She dragged Jade out to the light and sank another dose of Methohexital into her arm. She’d be asleep for hours. Jordan placed several cinder blocks in the back of the van then opened the garage and pulled out. With her car backed in, she transferred Jade to the trunk, jammed the rag back in her mouth, and spread a new strip of duct tape across her lips. She secured the garage door and exited the All-Store facility. She was on her way to John Nels’s house. She saw that her cell phone was nearly dead, and a quick stop at home to grab her phone charger would take only a minute.
Alarm bells rang in Jordan’s head when two police squads flew past her as if she was standing still. She closed in on her neighborhood when another whizzed by. Her heart pounded in her chest when two unmarked black cruisers, easily recognized by the government plates and oversized side-mount spotlights, passed her on a residential street. She turned opposite her home, went around the block, and parked along the curb. Between the yards, she had a bird’s-eye view of the vehicles in her driveway and spilling out onto the street.
Damn them, now I can’t go home. Thank God everything incriminating is out of the house.
Jordan lit a cigarette, shifted the van into drive, and left the neighborhood.
Chapter 28
“Have you reached the residence?” Agent Tam asked Officer Link using the police radio frequency. She and J.T. led in the first cruiser with Bruce and Dave taking up the rear in the second vehicle. The red and blues imbedded in the grille and attached to the visors flashed in each car as they drove.
“Yes, ma’am, and all of the exits are surrounded. We’re waiting for Chief Boardman, or you, to give the okay to breach the house.”
“Do you have eyes on anyone inside? Can you tell if she’s home?”
“Can’t tell, ma’am. The curtains are drawn, doors are locked, and there isn’t a vehicle in the driveway. The garage has one window with closed blinds on it.”
“What’s the chief’s ETA?”
“He’s two miles out.”
“And we’re double that. Bang on the door, call out her name, and see if she answers. If not, break it down and clear the house. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Roger that, ma’am.”
J.T. picked up his cell and called the evidence garage. He turned toward Agent Tam as he waited. “It doesn’t hurt to have more to work with.” He raised his hand to indicate the other person had answered. “Hello, this is Agent J.T. Harper with the FBI. What’s the status on Jerry Fosco’s car?” He clicked over to speakerphone.
“We’re nearly done with it, sir. Our findings have been documented with the forensics lab.”
“Thank you. I need to know the color, make, and model of that car.”
“The vehicle is a 1994 silver Ford Taurus sedan, sir.”
“Just what I wanted to hear. Can you transfer me to the tech department, please?”
“Right away, Agent Harper.”
J.T. covered his phone’s mic with his hand. “The tech department should be able to determine if the car those two people were walking toward at TaTas would fit the description of a 1994 Ford Taurus. After all the circumstantial information we’re gathering, I think the case against Jordan Taylor is getting stronger by the minute.”
“Agreed.” Agent Tam turned in to Jordan’s neighborhood and parked along the curb four houses down. “It looks like we have a full crew on-site. I’m guessing that’s the chief’s sedan parked ahead of us.” She killed the engine, then she and J.T. exited the cruiser. Dave and Bruce pulled in right behind them and got out.
The four agents reached the front of the house and saw a number of officers checking the perimeter of the property. They stepped through the opening where the door had been broken off its hinges and was now propped against the doorframe. Chief Mitch Boardman stood in the living room, talking on his phone while six officers cleared the house. He nodded at the group, said his goodbyes, and hung up. With an outstretched hand, he greeted the FBI agents.
“Mitch, what do we know so far?” Agent Tam asked.
“My guys are clearing the first level then moving on to the attic and basement. So far, it appears the house is empty. That includes the garage, and they haven’t found a pair of shoes that matches the tread pattern left on the wall at Mark Fellenz’s home.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t wearing those very shoes. We need the forensic team on-site right away.”
He gave her a curious look. “There’s no indication that a crime has been committed here, Michelle. Why forensics?”
“It’s urgent we find our missing agent. The first thing we need to establish is if we’re barking up the right tree or not. Our hunch tells us that Agent Monroe might be in the custody of Jordan Taylor, but we don’t know that as a fact. I want forensics to go over this place from top to bottom, fingerprint it, and establish any evidence that would tell us if Agent Monroe has been in this house.”
He raked his full head of hair and nodded. “Yeah, understood. Officer Jones, get on the horn and call the forensic team. We need them out here immediately.”
“Thank you, Chief. While your men are clearing the house, I’m going out with my agents to start a knock and talk. The neighbors may be able to give us a little insight on Jordan Taylor and possibly a way to get in touch with her husband.”
“Absolutely, Agent Tam, and I’ll call you as soon as the forensic team arrives.”
“J.T., you’ll go with me on this side of the street. Bruce and Dave, start on the west side. Hit every house on this block.”
“Got it, boss,” J.T. said, “and the tech department just confirmed that a 1994 Ford Taurus could be the car on the video of the parking lot at TaTas.”
J.T. and Agent Tam crossed the yard to the next house and followed the brick pavers to the front door. They knocked, but nobody answered. They continued on. J.T. paused on the sidewalk, as if in thought.
