by C. M. Sutter
Jack walked out of his office and took a seat on Clayton’s guest chair. He placed his coffee cup on Chad’s desk. “I’ve been going through the tote Tyler’s wife gave me. I hoped to find some kind of clue within that pile of useless papers.”
“And did you?” I asked.
“The only thing I kept aside was this photograph. It’s from Tyler’s early years as a first responder or an EMT. The back side has 2006 written on it, nothing else.” Jack handed the photograph to Clayton then tipped his chin. “Pass it around. I need to know if the building those guys are standing in front of looks familiar to any of you.”
Clayton studied the photo for a minute then passed it to Billings. “Got nothing, boss.”
Billings looked it over and wrinkled his brows.
“Something come to mind, Adam?” Jack asked.
“Only that it sounds like Tyler worked in the Slinger area for most of his career. If this building is in Slinger or Hartford, we probably won’t recognize it.”
Kate added her opinion. “And the picture is well over ten years old. Buildings go through facelifts, just like people do. Maybe it has a different façade or an addition on it by now.”
“Jeez, you guys aren’t very encouraging,” I said. “Hand it over to me. I’ll take a look.” I studied the picture for a minute, looking from left to right. The building wasn’t my concern, the faces were. As Kate said, buildings could change in ten years, but most people—other than possibly having a different hairstyle and an additional five pounds or so—wouldn’t look much different. Tyler stood centered in the photograph. That left three people to his left and three to his right. I stared at each face then moved on. Jade and I were born and raised in North Bend, and my parents knew everyone in the area, especially my dad since he was a cop nearly his entire life. As kids, we tagged along with our father everywhere when he wasn’t working. Tom Monroe didn’t know a stranger. Everyone in the county was his friend, and it was hard on all of us when he moved to southern California after he and my mom divorced.
“Amber, see anything that rings a bell?”
“Give me another minute.” I reached Tyler’s face then continued to the right. The next guy didn’t look familiar, so I moved on to the sixth man in line. “Bingo!” I jabbed the picture with my index finger. “Man number six.”
“What does that mean?” Kate asked. She wheeled her chair to my side and peered down at the picture. “What about him?”
Jack, Clayton, and Billings stood and walked to my desk, where they looked over my shoulder.
“Who is he, Amber?”
“Lance’s older brother, Doug. Our family was invited to his wedding in 2013. Granted, he was a late bloomer and didn’t get married until he was forty, but that’s definitely Doug, twelve years younger and without the mustache he sported the last time I saw him.”
Kate bugged her eyes at me. “What am I missing? Who is Lance?”
I nodded. “Yeah, his name doesn’t come up anymore. Jade was married to Lance years ago, but that’s a story for another time. She can tell you all about Lance Keller if she wants to dredge up old memories.”
“Okay, let’s get back to Doug,” Jack said. “Is he a paramedic, and do you have a way of contacting him?”
“He was five years ago, but I haven’t seen or spoken to him since his wedding. If he worked with Tyler, then he obviously knew where this picture was taken. That could be the key to finding out if Tyler ever testified in a court case prior to working at Gold Star.”
Jack picked up my desk phone and stuck the handset in my face. “Call Jade right now.”
“Seriously, boss? She’s on her way to work.”
“Right, and that’s the best time to talk. We won’t be interrupting her while she’s on the job. I need her to contact Lance and get Doug’s phone number.”
“She isn’t going to be happy about it.”
“I’ll buy her a case of Scottish Ale. She’ll do it. Now make the call.”
I tapped the keys on the face of the handset.
“Put it on Speakerphone,” Jack said.
“Yes, sir.” I did, and Jade’s phone rang twice.
“What’s up, Amber? You’re lucky I remembered my earbud or I wouldn’t have answered.”
“I have you on Speakerphone, Jade. We’re all sitting in the bull pen.”
She chuckled. “Ah, the memories. Remember when—”
Jack interrupted. “Jade, it’s Jack.”
