State of Killers: A Mystery Thriller Novel (Virgil Jones Mystery Thriller Series Book 11)

by Thomas Scott

  “I guess.”

  Virgil stared at her for a full minute. “Tell me about what was going on in there…in the house.”

  Jenny looked down as she spoke. “Me and a couple of guys were partying last night, and when I get going, I get sort of ramped up, if you know what I mean. Anyway, we all ended up in bed together, just having a little fun. Then for some reason, Kono shows up with a gun, kills the two guys I was with, then he said he was supposed to do me. I’d be dead right now if your guys hadn’t shown up. I almost wish they hadn’t.”

  “Those were Kono’s exact words?” Virgil said. “That he was supposed to do you?”

  She looked up and nodded. “Yeah, but he also said he was going to do me first. He was going to rape me, then kill me.”

  “How well did you know him? Kono?”

  “We worked together at one of the RV plants up in Elkhart. He’d come over and party every once in a while if we got done early enough.”

  “Which plant?”

  She told Virgil the name of the plant, then said, “I don’t understand what’s going on. He told me he liked me. Why would he try to kill me?”

  “I don’t know,” Virgil said. “At least not yet. But I intend to find out. Did he have anyone he was close with, like a good friend or buddy?”

  “He had a guy he stayed with,” Jenny said. “Dakota somebody. I don’t know his last name. Just seen him around the shop. He dropped Kono off here once or twice.”

  Virgil wrote it all down, then said, “Okay. Listen, I meant what I said about getting help.” He reached into his pocket and gave her his card. “I know some pretty powerful people in the state. I’m sure we could get you into a good clinic at no cost. But you’ve got to want it. Think it over and let me know. I’ll make some calls if you like.”

  Jenny took the card and put it in her own pocket without looking at it. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Do that,” Virgil said. Then he stepped back and tipped his head. Jenny Nelson stood up and walked away without saying anything else.

  Chapter Ten

  It took the rest of the day to finish up in Plymouth, and by the time Virgil got home, he was exhausted. He took a shower, played with the boys for a while, and then they all went out to look at the new helicopter pad. Even though it was really nothing more than a giant square chunk of concrete, Virgil had to admit, it was impressive. Plus, he secretly liked having it. The status factor was hard to ignore.

  When Wyatt started to get too close, Virgil had to pull him back. “Can’t walk on it yet, buddy. It still has to harden.”

  “How long?” Wyatt asked.

  Virgil laughed at himself, because it was a good question, and one he didn’t have an answer for. “I’m not sure. Probably two weeks.”

  “Two weeks?” Jonas said. “I was hoping to ride my bike around on it tomorrow.”

  Virgil gave Jonas the brow. “Uh, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. This isn’t a play space. It’s for Uncle Mac’s helicopter to land on.”

  “But what if Uncle Mac isn’t here?” Jonas said.

  “Yeah,” Wyatt said.

  Virgil looked at his sons and tried not to smile. “Guys, this is like a mini airport. You wouldn’t ride your bike down the runway at the airport just because there weren’t any planes landing at the moment, would you?”

  “I would,” Wyatt said. “Then, if the plane saw me, they could fly around some more until I got out of the way!” He was jumping up and down as he spoke.

  “Uh, that’s not exactly how it works, buddy, and besides, I was only trying to make a point. They don’t let anyone ride their bikes on the runways.”

  Jonas looked at the pad, and said, “It’d make a nice basketball court.”

  Virgil, who’d grown up shooting hoops with Murton in the driveway, laughed and without thinking said, “Damn straight.” Then he let his shoulders slump, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a buck.

  Jonas already had his hand out. He didn’t even have to say it.

  Johnny Hawk and Chase Dakota were sitting in the loft of the barn, their anxiety growing by the minute. “He should have been back by now,” Dakota said.

  “He should have been back hours ago,” Johnny said. “Something ain’t right.”

