Mission

by Camilla Chafer

  "Sounds romantic."

  "We all thought so but..." She trailed off.

  "But?"

  "She stayed at his house one weekend and when she came back, she had marks on her arm. Like he grabbed her really hard. She said it was nothing and I guess I figured she was right so I didn't think anything of it until... Well, she had a bruise on her cheek one day."

  "Do you think Zach did it?"

  "I'm sure he did now, but back then... I didn't know. He was always so romantic with her. So charming and he had all these big ideas. He was an Army vet, you know. Looked like one of those guys on the cover of a romance novel. And he was always coming up with new business ideas that he wanted our friends to invest in. They never took off and I guess that pissed him off. I don't think it helped that Sophie was so successful. After a while, I think he resented her for that."

  "Do you think their relationship was unhappy?"

  "It went up and down. Sometimes he was great, sometimes not. When our landlord sold our apartment that year, Sophie moved in with him and started coming around less often. Canceling plans at the last minute. Too busy to hangout. We thought Zach was totally interfering but what could we say? He was never overtly an asshole but you knew not to cross him. He had this icy cold look in his eyes whenever he got mad. At least, he wasn't as wild as his sister."

  "You knew her too? She was also called Sophie?"

  "Yeah. But she was crazy! She drank too much, smoked too much, and partied too much. Apparently, they had a-hole parents so I guess their upbringing wasn't too strict. Sophie told me Zach escaped when he left for the Army but his sister had to put up with their parents until she could afford to leave. She was always getting in trouble for something or other. Barely graduated high school. Hardly ever managed to hold down a job. Always asking people for money. A real grifter. Sophie told me one day she thought the other Sophie was stealing money from her purse."

  "They didn't get along?"

  "Not one bit! And to be honest, we didn't like Sophie constantly coming around either. I was really surprised when Sophie and Zach got married but Sophie said things turned really good between them. Zach started freelancing for some Army buddy of his and was making good money when he proposed."

  "Did you go to the wedding?"

  "Yeah. It was just a courthouse wedding since neither of them had any family and afterward, we all had a dinner at a restaurant. I have photos of it if you want them? I don't know what use they might be?"

  "That would be great," I decided. It certainly couldn't hurt to see the two Sophies and Zach altogether. "I actually wanted some more information about Zach's sister. Was she at the wedding too?"

  "Yep. She complained that she wasn't a bridesmaid. Or the matron of honor. I’m sure she turned up in a cream dress just to be a jerk. She also said Sophie looked stupid in her dress and proceeded to drink a whole bottle of wine before the appetizers even arrived. She was a hot mess. Zach sent her home in a cab."

  "Was she an alcoholic?"

  "Yeah. She did drugs too. Sophie said she saw track marks on her arms. She was kinda scary. I think that's why she started stealing. She worked in a bar off the highway somewhere but I guess didn't earn much money. It was one of those bars that people mostly avoid, kind of on the rough side, and you wouldn't go inside it even if your car ran out of gas and you needed to use the phone or the bathroom. His sister even stole Sophie's car once when she needed to go to work!"

  "Wow." So much information to absorb. The Sophie in the hospital bed looked so innocent and people spoke so nicely about her. It was hard to imagine her as a drug addict.

  "Yeah. Can't pick your relatives, right? Anyway, I don't really know what happened after that because Sophie started dropping out of touch, more and more often, and when she lost her job, we hardly saw her again at all. Then she died. I'm sorry, that was a tangent. You were asking about Zach's sister. I hardly knew her and what little I did know, I didn't want to know, if you get my drift?"

  "I do. Do you remember the name of the bar where she worked?"

  "Might have been Ace's. I don't really recall quite honestly. I heard it closed after a fire last year and never reopened. Good riddance if you ask me."

  I crossed off Ace's as soon as I jotted it on my notepad. I knew the sort of bar. It was highly unlikely I'd find anyone who worked there or was willing to talk about the employees.

  "Actually, if you're looking for Sophie and Zach, I'm pretty sure they both left town. But you know that, right? Since they came up in your investigation?"