“Hey, partner, what’s going on?”
“I need a favor, and it’s urgent.”
Jade went from a trip down memory lane to the present moment. “Okay, shoot.”
“I need you to call Lance and get his brother Doug’s current phone number.”
“Come on, Jack. That’s worse than asking me to donate an organ to you. Why the hell do I need to do that? You know we aren’t on the best of terms.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. It could help us finally get a lead in our current case. Please, partner. I’ll buy you a case of Belhaven.”
“Fine. I’ll call you back in ten.” Jade clicked off, and we waited.
“Should we head over to the courthouse?” Billings asked.
“Hang tight until Jade calls back. The information from Doug could expedite everything.” Jack’s desk phone rang while we stared at mine. He grabbed his coffee cup and went to his office—he didn’t bother to close the door. “Lieutenant Steele here. Yes, that’s good to know. Appreciate the update.” He placed the receiver back on the base and returned to the bull pen.
“What was that?” Clayton asked. He tapped the pencil on his desk like a drumstick.
“The radio station. They said they aired a segment about needing volunteers to help in the Tyler Rauch search. They’re organizing everything at the Slinger fire station.”
“That’s good to know. Every little bit helps,” I said. My phone rang as the last word came out of my mouth. “It has to be Jade.” I picked up, pressed Speakerphone, and said hello.
“Got a pen?”
“Sure do,” I said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Jade rattled off Doug’s phone number as I jotted it down.
“I know you’re listening, Jack. I want two cases of Belhaven. Needless to say, Lance wasn’t anxious to give up his brother’s phone number.” She chuckled. “I told him I’d arrest him for obstruction of justice if he didn’t.”
Jack shook his head. “Thanks, partner. You’ll find two cases of Belhaven sitting on your front porch tonight.” He reached out for the piece of paper I had written Doug’s phone number on. “I’ll take over from here. Great job, Amber.” He returned to his office and closed the door.
Chapter 41
Keith pulled out the wallet from his back pocket for the third time. It was thick with folded cash. Between the fifteen hundred dollars he got from old George the first day and the four hundred bucks he stole from the cash register the next, it already amounted to nineteen hundred dollars. The cash from Tyler and Stan’s wallets added another hundred and fifteen, and what he had gotten from the pawn shops increased his two-day total to thirty-five hundred dollars.
Not bad for a couple of days. Let’s see if any jewelry sold online overnight.
Keith logged in to his newly opened online auction accounts and saw two sales. One sale netted him ninety dollars and the other, two hundred seventy-five.
I could get used to this, and there’s plenty more jewelry to sell.
Keith opened the drawer built into the end of the kitchen table, where it was well-hidden under the tablecloth. He removed the kill sheet and unfolded it. He had three more names to go.
It was time to start plotting Judge Amato’s death. Keith would be the new judge and jury, and now justice would be served.
Chapter 42
Clayton’s desk phone rang as we waited for Jack’s instructions.
“Hello, Detective Chad Clayton speaking. Yeah, he’s on the phone with somebody right now. If Sande
rs requested you guys, then go ahead. I’ll let Jack know the second he gets off the phone.” Clayton put the handset back on the base then looked at the rest of us. “The shit just keeps hitting the fan, and we’re running out of available people to clean up the mess.”
I frowned. “Stop talking in code and say what you mean.”
“That was Kyle. He and Dan were requested back at Stan’s house. As of yet, nobody has heard from Stan. Chief Sanders had one of his patrol officers go back to make sure the house was still secure. The mailman was doing his route when Petty arrived, and he asked Petty how the mail should be handled going forward. I guess the yard wrapped in yellow police tape gave him the impression Stan wasn’t around anymore.”
I jotted that down. “Sanders needs to locate Stan’s next of kin. I doubt if Rose can legally retrieve his mail, and I’m sure she doesn’t intend to pay his bills.”
Kate spoke up. “Aren’t we jumping to conclusions? We don’t actually know what happened to Stan, or Tyler for that matter.”
