by C. M. Sutter
Chapter 56
“Thank you, Mrs. Amato. Please don’t leave your house under any circumstances. My deputies will check back with you in just a little while. My team and I are going to do everything humanly possible to find your husband.”
She blew her nose before speaking. “Thank you, Lieutenant, and please don’t lose that picture. It’s the most recent one I have.”
“I promise I won’t. Do you have family in the area, ma’am?”
“Our daughter lives in Milwaukee. She’s at work, though.”
“I’d suggest calling her. It would be better if you had family with you right now.”
She agreed and closed the door behind Billings as they walked out.
“What now, boss?” Clayton asked.
“I need to call Billy and see if they found a location on that phone. Go ahead and check in with Donnelly again.” Jack reached into his inner jacket pocket. “Where the hell is my phone?” He patted his pants as he walked to the cruiser. He saw the phone through the window as he opened the passenger-side door. “Damn it, it’s been in the cup holder all this while.” Jack climbed in the passenger seat and picked up his cell. Three missed calls and as many text messages had come in. He scrolled through the messages and voicemails.
Great, they’re all from Amber.
He tapped her name on his contact list, and she picked up immediately.
“Before you start screaming at me, I left my phone in the car. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I did that. Lawrence and Donnelly are searching the neighborhood on foot for any clues about the judge’s disappearance. I’m about to call Billy to see if he’s traced that number.”
“Boss, stop talking! We know who the killer is, and Kate is looking up the address as we speak. It’s Kevin Hadley’s brother, Keith.”
“He had a brother?”
“Yes, I called the warden at Holman, and he told me everything. That isn’t important right now. What is, is finding Judge Amato before it’s too late. Boss, I know who’s next on his kill list.”
Jack looked at his phone’s screen. “Shit, I’m getting another call. Find that address and quick! That’s probably where he’s holding the judge.” Jack clicked off and answered the incoming call. “Lieutenant Jack Steele speaking. What? Son of a bitch, I’m on my way!” Jack yelled to Clayton and Billings. “Let’s go, and hit the lights. A call just came in from Cross Creek County Park. Those damn pit bulls from Friends for Life are loose and running wild. The caller said one dog looked like he had a human arm in his mouth!”
Clayton peeled out of the driveway in reverse. He cranked the steering wheel as he spun left out of the driveway. The tires broke loose and squealed as he turned.
Jack yelled as he pointed out the windshield. “There’s Lawrence and Donnelly.”
The deputies were walking back to their car several hundred feet away. Clayton caught up to them and slammed on the brakes. He lowered the driver’s-side window. “Jump in. I’ll take you back to your car.”
Jack looked over his shoulder at the deputies in the backseat with Billings. “Follow us and use your lights. Call every available unit to head to Cross Creek County Park. Advise them that those pit bulls from Friends for Life somehow got loose and are running wild. Everyone needs to be on the lookout. If those dogs are actually trained to fight, they may be mean as hell. A frantic caller from the park said it looked like one of them had a human arm in its mouth.”
“Did I hear you right?” Lawrence asked.
“I’m afraid you did. I hate to say these words out loud, but we believe Stan Kingsley’s body was dismembered and disposed of. It could be him.”
“Oh my God,” Karen said.
“All right, you two, get out and follow us,” Jack said. “Remember to light them up. That park is ten minutes from here. Gun it, Clayton. There’s no time to waste.” Jack picked up his phone and called Amber. “What do you have?”
“We’ve got it, boss. The address is 6304 Sunnydale Lane. Keith Hadley and the judge may be in that house at this very second.”
“What? That address doesn’t make sense. Cross Creek Park is kitty-corner to Sunnydale Lane.”
“I know, but who cares?”
“The dog kennel is across the creek from there, right?”
“Yes, boss. Kate and I were there a few days ago, but why are we talking about the park and Friends for Life?”
“Because a panicked hiker just called that there are dogs running everywhere, and one has a human arm in its mouth.”
