Betrayal Ch. 06

"It turns out they are neck deep in it, Tim" explained Miguel. "They were recruiters for Speath and Landon, who used the girls they befriended, drugged, and kidnapped before they were sold to Manuel Gomez and shipped all over the world. Both sang like canaries when Chivo turned to them after they had watched him at work. Well, actually, they all became songbirds; we have more information and evidence than we will ever be able to use, at least in a court of law.

We have names of some of the young people who were kidnapped and used, but only a small portion. To be honest, we can probably close the book on most of the missing persons cases involving pretty young people in Texas over the past four or five years.

We have the location of the films, videos, and audio tapes, and the combination to the vault. Adam's list of the people involved will change the face of Texas politics for years to come, but we will have to finesse usual processes because so many men, and women, in high places are involved to some degree.

I assume Speath gave you more; want to share with us?"

"Not right now. Jesse has the tape; you can review it at your leisure, but suffice it to say this goes back more than three or four years, and a lot of familiar names are involved. He had a box of photos, and he was untouchable because he did. Unless you need something else, we should get started on final arrangements.

Where are the girls?"

Tim was directed to the guest bedroom behind the stairs. He sat with the two young girls and talked for fifteen minutes while the others carried out the plan. When he came out, he told Daniel Sr. to go get Daniel Jr, Nate, and Tim's sons; he had Randy take the girls outside and down the road a ways.

Tim carried his wife's body down the hill to the floating boat dock on the lake, and laid her gently on the seat of a pontoon boat. He uncovered her face to have his final talk with her, backed the pontoon out, turned it around, secured the steering wheel with a rod, and let it idle toward the deserted sandy beach on the opposite shore, about four tenths of a mile away.

He said a final prayer for Karen, went back up the hill; skirting the house, he joined the others a few hundred yards down the road.

His boys remained soundly sleeping as the girls, escorted by Nate and Tim, carried them over two hills and into the deep ravine behind the second hill. The girls made a small camp with blankets against the limestone cliff on the east side, and sat down still holding the sleeping innocents entrusted to their care. Nate quietly reminded them of what was to come, and how to approach the cops and firemen who would respond first.

Tim kissed each son on his cheek, and each girl on hers. He quietly asked the girls to review the plan, and they did so to his satisfaction. Nate told them they were extremely courageous girls, and he wanted to meet them in better circumstances.

The other men were waiting on the road in their vehicles. Nate and Tim loaded up and they drove away. Thirty minutes had elapsed when they came to the closed convenience store in the tiny town of Bee Cave. Tim got out and used the payphone to make a call.

Their vehicles had circled and were facing north when they saw the fireball and then a glow on the northeastern skyline. They heard police sirens and watched the rural fire department volunteers pull in and park, scramble into their gear at the station just down US 71, and head north. The men each said a prayer, and the cavalcade proceeded back to the ranch near Dripping Springs.

***

Nate and Tim were sitting at Tim's house in Cedar Park watching the early morning news shows on Austin TV. There was live footage of a burning pile of rubble as the reporter described an explosion and house fire on Lake Travis near Spicewood. A fire investigator was interviewed, but all he could say is that they wouldn't know anything until the fire cooled and they could examine the evidence. However, it appeared there had been an explosion -- perhaps gas -- with the resultant fire. Nothing was said about survivors, which concerned the brothers; the girls and his sons should have been mentioned.

At 7:00, Tim called the Sheriff's office in Karen's hometown; they said they had no new information at this time, and thanked him for giving them his phone numbers. He called the local police, and heard the same thing. Tim wanted to call Jeanie, Nate wanted to call Linda, but the plan forbade any calls that could be monitored, so they waited.

The anxious waiting finally ended just after 9:30. A detective with the APD said the boys were at Brackenridge Medical Center in Austin and assured him they fine, physically, but emotionally distraught so they were with a social worker and child psychologist. The detective requested that he come to the medical center immediately. Tim said he would, but asked "Where is their mother?" The detective said he had no information about anyone except Tim's sons.

