To Die For

by C. M. Sutter

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  I took off and left Frank in my dust. I heard cursing from a block behind me as I rounded the last corner to the parking lot.

  Catching up a few minutes later, Frank huffed then leaned against his truck. “That wasn’t a fair race. You took off before I even knew what you were doing.”

  I grinned. “I can taste that eight-ounce fillet already.” I tipped my head toward the driveway. “Looks like the boys are back. Let’s see what they know.”

  The patrol officers and the four of us gathered around my car and discussed what we had and hadn’t seen since we’d been out that night.

  Henry grumbled. “I drove a five-block perimeter of the area at least ten times and didn’t see that black Impala anywhere.”

  Jackson nodded. “Same here but farther out.”

  Crawford and Thompson said they hadn’t seen two guys enter the store together at all.

  “Yeah, our results were the same. My gut says they’ve checked the store layout already, possibly days ago. Remember, we’re going in blind since we don’t know what their typical MO is at each store.” I turned to Tillson. “Why don’t you check in with your boss, have him run it by Abrams, and see what they want you to do. The only way to get these guys is to catch them off guard. Having four squad cars patrol the area all night long isn’t very subtle. I’ll call Lutz, get his suggestion, and have him talk to Abrams too.”

  Frank lit another cigarette and paced. “We could be trying too hard. Maybe all we need is two plainclothes cops sitting a block away in their own car and watching the back door.”

  “Yep, looks like we’re on the same page.”

  Chapter 34

  Rory and Wesley followed the men on foot. They watched from the shadows as the first guy sprinted off, but because the big guy couldn’t keep up, they didn’t lose sight of him.

  “Don’t make a sound,” Rory said as they peered at the parking lot from behind a dumpster. “Those two sons of bitches are meeting with cops. What the hell is going on?”

  “Maybe they’re informants and working with the PD on something.”

  “Yeah, idiot. Maybe that something is us. I doubt if confidential informants can afford that Camaro. I can smell a pig a mile away. My gut says they’re all cops, and that’s why the two we saw dressed in street clothes were in the pharmacy. They’re looking for us.”

  “How would they know what we look like?” Wes asked. “The only people who saw our faces are Eileen and Deidra, and Eileen is dead.”

  “The cops know we’re planning to hit this pharmacy, and that had to come from Jeff Barry. Apparently, he didn’t believe our threats.”

  “So now what?”

  “Now we kill his wife and move on to a different town.”

  “What about Tom Lansky and the video we took of his wife? I thought we were going to text that to him in the morning.”

  “We may have to scratch that one. I’m not sure yet.”

  “I want that Camaro, Rory.”

  Rory locked eyes with Wes. “That’s pushing us to our limits. If we kill the cop, then we’ll definitely have to leave Chicago.”

  Wes smiled. “What’s one cop? This city has too many, anyway.”

  The men retreated into the shadows and returned to the car. They had work to do that night, and Jeff Barry would learn his wife’s fate before dawn.

  Chapter 35

  Lutz told Frank and me to go home since in his opinion our workday had gone on long enough. Abrams would have his officers continue the stakeout using cars from the impound lot, and hopefully, they’d apprehend the burglars before morning.

  I wasn’t all that disappointed about calling it a night. If I went straight to bed when I got home, I could still get six hours of sleep—not the worst night of my life.

  We parted ways in the parking lot, and I headed south to my home—I’d be there in five minutes. I remembered what Lutz had said about the phone call Jeff Barry got from the burglars. Deidra’s life was threatened, and those men were evil enough to kill her if everything didn’t go their way.

  Once home, I drank a beer and had a turkey-and-Swiss-cheese sandwich, since all I’d downed earlier were two protein bars. I would hit the sheets in a few minutes, knowing full well that sleep wouldn’t come easily until those killers were caught.

  “Come on, buddy. Time for bed.”

  Bandit followed me down the hallway and curled up in his favorite spot on the bed, near my feet. I turned off the light and tried to turn off my mind.

