by Amy Shojai
He clawed more and more of the dirt away from her shoulders to free her arms, until September could push herself up out of the dirt. Shadow stood back, tail still waving with excitement.
She began to weep, and he whimpered, too, and pushed himself into her lap. As September’s arms hugged him tight, Shadow wagged his tail so hard it swept the dirt clear. He licked the tears from her face. They tasted like love.
Chapter 44
TEE STEADIED HERSELF with one hand against the elevator wall. When the door dinged open Detective Steele stood in the hallway waiting for her. “We gotta stop meeting like this.” He didn’t smile. “When we couldn’t reach the Day woman, Mr. Williams specifically asked for you. He refused to answer questions without you here.” Steele glared at her.
“I’ve been up all night. The interview with Judge Southgate’s daughter, Sharon, wrung me out. She had to watch her whole damn family burn to death.” He took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. “She clutched this big fluffy black and white cat the whole time, and wouldn’t let it go. It belonged to her little brother. They got it when he was a baby. Now a friggin’ blood-covered cat’s all she’s got left to remember him by.”
“I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.” Tee understood too well losing family members to violence.
“Friend? Not really. Doesn’t have to be a friend to cut your soul in two. This whole case just makes me want to punch a wall.” He sniffed and jammed the glasses back on his face. “Don’t know what that means, but I’ve had it with everyone stepping all over my investigation. So you leave the questions to me, Teves. Got it?”
She nodded, and the room spun. She grabbed the wall. Damn, she didn’t have time for some weird tick disease. Time enough when she got back to Chicago.
Tee followed Steele down the hallway to Teddy’s room. A younger man waiting just inside the door introduced himself as Theo, and warned them to make it short. “My dad thinks he’s a secret agent or superman or something. He’s not. I’ll chase you out after ten minutes.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” Teddy’s quavery voice sounded weak, but determined. “I’m not dead yet, nor am I senile. I am perfectly capable of throwing ‘em out myself, Theo.”
Tee choked back a laugh at Steele’s expression. No wonder September loved this guy.
He sat propped upright in the hospital bed, one leg wrapped and slightly elevated. Teddy whispered, eyes twinkling, “My son worries I’ll fall and break a hip. Should’ve warned me about getting shot.” The younger man rolled his eyes, face still etched with worry, but left the room.
Steele pulled up a rolling chair, and took out a tiny paper tablet. He licked the end of a pencil, poised to take notes the old-school way. “Tell us what happened, Mr. Williams. Start with when and why September Day contacted you.”
Without drawing attention to herself, Tee set her phone to record, and propped herself against the wall. She bounced her left foot on the floor, trying to stem pins-and-needles. She must have slept wrong, or maybe the cold caused the numbness.
“I sent September a Christmas card. I’ve been staying with my son’s family. That’s the scowling young man guarding the door.” He raised his voice, intentionally jabbing Theo’s protectiveness. “September’s been a friend for a couple of years. I helped her out when she needed my expertise.”
“And just what is that?” Steele hadn’t yet written a word.
“Anything with a computer.” Teddy smiled. “Coding, tracking hackers, identifying and neutralizing viruses, un-ransoming system attacks. I’m sort of the Marshall Dillon of the ‘Net.” His smile faded and worry lines replaced it. “September needed help reviewing the contents of a thumb drive she recovered at the behest of the police.” His veined hands played with the sheet, telltale nerves betraying his uncertainty. “Can you believe it? She told me her cat Macy tracked it down. Sounds like a spy movie, right?” He glanced over at Tee, making eye contact to ensure she paid attention. “Two cats are still in my motor home. We need to let September know. She’ll worry.”
Steele finally scribbled on his pad. “Tell me about the thumb drive.” He glanced at Tee. “That’s the one you promised to recover?”
Tee nodded. “It’s the backup from Sissie Turpin’s computer. September suspected a connection to her husband’s investigation. We planned to turn it over to you this morning. But when I fell asleep, September took it over to Mr. Williams first.” She raised her eyebrows at Teddy.
