Finally Tuper said, “I’ll take Ron and Sabre with me. JP, you stay here and keep watch for Gina. Benjamin will show you where to stay with the best view of the entry road. I’ll leave Ringo with you. He’ll tell you if there’s a stranger nearby.”
“But if he barks he’ll also warn her.”
“He won’t bark,” Tuper said. “If you’re sleeping he’ll step on you and lick your face. If you’re awake, he’ll push against you and smack you with his tail. To stop him, just place your hand on his back. He’ll sit real still.”
“That’s what he did when Gillich showed up last night. He started spinning around and whacking me with his tail,” Ron said. “I thought he wanted to play.”
“I should’ve told you ‘bout Ringo. You could’ve been ready for Gillich.” He turned to Sabre and Ron. “Get your things. We gotta go.”
Within five minutes Sabre and Ron had their bags packed and loaded into Tuper’s car. Tuper didn’t drive out the way they had gone every other day. Instead, he drove off over an unplowed back road away from the colony.
JP said to no one in particular, “Does he know where he’s going?”
Jacob was standing next to him and answered, “Always.”
Jacob was already walking away when JP asked, “What’s his story?”
“He’s just Tuper.” And Jacob kept walking.
Chapter 42
The afternoon was uneventful and quiet without Sabre or Ron. There had been no sign of Gina, and Tuper hadn’t returned. JP wished now he had asked Tuper how long he would be gone, although he expected he would’ve received some typical, stock answer like: “’Til I get back.”
Benjamin and JP walked to the barn. At the opposite end from the little room where they had their meetings were some steps that led to a loft. “Up there,” Benjamin said. “That’s where Tuper stays. There’s windows on two sides so you can see a long way down the road and see if someone is coming.”
“Is that why Tuper stays here? To watch for danger?”
“He always watches out for us when he’s here. I’m not sure why because nothing ever happens when he’s not here.”
After dinner when everyone else was at the church service, JP and Ringo went for a walk around the colony, making sure everything was in place and no strangers had shown up. He wasn’t entirely sure he trusted Ringo to warn him, but he kept him close by just in case. He could hear the Hutterites’ soothing songs from wherever he was on the property. He took a deep breath, let it out, and continued to patrol with an LED flashlight in his hand and a holstered gun inside his jacket.
After his second lap around the perimeter of the land, JP went to the barn and climbed the steps to the loft. Ringo dashed up behind him. JP shined his flashlight around the area. It was small with a wooden bed frame covered by a thin mattress. A pillow, two quilts, and a feather-filled blanket lay atop the mattress. The only other thing in the room was a small table next to the bed. A single light bulb dangled from the ceiling. One pull of the chain created a dim light in the room, not bright enough for his old eyes to read by, but bright enough so he didn’t need the flashlight.
He propped the pillow against the wall and sat down on the bed. He had a good view of the property through both windows and could also see the main door to the barn. Shifting slightly, he could see the back door as well. He could also see the front of Jacob’s apartment through a window as well as the road leading into the colony. The room was strategically placed for a lookout, which he found odd for these “peace-loving” people to have. He wondered if Tuper had added the loft and if anyone besides him ever used it.
JP had nothing to read, no computer to work on, and no puzzle to try and solve—except how they were all going to get out of this mess. When the singing stopped, JP shut off the light and lay back against the pillow, still propped against the wall. Ringo lay on the floor next to him. It wasn’t long before they both dozed off.
JP awoke when he heard a door close and then some chatter. He looked out and saw everyone dressed in their austere coats and hats as they left the schoolroom where the church services were held. He watched as they funneled into their respective sleeping quarters. Then he lay back down and dozed off again until the sound of a hoot owl woke him. He looked around again but saw nothing. It was going to be a really long night.
He sat and watched out the window when suddenly he thought he saw a light in the distance. Focusing on the area, he discovered the light grew brighter as it moved closer, and it soon became apparent that it was a headlight coming toward the colony. JP figured it was probably Tuper coming home. The vehicle came closer and closer until it reached a point where JP realized it had only one light. Either Tuper had a headlight go out or it was another kind of vehicle. An engine could be heard in the distance, but it didn’t sound like a car. Instead it was loud like a motorcycle. JP guessed it was most likely a snowmobile coming his way.
When JP estimated the vehicle to be about half a mile away, the light went out. There was no road on which it could turn and JP couldn’t see any red taillights, so he was pretty certain it hadn’t turned around. The only plausible explanation was that its rider had turned off the light so he wouldn’t be seen.
JP climbed down the steps and walked across the yard. Ringo tagged along. All the lights were out in the colony except for Jacob’s. He wondered if he should warn him. He decided it wouldn’t do anything except alarm him. About three steps past Jacob’s door he changed his mind, turned, and knocked.
“Jacob, it’s me. JP.”
Jacob opened the door and JP explained what he had just seen. “I thought you ought to know. You may want to turn off your light and lock your door.”
“Thanks,” Jacob said.
