by C. M. Sutter
“You aren’t registered in the system as a big brother, and I’m pretty sure she’s over the age limit for needing one.” I chuckled. “You’re just a big teddy bear, aren’t you?”
Frank waved away my comment as he walked ahead of me. “Hey, Gina. How ya doing, kiddo?”
She gave us a slight smile as she stood. “I’m lonesome, but I’m happy to see you guys. Come on upstairs. I just bought a twelve-pack of soda.”
I carried a brown paper sack that held the evidence bags and several pairs of gloves. We followed Gina upstairs, where we took seats at the kitchen table.
“Would you guys care for a soda, and do I need to address you as detectives?”
“Nope. Guys is fine,” Frank said, “and sure, we’ll take a couple of sodas.”
“Good.” She carried three to the table and passed them out. “Hope you like cola.”
“It’s perfect. Thanks.” I motioned to the vacant chair at Frank’s side. “Have a seat, Gina. There’s a few items we’d like you to look at.”
“Okay. They belonged to Leslie?”
“We’re hoping you can tell us that.” I opened the paper bag and pulled out the gloves. “You’ll have to put on a pair of these before you handle anything.”
She nodded, and her eyes began to tear up. It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain even though she tried to put on a brave face.
Frank and I stretched gloves over our hands, too, then I removed the purse from the bag. “Did this belong to Leslie?”
Gina sucked in a gulp of air. “It was her favorite purse since it was a real designer bag and not a knockoff. She was proud of it.”
Frank squeezed Gina’s shoulder. “I bet she was.”
I glanced at the ring on Gina’s finger and knew that seeing Leslie’s matching ring would be hard for her. I opened the zipper on the small plastic bag and dropped the ring into my palm. “This is Leslie’s, right?”
Tears slid down her cheeks as she took it from my hand. Her voice cracked when she confirmed that it was. “Can I keep it?”
“Yes, just not quite yet. Right now, everything that’s related to her murder has to stay with the documented evidence. I promise you, you’ll get all of Leslie’s things back soon.”
Gina let out a deep breath and regained her composure before continuing. “How do I access Leslie’s bank account, Detective Mills? You said my name was listed on it. Next month’s rent and the utility bills are coming due in a few days.”
“You’ll need to get copies of Leslie’s death certificate in order to switch bills over to your name. Can you be at our station at nine tomorrow morning? I’ll make sure our medical examiner has them ready for you.”
“Okay, I can do that.”
Frank stood and handed her his card. “Make sure to use a rideshare company and not the subway system.”
Gina wiped her eyes. “Thank you, Detectives.”
“Call me Frank, and call my number when you get to the front desk in the morning. Debra Blake, our desk sergeant, will page me, and then I’ll walk you to the medical examiner’s office.” Frank patted her shoulder. “Thanks for the soda, and stay safe.”
“I will.”
Frank and I headed to the precinct. We needed to find out if RailGears had any other felons working there who could be connected to Manny, and we also needed to have a word with Carlos Aragon. It was time for him to explain his lies.
Chapter 41
Well, isn’t this interesting?
Richard watched with curiosity as the cruiser parked along the curb and the dynamic duo climbed out, walked to the house, and struck up a conversation with a scrumptious-looking girl who sat on the stoop. A moment later, the three of them went into the house together.
Whatcha got in your hand, Detective McCord? That looks like an evidence bag to me.
Richard pulled Leslie’s phone from his pocket and checked the screensaver. The girl on the porch was the same one in the picture with Leslie.
Hmm, little sister, maybe? My days are getting better and better, and opportunities just keep falling in my lap. I need to follow her for a day or so and see what she does.
Richard continued to watch the duplex, and a half hour later, McCord and Mills finally left. An idea was percolating in Richard’s head, and he waited a good ten minutes just to err on the side of caution before crossing the street. He checked the neighboring houses—nobody was in their yards or sitting on their porches. He was good to go.
