Murder After Hours

by Rayna Morgan

  Her heart plummeted when she saw the low battery warning on her phone. She quickly pressed speed dial and nearly wept when she heard the familiar voice.

  “Tom,” she said meekly, “I need help.”

  “Speak up, Maddy. I can barely hear you. Where are you?”

  “I’m at…”

  The line went dead.

  Her pulse quickened at the sound of a car with a bad muffler and a door slamming.

  “Hey, baby. I’m home,” a voice shouted.

  Maddy’s stomach turned over. She choked on the acid taste of bile.

  • • •

  Lea screeched to a stop in the driveway and raced toward the house. She called the Border collie at the back door.

  “C’mon, girl. We’ve got to rescue Maddy.”

  Gracie ran to the car and jumped in the front, eager for an adventure.

  Lea sped out of the driveway, leaving the garage open.

  The address Maddy had given was halfway across town. Close to the on-ramp, she saw a stream of bumper-to-bumper traffic and emergency vehicles with flashing lights.

  Choosing side streets, she spent the next moments waiting impatiently at every light and warning Gracie as needed. “Hold on. Another speed bump.”

  She debated with herself the entire time. Should I call Tom and send him to help Maddy?

  I would never put her in harm’s way. But from what I know of Shorty, my sister’s in no real danger.No matter how intimidating his appearance, Shorty wouldn't hurt anyone except in self defense.

  On the other hand, I don't know about his girlfriend, the one holding my sister captive.

  The question loomed whether the woman’s action stemmed from fear or aggression.

  If Tom comes, Shorty will be taken into custody. We’ll have no chance to confirm the identity of his partners in crime.

  She turned to her pet.

  “What do you think, girl? Should we handle it on our own?”

  The dog barked several times.

  “I agree. We do it ourselves.”

  She stopped at yet another stoplight, willing herself to breathe deeply.

  What about Paul? Should I let him know what’s happening?

  As she looked to the animal for a response, the car behind her honked.

  The driver’s telling me to get on with it. Is that our answer, Gracie?

  It’s the answer she wanted, so she accepted her interpretation.

  “It’s the three of us,” she told the dog. “Maddy, you, and me.”

  Another round of barking made Lea laugh. “And a bit of luck. You’re right.”

  • • •

  Paul arrived late from his office. The garage door was open but the house was dark.

  He checked his phone expecting to see a more recent message. An earlier text from Lea told him Jon was at a friend’s house. She was with her sister and expected to be home early. There were no new messages.

  Walking inside, he nearly tripped over the white retriever, waiting stoically in the dark.

  “Come outside, Spirit. You must be sore from holding it so long.”

  While the dog relieved himself, Paul called Lea’s number. No answer. He left a message.

  “Spirit was alone with no lights when I got home. What’s going on? Call as soon as you get this message.”

  He called Maddy’s number. No answer. He left another message.

  “If Lea is with you, tell her to call me. I want to know what you two are up to.”

  His neighbor appeared in her yard.

  He waved. “Evening, Ida.”

  “Is everything all right?” she hollered.

  His heart stopped.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I saw Lea’s car a while ago parked sideways like she was in a hurry. A moment later, I saw her and Gracie race from the house, get in her car, and zoom out of here.”

  Ida tended to be melodramatic. Nevertheless, his pulse raced.

  “Everything’s fine.” He strained to keep his voice steady. No sense stirring up neighborhood gossip.

  “She was probably late for an appointment.”

  “Since when does Lea take Gracie on her appointments? You’ll have to come up with something better than that.”

  She turned and walked back inside.

  Willing himself to stay calm, Paul went to the kitchen. He filled Spirit’s bowl and watched the dog gobble the food.

  He moved in a trance to the refrigerator. Spirit joined him and they stared at the nearly empty shelves together.

  Paul stroked the canine's head. “We have to be patient right, big guy? There’s no reason to worry. Lea and Gracie are fine.”

  The dog ran in circles.

  “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  Paul grabbed his keys. “C’mon, Spirit. We’re going to find them.”

  They hurried out and jumped in the car.

  The vehicle sped down the street.

  A lace curtain fell as the gray-haired lady shook her head and moved away from the window.

  • • •

  Pat looked through the window of Tom’s office. She heard him curse as he slammed the phone.

  “Can’t that woman stay out of trouble!”

  She took the precaution of knocking before entering. He waved her in.

  “Everything okay, boss?”

  “I doubt it. What have you got?”

  “A call came into the tip line about the reward on the art burglaries.”

  He shook his head impatiently. “I don’t have time, Pat. I’m sure you will receive dozens of calls.”

  “You might be interested in this one. I used our standard ploy of asking for a detail about the thefts which hasn’t been released to the public.”

  He looked up, mildly interested. “What did he say?”

  “You mean, what did she say. The caller was a she.”

  “He, she, them. Just give me the bottom line.”

  “She said one picture was bubble wrapped and tied with twine.”

  “An over-zealous reporter printed that detail by mistake.”

