When Matt caught sight of them, he excused himself and wove his way through the beehive of activity. "All hell has broken loose," he greeted them, ushering them out of the bullpen and down the hall to his office.
"Did you find Sandra?" asked Emma anxiously.
"Not yet," said Matt. "Let me start at the beginning. After I went out to Sandra's house and confirmed she was missing, I went to the Captain. He brought in the Chief and the Chief called Blakely."
"Why did he tip Blakely off that we were onto him?" said Kristy, disgust dripping in her voice. "The man's a murderer!"
"A murderer who is surrounded by innocent people, who could easily become hostages," Matt reminded her. "The Chief wanted to get Blakely out of the CA's office and into the police station without triggering a stand-off."
"I take it you found some hard evidence tying him to the murders?" asked Jake.
"Stop being a defense attorney, Jake."
"Well, did you?"
Matt looked uncomfortable. "That's another reason the Chief invited Blakely to come instead of having him arrested."
"So all we have that ties him to it is Sandra's story?" asked Emma.
"At the moment."
"Blakely would have figured that out from the Chief's call. Can you tell you what he said when you questioned him?" asked Jake. "Or did Blakely refuse to come?"
"He agreed to come, but he didn't show up. We gave him 15 minutes then I went over there with a couple of uniforms. He was gone." Matt slammed his fist on his desk. "We should have been waiting for him in the parking lot when the Chief called but you know how he is. Never wants to ruffle feathers."
"Not ruffle feathers, the man's a murderer!" said Kristy.
"A murderer with no evidence against him, Kristy. I assume you put out an APB?" asked Jake.
"Immediately. Jameson too. He wasn't in the office and his car wasn't in the lot. He was supposed to be in court this morning but his first case was postponed. Bailiff saw him leave but no one's seen him at the office."
"What time did Jameson leave the courthouse?" asked Emma.
"A little after 8."
"What time did Sandra leave here?"
"I know. I already thought of that." Matt putt a hand up to stop further questions.
"Thought of what?" asked Kristy.
"Jameson would have been leaving the courthouse at the same time Sandra left the police station. He could have seen her come out," explained Emma.
"And since both went missing at the same time, it's possible Jameson took Sandra," finished Jake.
"We've got police forces in every city in the county, along with the Sheriff and Highway Patrol looking for them," explained Matt. "We're also watching cell phones, bank accounts and credit cards."
He looked up at the clock on his office wall. "Jameson has more than an hour head start."
"And Blakely?" asked Jake.
"Only 20 minutes and that's assuming he left immediately when the Chief called."
"What can we do, Matt?" asked Emma.
"Go back to work, Emma. I told Kristy when she called. I appreciate the support, but there isn't anything you can do here."
"I thought you said we could help with the search," said Kristy, puzzled.
"That is exactly what you can't do, now that Blakely is missing too. These men are desperate. Blakely is a killer and Jameson probably is too. I don't want you anywhere near those two."
"With Blakely and Jameson gone, at least Nancy should be safe," said Emma at last. "Can I go see her? Have they closed the office?"
"All they know is that Sandra didn't show up for work, Blakely didn't make it to his meeting with the Chief and Jameson isn't back from court yet," explained Matt. "Blakely may still have someone inside that office passing him information. If you go over there, keep your theories to yourself."
She turned to Kristy, "Coming with me or staying here?" Kristy looked torn. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm sure they could put you to work here."
Kristy grinned, " I make great coffee."
"Works for me," Matt responded. "Then I can keep my eye on you."
"If you'll give me a description of the cars and the plate numbers," said Jake, "I'll join the search."
Matt saw Jake's determined look and pulled a copy of the APB from a pile on his desk. "Do not approach. Under any circumstance, understand?"
"You have my word."
"You can walk me to the County Attorney's office," suggested Emma. They left the office and headed downstairs to the entrance and out onto the sidewalk. Safely out of earshot, she added, "As soon as I check on Nancy for Grace, I'm coming with you."
