Blue Steele Box Sets 2

by Remington Kane

  “I will find her and make sure she’s locked away. Then, she’ll never hurt anyone again.”

  “And you came here thinking that I would help you with that?”

  “I thought it might gnaw at you that she’s out there free while you rot away in here.”

  The smile returned. “I wish Victoria all the best; and I actually live vicariously through her by imagining the fun she’s having.”

  “I wouldn’t call murdering innocent people fun.”

  “Killing the innocent is as natural to Victoria as it is to God, and I suspect, just as pleasing.”

  “Why are you so certain that Belle would come out on top if I found her?”

  “Victoria is a predator; I doubt she’d work up a sweat besting you.”

  “If that’s true, then tell me how to find her?”

  The smile widened again. “Perhaps she’ll find you first.”

  I saw that I was getting nowhere and decided to end it by standing up.

  “When I catch her, and I will, is there anything you’d like me to tell her?”

  “Such confidence you have, but overconfidence is a form of weakness too.”

  I walked to the door, but then I looked back at him.

  “You were wrong when you said that Belle has no weaknesses.”

  “Oh really, and just what might her weakness be?”

  “It’s you, old man, Victoria Belle has a soft spot where you’re concerned. I plan to exploit it.”

  The smile left Rothman’s face as his gaze fell to the table.

  Despite my bravado, I had no idea how to use Belle’s affection for Rothman as a weapon against her, because the man was stuck in prison without possibility of parole.

  The only good thing about going to see him is that it was a same-day trip, and I was back home by nightfall. Ramón met me at the door, and I joined him on the sofa in front of the television.

  I saw specks of green and red on his cheek and knew he must have been painting earlier. I made a mental note to go up to the attic and see what he was working on. I had never been a huge art fan, but I loved Ramón’s paintings. I always marveled at his talent.

  We muted the sound and I told him about my interview with Rothman.

  “It sounds like he was trying to scare you,” Ramón said.

  “In a way, he did; he made me realize that we should be more prepared for an armed intruder.”

  “We can both handle ourselves well, and there’s a loaded shotgun in the hall closet.”

  “I know, but just be wary of strangers, especially females, for all I know, Victoria Belle has changed her looks.”

  “She can’t possibly know that you’re after her, can she?”

  “No, only Rothman can tell her that, and all of his communications are monitored, not that he has any; I understand he’s never had a visitor until I showed up.”

  “His wife never visits? I remember that she was quoted as saying she still loved him even though she found what he did unforgivable.”

  I sat up straight on the sofa.

  “I’d forgotten about her. Her name was Claire Rothman, and other than her husband, she also spent time with Belle, although granted it was twenty years ago. I wonder if she knows anything that might help me find her.”

  “Are you going to interview her too?”

  “That could be difficult.”

  “Why?”

  “It would be easier for me to get you an interview with the President,” Lawson said.

  “Are the people in Witness Protection really that isolated? It’s not like I’m someone off the street; I’m a fellow law enforcement agent.”

  “The program is managed by The United States Marshal Service and they take their jobs very seriously. It’s why they’ve never lost anyone who’s entered the program.”

  I sighed. “Claire Rothman could be a dead end, or she could be the key to finding Belle, but I won’t know which one she is unless I speak with her.”

  “Does it have to be in person?”

  “If at all possible, there’s no substitute for it in an interrogation.”

  “You want to interrogate her?”

  “I meant interview, the woman is innocent of any crimes, correct?”

  “Yes, she was gullible and trusting, but she never hurt anyone.”

  “Can you put in the request?”

  “Most certainly, but don’t get your hopes up.”

  “But even if they agree, it will take time, right?”

  “You can count on that.”

  “That’s okay, because Ramón and I will be at my mama’s for a couple of days.”

  “Enjoy the time with your family.”

  Lawson’s mention of family made me realize how little I knew about him.

  “Do you have family, Thomas?”

  “Parents, a sibling,”

  “No one special in your life?”

  “I’d rather not say.”

  I frowned at his guardedness.

  “Always the super spy, but you’re welcome here for dinner anytime, okay?”

  “Thank you, Blue, that offer is very kind.”

  “I like you, boss.”

  “It’s mutual, and I’ll put in your request.”

  “Thank you.”

  He was quiet for a moment, but then he spoke.

  “Her name is Robyn.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The someone special in my life; her name is Robyn.”

  “I hope to meet her someday, and have a pleasant night.”

  “And you do the same, Blue.”

  I turned off the phone and smiled.

  “Well, what do you know, he is human.”

  Chapter 17

  I lifted Blue Parker up from his crib and he gave me a toothless grin. He had blond hair like his father, Chad, but he had inherited green eyes from my daddy, just as I had.

  “Oh, Jenny, he gets cuter every time I see him.”

  My sister grinned. “Doesn’t he though,”

  Mama came over and took him from me.

  “This child is going to be so spoiled, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Later on, as we sat around the dinner table, I told them about our horses and the new stable.

