Pushed Too Far

by Ann Voss Peterson

  Slipping the revolver back into its holster, he raced into the flames.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  Lund hated to interrupt, but when a call went out for a fire at a property near the dairy farm, he didn’t have much choice, especially in light of who the owner of that property was.

  The door to the security office swung open and Special Agent Subera stuck out his head. “What is it.”

  “I need to talk to Chief Ryker.”

  “It’ll have to wait.”

  He rested his hand on the door. “Can’t wait. It’s about a fire. You might want to hear about this, too, if you’re serious about solving your double murder.”

  “It’s connected?”

  “I’m pretty sure. Yes.”

  Subera swung the door wide. “Come in then.”

  Val stood up as he stepped inside. “What is it?”

  “Fire. Kasdorf’s place.”

  “Hess. Has to be.”

  Subera looked from one to the other. “Fill me in.”

  Lund let Val do the honors.

  “Kasdorf was a witness in Monica’s case against Hess.”

  He blew a breath through tight lips, just short of a whistle. “He’s taking out everyone involved in the case?”

  Val nodded. “One by one.”

  “Who’s left?”

  Lund pointed to Val, then himself. “You’re looking at ‘em.”

  “And possibly Sergeant Olson,” Val added.

  “But if you don’t mind, I’ll leave you two to talk about that. I have to someplace to be.” He spun for the door.

  “Wait.” Val’s voice.

  He turned back.

  “Kasdorf. The guy has an arsenal. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some really crazy stuff. You might just want to let this one burn itself out.”

  He saw what she was getting at. “But it would be a blast to be able to put it out myself.”

  She shook her head.

  He held up his hands. “Kidding.”

  “Just be careful.”

  A warm feeling seated itself in his chest, right next to the tremble of worry for her. “You, too.”

  Val would give almost anything to take Grace and Lund, hole up in a luxury resort somewhere far away and sleep until her body functioned again and the grief she felt over Monica’s death faded away. Instead she did the only thing she could.

  The job … whether she was suspended or not.

  Monica’s murder was out of her hands. She could assist on the case, even offer herself as a witness to Hess’s vendetta. But the crime didn’t take place in her jurisdiction. That particular arrangement would be worked out between tribal police and the FBI.

  However Liz Unger’s death was something she could pursue and she intended to do just that.

  Driving back to Lake Loyal was slow going. Light rain continued to fall, the temperature continued to balance on the edge of freezing, and ice continued to build up, layer upon layer, coating asphalt and trees and power lines alike.

  Grace stared through the Nova’s windshield, eyebrows tilted low and arms crossed over her chest. “What if the power goes out? It’s supposed to get colder.”

  “Honey, we’ll just have to deal with that if it happens.”

  “Can you drop me off at home so I can check on them?”

  Of course, the horses.

  Under normal circumstances, Val would jump at the idea. Grace had already visited the morgue and the scene of a brutal murder, even if they didn’t actually enter the room. That was a lot for a sixteen year old to handle in a day. But with Hess still out there …

  “I’m sorry, Grace. You need to stick with me for now.”

  “It’s Dixon Hess, isn’t it? You think he’ll come after us next.”

  Val opened her mouth, then closed it before any lies could slip out. Protecting Grace was vital, but she couldn’t give empty reassurances. Her niece seemed to have forgiven her for keeping the multiple sclerosis a secret. Following that with another fib might destroy the trust they had left. “He won’t come after us if we don’t give him the opportunity. That’s why you need to stay where it’s safe.”

  “Okay. If you agree to stay safe, too.”

  “That’s a deal.”

  The streets of Lake Loyal were deserted, the businesses lining Elmwood closed for the weather. Grace had been right about the temperature dropping, but instead of the cold transforming rain into snow or sleet, it continued to fall as liquid and freeze on whatever surface it hit. Even salt was no longer able to keep up.

  Of course, businesses being closed didn’t mean the police station was. And as usual, Oneida was running the show. Spotting Val and Grace in the vestibule, she clamored to the entrance to let them in. “Chief. Am I glad to see you.”

  Val let herself smile inwardly at the fact that she was apparently still chief in Oneida’s eyes, then got down to business. “What’s going on?”

  “What isn’t going on? With all the car crashes and downed power lines setting off alarms and the fire over at Dale Kasdorf’s place, we’re scrambling to cover it all.”

  “Did you call Becca in?”

  “Sure did. She just got here. Sergeant Olson, too. Chief Schneider called earlier to say he’s having car trouble, but he promised to be in long before now.”

  Val had to wonder if the trouble wasn’t with his usual car but with a dented front fender he sustained on a truck after running her off the road last night. “Where’s Olson?”

  “In the briefing room. He’s bringing Becca and Jimmy Weiss up to speed.”

  Arranging for Grace to hang out with Oneida in dispatch, Val descended into the station’s basement.

  She heard the hum of Olson’s voice before she saw him. Standing at the front of the tiny room, he was reviewing all the balls they had in the air for the extra officers who’d been called in … in this case, all they had. Becca and a businesslike little bulldog named Weiss.

