by C. M. Sutter
Jack raised a brow in disgust. “And then he drove Stan’s car to wherever he parked his own vehicle and transferred the bags?”
Dan nodded. “Exactly. Then he drove Stan’s car back to the house, parked in the garage, cleaned up the blood spots, and walked back to his own car unseen. He pulled off the perfect crime until we got Blue Star involved. That chemical sees everything.”
“All right.” Jack turned on the garage light. “Let’s go inside. I need to figure out the next move.” They took seats around the table. “We know Stan is dead, so there isn’t really a need for you to continue testing the house. We already know the fingerprints are the same at all of the scenes, and the perp isn’t in the system, so there’s no reason to take the car to the evidence garage. I think we can wrap it up here, guys. This house doesn’t hold any more secrets. It’s obvious what happened here, and I still have to track down his next of kin and deal with the girlfriend.” Jack jerked his chin toward the hallway. “Get your stuff together. It’s time to head back. I’ll lock the door and tell Petty he can go.” Jack waited at the table until Dan and Kyle had their evidence cases in hand and walked toward the door. He followed them out and secured the house behind him. “Go ahead. I’ll tell Petty he can leave.”
Fifteen minutes later, Jack was back at his desk. He checked the time—12:16.
Where the hell did the morning go?
As Jack raised his cell to check in with his detectives, he heard the code being tapped into the door’s security pad.
That has to be Rose.
He pocketed the phone and pushed back his chair from the desk. Jan opened the door to the bull pen and announced Rose’s arrival. Jack gave Jan a thank-you nod and stood. He met Rose halfway and tipped his chin toward his open office door. “Nice to see you again, Rose. Let’s talk in my office.” He pointed at the guest chairs, and Rose took a seat in the one nearest the door.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Steele.” She unzipped her purse and pulled out a folded piece of printer paper. “I have Stan’s family’s names and addresses right here. I sent everyone Christmas cards last year. I guess guys don’t often take that kind of initiative. Anyway, that’s how I had his relatives’ addresses.” She handed the sheet to Jack.
“Thank you. This will help.” Jack glanced at the paper that contained seven names and addresses. “Can you tell me how each person is related to Stan?”
“Oh, sorry. Of course. The first is his mom, and the second is his dad. Obviously, they’re divorced.”
“Right, and the others?” He turned the sheet toward Rose.
“The third and fourth are his brother, Steven, and his sister, Sarah.”
Jack glanced at the sheet again and saw a pattern. “Mom is Sally, and the dad is Samuel. Guess they liked the letter S?”
She shrugged. “I guess so.”
Jack sighed. “And the last three?”
“Those are two of his favorite cousins and the grandma on his mom’s side.”
Jack jotted down the relationship next to each name. “Good enough. That should do it.”
“If I may ask, what are you going to do with the names?”
“I have to alert the family, Rose. Stan has been missing for several days. They might know somebody who has a beef with him. I need to conduct interviews with these folks, even if it’s just by making a phone call.”
Rose stared at her folded hands. “So you don’t know anything yet?”
“I can’t discuss the case with you. It’s an ongoing investigation. Regardless, the family would be notified first.”
“Lieutenant?”
“Yes?”
“Why did Chief Sanders pass the case off to you when Stan lived in the city limits?”
Jack smiled and said nothing.
“Guess you can’t talk about that, either?”
“Not yet. Thank you, Rose. I appreciate you getting these names to me. I’ll show you out.”
Jack walked Rose to the main entrance. He shook her hand then watched as she crossed the parking lot and got into her car.
Peggy sighed. “It never gets easier, does it, boss?”
“Nope, it never does.”
Jack returned to his office and began tapping a text to Amber.
It’s past noon. Are you almost done with the files?
His phone rang as he was about to press the blue arrow. The caller was Amber. He smirked as he answered. “I was just sending a text to—”
“Boss, we found the connection!”
