Courtney sighed. She scanned the library with a wistful look. “Okay, Jerry’s been in love with Jude for years. Seven or eight, I think. Jude chewed and screwed, if you get my meaning and never called Jerry again, wouldn’t return his calls either. I tried to tell my brother that he needed to forget Jude and move on, especially after I saw your wedding announcement online. I thought he’d finally let the idea of Jude go, until Dr. Armstrong was arrested for trying to kill Jude and you.” She pointed to Ronan.
“I knew Jerry worked at Salem Mercy, but what’s his connection to Armstrong?” Ronan asked.
Armstrong was a name Cope never wanted to hear again. Doctor Paul Armstrong was the anesthesiologist who attended Jude’s knee surgery at Salem Mercy nearly two years ago. He was also the killer angel who’d been stalking and murdering patients. After nearly killing Jude and attacking Ronan, Armstrong had been arrested, tried, and convicted of four murders and the assault on the detectives. He was serving two consecutive life sentences a men’s prison in western Massachusetts. The only way Armstrong was getting out of jail was feet first in a pine box.
“Jerry was Armstrong’s PA.” Courtney wore a despondent look, as if she’d just given up her most treasured secrets.
“What’s that?” Fitz asked.
“Physician’s assistant. Jerry was working for Armstrong when the shit hit the fan. He was put on unpaid administrative leave when Armstrong was arrested. He lost his job when the good doctor was convicted and hasn’t been able to find another PA job in the state. Jerry has been working at a medical library during the day and Wendy’s at night to make ends meet and is most likely going to lose his house in the next few months.”
“That’s not a problem,” Ronan said. “When he’s convicted of abducting Jude, he’ll have ten by ten foot cell to call home, courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.”
“You really are an asshole,” Courtney said.
“I couldn’t give a monkey’s rosy red ass what you think of me. Tell us what the plan was for Jude,” Ronan demanded.
Cope had never seen Ronan like this before. Harsh, mean, and focused on getting the information he needed. Cope prayed he never had to sit across the table from Ronan and answer questions. He was practically shitting his pants between Ronan’s attitude and the intense look in Fitzgibbon’s eyes. To be honest, he wasn’t sure how Courtney was holding up. He would have dissolved into a puddle of tears ten minutes ago, were he in her shoes.
“I don’t know,” Courtney said. “All Jerry told me was that Jude would be able to set things right in his life. That all I had to do was watch the kids and send him pictures of them.”
“Why?” Fitzgibbon asked, slamming the palm of his hand on the table.
“To show Jude. To let him know we could get to them at any moment if he didn’t do what Jerry wanted.”
Cope felt sick. The meager lunch he’d eaten bubbled in his gut. It wouldn’t take much and he’d be spewing all over the table. He took a deep breath and tried to focus again. “What was it that Jerry wants Jude to do?”
“Die,” Courtney said simply, giving her shoulder a little shrug.
Cope felt like he was weightless. Like that scene fromAlice in Wonderlandwhen the girl falls through the looking glass. Cope turned to Ronan, who looked as stunned as he felt. Ditto for Fitzgibbon. “Why?” Cope asked, when he finally found his tongue.
Courtney laughed. She sounded like she was really enjoying herself, as if being questioned by two members of the Salem Police Department didn’t bother her one bit. “Because the beast has reawakened.”
“The beast?” That was the name Dr. Armstrong had given to the voice in his head urging him to kill innocent people. What the hell did Courtney mean that the beast had reawakened. “Armstrong’s still in prison, right?” He and Jude were supposed to be contacted if anything changed with the status of Armstrong’s incarceration, if he was back in court or had filed an appeal. Cope hadn’t been notified and couldn’t imagine Jude keeping something like that from him.
“As far as I know,” Ronan said, looking terrified.
Cope had never seen a look like that on the detective’s face before and hoped he never would again.
“The job was left unfinished last time. The last two victims escaped their fate. Jerry is simply doing his part to right history.” Courtney laughed. “I’d watch myself if I were you,DetectiveO’Mara. You’re the last loose end.” Packing the last of her books into her bag, she stood up and made to walk away.
Fitzgibbon was faster, grabbing Courtney’s arm and forcing her down, face-first, onto the table. He reached behind him for his handcuffs which he slapped on. “Courtney Wilcox, you’re under arrest for the abduction of Detective Jude Byrne.” Fitz marched her toward the elevator bank, while Ronan called Cisco Jackson. He told the chief what they’d learned and ask that units be dispatched to Jerry Dunkirk’s home.
Feeling like he was glued to his seat, Cope tried to make sense out of what Courtney had told them. Armstrong failed to kill Jude and Ronan at Salem Mercy Hospital and now Armstrong’s former PA was going to right history. “Sweet fucking Jesus,” Cope muttered as Ronan ended the call with the chief of police. “You’re next, Ronan.”
“Over my dead body,” Ronan said. He grabbed Courtney’s backpack from the floor where it had dropped when Fitzgibbon handcuffed her.
That’s exactly what Jerry Dunkirk wanted, Jude and Ronan’s dead bodies. Digging deep for courage, Cope got up from his seat and headed for the elevator. If Dunkirk had a plan to kill his husband, he was going to have to get through Fitz, Ronan, and Cope to do it.
14
Jude
As promised, Jerry brought Jude his favorite meal from the Golden Arches, but he’d lied when he said the food wouldn’t be drugged. Jude had planned to work on escaping, but had found himself unable to keep his eyes open ten minutes after he’d eaten.
Now, with his head aching and his body feeling like it hadn’t gotten any sleep at all, Jude had no idea if it was night or day. Worse, he didn’t know how long he’d been locked in this cell. Jude knew Cope would be worried sick if more than a day had passed, even with as angry as he’d been when Jude walked out of the house. The kids must be missing him something awful. Wolf especially. The two of them were so much alike in their mannerisms and whatever Jude liked, Wolf did too. His son was his mini-me. Jude couldn’t remember if he’d told his kids he loved them before they’d left for the party. He knew he didn’t tell Wolf before he’d gone to the library with Tennyson and Everly.
Speaking of Everly, Jude wondered how his niece was handling his disappearance. The two of them had been close since Everly was a baby. She was his first experience in unconditional love. It was thanks to her that he’d had the courage to fall in love with Cope, and later with Wolf and Lizbet. Everly prepared him to be a father, she’d given him confidence in the man he’d become.
