The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book 5)

by Teresa Burrell

  She parked in the driveway and walked up the sidewalk toward his front door. It was dark along the walkway and there was no porch light on, but there was a light in the house. She thought she heard someone behind her. She turned and saw only a shadow of a man with a cowboy hat.

  “JP?”

  “No, it’s Clint.”

  “Clint! What are you doing here?” she said irritably.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I saw a guy hanging around your office parking lot and it worried me. I waited for you to leave so I could make sure you made it home safely. But then you didn’t go home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “I’m okay.” She let out a sigh. “But you frightened me.”

  He put his arm around her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have followed you, but that man was pretty creepy. I remembered your telling me you had a stalker once, and I got worried. I know I had no right. Where are we anyway?”

  “This is where my PI lives. He texted me and asked me to come over.”

  “This late at night?”

  “It seemed a little strange, but there have been a lot of strange things going on in my cases lately.”

  “Are you sure the text was from him?”

  “It wasn’t his phone, but he used the phone of the detective who called me earlier.” She looked up at Clint. “Now you’re scaring me again.”

  “I didn’t mean to do that. Just let me walk you to the door. We’ll make sure everything is okay, and then I’ll leave.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Sabre rang the doorbell. Clint stood back away from the door in the shadows. When no one answered the door right away, Sabre called out, “JP, it’s me....Sabre.”

  Still nothing. She knocked again. No response.

  “Do you think there’s something wrong?” Clint asked.

  “Maybe he’s just not home yet.”

  “Then why would he tell you to come right away?”

  Sabre hesitated, then swallowed. She tried not to look him in the eye. “I don’t know,” she said, trying to keep calm. She knew she hadn’t said anything about coming ‘right away.’ How would he know that? Why was he really here? And why did he show up at her office? Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable.

  “Try again,” Clint said.

  She rang the bell, but now she was pretty certain JP wasn’t home. Then she heard a noise from inside.

  “Tell him who you are,” he said sternly. “I’m sorry. You’re here. Let’s just do this.”

  “I think we should go. He obviously doesn’t need to see me after all.” Sabre moved away from the door just as it cracked open, the chain only allowing a few inches.

  “Sabre?” a woman said.

  All Sabre could see was the outline of her face and bare legs. “This was a bad idea. I was just leaving,” Sabre said, realizing this must be JP’s ex-wife or a new girlfriend. Either way she didn’t want to be there, especially not with this psycho man.

  Before the woman could close the door, Clint grabbed Sabre by the arm and simultaneously slammed his foot against the door. It flew open, knocking the woman down. Clint yanked Sabre through the door and flung her on the floor. She slammed into the other woman, hitting her head against the brown leather sofa. With his foot behind him Clint kicked the door closed. The chain clanged as it hit the closing door. A chunk of wood dangled from it.

  Sabre tried to jump up, but Clint kicked her down. This time she fell right on top of the woman who covered her face and cowered. Sabre started up again, but this time the woman grabbed her arm. “Don’t. He’ll hurt you.”

  “That’s smart advice, Robin,” Clint said.

  “Who are you?” Sabre asked indignantly, looking up at Clint.

  “I’m sorry,” Clint said. “We haven’t been properly introduced, have we? My name is Tyson Doyle Cooper. And this here’s my wife, Robin Cooper.”

  “And you sent me the text so you could follow me here?”

  “You’re rather smart for such a pretty lady. If I weren’t a happily married man, I might just be taken with you.”

  “Tyson, please,” Robin begged. “Just let her go.”

  “No can do, wifey dear.”

  “I’ll go with you. We’ll go home.” Robin moved her legs and started to stand up.

  Sabre saw the scars on her leg. “Did he do that?” Sabre asked.

  “No. No. I was in an accident.” She moved slowly, watching to make sure Tyson wasn’t going to knock her down again. “Come on, honey. Let’s just go home.”

