No Stone Unturned

by C. J. Johnson

  Satisfied they had explored the woods sufficiently Jake returned to the barn. The group huddled around the bonfire and talked about their lives while watching the constellations fill the sky. Bill left first, hugging Frankie and Sophie before climbing into his car. Jake and Ann Marie were next.

  “Hey, make sure this fire’s out before you two come inside. A’ight?”

  “We know the drill Jake,” Sophie answered.

  Craven stood, “I guess I should make my way back home.”

  Frankie stood and said, “You don’t have to rush off. Sophie and I wouldn’t mind if you stayed and kept us company.”

  Craven leaned down and enveloped Frankie in a hug, holding on an extra moment before placing a kiss on the top of her head.

  Releasing her he looked at Sophie and said, “Bye Sophie-girl. Hope to see ya again soon!”

  “Absolutely Jim.”

  Frankie grabbed a couple of beers from the cooler, handed one to Sophie and said, “Scoot over sis and share that blanket with me.”

  Chapter 58

  Frankie and Sophie sat outside talking into the wee hours of the morning. They watched the fire die and the pre-dawn sky begin to lighten before they went inside to sleep. Morning came quickly and Frankie didn’t have the luxury of sleeping in since she had to pick the kids up and be at work by three. Sophie heard her getting ready and said, “Why don’t I take Dani and Ty home with me? I’ll drop them at Keith’s after dinner.”

  “That would be amazing. I’ll run and get Ty. Meet you after I pick up Dani?”

  “Sure. Text me when you have Ty.”

  Frankie enjoyed a quick breakfast at her mom’s before going to meet Sophie. With the exchange made and a change of clothes in the Jeep, she headed straight to her office. She relieved the day shift about an hour early and started preparing for her appointment with Sarah.

  Mia hadn’t arrived yet and the phones were quiet. Frankie printed off the photographs she had gotten from the Crime Scene Unit. She placed the photos of the car on the table first, taking a label and placing it on the bottom right corner of each one. She would have Sarah sign the photographs if she recognized the cars, then mark which car was the first and which was the second on the label. She pulled the photographs of Sarah’s blouse, the buttons, and the earring and placed them on the table.

  Next, she grabbed the envelope from Bank of America. Frankie was surprised to find the envelope contained actual prints instead of a disk. The first photos showed the side of the car. It was difficult to say for certain, but it looked like Lamont’s car to her. The next photographs were of a man’s profile. Tre’s profile. That was unmistakable. The last were photos of Sarah. Her leaning over Tre. Her mouthing something to the camera. Then…

  “What the hell?”

  “Good afternoon to you too. I always seem to walk in at just the right moment.”

  “Shit. This looks… shit.”

  Mia looked over Frankie’s shoulder. “Shit.”

  “Is that the word of the day?” Baker asked as he walked in the door.

  “Sorry Sarge. These pictures just surprised me, that’s all.”

  “What do you think she’s doing?” Mia asked.

  “It looks like she’s got her hand on his face while kissing him. It looks…intimate. I’m sure there’s a good explanation but those photos won’t look like a person in distress to the prosecutor.”

  Frankie picked up the photograph and stared. Sarah’s hand cradled Tre’s cheek while she kissed him on the other cheek. Frankie finished getting the photographs in order, put them in a stack, and finished preparing for Sarah’s arrival. Almost as if on cue a clerk from the lobby called to say she was there. Frankie escorted Sarah to an interview room and after a few pleasantries pulled out the packet of photographs.

  As Frankie expected, Sarah did not hesitate in identifying the cars. Tre’s car was the one he used to abduct and rape her. Lamont’s was the one that stalled, allowing her to get away. Frankie showed her photographs of her blouse.

  “That’s the blouse I was wearing.”

  “Were any buttons missing when you went out that night?”

  “No.”

  Frankie pulled out the photograph of the buttons. “Do these buttons look like the ones on your blouse?”

  Sarah picked up the photograph and looked at the buttons. “I think so.”

