“This sounds interesting.” Katie leaned her chin in her palm, her salad forgotten. “Tell me more! I’ve never heard you like this before.”
They finished lunch giggling and talking about men. The conversation continued on the drive home. Jessie dropped Katie off at the Inn. What a great day. She smiled. Jessie grabbed her packages out of the car, she was happy to be home. She had her dress, she had her shoes, and she had her date. He was some date. She leaned against the door and sighed.
Chapter 24
Matt drove home from Evansville frustrated. With pricey lawyers by their sides, the suspects had stopped talking. “Damn, I hate when they clam up like that. The only thing worse is when they spout the same stuff. You know they were schooled by the lawyers.”
“They were a little more talkative yesterday and cocky.” Dylan shoved his file in his briefcase.
“This was a complete waste of time. Maybe a family member or wife will say something.” Matt ran his free hand through his hair.
“I thought if I heard one more time that they all knew Johnson, Hampton, and Lutz as friends, but nothing other than that one more time, I would punch somebody.”
“I almost had Mike Pearson talking, but at the last moment, he clammed up. I gave his lawyer a lot of incentive to talk Mike into testifying for the state. He didn’t bite.” Matt frowned, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.
“We’ve had bad days before. Why has this got you so upset?” Dylan looked his way.
“I was hoping for something, and they gave us nothing. Those kids are in someone’s hands. We need to find them soon, or we could lose them for good.” He raked his free hand through his hair. “I hate wasting time. This is the part of a case that drives me nuts.”
“You know how these things go.” Dylan shrugged. “We’ll nail them. It’s only a matter of time. We might find stuff on their computers or from the search.”
“If it was just about solving the murders, that would be one thing, but it’s the kids.” Matt pounded his fist on the steering wheel. “Every day we don’t find them, we’re one day closer to seeing those kids being moved. This case is breaking ground in a new area.” He signaled and changed lanes. “We’ve got to find those kids. Somebody had better start talking soon.”
“Maybe Maxwell will have better luck. The FBI is a little more intimidating than us small town cops.” Dylan’s tone was sarcastic.
“It wasn’t working today, but maybe tomorrow. At this point I don’t care who gets the information, just so we get it.” Matt turned off the highway and headed toward Blue Cove.
“Not to change the subject, but I heard you’re taking Jessie to the Autumn Ball tomorrow night.” Dylan turned to look out the side window with a grin on his face.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Matt’s eyebrows rose.
“Who, me?” Dylan chuckled. “Nope, I was just thinking that it was about time, that’s all.”
“I asked her on a date for Friday, but not to the ball. You know how I hate those things. When I found a little bit of information about some of the folks attending I decided we needed to combine business with our date.” He pulled the patrol car into the station parking lot. “It’s probably not the best way to ask a girl out for your first date, but I guess it comes with the job.”
Dylan laughed outright. “You two have fought each other from the moment you met. Those of us watching from the sidelines had to give up pretty early on. We all knew from the start it was you. It’s been fun to watch though.”
“Why don’t you tell her that?” he grumbled. “She still doesn’t know it.”
“Yeah, but she will. I think she’s already started to.”
“What makes you think that?” Matt shut off the engine.
“The way she looks at you when she thinks no one is looking.” Dylan smiled.
“And how would that be?”
“All soft, I guess.” He shook his head. “Damn, I don’t know how to explain it, interested I guess. I’m not good at this feeling stuff. But hell, I can say for sure, she doesn’t look at the rest of us like that.”
“That’s good to know.” Matt felt his mood brightening as he walked into the station.
Jeremy followed Matt into his office. “How’d it go today?”
“It didn’t.” Matt frowned.
“Maybe I have something that will help.” Jeremy handed him a spreadsheet. “Those six guys have been getting a whole lot of money paid into some offshore accounts.” Jeremy pointed to the numbers. “If you notice, the payments come at different times. It’s like these three are a team because they get paid at the same time and these three are a team.” He pointed. “You notice there is a lapse in time between payouts for each team.” He had circled the dates. “It’s like they were being used in rotation.”
“Did you find out who was paying them?” Matt leaned his elbow on the desk.
“It’s always a cash deposit, never a check.” Jeremy adjusted his glasses. “But Steve Murphy also has an offshore account and makes large cash withdrawals equal to their cash deposits, which I find interesting.” He ran his hand through his tousled hair.
“Nice work. Anything else?”
“I’m getting close on the other and I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything.” He stood up. “I’m out of here. I’m headed for dinner at the Inn.”
Matt nodded and Jeremy left. He laid out Jeremy’s spreadsheet next to the timelines he’d drawn of abductions in the surrounding areas. The two sheets told the story. The payouts came a few weeks after each round of abductions. Apparently, it took an average of four weeks from when the last of the kids disappeared in the area before the payoffs would start. Steve’s account first received a huge amount and then the members of one of the two groups would get a deposit not long afterwards. Matt frowned. It seemed that if the operation went smoothly the kids would be out of the area within three weeks of the final abduction. Meaning they needed to hurry up and find those kids.
It was about two weeks ago when the kids in New York were abducted. Things were a little messier this time, but still he figured they had a week or two tops, and then it would be too late.
