The dying five, p.23
The Dying Five, page 23
I nodded and thought I might cry, but the tears didn’t come. I was numb. I’d known about this for weeks, and Rachel forced me to talk about it nearly every day. “It’s slow growing. I could have treatment, and surgery, not necessarily in that order. Or I could do nothing and see what happens.” I felt some added discomfort talking about this in front of Nadine, with all that had happened recently, but her eyes were cloudy with concern.
Every person in that room had either lost someone or was facing their own terminality. I was surrounded by people who understood what it meant to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of fighting and quality of life, and none of them barraged me with reasons I should choose the fight and beat this tumor at all costs. They were intimately familiar with the pain and suffering that came with choosing treatment or choosing the mystery of the disease course that lie ahead. They had all lived the outcomes, watching the ones they loved agonize and wither away. It was especially humbling to share this with Mary and Shelly, who’d been in my shoes and were walking the path. No one suggested I go back to the doctor and tell him I’d fight until I had no fight left in me. No one shared the miracle cure stories of friends and family. They just sat with me and surrounded me with love.
Part V
Justice
We found you out, you killed her,
And in this life or the next,
I’ll find you,
You’ll pay, I promise,
Damn you scum,
I’ll find you in hell,
And you’d better run.
-Billy, Make-A-Wish,1995
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Shana had gone from feeling overwhelmingly nervous to angry. The lack of backbone of some people to do the right thing. To succumb to pressure. Shana had learned early from Pop Pop that humans always had choices, and the right ones were almost always the most difficult. When Shana was in grade school, she would go to Pop Pop when she was being bullied. Kids would touch and pull her hair, call her names, and play pranks on her. Pop Pop had always taken her in his arms, shared stories about how things were when he was young, before schools were fully desegregated, and how he leaned on his own parents and grandparents to help him get through it. Shana felt fortunate to come from a strong and resilient Black family. Shana’s eyes grew wet thinking about how lucky she was to have had a Pop Pop like hers.
Shana pulled up into Elaine’s driveway. She hoped it would be the last time, which she’d also hoped the last time she found herself in Elaine’s driveway. She checked her eye makeup in the mirror to see if her tears had made her mascara run. She wiped away the smudges and slowly breathed in and out, regaining control of her nerves. Shana grabbed her purse, equipped with pepper spray if needed, and opened the car door. She removed her phone from her pocket and called Stephen, who would be listening. Miguel was one block away, parked on the side of the road, ready to rush in if Shana needed him. The code word was “selfish”. Appropriate for the mission. This visit was risky for several reasons, the primary one was Stephen had her working out a hunch.
Elaine was delighted to see Shana. Her wide smile and tight embrace were uncomfortable for Shana, and her body remained rigid as Elaine squeezed her. Shana did her best to return a hug, but she felt stiff. Fortunately, Elaine seemed oblivious to Shana’s lack of warmth.
Elaine led Shana into the living room, to the couch they’d occupied several times before. There was a bottle of wine already open with two glasses on the coffee table. Without asking Shana, she poured one for them both, and sat down. Shana sat at a comfortable distance but tried not to make it obvious she was creating space.
Shana attempted some chit-chat, asking Elaine how things were going at the law office, and how she was doing emotionally, given everything that had transpired since Eric died. She just shook her head and averted her eyes somewhere behind Shana.
“I can’t believe Heather’s gone,” Elaine said, holding her gaze in the distance.
“You can’t believe it, or you don’t want to believe it?” Shana asked, getting Elaine’s attention. Elaine gave Shana a quizzical look.
“What do you mean?” Elaine asked, attempting an innocent, high-pitched tone.
“When, exactly, did you introduce Heather to Will Moore? Was it at the party at Peterson’s? Was he dating Heather and me at the same time? Working two angles of the Green Playscapes game for his mother?”
Elaine was visibly stunned. She shifted in her seat, and Shana thought she might get up and ask Shana to leave. Instead, she remained silent. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed, she wasn’t going to give it up this easily.
