Harlequin Intrigue July 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Carol Ericson

  At this point, the detective could literally recite every word in the report verbatim. Once he reached the last page, he realized that there wasn’t a thing he’d overlooked. He’d hoped to find something he could hang a search warrant on.

  He sighed deeply before closing the file. In spite of his coffee being cold, he drained the cup, hoping the last few sips of caffeine would help give him a boost. After last night’s madness at Westman’s, he’d barely slept and had been dragging all morning.

  He refreshed his email inbox. There were no new messages. He’d been planning on driving by Hudson’s house to check on him during his lunch break. But since things were quiet around the station, he decided to take advantage of the downtime and go now.

  Gregory grabbed Jacob’s file. After shoving his keys and cell phone inside his pocket, he walked out of his office.

  On the way to the exit, he was surprised to hear Chief Wentworth call out his name.

  “Hey, Detective Harris, can I see you in my office?”

  Gregory stopped abruptly. He looked through the chief’s doorway and saw him sitting behind the desk, one of his hefty arms propped up on his elbows as he thumbed through a report.

  “Of course.”

  “Close the door behind you.”

  Gregory stepped inside the office apprehensively and closed the door. He eyed the chief, searching the blank expression on his chubby face for some sort of indication as to why he’d called him in.

  “Have a seat,” Chief Wentworth told him.

  Just as he grabbed hold of a chair, Gregory’s cell phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and saw a text message from Samantha appear on the screen. He slipped it back inside his pocket and sat down.

  “The reason I called you in here is because I wanted to let you know I hadn’t forgotten about the police reports that were filed on Samantha Vincent.”

  “Oh...” the detective muttered, the tension in his shoulders easing up at the sound of those words. “That’s good to hear.”

  “Just know that the investigations are still active. I’m really trying to get to the bottom of who was behind those attacks on her house. I’m not coming up with much, since there were no eyewitnesses. And the DNA tests came back inconclusive on the evidence you submitted on that first report. Well, with the exception of Officer Baxter’s fingerprints, which showed up on one of the bricks you collected.”

  “Of course,” Gregory quipped.

  “Speaking of Officer Baxter, I enrolled him and Officer Miller in a crime scene investigation refresher course. Like you’d said, their inspection of Miss Vincent’s home and subsequent reporting was shoddy to say the least.”

  Gregory stared across the cluttered desk at Chief Wentworth, momentarily at a loss for words. He watched the chief run his hands over the silver-gray stubble lining his plump jowls.

  “I, uh...wow,” the detective said. “Thanks, Chief. I have to admit, I hadn’t expected anything to come out of that.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s been a lot happening around here. My main focus has been on the department’s budget that Mayor Elliot and I are working to finalize. So some of my other priorities have fallen by the wayside. But I’m back on top of things.”

  Detective Harris watched the chief closely as he casually reclined in his chair and scratched at his sparse crew cut. Knowing he was involved in his son’s deadly drug ring was hard to swallow.

  “That’s good to know,” Gregory replied, maintaining a poker face that rivaled the chief’s. “I guess I just assumed you’d forgotten about the investigations.”

  “Never assume, Detective. You know what that makes us both,” he chuckled.

  Before Gregory could respond, Chief Wentworth’s phone rang. He held up a finger, gesturing for the detective to excuse him, then picked up one of two cell phones that was sitting near his landline.

  “Chief Wentworth,” he barked, his thick eyebrows furrowing deeply into his wrinkled forehead. “Hey, Larry. Yeah, I’ve been waiting on your call. What have you got for me?”

  The chief swiveled back and forth in his worn, squeaky leather chair. His mouth hung open as he listened keenly to the voice on the other end of the call.

  Gregory studied the contents on his desk. Stacks of papers surrounded Chief Wentworth’s computer monitor and laptop. A few disposable cups were scattered in between the piles. There was a file hanging off the side of the desk underneath a black letter tray. The detective focused on the name scrawled across the tab, which read Axel Guzman.

  Detective Harris’s eyes blinked rapidly as he racked his brain trying to recollect where he’d heard the name. And then it dawned on him. Axel Guzman was a major drug dealer connected to a notorious Midwest drug cartel that he’d become familiar with while working in Chicago.

  Gregory’s heart pounded out of his chest. His mind churned in a thousand different directions. If Axel was involved in Collin and Chief Wentworth’s drug ring, that meant he and Samantha were no longer just investigating a little drug lab located in the basement of Westman’s Automotive Factory. They were entangled in a full-blown mafia-level operation.

  “So you got him?” Chief Wentworth said into the phone. “Are you sure you got him?”

  The chief turned his back to Gregory and stared up at the certificates hanging on the wall. The detective focused on him while scooting toward the edge of his chair. He slid Axel’s file off the desk and tucked it in between the reports in his hand.

  “All right then, Larry,” Chief Wentworth continued. “Good work, per usual. I appreciate you. Yeah, I’ll shoot you the payment the usual way. No problem. Yep. Thanks for the great work. Oh, you know I’ll be needing you again, sooner rather than later, I’m sure. Okay, I’ll be in touch.”

