Down in Flames

by Cheryl Hollon

  “I saw a white car. It was going too fast. Nicole was crossing the street. It crashed into her.” Jacob put Suzy down on the sidewalk next to him. Suzy looked at him intently—her eyes alert. Jacob pointed down the street. “That’s where the car turned. It turned right at the very end of this block. It was still going too fast.”

  Frances released her iron grip on Savannah’s arm and made a single step toward Jacob, then stopped. “Did you see the driver?”

  “The driver was wearing dark clothes.”

  Savannah hung her head down. She was overcome with relief that Jacob had regained his speech and memory, but his description brought them no closer to identifying the killer.

  Jacob picked up Suzy and stood next to his mother. “The driver sat tall behind the steering wheel. You can’t hide your height with a hoodie.” He looked at his mother. “I feel much better now. I remember everything.”

  Frances covered her eyes with both hands and quickly scrubbed away her tears. Her voice was thick with suppressed emotion. “That’s very good news, Jacob.” She scratched the top of Suzy’s head. “Suzy can get some rest now. You’ve been giving her a worrisome time.”

  “The license plate was BDR 529.”

  Savannah speed-dialed Officer Williams.

  Chapter 33

  Saturday morning,

  police department

  “What are you doing here?” Detective Parker stood in front of Officer Williams’s spartan desk.

  “I know, I know. I adore my lazy mornings at home, but I wanted to trace this license plate that Savannah phoned in. What are you doing here to catch me?” She grinned up at Detective Parker. She seldom got a chance to pull his chain, but never let an opportunity go by.

  “My office is finally finished.”

  Officer Williams replied, “Uh-huh,” while she typed the number into the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database. “The servers seemed to have recovered from the move.” She filled in the remaining data and clicked the search button.

  “What’s the hurry with a license plate?”

  “Jacob’s memory and speech returned this morning. He saw the hit-and-run and got a glimpse of the car’s driver.”

  Detective Parker folded his arms. “That’s huge.”

  “Yes. He remembers the license number and that the driver wore a dark hoodie.”

  Detective Parker moved to stand behind Officer Williams and they both stared at the screen as it searched through the Florida database. After a few moments of watching the search wheel spin, the application displayed the details.

  Officer Williams leaned back in her chair and looked up at Detective Parker. “That’s not what I expected.”

  Detective Parker bent down and squinted into the screen. “It’s an expired plate issued to Nicole Borawski.” He stood up straight. “That’s a puzzle. Decidedly unhelpful.”

  “Nicole drove a new red BMW SUV. I’ve seen it. The hit-and-run car was white. We need to get Jacob to give us more details—which I’m sure he can. Maybe I can reach them.”

  She phoned Savannah. “Hey, Savannah. Is Jacob still there?”

  “Hi, Joy. Yes, he’s picking up supplies for the project he’s working on. Why?”

  “We’ve checked the plate Jacob remembered and it’s issued to Nicole, but it expired about eighteen months ago.”

  “Really? That’s about the same time that Nicole broke the news of her engagement and her family disowned her. That’s got to be the junk car her uncle told us that she bought with the last of her savings.”

  “Is Jacob ready for an interview?”

  There was a pause on the line.

  “It just happened a few minutes ago. I think tomorrow at the earliest.”

  Savannah said, “Jacob’s mother says not today—perhaps tomorrow.”

  “Fantastic. Do we know who has the car?”

  “Nope, no one mentioned anything about her getting rid of it.”

  “Okay,” said Officer Williams. “One more thing. Does Jacob remember any details that could help—the make or model of the white car?”

  “Hang on. I’ll ask. He still hates talking on the phone.”

  Officer Williams could hear that there was a discussion between Savannah and Jacob, but she couldn’t make out enough words. She chuckled. It sounded like the adult-speak in the Charlie Brown movies she had seen as a child. She modified her expression, suddenly aware that Detective Parker was looking down at her with a frown. “Patience, sir. Savannah needs to wait for Jacob to reply. Sometimes it can be minutes.”