  Time had passed, but I didn’t know how long I’d been sleeping. The sound wasn’t right—my alarm had a different tone. I patted the nightstand for my phone and found it, and after I rubbed my eyes, the screen finally came into focus. It was Lutz, and he was calling from his home phone. I gave the clock a glance before answering—4:13. I cleared my throat and slid the green arrow to the right.

  “Bob, what’s wrong?”

  “The sons of bitches killed her.”

  “What! Are you talking about Deidra Barry?”

  “Jeff just called 911. The first responders, Forensics, and Don are on their way. I’m getting dressed as we speak.”

  “Jesus Christ, what happened?”

  “They called him, said there was something for him on his doorstep, and hung up. He ran downstairs, hoping it was Deidra—and it was—but she was blood-soaked and unresponsive. He couldn’t revive her. Don will have to determine the cause of death, and at this point, it sounds like Jeff is too distraught to even talk coherently.”

  “Okay, I’m on my way. Give me a half hour.”

  I filled Bandit’s food and water dishes and headed out. At that time of morning, he wasn’t quite ready to get up, and I didn’t blame him, but it would be there for him when he was.

  I was out the door by four thirty and arrived at Jeff’s house by four forty-five. The street was alive with flashing blue lights. Two squad cars, the forensic van, an ambulance, the medical examiner’s van, and Lutz’s personal vehicle were already on the scene when I snugged my Camaro against the curb. I climbed out and made my way to the front porch, where portable spotlights had already been set up. Lutz stood behind our forensic boys, who were checking the scene and taking pictures of Deidra’s body.

  I approached with reverence and put my hand on Bob’s shoulder. “How’s Jeff?”

  “He’s a mess.” Lutz jerked his head toward the house. “He’s inside, and a shoulder to cry on could go a long way.”

  “Sure thing and I’ll see what I can do.”

  I found Jeff alone in the living room. He sat on the loveseat facing the fireplace with his head in his hands. I took a seat next to him.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mr. Barry.”

  “Just call me Jeff. Why, Detective McCord? Tell me why they killed her. I gave them what they wanted—the codes. Deidra was innocent of any wrongdoing. Why didn’t they just let her go?”

  “Because she saw their faces. The likelihood of surviving a kidnapping if you’ve seen the perp’s face is next to zero. They know there’s the risk of being identified.” I shook my head with confusion. I had no idea why they killed her prematurely. We could have caught them and saved Deidra’s life—at least that had been our hope.

  “What am I going to do without her? She was my everything. I’m lost. I’m broken.”

  I thought about my sister, Jenna, whose husband had murdered her almost two years ago. I had no other family, and I knew Jeff was going to have a tough time going forward. Deidra was his wife, they didn’t have kids, and in that moment, I had no idea if that was a good thing or not.

  “Is there a family member coming to stay with you?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t told anyone yet. I was hoping for a miracle.” He covered his face with his hands again and wept.

  “Jeff, can I ask you a few questions? How about we go in the kitchen and I’ll make a pot of coffee?”

  Jeff grasped the arm to push off the loveseat and wob
bled. He was physically and emotionally drained. I walked at his side to the kitchen, pulled out a chair for him, and found the coffee. While the pot brewed, I sat across from him and asked the difficult questions. He would have to relive that short moment of feeling hope up to the moment he opened the front door and was hit with a wave of agony.

  “Can you remember the time the call came in?”

  “No, but it’ll show on my phone.” He nodded toward the living room. “It’s on the coffee table.”

  I left for a second to retrieve it. I handed it to Jeff then poured two cups of coffee. “Here you go.” I placed a cup in front of him.

  He thanked me and slid the phone across the table. “It’s the last incoming call.”

  I pulled my notepad from my pocket and wrote down the time—4:03.

  “What’s going on outside? Why can’t I be with Deidra?”

