Blood Legacy

by C. M. Sutter

  “The sooner the better, especially since we’re here already. I can feel it, Renz. We’re in the right area.”

  “I agree. Let’s go see what Sheriff Burke is doing about getting someone up on that mountaintop to retrieve those shell casings. After that, I’m going to need some food.”

  Chapter 39

  “How far out of town are we supposed to go before we shoot them?” Clarence asked.

  “Far enough so it doesn’t look suspicious.”

  Clarence laughed. “Two people shot and killed while driving down the freeway will look suspicious no matter where it happens.”

  Donny swatted the air. “Whatever. Bart said to go at least halfway before we do anything. Bozeman is ninety minutes away, so do the math.”

  “Forty-five minutes, then?”

  “Yep, something like that. We have another fifteen minutes or so, but location matters too. We don’t want to be in a populated area where a lot of cars are passing by. Some other driver is likely to see you aim out the window and shoot them.”

  “Me? I’m doing the shooting?”

  “Well, yeah. I’m kind of busy driving the van, dumbshit.”

  Clarence picked up one of the Glocks and admired it. “I always did like shooting handguns.”

  “Good. The only thing you need to worry about is not missing. I’ll pull alongside their car, you’ll have the window down, and then just start blasting. You need to hit the woman for sure, but just empty the gun on both of them.”

  “Yeah, pow, pow, pow. They’ll swerve off the road, crash into something, and we’ll be long gone.”

  Donny wrinkled his forehead. “That’s the plan, so we can’t screw it up. Bart will have our asses if we do.”

  They continued on for another ten miles. Donny looked from left to right then checked the mirrors. The coast was clear. He couldn’t see any other cars to his side or behind them.

  He jerked his chin at the gun on Clarence’s lap. “Is that magazine fully loaded?”

  “Yep. Is it go time?”

  “It’s go time. I’ll pull alongside the driver’s window, and you start firing. Don’t stop until the magazine is empty.”

  “You got it.” Clarence checked the passenger-side mirror. “Nobody coming up from behind.”

  “Okay. Roll down your window, and I’ll gun it.”

  They laughed at Donny’s choice of words as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor and sped up until he was almost side by side with Byron’s car.

  Chapter 40

  Back at the sheriff’s office, we were told that the two deputies experienced in back country tracking, Donaldson and Conner, had already headed out with overnight packs. They would sleep in tents and reach the mountaintop first thing in the morning. We would have the shell casings in hand by tomorrow but would have to figure out a way for the deputies to lower the evidence to us on the trail floor rather than hike all the way down with the casings. Sheriff Burke offered to arrange that in the safest and most effective way.

  We were in a holding pattern. Byron and Tara had gone home to Bozeman, and Jane was still in a coma. The swelling had gone down in her brain, and there was a chance that she would wake up tomorrow. As far as the casings, we wouldn’t have them in our hands to check for prints until then. I prayed that tomorrow might bring us the promising results we’d hoped for. As long as nobody else died before then, we would be in good shape.

  We were about to call it a night, have a relaxing supper, and check into a hotel when Renz’s phone rang. He said it was Taft.

  “Hey, Boss. What’s up?” He set his phone to Speaker so I could join the conversation.

  “We’ve received the auction customer lists from Kansas and Utah’s departments of livestock. Several of the same names showed up that we got from Jeff Andrews in Helena.”

  “That’s great news and a solid clue,” I said.

  “It is, sort of. One is an actual person’s name, and the other is listed under a corporation, which will make it harder to learn who really owns it.”

  “Let’s have the info on the person with a name.”

  “We’ve looked for him in the criminal database, and he doesn’t have a record anywhere in the country, not even a driving violation. His name is Peter Landry, and he has a five-thousand-acre spread in Broadview.”

  “Well, I’m sure our killer doesn’t have a criminal background either, or he would have been enjoying Club Fed for some time now.”

  “True enough. How far is Broadview from White Sulphur Springs?”