“Elaine, I’d like to believe you simply succumbed to fear and were positioned at the beck and call of Georgia and Scott after Eric died because you were afraid for your own life. In fact, that was my theory. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. But now I think you didn’t want to lose your position at the law firm. You wanted more. You wanted to elevate your position even more. Possibly an appointment to the President’s cabinet, when Mason was elected? If Mason was elected? What were you promised? Attorney General? The way I see it, Eric was dead and there was nothing you could do about that, so you changed your focus from avenging his murder and self-preservation to money and power. When Mason came to you with the offer, it made Eric’s death feel less horrible, didn’t it?” Shana had intended to take a breath in between accusations, but she found her ire growing and she was feeding off her fury. She felt powerful.
Elaine remained quiet, but her eyes told Shana that she’d hit the mark. However, as Stephen predicted, Elaine wouldn’t budge until all the cards were laid out on the table. This was a critical moment.
“I don’t expect you would have known, but Heather had cameras in her apartment. We got the footage a few days ago from the night of her murder.” Shana was hoping Elaine didn’t ask to see the video feed. “We have it on a secure server. You were there that night, but we know you didn’t kill Heather. Instead, you tried to convince her to keep quiet about the plan you and the others had to move forward with the formula and fulfill millions of dollars in contracts. My guess is you tried to pay her off. When she refused, you handed the baton to Will to give it one last shot. When he revealed his true identity to Heather and threatened her, a struggle ensued, and he killed her.”
Elaine downed her entire glass of wine and poured another, something Shana was growing accustomed to during their conversations. Elaine got up from the couch and walked to the window. Shana assumed Elaine was calculating whether she had any moves left. She hoped Elaine didn’t ask for the footage, which showed no faces, but if she did, there was a trump card to play, which would seal the deal. And even if she didn’t ask for it, she was instructed to play the trump card anyway, so Elaine would know they had her hook, line, and sinker.
Elaine turned to face Shana, who was still sitting on the couch. “Let’s pretend you have this video footage. You saw me in Heather’s apartment, we had an argument. I left, and Heather was unharmed. At some point later...”
“Two minutes later,” Shana finished.
“Okay, two minutes later, but don’t forget I’m an attorney, and that won’t fly to connect me to Heather’s murder. Heather lets a man in, and they quarrel, and he murders her. Sounds like a lover’s spat to me.” Elaine also didn’t know the video had no sound. Shana thought about making up something they’d heard which would incriminate her, but decided against it, in case Will was coached to make it look like a lover’s spat.
“Here’s the interesting thing, Elaine. And this should tell you how far our reach is. We know about Rich Blankenhorn.” Trump card, played. Rich Blankenhorn was the chemist at Indiana University who Stephen asked to test the soil sample from Story. Rich had gotten a call from Elaine two days before Heather’s death, asking him to entertain the idea of “helping out” for a large sum of money. Rich had recognized the link between Stephen’s soil sample and the request to fake a report for Green Playscapes, and Rich contacted Stephen right away.
Before Shana could add that they also had knowledge of the offshore accounts, Elaine rushed at Shana. Elaine hurled her wine glass at her, leaving burgundy trails on the carpet, couch, and on Shana. Shana batted away the glass and tried to get up off the couch, but Elaine’s hands were around Shana’s neck in an instant. Shana slammed her fist into the back of Elaine’s head, and with the other hand, she grabbed a fistful of Elaine’s hair and yanked as hard as she could. It created just enough space for Shana to yell “Selfish!” but Miguel was already in the front door, coming down the hall. Shana used the small amount of space to her advantage, pushing Elaine over the glass coffee table, shattering it into a thousand shards.
Miguel threw himself on top of Elaine, pinning her down with very little effort. He lifted her up and placed her in a chair. Shana helped to hold her down while Miguel used zip ties to fasten her hands and feet to the arms and legs of the chair. She wriggled and fought, but to no avail. Miguel grinned at his handiwork and told her to save her energy. Shana had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but here they were. Miguel would stay put at Elaine’s to make sure she wouldn’t try to contact Will or Georgia or anyone else to come to her aid or to warn them. They only needed twenty-four hours to complete the mission if everything went according to plan. Nadine’s part was next up. Shana needed Nadine to come through, she wanted all of this to be over.
