by C. M. Sutter
“Guess we’ll have to get my car at some point today.”
“Uh-huh, guess so.”
“We had fun last night, right?” Kate asked.
“We must have. The blisters on my heels are proof of it.”
“Oh yeah.” Jade grinned. “We danced our asses off.”
I gave the kitchen clock a look and moaned. “We’ve wasted half the day in bed. Anybody up for dry toast?”
“Sounds good, but we’ll have to pick up my car sooner rather than later. If anything pops on my ‘gotta catch the bad guy’ alert, I’m going to need my wheels.”
Chapter 52
North Bend’s noon whistle had already sounded by the time we climbed into my Prius and headed to Shooters. As I drove, Jade made the thank-you call to Jack for being our taxi service last night.
On the outskirts of town, I turned left into the Shooters parking lot. A dozen or so vehicles were parked near the entrance, and the umbrellas on the patio were lifted.
“Guess they open for the lunch crowd.” I noticed Grant’s SUV snugged behind the building as I headed toward the back lot where Jade left her Mustang last night. I pulled alongside her car and parked then looked toward the building. “Need me for anything?”
After Kate climbed out, Jade grinned as she closed the car door. “So you’re suddenly hungry?”
I smirked at my sister. “I just want to say hi.” I tipped my head toward Kate. “Are you coming with me or her?”
“I’ll go with Jade. I need a shower, then maybe I’ll take a nap.”
“Suit yourself. Call me later.”
“Hey, guys, what the hell is this crap on the side of Jade’s car?” Kate pointed at the back driver’s-side window and rear quarter panel.
“If somebody scratched my car, I swear—”
I rounded my Prius and joined Jade and Kate alongside her Mustang. “Oh my God, that looks like blood spatter.”
Jade lifted her sunglasses and studied the immediate area. “We need to back away from my car. Something isn’t right here, and I don’t want to trample evidence.”
“Evidence? Like crime scene evidence?”
“I don’t know, Amber, but check out the gravel between our cars.” She pointed at the ground. “It’s stirred up, and then there’s what appear to be drag marks going into the brush.” She began taking pictures. “Call Jack and tell him to get his ass down here right away. We need his opinion before we alert the crime lab.”
“Got it.” I stepped away from the area and called Jack. “He’s on his way,” I said as I returned to Jade’s side.
She knelt and pointed at several cigarette butts. “Those could be of value. Do either of you remember what kind of vehicles were parked back here last night?”
Kate spoke up. “No, but would that matter? Any vehicles that might have been parked back here could have left earlier in the night, and others could have taken their places.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Jade walked fifty feet to our left, pocketed her sunglasses, and headed into the brush.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to walk parallel to the parking lot. Tell me when I get close to where those drag marks are.”
I watched as Jade walked through the tall weeds. “You’re getting close. Only about ten more feet.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to be closer than three feet from that spot. I should still be able to see if anything looks disturbed.”
Kate turned at the noise behind us. “Jack is here.” She waved to get his attention, and he headed toward us.
Jack parked to the left of my car and got out. “What do we have?”
“Something suspicious,” Jade said from the deep weeds in front of us. She pointed to her left. “Come around that way and see what I’ve found.”
Jack entered the brush and caught up with Jade.
“Look right there. The weeds are bent and broken, and that looks like dried blood. There’s more on the side of my car.”
“Okay, Kate, call Forensics and get them out here right away. Call Lena and Jason and find out who’s working over the weekend. Tell them they’re on standby until we find what’s out here. We need to follow this trail ripped through the brush. Amber, back out your car and park it fifteen feet behind Jade’s trunk. That way nobody will accidentally disturb the scene. Does anyone have evidence markers in their car?”
I looked at Jade, and she shook her head.
“Guess not.”
“Yeah, I don’t, either. Amber, go inside the club and ask for a dozen plastic cups and a dozen food service gloves. You don’t have time for small talk, and I don’t want anybody following you out. Be discreet.”
