“Wow. And here I was, thinking he was clean.”
“Not at all,” Samantha continued. “I got out of the lab in time, but wasn’t able to leave the factory before Collin and his boys came in. So I was hiding behind a shelf in the supply room when they discovered Hudson. And bless Hudson’s heart, he saved me by not telling them I was there.”
“This entire situation just keeps getting worse and worse.”
“It really does.”
“So what now?” Ava asked. “Is Detective Harris finally going to turn in all this evidence you two have gathered so that Collin and his boys can be arrested?”
“He will. Eventually...”
“What do you mean, eventually?”
“Ava, there is so much more to this story than you know. Things aren’t as cut-and-dried as they may seem. Just know that Gregory is doing all that he can to get justice for Jacob and the other Westman’s workers. It’s only a matter of time.”
When Ava grew silent, Samantha became nervous, thinking that she’d hit a nerve.
“Are you still there?” she asked her.
After a few moments, Ava spoke up.
“Yep, I’m here. I’m just trying to figure out when enough is going to be enough. How many more people need to suffer at Collin’s hands before he gets locked up?”
The question left Samantha speechless. Because deep down, she felt the exact same way. But ultimately, her loyalty remained with Detective Harris, and she had to trust his process.
“You know what we should do?” Ava continued. “You and I should go by Hudson’s house and check on him. What do you think?”
Samantha’s eyes widened at the suggestion. She took a long, contemplative sip of coffee.
“Ava, please don’t tempt me.”
“Come on. I’m serious. This is all getting out of hand. I want to make sure Hudson’s okay. In an extremely discreet way, of course.”
“You know, before Gregory left for work this morning, he did say that he’d take a drive past Hudson’s house to check on him. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for you and me to go by there, considering Collin and his boys may be watching the place. So, as much as I’d love to go with you, I’m going to have to pass. I promised Gregory I’d stay out of trouble.”
“You? Stay out of trouble? Since when?”
“Since that disastrous confrontation at Westman’s last night.”
“Humph. All right then. Suit yourself.”
“And Ava? I’d strongly suggest you stay away from Hudson’s house as well. It’s just too dangerous. Let’s leave it to a professional and see what Gregory comes back with.”
“So you don’t want to check on Hudson with me, even though he’s the one who led you to the drug lab?”
“I can’t, Ava. I’m sorry.”
“So that’s it? Have you suddenly forgotten that we set out on this journey to get justice for Jacob together? That was your promise to my family and me. But now that you’ve linked up with Detective Harris, you suddenly wanna start separating yourself from me?”
A streak of guilt burned Samantha’s throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out but a breath of hollow air.
“And just think, I actually believed we were friends.”
“We are friends. I just... It’s just that—”
“No, no,” Ava interrupted. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I’ve already heard enough. And on that note, I’d better let you go. I don’t want to end up saying something that I’ll regret later.”
“I hate that this is where we are right now. But just hang tight. I promise you, Gregory and I will be making some major moves soon. Trust me on this.”
Samantha waited to hear Ava’s response, but she said nothing.
“Can you at least promise me you won’t go to Hudson’s house?”
“I don’t know...”
“Listen. I’ll send Gregory a text message right now and find out what time he’s planning on going by there. As soon as I hear back, I’ll let you know. Okay?”
“Fine. But just know that my family and I are running out of patience, and you and Detective Harris are running out of time. If you two don’t make something happen soon, then the Jennings family will take matters into our own hands. And trust me, you do not want that problem.”
Ava’s ominous words sent a chill through Samantha. Before she could respond, Ava continued.
“I’ll be looking out for your message once you hear back from Detective Harris. I just hope Hudson’s okay.”
“So do I. I’ll circle back with you soon.”
Samantha disconnected the call. An uneasy feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach as she composed a text message to Gregory.
Hey, just got off the phone with Ava. She knows about Hudson and what went down at Westman’s last night. She’s extremely angry, and the Jennings family is getting impatient. What time are you planning on driving by Hudson’s? Ava’s really worried about him and I’d love to give her an update before she does something rash...
Samantha sent the message, then glanced over at her computer. A new notification had popped up on her blog. Temptation won out.
She clicked on the comment. When it appeared, she immediately regretted her decision.
Stop digging, bitch, or you’ll be digging your own grave next...
* * *
GREGORY SAT AT his desk, combing through Jacob’s case file. He’d studied it time and time again. But he was giving it yet another look, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.
At this point, the detective could literally recite every word in the report verbatim. Once he reached the last page, he realized that there wasn’t a thing he’d overlooked. He’d hoped to find something he could hang a search warrant on.
He sighed deeply before closing the file. In spite of his coffee being cold, he drained the cup, hoping the last few sips of caffeine would help give him a boost. After last night’s madness at Westman’s, he’d barely slept and had been dragging all morning.
He refreshed his email inbox. There were no new messages. He’d been planning on driving by Hudson’s house to check on him during his lunch break. But since things were quiet around the station, he decided to take advantage of the downtime and go now.
