Sidetracked by Dellani Oakes Part 43

After Sue is arrested, they decide to go after the other half of the nefarious pair who helped Troy, Jame Butcher. Now known as Butch, he works IT for the police department. Jasper lures him to the office with a story about damaging his computer.

“Is there any way to find out about my granddaughter?”

“I’m afraid not. Those records are sealed by the court. I know you’d like to contact the parents, but would it be fair to the baby?”

“I don’t mean to take her away,” Deirdre said. “She’s their daughter, as much as if they’d given her life. But I would like to know her. I understand, though. If there is any way to give them the information, about us. So, if she wants to meet Aiden when she’s older, she can.”

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Jasper promised. “And I’ll pass the information along. No promises.”

“I understand that. I would want my privacy, too.” She walked out with Eoin.

“She may not know that Wendy was trying to get custody,” Jasper said when they had gone.

“Whether she does or not, we can’t be involved in that.”

“Of course not, but I will see what I can find, so I can keep my promise.”

“I can’t stop you.”

He kissed her forehead. “Nope, you can’t.”

Giggling, she went back in her office. Jasper manned his desk, listening to the prisoners rant. It was quite an instructive conversation. Meanwhile, Scott and Vanessa made plans to interview both Sue and Jim Butcher, to see which of them was dumb enough to tell the entire scheme. Vanessa bet on Sue, Scott’s money was on Butcher. Taking them into separate interrogation rooms, they went over the questions they most wanted to ask.

Jasper led the prisoners in, chaining them to the table. Sue whined about her back and knees, Butch said he needed to pee. Neither of them asked for a lawyer, though they had been told that right when arrested. Either they thought it was automatic, or they weren’t bright enough to think they could be proven guilty. Whatever the case, it played into Scott and Vanessa’s plans.

“Whose idea was it for you to get Troy out of trouble?” Vanessa asked Sue.

“Who says I did?”

Vanessa folded her hands on the table, a thick folder beneath them. “Sue, this will be a lot quicker if you just tell me the truth. Was it your sister’s idea?”

“She’s not my sister. Step-sister. And her mother only married my dad to get his money.”

After seeing the decrepit, disgusting house, Vanessa had to wonder about that. “Gertrude Berman hasn’t got any money.”

“Heh, you’d think to look at her. But that old bitch is swimming in it. Conniving, femme fatale.”

Again, Vanessa was puzzled. That filthy old crone was rich? A femme fatale? Didn’t you have to have all your teeth for that?

“So, Gertrude was a Gold Digger?”

“Damn right! She took my dad for every nickel, then he got himself dead. I think the old cow poisoned him, but I can’t prove it. Never could.”

“Then why did you help Troy, if his mother and grandmother were so awful?”

“To get even with ’em. Troy’s troubled, but he’s a good kid at heart. He was always nice to me. Never gave me a lick of trouble, when his whore of a mother went off for the weekend—or longer. Got some rich sugar daddy and spent a week—a week! In Vegas. And me watching her snot nosed kid. Me and him bonded, though. He was sweet. That house they live in? That was mine, but she stole it from me. It was real nice, too. She’s run it into the ground. I hope it f**king falls on her head when she’s asleep! You know they’ve got a grow room in back? That’s why she lets the dogs run all over. They cover the smell!” She shook her head. “What a wrinkled old c—t.”

Vanessa hadn’t expected any of this. She got a confession and a whole lot more. Beating a hasty exit, she found Jasper in the observation room, already on the phone.

“Yeah, Judge McTeague please? Thanks.” He waited a couple of minutes before the judge, a distant cousin of Teague’s mother, picked up. “Hiya, Jethro. I need a warrant.” He went on to explain. Vanessa had the address in her notes, and he told the judge.

“I’ll have that for you as fast as Cindy can type. This connected with that murder, y’all had down there?”

“Yes, sir. We believe that there may be evidence connecting Troy Intriago, and others, to her murder.”

“Cindy tells me the paperwork is filed. You should get your copy any second.”

Jasper’s phone buzzed, giving him an e-mail alert. Already, he and several other officers, geared up to search the house for evidence of Wendy’s killing. If they busted a grow house in the process, so much better.

“Wanna go, Ness?” Jasper invited with a wicked wink.

“I might have to kill you for that suggestion. Go. Have fun. Paper work is all yours.”

“Thanks, babe.” He blew her a kiss and headed out with the others.

© 2018 Dellani Oakes