by C. M. Sutter
Mandy did as she was told.
Alice hid behind the door with a hammer in her hand. She whispered across the room to Mandy, “Act like you’re doing something when they walk in, and don’t look at me.”
Mandy nodded and busied herself with the crimping tool.
The sound of voices closed in on the workshop. Alice waited, pressed tightly behind the door. She lifted the hammer above her head, ready to crush David’s skull, and watched as the doorknob turned. Her eyes darted from Mandy to the door. Alice saw Mariah through the space where the hinges connected the door to the doorframe. She knew which side Mariah was standing on. The back of a man’s head appeared directly in front of her. The heavy thud of metal against bone sounded as Alice swung hard and fast. David dropped to his knees and fell forward. His face hit the cement floor.
“See what I said? A child could pull this off. Help me get him up on the workbench before he comes to.”
Mandy, Mariah, and Alice lifted the man. They were thankful he wasn’t overweight.
“Okay, put each hand in a vise. Make sure you crank them good and tight. I don’t want him wiggling out. Mandy, go fetch some duct tape. That will help. Wrap it around his hands and the vises twice.”
“What should I do?” Mariah asked.
“Find some safety glasses and load a long drill bit into your daddy’s drill. After that, run into the house and change into something old. You need to get that dress off, now hurry.”
Mandy secured David’s hands in the vises with the tape. He began to moan, and blood from the back of his head was spreading across the workbench.
“Mama, he’s getting the workbench dirty.”
“Oh for Pete’s sake, we forgot to lay a plastic tarp down first. Go find one, quick. I don’t want to ruin Daddy’s workbench.”
Mandy disappeared into the storage room and returned with a plastic drop cloth.
“How’s this?”
“That’s perfect. Let’s get it under him before he wakes up and starts fighting us.”
Mariah entered the workshop, wearing a tattered T-shirt and torn shorts. She ran to Mandy’s side to help.
“I’ll lift his shoulders while you place the drop cloth under him.” She ran around the workbench, lifting each side of David so they could lay the cloth flat.
Alice instructed the girls to duct tape his body to the bench so he couldn’t squirm.
“Get him taped down good and tight. Do his head and mouth too.”
Mariah slapped her hands together and wore a confident smile. “All done, Mama. I don’t think he can move one inch. We did a good job.”
Alice scanned the room. “Now, where are those safety glasses?”
Mariah pointed at the table saw. “Right there.”
“Okay, put them on. This is going to get messy.”
Alice unbuttoned David’s black dress shirt and spread it apart so the drill wouldn’t choke out from the tangled material. She picked up the drill and leaned over him.
His eyes popped open, and fear spread across his face. He tried to scream through the duct tape, but all they heard were muffled sounds as Alice bore down on the left side of his chest with the spinning drill bit. Chunks of flesh, bone, and blood sprayed across the room. His body arched stiffly, then slumped, as soon as the drill bit pierced his heart.
Alice pressed the reverse button to back the drill out. She set it down next to the body and took off the safety glasses. She cleaned them with a shop rag and put them back on.
“Turn his head to the side.”
Mariah grasped David’s face between her hands and turned it. “He’s looking at me, Mama.”
“He can’t actually see you, honey. Close his eyelids. You’ll be fine.” Alice plunged the drill into his right temple and then his left. Chunks of skin tissue, bone, and brain matter sprayed out. “There, that should do it.” She wiped bits of residue off her face and spat on the floor. “Apparently, he didn’t need that brain, anyway. It doesn’t seem like he used it much. We’re going to have to wait until dark to get rid of him. Let’s clean up and dump his car somewhere. Did you girls take Daddy’s art to the post office and ship it?”
Mariah answered for both of them, “Yes, Mama, we did it earlier while you were napping. The payment was already posted. It’s in Daddy’s online account.”
“Good girl. We’re going to have to get more of his work posted on the website. That money will hold us over for some time.”
Chapter 15
I dropped into the chair and elevated my foot on the ottoman as soon as I got home. Sometimes it bothered me, and sometimes it didn’t. It depended on how much walking I did. We struck out with our dentists, and Billings and Clayton came up empty too. I told Horbeck and Jamison to let us know if they got any leads after the broadcast.
“Jade, do you want a beer?”
“I’d kill for a beer right now. Thanks, hon.”
Amber cracked open two beer bottles and handed me one. “Foot bothering you?”
“Yeah, too much walking today, I guess.” I took a long, deep swig of my brew. “Man that’s good.”
She grinned. “So nothing popped on this dead guy yet?”
“Nope. Jamison and Horbeck are answering phones tonight, that is, if anyone calls with a lead. I hope it was an isolated incident. Lately, it seems that Washburn County is the new hotspot for murders and dumpsites. What gives with that, anyway?”
“No clue, but it sucks. All this nonsense is giving our sleepy little community a bad name. What do you want for dinner?”
“Surprise me.”
“Okay, I’ll make spaghetti and garlic bread.”
I laughed. “Wow… that was about the shortest surprise I’ve ever had.”
After our delicious dinner, Amber and I settled in on the couch with our favorite crime series and a glass of wine. I kept one eye on the clock. I’d switch over to the news at ten.
