“Are you okay?” Matt noticed Tony’s pale face.
“I checked out okay, but my head still can’t grasp what happened to me.”
“To tell you the truth, I can’t figure any of this out.” Matt frowned.
“I don’t have a clue either.” Tony put his hand to his forehead and rubbed his temple.
“Whatever is upstairs had his undivided attention.” Matt looked at the building. “I hope we can get in there soon to check it out.”
“I know. We’ll know what he was up to in a while. The store is being swept by our explosive expert to make sure it’s clear before the crime team goes in.” Tony checked a text on his phone. “The explosions were the results of some simple chemicals compounds used in magic tricks, according to Carl.”
“Something meant to impress us, I guess.” Matt raised his brows. “I wasn’t impressed, were you?”
“Nope. Although, it did give us the time we needed to get the hostages out of the store.” Tony frowned. “When did you ever hear of the bad guy creating a diversion so the good guys could free his hostages? I wonder, can he do something like this at the jail.” Tony rubbed at his neck. “What are we looking at?”
“I think it’s what Jessie said to me earlier. He wasn’t even thinking of them. Out of sight was out of mind for him. He was controlling them another way. Katie said they were afraid to move.”
“Exactly. I wonder, can he do it again?”
“I don’t think so. Jessie said his power was broken.” Matt read a text that came in on his phone. “I can’t wait to hear what Jessie did to rile Irwin up like that. He had no clue what was going on around him. He only wanted to get to her. I have a theory that Jessie knows more about all of this than any of us.”
“Hell, it’s not normal. I don’t know how to begin to write up the reports. Whatever Jessie did, though, it worked.” He put a hand briefly on his holster. “I’m just glad that more bad guys don’t know how to pull that gun trick.” He shook his head. “I want just one expert to explain what made all our guns misfire, eh? Just one. Crazy.” He shook his head again. “I thought I was going to die. I felt hands around my neck like a vice.” He rubbed his neck and frowned. “What was it? It took all of us to hold him down and get him cuffed and shackled.”
“Jessie was concerned that Irwin was up to something major. And whatever caused the gun thing.” He shrugged. “I have more questions than answers right now. Irwin has the answers, but I doubt he’ll cooperate. Jessie might be our best bet.”
Tony answered his phone on the third ring. “This is Tony. Thanks, we’ll be right with you. Matt, we’re cleared to go in, but he said watch where you’re walking. They haven’t removed all the wires yet.”
Matt followed Tony in the door. “I imagine Henderson will be upset he wasn’t here for this.”
“You’ve got that right.” They approached a tall, sandy-haired officer. “Matt, this is Carl.”
“Nice to meet you, Carl.” Matt shook his hand.
“Tony, you won’t believe what this guy had planned. Those first little explosions were your basic magic tricks. If you guys hadn’t stopped him, a good portion of the city block would’ve been leveled and most of our police force gone with it.” He led the way up into the attic and pointed out where the wires had been rigged and snipped, so the explosives had no triggers. “Plastic. C-4. Not nice stuff. This one had been rigged to detonate by this handheld device.”
“He couldn’t have done all the work this morning.” He stared at the neat stacks of plastic explosive wired in sequence. “I wonder if this is where he got off to last night. Do you think he hid up here?” Tony leaned against the wall.
“It’s possible.” Matt shrugged. “We didn’t see any sign of forced entry, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have gotten in. He also couldn’t have done this alone.”
Carl waved at the tangle of wires. “If he worked around the clock for days, he needed someone else to work with him to accomplish all of this. Set on a timer, it’s an elaborate set-up. There’s more going on. It wasn’t just about today, although, I think he had changed his mind and was trying to take this building out today. His schedule might have been pushed up.” Carl pointed to the smaller makeshift bomb rigged to go off. “All this,” he motioned around the room, “has all the earmarks of something bigger.”