JP walked on and stopped at the end of the buildings, parking himself between the building and some bushes. The bright moon lit up the sky so JP could see quite a distance down the road, but before he spotted the figure coming toward him, Ringo started to circle and swish his tail. “Good boy, Ringo,” JP whispered and placed his hand on his back. Ringo sat down and didn’t move.
JP waited as the person walked up the road. The thin, shapely figure was obviously a woman. Gina, he suspected. She came closer and closer, checking her surroundings as if she had done this before. JP took out his pistol and got in position, aiming the gun at her. She slowed down as she approached the buildings. Just as JP was about to call out to her, she stopped, looked around, left the road, and walked straight toward JP. She was probably expecting to walk alongside the buildings where she wouldn’t be so visible. He waited and when she was not more than five feet from him, she turned and walked along the side of the building, just as he expected. As soon as she passed him, JP stepped out behind her.
“Stop. Raise your hands,” he said. She reached toward her jacket. “Now,” he said louder while turning on the flashlight and aiming it at her.
She raised her hands.
“Now turn around,” JP said.
She turned slowly around with her hands still in the air. “Don’t shoot,” she said.
JP beamed the light on her face.
“Please, do you mind moving that down a little? I can’t see. I don’t mean you any harm.”
“Step toward the building and put your hands against the wall.”
She turned and did what she was told. JP walked toward her.
“You’re making a big mistake. I’m a federal agent. FBI. I can show you my badge.”
“I know who you are. You’re Gina Basham.”
“Is that you, JP?”
“Yes. Now reach with your left hand and raise your jacket.” When she did, he saw her gun in her unbuttoned holster. He removed the gun and stuck it in the back of his pants. Then he frisked her to make sure she wasn’t carrying another one. “Now walk toward the barn over there.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s my only option at the moment.”
JP dropped the flashlight into his pocket and grippe
d her arm. She swung her other arm around. He saw it coming and ducked, but not soon enough. The blow hit him in the face. Still holding onto her arm he yanked it up and backwards, and down she went into the snow. He whipped around, gun still in his right hand, and pointed it at her.
“That wasn’t necessary,” he said. “Get up.”
They walked across the yard in silence with Ringo tagging along behind. JP was one step behind her with his gun ready. She wasn’t that big and he felt like a bully holding the gun on her. She may very well be FBI. If so, he may find himself in a heap of trouble, but too much had gone wrong already. There were too many dead bodies and he didn’t dare take a chance.
When they reached the barn, JP retrieved the flashlight from his pocket and turned it back on. Then he told her to push the door open and step inside as he shined the flashlight forward. “Turn on the light. It’s there to your left.” Then he walked her back to the “meeting room.”
“Have a seat,” he said.
She turned and sat down, her face red with anger or cold. JP wasn’t sure which. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“It won’t be my first,” he said. “You said you had a badge?”
She unzipped her jacket, slowly removed her shield from her inside pocket, and handed it to JP. “Where’s Ron?”
“I’ll ask the questions for now. How do I know this shield is yours?”
“Put that gun down and I’ll tell you the whole story, but we don’t have long. I think they’re following Ron. Is he here?”
“No, he’s not.” JP lowered the gun but kept it in his hand.
“How did you get here?”
“On a snowmobile.”
“How did you find us?”
“We’re FBI. We can find anyone.”
“What is it you want?” JP asked.
“I want Ron.”
“And what are you going to do with him?”
“Look. I’ve been working this case ever since Kaplan and Upton were released from prison. The word was out that they were forming a new ‘family’ and taking over a section in Dallas for their drug trade. When these guys all went to prison someone else had taken over Dallas, but they never had a real strong foothold. The boss had a heart attack. Since he had no children, the second in command assumed his position, but he’s suffering with some rare type of cancer and struggles to stay alive. I have it on good authority that this group of men whom Ron testified against were about to take over, but then someone started bumping them off.”
“So you were watching these guys before Kaplan was killed in Sarasota?”
As Gina continued to talk, the redness left her cheeks. “Yes, but not that closely. Kaplan managed to get to Sarasota without our knowing it. We tightened up after that, but we still didn’t have a lot of manpower on it. When Upton was killed in Gilroy, we started to suspect Ron Brown. WITSEC moved him right out of there once again. We figured if it wasn’t him doing the killing, keeping an eye on him would lead us to whoever was and hopefully take us to the leader of the new crime syndicate.”
“So you used Ron as bait?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way. He was already bait. These guys were coming after him no matter what we did. This way, if it wasn’t him doing the killing, then more eyes were protecting him. WITSEC didn’t want to work with us so we went it alone.”
“And you went undercover?”
“Yes, I became Gina Basham, loan officer. It’s a cover the Bureau has used before. We have an office in the same building as the bank and it makes for a great crossover. Ron’s interests became mine. I laughed at his jokes and comforted him when he felt bad. We spent a lot of time together.”
“You got to know him pretty well?”
Gina shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. “Yes. It took three months before Lance Dawes showed up. We had been tracking Dawes for a few days and we thought he was staying in the south. Then suddenly he was in Hayden, Idaho, lying dead on the street near The Affordable Inn.”
