by Sandy Kline
“We have to break into her house.” Blade decides. “We need to get some pictures and other information about her. We don’t even know what she looks like.”
The three of us get out and walk the last few blocks up to her house. I’ll knock on the front door to ask for help. I’ll pretend to be out for a walk and injured my ankle. I’ll even ask for some ice and while I’m icing my leg I’ll talk about the night she was asked to take a look at a line up. If she’s not home we’ll break in and look for pictures and school information. If an adult answers I’ll pretend to be lost and looking for Pine Brook Lane. We discovered that that street is not far from where Anna lives. It gives us a plausible reason to be there on her doorstep.
We sneak up to her door as much as we’re able. Both Piper and Blade stay out of site while I make the final approach and knock on the door. We have previously worked out a couple hand signals in case of trouble or just to relay information. If just the girl answers and seems to be by herself I won’t do anything with my hands. If someone who appears to be her mother or father I’ll scratch my head. If the person answering is a cop or some other trouble then I’ll put both hands on my hips. If I’m in immediate danger, like I see a weapon pointed at me I’m to drop to the ground if possible and keep my head down. Both men will then fire away at the door. It seems like a good system so I hope I don’t give the kill sign when it’s just a cute little girl that answers the door.
Chapter Thirteen
And My Final Answer Is…
There are no cars in the driveway or in front of the house so maybe we got lucky and no one is home. I walk casually up to the front door and ring the doorbell. I stand and wait for a couple minutes, then raise my hand to knock this time but the door pops open. Standing in front of me is a beautiful girl of about fifteen years. She’s an attractive girl, about five foot five, lean with long brown hair and smoky brown eyes. She appears to be wearing pajamas.
“Didn’t your parents tell you never to answer the door when you’re home alone?” I ask her.
“What makes you think I’m home by myself?”
“Because the windows are open. That means I can hear if someone in the house is talking and when I rang no one yelled out for you to not answer or to make sure you looked through the peephole first.”
“I’m home sick today.” She concedes.
“Are you really sick or just felt like taking a day off from school?”
“What are you a truant officer or something?”
“No, we just want to talk to you about the murder you witnessed a couple years ago.”
“Who’s we?” She asks, becoming slightly alarmed.
I put my foot just inside the door so she won’t be able to shut it if she decides to go that route. I’m just about to explain who we is, when both Piper and Blade pop up. That convinces her to shut the door and fast.
“Not so fast.” Piper says as he pushes his way into the house.
The poor girl is terrified. At first I don’t get it, then I look back at the guys and it hits me. I am so used to seeing big thug like guys in ink and leather cuts that it doesn’t faze me. This is a new experience for her and I imagine she expects to be raped right about now.
“It’s okay…it’s okay Anna. We’re not here to hurt you.”
“Then what are you here for?” She asks.
“We just want to ask some questions and ask you to take a look at a couple pictures.” I begin. “Can you do that for us?”
“It’s not like I have a choice do I?” She asks.
“Not so much. Can we sit down someplace?”
She nods and leads us to her living room and points to the couch. I walk over and sit down then pat the spot next to me inviting her to sit.
“Come on Anna, I won’t bite.”
“They might.” She says, indicating the boys.
“I promise none of us will bite you.” I reply. “I just want to see if you recognize anyone in my photos.”
“Um…I guess I can look.” She says, biting her lower lip.
“Great.”
The first picture I take out is one of Alex and a group of police officers standing around shooting the breeze.
“Have you seen anyone in this picture?” I ask her.
She looks at it long and hard before answering. She points to Alex’s picture.
“I-I saw her b-before.” Anna says. “And…”
She stops speaking in the middle of something she was about to reveal and she shuts her eyes and clenches her fists,
“What’s wrong Anna?”
“It’s him! He’s there in the picture.”
Then it hits me and I shoot Blade a venomous look. “You mother fucker!”
“What?” He asks giving me his, hey I didn’t do it look.
“She just picked you out of a line up asshole.”
“What?”
“No I didn’t.” The girl says.
“What?” Both I and Blade chime in together.
“Oh he’s in the picture alright but he’s not the one who shot the lady cop.”
Blade shoots me his, I told you so look.
“What do you mean he didn’t shoot here? Detective Morris even said you picked him out of a line up.”
Now it’s her turn to be surprised. “What are you talking about? I picked out some dude who goes by the name of…of Trash…or Trashcan. No…Trash Man. They called him the Trash man, for some reason.”
Now Blade is pissed. “You fingered Earl?”
“What?” She asks.
“You picked Trash Man out of a line up for the shooter?” Blade asks again advancing on her.
She sinks back into the couch, cringing away from him. “They told me I had to pick him.”
“Why him?” Blade seethes.
“Cause they didn’t want me picking him!” She yells, pointing to another man in the picture.
I grab the picture to get a closer look at the man she just singled out.
“Him?” I ask. “Are you freaking serious? That man shot my best friend?”
