Greed: An Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Book 1

by C. M. Sutter

  “Roger that.”

  “Let’s go. Amber, take your Prius, and Kate and I will go in from the back of the park with my Charger. Even if we don’t have eyes on you every second, we’ll still hear what’s going on. Act perfectly normal and let Grant lead the conversation. At this point, we have no idea what he wants to tell you.”

  “No problem, boss. I won’t let you down.”

  “What about me?” Jade said. “She’s my sister.”

  “On your off days, you’re a civilian. Sorry, it’s just the way things are, Jade.”

  “And as a civilian, I can go enjoy an hour or so at the park like anyone else.”

  Jack gave Jade a scowl. “Stay out of the way and don’t let Grant see you. I won’t have you messing things up or putting Amber at risk.”

  “You know me better than that.”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “That’s the problem, I know you too well. Kate, grab the laptop.” He gave the clock one final look. “Okay, it’s a quarter to twelve.” He double-checked the radio. “Mitch can you hear me?”

  “I hear you just fine, Jack. We’re turning into the park entrance right now.”

  “Do you see the 4Runner parked anywhere?”

  Mary spoke up. “Not yet.”

  “That’s probably for the best. Park your car in with others and head toward the lake. Find a place to sit and wait there.”

  “Got it. I’m parking now, and there are about fifty cars already in the lot. I’ll mix in with the others.”

  “Good enough, Mitch. We’re heading to our vehicles now. I’ll keep you posted.” Jack clicked off the radio.

  “Kate, give me your keys. I don’t have a car, remember?”

  “Boss?”

  Jack groaned. “Go ahead. Remember what I said, Jade. Don’t interfere with our case.”

  Jade reached for Kate’s keys. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

  “Okay, Amber, leave five minutes after we do. That’ll give us time to station ourselves at the back of the park and get the laptop set up.”

  I watched as Jack and Kate drove out of the parking lot. Jade gave my shoulder a squeeze before she headed to Kate’s car.

  “Be safe, little sister.”

  “Of course I will. Grant seems pretty harmless. Maybe he just wants to get better acquainted with me.”

  Jade frowned. “He might be involved in counterfeiting, Amber, and he’s possibly a person of interest in the murder of Juan Martinez. There aren’t rainbows and unicorns in your future together. He isn’t somebody you need to get better acquainted with. Don’t forget, he’s looking at twenty years as soon as those bills are tested and come back as counterfeit.”

  I stared at the pavement. “I know, but under different circumstances, we—”

  She sighed. “I have to go. You’re a cop. Don’t forget that.”

  I nodded and watched as Jade left the parking lot too. I checked the time and waited until 11:55 a.m., then climbed into my Prius and headed west, on my way to Regner Park. Jack called my cell just as I turned onto Main Street.

  “Amber, Kate and I are in place at the back of the park. Have you arrived yet?”

  I scooted to the inside lane. “I just turned onto Main Street. I’ll be in the parking lot in two minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone until I get eyes on his vehicle?”

  “Yeah, good idea. We have the computer set up and ready to go. Remember to look around once in a while so we can determine your exact location. Tree coverage is going to block our visual of you now and then from my car, even with the binoculars. What we’re going to see on the screen will be the same view you have, as if we’re looking out of your eyes. Try to stay out of darkened areas as much as you can. It’ll black out the footage too much. Mitch and Mary will be closer than we are. They should be able to see your every move once you get to the lake. They’ll keep us updated with their radios.”

  “You sound like you’re expecting something bad to happen.” I clicked my left blinker and turned in to the park. “Grant doesn’t know anyone in North Bend. I’m sure he just wants to hang out for a bit.”

  “You can never be too careful. Don’t forget, we’ll be able to see what you see and hear the conversation you’re having, but we won’t be able to communicate with you. The point of the surveillance is to get everything on tape in case he incriminates himself.”

