Chapter Nine – More Mysteries

"No, sir, Detective Lassing is pretty sure that someone manipulated the brakes." Lilly turned away from the noise of the highway in order to hear Stillman's voice crackling through the phone line. He asked just one question.

"Who could have done it?"

"Well, that's the problem," Lilly said. "It can't have been Gabriel Jarvis. We used the car after he was arrested, and it was working fine. The sabotage didn't take place until we returned from our visit at the sheriff's office. That was about four p.m. At that time, Gabriel Jarvis had been in custody for more than an hour."

"That's what I call an alibi," said Stillman wryly. "Any other theories, Rush?"

"No, sir. It could have been anybody. We were all in the community, and the car was parked on the road. It wasn't even locked."

"You don't need to get into a car to manipulate the brakes," Stillman informed her. "So this fact is irrelevant, and I'll forget it as soon as I've hung up the phone. I guess I don't have to remind you that this broke quite a few rules, Rush."

"I'm sorry, sir." Lilly could not think of anything else to say.

"Nevermind. What are you going to do now?"

"We'll wait for the highway patrol to arrive," Lilly said. "And then I'll call you again, so you can an officer to pick us up. But the car is, well, fit for the scrap heap. We were really, really lucky; this could have ended much worse. Thank goodness that Chris is such a good driver."

"I'm waiting for your call," said Stillman. "I'll send an officer as soon as you've finished there."

"Thanks, sir." Lilly hung up and returned to Chris, who was taling to the highway patrol officer, who had meanwhile arrived.

"… been manipulated," the officer was saying. "I won't bother you with the technical detail, but there has definitely been an attack on your lives."

"An attack on our lives?" Lilly stepped beside her partner and looked at the officer. "Are you kidding?"

"No, he's not," said Chris. "Someone wanted us to have an accident. And they did quite a good job."

"Oh Jesus." Lilly went pale and leaned against Chris, who put an arm lightly around her shoulders. "And what shall we do now?"

"Who could have done it?" Chris asked back. "Not Gabriel, that's for sure."

"Does it necessarily have to have been the killer?" Lilly asked. "Maybe it was Jordan, just to take revenge because we arrested her husband."

Chris looked at her dubiously. "You don't really believe that, do you, Lilly?"

"No," Lilly admitted. "It wouldn't make any sense, and besides it wouldn't do anything good for Jordan or Gabriel."

"Then we must have made a mistake somewhere, and the killer is still on the loose." Chris bit his lower lip. "Oh God, how I wish this whole case was already solved."

"I'll call Stillman and tell him we're finished here," Lilly said. "I suppose you're taking care of that?" she asked the officer.

"Sure," the officer confirmed. "Maybe the mechanics will find some leads."

"Maybe." Lilly was not convinced.

She called Stillman once again, who promised to send Nick Vera to pick them up.

Nick arrived half an hour later, and the three of them went back to the police station.

"We have a guest, by the way," Nick informed them as they were climbing the stairs to the office.

"A guest?" Lilly was confused. "What do you mean?"

"A guest," Nick repeated. "You'll meet him in a minute."

When the emerged from the staircase, Lilly peered into the room. "Where is he?" she asked.

"Straight ahead, talking to Will." Nick pointed at their colleague Will Jeffried. The elderly, black detective was leaning against his desk, talking to a man who was sitting with his back turned on Lilly and Chris.

Lilly narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that Gabriel?" she said, confused. "I thought he was still in custody."

Nick smiled enigmatically. "Are you sure that this is Gabriel?" he asked. "Look closer."

Lilly was confused for a moment, but then something began to dawn on her. "You mean this is…" She trailed off and did as instructed: she looked closer. Right at this moment, the man turned his head, so that Lilly could see him from sideways on.

He looked indeed very much like Gabriel. He had the same, handsome face and the same brown, graying hair. His brow was deeply lined, more than Gabriel's, and his eyes had a different shape. But Lilly could now understand why everyone had mistaken Gabriel and Jamie for twins.