He ran to the door and looked at the names on the mailboxes. L. Adams was shown for the upstairs unit. Richard rang the buzzer.
“Hello?”
Richard had to wing it as he went. “This is Officer Milstead from the Chicago PD. Is this the Adams residence?”
“Yes. How can I help you?”
“Detectives McCord and Mills wanted me to let you know I’d be keeping an eye on you. Problem is, I don’t know what you look like.” Richard chuckled. “I guess they forgot that there’s two apartment units here.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll be right down.”
Richard turned his back to the camera and smiled.
I’ll gain her trust, and then she’ll be all mine. That’ll show those detectives who’s really in charge.
Seconds later, the door swung open, and the smiling girl standing in front of him looked even better than she did from across the street. Richard had to hold back his urge to slit her throat right then and there, but killing her in front of the doorbell camera wasn’t the smartest thing to do.
He chuckled. “There you are. I’ll have to razz Detective McCord later about not showing me a picture of you.”
“They don’t have any pictures of me, but it’s Detective Mills who hovers like a helicopter dad, but honestly, I like it.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Gina Adams.”
“Of course you are. Sorry about your sister, but at least her killer won’t be stalking the streets of Chicago any longer. Anyway, you’ll probably see me around the neighborhood. I’ve been assigned to watch the area to make sure you stay safe. Orders of the PD, you know.” Richard tipped his head. “Have a good day, Miss Adams.”
“Thank you, Officer Milstead.”
Richard licked his lips as he crossed the street and disappeared from her view. He would find a spot where he could settle in and watch her every move. Waiting for the right opportunity to run that cold, sharp blade across her throat would be quite the challenge but well worth it in the end.
Chapter 42
I reviewed the jackets of six felons who worked at RailGears and were hired directly by Carlos Aragon. Most had past records of robbery and burglary. There could be a connection to the thefts by Manny and Brad, but without police reports filed by the women robbed, I wasn’t confident that I could connect any of those men to their operation. Also, I didn’t want to stray too far from the subway killer investigation, which weighed heavily on my mind. I would discuss it with Lutz, but I thought the robbery investigation would be better served by that department. My intentions were to press Carlos for information then pass it on to our robbery division.
I took the jackets with me and knocked before entering Lutz’s office.
“Come on in, Jesse. What have you got?”
“A problem that I don’t want to get too deeply involved in.”
He cocked his head. “Let’s hear it.”
“I haven’t spoken to Carlos Aragon yet, but my gut tells me he’s somehow involved in the hooker robberies.”
Lutz pulled a sheet of paper and a pen from his desk drawer. “What’s your theory?”
“There are six felons who work at RailGears. Sure, they’ve done their time, but for felons, getting hired for decent-paying jobs is difficult. What if Carlos was aware of Manny’s side business, turned a blind eye, and hired those felons as long as they worked alongside Manny in the robberies and gave Carlos a percent of their action.”
Lutz frowned. “You mean, the I scratch your back if you scratch mine kind of scenario?”
“Possibly. The problem is, most hookers won’t file a police report because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Those robberies could be widespread throughout the city, and nobody is even talking about it. Hell, I’ve never heard about a rash of late-night robberies targeting hookers.”
“I haven’t either.”
“If Leslie hadn’t been murdered, and we hadn’t had the opportunity to search Brad Risack’s apartment, we wouldn’t have found all those purses. There could be a real robbery epidemic going on right under our noses.”
Lutz doodled alongside his notes. “So what do you want to do?”
“I’ll question Aragon. He’s culpable to a degree in getting Brad Risack and Manny killed. He lied to police and impeded our investigation.”
“True enough.”
“I’ll see what he gives me, and then I want to pass it off to Robbery or Vice. It isn’t our responsibility to follow up on those crimes, but I won’t sweep them under the rug either. Even though those ladies are involved in illegal activities, they don’t deserve to be robbed, and they sure as hell don’t deserve to be murdered for their money.”
“Okay, see what you can get from him, and then I’ll have a talk with the robbery division commander.”