  “Jeff, it doesn’t work that way. Our forensic team needed to take pictures and clear the area before the ME could do his field exam. When that’s complete, he’ll take Deidra back to his office in the van. Your front porch is considered a crime scene right now, even though Deidra probably wasn’t killed there. In short, we have to stay out of their way. Do you remember what the man said to you? At least the best you can recall.”

  “He called me by name, said there was something waiting for me on the porch, and then said I broke the agreement. The call went dead after that. It wasn’t even thirty seconds long.”

  I wrote down everything he’d said, then I had to ask the toughest question. “What did you do when you opened the front door?”

  His bottom lip began to quiver, then he wiped his eyes with a napkin. “I… I was just stunned for a second. I stood there in disbelief while my mind processed what I was looking at.” He coughed, then Jeff’s voice lowered to just above a whisper. “There was too much blood and I knew in my gut she was gone.”

  I understood and had seen Deidra’s body before I entered the house. “Then what?”

  “Then I knelt at her side and was going to perform CPR, but her skin was already cold, and I knew she was dead. I called 911 and cradled her in my arms.”

  The signs were visible—blood transfer coated the front of Jeff’s pajamas.

  “Did you touch anything else?”

  He shook his head. “The door, Deidra, and my phone. At least that’s all I remember.”

  “Okay, hang tight, buddy. I’ll see what’s going on.”

  I waved an officer over to sit with Jeff, and I went out through the side door. Rounding the house, I approached the porch again. Lutz turned toward me and stepped down to the sidewalk.

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Not good. He’s devastated. The guy on the phone told Jeff he broke their agreement. There’s only one thing that could mean. They knew we were involved. But how?”

  Lutz rubbed his head and sighed. “I have no idea, but I need to call Abrams. I wonder if his patrol units got too close to the pharmacy and were seen by the perps. They might have gotten spooked.”

  “Maybe that’s why we didn’t see anything suspicious. If they saw the patrol units earlier, they might have been gone by the time we got there. We need to know Deidra’s approximate time of death.” I tipped my chin toward Don. “Let’s see what he can tell us.”

  Lutz knelt at Don’s side. “How long do you think she’s been deceased?”

  “Her muscles are already stiff, and her core temperature is ninety-one degrees. The math tells me she’s been dead around five hours. My best estimate is between eleven and twelve.”

  Lutz caught my brow raise and nodded toward the garage. I walked along with him.

  “Abrams’s men were out there from seven o’clock on. You four arrived around nine, correct?”

  I jammed my hands deep in my pockets and mentally calculated the time. “Yeah, around then. We had about an hour to surveil the area and make a couple of appearances inside the store before it closed at ten. I never saw two guys together, though, and nobody, including the patrol officers, saw that car.”

  Lutz shifted from one foot to the other. “And nobody else saw two men together?”

  “They said they hadn’t.”

  “Out of your group, who went into the store?”

  “Frank did for about ten minutes, and once he left, I entered a few minutes later.”

  “Who was inside?”

  I had to think. The number of people in the store was unremarkable. “I passed a guy walking out when I walked in. I looked around and saw a couple of teenage girls checking out the makeup aisle but nobody else.”

  “What about Frank?”

  I squeezed my eyes closed as I tried to recall what Frank had told me. “Shit. What did he say? Um, there was a woman in his aisle looking at greeting cards, a mom and daughter in the sale aisle, and a guy checking out condoms. That’s all I remember him saying.”

  “So two guys but at different times? Are you sure it wasn’t the same guy? Did Frank say the first guy had left before him?”

  “No, he didn’t mention it. I guess we could have seen the same guy and he just happened to walk out when I came in. Hell, he would have been in there at least twenty minutes, though.”

  “Do you recall anything about him?”

  “He was young, blonde, and wore glasses and a ball cap. That’s about it.”

  Lutz fished his phone out of his pocket. “I need a description of the guy in the condom aisle.”

  I grimaced. Frank was nearly useless when wakened from a deep sleep. He always needed coffee before his brain functioned, but I would keep quiet and listen to Lutz’s side of the conversation.

  “What the hell? It’s rung five times already.”