With a few steps, she covered the distance between them and approached Will's desk.

"James Jarvis?"

Jamie turned around. "Yes."

Even his voice sounded like Gabriel's. Lilly had to pull herself together not to simply gape at him. Instead, she stretched out her hand.

"I'm Detective Lilly Rush. I'm running the investigation. Thank you for coming."

Jamie got up and shook her hand. "You arrested my brother," he said. It was not a question.

"I fear that's true," Lilly said. "There has been some evidence pointing to him. But it won't be enough to take him to court, so he will probably be released from custody tomorrow."

"What kind of evidence?" Jamie asked.

"I'm not allowed to tell you, Mr. Jarvis." Lilly got herself a chair and sat down. "Let's just say that we have only some circumstancial evidence and the information we deduced from the others' statements. No real proof."

Jamie nodded. "I see," he said.

"But we would like you to give an account of the events as well," Chris cut in. "We need an official statement from everyone who was present that night."

Jamie's expression hardened. "Is that really necessary?" he asked.

"Yes." Lilly did not falter. "But we would prefer you to do it voluntarily."

"Very well then." Jamie sighed. "I think I'll have to. Now that I've returned, I might as well tell you what I know. But I'd like to wait until tomorrow."

Lilly and Chris exchanged a glance. "Okay," Lilly said eventually. "Can you stop by tomorrow at ten a.m. to deliver an official statement?"

"Will I have to testify in court?" Jamie asked.

"Mr. Jarvis, right now it is very doubtful whether there will be a trial at all," Chris reminded him. "It may be possible, but in that case we would of course inform you in time."

"Alright." Jamie got up and looked around musingly. "It feels strange to be in Philly," he said. "I haven't been here for more than thirty years. I haven't seen my family for more than thirty years. I would like you not to tell any of them that I'm here, Detective."

"Will you tell us why you didn't stay in touch?" Lilly asked.

"Tomorrow." Jamie turned around. "Goodbye, Detectives."

"Goodbye." Lilly stared after Jamie until he had reached the stairs. The she turned back to Chris, Nick and Will. "I didn't expect that," she said.

"Neither did we," said Chris wryly. "Do you think it's gonna change anything?"

"I don't know." Lilly sighed and leaned back against the desk. "I have the feeling that Jamie's story will help us close some logical gaps, but that it won't help us sorting out who manipulated our car."

"Speaking of that," Chris put in, "I'd like to make a suggestion. Who knows if this was the last one?"

"The last what?"

"The last attack. Maybe that someone, whoever it was, found out that it didn't work and tries again."

"And how?"

"Did you give them your card?" Chris asked.

Lilly nodded. "Of course I did."

"Me, too. Then it's easy for them to find out where we live. They could come by at night and set our houses on fire, for instance."

"Don't you think you're getting a little paranoid there, Chris?" Lilly was not convinced. "Maybe this brake thing was just a spontaneous idea."

"But maybe it wasn't," Chris insisted. "Who tells you the whole things wasn't planned?"

"What do you want from me, Chris?" Lilly asked bluntly. "Do you think we're in danger?"

"Yes," said Chris frankly. "I think we are in danger. And since we don't know what the killer wants to do, or which one of us he's gonna target, I think it's not a very good idea if we stayed alone tonight."

"So what?" said Lilly impatiently. "You want to stay overnight at my place or what?"

Chris grinned. "Actually I was going to suggest we both stay here at the office overnight," he said. "I wouldn't dare to cross any borders."

"Borders," Lilly growled. "It's not crossing borders that I'm worried about. By the way, what kind of borders are you talking about?"

"Forget it," Chris said, shrugging the matter of. "I guess I was just teasing you."

"You think I don't want my partner to stay at my place?" Lilly asked. "You think it's a problem for me, regarding my partner also as a friend? Chris Lassing, you should know me better by now."

"I said, forget it," Chris repeated. "And don't you change the topic, Lilly. I really don't think it's a good idea to go home as if nothing had happened."

