“Help!” Mary yelled. The martial arts studio was still open. Its back door stood ajar. Fluorescent lights were on inside. A man appeared in its doorway, still in his karate robes. He must have heard her cries. He ran toward her, his robes bright in the darkness. It was the martial arts instructor, with a black belt.
“Help, I’m being mugged!” Mary screamed to him, and the martial artist raced toward her. She heard footsteps behind, running hard after her. The mugger wasn’t giving up. She couldn’t imagine why. He had her purse and her phone. He must not have seen the martial artist. The mugger was in for a rude awakening.
The martial artist reached Mary at the back of the parking lot, taking her firmly by the arms and keeping her moving toward the martial arts studio. “I got this,” he said. “Get in the studio. Close the door behind you. Call 911.”
“I can’t call, he’s got my phone!” Mary yelled as she hurried to the open door.
“Use the phone on the desk. Go.”
Mary ran to the martial arts studio. She tried to close the door behind her. It wouldn’t budge, held open with a wooden wedge. She didn’t have time to fuss with it. She didn’t want to lock out the martial artist anyway.
She looked at the parking lot to see what happened. Light spilled from the open door, illuminating the scene. The mugger raced forward to confront the martial artist. She got a good look at the mugger’s face. She recognized him from the website.
It wasn’t a mugger at all.
It was Dave Kather.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Mary gasped, terrified. She couldn’t process what she was seeing fast enough. Kather was coming after her. But she had an expert protecting her. Kather would be stopped right now.
The martial artist raised his arms, lowering his center of gravity. “Stop what you’re doing or I’ll stop you!”
All of a sudden Kather swung his arm up. He held something in his hand. Its metallic glint caught the light. It was a weapon. He aimed it at the martial artist. Mary didn’t know if it was a gun. Her heart leapt to her throat. She realized what it was a split second later. A Taser.
Kather fired the Taser. Two purplish lights flared like pinpoint explosions. Two electrified pins on wires leapt from the Taser. The pins made a hideous buzzing sound as they connected with the martial artist. He spasmed hideously, his neck wobbling and his arms flailing. He crumpled to the parking lot, still in paroxysm.
Mary screamed in horror. Kather dropped the Taser, then looked up at her. He ran toward her.
Frantically Mary tried to kick the wooden wedge from under the door. She couldn’t do it. She whirled around and ran into the martial arts studio.
She saw the main entrance on the other side of the room. She sprinted across the room for it, almost tripping on the thick blue mats. She reached the door, practically threw herself against it, and tried to yank it open. It didn’t move. It had been locked. The keys were nowhere in sight.
Mary looked around wildly, trying to find another exit. There wasn’t one, only a front door and a back door. She was trapped. The studio was a single empty room. A wooden rail ran the length of the room, separating the mats from the spectator and office area. She was completely exposed. The only furniture in the room was the desk. Kather would find her.
Equipment and weaponry ringed the room. A rack of long wooden sticks was affixed to the wall. A life-size model of a human torso stood on a stand. Nunchucks filled an oversized bin. A ceremonial samurai sword was mounted on the wall. She had no idea how to use any of it. She would have to try. It was her only chance.
Suddenly she was plunged into darkness. Kather must’ve turned off the lights. She didn’t know where he was. She couldn’t see the weapons anymore. She couldn’t hear Kather over her own ragged breath. Darkness was her enemy, light was her friend. There had to be a light switch near her. She was next to the door. With the lights on, she could see and be seen through the storefront. Somebody would drive by and discover them. She groped on the wall for a light switch. She found it and flicked it on.
“No!” Mary screamed when she saw what was happening.
Kather was midway toward her, raising a gleaming samurai sword.
Mary ran to the other corner, pushing the hanging punching bag at him. It barreled fast at Kather, but he ducked it. He kept coming, swinging the gleaming sword back and forth. Suddenly police sirens blared nearby. All she had to do was stay alive until they got here.