I pushed back the chair and stood. “These jackets are for you in case you want to discuss details with Robbery. I have my own copies that I’ll present to Carlos.”
I returned to the bullpen and called our jail wing. I wanted Mr. Aragon taken to an interrogation room, and Frank and I would head down in five minutes.
As I carried the copies of the police reports under my arm, Frank and I made our way downstairs. We entered box one and took seats across from Mr. Aragon. He stared at the folders as I placed them on the table.
“What are those?”
I opened the top folder. “Bargaining chips.”
“I don’t follow.”
Frank took over. “Do you know what obstruction of justice means?”
Carlos shrugged. “In my case, no.”
I looked at Frank and shook my head. “I don’t get how playing stupid is supposed to give him a pass.” I turned to Carlos. “Yes, you did say you wanted to speak to your company’s attorney yesterday, but you also blatantly lied when you said you didn’t recognize Manny. He’s your nephew for God’s sake, and because of your lie, he and his roommate are dead.”
Carlos began to perspire. “Can I have some water and a tissue?”
“In a minute. First, I’m going to read off these names to you, and then you can tell us what they all have in common.”
Carlos wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
“Ready? John Cole, Bruce Lindman, Kyle Jobs, Derrick Walters, Stanley Finch, and Joseph Alvarez.” I stared Carlos down until he looked away. “Well?”
“I don’t recognize the names.”
I slapped the table so hard my palm stung. “We’re going that route, Carlos? Okay, time to read you your rights. Stand up so I can cuff you. You’re under arrest for obstruction of justice and impeding a criminal investigation. I’ll make sure to charge you for the deaths of Brad and Manny too.”
“Wait! Can I look at the employee folders? Maybe reading the applications will refresh my memory.”
“You’ve got ten minutes, but after that, everything I was prepared to offer will be taken off the table.” I jerked my head toward the door. Frank and I left Carlos alone and entered the observation room, took our seats, and turned up the audio.
Frank crossed his arms and leaned back. “Now to see if he thinks out loud.”
I glanced at my watch. “And he only has eight more minutes.”
We heard a dozen or more curse words and watched him wring his hands multiple times, and he wiped his brow too.
“His time is up,” I said.
We reentered the room. “Time’s up, Carlos. What’s it going to be?”
“What are you offering?”
“You’re looking at three to five years behind bars, and that’s a sweet deal if I do say so myself.”
Carlos sneered at me. “I doubt if you’d think it was sweet if you were on the receiving end of it.”
“That’s the difference between you and me, pal. I uphold the law, and you have no regard for it. You tell us something about Manny’s robbery club and who’s involved in it, and if your story pans out, we might be able to reduce your time in the slammer. If not, then you can sit in gen pop with like-minded criminals.”
“Fine. Those guys worked with Manny, and I gave all of them jobs in exchange for five percent of everything they took in.”
Frank scratched his brow. “My question is why? You gave them all legitimate money-paying jobs.”
“Because I was greedy, and they knew none of the hookers would contact the cops. It was easy money for all of us.”
I stepped out of the interrogation room and yelled for Billy. “Lock him up. We’re done with this dirtbag for the night.”
Chapter 43
The sun had nearly reached the horizon, and Richard was still watching the upstairs windows. The downstairs neighbor had left hours earlier and headed toward the subway station. Gina Adams was all his and worth the wait. Seconds later, the light facing the street went off. It piqued his curiosity.
Is she leaving?
He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, although the timing couldn’t have been worse. People were out and about. It wasn’t late at night, the way he liked and needed it to be. Richard wanted that quiet, intimate moment that was meant only for him and his prey.
He watched as the front door opened and Gina stepped out into the early evening. He would let her get a few houses ahead then catch up to her as if by accident. They’d talk, and he’d ask questions. He’d get to know her plans for the future now that she was alone.
She was almost to the end of the block when he called out to her.
“Miss Adams.”