  “I understand.” I pulled in and parked my car. I saw the 4Runner sitting at the far end of the lot near the exit. Several other vehicles were parked nearby. With my neck craned, I searched the rest of the cars for Mitch’s electric blue Civic. I finally saw it among a handful of cars on the other side of the lot. “I’m here, Jack, and I see both the 4Runner and Mitch’s car. I parked halfway between them.”

  “Okay, engage the audio and video and then head for the lake. We should see what you see on the screen.”

  “Got it.” I clicked off the call and pocketed my phone. Then I exited my car and pressed the back of the pendant earring. I gave a casual glance toward the 4Runner, but with its black tinted windows, I couldn’t see if anyone was inside or not.

  Grant must be at the lake already. Otherwise he would have gotten out of his SUV when I exited my car.

  I followed the sign with the arrow pointing to the right for the swimming lake and pavilion. I wove in and out of the shadows of the evergreens, whose heavy pine-scented limbs hung low. I had visited the park many times and knew the lake wasn’t far.

  “I realize you can’t talk to me, boss, and you said to stay out of the tree cover, but I’m just following the path. I’ll be back in open daylight in a few minutes.”

  The footsteps coming up behind me made me spin.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I gave him a relieved smile and shook off the tension. Grant caught up and walked alongside me.

  “It’s good to see you outside of work, Amber.”

  “You too, I think.” I chuckled. “This path is so dark with all the trees hanging over it.”

  “We’ll be back in the daylight in a minute. How have you been?”

  “It’s all g—”

  I felt a hard blow to my back. Within seconds, I was flat on my face, being dragged into the underbrush. Pine needles poked my skin and filled my mouth. Sap and dirt found its way into my eyes. My head was spinning, and I couldn’t see anything.

  “Grant, help—”

  Somebody rolled me over and knelt at my body. His thick, rough hand was over my mouth. My only hope was that the earring audio would catch his words. I could barely make out his silhouette, so I doubted that the camera would, either. Then I heard two voices whisper back and forth.

  Oh no, he’s not alone.

  There were at least two men in the brush, and one pinned me tight against the ground.

  “Hold her still, damn it. She’s going to get the full syringe.”

  The voice that snickered out his evil command sounded strangely like Grant.

  “Buckle up, Deputy Monroe. You’re in for the ride of your life.”

  I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. I felt the pinch of a needle pierce my vein, and a hot rush flooded my body. I was entering another place, another world, and another reality.

  Where are Jack and Kate? Why aren’t they trying to help me?

  Chapter 62

  “Why is it taking so long for us to see her, and why don’t we hear anything? She should have reached the lake by now.” Jack looked alarmed. “Did the equipment fail?”

  “I don’t know. We heard her talking to Grant a few seconds ago.” Kate slid the volume bar on the audio to the loudest level. “I don’t even hear their footsteps anymore. Damn it.” Kate slapped the side of the laptop. “The battery has a full charge. The surveillance system must be on the fritz.”

  Jack grabbed the binoculars and scanned the lake area. “Get Mitch on the radio and see if he has a visual of Amber and Grant.”

  Kate engaged her radio and called Mitch. “Mitch, do you see Amber
anywhere?”

  “No. What’s taking her so long?”

  “We don’t know, and we haven’t heard or seen anything for over five minutes. There must be a glitch in the system. Do you have eyes on Grant?”

  “Negative. He isn’t near the lake or pavilion. He’d be easy to spot since the lake area is dead. The cars in the lot must be from people watching the baseball game.”

  Jack engaged his radio. “Something is off. Amber saw Grant’s 4Runner in the parking lot when she got here, we heard them talking with each other, and now they’re both missing? Maintain your position and keep your eyes peeled. We’re heading to the front lot. Have you seen Jade walking around?”

  “Not yet. I’m sure she’s trying to be incognito.”

  “We may need her eyes and ears too. Call Jade’s cell and give her an update. Tell her in no uncertain terms not to go haywire on me. She needs to stand down and not run around half-cocked looking for Amber. She’ll do nothing other than keep her eyes peeled unless it’s a direct order from me.”

  “I’m on it, boss.”