Chapter 49
“What? I want all of you back here immediately. We’ll go over everything in the conference room.”
“I have to make copies of the transcripts first, sir. I can’t take the originals out of the records room. Clayton, Billings, and Kate are on their way back. They should be walking in any minute. They can give you the short version. I’ll be there with our copies as soon as I can.” Amber clicked off.
Seconds later, the bull pen door opened, and an elated crew of three walked through.
Clayton took the lead. “I can’t believe we found it, but we did. We located a murder case from Halloween night of 2007 where a mentally challenged young man killed both parents in their farmhouse west of town. Creepy as hell, but he swore he didn’t remember anything about it. According to court testimony, Tyler Rauch was first on scene after the 911 call the next morning when the bodies were discovered by the housekeeper. Believe it or not, the alleged killer was still lying in bed asleep. The sheriff’s office was called to the farmhouse, and the investigation began. The kid was hauled right here, to our jail, and that’s when Leslie McDonald got involved and evaluated his mental state.”
Jack pressed his fingertips into his temples. “That file has to be enormous, doesn’t it?”
“It’s big all right,” Kate said. “At least a thousand pages.”
“We don’t have that kind of time.” Jack picked up his cell and called Amber. “How far are you into the copies?”
“This copier is a lot slower than I thought. It’s going to take time, boss.”
“We don’t have time. Call Silver and have him take over for you. Bring everything you’ve already copied back to the conference room now.”
“Okay, I’m on it.”
Jack jerked his head toward the door. “Grab whatever you’re going to need. Take your pens, paper, notes, laptops, everything. We’re hunkering down until we figure this out.”
Chapter 50
I wanted to run, but because I had on my new dress boots with three-inch stacked heels, that wasn’t an option. I would look like a duck waddling at top speed down the sidewalk. Instead, I walked as fast as I could with the stack of copies secured by a thick rubber band and held tightly against my chest. My purse banged against my side with every stride. I went in through the sheriff’s office back entrance, down two hallways, and up one flight of stairs to the main floor. One more hallway took me to the large lobby and dispatch area. I rounded the corner and tapped the buttons for the security door then grabbed the doorknob and pulled.
“Amber, everyone is in the conference room,” Jan called out.
“Darn it, that’s right. I’ll cut through the bull pen. It’s faster.”
I turned right as I crossed the doorway. Another interior hallway through our secured area led to the conference room, where everyone was seated and talking among themselves.
“Good, you’re here. Does Silver know to bring us the rest of that case file as soon as he’s done making copies?”
“Yes, sir, I made that perfectly clear. Here we go.” I took a seat and placed the stack of transcript papers on the table. “What have you guys explained so far?”
Billings spoke up. “Only that the kid killed the parents on Halloween night. The housekeeper called it in the next morning, and the kid was arrested and brought here to sit in jail until his trial. I looked for current relatives in the area, but nothing came up.”
“Okay, so Tyler Rauch was the first responder on the scene tha
t next morning.” Jack stood and made a note on the whiteboard. “Then the sheriff’s office was called, and according to the transcripts, Stan Kingsley arrived moments later?”
“That’s what his testimony said, boss.” I checked my notes. “That was on page thirteen of the transcripts.”
Jack rubbed his forehead. “I started with the sheriff’s office in December of 2007 as a gofer. Clayton, Billings, help me out. You both were employed here in 2007. Don’t you remember the case?”
Billings admitted that the case sounded familiar now that he had read a few pages of the transcripts. “I only worked here part-time, boss. I was still taking night classes and cramming for exams in 2007. Lynn worked full time, and I was trying to fill in as a mom and dad for Mia, besides working and going to school.”
“And you, Clayton?” Jack turned toward Chad.
“I worked nights as a patrol deputy then. I wasn’t privy to what Clark and the detectives did or talked about on the day shift crew. I never even walked into the bull pen until I was promoted. Patrol had their own area downstairs by the evidence garage, same as it is now, except we reported to the patrol leader, Mark Oldman, back then.”