  Savannah returned to the phone. “He says that it was an older Toyota Corolla with a baseball-sized rusty dent on the left-hand side of the rear bumper.”

  “Thanks, that matches the records. Tell Jacob’s mother that we’ll arrange to interview Jacob at home.” They ended their call.

  Officer Williams turned back to her computer console and typed into another database query page. “Let’s see what happened to that car.”

  In a few seconds, the screen displayed the information on the car. “Sir, she’s still the registered owner. It looks like she kept the car after her uncle set up the trust fund. It could be one of those situations where she feels like she needed a safety net.”

  Officer Williams’s cell phone rang. “It’s Savannah.” She listened for a few seconds. “Thanks.” Officer Williams turned to Detective Parker. “Jacob remembered something peculiar about the driver’s hoodie.”

  “What?”

  “Jacob noticed a graffiti-type logo on the sleeve of the hoodie and . . .”

  “And?” prompted Detective Parker.

  “. . . and he saw it as the car turned the corner. The logo said SNARK.”

  “That’s it. SNARK drove the car that killed Nicole,” finished Detective Parker. “But, who is SNARK?”

  Chapter 34

  Saturday morning,

  Queen’s Head Pub

  “What are the police going to do?” asked

  Edward after Savannah told him about Jacob’s recovery.

  Savannah sat at the bar. It was too early to open the pub for business, but yesterday had been so busy that Edward hadn’t turned in his merchants’ orders. Although most vendors would automatically send him the same quantity that he had ordered last week, some vendors would skip him this week and give their stock to other restaurants. Another vital task that Nicole had managed for him.

  “Would you make me a cappuccino? I just can’t seem to wake up.” She propped her chin on her hands over steepled elbows. “The prosecution is going to have a terrible time making a case to find SNARK guilty.”

  “They haven’t identified him yet,” Edward said. “Let alone arrested him.”

  “I think the big problem is that Jacob could be considered an unreliable witness. That’s not the reality, of course, but it will take some significant groundwork to educate the jurors about his abilities, not just his disabilities.”

  She was stopped by the loud whistling of the espresso machine, followed by the steaming of the milk. Edward placed the white porcelain mug in front of her. “Sadly, I agree. Now that we know SNARK ran Nicole down, the problem with Jacob as the only witness really starts to pile up.”

  After slurping down half her cappuccino, Savannah leaned back and massaged the back of her neck. “Jacob will not testify well. He won’t look at anyone. He’ll mumble. There will be long pauses while he holds Suzy.”

  “That will give the prosecutor fits.”

  “Right. I can hear the prosecutor saying, ‘Your star witness goes mute with amnesia whenever he gets upset.’ ” Savannah stood and downed the rest of her coffee. “This is assuming that the police are able to find SNARK. According to his social media feeds, he has fans who can help him out of town or maybe out of the country.”

  “They would be happy to help a murderer?”

  “How would they know that? He must be an expert at posing as a persecuted graffiti artist.”

  “There’s got t
o be a way to draw him out into the open. What set of circumstances would entice him to come out of hiding?” Edward took Savannah’s cup and automatically started making her another cappuccino.

  “SNARK doesn’t know that Jacob has identified him as the forger. He’s still worried about my investigation activities. How could we take advantage of that?”

  Edward placed the cup in front of Savannah. “What about exposing him to the SHINE organization as a forger?”

  “That has possibilities. I could take the painting over to their headquarters and make a big show of comparing the markers that Jacob found. I could insist that he be stricken from the competition.”

  “That wouldn’t be out in public,” said Edward.

  “But if we also got the organization to remove his mural, that scandal would sweep through the graffiti underground like lightning. If we made it known that I would be present, maybe that would draw him out.”

  “There’s a lot of ifs and a fair bit of risk.”

