“We’ve got a husband who’s mourning his wife, but can’t give her a proper funeral until he knows that his life and that of his twin boys are no longer in trouble. I have a John Doe and I want his family found, like yesterday. But we can’t because I have an ADA who’s sitting on her ass spinning in circles waiting to see which case will most benefit her reputation; a double homicide or her drug sting.”
“What’s going on here?” Sergeant Owen asked, joining them.
“Diamond’s gone. It was my fault, Sarge, I didn’t specify to my partner that she was not to leave the building.”
Sarge rocked on his heels. “Mills, I strongly suggest that you follow Lily’s lead in this investigation.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Lily, did Diamond tell you where she was going?” Sarge asked.
“Canada.”
“Get on the phone. Call the airport in Madison and see if she’s booked a ticket. I’ll call Jefferson County and state patrol to see if they’ll assist. The only highway from here that I can think of is Highway 12.” Sarge did an about face and left.
Lily glared at Jeremiah. “Are you going to tell me what just happened here?”
Jeremiah shook his head and slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Fantastic. So the bad boy from Milwaukee has nothing to say. You’ve been running your mouth since the day we met. Now the spotlight is on you, you want to shut down.” Heat flushed through Lily’s body. “Did you take a good look at Diamond’s face?”
Jeremiah put his head down.
“You better hope that I find Diamond before Mikey does. Jerk.” Lily stalked out of the room.
*
Mikey scooted down in the driver’s seat of his SUV as Diamond left the police station. He pushed the phone icon on the screen and listened as the second ring ended. Pop picked up.
“Get back to the club. I’ll take care of the rest.”
*
8:15 a.m.
It was a little after eight in the morning as Diamond sped five miles over the limit along the winding road of Highway 12, checking her side mirror every two seconds as she pressed to put as much distance as possible between her and the city of Fort Atkinson.
Talk radio about the latest celebrity gossip filled the inside of the Subaru BRZ. Diamond down-shifted the sports car to third as she entered the small town of Cambridge. At least I got the letters to the cops. I hope whatever’s in that box leads them to Ariel’s killer. If I can make it to the border, I’ll be safe.
Diamond’s thoughts drifted as she passed gift stores with flashing Christmas lights hanging in the windows. This was it. She was leaving the life of escorting and drugs. Seeing Mikey doing time behind bars for the things he’s done probably wasn’t going to happen.
Just up ahead, a young male jogger slowed down at the corner and mingled with several other pedestrians. As Diamond pulled to a stop, she waited for the people to cross. A few seconds later, screams erupted from the crowd and they bolted back to the sidewalk.
Diamond glanced up at her rearview mirror.
A black SUV closed in like a rollercoaster coming out of a turn, headed downhill.
The engine roared over the dull hum of the tires.
Fear grappled with Diamond as she reached for the stick shift. She held her breath and braced.
Smack!
The sudden impact pushed Diamond’s car into the intersection, forcing her foot off the clutch. Manic energy rushed through Diamond’s body as the car stalled. She turned the key ignition and shifted furiously through the gears to gain speed. I need to get the hell out of here.
Tires squealed.
Diamond took a quick look in the mirror. It was blacked out by the huge grille of the truck barreling at her like a missile who’d found its target.
Slam!
Diamond’s car jerked forward, sending her into the opposite lane. She swerved to the right, struggling to maintain control of her car as she passed the deadened cornfields – brown spikes and low lying ditches.
Gravel churned up into the wheel wells, slowing her down.
“Help me!”
Diamond fought the steering wheel, trying to avoid the edge of the road near a trench filled with water.
Smack. Again and again.
The rear wheels skidded, sliding sideways. The black truck came into view as the passenger side tires hit the gravel edge of the road. The Subaru rolled onto its side as Diamond’s head struck the side window.
A wave of blurry vision overcame Diamond as pain wracked her body. She put her hands out in front of her, feeling remnants of shattered glass and blood. The pain in her body increased with every movement.
Please God, don’t let me die. “Help me,” Diamond screamed.
Winds gusted and water trickled in above Diamond’s head.
Voices faded as Diamond’s world went black.
*
“Lil,” Evan said, coming into Lily’s cubicle. “Just got a call from Nick. Diamond Reese was in an auto accident. Her injuries are severe and they don’t think she’s going to make it.”
An ache formed in Lily’s chest. “Did Nick respond to the call?”
“Yep.”
“And it wasn’t just an accident?” Lily said standing.
“Witnesses saw a black Tahoe ram the back of Diamond’s car five times. It left the scene.”
“Is there an alert out for the vehicle?”
“Yes.”
“Did they take Diamond to Fort or Madison for care?”
“Fort.”
Lily made her way to the stairwell. “Tell Jeremiah to meet me at the hospital.”
“Uh, he’s in with Sarge. Do you want me to back you up?”
Lily looked down the hall leading to Sarge’s office. She wasn’t sure what Jeremiah’s intentions were for letting Diamond go, but a trickle of guilt about what happened to Diamond started to seep in. If Lily had been more authoritative about not allowing Diamond to leave, she probably wouldn’t be lying in a hospital. “No. Get that video about the accident released to the media. See if we can get help from the public.”
