Darkness First Read online

  ‘No,’ Pike said. ‘I wouldn’t rent my boat out. Certainly not to someone I didn’t know.’

  ‘How about to someone you did know? Or Tiff knew?’ asked Maggie.

  ‘No. Not to anyone. Lot of insurance and licensing issues. Get in a heap of trouble that way.’

  ‘So you’re sure it was Luke Haskell who took your boat out in January to go scalloping?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m sure. Go ask him yourself. He’ll tell you.’

  ‘You have Haskell’s number?’

  He gave it to her. She wrote it down.

  ‘Luke’ll be out on the water now. Hauling lobster. Ought to be in this afternoon. Three, four o’clock. When he’s done unloading he usually heads straight for a dive called Dirty Annie’s.’

  ‘Where’s he sleep?’

  Pike shrugged. ‘Sometimes with Annie if she happens to be in the mood. Otherwise on the Katie Louise. Specially in summer.’

  ‘Let me ask you something, Pike,’ said Maggie. ‘What if somebody offered you money, let’s say a whole lot of money, to rent – or maybe borrow would be a better word – to borrow your boat? Then maybe offered you more money to keep your mouth shut about it. What would you say to that? Hell, I’d understand if you said okay. Times are tough, money’s hard to come by. Why not take a little easy cash?’

  ‘I don’t rent out the Katie Louise. Or let anyone borrow her either.’

  ‘You’re sure of that?’

  ‘I’m sure.’

  ‘Y’know, I’m sorry to hear you say that, Mr Stoddard,’ said Maggie, wondering if she could bluff another story out of him.

  ‘Yeah? Why’s that?’

  ‘Because just this morning somebody who seemed to know what they were talking about told us that you did rent out your boat. Now if that somebody was right …’ Maggie put her hands on either side of Pike’s wheelchair, leaned down so she was only inches away and looked straight into his frightened face, ‘and if you’d be willing to tell me who it was you rented it to, well, we just might have the key to finding out who the sonofabitch was who beat the shit out of your beautiful daughter and then picked up a great big knife and slashed open her neck like a hog in a slaughterhouse.’

  ‘You get out of my house.’

  The dog looked up, alerted by the anger in Stoddard’s voice. Maggie’s hand slid to her Glock but otherwise she ignored the animal. ‘What do you say, Pike? Are you going to tell me the truth? Or not?’

  ‘I already told you. I didn’t rent the boat. I don’t rent the boat. I would never even consider renting out the goddamned boat.’

  ‘You lying bastard,’ Donelda Stoddard said, staring across at her husband. ‘You did it, didn’t you? You went ahead and did it. First you killed Terri. And now you’ve killed Tiff as well.’

  ‘You shut the fuck up,’ Stoddard snarled at his wife. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. And you,’ he said to Maggie, ‘you get the fuck out of my house.’

  Maggie looked at the two of them: first Pike, then Donelda. Then she looked over to the staircase and saw a child, Tabitha Stoddard, peeking down and, no doubt, listening to every word. Maggie wondered how much she’d heard.

  ‘What about it, Donelda? Pike says you don’t know what you’re talking about. But you do, don’t you?’

  ‘I know now,’ said Donelda. ‘And if he doesn’t have the balls to tell you, I will.’

  ‘I’m listening.’

  Donelda spoke in a voice choked by the effort to hold back tears. A voice Maggie had to strain to hear.

  ‘It was December twenty-first. Four days before Christmas. I was working late over at Wiley’s. Packing and shipping the last of the wreaths for this year. I remember the date because the twenty-first, long as it’s not a Sunday, is the last day we can ship wreaths if people want them in time for the holiday, and we’re always in a rush to get them packed before the UPS guy makes his last run.

  ‘Anyway, I got home about ten o’clock and Tiff’s car was in the driveway. I was pleased because I figured she’d come home early for the holiday and maybe we’d get to spend some time together. Tiff’s always making out like she’s got something more important to do.

  ‘I walk in and they’re both sitting here. Pike where he is now and Tiff on the couch next to him. As usual, he’s drinking whiskey. She’s drinking something else. Coffee brandy, I think. They both stop talking soon as I walk through the door.

  ‘ “What’s going on?” I ask Pike.

