Blood Reckoning

by C. M. Sutter

  “Yeah, and it would be a foolish move to hold my breath on the chances of that happening since we didn’t have any luck with Brandon.”

  An officer walked in with papers in hand. He took a seat next to us.

  I tipped my chin his way. “Got something on Lucas Freeman?”

  “Word for word nearly the same arrest record that Erik has. Makes sense that they’d cover for each other.”

  Renz scanned the paperwork. “Rioting and unlawful assembly. They probably attend every event together.”

  “And because they live together, they’ll use each other as alibis,” Charlotte said.

  Renz turned to the officer. “Okay, I guess they’re free to go. Thanks for all the help.”

  “Not a problem, Agent DeLeon. We’ll take care of that immediately. All we need is a signature on the release forms.”

  Chapter 18

  I grumbled all the way back to our office, where we would part ways for the night only to begin the process again first thing in the morning. During tomorrow’s meeting, I planned to suggest that a press conference might be in order. Five murders in one night and probably within minutes of each other, whether the victims were homeless or not, was a significant event. The public needed to be informed of the danger since homeless people rarely made front-page news. Somebody had to have seen or heard something, just like Ray had. If only more people were as brave as he was and would come forward with what they knew.

  I thought about Erik as I drove home. Even though he’d said he was sleeping at eight yesterday morning, that didn’t mean it was true. I was sure he would have denied being on Hemmer Street, too, if we hadn’t have had the pictures to prove it.

  That’s it. There have to be cameras near that duplex since stores are sprinkled throughout the area on Greenfield. If Erik was asleep at eight in the morning, there wouldn’t be a chance in hell of seeing him exit the duplex or even catching an upstairs light on. Seeing him on camera walking down the street, leaving in a car, or even waiting in a bus shelter would prove he’s lying. Kyle said we had to find irrefutable evidence before we could move on with him or Lucas as suspects.

  I finally had something to hope for, and I looked forward to tomorrow. We would head to West Allis after our morning updates, ask around, and do our best to locate an outdoor camera that could put Erik Smalley awake and upright during the time Brandon Dalton was murdered.

  It was closing in on eight o’clock by the time I arrived home. Another twelve-hour day and another weekend shot to hell. I prayed for a lottery win that would afford me a cabin on a lake with twenty acres in northern Wisconsin. I’d be as happy as possible unless the image in my mind could include my dad being there. I let out a wistful sigh, parked in the garage, and lowered the overhead door.

  A bowl of soup or leftovers from Amber and Kate’s dinner would be fine with me. All I wanted to do was go to bed, drift off, and hope my dreams wouldn’t involve criminals.

  Luckily, a pot of chili was still on a low simmer on the stove. That, a few pieces of thick garlic toast, and a beer would be my supper, and I couldn’t think of anything better. The three of us had some small talk while I ate, with Spaz cozied up on Kate’s lap, the perfect ending to a long day. After putting my bowl in the sink, I gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead and headed down the hallway. My king-sized bed was calling my name.

  Chapter 19

  Before their late-night meeting began, as they sat at the back of the building, Erik updated Jacob about the surprise visit he had gotten from law enforcement that afternoon.

  “Were they officers or detectives?” Jacob asked.

  “There were four of them—two men and two women—and they weren’t wearing uniforms. They had the cops haul Lucas and me to the police station, where they questioned us. Those assholes had pictures of me following Brandon on Hemmer Street yesterday. I knew that kid was too ambitious for his own good. He thought he was a hotshot, got careless, and returned to the scene for whatever stupid reason. Somebody had to have seen him there, or the cops wouldn’t have been looking for him.”

  “Hmm… maybe detectives, then.”

  “Wait a minute. I remember the guy saying that their agents were searching the apartment.”

  “Agents, huh? That means the FBI is already involved. Probably because five people died within a short time of each other and in five different police jurisdictions. They obviously know the murders are connected, but now we’ll really get them scrambling. You did put the gun back where you got it from, right?”

