As Morgan sped up, Lily dialed Sergeant Owen’s number. There was no answer. She tried Alec’s. Again, no response.
Lily slapped the dashboard. “Where’s everybody?”
“Try the radio,” Morgan said, turning on the Charger’s lights.
Lily keyed up the radio. “Evan?”
Seconds passed as Lily waited. What’s taking so long?
Evan answered, “Yeah?”
“Are you near the station?”
“About seven minutes away.”
“We’ll get there in two,” Morgan said, slowing down as she neared the intersection.
Lily quickly sized up the traffic to see if it was safe. “You’re good. Go! Go!”
As Lily’s adrenaline pumped, she revealed to Evan what Detective Keys had found and the conclusion Morgan and she had reached. “Listen, if what Victor said is true and they are aware that he talked to us, he becomes a liability. We have to get to Victor before Martinez does.”
“You and Morgan focus on getting there. I’ll keep trying the others.”
Lily set the radio down as the brown and beige building came into view.
*
Surrounded by the concrete walls of the cell, Victor lay on his side on the cold floor, watching the man who had stabbed him flee from the room and down the hall.
Victor struggled to breathe. Each breath was shorter than the last.
Help me.
His world began to spin as his eyelids started to feel weighted. He fought to keep them open, but forces beyond his control took over.
Soon he heard voices. Through slitted lids, he could see people hovering above him.
Then, he closed his eyes.
*
Lily and Morgan hopped out of the car, sprinted toward the front door of the police station, and went inside. As they descended the flight of stairs to the lower floor, they heard commotion coming from behind the door.
When Lily opened the door she saw chaos. Emergency personnel and officers ran around, shouting orders to one another, heading in the direction of the holding area. Victor!
Lily’s heart pounded as she searched the crowd for Owen. Moments later she spotted him at the end of the hall, standing underneath the sign marked EXIT, talking with a uniformed officer. She charged in his direction.
After the officer left, Owen turned to Lily. “Martinez stabbed Victor and left through the front door.”
“There’s a camera in Victor’s cell. How did Martinez get to Victor and escape without getting caught?” Lily asked.
Down the hall, paramedics strapped a body bag down onto a stretcher and wheeled Lily’s only witness out of the station.
“We don’t know yet,” Sarge said. “He did it just before the shift change. Judge Lee has agreed to sign the warrant for the Sanchez home.” He turned the volume down on his radio. “Ursula’s parked in Interview Room four. See if she’s got something for us.”
Lily pivoted, walked over to the elevator, and jabbed at the directional-up button. After a few more jabs and no elevator, she shot up the back stairwell.
*
Martinez whipped his black Focus into his brother’s driveway, drove around the side of the house and parked in front of the outbuilding.
He strolled up to the back door and let himself in. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, listening. Where are you, Thomas?
Martinez strolled into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. It was time for his older brother to get a small dose of the stress he had been put through cleaning up behind him and his friend.
“Is that you, Brother?” Thomas shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
“Who else?”
Heavy footsteps pounded on the wooden stairs as Thomas made his way up to the kitchen. Before long, Thomas Sanchez stood smiling in front of his younger brother. “You made it.”
“I almost didn’t. I had to take care of your problem.”
Thomas’s smile faded. “What problem?”
“Victor Barkin. He talked to the police, so I left him for dead.”
“You idiot! How stupid can you be?”
“I backed your play and cleaned up your mess. Again! If you’d let the girl alone in the first place, we wouldn’t be here.”
Thomas wiped his hands on his plaid lounge pants and went over to the kitchen sink. “That whore meant nothing to me. She couldn’t even give a good blow job.”
“Why kill her then?”
“I killed her after I found her at Victor’s. She wanted to go back to him and I lost it.”
“You can’t just go killing some twit with tits because she stopped wiggling her ass for you. When you asked for help dumping those two girls, that was a one-time deal. You said that, remember!”
“Yeah.”
Martinez searched his brother’s eyes for the truth. But Thomas turned away before he found it. “Tell that asshole you’re done doing his dirty work.”
“I’ll tell him after my debt is paid. No sooner.”
If that’s the way you want it. “I need a place to lay low tonight. I’ll crash here but I’m leaving in the early morning.”
Chapter 18
8:32 p.m.
Bottles and glasses clinked as the wait staff cleared off tables so more customers could sit down. McGinley’s was jam-packed for a Wednesday evening, but that was all right for Collin. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. Period. He figured with the horde of people no one would see him, including Ibee who was slow dancing with her girlfriend in a dark corner. He swiveled in his seat and faced the bar, hoping she didn’t see him.
Collin looked down at his phone and flipped it face down. Waiting to hear from the detective in Green Bay had never been as difficult as it was at that moment. My little girl.
His stomach knotted.
He pushed his tray of brat and fries to the side. “Hey Sean. Give me another honey ale.”
“Coming up.”
“I’ve been waiting to hear back from you.” Julius sat down next to Collin. “You have anything new that I can add to my story?”
Sean placed Collin’s drink in front of him and took another customer’s order.
“I’d like to be left alone,” Collin said, pulling his glass closer to him.