Jack nodded. “I haven’t heard his name mentioned in years. Okay, so the kid was brought here and kept in our jail. We don’t have those jail records and never really had a reason to hang on to that type of thing. It’s redundant, anyway. The transcripts cover everything.” Jack jerked his head at me. “What was the family name?”
I pointed. “It’s on page two.”
Jack picked up the stack. “Hadley. Kevin Hadley. And this happened eleven years ago?”
“That’s correct, sir.” I pulled Chad’s laptop toward me. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all. Go ahead.”
I tapped the keys with a frenzy and searched the term ‘2007 murderer Kevin Hadley,’ hoping for something to pop up.
“Holy shit, I found it, boss. Kevin is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.”
Jack slapped the desk. A loud crack rang throughout the room. Kate jumped, and I cringed. I could almost feel the sting going through his open palm.
“I spoke to the warden at that very facility.” Jack rubbed his open hand then shook his head as he stared at the table. “But I only asked about paroled prisoners. If Kevin is still incarcerated there, his name wouldn’t have come up. It looks like Leslie became involved in the case very quickly as an expert in mental illness. She evaluated Kevin and had a number of meetings with him. Eventually, she had to testify in court as to his culpability in the crime. She found him criminally responsible.”
Jack turned to the whiteboard again. Next to Tyler’s name, he wrote first responder. Under that, Jack wrote Stan Kingsley’s name and first deputy at scene. Below Stan’s name, he wrote Leslie McDonald, forensic psychiatrist.
“What do all of these people have in common in this case?” Jack searched faces.
Kate spoke up. “They all testified against Kevin at the trial. We know Leslie is dead, and the other two probably are as well.”
Jack groaned. “I didn’t even tell you. The letter the mailman delivered to Stan’s house was from the killer. It had the same verbiage as the others. Also, the house lit up like a Christmas tree when we checked for blood evidence, and so did the trunk of Stan’s car. At this point, I’d say we have at least two deaths related to this case and likely three.”
“So somebody is committing murders on behalf of Kevin Hadley? Halloween was just a week ago. Maybe this is some kind of anniversary revenge act?” I looked at Jack. “Boss, that means there are more people about to die.”
Jack grabbed the stack of papers and ran his index finger down the contents page. “Here it is. This ought to tell us the names of every person who was compelled to testify for the state at the trial.” He flipped the pages as the phone in the conference room rang.
Chapter 51
A slamming door alerted the judge. He jerked his head up and looked around. Keith entered the living room from the kitchen, the same way he had gone out earlier. He carried a double-faced mallet in his hand.
“Miss me?” Keith pulled the ottoman farther away from the judge’s line of fire. Keith didn’t need another dose of spit on his face. “So, check this out. I’m sure working in the white-collar world your whole life, you probably have no idea what this particular tool is.”
“It’s a hammer, asshole.”
“Wrong again.” Keith tapped the soft rubber end on his palm. “This is called a two-faced or double-faced mallet. One side, this here”—Keith pointed at the white end—“is made of soft rubber. It’s used to gently tap objects that you don’t want to damage with marks. The other side, this black end, is made of hard plastic. Its purpose is to exact hard blows on an object, similar to a hammer.” Keith grinned. “So, we have soft hits and hard blows. It’ll be fun, I guarantee it, and I promise I’ll take my time.”
“Why don’t you just club me with the hammer side and get it over with? You said I’m going to die today, anyway.”
“There you go, trying to take charge again. I’m the judge and jury, remember? I call the shots, and the first one is going to be soft. That way you can get a sense of what to expect when I use the white side. After that, I’ll give you the black end so you can see what you think of the hard one too. Fair enough? I’m going to have a beer, and then we’ll get started.”
“I want to tell my wife goodbye. We’ve been married for forty-seven years. I deserve that much from you.”