"Emma, you heard Matt. I'm not taking you with me."
"You promised Matt you wouldn't confront them. If you stick to that, neither of us will be in danger."
Jake stopped walking and pulled Emma around to face him. "I can't lose you."
Emma put her arms at his waist and met his stony eyes. "And I can't lose you, but Sandra Birch has a baby who needs her and a husband who loves her every bit as much as you love me. Besides, I feel partly responsible for her being in danger. I should have taken her straight to the police after tea. Then Matt could have gone with her to get the calendar after hours and she'd be sitting safely at home right now."
Jake knew her well enough to know that once she made up her mind, there would be no changing it. "Fine. Come with me but I swear, Emma, you are the most stubborn person I've ever met."
"You're pretty stubborn yourself." Emma gave him a kiss that earned a honk from a passing car. She dropped her hands and waved at the driver, who she recognized from the Rotary Club. "Let's go check on Nancy."
***
"What's she doing here?" asked Blakely when he arrived at the address Jameson had given him. It was a battered-looking mobile home in a trailer park that frequently appeared on the police blotter. He'd called Jameson on his way out of the office when he finished speaking with the Chief of Police.
"You were right. She overheard us. I caught her coming out of the police station. I thought she'd be good insurance if the police find us before we get out of town."
"You're an idiot. Hostages slow you down. We need to get out of here. Now." Blakely looked at Sandra, unmoved by her distress. She was sitting in a high backed chair, next to a card table. Two other chairs completed the room's furnishings. Sandra's hands were tied to the chair behind her back so she could not walk without having to pick up the chair. Her face was cloaked in fear. "Kill her."
"No, please!" Sandra pleaded, tears blurring her eyes. "I have a baby at home."
"You should have thought of that before you went to the police."
"I didn't tell them anything! Matt Joyner called me and asked me to bring him Tad's calendar. I dropped it off and left. I swear, that's all I did."
"She's here, she knows, she dies."
"You've made your point," Jameson said, his voice calm. "But she's not your problem. I'm taking her with me. If I don't need her, I'll get rid of her."
"You're an idiot," Blakely repeated.
"So you've said. Just give me my money and I'll get out of here."
Blakely put a dark brown briefcase on the table. Jameson clicked it open, revealing neat stacks of bills. He smiled and closed the case, clicking it shut.
"It's all there."
"I'm sure it is," agreed Jameson. "I'll be sorry to leave Casper. It's been fun being a prosecutor for a change. What do you say, Sandra? Think I should go to law school and become a real attorney?"
"Shut up! Just take your money and go," Blakely snapped at him.
Jameson put back his head and laughed. "I doubled your money by coming on board. You were small time before I showed up."
Blakely leaned over the table, eying the younger man. "I only kill when I need to. It's business." He straightened. "You're a psychopath. I think you enjoy killing."
"Sometimes I do," Jameson agreed amiably. "I'll get out of your hair now. At least what's left of it. Come on, Sandra, ti
me to go."
He untied her arms and, grabbing the briefcase, hoisted Sandra to her feet. He walked her to his car, and opened the back door for her. "Be right back." Tossing the briefcase into the front seat, Jameson retrieved his gun from console. He walked back to the trailer and disappeared inside. Moments later, Sandra jumped when she hear two loud bangs, then Jameson reappeared in the doorway.
He tossed the gun into the front seat and walked around his car to Blakely's. He reached into the passenger seat and pulled out a black briefcase similar to the one Blakely had given him. Tossing that briefcase into the trunk with the other, he climbed into the car.
"Sorry we have to run, Sandra," he said as he started the engine, "but even in this dump, the neighbors might call the police when they hear shots."
Sandra sat, pulling herself as far away from Jameson as she could in the small space. Her fear overwhelmed her. As they pulled away from the mobile home, Jameson turned on the radio. He found a local station and left it there, paying attention only to the periodic local news breaks. At the moment, there was nothing on the radio that concerned him.
