Biloxi Blue (The Biloxi Series Book 2)

by Jerri Ledford

  The man in front of him stopped abruptly and turned. Jack nearly plowed into him. He managed not to, but he stopped standing deep inside the man’s personal space zone. Jack started to take a step back.

  “Wait.” The man said. Something in his voice made Jack freeze.

  The man pushed forward a small black wallet. Jack hadn’t even seen him take it from his pocket. “This is my DEA ID. Check it. You need to know that I am who I say I am.”

  Jack flipped open the wallet and looked at the credentials inside. The ID card looked official. The picture on the card matched the man standing in front of him. The name caused him to pause. Ryan Jackson. Kate’s partner?

  “This is not possible.” Jack flipped the wallet back to the man. “Ryan Jackson died years ago.” He started back toward where Caleb stood waiting, watching two cops that had just gotten out of their patrol units. This scene would draw more cops before it was cleared. Especially once word got out that Kate was involved in some way. Jack needed to speak to Caleb. They had to start damage control now, before rumors that Kate set the fire started to fly.

  “The agency faked my death,” the man shouted. “You have to listen to me. Kate is in danger.”

  That got Jack’s attention. He didn’t know if this man really was who he claimed to be, but right now, Kate was what mattered. He faced Ryan again. “Okay. Assume I believe you are who you say you are,” Jack didn’t hide the fact that he didn’t believe the man. “Tell me what you know about Kate. Where is she?”

  Ryan talked quickly, explaining what he’d learned about Frankie Deveaux, how he’d seen Frankie at Kate’s apartment, and the information that Conner shared with him. “The reason I wanted to speak to you privately is that Frankie Deveaux is one of your detectives. Caleb Castille.”

  Jack glanced back at Caleb and then shook his head. “You’re wrong.” He hesitated and said, “He’s an Internal Affairs detective.” He no longer cared who knew. He didn’t care what happened after this moment. All he wanted was to find Kate and figure out what happened.

  “He’s an imposter. I saw a truck leaving this scene when I got here. It was him. I’d bet he had Kate with him.” Ryan’s voice rang with sincerity. Was he telling the truth. Jack glanced back. Caleb was staring in their direction.

  David Alexander had said Caleb was a good detective. A good man. Had David lied? He had no reason to tell Jack anything but the truth.

  “I–.” Jack’s response was cut off when the two patrol officers he’d noticed earlier walked up. “Chief Roe?” The man that spoke was standing to his right. Before Jack could pull his name from the clatter in his brain, the second officer, Paul Usry, stepped around him and grabbed Jack’s left wrist and wrenched it around his back.

  “Jack Roe, you’re under arrest for the murder of Biloxi Police Chief William Darnow.” Usry’s voice seemed to eclipse the noise of the scene.

  Ryan stepped forward, and the larger officer pushed him back. “Don’t.” The warning came out as a growl.

  “What the…” Jack’s voice trailed off as he tried to make sense of what was happening. They were arresting him? “Caleb,” He shouted and twisted around trying to find the IA detective. Caleb could straighten this out.

  Caleb leaned against the side of a firetruck. Watching. Leering. Even from this distance, Jack could see the satisfaction rolling off the man. Caleb tipped his head in Jack’s direction.

  Jack wrestled with the arresting officers as they drug him toward the patrol units. “You find her,” he shouted to Ryan. “Find Kate!” But he wasn’t sure Ryan heard him.

  FORTY-ONE

  By the time they wrestled him into the patrol car, Jack was exhausted. He panted, trying to catch his breath as his phone buzzed in his pocket again. Who was trying to reach him? He twisted his hands around, trying to reach the phone, but it was no use. There was no way he could get to it, and they would take it away as soon as they got him to the station.

  He settled back into the seat, trying to figure out what was going on. Nelson. That was the name of the officer driving the car he was being transported in. The one he couldn’t remember. Nelson was a quiet guy. Good at his job.

  “Nelson,” Jack called through the thick plexiglass that separated the front and back seats of the cruiser. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

  “Just sit tight.” Nelson’s reply was muffled but audible.