  “Maybe we should call him,” Dakota said.

  Johnny shook his head. “Can’t. If something went bad up there, then the cops would have either your phone or mine. Are you listed in his phone?”

  “Yeah, but only by my first name.” Then, “Why don’t we go to the gas station and get us one of those prepaid phones. Use it once, then toss it in the river.”

  Johnny tipped a finger at him and said, “Now you’re thinking.”

  They locked up the barn, hopped in the truck, and headed to the closest gas station they could find. It took them three stops before they found a station that carried any, then once they were back in the truck, Dakota flicked open his pocket knife and nearly sliced his finger off trying to get the packaging open. “I’d like to get my hands on the asshole who came up with packaging like this.”

  “You got his number?” Johnny asked, ignoring the packaging complaint.

  “Yeah, it’s in my phone. Hold on, I don’t know it by heart.” Dakota woke up his phone, then dialed the number on the burner.

  When it was answered, the man on the other end simply said, “Hello?”

  Dakota knew it wasn’t Kono’s voice. “Uh, is Brian there?”

  “Who’s this?” the voice said.

  “Who’s asking? And what are you doing with Brian’s phone?”

  “My name is not your concern. This is the Marshall County Jail evidence locker. What’s your name, sir?”

  Dakota skirted the question with a straight-up lie. “My name is Jason, and Brian is my brother. You’re saying he’s in jail?”

  “Brian Kono is your brother?”

  “Yes, I just told you that. Could you answer my question please?”

  “No, he is not in jail. I’m sorry to inform you sir that your brother was shot and killed today by a state police detective who caught him in the act of committing multiple crimes. I noticed this number is blocked. How can our detectives get in touch with you? I’m sure they’ll have some questions, and probably better information than I have.”

  Dakota ended the call. When he looked at Johnny, his face was pale. “They killed Kono, man. They caught him somehow, and killed him.”

  Huma was at the bar with Delroy, Sarah was tending to the kids—including her own—so Sandy made dinner for everyone. After everyone was fed, bathed, in their pajamas, and story time was complete, Virgil and Sandy ended up out on the back deck, for a little peace and quiet adult time.

  “Rough day?” Sandy asked.

  Virgil nodded. “Pretty much.” He walked her through his day, then said, “How’d you know?”

  “Because as your wife, lover, and best friend, I can read you like a book.”

  Virgil turned and smiled at her, and that’s when he saw Ross coming around the side of the house. He walked up on the deck, said hello, then asked if he and Sarah could have a word with them both.

  “Of course,” Sandy said. “I think she’s finishing up in the kitchen. Let me go get—”

  Sarah had just stepped out the back door and caught Sandy’s statement. “I’m right here.”

  Ross and Sarah pulled a couple of chairs over and the four of them ended up in a little circle. Sandy looked at them both and said, “What’s up?”

  Sarah looked down at the deck for a few seconds, then brought her head up and said, “When Gary was taken from me and Liv, you guys were there for me in every imaginable way. You brought me into your home, into your lives, gave me a job, a place to live, and most importantly, you helped walk me out of my grief. In other words, you made me feel like a part of this family.”

  Sandy reached out and took Sarah’s hand. “That’s because you are. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  Ross was looki
ng at Virgil, and Virgil was looking right back at him.

  Sarah let out a nervous little laugh, and said, “I hope that never changes. The way you feel, I mean.”

  “How could it?” Sandy said.

  Ross, his directness ramping up, decided it would be better to simply drop the bomb instead of dancing around the issue all night. But to her credit, Sarah beat him to it.

  “When I lost Gary, I thought I’d never love again. But when Ross walked into my life, it felt like I’d been given a second chance. What I’m trying to say is this: We’re in love, and we’re going to be moving in together. I’d like to keep my job if you’ll still have me, but by the end of next week, I’ll be out.”

