CRUEL DECEPTION (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 9)

by John C. Dalglish

  “You’re welcome. Besides, we’ve got to brief Banks and I’m not doing it alone.”

  Vanessa laughed, patted his hand, and got out of the car. “Fine, you know how much she loves me, so I’ll handle it.”

  Jason got out. “Hmmm, on second thought, you better let me do the talking.”

  *******

  When they arrived on the third floor, the door to Lieutenant Banks’s office was closed. Jason went over and knocked while Vanessa stopped to freshen up. There was no answer.

  He knocked again. Still nothing, so he tried the door. It was locked.

  “She took the afternoon off.”

  Jason turned to see Michael Diaz, a former homicide detective who had transferred to Missing Persons, then returned to Homicide when Banks took over.

  “That’s right, I forgot. What’s she up to, did she say?”

  “Nope, just said to refer any issues to Captain Patton. I will say this, though. I don’t think I’ve seen her quite so fancied up before.”

  “A date?”

  Mike shrugged. “One other thing. A call came in on your phone from a Phillips Law Firm,” he handed a note to Jason. “They said your document request would be delayed at least until tomorrow afternoon.”

  Jason took the note. “Great! Lawyers can delay like nobody else.”

  Going back to his desk, Vanessa came out of the bathroom and sat down opposite him. “Banks isn’t in, is she?”

  Jason shook his head. “I forgot.”

  “Me, too. What kind of alternate reality exists where Banks takes time off?”

  Jason laughed. “Diaz thinks she had a date.”

  “That would be awesome.”

  Jason told her about the case files delay from Phillips Law.

  Vanessa shrugged. “Kinda expected it from a couple of lawyers.”

  Jason stood up. “Been a long day, you ready to go home?”

  “Yeah. You go on, I won’t be far behind.”

  “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

  Chapter 5

  Jason’s first stop the next morning was Doc Josie’s lab. The gloves were the single biggest break they’d had so far, assuming they belonged to the killer. Jason liked to surprise the forensic chief whenever he could, but she spotted him as soon as he came through the door.

  “Not today, Strong.”

  He laughed. “I still owe you one from that sneak attack in front of the elevator.”

  “Whatever! I suppose you are here for my report on the gloves.”

  “Find anything?”

  “Well, they belonged to the killer. The blood on them was a combination of Nikki Bostik and Lori Mason’s.”

  “Any DNA from the killer?”

  “Yes, sweat cells on the inside fabric were sufficient to get a profile, which is the good news. I ran it in the CODIS database and that’s the bad news. Whoever this guy is, law enforcement doesn’t have his DNA on file.”

  “Dang! I keep expecting you to solve these cases and I get nothing.”

  Doc Josie gave him an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Oh, please! I can’t do all the work for you and Layne.”

  Jason attempted to look sad. “Why not?”

  “Well, for starters, they don’t pay me enough to do your job and mine.”

  “Whatever! If I had your money, I’d burn mine.”

  She handed him a file folder. “The writing on the wall was a match to the first case. No fingerprint ridges and some dried spatter under the letters. Apparently, he didn’t stay as long this time because there was more smearing of the spatter than at the first scene.”

  “Okay, Doc. Thanks.”

  “Are you going to get someone’s DNA to check against our killer’s?”

  “Actually, yes. I have three ‘someones’ and I’ll try to get their samples to you today.”

  She walked toward her office. “I’ll be waiting.”

  Jason left the lab and crossed the hallway to the medical examiner’s office. Doc Davis was sitting in his cubicle talking on the phone when Jason came in.

  “I’ll give it to Jason.”

  “Vanessa?” Jason whispered.

  Doc nodded, then laughed into the phone. “Okay, Vanessa. I’ll tell him.”

  He hung up. “She said to bring coffee, two creamers.”

  Jason laughed. “How about I bring her the autopsy file and she gets her own coffee?”

  Doc gave Jason the folder. “I’m okay with that. I don’t have to work with her.”

  “True enough. What did you find?”

  “Manner of death was the same; she bled out from the wound across her throat. The blade also appears to be the same, thin and long, but the attack was different.”

  Jason was glancing through the file while he listened. “How so?”

  “The angle at both ends of the cut indicates the slicing motion came from the front. She was likely facing her attacker when he killed her.”

  Jason slowly shook his head. “Poor thing.” He closed the file and headed for the elevator. “Thanks, Doc.”

  *******

  When Jason arrived on the third floor, he found Vanessa in the lieutenant’s office with Banks. As he came through the door, they were just finishing their conversation. Vanessa smiled at Sarah. “Thank you for saying so, I appreciate it.”

  Sarah nodded. “Anything, you understand?”

  Vanessa mock saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Jason took a seat and laid the file folders on the desk. Vanessa eyed him suspiciously. “No coffee?”

  Jason snapped his fingers. “Oh, man! Working these murder cases has my priorities out of whack.”

  “Yeah, right! Anyway, the lieutenant is going to get us a warrant for the phone records of Larry Bostik, Gary Phillips, and Tyler Phillips.”