“I’ll get on it right now.”
“Call or text if you hear about the Tahoe.”
On the short drive over to the hospital, irritation set in as Lily pondered what she could have done differently to protect her witness. The last minute instructions and decisions given to Jeremiah were important. Lily couldn’t understand what would possess Jeremiah to ignore her requests. Lily’s insides quivered.
“To serve and protect” was something Lily firmly believed in. It was hard enough to get witnesses to come forward out of fear of retaliation. Had she failed another person she’d promised to protect? Should she have done something differently? Just how dark was the history between Diamond and Jeremiah? Why did Jeremiah ignore Lily’s instructions?
The corridors of the trauma unit at Fort Memorial Hospital were hectic as nurses and doctors rushed about caring for their patients. Green wreaths with white-tipped pine cones hung on the walls above over-sized stockings filled with stuffed miniature dolls. Lily flashed her badge at the intake nurse and walked through the doors.
Lily continued straight, passing curtained off rooms. A tall male dressed in scrubs exited one of them and spoke with a uniformed officer who pointed in Lily’s direction.
The man walked up to Lily. “Detective. I’m Dr. Upton.”
“How is Diamond?”
“She has sustained multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, and a fractured spine. During the x-rays, we found that her shoulder capsule had been chipped. It’s minor compared to her other injuries. We’re doing everything we can to keep her comfortable.”
“Is she going to make it?”
“We’ll see how her scans read in a couple of hours.”
“Is she awake? Can I talk to her?”
The doctor placed his stethoscope around his neck. “I’ve sedated Ms. Reese. She’s in and out of consciousness. Don’t push. I need her to
rest.”
“Thank you,” Lily said, stepping behind the curtain.
Diamond looked over at her arm in a sling and raised her free hand to touch the bandages wrapped around her head.
Multiple scratches and bruises covered Diamond’s swollen face. One eye was partially closed as tears escaped from the other, landing on her pillow.
Lily moved closer to the hospital bed.
It reminded her of the day her former partner, Morgan, was shot and brought to Fort Memorial where she laid just a few rooms down from this one.
“I should’ve stayed,” Diamond cried.
“Shh. Your doctor wants you to remain calm. I need you to use what strength you have to help answer questions so I can go after the bastard that hit you. Do you still trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to record this interview. Is that all right?”
“Yes.”
Lily pulled out her phone and clicked the camera icon. “Did you see who was in the vehicle that hit you?”
“No.”
“Can you think of anything else that you haven’t told us since Ariel’s murder?”
Diamond swiped at the tears. “I knew Ariel was a cop coming in. She downplayed it and hid it well, but after we got busted for the drugs, Mikey, and the family got suspicious. Even though she had taken the heat and did time, Ariel had to prove herself to them. So Mikey pushed Ariel to work the stage on the weekends, including a few escort jobs that took her out of town for a couple of days.
“That’s about the time Ariel started throwing parties to show Mikey that she was one of us. A few days before she was killed, she asked me if she was going to end up like the other girl that was murdered in Lake Koshkonong.
“I told Ariel that I knew she was vice and if she wanted to survive, to leave that night. She left but came back an hour after her second shift started. When I asked her why she came back, she told me it was too late for her.
“Ariel received a customer request for a date and she took it. But during work, she texted me and told me she was scared and needed to see me. I went to check on her at a place called the Shell Lake Club. While I was there, she pulled me to the side and told me about the letters and where she had them hidden. She wanted me to be sure that I turned them over to the police.”
“Did she tell you why she was scared?”
“I didn’t ask. I thought it had to do with everything that had been going on at the club. All of the girls were scared to do any of the escort jobs.”
“Was that the only date Ariel was on that night?”
“Yes. After she was done, she called and asked me to meet her at Groeler Road Landing underneath the Highway 26 Bridge so she could give me the club’s take from what she made that night. She never showed.”
“All this time you remained firm that Mikey didn’t kill Ariel. At least tell me the last person who was with Ariel. Help me, Diamond, please.”
“Dan. He’s a regular at the club. He requested Ariel to escort him to a couple events.”
“Do you know Dan’s last name?”
“No.”
The same doctor that had spoken with Lily entered the room along with a nurse. “I need to check on my patient, Detective.”
Lily placed her hand in Diamond’s, squeezed, and walked out.
A text beeped across Lily’s phone. It was Evan’s friend, Gus Shaw. “I found what you needed and more. Can you meet me at McGinley’s?”
Lily wrote back. “Leaving the hospital now.”
She broke into a jog as she neared the double doors, looked down to put her phone in her pocket, and collided with a woman entering the building. “Excuse me.”
The woman smiled. “No problem.” She stared at Lily for a second. “Forgive me for staring, but you look familiar.”
As Lily inspected the stranger with dark hair and brown eyes, she felt a sense of nostalgia. She reminded Lily of her cousin. “So do you.” Lily laughed, “I just can’t place you.”
“Maybe we—”
Lily’s phone vibrated in her pocket. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” She answered her phone, proceeded through the doors of the emergency room and out to the parking lot. “Jeremiah, I’m meeting Gus Shaw at McGinley’s. Good. I’ll see you there.”
