Despair, page 6
Squirming in his chair he replied, “I’m no child molester. I didn’t touch any of them.”
“Well that’s because we caught you before you could. So what is it about little girls that turn you on, huh? Is it because you can’t get it up with a real woman?”
His face tighten, “I said, I’m no child molester damn it!”
“If that’s the case Gregory then why take them in the first place?”
Gregory sat back in his chair crossing his arms and smiled at Dani not saying a word.
There was a knock at the door and Tommy came in the room. “Detective Holland can I see you a minute?”
Dani stood up and looked down at Gregory. “You might as well help yourself out here. You scratch my back, Ill scratch yours.”
Out in the hall Tommy said, “He did a number on his computer but he wasn’t as smart as he thought. The crime lab found these at his house.”
Tommy handed Dani two white cards that had two different numbers written on them with a string attached and a tape from inside the video camera.
“What’s on the tape?”
The two girls sitting on the couch with these numbers around their necks, Plus the lab found auctions sites on his computer where the merchandise being sold is little girls.”
Dani replied, “He was auctioning off little girls to the highest bidder? That sick fuck!”
“Yes and we found a nap sack containing thirty thousand dollars hidden in his bedroom closet.”
When Dani walked back in to the integration room, she threw the nap sack on the table in front of Gregory not saying a word, Tommy walked in shortly after with a laptop and turned it on inserting a DVD. When it played, he faced it toward Gregory so he could view it. On it was a recording of the two little girls just rescued with the number cards around their neck?
Dani said, “The evidence just keeps piling up doesn’t it? How many kids have you auction off so far Gregory?”
Gregory stared back at her in disbelief.
Dani paced around the small room, “Give us a buyers list and well see if we can help you. Help us, help you Gregory.”
He was quiet and the smugness he showed earlier vanished. He knew he was screwed.
He leaned forward in the chair. “All right I’ll cooperate. Give me a pan and paper.”
He wrote five names and pushed the paper back over to Dani.
“This is all I have. I had repeat customers. I only get quality merchandise.”
Tommy was leaning against the wall, “How many kids?”
“Fifteen or twenty I think.”
Tommy casually walked around to Gregory and picked him up from the chair by his throat and pushed him against the wall pulling his fist back. Gregory yelled to Dani, “Get him off me, get him off me!”
Dani rushed over and got close to Gregory's ear and softly said, “Do you know Officer Baker?”
Gregory said nothing and Tommy pulled his first back further like he would punch him in the face.
“All right, all right, yes I know him, I’ll tell you, don’t hit me man!”
Tommy lowered his fist and drug him back to his seat and threw him in it almost knocking it backwards. Dani took a seat on the corner of the table and straighten out Gregory’s shirt.
Dani said, “Detective go get Gregory here something to drink will ya.”
When Tommy walked out and closed the door Gregory said, “Man, your partners a freaking psychopath!”
Dani scratched her chin, “No he’s not. He’s a father. So tell me, how’s this all works with Officer Baker?”
“He would tell me where to get the kids to take, and the day I did he took the call from the parents. Some of them never even called the police.” He shrugged his shoulders, “It was easy.”
Tommy came back into the room with a can of soda and slammed it on the table in front of Gregory and pulled the tab. It sprayed all over his face making Tommy smile.
Gregory shouted, “I don’t have to take this abuse damn it.” He wiped his face with his sleeve.
Tommy said, “I’m so sorry, my bad.”
Dani put eight photos of children in front of Gregory. Which ones did you take?’
He leaned forward in his chair and looked. “I took all of them.” Smiling like he was proud of his accomplishment.
Dani pointed to a red headed little girl. “Who bought this one?”
Gregory grinned, “She brought good money as I recall, Seven years ago the stable got her. They are my best clients.”
“Tommy reached over the table and roughly knocked his hat off his head and asked,
“Where’s the stable?”
“I don’t know the addresses of any of my clients. I know the guy that comes and pays me is named Doug. He’s a fat fuck, and he works for somebody else. His boss bought those two girls and is picking them up tonight and pay me. That’s all I know man I swear.”
“Dani said, “What time tonight?”
“Seven.”
Dani glanced at her watch and it was six pm. “Tommy take him to a cell.”
When Dani walked out of the integration room, the chief was watching the whole time through the double mirror glass.
Dani said, “Chief arrest Officer Baker and hold him here till me and Tommy get back.”
“Where the hell are you going? You have Baker now don’t you want to interrogate him?”
“Let him worry. I will when we get back. I have someone coming over to pick up two little girls soon. I don’t want to disappoint him with nobody home.”
When Dani and Tommy arrived back at Gregory’s house they sent the other investigators home and cleaned up the yellow crime tape that was strewn everywhere. They pushed the Capri out of the garage onto the driveway not wanting to get in and decontaminate any evidence.
They stood inside the house waiting. It was now six forty five.
Dani asked Tommy. “So you going to tell me what happen in the interrogation room earlier?”
“What? We got information out of him didn’t we?”
“Yeah, but you almost crossed the line partner.”
“Na, I had it under control, just wanted to scare him.”