  “Absolutely. The FBI thought they were going to scare me with their search warrant tactics, but the duplex doesn’t have anything inside that’ll help them. It’s a typical guys’ apartment filled with dirty clothes, dirty dishes, and empty beer bottles.”

  “You did good, Erik. Now let’s see how proud you’ll make me tonight. Are you ready to head out?”

  “You bet I am. That lady won’t know what hit her.”

  “Remember to always keep the gloves on no matter what. I’ll pass out the weapons you’ll use in a minute.” Jacob turned his wrist. “Let’s go back inside. I need to call our meeting to order.” After returning to the makeshift stage made of pallets, Jacob and Evelyn sat down. “Is everyone in attendance?” Jacob counted heads by jabbing the air in front of each attendee.

  Micah, in the second row, looked around. “I don’t see Brandon.”

  “Brandon bowed out,” Evelyn said. “He had a change of heart. Now, shall we get started?”

  Jacob went over the instructions in great length for each of the four remaining recruits and Erik, as was discussed in secret that morning between Brandon, Evelyn, and himself. Erik would take over Brandon’s duties.

  The basket was passed around, and each recruit pulled out a homemade garrote.

  “Do all of you know how to use the garrotes?” Evelyn asked.

  They nodded.

  “Okay, then. Each one of you has a target that you’ve studied up on. You know their name, their face, and why they were chosen. The location where you’ll find them is in your notes. We deliberately picked people who are out and about in the late evening so nobody has to risk their own safety by breaking into homes.” Evelyn slapped her hands together. “Any questions before we send you out into the world?”

  “Who’s taking Brandon’s place?” Micah asked.

  Erik spoke up. “I volunteered since I was his handler.”

  “But I thought nobody was allowed to bow out after that first night.”

  Jacob took over. “Brandon was the only exception, and he swore he’d never talk about us or our plans to anyone. I have complete confidence that he’ll never utter a word. The rest of you have come too far, so bowing out isn’t an option anymore. Everyone stay invisible, be careful, and we’ll gather at the South Barclay Street location tomorrow night at ten o’clock. We’re getting close, and you’ll learn the identity of the real targets then.” Jacob gave Erik a nod, then everyone left the building.

  Chapter 20

  Erik had his assignment memorized and knew exactly where to park to stay out of sight of his target and the restaurant cameras. He would watch from the parallel parking spot he’d chosen a half block away. The woman had to walk to the employees’ parking lot, which was right around the corner from the restaurant. It was also in perfect view of where Erik had parked.

  He arrived fifteen minutes before she would leave. He knew her schedule. The restaurant stopped serving at nine and closed at ten, and she stuck around until the last employee went home. She’d kill the lights, set the alarm, and lock the door just after eleven. With her leaving last and her car being the only one in the lot, there would be no mistaking his target for anyone else.

  Erik could easily hide behind the trash bins, approach her from the back, and wrap the garrote around her neck, but the singular pole lamp positioned in the middle of the lot would give away the attack. He was well-aware of that risk and not willing to take it. He would hit her car as she drove to
ward the lake. There were plenty of side roads that snaked around the homes in that remote area northeast of the city along Lake Michigan’s shores. Earlier, he’d decided on Hidden Cove Way just because it was on her way home and he liked the name. He’d ram her car down the deep ravine and kill her once she was physically stunned.

  The anticipation almost made him giddy, especially since he’d been able to stop the FBI in their tracks that morning. They had nothing on him. Their team didn’t find one shred of incriminating evidence in his apartment, and he, as well as those amateur agents, knew it.