“Yes!” She yells, pointing to my ex-boyfriend Mark. “That man shot the lady cop and they didn’t want the crime landing on him so they said I had to ID the Trash guy or they’d kill my mother and my little brother.”
The girl is in tears now and I’m in shock! I can’t believe it was Mark that murdered my best friend. It makes me want to vomit.
“Who told you to pick him? Who told you they’d kill your family if you didn’t pick him?” I ask the girl.
“Detective Morris and this young Sheriff’s Deputy. I don’t remember his name. But mostly it was Detective Morris. He was the leader of the group.”
“What group?” I ask her.
“There was a group of dirty cops and they were run by Detective Morris and that guy I just showed you; him.”
“Do you know that man’s name?” I ask her.
She thinks for a second. “Brown I think. Officer…Mark Brown.”
My stomach sinks even further.
“Detective Morris and Officer Brown and I don’t know how many other cops were all dirty. They’d take cash and drugs from drug busts and split the cash and sell the drugs back to the dealers they let walk. There was supposed to be some cops who were also bikers in secret too but I didn’t know any of them.”
I think I’ve heard enough. I’m going after Mark.
“You may be in some danger Anna. Detective Morris and the Sheriff’s Deputy were gunned down sometime this morning and whoever did this probably wants you dead too. Is there somewhere you can go to be safe until this blows over?”
“I can go to my aunt’s house I guess.”
“And what about your little brother and your parents? Can you make sure they don’t come home?”
“Yeah… my brother has a cell phone too so I can call him and our parents. She’ll just get him from school and my aunt, she can pick me up from here and we can meet mom at her house.”
“That sounds like a plan. Yo
u better get going and we will too.”
“Um…okay yeah.”
She gets up to retrieve her phone and I take back my pictures. I still can’t believe that Mark killed Alex. It’s just too much to conceive right now.
“Are you okay?” Blade asks me.
“No…but let’s get out of here before trouble finds us too.”
“Good idea.” Piper says. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
While Anna’s making her calls we go back to Piper’s Land Rover to leave. We’ll go back to Blade’s house and devise a plan from there. I have made it clear that I’m going after Mark the since they didn’t try to disturb me I guess they’re going to help. We get twenty minutes down the road before Blade instructs me to pull off to the side of the road.
“What’s going on?” I ask him.
“I got a bad feeling about something.”
“You too?” I ask him.
Ever since we left I have been feeling like we better go back there and make sure she’s alright.
“You don’t think she’s okay?” I ask.
“Someone could have found Detective Morris and the other dude by now you know.” Blade explains. “I just have this weird feeling that we’re being tailed although I haven’t seen anyone. If someone has been following us they may have gone to the girl’s house after we left. I mean it’s kind of a long shot but it’s possible isn’t it?”
“Yeah but why would anyone think something is wrong with the detective?” I ask. “Your scenario would only come about if the right person found the detective murdered. Only that would have set off the chain of events we’re talking about right?”
“Maybe someone followed you when you came out here by yourself or maybe someone followed Piper and I out here. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time you were followed so why not follow you today?”
I nod. “I hope you’re wrong Blade, I really hope you’re dead wrong, but I’m afraid you’re right.” I have a bad feeling about this.
“What do you think boss?” Piper asks.
“I think that girl is in trouble bro.” Blade says.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Piper replies. “But It’s a long shot. And she’s probably gone to her granny’s house by now right?”
“Her grandma had to come get her. She could still be at the house.” I argue.
“Alright, we go back.” Blade decides.
He puts the truck in gear and does a U-turn in the road. In a cloud of dust we’re flying back the way we just came desperately hoping the girl got out of there in time. My heart is pounding in my chest as I finger Piper’s gun in my lap.
“It’s gonna be okay.” Blade assures me. “I’m pretty sure they could not have connected the dots that fast. We’ll just go there and confirm she’s gone so we can rest easy that we got her out of there in time.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right, but step on the gas just in case.”
Blade hits the gas but the whole time it takes us to get back to her house I am on edge. I have a really bad feeling about this and I don’t think I’m being paranoid. As we pull up in front of the house everything is quiet; too quiet.
Blade starts to get out, then reaches behind the seat and pulls out a shotgun. “Why don’t you stay in here?” He advises.
“Sure, no problem,” I reply, getting out of the other side of the Land Rover.
“What are you doing?” He demands.
“If she dies her blood is on me. I’m the one who started digging around and got her in this mess. If not for me she would have been safe.”
“No way Jen. They would have eventually gone after her. Leaving her alive means there’s always a chance the guilt that’s been eating at her will cause her to do the right thing and tell the authorities about the coercing and the threats on her family.”