The vibrating phone lying in my lap woke me. I needed a second to get my bearings. I looked to my right and saw Amber sound asleep on the other side of the couch. The clock above the TV showed it was close to eleven o’clock.
“Jamison?” My mouth felt dry and parched as I said his name. I must have been sleeping with it open.
“Hey, Jade, you sound like a frog. Were you asleep?”
I rose from the couch and quietly pushed the slider open. Outside on the deck, I cleared my throat and began speaking. “Yeah, I fell asleep and missed the segment. Has anyone called yet?”
“Only a handful of people, but one caller sounded legit.”
“Really, what did they say?”
“It was a guy that lives in Madison. He said the sketch reminded him of a man that went to his church a few years back. If this is the same guy, the caller said they always had a prayer service after the sermon, and this man often raised his hand and asked the congregation to pray for his wife, Alice. Apparently, she was in the hospital for months, but he didn’t say why. Teenage twin daughters were always at his side.”
I sat down in one of the deck chairs and looked out at the darkened woods. The night was still warm, and I could hear nocturnal animals rustling about beyond my field of vision, probably raccoons.
“Did you get a last name for this family?”
“Nah—he didn’t know them personally. All he knew was the guy’s first name, which was Dean. I have the caller’s information, though.”
“Good. I’ll give him a ring tomorrow. Maybe he’ll remember a little more with some prodding. For all we know, he could be mistaken, but we have to follow up with every lead. Anything else?”
“Nothing with merit. We’re recording all the calls that come in, though.”
“Okay, thanks, Jamison, I’ll talk to you in the morning.” I went inside, locked the slider, and woke Amber. “Come on, Sis. I’m shutting everything down. It’s time for bed.”
Chapter 16
“But I thought you didn’t want anybody to find these men, Mama.”
“Shhh…
keep your voice down, Mandy. I’ve changed my mind,” Alice whispered. “I want to show the world what happens to men that betray their marital bed. David can’t be traced back to us like Daddy could, that’s why we didn’t bother chopping off his fingers.”
“The news showed a drawing of Daddy’s face. They’ve already found him.” Mariah adjusted her grip under David’s armpit as they carried him. “How much farther? He’s getting heavy.”
“We’re almost there, now keep your voices down.”
They entered the track field at the university on the outskirts of town and headed toward the bleachers. With no houses nearby, the area was dark and quiet. At night, the outdoor floodlights wouldn’t go on again until the football season started in a few weeks. Alice was certain David would be found soon. The school groundskeepers were on a full-time schedule now that classes had resumed a few days ago.
“Here we are, so be careful and don’t drop him. We’re going halfway up and laying him on the bleachers.”
Mandy groaned as she began the slow ascent. “Why can’t we leave him at the bottom?”
“Because we want him to be seen from a distance. Now shush and get moving, and don’t trip.”
At the tenth step, Alice stopped. “This is far enough. Now scoot in and lay him on the bench seat.”
With David lying flat on the seat, Alice crossed his arms over his chest and made sure he was balanced. She didn’t want him to fall off the narrow metal bench.
“Okay, let’s go.” Alice led the way back to the truck hidden behind the maintenance shed.
“Aren’t the cops going to be confused?” Mandy asked.
“About what?” Alice got in and turned the key in the ignition.
“Because David is here and his car is across town at an apartment parking lot.”
“I’m not going to do their job for them,” Alice huffed. “Let them earn their paycheck.”
She glanced at the illuminated green numbers on the digital clock. “It’s late, and we still have to clean up the workshop. Tomorrow we’ll go to Goodwill and get more work clothes.”
Chapter 17
With a dozen doughnuts and a jumbo coffee from the Pit-Stop gas station, I climbed back into my Mustang and continued the last few miles to work. As long as my bathroom scale didn’t show a significant jump in my weight, I’d bring those sugary treats to work twice a week.
I saw Jack’s car ahead of me, ready to turn left. Even though I was impressed that he was getting to work earlier than usual, I blasted my horn behind him, anyway. He had plenty of time to turn between oncoming cars, but apparently he needed a little prodding. Knowing Jack, he fell asleep at the wheel while waiting to turn. I saw him jump, look at me through the rearview mirror, then flip me off.
I followed him into the parking lot and pulled in alongside him.
“You’re a laugh a minute, Monroe,” Jack said when he climbed out of his parked car.
I chuckled. “What? Did I startle you awake again?”
“Whatever.” He grinned when he saw the box of doughnuts. “You’re a woman after my own heart.”
“And you’re narcoleptic. Did you get a call from Jamison last night?”
“Yeah, let’s go see what he has to say. I’ll carry the doughnuts.”
“Not on your life. I want there to be a few left when I set them out.”
We entered the building and said good morning to Jan.
“It’s hell in there.”
“What does that mean?” Jack asked.
“A call came in from the university a few minutes ago. It’s bad.”
I punched the security code into the pad next to the door, and we entered a frenzied bull pen. I dropped the box of doughnuts on the table in the back and asked what was going on.
Clark waved us into his office.
“What the hell is happening, boss?”