16
Nancy Keene literally fell into Emma's arms when she appeared at the County Attorney's office. The staff milled around, half-heartedly trying to work, but not having much success. Jake left Emma with Nancy and went to find Clint Taylor.
"Emma, Emma, where is she?" sobbed Nancy as Emma closed the door. She had steered Nancy into Carolyn Maxwell's former office, pulling out a seat for her at Carolyn's small conference table. The room had been completely restored and there was no sign of the violence that had taken place there.
She left Nancy long enough to ask the first person she saw where she might find a hot cup of tea. The woman, a paralegal who had often done work for Carolyn, offered to make the tea and bring it in when it was ready.
Grabbing a box of tissues from the credenza behind Carolyn's desk, Emma sat at the table next to Nancy. She smiled weakly and accepted some tissues to dry her eyes. A light knock at the door brought the paralegal in with two cups of chamomile tea. She set them in front of the ladies and left as quietly as she'd entered.
Nancy sipped her tea and made a visible attempt to reign in her emotions. "I'm so sorry. I hate tears in the office. I'm just so worried about Sandra."
"Did Sandra tell you where she was going this morning?" asked Emma gently.
"Yes, she called me last night. I told her not to do it. Let that detective come over and ask for them, I told her. She told me she didn't want to take a chance that the calendar would disappear from storage. Oh, why didn't she listen to me?"
Emma put a hand on Nancy's arm. "She did what she thought was best."
"And now that monster has her. I know it!" She slammed her hand on the table, making Emma jump. "If he hurts her I'll...I'll kill him myself!"
"I understand how you feel, Nancy. Jake was once in a similar situation to the one Sandra is in now."
Nancy stared at Emma. "Yes, I remember reading about that in the newspaper. I'd forgotten all about it."
"It was horribly frightening for both of us, but thank God, everything worked out for the best."
"Yes, yes it did."
"The same God who brought Jake back to me is watching over Sandra right now," soothed Emma.
Nancy covered Emma's hand with her own. "I've been praying for her."
"Keep on praying, Nancy. I don't think God is finished with Sandra yet."
Emma hoped her words, which appeared to bring comfort to Nancy, would prove prophetic. "Nancy, are you able to get away from the office at all today?"
"Oh yes." She gestured at the empty office. "I don't have anything to do now. I've just been marking time until the end of the month."
"Could I ask you to go out to visit Grace? She's so worried about you and Sandra."
"She's worried about me?" Nancy shook her head. "She shouldn't concern herself with anything but her own health. She should conserve her strength."
"Will you go?"
"Of course. I'll leave right now."
"I appreciate it and I know Grace will be happy to see you."
"What are you going to do?"
"Jake and I are going to join the search for Sandra. Now, don't give me that look. We promised Matt Joyner that if we see them, we'll just keep an eye on them until the police arrive. You don't need to worry about us."
***
The residents of River Bend Mobile Home Park did not like to attract police attention, but they kept an untrusting eye on the comings and goings of their neighbors. One neighbor recognized the ACA who had prosecuted his DUI case and he was only too happy to turn the tables by calling the police when he heard the shots. The older man he didn't recognize, but he told the dispatcher that Jameson had a gun and left with a woman who did not seem happy to be with him.
Casper police descended on the park. The Special Incident Team approached the trailer dressed in full protective gear. On his way to the scene, Matt called Jake, who agreed to stand by until he knew for certain whether they'd found Sandra.
A call came over the radio just as Matt arrived. "10-55, one subject, male." A 10-55 was a request for the Coroner, meaning the Team had found a body. Matt was thankful it was a man and not Sandra.
He joined a group of officers surrounding the Chief, who was overseeing this search personally. "We've found Blakely," the Chief was saying when Matt approached. "There's no sign of Jameson or Sandra Birch. Neighbors say they saw them leave after the shooting. We need to plan our next step carefully."
Matt didn't stay to hear the rest. He spun around and ran to his car, throwing it into reverse, then pulling a U-turn and heading back up the road toward the freeway. He punched a button on his steering wheel to activate the voice command and told his phone to call Jake.