“Blood next to Tyler’s truck and an intruder in Stan’s house kind of indicate that something bad has happened,” Billings said. “Nobody has spoken with either man since their disappearance.”
“Go ahead, Clayton,” I said, “we’re getting off topic here. What happened with Petty and the mailman?”
“The mailman handed the letters to Petty, who took them with the sleeve of his jacket.”
I nodded. “Smart thinking on his part.”
“Petty called the station and told Sanders that a letter without a return address was just delivered. The postmark was from Louisville, Kentucky. Sanders called Jack’s office line, but it was busy, so he called Kyle instead. They want Forensics to take over the letter and check the house for blood evidence.”
I noticed that Jack had hung up his phone. He raked his fingers through his hair and pushed back his chair.
“That doesn’t look good,” I said. I noted the expression on Jack’s face as he exited his office.
“Nothing ever goes to plan. I spoke with Doug.” Jack sighed deeply then continued. “He said the company was called First on Site. They were a freelance company that worked hand in hand with police departments and fire departments in a thirty-mile radius of North Bend. They had three shifts of seven to ten people employed there.”
“And why are you saying everything past tense?” Billings asked.
“Because they closed up shop in 2014. Most fire departments have their own first responders on call these days, and there are plenty of privately owned ambulance services too. I guess First on Site got phased out.”
“So, that’s a dead end?” Kate asked.
“About as dead as it gets. Why don’t you guys head over to the courthouse and get those files finished up?” Jack turned to me. “You will have them finished today, won’t you?”
“Absolutely, boss, but Clayton has something to tell you first.”
Jack turned to Clayton. “What’s up, Chad?”
“Kyle just called to let you know Sanders needs them at Stan’s house right away. The mailman just dropped off a letter with no return address.”
Jack groaned. “Where was it mailed from?”
“Louisville, and dead center on I-65. Sanders wants the entire house sprayed for blood evidence too. He needs to know if Stan is missing or dead. If there is a crime scene in the house, Blue Star will find it.”
“Okay, I need to call Sanders.” Jack jerked his head toward the door. “Get those files finished today, damn it. We still don’t have a connection between the victims and the perp.”
We grabbed our coats and crossed the bull pen. I looked over my shoulder, and Jack was returning to his office. He slammed the door at his back. Unfortunately, we had no leads, and valuable time was slipping away.
Chapter 43
He had been sitting along the curb in the exclusive tree-lined neighborhood since early that morning. Luckily, having a nice car helped ward off suspicion among the residents of Treetop Lane. Most were professionals who had lived in those multimillion-dollar homes for years—nobody else could afford them. The properties were large. They had to be to accommodate the enormous dwellings. Now as the homeowners aged, Keith figured most were retired and probably had bad eyesight, anyway. He would go unnoticed. He stared at the driveway with its slight curve and a rise that ended at a four-car garage. Only half of the Tudor-style mansion was visible through the tall hedges and dense landscaping.
Keith continued to read Judge Amato’s biography on his phone as he waited to see movement from the house. He had read that the judge used to be on the cross-country team in high school and at his alma mater—Notre Dame. Even at seventy, the judge was still an avid runner, religiously running two miles every day.
Let’s go, old man. I want to see you run your ass off, and when you’re good and winded, I’ll be there to give you a hand.
Another half hour passed, then Keith saw him out of the corner of his left eye. The old man—wearing a black stocking cap, gray sweatpants, and a red windbreaker over a hooded sweatshirt—ran down the driveway and turned left. Keith slunk lower in the driver’s seat to avoid being seen. He’d wait until the judge was a few hundred feet ahead then drive past him. Keith would park farther up the road, exit his car, and find a place to lie in wait.
It was time to act. As Judge Amato rounded the corner, Keith turned the key in the ignition and inched forward. The judge turned left at the stop sign.
Hmm…that’s an interesting choice of a street to run on, Judge. You just made my job a whole lot easier.