“Jessie thought he was planning something big and dramatic. She was obviously right.” Matt squatted down to get a better look at one of the dirty-white bricks of plastic explosive. “I wonder how and where he got his hands on all this stuff.”
“We have a trace going in on the serial numbers. Stolen. This material is illegal to possess. We are talking weapons grade, and the damage could have been phenomenal.” Carl shook his head. “Your perp must have had some training in bomb making. He knew what he was doing. If I don’t miss my guess, I’d say he was a military man at some point.”
“I guess when Uncle Sam trains these boys, he never knows how some of them will end up using their training.” Tony walked around the attic looking at the equipment. “So why take hostages. They weren’t necessary to his plan. And why did he go to the front of the store and risk being seen?”
“I was wondering the same thing. I don’t have an answer. It doesn’t make sense. Even if he had planned for this eventuality, why would he risk it on anything as trivial as a few hostages?” Matt leaned his shoulder against the wall. “Given the right incentive, he might be in the mood to talk when you question him.”
“I doubt it. The text I got earlier was that Irwin is causing problems. He’s going nuts, and no one can calm him down. They’re keeping him cuffed and shackled for the time being.” Tony leaned against the wall.
“He didn’t think they’d catch him. It sounded like he never intended Mallory to die. It surprised him and threw him off his game plan. Or was this his game plan?”
“Damned if I know.” Tony folded his arms across his chest. “I just hope Jessie is right that his power is broken.” He touched his throat nervously. “I never…want to feel anything like that again.”
“If Jessie’s sure they’re gone, you’re safe,” Matt said soberly. “That’s why he wanted Jessie eliminated—he must have guessed she might be able to break his power. But what is this all about?” Matt squatted down to look at one of the timers. “Why multiple timers when the first one will blow everything.” He looked up. “I wonder if any of the other stores have been rigged.”
“We’ll need to check that out. It’s a possibility.”
“Is this the result of a political movement or maybe domestic terrorism? There are more people involved than just Mallory and Irwin.” Matt looked at Carl as he asked it.
“All are real possibilities.” Carl picked up a piece of the wire and looked at it. “It’s been in the works for a while. Someone knows what they’re doing.”
“I wonder how Irwin plays into this.” Tony frowned.
“Who owns that trailer where they found Adriana? That might be a good place to start.” Matt stood, holding a scrap of wire in his hand.
“I’ll check it out when I get back to the station. I’m not sure if we know yet.”
“I bet that when you find the owner, you’ll find someone with some military training, or at the very least, access to this kind of munition.”
“Carl, check the adjacent stores and see if they’ve got explosives hidden anywhere. Call me as soon as you know.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Damn, I moved from New York to get away from this, I guess you can never really get away.” Tony stood and dusted off his knees. “I’m going to check in with Henderson. I’ll let you know, Matt, when we’ll start the interrogation.”
“Thanks, Tony. I appreciate you letting me be a part. We’ve walked into something bigger than a kidnapping.” Matt saw Tony frown and nod his head.
“These guys play it cool for years running under the radar and then something stupid takes down their operations. I’ve seen them do it
time and time again.” It was Matt’s turn to nod.
****
When Matt walked in the door, the first thing he noticed was Katie and Jeremy sitting on the couch side-by-side holding hands. He smiled at them. “What took you so long?” He walked on through to the kitchen where Jessie and Sadie were sitting at the table. “Good afternoon, ladies. You two turned out to be the heroines of the day.”
Sadie blushed. “I only made a phone call. My granddaughter, on the other hand, baited him to come and get her. As you clearly saw, that’s what he was doing when you guys stopped him.” Sadie poured him a glass of iced tea.
Matt frowned. “Let’s hear it, Jess.” He sat down beside her and took a swig of his tea.
She told him what had happened. He was still frowning. “You’re something, you know. I don’t suppose you ever thought about what would have happened to you if we hadn’t been able to stop him.”