  Jack started his Charger and drove to the front lot, which he entered from Main Street. That was the lot where Amber, Mitch, and Grant had all parked. He backed his Charger into a spot and faced the rest of the cars.

  “Amber’s Prius is still here.” Jack slammed his fist against the steering wheel. “Where the hell did they go?”

  Kate pointed at the few vehicles parked near the lot’s exit. “Look over there. Grant’s 4Runner is still here too. They have to be somewhere in the park.”

  “Get Mitch on the radio again.”

  Kate punched in the radio code, and Mary answered.

  “Anything?” Kate asked.

  “Nothing on either of them. Mitch told Jade what’s going on. She said she was heading your way. You should see her any—”

  “Roger that. She’s walking toward us as we speak. Keep us posted.”

  The passenger door popped open, and Jade squeezed into the front seat. “What the hell is going on, and where is my sister?”

  Kate growled. “Damn it, Jade, you’re squashing me.”

  “I don’t care. Where’s Amber?”

  Jack groaned. “She’s missing, and I don’t know how that’s even possible. How does somebody disappear in a matter of seconds?”

  “Her car is here, Grant’s SUV is here, but they’re both missing? This is a huge park to search.”

  Jack raked his fingers through his hair. Anxiety covered his face. “Damn it, this was my idea. Let’s make sure nobody is in either vehicle, then we’ll begin a foot search. I don’t care what he wanted to say to her anymore. There’s no time to worry about that now. We have two missing people, and one is my deputy.” Jack started the engine and headed toward Grant’s SUV. He parked and got out. “You two look through every window.”

  “That isn’t going to be easy as dark as they are,” Jade said as she pushed off of Kate’s lap and got out.

  “You can see well enough if you press your face against the glass. I’m going to check Amber’s car.” Jack walked toward the Prius as he dialed Amber’s cell. It went to voicemail. “Damn it, Amber, where did you go?” He yelled to Kate. “Anything in the 4Runner?”

  “No, it’s empty.”

  “Okay, let’s start a foot search.” Jack pointed at the sign. “She had to go that way. She said there was a lot of pine tree cover.”

  Jade pulled out her cell. “I’ll call her phone.”

  “I just did, and it goes to voicemail after three rings.”

  “Wait! I know how to find her. After the shit with Max Sims last year, we put tracking apps on both of our phones. Luckily, we never had to use them.”

  “Now would really be a good time to engage that app,” Jack said.

  Jade pulled out her cell from her back pocket and tapped the apps icon. “Here it is. I hope to God her locations are on, or we’re shit out of luck.” Jade pressed the icon, and a map popped up. She spread her fingers over the screen to enlarge the details. “Okay, there’s the lake, and here’s the parking lot. Look, there’s a red dot in between. That has to be Amber’s phone. Come on.”

  “Kate, call Mitch. Tell him and Mary to start walking toward us and to check under the tree cover.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter 63

  “Marco just called, Mr. Moore. They’ll be here in two minutes.”

  “Thank you, Derek. Go ahead and lift the garage door.” McKinley placed the phone on its base, gulped the last inch of whiskey from his glass, and rose. He walked out of his office to check on his enterprise. The newest printers were churning out hundreds of tens and twenties every few minutes.

  “How do they look?”

  “Perfect, Mr. Moore. There’s no way to tell these aren’t the original bills.”

  “Wonderful. We’ll pick up the other five printers next week. Have you reached Royce yet?”

  Derek frowned. “No, but I’ll keep trying.”

  “Do that. Being a no-show isn’t like him.”

  “Sure thing, and I’ll let you know the second I make contact.”

  When he heard the vehicle pull in, McKinley turned toward the garage door. Marco turned the key and climbed out. He closed the driver’s door at his back and pocketed the key. Frank exited the passenger side of the Escalade and rounded the front of the SUV.

  McKinley jerked his chin toward the office. “Let’s talk in there.”

  Frank and Marco followed McKinley.

  “Lock the door, Marco, and have a seat. Frank, a glass of whiskey?”

  “Sure, Pop. Thanks.”