“Holy shit. Keith Hadley has to be the man we saw digging in his backyard the other day. We’re on our way, boss.”
“Hold the phone, Amber.” Jack turned to Billings. “Tell Patrol to clear all visitors from the park for their own safety. Have them get animal control out there immediately. We’re going to 6304 Sunnydale Lane instead.”
Billings raised his brows. “Sir?”
“Tell Lawrence and Donnelly to continue to the park and rally with the other patrol units. We’re meeting Amber and Kate at the Sunnydale address.” Jack returned to the phone call. “Amber, do not—and I repeat, do not—approach until we get there. We’re seven minutes out. Go in dark and we’ll do the same.” Jack hung up. “Billings, make sure everyone silences their sirens at the two-mile mark.”
“Got it, sir.”
Chapter 57
Keith gave the judge one final look before walking out the door. The man sat unconscious in a slumped position, still bound to the chair. Fresh blood ran down his face and body before pooling on the floor beneath him. He had been bludgeoned about the head with the mallet dozens of times and stabbed in precise areas meant to inflict a slow, painful death.
Keith grinned at the pathetic sight in front of him. “Who’s the judge now, old man? It looks like you’ll be the one to rot in hell.” Keith took two steps forward and spat on the man’s forehead. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, grabbed the bagged jewelry in case he needed quick cash, and headed for the door. “I have places to be and people to kill. Adios, Dominic. You’ll probably be dead before I reach the county line.”
He entered the garage, pressed the button to raise the overhead, and climbed in the car. Keith backed out and made a Y-turn in the driveway.
“What the hell?”
Two dogs with blood-stained muzzles ran across the driveway and entered the woods. Keith slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
Son of a bitch, I forgot to throw those bags of body parts into the vault. I’m not stepping out of the car now with those bloodthirsty animals milling around.
Keith gunned the gas and took off down the driveway. He had a four-and-a-half-hour trip ahead of him.
Chapter 58
Kate and I reached the farm on Sunnydale Lane and parked along the shoulder of the road near the mailbox. I promised to wait for Jack and the guys before approaching the house. The farmhouse and several outbuildings were set back off the road and visible through the tree cover. The scene appeared quiet. I craned my neck both ways down the road as I paced—no cruisers yet. “Those guys need to get here and quick.”
Kate shielded her eyes and scanned the area. “Listen to those dogs barking in the distance. Something really has them stirred up.”
I took note of our surroundings and kept my eyes peeled. “Yeah, they’ve likely had the taste of blood, and I wouldn’t want to be next on their dinner menu.” I didn’t want to shoot a dog, but I would if it attacked us. My gun was ready to go if I needed it—regardless of whether the attacker was human or animal. I looked over my shoulder when I heard gravel crunching. The guys had arrived.
“Thank God, they’re here.” Kate let out a sigh of relief.
Clayton tucked their cruiser in behind ours, and the three men exited the vehicle. Jack jerked his chin toward the driveway as they approached.
“See any movement from the house?”
“Not yet, sir.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe Kate and I just spoke to him a few days ago. I saw him
in the distance when we were snooping around the creek behind Friends for Life. He was digging in his backyard and definitely up to something. He must have seen us milling around trying to find a spot to cross the creek, and then suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere. He scared the shit out of us, and that’s when we fell into the water. He seemed suspicious and ordered us off his property. Honestly, we didn’t realize we were trespassing. Thank God we didn’t tell him we were cops.”
Jack nodded. “I remember you mentioning him, and he could have been in the process of burying a body for all we know. Not only do we have to keep our eyes peeled for him but also for those dogs. Who knows how many of them got loose.”
Kate spoke up. “Has anyone contacted Bob Shoal?”
“Patrol rolled up to his house after the call from the park came in. Nobody answered the door,” Billings said.
I groaned. “Great, so he doesn’t even know his animals are out and running around. Boss, if those dogs actually found body parts, it means they smelled rotting flesh. They could have dug up that area where we saw Keith the other day.”