  I quickly looked it up on my phone. “Just under two hours, ma’am.”

  “We don’t have a single thing on the man, so there’s no way a judge will give us a warrant to search his property.”

  “So?” Renz asked.

  “So let me do a little more checking. I’ll see what I can find on that corporation too. What’s the status on the shell casings?”

  Renz answered, “Two deputies are on their way up the mountain as we speak. They’ll spend the night up there, retrieve the casings first thing in the morning, and somehow lower them to us below the ridge. We’ll get the county forensic lab to print them, see if they get anything viable, and run the results through the database. It would be a significant lead if they got a hit.”

  “And the girl?”

  “We’ll check on her again tomorrow. If she wakes up with full brain and recall strength, the case can blow wide-open as soon as we talk to her.”

  “Don’t get overly excited, Lorenzo. You know how long it takes for a brain injury to heal. Let’s work with what we know for sure and hope for the best with Jane Doe. I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I have more news.”

  We said our goodbyes, and Renz hung up.

  “Come on. Let’s go have supper before I go into a starvation coma.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, that makes two of us.”

  Chapter 41

  With the window lowered, Clarence positioned the barrel of the Glock so it was just peeking through the opening. Donny was several feet behind the car Byron was driving.

  “Can you shoot him in the back of the head from here? It won’t give him the chance to look over, see you with the gun, and try to swerve out of the way.”

  Clarence shrugged. “Probably, but you want me to empty the gun on them anyway. Guess I may as well start now.” Clarence racked the slide, braced his elbow on the car’s window frame, and began shooting. He saw the driver’s head jerk to the side, then the car made a hard left, nearly tipping in the process. Donny slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into them.

  “Keep shooting!”

  Clarence pulled the trigger in rapid succession. The car he was shooting at zigged and zagged while going at highway speeds. All of the windows had been blown out, and Clarence didn’t see anyone sitting upright anymore.

  “I think I got both of them, Donny.”

  “Hurry and empty the magazine so we can get the hell out of here. I see cars behind us in the distance.”

  Clarence fired the remaining bullets while the casings zinged through the car, hitting the windshield and dash. After the magazine was empty, Donny pressed the gas to the floor, looked out the side window, and saw the sedan rolling end over end and into the ditch. Grinning at Clarence for a job well done, Donny let out a relieved sigh and continued on. Twenty minutes later, he turned the car around in Livingston and headed north again. They would pass the scene, see the devastation they’d caused, and go home. After telling Bart the story over shots of whiskey, Donny was sure his boss would be pleased with the outcome.

  Chapter 42

  Renz and I enjoyed the Italian fare at a cozy local restaurant. I had ravioli, and he chose the manicotti. Side salads and a plate of garlic bread sticks topped off our meals along with a bottle of Chianti. The nice supper gave us an hour of relaxation where we talked about the delicious food and our daily lives rather than the case. In our careers, always discussing work was a good way to burn out, plus it didn’t allow the opportunity to
get to know each other beyond the job.

  After our meal, we walked to the hotel, a short two blocks from the restaurant. Following a much-needed hot shower, I was ready to hit the sheets. Tomorrow would finally be a day of progress. I crossed my fingers and counted on it.

  We walked up the outside stairs and parted ways at my room. We agreed to meet downstairs for breakfast at seven, then we planned to touch base with Sheriff Burke. Getting those shell casings off to Forensics was our most important task that morning, and I hoped everything after that would fall into place.

  I entered my room and opened the go bag lying on the spare bed. After pulling out my pajamas, I turned on the shower and let the water heat up. Mindlessly, I hit the Power button on the TVs remote to listen to the latest news as I showered. A news flash interrupted the local weather forecast.

  “Now what? I hope no more dead people have been found by hikers.”

  In my mind, I debated whether to watch the segment or just listen to it from the bathroom. I made my decision and stepped into the shower but was instantly disappointed when I couldn’t hear the news.

