The Cold Trail

by J. C. Fields

  “Not unusual for a university. Decent pay, good benefits, and the jobs aren’t that stressful.”

  “I would agree.”

  With his fingers flying over the keyboard one more time, the list changed to only individuals working in the administrative department and the year of their original employment. “You go from forty to fifty individuals to a list of four or five with this filter. Those are the people who could tell you what was going on seventeen to twenty years ago.”

  Kruger stared at the four lists. It was a start, one he didn’t have during the investigation. A new perspective that might help the cold case to heat up again. “Guess I need to talk to Alan Seltzer.”

  “What’s Stephanie going to say?”

  “We’ve discussed it several times over the course of the past year. She wants me to do what I feel I need to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Go back to the FBI.”

  JR smiled.

  Chapter 8

  Washington, D.C.

  FBI Headquarters

  Kruger sat at a conference table in a room adjacent to FBI Director Paul Stumpf’s office. Stumpf sat at the head of the table to Kruger’s right with a smiling Deputy Director of the FBI directly across from him. Alan Seltzer intertwined his hands and placed them flat on the table. “So, why do you want to come back?”

  “Truth, or do you want some PC bullshit?”

  “Let’s start with the truth, and then we can decide on the BS.”

  Smiling, Kruger nodded. “There is a developing lead on the missing basketball player’s case.”

  Stumpf’s eyes grew wide, and Seltzer stared at Kruger. Stumpf spoke for the first time. “What lead?”

  Taking a deep breath, Kruger explained about catching Luna and the conversation with JR. He extracted a sheet of paper with the names of numerous long-term administrative personnel at each university. “I want to interview these individuals. They may help me with a new theory.”

  “You don’t have to re-join the FBI,” Stumpf paused for a moment. “We actually have other agents who are trained to do that, Sean.” The Director was straight faced as he said it.

  Kruger gave Stumpf a half grin. “That’s only half of it.”

  Both Stumpf and Seltzer tried to stifle their amusement. They both failed.

  Seltzer covered his mouth with a hand to hide his smile. “Go on.”

  “It took two years, but I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t like teaching. I was happier as an agent. Plus, I’m slated to be the head of the department at the end of the academic year. You both know I hate politics and most of the duties of the position are political. Plus, I would have to talk to the media on occasion, and we all know how I feel about doing that.”

  Stumpf chuckled and opened a vanilla folder laying on the table in front of him. He extracted several pages and handed them to Kruger. “Sign these.”

  After skimming the pages, he returned his attention to Stumpf and asked, “What is this?”

  “Acknowledging your leave of absence is over.”

  “What leave of absence?”

  “The leave of absence you’ve been on for the last two years. You took a sabbatical, don’t you remember? You keep your seniority and pay grade.”

  “Is this the PC bullshit?”

  “Yes.”

  “I appreciate that, Paul.”

  Seltzer handed Kruger a pen, which he used to sign the documents. After the documents were handed back to Stumpf, a badge and FBI ID appeared in front of Seltzer. Pushing them across the table, he pointed to the ID. “You’ll need to get that updated with a new photo before you leave.”

  Kruger nodded.

  Stumpf put the signed papers back in the folder. “Now that you’ve got this teaching crap out of your system, tell us about your new theory on the missing basketball players?”

  Thirty minutes later, after explaining the details of the Luna abduction and his conversations with JR, Kruger folded his hands in front of him and looked at Stumpf. “That’s it.”

  “I think your reasoning is sound. What kinds of resources will you need?”

  “Not sure yet. What are Sandy Knoll and Jimmie Gibbs doing now?”

  Seltzer answered, “Knoll is in charge of an FBI Rapid Response Team and Gibbs works for him.”

  “Good, can I have access to them if needed?”

  Stumpf nodded.

  “If I need anything else, I’ll let you know. First step is to interview personnel at the universities.”

  ***

  It was the fourth day of his trip to interview administrative personnel at the different colleges. His next interview would be the last for this trip. Afterward he planned to drive home, a four-hour journey.

  Emily Douglas was the final individual scheduled. She arrived and sat across from him at the table in a small conference room provided by Truman State University.

  She appeared close to fifty, neatly dressed in a gray pantsuit with a light blue blouse under the jacket. Her hair was cut short, but nicely styled, and she wore designer glasses. Now in charge of the accounting department, her promotion had occurred the previous year. After shaking hands, Kruger smiled.

  “Thank you for taking time to speak with me, Ms. Douglas.”

  “Please, just Emily.”

  “I’m Sean.”

  She returned the smile.

  “Emily, do you remember when the three girls were abducted in 2002?”

  “Oh yes, that was such a bad day. I was in records at the time, and we all cried for weeks. Linda Kelly was a student helper there for about a year. She worked when she wasn’t in class or at basketball practice. Sweet girl.”

  This was new information. Kruger made a note.

  “Leading up to the abduction, were there any outside contractors working on the computer systems?”