“Another body, and by the description, it’s as gruesome as the first. Lena is there, and Jason is on his way. I called Kyle and Dan at home and told them to get here quick. They left with their equipment ten minutes ago. Jamison and Horbeck are putting in overtime, and we have deputies onsite already. We’re heading out in a minute, so grab whatever you need now. We might be there for a while.”
“Where was the body found?” Jack asked.
“All I know is a groundskeeper called it in.” Clark looked at his watch. “Classes begin in fifteen minutes. The deputies are cordoning off the area. I don’t want to panic anyone, but I don’t want hundreds of students disrupting our crime scene, either. Jade, you and Jack go find an administrator to talk to. I’m thinking they should close school for the day. Try to convince them.”
“We’re on it, boss.”
Jack and I got our notepads and pens from our desks. We each grabbed a doughnut as we headed to the door. Jamison and Horbeck did the same.
“Who knows when we’ll eat next,” Jamison said as we rushed out.
I called out to Clark as we headed to the door, “We’ll meet you there, Lieutenant.”
He nodded and waved us on.
Clayton and Billings pulled into the parking lot as the four of us exited the building.
“What’s going on?” Billings asked as he got out and closed the car door behind him.
“Another body. Clark is still inside—see where he wants you guys. We’re heading out.”
“Where to?”
I looked back at Clayton as we climbed into a cruiser. “The university.”
My nerves kicked in as Jack drove. I slugged down my coffee and thought about Amber.
“This is such crap, Jack.”
“You’re thinking about Amber, aren’t you?” He looked at me, and concern furrowed his forehead.
“Can you blame me? I hope this incident doesn’t set off bad memories with her after that attack she experienced a while back. She’s been so strong and doesn’t talk about it anymore.”
“She knows a body was found a few days ago, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, of course, but it wasn’t found at her school. I want her to feel safe.”
Jack reached across the console and squeezed my hand. “She’s tough, Jade. This is going to affect all the students and faculty, not only Amber. It isn’t personal.”
“I know, but I want to protect her.”
Jack turned left onto University Drive. We had two blocks to go. I could already see the parked cruisers and the coroner’s van ahead. “You can’t protect her forever. Pretty soon she’ll be in law enforcement herself. Then it will be her job to protect people. She’s going to need some room to spread her wings. It isn’t your job to hover over her.”
“Tough Love 101?”
Jack smiled. “Nah—just a little food for thought.”
We pulled up to the curb behind the coroner’s van. Jamison and Horbeck parked behind us. I knew the school—it was my alma mater.
“Where do we go?” Jack asked.
“Follow me. I know where the administrative offices are. There has to be one dean in particular that calls the shots.”
We entered through an enormous walnut-paneled foyer with coffered ceilings. There were hallways going to the left, right, and straight ahead. Things looked a little different than how I remembered them. The fastest way to get the information we needed was to ask the first person we saw that wasn’t a student.
“Over here.” I pointed at the first office down the long corridor to the right. It was the admissions office. We entered through the glass door.
“Excuse me.” I flashed my badge at the woman behind the counter. We didn’t have time for professional courtesies. In our opinion, the school should be closed for the day. Chances were, not many people knew the reason we were there yet. “I need to know who the top dog is and where to find that person.”
The woman stood. A name badge pinned to her blouse had Penny L. written across it. “The dean of students and the dean of faculty are equal, ma’am.”
“Good, we’d like to speak to both of them
, and we need to do it now. Can you lead us to their offices?”
The woman’s face went from Friendly Frances to Nervous Nelly in a split second. “Certainly, right this way. Elizabeth, watch the counter until I come back.”
She continued down the same corridor we were in. Jack and I followed a few steps behind her. We made one right turn and two lefts before we came to the administrative wing. She knocked on the first door to our right, which was the dean of students’ office. Somebody from the other side called out to enter. We walked in behind Penny.
“Sir, there are two detectives from the sheriff’s department here to speak with you.”
He stood, finished the call he was on, and hung up his desk phone. He reached out to shake our hands and introduced himself as Martin Simpson, dean of students. His face looked agonized.
“Thank you, Penny. Please close the door behind you.”
“Sir, I’m Sergeant Jade Monroe, and my partner here is Detective Jack Steele. We don’t have time to beat around the bush. You are aware of the situation that’s going on outside right now, am I correct?”
“Yes, Sergeant, you are. I was just told about it.”
“Good. We need to keep the campus from going into a full-tilt panic, and we need to preserve our crime scene. I don’t want to see five hundred pictures from cell phones going viral on the Internet. Do you get my drift, sir?”
“Yes, of course. What can I do to help?”
“First off, where are the cameras located on the campus? I noticed a few when we walked in.”
“The large interior areas have cameras, such as the cafeteria, sports center, library, theater, and the entrances and exits.”
“What about outside?”
“That would be the parking lot and the main entrances to each building, Sergeant.”
Jack spoke up. “There aren’t any cameras at the sports fields?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have stationary cameras out there. During events, there are so many cameras running already, they’ve always been enough.”
“Can you get somebody to pull the feed from whatever outdoor cameras you have? We’ll need a copy for our technical guys.”