All the Dirty Secrets, page 16
“Christ, Jake, where’d that come from?” Louie said, rubbing his chin.
“Nothing points in that direction, but at least it’s an avenue to pursue.”
“I’ll check it out.”
His cell phone rang again. “Carrington.”
“Lieutenant, it’s Edy Dunstan. I received a blackmail letter a few minutes ago demanding five hundred thousand dollars. It doesn’t make sense,” Edy said, her voice clearly strained.
“Are there pictures with the note?” Damn! He’d thought she’d be a target. The blackmailers had worked their way around to her. How many more? And with each woman, depending on their wealth and standing in the community, the blackmailer demanded more money.
“Yes, but I didn’t pose for these. They were shot while I was dressing. I can’t make out the background, but I’m sure they were taken in my own dressing room.”
“I’m at a crime scene now. I’ll swing by in about an hour to pick them up. Can you put it into a paper bag to preserve it for me?”
“Yes, I’ll cancel my plans and wait for you.”
He hung up, stuck the phone back in his pocket, and changed his mind. He walked up to Louie. “I’m going to leave you here. That was Edy Dunstan. She received a blackmail letter. I’m going over to her house to pick it up. Coincidence that it comes on the same day Melinda is missing?”
“It is. I’ll call you if the team turns up anything here. Oh, and Al’s going to jump right on the debt issue,” Louie said.
* * * *
Edy roamed the living room. She tried to place where she’d worn the undergarments and the outfits in the pictures. The nude photo with the background blurred pissed her off. The only places she’d been nude had been here, the hotel with Linden, and her doctor’s office, but there she’d donned a johnny coat.
This has the markings of Cedric. Linden doesn’t have the balls to do something like this—or does he?
A sense of relief filled her when the bell sounded. She rushed to answer it instead of waiting for Benita.
“Lieutenant, come in,” she said. “Benita, please serve coffee in the living room.”
“It’s not necessary, Mrs. Dunstan,” Jake said.
“Nonsense. After you view the pictures we’ll have no secrets. The least we can do is share a cup of coffee and be on a first-name basis.”
She took the burgundy couch, a large yellow envelope in her hands. Jake took the floral chair.
“Here.” She leaned forward and handed him the photos and watched him study each one as she twisted her hands. His expression never changed. It impressed her.
“Any idea who might’ve sent these to you?” Jake asked.
“This is mean enough for it to be my husband. Lieutenant, there are only three places a person could’ve gotten a picture of me naked. Here, the doctor’s office, or in the hotel with Linden Smith. The background is blurred, and I believe it was done on purpose. I have my security team scouring through the upstairs rooms for any kind of surveillance equipment.” She ran a finger through the pearls on her neck.
“Can I speak with them?”
“Sure, they’re upstairs. Follow me.”
Jake stood and followed Edy from the room to the staircase in the hall and went up after her.
Edy stopped at the entrance to her bedroom. “This is my room. The one next door was Cedric’s. I haven’t slept with him in over a year.” She entered the room.
“Jimmy, this is Lieutenant Carrington from WPD.”
“Hi, Jimmy,” Jake said, extending his hand.
“Good to see you again, Jake,” Jimmy said, lowering the meter in his hand and gripping Jake’s. A wiry little man, Jimmy Nelson ran the top security company in town and Jake respected Jimmy’s talents.
“You two are acquainted?”
“Yes, you have the best,” Jake said. “Did you find anything, Jimmy?”
“Yes, I’ve placed it on the table over there and the dust tells me it’s been there awhile. There’s more. I’ve got a guy in the other rooms.”
“How sophisticated is the equipment?” Jake asked.
“Very, and it’s expensive. The thing is, it sent the pictures directly to a cell phone. I already put a trace on the number to try to locate it.”
“Mrs. Dunstan, your letter is similar to the one Callie received, but not exact. The amount demanded from her was much smaller, though her letter didn’t state she’d receive another letter with instructions as yours did,” Jake said. “I’d like to put a tap on your phone in case they call you. Is that okay?”
