Melting Steele Part 5

aLadies, can we get started?a Hadley finds a s.p.a.ce on the couch and I feel a game of Pictionary coming on. Will pulls out a picture of Harry Brandt and sticks it to the white board with a magnet. Pulling out the black marker, he scribbles some things under the picture.

aOkay, so far we have Harry Brandt, possible suspect. Being a bit of a hard a.s.s so itas hard to get a read on where we stand with him.a aThe software used to access the Deep Webaa aDark Web,a Hadley corrects me. I wave my hand and give her the floor. Sheas dating the man, so he would of course fill her in with the details.

aThe program is open source, anyone can download it at any time and make various changes. What heas not saying is that the program itself was designed to be the gateway to the unknown s.p.a.ce. It was up to the other coding people to change things to suit their needs.a aMight help us get a warrant.a aNo way to prove intent in the coding. He could simply say he designed it to search the entire web, the usage was unintentional.a aLogan is really rubbing off on you,a I say proudly. She looks lighter, happier, free of the drama.

aWhoas Logan?a Victor pipes up and Hadleyas face drops to a mix of fear and trepidation.

aHeas the tech guy, huge Hadley Moreno fan. Didnat he come by the convention the other day?a Hadley turns to look at me a slight smile on her face. Itas the one that says thanks, but it isnat necessary.

aYes, he did. He should be here to fill in the gaps with all this technology stuff. I only know what we discuss over dinner.a aYou should have brought him,a Frankie casually tosses out. Thereas a feeling where you are part of something but you have no concept of whatas really going on. Iave got that right now. It seems like I am missing something.a aWe have enough coffee to go around. Why donat you give him a call?a They all know who he is. They arenat asking anything about how they met, who he is or whatever else friends would normally grill about. They all knew. Itas an odd sensation, knowing your friends all kept something from you. Sure there are extenuating circ.u.mstances, but seriously, right now I donat care. It hurts. No matter how much you grow as an adult, you can still be easily hurt by those you love. Either you deal with it or your hide it deep inside and let it fester.

aSo, going back to the program?a Or you ignore it and move on. Effectively, I let things fester. Good old reliable ignoring the problem with the hopes that it will go away on its own. Like Chaseas smelly gas explosions. You just pinch your nose and walk away.

aBrandt had to know what it would be used for, but thereas no way to prove his intent.a aTrue, but it might be enough to get us a warrant for the IP addresses. Then we go from there.a Will writes on the board as he speaks.

aThatas all well and good, but how does Kaley fall into all of this?a aShe decided her only option to end the abuse was via murder for hire.a Victor calmly states as he props his feet on my couch. My brotheras nice couch, to be exact. Just as the anger bubbles and I feel the words on my lips, Frankie pushes his feet off the couch.

aIf you stay here, feet off the furniture.a She says as she sits down next to him, blocking the return of Victoras feet.

Victor closes the marker and cracks his neck as he walks away from the board.

aBasically, we have everything tied up in who got the program and who they contacted.a aIf the IP addresses help us at all. Whoas to say the people who downloaded it are the actual people using it. These people are kings of anonymity.a I say as I stand and move to the board.

aIt might lead us to who his guy is, but thereas no trail in CODIS. No DNA in the system. Even if we could find out who did this, we could only connect him to it by emails.a aWhich are time and date stamped,a Hadley defends her position.

aAll it takes is a defense attorney capable of putting people on the jury who either hate the Internet, hate the government following our searches, or kids who feel once itas deleted itas gone.a Frankie rubs her eyes in frustration.

aSo, Iall go over the bodies again and dig for more,a Victor tosses up. I love it when people try to prove points and defend their positions. They offer up more work, yet in my mind you technically should have done that in the first place. Considering Victor is as a.n.a.l retentive as he is, I know there is nothing more for those bodies to tell.

aWell, if the information turns out to be a dead end, then Brandt might be your only suspect.a Hadley leans back on the couch, sending a text to Logan I a.s.sume.

aHad, I appreciate that, but thereas no forensic evidence to link him to it.a aYouave gotten a DA to indict on circ.u.mstantial evidence before.a aSheas right, Jasmine. This is a solid lead on Mr. Brandt. He could be the man in question. Physically he easily fits the profile. Mentally he is very close to it.a aBut he doesnat fit it financially, Frankie. He needed help.a Picking up the marker, I start to write Irving Garrisonas name on the board. I hear Will grumble in the background, but I really donat care. This is right in front of their faces, and they are choosing to ignore it.

