FBI Agent Jade Monroe: Live or Die 01-Blood in the Bayou

by Sutter, C M

  We spent the next hour checking into whatever we could find on John Cavanaugh and Evan Millbrook, which was little to nothing. We located the property tax records that had been changed through the years to reflect new owners as people died and passed on the land to their next of kin. Little else showed up for either of them—no job records, no income tax statements, no utility bills.

  I leaned back, cracked my neck left to right, and let out a discouraged sigh. “Renz, what if this case goes unsolved? There’s at least three dump sites that have been discovered over the last month. Who knows if there’s more out—”

  “I guarantee you there’s more. Why would the killer stop doing what he’s doing, especially if he likes what he does and knows there’s little chance of getting caught? We literally have nothing to work with, not even a sighting of anyone suspicious out in the woods.”

  “Of course we don’t. I mean, who the hell goes out to those remote locations on purpose except hunters?”

  Renz corrected me. “And killers.”

  “Yeah, and that. If the killer is anything like the guys who live off the grid and doesn’t even have a driver’s license on record, he’ll remain a ghost forever.”

  “Yep, and we’ll move on to a new case in a new city. Just because we’re in the Serial Crimes Unit doesn’t mean we solve every case, Jade.”

  “I know, I know.”

  Renz stood. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here and go have a drink in the hotel lounge. I might even order an appetizer too.”

  I grinned. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  Chapter 38

  Robby had just finished eating supper and had fed Pete and the cats. With full bellies, the animals seemed content. Pete lay on the weather-decayed wooden deck while the cats wandered off to do what feral cats did at night.

  “Better watch your asses out there,” Robby yelled. “Doubt if the hogs are still hungry, but I bet there are plenty of gators who would consider you felines a nice evening snack.”

  Robby went to the cooler, cracked open a can of beer, and returned to the firepit. He took his seat and wondered how the activity had played out back in the woods. He would have loved to watch firsthand, but the likelihood of personal injury was too great to take a chance. He would have probably been the third course in the pigs’ nightly feast.

  I’ll walk back there in the morning and see if either of them are still alive before I head into Houma.

  As Robby reminisced on that morning’s trip into the woods, he remembered Billy’s condition. There wasn’t a chance in hell he would live through the night. Before leaving the woods, Robby had cut Billy down and decided to let nature, or the pigs, take its course. He was pretty sure that by morning, there wouldn’t be a trace of Billy left.

  Maybe clothes. Don’t know if pigs are stupid enough to eat clothing or not. Guess we’ll see.

  He laughed when he thought about what he’d whispered to Mark. He remembered how Mark’s eyes had bulged. “They nearly popped out of their sockets.”

  Robby had stepped back twenty yards and fired two rounds—one into each of Mark’s legs. That way, the pigs could reach the fresh wounds and tear the meat from Mark’s bones.

  “Nah, I bet they just eat the bones too. Man, what I’d give to be a bird in a tree and watch all of that unfold right in front of me. I bet there are sickos who would pay hundreds of dollars to watch that in real time. I’d offer that to the public if people could keep their mouths shut, but I know that would never happen. I’d be a rich son of a bitch, though.”

  Robby heard in the distance the distinct sound of a gator growl and water splashing. Hissing and a cat screech followed that commotion, then everything went quiet.

  “Damn cats never learn. Sounds like another one just became gator food.”

  Chapter 39

  After two gin and tonics and a mixed appetizer tray, Renz and I parted ways at our hotel rooms. We agreed to meet in the breakfast room at seven o’clock the next morning. I couldn’t wait to crawl into bed, but because we’d been sitting around Leroy’s firepit, a smoky odor lingered in my hair and clothes. I needed a shower and headed to the bathroom before I got too comfortable.

  By nine o’clock, I was sitting in bed, had gone through my daily emails, and had run my fingers through my hair. It was still damp. I figured after a half-hour phone call to Amber, my hair would be dry, and I would get the daily updates on life back home too.

