L
ILLY FELT PEACEFUL
for the first time since her attack. She’d agreed to stay with Kadin in his small log cabin, which was nestled at the base of the foothills on a couple of acres that flourished with aspen groves dotted with ponderosa pine trees. She’d spent the last week in solitude, often by the fire catching up on medical journals. Kadin had left for the evening, stating only that it was in relation to her request to talk to someone about adopting the twins.
She was considering going to bed when she saw lights bounce through the darkened living room. Approaching the front door, she squinted her eyes against the beams, thinking it was too early for Kadin to have returned.
The headlights darkened. Two figures emerged from the vehicle. Lilly flipped on the porch light, shocked to see Nathan. She opened the door as he raised his hand to knock.
“We need to talk,” he said. The stern look on his face, coupled with his lack of congeniality, caused her nerves to fire. They followed her to the living room. She returned to her seat by the fire; they remained standing.
“What’s going on?”
The babies’ squirming intensified her nausea. Nathan was apoplectic. Brett spoke first.
“The DNA results are back. It’s not a match to Dr. Maguire.”
Lilly gulped several times, trying to knock the vomit back to her stomach; her breathing quickened into shallow, ineffective respirations as her vision began to cloud.
“Dr. Maguire has also filed an emergency restraining order against you,” Brett continued. “You’ll need to appear in court tomorrow to defend yourself.”
“I have a shift tomorrow,” Lilly said. It had always amazed her that during an emergency resuscitation, relatives of the morbidly injured would say the most inane things, and she would always wonder if they comprehended the information she was trying to relay.
Now she knew how they felt.
“You’ll have to make other arrangements,” Brett said.
“It’s not possible. Nathan?”
“It seems there
is
a DNA match.” He wilted into a chair that sat across from Lilly.
“Who is it?”
“That’s the first strange part. A match came from CODIS to a prisoner in Nevada who is now released. He was incarcerated for the rape and murder of a young woman. This murder victim is the deceased sister of another victim whom we think this man raped,” Brett said.
“The problem is that this criminal was released in the last couple of years. We’ll have to locate him.” Nathan said.
“Who is he?”
“Drew Stipman.”
“I’ve never heard of him.”
“He’s Drake’s brother. At some point, Drake changed his last name. The interesting thing is that Mommy Dearest put up a bunch of money to get the DNA backlogs caught up for the state of Nevada.”
“Why would a mother do that? Now they’ve found more cases her son could be charged with, and it’ll put him back in jail. Why would a mother want her son to go back to prison?” Lilly rubbed at the knotted muscles in her neck.
“Maybe it’s her keen sense of justice. However, I think that’s a minor part of the mystery we need to solve,” Brett said.
Nathan was disengaged. His stoic attitude began to wither her conviction. He couldn’t look her in the eyes.
“Nathan, I know it was Drake. There is a logical explanation for all of this.”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Lilly. Brett and I just finished interviewing two other victims who we feel could strengthen our case. The problem is going to be the courts. There isn’t going to be a sane district attorney who is going to take on a sexual assault case where the DNA conclusively excludes our primary suspect and points to another. You have to bear in mind that Drew Stipman already has a conviction for another rape and murder. They’re going to want us to find him and pin all these cases to him. We might be able to get Drake on one of the rapes where DNA wasn’t involved, based on an ID of his mismatched eyes, but that is pretty thin considering that victim doesn’t have clear recall of the events either because of the ketamine. Also, this particular victim has also been taking a drug that blunts her memory. Drake’s hired a top-gun attorney who will fillet this charge considering these test results.”
“What happens if I don’t show up in court tomorrow?”
“Restraining orders are a civil process. Basically, if you choose not to appear, the judge can issue a default judgment and grant the restraining order if he agrees with Drake’s argument as it’s presented in the application.”
“So if I don’t go, he gets his restraining order automatically? I won’t go to jail if I don’t show up, will I?”
“No, not at all,” Brett said.
“So besides the obvious, what does the restraining order entail?”
“They are usually pretty generic. Drake will have an opportunity to name several addresses, like his home and place of business, from which you are barred. To cover everything else, the judge will set a minimum safe distance that you must stay beyond, generally a hundred feet. The order will instruct you to refrain from any kind of contact with him. Not in person, not on the phone. No e-mails or third-party contacts. Are you with me so far?”
Lilly was silent as the anger built within her.
“If Drake perceives that you have violated the order, he can call the police, and a criminal investigation will be initiated in order to determine if there is probable cause that you violated the court’s wishes. If the responding officer can establish probable cause, you will be arrested and booked into jail. That’s state law, Lilly, and there’s no discretion or consideration for your predicament. This will not be a serve and release like the assault charge.”
“We work at the same hospital. What do I do about that?”
“In that case, the judge might set an additional safe distance, considerably shorter, which only applies to the workplace, but you can plan on never being in the same room with him.”
“It’s not feasible. I won’t be able to care for my patients. It will disrupt the ER too much.”