  He swung at her with the back of his hand, hitting her squarely across the face. She stumbled and fell backwards, hitting the sofa and then the floor. Blood ran down her chin.

  “You coward,” Sabre spat.

  “Just let her go,” Robin pleaded again.

  “No, I need her in order to teach your boyfriend a lesson.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. I just needed a place to stay for a little while where I could think, but I missed you so much. I want to go home. Please, Ty, let’s just go home.”

  “Not until I take care of some unfinished business.”

  Chapter 59

  Six police cars were lined up in front of the house on the Leland property. More were filling up the driveway and sirens could be heard even farther down the road. The EMTs were already there and had determined that Tim, the lookout, was dead. The coroner was on her way.

  Klakken was inside the house. Two female and three male detectives were taking statements from the girls. JP told Klakken about the other houses and the information Kim-Ly had shared about Scott Le.

  “I need to get a warrant for the house where the girls are and pick up Leland and Le before they split. Did she give you any other names?”

  “No.”

  “Can you follow me to the station?”

  “Sure, if you’ll give me a ride to my car, and a bottle of Ibuprofen wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Let’s go. They don’t need us here.”

  JP went over to Kim-Ly and Bich, who were talking to an officer. “I have to leave, but you’re in good hands. Everything is going to be okay.” JP could still see the fear in their eyes. He wished he could do more for them as he turned and left.

  ***

  The station hadn’t changed much since JP’s day on the force. He sat across the desk from Klakken and his partner Franklin. It didn’t take long for JP and Klakken to put together enough information to request search warrants for the houses owned by David Leland and Scott Le and arrest warrants for both of them.

  “Thanks for your help,” Franklin said. “By the way, I called your friend, Ms. Brown, and let her know you were okay. I told her you would call her when you were back in range.”

  JP looked at the clock on Klakken’s desk. It read 11:58 p.m. He had listened to the three messages Sabre had left him, but they were all much earlier in the evening. “Thanks, it’s late. I’ll call her first thing in the morning. Now, go get the scumbags, and please let me or Sabre know what happens.”

  As JP stood to leave he heard someone call his name. He turned. “Bob. What are you doing here?”

  “I had to come see a client. She’s a crazy lady who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. I feel kind of bad for her. Even though she’s nuttier than a pecan pie, she doesn’t belong in jail. She needs help, but I can’t seem to keep her out of jail long enough to get it for her.” Bob paused. “Why are you here?”

  “Working on a case for Sabre. Long story.”

  JP limped as they walked outside.

  “What happened to you?”

  “I think my toe is broken.” Bob looked down at JP’s foot. “Part of the same long story,” JP said.

  “There’s a bar across the street. Let’s grab a drink. I need something after dealing with the crazy lady and it’ll be good for your foot. You can tell me your long story over a beer.”

  “A beer sounds good.”

  They walked into the bar and took a seat amongst the ten or so other patrons. JP told Bob tha
t they’d broken a sex trafficking ring and he’d probably see it on the news tomorrow. A tired-looking waitress, who clocked in at around sixty, came to take their order.

  “I’ll have a Corona,” JP said.

  “Do you have any Shiner Bock?” Bob asked.

  “No, sorry. Would you like…?”

  “Why did you ask for Shiner Bock?” JP interrupted.

  “They’re good. Sabre gave me one yesterday.”

  “Where did she get it?”

  “Excuse me, would you like something else?” the waitress asked.

  Bob looked back at the waitress. “I’ll have….”

  “Bob, why did Sabre have Shiner Bock?” JP raised his voice just enough to be intimidating.

  Bob raised his hands, fingers up and palms out toward JP. “Whoa there, cowboy. Hold your horses.” He turned back to the waitress. “I’ll have a Negra Modelo if you have it; if not, bring me a Corona.”

  The waitress left and Bob said. “She had a date. The guy came by her house to make her dinner. He’s all decked out in a cowboy hat and has a Southern drawl that I guess Sabre finds attractive. He likes Shiner Bock, so she bought it for him.”

