“Can I help you?”
Jason showed his badge to the twenty-something blonde at the desk.
“I’m Detective Strong, this is Detective Jefferson. We need to speak with Jack Burns.”
The girl immediately looked concerned, and picked up the phone without saying anything. “Mr. Burns, there’s two detectives here to see you.”
She listened for a minute before hanging up. “He’ll be right out.”
“Thanks.”
Jason called Lieutenant Patton on the way over to find out if he knew someone, and Jack Burns was the name the lieutenant had given him. The lieutenant had said he and Burns went way back.
A short and thin, but well tanned, man with silver hair came through the glass door at the far end of the reception area. Jason guessed he didn’t spend all his time in an office.
“Jack Burns?”
“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?”
“My name is Detective Strong, this is Detective Jefferson. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“Sure, let’s go to my office.”
As they walked, the DOT official looked from Jason to Nina. “Did I do something?”
Nina gave him a reassuring smile.
“No, sir. We’re involved in an investigation, and we believe you may be able to help.”
“Oh. In here.”
He led them through the glass door and then directed them immediately to their right, into a spacious office.
Jason and Nina both took the chairs offered them. Jack Burns shut the door before going around his desk and sitting down. “Alright, Detectives. How can I help?”
Jason produced a sheet of paper; a map with Daylight Donuts and the location where Chelsea Morris’s car was found.
“We need to see if you have any cameras along this route.”
He handed the paper to Burns, and after examining it for a minute, the DOT official punched some numbers into the computer on his desk. When he was done, he turned the computer monitor toward the two detectives.
“I have one camera on this route. It’s at Huebner.”
Jason couldn’t make sense of the multiple cameras being displayed.
“Which one is that?”
Burns clicked a couple more keys, and the screen changed to just one image. Jason stared intently.
“Can you call up specific times for these cameras?”
“Sure, but they’re not movie cameras. These are still shots that refresh about every five minutes.”
Jason handed the DOT official another piece of paper. “This is the time and date we need.”
Burns started pushing more keys, and spun a roller ball on his mouse, until he came to a specific frame on the cameras. “Okay, what are we looking for?”
Jason took a quick glance at his notes. “Nineteen-ninety-five Chevy Cavalier.”
Burns started clicking a button, and with each click, a new image showed. Nina saw it first.
“There!”
Jason agreed that had to be the car. “That’s it. Can you blow it up?”
“Some, but I’m limited.”
The picture zoomed in. The vehicle was driving away, and was at least a hundred feet past the camera when the shot was taken.
They couldn’t see Chelsea, but there was a clear image of a man in the back seat. Nina said what both detectives were thinking.
“She was stalked. He was waiting outside and ambushed her before the drive home.”
Jason just stared at the image. This confirmed his suspicions that both their missing persons were likely chosen and hunted. But more importantly, they didn’t know if this man had more targets.
He stood and shook hands with Jack Burns.
“Can you print me a copy of the photo?”
“Sure.” Jack punched some more keys. “Be back in a minute.”
When Burns left the office, Jason turned to Nina.
“The best connection we have between the victims is the phone number from the high school. We need to go there next.”
The DOT official returned with the photo, and the detectives headed for their car.
Chapter 11
Suzanne finished folding the load of towels and went to the kitchen. The Red Bull was wearing off, and she decided it was time to relax with some TV. She got some ice from the fridge, poured herself a Diet Pepsi, and just as she was about to sit down, the doorbell rang.
Tizzy raced to the door and started her incessant barking, which announced every visitor’s arrival.
“Tizzy! Shush! Tizzy!”
Suzanne opened the door to find her walk-in customer from earlier standing there. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Oh, hi. Can I help you?”
“Hi. I don’t know if you remember me, but I was in your shop today.”
“Of course. Donnie, isn’t it? Is there something wrong?”
“Well, in an odd coincidence, I stopped at the Quikstop a while ago and…”
Tizzy was going nuts, barking and baring her teeth at the stranger.
“Tizzy, shush. That’s enough!”
“…Anyway, I found your address book lying next to the gas pumps. I live just around the corner, so I thought I’d bring it to you.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I was looking all over for it.”
Tizzy kept at it, barking, and threatening to charge the man, despite her tiny size.
“Tizzy! Excuse me while I lock her in the bedroom.”
Suzanne scooped up the dog, walked to the bedroom, put the dog in the room, and shut the door. When she turned around, the man was standing in the middle of the living room, a gun pointed at her.
“Don’t scream, or I’ll shoot you where you stand.”
*******
Jason and Nina took I-35 south to Military Trail, over to Commercial Ave, and then south to Formosa. Even though Jason knew where the school was, Nina was giving him directions.
“Okay, the school’s just a block that way.”
“Detective, I think you’re kinda excited to be going back to your old school.”
Nina saw she was exposed and laughed.
