Couples
Chapter 56
Alexis's voice is breathless as Kate answers her call. "Kate, good! Chief Osnitz will be sending a report to Captain Montgomery any minute, but I wanted to call you first. The word is you're interrogating the Ledger bomber."
"That's right," Kate confirms. "Did the lab find something I can use, Alexis?"
"Something you should know. He has the marker for a rare genetic disease. They've been monitoring its occurrence at NIH, so there's a registry. Many labs, including ours, cooperate in looking for the allele." The disease can affect a lot of systems in the body, but the victims of it can't always think straight. And sometimes, they hallucinate. If a patient like that gets an idea in their head, there's not much a psychiatrist or anyone can do to change it. The best you can do is play along."
"That is helpful, Alexis," Kate acknowledges, "anything else?"
"Your guy may not be on the registry. He might have no idea anything's wrong with him or refuse to admit he has a problem. People with the disorder tend to gravitate to cult leaders and charismatic figures and use them to justify their rigid thinking."
"Charismatic figures like Victor Barron," Kate considers.
"Exactly," Alexis agrees. "Also, Osnitz is going to be attaching a link to the registry to the report he sends Montgomery. Even if the bomber isn't on it, one of his relatives may recognize him. And Kate, have you found out if everyone is all right at the Ledger yet?"
"So far, we've heard that a worker in shipping and receiving was injured when shelving that was against the wall where the bomb blew fell on him. The medics don't think his injuries will be fatal. Some of the employees have hearing loss, hopefully temporary, but no fatalities. It could have been a lot worse if the bomb had been elsewhere in the building."
"Maybe having a mentally challenged bomber was a kind of silver lining," Alexis suggests.
"Maybe so," Kate allows, "but we might not be so lucky with the next one."
Kate discards her strategy of personally questioning her suspect further. She needs someone he can trust, someone with an innocent air who knows all the religious language. After his constant complaining about 12 years of Catholic school, and with his boyish face, Ryan should fit the bill perfectly.
Using a small mirror, Ryan painstakingly combs his hair so two strands fall over his forehead, further enhancing his guileless appearance. The transformed detective turns to Esposito. "What do you think?"
"That you look like you just came out of one of those somethings for Jesus meetings. After the look on your face when you mentioned Jenny this morning, can you keep up the act?"
"I worked undercover in narcotics," Ryan reminds his partner. "I can keep up any act as long as I need to."
Kate crosses the bullpen to join the partners. "I'm counting on you to do that. We can't wait to contact all Holy Harry's possible relatives. At least get a real name out of him."
"On it," Ryan declares and strides toward Interrogation. He fixes a friendly smile on his face before opening the door.
Michael gazes at the new arrival. "Another of Satan's minions here to twist the truth?"
Ryan drops his jaw with a look of abject horror and crosses himself. "Satan? Oh, no! I was raised to avoid the deceiver—too many lies perpetuating the evil in this world. My name is Kevin, Kevin Ryan. I came in here to give you some good news."
"What good news?" Michael asks.
"That God ensured that you caused no death. Your message will stand unpolluted. Of course, you'll be charged for the damage and injury your bomb caused, but you'll never have to answer to God or the law for taking a life."
"I suppose that's what God would want," Michael ponders.
"Of course he would," Ryan vigorously agrees. "He can't have those in his army committing the greatest evil in his name. And what name would he know when you come to him?"
"Michael," the bomber responds automatically. "I come to him as Michael, Michael Stickley."
Ryan nods approvingly. "Michael, the warrior archangel. Amen. And in whose name do you petition him?"
"In the name of Victor Barron. The only one who tells the truth." Michael waves around the room. "You're surrounded by those who attack him with deceit. Why are there so many of you who are supposed to keep all of God's children safe, falling for the adversary's lies?"
Ryan slips into the chair opposite Michael, leaning in. "Not as many as you think," the detective whispers. "If what you did was in Barron's name, we do understand. We'll do everything in our power to support the forces of right. Would you like some time to pray?"
Ryan watches the tension in Michael's shoulders relax. "Yes, Kevin, I would."
Ryan spots Kate on the way to her desk as he emerges from the box. She calls over her shoulder. "Michael Stickley. We're already on it,"
Esposito slaps Ryan on the back. "I knew that angelic look would come in handy for something. Good job, partner."
Ryan sets his jaw, shaking his head. "Michael's as much Barron's victim as anyone. I wish we could get that bastard for what Michael did."
"We'll get him for rape, assault, and whatever else Eli Douglas and the D.A.'s office can dream up," Esposito assures his partner. "Barron will be in a hole until he rots."
Rick makes his third try at crafting another email to Sam Fitzsimmons before surrendering and picking up the phone. "Sam, I need a stronger effort, whatever it takes. One of Barron's supporters already tried to blow up the Ledger. The next one of his followers who tries to bomb or kill someone may do a better job. You've got to pull his teeth, now!"
"I'm working on it, Rick, believe me," Fitzsimmons protests. "And wasting time on the phone with you doesn't help."
"What are you doing?" Rick demands.
"Whatever time I spend telling you is time I can't spend doing it. I'm sending you the dossier I'm basing my attack plan on right now, and I'm going back to work."
Rick brings up his email and waits impatiently for Sam's attachment to load. An involuntary whistle emerges from his lips as he scans the contents. Just the list of women Sam dug up to potentially testify against Barron is impressive. Apparently, Victor's sexual proclivities date back to his teen years. Most complaints were ignored or quashed by threats of suits.
More recently, the contestants in his Miss Teen Beauty Pageant complained that he walked in on their dressing room. Barron threatened several of them that if they didn't give in to his sexual demands, they'd be blackballed from all his pageants. Victor also warned them that if they accused him of anything, he'd sue their parents and take their homes.
One teenager, Miss B., had been in the foster system. Barron had no one to sue. She did go to one of the tabloids who promised to pay her for an exclusive for her story. The paper gave her the money in cash – no paper trail. It also had her sign a non-disclosure agreement. The story was never published. The tabloid's CEO was one of Victor's twisted pals.
Recently, Miss B., disgusted by Barron's continuing behavior, realized that she'd signed the N.D.A. as a minor, making it unenforceable. She began trying to find someone who would help her get her story out. She found Sam the same day Rick recruited him.
"Maybe," Rick murmurs to himself, "Barron pissed off God enough for him to stick his nose in a little. Sending Johanna Beckett can't be the only way he intervenes in earthly matters."