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“Ben’s ‘replacement,’ Joseph Saxon, had outstanding felony warrants for armed robbery and carjacking before he vanished into thin air. He started singing as soon as we confronted him at the facility.”
Reese refilled the detective’s mug and returned to the table to set it in front of him. “She had to have been involved in Thorne’s escape from prison. And I’m equally certain she made his rampage killings possible. She told me Blake Chen had mastered stolen identities.”
“Picked him up, too, after you filled us in a few days ago. We turned all his electronics over to the cybercrime unit. For now, he’s facing a single homicide charge until we gather more evidence against him. I reached out to SDPD Detective Usher. The bottle of Scotch used to kill Greenley was ordered online in the name of Samantha Tenge.”
“S.T.” A single bead of ice rolled down her spine. “Sedgewick is a master of manipulation. She bragged about it. She preyed on everyone, looking for flaws, for weaknesses she could exploit. I’m sure you’ll discover she used their acquaintances, too, like the would-be bomber, Roderick Bradbury and Pollack.”
“Funny you should mention that.” Mendes’s expression was grim. “Facial software was used to analyze the liquor store’s camera footage, and a match was found. Cory Breitbach, a known associate of Bradbury’s, picked up the bottle and delivered it to Greenley’s firm. Toxicology reports will take a while longer, but likely either Breitbach or Chen added the poison to the bottle.”
Following that thread, Hayes put his mug down, arrowed a gaze at the deputy. “And what role did Gerald Rivers play in all of this?”
“Still trying to unravel that. His story, though, is that someone must have stolen the car from the storage unit where he kept it. When pressed, he admitted Sedgewick knew about it,and about his son. She loaned him money a few years ago when Trevor was out of medical options, and they wanted to pursue an expensive alternative treatment in Mexico. He still owes her a substantial debt.”
“Which he’s been repaying by looking away from the excesses on the expense sheets and the drop in the trust fund account,” Reese said bitterly. “He’s not blameless in this. It wouldn’t hurt to look at his finances. Greenley’s, too.” It’d taken Julia to notice something was off and take a keener interest. She died trying. A blade twisted in her heart.
“A separate investigation has been started to determine the extent of Rivers’s involvement.” Mendes’s words provided partial solace. Whether guilty of negligence or far worse, the attorney would see justice.
“Bradbury had an accomplice. There were two tailing us the interstate,” Hayes reminded the deputy.
“He actually had two. Randy Ellison and Cory Breitbach. They waited outside your apartment garage and utilized a drone loaded with license plate software to follow your car a couple of miles back. They blew it when you spotted them, but the drone and the third vehicle tracked you from afar to the station. I hear Bradbury gave both of his buddies up. But he claimed he didn’t know who was paying him. A burner was delivered to his house one day with a number on a note. He’d call it, talk to someone using a voice changer and carried out specific tasks. Cash payments were delivered the same way.” He paused to take a gulp of coffee before continuing. “Detective Gibbons discovered that Ellison is in possession of a Honda Odyssey van matching the description of the one that hit Julia. He’ll be following up.”
Grief knotted in her throat. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Sedgewick was behind her aunt’s death, too. So many sacrificed to one woman’s ego and greed.
Hayes reached over to lay a comforting hand on her thigh. “She won’t escape punishment,” he murmured before addressing the deputy. “The doctor’s house is being searched.”
Although it wasn’t a question, Mendes nodded before picking up his cup to drain it. “As we speak. And the hospital. And any other property we find in her name. It’ll be a process. Hopefully, we’ll discover where the doctor first came into contact with Thorne. What compelled her to weaponize him.”
“Greed. Power. Ego.” Reese’s voice was flat. “She thrived on the carnage. There’s nothing headier than playing God with people’s lives.” If anything, she was more of a monster than any of those she manipulated.
The deputy glanced at the wall clock. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Appreciate that.”
He scraped back his chair, then hesitated for a moment. “Damn fine job, both of you. Didn’t want the capture to go down this way, but glad you survived it. Must have nine lives.”
“A few less now, but yeah.” Hayes got up and walked him to the door. “Thanks for your efforts.” The two shook hands before Mendes exited.
Reese stared into the coffee mug as if the dark unfathomable beverage held the answers she lacked. “Why us?”
“Why us, what?” He resecured the locks and came over to knead her shoulders.
“Why were we spared? All those killed by the TK and whoever else Sedgewick unleashed. Trainer. Autry. Julia. What random act of fate carved out an exception for us?”
“I don’t know. But I can feel sorrow for the victims and still be glad to be alive. Gladyou’realive.”
“If I’d never written those stories about Thorne…never gone to Mississippi…Autry would still be here.”
“We can’t rewrite the past. And it wouldn’t have changed the circumstances around your brother’s conservatorship.” Theweight of his hands was comforting. Reese didn’t feel worthy of comfort right now. “A wise man once told me, ‘Don’t absolve others of their guilt by carrying it for them. It’s not yours to atone for.’”
A rush of emotion clogged her throat. Made it difficult to respond. She knew without asking who that snippet of wisdom came from. But apparently, Raiker was made of sterner stuff than she was. A wall of emotion was converging within her, and she was very certain it would soon crack. She slipped out of the chair, seeking escape, but Hayes’s arms came around her and hauled her to his chest. Something unfamiliar released inside her, a sob breaking.
In the shelter of his arms, Reese wept for the first time in years.
Hayes gave Reese space.He joined her silently when she resumed packing up Julia’s things, to give herself something to do to stay busy. They talked little. He ordered food but didn’t press her to eat. He knelt beside her, taking the stacks of clothes she was folding and placing them in boxes, securing them with tape and stacking them in the corner of the room.
His silent assistance gave her time to think. Thoughts swirled. Reese came to some decisions and skirted others. Hours slipped by, punctuated only by the occasional ding of his phone.
When it sounded for the third time, she finally spoke. “Stalker?”