by S. J. Braden
Isabel and Tommy were at the FBI field office in Memphis. While Isabel chatted with her co-workers hoping to hear any information, Tommy was on the phone with his unit chief working to get information and clearance to rejoin this investigation.
She overheard the request for a search warrant come in from agents Sharpe and Nolan for the Maden home. She asked if she could deliver the warrant and assist in the search. The Memphis chief said she could, but she couldn’t take Tommy. He informed her he was quite certain Tommy would be recalled to Virginia. Isabel hesitated for only a split second. She wanted to tell him she was going without him so she could get information. But she couldn’t. And if he was leaving she wanted to tell him goodbye. She checked the feeling of sadness that he would leave before they had time to explore what was happening between them. But ultimately above all else, Isabel was an FBI agent. Always had been and always would be. The job would always come first. It never occurred to her that she wanted to go on this mission because of Tommy and his affection for Colleen. It wasn’t the only reason, of course. She knew about agents and surgeons. Agents wanted to be involved in every case, just like surgeons in an ER jockeyed for the best and most unusual cases. She glanced in the direction of the closed door that she knew shielded Tommy from view while he talked to his chief and then she left the office with the warrant in hand. She told herself not to look back. Then repeated it. And repeated it again. She was in her car and on her way. She knew she would call him as soon as she left the Maden home. That would have to be enough. She did have the thought that she hoped he would be happy she wiggled her way into the investigation instead of being mad that she deserted him at the office.
Tommy wasn’t going to be mad at Isabel. He was worried she was going to mad at him. Behind a few theatrics Tommy was throwing around the chief’s office as he spoke with frustration into the phone at his Virginia chief, all the reasons why he shouldn’t have to return to VA, his chief was feeding him lines of information about the case. Sure it was wrong, but Tommy was an excellent agent and had the respect of everyone he ever worked with. The chief knew Tommy would be responsible with the information.
What Tommy learned was that this case Colleen had tried had let lose all the self-perceived criminal masterminds in town. But the MPD, FBI, and ATF were rounding them up and they were falling like the proverbial dominoes. Terry Miller, the brother of the esteemed former councilman, was arrested and charged with setting the small bombs, he rolled on Yancey Anderson who was making bombs in his brother’s condo and they were able to link the bomb in Rodney Maden Junior’s car to him as well. When agents questioned Quinn Miller regarding all the bombs, he admitted to hiring Winston to hack into the U.S. Attorney’s computers looking for who remained in the Maden organization but denied any knowledge of explosives.
“Yeah, yeah, I know that Chief, but there has to be a way I can stay. I think there is more to this case than Colleen.”
“You’re right. There’s more. But this is even more sensitive than what I already told you. They haven’t released the name of the cop who died at the hospital, but they know who he is. It turns out he applied for a job with Court, but Court didn’t hire him.”
“NOW you’re talking Chief!!! Thank you.”
“Oh, Tommy, hold on. There’s more. This cop’s wife was Court’s secretary until two months ago.”
“Okay Chief, I understand. I’ll call you back, I need to let the Memphis chief have his office and phone back. Oh, what was the lady’s name I need to call?”
“Rachel Ford, her husband was Shawn. Tread carefully Tommy. Don’t get us both called on the block here.”
“Yeah, gotcha. Talk soon.”
Chapter 50
Court, Trent, Pierce and Frankie sat around the kitchen table. The boys, as Court had taken to calling his friends, were explaining the female mutiny to Court and deciding on the best course of action and plan. They were explaining about the impending arrival of the feminine half of the group and trying to determine how their arrival was going to be accepted. Court, indeed was on their side and thought the distraction of three more people, and women at that could only help them.
Tommy raced up the McAllister’s driveway, slammed on the brakes on the FBI provided black SUV at the top of the drive before he hit Court’s truck parked behind the rental. He jumped out and felt his feet weren’t even touching the ground as he barreled into the back door and landed in the kitchen. He didn’t notice the ducked heads around the table that appeared to be in the midst of creating a great conspiracy. He didn’t notice how they jerked upright upon his entrance or the abrupt end of the conversation.
“Who is Rachel Ford?”
Court looked up and began to stand. “She was my secretary from the time I opened the business until two months ago. Why?”
“Her husband was the cop killed at the hospital. That’s why! Why did she leave? Was there a problem?”
“Oh no, of course not. At least not that I know of. She said she was retiring. She was going to be receiving an inheritance, she said and she was going to take time off to spend with her grandkids. I need to call her and offer my condolences and see if there is anything I can do.”
“Court! Are you hearing me? Her husband was the cop who wasn’t supposed to be in the hospital. It had been evacuated. He was off duty. So why was he there, where the bomb was, when it exploded?”
“Oh my gosh- you think he had something to do with the bombing? You think he has something to do with Colleen’s kidnapping?”
“It’s certainly up there on the coincidence scale for me.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” replied Pierce.
“We know!” Trent and Frankie responded in unison.
“Court, my chief said this guy applied for a job with you and you didn’t hire him. Could that have anything to do with this?”