That street—Hidden Ravine Way—would be perfect for Keith’s needs. Very few houses lined that stretch of road due to the deep ravines. The wooded and hilly road would definitely wear the judge down and make the assault as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Keith glanced left as he passed the old man. The judge was huffing and puffing as he tackled the incline. Keith continued on, over the rise and farther down the road. He took in the area before making a U-turn and parking along the ditch facing the man running up the hill. With no houses in sight, Keith disappeared into the brush and crouched fifteen feet from the asphalt.
His ears were perked, and he was ready to pounce. The thud of shoes hitting the pavement with every stride got closer and closer. Keith peeked through the tangle, where low-hanging branches were mixed with ground-covering brush. He saw a flash of red. The judge had just passed. Keith could almost feel his hot breath as the old man panted. He sprung off his fingertips and toes, leapt through the brush, and slammed the judge to the ground.
Chapter 44
Jack snugged the cruiser in behind the Forensics van. Chief Sanders, who’d arrived seconds earlier, was walking toward Kyle and Officer Petty. With the double back doors open, Dan reached in and pulled out their equipment cases.
“Need a hand?” Jack asked as he got out and closed the driver’s-side door.
Dan looked over his left shoulder. “Sure thing, boss. Here. Take this case, and I’ll get the other one.”
The two men joined Kyle, Petty, and Sanders on the porch. Jack tipped his head at all of them. “Where’s that letter?”
Petty pointed at the plastic-covered envelope sitting on the porch swing. “I took the newspaper out of the plastic sleeve and put the envelope inside it.”
“Good thinking,” Kyle said. “Let’s do this in the house, where we can access our equipment easier.” He picked up the bagged envelope and waited.
After dipping his hand in his front pants pocket, Sanders removed the house key from the tiny evidence bag and unlocked the door. The men ducked under the yellow police tape and entered the foyer then turned right at the living room. They followed Kyle and Dan to the kitchen table near the sliding patio door. They each pulled out a chair and sat.
Dan popped the latches on the case nearest his left foot and took out what looked to be a letter opener. It was likely a multipurpose tool. He also placed several evidence bags on the table and passed
out gloves to everyone. With the gloves stretched over their fingers and hands, the group waited. Dan opened the second case and pulled out the camera. He set that on the table too.
Kyle looked at each face. “Are we ready?”
All heads nodded.
Kyle slid the envelope across the table to Dan, who shook it out of the newspaper sleeve. Dan placed it faceup on the table and took several pictures. He adjusted the focus then zoomed in to capture the address and postmark. He checked the pictures, and with a nod that they were good, set the camera down. With the letter-opener tool in hand, Dan slipped the point under the seal and slid it along the crease. The envelope separated easily. He looked inside then tipped the envelope upside down. The letter dropped to the table, and he took several more pictures of the triple-folded note. He carefully unfolded it and smoothed it out before lifting the camera again. He clicked off a few more shots, read the note aloud, and passed it to his right.
“I believe it’s verbatim to the note to Tyler.” Dan checked the picture files stored on the camera and pulled up the last letter. He looked at the words written on that note. “Yeah, they’re all identical except he addressed Leslie as a female.”
Jack took in a frustrated breath. “What’s his damn point? The letters arrive after he has already committed the crime. He isn’t instilling fear in anyone if they’ve never read the threat.”
Sanders spoke up. “That may not be intentional on his part. Maybe the postal service has gotten backed up with the holidays around the corner. The letter confirms that it’s the same case you’re working on, Jack. I’m handing it off to you, but you’ll have our full cooperation with anything you need. Just ask.”
“Thanks, I think.” Jack rubbed his eye sockets then refocused. “Has anyone contacted Stan’s next of kin, and who are they?”
“Rose was putting that list together for us. I asked her not to contact anyone herself but to drop it off at the station. According to Rose, nobody from Stan’s family lives in the area. That’s why she was listed as his emergency contact,” Sanders said. “I’ll make sure that list is in our hands before the day’s end.”