Tom popped his head in the door. “Hey, we’re back.” He leaned against the doorframe. “One thing my team learned in talking to the wives was that these guys were a whole lot chummier than they were letting on to us. They traveled together, and the families even vacationed together from time to time. Last year, they all traveled to Disney World together and stayed in the same hotel. Even though the wives were friends, they weren’t as close as the men were. Not one of them seemed to have a clue that their husbands might be involved in something illegal.”
“It always amazes me how men can keep one whole side of their lives so secret that their wife never picks up on it. We saw that in the last case as well, with the Harvest Club.” Matt doodled on the edge of the paper. “The thing about this case that makes me so mad is that there are a lot of innocent kids and families involved.”
“I know and I can feel it breathing down my neck. If we don’t find them soon they will be relocated.” Tom pushed away from the door. “We’ll just have to do better, that’s all.”
“That’s how I feel.” Matt’s phone rang. “I need to take this.”
The hospital was on the line to let him know Sammy Adelson was awake and wanted to talk to him. Matt gathered up his stuff, including a small tape recorder, and headed toward the hospital. When Matt walked in the room, the first thing he saw was Sammy sitting up in bed. His face was white as the bed sheet, but he was very much alive. Lindsey was by his side, holding his hand.
“Chief Parker, this is my husband Sammy.” She smiled.
Matt nodded to her, turning his gaze on Sammy. “I was told that you wanted to talk to me.”
“Yes, sir, I do.” He shifted in the bed and grimaced with pain. “My wife has been telling me how nice you’ve been to her. I appreciate it. I know you’re going to have to arrest m
e, but I wanted to talk to you before any of that happens.”
“We need to do this formally. You have the right to remain silent…” He recited the Miranda rights, praying that this man would decide to come clean, give them the break they needed here, and not hide behind an attorney as the others were doing. When he finished, Sammy simply shrugged. His chest tightened with hope. “Do you mind if I record this?” He shook his head no. “Will you please repeat what you just said for the record?” He nodded.
Matt turned on his recorder and Sammy repeated what he said and then began to tell his story. “First I was surprised by a call from Jed Johnson. He told me about how he had become a big executive with a company selling children’s clothing and stuff. He wanted me to get in on the action.” Sammy sipped some water. “I never ran with Jed’s crowd.” He grimaced. “I was nothing much, and he was a jock, you know what I mean. I was a little skeptical and didn’t want to commit to anything. A few days later, I got a call from an old friend I hadn’t heard from since high school. We had gotten into a lot of trouble together, Travis and I. I have to admit I was surprised to hear from him. He asked me if I was working, and I told him I had been looking. He told me about a high paying job he knew of, and he wanted to take me to meet the boss. I went and he hired me, for what I wasn’t sure. He mentioned something about kids’ stuff and being on the road for sales and demos. Now that I think about it, there was a lot of double-talk. None of it made very much sense. He offered me a fifteen thousand dollar signing bonus and a huge discount at his store. I knew my wife would be happy to fix up the baby’s room, so I took it.” He paused, looking perplexed. “I should mention before I go on that something seemed a little off about Travis.”
“What do you mean?” Matt quizzed him.
“He seemed like a whole different person. He didn’t remember some of things Travis should have known. I chalked it up to the years that had gone by.” Sammy’s color faded when he tried to move. “Anyway, when Travis brought me home, he told me to pack my bag. We were headed out of town on business. I gave my wife the money, told her to fix up the nursery, and to order everything from the store. I left in a company car, following Travis. At lunch on our way here, he told me what he did for a living.” Sammy looked away. “Then he told me what we had been sent here to do. He was going to kill three men, and all I was supposed to do was shoot the gun he gave me, but not at anybody. I am guessing now I was meant to take the fall so no one would ever know he was involved.” His face twisted. “I mean why else would anyone take along a guy like me, tell me I was just to shoot, but not at anyone.” Sammy’s face looked pinched. “My record would convict me.” Lindsey held the straw to his lips. He took a sip.
Matt pushed the pause button on the recorder for a moment. “Do you want to rest?”
“I need to tell you.” His voice had weakened. “We went out on Homestead Road and hid our cars. We set up about 150 yards from the road, on the hill, hidden in the trees. Then we waited. Travis was quiet. He kept looking through his high power scope on the rifle. After we sat there for about fifteen minutes, a black SUV came down the road and stopped. The passenger door opened and this man started to get out. That’s when Travis fired, and the man went down. He told me to start shooting. I did.” Sammy shifted weakly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Lindsey adjusted his pillows behind his back and head. “He missed the second man who drove away. Travis was mad as hell. He told me to get in my car quick. We had to get him. We stopped before turning onto the highway. Travis said he wanted to talk to me. The last thing I remember was a gunshot and watching Travis fall. I tried to get back to the car but Jed Johnson saw me and shot me. I’m not sure if he shot Travis. I knew there had to be a connection with that kids’ stuff and this job.” Drained, Sammy closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
“I’m sure he can give you more details when he’s not under so many pain meds.” Lindsey’s eyes glistened as she looked up at Matt. “He wanted to talk to you today before others start getting involved. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. So I hoped this would help you in some way.”