Mary was too terrified to even scream. She felt like she was out of breath. He kept coming toward her and she kept backing away. She started grabbing anything she could and throwing it at him, desperate. She pushed the torso stand in his path. He went around it. She grabbed a long stick and whipped it through the air. He jumped aside. She threw black pads at him. He almost tripped but kept coming, scything the razor-sharp sword through the air.
Mary had only one weapon she knew how to use. Her brain. If she got him talking, she could back toward the door and run away. “Kather, don’t be stupid. Just run. The police are on their way. You heard me talking on the phone.”
“You know too much,” Kather said, advancing, but Mary kept edging away, back toward the door. He was getting closer and closer. So were the sirens. Mary prayed they got here in time.
“No, I don’t know anything. What were you and Geltz up to? Stealing his clients’ money? Embezzlement? Stock fraud? Here’s some free legal advice. Whatever it was, you’ll do less time for a financial crime than for murder. Don’t be stupid. Don’t kill me.”
“I killed Geltz and O’Brien. One more body won’t matter.” Kather lunged at her with the point of the sword, and Mary side-stepped him, then turned away and ran for the door in sheer terror.
Kather caught her by the neck from behind, yanking her backwards. She couldn’t breathe. Her Adam’s apple compressed her windpipe. She heard herself gagging. The police sirens were only blocks away.
Kather dragged her backwards off her feet. She realized what he was doing. He was going to drag her behind the counter. He would stab her to death there, where they couldn’t be seen from the window. He had killed Geltz. He had killed poor Edward. And now he would kill her.
Mary heard a primal guttural sound. She realized it was her. She could barely breathe. She spotted a stick leaning against the mirror. She saw herself in the mirror. Her eyes bulged. Her face was a mask of horror, her skin a grotesque red. She was going to die if she didn’t save herself.
She made a swipe for the stick, grabbed it, and whipped it low and backwards. It connected with Kather’s lower leg.
He stumbled, the stick caught between his calves. He fell to the mat, cursing.
Mary raced for the door. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving. Her throat hurt too much to scream. She made it to the door but Kather caught her from behind by her hair, yanking her down to the mat on her back.
Suddenly the sirens blared upon them. The martial arts studio lit up with red, white, and blue flashing lights. The police cruisers were here. Mary had stayed alive long enough.
Kather started to run past her for the door.
Mary thought fast and stuck out her leg, right in his path.
Kather tripped, flew forward from momentum, and banged his forehead on the wooden rail. He hit the mat facedown, knocked unconscious.
Mary got to her feet and staggered over to him. The red, white, and blue lights flashed everywhere around her. She could hear cruiser doors slamming outside, police shouting, and footsteps running her way.
She had one thing to do before they got here. She spit on Kather.
For Edward.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
“Don’t shoot!” Mary shouted, as loud as she could. She put up her hands as a group of uniformed police ran into the martial arts studio, their guns drawn.
“Miss, are you okay?” one of the uniformed cops said, rushing to her side and taking her arm while other uniformed officers swarmed Kather, pulled his hands behind his back, and handcuffed him just
as he was regaining consciousness.
“I’m Mary DiNunzio, I didn’t do anything. He tried to kill me.” Mary’s throat felt raw and achy.
“We saw what happened.” The cop took her arm. “Come outside with me.”
“He killed two people. He told me. I have to find Detective Randolph, I want to make a statement.” Mary couldn’t begin to process what she had just been through. She was happy to be alive, but heartbroken that Kather had murdered Edward, and Geltz.
“Come with me, hurry.” The cop hustled Mary outside, where police cruisers jammed the parking lot entrance, their light bars flashing. Their sirens were off, but their high beams lit up the night and illuminated the martial artist, who was being helped to his feet by another uniformed officer.
Mary felt a wave of relief at the sight. “Officer, I want to see him,” she said to the cop.
“Ms. DiNunzio, first, do you need to go to the hospital?” The cop looked her up and down with concern.
