January 3
L
ILLY FELT DETERMINED
leaving Kadin’s. After the messages from her strange visitor and the old woman, she knew protecting these babies was her first priority. The second one was figuring out why the DNA test had not proved Drake’s guilt.
How many rapists could there be with mismatched eyes and a tattoo of a hideous creature on their chests?
Lilly knew that to ensure her freedom while she pursued Drake, she had to make herself electronically invisible. No credit cards or ATM drafts. She tossed her phone into the mountainside when she neared the city. She first went to her bank and withdrew as much money as she could without closing the accounts. Her next stop was her townhome. She collected her remaining firearm, as Dana had refused to give back the one she’d confiscated. Luckily, they’d left all of her ammunition behind, and she grabbed every box, placing them inside one duffel bag. There wasn’t any use in packing most of her clothes, but she did grab all her scrubs, as the ties allowed her to still wear them as her belly swelled. A few roomy dresses completed her wardrobe. She’d have to buy more clothes in the morning. As she rifled through her medicine cabinet, she discovered one remaining vial of sleeping pills that Kadin hadn’t thrown away. Her fist closed over the plastic bottle as she considered the ramifications of taking them along. The temptation to ingest them would easily supersede her desire to refrain, so before she could change her mind, she opened the container and threw them into the toilet.
Next, Lilly went to Savannah’s home unannounced. Trying to disappear meant getting rid of her vehicle, at least for the interim. To her surprise, Savannah agreed to loan her a car that had been unused for several years and stated she would keep Lilly’s hidden.
After checking into the cheapest hotel she could find near the courthouse, Lilly could not sleep. The room felt subzero, and the thermostat wouldn’t heat above sixty degrees. She tried a warm bath, but after seeing the tea-colored water spew from the faucet, she couldn’t relax and abandoned the tub idea. The remainder of the night was spent shivering under two thin blankets; she shuddered to think what filthy stains a Wood’s lamp would show. She folded the pillow around her head, trying to block out the sound of a TV and other guttural noises as she searched the darkness for her frosted breath.
As soon as morning broke behind the light-blocking drapes, Lilly threw the covers aside and got ready.
Her court appearance was at 9:00
A.M
.
She decided to take a cab to the hearing, not wanting anybody to see the new vehicle she was driving. The courtroom itself was nothing she would have imagined. The judge’s bench was a small, laminated table sitting in the front of a white-walled, brown-tiled floor. The chairs were formed plastic, and every movement against the floor, whether it was a chair scraping or high heel tapping, echoed throughout the chamber. Lilly sat at one table alone. Drake followed a few minutes after, his attorney in tow.
It was as if a clutch of spider’s eggs hatched at the base of her spine, and thousands of new fledglings ran upward along her vertebrae to see who could be the first to nest in her hair. Drake didn’t seem to have any trouble meeting her gaze. He was dressed smartly in a business suit, his mismatched eyes bore a searing look of certainty. Lilly pulled her hands closer against her stomach; the babies seemed to be sleeping despite the noise of her heart hammering beneath her rib cage like a jackhammer tearing apart concrete.
The judge stepped into the room, robe unzipped. To Lilly, he seemed too young to hold such a position. His baby face and relatively short stature made it difficult for her to feel like he could have any authoritative demeanor. He consulted several files and called their case to the forefront.
“Dr. Maguire, would you like to present your evidence as to why you feel you need a restraining order against Dr. Reeves.”
Drake stood and buttoned his jacket.
“Your Honor, Dr. Reeves is a troubled woman, and it saddens me greatly that I have to come before you with this request. However, I feel my safety is paramount, and I cannot guarantee my safety any longer.” Drake paused, tugging the edge of each of his sleeves to straighten them. “She is obsessed with me, and since I have dismissed her sexual advances, she has chosen to undermine my business and reputation. She assaulted me in the emergency department at Sage Medical Center as I was trying to save a woman who’d slit her throat with a scalpel, which, I might add, Dr. Reeves carelessly left behind—”
“This is not a medical malpractice case, Dr. Maguire,” the judge interrupted.
“Sorry, Your Honor, I was just trying to give you context.”
“Just relay to me how she is affecting you personally.”
“She has falsely accused me of rape. My attorney has the DNA reports that prove my innocence.”
“Dr. Reeves, what is your response to these allegations?” the judge asked while he busied himself with papers.