  ‘ “Nothing,” he says. “We’re just talking about what to get you for Christmas.”

  ‘Well, a three-year-old would’ve known that was bullshit, ’specially the way he said it, so I ask them again what’s going on.

  ‘ “Go ahead, tell her,” says Tiff. “The boat’s half hers.”

  ‘So Pike looks me square in the eye and says Tiff wants him, us, to lend the Katie Louise to somebody for a week or so.

  ‘ “Lend the Katie Louise?” I say. “In the middle of scallop season?”

  ‘ “Yeah.”

  ‘ “To somebody?”

  ‘ “Yeah.”

  ‘ “Somebody who?”

  ‘ “This guy she knows. Conor something,” says Pike.

  ‘ “Conor being his first name or last name?” I ask.

  ‘ “His first name,” Tiff tells me. “Last name’s Riordan. Conor Riordan. He’s a friend of mine,” she says. “Somebody we can trust.”

  ‘ “And what’s this Conor Riordan want our boat for?” I ask. “Scalloping?”

  ‘She laughs at that. “No,” she says. “He’s not interested in scalloping. He just needs a boat. But you can’t say anything about it to anybody. Can’t breathe a word.”

  ‘ “Oh yeah?” I say. “Some guy named Conor Riordan needs a boat. Our boat. What for? Pleasure cruising off the coast of Maine in the middle of January? Jesus, Tiff, you must think we’re nuts. Or maybe stupid. Why in hell would we lend an 80,000 dollar boat to some guy we’ve never met and is probably up to no good?”

  ‘ “Because,” says Pike. “He’s willing to pay us 10,000 dollars cash for one lousy week. No crew split. No taxes. No nothing.”

  ‘ “Ten thousand up front?”

  ‘ “Up front. And another 2,000 a day every day he needs her beyond the week. Plus another 10,000 cash security deposit we only give back to him when he brings the boat back undamaged. Shit, Donelda, we can live for six fucking months on 10,000 cash. How many fucking bloodworms you have to pull for that kind of money? How many lighthouses you have to paint? Jesus woman, use your fucking head.”

  ‘ “Ten thousand dollars? Twenty with the deposit? Boat’s worth four times that,” I tell them. “What if he just takes off with it? Never comes back?”

  ‘ “He’s not gonna do that. I told you. He’s a friend of mine,” says Tiff.

  ‘ “Yeah. Fine. He’s a friend of yours. What if this friend never comes back?”

  ‘ “Boat’s insured,” says Pike. “We just report her stolen. Get the insured value on top of the twenty and blow the hell out of here. Go down to the Keys, sit in the sunshine and forget about the whole damn thing.”

  ‘ “You got it all planned out, don’t you, Pike?” I say.

  ‘ “Yeah. Something like that.”

  ‘ “But you weren’t planning to tell me?”

  ‘ “No. Because I knew you’d fuck it up. Just like you fuck up everything else.”

  ‘ “And if the boat disappears you think the insurance company’s just gonna hand you a check for 80,000 dollars without conducting an investigation? You think they’re that stupid? Are you that stupid?”

  ‘ “Nothing’s gonna happen, Ma,” says Tiff. “Conor’s a good guy and he knows what he’s doing.”

  ‘ “And how would you know that?”

  ‘ “Because I took him out on her today and, trust me, he knows what he’s doing.”

  ‘ “I suppose you’re sleeping with this Conor guy. Screwing him?”

  ‘ “No. No, of course not,” she say
s. Tiff tells me this all wide-eyed and innocent like I’m supposed to think she’s some kind of virgin.

  “Bullshit,” I said.

  ‘ “Okay,” she says. “Fine. You’re right. I’m screwing him up one side of the bed and down the other. Just like you were screwing Pa five minutes after you rode into town. But you know something else? This deal has nothing to do with sex. It’s strictly a business deal. Ten thousand cash for you guys, maybe more. And you don’t have to do a thing to get it except not ask any more questions. Take it or leave it, ’cause there are other boats in Maine and this conversation’s going nowhere.” ’

  ‘What did you do?’ asked Maggie.