“I have one set up already, Jake. Mrs. Dunstan asked me to. She wants all the calls from Cedric Dunstan recorded,” Jimmy said.
“Mrs. Dunstan, can you draft a letter for my file, granting me access to Jimmy’s tap?”
“Yes, I want to splay the bastard and peel his skin off his body,” Edy said, her nostrils flaring.
“I’ll take care of it. It was great seeing you again, Jimmy. Mrs. Dunstan, I’d like a look at your husband’s bedroom, if you don’t mind?” Jake asked.
“Go ahead,” Edy said.
“My guy Steve is in there working. Go in and introduce yourself,” Jimmy said.
“I’ll let myself out when I’m done,” Jake said. “Jimmy, give me a detailed report of the equipment and cell number you discover. I’m going to pay Cedric a visit.”
“Lieutenant, if you could hold off, I’d like the opportunity to give this information to my lawyer to shut Cedric down,” Edy said.
“I’ll tell you from experience that’s not wise. You can shut him down with the lawyer but I also recommend you let us shut him down. He had to be anticipating your actions to have planted these devices.”
“I agree with the lieutenant, Mrs. Dunstan,” Jimmy said.
“Can I call you in an hour with my answer? I want him out of my life one way or another,” Edy said, frowning.
“Okay, but I’m taking the letter with me. Whoever sent it broke the law. Extortion is a felony. If his fingerprints are on it, I’ll have him arrested.”
* * * *
Back in his office Jake sat and turned to his computer. Before he could hit the power switch, Louie knocked on his door.
“Did you find anything?” Jake asked.
“No, the place was clean. No one bothered to toss it. What did you get from Edy Dunstan?”
Jake passed him the letter enclosed in an evidence bag. “Hmmm! It’s a higher dollar value, which is more logical since the woman’s loaded. Who does she think sent it?”
“She believes it’s her soon-to-be ex-husband. Hey, Jimmy Nelson was there checking for cameras.” Jake handed Louie the pictures.
“Did he find any?”
“Yes, in her bedroom and shower,” Jake said.
“These are damn invasive. The background has been blurred out. Does she know where they were taken?”
“There are three possible sites. Tomorrow, we’ll interview Linden Smith, Cedric Dunstan, and her physician, though I’d stake my reputation they were taken in her bedroom. What have you dug up on Tony Mastrianni? Also, did Joel Bennett send over the sketch?”
“Gee, Jake, I got back here the same time you did. Cut me some slack. Joel said the hooker never showed. The manager said she checked out. I’ll need to hunt her down.” Louie said, pulling on his bottom lip.
“We can hit the motel first thing tomorrow. I’m going to call Melinda’s credit card companies to see if she’s charged any hotel fees or fuel fill-ups in the last few hours. You keep digging on Tony. Let me know if you find anything.”
Louie left his office; Jake flipped on his computer and opened a new file, labeled it Edy Dunstan, and started typing in his notes and impressions. Edy’s note felt different than the ones Darcy and Callie had received. The sentence construction was different, as well as the wording. What did Cedric Dunstan get if Edy divorced him? He picked up his desk phone and dialed her.
“Mrs. Dunstan, it’s Lieutenant Carrington. What does Cedric get if you divorce?”
“Nothing. He signed a prenup. And he broke the one condition laid out in it by cheating.”
“Are any of the property or bank accounts in his name?”
“No, my father made me set things up this way to protect me.”
“Does he have any money of his own?” Jake asked.
“No, he goes through his salary as if it were water. Why?”
“I’m curious. Does he know how much you’re worth?”
“I’d say no, but he could’ve gone through my papers. I keep them in my desk in my room.”
“Okay, thanks. I want to add all this to your file. Did Jimmy find anything else today?”
“Yes, a few cameras in the kitchen and living room with audio equipment. Jimmy’s also taking the pictures to a computer expert to see if he can clear up the background some.” Edy let out a heavy sigh.
