by C. M. Sutter
I waved off his question. “Thanks, sir, I’m good. I’ve got my head on a swivel and my Glock on my hip. I’ll be okay.”
He gave us a good night nod and walked out.
Chapter 25
Henry tipped his head toward the hallway. “Need to take a sandwich back to your room? We missed dinner, and I’m far too beat to make something at home.”
“Single?” I walked alongside Henry toward the lunchroom.
“Yeah, never found ‘the one’ yet.” Henry made air quotes around the words. “How about you?”
“The same. I’ve had a few close calls, but they didn’t pan out. So far, I’m content with my life, plus I have great friends and a cat that’s latched onto me. I’m in no hurry.”
“I don’t want to say I’m jaded, but even couples with the best intentions and stars in their eyes tend to divorce after a few years.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s a sad fact. My family is split up, and I’m not really close to any of them. That’s why I appreciate my roomies so much. If you recall, Amber and I work together at the sheriff’s department, and Jade, her sister, is an FBI agent at the Serial Crimes Unit in Milwaukee’s satellite office.”
Henry gave me a wide smile. “Sounds like you’re knee-deep in law enforcement twenty-four hours a day.”
“That’s true, but I have a happy life and plenty of people to bounce cases off of.”
“I bet.”
I felt Henry’s stare as I viewed my options in the vending machine.
“Kate, is there something else on your mind?”
“Reading my thoughts already?”
He chuckled. “I’m not a psychic, but cops are trained to read expressions.” Henry tapped his forehead. “It’s that furrowed-brow thing you have going on.”
I rubbed the creases and sighed. “I just don’t want to let you guys down. I need to do my part in finding Jesse.”
“Don’t stress about it, and it wasn’t your job to find him in the first place. Lutz wanted your assistance with the murder cases, that is, until Jesse went missing. It’ll come naturally to you, won’t it?” He gave me a dubious glance. “Or isn’t that how it works?”
I appreciated the fact that Henry was truly interested. “It works something like that but toss in a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle too. At least that’s how my dreams feel sometimes. We’ll find him, Henry. We have to.”
We each bought a sandwich and chips from the vending machine then headed toward the exit. I always ate poorly when working on a case, but Amber corrected that whenever she could. Outside, Henry and I parted ways in the parking lot.
I clicked the fob as I walked to the cruiser. “See you in the morning.”
He nodded. “Be mindful of your surroundings when you get out of the car.”
“I will, I promise.” I climbed in behind the wheel and drove the few minutes to the Welcome Home Inn. I arrived unscathed, just tired. Inside my room, I sat at the table, ate my sandwich and chips, and looked forward to my next meal at home. The vibrating phone in my pocket made me jump. I fished it out and checked the screen—Amber was calling.
“Hey, girl, maybe I’m not losing my touch after all.”
She laughed. “Talking in riddles again?”
“No, but I was thinking about your cooking as I’m eating a ham-and-cheese sandwich and chips for dinner.”
“I’ll make whatever you want when you get home. So how’s it going?”
“At a snail’s pace. The only lead we have is seeing Jesse on surveillance camera on Rush Street Sunday night.”
“That sounds like progress.”
“I guess, but not fast enough in my book. I don’t want to think about what he might be going through.”
“Then don’t. As a psychic, you read people’s energy, not their minds, so stay focused. What do you have at this point?”
“Our last sighting of him was when he turned right on East Cedar Street. In the morning, we’re picking up where we left off. It was already dark when we got there, and we couldn’t tell if any buildings had security cameras mounted on them.”
Amber sighed through the phone line. “And there’s nothing new on the murdered-attorney cases?”
“I don’t know. We’re having an update meeting in the morning. After that, Henry and I are heading back to Cedar Street. Hopefully we’ll see if Jesse was abducted there or not.”
“So no dream breakthroughs yet?”
“Not sure.” I bit into my sandwich and took a sip of the bottled water. “I did have a dream last night and wrote down everything I could remember. I just don’t know how it’s connected yet, if it is at all.”
“Good luck, and we miss you, but Mary is filling in nicely.”
“Thanks. That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Amber laughed. “I’m just kidding. Jack misses you too.”
“Speaking of Jack, I need to let him know what’s going on. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I ended the call, finished my sandwich, and pressed Jack’s name on my contact list. The update was short since I didn’t actually have anything newsworthy to tell him. Once we saw Jesse’s abduction, or the lack of one, on security footage, we’d know better how to proceed.
I showered and climbed into bed, happy and hopeful that I’d get eight hours of sleep. I felt myself drifting off within minutes.
I couldn’t silence the noise. I put the pillow over my head and tried to drown out the yelling, but it continued.
Help me! I’m being held prisoner. Call the cops, call the FBI, call somebody, damn it. He’s going to kill me!
I bolted upright and looked from side to side. I was in bed, and it was only a dream. My skin was clammy with sweat and I was exhausted, but I needed to put the words on paper before they evaporated from my mind. I flipped the switch on the table lamp and reached for the paper and pen that were always nearby. With my eyes closed, I retreated back to the dream and listened to the voice as I scratched out the words.