“Yeah, I know, but we’ll deal with that after we find the judge and have Keith in custody. We can’t help anybody who’s dead, but we can help the judge if he’s in there and alive.” Jack pointed to the woods that separated us from the farmhouse. “We have a few hundred yards between us and the building. The tree cover isn’t the best this time of year, but it’s all we have. We’ll move in slowly and use the trees to our advantage. We have no idea if Keith is actually in the house, but he has the judge somewhere. Chances are, he’s either watching the road or torturing the poor man as we speak. Try to keep out of sight of windows facing the road. We’re using hand signals from this point forward. Keep your heads down and on a swivel and don’t forget about those dogs. Let’s move.”
We crouched and took our positions in the woods as we inched closer to the house. We had our weapons drawn and no idea what to expect, but we were ready nonetheless. I watched Jack for a signal. He continued to wave us forward then directed Clayton to move toward the driveway. We were halfway to the house when Jack waved Billings around to the east. Jack, Kate, and I continued straight ahead toward the porch. Jack held up his hand for everyone to stop. We waited for his go-ahead while we braced ourselves against trees and listened for disturbances in the distance. Dogs barked and growled, but from my position, it sounded as though they were farther back near the creek. I didn’t want to imagine the scene if those dogs had actually unearthed body parts. I looked to my right—Jack motioned us on.
We had only fifty feet to go and no tree cover left. We’d have to run for the porch and storm the front door. Clayton was in position at the door nearest the garage, and Billings had the right side of the house. I assumed a rear exit was somewhere nearby. All of us still had eyes on Jack. He held up his fingers and mouthed the words “Three, two, one, go!” With a swift kick, Jack snapped the front door off the hinges. It fell forward, and we entered—guns drawn—into the front hallway of the house. Clayton burst through the side door near the garage and into the kitchen. We reached the living room at the same time.
“Son of a bitch,” Jack yelled. He rushed to the judge’s side and felt for a pulse. “He’s still alive. Get 911 on the phone, Kate, and stay with him until we clear the house. Watch your back.”
Jack jerked his head toward the garage door. “See if there’s a car in there.”
Clayton cautiously opened the door and peeked in. He shook his head.
“Don’t let that fool you. He could have a vehicle stashed in one of those outbuildings.” Jack reached the back wall and pulled the slider open for Billings. “We have to clear the house and fast. He may still be in here.”
Jack yelled out Keith’s name as we moved through the first level. We called out as we cleared each room. Jack pointed toward the staircase with his pistol, and we inched up behind him. At the top of the stairs, we went in different directions—Jack and Billings turned left, and Clayton and I turned right. We repeated the process from downstairs, yelling out clear as we checked each room’s closets and under every bed. We gathered again at the landing.
“Okay, let’s check the yard and outbuildings.” Jack started down the staircase. “Kate, what’s the ambulance’s ETA?”
“I’m watching out the window, boss. They should be coming down the driveway any minute.”
“Clayton, call the patrol units and get everyone over here. We need to search this entire property for Keith. If animal control has reached the park, then they’re responsible for rounding up those dogs. We need to find the crime scene and secure whatever evidence is left.” Jack raked his fingers through his hair. “I need Kyle and Dan out here now.”
I nodded. “I’ll call them.”
Kate turned to us. “The ambulance is here.”
“Okay, everyone stand aside. As much as I hate to do it, I need to get a few pictures of the judge as he looks right now for evidence before the EMTs take him away.” Jack snapped off ten or more pictures, then we heard the paramedics cross the porch. They entered the house and gave us a quick nod as they went to work.
Jack spoke up. “Guys, we have a severely injured man here, beaten about the head with some type of heavy object. He’s also bleeding from his body, but I don’t know where the wounds are or what the weapon was.”
The EMT called out to everyone to move out of the way. “Okay, give us some room, people. We have to get the gurney in here and get this man untied.” He jerked his head at the other paramedics. “We need to stabilize him first. Get oxygen and a blood pressure cuff on him.”