  She tilted her head and stared at Kruger for several moments. “Let me think. Yes, yes, I believe there was.”

  Kruger kept quiet, letting the woman talk.

  “A company out of St. Louis was installing a new SIS system, and we had a bunch of individuals installing the program and training us.”

  “Do you remember the name of the company?”

  “No, I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay. Can you describe any of the individuals from the company?”

  “No, only one.”

  Kruger’s eyes widened. “Only one, why?”

  She took a deep breath. “Because he was very good at making all of us in records feel we were beneath him.” She shivered and shook her head. “I can still see him.”

  “Describe him?”

  “Tall, slender. His face was oval shaped, and he had the darkest brown eyes I’d ever seen.”

  “What color was his hair?”

  “Black.”

  Kruger straightened. “Who did he work for?”

  “The company in St. Louis. He was some kind of supervisor.”

  “Do you remember his name?”

  She paused briefly, “Let me think.”

  Staying silent, Kruger waited.

  “It was Bobby.”

  “Bobby?”

  She nodded. “Yes, his name was Bobby.”

  “Why do you remember the name?”

  “Because he made a pass at me. I was married at the time and told him no. After that, he acted like I wasn’t there.”

  “How?”

  “He would talk about me to the other trainers, ignoring the fact I was sitting right there.”

  “Huh.”

  “He said a lot of ugly things. I complained, but was told to ignore him.”

  Kruger talked to her ten more minutes without learning any additional details. He thanked her and ended the interview.

  On the drive back to Springfield, he called JR.

  JR answered on the fourth ring. “When are you getting back?”

  Looking at the clock on his dashboard, he answered, “Around seven. It’s a four-hour drive.”

  “L
earn anything?”

  “Not at the first two schools, other than they were all installing Student Information Systems around the time of the kidnappings.”

  “Any idea of the name of the company?”

  “No, no one remembered. I did find out it was in St. Louis. Two witnesses mentioned the company’s location. A man in Jacksonville and a woman in Kirksville.”

  “Okay, I can work with that. What else?”

  “One of the ladies I spoke to in Kirksville told me about an individual installing the system who hit on her. His name was Bobby. He was slender with black hair.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “Yeah, we need to see if we can find a Bobby who worked for a company with no name, located in St. Louis.”

  JR chuckled. “I’ve had less to go on.”

  “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

  “Deal.”

  ***

  “So, you’re reinstated?”

  Kruger nodded as he unpacked his suitcase.

  “Are you sure this is what you want, Sean?”

  “Yes, more than the other time I returned.”

  Stephanie smiled and walked over to hug him. Their embrace lasted several minutes. He kissed the top of her head, the familiar scent of jasmine and vanilla made him smile. “What about you?”

  “I will never ask you to quit again. You’ve been miserable.”

  He did not respond.

  “What about the university?”

  “I called on the drive back. I’ll be a guest lecturer and student advisor.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “It was what I enjoyed the most.”

  “I’m sorry about how I acted two years ago. I was just afraid of losing you.”

  “It worried me, too. I did work something out with Paul.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m going to concentrate on unsolved cases.”

  She raised her head off his chest and looked up. “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t have to travel unless I need to interview a witness or make an arrest.”

  She smiled, closed her eyes, and put her head back on his chest.

  ***

  “The name of the company was Infinite Student, LLC. It sold to IBM in 2010.” JR pointed toward the left side monitor. “Personnel records were intermingled within the IBM system. No record of a Bobby, or a Robert for that matter, with a background at Infinite Student.”

  “Are we at a dead end?”

  JR shook his head. “I think the guy left before it was bought by IBM.”

  “What now?”

  “I’ve got one of my snooper routines checking social media for anyone with the name of Robert or Bobby with Infinite Student in their background.”

  “Any luck?”

  “Not yet.”

  Kruger straightened from leaning over to look at the screen. “What if he never worked for this Infinite Student, LLC?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was thinking about it last night. What if he worked for another vendor, like say, the hardware company? He might have been there to make sure the hardware and software worked seamlessly together?”

  JR blinked several times, but did not respond for about twenty seconds. “Hadn’t thought of that.” He turned back to his keyboard and started typing again.

  Kruger wandered over to the coffee service JR kept next to the conference room and made a cup. He grumbled under his breath about the Keurig system, but remembered he had not bought the drip coffeemaker he was planning on giving JR.

  Fifteen minutes later, JR stared at the right screen for at least two minutes. “That,” he pointed to the screen, “might be a possibility.”

  Kruger sipped his coffee and looked at where JR was pointing. “Huh…” He read some more. “What exactly does Haylex Solutions do?”

  More typing on the keyboard.

  “Network and routing systems. I’ve never heard of them.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “It happens. They specialize in academic systems. I don’t work with schools, colleges or universities.”

  “Why?”