Jake wished he could wipe away Edy’s humiliation. Cedric Dunstan had committed the ultimate betrayal if it turned out to be him. “If I have any other questions, I’ll give you a call. Oh, is Jimmy leaving some of his guys around there?”
“Yes, he and my father want to make sure Cedric doesn’t come back around.”
“Good, take care.”
He sat back, put his feet up on his desk, closed his eyes, and played around with the possibility that Callie’s and Edy’s cases were not related. Edy’s pictures had a meaner tone to them and weren’t doctored. If Jimmy proved they had been taken in her home, it would suggest her husband, and not his current suspect Sal. Had Cedric Dunstan tried to make Edy’s letter a copycat crime? Jake hadn’t released the contents of the letter, but knew from experience that for the right price information leaked to the media all the time. The newspapers had speculated about it, which told him it came from a cop. Edy’s and Callie’s letters had discrepancies, but they were similar enough for them to have been sent by the same suspect. He’d keep an open mind and open suspect list until proven otherwise. He couldn’t rule anyone out.
“Ya got me doing all the running around while you sleep?” Louie said, standing in his doorway with his arms crossed.
Jake opened one eye and peered at Louie. “Yep, it’s one of the advantages of being the boss. What did you turn up?”
“Tony didn’t owe the mob. He played in small games around the state and always paid his debts, not his bills.”
“Okay, let’s move on. It was a long shot anyway.” Jake slumped back in his chair. His stomach shouted out for relief from the constant twisting and turning he’d put it through today.
Al Burke’s Jupiter-sized belly preceded him into the room when he rushed into Jake’s office. “Look what I’ve found.” He held up a pink wallet.
“Where’d you find it?” Jake asked.
“I saw a kid playing with it two blocks from the crime scene as I drove by. I stopped and asked him where he got it.”
“And…”
“It matches the commissioner’s description of Callie Blake’s wallet. The kid found this yesterday in the street by his house.”
“Any identification or credit cards in it?” Jake asked.
“No, the kid said it was empty.”
Damn, it was stupid and careless of the killer, but good for us. Hopefully we’ll find fingerprints.
“Good. Send it down to the lab with a rush on it. Better yet, take it to the lab yourself, and offer up a bribe if you have to. I’ll spring for a bottle or whatever is needed.” Jake’s mind spun in every direction. “Al, have them check the sewers around the crime scene for the gun.”
“Won’t the lab boys love me? This might cost you big,” Al said.
“Try to keep the cost reasonable if you can. Now, get out of here and call me on my cell with the results as soon as you get them, Al.”
Jake’s email pinged. He opened it and read the update from the bank. Damn it, Melinda hadn’t used her cards since Wednesday. If she did kill Callie, she had twenty-five thousand dollars with her to stay under the radar. Tomorrow he’d need to send out a BOLO to the tristate areas and hope something showed up.
Jake shut off his office lights. He called it a day, blackmail and murder gnawing at his mind.
Chapter 17
Jake snuggled into Mia as he eyed the clock. Soon he’d have to get up, get ready, and stand as an honorary pallbearer for Callie Blake. Due to his injury, he couldn’t help lift the casket. Callie was a woman he’d respected, and whose company he enjoyed—now she was gone, taken in a flash by greedy hands. What ran through her head when the small piece of metal slammed into her body? Did she experience that moment of clarity, knowing that her life was over, the same way he had when the knife plunged into his gut?
It’d been eight days since the gala. A party Callie had worked hard to pull together. It saddened him that he’d known the victim. Callie, a wonderful, loving person, who had done nothing wrong to anyone, killed because she wanted to surprise her husband.
And today, with the whole department there, he’d have to face superiors, friends, and foes alike. He wouldn’t be able to work the case, his attention divided, as he stayed on his guard and fielded questions about his health and the investigation. Moments like this with Mia balanced the scales and kept him on an even keel.
