19

Jude

After Vic Rothschild's confession, Jude had stood by Cope's side when he asked Cisco Jackson to drop the assault charges against him. Cisco had reluctantly agreed. He'd also informed Saffron Butler that SPD wouldn't bring charges against her client for lying to the police about the night Domenica was murdered.

Jude also stood by Ronan's side as he gave another press conference on the steps of City Hall. He'd explained what happened to Domenica and assured the public it had nothing to fear from Vic Rothschild.

After the case was wrapped up, they'd all gone back to Ronan's house to celebrate. Ronan had ordered pizza for everyone, and Jude had way too many pieces of pepperoni, but it wasn't every day Cope helped to solve a forty-year-old cold case.

Cope had been thrilled to tuck his kids into bed before falling exhausted into his own. Jude knew his husband was still suffering from a concussion and needed all the rest he could get. He'd watched a little television alone and cleaned up the kitchen before heading to bed around ten. Like Cope, he'd fallen asleep quickly.

A ringing cell phone snapped Jude out of his dreamless sleep. Reaching for his phone, he saw Cisco Jackson's name on the caller ID. "Cisco?"

"Jude, I hate to call this late, but we have a situation at the Webster house."

"Webster house?" What the hell was Cisco talking about? Jude rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at the clock. It was half past two in the morning. It took him a few seconds to remember they'd been investigating the murder of Jessi Webster before the Domenica Fibonacci case came to the forefront.

"Police were called to the Webster house half an hour ago. There's a domestic disturbance going on, but neither Aimee nor Tony will speak to anyone but you, Fitz, and Ronan. I've already called the others. They'll be ready to roll soon. There are several units on scene to back you up."

"Okay, I'm on it." Jude hung up the phone.

"What's that all about?" Cope asked sleepily.

"There's something going on at Tony Webster's house, and he's demanding to speak with us. Go back to sleep. I'll be home soon." Jude pressed a kiss to Cope's forehead before getting out of bed. He dressed as quickly and quietly as possible and left the house. Ronan and Fitzgibbon were waiting for him in the SUV.

"Hey, guys." Jude climbed into the back seat and fastened his belt. "Do we know anything more about what's going on?"

"Just that there's something up at the house. Tony Webster called 911 but wouldn't say why. Just that he wanted the cops to respond to his house and that he wanted to speak with the three of us. He and Aimee won't allow anyone else to enter the house."

"I don't like the sound of that," Jude muttered. "Sounds like a trap to me."

"I thought the same thing," Fitzgibbon agreed.

"What did Ten have to say about you leaving in the middle of the night?" Jude asked.

"He wants me to bring back donuts." Ronan snickered. "He would have warned me if something was about to go down, but all he said was that he wanted a dozen chocolate glazed for breakfast. Who am I to argue?"

"Cope didn't make a breakfast request but didn't say anything about us being in danger either. Christ, it's been a long time since we were up late and working at this hour." Jude didn't miss the nighttime stakeouts one bit and knew the others didn't either.

A roadblock was set up down the road from the Webster house. From where Jude was sitting in the back seat, he could see the house was lit up like Christmas, while several Salem Police cruisers sat with their blue lights spinning out front.

A young officer shined his flashlight into the SUV. "Can't come this way. Road's closed down."

"I'm Captain Kevin Fitzgibbon. These are Detectives O'Mara and Byrne. Chief Jackson asked us to come out and lend a hand."

"Oh, yes, Captain Fitzgibbon, they're waiting for you at the house." The officer stepped back and waved them through.

"I want everyone in their vests before we go anywhere near the front door." Fitzgibbon parked the SUV out of sight of the house. He popped the hatch and grabbed his vest. Jude and Ronan did the same.

"What's our play here?" Ronan asked when he'd strapped on his Kevlar.

"Let's find out why Tony Webster only wants to speak with us." Fitzgibbon headed toward three officers who were standing near one of the cruisers with their eyes on the house.

"Captain Fitzgibbon, we're glad you're here," the tallest officer said. "They won't let any of us in."

"Have you seen Tony and Aimee Webster?" Ronan asked.

"No. We've heard them both though. Neither will come to the door."

"Cover us," Fitzgibbon said, motioning Jude and Ronan to follow him.