“She wanted a quick look, but no computer. She knew I’ve worked with law enforcement before and asked a favor.” He smoothed the sheet, and met Steele’s eyes. “September had every intention to surrender the materials. She’d already left when I got bushwhacked and the drive stolen.”
Tee’s stomach dropped. She should have known September might try to recover it on her own. But she’d been so damn tired. Now, Redford would never trust her again. Probably sabotaged any chance to become a detective.
“Don’t look so stricken, Officer Teves.” Teddy grinned. “The bad guy got the thumb drive. But I’d already saved a copy.” Teddy’s satisfaction warmed his voice and smoothed his brow. “Somebody hand me a cell phone, Detective Steele, and I can send the files wherever you need.”
Steele smiled for the first time. “Terrific. I’ll have our I.T. department coordinate with you.” He made a note, licked the pencil lead again, and cocked his head. “I don’t suppose you took a look at the files? Any thoughts?”
Teddy smoothed the sheet again. “You’ll want a forensic accountant to review the files, I think. No time to run a thorough analysis—that got interrupted when the bad man showed up. But...” He scratched his head and adjusted his glasses, hemmed and hawed, then finally spoke again. “I saw files for a variety of clients. Maybe real names, maybe code names, but some did look familiar. The one that piqued September’s interest had to do with Turpin’s pedigreed cats.”
Rolling his eyes, Steele slapped his notepad against his leg. “Seriously?” He glared at Tee. “What in the hell do cats have to do with my investigation?”
Tee glared back at Steele, but before she could answer, Teddy interjected.
“Everything, Detective Steele.” He had their attention, and knew it, milking the moment like a bad actor hamming for applause. “Most of the records show nothing unusual. One significant placement, for instance, was September’s own cat Macy, purchased by the man now awaiting trial for her kidnapping and attempted murder.” He seemed to like the shock on Steele’s face, and continued with relish. “But over the years, a significant number of cats sold at an exorbitant fee, $10,000 to $25,000 per animal.”
Steele stared. “Go on.” He wrote furiously.
“I’d just started running a program to cross-reference sales amounts with dates and purchasers. We—that is, September and I—believe the fees reflect payoffs for something else. Does that make sense?”
Tee started. “Detweiller’s indictment cited fraudulent lab results. He had to have a reason to risk his business and rep. Somebody made it worth his while.” Her headache took a back seat. She pushed away from the wall, numbness in her leg ignored. “Detweiller ended up dead. And his bookkeeper’s death was staged to look like a suicide, which it clearly was not.”
“We wouldn’t know anything different, if the girl down the hall hadn’t been a witness.” Steele gnawed the eraser end of the pencil.
Tee spoke to Teddy. “If Karma and I hadn’t found Charlie, she’d just be an anonymous hit and run victim.”
“Well hold onto your hats, I’m just getting started.” Teddy’s face flushed with excitement. “Like I said, we’d just begun when a familiar name prompted me to run the program. And I’m pretty darn confident we’ll discover a few more familiar names once your police guys get hold of the files.” His grin faltered. “Did you hear about the fire at Judge Southgate’s house tonight? Sad situation.”
Steele looked up sharply. “What does that have to do...” He paused, spoke slowly. “I interviewed his
daughter Sharon tonight. She had a cat with her.”
Teddy winced. “Somebody named Southgate paid $25,000 for one of Turpin’s cats eighteen years ago. Named Kahlua.”
“Damn!” Steele didn’t bother to write anything further. He stuffed the notepad and pencil back into his pocket. “Where is September? I’ve still got questions.”
“She doesn’t know what she knows,” Teddy corrected. “She stirred up a hornet’s nest when she came to visit her mother-in-law.”
Steele furrowed his brow and shoved his sliding glasses back up his nose. “So Angela Day found her son’s files, gave ‘em to September, then they got stolen. What a mess, it has to be connected.” He looked from Tee to Teddy, and back again. “Do either of you know where she’d go?”
“Well, yes.” Teddy’s sorrow filled the room. “I don’t know how much you know about September’s history. Today’s December eighteenth, the anniversary of her escape from her kidnapper. It’s also the day her husband died. She wanted to visit Christopher Day’s grave.”