  JP stood up before Bob finished his sentence. He threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table for the beer. “I think Sabre’s in trouble.”

  Chapter 60

  On the way to Sabre’s, JP and Bob tried to call her, but their calls went to voice mail. JP explained about Robin and Tyson Doyle Cooper. Then he tried Robin. When her voice mail came on, he said, “Tyson is in town. Get in your car and drive to the nearest police station. Then call me.”

  “If he hurt Sabre, that bastard’ll be going to meet the devil before the sun rises,” JP muttered as he drove.

  When they pulled into Sabre’s driveway. JP jumped out of the car almost before it came to a full stop. There were no lights on in her condo. He rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

  JP pulled his gun from his holster and flipped it around so the barrel was in his hand.

  “What are you doing?” Bob asked.

  “I’m going to break a window and go inside,” JP said. He started toward the window.

  “Wait! I have a key.”

  “Why didn’t you say so?”

  “You didn’t ask.” Bob opened the door. “Sabre, are you here?” he called.

  No answer. JP stepped inside. “Maybe you should wait out here?” JP whispered. “I don’t have another gun for you.”

  “I’ll grab the poker stick from the fireplace.”

  JP moved slowly across the living room and into the kitchen, then the bathroom. No one was there. Bob took the poker from the fireplace and followed JP.

  “Wait down here,” JP said quietly. He moved stealthily up the steps, gun in hand. When he reached Sabre’s bedroom he whipped around inside, pointing his gun forward. The room was empty. He checked the rest of the house, but it was unoccupied. He flipped on the light switch, came downstairs, and went to the kitchen. There were still a few bottles of Shiner Bock beer in the refrigerator and three empty bottles in the recycle trash.

  “Maybe they’re out on a date?” Bob suggested.

  “But where?”

  “Perhaps we should wait here until they come home.”

  JP opened up the door to the garage but found no car.

  “She has her car. What if they don’t come back here?”

  JP pushed the button for Sabre’s cell again. He had already left three messages, so this time he just hung up. Within a few seconds, JP received a text. He didn’t recognize the phone number, but he knew it was a Texas area code. The caller sent a photo of Sabre with a note that read, Missing someone?

  “He has her,” JP said.

  “He has a photo of Sabre, but that doesn’t mean he has her,” Bob said. “Look, that was taken here at her house.”

  JP texted back. What do you want?

  The next text was a photo of both Sabre and Robin. The message read, Nothing from you, but I have what you want. The photo was taken in JP’s living room.

  JP ran out the door with Bob behind him. By the time Bob had locked Sabre’s front door, JP had pulled out of the driveway. Bob was barely able to jump into the passenger seat before JP sped down the street. Bob closed the car door and fastened his seat belt. JP broke every speed limit and ran nearly every light between Sabre’s house and his.

  ***

  “Who did you send the pictures to?” Sabre asked Tyson.

  “Robin’s boyfriend.”

  “Please stop calling him that. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends.”

  Tyson reached down and yanked Robin up by the arm. “Do you know how this makes me look? You’re sleeping with another man. What kind of a man lets his wife sleep around?”

  “I haven’t been sleeping with him. I swear. Please, Tyson.” She sounded like a little girl pleading with her angry father. He pushed down on her arm, knocking her back to the floor.

  While Tyson focused on Robin, Sabre glanced around the room looking for something with which she could defend herself. Nothing much had changed since she had stayed here—the same sofa, same forty-two-inch plasma television, the bookcase with the photo of JP’s father in his marine uniform, and the two marble cowboy-boot bookends. Memories flooded back of the last time she was here. JP had been trying to protect her, but she’d been forced to defend herself against an intruder with one of those bookends. She wished she could reach one of them now. She wondered where the golf putter was that always leaned against the end of the bookcase. It would’ve been almost within her reach.