“What Dr. Maguire says is true,” Lilly said.
He looked up, stunned at her statement. “You did assault him and falsely accuse him of rape?”
“Your Honor, I can’t explain the DNA evidence. I believe he is the man who raped me. I am carrying his child as a result of that assault. What can you expect a woman to do when she sees the man who violated her?”
“You mean when you assaulted him.”
“Yes, I punched him in the jaw to help detain him until the police got there.”
“Do you feel as if you’re going to harm Dr. Maguire?”
Lilly considered the statement. Was it better to pretend to be submissive or just flat out confess her course of action?
“I don’t have any plans to hurt Dr. Maguire.”
“But you’re convinced that this is the man who assaulted you.”
“Yes.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Prove his guilt.”
“How?”
“I have a plan.”
“Dr. Reeves, in light of your confession and due to the fact that it doesn’t seem like you have the capacity to take these DNA results at face value, which makes me concerned about your level of reasoning, I’m going to grant Dr. Maguire his restraining order. You are not to go to his residence or his place of work, and you must maintain a distance of one hundred yards at all other times. Do you understand?”
“Completely.”
Lilly left the hearing and took a cab to the hospital. She needed to gather a few things and speak to Anderson about taking an indefinite leave of absence. Making her way through the ER, she was stopped by Luther in the hall.
“Anderson’s been trying to get a hold of you.”
“Where is he?”
“His office.”
She stopped by her locker and emptied its contents, doubtful that she would be working over the next several months. What she needed most was her lab coat, which would be essential in her quest to prove Drake’s guilt. Leaving the ER, she spoke little to her coworkers and made her way to the medical office building where the department chiefs were housed. The moment Anderson’s secretary saw her come through the door, she nearly toppled from her chair as she reached for the phone. Lilly had never seen the woman so flustered.
“Dr. Reeves! Dr. Anderson had been trying to reach you.”
“So I hear.”
“You can go down to his office.”
Lilly walked past her desk, feeling the woman’s eyes tracking her every step. Anderson waited by his open door and escorted her in, pulling a chair out for her to sit in.
“Lilly, how are you today?”
“I’ve had better ones. I hear you’re anxious to speak with me.” She set the duffel bag beside her. Anderson’s eyes lingered on it as he took his chair.
“That’s correct. I got a call from an attorney representing Dr. Maguire. He’s made me aware that a restraining order was granted, prohibiting you two from working in the same building.”
Lilly smoothed her tongue along the inside of her cheek.
“That was fast. I just came from that hearing and understand things may seem confusing right now. I wanted to speak to you anyway. I need to take a personal leave of absence.”
Anderson fidgeted in his chair, rolling a pen under his fingers over the desktop.
“Lilly, you know … maybe you don’t know. I think you’re a fine doctor. I know I’ve been hard on you, but it was only to make you better, stronger. If I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t have done those things.” His voice cracked, and Lilly began to pity his position. “That being said, your performance over the last several months has been barely adequate. I’ve heard concerns from several staff members about you possibly abusing drugs and alcohol. I’m not sure what’s happened between you and Dr. Maguire, but you assaulted him in front of the staff and publicly accused him of rape, besmirching his reputation in consideration of the DNA tests. In light of these issues, I can’t take on the liability of keeping you on staff any longer.”
“You’re going to fire me?” The last string that held her to her life was snipped, and she felt herself freefalling into utter loneliness. What did she have to come back to? A job? A family? None of these existed. Losing employment meant no further cash to support her quest. All she possessed was next to her on the floor.
“Lilly, I don’t have any other choice.”
Even though her task was impossible, even though he had cleared the DNA testing, she felt it was her responsibility to prove Drake guilty. Now, nothing hindered achieving this goal. Maybe this was why she had been given this burden.
January 15
T
HE LAST TWO
weeks had been a firestorm for Nathan. Sitting alone, he brooded over the empty desk in front of him, the top clear of any belongings. Brett had requested and been granted fourteen days’ vacation and seemed too eager to distance himself from Nathan, and he wondered if Brett would place a request for a new partner when he returned. Department backlash was not overt but subtle in its undermining of Nathan’s position and authority. It wasn’t the fact that Drake Maguire had been a suspect, but that Nathan continued to pursue him in light of the evidence.