That was Jesse yelling for help. I recognize his voice. You’re still alive, but, where are you? Give me a sign, Jesse, so we can find you.
I paged back to the notes I had taken the night before and read them again. Gambling debts, risky endeavors, and something illegal. No guts, no glory, and a name that started with an M.
I didn’t see the connection yet. Was Jesse involved in something illegal? Was that why he was abducted? He was working Narcotics only a year prior and was a top dog in that department. Was something shady going on? I couldn’t wait to talk to Sergeant Lutz the next morning. I’d run my dreams past him before mentioning anything to the detectives. I couldn’t picture Jesse being anything other than an honest, honorable cop, but how well did I actually know him? He had been in North Bend for only a few days.
Chapter 26
I arrived at the police station a half hour before the meeting in hopes of finding Sergeant Lutz already there. I stopped at the reception counter before continuing beyond the security door. “Is the sergeant here?”
Debra nodded and allowed me through. I needed to discuss my dream with Sergeant Lutz. There was a chance that somebody’s name beginning with an M would pop into his mind.
I knocked and peeked around the half-opened door. “Do you have a few minutes, sir?”
He waved me in. “Sure, Kate, come on in. What’s on your mind?”
“I wanted to tell you about the dreams I’ve had the last two nights. I’m not familiar with the officers and detectives here or the ones who work at the narcotics unit, so I’m hoping there could be something from my dreams that may spark a memory with you.”
“Go ahead. Let’s hear what you have.”
“First I want to say I don’t know if my dreams are connected to Jesse or the murdered attorneys. All I can tell you is that they usually turn out to be linked to the case at hand, and we realize that as the investigation progresses. It’s kind of like putting puzzle pieces together.”
“I understand, but don’t feel obligated to dream
about the case.”
I smiled. “I can’t help what I dream, sir.”
“Of course. That was a stupid comment. Go on.”
“Well, my first dream was of two men sitting in a white car. The passenger was trying to convince the driver to do something illegal. He said they’d make enough money to cover the driver’s gambling debts. It sounded like he owed somebody a lot of money.”
“Owing gambling debts to the wrong people can get a person in trouble quickly. That’s a dangerous life to live.”
“I agree. The guy who owed the money sounded like he had a conscience, as if he didn’t want to participate in an illegal activity.”
“Yet sports gambling is still illegal in Illinois.”
“True enough. Anyway, the man who made the proposition needed seed money to get the business started. He was hoping to get it from the guy with the gambling problem, but that man would have to cash out his retirement account at his place of employment to do it. The passenger said their profits could quickly pay off the gambling debt and put them in the black. One of the men had a name that began with an M, like Morris, or Morey, or Maddex. It was something unusual. Do any of those names ring a bell?”
“I can’t say they do. Are you implying that the man with the debt and a conscience is a cop?”
“I don’t know, sir, but I wouldn’t mind looking at the first names of the officers and detectives here and also at the organized crime unit.”
“Sure, we can do that. Anything else?”
“I heard Jesse crying out for help in my dream last night. He said somebody was holding him captive and was going to kill him. There had to be a third party at the place he’s being held, otherwise why would he call out for help?”
Lutz took notes as I talked. “How do you know it was Jesse?”
“I recognized his voice, plus the man yelling said to call the police or the FBI. A criminal wouldn’t want the help of law enforcement.”
“Good point.” The sergeant tapped his pen on the sheet of paper in front of him. “What are you thinking?”
“Jesse’s commitment to the police department has never been in question, has it, even when he worked Narcotics? He doesn’t have bad habits like gambling? Maybe the M in my dream stood for a last name instead, like McCord.”
“Jesse has a sterling reputation, Kate. He’s my second in charge.”
I nodded. “I know, sir, and it isn’t easy to ask those questions.”
Lutz rubbed his wrinkled forehead. “He may have unknowingly caused the problem that has this John on a rampage, but I assure you, he didn’t have a hand in it.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I didn’t think so, but I want to make sure my dreams and thoughts are on the same page. During the short time I got to know Jesse while he was in North Bend, he seemed completely dedicated to being a cop.”
“And he is. That much I guarantee. I’ll get you a list of names for both departments. As far as sharing your dreams, I’d keep them to myself for now until we get a little closer to the facts.”
“Understood, sir, and thank you. Henry and I will just update the team on where we are with tracking down Jesse.” I stood and excused myself. The morning meeting was about to begin, and I wanted to talk to Henry first.
He was already sitting in the roll call room when I entered. I exchanged good morning greetings with him and took a seat at his side. “Lutz wants us only to state the facts about Jesse this morning, no personal opinions.”
Henry raised his brows. “Do you have a personal opinion?”
“I’m not sure yet. Let’s see what we can find from the videos on East Cedar Street. I don’t want to speculate.”
Moments later, Lutz entered the room. He looked different than he had just minutes earlier. I sensed something was wrong.
He cleared his throat and began. “It just came to my attention that the precinct on West Belmont received a call last night about a body floating in the Chicago River. The man was shot in the head with a large-caliber bullet, according to the ME. His wallet, money, and a baggie containing residue of something that will be tested was still on his person.”