  "Yes, but I'm not sure exactly when they left."

  "Oh, that's easy. It was a week after the funeral. Zach came to the funeral for a whole ten minutes and stormed out. I went by their house a week later with cookies and muffins. I didn't like him but I felt obligated to do something for him and the whole house was closed up. The neighbor told me they packed up and left in the middle of the night. Two of them, she said. A man and a woman so they must have left together."

  "When was that?"

  "I don't remember the exact date but I know it can't be more than two or three weeks after Sophie died. I know that because there was a big bank robbery a few days before that was all anyone could talk about."

  "A bank robbery?"

  "Yeah. We had a whole string of them throughout the state but this was a big one. Maybe you could look it up online? It made headlines in all the newspapers. Anyway, pretty exciting stuff, and what with the funeral, those few weeks got etched in my memory. I wish I could tell you more about Sister Sophie as we used to call her sarcastically, since she was so ungodly, but I really don't know much else about her. Only that she was as obnoxious as they get."

  I thanked Annie for her help and she promised she would forward the wedding photos to me as soon as she found them.

  For a moment, I couldn't do anything. Trying to pull a single thought out of the whirling tumble of new information in my head was difficult. An abusive marriage. A death and widowhood. A fast exit from town under the cloak of darkness for a wild, angry pair. A string of bank robberies.

  The bank robberies stuck me for a moment, then I shook my head. Way too big of a coincidence. No way could Sophie and Zach have gotten involved in the robbery of First Eastern! Sophie was already in a coma by the time it was committed. I heaved a huge, relieved sigh and struck a line through that note.

  When a pair of arms slipped around me, I jumped. "Did I surprise you?" asked Solomon, his breath warm against my neck as he nuzzled me.

  "Yes, but now I like it. Do it again."

  He laughed softly. "I'll save it for another time."

  "Make sure I'm not armed." I turned my chair, pulling in Solomon for a kiss as he towered over me. Hearing about what a rotten husband Zach was only made me appreciate my own husband that much more. Not because he never hit me, or tried to isolate me from my friends, or tapped my friends up for money for crazy endeavors; it was a standard rule that those things should never enter a relationship. It was because of everything Solomon represented: kindness, honesty, trustworthiness. He worked hard, and loved even harder.

  "This is nice," whispered Solomon between kisses, "but we should stop."

  "Because we're in the office?" I breathed headily.

  "Because Delgado is right behind me."

  "Crap!" I let him go and jumped back, knocking my chair into the desk. Solomon restrained a smile as he straightened and glanced over his shoulder. Behind him I could see the door closing. "Guess he went to get something from the car?" He smiled.

  "Yeah. You tell yourself that," I said. "You can call him and say it's safe now."

  Solomon tapped out a message, then stuck his phone in his pocket and leaned over my shoulder. I turned my chair to tuck my legs back under the desk. "Lots of notes," he remarked, "how's the case going?"

  "I'm gathering more information. I'm sure Sophie was up to something but I don't know what yet. I just spoke to an acquaintance of hers from her hometown, a friend of Zach's late wife,
and I don't know what to make of it. She said Sophie was wild. She stole, drank excessive amounts of alcohol, was a total bitch... yet that isn't the Sophie I heard about here. Everyone I interviewed in Montgomery likes her. They say she's quiet, kind and knowledgeable. It's like her friend was telling me about a whole different person. Oh!"

  "You thought of something."

  "Yeah, but it's weird... what if she is a whole different person?"

  "Like an assumed identity? We've dealt with a case like that before."

  I nodded. We did and it was tragic. "It just doesn't feel right though. Zach was married and he and his sister only moved here after his wife died. It's like his sister assumed the personality of his wife. Completely turned herself around. Stopped the wild lifestyle and became a nice person."

  "That takes a lot of effort. A huge presence of mind," contemplated Solomon. He rested his butt on my desk and folded his arms. "It's not unheard of though. Conmen and women do it all the time."

  "To that extent?"