  ‘Well,’ said Donelda, ‘I’ve got to admit it was tempting. Ten thousand may not be a lot of money to some people. Maybe some of the tourists down in Bar Harbor spend that much for a two-week vacation. But it’d mean a hell of a lot to us. But it was too damned obvious this Conor guy was up to no good. He wanted the boat for something illegal. My guess was smuggling drugs ’cause that’s what everybody around here who wants to make money’s into these days. It’s about the only big-money business left in Washington County. Drugs and blueberries, and everyone knows drugs are a whole lot more profitable. I didn’t want anything to do with it. It struck me as stupider than shit to get involved in something illegal with some guy we never even met and who, for all we knew, was working some kind of sting for the DEA. Boat’s half mine. So I said no.’

  ‘You said no?’ asked Maggie.

  ‘Yeah. Pike argued with me for a while. Tiff bitched and moaned. But I said no and Pike finally said okay, just forget it. Forget the whole fucking thing. Told me I was right anyway. Said he hadn’t considered the possibility of a sting.’

  ‘So, that was that?’

  ‘Or so I thought. I thought Pike was gonna tell the guy to get lost. But you know what? I was wrong. I just figured it out. My asshole husband’s got 10,000 bucks salted away somewhere and I’ve got nothing. Not even my second daughter. ’Cause now he’s gone and killed the two of them.’

  Donelda started weeping again. Great heaving sobs. Then she rose and walked to Pike’s chair and smacked him as hard as she could across the face. He sat there and took it. ‘This, you fucker, is for lying to me.’

  She smacked him again. ‘This is for killing Terri.’

  Smacked him a third time. ‘And this one is for Tiff.’

  Donelda turned and went up the stairs.

  ‘Anything you’d like to add to that?’ Maggie asked Pike.

  ‘Only that what you just heard is pure bullshit. Yes, Tiff came here with this offer and yes I was tempted. But when Donnie said no that was that. And that’s all I’ve got to say to you. Now unless you want to arrest me for the fantasies my wife just dreamed up, I want you out of my house.’

  ‘Listen, Pike. I don’t care about the boat. Or the drugs. All I’m interested in is finding the guy who killed your daughter. And if you want to help me do that, just tell me what this Riordan guy looked like. And maybe where I can find him.’

  ‘Never laid eyes on him. Never called him on the phone. Never asked Tiff about it.’ Pike Stoddard wheeled to the door and opened it, ‘Now get your ass out of my house before I sic the dog on you.’

  Maggie pulled out a card. Wrote her cell number on it and left it on a table near the door.

  ‘You or Donelda have a cell number?’

  ‘Yeah, like that’s all we need. An extra expense.’

  ‘I want you to search your memory, Pike, and your conscience. Search them very hard and make sure you’re telling me the truth because, whoever Conor Riordan is, I’m willing to bet he’s the guy who killed your daughter. The number I wrote on that card is my private number. Any information you provide will be just between us. Nobody else need ever know.’

  ‘Lady, I think I just told you to get out of my house.’

  ‘One more thing before I leave,’ said Maggie. ‘Don’t you ever threaten a police officer with that animal again or you’ll find yourself behind bars before you know what hit you.’

  Maggie glanced up and saw Tabitha sitting motionless on the stairs, staring at her through thick, round lenses. She looked at the child and felt a quiet sorrow for what her life must be like. What it would be like from now on. Then she left.

  14

  1:16 P.M., Saturday, August 22, 2009

  Bangor, Maine

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Emily asked without opening her eyes.

  ‘Holding your hand.’ Maggie squeezed. Em squeezed back. ‘How’d you know it was me?’

  ‘I always know when you’re around.’

  ‘I came to visit you. See how you’re doing.’

  ‘How long have you been here?’

  ‘This visit?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘About five minutes. Hospital called late this morning. Told me you’d woken up. You were sleeping when I arrived but they said it was just sleep.’

  ‘You were here before?’

  ‘Yes. Last night after they brought you in. You look great compared to how you looked then.’ Maggie was only lying a little.

  ‘Well, I feel pretty shitty, I can tell you that.’ Emily’s voice was little more than a raspy whisper. ‘Collins tells me I’m doing remarkably well. No fractured skull and my intracranial pressure’s back to normal. The fact I still understand what intracranial pressure is is a pretty good sign there’s no brain damage. As for the rest of it, two cracked ribs and about 900 scrapes and bruises. Still, I don’t think I’ve ever taken such a shellacking in my life. Remember that time when we were twelve and Danny LaBouisse tripped me and I fell down a whole flight of stairs at school?’