  I tapped her number, set the phone to Speaker, and leaned back against the headboard. The local news was muted in the background, and the weather report showed another hot and humid ninety-degree day waiting for us. My hair would be nothing but frizz, but at least it would be clean.

  Amber answered as I’d expected—her cheerful self. I was fortunate to have a happy-go-lucky sister who was also a great cook. I looked forward to getting back home, eating her comfort food, and sleeping in my own bed.

  “Hey, big sis, what’s the word?”

  I sighed. “I wish I could tell you we caught the killer and we’re flying back home tomorrow, but—”

  “But you haven’t? Geez, what’s the problem? I thought you were with the elite team now.”

  I chuckled. “Murderers don’t care what our titles are. If they’re smart, stealthy, and steadfast, it’s tough to catch them, especially when nobody has seen any crimes being committed.”

  “Humph.”

  “And when the stories we’ve heard about some bayou people are actually true, it’s hard.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning they don’t like outsiders up in their business. There’s sketchy people down here, Amber, and southern Louisiana is definitely a world apart from Milwaukee.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Keep plugging along. We have a good number of people to interview tomorrow as long as we live through it.”

  “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m joking. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Everything is fine, and I have—”

  “Yeah, I know, and you have a big gun, but I bet those swampers have big guns too.”

  I wasn’t about to tell her of the incident with Leroy and Zeke earlier in the day. We were a family of cops, and Amber was well aware of the risks that involved, and I couldn’t think of a good reason to make her worry any more than necessary.

  She told me the latest on what was going on at the sheriff’s office back home—nothing too far from the usual petty crimes, and usually, their day consisted of serving arrest warrants. At times, the small-town simplicity sounded nice. It kept everyone’s blood pressure and heart rate in check. It could also become boring and repetitive, although we’d all had our share of psychotic criminals to deal with. I’d moved on to the FBI and then on to a more targeted branch of the FBI, chasing cases across the United States as needed.

  Amber and I said our good nights, but before I hung up, I told her that I loved her and wanted meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob for supper on the first night I was back. She promised me we would have that, said she loved me, too, and hung up. I smiled, felt my hair—it was dry—and switched off the light.

  The alarm on my phone blasted in my ear. “No way it’s morning yet.” It took maximum effort to crack open my eyes since it felt like they were glued closed. I squinted in the direction of the window, and daylight came through the slats of the blinds. “Damn it. How did eight hours go by so fast?”

  With a groan, I tossed the blankets aside and climbed out of bed. I started the four-cup coffeemaker then did a quick rinse in the shower to wake up. I had planned to meet Renz downstairs in forty-five minutes for a big breakfast, since there was a good chance we would miss lunch, and then head to the sheriff’s office.

  After two cups of coffee, I got ready for the day, which included pulling my hair back in a ponytail. Long thick hair on a humid day was not something I needed to deal with, and getting it away from my face and off my neck was the way to go. Wi
th a final look in the mirror, I grabbed my gear and room key and headed downstairs.

  Renz had already picked a table and had two cups of coffee poured when I arrived.

  “How’d you sleep?” he asked.

  “Wonderfully, but lounging in bed for another hour would have been even better.”

  “I know what you mean. I talked to Taft a few minutes ago and gave her our latest since Tuesday night when I spoke to her last.”

  I took a sip of coffee. “And?”

  “And she asked if you were behaving.”

  I swatted his arm. “She did not!”

  Renz laughed. “Nah, she actually asked if we needed help, as in a few more agents. I told her there was no point in that since we haven’t gotten a reliable lead to follow up on yet. She’s giving us two more days before she pulls us back to Milwaukee.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Humph. Then what?”

  “Then it’s considered an unsolved case.”

  I pondered that for a moment and didn’t like the idea of giving up on an ongoing investigation, but since I wasn’t the one in charge, it wasn’t up to me. “Okay, I guess. So, what’s on the menu?”

