by C. M. Sutter
“No, and I don’t care. This is an official police investigation. Now make the call. Somebody has to come out now, no excuses. I’ll speak with them if you don’t want to, so get them on the line.”
“Knock yourself out, lady.”
“My name is Detective Pierce, not ‘lady.’”
George dialed the number then handed the phone to me. Henry folded his arms over his chest and grinned.
I cut to the chase as soon as I got a live person on the phone. I told them in no uncertain terms that they’d be interfering with an official police investigation if they didn’t comply. If a surveillance tech wasn’t at our location within a half hour, I’d file a complaint against their company. I hung up and handed the phone to George.
“Well?” He raised his brows at me.
“They’re on their way. We’ll wait outside for them to arrive.” I turned back before walking out. “George, did you drop some unsmoked cigarettes out on the street?”
“Hell no, they’re too expensive to be careless with.”
“Just wondering. Thanks.”
Henry handed his card to George, and we stepped out to the sidewalk. I visualized how much of the street that security camera might be able to catch. If Jesse had parked anywhere in the vicinity that we did, we’d be able to see whether or not he left on his own accord.
Chapter 28
“Shut the hell up or I’ll put tape over your mouth.” John lowered his mask as he stormed down the hallway toward the room Jesse was locked in. “What is it now? I’ve got a plan to formulate, and you keep interrupting me.”
“I need a hit. I’m getting agitated, and my skin itches. It feels like bugs are crawling all over me.”
“Stick out your arm.”
Jesse slid his left arm through the hole. Puncture marks from the needles dotted the inside of his elbow, and his skin wore deep-blue bruises.
“That one looks like shit. Show me your right arm.”
Jesse switched arms and stuck out his right one.
“It looks the same. Your elbows are so bruised I can’t see your veins. Here.” John handed Jesse a bottle of water from the table by the wall. “Drink this. Maybe I’ll go in from the back of your wrists but pump up those veins first.” John peeked through the hole in the door. “Really liking that stuff, aren’t you?”
Jesse’s eyes bulged wildly as he picked at his face. His hair was disheveled, and hollowed darkness circled his eyes.
John laughed. “Man, do you look like shit. Apparently, you aren’t eating or sleeping.”
Jesse cracked the cap on the bottle, guzzled the water, then reached out the opening. “Give me more water. I don’t want to wait too long.”
John handed him a second bottle. “You do realize that sooner or later, I’ll probably give you a hot shot and dump you in front of the police station, right? They might try to save your life, but who knows? Once they see the state you’re in, they could just as easily wash their hands of you and let you die. You deserve it, you know.”
“I don’t deserve shit. Just hit me with the needle. I don’t care what your beef is anymore.”
John smirked his response. “You should care what my beef is since your life depends on it. Stick out your hand and flip it over. You’re getting this one in the back of the wrist. Enjoy that rush now because I’ll be gone for a while.”
“No, you can’t leave. I’ll crash without my fix.”
“Good, then go to sleep. I have things to do and places to be.” John checked the time then buried the needle in Jesse’s vein. He stood and walked away. Jim Crosley would die tomorrow, and John wanted to make sure that enjoyable task went off without a hitch.
Chapter 29
Henry and I sat on the stoop and stared down the street. A surveillance tech would be arriving soon to pull up footage from Sunday night.
“How long have you been with the homicide division, Henry?”
“Four years. I was a beat cop before that.”
I raised my brows. “That’s quite a leap.”
He laughed. “Well, it isn’t like they transferred me to detective status. I had to work my way up.”
I nodded. “Yeah, we’re going through something similar at the sheriff’s office with one of our desk deputies. She’s helped on cases in the past and is hoping to be promoted to detective. She’s done a few undercover tasks for us like pretending to be a customer in a restaurant while keeping eyes on our suspect, that type of thing.” I chuckled. “Apparently she likes that adrenaline rush. Anyway, my boss is letting her fill in for me while I’m gone to see how she does. The other detectives in our office are taking her along on cases and showing her the ropes.”
“Is there room for her as a detective?”
“Sure, when we’re busy. Everyone really likes Mary too, and she deserves the promotion. She’s worked at the sheriff’s office far longer than I have and she’d be welcomed with open arms.”
“That helps. Hope it all works out.”
I tipped my head toward the end of the street. “Here comes a commercial-looking box van. That must be our guy.”
Henry and I stood and walked down the steps. We waited as the van with the words “Eagle Eye Services” and a picture of a soaring eagle on the side, parked along the curb. The technician got out, and we met him with our names and handshakes. The tech introduced himself as Cameron Durant. Henry showed him his badge, as required, and explained what we needed.
“Sure, I can access that camera remotely from the back of the van. All of our service vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art, self-sufficient tech centers. Come on inside, and I’ll show you how it works.”
I was impressed and surprised. I assumed we’d be looking at the footage in a closet-sized room shared with the building’s cleaning supplies. Instead, we stepped into a twenty-first-century mobile tech center. I felt my jaw drop as I looked around. “This is amazing. Now all we need are results.”
“Sure thing. There’s no sense in keeping you waiting. Go ahead and have a seat.”
