Karen Rose - Kill for Me

“The Lintons reported her missing when she was nineteen.”

“She’d gone to New York by then. I didn’t meet her for another two years. Why did she leave her family? Why did she target me?”

“We won’t find out sitting here,” Talia said. “Let’s go.”

Talia’s knock was met by an older man with graying hair. “Mr. Linton?” Talia asked.

“Yes.” He studied Susannah with a frown. “What do you want?”

“I’m Special Agent Talia Scott of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. This is Assistant District Attorney Vartanian, from New York. We need to talk with you.”

His frown deepened and he opened the door. “Come in.”

A woman came from the kitchen and froze. “You’re the Vartanian woman. We saw you on the news. You shot that woman. The one who’d kidnapped all those girls.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why are you here?” Carl Linton asked, more harshly.

Talia’s head tilted, just a hair. “We need to talk to you about your daughter, Marcy.”

Both Lintons drew shocked breaths. “Sit down,” Carl said.

Talia took the lead. “After you reported Marcy missing, did you hear from her again?”

“No,” Carl said. “Why? For God’s sake tell us what this is about.”

“Your daughter is dead, sir,” Susannah said quickly. “I’m sorry.”

Both parents sagged. “How?” Mrs. Linton whispered.

Talia nodded and Susannah drew a breath. “I grew up in Dutton.”

“We know,” Carl said coldly.

“When I was in graduate school in New York, I met a woman who said her name was Darcy Williams. She and I became friends. She told me she was from Queens, that she’d run away from an abusive family. Today I saw a photo of Marcy in her high school yearbook. She was the woman I knew as Darcy. Darcy was murdered.”

“Murdered?” Mrs. Linton had grown paler. “How? Where? When?”

“A man beat her to death.” Susannah’s stomach turned over at the pain on the Lintons’ faces. “We’d gone to a hotel in the city. When I found her… it was too late. It was six years ago, January nineteenth. Her killer confessed and is serving his sentence. I’m so sorry. If I’d known about her real family I would have told you years ago.”

Carl shook his head, denial clear in his eyes. “Why would she tell you those lies?”

“We think she may have been hired to,” Talia said quietly. “Or perhaps forced to.”

Mrs. Linton’s lips trembled. “Where is she now?”

“In a cemetery about an hour north of New York City. It’s a pretty place. Peaceful.” Susannah felt the sting of tears and pushed them back. “I thought she had no family.”

“ADA Vartanian paid for her burial,” Talia said gently.

“We want her back,” Carl said, so hostilely that Susannah blinked.

“Of course. I’ll arrange for it immediately.”

Talia put her hand over Susannah’s. “Just a minute,” she said, keeping her voice mild. “ADA Vartanian was also assaulted the night of your daughter’s murder. Later, she paid to bury your daughter from her own pocket, believing she had no family.”

Carl’s jaw went hard as stone. “We want her back,” he said, enunciating every word.

“I sympathize with your grief, sir,” Talia said. “I need to understand your hostility.”

Carl straightened abruptly. “Our daughter was taken from us, forced to do God knows what, then murdered, and you have the nerve to criticize me?”

“I’m not criticizing you,” Talia said.

“ The hell you’re not .” Carl lurched to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at Susannah. “My daughter had a future, but your father took that from her. She meets you and now she’s dead. You want gratitude for a goddamn burial plot? You can go to hell.”

Susannah sat, stunned. “What did my father have to do with your daughter?”

Carl’s fists were on his hips and his face was florid. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. Don’t pretend you cared about her. I’ve had enough from Vartanians to last me the rest of my goddamn life .” He slammed the front door so hard the whole place shook.

Susannah stared after him, unable to think of a thing to say.

Mrs. Linton remained, whether by choice or simply because she was trembling too hard to move Susannah was unsure.

“Mrs. Linton,” Talia said smoothly. “What connects your daughter to Judge Vartanian? I checked her file. There were no arrests, no appearances in court.”

“She was a minor,” Mrs. Linton murmured. “Her record was sealed.”

“What was the offense?” Talia asked.

Mrs. Linton’s eyes flashed. “Soliciting. She didn’t do it. She was an honor student. She tutored kids after school. Her teachers said she’d earn scholarships. But her life was ruined because she was arrested and we couldn’t afford to keep her out of jail.”

Talia frowned. “Soliciting. You mean prostitution?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Linton said bitterly. “That’s exactly what I mean. She served six months in a juvenile facility. We couldn’t afford any less.”

A chill ran down Susannah’s spine. “You couldn’t afford less? Less what?”

“Less time ,” Mrs. Linton spat. “Your father sentenced her to two years . She was only sixteen. Your father wanted money to keep her out of jail. We mortgaged our house, but he said it wasn’t enough. He said she’d still serve a whole year.”

Susannah looked at Talia, stricken. She’d known it was true, known it was happening, but she’d been too young to act. Now she was seeing the effects of her father’s handiwork. No, I’ve been seeing the effects for the last six years. Every time I close my eyes and see Darcy, dead in a pool of her own blood .

Talia patted her hand, turning all her attention to Marcy’s mother. “Mrs. Linton, this is important. You said she’d been sentenced to two years, but you paid the judge enough to get it down to a year. But Marcy served six months. What happened?”

Mrs. Linton was studying Susannah uncertainly. “Someone in the juvenile system helped her. She got a new trial, a different judge. He let her go, time served.”

“Who was the judge, Mrs. Linton?” Susannah asked, already knowing the answer.

“Judge Borenson. He’s retired now.”

Talia blew out a breath. “When did the new trial happen, ma’am?”

“Almost thirteen years ago.”

It was like a kick in the ribs. “Not a coincidence,” Susannah whispered.

“I agree,” Talia said quietly. “Mrs. Linton, who helped your daughter get a new trial?”

“A lawyer from Legal Aid.” She looked from Talia to Susannah. “A different one than Marcy had the first time. His name was Alderman.”

Susannah closed her eyes. “He represented Gary Fulmore.”

“He died soon after he got Marcy out,” Mrs. Linton said. “He had a car accident.”

“Mrs. Linton,” Talia said, “were any others involved in your daughter’s release?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’ll have to ask my husband. He’s gone for a walk. It’s what he does when he gets angry about Marcy. I’ll ask him when he comes back.”

“Thank you,” Talia said. “Here’s my card. Please call me if you remember anything, no matter how small it seems. We’ll see ourselves out.”

Susannah followed Talia, turning when Mrs. Linton said her name. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Linton said hoarsely. “For burying my daughter in a nice place.”

Susannah’s throat closed. “You’re welcome. I’ll make sure she’s moved to a nice place here. Pick the spot and let me know.”

Susannah waited for Talia to start the engine, conscious of Mrs. Linton watching them from the window. “Go back to Main Street,” she said. “But head away from town.”