  “Same thing as yesterday and the day before. Not complaining, though. The breakfast here is pretty good,” Renz said.

  “I agree, so we should dig in. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, and who knows what kind of trouble we might get into with John Cavanaugh and Evan Millbrook.”

  “Yeah, that’d be funny if it wasn’t a real possibility. I think we should team up with a couple of deputies and ride along in their squad car. Four armed cops are better than none.”

  I shook my head at the memories from yesterday. They were funny now but not so much then, and we needed to be careful.

  I tipped my head toward the long counter of food and grabbed a plate. “Come on. I’m starving.”

  After four pancakes, hash browns, three strips of bacon, a banana, and a cup of yogurt, I was done. That meal would easily hold me over until suppertime. I finished my cup of coffee and was ready to go.

  Renz jammed two more strips of bacon into his mouth. “Now I’m ready. We’ll see if Conway can spare a few deputies, and then we’ll hit the road. We have a lot of ground to cover today.”

  “What about Bob?”

  “Damn, I forgot about him.” Renz tipped his wrist and checked the time. “If he isn’t at the station by nine o’clock, we’re leaving. He didn’t want to be part of going to people’s homes, and after yesterday’s fiasco at the Duggar house, we can’t take a civilian along to a potentially dangerous situation, anyway.”

  “I agree, and if he stops in, we’ll just have to say we don’t need his help today.”

  Chapter 40

  With his rifle slung over his shoulder, Robby walked parallel to the water but far enough away to stay safe. The woods where he’d left Mark and Billy were another ten-minute walk away, and he was curious to see what if anything had unfolded last night. He’d already worn a path into the ground cover from the half dozen times he’d gone back and forth. He sipped his coffee as he walked, but he would leave his cup along the trail once he got closer. Having his rifle ready to shoot was far more important, especially when closing in on the wild pigs’ nesting ground and their likely food source.

  Robby slowed to a stop, cocked his ear, and listened. He was fifty yards from where he’d tied the men to the trees, and he should be able to hear if a ruckus was going on in the woods. He set the coffee cup on a log and slowly inched ahead. Stopping every twenty feet, he listened for the grunts of wild boars. He waited at the edge of the woods and kept silent as he squinted into the thick brush and looked for movement. That was when he heard the rutting and grunts.

  If I ease my way in and shoot to scare them away, I should be fine. I need to see what they’ve accomplished overnight.

  Robby raised the rifle and fired off two shots. He heard the pigs scatter and moved in cautiously. His eyes needed a minute to adjust to the darkened woods, then he saw the carnage.

  “Holy shit.”

  He moved in closer to what was left of Billy. Seeing bits and pieces of clothing and a few rib bones was the only way to know for sure that a human body had once been inside those shredded jeans and strips of plaid shirt. Robby found one mangled boot. The other probably went missing yesterday when the pigs made quick work of Billy’s wounded leg. Robby continued on to the tree where only the upper half of Mark’s body remained. He grimaced as he circled the large oak and saw that Mark’s arms were still tied at the back of the tree. Everything below Mark’s chest was completely gone, and bits of organs hung from his chest cavity. Robby assumed the rib area was as high as the pigs could reach. He checked his surroundings again and fired off another warning shot. He wasn’t about to be on that morning’s menu.

  Shit, I have to pull down the rest of him. I’m not taking any chances that someone would see this once I open up my property to hunting again.

  After pulling the flipper knife from his pocket, Robby sawed away at the tape and rope until it unraveled and broke. Mark’s upper body dropped to the ground with a thud. Robby leaned over and cut what remained of Mark’s shirt off him. He searched the ground as he walked the area and picked up every piece of clothing he could find from both men. He would burn everything in the firepit before heading to Houma.

  “Looks like I need to get a move on if I’m going to get to the sheriff’s office before nine.”

