by Carolina Mac
I want to punch him in the head and slow him down.
Cooler heads prevailed, and Jack took over. “Mr. Briggs, this is what we need to know. Just tell us if Mr. Valadero accessed his account this morning. That’s it. No numbers. No invasion of privacy or anything like that. Was he here or not?”
Briggs nodded. “Yes, yes, I can check that for you.” Briggs typed on his keyboard, changed screens a few times and nodded. “He accessed his savings account at nine forty-five. The withdrawal was too large for the ATM and he went to one of the tellers.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Jack. “Would you mind if we spoke to that particular teller for a minute?”
“Umm… I guess it would be all right. It was Barb Kalman. I’ll show you where she is.”
Briggs led the way out of his office and down the long row of tellers. He stopped in front of a buxom blonde wearing an electric blue sweater. “Barb, these are police officers and they want to speak to you for a moment.”
Barb smiled. “Okay shoot.” Then she giggled. “That’s not what you want to say in a bank.”
Travis flashed a smile and leaned closer to her wicket. “Do you remember Mr. Valadero coming in this morning?”
“Nick?” her face lit up. “Yes, he was here shortly after we opened, and he always waits until I’m free. Such a sweetheart.”
“Was he alone?” asked Travis.
Barb nodded. “Uh huh. He was alone.”
“Thanks, Barb. You’ve been a big help.”
Jack shook hands with Mr. Briggs and thanked him before they left. Back in the Jeep, Travis said, “Nick comes early and cleans out his account. Kristal doesn’t show.”
“We better check on Kristal,” said Jack. “And find out why she didn’t show. Last night she sounded like she wanted her money and she wanted it badly. I’m getting a bad feeling.”
“The tag number for the Vette is in my phone,” said Travis, “wouldn’t hurt to get it on the air right away.”
“We’ve got their confessions, but our surveillance wasn’t exactly legal,” said Jack, “Might be a problem with that if it goes to trial.”
“Nick sounds like a careful dude,” said Travis. “If he’s got something set up in another state, kind of an exit plan, we might never get him.”
“Do you think Kristal knew about the time change at the bank and was with him?” asked Jack.
“Not what I was thinking, but it could have happened like that.”
Another twenty minutes and Travis pulled into Kristal’s drive in Henderson and parked behind her car. “I’ll take the back. You knock real nice on the front door.”
Jack smiled and followed the slate path through the garden while Travis opened the gate to the backyard. He slipped on a pair of latex gloves and tried the sliding patio door. Not locked. He stepped into the kitchen and called out, “Kristal, this is the police. Are you okay?”
Getting no response, he walked through the house to the front door and let Jack in.
“Anything?”
“No answer, but I haven’t searched the house,” said Travis. “Let’s do it. Bedroom first.”
Kristal was in bed, covered by a white duvet and appeared to be sleeping.
Noticing Travis had gloves on, Jack touched two fingers to her neck. “Cold,” he said. “She’s dead.”
Travis nodded and called Lieutenant Zystra. “Kristal Ducharme is dead in her bed, sir. You might want to send the coroner.”
“You boys are full of good news. Secure the scene. I’ve got her address somewhere here but give it to me again.”
Travis told him where they were, then called Annie. “Hey, Annie-girl, I guess we left you sleeping. We went to the bank and Nick had already been there.”
“Uh huh. What about Kristal?”
“We’re at Kristal’s house waiting for Zystra. She’s dead in her bed.”
“Like her victims?”
“Just like that. Medical Examiner isn’t here yet.”
“Was it Nick?”
“That’s what Jack and I are thinking. He killed Kristal the same way he killed all the other marks, then cleaned out his bank account this morning.”
“He’ll try to cross at Yuma,” said Annie.”
“You think so?”
“Just a hunch.”
“I guess we’ve lost him then.” Sirens sounded, and Travis ended the call. He greeted LV homicide squad at the door and showed them where Kristal was. Lieutenant Zystra arrived in an unmarked and didn’t look happy to be there.
