by Jenna Night
She nodded, even though they were on the phone and he couldn’t possibly see her. But she didn’t trust herself to speak. Her heart was in her throat as she pictured Jake in her mind’s eye. The hard knot of painful emotion had snuck up on her. Jake was gone and he wasn’t coming back. She knew that. And finding his killer would not bring him back. It would not change the facts of the situation at all, really. Whatever happened with the investigation into his death, she needed to move on with her life. But she couldn’t.
She took a couple of deep breaths while looking down at her desktop, pulling herself together so she could continue to sound like a professional while talking with the detective.
The sound of boot steps on the office’s hardwood floor made her look up, and she found herself gazing into Leon’s dark brown eyes. His compassionate expression was still not enough to soften a tough-looking face that had weathered some pretty rough times. He set a steaming mug of coffee in front of her and, of all things, a laugh came out of her mouth. Because this one little mundane gesture was exactly what she needed to get that emotional lump out of her throat. Aside from that, she’d had a pounding headache for the last hour. Coffee would probably help ease that.
“I know the Stone River Police Department is doing all it can to find Jake’s killer,” she said into the phone before taking a sip of coffee. “And I appreciate it.” And I know with more and more people moving into the area and the police department staying roughly the same size, you’re overextended trying to take care of current crime. Again, she had her ideas on the truth of the situation, but she didn’t say them. Because it would come out sounding like a criticism, which wasn’t her intention.
“Getting back to the attack on you last night, I’m not assuming it is or is not connected to what you just told me,” Bergman said. “Right now, I’m focused on collecting all the facts.”
“Of course.”
“The rain that’s been hanging around for the last couple of days is finally slacking off, but the cloud cover is still too low for the sheriff’s department to send out their helicopter,” he continued. “If the clouds don’t lift pretty soon, we’ll dispatch somebody on an ATV to take a look at the fire roads through that area. Since we didn’t spot a suspect vehicle when our officers first arrived on scene, or locate one after you were rescued and the perpetrators vanished, I’m curious to see if there’s any sign that the fire road was the route our bad guys used to arrive and depart.”
“Do you really think you could find any evidence after last night’s storm?” Cassie asked.
“It’s a long shot, but long shots pay off sometimes. That land is a hodge-podge of private and government-owned property. There’s a forest service facility not too far from there and some small cabins. Somebody might have seen or heard something last night. Locals might have noticed people tromping around, scouting the location days before the attack. It would be difficult to do something like that without leaving a shred of evidence.”
But someone killed my husband without leaving any evidence. Cassie took a deep breath, reminding herself that the deep wave of cold sorrow she felt at the moment was probably a case of the new trauma of the attack dredging up the old trauma of her husband’s homicide. All of these feelings about Jake’s murder that were bubbling up should settle back down eventually. Unless her lead on the jailhouse confession did turn into something. If the investigation became active again, most likely her emotions would be all over the place.
“Even though Bryan Rogan’s friends who were glaring at you in the courthouse turned out to have solid alibis for the time you were attacked last night, I’ve requested the bailiffs keep a close eye on them and to keep their behavior in line while they’re in the courthouse.”
Earlier this morning, Bergman had sent Cassie a text to let her know that the men who’d been trying to intimidate her in court the day before had airtight alibis for the time of the attack. They’d gone out to eat. Not only did they have eyewitnesses to confirm their story, there was video camera time-stamped footage proof, as well.
“You are still planning to testify today, right?” Bergman asked.
“Of course. The prosecutor checked in with me to make sure I was okay. After I told her that I was, she asked me to be at the courthouse by ten. I’d better get going.”
“Well, watch yourself on your way over there and back. Just because the goons from the viewing gallery have alibis doesn’t mean the attack didn’t come from Bryan Rogan’s criminal friends. Maybe the gallery guys were a diversionary setup of some kind to get us looking in the wrong direction. Things aren’t always what they appear to be at first glance.”
“I know that only too well,” Cassie said.
After Bergman disconnected, Cassie finished the last of her coffee and then stood, biting back a groan as several muscles and tendons in her back made their presence known. The SUV rollover last night had jarred her body and this morning she was really feeling it. She pulled open her bottom desk drawer and took out her satchel-style purse. Then she opened the office safe so she and Leon could store their handguns inside. They wouldn’t be allowed to bring them into the courthouse. And Cassie had a strict policy against leaving guns unattended in a vehicle where anyone—including a dangerous criminal—could break a window or pop open a trunk or rear hatch to get at them.
“Given what happened last night, I’m not real thrilled at the thought of going anywhere unarmed,” Leon said.
“We’re heading in the direction of the government buildings and police station. Somebody would have to be pretty desperate to take a crack at me over there.”
Leon looked at her, his face solemn. “They seem pretty desperate to me.”
He had a point.
They locked up the office and went out the back to the small parking lot. Cassie took in a deep breath of cool, clean air and looked around at the nearby redbrick buildings and the mountains with their cloud-shrouded peaks. Most of the time, Cassie liked to walk the short distance to the courthouse. But the creepy sensation of having a target painted on her back meant that today she was happy to ride in Leon’s truck instead.