  Back at the house, Robby squirted lighter fluid over the clothing he’d tossed into the firepit. With a strike of a stick match against his pants zipper, the tip ignited, and he dropped it on the wet clothes. They burst into flames, and he watched for a few minutes then went to the cooler. After tossing a chunk of meat to Pete, Robby climbed into his truck and drove away.

  Chapter 41

  When we arrived at the sheriff’s office, we found Conway standing in the hallway with two of his deputies.

  “Agents DeLeon and Monroe, this is Johnny Whitley and Brian Smythe, two of my weekend deputies who offered to put in a little overtime. They’re available to escort you today to wherever you need to go.”

  We shook hands with the deputies, thanked them, and said we would be ready to head out at nine o’clock.

  On my laptop, we pulled up John Cavanaugh’s address, or at least the residence that had been in the Cavanaugh family since 1922. It was the only address on record for any Cavanaugh in the parish. I programmed it into my cell phone, and we moved on to Evan Millbrook’s address and did the same. I was most curious about John since he lived within a few miles of the dump site that Mark and Billy had discovered.

  I looked at Renz. “That reminds me. When do you want Mark, Billy, and Bob to get together?”

  “Did I hear someone mention my name?”

  I turned toward the door and saw Bob. He walked in and took a seat across from me.

  “What’s on the schedule for today, Agents?”

  “There’s a good chance we won’t need you until later in the day,” Renz said. “We’re going to pay some of those people you’d mentioned a visit, and then we have a few folks with misdemeanor records that we’ll call on too. We can’t take a civilian into a potentially risky situation with us, and yesterday, you’d mentioned not wanting to have anyone think you’re a snitch.”

  Bob chuckled. “There is that. Okay, I’ll come back later.” He stood to leave.

  I walked to the door to let the deputies know we were ready to go. “Sorry to waste your time, Bob, but since you don’t have a phone, there was no way to contact you.”

  “Why is that, anyway?” Renz cocked his head and stared at Bob.

  Bob shrugged. “Is there a law that says I need one?”

  “Nope. I guess there isn’t. Just wondering.”

  Bob stood his ground and didn’t respond.

  Conway walked in just as Bob was about to leave. “Hang on, everyone. I have somebody here that you may want
to talk to before you head out.”

  “Who is it?” I asked.

  “Billy Bennett’s wife. She said he’s been gone since yesterday, and she can’t reach him on his phone. They had an argument, and he said he had a meeting about some new opportunity and then stormed out. She hasn’t seen him since.”

  I glanced at Renz. “We need to talk to her before we go anywhere.” I turned to Conway. “Show her in.”

  Bob inched out into the hallway. “I better get going, then. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

  I raised my hands. “No, you should stay. You might have something useful to offer.” I pointed at the chair he’d been sitting on. “Go ahead and sit back down.”

  Seconds later, Conway returned with a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She wore her straight blond hair snugged behind her ears with a headband, and without makeup, her bloodshot eyes were more than obvious. She wore shorts and a T-shirt, nothing fancy, and I was sure that her attire was the last thing on her mind.

  “Mrs. Bennett.” I gave her a nod and pointed at an empty chair. “Have a seat, ma’am.”

  Conway took the vacant chair next to her.

  “Please, just call me Lorna. Can you find my husband?”

  She looked frantic, and we needed to calm her to better understand what had happened.

  “Take a deep breath, Lorna. How about a cup of coffee? I’d like you to relax a little so we can get all the facts as accurately as possible.”

  She nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

  Conway pulled the landline phone across the table to him and called the lobby’s desk. “Marie, can you start us a pot of coffee and bring it in here with five cups? Thank you.”

  He apologized for the interruption, then with a head tip from Renz, I knew it would be my interview.

  “Let’s just start out with the easy stuff, shall we?” I gave her a reassuring smile. “May I see your driver’s license?”

  “Sure.” She fumbled with her wallet then slipped the ID card out of the sleeve and passed it across the table to me.