Lauer meant millions of viewers and not just the people in the studio, but somehow he made me forget about all the TV cameras.
“The first time Dobson showed up at our apartment, he was pretending to be an investigator from UniSol Health. He seemed official, and given what we’d done, Ruby and I weren’t about to contact UniSol to verify his employment. On his way out the door, the phone rang. It was the SHS Killer, telling me that I was going to rob a liquor store next.”
“But if Dobson was in the room with you, how did he make the call?” Lauer asked.
“It was a recorded voice,” I said. “Dobson took out his phone, pretending to check a message, but he was really initiating a computer program that dialed my number and played a prerecorded message. He wanted me to think it couldn’t be him. That was part of his game. He even sent me a text message while he was standing on the ledge. That was automated as well.”
“So Henry Dobson was a computer expert?” Lauer asked. “Is that how he found out you stole the Uretskys’ identities?”
“From what the police have told me, the real Henry Dobson was a Grade A computer hacker,” I said. “He didn’t work. He made his money scamming people online and spent most of his free time playing online games. Turns out the FBI was after him for a variety of cyber crimes, only they didn’t know it was Henry Dobson committing them. Dobson and Elliot Uretsky formed a friendship through a violent online game they both played, but Uretsky didn’t know that Dobson wanted to live out his violent fantasies. Dobson took over the Uretskys’ identities after he killed them. When I stole the Uretskys’ identities, UniSol sent an automatic e-mail to Uretsky’s e-mail account, which Dobson was monitoring. That was how he found out somebody else was using the Uretskys’ identities. He hacked his way into the computer systems of Post Boxes Unlimited and found out our real names and addresses.”
We didn’t talk about Carl Swain or Edwin Valdez. I was glad Lauer didn’t ask about them. The police found their bodies cut up and stuffed into a large freezer in Dobson’s basement. They also found another listening device planted in our Harvard Avenue apartment. Forensic guys later determined it was activated on the day Dobson paid us a visit after we learned of the Uretskys’ murders. I had spoken to Clegg by phone about Swain and Valdez shortly after Dobson left, so that’s how he knew I thought they were involved. He killed them so the police wouldn’t be able to find them. He did it so that I would have more people to suspect. He did it because, in a way, they were connected to me.
“You’ve been through so much,” Lauer said, “but I have to ask you—and I think a lot of our viewers who have been following your story have the same question—when you tossed Ruby out that fifth-story window, did you know the fire department had inflated safety mattresses? Or did you think, I’ll take my chances that she’ll somehow survive the fall?”
Ruby fixed me with a pointed stare. The question had been gnawing at her as well. “Yeah, sweetie, did you see the mattresses?” she asked, smiling a little.
“I had faith,” I said, “faith that somebody did their job. I just believed that she’d land safely. When all this started, I didn’t want to put my faith in anybody. Ruby wanted to come on The Today Show to plead our case, but I shot down the idea. Mountaineering taught me the virtue of self-sufficiency. But at that moment I had to put my trust, my faith, in the hands of somebody else. The biggest regret I have in all of this is that I didn’t reach out to others when I needed help the most.” My voice cracked a little. Ruby took hold of my hand and squeezed hard. “I’ll spend my life living with that regret, and I’ll do everything I can to help those who have been personally impacted by this ordeal.”
Lauer gave me a moment to regain my composure.
“And how are things now?” he asked.
“Now,” Ruby said, “Atrium has decided to fully fund my course of treatment. There was a huge push online to get them to change the policy once people learned of our story. I’m scheduled to have surgery next month, so hopefully between the drugs and the surgery, I’ll be cancer free, and John and I can try and pick up the pieces of our lives and go from there. We want to start a family soon. We just want things to settle down first and get back to normal for us. We’re hoping that will happen soon.”
“Well, you’re a remarkable couple with a bright future, and I wish you both the best of luck,” Lauer said.
I looked over at Ruby and could tell by the look in her eyes what she was thinking.
Which songs have the phrase “best of luck” in the lyrics?
Acknowledgments
I owe a tremendous amount of a gratitude to a number of people who contributed their time, expertise, and talents to the creation of this work. Dave Trudo patiently answered my questions regarding health insurance. I could not have written John and Ruby’s conundrum without his assistance. Lisa Adams not only lent her name to a character in this story, she also shared her very personal experiences that greatly influenced my portrayal of Ruby’s illness. In addition, Dr. Anthony Zietman assisted with all the medical aspects of Ruby’s cancer therapy. Any errors in depicting Ruby’s course of treatment are exclusively my own. Lieutenant Rich Mello once again answered all my questions about police procedures. While Christopher Sloane, from Boston’s Fire Investigation Unit, gave me insights I could not have gotten elsewhere.
I’m lucky to have my father, Michael Palmer, as a sounding board for my ideas. I’m equally fortunate to have wonderful readers, Judy Palmer, Clair Lamb, Phil Redman, and the team from the Jane Rotrosen Agency. This book is better from their efforts. Speaking of the Rotrosen Agency, my deepest thanks goes to Meg Ruley, agent extraordinaire who makes all of this possible. I’d also like to thank the team at Kensington, John, Laurie, Adeola, Lesleigh, and Steve. I couldn’t ask for a better publisher. My friends Don and Erik deserve a shout out simply because they rock, for real.
I’m most deeply grateful to the love and support of my wife Jessica and my two children. You make every day special.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th St.
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2013 by Daniel Palmer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013930815
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4666-0
ISBN-10: 0-7582-4666-8
Table of Contents
Also by
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
CHAPTER 65
CHAPTER 66
CHAPTER 67
CHAPTER 68
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Copyright Page