“No, I’m fine, but he may need a doctor. He was Tased.” Mary walked toward the martial artist with the cop, her gait unsteady. Her knees were weak and she was shaking as adrenaline left her system. She reached the martial artist, who turned to see her.
“You made it!” The martial artist grinned with relief. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you.”
“I’m sorry I got you Tased. I didn’t realize he had a weapon. I would’ve warned you.”
“Forget about it. All’s well that ends well.”
“Mary!” someone shouted, and Mary looked past the cruisers to see Detective Randolph and Detective Jimenez jogging toward her, their ties flying. The uniformed cop who had been with her waved good-bye, and Mary opened her arms reflexively when Detective Randolph reached her.
“Detective,” Mary said, her chest tight with emotion, and Detective Randolph squeezed her back, then released her, beaming down at her.
“Thank God you’re okay. You had me worried there.”
“I’ll say,” Detective Jimenez added. “Mary, you almost gave Old Joe a heart attack. I think you’re the first lawyer he ever liked.”
“Thanks.” Mary managed to smile back. “But listen, Kather told me he killed Edward, Patrick’s grandfather.”
“He told you that?” Detective Randolph asked, his expression going so professional that Mary worried he thought she was making it up.
“He admitted it, I swear it. I’ll take a lie detector. He said it to me. He was about to kill me, so I guess he wasn’t worried about me telling anyone, and he said—”
“Wait, let’s not talk here.” Detective Randolph raised a palm. “We’ll take your statement down at the Roundhouse, if you don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“No, I’m fine, and I want to make a statement. I want Kather prosecuted for Edward’s murder, and it’s proof that Patrick didn’t do it. You see, like I told you, Patrick is innocent. I can prove it now.” Mary felt a surge of new purpose. “Detective Randolph, Kather also told me that he killed James Geltz, too. Kather killed them both, but he didn’t say why. But James Geltz wasn’t a suicide, no matter what it looked like.”
“Really.” Detective Randolph’s gaze shifted to Detective Jimenez. “Defective, you owe me a cheesesteak. I want Geno’s.”
“Oh man.” Detective Jimenez shook his head. “You lucked out.”
Mary got the gist. “Detective Randolph, you didn’t believe Geltz committed suicide?”
Detective Randolph pursed his lips, his demeanor back in professional mode. “I can’t answer that question, it’s confidential police business. Suffice it to say that my partner is handsome, but he has a lot to learn until he becomes me—”
“—and I lose a prostate?” Detective Jimenez wisecracked.
Mary couldn’t joke around anymore. “So how does this work? Would you guys be the detectives on Kather’s case now?”
Detective Randolph nodded. “Yes, we caught Geltz. We’ll take your statement and use it for leverage to get a confession out of Kather.”
Detective Jimenez nodded in agreement, eyeing Mary. “If this works the way we want it to, Kather is facing an attempted murder charge against you, for sure, and two other murder charges, potentially. In those circumstances, the D.A. may charge him with capital murder, so Kather is looking at the death penalty if he doesn’t make a deal. We have all the cards. We’re gonna squeeze him.”
Mary knew what he meant, having been on the other side. “So you’ll try to get Kather to confess by offering him a deal, no death penalty? Life without possibility of parole?”
“That’s the plan. LWOP, life without parole.” Detective Randolph nodded. “But you’re up first. It’s all on your statement.”
“No pressure,” Detective Jimenez added.
Suddenly the crowd of policemen around them parted, and several uniformed officers escorted a handcuffed Kather to the closest cruiser and loaded him in the backseat, slamming the door behind him. Mary felt a bitter satisfaction to see Kather slumped in the backseat, his head bent. Even if he was punished, it wouldn’t bring Edward or Geltz back.
Mary, Detective Randolph, and Detective Jimenez watched in silence as the cruiser with Kather pulled away, and Mary wondered why Kather had killed them. Maybe it was human nature to try to make sense of something that senseless, or explain something that was simply inexplicable, namely that one human being would intentionally kill another, extinguishing a human life. No reason could ever be good enough for murder.