  "Depends on the goal. But I'd say it's easier for white collar criminals to steal someone’s identity by keeping similar traits, than it is for someone as wild as your notes suggest to become a pillar of society like Sophie Takahashi appears to be."

  "But it could be done?"

  "Sure, with intense discipline and enormous willpower. Is the goal worth it?"

  "If it means having access to Austen's money, yes! And he certainly wouldn't be attracted to a woman as wild as Sophie was reported to be." I shifted in my chair and pondered that. "I only have one person's word for how Sophie used to behave."

  "Can you get more witnesses?"

  "I don't think so. She only worked in dive bars and lived a wild life. Even if someone remembered her, I doubt they'd discuss her with me." I shook my head. I couldn't shake the hunch I had. "It still feels weird."

  "What did Austen say?"

  "I haven't told him anything yet. I don't want to until I know more. He's expecting something but I can't tell him anything while it feels so off." I paused and thought about the exquisite sketch. "I went to his office today to speak to his secretary. She showed me this beautiful line drawing Sophie drew for their anniversary. Everyone I've spoken to attests to how much she loves art. She could have gone much further at the museum with the informative talks she gave."

  "And?"

  "I keep coming back to what if Sophie modeled herself on the dead Sophie? She loves art."

  "If the deceased Sophie is the kind of woman that would attract a target like Austen, it could be possible. She would have had a live object to study and emulate, or at least, she did have once."

  "Yeah." I managed a small smile. "I'm starting to think Sophie and Zach really did target Austen for his money. Where are you with the bank case?"

  "Tracked down a bunch of information about Mackleton. Found out the sister is called Nessa Reyes but still no sign of her. She joined the Army as a teenager and had a clean record for a few years but might have changed surnames because the trail goes cold right after she was discharged. As for her brother, he changed jobs often and none of his previous employers or colleagues remembered anything about him. It's a sad life really. Charlie remains virtually unhelpful."

  "I didn't investigate him," I realized with a gulp. I’d dismissed Solomon’s request as a distraction, but what if it wasn’t? "I'm sorry. It slipped my mind to take a closer look at him."

  "I shouldn't have asked. You've had a strange day."

  "I still shouldn't have forgotten him."

  "I'll leave you to your case but it would be great if you could join us in the boardroom later. I need fresh eyes as we go over the investigation so far. I don't trust Charlie. Never did. "

  "I'll be there," I agreed.

  Behind me, the door banged open and Delgado thumped in. I suspected he purposefully made a lot of noise on entry although it was no longer necessary. "Lexi, didn't see you here," he said. "Did you just arrive?"

  "Oh, please," I said with a roll of my eyes for his feeble attempts at surprise. Holding back a laugh, I turned back to my notes, scanning them again. Annie implied Sophie was an alcoholic and addict. Was she clean now? Surely Austen would have mentioned any erratic behavior, and if not, was Sophie simply excellent at hiding her addiction?

  There was an easy way for me to find out. I called Alice.

  "I'm just finishing my shift," she told me. "Do you want to meet up? I could do with a post-work drink."

  "Not tonight but soon," I replied. "I wonder if you could check on something."

  "About Sophie?"

  "Yes. A couple of things actually. I don't think it'll take too long."

  "Whatever you need. I can make another check on her vitals before I change out of my scrubs."

  "First, was everything okay when Zach visited her earlier?"

  "Yes. I don't think he stayed very long. Ten minutes maybe, max. He came by the nurse's station before he left and my colleague told him about the upturn in Sophie's condition."

  "What did he say?"

  "He asked if we were definitely sure she would wake soon and my colleague said they didn't like to guarantee anything but we were optimistic. He said it was good news and he wanted to be there when she woke up."

  "Okay. One other thing. Can you check Sophie's arms for marks?"

  "What kind of marks? Bruises? She had a few from the accident but they're almost healed."

  "No, I mean track marks. The kind an addict would have."

  "I can tell you that right now. She doesn't have any."

  "Are you sure? They could have already healed."