Nate drove like a bat out of hell on US 183, scaring even the hardened maniacs who drive the infamous 'suicide alley'. There were no crashes, but the big four-wheel drive pickup did go around slower cars on the shoulder and/or bar ditch, and red lights were treated as yield signs. They covered the twenty miles in twenty minutes.

Nate dropped Tim at the emergency entrance and went to find a place to park. Tim hustled inside to the desk; he identified himself and a call was made. A plainclothes police officer appeared, introduced himself as Detective Cox, and asked Tim to follow him. Nate appeared as they were leaving the ER; Tim introduced him to the detective as his brother, and they were quickly escorted to the children's floor.

The detective knocked on the door of a conference room where his boys were being held. A red haired woman in a suit opened the door and motioned them inside; Patrick and Mark were facing away from them, being read to by an older woman in scrubs. Patrick turned around when he heard the door open: he jumped up, screamed "Daddy!" and turned his chair over rushing to him. Mark looked puzzled when he first turned, but then his face lit up and he rushed over crying "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Tim held both his sons in his arms and shed tears of joy as they kissed his cheeks and hugged him over and over. Nate stood back by the detective and woman; Tim saw a huge smile on each face as he spun his boys and kissed them back. The reunion went on for several minutes before little Mark took Tim's face in both hands and turned it toward him.

He solemnly declared, "Daddy, bad men came and took us from Granny and Gramps. We drove a long way, and then they took us from Mommy." Patrick joined the story, adding "Daddy, they took in in a big room and Mommy was crying. The bad men were hurting her and she was crying! They said they were going to hurt us too, but Mommy begged them to leave us alone. They took us outside, but Mommy told us she loved us and to be good for you when you came to get us! I HATE those mean men!"

Mark turned Daddy's head back to him and said "Mommy said she loved us to the moon, but she was crying. Daddy, you need to find those bad men and get our Mommy back!"

Tears flowed from the eyes of every adult in the room, but Tim fought his back in order to remain calm for his boys. He said, "There are a lot of men looking for Mommy right now, boys. We need to get you home and wait for them to find them. We will call Granny and Gramps and we can go see them after the men find Mommy."

Turning to the detective, Tim asked, "Have you found her?" The detective shook his head and replied, "I'll tell you what I know in a few minutes. Take care of your sons right now." Tim asked in a puzzled manner, "How did you find my sons but not my wife? They should have been together."

"Your sons were with two young ladies. They were hiding in a ditch near the scene of a fire in a house on Lake Travis. I will tell what we know when we talk later. We're going to leave you in here with your sons, right now. There is a phone you can use to call their grandparents or anyone else you want.

Is it all right if I talk to your brother while you are with your boys?"

"Sure. If you hear anything about Karen, please come tell me immediately. Before you go, who are the girls they were with?" The detective gave him their names, and asked if he knew either one. He said he knew both; they were students at the high school where he taught, he had one in his second period Physics class, and he knew they participated in both dance team and track. They had never been babysitters for his sons, as far as he knew, so that didn't help him understand why they, rather than his wife, were with the boys in the middle of nowhere. Cox again assured him he would tell him what he knew later.

After holding and talking to his sons a bit longer, Tim turned to the woman in scrubs and asked if she would stay and read to the boys while me called their grandparents to tell them the boys were okay. She quickly agreed, and the boys reluctantly sat back on their little chairs while she read to them.

Tim gave the report to his parents first, and asked them to tell Linda, Daniel, and Dora. He then called Karen's parents and told them the good news of the boys being okay and with him, and the bad news that their daughter was still missing. They wanted to come to the hospital, but he asked them to stay there in case Karen tried to reach them.

His next call was to Andy. He told him what he had learned about his sons and wife, and asked him to relay the information to the Haussmanns. "Andy, I know the girls my boys were with, but I have no idea what they were doing with them. I'm also concerned that they get legal representation. They are going to have to explain a lot of things that may look suspicious to law enforcement, including how they took the boys and disappeared just before an explosion."

"Don't worry; they both have representation. Jana's dad is a friend. I called to offer my support when they disappeared, and he called me as soon as they were found. We are meeting with law enforcement this afternoon at 3:30 in my office. I'm also representing Sharon."