“I was never in doubt of you stopping him. You wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“I appreciate your faith in me, but as I’ve told you before, there is always a risk. I’ve never dealt with shadows and occult power.” He made eye contact with her. “If you’re not challenging them in newsprint, you’re challenging them in mind games. You’re something; that’s all.”
She gave him an arch look. “I would like to understand just what this something is that you keep talking about.”
“When I fully understand it myself, I’ll explain it to you.” He grinned and grabbed her hand. “Sadie, I hope you don’t mind, but I can’t resist any longer.” He leaned over and kissed Jessie. One long, slow, hot kiss. He could see the smile on Sadie’s face and the pink tint on Jessie’s as he pulled away. “Boy, that was good. I don’t mind if I help myself to another.” He kissed her again and then winked at Sadie, who was still smiling.
“I don’t mind passionate looks, kisses, and love in the air. I remember what it’s like, believe me. You can kiss her anytime she says you can.” Sadie chuckled. “Don’t mind me.”
“What do you think about you guys starting home tomorrow instead of on Sunday?” He looked from one to the other. “I know it’s a day early, but this hasn’t been much of a vacation.”
“We’ve already talked about it and I’ve changed our tickets. I’m going to go back and stay with Jessie. I’ll help her in the store until it opens. I called my son. He wasn’t happy about it at first, but I convinced him that it would be good for his daughter.” Sadie grinned. “He melts like butter when it comes to what’s good for Jessie.”
“I’m telling you, it’s those blue eyes of hers.” He grinned at Jessie when she rolled them at him.
“I’m ready to be home.” She placed her hand on top of his on the table. “I want to see my store.” She tapped his fingers. “By the way, did they clear all the surveillance equipment out of there?”
“Yes, it’s clean as a whistle. They’ve kept an eye on it to make sure no one put any more in.”
“How about you?” Jessie looked at him. “Will you be going home, too?”
“I’m going to stay through the interrogation process. We’re close to knowing more about the Collectors Club. I would like to put a stop to it before it gets a foothold again. Tom Maxwell is already on the case. One thing for sure, I’ll be at your grand opening.” He grinned at her. “I wouldn’t want to miss your big day. I’ll give you plenty of information for a few articles.”
“What’s in it for you?” She sipped her tea and smiled at him.
His pulse quickened. “Let’s see, I’m hoping for a little laughter in my life, an endless supply of kisses, and several dates with the girl of my dreams.”
“I think I can arrange that for you.” Jessie sighed and fluttered her lashes at him.
Sadie laughed and left the room. He chuckled, bent his head, and kissed her again.
She pulled away and looked at him. “I’ve been thinking this new group could be smuggling something. They might have found a new item to collect and sell on the black market.”
“Any ideas?”
“Is it possible they’re involved in gun running and illegal weapons?”
“Jess.” He kissed her cheek. “Now you’re thinking like a cop. If you had seen what Irwin and the others had prepared, you would understand just how realistic your theory is. Irwin knew he wasn’t going to get away, so he decided to move the time frame a little.” He sent off a text to Tony and Jeremy to check on a couple of things and then added Tom Maxwell to the list.
“I guess the only thing we can do now is to wait. Maybe Irwin will want to get it all off his chest.” She looked skeptical. “I can hope.” She stood, and he pulled her into his lap.
“You do that, sweetheart. We wait, but I have a feeling we won’t have to wait too long.” He held her close.
Chapter 33
Matt pulled his car up to where he could unload their bags. “Jess, Kip will pick you up at the airport. He’ll meet you at baggage.” He took their bags out of the trunk of the car and pulled her close.
She sighed in his arms. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll be back as soon as the interrogation part is done.” He searched her face, taking his fill. “I’ll call you tonight. I’m going to miss you, too.” He gave her a quick kiss. He hated goodbyes. “I need to move the car. I’ll see you in a few days. Dylan promised to keep an eye out for you. If you need something, don’t hesitate to call him.”
“Okay,” She smiled and turned to collect her belongings.