Having settled our little disagreement the three of us get into action. We approach the back door this time. Blade turns the knob and the door opens. That’s probably not a good sign. Blade walks in first followed by Piper with another shotgun and then little ole me with Piper’s handgun. I watch as they enter the house checking and clearing it one room at a time like a couple of cops or military men. I’m just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Blade walks into the back bedroom and freezes. He holds up his hand for us to stop. He waits for a tense minute before entering the room. Both he and Piper disappear into the room and when it’s my turn to look in I just about faint. The first thing I notice is a strong coppery smell; fresh blood. I know what I’m going to see around the corner but it still shocks me. There are three bodies arrayed on the bed. I see Anna first and an involuntary gasp escapes me. She’s been shot in the forehead. There’s a large pool of blood surrounding her head on the teal bed sheets. Next to her is what must be her aunt and then her mother; or the other way around. They too have been shot in the head. The only person missing is her little brother. Why didn’t anyone get him?
“Clear!” Piper shouts.
I am crushed! I got these people killed. On the way out of the bedroom I catch my toe on the edge of the carpet and go down hard. Piper’s gun goes skittering out of my hands and halfway down the wood floored hallway. Once down I don’t have the strength to get back up. I curl into a fetal position as gut wrenching tears rack my body. Both men are immediately at my side, thinking I got hurt or something but the hurts I have now can’t be fixed by them or any doctor I know.
“Jen, are you hurt?” Blade asks. “Jen…talk to me.”
When I don’t answer right away Blade addresses Piper. “Go make sure we don’t get ambushed on the way out of here. This is going to take a while.”
I hear Piper walking away down the hall. His boots are clumping in the hard wood surface. His motorcycle boots are almost as loud and the banging of my heart against my sternum. The constant smell of blood is beginning to make me nauseated. I try not to concentrate on it but the smell is too strong.
“Bathroom.” I gasp. “Where’s bathroom.”
Blade practically picks me up and carries me to the end of the hall to the bathroom. I collapse again, this time in front of the toilet and begin retching. Blade is good enough to hold my hair out of the toilet and my face for as long as needed. After the fourth round of dry heaves I begin to wish I had something in my throat to puke up. I’ve just finished my last heave when I hear a squeak. There’s a mouse in here. I get my head out of the toilet to look around when I hear it again, but this time it sounds more like a soft cry. Both Blade and I look at the opaque shower curtain. Blade motions for me to open it and he points his gun. I whip back the curtain. Curled up in the tub is none other than Anna’s little brother. He must be all of nine years old. Sadly today he’s going on forty after what he must have heard or seen.
“It’s okay sweetie.” I say to the terrified boy. He glances up at Blade who is still pointing his gun at the boy. “Put that thing away!” I snap at him.
“Sorry.”
“Come here sweetie.” I say to the boy as I reach out to him. “We’re on your side honey. We’ll keep you safe.”
“Are they…t-they d-dead?”
“I’m so sorry honey, there was nothing anyone could have done and especially not you. If you had been in that room with them you’d be…you’d be dead too.”
“I didn’t call.” He says softly.
“What do you mean?” I ask as I kneel down in front of him.
“I-I was too scared.” He says.
“It wouldn’t have mattered.” I reply.
“I could have called 911 but I hid instead and now they’re dead because of me.”
“No,” I say firmly. “They’re dead because of some psycho with a gun. If you would have called 911 they would have heard you and killed you too. So it would not have helped to call anyone.”
I reach out to him again. “Now we have to leave sweetie, just in case they come back or any other bad guys come here to make sure the…the job is done.”
“Come one kid.” Blade tri
es. “If they come back we’re all dead so let’s get out of here. There’s nothing we can gain by staying here.”
“Can I say goodbye?” The boy asks.
“What’s your name sweetie?” I ask him.
“Michael…well my friends call me Mikey.”
“Well we’re your friends so can I call you Mikey?”
He nods.
“Okay Mikey here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to carry you out and I want you to close your eyes and do not open them until I say it’s okay. Do you understand?”
He nods again and comes to me. I pick him up and try not to groan. The kid’s heavy. As we walk out I cover his eyes just in case he accidently opens them. As we exit the house Blade and Piper are on high alert. Too often killers return to the scene of the crime and while I’m pretty sure it’s too early for that, there may be other bad guys around here. Blade and I and the kid get into the Land Rover and this time Piper takes Blade’s truck that we abandoned here earlier. Turns out that was a bad move. Whoever killed the boy’s family probably ran the plates on every vehicle parked near here. We take off down the road for about a half mile when Blade pulls off the side of the road and signals for Piper to join us.
“What’s up boss?” Piper asks as he walks up.
Blade turns to me. “Stay with him for a minute.” Blade instructs and gets out of the car. They walk just out of earshot and begin talking. After a minute they come back and Blade motions for me to join him. Piper takes over my kid-sitting duties.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“We’re trying to figure out what to do with the kid. Someone just murdered his whole family to keep a secret. They have to be wondering where the boy’s uncle and father must be and they’re sure to be looking for them. Anna may not have told anyone else what happened but they won’t want to take that chance. We need to find the kid’s dad and uncle before it’s too late. We’ll use the kid to help us locate them and when we do you’ll stay outside in the truck while we take care of business inside.”