  Jack started to try again, but shook his head and sat back again. It would do no good. Nelson wouldn’t tell him what was going on, even if he did know. More likely, he was just following orders. But whose orders?

  Ryan’s face popped into Jack’s mind. Was what he’d said true? Was Caleb Castille really Frankie Deveaux? Had Deveaux killed Juarez? Did he have Kate? The questions swirled through his mind, creating more questions. Was there ever really a Caleb Castille? Was David Alexander involved in this somehow? And who would want him framed for Darnow’s murder?

  The answer to the last question came easily to mind. The vigilantes. They’d arranged to have Darnow murdered. He was certain of that much. Was their reach so great that they could influence an Internal Affairs investigation?

  Nelson steered the cruiser off the main beach road and into a dark neighborhood. The horizon was just beginning to lighten with the coming sunrise, but streetlights would still be on. These streets had none. Nervousness sent tendrils into Jack’s imagination. Where was Nelson taking him?

  “I thought we were going to the station?” Jack shifted his weight around as much as he could, putting his back toward the door. He wanted to be able to see both ahead and behind the car. His vantage point wasn’t good, but it was enough that he saw another car pull in behind the patrol unit.

  Nelson turned left and then right. He drove for a while. Made several more turns. The car following them remained close enough that Jack could see its headlights, but he couldn’t make out who was in the driver’s seat. He made note of details about the car. Sedan. Black or dark blue. Newer model Chevy, he thought, but there was no emblem on the front grill. For all he knew, the grill could have been altered. What did it matter? They were probably going to kill him anyway.

  Fear was replaced by regret that threatened to cave his chest in. Kate. Would Ryan find her? Would she mourn Jack when his body was found? Or would she wish she’d never known him?

  The car pulled to a stop on a dark, empty road North of town. Jack edged back around so he was facing the front. Headlights from the car that had been following them filled the interior.

  Nelson sat in the driver’s seat, staring straight ahead long enough that Jack began to wonder if he would change his mind. Then he shut off the ignition and pushed out of the car. He walked past Jack’s door without stopping.

  Jack turned to see what was happening, but the lights from the car behind them blinded him. He saw two silhouettes, but could make out nothing more. He sucked in two deep breaths. Whatever happened now, he would show no fear.

  A few minutes later, the door opened and someone grabbed his upper arm and pulled him from the seat. Jack barely had time to get his feet under him before he heard a voice that he recognized.

  “Jack. I’m sorry that we had to put you through that. We needed the safest way to get you out and make sure we weren’t being followed.” David Alexander’s voice was smooth, calm, and confident.

  Jack squinted against the lights of the car. He couldn’t clearly see David’s features and Nelson stood just in his peripheral vision. The instinct that told him he could trust David warred with the information he’d learned from Ryan. Jack wasn’t sure who to trust.

  He saw Nelson move. The man put his hands on his gear belt and then lifted an arm toward Jack. He steeled himself. Thought of Kate. The cuffs on his wrist popped open.

  “Chief Roe,” Nelson stepped around him. “I’m sorry. I hope you won’t hold that against me.”

  Relief nearly made Jack laugh out loud. “No Nelson. No hard feelings.” He slapped the man on the back and turn to David A
lexander, but when he opened his mouth to ask David what was happening, David held up a hand.

  “Caleb Castille is dead.” David’s matter of fact tone did nothing to hide the regret that shown in his posture. Jack’s eyes were becoming accustomed to the light. Details were clearer.

  “Caleb Castille is not who you think he is,” Jack said.

  “I should have said ‘the REAL Caleb Castille is dead.’ I don’t know who came here pretending to be Caleb, but we found the real Castille’s body a few hours ago. I’ve been trying to reach you.”

  Jack remembered the phone in his pocket. That’s why it had been going off all night. “Little busy around here, man.”

  David nodded, but Jack continued. “Whoever he is, he’s got Kate.”

  Jack’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Kate? He pulled the phone out, but the name showing on the caller ID was Caleb Castille. David raised an eyebrow.