  JR turned and looked up at Kruger. “They take too long to make decisions. Once they do, their business goes to the lowest bidder. I’m never the lowest bidder.”

  “Makes sense. Now, what about Haylex Solutions?”

  “According to the company website, in 1982, a software engineer named Irving Bush founded the company as a one-man shop. By 1990, the employee count was over one hundred. Infinite Student was his first customer and one of his largest. He died in 1992 after selling the company to a venture capitalist group the previous year. They sold it in 1998 to a group of investors headed by a man named…” JR paused and re-read the name, “Robert Burns. He’s listed as the current CEO.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  Working the keyboard again, JR paused to read the screen. Shaking his head, he looked up at Kruger. “It’s unlikely this is the Bobby or Robert we are looking for.”

  “Why?’”

  “Because he was serving as a United States senator from Washington State. Elected in 2000, he retired after two terms in 2012 to become CEO. Plus, he’s in his late sixties now. In 2002, he would have been in his fifties.”

  “That doesn’t work, does it?”

  JR shook his head.

  “Back to Haylex Solutions.”

  “They were subcontractors for Infinite Student. They installed the networking protocols.”

  “I don’t like the coincidence of the kidnappings starting the year after Haylex Solutions was bought by someone named Robert. If there is a connection, we need to figure it out.”

  With a slight smile, JR nodded.

  Chapter 9

  Seattle, WA

  Robert Burns sipped a glass of Columbia River Merlot from one of the dozen wineries he owned around the state. He studied the skyline of Seattle across Elliot Bay as the approaching darkness transitioned the scene from a forest of tall buildings to a cascade of lights. The floor-to-ceiling windows on each level created the illusion the house was solid glass on the side facing downtown Seattle. He stood in the master bedroom on the top floor of the three level concrete structure and watched the city come to life.

  Now late into his seventh decade of life, his presence, wherever it might be, was commanding. His black hair, which he combed straight back, was thinning but still absent of gray strands. Considered the fifth wealthiest individual in Seattle, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Paul Allen, and Jerry Baldwin. During the last six years of his two terms in the Senate, he served as chairman on several high-power committees and was outspoken on numerous conservative initiatives.

  The tuxedo he wore was well used from attending various campaign rallies and fundraising functions over the past year. The illumination of his beloved city was his favorite time of the day, a sight he rarely missed if at home. Glancing at his watch, he noted it was nearing time to head to the watch party.

  Turning to address the individual in the master bathroom, he saw his personal assistant finishing the final touches of her makeup. He smiled. She was beautiful and twenty years his junior. “Allison, when do we need to leave?”

  Allison O’Brien’s long auburn hair featured streaks of black, which gave the woman an exotic look. She smiled as she stopped applying the finishing touches to her eyes. “Robert, we don’t have to leave for thirty minutes.”

  He nodded and returned to watching the lights of Seattle blink on. Several minutes later he heard Allison ask, “Have you heard any exit polls yet?”

  “It is bad luck to listen to exit polls on Election Day.”

  “No, darling, it’s bad luck to see the bride on your wedding day, not to listen to exit polls.”

  Burns chuckled. Allison was indispensable as his assistant, for which he paid her a substantial salary. She was even more indispensable in his bed, a function which
allowed her to share his lifestyle. A lifestyle he had worked forty years to acquire. As tall as Robert, she was slender, athletic, and extremely ambitious. She also knew, if she continued to learn from Robert Burns, she would be the next CEO. The son was not interested in running the family business. She was.

  Ten minutes later, she finished in the bathroom and walked over to where he stood. “Beautiful isn’t it? The site never ceases to amaze me.”

  “Me, either. You ready?”

  She nodded as he touched a button on a remote control unit sitting on his nightstand. As they walked out of the room a curtain slid silently across the window.

  ***

  By ten p.m. the attendees at the Burns for Senator watch party were drunk with excitement and five hundred bottles of Washington State wine. Robert S. Burns, Jr. would be the next United States senator from the great state of Washington, beating his opponent by fifteen percentage points in a special election. The previous senator left the position to become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

  Robert Senior smiled as he basked in the glow of victory. He had spent close to fifty million dollars on the campaign, this contributions masked through numerous clandestine channels. The amount was immaterial considering the results.

  Allison O’Brien walked up next to him, aware that showing affection in public to the senior Burns was strictly against his rules. “Congratulations, Robert. This will be fun.”

  He nodded. “Yes, it’s time Junior understands who is responsible for his election and who will be calling the shots. He also needs to remember who kept his name out of the headlines several years ago.”

  “Why didn’t you run again?”

  “I burned a few bridges while I was there. Let’s just say Junior will have a fresh start. Besides, his public reputation is clear of any scandals.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Junior can be a bit… uh, let’s say aggressive with the women in his life. Have you ever had someone look into the time he was on the road for Haylex Solutions?”

  “There were a few incidents, but they are also behind him and under legal non-disclosure agreements.”