  Ten minutes later, after drying off and slipping on my robe, I heard pounding on my hotel room door.

  “Jade, Jade, it’s Renz. Open up.”

  I swung open the door. “What the hell is going on?”

  He pointed at the TV. “Didn’t you watch the news?”

  I frowned. “Sorry, I figured a shower was more important. Why?”

  “There was a serious crash on Highway 89 South. It’s the direction Tara and Byron had to go to get back to Bozeman. The news showed the car being pulled out of the ditch and said there was one fatality, but no names were given. What I could see of the mangled car looked a lot like theirs.”

  “Was it a pileup? Were other cars involved? What caused the accident?”

  “The reporter said it was a one-car accident. That’s all they knew at the time. It happened a few hours ago near Clyde Park.”

  I held up my palms. “Renz, I have no idea where that is.”

  “Right, sorry.” He punched in the map on his phone. “There.” He pointed at the town’s name on the map.

  “Is there a hospital there? We need to know if that accident was actually them or some other unfortunate person. Did the news say how many people were in the car?”

  Renz nodded. “They said two.”

  “Shit.” I grabbed my phone off the charger and searched for the name of the hospital closest to Clyde Park. “It says Livingston has the nearest hospital. Where the hell is Livingston?”

  Renz checked the map again. “Right there.”

  “Okay, call the hospital and ask. Tell them you’re an FBI agent and the people you’re asking about could be witnesses to a crime in the White Sulphur Springs area. We need to know if that accident on Highway 89 involved Byron and Tara Philips.”

  “Well, shit, Jade. You could have already made the call yourself instead of telling me exactly what to say.”

  “Whatever.” I clicked on the Livingston hospital’s phone number and waited for someone to answer. I set my phone to Speaker.

  “Livingston Healthcare. How may I direct your call?”

  “I need information from the emergency department.”

  “One moment, please.”

  I rolled my eyes when I was put on hold. “Damn elevator music.”

  Renz put his hand on my shoulder. “Take a breath, Jade. Somebody will answer in a minute.”

  A female voice came on the line. “Emergency. How can I help you?”

  “Hi. This is FBI Agent Jade Monroe. I just saw on the local news that there was a fatal car accident on Highway 89 just out of Clyde Park.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but we aren’t at liberty to give any information whatsoever over the phone. Privacy concerns, you know.”

  “All I need to know is if the people involved in that accident were Byron and Tara Philips. If it was, I’ll drive there myself, show you my credentials, and find out about their condition. They are witnesses in a case my partner and I are working on.”

  “Ma’am, like I said before—”

  I interrupted. “Like I said before, I’m an FBI agent, and you could be interfering with an ongoing investigation.”

  “Are you family, ma’am?”

  “No, but—” The phone went dead in my ear. I stared at the screen, and it showed that the call had been disconnected. “That son of a—”

  Renz waved off my comment. “Get dressed and meet me at the car in ten minutes. Livingston is only an hour away. We won’t be able to sleep anyway if we don’t know what’s going on.”

  “Wait! We have Byron and Tara’s cell numbers, don’t we?”

  “Yeah, and I tried them before I banged on your door. They both went to voicemail.”

  “Okay, get out of here so I can get dressed. I’ll be downstairs in five.”

  Renz walked out, and I slipped on the clothes I had just taken off before my shower. After clipping my wet hair back into a makeshift knot, I grabbed my purse, phone, and room key and ran downstairs. Renz and I jumped into the rental, and he peeled out of the parking lot.

  “Pull up the fastest directions to that hospital in Livingston and tell me how to get onto Highway 89 from here.”

  “Give me a sec. Okay, go four blocks west, and then Highway 12 East turns into Highway 89 South.” I pointed straight ahead. “Just make a left when we see the sign. It’ll be a straight shot for an hour.”

  “Got it.” Renz followed my directions, and four blocks later, he turned left.

  Once we were on Highway 89, I spoke up again. “What if I called the county sheriff’s office? They might tell us something.”