“Yes, Lindsey, it has.” Matt smiled at her. “Are you going to be okay?”
She looked back at Sammy, her face tender and full of sorrow. “He’ll probably sleep for a while. I’ll go back to the hotel to rest. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
Matt walked out of the hospital, happy that another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. He would have to wait for another day to ask him if he knew why they wanted the men killed, or if he knew anything about the kids. Matt had his doubts. If they had hired Sammy as the fall guy, he would have very little real information. Matt wanted the name of the man who’d interviewed him.
He got in his car and gave Jessie a quick call. “Are you at home?”
“Yes, why?”
“Is Jeremy there?”
“No, he’s not here, why?”
“Can I stop by for a while?”
“Sure, but why?”
“Just because I want to, Jess.” He could almost hear her reaction. He grinned. “I’ll be there in a few.”
It took all of ten minutes to get to her house, but he felt relief at the sight of her. She had a way of stirring his blood and calming him at the same time. She smiled at him when he walked through the door. She was sitting at her computer. He loved watching her there. “What’s up?”
“I was just up with Sammy. He told me quite a bit before he faded.” He walked over to stand beside her and filled in what he had learned so far. “Did you learn anything more about the store or the owners?”
“Not yet, but between Jeremy’s and my research, we’re getting close.”
“Keep working. I’ll sit here and do my paperwork.” He walked over to the chair and sat down, stretching his legs out and balancing a file on the arm of the chair. He felt a lot better after what Dylan had told him earlier. He was hoping to catch that look for himself. He hid a smile, got busy. He realized when Jeremy walked through the door that he hadn’t watched her at all. What is next, Matt? He did an internal eye roll. You’ll be falling asleep in this chair. He liked the peace of being in her world.
“How’s it going?” Jeremy leaned over Jessie’s shoulder. Matt found himself watching their interaction.
“Look at this.” She pointed to something on the screen.
“Move over, sweetheart, and let me take it for a minute.” Jeremy sat down as she slid out of the chair.
Jeremy’s fingers moved rapidly over the keys and then stopped suddenly, pointing something out to her. “Look, what do we have here?”
“Matt, I think we’ve found something that can tie all these guys together.” She looked up excitedly as he walked over.
“Explain to me what I’m looking at.”
“I’ve been able to get into the sent emails for the company and there have been a lot of them to guys on this list. I’ll print out a few of them for you, see if anything looks useful.”
“Bring them with you tomorrow if you come in; otherwise just give them to Jess to give to me. I appreciate it, man.” Jeremy nodded without looking away from the screen. Matt picked up his files. “I’ll be by to pick you up tomorrow at six.” He looked at Jessie as she got to her feet.
“I’ll be ready.” She smiled. “Badge and gun will be present and accounted for.”
“That’s nice to know.” He grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “See you tomorrow, all dolled up and looking like a girl.” She closed the door behind him.
Chapter 25
Jessie looked up at the clock. Only eleven-forty, it was not time to go. There was no way she could concentrate! She had already made so many typing errors. She frowned at the page. At this rate, this paragraph could take fifteen minutes. She turned her chair away from her desk and then turned back around again. Excitement and apprehension both licked at the edges of her mind every time she thought about the ball. She shut off her computer. Matt was definitely the reason for the excitement. Maybe d
ating him wouldn’t be so bad after all. She smiled and fanned herself. He was nothing if not persistent. Darn Reba and her dire warning! Jessie would have loved to enjoy being with him without the stress of the case. At this point, not possible. Reba had called again this morning, warning her to be on guard. It didn’t sound like a very promising evening to Jessie. Reba was never wrong.
She had spent most of last night trying to figure out where she’d carry her gun. The dress was silk and flowed over the curves of her body. No matter where she strapped it, the bulge showed. She had tried strapping it to her thigh and near her ankle on her calf, but it wasn’t going to happen. No way, she couldn’t wear it under this dress. Everyone would know she was packing! She giggled. No doubt about it, she would have to put the gun in her evening bag and keep it close by at all times.
She had practiced most of the night, pulling the gun from the bag repeatedly. Matt would have teased her if he had seen her. Now she had the action down and was getting faster. Of course, this was without any of the pressure of trying to save someone’s life, or shooting at a real person instead of a target. She frowned, looking at the clock again.
“Earth to Blondie, are you in there?” Melinda was peering from the doorway with a puzzled look on her face. “You didn’t even hear me walk in. What’s got you looking all dreamy? Maybe it’s that hunky chief of police, eh?” She cackled and the corners of her eyes crinkled.
Jessie smiled as she got a good look at Melinda. Her red hair was standing on end where she had just tousled it with her hands. “Actually, I wasn’t thinking about him at all. I was thinking about something Reba said earlier.”
“Forget Reba. If I were you, I would be thinking about Matt. He’s a hottie!” Melinda plopped down in the chair. “Pastor said you were leaving early so I thought I’d tidy up in here, if that’s okay with you.”
Jessie bit her lip. “I have few minutes before I leave, but I don’t mind you starting before I do. I would enjoy the company.”
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