“Yeah, I guess. My years at McCollum High were good ones. And unlike like you, my high school years weren’t two decades ago!”
“Ouch! You’re brutal.”
They stopped in front of the office and got out. Nina scanned the collection of buildings. “Hasn’t changed much.”
“Lead the way, ex-alum.”
They walked up the sidewalk to a set of double doors and found them un-locked. School was out for the summer, so basic staff and maintenance would be the only people there.
They came in out of the heat, and Jason removed his sunglasses. The office was immediately on the right, and through a large glass window, they could see a collection of desks. No one appeared to be there, so Jason stuck his head through the office door.
“Hello?”
From a somewhere in the back, they heard a woman’s voice.
“Be right there!”
While they waited, Nina watched as Jason scanned the photos on the wall.
“Looking for something?”
“Yeah. Thought they might have your detention records framed.”
“Hey! I was a good girl.”
Jason rolled his eyes and laughed.
A woman dressed in gray slacks came into the room. “May I help you?”
She wore a black, button-down blouse, and black, patent leather shoes. With short, brown hair and hazel eyes, she carried herself with an official bearing. Jason guessed her to be in her early fifties.
“I hope so. My name is Detective Strong, and this is my partner Detective Jefferson. We’re with SAPD.”
They both showed their badges.
“I’m Janice Hayes, the principal’s secretary. Is there a problem?”
“No. We’re involved in an investigation, and the number of McCollum High has showed up on a couple phone records. The calls were outgoing from here. We’d like to find out who m
ade the calls and why they were made.”
“Do you have the numbers called?”
Nina took the phone records out of a manila folder she was carrying and handed them to the secretary. “I’ve highlighted them.”
Janice Hayes followed the highlighted numbers with her finger, across to the names. “I made both calls, Chelsea Morris and Ed Garland were on my list.”
Nina took the reports back and put them in the folder. “Your list?”
“Yes. I’m helping with notifications of the ten-year class reunion coming up. The class president gave me some of the names. I told her I had some extra time and I’d be glad to help.”
“May we see the list?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Janice Hayes returned in less than a minute with two sheets of paper.
“I have about fifty names to call. We use email for most of the notifications, but these are the ones we only have phone numbers for.”
Jason took one sheet and Nina the other. Jason found one of the names immediately. “Ed Garland, fifth name down on this sheet.”
Nina’s sheet had the other. “Chelsea Morris, near the bottom.”
Jason gave his sheet back to the secretary. “Can we get a copy of these?”
The secretary took Nina’s, as well. “Sure. Give me a couple minutes.”
When she was gone, Jason started thinking aloud.
“Okay. Both victims received calls about the reunion, along with about fifty others on these lists. In addition, there’s the list the class president is calling. Assuming it’s roughly the same size, that’s somewhere around a hundred names.”
“That’s just the call list. There’s apparently an email list also.”
Jason nodded.
“I’m thinking we start with the call list. Nothing has showed on the email list that we know of. Until there’s a connection to that list, we need to limit our search as much as possible.”
“So, you think the connection between victims is the reunion?”
“It’s about all we’ve got for right now.”
Nina was skeptical. “Okay, following that logic, our killer’s name should also be on these lists.”
“Maybe, but not necessarily. If he’s targeting this group, or some of the group, it might be because he’s not on the list. When we get back, we need to run a record check on all the names on this list.”
Janice Hayes returned with four pages. “I copied both my list and the class president’s.”
She handed them to Nina, who put them in the folder. “Who is the class president, anyway?”
“Cindy Butler. Her name’s at the top of each sheet, along with her phone number.”
“And when is the reunion?” Nina asked.
“The fifth of next month, here in the gym.”
“Thank you. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”
The secretary looked at Jason. “Can I ask why Ed Garland and Chelsea Morris are of particular interest?”
“They’re missing.”
“Missing? Both of them?”
“Yes, ma’am. Both of them.”
Chapter 12
Donnie turned the corner and pulled in behind the small strip plaza. Cuffed in the backseat of her own car was Suzanne Cooper. The van was waiting for him, and he transferred his captive to it, putting a hood over her head once she was inside.
The plaza sat about a mile from Suzanne’s house, and Donnie had walked to get her. He would leave her car here and take her to the farm.
Donnie put the hoods over his captives’ heads to protect the location of his home. He didn’t want them to know where they’d been, if they survived.
He started the van and drove out from behind the plaza. Twenty minutes and he’d be home with only one remaining task in the first phase.
*******
Suzanne lay as still as she could. She was trying to trace in her mind where they were going. She knew they’d gone to the plaza near her house, but after only a few minutes, she realized it was hopeless. She didn’t even know what direction they were headed.
She struggled to grasp what was happening. Time had ceased to exist, and her mind reeled with possibilities of what waited when the van stopped. She wanted out of the hood and the darkness it brought, but she was terrified of what she might see at the end of their trip.