“I’m on it, Jack.” I ran to the front entrance and pulled open the door. I squinted until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, then I saw Grant behind the bar. If only I had time to get to know him better. A surprised smile crossed his face when I approached him.
“Amber, I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. How about that date?”
Several men were seated near me, too close for me to speak openly. I leaned over the bar. “This isn’t a social visit, Grant. Can we talk privately, just for a few seconds?”
“Yeah, sure, follow me. Drake, take over for a minute.” Grant led me to his office, where he unlocked the door and allowed me through. “What’s wrong?”
“I only have a second, but I didn’t want to talk in front of your customers. I need a dozen plastic cups and a dozen food service gloves.”
He laughed. “Those aren’t things we needed to discuss privately.”
“Grant, we think there’s a crime scene outside. We can’t afford to have any onlookers at the moment, and I’m sure you don’t want bad publicity. None of us have crime scene markers or gloves in our personal vehicles.”
“What do you mean by none of us?”
“In ten minutes, the crime lab and possibly the coroner will be in your parking lot. Right now, Jade, Jack, and Kate are out back looking over what appears to be a large quantity of blood. We’ll try to be discreet, but I can’t guarantee anything. I really need those items now, and unfortunately, I don’t have time to talk.”
“Yeah, of course. Meet me at the back door, and I’ll hand them out to you.”
I left through the front door and headed around the building. Grant was already there and waiting. He peered past me and looked toward the cars. “What’s out there?”
“We aren’t sure yet, but please stay inside and keep this to yourself. Thanks for the cups and gloves.” I ran back to where Kate stood at the side of my car. “Here, glove up. Jack, I have the cups and gloves.”
“Okay, bring the gloves over to us.” He looked past me. “Kate, move out fifty feet and fill the cups with gravel. You’re going to place a cup near anything that looks suspicious. Forensics can take over that job when they get here, but for now, I don’t want anyone to accidentally step on evidence.”
“Got it.”
I followed the path that Jade and Jack had taken.
“Make sure you sidestep that bloody matted-down area,” Jade said.
“Yeah, I see it.” I walked around that spot and handed each of them two sets of gloves. “What should I do, help Kate or help you?”
Jack shielded his eyes and looked toward the street. “Forensics is here. They can help Kate. You come with us. Kate?”
“Yeah?”
“Brief Forensics on what you have. Tell them we’re in the woods.” He motioned for Jade and me to follow. “Come on. Let’s go, and watch your step.”
We hadn’t gone far, only thirty feet beyond the tree line, before we saw him.
“Shit, we have a body.” Jack pulled out his phone and called Kate. “Get Forensics down here right now. Make sure they know to step around that bloody patch in the weeds. Also call whoever is on duty today in the coroner’s office. Tell them they’re needed in the back parking lot at Shooters.” Jack clicked off and pocketed his phone. He knelt at the dead man’s sid
e. “Do you guys recognize him?”
We moved in closer and leaned over the body.
“Shit.”
They both spun their heads at me.
“What does shit mean?” Jade asked.
“I don’t recognize him, but I bet Kate does. She told me about a dream she had of a Hispanic-looking guy who was covered in sleeve tats.”
“Great.” Jack yelled out to Kate and waved her over. “She’s having dreams or premonitions?”
“Well, if they’re coming true, then I guess they’re premonitions.”
“I want to hear more about them. Don’t forget to clue me in later.”
I nodded.
Kate ran around the bloody, matted grass and reached us seconds later. “What?”
I gave her two raised brows. “Is this the guy from your dream?”
She knelt and took a look. “It’s dark under these trees, but I’d say it’s him, yet I have no idea what the dream meant. There wasn’t a real plot, only people and places popping in and out.”
Jack shook his head. “Okay, but do any of you remember seeing him in the bar last night?”
Jade responded after glancing at our shaking heads. “Apparently not, but with the number of people here, nobody really stood out from the crowd. It looks like a slit throat from the amount of blood on his shirt’s neckline. That could be why there’s blood spray on my car.”