Soon after they had learned about Drew Stipman, contact had been made to the Nevada State Police and the correctional facility where he’d been detained. The unique body marks that the women described were not part of Drew’s biological makeup. He did have several tattoos, but none that matched the description of the women involved in his case. Drew’s eyes were naturally green, and he had perfect vision. Nathan found it curious that Drake had chosen to wear contacts that matched the natural color of his brother’s eyes.
He’s trying to mimic his brother to frame him.
Nathan studied the photo he’d been sent of Drew Stipman. He and Drake were identical twins, but some of their physical characteristics made it possible to distinguish the two. Drake was taller and more physically defined, but otherwise they could be mistaken for the same person. Even though Drew didn’t have any physical characteristics of their serial rapist, Chief Anson wanted him located and for the case against Drake Maguire to be dropped. He reasoned that the ex-convict could have gotten a new tattoo since his release and possibly was wearing colored contacts to pose as his brother.
Question being, what was Drake’s motive for framing Drew?
Drew’s photo had been released to the press in connection with the case, and a nationwide search was on. Even Drake was making the most of his position. He’d had several news conferences lending compassion to the victims, particularly Dr. Reeves, stating it was easy for him to understand her confusion in light of the resemblance between him and his brother. He urged his sibling to come forward and accept responsibility.
Nathan approached the DA on behalf of Celia Ramirez. There had not been a DNA specimen collected in her case, but she was able to ID her assailant based on eye color alone. As he suspected would happen, the DA scoffed at trying to garner a conviction based on this, even if it was an oddly distinct physical characteristic. With the advent of colored contacts, how could he prove it was Drake who’d committed these crimes and not just someone in disguise? He wouldn’t take the case forward.
So far, Drew was nowhere to be found.
For that matter, Lilly was missing as well.
When he and Brett had left Lilly at Kadin’s cabin, Nathan had slipped a tracking device purchased on the Internet under her vehicle. Brett was surprised at his lack of following the legal letter, but if Nathan lost Lilly and the baby, then there would be nothing to connect Drake to these crimes. He was as convinced as she was that the infant was the key to unlocking this mystery. Would this be the case that could knock DNA from being the gold standard in criminal prosecution?
It was clear Lilly had shown up for her court appearance and subsequently been fired from her job. That information was obtained from a few phone calls. After she left the hospital, her trail thinned out and disappeared. Nathan discovered she’d emptied her bank accounts of nearly every cent, which was quite a bit of money. He’d located her vehicle at the home of her aunt. Savannah wouldn’t give him any information on her whereabouts. It wasn’t too much later when he discovered Savannah owned two vehicles and located the one she’d loaned to Lilly at the airport. Nathan slipped another tracking device onto that vehicle and spent the day at Denver International, trying to figure where Lilly had gone.
She’d purchased an airline ticket to Montana and boarded the flight. Once she’d landed, there wasn’t clear evidence of where she’d gone. She hadn’t rented a car, no one with her description had purchased a bus ticket, and she hadn’t boarded another flight.
Nathan’s best guess was she had taken a bus somewhere in disguise or had purchased a vehicle in cash from a private seller and paid extra for that person to keep the plates registered in his name. He didn’t believe Montana was her chosen destination. If he had to place a bet, he’d stake his reputation that she was in Nevada, looking into Drake’s background.
Kadin seemed equally clueless, or at least that’s what he professed. He swore Lilly hadn’t reached out to him. The last thing they’d talked about was arranging someone to adopt the baby and her desire to have the baby delivered away from any hospital. Nathan surmised Lilly was planning on Kadin delivering the infant at the cabin. Of course, Kadin attempted to pull Nathan from that idea, stating it wouldn’t be safe and he wouldn’t put her at risk no matter how she felt about it.
Lilly has a way to make this happen.
Nathan scooped up his folders and his list of local tattoo parlors. On a map, he’d circled a two-hour radius from Drake’s home and looked up every business within the circle. It was one of two things he could think to do, and Nathan was fortunate in that Drake had held only one primary residence since his move to Colorado. Next on this list was to try to find a geneticist to talk with about DNA testing.
He pulled up to one of the last facilities on his agenda. Nathan was used to the rundown habitations that encased most parlors. This structure was clinic-like. Inside was a large desk built from glass counters with soft under-lighting. A receptionist sat at the front, in conservative dress and makeup. The decor was soft hues of blue and plenty of real foliage. Comfortable leather chairs lined the other side of the waiting room, which was currently empty.
