“Could be construed as witness tampering,” Reggie charged. “At a minimum, he used his position to intimidate an employee. Should we pursue this guy as a serious suspect?”
“I’m trying to set aside my dislike for him and remain objective,” Skye admitted. “Other than his proximity to the first dumpsite, and dodging an interview with Josh, what do we have to connect Monahan to any of the victims?”
“But we started out thinking that proximity was a big deal,” Brayden pointed out. “When did that change?”
Skye chewed her lip. “Good point. Let’s keep him up there at the top, try to find out more, like where he was when some of these men and women went missing. Does he own weapons? If so, how many? Does he have a military background?”
“I can answer that one,” Josh offered. “Gil was never in the military. The closest thing he came to that was a donation to the USO.”
“To that point,” Harry began. “Foley is very interested in Tony and Dani. The question is, did they kill Emelia themselves or hire someone to do it for them. Could that have been Tony who kidnapped Emelia Thursday afternoon?”
Josh finished his food and closed the lid. “There’s no doubt Dani and her car appeared on camera, unloading Emelia’s belongings into the storage unit Friday afternoon. Her actions indicate she already knew Emelia wouldn’t be coming back. Then, Emelia’s police report surfaces where she put on record that she was scared of her cousin. Both of those things don’t look good for Dani. But according to Leo and Reggie, the software they use to determine the height of the offender, Tony is simply too short. He’s not the guy who did the kidnapping. Now we move forward and try to determine who Dani contacted, how she did it, and how she went about procuring a hitman.”
“What was Emelia’s life worth?” Zoe wondered. “It’s a valid question that gives me chills knowing Dani could be that heartless over a man.”
“Better get over it,” Skye cautioned. “And fast. Because if we don’t figure out the network this guy uses, figure out how Dani was so easily able to line up someone to take out her cousin, someone else will die and probably sooner rather than later. This guy’s been active for at least five years. It sounds like to me, he’s put himself out there somewhere advertising he’s for hire, willing to kill for money. Maybe he does it as a side job. Who knows? Whatever it is, we need to find a way into that network and soon.”
Reggie scooted his chair back. “You want me to scour the internet, see what I come up with?”.
“All of you. For the next two days, I want every single person in this room to use their savvy computer skills to hunt this guy down. Pretend you need to hire an assassin and go from there, see where the dark webs take you.”
“I’m not sure how savvy my skills are, but I’m sure interested in finding out how this Dani did this. It’s fascinating and sad all in one,” Deborah conveyed. “Not to mention highly dangerous, knowing anyone can hire a hitman just like that. How would it work exactly?”
“Reminds me of those old Hollywood fixers,” Harry offered. “People who hide behind a legitimate business like a major studio and yet somehow manage to make all manner of scandals go away overnight. Then you toss in the mob fixers who took care of making people disappear and you have a guy who’s sole purpose is to kill on demand. Think of it this way. How many bodies are probably still buried out in the Nevada desert? That’s probably what this guy does. He’s comfortable with it, comfortable with fixing problems and making people go away for good.”
“Military background, maybe?” Josh wondered aloud.
“That’s worth checking out.” Skye steepled her fingers, leaned back. “But what’s the motivation here? If this guy makes these people disappear, shoots them in the head or strangles them, then cuts off the thumb as proof of death, dumps them in a shallow grave in the woods, the survivors wouldn’t be able to collect insurance on a missing person. Gotta wait five to seven years for that to happen, then go to court to declare the person dead. Here we have Dani on a Thursday night pushing Brayden into using us to find the body. Three days later…boom…we make it a reality. So maybe Dani had a financial interest in Emelia’s death after all. Maybe she needed that body found within a reasonable timeframe. She pays this guy to get rid of Emelia and collect an insurance payout. But he messes things up and snatches Emelia instead of leaving her there on the sidewalk.”
Josh nodded. “I like that theory. We provided the body. We need to monitor Dani to see if she’s eager to contact an insurance company.”
“Why don’t I pay her another visit and bug her apartment?” Brayden recommended. “We’d know then for certain why she put a hit out on Emelia.”
“Sounds too risky,” Skye said. “On top of everything else, this woman might be unstable.”
Winston cleared his throat. “Why not wait until Dani and Tony are out of the apartment, go in then and plant the bug? We’ve done it before. We could even place a tracker on their vehicles.”
“That makes more sense,” Josh noted. “We can take care of that before we head out of town.”
Deborah grinned. “Let me guess. Been without that baby too long, haven’t you? That’s okay. You go and see Sierra. Don’t you worry about a thing. Take as long as you like. We’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
“That’s good,” Josh said, turning to look at Zoe. “But what we really need is for somebody to housesit while we’re gone. We’ll take the dogs with us so that’s not an issue. But someone should be here to look after the place.”
Zoe nudged Brayden. “He’s talking about us. We’ll do it.”
Skye sputtered with laughter. “That didn’t take much coaxing. No sleeping in our bed, though. Otherwise, make yourself at home.”
“Can we still use the study as our command center?” Judy asked. “I hate to pack up all those boxes and move.”