“I suppose it’s possible. I didn’t hire him because he failed the psych eval.”
Colleen heard the crying before she heard the footsteps. She tried to raise herself to a sitting position, but the angle of her wrist tied to the pole wouldn’t allow it. The person wearing the Marilyn Monroe mask burst through the door. Colleen had always assumed this was a woman, not only because of the Marilyn mask but her build as well. This person had never said a word in front of Colleen and she always wondered why. Was it someone she knew? Was this feminine person who was responsible for her kidnapping?
“They killed him. The sons of bitches killed my husband all because of you! They said he was in the hospital with the bomb, but he was smarter than that. Why would he have gone back there? I know they killed him and it’s a cover up! Oh God, my poor Shawn. What am I going to do now?”
Colleen gasped. She now knew the owner of the voice. It was Rachel, Court’s former secretary. She couldn’t decide if it was smart to let Rachel know she knew her identity, or to keep quiet. Keeping quiet wasn’t her style, but she thought maybe this once it would be prudent. Then she heard the heavier footsteps and they sounded like they were running. Jay Leno came in and caught Marilyn by the shoulders.
“Come on, this isn’t the place. Come upstairs. I’ll help you through this. We will get through this, but we can’t fall apart now.”
Colleen gasped again, though she tried to be quiet. It seemed there was a new dynamic between the kidnappers. This was the first time two had been in the room with her, the first time the Marilyn person had spoken and she recognized the Jay Leno person’s voice too. Not just because he had talked to her in the abandoned restaurant, but when he used the phrase “I’ll help you through this” she remembered that’s what he said to her right after he supposedly called 911 from the security desk at the UP building following her escape. Now she knew she needed to remain as still and quiet as possible and watch the interaction between them.
Jay led Marilyn through the door and Colleen could hear them ascending the stairs that weren’t far away from what she believed was her basement room. But no one had remembered to clos
e the door to her room, and it wasn’t locked. She could be free if she could just figure out how to get her arm untied from the post. She twisted her body around to try to see exactly how she was tied to the pole, and at the same time listen to what was going on upstairs as well.
Chapter 51
“Hello, can I help you?”
“Mrs. Madden?”
“Yes?”
“Good afternoon. I’m Special Agent Ethan Sharpe and this is my partner Special Agent Steve Nolan, FBI. Could we ask you some questions?”
“Of course, come in. Could I get you something to drink?”
“No ma’am. We’re fine.”
“Is this about my soon to be ex-husband, the explosion that killed my son, or my missing son and son-in-law?”
“Possibly any of the above or none of them. We are investigating the kidnapping of U.S. Attorney Colleen McAllister. Would you know anything about that?”
“Only what I saw on the news. It saddens me she is going through this. Since my son is missing I can sympathize with what her husband is going through. But agents, if you think me or my family had anything to do with Mrs. McAllister’s kidnapping you’re wrong. My son had visions of grandeur of taking over his father’s business. He was thrilled to be out of his father’s shadow and viewed his father’s arrest as his time to prove himself. He was happy his father was going away.”
“I see. What about the rest of the family?”
“Colleen McAllister is my hero. She had the guts to do what no one else ever has. You think the cops didn’t know my husband was dirty? Of course, they did. Let me tell you, a fair number of the police in this city worked in one way or another for my husband. And let me also tell you, Rodney Maden is a vile, evil man. I’m free from him finally in a way I didn’t think I ever would be unless he died before I did. Many a night I sat here hoping he wouldn’t come home. That U.S. Attorney did that for me. If there is anything I can do to help in your investigation, I will. My daughter and daughter-in-law feel the same way.”
“Since you brought it up, could you provide us with a list of those officers you believe worked for your husband?”
“I promised Attorney McAllister a list, as soon as I go through my husband’s office. While my son was here I didn’t have access to his office out back. That’s where I think he kept all his papers. Maybe there is a list out there. Maybe it was all in his head. I don’t know. I know when he was arrested they searched this house high and low and didn’t find anything, but I promised her I would look. Rodney Jr. told me to never go out there. But now he’s gone too, rest his soul.”
“Would you mind if we take a look out there? We don’t have a warrant, but we can get one.”
“Oh for heaven’s sakes. You don’t need a warrant as far as I’m concerned. I told you, I want to help in any way I can. I owe the rest of my peaceful life to McAllister. Maybe you’ll find something that could solve who killed my son. I wonder if someone also got my younger son and son-in-law, or if they had something to do with it and are hiding out somewhere. I sure would like to put all this drama behind me.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Maden. We’ll let you know if we find anything.”
Colleen listened to the keening cries of Rachel Ford upstairs and the soothing the other man used to try and comfort her.
She remembered that Shawn was Rachel’s husband, and on the few occasions she had met him, there was something that didn’t sit right with her. Rachel, however, had been like a family member, having worked for Court since the first day he had the business.