While making the short drive, Cassie placed a quick call to Harry to see how he and Martin were doing with their surveillance. She brushed aside Harry’s concern for her and directed the conversation back to the topic at hand, at the same time scanning the area around them as Leon drove. Harry sounded fairly confident that they’d found the location where their target, a bail jumper who’d been busted for drug possession with intent to sell along with assault and resisting arrest charges, had been hiding out over the last couple of days. But he wasn’t completely certain if the guy was there right this minute.
“Since it’s only the two of you and the fugitive’s known to be violent, I don’t want you trying to take him down until Leon and I can get there.” Martin’s wife, Daisy, was a bounty hunter who’d recently come to work for Rock Solid Bail Bonds after marrying Martin. But she’d taken off the day to visit her mom and aunt over in Montana. It was her aunt’s birthday and Daisy had asked for the day off a week ago. “Stay out of sight,” Cassie said to Harry. “I’ll call you as soon as Leon and I get out of court.”
She disconnected just as Leon parked and cut the engine. They took their time scanning the area for anyone suspicious-looking before getting out of the vehicle and heading toward the white-columned building. As they walked up to the metal detector inside, they powered down their phones.
“You got a few looks at the original shooter through your night-vision binoculars last night,” she said to Leon after they passed through screening and headed for the courtroom. “If he’s here today, sitting with Rogan’s loser friends, do you think you might recognize him? Possibly by his eyes or posture or the way he moves?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
Right now, anything was worth a try. Cassie was certain another attack was imminent. But she did
n’t know which direction it would come from. Were the attackers friends of Bryan Rogan’s or were they somehow connected to Jake’s murder? Maybe they were people with a motivation she knew nothing about.
* * *
If Leon had his way, Cassie would go back to the ranch and stay there until the shooters from last night were captured. But he knew she was not likely to do that. Instead, she refused to be intimidated and continued to do everything she could to take crime off the streets. Her attitude scared him, since it put her in danger, but he admired her courage. And if he were in her shoes, he wouldn’t want to hide, either.
He glanced over her as they left the courtroom. They’d been inside for a couple of hours, and during that time Leon had taken several good looks at Bryan Rogan’s friends, who were once again in the gallery watching the proceedings. When the judge had declared a short recess and they’d stood from their seats, there was nothing familiar about their stature or the way they moved. Nothing to make him think there was a connection to last night’s attack.
Shortly after court resumed, Cassie had been called to testify. She’d talked about Rogan’s violent behavior while she and her bounty hunters had been tracking him. She’d recounted his attack on Martin and how Martin had wrestled the knife away just before Rogan could plunge it into his chest. Only, Rogan had grabbed a second knife hidden in his boot and sliced it across Harry’s forearm as he’d attempted to help bring Rogan under control. She’d also relayed the specific death threats Rogan had made against Cassie, her dad and her bounty hunters.
When she’d finished testifying and the judge had dismissed her, she and Leon walked out into a blustery, mostly sunny day with just a few dark clouds on the horizon.
“I’m starving,” Leon said. “Let’s stop by the Bear Hollow Deli and pick up some sandwiches. Harry and Martin got an early start. They’re probably hungry, too.”
“Text them to see what they want,” Cassie responded. “I’m buying.”
“I’m not going to tell them you’re buying,” Leon said. “They’ll order one of everything on the menu.”
Cassie laughed in response.
Both kept their heads moving and their glances sweeping across the area as they walked to the truck, mindful of potential danger. Once they were inside, they checked their phones.
“Looks like I’ve got a voice mail from Sergeant Bergman and one from Harry,” Cassie said.
She connected to the truck’s hands-free system and played Bergman’s first message. “Hi, Cassie. We found a car bogged down in the mud on the fire road near where you were attacked. The registered owner is Jerry Lutz. I know he was one of the original suspects in Jake’s murder. Lutz reported the car stolen about seven days before you were attacked. I’m going now to talk to him.”
Leon looked at Cassie, his heart beating a little more rapidly in his chest at the possibility that the shooters from last night might quickly be found and that there might finally be a break on the murder of Jake Hollister. He could see the color draining from Cassie’s face. His impulse was to reach out and take her hand, but he didn’t dare. That was a line the two of them did not cross. Instead, he cleared his throat and glanced around the parking lot, giving her a moment to collect her emotions.
“So, if I remember correctly, this Jerry Lutz guy that Bergman mentioned was a suspect early on because he had a beef against Jake.”
“That’s right,” Cassie said, her voice sounding a little scratchy as if she might be holding back tears. “Lutz was stealing cars, dismantling them and selling the parts online. He had quite the business going, with four other people working for him. Jake worked undercover on that case and helped bust him.
“Lutz didn’t have any priors, so he got a fairly short sentence, but by the time he was released from prison, his wife had left him. He decided Jake had ruined his life and he threatened to get his revenge on him. Not too long after that, Jake was murdered. But there was no physical evidence that proved Lutz had killed him.” She cleared her throat. “Maybe we’ll find that evidence now. Or at least have a witness.”