aWhat does he have to do with this?a aHad, itas all about the money. If you follow the money, we have a perfect triangle of cause. Garrison funds Brandtas office and has him develop the Dark Web access coding. Miller asks his childhood friend Garrison to give him access. After that, Miller contacts D.B.M. to kill the family, so he can have Kaley for himself. It all connects.a aTheoretically, but not in a factual sense. It might be logical, but why would he want the code? Why would he allow everyone to have access? How would it benefit him? Irving Garrison is not a giving man, so this seems all out of character.a I see Frankieas eyes, begging me to forgive her for speaking up. That betrayal emotion creeps up, especially knowing that I was the last to be aware of Hadleyas relations.h.i.+p. Itas hard to let that go, but as an adult Iam expected to.

aWill, letas go see if the district attorney will get us a warrant for Bridge the Gap customer listings.a Without saying another word, I grab what I need and leave the room. Sometimes it is better to say nothing than to try and defend yourself. If this was any other person, I guarantee you no one in that room would be saying anything about connections. Yet, because itas the father of the fool who shot me, Iam obsessing. Maybe I am, but itas not anyone. Why is it when you want support, you face criticism, but when you donat need support everyone wants to help you?

Will was quiet the entire ride over and Iam thankful for it. I donat need him being rational or telling me how they are only looking out for my best interest. Right now, donat care. Standing in the elevator, I shoot Logan a quick text. At least it feels like someone is on my side. If nothing else, the information he might find can prove me wrong. Either way he isnat saying no. Could be because of who heas dating and trying to make a positive impression on me, but Iall take what I can get.

aDetectives, Mr. Brandt was expecting you.a Kiernan stares at her phone as she speaks. I really want to take that phone and smash it. She reminds me of the person who would break into your house, but sue you when they get hurt smas.h.i.+ng a window to leave.

aMind explaining to me how he always knows weare coming?a aYouare the detective, not my fault you all use antiquated methods.a She smiles as she goes back to her phone. At this point, I really wonder what she could really accomplish on the small a.s.s device.

aYes, well real detective work takes time.a Patience slowly slipping away.

aRight, keep telling yourself that. You remember where it is, right. Cool,a she continues to move her thumbs over the screen. Instead of prisons, we should take away cell phones, computers and gaming systems. Make these non-violent criminals do customer service with a group home and make it a violation of parole to have anything connected to the Internet. That is definitely a great tactic and it would save tax payers millions. I should run for office, or design rides in Disney. Itas kind of the same thing, you control the ma.s.ses one way or another.

Will walks ahead of me through the maze of desks to Brandtas office. If you pay attention you can see the slight glances and some glares he gets. Some want to stare at his a.s.s, others want to knock him on it. Human beings obscure reactions amuse me greatly. I wonder if half of these people can hold a conversation outside of instant or text messages. This is the technology generation, they code an android to do it for them.

Will stops in front of Brandtas office and stares at me. I know the look. Heas silently telling me not to bring up Garrison. I nod in understanding, but I also know Iall do whatever the case needs. If that leads to connections and questions about his funding, so be it. Walking inside, the two of us take our seats. Iall let Will take the lead on this one. No one wants my opinion right now anyway. Canat have my gut getting in the way.

aMr. Brandt, we appreciate you speaking with us again.a aNot like I had a choice detective. It was either let you in or have you break in the doors. We have a company to run. Canat afford your men acting like bulls in a china shop.a aWe have a warrant for those addresses.a He leans forward and grabs the piece of paper. His eyes scan the page and the response we usually get when serving one of these things is gone. Heas distant, calm, less afraid of what weall find. Heas not sweating. Heas not freaking. He hasnat pushed any b.u.t.tons warning of incoming doom. He is simply, reading.