“A cemetery before dawn? In the snow?” Steele shook his head and hummed a spooky “woo-woo” sound. “Okay, Mr. Computer Genius, thanks for all your help. I’ll get my IT guys to reach out and collect the files. Don’t leave town. We’ll have more questions.”
“Mr. Williams, what cemetery?” Tee turned to Steele. “Can’t you get a team out there, make sure she’s okay? She’s not answering her phone.”
Steele sighed. “She probably turned it off. You know, to pray and all.” When she grimaced, he relented. “Okay, I’ll make a call. But we’re already stretched thin. South Bend ain’t Chicago, ya know, and we got a rash of murders and fires, not to mention the usual fender benders and regular mayhem. She’s supposed to meet me for questioning later today, anyway.” He strode out of the room, phone at his ear.
Tee implored Teddy. “She saved my life. I owe her. Your attacker probably found you by following September. She’s not safe.”
He beckoned her close. “Steele’s probably right about the phone. She’s at Mount Pleasant.” Teddy pointed to his pants, folded on a chair. “Those are September’s gloves in my pants pocket, you might need these to track her. Be careful. The people at the top of this conspiracy have a long reach.”
Chapter 45
IT TOOK SEPTEMBER THREE tries to stand, and two attempts to claw her way out of the grave. The damp earth clung to her clothes, and she brushed it off as best she could. Shadow grabbed her cap, leaped out of the hole, shook himself, and licked his paws. His past bout with frostbite made him more susceptible to cold.
Her head hurt. She picked up the discarded bump cap. Her stomach flip-flopped when the cap crackled in her hands. She rubbed the growing goose egg on the back of her head, feeling shattered plastic clogging her hair, but the bump cap had saved her life. She’d also landed with her face pillowed on her arms, offering just enough trapped air to sustain her for the brief time she’d been buried. But if Shadow hadn’t found her when he did, she would have suffocated. “What a good-dog, Shadow. You’re so smart!”
Shadow grinned and leaned his shoulder against her, offering welcome support. She checked her pockets, grateful to find her wallet, but frustrated by the missing car keys and phone. She peered around the cemetery, still silent but no longer peaceful. Only grave markers and mute stone angels bore witness. She walked, Shadow beside her, and tried to think.
She’d been only semi-conscious, and remembered hearing something about eliminating witnesses. He’d mentioned Heartland...and her mother? What did Mom have to do with this?
Teddy! September gasped, and her gut clenched. Oh God, her fault, all her fault! Teddy wouldn’t give up the thumb drive without an argument. What had she done? So stupid, so self-centered. She’d led Mr. Bleak to Teddy, a gentle man who never had the sense to say no to her schemes.
Why hadn’t she listened to Tee? She should have simply waited to turn over the computer files to Detective Steele.
Detective Steele.
Steele knew Judge Southgate, the man who wanted her arrested. After demanding her arrest, Southgate and his whole family perished. Had Steele arranged to eliminate Southgate to hide the reason behind his $25,000 payoff? And Bleak had been at the bookkeeper’s house, when only Steele knew about the thumb drive on the cat.
Was Steele targeting everyone on the payoff list? She hadn’t paid for Macy, and Victor certainly never had that kind of money. What sort of favors would he have done instead? September gagged, bent over a nearby headstone, and threw up.
Only someone with insider information could manage this conspiracy. Someone able to stay one step ahead of the Chicago police investigation, manage killings in South Bend, and silence potential witnesses. Someone like Steele. His reputation for clearing difficult cases could be explained by insider collaboration, too. Even Southgate could influence the outcome of Steele’s arrests. Or maybe Steele had yet another puppet master pulling strings.
She had to do something. The killer planned to travel to Heartland. If Southgate’s whole family died, they wouldn’t hesitate to target her whole family. Her parents. Brother and sisters. Combs. His kids.
No! September braced herself against the headstone, retching again. The cold granite bit into her bare hand. She wiped her mouth on her coat sleeve. She knew what to do.