  “Maybe. But the reporter didn’t know the part of the tipster’s description about a necklace chain attached to the twine.”

  The last bit got the lieutenant’s full attention.

  “That’s Ida Allen’s painting. Let’s go talk to your tipster.”

  “Not so fast, Lieutenant. She got nervous when I asked for specifics. Said she’d call later and hung up.”

  “Trace the call. We need to find that woman.”

  “I’m on it.”

  She was halfway out the door when Tom called her back. He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

  “I received a call from this number minutes ago. Get the location of the phone when the call came in.”

  He grabbed his jacket. “I’m going out. Buzz me as soon as you have something.”

  Pat glanced at the paper.

  “This looks familiar. It’s Maddy’s cell, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. I’m afraid both calls may have originated from the same place.”

  Before he was out of the parking lot, Pat called with the address.

  He gunned the engine.

  A moment later, the phone on his dashboard lit up.

  “Maddy, where the heck are you?”

  “It’s Paul, Tom.”

  His friend sounded as stressed as he was feeling.

  “Sorry. I was hoping to hear from Maddy. What’s up?”

  “I think Lea’s in trouble. She’s not at home and I can’t get hold of her. I’m tracking her vehicle location device—”

  Tom interrupted. “Where are you?”

  “Close to the intersection of Fifth and H streets. Can you meet me?”

  “I’m headed in that direction. Looks like you and I are going to the same place, buddy. Maddy’s in trouble, too.”

  He turned on his siren and flipped the switch for flashing red lights.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

 
Maddy peeked out from a dust-covered window in the shed. She saw the young woman run from the house to meet Shorty.

  “Things happened while you were gone,” she told him.

  He froze and looked over his shoulder.

  “What things?” he demanded.

  “I wanted to surprise you. I heard on the news about a reward being offered for information on stolen paintings.”

  His face turned white. He grabbed her arm and spoke gruffly. “You didn’t do somethin’ stupid did you, baby?”

  “Don’t baby me and don’t call me stupid.” She flung his hand off her arm. “I’m not as dumb as you think. I know what you and Henry are up to the nights you work late.”

  He backed up a few steps. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  Maddy listened so intently she forgot to breathe.

  If my dumb phone was working, I could record their conversation.

  “I found the combination of the lock in your dirty jeans,” Gloria continued. “I saw what’s in there.”

  “The stuff that’s in there is none of your business.”

  Tears flooded her eyes.

  “I kept hoping you would tell me. That we didn’t have secrets from each other.”

  He moved closer and tipped her chin so she’d look at him.

  “I didn’t want to worry you, that’s all. It has nothin’ to do with you.”

  “That’s not true. Whenever you take something to put in there, you risk getting caught and going to jail. It has everything to do with me.”

  He shuffled his feet. “I planned to tell you, honest. I been waitin’ for the right time.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “When will that be? When you're ready to cash in and leave me behind?”

  He shook his head. “You got it all wrong, babe. I do everything for us. For you. So you can quit that stinking job and we can get a decent place to live. A bigger place. A place of our own.”

  “If you would have talked to me, I could have told you I like what you call my stinking job. A larger house would be nice but it will come in time. It’s not worth breaking the law to get it sooner than later.”

  “You're right, baby. I shoulda told you.”

  He tried to hug her but she backed away.

  “I don’t want you stealing any more. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’ll tell Henry I won’t do any more jobs.”

  “I have a better solution. Let’s move the stuff to a storage place across town and I’ll call the police. When they pick up the loot, I’ll collect the reward.”

  He smiled but shook his head. “Thanks for tryin’ to help, babe, but it won’t work. It ain’t that simple.”

  She looked toward the shed. “Probably not.”

  “Don’t look so glum. We’ll find another way to get out from under.”

  She lowered her head. “I haven’t told you the other thing that happened.”

  “Shoot, I’m listening.”

  He opened the trunk of his car and removed a tire.

  “A woman was here snooping around. Said she was looking for a lost dog.”

  “What of it?” he asked.

  “She was lying.” She turned away so he couldn’t see her face. “It’s her fault ‘cause I’m sure she was lying.”

  He let the tire drop to the ground and spun her around.

  “Who are you talking about, Gloria? Make sense. Tell me who was here.”

  She jerked away from him. “Take your hands off, you big ox. You’re hurting me.”

  He lowered his hands to his sides. “Sorry. Just tell me about the woman.”

  “That's what I've been trying to say. She's still here.”

  Every muscle in the man’s body tightened. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “What have you done!”

  His angry tone of voice frightened her. She stammered an explanation.

  “You weren’t here. I didn’t know what to do. I, I…”

  He softened his voice. “You’re not in trouble, but I need to hear what happened.”

  “I caught her staring in the window of the shed. I knocked her down and dragged her in the shed.”

  He spun so fast Maddy barely pulled back in time to avoid being seen. Her heart pounded as she pressed flat against the wall.

  When she worked up enough courage to peer out again, her stomach churned with fear. Her future was in the hands of the man pacing inches from where she was held captive.

  “We can fix this,” he muttered. “We’ll tell her you made a mistake and let her go.”