  ‘Of course I remember,’ said Maggie. ‘I punched the little bastard out. Probably the most embarrassing moment in his life. Being beaten up by a girl. In front of all his friends no less.’

  Em tried to smile but smiling hurt. ‘Well, the pain from that wasn’t even close to how much this one hurts.’

  ‘Can’t they give you something?’

  ‘Anything strong enough to be effective will make my brain fuzzy. I’d rather be clear-headed and put up with the pain. The worst thing right now is, hard as I try, I can’t remember the thirty seconds or so before I went down. I remember the girl screaming. Then the screaming stopped and someone was running for the car. Then it all goes blank.’

  ‘He hit you. Drove the car right at you. He wanted to kill you. Guess he thought he did.’

  ‘It’s weird but I have no recollection of that at all. I’m familiar with the syndrome. It’s called retrograde amnesia and its common enough among people who’ve suffered traumatic concussion. Still it’s weird when it happens to you. It’s like there’s this black hole in your mind.’

  ‘Will your memory come back?’

  ‘Sometimes it does. Not always, but sometimes. What happened to the girl? Did he kill her?’

  Maggie looked down at her friend a long minute before answering. ‘Yeah. He killed her all right.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘With a knife.’ Maggie left it at that. Em didn’t need the gruesome details. At least not yet.

  ‘Killed her.’ Emily repeated the words and shook her head as if analyzing their meaning. After that she just lay there for a couple of minutes studying the ceiling. ‘I could have saved her, you know. Should have.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid. How could you have saved her?’

  ‘Dozen different ways. I could’ve grabbed her and tied her up and kept her from leaving the office.’

  ‘That’s called kidnapping.’

  ‘Better than having her murdered.’

  ‘You didn’t know that was going to happen.’

  ‘Even after she left, if I hadn’t wasted time looking for the pills and had just run a little faster. Or if I hadn’t alerted the guy by yelling and screaming for him to stop. Just run up silently and whacked him one instead.’

  ‘Then he might have killed you as well. He had a knife.’

&
nbsp; ‘Maybe. He tried to kill me anyway.’

  ‘Yes, he did. But you can’t blame yourself for what he did to Stoddard. It wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘I could have saved her.’

  Maggie shook her head. It was just like Emily to think she could fix anything. That it was her job to save the world and everyone in it.

  ‘You know,’ said Emily. ‘The girl, Tiffany Stoddard, told me he was going to kill her. At first I didn’t believe her. But then, when I saw how scared she was, I did. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.’

  ‘Did she tell you who the guy was? The one who was going to kill her?’

  ‘No, nothing. Not her name. Not his. Not where she lived. The only reason I know those things is I broke every rule in the book and looked in her backpack. Checked the ID in her wallet and saw the pills. Did they find the pills?’

  ‘Yeah. In your pocket.’

  ‘Great. If any of this stuff gets out I could be looking for a job. And not as a doctor.’

  ‘Let’s just say there were extenuating circumstances.’

  ‘Where are the pills now?’ asked Emily.

  ‘In an evidence locker in Machias. Maybe you better tell me how they ended up in your pocket. In fact, maybe you better tell me the whole story.’

  ‘Are you asking as a friend or as a cop?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘Not really. I just wondered.’

  ‘The answer is both. The state police have jurisdiction. I’m helping out on a semi-official basis.’

  ‘Okay. What are your questions?’

  ‘How often do you prescribe Oxycontin?’

  Emily shook her head. ‘Hardly ever. I can check my records, but I’ll bet it hasn’t been over half a dozen times over the last four years. And I don’t give refills. Not in Washington County. Too easy for people to abuse.’

  ‘Okay, good.’

  ‘What else?’

  Remembering Carroll’s words, you know there are doctors who break the law, Maggie said, ‘I need you to remember where you were on the night of January sixth. Other cops might be asking you that.’

  ‘January sixth? What happened January sixth?’

  Maggie ignored the question. ‘It was the Wednesday after the New Year’s weekend.’