by Mac Fortner
“Come on sheriff. I’ve already talked to Forensic Development. They told me you took the whole file.”
“It really doesn’t matter,” he said. “You are off the Cam Derringer case.”
“This is the Tracy Alexander case, sheriff, and here is my warrant,” she said handing him a copy.
He looked it over then looked back at her. “This is bullshit,” he said. “You trumped up some charges against her just to get a warrant.
“Not true,” Robin said. “And even if it was true, it’s real. Give me the files.”
“I don’t have them,” he said.
“Where are they?”
“I threw them away yesterday. They just said that the girl's name was, Tracy Alexander.”
“Let’s get them out of the trash then,” Robin said.
“They picked it up after I emptied the trash,” he said.
“Get out of your office, now,” Robin said. “I’m going to search it.”
Toby didn’t want Robin going through his files and personal belongings. Some stuff might be sensitive.
“Oh, you mean the fingerprint file on Tracy?” he said. He knew she would find it anyway.
“That’s what I said.”
“Okay, I have that,” he said and opened his desk drawer.
It wasn’t there. He opened the rest of the drawers. No file.
“It was right here,” he said. “I swear it. I just looked at it this morning before I got the call for the car bomb.”
Then he remembered leaving Kailey in his office.
“Son of a bitch,” he said. “Kailey stole the file.”
“What are you talking about?” Robin said.
“The file. It was here in my drawer. Kailey was in here when we got the call for the car bomb. Now the file is gone.”
“You want me to believe that Kailey stole the file,” Robin said, but as soon as she heard the words come out of her mouth, she knew he was right.
“I swear. They were right here.”
“What were the results of the fingerprints?” Robin said.
Toby thought for a minute. No way was he going to give Tracy away. He needed that money.
“I really don’t remember anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “Ask Kailey.”
“I need to search this office,” Robin said. “Get out.”
Chapter 52
Robin came up empty on the files on Tracy. All she found were some girlie magazines.
Now she needed to talk to Kailey. If she did take them, — why?
Three men watched Robin as she left the Sheriff Station. They were sitting in a pick-up truck on College Road. Their cell phone rang. “Yeah,” one answered. “Okay,” he said.
He turned to the others. “It’s a go.”
Robin was on her way back to the boat. She was traveling down College Road toward the Overseas Highway when a truck pulled up behind her. Tailgater, she thought.
The truck pulled out to pass her, but when it was beside her, it cut hard to the right, hitting her car and forcing her off the road. She was in a wooded area of scrubs. They battered her car as she went through them. The water was coming up fast. She managed to cut her wheels and slide sideways stopping before plunging into the bay.
Her heart was beating rapidly, and she felt a little faint. She unhooked her seatbelt and opened the door. It stuck halfway open. She had to squeeze out. Before she was clear of the car, she heard a POP, and then another. She could hear bullets ricocheting off the car door.
Robin let herself fall to the ground. Her gun was in her purse, and it was still in the car. She pushed her way back in on the floor, and was able to reach her bag, but not before two more rounds bounced off the hood. Getting her gun, she slid back to the ground and moved to the lower side of the car to use it for protection.
She saw someone moving behind some scrub trees about sixty-feet away. She aimed but didn’t fire. She wanted to be sure whoever was there, was the one shooting at her.
She found out quickly that it was. The figure rose up and fired another round in her direction. She returned the fire with a carefully aimed shot.
The figure dropped and was still. She waited a minute before moving toward him. After two steps another, POP, and another ricochet off the car. There was more than one.
She couldn’t believe she was getting shot at only a quarter mile from the Sheriff Station.
More shots were fired. Some came from the left and some from straight ahead. How many were there?
Finally, she heard sirens and saw the flashing lights. Two sheriff vehicles slid to a stop on the road. Robin heard two more shots, but they were aimed at the deputies. The deputies started to return fire too. Robin ducked down. Bullets were flying everywhere.
The shooting stopped. Robin stood but stayed behind her car. She could see men running through the trees away from the officers. They were getting away.
The deputies came through the trees toward her. She held her badge in the air and yelled, “FBI!”
“We’ve got you, Miss Anderson,” one of them yelled. It was Deputy Fisher.
The two deputies arrived at Robin’s car. The other was Deputy Crane.
“Where did they go?” Fisher said.
“I saw them running that way,” Robin said pointing toward Highway One.
A minute later they heard tires squealing from the east as a car roared away.
“Sounds like the others got away, “Robin said. “I hit one of them. He’s over there.”
She walked to where she last saw the man she hit. He was gone, but there was plenty of blood. The deputies searched the trees but didn’t find anyone. There was a blood trail leading back toward College Road. Then they heard their patrol car start and spin onto the road. The engine noise trailed away down the road.
“Shit, I left the keys in the car,” Crane said.
A moment later another patrol car arrived. Deputy Crane got in the car with the other officer, and they took off in search of their car. Fisher stayed with Robin.