“You boys heading for home soon?”
Travis nodded. “Soon as we can, Lieutenant, we’re clearing out.”
The lieutenant bit his lip and kept on walking.
“Let’s get out of their way,” said Jack. “We’ll go talk to the neighbors.”
“Yeah, let’s.” Travis held the door open for the crime scene techs carrying their kits.
At the end of the drive, Travis took the neighbor to the right and Jack went left. Travis knocked, and a young woman answered the door with a toddler by her leg. She couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, slim and dressed in denim shorts and a slime green tank top. “Morning, ma’am, I’m with the police and was wondering if you noticed anything out of the ordinary early this morning or during the night?”
“Like what, officer?”
“Like a car on your street that didn’t belong, or any kind of questionable activity?”
She smiled. “What exactly is questionable activity? Like sex on the lawn or something like that?”
Travis stifled a laugh. “No, ma’am. Like noise of a struggle or raised voices, something along that line.”
She shook her head. “I’m a sound sleeper. Sorry.”
“No problem. Do you know your neighbor, Kristal Ducharme?”
“Sure, I know Kristal, but not well. She’s a lot older than me and she works nights and sleeps in the daytime. We don’t socialize or anything.”
“Do you know her friend Nick Valadero?”
“The guy with the red Corvette?”
“That’s him.”
“I’ve seen Nick a few times. Good looking guy and a lot younger than Kristal. She lucked out there, if you ask me.”
“Did you see his car this morning?”
“Don’t think so. Since breakfast I’ve been out back with my daughter. She has a little swimming pool, but I can’t leave her alone.”
Travis sized up the child and agreed. Hardly more than a baby.
“Why are you asking me these questions? Did something happen to Kristal?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid Kristal is dead.”
“And you’re asking me about Nick? Do you think he did it?”
“No idea, ma’am. The crime scene unit just arrived. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Oh, my God, is there a killer loose in the neighborhood?”
Travis shook his head. “I don’t believe so, ma’am. I believe it’s an isolated incident and y’all are perfectly safe, far as I know.”
“Why do you have a Texas accent if you’re from LVPD? Can I ask you that?” She took a step back from the door.
“Special Investigator, ma’am. I work out of the Texas Rangers’ headquarters in Austin.”
“Cool. A Texas Ranger. Always wanted to meet one of you guys.”
Travis grinned and stuck out his hand. “Travis Bristol, at your service, ma’am.”
She smiled. “Hope you catch Nick, if he did it, Ranger Bristol.”
Travis met Jack back at the Jeep. “Any luck?”
“They didn’t see or hear anything. You?”
“Same.”
“The BOLO is out on the Vette. Nothing more we can do.”
ANNIE CHECKED the time on her phone and figured Nick should be coming her way soon. She’d already used the facilities, gassed up and checked her Beretta. Her Remington would be the better choice, shooting from a moving vehicle, but she’d have to make do with what she had. No room in the saddlebags for a ri
fle. She had a special rifle sling on her Softail, but it was at home in the garage.
Traffic was moderate this morning, lots of trucks heading south to the interstate, but no delays for construction or anything. A flash of bright red put Annie on alert. She squeezed the gas and it was game on.
She cruised along at a steady ten miles over the limit, staying two vehicles behind the Corvette with no fear that he’d recognize her. She’d only met him once face to face, and he couldn’t see her face with her helmet on.
Civilization faded away the farther south they went and the landscape on both sides of the highway was pure Mojave. Vast runs of nothingness.
Traffic dwindled, Nick noticed, and he let the Vette out a little more. He pulled away from the pack as they crossed the Arizona line.
Annie squeezed the gas and caught up. For several miles she stayed right on his bumper, gauging his speed and waiting for an opening.