  Sandy stood up, then bent down and gave Sarah a hug. Then Ross got one too. “Of course you can keep your job. I meant what I said. I don’t know what we’d do without you. Where are you going to live? Do you have a place picked out already? You must if you’re going to move out in a week.”

  When Sarah answered Sandy’s question, she looked at Virgil as she spoke. “Murton and Becky are going to rent us their old house. The house you guys grew up in.”

  Dakota and Johnny were trying to figure out how Kono had let things go so wrong, so quick. They weren’t all that upset he was dead, but they were concerned about their operation. They’d already done one small sample cook, and it’d gone like clockwork. The problem was, they were now short a man, and if they were going to ramp up their production, they were going to need more people. Not only that, but the one woman who could tie Kono to Dakota was still alive.

  “I’ll take care of her,” Dakota said. “I know where she lives. I’ll do it tonight. Up and back.”

  “Maybe we should wait and see what happens,” Johnny said.

  “Can’t. She knows me, man. She also knows that me and Kono were tight. If she tells that to the cops, they’ll be looking at me for killing that delivery guy. We’ve got to do it and do it quick. At this time of night the traffic won’t be bad. It’s two and a half hours up. That means I’ll be back in five or six.”

  Johnny knew he was right. “Okay. Get going then. Take a little product with you. Get her high, then tell her you heard what happened. Find out what she told the cops, take her out, then get back here.”

  “I’m going to need some wheels.”

  “Take the van. I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

  “I could take the truck if you think it’ll make it,” Dakota said.

  “I think the van is better. The truck is pretty solid after that work we had done on it, by why risk it?”

  Dakota said okay, then he tucked a knife in his boot, grabbed a baggie of meth, got in the truck, and headed north.

  The four of them talked it over for a while, working out the logistics of when Sarah would come and go, what days she’d want off, and in the end, they had a plan that seemed to work for everyone. “Who’s going to tell the boys?” Virgil said.

  “I’d like to do that if you don’t mind,” Sarah said. “Maybe as early as tomorrow. I don’t want to drop it on them at the last minute.”

  Virgil and Sandy told her that would be fine. When the conversation had run its course, Ross said goodnight, and Sarah walked him to his car.

  Once they were out of earshot, Sandy looked at her husband and said, “How long have you known?”

  “Only since this morning. Murt told me when you were out shopping, and Carl was here digging out the pad area. I was going to tell you when we came out here a little while ago, but then Ross showed up, and…” He turned his palms up and let the rest of the statement speak for itself.

  “Yeah, I get it,” Sandy said. “I’ll tell you something, I like how she calls him Ross. Just like Murton still calls me Small.”

  “I do too.” Then Virgil narrowed his eyes and said, “How did you know that I already knew she was moving out?”

  She laughed. “Weren’t you listening earlier? I said as your wife, lover, and best friend, I can read you like a book. I know you don’t like being caught off guard. The fact that you were congratulatory instead of resistant to the idea pretty much told me everything I needed to know.”

  Virgil gave her a playful frown. “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s another?” Sandy said.

  “Well…I do try to better myself, you know. Sometimes I wonder if anyone notices. I think the progress is evident. I’m obviously growing as a person.”

  “Let’s go inside,” Sandy said with a little whiskey in her voice. “I finally got the catsuit back from the cleaners. I’ll help you grow as a person.”

  Virgil smiled and said, “Now that sounds like fun.” Then he glanced down at the pond. His father was standing there, looking back at him. When he turned and looked back at Sandy, he said, “Go ahead and get changed. I’ll be right there.”

  Sandy looked at Mason’s cross but didn’t see anything. “Your dad?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  “You got that right, boyfriend. Tell him I said hi.”

  When Virgil got down to the pond, he looked at his father and saw the faint grin on his face. He was shirtless as usual, a small towel was thrown over his shoulder like he was just getting ready to wipe down the bar. The scar on his chest from the bullet wound that cost him his life looked bright and fresh like it had healed itself only days ago.