aAs you can see,a Will continues, ait gives us access not only to the addresses where downloads were completed, but also any personal information that customer entered in order to download the files in question.a aYes, I see that. My question is why?a aAs we discussed prior, that information would allow us to pinpoint who used your program and when.a aYes, but you understand that number is in the millions.a aWe would just need those local to the tri-state area.a aAgain, that could be in the millions. The proverbial needle in a hay stack. Maybe you should focus on what you do have instead of trying to uncover what you donat. Isnat the rule to follow the evidence?a Heas right. We should be following the evidence, but in its absence you have to look for said needle and pray.

aThe evidence led us here, Mr. Brandt.a aObviously. It also led you to try and trample on my rights of free enterprise.a I can see Willas right hand flexed into a tight fist, knuckles white. I might have to open my mouth to prevent him from breaking Mr. Brandtas.

aMaybe we are,a I pipe up and I can feel the heat of Willas glare on me, amaybe weare not. We know youare connected. None of this s.h.i.+t really matters. One way or another you created the program that was used in the commission of a crime. So, weall just arrest you and let you rot in a cell for things you claim you had no control over.a He stares at me and I know the look well. He feels he is better than me. Itas not just in his narcissism about his looks, or his dominating height. Nope, this person is a full-on psycho with the idea that the world revolves around them. I love bringing these kinds of people back down to Earth. Kind of like the civil liberties argument. Some say my life is a sin, I simply say aIall save you a seat in h.e.l.l.a Conversation over. Stupidity and this type of domineering behavior shouldnat be tolerated in todayas day and age. Yet, here I am in the office of said controlling person, and I am supposed to respect their idiocy. The older I get, the more I dislike what humanity has become.

aI have a team of lawyers that would eat those charges for breakfast.a aMaybe,a I coolly state, aagain, maybe not. You willing to take that chance?a aI donat know detective,a he leans forward on his desk, dark eyes focused solely on me, aare you?a Will stands up, his hands balled into fists as he leans toward Brandt. I canat help but smile guiltily. Iam enjoying this standoff. Itas kind of fun seeing what b.u.t.tons I can push.

aIf you would please get your hands off my clientas desk.a A woman says behind me. I was so focused on my enjoyment, I didnat hear the door open. Bad Jasmine.

aYou would be?a Will hastily asks her, his frustration oozing with every word.

aMr. Brandtas attorney.a aExcellent, we have a warrant. So, you can make sure this individual here hands everything over to us. Then weall be on our way.a I tell her as I stand up and fix my s.h.i.+rt.

aNo you donat. Your warrant is a violation of several federal and state statutes. Therefore, the Judge Killian quashed it this morning.a She pushes a folded piece of paper into my chest hard. She wants to play hardball. Okay, letas play. I take hold of her hand and squeeze tightly. Leaning in closely, my mouth inches away from her ear.

aWeall have the D.A. deal with this, but know this isnat over.a Letting go of her hand, I brush past her making my power known. I can hear Will grunt as he walks behind me. I have a feeling I am going to hear about this back at the precinct. Lord knows the woman is already on the phone with the D.A.as office filing a complaint. Granted maybe I deserve it but people would probably file one if I posted too many bacon photos to my Twitter account. If I had one, that is. Itas not like I shot her while she was running away and she a.s.saulted me first. Keep telling yourself that Jasmine.

Heading to work is always an annoying prospect. I either want to sleep in or be out on patrol. Anything to avoid doing paperwork, dealing with the office drama or my boss. I blame my issues with Officer Garrison taking over my case and then trying to kill me. It doesnat feel safe like it used to. Itas like when you decide to date your ex again. Trust has to be built up again. You have to see if you actually work as a team or as individuals. Itas the same thing with anything really. I have to see if I even want to be in this building. I want the job, but maybe this building isnat for me anymore.

The place is practically a ghost town and Iam hoping the captain is off somewhere else. Will dropped me off to go deal with his kids. Something about checking up on their social media profiles. I think heas heading to the gym to blow off some steam first. He looked like he could punch a wall and rebuild it just to obliterate it again. I understand his pain.

aDetective Steele, a word in my office.a s.h.i.+t. This is where the ability to choose our path is non-existent. I would love to take the path more traveled and run the h.e.l.l out of the building. Itas the safe route. The one that doesnat leave a disciplinary note in my file. Itas also the one that could possibly lead to me being fired. Alas, I will do what every other grunt who needs to make a living and take it from the man in charge. Unless the lawyer chick didnat call, then this would be a normal conversation among colleagues.