“That’s so gross, Jade. The crime lab will have to process your car, but you can use mine if you have to.”
“Yeah, thanks, Sis. I guess Kate can move into the condo now. At least you guys can double up on the ride to work for a few days until I get my car back. Maybe this guy’s death was from a gang altercation in the parking lot. It may be totally unrelated to anything. There were definitely tons of people here last night, and I’m sure a lot of them were drunk and looking for trouble.”
Jack folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah, maybe.”
We heard the crackle of breaking twigs at our backs.
“Over here, guys.” Jack pointed at the body. “COD looks like a slit throat. We’ll get out of your way.” He tipped his head toward the direction we came in. “We need to preserve that brush area too so it doesn’t get trampled.”
“I have some bungee cords in my trunk. For the time being, we can stretch them around the bushes where that blood pool is.”
“Good idea, Amber,” Jack said. “That should work.”
We walked to the parking lot, and I popped my trunk then handed the bungee cords to Jack.
“How are the markers coming along, Kate?” Jade asked.
“I’ve marked everything that is obvious. There are two cigarette butts stomped into the gravel. They can definitely be tested for DNA and prints.”
“What else?”
“I’ve put markers along the entire left side of your car, the area where it looks like a scuffle took place, and where the drag marks are. I can expand out farther if you want me to.”
“Yeah, go ahead and keep busy for the time being. Amber, why don’t you give Kate a hand scoping out the back lot?”
“Sure thing, Jade.” I turned around at the sound of a vehicle’s door closing. “Lena’s here.”
Chapter 53
By two thirty, the parking lot had been thoroughly searched, and the body had been loaded up on the gurney. Jeff Peterson and Jerry Gundrum had the weekend shift in Forensics and took pictures of, and bagged, every questionable item in the back lot. Jade’s car would be hauled to the evidence garage, and the flatbed was on its way.
Jack whistled when he saw the rear doors of the coroner’s van open. “Lena, hold up a second.” He walked over to me. “Amber, go inside and get Grant. I want to know if he recognizes the victim.”
I headed to the front door again and noticed a crowd had gathered in the main parking lot. I guess our presence couldn’t be hidden. The area had been blocked off by our vehicles, yet onlookers could definitely tell someone had died—the coroner’s van gave that away. I noticed Grant wasn’t anywhere in sight when I crossed into the bar area. I approached the bartender. “Excuse me. Where did Grant go?”
“He’s in his office. I’ll get him.”
Moments later, I saw Grant walking toward me.
“Amber?”
“I need you to join me outside. Jack wants a word with you.”
“Sure. I’ll come out the back door.”
I rounded the building and waited next to Grant’s SUV. Guilt filled my heart, but I pulled out my phone and took a picture of his Illinois license plate, anyway. I was a cop, first and foremost, and until we had the killer in custody, no one was beyond suspicion. I dropped my phone back in my pocket just as he stepped out of the building. With a concerned sigh, I asked him to come with me. Grant walked alongside me to the coroner’s van, where Jack stood.
Jack extended his hand and shook Grant’s. “Sorry we have to meet up again under these circumstances. We need to know if you recognize this man.” Jack nodded to Lena, and she unzipped the body bag to expose the victim’s face and his heavily tattooed arms.
Our law enforcement training included being taught how to read people’s expressions. Each one of us stared at Grant and waited.
“Do you recognize him?” Jack asked.
Grant looked down at the man. “Sorry, but I have no idea who that is. I’ve never seen him before.”
Jack raised a brow. “You sure? That amount of tats makes a person stand out from the crowd.”
“One hundred percent.”
Jade shielded her eyes from the glaring sun. “Any reason you don’t have security cameras facing the lot?”
Grant shrugged as he looked back at the building. “Is there a city code that says I have to?”
“Nope, just asking,” Jade said.