  Erik stared blankly out the windshield until movement caught his eye. It was her, and she was headed to the parking lot. He whispered in enthusiasm. “Here we go. It’s showtime.” Erik watched as she unlocked the door of her midsized sedan and climbed in. Seconds later, she exited the parking lot and turned right, and when she was halfway down the block, he pulled out. According to his online search, she lived six and a half miles north of the restaurant in a cottage overlooking the lake. The area was densely wooded, and ravines were plentiful. The narrow roads leading to the cottages weaved around those deep dips. He would go with his plan to run her off the road then come to her rescue as if he’d seen a hit-and-run vehicle speed away. Then he’d pull out the garrote, wrap it around her neck, and twist the handles. Erik would drag her to his car, toss her body in the trunk, and drive to a sketchy area of Milwaukee, where sooner or later, she would be found by drug dealers, thieves, or somebody with a less than desirable reputation.

  He looked in his rearview mirror at the city fading fast behind him. The woman’s taillights were a half dozen car lengths ahead with no cars between them. After she made several turns onto those back country roads, he would strike. Nobody would be around to witness his actions, and as long as he got to her before she could call for help, she’d be at his mercy.

  Twenty minutes later, he saw her pump the brakes several times before the right turn signal blinked.

  We’re getting close. Only a few miles to go. Two more turns and then I’ll smash into the back of her car and send her careening into a ravine.

  Erik pressed the gas pedal deeper to the floor and sped up. She turned right and then left, and he saw his opportunity. An S curve was coming up with deep ravines on both sides of the road. He gunned it, jerked the steering wheel to the right, and smacked the driver’s rear quarter panel. He slammed on the brakes so he wouldn’t get tangled in her spinning car. Her tires hit the shoulder, causing gravel to spray everywhere. The small stones pelted his windshield like summer hail.

  Erik involuntarily flinched. “Damn it!” He caught sight of her car just as it teetered on the edge of the shoulder then slid on its side into the ravine.

  “Perfect! Now to help her out of the vehicle like the concerned citizen I am.”

  Erik jammed the garrote into his pocket, put on the gloves, and inched down the hill while yelling out to the woman.

  “Hello, hello! I’m coming down the hill to help you. I just called 911, and they’re on their way.” Erik reached the passenger-side door and yanked it open.

  The dazed, bloodied woman turned her head as she fumbled with her words. “What happened? Who are you? Did you cause this?”

  “No, ma’am, but I saw the vehicle that ran you off the road. Let me get you out before the gas fumes overtake us. Can you unfasten your seat belt?”

  “Um, maybe, but I’m so disoriented.”

  “That’s because your car is lying on its side. Your door won’t open, so you’ll have to crawl over the console to reach me. I’ll help you up the hill.”

  Her agonized moans nearly made Erik laugh.

  You haven’t seen anything yet.

  “Grab my hands. We have to hurry.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without your help. Nobody would have seen my car down here.”

  Erik silently snickered.

  That was the plan, idiot.

  He took her hands and, with a pull, got her out of the car and to her feet.

  She wobbled then looked back. “Wait, my purse and phone.”

  “Let’s get up the hill. I’ll come back with my flashlight and find them for you.”

  “Thank you. You’re truly a lifesaver.”

  He grinned. “I’ll be right behind you, but you need to grab every root and branch you can to pull yourself up. We don’t need you sliding back down the ravine.”

  It took nearly a half hour to get her up to the road, and as soon as he did, Erik pulled the garrote from his pocket. There wasn’t a logical reason to kill her in the ravine and drag dead weight all the way up the hill. While she was exhausted, he acted with lightning speed. He looped the cord around her neck, then he twisted the handles.

  Even in her confused and injured state, she did her best to fight him off. She swatted the air behind her head. Erik leaned back. He couldn’t allow her fingernails to connect with his face and leave claw marks. She scratched at her neck and thrashed with every ounce of energy she had, which was minimal. It didn’t take long. Erik felt the fight leave her body as she went limp. He gave the handles another twist and held the pressure for a minute longer just to make sure.

  “There, that ought to do it.”