Walking through the office door, I see two shot gla.s.ses and a bottle of Patron on the desk. Captain Udall waves at me and I close the door with a loud, terrifying click. He points to the chair like a man picking out a good piece of steak. I sit and prepare to be roasted. He takes the seat next to me, in case he wants to choke me I guess.

aI got a nice phone call this morning from the powers that be. You p.i.s.sed in someoneas coffee when you dealt with Brandt this morning.a I stay silent as he pour two shots and hands me one.

aAs of right now, weare both off duty.a He tips his head back and drains his gla.s.s. He stares at me expectantly and I donat hesitate in drinking up.

aWant to explain to me what happened?a Tyler says as he fills our gla.s.ses again.

aCaptain should we really be drinking here?a aMy office is like Vegas,a he mutters. aUnless Iam on duty or some high powered official is in here. Then itas an open book.a He hands me my gla.s.s. I drain it quickly and slam it back on the desk.

aWe showed up, he wasted our time until some chick walks in with a signed injunction. Nothing more, nothing less.a aSo, you didnat threaten this high powered attorney with retribution?a aWhat is it with these money people? Trust me cap, if I wanted to threaten her, she would have felt it.a aJasmine, we all know your bark is worse than your bite. All I know is the powers that be informed me that you are to stay away from Mr. Brandt, his offices and his lawyers until further notice.a aIf I refuse?a aYouall be arrested and that wouldnat look very good for the creditability of the case. Not to mention Frankie would kill you.a aIs it bad Iam more afraid of her than jail?a I joke as I pour another shot for the two of us.

aNo, Iam more afraid of my wife as well. Nature of the ring on my hand.a aI donat have a ring on my finger.a aNo. You just keep that engagement ring in my home safe. You want it back?a aMaybe. Eventually. Who the h.e.l.l knows? I havenat seen it since the night Henry died.a aThen let me sell it and get a new one.a aTyler, thatas the one she picked out. Thatas the one sheall get if I ever give it to her.a He leans back in the chair, sips the Patron and gives me a once over. I can see heas trying to figure out what to say next or how to phrase it. Watching his eyes, the way they dart around, the way his forehead wrinkles and relaxes, speaks volumes. aI donat want to talk about it.a I cut his thoughts off to save my own sanity.

aOkay. Then letas talk about this case. Judge Killian signed the injunction.a aYea, something about violating some statutes.a He takes another shot before closing the bottle. He stands, walks around his desk and pulls open the bottom drawer. Heas thinking, buying time to piece together his next words. He puts the bottle away, closes the drawer and leans on the desk facing me.

aWhat does your gut say?a aSomeone wants this to go away quickly. I have my suspicions about connections, but nothing solid. The one thing I know for sure is that evidence doesnat lie. Itas thin, misleading and frankly a pain in the a.s.s to find right now, but what we have points to Harry Brandt.a aAs the killer?a aPlausible, but he could also be protecting the perp. The judge had no right to block our warrant. We need to knowaa aIt was a long shot and you know it. Go back over everything. See if Victor found anything new. Talk to Mr. Morris. Maybe heas remembered something that heas willing to share. You never know what people will say when facing death or jail time. Whatever you need to do, do it. Now go home and start fresh tomorrow.a I stand and feel a little wobbly on my feet. Never was a good drinker. I pull the door open to the quiet precinct.

aOh and Jasmine?a I turn a little too fast and hold onto the wall. Tyler looks at me seriously.

aOne, get a rook to drive you home. Secondly, you ever pull that s.h.i.+t with a lawyer again and youall be suspended without pay. Are we clear?a aCrystal.a I walk out of his office and lean on the door. Some of it for balance, the rest to gather my thoughts. I donat understand how a case with so much physical evidence is all circ.u.mstantial. Itas annoying. Technology has never been my friend but this is just plain obnoxious. Itas like the blind date who doesnat take the hint when you give him the phone number of the local gas station or something. When they come across you by chance, they act like nothing happened. Itas stupid. This case is a flas.h.i.+ng neon sign of screaming Captain Obvious and I canat see it.

Chapter Eight.

