Stolen Sunshine, page 26
“Now, this probably looks worse than it is,” the doctor said softly. “The cut was clean, essentially a straight line with a very sharp knife which made stitching you up much easier.”
Reese tried to shake the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “The crazy person who did it was a former surgeon, so I guess that makes sense.”
“Your stitches will need to be removed in the next few days. But for now, you need to keep the wound covered and the dressing dry. And you’ll need to change it daily, but I’ll make sure we send you home with everything you need. I’ll get a nurse to come in and apply another bandage when I leave. Is there anything you need to ask me?”
Reese hesitated and swallowed hard. “Is it going to leave a scar?”
“You’ll have some evidence, yes. We can write you a prescription for a rather strong scar removal cream to lighten it.”
Reese nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.”
“It’s my pleasure, Officer.” He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Reese. “Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”
Reese nodded in reply but immediately turned her attention back to her wrist when the doctor left the room. “It’s going to be okay Reese,” David said softly.
She had almost forgotten he was in the room. She didn’t say anything, just continued nodding until a nurse came in to bandage her up. “Officer Hawking, I’m just going to put some gauze around your wrist, but please let me know if it’s too tight.”
Reese pulled her hand away before the nurse could get started. “Is it possible for me to shower before you do that?”
The nurse smiled. “Of course. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll get you another hospital gown and some fresh sheets and towels.”
When she left the room, David went over to the corner behind the recliner and picked up a duffle bag from the floor. “While I kind of enjoy the idea of you in a backless hospital gown,” he opened the bag and removed the clothes she’d left at the laundromat. “I figure you’d probably prefer these.”
Reese grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “I could kiss you right now.”
“Save it for when I help you with your shower,” he said with a wink.
Reese threw the shorts at him and laughed. When the nurse returned, David excused himself and went down the hall to the waiting room to call Al. He had spent the morning observing Patrick Calloway’s interrogation.
“Has he confessed yet?” David asked when Al answered.
“Weston’s been going at him for hours and the SOB hasn’t done anything but talk about his daughter. He mentions his wife every now and then, gets angry and hits the table, then snaps out of it,” Brenner said.
David massaged the back of his neck. “Where does that leave us?”
“Gotta wait for the DNA results.” Brenner paused, then asked how Reese was doing.
“She’s okay. Ready to get out of here. The nurse is helping her shower.”
“Good. I’ll stay with her tonight so you can sleep in a real bed.”
“I don’t mind staying again.”
Brenner scoffed. “Not a chance. It’s my turn. This interrogation doesn’t look like it’ll last much longer. I should be over there in a couple of hours. Can I bring Reese anything?”
“Maybe some real food.”
“Bet. I’ll call you when I’m done to see what you two want,” Brenner said.
“Thanks Al.”
“No, thank you David,” Brenner said before hanging up.
Al brought Reese and David burgers and fries for dinner. Reese thanked him between bites. David left for the hotel just as the sun was setting, leaving Brenner and Reese to work on crossword puzzles. At around nine that night, Brenner pulled the recliner up close to Reese’s bed and took her hand.
Reese already knew what was coming. “Ah dammit, Al. Do we really have to do this?”
“Shut up. I’m old. I can do what I want.” Reese shook her head. Brenner paused for a long time before he started. “I only knew your mama for a few years, but it only took me one date with her to know how much she loved you. She told me you were special before I ever met you. I had no idea how right she was.”
And just like that Reese was crying. “You were only missing for a couple of days but,” he took a breath. “It felt like a lifetime.” Brenner sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Reese, I know I’m not your dad, and I’m not trying to be, but I promise you that as long as there’s breath in my body I will not let anything or anyone hurt you ever again.”
Reese didn’t bother wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I know Al.”
He kissed her hand. “I love you, Kid.”
“I love you too,” she said quietly.
“Good, now get some sleep.” Brenner settled back into the recliner. Reese heard him snoring inside of three minutes.
Chapter 50
Two days later David and Reese were waiting for the doctor to sign her release paperwork when Brenner showed up. “Knock, knock,” he said, not waiting for a reply before coming in.
“Hey Al.” Reese had packed up her things and was sitting on the edge of the bed laughing at something David had said.
Brenner walked over and kissed the top of her head. “You two look chipper this afternoon.”
Reese gave him a big, cheesy grin. “It’s release day.”
Brenner laughed. “I see that.” He took a seat on the other end of the bed. “I just came by to bid you farewell my dear.”
“You heading back to New Orleans?” David asked from the recliner.
“Yeah. I want to get back and review Janae’s file. See if I can link her to Calloway.”
Reese’s smile faded. “Keep us posted.”
“I will. I take it you’re staying here?” He asked her.
Reese nodded. “Going back to Atlanta with David. I’m not leaving until the DNA results come back.” Patrick Calloway had been charged with Reese’s kidnapping and transferred to Atlanta where his DNA was being compared to the sample found underneath Nadine Watson’s fingernails.