Dani looked at Tommy not buying it. She knew this case was affecting him. It was affecting everybody.
Dani peeked out the blinds and saw nothing. The sun was setting, and it was almost dark out. They put the living room and porch light on to further convince any outsiders that someone was home.
At seven ten a white Accord pulled into the driveway and parked behind the Capri. A bald heavy set man got out and walked up to the door and knocked. Tommy lowered his voice a notch and yelled its open. The man turned the door knob and pushed the door open and walked in.
Dani and Tommy both pointed their Glocks in his direction and yelled freeze.
Doug pulled a forty five out of his back waistline and fired making Dani and Tommy both duck for cover. Dani returned fire hitting Doug in the left shoulder. He turned and ran back outside with Dani and Tommy following. He jumped in his car and backed out of the driveway squealing his tires as he sped off.
Dani and Tommy jumped in their car and sped after him in pursuit with Dani behind the wheel. They chased him onto the interstate swerving in and out of traffic. Doug clipped a red pickup truck causing it to spin out of control hitting two other vehicles in its path. Dani swerved to miss hitting a silver minivan that had kids in it and clipped the gray guard rail on Tommy’s side instead. Sparks flew as they continued to grind the guard rail along the shoulder of the highway.
Tommy yelled, “He’s getting off Fairmont!”
Dani jerked the car back on to the highway and flew up the ramp after him. They turned right off the ramp and could no longer see him.
“Fuck where he is?” Dani yelled.
The drove slow checking parking lots and side roads but couldn’t find him. Tommy punched the dashboard. “Shit we lost him.”
When they drove back, they passed the pile up on the interstate and saw the black and whites were already on the scene. Tommy called the dispatch and put an APB out on the car.
Back at the station the chief was waiting for them. “Are you guys trying to give me a heart attack?”
Tommy replied, “But chief he ran.”
Dani added, “I shot him in the shoulder before he got away maybe he’ll be stupid and go to the hospital.”
The chief just looked at them both with scrutiny in his eyes and shook his head then turned and walked back in to his office, pulling his pants up as he went.
Dani looked over in the holding cell and Officer Baker was inside sitting on the bench with his head down in his hands. She walked over and unlocked the cell and said, “Let’s go Baker.”
Once inside the interrogation room Baker walked over and took his seat without Dani telling him too. He knew the routine.
“So are you going to talk or lawyer up?” Dani asked.
Baker replied, “That depends on what you think you have on me.”
“Gregory ratted you out so I know your evolvement with the abductions and you have a good money trail. I also know it’s not Gregory who’s paying you so who is it Baker?”
Baker let out a sigh, “I don’t know who the head guy is, I know they call him Daddy that’s it. He gives the cash to a guy named Doug, and he pays me once a month to make cases disappear.”
Curious Dani asked, “When and why did you turn Baker?”
“Years ago, I got tired of struggling to pay my mortgage. My wife deserved to live better than a paycheck to paycheck. I knew I would get caught, but I didn’t think it would take this long.”
Dani narrowed her eyes, “Baker you have grandkids for fuck sakes, I don’t understand how you could be a part of all this. Do you like little girls?”
He shook his head, “I don’t know how I could either and I’m not a pervert. It was all about the money.”
After Baker made his statement and signed it Dani walked him back to the cell. As they were walking Baker grabbed his chest telling Dani he needed his heart pills over in his desk. Dani walked him over to it. He opened the top drawer and reached in pulling out a thirty eight pointing it at Dani’s chest.
Dani pulled her weapon pointing it back at him. Tommy stood up from his desk pointing his weapon in Bakers direction along with four other police officers.
Dani was screaming, “Put your weapon down Baker before someone gets hurt.”
Baker turned the gun on himself putting the steel barrel against the side of his right temple.
“Tell my wife and family I love them.”
Dani yelled, “Don’t do….” but never finished the sentence. Baker pulled the trigger.
Chapter Thirteen
Around eight thirty Jasmine heard Doug’s voice coming from the office. She walked up to it expecting to see the two little girls, but he was alone and blood was coming from his shoulder.
He yelled at her. “No girls, the god damn cops were there, and they shot me in the shoulder. It went straight through.”
He took his shirt off and Jasmine could see a hole in his shoulder with blood oozing out of it. He pointed to a cupboard hanging on the wall and yelled, “Get me some damn bandages and help me wrap it.”
Jasmines hurriedly went to the cupboard and open it and grabbed the bandages and turned to go back when Doug shouted, “Don’t forget the peroxide.”
Jasmine stood there trying to read what he wanted. There were four different bottles of stuff. She sounded it out in her head. Before she could finish he yelled, “In the brown bottle you stupid bitch!”
She grabbed the only brown bottle in there and went to his side. He told her to pour some of it on his wound. When she did, it stung him and made him yell in anguish. Jasmine liked this turn of events, her making him scream in pain for a change and said, “I missed a spot.”
She poured a bunch more on his wound making him moan even louder, which put a little twinkle in her eyes and a huge smile on her face….. On the inside.