He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her one more time. “Jess, keep your eyes open. I don’t think there should be any more trouble, but I don’t know.”
She nodded at him and walked away. Dropping her things by Sadie’s feet, she ran back to him, pulled his head down, and kissed him passionately. “Goodbye, sweetheart.” She strolled away, collected her things again, and turned to wave.
He stood staring at her, his mouth open, barely holding himself back from running after her. It might be nice to take things up where she had just left off.
“Hey, fella, let’s move that car out of here.” The officer smiled at him.
He got in and started the car. What was that about? He would take it up with her again the next time he saw her. He smiled and was still smiling when he walked into the station.
The volume of Irwin’s angry shouts could he heard in Tony’s office. “Has he been going on like this all night?”
“Yes, sir, all night.” Tony handed him a pair of earplugs. “We’ve issued them to everybody.”
Matt grinned and put them in his ears. It made the noise manageable. “Did you have time to do some checking on the text I sent you? I sent it to a couple others, and I’ve gotten some replies.”
“I have, and I think Jessie was in the ballpark with her guess.”
“I figured she nailed it. Maxwell found some links between the new group and an old FBI agent from the Harvest Club who’s in prison. Jeremy found out that Irwin traveled a lot overseas. That’s how he began to dabble in the darker arts. He’s into it and knows enough to scare people. We know now that he killed with it, too. Two men died in their beds, apparently both of them healthy, with expressions of terror on their faces. The autopsy said respiratory failure.”
“I wonder if that’s what almost happened to me.” Tony rubbed his neck. “If Jessie hadn’t riled him, maybe I wouldn’t be here.” Tony looked thoughtful. “I’ve never believed in this stuff, but now I’m not sure.”
“From every indication of what we have right now, Irwin may have been hired to keep the recruits under control. He screwed it up because of his weakness for Adriana.”
“Did I tell you a couple of other stores that had explosives, too? One is a famous restaurant here in town. They hadn’t set the timers yet. Whoever they were, they had some big plans.” Tony opened the file on his desk.
“I got an email from Tom Maxwell. They confiscated Zach’s computer from his prison cell
.” Matt noticed Tony’s perplexed expression. “Zach was an FBI agent who tried to have it both ways. He gathered information from the cops and fed it to the club. It held a description of a display for the weapons buyers. It looks like it was planned to coincide with some major event in late spring. Maxwell figures it has to be something televised. An event that cable news would pick up and it could air around the world.”
“It has to be our Annual Golf Tournament in the spring.” Tony frowned. “That would have gotten them noticed, that’s for damn sure. How did Mallory fit in?”
“He was in prison with some of the members of the old Harvest Club for a while. I think they hired him as their muscle man. Irwin was going to use and control him. They have a kind of sick history together. But, Irwin messed it up by finding and wanting Adriana.” Matt handed Tony a copy of the file. “We’re still piecing it all together, but we should know soon who the control person is outside of the prison. Right now, I do know that a few of the HC members in prison are getting some payouts to offshore accounts. Someone is running the operation from prison, and someone is on the outside.”
“It sounds like another big case. We were able to find out who owned the trailer, but he checked out okay. He had leased it out through a leasing agency to someone out of state. Here’s the information. We’re checking on it now.”
“I don’t think I’ll be surprised by anything anymore.” Matt smiled crookedly. “I probably shouldn’t say that. Each time there is some surprising element involved.”
“What did Jessie do to rile Irwin up?”
Matt told him what Jessie had relayed to him. “That’s when he came bursting through the door.”
“She’s one gutsy lady even though I don’t understand any of it.”
“The truth is, I don’t think she does. She’s just learned to live with it.”
Tony answered his phone. “Okay, we’ll be right there.” Tony stood up. “They’re ready for us. We have something to hold over Irwin’s head. The body we found was that of his late wife, and hers was death by asphyxiation. “
The Game Changer Page 24