Jack pulled us aside. “Let’s check the structures then secure the yard and locate those body parts. What’s Kyle and Dan’s ETA, Amber?”
“They’re en route, sir. Five more minutes, I’d say.”
The head paramedic called out to Jack. “Lieutenant, we need a name and address on this guy and a rough age.”
“He’s retired Judge Dominic Amato and lives on Treetop Lane. I’m guessing he’s in his early seventies. His wife is Marisol.” Jack tore a page out of his notepad. “What’s her phone number, Amber?”
I pulled out my cell and read it aloud. Jack wrote it down and handed the slip of paper to the paramedic. “Call his wife. She needs to be at his side.”
We watched as the paramedics loaded the judge into the ambulance and took off with sirens wailing. Minutes later, three cruisers squealed to a stop in the driveway.
“Everyone, spread out,” Jack said. “According to Amber and Kate, Keith is a large, strong-looking guy in his late thirties or early forties with a nasty temperament. Be especially careful if you find a vehicle. That means he’s probably hiding somewhere on the property. He could have also crossed the creek and headed toward the kennels for all we know. We have a lot of land to cover. If anyone finds what appears to be a crime scene, yell for me. This son of a bitch is dangerous and cunning. Watch out for yourself and your partner.” Jack slapped his hands together. “Let’s go.”
“Boss, I have to tell you about his list.”
Jack waved away my comment. “If we catch him now, we don’t have to worry about his list.” He pointed in the direction of the creek. “You and Kate start over there.”
Kate and I walked the several hundred feet to the tree line. The creek was just beyond that.
“I think he’s left the area, Kate. There are more people who testified against Kevin in court. I have a strong feeling they’re next on Keith’s kill list.”
“Then the faster we clear the property, the faster Jack will listen to what you have to say.” Kate jerked her head to the right and pinched her nose. “Oh my God, what is that disgusting smell?”
I grabbed Kate’s arm and pulled her back. “Don’t move.” I pointed at the stand of trees forty feet ahead. I whispered, “The dogs are tearing something apart right there. I think we just found the crime scene, but we don’t dare get closer.” My hand shook as I slowly pulled out my phone and called
Jack.
“What have you got, Amber?”
“Boss, we’re back by the trees. The dogs are directly ahead of us and tearing something to shreds. It looks like garbage bags. I’m afraid if we get any closer, they may charge us. What should we do?”
“Shit, I don’t know. How many dogs are there?”
“I can see three for sure.”
“Okay, Billings and I will be right there. Don’t move a muscle.”
Kate and I held our positions until Jack and Billings rounded the house. It felt like forever even though it was closer to a few seconds. I turned my head and saw them creeping up behind us with their guns drawn.
“I’m assuming by that smell we just found our crime scene.”
“I think so, sir. Now what?”
“Arm yourself and be ready just in case. I’m going to fire off a few rounds in front of the dogs in hopes the shots will scare them away. We need to preserve whatever evidence is left.” Jack took two steps forward and fired off three rounds into the dirt ten feet in front of the animals. The dogs yelped and scattered into the woods.
“Come on. We have to see what’s there.”
Looking at a dismembered body was bad enough, but looking at what remained of it after it had been shredded by dogs was horrific. We followed Jack anyway, each covering our noses with our forearms.
“Son of a bitch.” Jack was first to the scene. He shook his head then looked away. “You guys can stay where you are. There’s no need to—”
“What have you got?” Jack’s comment was interrupted by Kyle, carrying one of the black cases and approaching quickly. Dan followed with another case and the camera bouncing from the strap around his neck with each stride.
The scent caught both of them off guard. They stopped in their tracks and covered their noses. “Holy shit,” Kyle said as he knelt and opened the case. He pulled out the jar of Vicks and smeared a finger full under his nose. We all followed suit. “I’m assuming there’s a body down there?”