  “Not if I suggest that Officer Williams needs to be ready to apprehend SNARK.”

  “Do you think he’ll be drawn out?”

  “Well, he’s already tried to run me over. If I weren’t fit, I wouldn’t have been able to hop out of his way.”

  “I’m not happy about the whole drawing-him-out scenario. There are so many things that can go wrong.”

  “I agree,” said Savannah, “but I can’t think of anything else that will ensure that Jacob is not the only witness. Even with his mother coaching him, this will be a traumatic experience. What if he turns mute again? We can’t risk Jacob.”

  “Too right,” said Edward. “But how?”

  Savannah stood and put her hands on her hips. “If he finds out about it, SNARK is going to go after Jacob, no matter what. I would prefer that we control the situation rather than have SNARK stalk Jacob’s house. All he would have to do is wait for him to take Suzy for a walk.”

  Edward inhaled. “That’s not good.”

  “Then there’s the fact that Jacob is relatively alone at the studio all day. A perfect target.”

  “Right. I say we try to get your mural-removal scheme in place as soon as possible. How soon can you make that happen?”

  “I can call the organizer later today and let her in on the forgery suspicions and suggest that they act quickly in order to salvage their reputation. All she has to do really is spread the word that the paint-over is scheduled for tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for that. Today is the last day of the Best Burger in the Burg competition. We’re going to be jammed to the gills. In fact, I’m going to ask you for a giant favor.”

  “Ask away.”

  “Can you work in the kitchen? Although my temp agency is sending over food service laborers, they don’t have enough experienced staff. I’m still going to need everyone I know to pitch in for today. In fact, Amanda called to offer to help, as well as Arthur.”

  “Of course, I’ll help. Will that be enough?”

  “I think so. I’m not expecting to win. I only want to survive the onslaught with our service reputation in reasonable shape. Otherwise, I’ll be in real trouble with bad reviews. With the loss of the best day-to-day person I’ll probably ever have, a lot must change. I don’t mind losing the Best Burger in the Burg competition, but I don’t want to lose the high ratings that Queen’s Head Pub holds as well.”

  Chapter 35

  Saturday,

  new police headquarters

  “If he’s the one who tried to run over Savannah, then he’s probably still in town.” Officer Williams stood in front of the whiteboard in the borrowed office.

  Detective Parker rubbed his palms together. “I’m going to get the chief to boost the priority of our BOLO. Since SNARK is using Nicole’s ordinary-looking white car, finding him will be difficult.”

  “But not impossible.”

  “I’m going to increase the number of patrol vehicles around the Grand Central District. Since Jacob is the only credible witness to the hit-and-run, we should keep an eye on him when he’s out in public.”

  “What about the eyewitness at the Mustard Seed Inn? He saw the hit-and-run. Should we include looking out for him in our patrol checks?” asked Officer Williams.

  “Yes, but nothing he saw can tie anyone to the car. Jacob saw the license plate and the sleeve logo. Without Jacob and the car, there is no case.”

  Detective Parker left and Officer Williams returned to her desk.

  Her cell phone rang. Officer Williams listened carefully while Savannah explained the plan to paint over the mural.

  Then Officer Williams yelled into the phone, “Are you crazy? Why am I asking that? Of course, you’re crazy.”

  Savannah interrupted. “Joy, listen for a moment here. We can’t let this situation go on. Jacob won’t be safe once word gets out that he’s an eyewitness. He won’t be safe. SNARK has already proved that he’s willing to kill. It’s unreasonable to ask Jacob to hide until some random event may or may not cause an officer to find the white car.”

  Joy puffed a breath out her nose. “It’s annoying when you’re right. In fact, starting now, I’ll make sure there’s plenty of unmarked cars in the area. The Best Burger in the Burg contest was already on our schedule for increased coverage. I’ll make sure that we expand on that with more officers on foot as well.”

  “What about painting over the mural?”