Lilly sighed. "Well," she said, "if it makes you feel better, then I'll concede."

Chris smiled at her. "Thanks, Lilly," he said. "Really, I know you think I'm exaggerating. But I have a bad feeling about this. And after all, staying at the office isn't so bad, is it?"

Lilly had to admit that it wasn't.

XXX

A few hours later, Lilly and Chris were sitting at a table together with Nick, Will Jeffried and Stillman, sharing a few pizzas they had ordered. They were still discussing the case, making up new theories and taking wild guesses who could have manipulated the brakes. But no theory made sense; no train of thought was without any logical gaps. Two hours later they were back to where they had started.

Nick had left the table a few minutes ago and now returned with a six pack of Budweiser. Lilly, who hardly ever drank alcohol, needed a little persuading before she took one of the bottles. But finally she conceded and allowed Chris to open the bottle for her with a lighter.

"Cheers," Nick said and raised his bottle. "Here's to Rush and Lassing, our dear colleagues!"

"Cut it, Vera," said Chris, but he was grinning. Lilly was surprised how easily Chris dealt with the whole situation. He seemed completely unperturbed, although it had originally been him who had had those fears and doubts.

"Whatever," Lilly murmured and raised her own bottle. "Here's to the solution of the case!"

"Here's to James Jarvis and his story," Stillman said, raising his bottle. "The story that will finally dot the i's and cross the t's!"

"Here's to Natalya," said Will Jeffries. "To justice!"

Everyone looked at Chris. He pondered for a moment, then he raised his bottle as well. "Here's to teamwork," he said, and his voice was solemn rather than playful. "To trust, to persistence, and to friendship. In other words: to my partner. To Lilly."

Lilly blushed. She did not quite understand why Chris suddenly got so solemn, and she was half fearing that Nick would comment on Chris's choice of words. But mysteriously enough, Nick kept his big mouth shut and simply raised his bottle to her.

"Can I talk to you?" Chris asked her silently. "Later?"

Lilly looked at him. "Sure," she said. "What is it?"

"Later," Chris repeated. "When they're gone."

Lilly nodded. She had no idea what this was all about, but she couldn't help feeling as if all the others knew something that she didn't.

"Will," Chris said suddenly, "there's one thing I've been meaning to ask you for days. Do you remember Natalya's case? I mean, the Jarvis's laid an information against her back then, didn't they?"

Will smiled. "I expected this question," he said, "and therefore I've been going through the old files lately. I actually found the old documents, and when I read them, it occurred to me that I had indeed heard of the story."

"Tell us," said Chris. "Please."

"It wasn't my case," said Will warningly. "I only know what I learned from my colleagues. I was very young back then, and full of enthusiasm for my own cases. I didn't pay that much attention to the others."

"But still you remember this one."

"Yes," said Will musingly. "I remember it, because the whole department was eager to find Natalya. She was really a beautiful girl, and all the officers wanted to find her and be her knight in armor. They'd make up their own theories of how this girl was kidnapped by brutal Russian gangsters, and how she was kept in a sort of solitary confinement… and then one day, one of those valiant officers would find a lead and discover her. That sort of stuff."

"The gallant knight upon a fine white steed," said Lilly. "Officers don't change, do they? Still this thought is for most people the main reason to join the police."

"You must admit that it's a very pleasant thought," said Nick in such a defensive tone that Lilly couldn't help wondering whether this had also been Nick's own motivation.

"A picture of Natalya used to hang on the wall in the office even a few months after her disappearance," Will continued. "For a while, she became a sort of symbol for the missing persons department. But since the investigation produced zip, the case was eventually marked as unsolved and put away."

Lilly felt tears well behind her eyes. She did not know whether this was due to the alcohol or her headache or to Will's story – probably to all three of them -, but she suddenly felt very gloomy. It was a sad story. The Russian girl, who had never done anything wrong, had ended in a grave only a few yards away from her house, while everyone had thought she was a scheming bitch. And the story of her life had been jotted down in notes in some case file that was now buried somewhere in the basement of the building, doomed to be forgotten in time.