Gina stopped and looked back. “Officer Milstead. You’re still hanging around?”
“Yep. I work a split shift, from two until ten. Where are you headed?”
She pointed to her left. “To the Chicken Shack. It’s only a few blocks away, and I’ve already called in my order. I’m going to pick it up.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
Gina frowned as she looked up and down the street. “Where’s your police car?”
“About five blocks from here. I’m a beat cop. I’m used to walking the streets. Not this neighborhood, normally, but I’m doing a favor for the detectives. Plus, if anyone suspicious was lurking around your apartment, I wouldn’t want them to see my car. It’s all about taking people by surprise, you know.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” Gina turned the corner, and Richard continued at her side.
“So, what are your plans now that you’re living alone? Are you going to stay there or move in with someone else?”
“I don’t really have anyone that I’m close to.”
Richard nodded. “Sorry to hear that.”
“There isn’t much I can do until I get Leslie’s death certificates. Detective Mills told me to come to their precinct at nine o’clock tomorrow morning and pick them up.” Gina walked up to the Chicken Shack’s front door. “This is the place.”
Noticing the cameras, Richard kept his head down. “I’ll wait outside for you.”
She was back out in five minutes with a white paper bag in hand. “I feel bad that I have food and you don’t.”
“Not a problem. Even though it doesn’t look like I’m doing anything, I am on the clock.” He tipped his wrist. “I had dinner an hour back, but I do have a fifteen-minute break coming up.”
“Good. Then you can come up with me and have a soda while I eat, can’t you?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I suppose I can.”
Back at the apartment, Gina unlocked the door and they entered. As soon as she closed the door at their backs, Richard had every opportunity to kill her. It would have been
just as easy as it was when he’d taken Bradley Risack’s life. Nobody saw or heard a thing. Getting past that doorbell camera was the problem.
In the kitchen, Gina plated her dinner and they sat at the table together.
“You do have a back exit, don’t you? Being on the second floor like this is dangerous in case of a fire. City code states all second-story units need a fire escape.”
Gina laughed and took a bite of the fried chicken drumstick. “Man, you’re just like Detective Mills. He’s such a worrywart, and yes, there is a back exit.” She pointed over her shoulder. “It’s that door just beyond the washer and dryer.”
Richard crossed the kitchen and walked to the door. He opened it, flipped on the light switch, and looked down the stairs. To his surprise, he saw that the stairway was enclosed.
“That’s convenient.”
“What is?”
“The enclosed stairs to the alley. No snow, ice, or rain on the steps to deal with in the winter. Plus, it’s just another means of security. Nice place, Gina. You should stay here.”
She scooped up a glob of ketchup with her waffle fry. “Yeah, Leslie liked it here, and it makes me feel close to her. I think I will stay. It’s nice that Detective Mills is going to walk me through everything I need to learn too. He even got me information about schooling in a field I might enjoy so I can get a decent job.”
“Sounds like he’s really fond of you.”
“Yeah, it’s like he’s the brother I never had. I hope we’ll have a long-lasting friendship.”
Don’t count on it.
Although Richard was prepared to kill her right then and there in the privacy of her own apartment, another idea came to mind. Taking her with him and taunting Detective Mills could be even more entertaining. First, he would have to disable that doorbell camera and make sure he took Gina’s phone along when they left.
He stared at her from across the table and smiled. “How’s your dinner?”
“It’s delicious. Want a waffle fry?”
Chapter 44
With Carlos confessing to his role in the robbery ring and naming names, our part of that job was done. Lutz passed it off to the robbery division, but we still needed to talk to the district attorney about how to go forward with Carlos’s penalty. All the players in the robbery ring needed to be picked up, and they would have a chance to say their piece. Our involvement in the robbery investigation was over, but it still tugged at my heart that we couldn’t prosecute Leslie’s killers. It was as if she’d died for nothing, and although she wouldn’t get the justice she deserved, in a roundabout way, capturing the subway killer would bring justice for all the victims.