  Gloria put her hands on her hips.

  “What if she heard us talking?”

  He stopped pacing.

  “That will be a big problem for her, won’t it?”

  A wicked smile spread across his face.

  “It’s time to find out.”

  Maddy resumed a position on the floor. She squeezed her eyelids shut as the door creaked open.

  He entered the room. The smell of his sweat nearly gagged her.

  “No problem,” he called, standing over her. “She’s out cold. Couldn't have heard a thing.”

  He leaned over and slapped her face gently. “Wake up, miss. Are you okay?”

  She opened her eyes slowly. “Where am I? What happened?”

  He helped her sit up and offered a reassuring smile.

  “Sorry my girlfriend dragged you in here but you gave her quite a scare.”

  Maddy rubbed her head. The goose bump hadn’t shrunk. “I told your girlfriend, or whoever she is, I’m looking for my dog.”

  “Gloria thought you were a burglar. Break-ins happen in this part of town.” He gave her a cautious once-over. “You should know that if you’re from the neighborhood like you say.”

  “I didn’t say I live here.”

  He took her arm and helped her struggle to her feet. “Then why come here to look for your dog?”

  “She was with a sitter down the street who left her gate open. Guess I won’t let that girl take care of my dog again.”

  He didn’t loosen his grip.

  “There is no pet sitter on this block,” he grumbled. “People around here can’t afford to pay someone to watch their mutt.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  Shut up, Maddy. The more I say, the worse things get.

  “Oh, it’s not a business or anything.” She twisted her arm free. “Only the niece of a co-worker trying to earn money. Turned out to be another irresponsible teenager.”

  Her attempt at laughter came out more like a hiccup.

  She saw the visual exchange between Shorty and Gloria and knew she wasn’t fooling anyone.

  • • •

  Loud barking pierced the silence. Maddy’s heart leapt as they turned to see a blur of gold and white fur running toward them.

  The dog jumped on Maddy and she kneeled to let Gracie lick her face.

  “There you are, girl. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  She rose and grasped Lea’s hand before her sister could utter a word.

  “Thanks for finding my dog.”

  A low growl emanated from the animal raising the hair on Maddy’s arm.

  “What’s wrong, girl?”

  Shorty stepped behind Maddy.

  “I don’t know what game you’re playing at, but I recognize this dog.” He glared at Lea. “And I've met the dog’s owner.”

  He reached inside the trunk of his car.

  Gracie lunged forward, nipping his heels.

  Shorty raised a crow bar above his head.

  Lea screamed.

  Maddy landed a martial art kick to Shorty’s knee and he fell to the ground.

  A vehicle with flashing lights and blaring siren jumped the curb and drove onto the lawn. A second car screeched to a stop on the street.

  Tom and Paul leaped out of their cars and rushed to the sisters.

  • • •

  Lea surveyed the scene at the station. She knew the nature of night shifts included everything
from drunks to domestic disturbances, all creating risk and unexpected outcomes.

  Paul left with Gracie an hour earlier but not before the dog received accolades from detectives familiar with previous escapades.

  “We should get the dog fitted for a bullet-proof vest,” Pat suggested.

  “The least we should do is post her picture as Citizen of the Month,” a patrolman offered.

  Lea displayed a mother’s pride, but Paul was less impressed. He scolded his wife before leaving.

  “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You and that dog are magnets for trouble. You encourage each other.”

  “Gracie watches out for me. She protects me.”

  “She thrives on adventure. You both do, but you push the envelope when it comes to safety.”

  After hearing Paul’s lecture, Lea listened to her sister complain.

  “May I leave?” Maddy whined. “I told Tom everything I know. You’re the one with all the theories and I have to work tomorrow.”

  Lea glanced at the officer on duty. “Go home. I’ll cover for you. I can answer any questions he has.”

  “Thanks, Sis.”

  Maddy scooped up her purse before Lea changed her mind.

  “Thank you for rescuing me today. Or should I say, thanks for bringing Gracie. I’m not sure what I would have done without the two of you.”

  Maddy left and Lea leaned against the wall, breathing in the atmosphere. Her sister couldn’t wait to get away from the station but she found the environment stimulating.

  She admired the impact of police on people’s lives, the families they touched, and the peace they brought when they achieved justice on behalf of a victim. They never had to wonder if what they did mattered.

  The officer at the counter lowered a headset and motioned to Lea. “Lieutenant Elliot is ready. You know the way.”

  Lea blushed. “You make it sound as though I’m becoming a fixture.”

  Buzzed through to the inner sanctum, she followed a hallway to the lieutenant’s office. Other desks in the Major Crimes Division were empty. Lea knew detectives typically worked the day shift when business people they needed to talk to were present and available.

  Tom looked beat. The kind of weariness suggesting how he might look years, or decades, down the road.

  He pointed at a chair. “I'd offer you coffee, but not without a warning. Brew here is bad in the best of times. At this time of night, it would turn your stomach.”

  “No problem. It’s a nice, warm bed I need, not caffeine.”