“Figured you’d say that.” Brenner stood and walked over to David who stood from the chair. Brenner extended a hand, then hugged him. “Take care of her,” he said before turning back to Reese. He kissed her forehead again then hugged her tight. “And you take care of him.”
Reese hugged Brenner for a long time. “Thank you, Al.”
“Anytime, Kid.” Brenner checked his watch then made his way to the door. “I’ll call you when I land.”
An hour later David and Reese were on the road headed to Atlanta. Reese hadn’t slept well at the hospital and was asleep before they got out of the city. David looked over at her and silently hoped she’d be comfortable enough to really rest at his place. He took his time getting back– maybe to let Reese sleep, or maybe because he was just being careful with her. By the time they pulled up to his apartment complex the sun was starting to set.
He gently nudged Reese to wake her. “Hey you, we’re here.”
She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. “Already?”
“You’ve been asleep since we pulled out of the hospital parking lot.” He got out of the car and walked around to get their things from the trunk.
Reese followed him inside. “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize how worn out I was.”
“Don’t worry about it. You needed to rest.” They rode the elevator up, Reese leaning against the back wall, still trying to wake up. She followed David down the hall and into his corner apartment. From the pristine kitchen to the muted colors on the wall, Reese thought the place fit him perfectly. “Bedroom’s this way.” David carried her bags to the hallway. Reese followed but protested when it was obvious that he was putting her things in his room.
“David, you don’t have to give up your bed,” she started.
“Not arguing about this.” He didn’t even look at her, just dropped her bags at the end of the king-sized bed. “Your other bag with the rest of your clothes is in the closet.” He pointed to a door around the corner. “Bathroom’s right there. I’m going to get dinner ready.”
Reese raised her eyebrows. “You’re gonna cook?”
David smiled. “Maybe. But either way I’m going to have to run out. There’s no food here. You need anything from the store?”
Reese smirked. “Maybe some ice cream. Haagen Daz, caramel cone.”
David chuckled. “Done.”
Reese extended her bandaged arm. “Before you go can you help me take this off? I want to take a real shower and wash my hair.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully removed the tape and unwrapped the gauze around Reese’s wrist. When he had exposed her scar, he gently rubbed his thumb across her palm. “I’ll take you to my doctor in a few days to get the stitches removed.” Reese nodded. “Take your time in the shower. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Reese watched as he went to leave the room. “Hey David,” she called after him. He turned back when he got to the door. “Thanks,” Reese said quietly. He smiled back before closing the door behind him.
As Reese stood under the hot water, she wondered what would happen. Patrick Calloway would undoubtedly go away for a long time just off the kidnapping charge, but she knew that the physical evidence against him for the murders was slim to nonexistent in most of the cases, including Janae’s. They couldn’t even place him in most of the cities where the women had been killed. The only cases they knew they had him on were Nadine Watson and Elizabeth Luster, and that was assuming that the DNA samples matched and that the blood in the van was Elizabeth’s.
Would Reese be satisfied with that? She’d been standing in the shower for what felt like an hour when she figured she should probably rinse the conditioner out of her hair and get out. She heard David come back as she was putting a bandage and more gauze on her wrist. She towel-dried her hair, carefully added enough product to look presentable, and pulled it back with a loose headband. Then she put on shorts and an oversized T-shirt.
David was in the kitchen cutting tomatoes. “I hope spaghetti is okay. I know it’s the definitive bachelor meal but trust me mine is actually pretty good.”
Reese took a seat at the bar. “I’m sure it’s great. Besides, can’t be worse than the hospital food.”
She watched while he cooked and tried to make small talk, which she was sure he saw right through. He indulged her discussion about the upcoming NFL season over dinner but she would have none of his baseball talk. After they ate, she offered to help wash the dishes.
He gestured to her wrist. “Can’t get the bandage wet.”
She looked down and cursed under her breath. “Right.” She pulled a barstool next to David and used it to climb up to sit on the counter next to the sink.
He looked over and smiled. “Keeping me company or inspecting my dishwashing skills?”
Reese shrugged. “Both.” They sat silent while he finished. Reese lowered her head and stared down at the floor. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I like being alone right now.”
David turned off the water and dried his hands. “That’s understandable.”
Reese looked over at him. “I can’t tell if I’m scared or angry or anxious or what.”
David moved the stool from in front of her and took its place. “You’re probably a little of all of that. And that’s okay.” He ran a hand lightly up and down her arm. “You don’t have to be strong all the time, Reese Hawking. It’s okay to be vulnerable. As long as you feel safe.” Reese took a deep breath. “Do you?” David asked. “Feel safe?”
“Yes. With you,” she whispered.
David put a hand under Reese’s chin, gently lifted her head, and kissed her, softly on the lips. Reese’s inclination was to pull away, tell him they shouldn’t be complicating things. Instead, she leaned into him. Complicated or not. Whatever was happening between them, it was what she wanted. She put her hands on his chest and forced her mind to stop analyzing. Stop asking questions. Stop telling her that she and David didn’t make sense. She ran her hands down his chest to his waist and pulled him closer. He kissed her deeper, threading his fingers through her still damp curls.