“Agent Harper, what are you thinking?”
“Maybe I should check in with Jade’s family in Wisconsin. I ought to tell SSA Spelling what’s going on too.”
Agent Tam raised and dropped her shoulders along with an audible sigh. “Give me a second to put this together. We have to make sure we’re doing the most urgent things first. That would be to put a BOLO out on Jordan’s car and the cruiser and then get her face and description on every news station.”
“Even without hard evidence against her?”
“We don’t have a choice, Agent Harper. Jade is missing, Jordan is unaccounted for, and the clock is ticking. If we’re wrong, I’ll make a public apology on television myself.”
“Okay, then tell me what you want me to do. I can go back to the field office and put something together for the news stations. I’ll make sure to emphasize that Jordan Taylor is currently a person of interest, nothing more. That should cover our butts a little. Before I do that, I think it’s imperative to talk to her sister and Spelling. We have to know if anyone has heard from Jade before we make this a TV sensation.”
“Go ahead.” Tam tipped her head to the left. “I’ll be at the next house.”
J.T. called SSA Spelling first. He didn’t have the numbers of Jade’s family or closest friends programmed into his phone. Getting advice from his immediate supervisor could give him additional insight too. He knew he’d be calling his boss at home, and Spelling would likely have to make a call to the Milwaukee field office to retrieve Jade’s file. J.T. scrolled through his contact list and tapped the name Phil Spelling.
“Hey, J.T., calling on a Saturday? You must be homesick.”
“Boss, we have a problem here in Houston.”
Chapter 29
As much as Jordan would have liked to plot and plan a drawn-out ending for John Nels, she didn’t have the luxury of time. She sat in the parked van right around the corner from his home and stared out the windshield. Different scenarios bubbled up in her mind.
Unfortunately, John’s occupation as a claims analyst wasn’t exciting enough to i
nvolve instruments she could utilize in his death, but Jordan was sure she could come up with something on the fly.
John was nearing retirement, and so was his wife, Ann. Jordan knew they lived alone and were no match against her, yet she had no beef with the wife. The woman would have to be disabled quickly so Jordan could focus entirely on John. But there was the fact that she’d be able to identify Jordan. Maybe she’d have to die with her husband after all.
Jordan’s twisted mind went back to John. He always documented his results in pen and paper on a clipboard, and she was sure she could utilize those tools to her advantage.
Now is as good a time as any. Both cars are in the driveway, and that means I’m going to have to work twice as hard and twice as fast.
With her hand on the doorframe, she stepped down on the running board and exited the van. At the back, she climbed inside and gathered her supplies. The sound of a car engine caught her attention. With the rear doors cracked just enough to peek out, Jordan saw Ann’s car back down the driveway and pull out onto the street. She sped away.
Humph. There is a God after all. I wouldn’t have felt good about killing that woman.
As soon as the car was out of sight, Jordan made her move. With the stun gun ready and waiting and the backpack slung over her shoulder, she slipped on a pair of gloves as she took the sidewalk to his front door. A blitz attack would get her inside the house quickly. She couldn’t have a confrontation with him on the porch, especially on a Saturday when most of the neighbors were home.
She recalled John Nels as a small man, not over five foot seven, if memory served her correctly. Since he was on the pudgy side, it would take a hard push to topple him, but he’d be slow to get up. Once he was down, the advantage would be hers.
Jordan rang the bell frantically, which would cause a rush to answer on his part. He’d already be stirred up by the time he opened the door. The clack of shoes got closer as she held the button in on the doorbell.
The voice on the other side of the door yelled out as he turned the knob. “Hold your horses for crissakes! I’m coming.”
The door swung open, and an angry-faced John Nels growled his disdain. In the flash of a second and before he had time to think, Jordan gave him a sharp kick to the gut that sent the man stumbling backward. He hit the wall behind him with a hard thud and slid to the floor. Jordan reached back and slammed the front door then turned the dead bolt latch.
“Remember me, John?”
He coughed as he tried to catch his breath. “No, I have no idea who you are.” He scratched at the floor and tried to crawl to safety.
“I’m your judge and jury.” She sent a blow to his ribs with her foot then rolled him over and kicked him in the face.
Blood spray dotted the white tile as it squirted from his nose and ran over his lips. He tried to stand, but she kicked his feet out from under him.
“Here’s how this is going down, John. You’re going to die today, and I’d suggest the sooner the better. Or”—she cocked her head and planted her hands firmly on her hips—“would you rather I take my time and still be here when Ann returns?”
“No, no, please leave her out of this.” He wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand.
“Good, I was hoping you’d agree since I don’t have time to spend the entire day with you. Places to go, things to do. You know how it is, right? You see, if I’m still here when Ann returns, I’d have to kill her too. No witness left behind is my motto, and I don’t want to hurt your wife since she has no part in this, unlike you. Let’s get to it, then, shall we?”
Jordan grabbed the man, zip-tied his hands and legs, then hooked her arm through the crook of his armpit and dragged him to the kitchen, where she propped him on a chair.
“I’m going to be merciful, John, and inject you with a sedative so you don’t feel what I’m about to do to you. Consider this your lucky day.”