“Ron said he went back to your house before he left town. Where were you?”
“I was out looking for him.”
“Do you think he killed those men?” JP asked.
“Buck Crouch, the Ron Brown I knew, is sensitive and caring. He doesn’t have the heartless soul that makes up a cold-blooded killer, unless he has me totally fooled. In fact, he appeared to be truly afraid of guns.”
“Did he ever tell you why?”
“No, we never talked about it. I could see it on his face whenever we were around one. Lots of folks around here have guns. Once I suggested we go target shooting and he cringed. When I questioned him, he didn’t explain—just changed the subject. Besides, he’s a very loving soul, very kind to animals, and nice to everyone he met. I really came to care about him. If I had to base it on his personality, I’d bet he didn’t do it. But the evidence says otherwise and you never know about people. His time is not accounted for in any of the first three murders. So tell me, JP Torn, were you with him when the last two men were killed?”
“You know about them?”
“We were on James Ruby’s trail when we found he had been shot in Clancy. I just heard about Gillich a little while ago. The local authorities haven’t been that cooperative.”
“How long have you been watching me?” JP asked.
“After our first lunch together I watched which car you went to and ran the plates. That information led me to the car rental and to your name. It didn’t take much after that to figure out who you were working for.”
“Good work,” JP said. “Are you here to arrest Ron? Or protect him?”
“Maybe both. It might take one to do the other. Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m not sure what crimes you’ve committed in this pursuit, but right now you are withholding information from a federal officer. I need to know where he is.”
“I’m telling the truth. I really don’t know where he is.”
“We better find out because we have reason to believe that whoever killed Gillich is close on Ron’s trail—assuming it wasn’t Ron, that is.”
“I’m still not convinced that it isn’t you,” JP said. “Why are you here alone? Where is your backup?”
The red color seeped back into Gina’s cheeks. JP watched her body language. She tried not to show it in her face, but her brows furrowed just a little.
“You think Ron’s innocent, don’t you?” JP asked.
“I told you. I don’t know.” She shifted in her seat.
“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. You’ve fallen for the guy.”
She scrunched up her face at his remark. “That’s ridiculous. It’s just hard for me to believe such a gentle person could have killed all those men.” She stood up. “I need to go find him before someone else does.”
JP stood as soon as she did. “When you say someone else, do you mean another FBI agent?”
“It’s true that I’m the only one who believes he’s innocent.” She paused. “That’s including you too, isn’t it? You also think he killed those men.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. I was hired to do a job and he’s not getting killed on my watch.”
“Then we better get going because he’s in real danger. If he does have a gun and is found by any one of the many law enforcement agencies who are looking for him, he could easily get shot. If he’s innocent, he’s in danger from whoever is following him. I think they may have planted a device on him somewhere because he’s been too easy for them to find.”
“They haven’t been here.”
“Gillich got close and so did Ruby. I think they lost the signal here and wherever he was near Clancy. I can’t get a signal on anything out here.” She took a step toward the door.
“Where are you going to look for him? You don’t know where he is.”
She turned back to JP. “Listen,” her voice softened. “I’m really worried about Buck…I mean Ron. People are getting
killed out there. Granted, they’re all scumbags, but whoever is taking them out is a really good shot. Ron could be next. So, why don’t you give me my gun back and help me find Ron before he ends up in a coffin.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” JP said.
“Then shoot me, because I’m out of here,” Gina said, and kept walking.
Chapter 43
Approximately forty-five minutes after they left Jacob’s colony, Tuper, Ron, and Sabre arrived at another Hutterite colony. Sabre had dozed off and when the car stopped she sat up and looked around. It looked like they were right back where they started.
“Did we go back to the colony?” Sabre asked.
“No. Just looks the same,” Tuper said.
Sabre remembered Frieda telling her that most of the colonies were built in the same configuration. She hadn’t thought she meant exactly the same.
It was nearly ten o’clock and there were no lights on in any of the buildings. Tuper parked his car near the barn and stepped out, talking as he closed the door. “Get your bags and bedding,” he said. Then he walked around to the back of the car, lifted the hatch, and removed his rifle.
He switched his Maglite on and led them into the barn. When he didn’t turn on any other lights, Sabre wondered if there was any electricity or if he just didn’t want to disturb anyone. He led them across the barn toward the loft. The similarities in the barn were uncanny and almost a little creepy. The hay was stacked in the same place. The cows were in similar stalls. The floor plan of the barn was exactly the same. Sabre wished she hadn’t fallen asleep because she felt like she was in a twilight zone between fantasy and reality.
When they reached the steps to the loft, Tuper said, “Wait here.” He climbed the steps and shined his flashlight around the small room. “Just makin’ sure no one’s here.” He descended the steps. “Go on up. There’s one bed and two windows. One of you sleeps; the other keeps watch. I’ll relieve you in a couple of hours.”
“Where will you be?” Ron asked.
The Advocate's Felony Page 20