  Mama looked over at Ramón.

  “It sounds like you’ve got more than two coins to rub together, but what exactly is it you do for a living? I thought you were just a town clerk.”

  I stopped my fork halfway to my mouth and looked over at Ramón. We had never told my family about Santuario, about the town’s true function, however, they had met Walter when we married and knew that he lived there.

  Ramón nodded at me. “You tell them, Blue, tell them everything.”

  And so, I did. When I was done, Mama looked astonished and smiled at Ramón.

  “You’ve helped a lot a folks, haven’t you?”

  “I’ve tried to, but Walter deserves most of the credit. He’s the one that keeps the town running.”

  “I still don’t see how you make a living doing that?” Mama said.

  “To join the town, you must pay a percentage of your wealth, no exceptions.”

  Chad nodded in understanding. “I see, and so the program is self-supporting.”

  “Exactly.” Ramón said.

  “But what if they lie about how much they have?” Jenny asked.

  “I know everything about the people we accept into the town, most are poor, like the last family I accepted, their percentage translated to only thirty dollars in our currency, but like everyone else, they’ll be taken care of until they become assimilated. Fortunately, the father is a skilled carpenter.”

  Mama made a face. “Thirty dollars?”

  “For the first few years, the town was a town in name only and we teetered on bankruptcy, but then we had a new resident arrive. His percentage was over two million, since that time we’ve had a few like that, and that percentage is split 90/10 between the town and me. When the thirty dollars was paid, I receiv
ed three dollars of it. The ten percent I earn pays my living expenses and enables me to travel and escort new residents to the town. These residents come from different parts of the world, but they’re all fleeing dangerous and oppressive situations. But please keep in mind that this is technically illegal, because many of our residents are undocumented.”

  Chad nodded in understanding.

  “So, it really is a lot like a witness protection program?”

  “Yes, and some of our residents would be killed if their whereabouts were known, but in Santuario they can rest easy and keep their families safe.”

  Jenny laughed. “So, you really started your own town?”

  “Yes, but again, it was mostly Walter who did the work, still is.”

  “What is he, like the mayor?” Chad asked.

  “Yes, Walter is the mayor and I’m technically the town clerk, and the sheriff too, although I’m rarely there.”

  Mama grinned. “Blue, you married a lawman; that would have made your daddy happy.”

  Chad placed a hand on Ramón’s shoulder.

  “You’re taking a chance telling us about this, aren’t you?”

  Ramón smiled as he looked around the table. “I trust my family.”

  “We won’t say a word, will we Mama?” Jenny said.

  Mama looked glum.

  “What’s wrong, Mama?” I said.

  “I want to brag on Ramón, but I can’t, because it’s a secret.”

  “You can in Santuario; everyone there treats him like a rock star.”

  Mama’s face brightened. “Well, all right then.”

  The day after we returned home, I got the news. The Witness Security Program or WITSEC, turned down my request to interview Claire Rothman, no reason given.

  “Sorry, Blue, but I did tell you to expect this outcome.”

  “I know, Lawson, and it was a long shot that she could help anyway.”

  “Victoria Belle is on the backburner until she resurfaces, but I do have a new assignment for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “A group in an Ohio town calling itself the Aryan Brigands, one of their members tried to blow-up a black church. Fortunately, the bomb was discovered before it went off. A thumb print was found on tape used to make the device and matched a man named Lewis Crane. Crane is a founding member of the Aryan Brigands.”

  “Thank God the bomb didn’t go off. I assume you want me to go there and track down Lewis Crane?”

  “Actually, no, this one is being handled by the FBI, however, I would like you to go there and lend assistance by offering advice.”

  “Why would the FBI take advice from me?”

  “Because you’re being touted as a specialist, which you most certainly are, and the situation needs finesse more than a show of force.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Thanks to an informant we know that Lewis Crane is still in the area, but he’s in hiding and being sheltered by friends sympathetic to his cause. The African-American community is anxious and looking for results. There have already been several clashes between church members and the Aryan Brigand’s known sympathizers. If Crane isn’t captured soon, tensions will only keep rising.”

  “I see, and I assume you want me to leave now?”

  “Yes, there’s a jet waiting for you in Dallas along with a package detailing all the background information you’ll need.”

  “Who’s my contact?”

  “FBI Special Agent Carole Rhodes.”

  “All right, I’ll get going.”

  “I know this isn’t standard operating procedure for you, but I think you’ll be valuable there in an advisory position.”

  “I hope so, but I’ll have a better idea once I look over the material.”

  “Good luck, Blue, and watch yourself there, that area is a powder keg waiting to blow.”

  I explained the situation to Ramón and headed for the airport.

  Once on the jet, I studied the file on Lewis Crane. An odd fact about his habits popped out at me, a fact that just might lead to his capture.

  It also made me hungry.

  Chapter 18

  FBI Special Agent Carole Rhodes looked at me as if I were crazy.