“Absolutely. What a great idea. Spend the night. Maybe you and Reggie could chaperone these two while we’re away.”
****
The full circle of help always came through in a pinch.
Skye and Jenny were the ones who waited in the minivan for Dani and Tony to leave their apartment. It was less likely that neighbors would find two women hanging around suspicious and call the cops. The theory had merit. The complex was not that busy during the day. Most folks had already left for their jobs by the time Skye pulled in to wait. And with residents at work until four-thirty or five in the afternoon, there was plenty of time to get the job done.
Skye had already placed the tracker underneath the sporty little Nissan’s undercarriage. When the couple did decide to leave, the tag detail would pick up their movements.
Harry and Deborah were waiting near the entrance to the complex to begin the tail and follow them around town. In the event they happen to lose them, Leo and Brayden would take care of tracking the car from the comfort of their laptops.
Despite success placing the tracker, Jenny couldn’t stop fidgeting. “Have you ever done this before?”
Skye found that funny. “How do I answer that without revealing my dubious past? The truth is, I’ve done a lot of things like this before I went legit and started the Foundation. These days, I rarely break into anything. I’m probably somewhat rusty. Stop worrying. You just need to act as my lookout.”
“I’ll try. Is it okay to ask why you didn’t bring Judy or Zoe? I’m such a novice.”
“You need to feel like you’re part of this team. Soon, you’ll take the bar exam and hurry out the door to become a full-time lawyer.”
“Didn’t Winston tell you? I’ve decided to go ahead and take the bar exam in December as planned. If I pass, I’ll start my practice as a victims’ rights attorney. Ever since that day you guys saved me, I’ve been kicking this around. I want to do the same thing for someone else. My way. I want to be a victim’s legal ally in all phases of their recovery, represent a sexual assault survivor, advocate for them.”
“That’s wonderful. Good for you. Victims ne
ed an advocate.”
“Winston’s already working on my website. I was hoping to office with you.”
“Really? That would be great. Why am I just now learning about this? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“I guess I didn’t want to risk that you might not warm to the idea. And I didn’t want to build myself up only to crater again if you weren’t as enthused. But I should’ve known you’d support the idea. Winston kept telling me you would.”
“Maybe you should stay in the car. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize your status as the future legal advocate for Artemis Foundation.”
Jenny took a deep breath. “No way. I’m super pumped. I’m doing this with you.”
“Good. Because Dani’s on the move, she just revved up the engine. There,” Skye pointed to the parking lot. “Tony’s with her. Does the man ever go to the fire station? Remind me to get Brayden to check out this guy’s schedule. We need to know when he’s working.”
Jenny watched in awe as Skye texted Brayden what she needed, then focused on getting into that apartment.
By the time Dani zoomed past the van, Skye had already taken out her tool kit from her backpack. “Tell you what, change of plans. You stay put, crawl behind the wheel when I get out. If Dani should circle back, honk the horn four times for a signal. But as soon as you see me emerge from the unit, you get ready to take off, start the van, and get ready to go as soon as I tell you to. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Skye darted up the steps two at a time. She approached the apartment door like she belonged there, prepared to morph into Dani’s cleaning lady if anyone asked.
No one bothered.
With practiced ease, she picked the lock. With a twist of the wrist, she was inside the apartment in a matter of seconds. The first thing she noticed was the smell of garbage. Sure enough, she found the kitchen littered with trash, the sink filled with dirty plates, and the countertops cluttered with food left out for days.
None of it mattered, though, as she attached the listening device underneath a cabinet at the very back. Next, she went into the living room, placed one bug underneath an end table, then crawled up on the same end table to reach the light fixture in the ceiling and affix a device to it. On the other side of the room, she adhered one to the base of a lamp.
In Dani’s bedroom, she placed one underneath the nightstand, then stood on top of the unmade bed, teetering on the soft foam until she could maneuver her way to the top of the dresser. From there, she could better reach the air-conditioning vent. After sliding the device between the grates, she climbed down and headed into the bathroom. It was just as messy and dirty as the kitchen. Holding her nose, she attached one over the vanity lights and one on the underside of the vanity storage.
That left the other side of the apartment—Emelia’s bedroom and bathroom. Not taking any chances on being wrong, she stuck one bug underneath the side table, one in the AC vent, and repeated the process in the bathroom.
A glance at her watch told her that she’d been in the apartment for fifteen minutes. After one last look around, she headed to the front door. Peering into the peephole to see if the coast was clear on the landing, she opened the door, re-engaged the lock with her pick, and bolted down the steps toward the minivan.
“Go. Get out of here,” Skye instructed Jenny as she settled into the passenger seat.
Jenny put the car in gear and steered around the corner about the same time she spotted Dani and Tony coming back. “Looks like we timed it perfectly. They must’ve gone out for fast food.”
Skye rolled her eyes. “You should see that place. It stinks in there. Somebody needs to spend a day or two scrubbing it out.”
“Is there a chance they might find the bugs you planted?”
