“Yes, I understand. But, say, while you were backing out of your garage, or if you drove past their place…”
Ralph shook his head. “Only thing I remember was a car parked on the side street. Never seen it before, haven’t seen it again.”
Daniel determined that he wasn’t a car guy. He said it was an older sedan, he thought a Toyota but couldn’t be sure. He might have seen the symbol, but didn’t Mazda or some other maker have a similar one? Car was white, but not real shiny. His eye had been caught because houses in the neighborhood all had double garages and driveways. Hardly anybody parked at the curb except guests when someone was holding a party.
After thanking him, Daniel walked back to his own vehicle. Back in the direct sun, he was barely conscious of being hammered by the heat. This wasn’t a direct lead to a suspect, but at least he had something to go on. A white maybe-Toyota.
The driver could have easily slipped through the gate into the backyard and entered the house through the slider, if it hadn’t been locked. It wasn’t locked when Melinda found Norris dead.
Getting behind the wheel, waiting for his air-conditioning to kick in, he felt energized. He thought Ralph Brown had seen the killer’s car.
It was a start.
BACK AT THE STATION, the first thing Daniel did was look to see what everyone working for Child Protective Services here in town drove. He wasn’t really surprised to find that none of them drove a white sedan of any kind, much less a Toyota. That would have been too easy.
After some thought, he pulled up the list of vehicles stolen in the past month. He blinked when he came upon a Toyota Corolla, 2008, white. Researching it further, he learned it had not been recovered. It had gone missing seventeen days ago. Right timeline, if the killer had also driven it when he murdered Martin Ramsey.
The car’s owner lived in an older neighborhood on Grouse Street, a few blocks from the business district. It had evidently belonged to the seventeen-year-old daughter. He called her and she told him she’d been leaving for her summer job at Dairy Queen when she’d discovered her car was no longer parked in its usual spot in the alley.
As a cop, Daniel wasn’t a fan of alleys. They were too private. Backyards tended to be fenced. Garages accessed by the alley also blocked any view of it from the houses. Trash left out for pickup created great places to hide. In fact, alleys were perfect sites to commit just about any kind of crime and were cordially hated by CSIs.
He couldn’t be certain this was the right car, but he thought the chances were good it was. He’d put out the word for patrol officers to sharpen their watch for it.
His desk phone rang, and he signed off with the teen and switched calls. “Deperro.”
He allowed himself a fleeting moment of hope that this was about any other crime. He did have quite a few investigations gathering dust in stacks on his desk. When he recognized the voice of a lieutenant on the patrol side, that hope gained altitude.
“Detective? This is Griggs. We just received a call requesting a welfare check. Something the woman said got me thinking. I did a background check and found the man we’re supposed to check on was involved in a nasty child abuse case a couple of years back. Name’s Bradley Taubeneck. You want to ride along, just in case?”
Daniel resisted the temptation to thump his head on his desk. “I do.” Because he loved finding mutilated bodies, he thought sardonically.
He drove himself, following a patrol unit, taking the opportunity to do some quick research. He didn’t learn as much as he’d like. Taubeneck had been charged with child abuse, but those charges were later dismissed. Lot of backstory, Daniel was willing to bet.
The landscape west of town was dryer than out Daniel’s way. Here, an occasional herd of cattle grazed on high desert scrub behind barbed wire fences. The patrol car turned onto a dirt track that led toward a distant house and barns. Daniel was soon enveloped in a dust cloud. He couldn’t see a whole lot until they both parked behind the ranch house.
He knew the patrol officer Griggs had assigned to the welfare check, a guy about his age named Keith Shead. They greeted each other and walked to the back door. Shead knocked firmly, waited and did it again. No response. After a brief consulation, they separated to circle the house and meet in front.
Daniel saw no movement inside the uncovered windows of what appeared to be a bedroom and an empty room. At a third window, he went still, his hand sliding to the butt of his weapon. This, too, had been a bedroom but was now trashed. It was as if someone in a rage had thrown furniture against the walls. Even more cautiously, he moved forward, ducking to sneak a peek before rounding the corner. Shead waited for him on the front porch.
“See anything?” Shead asked in a low voice.
“Somebody threw a mighty big temper tantrum in one of the bedrooms. Looks like it was a little boy’s room. A lot of fury there.”
“Blinds were down on a couple of the windows, but the kitchen looked okay, just…empty. No remnants of a recent meal or anything like that.”
Daniel nodded and rang the doorbell. A gong sounded from within. He pulled a latex glove from his pocket and put it on before trying the doorknob. Locked.
“We may have to break in, but let’s try the outbuildings first.”
Shead agreed, following Daniel back around so he could see the evidence of the epic temper tantrum.
Giving a low whistle, he said, “I wonder if that’s recent or happened a long time ago.”
Had Taubeneck lost his family? Crap. He wished he’d called Lindsay on the way.
In fact…
“Give me a minute,” he said, and Shead nodded, walking toward their parked cars. Daniel dialed Lindsay’s mobile number and waited through five rings before she answered, sounding tense.
“Detective?”