The house looked so much different in the dark. More sinister. The trees cast ominous shadows on the manicured lawn. Jude wished he was back in bed with Cope rather than standing in the Websters' front yard about to face whatever was going to happen next. Fitzgibbon rang the bell and stepped away from the stairs and front door.

Ronan's attention was focused on the front windows, while Jude kept his eye on both of his partners.

"Captain Fitzgibbon?" Tony Webster shouted from the other side of the front door.

"Yeah, Tony, it's me, Ronan, and Jude, like you asked. Let us help you." Fitzgibbon had his gun out of the holster and in his hand. Ronan did the same.

"Come in, just the three of you!" Webster shouted.

"Christ, I'm too old for this shit." Fitzgibbon turned the doorknob and used the barrel of his gun to push the door open. No one was there to greet him. "Tony? Aimee?" he called out.

"Kitchen!" Tony shouted back.

"Ronan, go in through the dining room. Jude, go in through the living room. I'll take the hallway."

With a nod, Ronan stepped into the dining room. Jude did the same with the living room. Nothing looked disturbed or out of place. The television was on, and an old rerun of Friends was showing, with the sound muted. Jude edged around the leather sectional and moved toward the doorway leading into the kitchen. He knelt down and peeked around the corner. He could see Fitzgibbon and Ronan in position. He also saw Aimee Webster holding her husband at gunpoint. He was seated at the kitchen table, while his wife stood behind him with the gun aimed at his head.

"Aimee, I want to talk to you about what's going on here, but I need you to put down the gun," Fitzgibbon said gently.

"I'm not putting down the gun. If I do, then Tony will talk." Aimee's attention was on Fitzgibbon. "I see you, Jude! Get in the kitchen." She swung her head in the other direction. "You too, Ronan! Mr. Television News Star!"

"Tony, are you hurt?" Fitzgibbon asked, his voice still calm.

"My head hurts from where she pistol-whipped me, but other than that, I'm fine. You have to get her away from me. She's going to kill me like she killed Jessi."

"Shut up! You shut the fuck up!" Aimee swung the gun at Tony's head. It connected with a sickening thwack and sent him sprawling onto the kitchen floor.

"Aimee, let me help your husband," Ronan said.

"Stay where you are! I saw your press conference earlier. You think you're king shit because you solved that cold case, huh? Asshole blamed it on his mother. His dead fucking mother. It's not like anyone can check with her to see if she actually killed the wife! It's always women who get the raw deal in the end."

"What raw deal did you get?" Jude asked. He was the furthest from Aimee. If he could keep her attention, Ronan and Fitz could move closer.

"What raw deal haven't I got? Raped by my stepfather at thirteen. He beat my mother and threatened to kill her if I didn't comply with his dirty needs. Then, when I went away to college, this fucker singles me out. Starts coming into my coffee shop and complimenting me. Asking if he could take me out. I saw the fucking ring on his finger. He kept promising me he'd divorce her, and I believed him. Time and time again, I believed him, and he played me for a fool." Aimee kicked Tony's prone body. Her husband didn't move.

"Why didn't you break up with him?" Jude asked. "You're a beautiful young woman. I'm sure you would have found a new man sooner rather than later."

"I loved him! Don't you get it? Tony was it for me. He kept saying he was going to ask Jessi for a divorce, but he couldn't because it was her birthday, or Christmas, or Fucking Groundhog Day! I had to take matters into my own hands. Women are always cleaning up after men! Useless fucker!" Jessi kicked Tony again.

"Aimee, please put the gun down, and we can talk about all the ways men have done us both wrong. I've got stories to tell you that would curl your hair." Jude watched as Ronan edged closer and closer to the raving woman.

"What the hell would you know about that?" Aimee asked, sounding as if she were listening.

"If I had a nickel for every boyfriend I caught fucking another dude, I'd be a billionaire. Fuckers couldn't keep it in their pants. I mean, look at me. I'm pretty damn handsome. Why the hell would you cheat on this?"

"Exactly!" Aimee said. "Tony's been coming home late from work. I could smell perfume on him and saw lipstick on his collar. He said it was tomato sauce, but do I look fucking stupid to you?"

"Hell, no," Jude answered. "I don't know what I'd do if I found lipstick on my husband's collar."