  “For a guy who’s always telling me that time isn’t real, your timing is a little off.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Mason said. “Why’s that?”

  Virgil shook his head. “Never mind. Sandy says hello. How are you, Dad?”

  “I think the real question is how are you, Virg?”

  Virgil tipped his head to the side, like a dog that doesn’t understand what it’s being told. “I’m well. Working a tough case.”

  “I imagine so.”

  “Meaning?”

  “You know exactly what I mean, Virg. Working a case like the one you’re on now could lead you down the wrong path.”

  “Dad, you don’t have to worry about me in that regard. If nothing else, Murt would kick my ass. I’ve told you before, and I told Murt just today…again, I might add, that no one has to worry about me and the pills. I’m all done with that.”

  Mason nodded. “I know that, Son. I’ve always known it. But there’s more to this case than you can imagine.”

  “Care to enlighten me?” Virgil said.

  “That’s what I’m trying to do. Certain things are set in stone. They can’t be changed.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’re going to be asked to do something and you must refuse. Even if it costs you your job.”

  “What? What am I going to be asked to do?”

  “I can’t say any more than that, Virg. It’s all I know.”

  “Dad, I get asked to do things every day. How am I supposed to know which thing it is that I should refuse?”

  “I don’t know, Son. My hope is it’ll come to you in the moment. Like I always say, stay tuned.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dakota knew he couldn’t just show up at Jenny’s without some sort of explanation. It took him the entire trip to figure it all out, and in the end, he went with the simplest plan he could think of. Why overcomplicate things? he asked himself.

  When he rolled up to Jenny’s house, he saw the place was covered in crime scene tape, and the interior was completely dark. Great. Now what? He pulled the burner from his pocket, thankful he hadn’t yet destroyed it, along with his own phone. He looked up her number, then dialed Jenny from the burner. She answered on the second ring, her greeting less than enthusiastic.

  “Who’s this? Your number is blocked.”

  “Hey Jen, it’s Dakota. Sorry to bother you, but I can’t get in touch with Kono. Can’t find him anywhere either. I thought maybe he might be at your place but when I went by there, it was covered with crime scene tape. What the heck is going on?”

  Jenny was quiet f
or such a long time that Dakota thought he’d lost her. He softened his voice and said, “Are you okay?”

  “No, not really.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t think I’m supposed to talk with anyone about it.”

  “Talk about what? I don’t know what’s happening,” Dakota lied. “Kono and I split up to look for work, and we were supposed to call each other if either of us found anything. I got us both jobs, but now I can’t find him. And what’s with your house? You get busted again or something?”

  Jenny was so tired and shook up from the events earlier in the day, she wasn’t thinking as clearly as she should have been. “Kono is dead, Dakota. The cops showed up here and killed him.”

  Dakota put as much shock and surprise into his voice as he could. “What? Oh my god. What the hell happened?”

  “I don’t think we should talk about it on the phone.”

  “Where are you? I’m right here in town. I’ll come over if you want.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dakota.”

  “I’ve got some party supplies. I could at least drop those off for you. Might help smooth you out a little.”

  When Jenny heard that, she didn’t hesitate. “The county put me up in that fleabag motel…you know the one right by the airport. Said I can’t have my house back until they’re done with it. I’m in room four.”

  “I know where you mean. I’m, like, three minutes away. Hang on, Jen. I’ll be right there.”

  Jenny said she would, then ended the call.

  Dakota smiled to himself. Shoulda been an actor, he thought.

  He turned into the motel’s lot and saw Jenny’s crappy Toyota parked right outside of room four. He parked next to her, then got out and tapped on the door to her room. When she opened up, Dakota thought he’d never seen her look worse.

  “You bring the stuff?” She was blocking the door with her body, trying to keep him out.

  Dakota tapped his shirt pocket. “Yeah, got it right here. Are you going to let me in? I’d like to find out about Kono.”