  “Why did you send the pictures to JP?” Sabre spoke as calmly as she could. She didn’t know if she was more angry or scared.

  “Because he deserves to hurt the same way I have been hurting for the last few weeks. He took what was mine. Now I’ll take what’s his. I’ll teach him to mess with my wife.”

  “But we’re not a couple. We just work together.”

  “I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, but every time that guy called your eyes lit up. And when you thought he was in trouble, you were so concerned I couldn’t keep your attention. You were dating me….” Tyson looked at Robin. “I’m sorry, honey, but it was just a ruse so I could find you. You know I love only you. I thought about banging her just to even the score with you, but she repulsed me. The stupid woman doesn’t even appreciate a good bottle of wine when she sees one.” His eyes were once again on Sabre. “You were dating me and thinking about him. I’m betting he feels the same way about you, even though he took on my wife for a while.”

  “It’s not like that,” Sabre said. “He probably won’t even come home.” She knew better. He would be here as soon as he received those photos. Everyone in the room knew it, but she tried to sell it anyway. And when JP showed up, he would be ambushed. And what did Tyson mean when he said, “Now, I’ll take his.” Was he going to kill her? She saw a glimpse of silver near the edge of the sofa. The golf club must have fallen. She wasn’t going without a fight, she thought.

  “He’s from Texas. He’ll show up.” Tyson grinned at his own comment. “Stand up. Both of you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I said so,” Tyson snapped.

  Sabre stood up. Her legs felt weak and shaky as she did. She reached out her hand to help Robin, rolling her eyes to her left toward the sofa. Robin accepted her hand and let Sabre help her up. Sabre steadied herself. She thought she saw Robin respond with a subtle nod of the head, but she couldn’t be certain.

  “Where are we going?” Sabre asked.

  “You just don’t know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?” Tyson said. He swung his hand out in an attempt to backhand her. Sabre ducked and moved to her left. Robin dodged to her left toward the door. Tyson lunged at Robin. Sabre grabbed the golf club. Tyson turned toward her, reached out, and grabbed Robin with his left hand. With his right he reached behind his back to grab his gun. His back was toward Sabre. She swung the club like a baseball bat, stepping in
to it with all the force she could muster. She caught him across the wrist. Sabre heard a crack. Tyson yelled out in pain, his arm falling by his side. His .357 Magnum clanked as it hit the tile. He let go of Robin and when he did, she spun around and kicked him squarely in the face. His head popped back, but the kick didn’t deter him. His arm flew up in an attempt to grab her again. Sabre had the golf club cocked high above her head in front of her. She brought it straight down, hitting his shoulder.

  Tyson spotted his gun. They all dived to the floor and wrestled to get possession of it. Sabre had her hand on the barrel for a moment, but it slipped away. A shot rang out as the gun went off. The noise resounded in Sabre’s ears. Pain shot through her head as her face smashed against the floor. She couldn’t move her head. All she could do was watch as the white tile turned red with blood.

  Chapter 61

  JP pulled up to his house, jumped out of the car, and ran to the front door. He heard the shot just as he reached the entrance. He kicked the door open with his gun in position to shoot Tyson Doyle Cooper.

  “Don’t move!” Then he called out to Bob. “Call for an ambulance. Someone’s been shot.”

  The mound of bodies on the floor looked like a playground pile-up game gone wrong. Tyson Doyle Cooper had both of the women pinned down with his hips and legs. His upper torso lay on the floor. All JP could see of Sabre was the back of her head. Robin’s legs stuck out the other side. The blood pooled around them. JP walked slowly around to where he could see all their faces.

  “Sabre, are you okay?”

  “I think so.”

  “Robin?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  Two policemen rushed through the front door and pointed their guns at JP. He lowered his gun, turned it over slowly, and handed it to the cop, handle first. “I just got here. I haven’t touched anything.” Sirens bellowed as a half-dozen other cars pulled up.

  Bob stuck his head in the door. “I called an ambulance. They’re on their way.”