“Okay, but there’s something else I wanted to tell you,” Julius said.
“Can I have a wine spritzer and a vodka and seven?” said a man’s voice.
The sound of the male next to him was like hearing the screeching metal of a barn door closing. Collin cocked his head to the side and glared at the man his wife didn’t want to let go. Landon Montejack. “A wine spritzer. I guess you and Deena are cuddled up in a corner booth.”
Landon’s eyes widened. “It looks bad,” he stammered. “But I swear to you there’s nothing there. We’re here to talk about Celine and Lily.”
Without warning, Collin jumped off the seat and kicked Landon’s feet from under him, propelling him to the floor.
As Collin balled his fist, aiming for Landon’s gut, pinches of fire pulsed through his body. He’d had enough. What right did the idiot have to speak to him about his daughters? Was it an attempt to rub the affair in his face?
The bar quieted down.
“He’s not worth it,” Julius said, hooking him at the elbow and pulling him away.
Collin huffed. He wrestled his arm free, snatched his phone off the bar and put on his coat. “Tell my wife not to bother coming home tonight.” He turned to Julius. “I’m getting out of here. We can finish our conversation outside.”
He patted his pockets as he left McGinley’s until he found the unwrapped cigar from the other night. He lit it and took a few puffs.
Collin stepped off the curb and crossed the street to the parking lot. His phone vibrated in his hand. Without looking, he answered it. “Detective Blanchette.”
“I’m Detective Rail, the investigator you spoke with earlier. This CtryGeek23 username was the same one your daughter was chatting with before she was killed. An
incident report was filed against the assailant and the name on the report confirms what you said. I sent you an email.”
Suddenly, from behind, an arm snaked around Collin’s throat and a silver blade flashed in front of him. Cold and pain erupted on his throat. He brought his hands to his neck and collapsed to the ground.He waivered in and out of consciousness, his senses fading.
Then, his world darkened.
*
8:50 p.m.
When Lily entered the interview room, Ursula rose from her seat. “Did you come to talk to me about the escort service you were running with Tanya?”
Ursula nodded.
“Did you encrypt Tanya’s emails?”
Ursula tucked a stiff piece of her hair behind her ears. It popped back out. “Yes.”
“Whose idea was it to start the service?”
“We sort of came up with it together. She wanted a way to get some quick cash for Texas. Tanya would take the calls and I’d screen the customers.”
“How many guys did Tanya see?”
“Not many. Not long after we started, Tanya’s new boyfriend told her to quit placing the ads.”
“The one she met online?”
“Yes.”
“Was his name CtryGeek23?”
“That was the name he used. Tanya never told me his real name. He told her he was twenty-three and trying to decide what college he wanted to go to.”
“Did you ever meet or speak with Tanya’s boyfriend?”
“No.”
“One of Tanya’s customer’s was a Hispanic male. Was she ever frightened by him?”
“No. I asked her what happened during the visit, but she didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Did she see this guy again?”
“Twice. I think. Can I go now?”
At the moment Lily was sure there was more Ursula was holding back that would shed light on this case. Of course, Lily mused, no one can start performing sensual massages and not come across at least one thing or person that spelled trouble.
So until Lily received the phone records, Ursula would get her way. “I’ll call you if I think of something else.” Lily reached for the doorknob, stepped out into the hallway and darted toward her cubicle.
She sat down at her desk, logged onto her computer, and browsed the email from Detective Keys. Attached were the emails sent from CtryGeek23 to Tanya. One in particular caught her attention. It was dated the night before the girl went missing.
Hey Tanya,
As I write this I’m thinking of how your pink skin will feel against my body. You’re such a beautiful young woman. You remind me of someone. Someone special. I’m glad that we’re going to finally meet.
I can’t wait to see you at Melli’s at 6pm.
Morgan came in and plopped down in her seat. Lily smiled and pointed to the reference of Melli’s Coffee on her screen. “I’ve filled a gap in my time line.”
“Hopefully there’s video,” Morgan said, reaching for a bottle of antacid and taking a few sips. “Also, Joshua came in while you were with Ursula. Evan’s on his way to see you.”
Not long after Morgan finished her sentence, Evan poked his head in and handed Lily a copy of Joshua’s statement. “Three nights ago, Joshua observed some guy he’d seen before visiting Sanchez. The guy burned something in a barrel and took off. Joshua couldn’t give me a name.”
Lily put the notes in the case folder. “It’s probably Martinez.”
“I checked. Martinez was here working his shift.”
*
9:41 p.m.
Lily placed her notes in the case folder and hustled toward Sarge’s office, prepared to give a condensed version of her interview with Ursula.
Suddenly, the police station turned into a hive of activity, blocking out the droning of the space heater propped in the corner.
When Lily arrived, Alec stepped to the side, letting Sarge pass between him and Evan.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked.
“I just got off the phone with Nick,” Sarge said, taking Lily’s hand in his. “He responded to a call at McGinley’s.”
She craned her neck, looking past her boss toward Evan and Alec.
They lowered their heads.
“What’s going on?”