“Lilly, I think you should go to court tomorrow and state your case. Otherwise, Drake will get anything he wants within reason. You need to be there to help the judge make a good determination of that.”
Lilly tried to pull her knees into her chest, forgetting her expanding belly prevented the comforting position. She let her feet flop to the floor. This piece of paper did nothing to protect her from Drake.
“Maybe I should just walk away from all of this and disappear to another state. Change my name and start over. How can it be possible that I, as the victim, am losing my livelihood?”
“Lilly, I believe you and these other women. I just don’t know how to prove it. I need time, and I need you to stay in the fight with me,” Nathan said.
“What are you going to do, then?”
“We’ll have to take a look at Drew. Figure out where he’s been and if he could have been responsible. Unfortunately, if we can’t locate him, the assumption will be that he’s the perpetrator. It will actually be easier to point the finger at Drake if we do find Drew, because he likely won’t have these distinctive physical characteristics,” Brett said.
“The DNA test is going to be our Achilles’ heel. We need a workable theory to prove how Drake is responsible for these crimes yet the DNA rules him out. I just don’t know how to do it,” Nathan confessed.
It was at that point, when she saw the resignation in Nathan’s eyes, that she understood the uphill battle ahead. Even if he did wholeheartedly believe her, which at this point he didn’t present a convincing front for, what exactly was he supposed to do? Time and budgetary constraints were going to tie his hands as far as pursuing Drake as a viable suspect.
“This has been a little overwhelming for me. I think I need to rest. After all, I have a court appearance in the morning.”
Brett took the hint and began to make his way to the front door. Nathan lingered a few moments before following him, eyeing her suspiciously. Lilly waited on the porch until they pulled away and the darkness engulfed their headlights.
It was up to her. She had to prove it. Something was wrong with Drake’s DNA.
That’s why all his pregnant victims met their demise.
It’s about the children.
The babies were the key.
That’s why none of them could live.
That’s why my babies have to be born.
Not just for me, but for all these women.
She rushed to Kadin’s study and began to rifle through his documents. He’d brought Drake’s personnel file home over concern that Drake would destroy it before the police could obtain it. Finding it amongst a multitude of manila folders, she marked the spot with a ruler and approached his combined copy/fax machine to make her own duplicate. She straightened the sheets and put it back in its proper order, pulling the wooden stick as she slid the drawer closed.
The file contained everything about Drake’s past. His former employers and residences were listed. That’s where she would start. Visiting every hospital in the area to see if he had a medical file and widening her search from there based on the information she found.
Even though it was dark, it was still early evening. If she hurried and packed her things, she could make it in time to her local bank and withdraw her money, leaving just enough in the accounts to keep them open. She hoped operating in cash would make it more difficult for Drake to find her, as she had no doubt that, with the police off his trail, he would feel comfortable hunting her and disposing of her with some convenient accident. Struggling out the door, clutching her belly with one hand, she dragged her suitcase down the snowy walk with the other.
E
LLIE BEGAN TO
clear the dishes as Kadin mopped up the rest of his gravy with a homemade dinner roll. Several garbage bags full of newly made quilts for the neonatal intensive care unit waited by the door. His sister’s husband was out of town on business, and Kadin thought it was a good opportunity to present the idea of adopting Lilly’s babies. If Ellie felt it was something she couldn’t do, he’d only planted the idea in one mind and not both.
He’d tried to broach the subject several times during dinner, his nerves getting the better of him. Since her miscarriage, Ellie and her husband had tried several times to adopt. Twice, the birth mothers had decided to keep their infants—one after the baby had been in their home for two weeks. After that experience, they tried an international adoption, but just as they were preparing to leave, they got word that that child had died. No explanation as to the cause of death was given. After the multitude of fertility treatments and three failed adoptions, they found their financial resources thin.
Ellie brought Kadin’s favorite dessert, cheesecake with fresh berries, placing it in front of him with a fresh cup of coffee.
“So, Brother, are you going to tell me the reason for your visit?”
“Just coming for your fine food and company isn’t enough of a reason?”
“Of course it is, and I wish you would do it more often. But since this is the first of such a visit, I figure there must be ulterior motives.”
Kadin took a few bites, then wiped his lips with the pressed cloth napkin. He set the dessert plate aside and grabbed the coffee cup and eased back into his chair.
“You’re too perceptive for your own good,” he said, taking a sip. “The cheesecake is great.”
“You don’t lie very well. Never have.” She ran her fingers through her blonde hair.
“True.” He put the cup down and placed his elbows on the table, folding his hands underneath his chin. “I know a woman who is pregnant with twins and wants to give them up.”
“Why?” Ellie brushed the crumbs off the top of the table.
“The pregnancy is the result of a sexual assault. On top of that, she’s single and doesn’t really have any family to speak of. She just doesn’t think she can take care of them.”
“How serious do you think she is?” A hopeful light brightened her eyes.
“Very. I think she wants a private adoption.”