“Any idea who they were?” he asked her.
“No. I never saw ‘em. They forced me off the road and then started shooting. I was glad to hear your sirens. I think they might have killed me.”
“Let’s walk back to the station. We’ll get a truck to come get your car. I’ll take you home,” Fisher said.
Deputy Fisher dropped Robin off at the boat. “We’ll need to talk to you again tomorrow,” he said. “Get a shower and some rest. We’ll put a guard on you tonight.”
“I don’t need a guard,” Robin said. “They won’t be able to regroup fast enough to come at me again tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am. If that’s what you want.”
“Thanks for your help,” Robin said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Kailey pulled into the lot just as Fisher was leaving.
“Robin,” Kailey said. “What happened to you?”
Robin looked down at her clothes. They were ripped pretty badly. She noticed some blood on her blouse.
“I ran into a couple of hundred trees,” she said. “Come on, I’ll tell you over a drink.”
They sat at the table on the patio. Robin told her the whole story.
“The fingerprint files weren’t in the sheriff’s desk. He thinks you took them,” Robin said.
Kailey looked shocked. “Me? Why would I take the files? I knew you would get them.”
“I don’t know, Kailey, but I had to ask. Why were you there in the first place?”
“I was trying to get Toby to let Cam and me work with him, to get to the bottom of all this. I don’t think he’s interested. I believe Stacy was right about it being him that planted the jewels.”
“Did you see Cam today?”
“Yes, I just came from there.”
“How’s he faring?”
“He’s good. I think Walter is good company for him. Someone to watch over.”
“Who’s watching over whom?”
“I’m not sure abou
t that part,” Kailey said.
Chapter 53
Tracy’s cell phone rang. “Well?” she answered.
“It didn’t work,” a man said.
“You fuckin’ idiot. How’d she get away?”
“She shot one of our guys, and then the sheriff showed up. I told you it was too close to the station.”
“All you had to do was pull up beside her and shoot her.”
“Johnny got carried away and ran her off the road first. She shot him. I don’t know if he’s dead or not.”
“And I don’t care if he’s dead or not. You get her!”
“We will. It’s just going to take a little longer.”
Tracy hung up and rubbed her forehead. “Maybe I should just kill Derringer. This is getting out of hand.”
~***~
Toby’s phone rang. “Sheriff Reynolds,” he answered.
“Sheriff, this is Troy Pruitt from forensics. We got a possible ID on the car bomb victim.”
“Already?”
“Not on the victim himself, but on the car. It was rented to a Harold Chesterfield.”
“Harold Chesterfield?”
“Yes, do you know him?”
“Yeah, I do. Thanks for the info.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know when we get a positive ID.”
Toby hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Tracy was a crazy lady. She kills, just to kill. She’s probably behind the attempt on Robin also. I’m not sure if this is worth sixty thousand dollars. She’ll probably kill me when this is over.
Robin got a call from Sheriff Reynolds.
“Sheriff,” she said.
“Robin. I just got some information on that car bombing. The car was rented to Harold Chesterfield.” He knew she would find out today anyway, so he wanted to be the one to tell her.
“Oh, shit. Do you think Tracy’s behind it?”
“That I don’t know. I don’t know why she would.”
Robin could tell that Toby’s still sticking with his belief that Tracy has nothing to do with any of this.
“Thanks for the info. Let me know if anything else comes up.”
“How are you feeling now?” he asked.
“I had a stiff drink and a shower. I feel like a new person.”
“Good,” he said. “We found our car just over the bridge, but no sign of the perp.”
“Keep an eye on the hospitals. I hit him pretty good.”
“We are. I’ll keep you informed. Let me know if you change your mind about security.”
“Okay. I’m good for now.”
Toby’s phone rang as soon as he hung-up.
“Why haven’t you arrested Cam yet?” Tracy said.
“Maybe you haven’t heard, but he’s gone, flew away, splitsville.”
“Yeah, I heard. You’re just too slow, and you let him escape.”
“We’ll get ‘em”
“You only have two more days to arrest him, or I’m taking over, and you won’t see a dime,” Tracy threatened.
“Okay Annika,” Toby said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The phone was silent. Toby already regretted saying, Annika. He was going to use that for his trump card.
“So, you know who I am,” she said.
“That’s my job.”
“You just get Cam,” she said and hung up.
Toby set the phone down and swallowed hard. He felt like a dead man walking.
~***~
Diane knocked on my door at seven-thirty. I let her in and hugged her.
“I’m here to walk Walter tonight instead of Kailey,” she said.
“You can come anytime you want to. I miss all the stable people. There’s nothing around here but us nuts.” I looked at Walter. I think he took offense.
“What’s new with you?” I asked.
“More of Key Wests finest coming into my office every day. You think you miss stable people.”
“The reason I came in Kailey’s place is that she’s sitting with Robin.”
Diane told me about Robin’s ordeal today.
“Do you think Tracy’s behind this?” I asked.