"He needs to die, Jude! There's no other way. I can't let someone else have him. I can't let him take my baby away from me. All he had to do was keep his fucking mouth shut and his dick in his pants, and we would have lived happily ever after."

"Keep his mouth shut about what?" Jude asked. Ronan was only a foot or so away from Aimee.

"You're a smart man, Jude. You know about what!"

"You were the one who killed Jessi Webster," Jude said gently.

"Stupid bitch! She kept telling me how much Tony loved her. How the fuck could he love her when he was fucking me? She didn't believe me. Didn't believe that Tony was capable of cheating on her. So, I showed her the videos. Tony loved to make videos of him fucking me. Do you think the bitch changed her tune after that?"

"She knew you'd won, right?" Jude asked.

"Wrong! Jessi said they'd go to counseling. That she wasn't going to give Tony up for any reason. So I wrapped my hands around her throat and started to squeeze. Bitch clawed at my hands and kicked back at me, but I was younger and stronger. I left her on the kitchen floor. Right over there." Aimee pointed with the gun. "Tony fell into my arms after that. He was finally mine!"

Ronan grabbed Aimee's hand from behind, twisting it back until she let the gun drop.

Aimee screamed like a wild animal. She fought Ronan, but he eventually got her down on the floor and cuffed her from behind. "Fucking men! You always fuck us over!"

"Well, I've got good news for you, Aimee," Ronan laughed. "You'll only have to deal with women when you're sent to prison."

Fitzgibbon moved to Tony's side while Aimee started ranting at Ronan.

Looking around the kitchen, Jude's gaze landed on the high chair. "Aimee, where's your baby?"

"Hope's safe," Aimee cried. "I would never hurt her."

"I'll go check." Jude raced out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He poked his head into the master and saw no sign of the child. When he walked into the baby's room, he found the little girl sound asleep in her crib. "Thank goodness you're safe." He stayed with the baby for several minutes, watching her sleep. When Fitz texted him the all clear, he left the baby sleeping and headed back downstairs.

Aimee had been led out of the house, and Tony was sitting at the table while EMTs tended to his head wounds. "Are you sure you don't want us to transport you to Salem Mercy?" a young medic asked.

"I'm fine. Really, I am. Where's my daughter?" Tony asked.

"She's asleep in her crib."

"Thank you," Tony said. "Thank you all. I can't believe Aimee killed Jessi. She let the police interrogate me again and again. They almost arrested me twice, and she would have kept her secret and sent me to jail."

"How did you find out Aimee killed Jessi?" Ronan asked.

"I was looking for an old college yearbook in the attic last week and found Aimee's diaries. I opened one and started reading. I couldn't believe how hate-filled all of her entries were. Something told me to find the book that covered the time Jessi was killed, and sure enough, there was her confession written out in sparkly purple ink. You calling to interview us the other day caused a tidal wave of anger and paranoia in her. I was afraid of her behavior. I knew she had the gun, and I was starting to fear for my daughter's safety. So when Aimee fell asleep tonight, I came down here and called 911. She must have followed me downstairs and was listening. She hit me with the gun and wouldn't let the cops in the house. She yelled that she only wanted to speak with the three of you. Thank you all so much for handling the situation with no one else dying."

"We're glad to help," Ronan said. "I've got just one question for you. Were you ever going to leave Jessi?"

Tony shook his head. "No way. I just wanted a little strange, know what I mean? Aimee was smoking hot and always horny. What man could have resisted her?"

"Me, for a start," Jude said. "One last question. Were you cheating on Aimee?"

Tony shook his head. "I knew she'd have my balls for breakfast if I did."

"Take care, Mr. Webster." He headed toward the front door with Ronan and Fitzgibbon at his heels.

As much as he hated to admit it, Aimee was right. Women always got the raw end of the deal. But most of them didn't kill to get what they thought they deserved. Now, the Websters' daughter would grow up visiting her mother at state prison every weekend. Another woman given another raw deal.

As they headed for the SUV, Jude's mind turned to donuts. He could eat a dozen jellies by himself. He'd grab donut holes for the kids and a muffin for Cope so they could eat together as a family.

Jude had managed to help solve two cold cases within twelve hours. He hoped to goodness that record would never be broken.