Mr. Bleak reported her dead. Fine, she’d play dead. Even if she had a phone, she couldn’t call Tee and risk her sharing with Steele. Even an honest cop could share information with the wrong party. September wouldn’t take the chance, not when her family could pay the price.
She pushed off from the headstone, and picked up her pace down the road. The airport, five minutes by car, wouldn’t take long to walk. She could beat the killer home, but she couldn’t risk him seeing her.
Twenty-five minutes later she trudged into the airport parking lot. The small regional airport, mostly deserted at this hour, meant she wouldn’t be seen by too many prying eyes, but she avoided the plane terminal and headed toward the train platform. She ducked into the first restroom she found and performed damage control as best she could.
Shadow never wore a vest. No law, not even the ADA, required official identification of service animals, but that didn’t stop many people from expecting it. So he always wore an official-looking tag on his collar. The train couldn’t turn away service animals. But she couldn’t afford delays, or too much attention on this trip, so was thankful she still had the extra leash stuffed in one of her massive coat pockets.
She had an emergency stash of cash, a credit card, and driver’s license in her pocket. She feared using the credit card in the ticket vending machine might be tracked. Whoever ran the show seemed to have unlimited resources. She could pay cash on the train. The South Shore ran three trains per day into Chicago, the two-hour trip costing under $20. Fortunately, the first train of the day was in less than an hour.
September bought food from a vending machine. She fortunately had stuffed two more baggies of the homemade dog treats Shadow loved into her pockets before she left Teddy’s, and fed Shadow nearly a whole bag in lieu of a meal. Something else niggled the back of her mind from Mr. Bleak’s conversation. The name, Latana Ojo, sounded familiar.
Chapter 46
TEE TURNED UP THE SOUND on her phone to better hear the computerized voice directing her to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. She didn’t know exactly where to look for September. “That’s where you come in, honey-girl.”
Karma wriggled in the back seat, clearly up for anything. The dog’s broad black brow wrinkled with interest, and she cocked her head with an endearing expression that never failed to make Tee smile.
Detective Steele had other priorities. She got that. Two suspicious deaths and the slaughter of a whole family demanded a team to collect and process evidence, interview witnesses, and put together each case. He’d said it’d be a couple of hours before anyone could check, and that dismissal of September’s possible danger rankled.
The phone app led T
ee directly to the cemetery entrance and the commemorative sign. Mount Pleasant, established in 1876, was an historic cemetery. She’d arrived via Lincoln Way West, but figured driving the perimeter—East Drive, to Edison Road, to Charles Street—offered the best chance of spotting September’s car. Tee drove slowly, scanning the area, but only saw the top third of the tallest monuments poking out of the snow. After one circuit, she turned downside roads, back and forth, that divided sections of the old cemetery. Her tires squeaked as they passed over fresh, untouched snow. Clearly, September hadn’t been here.
With frustration, Tee stopped her car, and called up Google on her phone for a map of the place. Even better, she located FindAGrave.com. Tee plugged in the Mount Pleasant name, Christopher Day’s name, and his death date, and learned he’d been buried in the newer section. Within minutes, Tee found the proper area.
She got out, squinting in the dim light. Sunrise streaked the sky, but still revealed no car. The unplowed snowy roadway, though, showed multiple tracks, unlike the other sections she’d traveled. September had already come and gone. Tee dialed September’s phone again.
Karma barked a sharp alarm.
Tee turned, surprised, still holding the ringing phone in one hand. The dog had been unusually quiet, although alert and interested in the view from the window. “What is it, honey-girl? Do you see something?”
Karma scratched at the back window, and whined. Tee unlatched the door, and before she could attach the tracking lead the big Rottweiler took off, dashing through the gravestones.
She chased after Karma, slowed by the nearly two feet of snow. Tee kept her phone to one ear, hoping September would answer. As they reached the mid-point of the large section, Karma slowed near one massive monument. Disturbed snow surrounded the granite marker. Someone had brushed clean the face to reveal Christopher Day’s name.