Jordan filled the barrel of the syringe then jammed the needle into John’s arm. The drug she pressed under his skin was a lethal dose, but she didn’t care. There wasn’t time to relish in his suffering. She just wanted him dead. With the ten-foot length of rope she had in the backpack, she tied him to the chair so he wouldn’t slide off.
His office was the place she’d search. His clipboard, paperwork, and pens would likely be found on his desk or nearby. She walked the hallway of the sprawling ranch-style home and found his office at the first door on the left. She entered and scanned the room. Plenty of ideas crossed her mind, but she wanted something that indicated his occupation.
“I guess this will have to work, boring as it is.”
Back at the kitchen table, Jordan balled up five sheets of inspection paperwork and shoved them as far as she could down his throat, completely blocking his airway. She pulled out his tongue and, with a quick swipe of her pocketknife, sliced it off. She pinched the tongue in the clasp of the clipboard and tossed it on the kitchen table. With a pen in each hand, she jammed them deep into his ears until blood poured out.
“There, that should send a message. You didn’t hear the truth and didn’t speak it, either. You worked on behalf of all the people that had a part in killing Emily and held nobody responsible. It’s time to pay the piper.”
Jordan peeked out the window and saw a quiet, unsuspecting neighborhood. She was sure she’d have enough time for the finishing touch. With the backpack in hand, she ran to the van, unlocked the back, and placed a cinder block in the bag. She was back in the house within a minute’s time.
“Here goes, John. Have a nice trip to hell.” The crushing sound of the block meeting his skull was enough to send a wave of nausea over Jordan for a split second. She almost felt regret. The block dropped to the floor, and she gave him a final look then left. With her head held low, Jordan walked quickly back to the van, climbed in, and sped away.
Chapter 30
“Have you called her family yet?”
“No, you’re the first to hear about this, boss. She doesn’t answer her phone, she’s MIA, and she hasn’t shown up on the hotel surveillance tapes since yesterday morning when we drove to the field office together. The cruiser she used wasn’t in the hotel parking lot this morning, and she didn’t appear anywhere on the field office’s tape since she left the building last night.”
“Does the car have a tracking device installed on it?”
“Good question. I haven’t asked that yet. Hang on.” J.T. saw Agent Tam walk out of the second house to his left. He called out to her. “Agent Tam, do the cruisers have tracking systems on them?”
She approached J.T. with concern written across her face. “A tracking device? Not exactly. They have the built-in GPS system that tracks where the driver has been, but you’d have to pull that information right off the car. We can’t access that remotely.”
“So, that’s a no?”
“It’s a no unless you’re actually in the car.”
J.T. got back on his phone. “No, boss, they don’t.”
“Okay, then you need to get a BOLO out for the cruiser’s plate number.”
“Already done, sir.”
“I’ll call you back in five minutes with her contact information, or would you rather I made the call?”
“I’ll do it, boss. Somehow I feel responsible. This was her first field assignment, and I should have kept her under my wing.”
“Okay, I’ll call you right back with her information.”
J.T. hung up and faced Agent Tam. “Anything at the second house?”
“Not a lot. The family said they didn’t know Jordan and her husband well at all. The occasional wave or a nod, typical neighborly courtesies at best.”
“People don’t seem to get involved with neighbors much anymore. It’s a real shame.” J.T.’s phone rang. “Excuse me, ma’am.” He walked toward their cruiser to use the hood as a tabletop. “Go ahead, boss. I have my notepad and a pen ready.”
With the information for three people in front of him, J.T. had the daunti
ng task of contacting them. He began by calling Amber, the sister Jade had spoken of so fondly. She answered immediately.
“Hello, Amber Monroe speaking.”
J.T. heard a questioning tone to her voice and knew there was no reason she’d recognize his number.
“Amber, this is J.T. Harper calling from the FBI.”
“The J.T. Harper?”
He smiled even though the call was because of an extremely serious issue. “Yes, the J.T. Harper. Amber, this is an urgent call. I have to know if you’ve seen or spoken to Jade.”
“What? You can’t be serious. What are you trying to say?”
“Jade’s gone missing. She hasn’t been seen or heard from since last night.”
The pause was deafening as J.T. waited for Amber to process what she’d just heard him say. Her lack of a response answered his question.
“Amber?”
“Yes, I’m here, and no, I haven’t seen or spoken to Jade since the night before last. Are you sure? This has to be a mistake.”
“I wish it was.”
“Now what?” Amber’s voice cracked, and then the choking, heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the phone line. “I can’t deal with another family loss. It’s too much.”
“Please, Amber, I need your help. Is there any reason I should call your mom?”
“No, I’d be the first person Jade would call if she was back in town. Actually, I’d be the first person to know, then Jack, and then our mom. I haven’t missed any calls or texts from her. I always respond. I have to call Jack.”
“Is there something more he may know?”
“I don’t think so, but I need his moral support right now.”
J.T. took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to contact the airport, anyway. I can’t think of any reason she’d fly home, but it’s something to cross off the list.”
Snapped: An Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Book 1 Page 13