“Anything else? I need to get back to work.”
“That’s it for now. Thanks, man. Sorry this happened on your opening weekend,” Jack said.
We watched as Grant returned to the back door and entered the building.
Jade spoke up once the door closed at Grant’s back. “Sorry, Amber, but he’s lying through his teeth. Did you notice how all the color drained out of his face when he saw the dead guy?”
I was sure my look of disappointment was obvious. “Yeah, I know.”
Jack nodded at Lena. “Load him up, and I want his prints run through the database ASAP. We need to figure out who we’re dealing with here.”
Jade looked at the corners of the building. “I wonder why he didn’t put cameras out here.” She checked her phone for messages. “So far no calls about tracking down the next serial killer. You guys need an extra hand with anything?”
Jack chuckled. “Like old times? I work and you watch?”
“Yeah, right. I believe I have a few resources that are above your pay grade.”
“Ouch.” He tipped his head toward the Charger. “Sure, come back to the office with us. We could use your expertise, but you’re driving.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Back at the sheriff’s office, Jade, Jack, Kate, and I entered the bull pen. Mitch Bryant and Mary Davidson were on duty and working a quiet weekend shift—until our latest discovery took center stage.
Mary had already started a fresh pot of coffee and gave Jade a warm hug when we entered. “Just like old times. Good to see you again, Jade.”
“You too, Mary.” Jade squeezed her shoulder. “Mitch, how have you been?”
Mitch leaned back in his chair with his fingers locked behind his head. “Ornery as always.”
Mary turned to Jack. “What do you need us to do, Lieutenant?”
“At this point, we don’t have anything to work with. We’ll see what shakes out once the vic is printed.”
“I’ll be right back.” I rose from my chair and headed to the door.
“Is everything okay?” Jade asked.
“I’ll know in a few minutes.” I took the stairs down to the tech department and walk
ed in. Luke and Lee had the weekend shift. I held my hand over my mouth when I saw Lee. “Are you contagious?”
“Nah, it was only a twenty-four-hour bug. You’re safe. What do you need, Amber?”
I opened my phone’s gallery and tapped the picture of Grant’s license plate. I handed my phone to Lee. “I need to know everything you can tell me about this plate in less than five minutes.”
“I love a challenge. Go ahead and read it off to me.” He had already logged in to the Illinois state DMV’s website.
“HKR-1836.”
“Got it. White 4Runner?”
“That’s it. What does it show?”
“Not much. The vehicle is registered to a business named MFG Incorporated, which is owned by a parent company called—”
“Yeah, I know. SOG, and there isn’t an address attached to it. The trail ends there.” My shoulders dropped, and my hopes for a true friendship, or more, were gone. I should have known.
“I could check the WHOIS database for a website owner.”
“We already did that, and it was a dead end too. Thanks, Lee.”
“No sweat.”
I went back upstairs and dropped down on my chair. “Here’s what we know as fact.” I had everyone’s attention. “The Alpina is registered to a holding company out of Illinois called MFG Incorporated. That vehicle was seen at Joe’s house and also coming from the direction of Shooters later that same day.”
Jack smirked. “I never thought about that.”
“I didn’t either until I just ran Grant’s plates. He told us last night that he was from Chicago and was involved in bar and restaurant startups, which can be a very lucrative cash business. His plates are registered to MFG Incorporated too.”
Jack raked his hair. “Son of a bitch.”
“My thoughts exactly. We still don’t know how MFG Incorporated ties in with the counterfeiting ring, and without proof, we have nothing. I think we should search electronics stores in the northern Chicago area. Maybe they want to keep their hands clean in Milwaukee.”
Jack nodded. “Good point. Let’s work on that while we wait for the results of the prints to come in.”
We dug in and started making calls to every big-box electronics store between Chicago and Milwaukee. We had twenty-nine to check—a doable project between the six of us. After that we’d hit the smaller stores. We were looking for the top-rated HP and Samsung laser printers.