Henry and I pulled over the folding chairs and sat next to Cameron as he set up what he needed.
“All I have to do is plug in the address, the camera serial number, and the parameters I get from you. That camera feed will come up on the monitor just like it would if we were sitting in a security office.”
“This is more impressive than many security offices I’ve seen, and it’s on wheels.” I rested my chin on my fist and waited.
Cameron turned to Henry and me. “Okay, Detectives, I have the camera up and running. What time on Sunday do you need?”
Henry responded. “Let’s make it just before midnight. Jesse will have already turned the corner, and we’ll see him as he heads this way. We might also see anyone who lives on this street as they come and go. That way we’ll have someone to interview if need be.”
“How about eleven fifty-five, then?”
I gave Cameron a nod. “That should be fine.”
He set the time, and the video began. I was almost afraid to blink.
“Isn’t that Jesse’s car parked across the street?” I had only seen it when he was in Wisconsin for those few days several months ago, but I was almost positive it was the same red Camry.
Henry nodded. “Yep, I’d recognize those custom rims anywhere.”
I turned my eyes from the car and stared down the street for movement. “Look there! Two people and a dog are coming out of that building.” I wrote down a quick description of the building they exited since I couldn’t see the address. It was two buildings behind Jesse’s car.
“Somebody stopped by the couple.” Henry pointed at the screen as a person stopped momentarily to pet the dog then continued on.
“Look, he’s pulling out his keys. That was definitely Jesse.”
We saw the car’s headlights flash twice, meaning he had just clicked the lock release. Jesse’s gait slowed, and he abruptly turned toward the camera.
“What the hell?” I grasped
the sides of the chair I was sitting on and held my breath. Somebody had just come out of the shadows and was walking toward Jesse.
Henry leaned in. “Shit, he’s pulling something out of his pocket. This can’t be good.”
I grimaced as I watched, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. It appeared as if Jesse was responding to something the man had said when he suddenly arched his back and dropped to his knees. The man punched and kicked Jesse. Watching was unbearable, but there was nothing else we could do. The man leaned over, ripped the keys out of Jesse’s hand, and popped the trunk. He dragged Jesse to the trunk, threw him in, then climbed behind the wheel and sped away. The kidnapping was a success. Jesse was being held captive by a madman, but we had no idea where or who that person was.
“Wow, that was intense.” Cameron shook his head.
I sucked in a deep breath. “Sorry you had to witness that.”
Cameron turned to Henry. “Got an email address? I know you’re going to need this footage.”
“Yes, thanks.” Henry rattled it off then stared into space as if he couldn’t believe what he had just seen.
“Tell me there was a BOLO put out for Jesse’s car days ago.”
Henry nodded. “We haven’t gotten any hits on it.”
“Probably because nobody knew he was missing until the next morning. The kidnapper already had him at the place he’s holed up in, and Jesse’s car is well-hidden.”
We thanked Cameron for his help, and he and Henry exchanged cards. We stepped out of the van and crossed to the other side of the street. I wanted a better idea of where that mystery man was lying in wait.
“I’m sure that was John, Henry. Who else could it be?”
“But his face was covered with a mask when he attacked you. How could you know for sure?”
“And in that video, his back is to us, and he’s wearing a ball cap. It wasn’t any different. We couldn’t see his face or hair then either, but there are things I remember about John. In my mind, I see his body type and mannerisms, plus he’s larger than the average guy—I’m certain that’s him.”
I looked from one building to the next. Most were connected by adjoining walls, and only the facades were different.
“There.” I pointed and crossed the street. Just to the left of a building’s parking garage was an open space. The opening wasn’t large enough to be considered an alley, but it was wide enough for John to stand unseen in the shadows while watching for Jesse to return to his car. I walked to that opening and knelt to the ground. “Cigarette butts.” I looked over my shoulder at Henry. “Do you have evidence bags in the cruiser?”
“Sure do, but maybe we should see if that brand matches those cigarettes back there on the ground.”
“Good idea.”
I watched as Henry returned to the spot where we saw the unsmoked cigarettes lying on the street. He picked them up with his sleeve and walked back to me.
“What brand are those butts?”
I flipped one over with my fingernail, and the name was still visible. The cigarette hadn’t been smoked down to the filter. “Winston.”
Henry frowned. “These are Newport.”
“Okay, let’s bag them both.”
“Then I’ll be right back.” Henry took to the sidewalk, and I lost sight of him several buildings down. I thought about John as I waited. He needed his own car to get to that spot unless he lived nearby. I wondered if there were any vehicles in the vicinity that were ticketed for parking violations that night. I jotted that down in my notepad as something to check into.
He could have called a cab or a private company driver, though.
I pocketed my notepad just as Henry got back.
“I grabbed some gloves too. I should have put them in my pocket before we left the car.”
“No biggie.” I slipped a glove over my right hand, picked up the butts, and dropped them into the open evidence bag Henry held. “Let’s put those unsmoked ones in a bag of their own.”
We headed to the cruiser, and we’d drop those cigarettes off at the police station’s crime lab as soon as we got back.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Henry said a few minutes into the drive.