Mary felt tears come to her eyes. Usually why a murder was committed was what got her, almost secondary to how it was committed, but in this case, she wanted to know both. She wanted to know everything about Edward’s murder, because she knew how much it cost Patrick to lose him.
“Mary, let’s go,” Detective Randolph said quietly, taking her arm.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Mary sat in the interview room alone, having given her statement. She had told every detail to Detective Randolph, while Detective Jimenez took notes, just like before. The process had taken almost two hours, and Mary knew it mattered more than ever. Her throat hurt from being choked, but she ignored the ache and kept her emotions at bay by focusing on her goal, which was giving the detectives the leverage they needed to squeeze a confession out of Kather, or failing that, to convict him at trial.
She sipped cold vending-machine coffee and waited for Detectives Randolph and Jimenez to come back. They had wanted her to go home and wait, but she didn’t budge. She didn’t want to call Bennie or anyone at her office, or even Anthony or her parents. It was the middle of the night and they would all be asleep, oblivious of everything that had happened to her. She didn’t want to worry them, and more than that, she wanted to go it on her own. The only way to step out from Bennie’s shadow was to stop relying on her.
Mary checked the clock on the wall, but it was only three minutes later than the last time she’d checked it. She looked around the interview room, but there was nothing to see and it was the exact same interview room in which she’d been interviewed earlier, when Detectives Randolph and Jimenez had suspected Patrick of killing Edward and her of covering up the crime. She paused to congratulate herself on proving Patrick innocent the very same night, without getting herself chopped into pieces by a samurai sword. Maybe someday, she’d be not only as good as Bennie Rosato, she’d be better.
She listened to the hustle and bustle going on outside the interview room, the commotion caused by Kather’s arrest. He was being interviewed in the very next room, and she was dying to know what was going on, but she had to wait. The detectives had ordered her to stay inside the room and not go poking around, on penalty of being sent home. She obeyed only because she didn’t want to do a single thing to jeopardize the case against Kather.
Mary was beginning to wonder if they had completely forgotten about her when suddenly there was a knock on the door and it opened. Detective Randolph entered the room with Detective Jimenez behind him, and Mary found herself rising to
her feet, without really knowing why.
“Shhh.” Detective Randolph quickly put an index finger to his lips, and Mary got the message. He motioned her back into the chair and sat down across from her, as did Detective Jimenez.
“What happened?” Mary asked, keeping her voice low. It wasn’t difficult because her throat hurt. Her heart began to pound in her chest.
“This is completely confidential, but we obtained a complete confession.” Detective Randolph’s eyes flared slightly, though they looked bloodshot and weary.
“Really?” Mary wanted to cheer, but she didn’t.
“We’re drawing up the papers. He’s in there with his lawyer and the A.D.A. It’s going to take a while, but it happened. Kather confessed to your attempted murder, as well as the murders of Edward O’Brien and James Geltz.”
“What did he say? Why did he do it? How did he do it? Tell me everything.”
“I’ll tell you as much as I can, only because you’re a victim. You have to agree to keep the details confidential.”
“I will, I swear it.”
“Good.” Detective Randolph inhaled. “I’ll start backwards, chronologically. Kather lured Geltz to a meeting at the river and shot him in the head, at close range, to make it look like a suicide. He took Geltz’s keys, went to his office, and took his desktop because it contained incriminating email on a private email account.”
Mary had guessed as much, but didn’t interrupt him to say so.
“Then he went to Geltz’s house to get his laptop, for the same reason. It was raining and Kather put on Geltz’s golf windbreaker and pulled the hood over his head to trick the neighbor into thinking it was Geltz. Kather took some suitcases to make it look like Geltz was going away. Kather forged a note for the neighbor to watch the house. He knew Geltz’s habits and handwriting.”
“So Kather was the one Ellen saw. Not Geltz.” Mary wished she’d realized that. She thought of Abby at the Stackpoles’, wearing her rain slicker with the hood.