  McKinley tipped the bottle over his own glass then filled two more. He slid them across the desk and took his seat.

  “Well?”

  “Everything went exactly as planned. Grant’s 4Runner was left behind with the extra syringe in the glove box. Of course, that makes him look like the guilty party.”

  “Very good, and what about Deputy Monroe?”

  Marco smirked. “She’s probably on the other side by now. I’m sure her trip was enjoyable, though.”

  McKinley lifted his glass and toasted Marco and Frank. “I knew I could depend on both of you. Well done.”

  Chapter 64

  Jade, Jack, and Kate raced down the pebble-covered path and called Amber’s name as they closed in on her phone’s location.

  Kate pointed at the ground and knelt. “Look!” The cloud cover had lifted, and the sun’s rays found openings in the heavy evergreen canopy. Patches of light illuminated the path every few feet. Kate lifted the sparkling piece of jewelry. “It’s the surveillance earring. No wonder we couldn’t see or hear anything.”

  “That’s bad. That’s really bad. How in the hell would Amber’s earring come off? I watched her secure it myself. She has to be close by.” Jade cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled out Amber’s name. She waited and listened but heard only silence.

  “Slow down, Jade. We don’t want to miss anything. Keep your eyes on the ground. Her phone is somewhere right in this area.”

  Jade wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Why isn’t she answering us, and why would she have turned off her phone? I keep calling, but I don’t hear it ring.”

  “Somebody probably threw it in the woods.”

  Jade spun and glared at Kate. “Don’t even go there. Wait—are you getting some kind of image in your mind?”

  “No, I’m too busy looking for Amber to get in my own head.”

  “Stop right where you are.” Jack held out his hand to block Kate and Jade from going farther. He looked up and saw Mitch and Mary coming toward them on the path. “Anything?”

  “No, we haven’t seen either of them,” Mary said.

  “Okay, stay put. I think I see some abnormality on the path. The ground looks stirred up.” Jack pointed three feet ahead of him. “Right there.”

  “It looks like a scuffle and drag marks, just like it did at Shooters.” Jade got down on the ground and pushed
aside the low-hanging limbs. “It’s really dark in that pine cover. If Amber was dragged in, she could easily be hidden within all those branches and needles. I have to see if she’s back there. The map isn’t taking us any farther than where we’re standing right now.”

  Jack nodded. “I agree. Let’s spread five feet apart and work our way in under the limbs. You’ll have to get down on your hands and knees.”

  Kate yelled out five minutes into the search. “Son of a bitch, I found her, and she’s unconscious. Amber, Amber, wake up.”

  “Shit.” Jack scrambled to Amber’s side. He felt for a pulse. “Her pulse is weak, and she’s barely breathing. It looks like she vomited too. What the hell is going on, and where is Grant? Mitch, call 911.”

  “I already have them on the line, Jack. EMTs are on their way.”

  Jade tore through the limbs to get to her. “Amber, honey, can you hear me? We have to get her out to the path, Jack. It’ll save time once the ambulance gets here.”

  Jack pulled off his jacket. “Help me slide this under her, Jade.” He yelled back to Mitch to work his way in and grab a sleeve. It was the easiest way to drag Amber out.

  Minutes later, they reached the path, with Amber lying face-up on the jacket. Jade patted her cheeks but got no response. “What the hell is wrong with her?” Tears slid down Jade’s face.

  “I don’t know, partner, but whatever it is isn’t good.”

  “Let’s carry her to the parking lot, then. We can’t waste a second. Mitch, help Jack lift her.”

  “Yep, I have her legs. Jack, got her arms?”

  “I have her. Kate, run ahead and watch for the EMTs. Tell them where we are when they get here.”

  Kate took off down the path toward the main parking lot.

  Jade walked alongside Jack. “What can I do to help?”

  “Call the PD and update Chief Sanders. We need all of their available units out here searching the park for Grant. He may be lying unconscious somewhere too.”

  The sound of sirens got closer. Minutes later, two EMTs carrying a retractable gurney rushed down the path.

  “What have we got, Lieutenant Steele?”