Keith twisted the bottle cap and threw it at the man. It hit the judge in the eye. “I’ll think about it. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Dominic. My brother, Kevin, didn’t actually kill our folks. It was me all along. Kevin was just a patsy.” Keith laughed and checked the judge’s expression. “The poor kid was too messed up in the head to realize he wasn’t the one who committed the murders. I planned it to perfection and made sure everyone thought I was in Madison during the attack. I had a solid alibi that was never refuted. I will admit, I was surprised when my brother was found competent enough to serve his sentence in a federal prison.” Keith took a deep gulp of the beer and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I guess it didn’t really matter where he was in the long run, until he turned stupid and killed himself on the ten-year anniversary of his lockup. Now my paychecks have ended, and you—and all the other people responsible for putting him there instead of a cushy institution for the mentally challenged—have to pay. Sounds like justice to me.”
“You’ll be caught and end up in a place just like that. That is the definition of true justice.”
Keith stood. “Okay, you’re starting to bore me. Let’s get this party started.”
“Wait—I want my phone call first.”
“You know what’s going to happen if you say something I don’t like, right? Your wife will hear you screaming as I’m hammering you in the head. You don’t want that as the last image in her mind, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Good, then put on a brave face. Here we go.” Keith pulled out his cell phone from the back pocket of his carpenter pants then placed the mallet within arm’s reach on the coffee table. “Don’t get your hopes up. This is a burner phone and untraceable. What’s the phone number?”
The judge rattled it off, and Keith tapped the numbers. Seconds later, it rang on the other end. Keith smiled and gave the judge a nod when a female voice answered with a concerned hello. Keith tapped Speakerphone and held the phone a foot from the judge’s face.
“Marisol, it’s me.”
“Dom, I’ve been so worried. You’ve been out for your run much longer than usual. Are you all right? Do you need me to pick you up?”
“I’m fine, dear, and I’m sorry I’ve worried you. I love you, Marisol.”
“Dom, what’s going on? Where are you, and whose phone are you using? Tell me where you are, and I’ll come right away.”
; “It’s too late, sweetheart.” He yelled out, “He’s going to kill me. Call the sher—”
Keith clicked off the call and stood then tossed the phone on the couch. “What did I tell you, Dom?” He picked up the mallet and swung.
Chapter 52
I watched as Jack lifted the receiver and clicked over to Speakerphone. “Lieutenant Steele speaking.”
“Boss, it’s Jan. An urgent call just came in from the wife of retired judge Dominic Amato. She’s certain he’s in grave danger. He called her from a number she didn’t recognize, then he yelled out for her to call somebody. She believes he began to say the word sheriff, but then the call was abruptly cut off.”
“Okay, dispatch deputies to the house immediately. We’re on our way.” Jack grabbed the transcripts again and rifled through the first few pages. “Shit, Amato was the judge for that trial. Amber, call Jan and get Mrs. Amato’s phone number. Call her and find out the number that the judge called from. Give that information and Mrs. Amato’s number to Billy. I want Tech to do whatever they can to try to find out where that incoming call originated from. Get on it now.” Jack pointed at Clayton. “You’re driving. I have to see who else is in danger.”
In seconds I was on the phone with Jan and got the number for Mrs. Amato. I dialed it and spoke to the judge’s wife. She gave me the number her husband had contacted her from. I hung up and dialed our tech department.
“Billy, it’s Amber. Write these two numbers down. I need you guys to do whatever you can to pinpoint the area that incoming call to the Amato house came from. It’s urgent, but the call probably came from a burner phone.” I hung up and noticed that Jack, Clayton, and Billings had already left. I looked at Kate. “What are we supposed to do?”
“I have no idea, but we need to see what’s on the rest of those transcripts. Let’s go back to the courthouse. There have to be more printers we can use.”
Kate and I grabbed our IDs, coats, and purses then hoofed it back to the courthouse. We found Silver plugging the copy machine with a half inch of paper at a time.