Chapter 39 A proposition
DETECTIVE ROURKE'S POV
I sat in my car outside the Hayes estate and watched the house through binoculars. Caitlyn Hayes was probably somewhere in there, scared and confused, after our conversation in the hospital parking lot. I had not wanted to approach her like that but I was running out of time.
Collin Hayes was getting more reckless and violent. I was worried he was going to hurt his wife before I could build a strong enough case to take him down. The bruise I saw on her face three weeks ago told me he was already hurting her. I needed to get to her before it was too late.
My phone rang and I answered without checking who it was. "Rourke."
"Did you talk to her?" It was my partner Jenkins.
"Yeah I talked to her," I said. "Gave her my card and told her to call if she needed help."
"And?" Jenkins asked.
"And she looked terrified," I said. "Like she wanted to talk but was too scared. Hayes has her under constant surveillance; she probably could not say anything even if she wanted to."
"So what is the plan?" Jenkins asked.
"I wait," I said. "If she is smart she will call me when she is ready. If not then I need to find another way to get to her."
I had been investigating Collin Hayes for three years now. Ever since I caught wind of his involvement with the Volkov organization. At first, I thought he was just a dirty lawyer helping criminals avoid prosecution, but the more I dug, the worse it got.
Hayes was not just helping criminals. He was running his own operations, drug trafficking, money laundering, Murder for hire, and he had half the police force and judiciary in his pocket, which made building a case against him nearly impossible.
But I kept digging. I gathered evidence slowly and carefully, I found witnesses who were willing to talk off the record, and eventually I connected Hayes to at least four murders, including the recent deaths of Gregory and Martha Vale.
Caitlyn's parents. Killed on her wedding day while she was unconscious in a hospital and now she was trapped in a marriage to the man who ordered their deaths.
"Did you tell her about her father?" Jenkins asked.
"No," I said. "That is too much information to dump on someone in a parking lot. If she calls I will explain everything then."
"What if she does not call?" Jenkins asked.
"Then I will find another way," I said. "But I think she will call. She looked like someone ready to break, someone who needed help and did not know where to turn."
I had seen that look before on abuse victims. On witnesses who wanted to testify but were too scared. On people who were trapped, desperate,, and out of options.
Caitlyn Hayes had that same look, and if I could get her to trust me, then she could be the key to finally taking down her husband.
"Be careful," Jenkins warned. "Hayes is dangerous, and if he finds out you approached his wife, he will come after you."
"Let him come," I said. "I have been waiting three years for an excuse to arrest him."
I hung up and went back to watching the house. I had files on everyone connected to Collin Hayes. His business partners, his criminal associates. His corrupt cops and judges but I also had a file on Caitlyn.
I knew about her background. Her father, the priest, was secretly working for the mob. Her mother, who knew and stayed quiet, her marriage to Hayes, which was clearly arranged for business purposes.
And I knew about Jason Cross. I had been tracking him, too, ever since his brother was murdered. Jason was not a good guy by any definition but he was not in the same league as Hayes. Jason ran a biker gang that dealt in stolen goods and the occasional drug shipment. Hayes ran a criminal empire that controlled half the city.
What I found interesting was the connection between Jason and Caitlyn. My guys had reported seeing them together multiple times, at her wedding. In a park near her school and Hayes's surveillance photos showed he was suspicious too.
Was Caitlyn involved with Jason? Or was Jason trying to use her to get to Hayes? Either way, it complicated things. Because if Hayes suspected his wife was connected to his enemy then Caitlyn was in even more danger than I thought.
My phone rang again. This time it was an unknown number. I answered carefully. "Hello?"
"Is this Detective Rourke?" a woman's voice asked.
"Yes," I said. "Who is this?"
"You talked to me in the hospital parking lot today," she said. "You said my husband was under investigation."
Caitlyn Hayes. She was calling sooner than I expected.
"Mrs Hayes," I said. "Thank you for calling. Are you somewhere safe where we can talk?"
"I am in my room with the door locked," she said. "But I do not have much time. Collin could come home any minute."
"Understood," I said. "Let me start by introducing myself properly. My name is Marcus Rourke, and I am a detective with the city police. I have been investigating your husband for three years."
"Three years?" she repeated. "Why so long?"
"Because your husband is very good at covering his tracks," I said. "And because he has a lot of people protecting him, Judges, Cops, and politicians. It is hard to build a case when half the system is corrupt."
She was quiet for a moment. "What do you know about him?"
"I know he is involved with the Volkov crime organization," I said. "I know he launders money through his law firm. I know he has been involved in drug trafficking and murder, and I know he is dangerous, especially to people who get in his way."
"Do you know about my parents?" she asked quietly.
So she knew or at least suspected. "Yes," I said. "I know your father worked for the organization and I know your husband ordered his death to take over his territory."
I heard her breath catch. "How do you know that?"
"I have been building a case for three years Mrs Hayes," I said. "I have informants, I have wiretaps, I have financial records. I know more about your husband's operations than he thinks I do."
"Then why have you not arrested him?" she asked.
"Because I do not have enough evidence that would hold up in court," I admitted. "Your husband is smart. He never gets his hands dirty. He always has someone else do the actual crimes and everyone who might testify against him either disappears or refuses to talk."
"So what do you want from me?" she asked.
"I want your help," I said. "You are in a position to gather evidence that I cannot get any other way. You live in his house, you see things, hear things. You could be the key to finally taking him down."
"And what do I get in return?" she asked.
"Protection," I said. "For you and your baby. I can make sure you are safe when this all goes down. I can help you disappear if you want, whatever you need."