She's Not There - Madison Marla (читаем книги онлайн TXT) 📗

“I reviewed the statistics before I met with the directors of all the centers. Your grad student did an excellent job; I couldn’t fault her work. I don’t know if she told you she used to be an intern here. I had to have a talk with her before she left. Her extreme shyness makes her a poor candidate for counseling. That’s probably what kept her from coming to us with what she found.

“The meeting went surprisingly well. The powers-that-be are behind you one hundred percent.”

Relieved, Lisa said, “I can’t thank you and the others enough. This file will be an immense help in finding out what’s causing the disappearances.” She accepted the folder. “I was afraid you might have gotten some resistance.”

Amanda said, “You have to remember we’re a group of women who’ve had a lot of experience with abuse. Some of us even have first-hand experience, unfortunately.

“The centers are going to revise the pamphlet they hand out to women, adding a section cautioning them about new relationships and acquaintances. It’s been long overdue for a rewrite, and now they’re going to rush it to print. That’s as far as they’re willing to go right now.”

Lisa couldn’t have asked for more from the centers. “That’s wonderful.”

Amanda’s smile faded. “Right now there’s no certainty what we need to warn women about. But from the reaction in the room, they’ll have no reservations about putting out a more explicit warning if and when you learn more.”

Lisa met TJ for lunch in a McDonald’s near the bank where TJ worked. They were discouraged to see the list contained 48 names.

TJ griped, “Man, I hope some of these ladies are back home by now. I know Rollie won’t have many we can cross off.”

“Are we still meeting him tomorrow night?”

Obviously, TJ had something else on her mind. Her usual snappy talk was absent and her infectious smile missing. “I got some bad news today. Charles Morgan, Rollie’s partner, is in the hospital. He got mugged the other night outside their place and he’s real messed up. Rollie’s out of his head, not sure he’ll be up to meeting us. Don’t think he’s left the hospital since it happened.”

“My God, that’s terrible! I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. Talked to him this mornin’. Don’t know when we’ll be able to meet with him.”

Lisa hated to start without Roland’s input. “TJ, why don’t we go to him? We could meet him at the hospital cafeteria, give him some moral support and maybe bring him some decent food.”

TJ took a bite of the cheeseburger she’d set aside. “You’re right. Might be good for him to see us.” She grinned. “Let’s bring chicken soup.”

12             

Saint Mary’s Hospital sat on a small bluff above Lake Michigan, just east of downtown Milwaukee. Late Thursday afternoon Lisa met TJ outside the hospital cafeteria. They bought sodas and walked over to a table where Roland sat reading a newspaper.

When he looked up, Lisa’s heart went out to him. Dressed in a loose sweatshirt over old jeans, he looked nothing like the animated man with the flashing smile she’d met on Saturday. His eyes not only had dark circles under them, they held the aching look of someone fearing they could lose a loved one.

“I promised to do this, so let’s get it done. I want to get back upstairs. Charles is still critical.”

When TJ put her arms around him, he clung to her, tears streaming down his face. “How could this have happened? He’s always so careful!”

TJ asked, “Did they catch the guy?”

Roland’s expression hardened. “No. And they probably never will. You know how the cops feel about us.”

TJ sighed, sympathetic. “I’ll make some calls, see what I can find out.”

“Thanks, TJ. But in all honesty, it was late when it happened. The street is dark along that part of the block. Charles didn’t see who attacked him because they came at him from behind.”

Lisa served the hot chicken noodle soup and put out a bag of biscuits. The three of them ate in silence.

When Roland finished eating, he said, “Thanks, I actually feel better now.” He took a deep breath. “Okay, show me what you brought.”

He pored over the names on the two sheets. “It's funny. I wouldn’t have had to worry about this at all.”

"What do you mean?”

“I had qualms about telling you which women I helped. Some of them are on this list, but there are some I happen to know aren't missing. The dates they went missing are next to their names and I know I’ve seen a few of these women since then. So I’ll draw lines through them too, and you won’t have any way of knowing which ones I helped out and which ones I’ve seen around.” He took a few minutes to peruse the list and handed it back to Lisa.

Lisa looked it over. “This leaves us with 39 names to check out. It’s good of you to take time out to do this, Roland. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you and Charles.”

TJ turned to him. “Rollie, let me stay with Charles for a couple hours so you can go home and change. Maybe grab a nap.”

“Thanks, but I’m not going anywhere ‘til he’s out of danger. His brother and some of our friends are going to be here soon. Thanks for the offer, but don’t worry about me, I’ll have lots of support.”

“We’ll be prayin' for him.” TJ hugged him once more. After Lisa followed suit, they walked out of the cafeteria.

When they reached the parking lot, TJ asked, “Wanna go to Vinnie’s?”

“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”

Vinnie’s bar, located on the east side of downtown Milwaukee, catered to the working crowd during the week and the clubbers on the weekends; it had been a popular spot since the ‘60s.

A buffet bearing a huge spread of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres was displayed across from the bar. Lisa spotted TJ walking toward her carrying a plate heaped with its offerings. “You just ate.”

“Forgot to tell you—I got great metabolism—one of those folks who pisses off everyone else ‘cause they can eat anything they want.”

“That does piss me off,” Lisa muttered.

They carried drinks to a booth in the back. TJ raised her glass. “Here’s to catching the son-of-a-bitch.”

“I’ll drink to that. But keep in mind, you and I won’t be doing the catching.”

“Yeah, but I been thinkin’, and there’s something botherin’ me. Richard says any serial killer thing goin’ on is a fantasy of my overactive female imagination. But I can feel it in my gut—this ain’t some online thing like the cops are pushin’. If we was goin’ out on a limb, we’d have to ask, what would we find perched there?”

Lisa sipped her drink. “Just speculating, I’d wonder how he’s singling them out, finding abused women to prey on. Do you think it could be a cop?”

“Sure. Or someone who works for one of the centers, the police department or emergency services, or even a 911 operator. Or anyone with a police scanner.” She picked up a chicken wing, pointing it at Lisa. “Narrows it down to thousands.”

Lisa took out the two copies of the list. They divided the list with a minimum of squabbling, assigning half of the names to Lisa and Eric, and the other half to Jeff and TJ.

“Rollie didn’t narrow it down a whole lot,” TJ grumbled.

“Stay positive. There are nine fewer than we had before.”

TJ dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “Been thinkin’. What if Rollie’s not the only one helpin’ women out?”

Lisa took a deep breath. “I doubt it’s likely, but only because I haven’t gotten wind of even one in the area. Do you think it’s worth calling James Wilson? Feel him out on whether he knows more about it than he told me?”

TJ snickered. “Lotta women would like to feel him out. Least they would if he wasn’t such a prick.”

“Can’t hurt to try. I’ll give him a call.”

When TJ left Lisa in Vinnie’s parking lot, she walked across the street to her apartment. The building, nearly forty years old, had passed its prime; though no longer considered an elite address, it was still respectable and well maintained. Years back, after so many newer places sprang up on the east side, the managers started making tenants super offers on long-term rentals. TJ had negotiated a sweet ten-year deal.