As he approached, the woman looked up. “You must be Detective Long.”
“How did you guess?”
“Your appointment and that police vibe you give off. Let me get Lawrence for you.”
It was one of the few tattoo places that required appointments. Lawrence came through a set of double doors. He was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans minus any markings on his own skin.
“Why don’t you come back, and we’ll talk.”
Nathan was ushered through the doors into the back. The business maintained its sterile feel, and he was shown into a small office.
“You’re not quite what I expected.” Nathan took a seat. The room contained two chairs and a row of file cabinets.
“Our clients tend to be more upscale.”
“I’m sure any comment I make in response to that won’t seem very cordial. Why don’t you have any tattoos? At least none that are visible. Every other artist I came across was like a painted canvas with very little virgin skin remaining.”
“Me?” Lawrence tapped his chest with the fingertips of both hands. “I’m horrified of needles, but I love the art form. It’s the best way for me to express what I want to create.”
“I was hoping you could look at several photos of a particular tattoo and give me your thoughts on it.”
Nathan pulled out the same photo lineup he’d shown Heather and handed it over. Lawrence studied it, tilting it into the overhead light several times like a doctor examining X-rays.
“There’s only one tattoo here that’s not photo-shopped. This one,” he said, pointing to Drake’s tattoo.
“You have a good eye.”
“It’s my job. The tattoo is quite intricate. It has good color detail. It was done by someone professional, definitely not an amateur.”
“Can you tell me anything about the creature itself?”
“Sure. It’s a monster from Greek mythology, a chimera.”
“You’re a student of Greek mythology?”
“I know. You probably haven’t come across many like me.”
“You could say that.”
“I was a literature major in a previous life. It was an interest of mine.”
“What’s a chimera?”
“In Greek mythology, it’s a hybrid of different animals functioning as one monster.”
“Have you ever known anyone to get this particular tattoo or anyone else who does this kind of artwork?”
“Actually, I did this design.”
Nathan’s heart stopped. He’d actually found the artist.
“Can you tell me who the recipient was?”
“I don’t know about giving you a name. People don’t like that information to be divulged. But he is a local physician.”
Nathan crossed his legs and leaned back. Did he know about Drake’s crimes?
“Did he happen to tell you why he wanted this design?”
“People get tattoos for all sorts of reasons. The stigma of having one has worn off. People don’t feel like they’ll be associated with prisoners, motorcycle gangs, and prostitutes if they get one. Some tattoos have a cultural basis. Other people use it to make a statement or advertise something they identify with.”
“Is that what this doctor told you?”
“People are usually pretty open about sharing why the tattoo is important to them. He said it was an open expression of who he was inside, a clue to his exact nature.”
“So he considers himself a combination of several different creatures functioning as one monster.”
“In the literal sense I guess you could view it that way. He boasted about perpetrating a crime that he could never be prosecuted for. He said someone else was wrongly convicted and serving prison time in his place.”
Nathan’s mind reeled, the question quick from his lips. “Did he confess to you what the crime was or who that person might be?”
“He never mentioned anything specific, and honestly, I don’t take any of the things people say to me very seriously. Clients brag all the time to appear to have more machismo when they’re just trying to hide their fear of the procedure.”
“Have you seen this doctor recently?”
“No, but he’s been on the news.”
“Did that concern you, considering his previous statements?”
“It certainly gave me pause, but in light of the fact that he didn’t confess any crime and has subsequently been cleared by DNA, I didn’t feel like I needed to do anything further. Again, I chalked it up to petty bragging. Something he was trying to do to impress me. Make it seem as if he was tougher than he really was.”
“Do you remember when he got this tattoo?”
“It’s been several years, two or three maybe.”
“What about him stuck in your mind if it’s been so long?”
“For one thing, this is the only tattoo like this I’ve ever done. He asked for it specifically. I had to draw up several designs for his approval. That process took weeks. He was very particular about the look.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, he had the weirdest eyes. They were different colors.”
Nathan returned to his vehicle and made several notes. The tattoo artist was further confirmation of what he knew in his heart was true. Drake was the one and only perpetrator of these crimes. How could Nathan get the chief on board with his theory and keep his job?