  “Here’s a photograph of the earring we recovered. Do you recognize it?” Frankie asked.

  Sarah surprised Frankie and pulled an earring from her purse. It was a perfect match to the one in the photograph. “Yeah, it’s the match to this one.”

  Frankie took a deep breath and said, “Now I need to show you some photographs from the ATM. Since they are still photos, and there is no audio, I need you to explain to me what is happening in each one.”

  Frankie laid out the photographs of the side of the car.

  “That’s the second car he had me in. You can sort of see his reflection.”

  Frankie laid out the photographs of Tre.

  “That’s when he was asking me what my PIN was.”

  Frankie laid out the photographs of Sarah leaning over Tre inputting her PIN.

  “That’s me putting my PIN into the ATM and withdrawing cash. You can sort of see that I’m saying ‘help me’ in that photo.”

  Frankie laid out the photographs of Sarah touching Tre’s face and kissing him.

  Sarah gasped and said, “Oh my gosh. That looks terrible.”

  “Can you explain what we’re looking at?” Frankie gently prodded.

  Sarah picked up the first photograph, then the second, and then the third. Softly she explained, “He was starting to act like he might let me go. He didn’t seem as angry so I was trying to appease him. After I couldn’t get the money out the second time I was afraid he was going to get mean again. I asked him what he wanted me to do. He jutted his chin out, tapped the side of his cheek, and said, ‘you know what you have to do.’ So, I kissed him on the cheek.”

  “Can you explain why you were touching his face?”

  Sarah put the photographs back on the table, “No. I think it was just a reflex. Like I said, he acted like he was going to let me go. I was just trying to keep him from getting angry again.”

  Frankie nodded, satisfied with Sarah’s answers. “Are you ready to go see if you can identify the house and at least one of the gas stations?”

  Sarah nodded.

  Chapter 59

  Frankie and Mia drove Sarah back to the Westport area. She showed them where she had been standing when Tre approached her and the direction he took in his car. They drove around and tried to find the parking lot where she first tried to escape, but Sarah was unsure of her surroundings.

  They chatted amiably on the drive to Aurelia’s neighborhood. As they got closer Frankie said, “I’m not going to stop at any houses. I’m going to drive around the block and if you recognize the house you were taken to, I want you to point it out.”

  Sarah nodded and carefully appraised the houses while they drove. When they approached Aurelia’s house she said, “I think that’s it. That one over there. He pulled in the driveway and parked around back. I remember there being a small stoop at the back door.”

  “Great. Now we’re going to drive around where one of the 9-1-1 calls originated from. If you recognize the gas station where Tre stopped, please point it out.”

  Before they could see the first car in the lot Sarah said, “That’s the gas station. It’s where that clerk was and where he tried to kick the bathroom door in.”

  “Good. Good.”

  Frankie continued to drive around, but Sarah wasn’t able to identify the other gas station. Their last stop was in the area of the ATM. Sarah’s gaze followed the highway, moving from side to side. As they approached an exit she said, “That’s the exit he took to go to the ATM. I remember the QT sign.”

  Frankie turned and as they neared a stop light Sarah said, “Turn right. I think it’s…there it is. Ther
e’s the ATM.”

  “Excellent. I’m going to take some photographs while we’re here, okay? You can stay in the car.”

  When Frankie was finished they returned to police headquarters to drop Sarah back at her car.

  Chapter 60

  Gina stood in the bus stop shelter, trying to stay out of the cold wind. She looked at her watch. The bus should be there soon. Gina didn’t notice the black car with tinted windows slowing down as it approached where she was standing.

  The car came to a stop in front of Gina. The passenger window lowered about a third of the way and a man’s voice asked, “Need a ride?”

  Gina looked at the car and squinted her eyes, trying to see who was driving, “Sean?”

  A grunt came from inside the car. Gina opened the door and sat down. The car was moving when she looked over and realized it wasn’t her son’s friend Sean in the driver’s seat.