The little boys were exhausted, and they fell asleep on his lap almost as soon as he sat down and held them. The woman in scrubs quietly introduced herself as a doctor specializing in children who had been traumatized. She said she had been assigned to his sons, and offered to stay with the boys if he wanted to talk to the police officer now.

Tim was directed to a conference room on the ground floor where he found Detective Cox, his brother, and two Texas Rangers talking quietly. They stopped when he entered, and the detective invited him to take a seat at the table.

Jim Boyd was one of the Rangers; he introduced the other as his boss, Chief Allee. The somber tone of Chief Allee's voice reflected the somber look on the face of the officers and Tim's brother. "Mr. Kelly, we have some bad news. We found a body on a boat across the lake from a house that exploded and burned last night; we have reason to believe it is the body of your wife. We will need you to formally identify the body, but your brother tentatively identified her as the woman in this photo. Can you take a look?"

Tim had walked into the room supercharged with emotions he had dammed up, all the way back to the ambush at the ranch, through the events at the lake, and the reunion with his sons. The photograph of Kare broke the dam, and he wept deeply, openly, and unashamedly for several minutes. No one spoke or tried in any way to comfort him, but his anguish affected them all.

When he gained control of his emotions, Tim dried his eyes, looked at the Chief, and confirmed, "That is Kare...Karen...my wife. I'm sorry about the outburst. We had some problems the past few months; a lot of hurtful words were said and hurtful things done, and now we will never have the chance to work them out. I loved her with all my heart and soul from the moment I saw her, and now..." Tears ran from Tim's eyes again, but he simply lowered his head and stared at the table, refusing to sob any more over something he could not change.

***

Boyd left, leaving Nate and Tim alone in the conference room. Nate put his hand on Tim's arm: "I know you meant those tears. The last few months aside, she was one hell of a woman, a great wife, a fantastic mother. We all fuck up sooner or later; unfortunately, hers was the mother of all fuck ups, and now you have two exceptional children to raise by yourself.

None of us knows for sure how things will work out with Jeanie, but you know Linda and I are there for you, regardless."

"I do," Tim replied, "and that makes it easier. Those boys are going to need every bit of family they have left. As you said, she was one hell of a mother."

***

Karen's parents arrived an hour later. The boys were asleep, and he was glad they were when Tim told them that Karen's body had been recovered. They were both distraught, but her mom had to be medicated by the psychiatrist assigned to her grandsons.

While she was calming down, Tim drove to the morgue to identify the remains, leaving Nate with the parents. He knew what he would find, yet it broke his heart yet again. He wished he could resurrect Rodgers, Slaughter, and the rest so he could torture them more and longer before they died. He knew Speath had begged to die before he was dispatched, but if he could do it again he would keep him alived longer. The only hope he had for extracting greater revenge lay in Boyd's discoveries when the film and tapes were reviewed. He relished the opportunity.

The Travis Sheriff's department investigator assigned to her case asked for a moment of his time, which he gave without protest. The questions were unremarkable, clarifying to him how little they knew rather than providing insight, and the investigator learned nothing from the bereaved husband. Tim did learn something, however; they had found the van with the severed fingers on a FM road near Pleasanton. Larry, Slaughter, and Benton had been identified by their fingerprints, and were identifying the others one by one.

Tim returned to the hospital, signed all the forms, agreed to have his sons see a counselor for a while to help them deal with the trauma and the loss of their mother. The boys were awake and were talking to and playing with their grandparents; Nate, the psychiatrist, and the counselor were with them.

Tim held one on each knee, and gently broke the news to them. He told them Mommy was in heaven with God, Jesus, and the angels, she was happy, and she was looking down on them. She would always be there if they needed her.

Mark cried softly, his tears wetting Daddy's shoulder, but Patrick responded by getting mad. "It was those mean men, wasn't it Daddy? They were hurting her! I screamed at them but they wouldn't stop! I want to find those men and hurt them bad, like they hurt Mommy!"

