track.”
I swallowed the lump that grew in the back
of my throat. “Gillette said something to me. He wasn’t concerned
about getting caught, Johnny. He said it wouldn’t matter, that
you’d be discredited to the point that it would be impossible to
prosecute him or anyone else.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“And exactly how were you planning to
investigate Sanderfield off the radar, Helen?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t worked that out in
my head yet.”
“You think he’s been wise to the human
trafficking ring all along?”
“It’s possible. It’s also possible that
Datello was part of it all along.”
“I didn’t tell you everything,” Johnny said
slowly. “I was worried about your emotional state after we found
you.”
“What don’t I know?”
“Destiny Gerard claims that Datello was
behind the whole thing. She’s pedaling the Sherman’s wife was a
victim, an unwitting pawn in the whole thing story.”
“That’s a lie. They planned to rescue
Melissa Sherman from county jail, Johnny. It was part of the plan,
one that Gillette abandoned when I convinced him that it was only a
matter of time before you’d show up to rescue me. He pulled out of
Darkwater Bay early and abandoned his partners because he wasn’t
going to get caught until the evidence was properly disposed
of.”
“What evidence?”
“Me,” I said. “He was going to sell me and
be done with it. It was the plan all along, at least according to
Gillette.”
The muscle in Johnny’s jaw jumped suddenly.
“I see.”
“I don’t know why. It wasn’t like my
testimony against Datello would do any harm. He was already
dead.”
“Remember when we thought that Danny was the
root of all evil in this city?”
I nodded.
“I’m starting to wonder if that was an
assumption the people who were really pulling the strings counted
on us making, Doc.”
“The ties to Marcos made him a built-in
patsy.”
“What’s your gut instinct on Datello now? Do
you think he was really part of that whole mess?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I know he hated you
and felt pressured to make OSI go away. He didn’t get rabid about
making that happen until after you blew your cover, Johnny. That
was late October.”
“And Sanderfield had already announced that
he planned to challenge Joe in the election this fall,” Johnny’s
expression grew grim. “Sherman was upset with Joe. Really upset,
Helen.”
“Because of Jerry Lowe’s arrest?”
He nodded. “And the fact that Joe thought it
was perfectly appropriate that he stand trial for murder and go to
prison instead of living at Dunhaven until deemed sane.”
“He’s not insane. Jerry Lowe enjoyed his
crimes. He committed them with malice aforethought. I have no doubt
about that.”
“Neither do I,” Johnny said. “What I don’t
quite grasp is why Sherman was so opposed to Lowe’s day in
court.”
“Zack still hasn’t made inroads getting Lowe
to trial. Have you thought about what might happen to his case
should Collangelo lose the election? Sanderfield could be in a
position to protect him, Johnny.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I guess he would. Maybe
Joe ought to push the issue publicly. It could be damning if
Sanderfield defends a man like Jerry Lowe, particularly since the
majority of the state is outraged that he’s been in custody almost
a year and still hasn’t been found fit to stand trial.”
“Then again, with Sherman out of the
picture, Sanderfield wouldn’t be obligated to keep any promise he
might’ve made about Jerry’s fate. Unless Jerry is involved in the
human trafficking business too.”
“Do you think that’s a possibility?”
I shook my head. “Not in a million years.
Jerry Lowe was too focused on what his personal agenda was. He
stalked his victims. That took time, Johnny. He counted on
surrounding himself with corrupt and inept detectives who were more
than willing to look the other way for the right amount of money.
Jerry Lowe’s
I swallowed the lump that grew in the back
of my throat. “Gillette said something to me. He wasn’t concerned
about getting caught, Johnny. He said it wouldn’t matter, that
you’d be discredited to the point that it would be impossible to
prosecute him or anyone else.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“And exactly how were you planning to
investigate Sanderfield off the radar, Helen?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t worked that out in
my head yet.”
“You think he’s been wise to the human
trafficking ring all along?”
“It’s possible. It’s also possible that
Datello was part of it all along.”
“I didn’t tell you everything,” Johnny said
slowly. “I was worried about your emotional state after we found
you.”
“What don’t I know?”
“Destiny Gerard claims that Datello was
behind the whole thing. She’s pedaling the Sherman’s wife was a
victim, an unwitting pawn in the whole thing story.”
“That’s a lie. They planned to rescue
Melissa Sherman from county jail, Johnny. It was part of the plan,
one that Gillette abandoned when I convinced him that it was only a
matter of time before you’d show up to rescue me. He pulled out of
Darkwater Bay early and abandoned his partners because he wasn’t
going to get caught until the evidence was properly disposed
of.”
“What evidence?”
“Me,” I said. “He was going to sell me and
be done with it. It was the plan all along, at least according to
Gillette.”
The muscle in Johnny’s jaw jumped suddenly.
“I see.”
“I don’t know why. It wasn’t like my
testimony against Datello would do any harm. He was already
dead.”
“Remember when we thought that Danny was the
root of all evil in this city?”
I nodded.
“I’m starting to wonder if that was an
assumption the people who were really pulling the strings counted
on us making, Doc.”
“The ties to Marcos made him a built-in
patsy.”
“What’s your gut instinct on Datello now? Do
you think he was really part of that whole mess?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I know he hated you
and felt pressured to make OSI go away. He didn’t get rabid about
making that happen until after you blew your cover, Johnny. That
was late October.”
“And Sanderfield had already announced that
he planned to challenge Joe in the election this fall,” Johnny’s
expression grew grim. “Sherman was upset with Joe. Really upset,
Helen.”
“Because of Jerry Lowe’s arrest?”
He nodded. “And the fact that Joe thought it
was perfectly appropriate that he stand trial for murder and go to
prison instead of living at Dunhaven until deemed sane.”
“He’s not insane. Jerry Lowe enjoyed his
crimes. He committed them with malice aforethought. I have no doubt
about that.”
“Neither do I,” Johnny said. “What I don’t
quite grasp is why Sherman was so opposed to Lowe’s day in
court.”
“Zack still hasn’t made inroads getting Lowe
to trial. Have you thought about what might happen to his case
should Collangelo lose the election? Sanderfield could be in a
position to protect him, Johnny.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I guess he would. Maybe
Joe ought to push the issue publicly. It could be damning if
Sanderfield defends a man like Jerry Lowe, particularly since the
majority of the state is outraged that he’s been in custody almost
a year and still hasn’t been found fit to stand trial.”
“Then again, with Sherman out of the
picture, Sanderfield wouldn’t be obligated to keep any promise he
might’ve made about Jerry’s fate. Unless Jerry is involved in the
human trafficking business too.”
“Do you think that’s a possibility?”
I shook my head. “Not in a million years.
Jerry Lowe was too focused on what his personal agenda was. He
stalked his victims. That took time, Johnny. He counted on
surrounding himself with corrupt and inept detectives who were more
than willing to look the other way for the right amount of money.
Jerry Lowe’s
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