Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #4: Books 13-16 (A Dead Cold Box Set), Blake Banner [story read aloud .txt] 📗

foggy, but I could make out a black dress, black stockings, blond hair pulled back in a kind of loose knot.”

Dehan turned to look down at me. “A woman.”

I nodded. “I remember recognizing her. I knew who she was.”

“But you don’t now?”

“I’m trying, but it’s like a wall, like my mind doesn’t want to go there.”

“Then don’t.” It was the doctor. “Just rest and take it easy. Our resident psychiatrist will be around to see you later on. For now, I want you to rest.” He glanced at Dehan. “Understood?”

She nodded, but her face was expressionless. I said, “Understood.”

He gave me a quick physical, made a note on my chart and left. Dehan sat on the bed and took hold of my hand. I studied her face for a while, marveling, not for the first time, at how lucky I was. After a bit, I asked her, “Where did you find me?”

“The Botanical Gardens. Do you have any recollection of how you got there?”

I shook my head. “I remember feeling panic. I remember a heavy weight on my body and my limbs, mud on my face. Then I remember the darkness of the woods, trying to walk. It was like a dream: a nightmare. If somebody told me I had dreamed it, I’d believe them. Then you.”

She squeezed my hand. “She, this woman, sent a note. There was a photograph of where you were buried, and a note saying she hadn’t killed you because she was looking for redemption.”

I frowned and closed my eyes. The word seemed to echo inside my head. It had meaning. I had spoken to her.

“I spoke to her. I told her to release me, to cut the bonds and take the wire from my throat. I told her it wasn’t too late to make it right.”

Do it now and I promise you, I will help you find redemption.

“I told her, I said, ‘Do it now and I will help you find redemption.’”

“Son of a gun.”

“I told her I knew there were others. Did they find any others?”

“Yeah, two, both on the road to Madison.”

“Madison?” I frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. Torso or head?”

“Torso. Why doesn’t it make sense?”

“I’m not sure. But it wasn’t Penelope, Dehan, or Shaw.”

“You’re remembering.”

“Shaw was her lover, but she was in love with Jack.” I closed my eyes again and spoke like I was in a trance. “Jack was in love with her too. They were in love with each other, they were going to get married. She promised him she would break up with Shaw, and she did, that night.” I opened my eyes. “She didn’t have sex with Shaw that night. They broke up on good terms, as friends. She called Jack the next day to tell him she’d broken up with him and he went to her apartment, only…” I sat up, memories beginning to flood back.  “Only it wasn’t like me! He never arrived. He never arrived, so he never left. He must have been picked up before he got there.” My mind was racing. I began snapping my fingers, like the clicking would make the memories come faster. “I was coming back to you, but he wasn’t going back to anybody. It was Penelope he wanted to be with. He wasn’t going back to…” I stared into Dehan’s face. “Helena…”

“Jesus Christ…”

“The black dress and the stockings of a wife in mourning, the blond hair pulled back in a knot, that was who I remembered. It was Helena.”

Dehan pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed. After a moment she said, “Consuelo, Dehan here… You called last night? I was pretty tied up. Did you chase up the vans at Connors Communication? Oh, that was what you were calling about? Good, OK, shoot… That’s great. Good work. Later.” She hung up and sighed. “Connors Communication own two white Savannahs.”

“That’s significant?”

“You were seen being wheeled out of Penelope’s block in a wheelchair yesterday at eleven AM. You had been roughly disguised as an old woman.”

“Great.”

“You were taken around to 96th Street, where there was a white Savannah waiting. You were loaded in and driven away. Connors Communication own two such vans. One of them was taken out yesterday by Penelope.”

I scratched my head. I was beginning to get a headache. “Surely there is CCTV footage…”

“There is.”

“So who was wheeling me?”

“It looks like a young man, but you know what CCTV is like. The quality is not great, and hell, you look like an old woman. Only, you know, you don’t, big guy.” She grinned and winked, which kind of helped, but not a lot.

“You think it could be Helena?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. The techs are on it as we speak. Either way.” She shrugged and walked to the window. “Thinking about it, she is a woman who has a way of fascinating men. She had enough fans and disciples, it’s not impossible she could have roped one of them in. Hell, Stone!” She turned to face me again. “She’s a crime writer. This is literally her daily bread.”

“Disciples.”

“What?”

“One of her disciples.”

“One of her students, a fan, Jesus, even Alornerk. Men seemed to fall for her. What’s wrong?”

I had swung my legs out of bed. “We need to go and take her in.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Stone.”

“I am going to Helena Magnusson’s house to take her into custody, and you are coming with me.”

“No way! You are staying in bed and I will go and take her in. Don’t be an ass, Stone!”

“Don’t upset me. I have had a rough couple of days. Get me my pants.”

“I said, no way!”

“Fine.” I stood and made my way across the room to the wardrobe.

“Goddammit, Stone!”

“This is simple, Dehan. You