  “I’ll bring that up with Detective Parker. I think he’s going to object.”

  “Think about Jacob and Suzy.”

  “Good point. I’ll call Frances to warn her about the new risks. Then, I’ll make a strong case for more protection. I promise.”

  Chapter 36

  Saturday evening,

  Queen’s Head Pub

  “We need another burger for table fifteen!” Amanda yelled back into the kitchen.

  Savannah turned from the preparation table to Samuel at the grill. “How many does that make so far?”

  “More than a hundred,” said Samuel.

  “And it’s only seven o’clock.” Savannah grumbled as she started forming more patties. She and Samuel had worked out an efficient workflow to keep up with the busiest day of the Best Burger in the Burg competition. Samuel grilled the buns and patties while Savannah formed the patties, restocked the condiments, and managed the fries.

  Samuel looked up from the grill. “Only three more hours. The dinner menu officially closes at ten.”

  “That seems like years away.” Savannah grabbed another handful of ground meat and placed it on the scale for an exact six ounces.

  Every table in the pub was filled, as were all the seats at the bar. Edward was behind the bar wishing he had four hands to keep up with the drink orders. As hostess, Amanda was managing to seat new customers. The large patio out front had been converted from casual seating to even more dining space by adding folding tables covered with tablecloths.

  Amanda was surprised to see Jacob and his mother approaching the pub from the sidewalk. Suzy was on leash without her service harness, and her tail wagged like a windshield wiper.

  Jacob walked up to Amanda. He looked at her left ear, then smiled. “I am here to buy my mother your entry in the Best Burger in the Burg contest. If we like the burger, we will vote.”

  Amanda looked at his mother.

  Francis looked tired, “Jacob insisted and it is easier to go along than risk a relapse. I know there are extra patrols for our safety.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  “It’s so nice to hear your voice, Jacob,” said Amanda. “It’s a mad house inside that I don’t think Suzy would like. Is it all right to sit at a small table here on the patio.”

  “That will be perfect.” Frances patted Amanda tenderly on the arm. “May I offer you my sincere condolences?”

  Amanda blinked her eyes and dipped her head a fraction. “Thank you very much.”

  “I hope you’re taking care of yourself. Are you sure you should be here? This is a large crowd. It’s w
ell-known that in the days immediately following the death of a family member, you are especially vulnerable to illness. The shock affects your immune system.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Underwood. Helping Edward and Savannah is the only thing that makes me feel human right now. They’ve been so generous—it’s a pleasure to be able to help them when they need a hand.”

  Amanda blinked hard again and led them to a small temporary table next to the sidewalk. Suzy tucked herself underneath Jacob’s chair. “I’ll send one of the servers out right away. It may be a few minutes—they’re super busy.”

  * * *

  Officer Williams drove north on Sixteenth Street. She was only a few blocks from home when the police radio announced that a citizen had seen a white car bearing license plate BDR 529. It had been spotted heading west at the intersection of Eighteenth Street and Central Avenue. Officer Williams called dispatch that she was nearby and on her way to the area.

  He’s near Haslam’s Book Store. That’s only a few blocks from Queen’s Head Pub. She made a U-turn, then headed for Central Avenue with her lights flashing and blaring a few taps of the siren.

  Officer Williams spotted the white car and moved close enough to verify the license plate number. She called for backup and reported the driver to be wearing a black hoodie pulled over his head. She signaled with her siren and lights for the white car to pull over. Officer Williams reported that it looked like the driver would comply but was having difficulty finding somewhere to pull out of traffic.

  The driver motioned with one hand out the window, indicating a turn into the parking lot of Haslam’s Book Store.

  Instead, after idling a few seconds, the driver sped down the alley behind the bookstore and nearly ran down one of the owners, who was feeding the birds behind the store. Officer Williams followed as quickly as the rutted alleyway permitted. The driver turned left at the end of the block to get back onto Central Avenue.