  He disconnected the call and tossed his phone onto the desk. “Sorry about that, Detective. Just had a little business that I needed to take care of.”

  “No problem,” Gregory replied, anxious to get out of the station and pore over Axel’s file with Samantha.

  “So that’s all I’ve got for you,” the chief continued. “Got anything for me?”

  He sat for a few moments, as if thinking of something he needed to report. “No, I think I covered everything at our last update meeting.”

  “Okay, then.” Chief Wentworth glanced down at his watch. “I need to get out of here. I’ve got a luncheon down at city hall that I need to get to. Everything else going okay for you? I hope Gattenburg’s not moving too slow for you compared to all that action you had going on back in the Windy City.”

  “No, not at all. Everything’s going great for me here in Gattenburg. I’m actually enjoying the slower pace.” Gregory paused, studying the chief closely before continuing. “You know, one thing I had been concerned with was those Westman’s workers whose bodies were recovered in Galena. While their fate was unfortunate, I’m glad their cold cases were finally solved and the families received closure.”

  “Yeah,” the chief sighed, staring solemnly at Gregory. “That was definitely a tragic situation. My son, Collin, implemented an excellent rehabilitation program for recovering addicts at Westman’s. Sadly, it doesn’t always work for everyone. My heart goes out to those young men who overdosed as well as their families. Like you, I’m glad their cases were solved.”

  Gregory stared back at his boss, shocked by what appeared to be a genuine show of sympathy.

  Chief Wentworth stood up and tugged at his snug navy slacks. “Whoa, I guess it’s time for me to start that low-carb diet my wife’s been nagging me about. But anyway, why don’t you and I circle back later this week? I feel like I haven’t been giving you enough face time since you’ve joined the force.”

  Gregory was slow to respond. He stood up and followed the chief out of the office. The detective couldn’t help but wonder whether his boss was trying to get closer to him because he was on to his and Samantha’s
investigation.

  “That would be great, thanks,” Gregory told him despite feeling otherwise. He clutched the files in his hand even tighter, eager to get out of the station.

  Chief Wentworth stopped at the front desk. Gregory quickly brushed past him and jetted out the door.

  He walked through the parking lot and inhaled the crisp air, relieved to finally be away from the chief.

  On the way to his car, Gregory noticed Officers Baxter and Miller hovering near the back of the lot. In between puffing on cigarettes, they simultaneously threw him looks of disgust.

  “What’s up, guys!” Gregory called out, stifling a laugh as he climbed inside his car. He wasn’t surprised when neither of them responded.

  The detective sped out of the lot and headed toward Hudson’s house. On the way there, he pulled out his cell phone. Five missed calls from Samantha appeared on the screen.

  “Oh no,” he moaned. “This can’t be good...”

  He immediately dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.

  “Gregory!” she panted, “where are you?”

  “I’m heading to Hudson’s house to check on him. Why? What’s going on?”

  “I’ve been receiving death threats for the past hour. Phone calls, text messages, comments on my blog. They’re all coming in anonymously, but I know it’s Collin.”

  Gregory’s jaw tightened. “What is he saying, exactly?”

  “That he’s going to hunt me down and slit my throat.”

  “My God...” Gregory floored the gas pedal. “Make sure all the doors and windows are locked, and just hang tight. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  When she didn’t respond, he continued.

  “Just calm down,” the detective told her. “Collin doesn’t even know where you are.”

  “Someone is calling me on the other line.”

  “Don’t answer it.”

  Samantha sat silently on the other end of the phone.

  “Are you still there?” Gregory asked.

  “I am. I was just checking to see whether a name registered on the caller ID. I think it’s Ava. I should take it. She may be getting death threats, too.”

  “Okay. Go ahead and answer it.”

  “Hold on.”

  As she clicked over to the other line, Gregory sped through a yellow light. He’d never been one to scare easily, but in this moment, his entire body burned with fear.

  “Gregory!” Samantha whispered into the phone after clicking back over. “Collin is dead!”

  “Wait, what?” he asked, convinced that he’d heard her wrong.

  “Collin is dead!” she repeated, louder this time. “Ava just told me!”

  “How does she know that?” Detective Harris asked skeptically.

  “Hudson called and told her. Collin and his boys had stopped by his house to warn him that he’d better keep his mouth shut about the incident at Westman’s. When Collin was walking back to his truck, someone drove up and shot him!”

  Gregory tore down his block and pulled into the driveway. “I’m here. I’ll be inside in a—”

  Before he could finish, Samantha threw open the front door and ran out to the car. The detective jumped out and embraced her tightly. He caressed her back as she sobbed into his chest.

  “What is happening right now?” she cried.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

  “No, it isn’t, Gregory. Somebody is on a killing spree in this town, and we’ve been after the wrong person this entire time! Our investigation is back at square one. How is everything going to be okay?”

  He pulled away from Samantha and rested his hands on her shoulders. Aching pangs filled his chest at the sight of her wild, terror-filled eyes.

  The detective led her inside the house and quickly closed the door behind them.

  “We’re going to Mayor Elliot’s house,” he declared. “Tonight.”