She felt bad for Rachel and her loss, and then the words Rachel had spoken started to sink in. Colleen began to put the pieces together and realized that Shawn Ford must have been the guy in the Richard Nixon mask. But why? Why would Rachel and her husband want to hurt her, or Court for that matter? And who was the other man, did he make them do it?
With the door at the bottom of the stairs left open and apparently a door at the top also left open, Colleen heard the knock on the door. Was it the other kidnapper, another accomplice she didn’t know about, or someone who might help her. She heard the heavy boots run away from the sound of the knocking. Rachel was so distraught and wailing so loudly, Colleen assumed she didn’t hear the knock. Colleen heard it again, followed by a strong stern voice announcing, “Mrs. Ford, this is the FBI, please open the door.”
Colleen’s breath caught in her throat. Was this ordeal almost over? Should she start screaming now? She decided to wait, knowing that whether Rachel opened the door or not, they would enter the house sooner rather than later. The sense of relief washed over her and she felt her resolve crumble. She cried too, from relief, knowing her trauma was almost over.
She heard the battering ram hit the door once, then the second time she heard the door frame splinter and the two agents came rushing in. She could hear sirens approaching from a distance and when the voice at the top of the stairs announced, “Mrs. Ford, FBI!” she screamed as loud as she could.
“I’m down here! In the basement! I’m U.S. Attorney Colleen McAllister and I’m being held against my will.”
She heard the footsteps hurrying down the stairs and though she didn’t know her, she was delighted to see FBI agent Mabel Turner come through the doorway.
Chapter 52
Isabel arrived at the Maden family home with the warrant in hand. She approached the front door, which was open. The agents inside were already involved in the search, and Mrs. Maden was walking around with a tray of cookies offering them to the agents.
The mood was downright jovial, as she realized all the agents were drinking glasses of lemonade or mugs of steaming coffee and actually accepting the cookies from this lady. Isabel had never in her twenty years of law enforcement seen a search turn into a party. Oh, everyone was still working. Going through desk drawers, turning sofa and chair cushions inside out. She noticed a stack of evidence boxes stacked near the foyer. She assumed they were full. She cleared her throat and Mrs. Maden and her latest conquest, special agent Harris turned to look at her. They were both the picture of innocence.
“Oh hello, are you with the FBI too?” Bee Maden inquired.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’m special agent Isabel Smith and I have the search warrant.”
Harris chuckled, “Great. You keep it safe. But, Mrs. Maden allowed us to start the search before the warrant was here. She’s being cooperative.”
“Is she now? Just what exactly is in those cookies?”
“I call them cowboy cookies and they have everything but the kitchen sink in them. Oatmeal, coconut, pecans, chocolate chips and raisins too. Have one! They’re pretty healthy as cookies go. My grandchildren just love them. Of course, Rodney didn’t like them. He said they were too complex and mixing all that stuff just diluted everything else. I told him he should remember that when he was selling his drugs. He didn’t like that too much either. Really, have one. Can I get you a lemonade or a coffee?”
“No thank you, Mrs. Maden. I need to talk to S.A. Harris in private for a moment.”
“Agent Smith, I would appreciate it if you could come out to the kitchen when you are done. I need to talk to someone. I prefer to talk to a lady if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I’ll be there in a few moments.”
She and Harris walked out to the front porch.
“What the hell, Harris? It’s like a damned tea party in there. Are you sure those cookies don’t include the herbs she needed to get rid of?”
“No, no, no Isabel, you’ve got it all wrong. She’s just a sweet little old lady. She feels so thankful her horrible husband has been taken off to jail. She actually wants to help us find U.S. Attorney McAllister. She says that lady is her hero.”
“Oh brother. I hope they don’t pop random drug tests today or the whole Memphis office is likely to go up in smoke. No jest intended.”
“Isabel, you need to relax. We aren’t high. She didn’t drug us. It’s just nice to be able to do our job in a nice cordial environ
ment. She’s just trying to show some southern hospitality. It’s in her breeding you know. All those boxes in the foyer are evidence she helped us find. Go talk to her in the kitchen. Have a cookie and coffee or not, suit yourself, but you’ll see.”
“Yeah, I think she’s a one-woman smoke machine and she’s blowing it up all your asses.”
“Izzy, you should learn to be less skeptical.”
“In our line of work, skeptical saves lives Harris.”
With that she entered the house, and marveled that all the agents were replacing every drawer, every knick-knack, every pillow was fluffed before being returned to its proper place. Never had she seen a searched room look so magazine picture perfect. She shook her head and was even more convinced those were some magic cookies, to have those rough men fluffing pillows. If there weren’t drugs in the cookies, she wanted the recipe for sure.
“Hello, Mrs. Maden, you had something you wanted to say?”
“Please, call me Bee. Yes, I told the other officers, but they are men and I just don’t think they understand how serious I am. Mr. Maden is a terrible man. And he made our sons terrible men too. U.S. Attorney McAllister is my hero. I want to do whatever I can to help you find her. I doubt my husband had anything to do with this. But to be honest, while my husband was lording over the city, I was building a little network of my own. So I’m going to use that network to help you find her.”