Sarge squeezed her hand gently. “Someone slashed Collin’s throat as he was leaving the Tavern. Whoever did it tried to stage it as a robbery, but we’re pretty sure there’s more to it.”
“I thought he was in Green Bay?”
“Your dad called me on his way back down a little before nine last night. He mentioned he had new information. The cell signal was spotty and he dropped out.”
“Has anyone called Mother?”
“I’m headed to the scene now with Evan and Alec to confirm. Then I’ll go over to see Deena,” Sarge said.
This isn’t true. They’ve made a mistake.
Static emerged from the radio on Sarge’s desk. “Additional units needed on the southeast corner at Milwaukee and Main. McGinley’s…,” Evan seized it, shutting it off.
She fixed her eyes on the man she’d grew up calling Uncle Kevin, hoping that he’d tell her that her father was in the hospital, but he was going to make it.
His chin quivered.
Lily could feel her body wilting as she mustered up the energy to ask the question she already knew the answer to. “Is Dad in the hospital?”
“No,” Sarge said, lowering his voice.
Lily crumbled into the chair behind her. Anxiety poked at her insides like porcupine quills. Why would God be so cruel, to rip another person out of her life? Someone who was loving and devoted to his family. Her daddy.
Chapter 19
November 17, 6:19 a.m.
Early the next morning, Sergeant Owen and his detectives entered the conference room and sat down. The torrent of anger that had filled the third floor of the homicide division was now subdued and on edge.
Sarge looked down at the signed warrant faxed to him by the judge. This was the worst possible time to have his detectives focused on serving a warrant on Thomas Sanchez, but it had to be done.
Sarge had confidence in all of his detectives, including Lily. He just wasn’t sure if she was okay to continue leading this investigation. He glanced over at her, busy making notes in the file folder for the case. Eight hours had passed since he’d given her the news about Collin and she hadn’t cried, screamed, or kicked the furniture. For all the flack women took about being slaves to their emotions, hell, he’d seen grown men carry on more than she.
In spite of all his years of reading body language he wasn’t able to read Lily’s. In a way she reminded him of his buddy: focused and determined. The job came first, along with the belief that there’d be plenty of time to grieve later. Was that the way she was going to handle the news about Collin?
“I say we go in the old-fashioned way,” Alec blurted.
“Slow down. Arrogance is not the way to handle this,” Lily said, looking up from her paperwork. “Thomas has a military record. No telling what he has in store for us.”
Sarge kneaded his shoulder. “I think with the recent bad news, Lily, you should stay behind. Take some time to clear your head.”
“I don’t need time. I have a job to do.”
“Yeah. We need her with us,” Alec said.
Sarge looked at them. “What I want is for everyone to play it cool. The incident with Officer Martinez has caught the ear of Internal Affairs. One screw up and they’ll pounce all over this investigation.” He turned to Lily. “You’ve got an appointment with Dr. Montejack this evening. You can go after you bring in Sanchez. Are we on the same page?”
“Yes, sir.” Lily said.
“The warrant covers his house, the perimeters of his property, and his vehicle. I want you to identify yourself before entering. He’s ex-military and I want all of my people in one piece for the holidays,” Sarge explained, passing out copies of the warrant.
There was a light knock at
the door. Without waiting for an answer, a tall, stocky male poked his head in and said, “Sarge, the team is ready to go.”
Sarge nodded. “Lily, this is Ryan, head of the Violent Task Force Unit. They all have a military background. They will go in first.” He stood up and clapped his hands. “All right then, let’s move on this.”
*
At five minutes to seven, four unmarked cars and task vehicles from FAPD came to a quiet halt two houses down the road from Sanchez’s ranch-style home. Lily and Morgan pulled ahead, parking the Charger one house up and across from Evan and Alec’s car.
Lily seized her radio. “I need everyone to be on the look-out for Xavier Martinez,” she said in a low voice. “Are we ready?”
“Lily, I think Alec and I should follow in behind VTFU,” Evan replied. “I don’t trust this guy. Besides, I still owe you one.”
She keyed up the mic on her radio. “You don’t owe me. I pulled you out of the line of fire because it was my duty as your partner. We’ll be fine,” she replied firmly.
“He’s worried about your safety,” Morgan said.
Lily laid her head back on the headrest and exhaled. “Not another word.”
Morgan turned to look out the side window. “If you can’t see that Evan still loves-”
“Ten-four,” Evan said.
*
Evan tapped his forehead against the steering wheel softly.
“Are you ever going to tell Lily?” Alec asked.
“I’ve already tried. She’s too wrapped up in this case. Now, with what happened to Collin…she’s got a lot on her plate.”
“Try again. You keep trying to hold her hand.”
“I still love her. I never stopped.”
“Then man up and tell her the truth.”
Static played over the radio. “It’s time,” Lily ordered.
“We’re right behind you,” Evan responded, getting out of the car.
Voice commands were constant over the portable radios as law enforcement spread out in groups of three and surrounded the house.
Uniformed officers secured the perimeter and stood at their posts.
With their weapons drawn and resting at their side, Lily and Morgan stood several feet back as Ryan and three of his team members approached the front door.
Promised Lies (A Detective Blanchette Mystery) Page 12