“It seems too good to be true.”
Kadin laid one of his hands over hers. It trembled under his touch.
“Ellie, I know you feel like having your own children is never going to happen, but I know this woman. She’s adamant about giving them up. She asked me to arrange this for her. Are you interested?”
“Of course I want these babies. I just don’t know if I could handle it not working out.”
“I know that I can’t fully understand your fear, but I can sympathize with it. There are a couple of other things I should share with you before you make your decision.”
“This is where the big heavy hammer drops.” She pulled her hand away from his.
“That’s up to you. After the rape, the mother was not functioning very well. She didn’t receive any prenatal care during the first five months. She’d been using sleeping pills and alcohol to get through her grief. I don’t think she was using anything in terrible excess, and she’s not doing these things anymore, but the overall effect on the babies won’t be known until after they’re born.”
“That doesn’t bother me as much as you would think. No child is perfect, and there are no guarantees in life.”
“The other reason my friend wants a private adoption is there is some concern her rapist might come after these infants.”
“Why would he do that? Wouldn’t it just put him more at risk of getting caught?”
“These are her feelings, and I’m not sure how grounded they are. She says her perpetrator is one of my associates, Drake Maguire.”
“Is it true? Did he rape her?”
Kadin’s pager buzzed; he checked the text. Nathan Long was trying to get a hold of him.
“I don’t know. The DNA tests are pending.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I want to. Part of me is dying inside, knowing I hired this man who victimized all of these women. I reviewed his file, even called the Nevada State Board of Healing Arts. Nothing came up as a red flag. He doesn’t have the greatest bedside manner, but it’s a stretch from that to being a serial rapist.”
Ellie stilled like a small animal caught in the stream of a flashlight in the darkness. “Drake is the man on the news?
“I thought you would have known,” Kadin said.
“I don’t really know the other doctors in your practice. Living up north, I don’t have any reason to keep tabs on the people at Sage. This must be having a horrible effect on your practice.”
“It’s not been as bad as I would have thought. Obviously, some of his patients have left. Melanie and I are absorbing the rest. What’s a woman to do late in her pregnancy? Some don’t want to hassle with finding another doctor at this point.”
“So he hasn’t been working?”
“No. And we haven’t heard from him. We’re just assuming that he’s never coming back.”
Kadin’s pager went off again. He viewed the text.
“Ellie, I need to call this person back. It’s the detective in charge of my friend’s case.”
He stepped into her living room and dialed Nathan’s number on his cell.
“Detective Long?”
“Kadin, thanks for calling me back.”
“You seem anxious to get a hold of me.”
“It’s Lilly. We’ve had some developments.”
“Such as?”
“Can we meet in person?”
“It’s not possible right now. I’m up north having dinner.”
“Great. Listen, Drake has been cleared by the DNA tests.”
“He has? Does Lilly know?”
“I went up to your place to give her the news and just got back. There’s another issue, though. Drake has filed a restraining order against her.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“An emergency hearing has been filed. I just got done serving it to her. She has a court appearance tomorrow. Did she call you?”
“No, I haven’t heard from her.”
“When are you due back?”
Kadin glanced back toward Ellie, who had begun to clear the dishes from the table. “I could leave anytime, but I’m ninety minutes away. Why?”
“I think Lilly’s going to run.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. But I think she’s going to try to solve this thing on her own. She believes that Drake is the one responsible despite the DNA test. I told her it was going to be a tough case to prosecute in light of that evidence.”
“What’s your take on it?”
“I believe Lilly, but I’m struggling. I’m an analytical guy, so it’s hard to discount the test results. In the same light, these women describe some very unique physical characteristics that I would venture to say few men have. Regardless, the DNA evidence came back to a convicted criminal who’s been out of jail a couple of years. Happens to be Drake’s brother.”
“He never mentioned that he had a brother.”
“There’s a lot we need to figure out. Just check on her, please. I’ve tried to call her a couple of times since I left, and it goes straight to voice mail.”
“I’ll finish up here and go.”
“Do you know what she’s doing about the baby?”
Kadin struggled with answering truthfully. Lilly must have kept the information back about having twins. Maybe she felt she couldn’t trust Long with the information, and it wasn’t Kadin’s place to divulge the information, either.
“Arrangements are being made.”
“So she’s going to carry it.”
“It’s really too late in the pregnancy for her to do otherwise.”
“Sounds like you have it under control. Let me know how she is when you get back.”
Kadin helped Ellie finish the dishes before he left. Part of him delayed departure because he didn’t know what he would say to Lilly. Had she made a mistake? Could all these women be wrong? Could he support her when his professional reputation had taken a solid hit based on her false accusation?
As Ellie walked him to the door, she promised to speak to her husband and give Kadin a final decision after he returned from his business trip.
After two hours, he neared his small home. Lilly hadn’t answered any of his calls, either. Her car was gone. The house was empty, with a note left on the kitchen table.
Detective Long had been right.