"Blakely's dead. Jameson has Sandra. Meet me at Trout Park."
He disconnected the call without waiting for Jake's acknowledgement then called Kristy. "Matt, what's going on? Everyone is going crazy here."
"They found Blakely dead inside a trailer at River Bend. Sandra wasn't there. Neither was Jameson. Neighbors saw them leave together." Matt swore as a driver cut him off.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Idiot drivers. Look, I want you to go home. I'm going to be late and I don't want you walking home after dark."
Kristy looked at the harried faces around her. "I'd rather stay, at least for now. Somebody has to make sure the people here have food available and that they stop long enough to eat it. I'll ask someone to run me home when I'm ready to go."
"You're a doll," said Matt, his voice softening. "Anyone ever tell you that?"
"Not often enough! Keep your head down, okay?"
"Head planted firmly in 'duck' position, chief." Matt disconnected the call to the sound of Kristy's laughter. He loved hearing that laugh. When this is over, he was going to make a point of hearing her laughter a lot more often.
He pulled into the lot at Trout Park, which got its name because it boasted the best fishing in town, and parked next to where Jake and Emma were leaning against Jake's truck. He didn't seem surprised to see Emma. "Before you ask, what I told you is what I know. It looks like Jameson killed Blakely and took off with Sandra."
"Oh dear Lord," said Emma softly.
"Where do we start looking?" asked Jake.
"The body was found at River Bend."
"That dump? What in blazes were they doing there?"
"I didn't stop to ask. The Chief is playing it slow and careful but I don't think we have that kind of time. Once Jameson makes it out of town, there's a world of open country for him to get rid of Sandra. The question is, which way would he go?"
"East," said Emma. "If it were me, I'd want to stay off the freeway. Hit the back roads until I get far enough away, then work my way to the highway somewhere."
"Highway patrol is covering I-25," said Matt. "If he breaks north or south, they'll get him. If he goes west, he's got nowhere to go until Shoshoni.
Not a lot of places that direction to turn off if he thinks he's being followed. Go east and there's a honeycomb of two-laners and he can catch I-90 at Gillette."
"He might not know the area well enough to run on the two-lanes," noted Jake. "He'd go for something more direct."
"Coal Canyon Road," said Matt.
"Worth a look," said Jake. "How much of a head start do they have?"
"Half an hour, give or take. If they headed straight out of town, we're not going to catch them without lights and sirens." His radio blared. Matt opened the driver's door and the three crowded around to listen.
"Calling all units. Suspect vehicle sighted on route 256, headed east. Highway Patrol responding."
"Coal Canyon," said Matt, turning to Emma. "Good guess."
"Does that mean they've found them?"
"Means a citizen saw them and called it in. Chief must have gone public with the BOLO on Jameson's car. Since Highway Patrol is headed up 256, we'll take Branding Iron and try to head him off. Ride with me or follow?"
"Follow, that way we'll have the advantage of two vehicles to one."
Matt opened his trunk and pulled a rifle and a box of ammunition. He handed them to Jake, who slid it into the gun rack in his truck. He pulled out a portable police light. Slamming the trunk and attaching the light to the top of the car, he flipped it on. "Let's roll."
Both vehicles pulled out of the lot and headed for the freeway. They would catch Branding Iron outside of the tiny town of Bar Nunn. "Emma," said Jake, breaking into the tense silence as they drove north. "If we find Jameson, I want you to stay out of sight."
"No argument from me."
"Did you bring your pistol?"
"Oh heck, I didn't even think about that!" Emma reached for her purse but it was far too light. One look inside confirmed it. "The day I need it, I leave it at home."
Jake carefully disconnected a key from the ring hanging in the car's ignition and handed it to Emma. "Mine's in the console. If we see Jameson's car, get it out and load it. If we have enough time, I'll use the rifle, but if we need firepower fast, load it and hand it to me then get down below the dashboard."
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