He swung his feet over the side of the bed. Brigh glanced up from her bed in the corner, her sad brown eyes searching his to see if food was in her future.
“Come on, I’ll let you out.” Jake stepped from the room, Brigh at his feet.
Jake opened the back door to let Brigh out to do her business, and allowed the early November chill to sweep over him. He backed into the kitchen and took out Brigh’s bag of food, pouring some into her dish. At the sound of her food hitting the dish, Brigh ran into the house and nudged him aside.
“Ah, all you want me for is the food.” Jake ran his hand over her coat. “Enjoy.”
He obliged the pooch, put the coffee on and headed into the shower.
On his next visit to the doctor, he hoped he’d be able to do away with the waterproof bandage protecting the wound. He finished toweling off as Mia walked in.
“What time will we meet up?” she asked.
“Whenever the burial ends, I suppose. Do you want to head out together for the reception or do you want to meet at the AOH club?”
“Want to spell that one out?”
He forgot at times, Mia wasn’t from the area. “Ancient Order of Hibernians, otherwise known as the Irish club.”
“Good to know.”
“You don’t have to put yourself through this.” Jake rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“Jake, I met the woman and liked her. I’m also going for you. And remember, you promised not to help lift the casket.”
“Mia, I’m not a kid. I understand my temporary limitations, so please back off on this issue. It’s driving me nuts.”
“I will, until I don’t.” With a flirtatious smile, she closed the door in his face.
* * * *
He reported to Sergeant Nickelson, who had coordinated the troops. There’d be three pallbearers on each side of the casket, and Jake in full dress uniform in front, escorting the body into the church and then again at the cemetery. Not only had all of Wilkesbury’s finest turned out, so had many from all 169 communities throughout the state.
It’d been a while since he had to wear his uniform. The last time it had been to bury Officer Audrey Knowlton, who had been killed in the line of duty three years before, while protecting a clerk at a convenience store from a drugged-up shooter.
The noise level in the gymnasium at Crimson High School buzzed to deafening decibels as cops from all shifts caught up with friends and coworkers. Jake leaned on the wall, away from the crowd, to conserve his energy. Assignments had been handed out. He’d tucked his in his pocket while watching Louie work his way across the room.
“Several of the guys were asking for you,” Louie said.
“I’m taking a quiet minute before it starts,” Jake said. “When are we scheduled…”
“Attention everyone, the buses are outside to transport us to the church, and after the burial they will bring you back here to retrieve your cars. Please go to your assigned buses now. The honorary and regular pallbearers will ride in the limo and will be transported to the funeral home to accompany the hearse to the church. Any questions?” Sergeant Nickelson asked.
No one asked a question or made a comment.
“Okay, let’s head out.”
* * * *
The pallbearers wheeled the casket into the church through the double doors. Jake and the honor guards moved aside for the priest to greet the family and perform the introductory rites. The six pallbearers stood three on each side as Jake and Officer Fairway took up their positions in front of the coffin, behind the altar boy with the cross.
The priest walked behind the casket, sprinkling it with holy water during the procession to the altar. The family, wrapped in their grief, marched tearfully behind Father Nardonni, who’d officiate the requiem mass.
At the front of the altar the undertaker locked the wheels on the church truck supporting the casket. As instructed, each pallbearer found their seats in the left pews in the front row. The immediate family was helped into the front right-side pews. The rest of the mourners filed into the remaining rows on either side of the church.
With pomp and ceremony the mass progressed and the priest’s words hummed on. Jake’s mind wandered back in time to when the words had washed over him, and he questioned whether there was a God—one who allowed such atrocities to happen to innocent people. Deep down he understood what Todd probably felt today as the priest’s words droned on. It took him years to understand the need for the mass, but in his teens it had torn at him during those three days of greeting people at the wake and then the funeral, and lastly the luncheon. Long days followed by months of quiet time, when everyone backed away to allow the family to grieve in private. As if they’d ever recover and life would go back to being normal ever again. It never had for him, since Eva’s murder.