When they separated, he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “That’s all I want. For you to feel safe.” Reese tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling him into her again. His hands swept across her back, warming her, but then abruptly left her body. David took a tiny step back, kissed her nose, then her forehead. “Stop distracting me.”
Reese laughed but let him return to the sink. When the dishes were clean and the leftovers were put away, David went back to Reese, who hadn’t moved from the counter. He kissed her again, sweeter and more playful. She put her arms around his neck and let him pick her up.
“Let’s put you to bed.”
Reese nestled into his neck and exhaled. She let him tuck her into his bed but called after him when he went to leave the room. “You’re coming back, right?”
He turned and smiled. “Just let me lock up.”
After a quick shower, he crawled into bed next to her. She settled herself against his shoulder and immediately fell asleep.
For the next two days, the two of them spent their time watching movies, eating Haagen Daz, and trying not to worry about the case. Reese had her stitches removed and was left with a two-and-a-half-inch scar across the top of her left wrist. The doctor gave her a prescription for a scar removal cream, but she worried that the reminder of what Patrick Calloway had done to her might be permanent.
On the morning of day three, David got a call from the Atlanta forensic lab. Calloway’s DNA matched the sample taken from Nadine’s body. He would be charged with her murder.
“We got him,” he told Reese as she came out of the bathroom after a long shower. “The samples match.”
Reese didn’t say anything, just steadied herself against the doorframe and stared at the floor. David pulled her into a hug. She laid her head against his chest and cried. She cried for Nadine and Janae and all of the other women. And she cried for herself.
Over eggs and toast, Reese wondered aloud about everything else Calloway had done. “What about the other murders? He’s killed thirteen women and right now we’ve only got him on one.”
“We’ve got him on your kidnapping too. He’s not going anywhere Reese,” David answered.
She wasn’t sure that was enough. “Yes, he’ll probably die in prison, but he won’t face charges as a serial killer. He has to pay for those other crimes.”
David looked down at his own eggs and toast. “I hear you. And I agree with you. But the evidence we have right now is just not supporting the other murders. The knife we found in Savannah had Melissa Francis’ DNA on it but not Calloway’s and not anyone else’s. We can’t tie it to him directly. Or to any of his other crimes.”
Reese scoffed. “That’s bullshit. We can put him in that cafe with Melissa. There are witnesses. And that knife belongs to him. It’s got his initials on it. Can’t you trace it back to wherever he got it from in California?”
David dropped his head and took a breath before telling Reese what he’d been hoping he wouldn’t have to. “We tried. There are at least ten online manufacturers that sell that specific knife and do engravings. Over the last ten years those manufacturers have engraved that knife with those initials four times. And that’s only online sales. If you look at stores just in the state of California that do the same thing, we’re up to eight. And yes, we can put him in the cafe in Savannah. The DA might be able to get him on Melissa’s murder, but it’s all circumstantial. A good defense attorney will tear them apart.”
Reese was on the verge of tears. “You’ve got to be kidding me. How long have you known about the knife? Why didn’t you tell me?” Reese asked incredulously.
“I didn’t want to upset you Reese.” She dropped her head into her hands. David put a hand on her shoulder.
David also knew that the blood in the van had been too degraded from the cleaning solution to positively identify it as being Elizabeth Luster’s, but he didn’t want to pile on bad news. In addition to that, the knife they had found on Calloway when they arrested him only had Reese’s blood on it. That couldn’t be linked to Elizabeth either. They also hadn’t found the vehicles he’d used to travel across the country. They could only place him in three of the cities where murders had occurred. Basically, they had no hard evidence to prove that Patrick Calloway had killed anyone other than Nadine Watson.
David thought Reese had dropped her inquiry until she brought it up again while the two of them walked in a park near his apartment later that afternoon. “What if we got Calloway to confess?” Reese asked as they passed under the shade of a magnolia tree.
David, for his part, had already thought of that. He took a long breath before answering. “We tried. Al, me, Weston. We all tried.”
“What? When?” Reese asked, her voice strained.
“Weston tried the first day you were in the hospital. I went the next day. Al tried the day after that.”
Reese grabbed David’s hand and turned him toward her. “And none of you got anything from him?”
He took her hand and led her to a nearby bench. “Reese, he thinks every suicide he staged was his daughter. And he thinks every murder of an older woman was his wife. He’s not well. The more we talk to him the clearer that becomes.”
Reese looked up into the trees above them. “Does he have a lawyer?”
David nodded. “Some hot shot from Atlanta convinced Calloway to let him represent him pro bono. I guarantee you the guy’s just looking to make a name for himself off of defending him.”
Reese leaned back and considered their options. After a few minutes she knew there was only one left. She looked David in the eye. “I want to talk to him.”
He immediately shook his head. “No. I’m not letting you into a room with that man. No.”
Reese sighed and placed a hand on his arm. “David, I respect you as much as anyone I’ve ever met.”