Detective Mills spoke up. “That’s an everyday occurrence, boss. Why was that information passed on to us?”
“The large bullet hole in the skull could be a factor since the ME pulled a .40-caliber slug out of Lennard, if you recall. Also, if it was a robbery or a drug deal gone bad, the man’s pockets would be empty. The PD pulled up the rap sheet matching the driver’s license. The victim, Terry Lewis, also known on the street as T-Bone, was a midlevel but well-known Chicago drug dealer with a lengthy rap sheet. I’m wondering why he was tossed in the river, where he was sure to be found.” Lutz shrugged. “Just thinking out loud, I guess. Anyway, the ME will know more this afternoon. So what’s going on with the murder case?”
Mills sighed. “More of the same, sir. Chasing leads from the tip line calls. Now with this new discovery, though, we can check into possible connections to Terry Lewis. Both attorneys’ deaths were caused by meth overdoses.”
Lutz nodded. “Not the worst idea. Check with the lab to find out what that residue is from the baggie in Terry’s pocket and then touch base with Jim Crosley in Narcotics. He’s the lead on the T-Bone investigation.”
“You got it, sir.”
Lutz looked at Henry and me. Since I wasn’t going to mention anything from my dream, I’d remain quiet and let Henry conduct our update.
He stood and addressed the group. “I know how concerned everyone is about Jesse’s whereabouts. We’re doing our best to find him, and with the enormous effort put in by Detective Pierce, she was able to track down where Jesse was last seen. As soon as this meeting is over, we’re heading back to the Rush Street area to look for possible surveillance footage of Jesse’s abduction. We did see him on video passing Carmine’s, then he turned toward the lake on East Cedar Street. That’s the last known sighting of him.”
People muttered throughout the room.
“That sounds hopeful. Bring my partner home where he belongs, and get that maniac who kidnapped him, and killed Lennard, off the street.”
“That’s our intention, Mills,” Henry said.
Lutz wrapped up the meeting, and we headed out. I crossed my fingers that we’d find a video showing us what had happened to Jesse McCord.
Chapter 27
We returned to the Rush Street area and snagged a parking spot. We started out on foot right at the intersection of Rush and East Cedar Street.
Henry pointed at the west corner of the first building, just above the second-floor window. “There’s a camera mounted, but it’s facing Rush Street instead of Cedar.”
I wasn’t hopeful. It was early fall, and the trees were still covered with leaves. Any second-floor mounted camera would likely catch the tree canopy instead of what was happening at ground level. “Let’s go in a little farther.”
We continued on, and surprisingly, the street-facing cameras were few and far between.
“I don’t get it,” I said. “You’d think because of the lack of streetlights on Cedar, there would be more cameras.”
Henry glanced from building to building. “That sounds logical, but the lack of streetlights is probably why there aren’t more cameras. They wouldn’t pick up anything, anyway. The street is too dark at night.”
I didn’t want to think that our only hope of finding Jesse was dashed. “I’m willing to interview every person who lives on this street if we have to. I’m not giving up on him.”
“How many locals are looking out their windows or milling around at midnight on a Sunday night, not to mention it’s four days later now. Who would remember an ordinary person walking to their car?”
I shrugged. “Just saying.” We continued on and were near the location where we had parked the night before. I saw something lying on the street a few feet ahead. “That’s weird.”
“What have you got?” Henry asked.
“There are three uns
moked cigarettes lying on the ground, as if they fell out of a pack.”
Henry rolled his eyes. “Maybe that person will live a few minutes longer now that they had three fewer cancer sticks to smoke.”
“Maybe.” I looked around. There weren’t as many trees at that area of the block because of the amount of cement. Underground parking garages and driveways took up a lot of street-facing real estate. “Check it out.” I pointed at a building across the street with a second-story camera mounted on it. “Let’s find out who the manager is.”
We entered the vestibule, and an intercom centered on the wall listed every tenant’s first initial and last name and a call button beside the apartment number. The very first name was G. Lawrence-Manager.
“That was easy enough.” I pressed the button and waited for a response.
Seconds later, a husky voice answered. I told him who we were, and he pressed the door-release button. “Come to the first apartment on the left.”
Henry gave the door two short raps and pulled out his badge. My Washburn County Sheriff’s Office badge had no authority in Chicago.
A middle-aged man with unkempt hair and a cigarette dangling from his bottom lip opened the door. He scratched his armpit while he studied us. Henry held out his badge for the man to see, and with a questioning look, the man finally spoke up. “I’m George, the manager. What’s going on?”
“May we come in, sir? We have a few questions for you.”
George tipped his chin toward his living room. “I guess so.”
We entered the overcrowded space and remained standing. Smoke haze from the cigarette hung in the air.
“Can you tell us who has access to that video camera on the corner of the building? We need to review footage from Sunday night.”
“Our security is outsourced to a private company called Eagle Eye Services. They’re the only ones who can access the footage.”
“Then you need to call them immediately and have someone come out.”
He stared at me as if I were crazy. “This is Chicago. Do you have any idea what it takes to get an appointment for service in this city?”