Miguel settled onto the wine-stained couch, and grabbed the remote control, turning on the news, while Shana took a moment to gather herself in Elaine’s powder room. She could hear Stephen’s voice coming to her from inside her jacket pocket. She put the phone to her ear. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Shana,” Stephen said. “I heard the scuffle and your screams and sent Miguel right away. I trust you’re okay?”
Shana knew this is the most empathy Stephen could muster, and assured him she was fine, just a little scratched up. Stephen asked her if she was okay to go back and explain to Elaine what would happen next, or did she want Miguel to do it. Shana wanted to do it. She wanted to stick the knife in as deeply as it would go.
Shana returned to the living room to find Miguel munching on some snacks he found in Elaine’s kitchen. He had tied a bandana around Elaine’s mouth so she couldn’t scream and had swept the chards of coffee table glass around her feet. He’d taken off her shoes. Creative, Shana thought, and this guy works quickly. Clearly, there must be more to Miguel than she knew. He wasn’t just a driver. It didn’t surprise her, though, Stephen knew how to pick them.
Shana turned to face Elaine who had resigned her struggle against the zip ties. The sight of Elaine helpless gave Shana more resolve. How’s that power trip working out for you now Elaine? Not so good, huh? Elaine would no longer be able to deceive, conspire, or attempt to hurt people for personal and professional gain. Everything was lost that Shana and her colleagues had worked so hard for, and died for, and it was Elaine’s fault. Elaine was, in fact, the evil one, Eric was just a pawn in their game.
Miguel got up to close all the curtains in the house and checked the doors to make sure they were locked. Shana stared at Elaine with a look of disgust. “You’re going to stay put, in that chair, and our friend Sam here is going to stay with you. He will make sure you have food and water unless you decide to scream when he removes your gag. It’s up to you. You can go hungry and thirsty for the next twenty-four hours. That’s fine with us. When we have taken care of Will, Sam will leave, but will be parked close by, watching for the arrival of the police. He will double-check your restraints to make sure you cannot go anywhere, and he will leave your front door open, so they don’t have to break in.”
Elaine’s eyes began to tear up for the first time that day. Oh, now she’s crying because everything has imploded, and her life was ruined. What a selfish bitch. “By the time you’re arrested, the State Attorney, who I’m sure you know, will have all the evidence needed for a conviction. You’re going away for a long time, Elaine, so enjoy this last day of freedom.” Elaine began to sob and choked into her gag. Shana’s expression mocked pity. What a waste of a good lawyer. Or maybe Elaine never was a good lawyer, just a cunning one.
Shana found Elaine’s phone on the charger in the kitchen. She told Elaine to be quiet and held the phone to Elaine’s face, unlocking the device and turning off face recognition. Shana scrolled through Elaine’s texts and calls, finding the contact “Will Dave” and sent a text.
Chapter Sixty
Nadine had accepted the way things had turned out. She was glad TD5 uncovered the truth, and that she had the opportunity to play a role in bringing Heather’s killer to justice. She knew no matter what TD5 had planned for her, whether it was serving life in prison or other consequences, she was no longer going to worry that Eric or Elaine would cause illness to millions of people or the deaths of children. She would pay the price for killing Eric and she would sleep well at night, and she said as much to Mary on the drive.
Nadine had let Mary out nearby for her part of the plan. Mary had told Nadine all about the last time she’d dressed as a homeless person to catch Peterson and Moore in a confession, not knowing at the time Nadine was the actual killer. This made Nadine wince, but she had to own what she did. Nadine had grown to like Mary very much and cared what she thought. Mary went on to describe her life of homelessness when she was younger. Nadine realized the kind of courage it took for Mary to survive those years, and it made her feel like a coward. Mary was sharp and savvy, and Nadine hoped she would find favor in Mary’s eyes at some point before she died. Nadine gave Mary an extra coat she had in her car before dropping her off, so she would keep warm on the winter night. Mary tucked her portable oxygen tank in the large inside pocket of Nadine’s coat and crept off.