Lilly caught herself humming a song by Aerosmith called "Fallen Angels".

"There's a candle burning in the world tonight… For another child who vanished out of sight… Where do fallen angels go? I just don't know… They keep falling…"

"Lilly?" Chris was beside her and put his hand on her arm. "Are you alright?"

Lilly blinked the tears away. "Sure," she said a little bit too cheerfully. "I was just listening to Will's story. Why don't you go ahead, Will?"

Chris cast her another long glance, but Lilly only smiled. "Been a long day," she said. "I'm tired. Don't look at me like this."

Chris frowned, but he did not speak. Lilly pulled herself together and turned back to Will.

"Did your colleagues talk to everyone in the community?" she asked.

"No," Will answered. "I think they only talked to the Jarvis's. After all, it was them who had laid the information against Natalya, and it was in their house where the theft was committed. And before you ask, I don't think they knew about the rumor," he added when Lilly opened her mouth to speak again. "They would've made a note in the case file if they had known about it."

"So they didn't know anything more than we do now," Lilly concluded.

"In fact, they knew even less," Will corrected. "They didn't even know she was dead."

"Missing person and theft," said Lilly. "Little wonder that I didn't find the file when I was looking for it in the cold case files."

"Sorry I couldn't help you," said Will apologetically. "Sometimes even my memory is not good enough. But I reckon even an elephant couldn't tell you more about the case as it was back then. There was really not much."

"No one's reproaching you," Lilly said with a smile.

Will smiled back. "I'm very glad to hear that," he said. Then he downed the rest of his beer and got up. "It's time for me to go," he said. "My wife's gonna think I was mugged on the way home or something. It's way too late, anyway."

Lilly glanced at her watch and was surprised to see that it was already past eleven. But once she knew the time, she noticed how tired she was. She yawned and stretched.

"Tired, eh?" Nick asked with a wink. "Well, lucky you; tomorrow you can sleep longer than usual. You don't need to waste your time in the traffic."

"But that's the only advantage," Lilly replied. "Still I'd rather get up an hour earlier if only I could sleep in my own bed, not on some couch in my boss's office."

"Don't say anything against my couch," Stillman threatened with a smile. "It's very comfortable."

"That sounds as if you already spent a few nights there," Nick said.

"You shouldn't ask your superior things like that," Stillman replied wryly.

"But basically the idea of getting some sleep doesn't sound all bad," Chris cut in. "Maybe we should stop here and continue tomorrow. If Jamie's story really is the key, we'll have the case solved completely by tomorrow."

Stillman, Nick and Will got up and cleaned the table from the empty pizza boxes and beer bottles. Lilly wanted to help them, but Nick shook his head energetically. "Rush, you stay there," he ordered. "You look as if you're gonna fall asleep right where you're standing."

Lilly smiled faintly. "That's exactly how I feel," she admitted.

Chris joined her. "Go to sleep, Lilly," he said silently. "We can still talk tomorrow."

"Talk?" Lilly was confused for a moment, then she remembered. "Oh, I'm sorry, Chris," she said. "I completely forgot that you wanted to talk to me."

"Nevermind." Chris smiled bracingly. "Just don't forget it."

"I won't." Lilly yawned again.

Ten Minutes later, she was lying on the couch in Stillman's office. Through the glass wall, she saw Chris, who was talking to Nick for a few minutes, then the stocky detective waved and left as well. Lilly watched her partner as he cuddled in the enormous armchair that Will Jeffries had tracked down somewhere in the building.

Lilly closed her eyes, but although she was so tired, it took her a while to fall asleep. She doubted that anyone ventured another attack on their lives, not today and not tomorrow. This whole brake business seemed very much like a spur-of-the-moment decision to Lilly. Someone in the community did not consent to Gabriel Jarvis's arrest. But who…?

Lilly could literally feel herself dozing off, and when she finally fell asleep, she dreamed of dark places and buried skeletons.