Her chance came. Wide open stretch of highway and no traffic. The I-40 interchange had taken care of any stragglers. She sped up, pulled up alongside Nick as if she was about to pass him and got ready. She kept her right hand steady on the gas to stay even with Nick, reached into the left-hand pocket of her leather jacket for her Beretta and when Nick turned his head to look at her, she pulled the trigger.
The Vette shot across the highway in front of her, almost making contact with her front tire, but missing it by a fraction of an inch. The car roared across the shoulder, plowed into the sand and stalled.
Annie hopped off her bike, ran across to the car and checked to make sure Nick Valadero was dead.
Yep. Half his head is missing.
She grabbed the bank envelope off the passenger seat, ran back, picked up her ride and stuffed the cash in her saddlebag. Annie hopped on, revved up the engine and let the Harley out. Heading south, Annie gave ‘er, keeping a steady speed and passing the odd car and a couple of pickups going north.
When she reached the junction of I-10, she flicked on her blinker and headed east. An hour later, outside of Phoenix she stopped for gas and sent a text.
‘Done.’
‘You’re my girl.’
Annie smiled.
Hours later as she passed through Las Cruses she tossed the untraceable Beretta into the Rio Bravo. She crossed the Texas line and gave a yahoo. She was on her way home.
BLAINE WAITED until after lunch to call Arlo Maznik and cancel dinner at the Capital Grille.
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it, Mr. Maznik. I was shot yesterday and I’m in Saint Mike’s for a couple of days. Can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to talking to you.”
“Shot? Oh, yes, Jesse explained about you working with the police.”
“Just a leg wound.”
“Shot is shot. Don’t minimize it. What’s your room number? I’ll come over and talk to you there.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I won’t be back in Austin for another month and I was looking forward to meeting you.”
“Fantastic.”
Blaine ended the call and his first visitor arrived. Misty. “Hey, somebody came to see me. I was getting lonely.”
Misty leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. “I baked you some of those muffins that you and Farrell like.” She placed a Tupperware container on the nightstand and sat down in the only chair. “Why did you get shot? Weren’t you being careful?”
“Not careful enough, I guess.”
“I’m thankful it wasn’t any worse.” She moved from the chair to the side of the bed and lowered the railing, so she could sit. Once she was on the side of the bed, she pressed Blaine back into his pillows with her body on top of his and gave him a long hot kiss.
Blaine grinned when she released him and let him breathe. “I can tell you’re missing me a little.”
“A little? You have no idea how scared I was.”
“I’m okay. Farrell takes care of me.”
“I made Farrell a dozen of his own muffins as a thank you.”
“He’ll be happy.”
“He was happy. He already ate them.”
Blaine chuckled.
“You look a little better today. How does the leg feel?”
“Not bad. I have lots of stuff for pain.”
Misty sank into the guest chair beside the bed and let out a sigh. “I started cleaning out closets and packing this morning. What a job. Sixty days isn’t long to get ready.”
Shit, she’s going to nag me again about moving into my house.
The Chief and Farrell came through the door and Misty had no time to pressure him. She gave up her chair and stood to say goodbye. “Better go, it looks like you might have to work.”
Saved by the Chief. I’m going to have to make a decision on the house soon. Shit.
“I’ll call you later,” Blaine said as Misty left the room.
The Chief sat down in the vacated chair. “I have to take your statement of what happened yesterday, for the record, son, although Farrell already gave me details. You doing better today?”
Blaine nodded. “I’m fine. Ready to get out of here.”
After the statement was recorded, Farrell said, “When the techs searched the house they found another corpse in the same closet as before. This one had been in there a couple of days and was covered in blow flies and maggots.”
Blaine screwed up his face. “Nice. Did you have to paint that picture for me?”
Farrell chuckled. “Want coffee?”
“Not from the vending machine,” said Blaine. “Get the Chief a cup of the good stuff on the way back to DPS.”