  “Is he stupid or psychotic?” David’s voice held no hint of sarcasm.

  Jack slid the green icon across the screen and punched the speaker icon. “Where’s Kate, Caleb? What games are you playing?”

  There was a pause on the other end of the call and then an unexpected voice. “Chief Roe, it’s not Caleb. This is Ryan Jackson. I found this phone at the scene. It looks like it belongs to Frankie…Caleb. Your number was in it. We need to talk. I can help you find Kate.”

  Jack processed what he’d heard. Ryan was an unknown. He didn’t know how far he could trust him, but right now, he was the best hope Jack had of finding Kate alive.

  FORTY-TWO

  Frankie stomped the breaks and the Silverado slid on the gravel, throwing up a cloud of dust. This was his window. Jack would be in jail by now, awaiting an arraignment. He had time to get Kate and get out before all of that was cleared up. What happened after that didn’t matter. They would never find him.

  Long strides carried him up the front steps of the mobile home. He pushed through the door without knocking.

  “There you are,” McKenzie’s voice was loud. “I’ve been looking for you. We’ve been trying to call you.”

  The panic in McKenzie’s voice brought Frankie up short. Had something happened to Kate? “I’m right here. What’s going on?”

  “We’ve been trying to call you.”

  Frankie felt for his phone. It wasn’t in his shirt pocket. Maybe he’d dropped it in the truck. Or maybe at the scene. It didn’t matter. “Bubba, I heard you. Now tell me why.” Frankie couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice as he pushed past McKenzie and headed toward the room where Kate should still be sleeping.

  McKenzie sucked in a deep breath of air and then exhaled in a rush. “Roe is gone. We lost him.”

  Frankie stopped with his hand on the door knob. “You what?” he roared as he spun back to face McKenzie.

  “He was in Nelson’s car. Then Nelson dropped off the grid. Usry lost him.” McKenzie stepped back. “We don’t know where Nelson or Roe went.”

  “You…” Frankie bit back what he was going to say. It didn’t matter. McKenzie would be stupid no matter what he said. Instead, Frankie pulled the gun from the holster at the small of his back. “I should have known not to trust you.” He aimed at McKenzie’s chest. “A mistake I won’t make again.”

  Frankie pulled the trigger.

  Surprise bloomed on McKenzie’s face as the impact pushed him backward into the wall. He slid to the floor in a heap.

  “You’re just as spineless as your uncle was.” Frankie stood over McKenzie and pulled the trigger twice more.

  Finally.

  He’d waited far too long to do that.

  FORTY-THREE

  Kate woke with a jerk. A noise echoed through her brain. She strained, listening to hear it again. Nothing but the pounding of a headache. She tried to stretch, but her arms wouldn’t move. She opened her eyes. Darkness surrounded her. Images flooded into her brain. Conner. Tiffany. Flames. Smoke. Caleb.

  The memories of the day rushed back into her mind. Her chest ached. Her throat hurt. She tried again to stretch. Her legs moved, but her hands were above her head. They wouldn’t move. She couldn’t feel them. Her head pounded, making it hard to think. Why? She tried again. This time, pain shot through her arms. Something bit at her wrists. She was tied to something. She struggled against the bindings. They wouldn’t give. How long had she been here?

  A noise across the room caused her to look up just as the door swung open and daylight poured into the room. Kate’s eyes snapped shut, but not before the light triggered a deeper throb in the headache that already made her want to cry.

  “Cher. You’re awake.” Kate recognized Caleb’s voice.

  “What…” She tried to ask, but what came from her throat was a low, wet croak. She cleared her throat and pain shot through her body. The fire. She had inhaled too much smoke.

  Caleb walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He held a glass low and placed a straw on her lips. “Drink this.”

  Kate didn’t want to. Was he drugging her again? Her body betrayed her, and she took the straw between her lips. She was so thirsty, and her throat hurt so much. She let the cool liquid wash over her tongue. It tasted sweet. Refreshing. Water, she realized. It was just plain water.

  “What do you want, Caleb?” She managed to ask in a soft, scratchy voice after she’d swallowed her fill of the water.