  “Who are you?”

  “How much?”

  “How much for what?” Gina knew what he wanted but she wasn’t a working girl.

  “Pussy.”

  “Let me out. I ain’t no whore.”

  “You ain’t going nowhere.” The man appeared to drive aimlessly, making a series of turns off the main streets.

  “Let me out. I can find you what you want if you just let me out.”

  He pulled the car to a stop in an alley. “Shut up and get in the back.”

  Gina tried to open the door but the automatic lock was engaged. “Let me out!”

  Brandishing a handgun, the man growled, “I said get in the back.”

  With some difficulty Gina climbed over the seat into the back. The man got out of the front and opened the back door. He grabbed her feet and pulled her down. She kicked and squirmed but he was strong. His steely eyes bore into hers. Gina was terrified.

  “What the…?” He recoiled from the warmth of where Gina urinated in the seat.

  Gina used his surprise and pulled on the car door handle by her head but it wouldn’t open. The car was still running so she pressed the button to open the window. With the window lowered Gina reached outside and pulled the door handle. The door flung open. Gina’s legs were bent, with her knees pulled close to her chest. She extended her legs and pushed the man off of her. She scooted backwards out of the car and ran. Gina heard the footsteps behind her but didn’t look back.

  “Bitch this ain’t over.”

  Gina felt a thick arm around her waist as they fell in a heap onto the ground. The fall knocked the air out of her. On the ground, Gina kept reaching forward, trying to get away. The man began to punch her body. Gina’s hands went up to protect her face, but it was to no avail. He didn’t stop hitting her until she lay there unconscious. Satisfied, he got back into the car, leaving her broken and battered body on the side of the road.

  Chapter 61

  The phone was ringing when Frankie and Mia walked into the office. “I’ve got it Sarge. Sex Crimes Detective Thomas.”

  “It’s Mac.”

  “What do you have Mac?”

  “I’m pretty sure Sawyer is at it again. A lady was standing at the bus stop when this guy pulled up and offered her a ride. She said she thought he was a friend of her son’s so she got into the car. When she got inside he propositioned her. She told him to let her out because she ‘ain’t no whore.’ He flipped out. He took her to an alley and tried to rape her. When she tried to get out of the car the back door wouldn’t open. She got so scared she pissed herself. Literally. Eventually she got the window down and opened the door from the outside and ran. He chased after her and beat her up pretty good Frankie. Ambulance is taking her to County.”

  “Do you have a scene?”

  “Just where he beat her up. She said everything else happened in the car but it’s gone.”

  “What kind of car was it?”

  “She thinks it was a black 4-door with tinted windows. She didn’t get a plate. Doesn’t he drive a silver or tan car?”

  “Yeah, but we have his car at the garage. He may have a rental.”

  “Balls.”

  “Yeah. Mia and I’ll be out soon.”

  Mia looked at Frankie and said, “I guess it’s too much to hope for us to have a quiet night to catch up on reports.”

  “I guess so. Looks like Sawyer might be at it again.”

  “Are you freaking kidding me? Don’t we still have his car?”

  Frankie nodded and shared what she had learned from Mac.

  “I say we run by his house and see what he’s driving these days. Then, if this girl is up for it, we drive her by his house and see if she recognizes the car.”

  Mia grabbed her bag and asked, “Want me to drive?”

  “Yeah, that would be great.”

  Frankie grabbed her coat and followed Mia to the car. Minutes later they were heading south on 71 Highway toward Sawyer’s house. Mia parked about a block away while Frankie kept a look out for Sawyer.

  “Check it out,” yelled Frankie. “Do you see it?”

  “Yep, I do,” said Mia.

  Parked next to his house on the side of the road was a black 4-door car.

  “How much do you wanna bet the inside of that car smells like urine?” asked Frankie.

  “That’s a fool’s bet.”

  “1061 start a car to 73rd and Wabash.”

  “244, we’ll head that way.”

  “Copy. 244 out with 1061 at 2115 hours.”

