accused of murder. Usually—unless you’re a Chris Donatti—people give off some kind of tell. Decker said, “Then explain to me how your DNA got mixed with Pauline’s.”
“Why bother?” Baer looked at him. “You won’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“It was self-defense.”
He was right. Decker didn’t believe him. “Tell me about it.”
“She was a fucking lunatic. When I tried to grab the knife from her, I cut myself.”
Decker tried to keep his face flat. He said, “Are you telling me that she came after you. And you grabbed the knife in self-defense. And you cut yourself.”
“Exactly.” He shook his head. “See, you don’t believe me.”
“I just think there’s more to the situation, Baer,” Decker said. “Pauline was stabbed multiple times. How do you explain that?”
He stared at Decker. “She did it! Not me!”
“Pauline stabbed herself?”
“Not Pauline!” Baer sneered. “Elsie! She found us together, walking back to her house. Pauline was gonna leave her and go with me. Elsie found out and went fucking crazy! She went out looking for us. When she spotted us, she parked the car and charged us like a fucking bull. Swearing and cursing at me, but also at Pauline. She went after me at first, but I dodged her. Pauline got between us, and Elsie swiped her. I think it was an accident, but once she started, she wouldn’t stop. That’s why I grabbed the knife.” He made a lunging motion. “And that’s how I cut myself.”
In an even voice, Decker said, “You’re telling me that you took the knife from Elsie because she was stabbing Pauline?”
“Yeah. To get her off Pauline. When I did it, the blade sliced me open across my fingers.” He held up his hand. “I still got the scars.”
There was a jagged line across the insides of his fingers, between the first and second knuckles. McAdams said, “You took the knife away—from Elsie?”
“Yeah, I just said that.”
“What did you do with it? The knife?”
“Tossed it on the ground, I think.”
“You think?”
“My brain was a little fuzzy. I had a lot to drink. But I remember enough to know I’m telling the truth.”
“What happened after you tossed the knife?” Decker asked.
“I gotta think.” He started pantomiming, doing little things with his hands. Then he said, “I think at this point, the bitch must’ve realized what she did. She just folded. She started breathing hard and she dropped to the ground, screaming and crying … Crazy cunt!”
“And Pauline?” Decker asked.
“Dead.”
“You took her pulse? You checked her breathing?”
“Didn’t have to do anything like that because I know what dead looks like.” He blew out air. “The bitch was in full panic mode. Kept on saying like, ‘What do we do? What do we do?’ What do we do, bitch? You mean what do you do!”
“What did she do?”
“She killed Pauline. That’s what I’ve been telling you.”
“Okay,” Decker said. “Got it. What did Elsie do after she killed Pauline?”
“Put her in the trunk of the car.” He shook his head. “I helped her. I’ll cop to that. Elsie was going nuts, and I couldn’t leave Pauline on the side of the road. I couldn’t do that to her. Plus, everyone would suspect me. We’d been fighting that night.” He rubbed his eyes again. “We brought her back to Elsie’s place.”