  “Every McDonalds in the state? Are you serious?”

  “Not everyone in the state, just in the area, and no, I’m not crazy, but I will admit to being unorthodox.”

  Agent Carole Rhodes was a forty-year-old black woman with short straight hair and luminous brown eyes. We had been getting along until I told her my plan to capture Lewis Crane. We were actually standing in a McDonalds parking lot as we discussed it.

  I had read the file on Crane during my flight to the area, and two separate sources stated that Lewis Crane was a McDonalds fast food addict. They said it was almost without exception all he ate every day. If that were true, then someone would be sent out to get it for him. That someone would be making two or three trips a day to do it. Identify that someone, follow them back from where they came from, and they should lead you right to Lewis Crane.

  Agent Rhodes took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking.

  “All right, every McDonalds in the area, what’s that, like a dozen?”

  “Close, it’s fourteen, fourteen restaurants, watched by two of us each, and every Caucasian customer gets photographed. The photos are fed into the computer and the facial recognition software flags anyone who shows up more than three times, that person is then followed and will hopefully lead us back to Lewis Crane’s location.”

  Rhodes stared at me and I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes.

  “I have to admit, it’s not a bad idea, but why two of us at each location?”

  “To relieve each other.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too many, one each, and a floater to relieve all of them. We’ll also piggyback onto the company’s security cameras instead of using our own. That way, if they have to leave and follow someone, we won’t miss anything.”

  I smiled. “Good thinking.”

  She took out her phone.

  “Let me pass this idea up the food chain.”

  I said, “All right,” and walked a few steps away to give her privacy.

  She came over to me four minutes later.

  “They say to do it; apparently you have a good reputation at capturing fugitives.”

  “You don’t like the plan?”

  “It’s weird, but it makes sense, and hell, I don’t have a better Idea.”

  “What’s next?”

  Rhodes smiled. “I say we go inside and eat while we work out the details.”

  The plan was implemented the next morning. By that evening we had a possibility, as a white man in a Chevy pickup made his third trip through the drive-thru.

  The agent stationed there called in.

  “He’s a white male, mid-thirties, with a lot of tats on his arms and has long hair.”

  “Are any of the tattoos swastikas?” Rhodes asked.

  “Not that I can see, but I’m not that close. I’ll report back when he reaches his destination.”

  Agent Rhodes looked at me and cocked her head.

  “It sounds like a possibility.”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  We were seated in the tiny offices of the local FBI headquarters that was located in the second-floor office space of a strip mall. The shop beneath us was a tanning salon.

  The agent called back ten minutes later.

  “This one was a false alarm.”

  “Why?” Rhodes said.

  “When he parked in front of a house, his girlfriend came out and kissed him. She was a young black woman.”

  “I see, but good work, Ken, and go take a dinner break yourself.”

  “Anything but hamburgers,” Ken said over the speakerphone.

  Two more promising possibilities appeared the next day, as two men showed at different drive-thrus for a third time. Then, one showed up for a fourth, and then a fifth time.

>   “Five times in two days,” I said, “That sounds like it could be for Lewis Crane.”

  Rhodes shrugged. “Yeah, but there is that sign on the front lawn.”

  The man was followed to a home in a predominately white neighborhood, but the house he entered had a WILLIAMS FOR SHERIFF sign staked into the front lawn. Tyrone Williams was a black candidate. His smiling face was prominent on the sign, not what you would expect to find at a house sympathetic to a white supremacist.

  By the following day, the man had made his eighth trip through the drive-thru and Agent Rhodes had to make a decision whether or not to raid the home.

  “I really don’t like that sign in the yard,” she said, “But damn, eight trips in three days is exactly what we were looking for.”

  She was talking out loud to herself and I let her. It was her decision and if something went wrong during the raid, she would get the blame.

  She nibbled at her bottom lip, and then her eyes found mine.

  “We do it.”

  An hour later, Lewis Crane was in handcuffs along with three others, while bomb-making materials were discovered in the home’s basement.

  As they were dragging him off, Crane shouted at Rhodes.

  “Didn’t you see the damn sign on the lawn? That should have kept you away.”

  “We had a criminal informant,” Rhodes said.

  “Who?”

  “The Hamburglar.”

  I got back home late that night and found Ramón already asleep. He stirred when I entered the bedroom. I kissed him and told him that I would join him after a shower. When I finally climbed into bed, he hugged me from behind.

  “How did everything go in Ohio?”

  “Great, we made the arrest and no one got hurt.”

  He mumbled something unintelligible then and went back to sleep. I was right on the edge of following him into dreamland when I heard my phone vibrate. I reached over to the nightstand, picked it up, and saw that I had a text from Lawson.

  CLAIRE ROTHMAN LEARNED OF YOUR REQUEST AND WANTS TO MEET. CALL ME IN THE MORNING FOR DETAILS, AND THAT WAS EXCELLENT WORK IN OHIO.