  He nodded. “Worth a shot. What county is Clyde Park and Livingston in?”

  “I’ll check.” I tapped my phone’s screen and searched for answers. “Oh, good. Both Livingston and Clyde Park are in Park County. That ought to make things easier. Now I just need to pull up the sheriff’s office number and call them.” I found the number and made the call. After I was put on hold for five minutes, a male voice came on the line.

  “Sheriff Johnson speaking. What can I do for you?”

  I went through the introductions, told him why I was calling, and asked about the occupants of the car involved in the accident. “The news said there was a fatality.”

  “Yes, that’s correct, but unless I see your credentials with my own eyes, I can’t give you any information. This is backcountry, small towns, and everyone knows each other. I haven’t heard one word about the FBI working a case in our neck of the woods.”

  “Actually, we’re working a case near White Sulphur Springs, and Mr. and Mrs. Philips are witnesses in that particular case. They came up for the day and met with us, Sheriff Burke from Meagher County, and a few of his deputies. They headed back home several hours ago on Highway 89 since they live in Bozeman. The timeline, the crashed vehicle shown on the news, and the fact that there were two people in the car are coincidental, to say the least.”

  “So you know Sheriff Burke?”

  “Yes, sir, I do, and you can confirm with him who we are. Please, I have to know if it was Byron and Tara Philips who were involved in that accident.”

  “Give me your number. I’ll call you back as soon as I speak with Clay.”

  He was referring to Sheriff Burke, and it was obvious that they knew each other on a first-name basis. I rattled off my cell phone number, thanked him, and hung up. I looked at Renz and knew we were thinking the same thing—either Tara or Byron was dead.

  Chapter 43

  “Where do you think you’re going?” When Clarence made an abrupt turn toward the bunkhouse, Donny stopped in his tracks.

  With his thumb pointed over his shoulder, Clarence said he was going to bed.

  “The hell you are. You’re going inside with me and telling Bart how the shooting went down. You’re the triggerman, remember? I was just the driver.”

  “So now this is all on me? That’s why you
wanted me to do the shooting?”

  Donny laughed. “You think I was born yesterday? I don’t want to face that son of a bitch’s wrath if something went wrong. Better you than me, dude.”

  Clarence stormed toward Donny. “I ought to—”

  Donny clenched his hands into fists. “You ought to do what, asshole? You want to fight me? Is that what you’re saying? Don’t forget I’m forty pounds heavier than you and twice the man. Now, let’s go.” He shoved Clarence ahead of him. “Damn help these days are nothing but chicken shits.”

  Clarence spewed his response. “And that’s coming from the guy who just threw me under the bus? Who’s the asshole now?”

  Donny jerked his chin toward the house. “Get inside. Bart must have seen the headlights coming down the driveway. He’s probably wondering what the hell we’re up to.”

  They entered the house together, still grumbling, and walked into the family room, where Bart, lying on the recliner with the TV paused, was waiting.

  “Why the hell did it take you ten minutes to come inside?”

  Donny shrugged. “No reason. We were just jawing outside for a minute. The deed is done, so there’s nothing more to worry about.”

  “There’s still Cassie to deal with now that we know she isn’t dead.”

  Clarence swiped the air. “She has no idea where this ranch is located or anyone’s last name.”

  Bart stared a little longer than Clarence was comfortable with. “Now, are you going to tell me how the shooting went down?”

  “Um.”

  “Speak up, man. Who drove, and who fired at the car?”

  Donny quickly took over. “I drove, and Clarence shot the gun.”

  “Well? I want play-by-play details. Are they dead? Do you know that to be fact? Did you check?”

  “No, because Donny said he saw cars coming up behind us in the side mirrors. I emptied the magazine into the car, they both went down, then the vehicle rolled end over end. There’s no way I missed them. I saw the husband’s head jerk to the side on the first shot, then the car veered out of control. Fifteen rounds went into that vehicle at a ten-foot distance. They’re dead. I’m sure of it.”