Forget being on a first-name basis. He was still in the doghouse.
“What can you tell me about Bradley Taubeneck?”
The silence that ensued raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
“Is he dead?”
“We’re doing a welfare check. I’m told he was involved in a mess that brought CPS in.” He frowned. “Were you the caseworker?”
“Of course I was.” Her voice had lost all life, sounded numb. “You think you’ll find him dead.”
“That’s a possibility I hope you’ll keep to yourself for now.”
“Yes.”
“What happened to the child?”
“It was a little boy. He wasn’t in his bed come morning. They…found him dead outside in the snow. Doors were locked.”
He swore. “Did the father throw him out as punishment or something?”
“That’s how it appeared at first. I ended up having some doubts about what really happened.”
Daniel let another expletive slip out. With the weather currently so hot, how would a killer have replicated the poor boy’s death? “Okay,” he said after a minute. “I’ll let you know what we find.”
He and Shead stuck together to search, given that they didn’t know what they were facing. Maybe the guy just wasn’t answering his phone and would be hostile to have law enforcement officers prowling around his property.
The barn was a washout. Daniel did notice no animals were inside. He climbed the ladder to the hayloft, even moved a few bales to be sure a body wasn’t wedged behind them. Shaking his head, he dropped back to the barn floor.
Another outbuilding held farm equipment: a tractor and more. The last one, closest to the house, had buckets, some tools and a white appliance it took him a second to recognize. A chest freezer. His gaze arrowed in on a hasp that had not been original…and the closed, heavy-duty padlock.
As if there was any doubt, a metal bucket filled with ashes sat right in front of the freezer.
Shead was the one swearing up a storm now. He ran back to the other outbuilding and re
turned fast and sweating, bolt cutters in hand. Daniel doubted speed was going to accomplish anything now. The ashes in the bucket were cool.
The padlock didn’t want to surrender. They took turns, untill finally it snapped in two and Daniel wrenched it off, lifted the hasp and pushed open the top.
With ice crystalized over his eyes, nostrils and mouth, the man inside was very dead.
“I’M SORRY,” SADIE SAID, her expression sympathetic. “You know this isn’t punishment, and I don’t believe for a second that you played any part in these murders. I hope you understand that I just can’t let you near a case until this is cleared up.”
Lindsay wouldn’t touch a new investigation with a ten-foot pole. But to be blocked even from working on ongoing cases came as a shock, despite the fact that she’d tried to prepare herself for this outcome. Once details about the latest murder topped local television news broadcasts, Sadie probably hadn’t felt she had any choice. The news of the most recent murder had spread like wildfire on social media even before news sources had picked it up.
While Lindsay understood where Sadie was coming from, she was still furious. Not at Sadie; in her shoes, Lindsay would have made the same decision. No, most of her anger was directed at the killer, who seemed determined to destroy her career if not her life even if he didn’t add her to his murder tally. But she had plenty of anger left over, simmering beneath the surface, choking her.
She nodded and rose to her feet. “I’ll clean out my desk.”
She’d almost escaped her supervisor’s office when Sadie said from behind her, in what was presumably meant to be encouragement, “You’ll be back at work before you know it.”
Sure she would. Lindsay didn’t even pause. Feeling the heat of humiliation and anger in her cheeks, she marched into the large space occupied by her fellow caseworkers, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Of course, silence fell at her appearance.
Sitting down at her desk, she wished she had a box, then thought, Do I really have anything here I really value? The answer was no.
She opened her already hefty handbag and shoved a few things in. A framed photo of her last foster mom. Two paperback books. A handful of energy bars that might go stale before she made it back—if she ever did.
She was already carrying her laptop. After opening and closing the final drawers, staring in and seeing nothing but the detritus of work she’d allowed to become her entire life, she stood abruptly enough to send her desk chair rolling back.
For the first time, she let herself notice the gaping stares of every single caseworker here in the office.
And her anger rolled over her until she literally saw red.
“Yes,” she said loudly, “there’s been another murder. I’ve been suspended, in case you’re wondering.” Without fault, but that wasn’t the point. She looked from face to face. “It would appear that somebody expects me to be pleased because he’s making child abusers suffer the same pain their victims did. He’s punishing them the way he must think they should have been punished in the first place. The way I failed to do, with my silly insistence on following the letter of the law.” Her voice continued rising as her grip on any self-control slipped. She should shut her mouth and leave…but why? she thought recklessly. I have an audience. The perfect audience.
One that might well include a serial killer.
“Well, you know what?” She turned in a slow circle to take in everyone in the room. “I’m not pleased. I’m enraged. Who does this person think he is, to sit in judgment on people he’s never even met? People who haven’t been convicted of a crime?” In fact, most of the murder victims hadn’t been. Not yet, anyway. “You know he cold-bloodedly murdered a very young man only because, when he was a kid himself, he defended his father?”
They all gazed at her, rapt, unblinking. Movement caught out of the corner of her eye told her Sadie had appeared. And, oh Lord, was that Glenn behind her?
Well, right this minute, she didn’t care.
