A Twisted Love Story(54)
Until she finds the picture.
The email had come from Ivy’s Gmail address, and the subject line said Pics? Wes had put it in a folder marked Miscellaneous. The date of the email was two days after Joey was killed.
I sent this to the police. It’s the best picture I could find of the car. Let me know if you have any others.
In the photo, Wes is sitting behind the wheel of a dark blue Toyota 4Runner. The car is parked on the street, and Wes is smiling. No. Laughing. Maybe laughing at Ivy as she takes the picture.
Bianca does a quick search for any other messages from that email address but finds only two. In the first, Ivy congratulates him on his first day at work. The next asks him about plans for that evening. The last one was the picture. Wes answered it with one line.
No, I don’t have any other pics.
Bianca enlarges the photo and examines everything: The houses behind the car, to figure out where it might have been taken. The clothes Wes is wearing, the way his hair is cut, even his fingernails. She zooms in on the inside of the car, the dashboard, the interior, even the steering wheel. But she doesn’t see it until she starts looking at the windshield.
Her first thought is to send the photo to Karen right away.
Her second thought, as always, is to gather more information.
45
Karen bought her new suit because of the color: steel grey. It makes her feel strong, and today she needs that. It isn’t often she meets with her sergeant, lieutenant, and captain all at once. In a cramped conference room at the central police station, all three men sit across from her. Highest-ranking in the center.
The suit doesn’t keep her hands from shaking, though. She keeps them firmly clasped on her lap.
“The files you have include copies of all my reports, along with transcripts of the interviews I’ve conducted,” Karen says. “There’s also a signed, notarized statement from Hugo Garrison, retired crash investigator and consultant.” The wording of it took some negotiation, because Hugo didn’t want to commit to too much information, but it’s a convincing document for anyone who doesn’t fully understand it. “In addition, I’ve included the original photos from the traffic cam.
“As you know, we didn’t have as many cameras seven years ago, which is part of what made the Joey Fisher case so difficult to solve. However, we did keep screen grabs of all the cars that passed by a security camera not far from where the accident occurred.” She lays the photos across the table, setting them down one by one. “Since it was late, there weren’t too many cars. Twelve, to be exact.
“Hugo Garrison examined these pictures and looked into each of the cars. This is the only one that matches the type of damage done to Joey’s car.” She points to the 4Runner. “Because the security camera was positioned in front of a building and not the street, the license plate isn’t visible.”
The driver is, at least from a distance. And it’s a man.
Karen always knew Wes was the problem. She knew from the first moment they met at Siphon, when he smiled at her as she walked into his office. It’s always the goddamn smile.
“The police didn’t track the cars caught on camera?” her captain says. “Or the types of cars, at least?”
“The LeBlanc murder was three days later,” she says.
He purses his lips and nods.
“Ivy Banks owned a 4Runner that she and her boyfriend shared,” Karen says. “It was reported stolen and subsequently found in Oxhill Lake. You’ll find more details about that in Mr. Garrison’s statement, specifically regarding the damage on the recovered car.” She waits for a reaction. They don’t give her one. “I’ve also included everything I’ve found so far about an incident at the Fine Line gentlemen’s club the same night. On the bankruptcy filing, you’ll see Ivy worked at the club for one night—the same night Joey Fisher died. There was also a 911 call made from the club that night, reporting a domestic disturbance. So far, what I’ve uncovered points to someone I was investigating in connection with another crime.”
“Wes Harmon,” her lieutenant says.
“Yes. He and Ivy have been in a relationship on and off for years. In the most recent incident, Ivy accused him of stalking her.” Karen takes a deep breath, knowing this is where she needs to sell this story. The evidence isn’t there—not yet—but all she needs is a chance to find it. “I’ve worked hundreds of cases in the sex crimes division, many of which involved domestic abuse, and I believe Ivy Banks is in danger. I also believe that something happened between Ivy and Wes on that night seven years ago, and it led to the death of Joey Fisher. What I’d like is to be officially assigned to the case. It’s still open, as all of you know, but it’s been inactive for years. This may be a chance for us to clear two cases, as well as help someone who needs us.”
Her captain speaks first. “You’ve put a lot of work into this,” he says. “Considering the case isn’t yours.”
“Yes. Of course, I’ve done it all on my own time.” Karen stops there, not elaborating on her outside activities. “I felt compelled to see if there was a connection.”
Her captain nods. William Doyle is the highest-ranking man in the room, the first Black captain in the history of Fair Valley. He had started as a uniformed cop and worked his way up, earning a degree in criminal justice along the way. Doyle is a fair man, with a firm belief that all victims are equal and should be treated as such. It isn’t true—not in a department with limited resources and outside pressure—but he makes everyone wish it was.