They left, and he felt exhausted for no reason. Bonnie delivered a new round of meds and Blaine closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
He woke to the sound of sobbing close to him. At first, he thought it was a dream. He opened his eyes and tried to focus. Carm was slouched in the chair next to the bed sobbing with a handful of tissues over her face. “Carm, why are you crying?”
Seeing he was awake, she wiped her eyes, then leaned over and hugged him and let go a barrage of Spanish.
Lily stood behind her and smiled. “Hey, boss. Did you do this on purpose, so you wouldn’t have to work?”
Blaine nodded. “You know it.”
“I’m lonely,” said Lily. “The whole team is away and the only one I’m getting a glimpse of is Farrell. Any idea when Travis will be coming back from Vegas?”
“Not a clue,” said Blaine, “he’s running that investigation on his own, as per the big boss in the sky. Why don’t you call him? I’d like to have that info myself. I want my team back together.”
“I’ll call him,” said Lily. “I’ll let you know what he says.”
“Do me a favor, Lil, bring my laptop tomorrow? I need it—desperately.”
Lily smiled. “It’s in my car. I thought you might ask for it, but I didn’t know if it was a good idea, or what your doctor might think of you working in a hospital bed.”
“Damn good idea no matter what he says, and good thinking on your part.” He grinned.
She patted Carm on the shoulder. “I’ll go get it.”
Carm talked non-stop in Spanish about how she planned to take care of him at home and what she was going to cook to get him back on his feet—literally.
Lily returned a few minutes later with the laptop and his leather briefcase. She made space and put both items on his tiny tray table.
After they left, he led the meds do their job and he slept.
AFTER A LONG drug induced sleep, Blaine woke to the smell of food close to him. He opened his eyes as Bonnie removed his laptop and briefcase from the tray table and placed his supper tray in front of him.
“You didn’t eat much of your lunch and I didn’t really blame you, but this looks better. Try to eat. You don’t want to be weak as a kitten when you try to walk on your crutches tomorrow.”
Blaine let out a breath. “Is that tomorrow?”
“So, it says on your chart
.” She smiled. “Maybe I should have saved it for a surprise.”
Blaine chuckled. “Good to know ahead of time what I’m in for. Gives me a chance to work up to it.”
He picked at his dinner, though it wasn’t too bad. He just wasn’t hungry. The reports on the Fisher case were hanging over him and filling his head. He had to get them written up and get them to the Chief.
What a fuckin fiasco. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it sound like anything other than a crazy fuck-up.
He was sorting out Zach Fisher’s romp to freedom in his head when a dark-haired man walked into the room. He smiled and held out his hand as he approached the bed.
“Arlo Maznik, I’m so happy to meet you after all this time, Blaine. Last time I saw you, you were playing a video game on your computer in Abilene.”
Blaine’s eyes widened. “I was? You knew me when I lived in Abilene?”
“Uh huh. You probably don’t remember me, but I used to come over and hang with your Dad, and we’d talk about work and sports and have a beer or two.”
Blaine tried to sit up and struggled against the IV tubing. “The thing is, Mr. Maznik, after the accident, my memory was wiped clean. I have no memory of my life before that. I woke up in Odessa—a homeless kid living on the street.”
Arlo Maznik stared at Blaine in disbelief. “That’s so shocking, and if I’d known I would have helped you. After the police searched for your body, you were presumed dead. I’m so sorry.”
Blaine shrugged. “Hey, everything worked out in the end. Annie Powell took me home and adopted me. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Annie Powell of Powell Corp?”
Blaine nodded. “My name is Blackmore-Powell now, but since I opened my own agency I go by Blackmore again.”
“It was like a miracle to me when Jesse Quantrall and I got talking at the oilmen’s meeting. Only a coincidence that I was there. I was waiting for the end of the meeting to speak with one of my customers about something else entirely—nothing to do with oil.”
“How do you know Jesse? I forget what he told me.”
“I sold him his Range Rover not too long ago.”