The hallways always look the same. Dark like out of a horror film. Thereas no fog or mist or anything like that, but the walls have a watery film on them. As if the building had a fire a few days ago and it is slow to dry out. My mind is playing tricks on me again, this I know for a fact. Where I am, where I am going, no clue. Frankie always says to allow the dream to play out. They can be windows into the soul or a black hole sucking you into a darkness you canat escape.

A light at the end of the hallway, how symbolically played out by that brain of mine. I lift my feet over the garbage on the floor and jump when a rat scurries away. Iad run away too if I knew how. Itas worse when theyare this vivid. The light flickers in front of me. Walk in and face my inner demons or stay here, bang my head against a wall and try to wake up.

Taking a deep breath, I lean back and swing my head forward connecting with the wall. Ouch and f.u.c.k come to mind.

aI guess waking up is not an option at this point. Hey, Frankie, wanna wake me up?a Silence.

aYeah, great, the one time Iam not talking in my sleep.a Entering the bright light, my eyes fight to adjust to the change. Slowly shapes come into focus, the slick walls show of worn peeling paint. The floors just as dirty, no rats to be seen. Probably due to the light. Itas then that I hear a whimper coming from my left. Turning around I see a man lying on a rusted metal slab, his ankles and wrists bound. His skin clean and his clothes missing.

Cop training takes over and I jump three steps closer. Then my body stops, hard. Thereas a tray with various knives and other torture devices. One looks like a corkscrew for a wine bottle, others look like clamps and some just look like something out of a medieval text book.

aI brought you a present,a the voice breathes onto my neck. The warmth causing my body to tense. My fists clench.

aNone of this s.h.i.+t is real.a aIt is if you believe it is.a aI donat.a His hands grab my biceps and squeeze. My body tightens, waiting for an opening to attack.

aIf you didnat, you wouldnat be here. Your body wouldnat respond to my touch, my breath on your neck.a His hands slide down to my wrists and I am paralyzed. My brain says attack, you can easily break a hold now, but my body remains still.

aHow does it feel seeing him again?a his feet shuffle my body closer no matter how hard I try to remain at a distance.

aI feel nothing.a aReally?a My body stops moving right next to the slab. Garrison walks around the a.s.sorted torture tools and looks at me.

aHe didnat listen to you. You begged and cried your little eyes out, but he just took what he wanted.a aDennis was my boyfriend.a aYes, he was. Still raped you every chance he got.a Garrison looks at me closely as if waiting for a response.

aUnless you liked it,a he whispers as if it was taboo to say.

I can feel the anger in my boiling. One never asks to be abused, controlled and taken against their will. Even if they do want to go down the kinky trail, there is always a way to get off with a pa.s.sword or code or some s.h.i.+t. I want to scream. I do. I want to wake up. I want these nightmares to be over.

Garrison picks up the corkscrew-looking tool and hovers over Dennisa body. He grazes the skin below the belly b.u.t.ton and presses the sharp tip into the flesh. Red droplets form as a scream rips from Dennisas chest into the air. Every fiber of my being tells me to stop this, but I sit and watch. Every twist pushes the tool deeper. Screams louder. They start to sound like mine.

aJasmine, is that you? Baby, please make this stop. It hurts,a Dennis says to the ceiling. His blindfold preventing him from seeing me.

aPlease stop,a the words come out of my mouth barely audible. I feel the tears hot on my cheeks. I donat want to relive this nightmare anymore.

aWhy? He didnat stop when you asked. Repeatedly I might add.a He twists the tool slower, causing more torturous pain.

aIam asking you to stop.a My voice comes out a little firm this time. Slight confidence behind the words as my rational brain catches up to my anger. Garrisonas hands stop. He walks behind me and slides his arms around my waist.

aYouare right, I should stop. This isnat my battle to fight.a His fingers entwine with mine as he lifts my hand onto the corkscrew. My hand flexes with all my power, trying to distance myself from the device. The pressure of my palm pushes the tool deeper into the torn flesh.

af.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h, make this s.h.i.+t stop! I swear to G.o.d, when Iam free youare gonna get it.a Times like these my mind floats away, far away where nothing can harm it. Even in nightmares, we need a safe place. Itas where my family is, calm and at rest. Garrisonas laughter brings my brain smas.h.i.+ng back to reality.

