Unnatural Acts (Stone Barrington 23)

“I don’t remember anything about cocaine,” Herbie said. “I never touch the stuff.”

“You were set up, pure and simple,” Stone said.

“Listen, Herbie,” Dino said, “you get some sleep. Stone and I are going to the precinct and see what the girl is saying.”

Herbie showed them out. He was starting to undress for bed when he remembered something. He got dressed again.

Stone and Dino were sitting in an observation room, watching through a one-way mirror while Viv DeCarlo questioned Carson Cullers.

“I told you, he hit me in the mouth, and he ripped off my panties and raped me.”

“Let me tell you the problems I have with your story,” Viv said. “First of all, there isn’t a mark on you anywhere, including your mouth. There was no semen inside you. Fisher was drugged with Ambien. Nobody believes you, Carson, not the doctor who examined you, not my boss, and not me. Now, you’re looking at some serious charges here, and if you want to walk away from this without doing time, you’d better start telling me the truth. Let’s take it from the top: why did you go to Herbert Fisher’s apartment?”

The door to the observation room opened, and Herbie walked in.

“I told you to go to bed,” Dino said. “Let us handle this.”

“Has she told you anything?” Herbie asked.

“Yes, a lot of lies.”

“Have you got a VCR in this joint?” Herbie asked.

“Right over there,” Dino said, “under the TV screen.”

Herbie walked over to the machine, inserted a tape into it, and pressed the play button. They all watched as a split screen came up.

“I forgot about this: Mike Freeman’s people installed cameras when they did my security system. It’s motion-activated.”

Each screen displayed a different view of the living room, so they could see two different angles. “I’ve cued it from when she arrived,” Herbie said, “and I’ve got a tape of her phone call, too.” He turned up the volume, and they watched and listened as Carson arrived. Herbie waited until she had left the apartment, then the screen went dark. A moment later it came up again as Viv DeCarlo and her partner entered the apartment.

“She’s nailed,” Dino said. “Rewind that, and we’ll show it to her.” He picked up the phone and pressed a button. In the interrogation room Viv picked up the phone. “Yes?”

“Watch the TV,” Dino said. “We’ve got the whole thing on tape.” He walked over to the equipment and fiddled with it, then the screen in the interrogation room came alive. They watched Carson’s face dissolve from anger to fear to tears.

“Time for bad cop,” Dino said. He left the room and appeared on the other side of the one-way mirror and sat down at the table.

“I’m Lieutenant Bacchetti,” he said to the woman. “I’m the detective’s boss. You’re in deep shit, young lady. We’ve got you cold on filing a false report, obstructing justice, drugging Fisher, and lying to the police. You’re going to do hard time.”

“I want a lawyer,” Carson said, and she was trembling.

“We’ll be glad to get you a lawyer,” Dino said, “and the minute he walks into this room, you’re cooked. He’ll tell you to shut up, and we’ll file the charges. Then we’ll show him the tape, and he’ll tell you to do a deal. But I’ll tell you what: you give us the truth in writing-the whole story about who put you up to this, agree to testify in court, and you can go home tonight, and your parents won’t know where you’ve been. Otherwise, you’ll sleep in a cell for a couple of nights, until your folks can post bail, and you’ll be convicted on the evidence you’ve already seen. Now what’s it going to be?”

“Can I have a drink of water?” Carson asked.

Viv went to a cooler and came back with a cupful. Carso

n sipped it and seemed to be thinking hard about her position.

“No charges?” she asked.

“Not if you tell us the absolute truth, sign the statement, and agree to testify. If you tell us even one lie, the deal is out the window, and your life as you know it will be over.”

Carson took a deep breath. “Dink made me do it,” she said.

“Dink who?” Viv asked.

“Dink Brennan, my boyfriend. His roommate at Yale, Parker Mosely, came to my apartment this afternoon, gave me the cocaine, and told me exactly what Dink said for me to do.”