  He let go. Her knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground. Erik popped the trunk, opened the emergency tool kit, and pocketed the flashlight. After scanning the road, Erik dragged her to the car, lifted her over the back bumper, and dropped her into the trunk. He scurried down the hill again and, with the help of the flashlight, quickly found her phone and purse. He couldn’t linger there any longer, and within ten minutes, he was behind the wheel and heading to the wrong side of the tracks with her dead body in his trunk.

  Chapter 21

  I woke up feeling refreshed and raring to go. I didn’t feel the need to ride the snooze button since I’d had nine hours of uninterrupted sleep and not a single bad guy had entered my dreams. The day was starting out just right. I was out of the house fifteen minutes early because it was Monday, the first workday of most people’s week, and for some unknown reason, the day many of those people forgot how to drive. I was sure that data had been collected about which workday had the most car accidents, and in my few months of driving to St. Francis, I’d found that Mondays were typically the day I walked in late. I vowed to do better and promised Maureen I would. I crossed my fingers and hoped nobody would be texting while driving the freeway to work that morning.

  Fifty minutes later, I wore a wide grin as I crossed our parking lot. I got to work in record time, which gave me an extra minute to grab a coffee on my way to the office I shared with Renz. I was sure our newest case would start moving along if we could spot Erik outside yesterday morning, either near his house or in the area where Brandon was found. Even if they went to that alley together, Erik had to find a way home. We would check every exit around the Miller Street alley and look for cameras on apartment buildings, doorbells, or storefronts. Somebody shot Brandon and either walked away or was picked up by an accomplice, but without camera evidence, we were dead in the water.

  In the lunchroom, I fed the coffee machine three quarters and waited as the brew poured into a Styrofoam cup. Somebody would start a pot sooner or later, but I wanted to sip hot coffee as I put together my thoughts for our morning meeting. I walked to our office and, after opening the door, was surprised to see that Renz wasn’t there. I checked the time—7:47, still thirteen minutes before our eight o’clock meeting.

  Where the hell did he go? He wasn’t in the lunchroom.

  I stuck my head out the door and looked from left to right—nobody anywhere.

  Hmm… maybe they started the meeting early, but why would they?

  With my coffee in hand, I grabbed a notepad and pen and headed to the conference room. I was surprised to see four of my colleagues and Taft gathered around the table and deep in a speakerphone call. Renz looked up, put his finger to his mouth, then pulled out a chair for me. I sat down, remained quiet, and listen
ed to the back-and-forth conversation. Even though I’d come in midway through the call, I picked up on the urgency. Taft was talking to the chief of police from the District 1 State Street station. What I’d walked in on sounded like a desperate plea for help. According to him and the four other police chiefs that he had spoken with during the late-night hours, five more people had been murdered overnight. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing—five more dead bodies. That number had to be relevant to the killers, yet because Milwaukee County had seven police precincts, I wondered if the killers had hit the same ones as before, or were they rotating districts? I was sure to learn more after the call ended, but from what I could piece together, it sounded like the murder victims that time were everyday people, not homeless tent dwellers.

  My mind was going a million miles an hour. Were the killers advancing their agenda? Did they even have an agenda, or were they killing purely for the sake of killing? Had they become more daring since it was glaringly obvious that we had no idea who’d killed the five homeless people? Or was I wrong on all fronts and the murders were part of a well-organized plan that would shock all of Milwaukee County? I had no idea, and we had no suspects in custody and not a single motive to work with.

  The conference call ended ten minutes later, but during that time, I had jotted down questions as fast as my mind could come up with them.

  Maureen let out what sounded like a discouraged sigh. “Okay, only half of the team heard the entire phone call with Chief Barrett.” She checked the time. “Our regular meeting will be starting in a few, so everyone grab a coffee, a notepad, do whatever you need to do, and be back in ten minutes. By then, everyone should be here. There’s no reason to repeat these latest findings more than once.”

  We rose from the table, and Fay headed to the back counter and started a pot of coffee. I walked with Renz down the hallway toward the cafeteria, where I was sure he’d grab a morning sweet roll like he did every day.