“So you think Lutz heard about you asking questions based on what Phil told you, and he got a buddy to help him kill you before he got caught and sent to prison for the murder?”
Cassie shrugged and looked away. But not before Leon could see the teardrops fall from her lower eyelashes. She hurriedly wiped them away and he felt his heart break a little. He could only imagine what she was feeling right now.
“Are you going to call Bergman back?” he asked, knowing that some overt gesture of sympathy or soft words would not make Cassie feel better. She’d made it clear many times that she didn’t care for platitudes. Leon had learned that just being with her seemed to be what helped her the most. That, and sometimes moving things along without dwelling on the moment when she was obviously feeling emotionally vulnerable. “Bergman left that message nearly an hour ago. He may have more information by now.”
Cassie shook her head. “He called me while he was in the middle of an active investigation with a hot lead to follow up on. That was a big favor. I don’t want to repay him by calling him back and asking him for something more while he’s busy.” She took a deep breath and let it out. Then she finally turned and looked directly Leon, letting him see the stormy emotions in her eyes. “He’ll call again when he has answers.”
Leon took a deep breath, wishing he could do something to make her feel better.
Cassie played the voice mail message from Harry. “Our bail jumper wasn’t in the house before, but he is now. He just drove up and went inside. I don’t know how long he’ll stay in place, so we need to make the bust as soon as you can get here. Call me when you get out of court.”
“We’ll have to go to the deli later,” Cassie said to Leon. “I don’t want to risk losing this guy.”
“Understood.” He backed the truck out of the slot and headed for the parking lot exit.
“I’ll let them know we’re on our way.” Cassie tapped out a text message and sent it. Then, after checking her phone for the information she needed, she put the exact address they were headed for into the truck’s GPS system.
Fifteen minutes later, they were turning onto the street near the house where Harry and Martin had located the bail jumper. Leon spotted Harry’s truck and drove up to park behind it. Harry and Martin got out, already wearing bulletproof vests and clearly ready to go.
As Leon and Cassie exited his truck, he couldn’t help noticing that Cassie was moving more slowly and stiffly than usual. Maybe he hadn’t noticed earlier because he’d been so focused on keeping an eye on their surroundings. Clearly, the car wreck and assault had taken a lot out of her physically.
“You always tell us not to work if we’re hurt,” he said quietly as they walked to the back of his truck where he lifted the latch on the compartment so they could grab their bulletproof vests. Since their guns were back in the office, they would have to count on Harry and Martin for firepower if it was needed. “Maybe you should stay back this time,” he added. “Let the rest of us handle this one.”
Harry and Martin approached before she responded.
“The good news is, there’s fencing on both sides of the property,” Martin said after a quick greeting. “And the backyard extends to an inlet with no dock or boat or anything this guy could use to escape.”
“So, not too many directions he can run off to without having to slow down to get past some kind of barrier,” Cassie said.
Harry nodded. “It should be pretty easy to corral him if he tries to run. And I’m fairly certain he’s alone in there.”
“I’ll stand at the end of the driveway so I can see what happens if he does make it all the way to the street,” Cassie said.
“Sounds good,” Harry said.
Leon gave both Harry and Martin a slight nod of approval. It wasn’t like Cassie to place herself away from the actio
n. They’d obviously noticed that she wasn’t moving around as easily as usual, but weren’t making a big deal about it.
Everybody took a minute to do a quick radio check and take one more look at the fugitive’s mug shot.
“Okay,” Leon said, “Harry and I will take the front door. Martin, you run around back. Cassie, watch the street. Let’s get this guy.”
The three men pushed their way through the thick pine trees that covered the property in front of the house, making a beeline for the porch. Martin split off and ran alongside of the house toward the back.
Leon bounded up the steps to the front door. Harry stood behind him and a little to the side where he’d have a wider view of anything happening around the front of the house.
Leon knocked on the door. A fair percentage of the time, if he knocked normally rather pounding, people actually opened the door. While waiting for a response, he felt the rush of adrenaline that tensed his muscles and sharpened his senses. He couldn’t hear anything from inside the house. Not even the sound of a TV or music playing. He gave it a second and knocked again.
A couple of minutes passed with no response and he began to wonder if anyone was really in there. He glanced at Harry, who pointed at the door and nodded vigorously, as if he knew what Leon was thinking and wanted to confirm that he knew for certain the fugitive was inside.
Leon finally pounded on the door, ready to escalate the situation and do whatever it took to apprehend this dangerous fugitive.
Finally, he heard someone moving around inside the house. And then the door opened and the guy was standing there, bleary-eyed and rubbing his face.
“Louis Hader, you missed your court date,” Leon said. “You’ve violated bail and we’re here to take you in.”
Hader stared at him for a moment, still either half asleep or high. Leon couldn’t tell for certain. “I couldn’t get a ride to the courthouse,” the bail jumper finally said.
“The reason why you didn’t show up doesn’t matter. We’ve got to take you in and get this taken care of.”