When she was done Doug put his shirt back on and he told her to go back to her room. She walked out of the office but stopped to listen when she was out of view of the doorway. She heard Doug on the phone talking with somebody.
“We have problems the cops were there when I went to pick up the new girls. They got Gregory.”
“No I lost them.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“No he didn’t have our location, I think were alright.”
“Ok.”
“I said Ok damn it.”
When Doug hung up the phone Jasmine heard him say out loud, “Fuck this shit.”
He turned the lights off to the office and went back to the RV. Jasmine heard the door close and then the deadbolt being locked from the outside. She slowly crept back into the office and peeked out the little window. She saw Doug open the trunk of his car and then walk inside the RV and in a few minutes he returned to the car with his arms full of his belongings. He threw them all in the trunk, in no particular fashion and closed the lid. He jumped behind the wheel and started it up and pulled out of the parking lot.
Jasmine went back to her room and sat on the edge of the bed. Thinking, did he really leave or is he coming back? She sat there for two hours waiting, waiting to see if she heard him. It was dead silent. She got up and went to the drawer and retrieved the key and walked back to the office to see what it unlocked. She tried the door first but there wasn’t a place for the key to fit. It was on the obverse side. She turned the handle anyway but it was locked.
She went over to the desk and sat down in the black leather chair that was position in front of it and saw the middle drawer had a spot for a key to fit so she tried, and it fit perfectly. She turned it to the right, and she heard a little clicking noise as it unlocked. Inside were all the room keys on a wood key chain. She knew them well because she seen and heard them jingling from Doug’s waist for seven years. Looking through the rest of the drawers she found a bag of bit size snickers and enjoyed two of them then got up and looked out the window and there was still no signs of Doug.
She looked at the door and then at the hinges and ran her small fingers down the middle one, caressing it. When she was younger, before she was taken, she had helped her father replace a broken door and it was all rushing back to her memory. She ran back to get the screwdriver out of the dresser and when she returned, she put it under the bottom hinge where the pin was and hit the head of the screwdriver with her hand but the pin didn’t budge. She tried again and nothing.
She looked in all the drawers of the desk and all the cupboards on the wall but couldn’t find a hammer. Then she remembered there was a book in the desk. She hit the screwdriver as hard as she could with the book and the pin moved a little, so she hit it again and again till the head of the pin was no longer flush with its keeper. She grabbed a hold of it and pulled and out it came. Then she did the same thing to the middle hinge and then the top hinge, till they were all three out. She pulled on the door and it moved a little on the bottom. Then she pulled again, and it came loose enough she could fit her fingers to the outside to grip it better and then she pulled harder and it came off just enough on the bottom she could crawl out. She was free!
The cool night air blew across her body. She looked up at the stars and moon she hadn’t seen since she was a little girl and cried. She stayed there taken it all in. She wanted to run as fast as she could away from there but couldnt. Not yet anyway. Then she crawled back inside the prison that had been her home for so long.
Chapter Fourteen
After the coroner came to remove Bakers body, the Chief called Dani and Tommy in his office. Once they were inside, he closed all the white blinds and took his seat behind his desk.
“Sit down the both of you.” They each took one of the brown chairs in front of the desk.
“I’ll go tell Bakers wife what happen.”
‘You want us to go with you Chief?” Tommy said.
The chief sat back in his chair and let a sigh, “No, I can handle it. Son of a Bitch I can’t believe he did that.”
Dani said, “I guess he didn’t want to face his family and took the cowards way out.”
The chief replied, “Yeah I suppose. Listen I think we should bring the FBI in on this one.”
Dani jumped to her feet visibly upset. “No freaking way Chief, this is my case damn it!”
“I know it is Holland but I think we can use the help.”
Dani looked at Tommy and then back at the chief. “Give us a few more days Chief before you call them. We’re getting closer.”
The chief scrunched his face, “God damn it Dani you always want a few more days. We don’t have a few more days this time. It will be all over the news in the morning. We’ve been having kids taken right under our noses for years and did nothing about it! This is bad for the department.
I’m calling them in the morning, I’m sorry but I have no other choice. At least the public will see the FBI are involved and know we are taking this seriously.”
Tommy stood up and said, “Chief you do what you have to do but know we are not happy with your decision.”
The chief replied, “Fully noted!”
When Dani and Tommy walked out of the office Tommy had a little gleam in his eye, “I pulled Gregory’s cell phone records and got a number that traced back to Doug, his last name is Sells. He has a huge rap sheet from burglary to sexual assault when he was twelve and went to juvy. His mom lives here in town, Wanna take a drive?”
Dani replied, “You know I do partner.”
When they arrived at 1843 Spruce Lane there wasn’t a single light on in the little brown one story home. The driveway had a maroon older four door Buick parked in it. The street lights were on with couple here and there blown out. There was an older gentleman out walking a dog so he could do his final business of the evening.
Doug’s Mothers house fit in with the rest of the block. It had a small front porch with old wood railings and a tan rocking chair and table.
Dani and Tommy were parked across the street staking it out and looked out of place in this quiet peaceful neighborhood.