“The latest victim—” Her voice broke. “From almost the beginning, I’ve believed he was innocent of the accusations. I was responsible for the charges being dropped, although his wife left him and took his other child with her. But this time, the arrogant monster who has named himself judge and executioner murdered an innocent man. Think about that.”
She slung her laptop over her shoulder and grabbed her handbag. “Maybe I’m no better person than he is, because I hope he—or she,” Lindsay added, again glaring from face to face, “suffers the same agony he’s inflicted on other people. The difference between us? Unlike this sick creep, I won’t be taking justice in my own hands.”
She noted the ducked heads, the eyes that no longer wanted to meet hers. Did everyone in this room guess they were under suspicion, because they were among the very few people who had access to the details of the original abuse cases?
She opened her mouth again but regained enough self-control to do nothing but shake her head and stomp toward the exit. Sadie and Glenn stepped hastily aside before she could knock them out of her way. Seconds later, she was out in the heat of the day and pulling open her car door.
“Lindsay.”
Recognizing the voice, she closed her eyes and her shoulders sagged. She hated knowing how disappointed Glenn would be in her for making such a spectacular scene. She couldn’t even say she felt better for having vented.
I can’t go back to work with those same people.
She tossed the two bags onto the passenger seat and turned to face the man who’d given her so much support and encouragement.
“Bet you didn’t know I had it in me,” she said wryly.
Astonishingly, his smile was as kind as ever, his presence as steadying. He had the same quality Daniel Deperro did, she was surprised to realize, one that made her want to believe, deep inside, that he wouldn’t let her down. It wasn’t just physical, although like Daniel he was solidly built. Well, not counting the roll around the middle he’d been acquiring since his retirement.
Although she liked and admired Glenn, she was disturbed to realize she had never let herself absolutely, 100 percent, believe she could trust and depend on him. She wouldn’t be able to where Daniel was concerned, either. Some scars ran deep.
“’Course I knew you did,” he said, his brown eyes compassionate. “You always had a fire. That’s what this job takes.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I know how much stress you’ve been under. I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
“I didn’t expect you to. It’s just…been strange. You know? Why me?”
“Maybe because you’ve been given the toughest cases from the beginning,” he suggested. “Somebody admires you.”
“Or resents me.”
He waggled a hand. “Possible, I suppose.”
“I’ll be okay.” She forced a smile and rose on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “It’s about time I took a vacation, anyway.”
He laughed, kissed her cheek in turn and said, “This is a paid break?”
“Yep.” This second smile came more easily. “Maybe I should take an Alaska cruise, escape the heat.”
“Go for it.” He hesitated. “I’m just sorry you don’t have a partner to go with you.”
Suddenly curious, she asked, “Have you ever been married?” He’d been single as long as she’d known him.
“Sure. Divorced.” He grimaced. “Job can do that to you.”
“Job can keep you single, too,” Lindsay said in exactly the same tone.
Then she saw someone else emerge from the state offices and start across the parking lot in her direction. Matt Grudin. Maybe he intended to be supportive, too…or maybe he thought she’d be vulnerable right now and he could get her in bed. Eager to avoid him, she said hurriedly, “I need to go, Glenn. Talk to you later.”
He glanced over his shoulder and turned back w
ith his bushy gray eyebrows high. “Grudin, huh?”
“Just don’t want to talk to anyone. Except you,” she added hurriedly.
He contemplated her for a minute, then nodded and stepped back. “Better step on it.”
She hopped into her roasting hot car, started the engine and, uselessly, the air-conditioning and pulled out of the parking slot before Matt reached Glenn’s side.
As she drove away, she didn’t look in the rearview mirror even once.
Chapter Nine
Daniel’s hands clenched and unclenched on the steering wheel as he drove from the police station to Lindsay’s house. She couldn’t call and tell him she’d been suspended from her job?
The call from her supervisor, Sadie Culver, had come out of the blue, catching him just as he was leaving to go home. She seemed like a nice lady and had sounded apologetic.
“I think everybody was gaping at her, like drivers do an accident on the highway, and she blew her top. Told them all she didn’t think for a minute that knocking off child abusers was a good thing. Said the killer was monster and a sick creep. Glenn was here and followed her out to be sure she was okay, but I still thought you’d want to know.”
Yes, he did. And he sure as hell didn’t believe she was “okay.” As deeply committed to her job as Lindsay was, she had to be feeling lost. Pissed, too, obviously, which he understood.
If she wasn’t home… He didn’t know what he’d do. Wait? Come back later? She’d had all day; who knew, maybe she’d thrown some bags in her car and taken off, the way she’d planned the Saturday he’d talked her into horseback riding with him instead.
But he saw her car in the driveway as soon as he turned onto her block. Now he just had to hope she didn’t ignore his knock on the door, always a possibility given their occasionally adversarial relationship.
He parked in her driveway, blocking her car in. Not likely she’d feel like going out tonight, anyway, unless she had girlfriends who’d insist on dragging her out to a bar. He didn’t believe that, though; he couldn’t be mistaken about her quality of aloneness.
The Hunting Season Page 10