  Samantha turned to him, her entire face lighting up. “Really?”

  “Yes. This situation has gotten completely out of hand. At this point I don’t know who’s out to get whom. I just had a talk with Chief Wentworth before leaving the station, and he seemed perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, I was surprised to hear he’s investigating the crimes that were committed against you and took further action against Officers Baxter and Miller.”

  “I am so confused right now...” Samantha shuffled over to the couch and fell into the cushions. “This entire situation has my head spinning. I wonder if Chief Wentworth knows that Collin’s been killed yet.”

  “Good question.” Gregory checked his phone. “I haven’t gotten any calls or text messages. But judging from the way these guys roll, they probably wouldn’t report the crime. They’d hide Collin’s body and seek revenge.”

  “Judging from the way these guys roll, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chief Wentworth had something to do with it.”

  Detective Harris stared at her, absorbing what she’d just said. He slowly walked over to the couch and took a seat next to her.

  “You know, it’s funny you say that. When I was in the chief’s office, he did have a rather interesting phone conversation that I overheard.”

  “Did he? With who?”

  “Some guy named Larry. The conversation just seemed...odd. Chief Wentworth was saying things like, ‘So you got him? Are you sure you got him?’ Then he told the guy that he’d done a good job and he would send him his payment.”

  Gregory glanced over at Samantha and saw that she was staring back at him in shock.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she whispered.

  “That Chief Wentworth put a hit out on his own son?” He had a hard time getting his head wrapped around that.

  Samantha nodded her head while she massaged her temples. “Well, if the chief thought Collin was getting too careless in the way he was handling their drug operation, then yes. Absolutely. I’ve seen firsthand how ruthless these men can be.”

  Gregory grabbed the files he’d taken from the police station. “And to add to the suspense, I found a report in Chief Wentworth’s office on Axel Guzman—”

  “Wait, Axel Guzman—where have I heard that name?”

  “He’s a drug dealer. Part of a big Midwest cartel.”

  “Oh my God...” Samantha covered her mouth with her hands. “Do you think he’s working with Chief Wentworth and Collin?”

  “That would be my guess. And you already know how he moves. The man is a savage. If Collin crossed him, he also could’ve been the one to have him killed.”

  Samantha was visibly shaken. She ran her hands over her arms, as if trying to warm herself up.

  “I want to take this to the mayor, but he’s not available until this evening. Let’s go check on Hudson, then head there.”

  They gazed at one another, the energy between them palpable. In that moment, Gregory realized that the imminent danger surrounding them had only brought them even closer together. He wanted this case over so she’d be out of danger and in his arms for more than just protection.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “I am really not looking forward to telling Mayor Elliot about Chief Wentworth and Collin’s drug ring,” Gregory muttered to Samantha as they headed to the mayor’s house. They’d already done a quick check on Hudson, who was recovering from his injuries.

  “I know,” Samantha said, gripping the thick file of information that she and Gregory had compiled tightly. “He is going to be crushed. He thinks the world of the chief.”

  She stared out the window, thoughts of the day’s outrageous events flashing through her mind. “I still can’t believe Collin is dead.”

  “Neither can I. But in all honesty, we shouldn’t be surprised. Look at all the damage he’s done and bridges he’s burned all over this town.”

  “V
ery true.” Samantha turned to the detective, her eyelids lowering with doubt. “But at this point, I’m wondering whether Collin’s only guilty of manufacturing illegal drugs and injuring Hudson. What if he isn’t the one behind the deaths of Jacob and the other Westman’s workers?”

  The detective raised his eyebrows curiously. “That’s a definite possibility. But at this point, things have gotten way too baffling to assume anything. That’s why we’re going to Mayor Elliot. Maybe he’ll be the one to pull the truth out of Chief Wentworth.”

  “I hope so.”

  Gregory turned down the mayor’s block and eased up on the accelerator. As he approached the house, all the lights appeared to be out.

  “I wonder if he’s home,” Detective Harris said before pulling up to the curb and parking the car.

  “There’s only one way to find out.” Samantha ignored the jitters flitting throughout her entire body. She closed her eyes, said a quick prayer, then grabbed the door handle. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

  The pair climbed out of the car and approached Mayor Elliot’s grand, pillared white porch. Gregory searched the street, checking to see whether anyone was in the vicinity.

  “Looks like the coast is clear,” he said.

  Samantha reached up to ring the doorbell. Right before her finger hit the button, a bloodcurdling shout came from the back of the house.

  She jerked her hand away and grabbed the detective’s arm. “What the hell was that?”

  Gregory reached back and pulled his gun out of his waistband. “Go back to the car. Lock the doors.”

  “No way.”

  He muttered a curse and heaved a sigh. “Let’s go check around back. Stay behind me.”

  Samantha didn’t release her grip on the detective’s arm as he led her along the side of the house. They approached a tall wooden gate. Just as he slowly opened it, another ear-piercing shriek ripped through the air, drowning out the sound of the gate’s creaking wood.

  “Help! Please, somebody help me!”

  Gregory turned to Samantha. “Wait, that sounds like Chief Wentworth!”