  Caleb laughed. “Let’s set some ground rules.” His voice had changed again. The Cajun accent was mostly gone and he sounded like the Caleb she had come to know. He released the ropes holding her hands above her head then pulled her up so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. “First, you don’t get to ask questions. And second, you do what I say. If you can follow those two rules, this will be much easier for you.” Caleb tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

  Fear warred with anger in her stomach creating a tidal wave of acid that threatened to make her wretch. Caleb must have seen her fighting the nausea because he pushed the back of her head forward until she sat with her head between her knees.

  “Breathe. It will pass.”

  Kate took two deep breaths, pushing the back of her head against his hand each time. He would not yield, but the urge to throw up began to pass.

  “Good. See, that’s easy.” Caleb eased his hold on the back of her head, though he didn’t move his hand. “Now, don’t ever call me Caleb again. My name is Frankie.”

  Kate nodded. Kept her mouth shut, but her brain worked to find a way out of this solution. He had untied her. That was good. Sharp pains shot through her arms as the circulation returned. She gritted her teeth as she flexed her fingers and the pain intensified.

  “Don’t even consider it.” Kate felt like Frankie was reading her mind. He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back up, craning her neck around so she was looking at him. “You will act like a lady, and a good wife. If you don’t, I’ll teach you.” He no longer looked handsome. Now, he just looked mean. She tried to recall what she had seen in him that was attractive, but could not come up with a single thing. This man was nothing like the Caleb he had pretended to be.

  That was the point. He wanted to convince you to like him. What’s changed?

  The thought caught Kate by surprise. What had changed? He was her partner. They spent most of their time together. And after that kiss at the ball last night? Was it really just last night? Kate wasn’t sure. She had no sense of how much time had passed.

  “You will do as your told, Katie.” Frankie’s voice was low and menacing, his warm breath assaulting her nostrils. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can outsmart me or outrun me. You will lose.”

  A shiver worked its way across Kate’s skin, making gooseflesh rise. She shook slightly, half out of fear, half out of anger. How dare this man think he could best her? She would prove him wrong.

  Frankie stood, pulling her up beside him.

  “What—.” The slap rocked Kate’s head to the side. Pain prickled on the skin arou
nd her left eye causing white spots to flash in her vision.

  “I told you. You don’t ask questions.” Frankie dug his hands into the flesh of her upper arm. “You’ll know what and where when I want you to know. Until then, you shut up. You hear?”

  Kate nodded. Fine. If that’s the way he wanted to play the game, she would play along. For now. But when she got the chance, he’d never know what hit him.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Ryan’s Monte Carlo rolled up next to David’s sedan. They’d sent Nelson to meet an Internal Affairs liaison. One that David Alexander knew was alive and trustworthy. That would keep Nelson out of danger until this was all over.

  Ryan joined them on the side of the road. “This man, Caleb Castille? His real name is Frankie Deveaux. He killed John Juarez.”

  “And Caleb Castille,” David added. When Ryan shot him a quizzical look, David gave him the quick overview of finding Caleb Castille’s body.

  Ryan nodded. “I found this phone at Conner’s warehouse. It’s Frankie’s phone. He’s sloppy.” Ryan tapped the screen on the phone. “Here’s the information about where he has Kate. For now.”

  Jack took the phone and scrolled through the messages. Betrayal tightened his throat. As he glanced through the thread, he found evidence that Frankie was working with Brian McKenzie to have him framed for murdering Chief Darnow. He also learned that Kate was at McKenzie’s home, not far from where they were now. Heat climbed from the pit of his stomach to his ears. McKenzie? He thought they were friends.

  David put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “People will deceive you, Jack. Hold on to that anger, and use it, but don’t do something stupid.”

  Was it that obvious? He wanted to barge into McKenzie’s house and kill the man. He wouldn’t ask questions. Wouldn’t ask why. He didn’t care. All he cared was that McKenzie put Kate in danger. He was so caught up in thoughts about what he would do to McKenzie if Kate was hurt, or worse, dead, that he didn’t hear David and Ryan planning their approach.