My hand is covered in blood. The corkscrew so deeply embedded in his flesh itas. .h.i.t bone. Garrison smiles at me, holds up a knife and cuts one of Dennisa restraints. My heart races, my mind unclear. Thereas blood on my hands, how figurative. Iave killed Officer James in self defense but his blood is still on my hands. I fall to the floor and crawl backwards until my back hits the wall. Something Iave done many times in my life. Rocking back and forth, banking my head against the wall. Trying to wake myself up from this horrible dream.

My eyes open to the see the side of my mattress. My knees pulled to my chest tightly, tears stain my pajama pants. My heart unsettled and racing. My hands are clean, but they feel sullied. Thereas a darkness in me rolling around looking for a place. If I canat contain it, it will consume me.

The greenest lawns in the entire world are in a cemetery. Everything perfectly manicured, the roads paved and pristine. For the morbidly inclined like myself, it makes feel like the dead are better off. The gra.s.s is crisp, flowers fresh, and itas quiet. You can think here. There is no judgment. Whatever happened before you entered these hallowed grounds are long forgotten. Then again, most of the stones in here have been forgotten. No one to kneel down and say farewell. No living family member who they are let alone where they are buried. Lives that meant so much to various people, whittled away to nothing more than a stone with a name on it.

No matter how hard I fight it, I know my stone will rest here someday. I know I will lie among my family and Chase will visit for a time, but that will pa.s.s. Time will move on from me and I will be nothing. There will be no footnote in history. No mention of Jasmine Steele anywhere. There will be bones in a box under a stone.

Tracing the outline of my motheras name, I promise as long as I breathe I will not forget her. Even though in life, she forgot me. She gives me more comfort now being gone than I think she was capable of in life. She was so very tired. She needed to run away. I needed to let her. Now she is always here for me, even if she never replies.

aItas pretty here with the flowers starting to bloom, mom. Lord knows grandma would be sneezing her head off while trying to pick every d.a.m.n weed that dared to break the dirt line.a Leaning on my heels, I look at my brotheras stone. Henry and Belinda Steele, carved into a cold empty slab. The hurt and loss still lingers, but less with each pa.s.sing day.

aChase looks more like Henry each day but I swear his personality is all Belinda. His quick wit, humor and his ability to beat me at video games. That is all your daughter-in-law. Donat get me started on his eating habits. Frankie swears he eats cookies like I did, but I never shoveled food into my mouth like that. He holds that fork like a fly swatter, ready to destroy whatever is on his plate. His appet.i.te is outrageous too! Then again I never had a kid before so this could all be normal.a I mindlessly pull at the weeds hidden in the gra.s.s in front of my mother. I can feel the tears of frustration begin to form and I truly want to fight them off. I know itas a war I wonat win. Iam tired, drained. One hundred percent unequivocally shot. I donat know how much more my body can take. One way or another I have to deal with my nightmares.

aYouad be going nuts right now, yelling at me for not sleeping and eating like c.r.a.p. Probably telling me all about adoption, how hard it is here and maybe a foreign child wouldnat be easier. If Henry was here, head be acting all protective, but things would be different. I try not to think about that now.a The wind picks up causing a chill to race up my spine. Hadley would be telling me my family is here with me with every breeze. Iam more realistic. I know if theyare somewhere else, they have better things to do than worry about me. The tears fall with the air hitting my face.

aI wish you were here to help me. Sometimes I just wish I could hug you again, mom. Just onceaa My cell phone annoys me ringing at the most inopportune time.

aSteele.a aMs. Steele, itas nice to finally speak to you.a aWhoas this?a aYouave been digging around, Ms. Steele, and I donat like it. I feel since you have discovered so much about me, itas time to meet in person.a aMr. Garrison, how did you get this number?a aI have my ways, Ms. Steele. I will be at the park in an hour by the childrenas playground. You wouldnat shoot a man in front of children, would you Ms. Steele?a aItas detective.a aOne hour, Ms. Steele.a Grabbing two rocks from the ground, I place one on either tombstone. My gut tells me I should call this in, but Iam stubborn like that. Some things you have to face on you own, like death. No one can save you from that.