"So does Daddy, Patrick, so does Daddy. The lawmen will find the men, and they will be punished." Tim assured him.

"No! Two policemen were the ones who stole us! They shot another police man and took us to the place where they hurt Mommy! I don't like police men!" Patrick declared.

Tim hugged them both tightly. "Patrick and Mark, most lawmen are good, but sometimes one is bad. Those two are bad, but Ranger Jim is good, isn't he?"

Patrick nodded, and then began crying. "I love Mommy! I want her here with us, not in heaven. We need her!"

The next hour was brutal; both boys were crying, both grandparents were crying, the psychiatrist and counselor were crying, and Nate and Tim cried from time to time as they tried to console everyone.

The emotion finally exhausted everyone. Tim took the boys home in Nate's pickup. Nate followed with the parents, who were still too distraught to drive. Once everyone was settled in, Nate ran to Mr. Gatti's to pick up pizza and spaghetti. Granny and Grampa took the boys outside to run and play on their swing set.

Tim called his parents and asked them to tell everyone down there. They said Linda had already told them, and they were ready to come up when Tim wanted them to. He asked them to wait until he called tomorrow.

He then called Andy; there was no answer, so he called the Haussmanns. Jimmie told him Andy was meeting with the two girls, their parents, and the investigator assigned to their case. He also told Tim that Jim Boyd had secured a 'warrant without notice' to search the AG's office, and he was there right now with another ranger he trusted. Jimmie asked if he would remain at his house, and promised to keep him informed when he heard more.

Tim hesitated, knowing that the next call could have dire consequences if mishandled; he called anyway. Jeanie answered "Hello" on the second ring. Tim hesitated; speaking in a formal voice, he said, "Jeanie, this is Tim. I wanted to call and tell you how sorry I am that your husband is dead." Jeanie hesitated, and responded the same way. "Thank you, Tim. I heard that Karen also has passed on. I'm very sorry about that. I know you and your sons are crushed. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tim listened to the sound of her voice and wanted to rush to her. He needed her kindness, her love, and he needed it right now! But, there was simply no way, so he declined her offer, made the same offer to her, and told her he hoped to offer condolences in person in the future. She asked about funeral arrangements; he replied it was too early because they had to do an autopsy before they could release her body.

He asked about Larry; Jeanie told him that his parents would have a memorial in Chicago for his relatives, but nothing was planned in Texas because his body had not been recovered. They promised to keep each other informed and hung up. Nothing was said that would raise suspicion if they had the phone tapped, but it was a most unsatisfying call.

***

The smell of bacon frying and coffee brewing woke Nate, and then Karen's parents. The boys were already playing in the living room; they were not as sad, but also not their eager, happy selves. The breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, milk, and coffee, with pleasant conversation, got the day started in a good way.

After escorting the boys outside, Granny leaned back inside the door and asked Tim to call and find out if they had learned anything else. He nodded, and went to the phone. His first call was to the coroner, who advised him the body would most likely be released tomorrow. The second call was to the Sheriff's department investigator; he had no further news.

The third call was incoming, from Jim Boyd. He asked Tim when he and the other investigator could interview him; Tim replied that they could, but in a neutral setting. Boyd suggested the Haussmann residence in an hour. After telling his in-laws he needed to meet with the Texas Rangers investigating their daughter's death, Tim and Nate drove to northwest Austin.

The conversation took place around the Haussmanns' dining room table, with Boyd and Terry sitting across from Tim and Nate. Jimmie, Patti, and Andy sat on the ends of the big table and listened.

Boyd deferred to Ranger Terry, who asked the standard questions law enforcement asks when on a fishing expedition. Tim answered promptly and confidently, without any guidance from the three attorneys present, leaving Terry with the impression he had nothing to hide and nothing to add to the investigation. A few questions were asked of Nate, but he feigned ignorance of anything beyond what Tim had told the investigator.

Ranger Terry excused himself at 4:30, saying he had promised his daughter he would be at her cheerleading tryouts at six. When Terry was gone, Boyd checked the room for 'bugs' while the others chatted, and then rejoined the group.