  He’d just finished warning them about the dangers of exploding ordnance in the fire at Kasdorf’s place when he spotted her.

  “Okay. That’s it. Get out there and be safe.” He crossed the room before the two officers had moved out of their chairs. “You heard about Monica?”

  “I just came from the hotel.”

  “You shouldn’t have come back. He’s not going to stop. You don’t think that fire at Kasdorf’s is an accident.”

  “No.”

  “So who’s next? You?”

  “Probably. Or Lund.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Fighting the fire.”

  “That’s great. Just great.” He shook his head. Long fingers opening and closing into fists by his side, he was more upset than she’d seen him since that day at the lake when he was standing over Kelly’s body.

  She was having a hard enough time controlling her own worry. She didn’t need Olson adding to it. “Take it easy, Pete. He’s not coming after me here at the station, and I doubt he’s going to attack Lund in front of all the firefighters in the district and a few officers, too.”

  “So he won’t get you this second. But how about an hour from now? How about later tonight?”

  Val peered around Olson’s shoulder. Both officers appeared absorbed in organizing their equipment, but they were obviously doing more listening than anything else.

  She gave Olson a hard stare. “Why don’t we go up to my office?” Even though technically it was no longer hers.

  “We can’t stay on top of this, let alone get ahead of him. Not with the ice.” Olson continued as if he hadn’t heard. “I just learned there’s a pile up on the interstate. Trucks and cars backed up for miles. Emergency vehicles can’t get through. State troopers are tied up dealing with that. County is talking about going in on snowmobiles. They’ve asked that we send anyone we can spare. But Chief, we don’t have enough people as it is.”

  “We’ll figure it out, Sergeant.” She injected command into her voice, hoping he would take the hin
t and pull himself together and that the officers listening would feel confident someone was in control.

  He nodded, as if finally catching on to her concerns. Sweat beaded along his hairline, and he brushed a hand over his shorn head, wiping it away. “I tried calling, texting, couldn’t reach you.”

  “Schneider is acting chief.”

  “He hasn’t been in today. That’s why Oneida asked me to come in.”

  So everything was falling apart. She probably should feel vindicated that the Lake Loyal PD couldn’t run without her, instead she just felt overwhelmed. But not as overwhelmed as Olson. A situation she might as well use to her advantage. She scooped in a deep breath. “I found out who Jane Doe is, Pete.”

  A muscle along his jaw flexed. He looked away, focusing on the wall.

  “I have to wonder if you already know.”

  He glanced around the room.

  Weiss was already gone and Becca was on her way out.

  “Do you want to talk upstairs?”

  He stepped to the door, closed it, then leaned back as if he wasn’t able to take another step. “I took her to him, Val.”

  She frowned. “Who? Elizabeth Unger?”

  He shook his head. “I never knew Liz Unger. Kelly. She was afraid. She needed help. Hess was such a bastard. And she was afraid her husband …” He looked down at the floor. “So I took her to him.”

  “Took her to who?”

  “Chief Schneider.”

  “I’m not following you, Pete. He was the chief of police. If she needed help, why wouldn’t you take her to him?”

  “The chief helped her disappear.”

  That was the connection she needed. “He framed Hess?”

  He looked back at the floor, nodding. “I didn’t know. Not when we were investigating. I thought it was Lund at first, just like you. Then I was sure it was Hess.”

  “But when we found Kelly’s body in the lake?” she prompted. She remembered how distressed Olson had been that day. Even though it had been cold, he’d been sweating, just as he was now.

  “Yeah, that’s when I started to wonder.”

  “And you didn’t say anything.”

  “No.”

  “Pete, Liz Unger was married to Schneider. Still is, actually.”

  He swallowed, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down several times, but he didn’t speak.

  She waited a few beats, gave him a chance to think, then she delivered the question. “Did Jeff kill Elizabeth Unger?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I think you do.”

  He shook his head, finally meeting her eyes. “I never thought he killed her. That didn’t even occur to me.”

  “But you knew he framed Hess.”

  “After Kelly turned up in the lake, yes.”

  “Where did you think the body in the barrel came from?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I assumed he got it from a cemetery or funeral home or something.”

  “Assumed? You must have discovered some things that didn’t add up when you were looking into Kelly’s family.”

  “What things?”

  “That the police report on the car accident that killed her doesn’t exist? That the cemetery where she’s supposed to be buried knows nothing about it?”

  He said nothing, just shook his head.

  “Why didn’t you bring these things to my attention? This time we were looking at Kelly’s maternal relatives specifically. Were you helping him cover up?”

  “What I did, it wasn’t a cover up.”

  “What was it?”

  “He said he was looking into it, asked me to be patient while he sorted out the answers. I trusted him. I took his word and didn’t check myself.”

  “Sounds like you were willing to help him cover up the fact that he framed Hess.”

  Olson said nothing, not that there was anything he could say.

  “You weren’t surprised when I asked if Jeff killed his wife just now,” Val said, her voice low. It was important for her to know what Pete suspected and when. It was vital that she figure out if she could trust Pete at all.

  “Honestly? I would have been until yesterday.”

  “What happened yesterday?”

