“What I don’t understand is why she would want to blow up her house.” Harper sat in his office with Lane and Keely.
“Destroy the past, I think. She probably didn’t want her daughter to know about the Tarantulas. After the forensic team gets through with their search of the house, they’ll probably uncover more proof that Andelko Branimir was Borislav Goran.” Lane leaned against the arm of his chair. He looked at the pictures of Harper and his family on the wall.
“If she’s killed and her house blows up,” Keely said, “then all of our attention is focused on Jelena and away from her daughter. If you look at it that way, Jelena’s actions make more sense. She’s protecting the daughter. The logical conclusion, then, is that Zacki killed her father.”
Lane and Harper looked at one another.
“How come you’re meeting with us now?” Keely asked. “I mean, you told me you had to keep us at arm’s length.”
“Things changed this morning.” Harper looked directly at Lane. “Stockwell still thinks if he can make a deal, he won’t have to spend time in jail. The crown prosecutor says no deal.”
Keely laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Lane asked.
“Stockwell is such a stupid asshole. He still thinks he can get away with it.”
“Well, for a long time he did,” Lane said.
“You need to see this piece of evidence.” Harper leaned over and pulled a photocopy from his desk.
“What is it?” Keely asked.
“A show of good faith by Stockwell. His lawyer had it delivered this morning.” Harper handed it to her.
“What’s it say?” Lane asked.
Keely said, “It’s an email from Smoke asking Gregory and Stockwell to manufacture a charge against you to discredit you.” She pointed at Lane. “It says, ‘Manufacture anything short of a suspension. The objective is to force Detective Lane to resign.’”
“Remember how Smoke threatened you when we went after Dr. Jones?” Harper asked.
“Yes.” Lane took the paper from Keely and read. “It even gives Gregory and Stockwell suggestions on who to tell that I’m under investigation so that word will get around.”
“Chief Simpson told me to let you know that a formal letter absolving you of any and all charges is being drafted. The investigation of your conduct is concluded.” Harper locked his fingers behind his head. “If you want to take legal action against Smoke, Gregory, and Stockwell, the door is wide open.”
Lane shrugged. The damage is already done.
Keely’s phone rang. She looked apologetically at Lane and Harper as she opened it. “Yes? Hi, Lori.” Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding.” She closed the phone. “Zacki Branimir is downstairs waiting to talk with us.”
“We have to go.” Lane stood up and shook Harper’s hand.
Harper’s phone rang. He picked it up. “Yes?” He listened then held up his hand, indicating the detectives should wait. “No one was injured?” He listened. “Good.” Harper hung up the phone. “You were right. There was an improvised explosive at Jelena’s house. A grenade in an empty tin can was tied to the front door. It was rigged to fall out when the door opened. Underneath the can was a bucket filled with homemade explosive. The bomb disposal team is singing your praises for warning them before anyone went into the house.”
When they walked into their offices five minutes later, Zacki was sipping a soft drink and sitting in the chair across from Lori.
Zacki stood up when she saw Lane. “What did you do with her? I can’t find my mom.”
Lane took her elbow. “Come on down to my office and we’ll talk. I’ve seen your mom. She’s safe.”
“She is?” Zacki followed him.
“Lane! You sonuvabitch!”
Lane turned. Former Staff Sergeant Gregory stood at his office door with a cardboard box in his arms. His flesh was red right up to the top of his skull.
Keely faced the staff sergeant. “You backstabbing bastard. I remember you hitting on me at the Scotch drinkers’ club. You asked me how much it would cost to put a smile on your face! Then you pointed at your crotch and asked me if I knew what a big treat you had waiting for me!”
Gregory turned white.
Lori stood up. “You said that to her? You’ve got a daughter in high school! As far as I’m concerned, you deserve to be suspended!” She pointed at the door.
The door hit Gregory in the backside when the box jammed up against the doorframe.
The door shut.
It was as if all of the tension had been sucked out of the room. Lori smiled at Keely. “Nice work.”
Lane looked at Lori and said, “Thank you for blowing the whistle on him and his buddy. One gutsy move on your part made a huge difference.”
“You weren’t supposed to know that!” Lori said. “I was told that it would be kept confidential. You detectives are so smug when you figure something out!”
“Thank you, Lori,” Keely said. “Otherwise that bastard Stockwell would have gotten away with blowing up my car.”
Lori looked sideways at the detectives. “Don’t start thinking you’re smarter than you are. Now get back to work.”
Lane motioned for Zacki to come into his office. He waited for Keely to step inside, then shut the door. Zacki sat in the chair between the detectives’ desks.
“Did you go home?” Lane asked.
“No. Mom told me not to go back when she left me at my friend’s place. My mom’s being all weird lately. Paranoid.” Zacki wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve.
“She was arrested this morning,” Keely said.
Zacki looked at Keely and then Lane. “But she didn’t kill my dad!”
Lane said, “Your mother confessed to killing him because he was drunk and beating her.”
“Yes, he was drunk. Yes, he was beating her. He was punching her in the face. Then he started to choke her. I tried to pull him off, but he was too strong. So I hit him on the head with a frying pan. He fell on my mom. He wasn’t breathing. That night we tied him to some blocks of cement. We drove around until we found a place to dump the body. It was a pond or something. We were in mud up to our knees. My mom told everyone my father moved back home.” Zacki began to sob. “I killed him.”
“You look like you had a rough day, uncle.” Matt sat at the foot of Arthur’s bed. Christine sat next to him.
“Something like that.” Lane smiled at the two of them.
“You were there, weren’t you?” Christine looked sideways at Lane. Matt looked at Christine.
“Well?” Christine asked.
“Where?” Lane asked.
“Don’t even try! When I called this morning, you were in the middle of it all.” Christine shook her head.
“Yes, Keely and I were there.”
“How close were you to the explosion?” Matt asked.
“Not that close.” Lane braced himself for the second blast of the day.
“Was your vehicle damaged?” Matt asked.
“Slightly.”
“Shithead,” Christine said.
“Well?” Lori and Keely were waiting when Lane returned.
“Christine called me a shithead.” Lane looked to Lori’s right at Gregory’s empty office.
“She figured out what happened today?” Lori asked.
Lane nodded.
“Sounds like she had every right to call you a shithead,” Lori said.
Keely touched his shoulder. “When does Arthur get to go home?”
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
chapter 19
“Hello.” Lane picked up the phone by the bed and looked at the time.
“I know it’s early. I can’t find my son.”
Lane heard apology and worry in the woman’s voice. “Who’s your son?”
“Daniel. He didn’t come home last night. I thought maybe he and Christine…”
Please don’t finish that sentence. Lane sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ll go check.” He slipped on a pair of sweats and walked downstairs to the kitchen.