Children have an innocence about them I wish I could have held on to. You know just put it in a jar, letting a little bit out when needed. Relis.h.i.+ng it over a longer period of time. Feels like itas wasted on the ones who know nothing. The rest of us adults no longer see the joy of rolling around the gra.s.s. Thereas no time, weare stressed, children demand attention. The ability to ignore everything around you and be truly happy is lost. The park still brings some joy to my heart, though. Like a distant memory, itas a flash and then itas gone.

Sitting here on a park bench, I envy those children in the park. They have no idea Iam sitting here. They have no concept of violent crime. They know slides, tag and swing sets.

aThis seat taken, Ms. Steele?a I donat bother to look at his face. I know he looks like his son the officer who tried to end my life. Just like the photos with a smug look of superiority.

aGarrison, you wanted me here. Talk.a aItas beautiful here, isnat I? My son Keith used to love it here. Thatas my park you know. When you killed my son, I donated the money to rebuild it in his honor.a aYour son shot me, Mr. Garrison. I cared so little about him, I never even knew his first name.a I can feel the older man tense next to me. This is a game of cat and mouse. The first to show weakness, loses. I would prefer a stalemate right now. I donat trust what I would do if he cowered. I donat trust myself not to kill him.

aWeave both made several mistakes in our lives. Iam here simply to offer my a.s.sistance with your investigation as a truce.a aWhat would you know about my investigation, Mr. Garrison?a aDonat play coy with me. I know you have people digging into everything attached to me. What youall find wonat be useful, legally speaking.a aMoney always gets people into trouble.a aIf you can put the money on the person you are in fact accusing of said crime. You and I both know money is virtually untraceable. Regardless of your friends, this conversation will get you nowhere.a aThen what the h.e.l.l are you offering me?a aHarry Brandt or as your techs know him D.B.M.a Taking a calming breath, I force myself to focus on the children in front of me. I knew in my gut he was connected, but to openly admit when I canat use it in court p.i.s.ses me off. He knew this when he came here. Heas one-upped me and I am forced to play his little game. I hate this s.h.i.+t.

aYou funded his company.a aYes, among other things.a aYou know about his companyas designs then.a aIf you are referring to his open source programs, yes. They have been used by several individuals I do business with. Mr. Brandt has handled a lot of this for me.a aHe kill for you?a I feel the bench shake as Garrison laughs at me. Heas calmer since heas in control. It wonat be pretty when I flip the switch.

aMr. Brandt is many things for me, but a murderer is not one of them. He is hired help on a contractual basis. Heas muscle, if you will.a aWhat about Walter Miller?a aAn old friend with a disgusting habit.a aYou knew he was a pedophile and did nothing about it?a aMs. Steele, he wasnat going to have a plaything as long as he was taking my money, using my name for fundraisers and more. I might not live up to your standards of a human being, but I do have limits. What he viewed in his private home on his own private devices was not my concern.a Seeing the kids laughing, I wonder if he sees how false that statement was. I tire of this conversation. Heas worse than non-stick pans at this point. He has everything fall into the circ.u.mstantial world of nothingness. I stand up and straighten my jacket. I need to put distance between the two of us. He has only fortified what I already knew. Either way it doesnat make me feel any better.

aHe works freelance for others who need things handled. When Walter decided the young woman was to be his, Harry had a change of heart. He asked for my advice.a aKaley was raped and murdered,a I spit out at him.

He turns his head and finally looks at me. His eyes look more human in person than I hoped. I wished he looked more evil, more vile. Yet, he looked just like anyone else in this park. I prefer my version of him.

aYes, she was before Mr. Brandt and I could handle things.a aYou had Miller killed and sold his organs online.a He stands, looks at his watch and smiles at me. Thatas the smug son of a b.i.t.c.h I was expecting to deal with.

aMr. Brandt handled the situation. What he did to dispose of the evidence is of little concern to me. Now, you have your information about the person behind this hired job. I trust this will get you to calm your horses.a aYou covered up my brotheras murder. You can say whatever you want, Mr. Garrison, but this will never be over.a aI didnat say it was over, dear. I just said you ought to take a step back and focus on the case at hand. You wonat be able to connect me to any of it. That I promise you.a He walks away from me and I really want to just pull out my gun and watch him fall to the ground. I feel that darkness rolling around in my gut again. I want to give in, fall into oblivion, but I have too much to fight for. Grabbing my cell phone, I dial Logan.