  “Excellent. We have our killer’s profile from inside the gloves they found yesterday. We need to visit the each of those people and request DNA swabs.”

  Banks picked up her phone. “Good. You two get started on that while I’m getting your phone records.”

  The two detectives got up and, on the way out to their car, picked up three DNA swab kits. Once they were on the road, Jason glanced sideways at his partner.

  “How ya doin’?”

  “Okay. I keep telling myself it wasn’t my fault and there was nothing I could have done.”

  “True statements, both. Are you having any luck convincing yourself?”

  Vanessa laughed. “A little.”

  It was good to see her laugh and Jason changed the subject. “I was thinking; let’s not mention finding the gloves.”

  “Okay. You want to act like it’s standard procedure to request DNA swabs?”

  “Yeah. Who knows, one of them might get nervous and tip their hand.”

  “I like it. What do you make of the wall writings?”

  Jason rubbed his face, grinding his hand across the stubble on his chin. “I don’t know. It seems most likely to be a clue to the motive of the killings. You know, trying to explain why the killings are justified or necessary.”

  Vanessa seemed skeptical. “Possible. I’m leaning toward the idea of them being clues to who he is.”

  “You mean like ‘catch me if you can, here’s a clue’?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jason turned the car into the Phillips law office parking lot.

  “You might be right. I’m hoping the phone records will give us a lead. Maybe a call to Kansas City or something similar.”

  They parked and got out. The yellow crime tape was gone and the office seemed to be back to normal, if that was possible the day after a bloody homicide. The young law clerk, Katherine Jenkins, was at the front desk. Jason noticed Lori Mason’s office door was closed.

  “Good morning, Miss Jenkins.”

  “Good morning, Detective.”

  “This is my partner, Detective Layne. I don’t know if you two met yesterday.”

  Katherine nodded politely toward Vanessa. “Not officially, but I did see you coming
and going.”

  Vanessa smiled back at the young lady. “Are the Phillips men in?”

  “Gary is, but Tyler hasn’t shown up yet this morning. Wait a second.” She picked up the phone, spoke to the elder Phillips, then hung up. “He said you could go on back.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jason let Vanessa lead the way down the hall while he extracted the swab kit from his jacket pocket. Gary Phillips met them at his office door.

  “Detectives, good to see you. Please, come in and sit down. Do you have any news on who might have killed Lori?”

  Vanessa deflected the question. “Still in the early stages of the investigation, sir.”

  All three sat at the oversized conference table. Jason set the swab kit on the table in front of him and Gary eyed it suspiciously. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Vanessa smiled innocently. “What do you think it is?”

  “A DNA kit.”

  “It is. We want to have swabs of all people close to the victim; it will help us rule you out against any possible found DNA.”

  “So, I gather you don’t have a suspect yet.”

  “No one specific, no.”

  Jason picked up the box. “Do you mind?”

  Gary shrugged. “No, I guess not.”

  Jason got up, walked around to where Gary was sitting, and opened the kit. Taking a cotton swab, he asked the lawyer to open his mouth, then swabbed the inside of his cheek. The swab was placed inside a tube, the stick broken off below where Jason had held it, and then the tube sealed.

  Jason returned to his seat and put the tube inside the box. “Is Tyler due in?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him since last night. Let me try him.”

  Phillips got up and went over to his desk, picked up his cell phone, and pushed several buttons. After a few seconds, he left a message. “Tyler, call the office. The detectives are here and need to get a DNA swab.”

  He hung up. “If you’d like to wait, Katherine can get you some coffee, but I need to get back to work.”

  Both detectives stood, and Jason stepped forward to shake hands with the lawyer. “That won’t be necessary. We appreciate your cooperation, and please have your son call us.”

  “I most certainly will.”

  They said goodbye to Katherine Jenkins on their way out and went to the car. Next stop was Larry Bostik’s apartment.

  *******

  When they arrived, they found no one at home. A note on the mother’s front door had been left for UPS.

  Please leave shipment next door.

  An arrow was drawn pointing to the house on the west side. Jason and Vanessa walked over and knocked. An elderly man in a wheelchair came to the screen door, but didn’t open it.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yes, my name is Detective Jason Strong. We’re looking for Larry Bostik and his mother.”

  “They ain’t home.”

  Jason smiled. “Yes, we noticed. Do you know where they might be?”

  “Yup.”

  Surprised by the one word answer, Jason waited for more information, but none seemed to be forthcoming. Finally, he prodded the man. “And where would that be?”

  “A funeral.”

  “The funeral for Mr. Bostik’s wife?”

  “Don’t know. They just said they was goin’ to a funeral and wanted me to sign for a package. Told them I would.”

  “Did they say when they would be back?”

  “Eh? Can’t hear too good.”

  “Do you know when they will be home?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “Eh?”

  “Thank you!”

  The old man smiled and waved through the door as the detectives walked back to their car. Vanessa lamented the wasted morning. “One out of three, not very good.”

  “I didn’t realize Nikki’s funeral was today.”

  “Me neither.”

  Jason’s phone rang. “Detective Strong.”