She didn’t know how long they had been driving, but she felt the van slow and make a hard turn onto a gravel road. She could hear the dirt and rock kicking up beneath her. After just a moment or two, the van ceased moving and the engine sputtered to silence.
She heard the driver’s door open, then the van’s side door slid open. Her captor grabbed her by the feet to drag her out, but she kicked wildly. He let go. Next to her ear came the distinct sound of a gun being cocked.
Click!
Her heart stopped. “No, no. I’m sorry. I’ll get out.”
Again, she felt the tug on her feet, but this time she didn’t resist. When her knees were past the edge of the door, he took her by the shoulders, and stood her up.
“Walk slowly, I’ll guide you. Don’t do anything stupid, and you won’t be hurt.”
It took all the strength she could muster just to nod her head once.
They walked a short distance and then up a couple steps. She heard a door open and sensed they had moved indoors. The hood came off.
She blinked at the brightness, trying to focus, and found the man staring at her.
“Please don’t hurt me. What did I do? Why are you doing this?”
He ignored her and pointed the gun toward the basement steps. She didn’t move. Again, he pulled the hammer back on the gun.
She willed herself to move slowly toward the stairs and down into the basement. What greeted her was shocking.
A small prison with four doors, two of which had padlocks on them. She could smell urine and it made her gag.
“In there.”
She began to cry and turned toward him.
“Please don’t do this.”
He got behind her, grabbed the cuffs around her wrist, and forced her to follow him backward into the cell. Pushing her to the floor, he looped and padlocked a chain around her leg before removing her original restraints. The door shut and a lock snapped. His steps retreated up the stairs, then nothing, just quiet.
“Who are you?”
A female voice from the next cell broke the silence, startling Suzanne. She leaned as close to the wall as she could.
“Suzanne. Who are you?”
“Chelsea. The man next to me is Ed. Do you know why he brought you here?”
“No. I was at home, and next thing I know, I’m in a van with a hood on my head. Do you?”
Suzanne could hear Chelsea start to sob.
“No. He won’t tell us.”
“How long have you been here?”
“A couple days. Ed’s been here four.”
“Has he hurt either of you?”
“No. Not yet.”
Suzanne heard a man’s voice from the far cell.
“What did you say you’re name is?”
“Suzanne.”
“Suzanne what?”
“Suzanne Cooper.”
“Is that your maiden name?”
“Yes, why?”
Ed ignored the question.
“Chelsea, is Morris your maiden name?”
Chelsea tried to stop crying.
“No. Burt…my maiden name was Burt.”
Silence fell over the three of them as the girls waited to find out what Ed was driving at.
“Mother of God!
“What?” Both girls asked in unison.
“Does the name ‘Billy Jarvis’ mean anything to either of you?”
*******
It was near closing at the local dollar store, and Curt was finishing the last of the busywork.
“Wendy, I’m taking trash out; back in a minute.”
“Okay.”
He unlocked th
e back door and carried the two bags to the dumpster. After throwing them in, he turned to go back, and noticed a teal-colored car parked at an odd angle. The dome light was on and the back door open. He didn’t recognize the car, and everyone who worked at the plaza parked in the outer lot up front.
Curt walked down toward the vehicle and looked in. The keys dangled from the ignition, but the car wasn’t running. Standing up, he looked around. He was alone in the back alley. He pulled out his cell phone.
*******
Two uniformed officers responded to Curt’s call. One was calling in the license plate, and the other was getting the final details of how Curt found the car.
The first got off the radio.
“Car belongs to a Suzanne Cooper. Address is not far from here.”
“Get a phone number?”
“Yes. I’m trying it now.”
The second officer turned back to Curt.
“Thanks for your help. You can go now; sorry to keep you so long.”
“No problem.”
As the dollar store employee walked away, the first officer hung up the phone.
“Answering machine.”
“Okay, call in for a car to go by the address, and I’ll get a tow truck to come take the car.”
By the time the officers heard no one was answering at the residence, the car was on the truck and ready to go. Instead of the impound lot, it was sent to the forensics garage.
*******
Ed Garland could hear both girls suck in their breath. Neither said anything, and Ed waited while it sunk in. He had already figured out the connection, all three of them had been there the day Billy Jarvis had shot himself playing Russian roulette.
The thing he hadn’t figured out was their captor’s identity. Finally, Chelsea spoke. “Ed, Ed Garland from McCollum High?”
“Yes.”
“And Suzanne Cooper, Billy Jarvis’s girlfriend?”
Suzanne didn’t answer immediately, but Chelsea could hear her crying.
“Suzanne?”
“Ye…yes.”
“You’re Billy’s ex-girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
FOR MY BROTHER (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE Book 3) Page 6