Gregory grabbed Jacob’s file. After shoving his keys and cell phone inside his pocket, he walked out of his office.
On the way to the exit, he was surprised to hear Chief Wentworth call out his name.
“Hey, Detective Harris, can I see you in my office?”
Gregory stopped abruptly. He looked through the chief’s doorway and saw him sitting behind the desk, one of his hefty arms propped up on his elbows as he thumbed through a report.
“Of course.”
“Close the door behind you.”
Gregory stepped inside the office apprehensively and closed the door. He eyed the chief, searching the blank expression on his chubby face for some sort of indication as to why he’d called him in.
“Have a seat,” Chief Wentworth told him.
Just as he grabbed hold of a chair, Gregory’s cell phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and saw a text message from Samantha appear on the screen. He slipped it back inside his pocket and sat down.
“The reason I called you in here is because I wanted to let you know I hadn’t forgotten about the police reports that were filed on Samantha Vincent.”
“Oh...” the detective muttered, the tension in his shoulders easing up at the sound of those words. “That’s good to hear.”
“Just know that the investigations are still active. I’m really trying to get to the bottom of who was behind those attacks on her house. I’m not coming up with much, since there were no eyewitnesses. And the DNA tests came back inconclusive on the evidence you submitted on that first report. Well, with th
e exception of Officer Baxter’s fingerprints, which showed up on one of the bricks you collected.”
“Of course,” Gregory quipped.
“Speaking of Officer Baxter, I enrolled him and Officer Miller in a crime scene investigation refresher course. Like you’d said, their inspection of Miss Vincent’s home and subsequent reporting was shoddy to say the least.”
Gregory stared across the cluttered desk at Chief Wentworth, momentarily at a loss for words. He watched the chief run his hands over the silver-gray stubble lining his plump jowls.
“I, uh...wow,” the detective said. “Thanks, Chief. I have to admit, I hadn’t expected anything to come out of that.”
“Yeah, well, there’s been a lot happening around here. My main focus has been on the department’s budget that Mayor Elliot and I are working to finalize. So some of my other priorities have fallen by the wayside. But I’m back on top of things.”
Detective Harris watched the chief closely as he casually reclined in his chair and scratched at his sparse crew cut. Knowing he was involved in his son’s deadly drug ring was hard to swallow.
“That’s good to know,” Gregory replied, maintaining a poker face that rivaled the chief’s. “I guess I just assumed you’d forgotten about the investigations.”
“Never assume, Detective. You know what that makes us both,” he chuckled.
Before Gregory could respond, Chief Wentworth’s phone rang. He held up a finger, gesturing for the detective to excuse him, then picked up one of two cell phones that was sitting near his landline.
“Chief Wentworth,” he barked, his thick eyebrows furrowing deeply into his wrinkled forehead. “Hey, Larry. Yeah, I’ve been waiting on your call. What have you got for me?”
The chief swiveled back and forth in his worn, squeaky leather chair. His mouth hung open as he listened keenly to the voice on the other end of the call.
Gregory studied the contents on his desk. Stacks of papers surrounded Chief Wentworth’s computer monitor and laptop. A few disposable cups were scattered in between the piles. There was a file hanging off the side of the desk underneath a black letter tray. The detective focused on the name scrawled across the tab, which read Axel Guzman.
Detective Harris’s eyes blinked rapidly as he racked his brain trying to recollect where he’d heard the name. And then it dawned on him. Axel Guzman was a major drug dealer connected to a notorious Midwest drug cartel that he’d become familiar with while working in Chicago.
Gregory’s heart pounded out of his chest. His mind churned in a thousand different directions. If Axel was involved in Collin and Chief Wentworth’s drug ring, that meant he and Samantha were no longer just investigating a little drug lab located in the basement of Westman’s Automotive Factory. They were entangled in a full-blown mafia-level operation.
“So you got him?” Chief Wentworth said into the phone. “Are you sure you got him?”
The chief turned his back to Gregory and stared up at the certificates hanging on the wall. The detective focused on him while scooting toward the edge of his chair. He slid Axel’s file off the desk and tucked it in between the reports in his hand.
“All right then, Larry,” Chief Wentworth continued. “Good work, per usual. I appreciate you. Yeah, I’ll shoot you the payment the usual way. No problem. Yep. Thanks for the great work. Oh, you know I’ll be needing you again, sooner rather than later, I’m sure. Okay, I’ll be in touch.”
He disconnected the call and tossed his phone onto the desk. “Sorry about that, Detective. Just had a little business that I needed to take care of.”
“No problem,” Gregory replied, anxious to get out of the station and pore over Axel’s file with Samantha.
“So that’s all I’ve got for you,” the chief continued. “Got anything for me?”
He sat for a few moments, as if thinking of something he needed to report. “No, I think I covered everything at our last update meeting.”
“Okay, then.” Chief Wentworth glanced down at his watch. “I need to get out of here. I’ve got a luncheon down at city hall that I need to get to. Everything else going okay for you? I hope Gattenburg’s not moving too slow for you compared to all that action you had going on back in the Windy City.”