*
10:36 a.m.
Fifteen minutes later, Lily buzzed through the doors of McGinley’s and found a seat at the bar next to Gus Shaw, Evan’s friend of fourteen years.
She’d met Gus twice during her relationship with Evan. Once on a double date and the second time at her and Evan’s engagement dinner. During those meetings, Gus appeared to be a straight forward guy who smoked like a chimney and was happy to see his best friend settle down.
Gus scarfed down the remaining of his sandwich, wiped his hands on a napkin and handed Lily a manila folder. “I had to dust off my contact book to get you what you asked for, and I hit pay dirt. But first, your victim. Ariel Weeks AKA Jasmine Brooks was an undercover cop for a year until her death. She was in the Special Investigations Unit for Vice. The club, On The Edge, was providing escort services which included drugs and sex with co-eds twenty and younger.”
Lily skimmed police reports, mug, and surveillance photos and found the one of the girl killed in Lake Koshkonong. She locked in on Venus’s date of birth. Venus was sixteen when she started working at the club.
“This sleazeball,” Gus said, pointing to a photo of a clean-shaven male. “He was popped trolling for underage girls in an online chat room and setting up a meeting with one of them. Eventually, he broke down and asked for a deal. In return, he provided information about the club and told all that he knew.
“During their search, cops found pictures on his phone of one girl who worked at the club.”
Lily held up the picture of Venus. “The witness who was supposed to testify.”
“Yes ma’am,” Gus said, pushing his plate to the side. “I spoke with Venus’s parents early this morning. She was a runaway and had just turned eighteen.”
“They had to know how old she was.”
Gus nodded. “Ariel’s assignment was to get in and get enough info and verify if it was true.”
“Ariel was a U.C. for one year. Isn’t that pushing the edge of deep undercover?”
Gus adjusted his DEA baseball cap. “True. But it turns out that two weeks into Ariel’s investigation, she got caught in the middle of a raid headed by the DEA and in order not to blow her cover, she had to keep quiet.
“It wasn’t until days later that she was able to reach out to her handler.”
“But aren’t tabs kept on an undercover during an investigation?”
Gus nodded. “And it’s not uncommon for agents to go underground. Especially if things get hot. It’s a way to appease doubting targets and gain credibility. The male found in the front seat of the Mercedes was Liam Alden. Agent Liam Alden.”
“My John Doe was also a U.C.?”
Gus leaned back in his chair. “Yes. Liam was the lead and Ariel came in second. The undercover team set up so that it looked like they were a couple working at the club. That was their cover. Liam and I went back ten years. Everything you’ll need to make the notification is in the file.”
“Were you able to find out who was Ariel’s handler?”
“Yep and you’re not going to like it.”
“Of course I’m not. Who was it?”
“Ms. Walters.”
Lily sighed, spun the bar stool around and leaned back against the bar. Ibee. “Are you certain?”
“So says my little flash drive,” Gus said, handing Lily a memory stick.
“Is it bad?”
“Bad enough. There could be some serious repercussions if that video falls into the wrong hands.”
“Gotcha.” Lily dropped the flash drive in the breast pocket of her blazer. “Thanks for helping me out.”
“Anytime. And tell Evan to give me a jingle. I’m staking first claim as his best man at you guys’ wedding.”
Lily’s cheeks warmed. “I think you’re a little ahead of schedule. Evan hasn’t even proposed to me yet.”
“I’m not ahead of schedule, you’re behind. He’s asked you before and will ask you again. Evan’s being a gentleman, waiting for you to give him the green light.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because I’ve known Evan longer than Alec and I figured you’d put in a good word for me, seeing as I put together that nice little package for you, for free.” Gus said, smiling crookedly.
Lily pointed at Gus. “If Evan asks me to marry him, again, I’ll vouch for you.”
“Thanks a bunch.”
Lily glanced down at her watch as she left McGinley’s. Where are you, Jeremiah? She checked her phone. No voicemail or texts. Jeremiah better have a good reason for not being there.
*
Back at the station, Lily bristled as the black and white video displayed a woman going into a restaurant, making her way between a row of diners and then towards a corner booth where Ibee was sitting, waiting at the table. “I had a tough time getting out. Mikey wanted me to pull another shift.”
“Why didn’t you? You don’t want them suspicious,” Ibee said.
“It’s too late for that. My contact inside the club confirmed that. Things are getting bad and I want out.”
“Tough—”
Lily paused the video. Ibee had knowledge that Ariel was in trouble and did nothing to save her undercover because the most important thing to Ibee was getting the bigger fish and adding the Surace’s to her list of successful cases.
Lily ejected the flash drive, pushed away from her desk and left the station.
Chapter 15
12:22 p.m.
Ibee couldn’t believe Detective Lily Blanchette had the nerve to call her and demand that they meet. But there Lily was, standing in her office, dressed in a soft blue pants suit waiting for Ibee to finish signing the documents Rae had given her.
Her Final Watch (A Detective Blanchette Mystery Book 2) Page 12