“I’m just frustrated. We know John is the culprit, but we don’t know who he is. He’s committed four murders and took Jesse hostage in his own vehicle. There haven’t been any sightings of the car, and we don’t know what John’s motive is.”
“Being a cop is tough, Kate, and we don’t always solve cases.”
I sighed. “You sound just like Jade.”
“The FBI agent?”
“Yeah. Henry, do you know anyone in the criminal justice system who has an unusual name that begins with an M?” Lutz said I had to be very general when talking about my dreams until we knew more.
“A weird name that starts with an M? First or last?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m more inclined to say first.”
Henry scratched his chin. “Nobody immediately comes to mind. How about Mills?”
I smiled. “That’s his last name, and it isn’t unusual.”
“True, but he isn’t your biggest fan either. Seriously, though, I can’t think of anyone. Should somebody come to mind?”
“Nah, just a character in a dream I had the first night I was here. I wasn’t sure if it was related to our case or not. The man’s name began with an M, but I can’t remember what it was, only that it was unusual.”
“Sorry. Well, here we are. Hopefully the crime lab can test these cigarettes right away.”
Chapter 30
Henry’s phone rang as we crossed the lot to the police department. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the screen. “It’s Lutz.” He clicked the green receiver icon and answered. “Hey, Boss, we’re just walking in. Uh-huh, sure, we’ll see you in a few. I need to stop at the crime lab first and drop off some cigarette butts we found.” Henry ended the call. “Lutz has some new information, I guess. He’s conducting a meeting in ten minutes.”
We stepped up our pace and entered the building. The crime lab was located on the ground level. I followed Henry down the hallway, made two rights, then a left, and arrived at the set of glass doors several minutes later. Inside, Henry explained to the forensic techs that they should check for fingerprints and DNA on both the smoked and unsmoked cigarettes. We needed the results as soon as possible. With that done, we walked out and headed to the roll call room.
Lutz stood at the podium as officers and detectives filled the seats facing the front of the room. He began as soon as everyone had settled down.
“I just received news from the ME that the slug removed from T-Bone was indeed a .40-caliber bullet. I was also told that the striation marks matched the slug removed from Jeff Lennard. The bullets came from the same weapon.”
Henry spoke up. “So you’re saying the same person murdered a drug dealer and a cop and is holding a detective hostage? What about the attorneys?”
Mills added his opinion. “We don’t know that the murdered attorneys are connected to this case. They weren’t shot with a gun. They were given lethal doses of methamphetamine.”
Lutz raised his hands. “Which could still be a connection. They were killed with drugs, and a drug dealer was murdered with the same gun used to kill Lennard.”
I looked at Lutz. I needed to say what I was thinking, and I knew my opinion wouldn’t be well-received by the group. Lutz gave me a nod even though the expression on his face told me I was about to make a roomful of enemies.
I stood and faced the group. “This new information doesn’t come as a surprise to me. We all know how many police officers use the Glock 22 as their weapon of choice, me included. That pistol fires .40-caliber ammunition. Unfortunately, Detective Johnson and I have just returned from witnessing Jesse’s abduction on video.” Cursing sounded throughout the room and I waited until it was over. “We know that Lennard still had his weapon when he was found deceased in his car. What we don’t know is if Jesse
had his gun with him Sunday night or not. Since T-Bone was shot with the same gun Lennard was, that could mean that either the assailant took Jesse’s weapon, he favors a .40-caliber handgun himself”—I clenched my teeth—“or he could be a cop.”
“There’s no way!” Mills stood and headed for the door. “I’m not listening to an outsider accuse one of us of these crimes.”
“Take your seat, Mills,” Lutz ordered. “You’re going to hear what Detective Pierce has to say with an open mind. I invited her here and have faith in her ability to produce results. Now sit down and listen.”
I continued. “I’m sorry, guys, but we have to consider all possibilities if we want to bring Jesse home and catch that maniac. Some of you don’t know that I was abducted at gunpoint by the killer the same night he murdered Officer Lennard. He beat me, tied me up, and I’m sure he was about to kill me too, but thankfully Sergeant Lutz and a handful of patrol officers interrupted his plans.”
A hush fell over the room.
“I have a vague description of him and nothing more. His face was covered at all times with a ski mask, so I only saw his size and mannerisms. From the eye holes cut in the ski mask, I could see he was a Caucasian male. He had blue eyes, stood around six three, and probably went two twenty. I’m certain that man, known only as John, is the same man who abducted Jesse in the video. He looked to be the same size as my captor and carried himself the same way. Our view of how he subdued Jesse was obstructed, but my best guess would be that he used a stun gun. We saw Jesse drop to his knees, then he was beaten and thrown in the trunk of his own car.”
“How do we even know he’s still alive?” Mills asked.
“Unfortunately, we don’t. I’m not well acquainted with Jesse, but I know he has a good head on his shoulders and a strong will to live. What I’ve read from the neighborhood accounts is that somebody saw a dark-colored SUV parked near Jesse’s house on several occasions. I know that description doesn’t help but continuing to patrol around Jesse’s house and even where T-Bone lived isn’t the worst idea.”