“No, not at all. Everything’s going great for me here in Gattenburg. I’m actually enjoying the slower pace.” Gregory paused, studying the chief closely before continuing. “You know, one thing I had been concerned with was those Westman’s workers whose bodies were recovered in Galena. While their fate was unfortunate, I’m glad their cold cases were finally solved and the families received closure.”
“Yeah,” the chief sighed, staring solemnly at Gregory. “That was definitely a tragic situation. My son, Collin, implemented an excellent rehabilitation program for recovering addicts at Westman’s. Sadly, it doesn’t always work for everyone. My heart goes out to those young men who overdosed as well as their families. Like you, I’m glad their cases were solved.”
Gregory stared back at his boss, shocked by what appeared to be a genuine show of sympathy.
Chief Wentworth stood up and tugged at his snug navy slacks. “Whoa, I guess it’s time for me to start that low-carb diet my wife’s been nagging me about. But anyway, why don’t you and I circle back later this week? I feel like I haven’t been giving you enough face time since you’ve joined the force.”
Gregory was slow to respond. He stood up and followed the chief out of the office. The detective couldn’t help but wonder whether his boss was trying to get closer to him because he was on to his and Samantha’s investigation.
“That would be great, thanks,” Gregory told him despite feeling otherwise. He clutched the files in his hand even tighter, eager to get out of the station.
Chief Wentworth stopped at the front desk. Gregory quickly brushed past him and jetted out the door.
He walked through the parking lot and inhaled the crisp air, relieved to finally be away from the chief.
On the way to his car, Gregory noticed Officers Baxter and Miller hovering near the back of the lot. In between puffing on cigarettes, they simultaneously threw him looks of disgust.
“What’s up, guys!” Gregory called out, stifling a laugh as he climbed inside his car. He wasn’t surprised when neither of them responded.
The detective sped out of the lot and headed toward Hudson’s house. On the way there, he pulled out his cell phone. Five missed calls from Samantha appeared on the screen.
“Oh no,” he moaned. “This can’t be good...”
He immediately dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring.
“Gregory!” she panted, “where are you?”
“I’m heading to Hudson’s house to check on him. Why? What’s going on?”
“I’ve been receiving death threats for the past hour. Phone calls, text messages, comments on my blog. They’re all coming in anonymously, but I know it’s Collin.”
Gregory’s jaw tightened. “What is he saying, exactly?”
“That he’s going to hunt me down and slit my throat.”
“My God...” Gregory floored the gas pedal. “Make sure all the doors and windows are locked, and just hang tight. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
When she didn’t respond, he continued.
“Just calm down,” the detective told her. “Collin doesn’t even know where you are.”
“Someone is calling me on the other line.”
“Don’t answer it.”
Samantha sat silently on the other end of the phone.
“Are you still there?” Gregory asked.
“I am. I was just checking to see whether a name registered on the caller ID. I think it’s Ava. I should take it. She may be getting death threats, too.”
“Okay. Go ahead and answer it.”
“Hold on.”
As she cli
cked over to the other line, Gregory sped through a yellow light. He’d never been one to scare easily, but in this moment, his entire body burned with fear.
“Gregory!” Samantha whispered into the phone after clicking back over. “Collin is dead!”
“Wait, what?” he asked, convinced that he’d heard her wrong.
“Collin is dead!” she repeated, louder this time. “Ava just told me!”
“How does she know that?” Detective Harris asked skeptically.
“Hudson called and told her. Collin and his boys had stopped by his house to warn him that he’d better keep his mouth shut about the incident at Westman’s. When Collin was walking back to his truck, someone drove up and shot him!”
Gregory tore down his block and pulled into the driveway. “I’m here. I’ll be inside in a—”
Before he could finish, Samantha threw open the front door and ran out to the car. The detective jumped out and embraced her tightly. He caressed her back as she sobbed into his chest.
“What is happening right now?” she cried.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
“No, it isn’t, Gregory. Somebody is on a killing spree in this town, and we’ve been after the wrong person this entire time! Our investigation is back at square one. How is everything going to be okay?”
He pulled away from Samantha and rested his hands on her shoulders. Aching pangs filled his chest at the sight of her wild, terror-filled eyes.
The detective led her inside the house and quickly closed the door behind them.
“We’re going to Mayor Elliot’s house,” he declared. “Tonight.”
Samantha turned to him, her entire face lighting up. “Really?”
“Yes. This situation has gotten completely out of hand. At this point I don’t know who’s out to get whom. I just had a talk with Chief Wentworth before leaving the station, and he seemed perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, I was surprised to hear he’s investigating the crimes that were committed against you and took further action against Officers Baxter and Miller.”
“I am so confused right now...” Samantha shuffled over to the couch and fell into the cushions. “This entire situation has my head spinning. I wonder if Chief Wentworth knows that Collin’s been killed yet.”
Cold Case True Crime Page 19