  He listened, his face growing angry. “Very well. Thank you for calling, Katherine.”

  Jason hung up. “Well, that was Katherine Jenkins.”

  “So I gathered.”

  “She said she’d delivered our message to Tyler Phillips, and he asked her to call us with his response.”

  Vanessa glared at Jason, waiting for an explanation. “Which was?”

  “Get a warrant.”

  “No kidding?”

  “That’s what she said his response was.”

  “So, either he’s got something to hide or he’s being a jerk.”

  Jason nodded. “And I’d say it’s even money either way.”

  They got in the car and headed back to deliver their lone swab sample to Doc Josie. On the way, Jason called the lieutenant.

  “Banks.”

  “Lieutenant, this is Jason. We need a warrant.”

  Vanessa nudged him. “Better make it two, just in case.”

  Jason nodded. “Actually, Lieutenant, we need two warrants. One each for Larry Bostik and Tyler Phillips.”

  “What for?”

  “DNA swabs.”

  “Okay, I’ll take care of it.”

  *******

  After dropping off Gary Phillips’s swab, they arrived back at their desks to find phone records waiting for them.

  Jason ran his thumb down the side, ruffling his stack. “Banks doesn’t fool around, does she?”

  Vanessa was equally impressed. “What did she tell them, it’s a matter of national security?”

  Just then the lieutenant came out of her office. “No, nothing like that. You just have to ask nice.”

  Jason and Vanessa looked at each other, then the lieutenant, who was grinning at them. They burst into laughter. Banks turned and went back into her office, laughing with them.

  When the door was shut, Jason pointed a thumb toward the office. “I wonder why she’s in such a good mood these days.”

  “No telling!” Vanessa grabbed her stack of phone records. “I’m going to set up in the conference room.”

  Jason followed suit. “Me, too. It’s closer to the coffee machine.”

  “My thought exactly.”

  *******

  It took them nearly forty-five minutes to get coffee and get organized. The first thing Vanessa noticed was that both their victims used cell service from AT&T. The same thing applied to the Phillips men and Larry Bostik. “That’s very interesting, considering the word left at the second scene.”

  Jason remained skeptical. “You realize, of course, that millions use AT&T phone service.”

  “Yes, but we’ve got to start with something.”

  “Okay, I’ll look up the area codes for both Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.”

  “There’s a Kansas City in Kansas?”

  “Yes. Did you fall asleep in Geography?”

  She laughed. “I fell asleep in most of my classes.”

  Jason knew better. Vanessa was too smart to have slept through school. He did a quick search on his laptop. “The Kansas side uses 913, the Missouri side uses 816. I suggest we look through the records for those first.”

  “Sounds as good as anything.”

  They both uncapped yellow markers and started going row by row, page by page. Two pots of coffee and four hours later, neither one had made a yellow mark on their stack. Vanessa picked up her coffee cup, stared at the emptiness, and set it down. “That’s it. I can’t do this anymore today.”

  “Me, neither. At this point, there might be eight calls in a row to 913 and I would probably zombie right over them. Call it a day?”

  “Yeah. I’ll tell Banks.”

  “Good. See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, as the two detectives got off the elevator, Lieutenant Banks motioned them to her office.

  “Good morning, Detectives. I have your warrants for you.”

  Jason took the two sheets held out to him. “Awesome
. Did the DNA result come back on Phillips senior?”

  “Yes. Doc Josie said he wasn’t a match.”

  “Okay,” Jason gave Banks a sideways glance. “Would you mind doing us a favor?”

  “Such as?”

  “We’d like to find out if Tyler Phillips is in the office. If he’s not, we’ll go to his home. If Vanessa or I call, the law clerk will recognize our voice and tip him off we’re coming.”

  Banks picked up her phone. “No problem. What’s the number?”

  Vanessa flipped open her notebook and gave the number to the lieutenant. Both detectives stood and listen to the conversation.

  “Yes, could you tell me if Tyler Phillips is in the office?”

  She listened, smiled up at the detectives, then shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. I’ve got some personal business with him, so I’ll come by.”

  Banks hung up without waiting for another question. “He’s there.”

  The two detectives were in the car less than five minutes later.

  *******

  Tyler Phillips came out of his office, an unhappy scowl on his face. “Yes, detectives, what can I do for you?”

  Vanessa handed the sheet of paper to the younger Phillips. “Time to open wide!”

  Tyler snatched the paper, glanced at it, and then stomped back to his office. Jason and Vanessa followed. Once inside, Vanessa took out the swab kit and performed the same task that Jason had done on Tyler’s father the day before.

  After Vanessa had boxed the sample, the lawyer looked down at his desk, shuffling some papers. “Please see yourselves out. I’m busy.”

  When they got outside, Vanessa chuckled. “That was fun.”

  “Yeah, he’s a jerk.” Jason realized she was smiling. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “You bet. Nothing brightens my day more than irritating someone like Tyler Phillips. The only thing better would be if his DNA was a match to the gloves.”

  Jason laughed. “Okay, if you say so. Let’s go by Mother Bostik’s place and see if we can go two for two.”

  *******