  Frankie grabbed her camera, opened the door and said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Mia watched Frankie cautiously make her way to a tree across from Sawyer’s house. From behind the tree she snapped a couple of photographs then made her way back to the car.

  “These aren’t frame-worthy but hopefully they’re good enough this gal can identify the car.”

  Moments later Shane and Stick were parked next to Frankie and Mia with lowered windows.

  “Last time you guys went to this house you called us off. What’s the plan this time?” teased Shane.

  Frankie said, “Looks like he may have done it again; this time in a rental. The suspect car is parked on the street. We’re going to go talk to the victim in the hospital and show her a picture of the car. We need you guys to watch the house and make sure he doesn’t leave. Assuming she identifies him and the car, we’ll tow it to be processed and snatch him up. Again.”

  Chapter 62

  Tre sat in the parking lot across from the Fast Stop. Watching. Waiting. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the store this busy. But he was patient. Cheyenne was working but Tre didn’t want anyone to see him go inside. He didn’t want any witnesses. That bitch wasn’t going to get away with ratting him out.

  Cheyenne looked up from the register when the door dinged signaling another customer. Startled she said, “Oh, hey Tre. How’ve you been?”

  Tre walked around the store and made sure no one was inside. Once he was certain they were alone, he pulled his gun and pointed it at her.

  “Get your traitor ass out from behind the counter.”

  “Tre, what’s going on? I thought we were friends. You need money? It’s been a good night. I can give you the money out of the drawer – whatever you want. Come on man, you don’t want to do this.”

  Tre paused, his eyebrows knit together in question, “Grab what’s in the drawer and the safe.”

  “I can’t get into the safe but I haven’t made a drop tonight so there’s a lot of money in the drawer. At least $500.”

  “Get it, then get your ass around the counter.” Tre waved his gun while issuing directions.

  Cheyenne opened the drawer to the register and hit the button that would send a silent alarm to the police department. She prayed silently the police would get there in time. Tre watched her grab the money and put it into a paper liquor bag. Gesturing with the gun he ordered her out of the store.

  “Where are you taking me Tre?”

  “We’re going for a ride.”

  “Why don’t we go to my place.
It’s close. We can have a drink and talk.”

  “I’m done talking bitch. Get in the car. Now.”

  Cheyenne looked around. A police car was driving in their direction. She started to raise her hands to flag the car down but caught a glimpse of the gun out of the corner of her eye and lowered her hands. Cheyenne got into the passenger side of the car and started to pray. Tre tore out of the parking lot onto 75th street and drove east towards the highway.

  Moments later lights were flashing and sirens were wailing behind the car. Gun still in hand, Tre hit the steering wheel.

  “What the fuck did you do?”

  “I didn’t do nothing Tre. I promise. Just pull over. I’ll tell them I went with you on my own. I’ll tell them I gave you the money. Whatever you want me to say I’ll say.”

  Ignoring her pleas, Tre drove faster, turning north onto Prospect. The police car followed, shrinking the distance between them. Soon there were two cars, then a patrol wagon, behind them. Tre was familiar with the terrain and navigated the streets fearlessly. He approached Emmanuel Cleaver II Blvd and turned east but didn’t take into account for the recent moisture on the streets when he accelerated. The rear of the car began to fishtail on a patch of black ice. Tre gripped the steering wheel, attempting to maintain control, but the car began to spin. Cheyenne wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Her tiny body bounced inside the car, much like the silver ball inside a pinball machine. When the car came to a violent stop, wrapped around a light pole, Cheyenne’s body lay crumpled on the passenger floorboard. Tre’s face rested against the side of the steering wheel. A sharp object penetrated his eye socket.

  Chapter 63

  Frankie walked through the emergency department doors and marched into the room of Sawyer’s latest victim. She stopped cold at the sight of the woman lying on the bed. Her eyes were swollen and blood was caked around her mouth and purple bruises were starting to form on her cheeks. Finger-like red marks encircled her neck.