  "If it were once or twice, maybe. There's no sign of heavy usage. I'm sure of that."

  "What about somewhere less obvious than on her arms? I've heard of addicts injecting drugs in other sites like between their toes."

  "Well, sure, if their veins collapse, but I haven't noticed anything like that."

  "Can you check her again? Please?"

  "Sure," agreed Alice. "Let me call you back. What should I tell Austen?"

  "Nothing," I decided. "Nothing at all."

  Chapter Eighteen

  "I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back," said Alice when I answered the phone.

  I checked my watch. "It's only been thirty minutes. I figured you got stuck doing something."

  "Stuck, no. Something, yes. I went to Sophie's room and told Austen I wanted to check Sophie for bedsores since she'd been confined to the same position for several days. Anyway, I checked her arms and found nothing. I checked her toes too and some other veins because the really hardcore addicts often use concealed injection sites but I didn't spot a single mark anywhere on her. Are you sure she injected drugs?"

  "According to someone who knew her a few years ago, yes. Is it possible the track marks healed up?"

  "It's possible, but if she were a heavy user I would expect to see lasting damage to her veins, particularly on her arms. I didn't see that at all. And as you know, I can't divulge her medical records but I'm sure Austen will confirm any bloodwork results if he hasn't told you everything already. But that's not what kept me. She moved her fingers today and showed signs of being able to hear me."

  "What? That's great!"

  "I thought so too. I paged her doctor and she's with her now, checking her over. It's a very good prognosis."

  "It's also a sign I need to hurry," I said, knowing that Austen needed more answers. "Thanks for telling me."

  "Is everything okay?" Alice asked. "I know you have to explore a lot of avenues in your investigation but asking about drug addiction sounded like a particularly bad one."

  "It's just another avenue," I said. "I'll know more soon."

  "Great. I have to go home now but thanks again for taking this case."

  "I'm glad you brought it to my attention."

  By the time I got off the phone, my neck ached and Solomon and Delgado were in the boardroom. As Fletcher and Flaherty strolled past me, the door banging shut behind the
m, I got up and followed them inside, curious to know how their case was progressing. If anything could distract me from mine, it was definitely theirs.

  "Staking out the house was a bust," said Delgado, looking over at us. "I knew it would be after the police combed it but it was worth a chance."

  "Thomas Mackleton's place?" I asked.

  Delgado nodded, saying, "We acted on the possibility someone from the crew or his personal life might come by but no one did. That said, the crime scene tape is visible from a couple blocks away. The cops didn't scrimp on their application."

  "So anyone would be put off, possibly without you even knowing," said Solomon. "Plus, if the crew were behind his killing, they already knew to stay away. Okay. Forget the house. No one is going back there." He pulled a pen from the tray under the whiteboard and put a red cross through the house. "I have a lead on the sister. Post Army, Nessa Reyes qualified as a personal instructor in Seattle three years ago. Worked for a local gym for a year then vanished again. I'm thinking she freelances off the books because I haven't found any tax returns or evidence of advertising for clients in Washington. It doesn't seem like there's any connection between her brother and her so I doubt she'll be able to shed any light on whom Thomas was hanging out with. They might have cut all their ties entirely."

  "Does she have any weapons training?" I asked.

  Solomon shrugged. "I can't say one way or the other. Are you thinking she could be the female robber?"

  "Maybe. But if they're not in touch, and she's currently not even in the state, then it's pretty unlikely."

  "I'm looking into Mackleton's arrest records with Jord," said Solomon. "We think he might have made friends with one of the gang during those times. We're comparing any arrests made on the same day, and any cellmates and cellblock acquaintances he might have encountered on the days he was in lock-up. Then I’m cross-referencing those names with any connections to bank robberies or the Army. It's a lot to wade through."

  "I went over Lexi's catalogue of salvaged deposit items and I don't see anything that stands out," said Fletcher.

  As we stood in silence, each contemplating the whiteboard, the office door banged open and Lucas raced in, holding a sheet of paper high overhead. "Got it!" he announced loudly in the doorway.