  “Frank is a heavy sleeper, Boss. Give him a minute.”

  Lutz rolled his eyes and raised two fingers. I took that to mean the phone rang twice more.

  “Mills! Jesus, turn your phone volume up. Yes, it’s Lutz, and yes, I know it’s five a.m. I need a description of the guy you saw in the condom aisle at the pharmacy. Not my problem that your brain isn’t functioning yet, so make an effort, damn it. It’s important.” Lutz paced as he waited for Frank’s answer. “Yeah, are you sure? Okay.” He clicked off and jammed his phone back into his pocket.

  I could see Lutz’s frustration. “Well?”

  “From what I could get out of Mills, the guy in the condom aisle had blond hair, a ball cap, and glasses.”

  “So we saw the same guy and he was alone. That doesn’t tell us anything. He could be an ordinary customer and nothing more.”

  Lutz cursed under his breath. “Yeah, I know. Guess I’m on a fishing expedition.”

  Chapter 36

  I watched from the driveway as Deidra’s bagged body was loaded onto the gurney and wheeled to the back of the medical examiner’s van. Don said he would have a full report and a closer time of death for us by noon.

  Lutz stood on the porch with his hands on his hips and stared at the floor. I walked over.

  “We can’t leave things like this.”

  “I know. As soon as Forensics is done here, I’ll have the cleaning company come in. Jeff will go off the deep end if he sees all this blood.”

  “What should we suggest he do? He doesn’t have family in the area.”

  “Not our call, Jesse. He’s a grown man and has to make that decision on his own. The best we can do is clean up this porch and find those damn killers.”

  I nodded. “I have plenty of connections in Narcotics. They can talk to their informants and find out who’s doing most of the pharmaceutical selling on the streets.”

  Lutz pointed at my car. “It’s not even six a.m. yet. Go on home for an hour, have a decent breakfast, and tend to your pup. You and Frank can work the narcotics angle when you get in later. I’ll wait here until the porch is cleaned, have a talk with Jeff, and then head in. I’ll call the precinct now, have them contact Patrol, and make sure they’re sitting on Paul’s pharmacy when Jennifer Tyler arrives. I want her h
auled in for questioning. Enough is enough, and she’s going to be considered an accessory to murder if she doesn’t give us names today.”

  Jeff and Paul occupied my mind as I drove home. They were both in the same boat with the same end result even though Jeff had done the right thing and Paul hadn’t. I realized we couldn’t hold the pharmacists responsible. Their reactions were caused by fear, and nobody could predict what people would do when their loved ones’ lives were threatened. I would talk to Lutz later about releasing all of them and concentrate primarily on Jennifer Tyler. She knew where to find her boyfriend and the second man involved. Either she would talk, or we’d pin the murders on her.

  At home and sitting at the table, I reviewed Jennifer’s application. It didn’t give us anything as far as an address. Our intentions were to wait and follow her home from work, but now things had escalated once again. We hadn’t pulled her DMV record or conducted a background check for arrests since we didn’t have probable cause yet. We could tell the DA that the girl who handed the envelopes to the pharmacists wore a pearl-and-diamond ring, but that wouldn’t be considered a credible reason for hauling Jennifer in. We needed a direct connection between her and the burglars, and that would probably involve lifting her prints from the envelopes and from something she’d touched at work. We would hope the prints matched.

  I called Lutz. “Boss, we need those envelopes the pharmacists have at their homes. Getting the woman’s prints off them and matching them to something Jennifer touched at the pharmacy will give us the connection between her and the burglars. Without that proof, she’ll lawyer up and never tell us anything. We need that leverage.”

  “I’ll get Roberts and King on that right now. They can drive the pharmacists home with a patrol escort, get those envelopes, and have them printed by the time the pharmacy opens. We’ll send somebody in to retrieve something she touches. For now, I’ll tell them to hold off on picking her up. Nice work, McCord.”

  “Thanks, Boss. I think I’m going to head in now, anyway. There’s plenty to keep all of us busy.”