“I think she probably is.”
“I’ll give Kailey a call on my burner,” I said.
“I’m going to walk Walter. When I get back I could use a drink,” she said.
“I’ll have one waiting.”
She walked Walter down the sidewalk to the street and stopped. She gave him some slack to see which way he wanted to go. He turned left.
The houses in this area were run down. Most were modular or trailers. They were few and far between. She wished she had a gun.
She saw a man sitting on his front porch smoking a cigarette. He watched Diane and Walter and then stood.
“Walter?” he said.
Walter perked up and started wagging his whole body. He tugged at the leash wanting to go to the man. Diane finally gave in, and they went up the sidewalk. The man bent down and petted him then stood and walked to the window behind him. There was a bag of treats on the sill. He opened it and got one for Walter who sat and waited patiently.
“Here ya go ‘ol boy,” he said.
Walter laid it on the porch floor and ate it slowly.
“Hi,” he said to Diane. “I’m Bobby. I always have a treat for Walter.”
“Hello, I’m Diane.”
“Where’s Dave?”
“Gone fishin’,” Diane said.
“So you’re takin’ care of Walt then?”
“For a few days.”
“Are you stayin’ at his house?”
“No, I just come walk him.”
“I saw the lights on earlier,” he said.
“My dad’s staying there until Dave returns,” Diane said.
“Mind if I walk with you for a little bit? I don’t like the idea of you out here after dark by yourself.”
Diane thought if he was a friend of Walters, it would probably be okay, and she would feel better with someone.
“Sure,” she said.
When he came off the porch and into the yard light, Diane could see him a little better. He was about six-two, two hundred pounds and not bad looking.
They walked and talked for another few blocks until Walter decided to do his business. Diane pulled a bag out of her pocket.
“Here,” Bobby said. “I’ll do that.”
He took the bag and picked up the waste.
“Let’s head back,” Diane said.
“Okay. We don’t want to wear Walt out.”
When they got back to Bobby’s house, he said, “It was nice meeting you, Diane. I hope to see you again.”
“Thanks for the protection,” Diane said.
“I’ll watch you till ya get home.”
“Okay, bye.”
Diane opened the door, turned, waved to Bobby and went in.
“How was the walk?” I asked.
“Interesting,” she said. “I met a guy.”
“All the way out here? You have a talent.”
“He’s a friend of Walters. He said he’s seen the lights on. I told him my dad was staying here for a few days.”
“Good. I was worried someone might come to see why they were on.”
“You have that drink?”
Chapter 54
I found some extra keys on a hook in the laundry room, so I gave Diane one
“Just in case,” I said.
“Are you going to try to go out this evening?” she asked.
“I doubt it tonight. I’m going to compile some notes and timelines. I want to get the facts on Annika and see if I can come up with alibis for the times of the murders.”
“Want me to help?”
“That would be nice,” I said.
I always welcomed time I could spend with Diane.
We started on the file. Annika’s new life seems to start when she was around twenty-one. Her first arrest was for buying a small hand-gun from an undercover cop. She only did a month in jail and six
months’ probation. Two years later she was questioned and released for the murder of two gang members in Moscow. Her next arrest was for robbing a liquor store in Chicago. She was released pending trial, which she never showed up for.
“She gets around,” Diane said.
“Yes, and she has a way of avoiding prosecution.”
Three years ago there was an assassination of a banker in Boston. They nearly caught the shooter. They got there in time to force her to leave her rifle behind. The fingerprints pointed to her, and the ballistics on the gun led to twelve other hits.
“She must have learned from her brother. He probably learned from his father,” I said.
“Yeah, and two years ago we think she was part of the art theft,” Diane said. “Which no one knew about. There was no mention of that in her file. I guess no one could make an ID on her.”
I also had my suspicion she had stolen the jewels from the cruise ship, and that might not have been the first time she took them.
“Not the kind of girl I would want to take home to meet dear ‘ol momma,” I said.
“I wouldn’t want to even introduce her to Walter,” Diane said.
He lifted his head and looked at us.
“Go back to sleep,” I said.
He did.
“You know,” I said, “we’re the only ones that know Tracy is Annika other than Toby. Maybe we should call Chief Leland. If they arrest her at least, she won’t be killing anyone else for a while.”
“If she is arrested, she’ll rat out Kailey. Then what?” Diane said.
“Yeah, catch Twenty-two.”
“Let’s see about some alibis for you,” Diane said.
“Alright,” I said, and got a pen and paper.
“Danny Russel was killed on the fifteenth,” Diane said.
She thought a moment. “That’s easy. Jason kidnapped me on the sixteenth after I saw him in my office the day before. I came to your boat for supper after our appointment on the fifteenth and told you and Kailey about it.”
“You’re right. I was with Kailey on the boat that day and then both of you that evening,” I said.
“Then Aaron was killed at seven p.m. on the seventeenth.”
“I was with Jack looking for you.”