Nadine got out of her car a block away from the park and felt for her pistol inside her waistband. She didn’t want to use it and wouldn’t unless threatened. She knew if she had to shoot Will, that would be too much for her to bear, even if he did kill Heather. Nadine didn’t want any more blood on her hands if she could help it. She was, though, fighting the urge to hurt him badly, because he’d taken a statue and repeatedly slammed it into her friend’s head. She tried to shake the image she’d seen on the video out of her mind.
Nadine called Stephen and put her phone in her coat pocket. Right on cue, Will pulled up. Nadine had curled her hair to appear like Elaine from afar as Will wouldn’t be able to see her face in the dark. Nadine’s build was similar to Elaine’s, tall and slender, which is why TD5 initially thought it was Nadine who’d been in Heather’s apartment the night she was murdered.
Will approached her, and like the idiot he was, he loudly called out “Hey Elaine!” from about twenty feet away. She waved at him, and he jogged over to her, like he didn’t have a care in the world. Rich kids. Thought they were above the law and many, like Will, would do anything for millionaire mommy. Nadine felt heat rise in her cheeks.
When Will was within five feet of her, she turned to him and drew her gun. She pointed it at his head, in case, for whatever reason, he was wearing a bulletproof vest. “Hey!” Will said. “What the hell? Who are you?”
“Put your hands up where I can see them, don’t move, or I’ll blow your head off,” Nadine said. All her training and all her rage collected in that moment. She felt steady, calm, and ready. “Here’s the deal, Will Moore. We have you. You’re done. Shana Jackson can identify you. She’s protected. You’ll never find her. We have Elaine, and she’s confessed everything. We have video of you in Heather’s apartment, beating her to death. You didn’t know she had cameras, did you?” Will’s eyes darted around, looking for escape, but there was none. Will said nothing.
“If you confess right now, and say your mother told you to do everything, the prosecutor has already agreed to take the death sentence off the table and put you in a nice federal lockup where you’ll live out the next fifteen to twenty with three squares and a cot. They know you’ll try to convince them it was a lover’s spat, so you can forget about that. Also, we will handle your mother, who will also get her fifteen behind bars. But if you don’t give it up, I’m going to kill you right now, and we will still deal with your mother.” Nadine was prepared to play the audio clip for him Shelly had used at the meeting with Abe Mason, but it was likely Will already knew that evidence existed. Nadine knew Will’s type. He was weak. He wanted to save his own skin.
“It was an accident!” Will said, with a whiny edge to his voice and sloppy articulation that made Nadine think he might be on drugs. “I didn’t mean to kill Heather; it was in the heat of passion. She told me she’d been seeing someone else, and I’d fallen for her even though mom had Elaine Higgins set me up with her to keep her in check, you know, to get the formula right as soon as possible.” This guy was dumber than she thought.
“That’s a load of shit, Will. You’re a liar and a murderer. Remember, we have video. You didn’t hit her to knock her out. You kept hitting her and hitting her after she tried running away from you,” Nadine said, keeping her gun barrel steady and aimed between his eyes.
“I swear!” Will said, his throat catching like he was going to begin weeping. She pulled out her phone with her free hand and asked Stephen if he gotten a clear recording of what Will said, and Stephen confirmed he had. He played it back so Will could hear.
“I didn’t want to! Mom said do what I needed to do, but I didn’t plan to kill her!” Will slurred the words. He’d been drinking or was high. A party boy. She steadied the gun, continuing to aim between his eyes. Will started to blubber senselessly, begging her to let him go. He’d leave, go far away, and never hurt anyone again. Nadine considered shooting him in the shoulder, maybe even just grazing it, for fun. She decided against that. Play it safe, she told herself, no more bloodshed.