“I doubt it. That apartment hasn’t been cleaned in six months, maybe not since Christmas. Even if they find one or two, I made sure we’ll still have a few working just in case. Besides, Brayden boosted the range and the acoustics. We should touch base with him, make sure the devices are working.”
Skye picked up her cell phone, punched speed dial for Brayden. She didn’t even let him say hello before she blurted out, “Please tell me we’re good to go. They weren’t gone long. It was a quick in and out, no time to…”
Brayden interjected, “We’re up and listening in on a nasty argument they’re having. I had no idea Dani was such a manipulative liar.”
Skye snickered with laughter. “Just be glad you found out sooner rather than later. Did you have time to find out when Tony’s scheduled at the firehouse? We need that info to better plan our strategy.”
“Not yet. How long will you guys be out of town? I can send it to you.”
“A couple of days. But the ranch is within an easy drive minus the road construction. If things go south on any level, just call, and we’ll be back within the hour.”
Fourteen
The Painted Crow was forty acres of ranch land that sat outside Everett on the top of a spectacular cliff dotted with towering Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. Hundred-foot tall conifers made up the surrounding forest as it stretched beyond the peaks and the rocky seashore below.
Here among the rolling pastureland where horses grazed, Travis and Lena had found the solitude they needed whenever they wanted to leave behind the stresses of the city.
As they got older, this was where they came back to again and again.
Travis still managed his various businesses. But over the years, he’d slowed down, preferring to run his interests remotely from the ranch. He’d even taken to letting his managers handle the everyday headaches that cropped up. His longtime employee, Velma Gentry, ran Country Kitchen like a well-oiled machine. But other enterprises sometimes needed hands-on attention. His fishing boat business could be problematic. Same with his office supply store and design business. Lena often volunteered to drive into Seattle to help keep it all running. Even the trendy seafood restaurant in Capitol Hill sometimes had a turnover problem.
Their approach to business these days was done with a laptop and Zoom rather than spending time in person. His passion had become her passion. Together they found joy in breeding and raising the American Paint Horses they both had come to love.
And spending time with their only grandchild seemed like an obvious choice, slowing down the pace to enjoy the little things life had to offer.
Sitting on the fence of the corral, Lena watched their granddaughter trot her pony in a circle and then out into the smaller paddock.
Sitting on top of Sunflower, a solid-colored, golden palomino pony, Sierra’s face showed her concentration and focus.
When Lena heard a car, her head whipped around to see the familiar minivan pulling into the lane and past the iron gate. She threw her hands up in greeting, waving both arms in the air.
Josh got out to the smell of the mist from the bay wafting on the wind. As the waves below the cliffs roared ashore on the beach and rocks, he filled his lungs with the country air. He went over to stand next to Lena, bobbed his head toward Sierra. “She’s getting a lot better.”
Lena nodded and hopped down. “She spends hours plodding around there with Travis. Most times, he’s on his own horse leading her around. Sometimes not. Your daughter is pretty independent. They’ll often go for rides together around the ranch, to the barn and back several times a day. Where’s Skye?”
“She’s letting the dogs loose. They’ve been cooped up in the car too long. They’re ready to run wild.”
As soon as Skye reached the fence line, she leaned over and hugged Lena. “It’s always so beautiful here.”
“Then you should stay longer than overnight. You guys could use a nice break.”
“If only we could. In the middle of a case, things are happening in real-time.”
“Well, I’m going to head inside and put the finishing touches on dinner. Pot roast with baby carrots and potatoes tonight.”
“My stomach’s growling already. Need some help?”
After Lena walked away, Skye turned her attention to Sierra. Her chest swelled with pride at the way the girl, sitting spine straight, trotted around the circle like a savvy rider. She let out a sigh, looped an arm around Josh’s back, and rested her head on his shoulder. “Hard to believe we made her.”
“Not so difficult to believe,” Josh said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer so he could kiss her hair. “She looks like her mother out there. Even when she’s riding Sunflower, she’s got that face you use when you’re determined to complete a task. She has your adventurous spirit.”
“Yeah? Let’s hope she develops your cautious nature sometime down the road. Otherwise, we’re in trouble. Because you’ve kept me grounded. You know you have. I’m not sure we’ll be able to contain that in her.”
As soon as Sierra looked up to spot her parents, her lips curved into a wide smile. “Daddy! Mama! You came.”
Travis leaned in and whispered in her ear, “When you’re riding Sunflower, always keep your eye on the trail. Never get distracted, even when Mom and Dad watch you. Sunflower is gentle, but not all horses are.”
“Okay,” Sierra said, her little mouth bowed, her tongue hung partially out of the corner in a fierce show of concentration.
“Now lead Sunflower back to the corral like we practiced,” Travis instructed.
Sierra did as she was told, gradually making her way back to the larger enclosure.
“You’re up, Daddy,” Skye murmured with a grin. “Your daughter awaits. I’ll meet you back at the house. I need to help Lena get dinner on the table, no matter what she says.”
Josh watched her walk away and then turned his full attention back to Sierra, meeting her at the gate, ready when she jumped off the pony and into his arms. “Hey there, looking good. You’re getting better.”
Down Among The Bones Page 18