  “Harlan called just as the chief was leaving for the day. He asked what insurance the PD had ten years ago, because he was trying to track down some old medical records.”

  “But that didn’t mean Liz was murdered.”

  “No, but the chief’s reaction told me something was wrong.” He crossed the two feet to a table and leaned a hip on the edge, as if he was too exhausted to stand any longer. “I tried to call you.”

  She told him about the truck running her off the road.

  Pete just stared, agitation gone, the stoic Norwegian she knew back in place. “The chief has an old truck. He bought it to go hunting after he retired. We can probably match the damage and paint transfer.”

  She nodded. She probably shouldn’t be so fast to forgive Olson, but she could sense his loyalties had changed. Or maybe, with the ice Armageddon waging outside and two men wanting her dead, she couldn’t be too picky about her allies.

  “I think it’s time we have a talk with the chief. I’d like to get out there before he has a chance to ditch the truck. And if Liz Unger really did die ten years ago, Schneider had to have been keeping her body somewhere.”

  “You want me to call county? See if I can get a cadaver dog?”

  “I doubt they can get one out to his house until tomorrow, but yeah, give them a call, see what they say.”

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Come on in,” Val said, bracing herself for the next bout of what almost had to be bad news.

  Becca stood in the doorway. “We got a call back from the State Crime Lab. Oneida sent me to tell you.”

  Val’s stomach gave a little hitch. Oneida wouldn’t send a messenger. Not unless she didn’t want Grace, who was with her in dispatch, to hear. “We’ve sent a lot to the lab. What is it?”

  “A tissue. I collected it along with a bunch of other stuff from the shore.”

  And here she’d chalked that up to a long shot. She couldn’t check the smile that spread over her lips. Sometimes it paid to be thorough. “Please tell me they found DNA.”

  “They did.”

  Hot Damn. “And they have a result? Already?” It had only been a week.

  “I had Harlan pressure them to expedite. And I suggested he say it was tied to the inquiry into the Hess investigation.”

  Val had to admit, she was impressed. “Good job.”

  Becca beamed like a little kid showing off for her parents. “We now know who was with Kelly Lund right before she died.”

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  Lund would have liked to follow Val’s advice and just let the old Kasdorf shack burn. But as he pulled Unit One up a good distance behind the pumper truck and surveyed the scene, he knew it wasn’t going to be so easy.

  He wasn’t sure if Kasdorf had been rescuing his collection or if firefighters had pulled the weapons away from the flame, but one look at the stockpile of ammunition stacked on a tarp a safe distance from the fire suggested there was likely more inside.

  The guy was obviously a little off.

  Not that you couldn’t tell just by looking at the house. Old farm houses were common as grass in the area, but this one boasted an extra layer of crazy and neglect like none he’d seen. Windows were half boarded up, half covered with opaque and yellowed sheets of plastic. Bales of molded hay wrapped the foundation, extra insulation or bulletproofing, he wasn’t sure. Add that to the chipped paint and sagging roof, and the place looked like it was haunted by insane ghosts.

  Pulling his eyes from the house, he scanned the rest of the situation.

  Chief Fruehauf was at the scene tonight. Pushing sixty, he’d stopped attending every call as he had when Lund first joined the department, instead concentrating on making sure the paid volunteers had the training
and equipment they needed to do their jobs. The boring, administrative, sometimes political tasks, things Lund didn’t want to go near.

  But the man knew fires as well. From a glance, Lund could tell the chief was playing it safe, setting up healthy perimeter around the fire to protect from the possible fragmentation hazard.

  He climbed out of the truck and slung his SCBA over his shoulders like a back pack. In the big rigs, the rear seats held the air tanks on the back of each seat, save the driver’s. As soon as a firefighter sat down, he could just slip on the gear and be good to go. Since Unit One handled everything from assisting EMS to extrication to fire, it had to be more flexible.

  In this case, it meant it took him longer to get ready.

  Dempsey was already there, leaning on a split rail fence that looked so rotten, it might collapse under him at any moment. Face flushed he had his face shield up and SCBA mask hanging around his neck. He clutched a sports drink in one fist, more than half the bottle of bright orange sugar water gone.

  He looked up at Lund’s approach. “He’s in there, man. Kasdorf. The idiot.”

  Lund nodded toward the pile. “Let me guess. Saving his guns.”

  “Dumb ass is going to get himself killed. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already given in to the smoke.”

  “Have you been inside?”

  “Found that ammo just inside the door, and got it the hell out of there. I kept thinking every snap and pop from the fire was a round going off.”

  Lund gave him a nod and started in the chief’s direction.

  “Wait,” called Dempsey. “You going in?”

  Lund turned back in time to see him chug the rest of his drink and lurch to his feet. “You’re not ready to go back yet.”

  “Just needed a drink.”

  Lund shook his head. “You can pull me out after one of those rounds takes me down.”

  Dempsey shot him an exaggerated frown. “Then I’ll hope the guy has something more explosive. At least then some of you will find your way out here all on your own.”

  The chuckle loosened the tightness in Lund’s chest. He caught up with the chief.

  “About time you got here,” the chief said.