Off the Record: An Avery Rich Mystery (Avery Rich Mysteries Book 1)

by Sara Gauldin

  “I doubt they are willing participants. Maple is keeping a public face. He seems to be trying to keep a normal appearance on his own. The other two are being covered for by family and coworkers, all of who seem afraid. Didn’t you say that your daughter had been threatened and had witnessed the abduction before she contacted you?” As I pointed out the differences, Calbert seemed to relax a bit.

  “We can assume that both bankers are being kept locally,” Kain said.

  “Why would you say that?” Calbert asked. “It's a big country; they could be anywhere."

  “That is only partly true,” Kain said. “They have to be close enough to sign-off on the documents in person for the foreclosures and sales. Moreover, they have to be available for meetings without making a significant public appearance and to minimize the chance of escape or sending messages to the outside world. They want to keep outside exposure to a bare minimum.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Calbert said.

  “So where does that leave us?” I asked.

  “From what I can tell so far, they've taken possession of one-hundred-and-six houses. Of those, only, thirty have been within the city limits. We can eliminate the homes that have been resold. More than likely, new families are living in them now.” Kain crossed out several houses as he traced the paperwork trail. “We can also eliminate two of the homes that were destroyed in fires. They won't keep captives in a pile of rubble.” He crossed out two more locations. “We can also eliminate homes that are not centrally located to the bank branch where Maple works, or the accounting office we tied to Douglas White.” More homes were crossed out on the map. “We can eliminate the home where Maple has been staying, we've already searched it, and we know they're not there.” One more x was added to the map.

  “How many locations are left?” I asked.

  “Only three,” Kain said. “Calbert, you need to get those warrants immediately. The sooner you do, the earlier you can legally search those locations.”

  “Warrants? I'm going to look for my daughter and her husband. You get the warrants!” Calbert stormed towards the door.

  “Sir, work within the system or we won’t be able to stop this problem at the root. What good does it do to find your family members if they continue to be hunted until they're eliminated as a threat to someone else’s power play?” I had to be the voice of reason. Realistically, Calbert would only be walking into danger with no guarantee of results. It was more likely he would make the issue worse, barging in without recourse. Calbert paused by the door. Part of me was just relieved he'd holstered his service weapon.

  “Look, Calbert, we can help you get your family back. I'm confident that your son-in-law's still alive, but your daughter may have paid the price for his freedom. If she died, we owe it to her and to Cassandra to bring Lawrence out of this mess,” Kain said.

  “You don’t think she's alive, do you?” Calbert’s voice was broken. He did not want to hear the words. Hearing them seemed to have snapped him back into some semblance of reality.

  “I hope she's alive and well, but the reality is that she's only as valuable as what she has to offer these people.”

  Calbert opened and closed his mouth but no sound came out. Tears brimmed in his eyes.

  Kain shook his head.

  “I wouldn't give up hope just yet, but the reality is that there's a possibility that she was eliminated,” I said. “The only way we can find out for sure is to search these locations systematically, with a team of qualified professionals. To do that, you need to get a warrant. Now is the time, Calbert, before a cleanup leaves us nothing to find!”

  Calbert seemed to steal his resolve. “Take care of Cassandra until all of this settles out. The three of you will head for the station and stay there. I know there are inside men, but they can't move to harm you in full view of the public. Go to my office and stay there! Do not let anyone harm Cassandra!” His words seemed to flow from him like a pot boiling over. “I’ll be downtown getting the warrants.” He handed Kain a small key from his key ring. “Look in my top file drawer for a folder marked 'Myra.'"

  On the drive to the station, Cassandra was an emotional mess. She was having a hard time understanding who was trying to hurt her and who was trying to help. When the fact that she had been asked to hold us at gun point, only hours earlier was factored in, her confusion was understandable.

  I glanced up as the summer storm clouds began to roll in. A lack of sleep was making me feel out of sorts. Kain was still conscious, but he was more still and stoic than usual. I was a bit jumpy on the way to the station. I wondered how far this crime would prove to reach. How many people's lives were affected by the greed and power hunger of a few?

  Chapter 16

  We arrived at the station and headed for Calbert’s office. As we walked along, I noticed the strange looks the other officers were giving us. I realized at once that I probably looked as frazzled and sleep deprived as I felt. Arriving with the Commander’s granddaughter would be sure to attract even more attention.

  For his part, Kain walked through the station like he belonged there. I’m sure some of the officers recognized him, but none of them said a word.

  Once we were in the Commander's office, we closed the door and locked it behind us. Kain opened the locked filing cabinet with the small key Calbert had given us. He pulled out a thin, unassuming folder. Inside, I found a transcript of the “anonymous tip” that had caused the police to respond to the murder of Douglas White. There was also a police report for our gunfight, deeming it gang-related. A traffic report for a pile up on the interstate indicated that the whole event had been ruled accidental. I found it interesting that Calbert protected our paper trail as we worked this case that had never really been a case. His influence seemed to extend far enough to undo a multitude of indiscretions. I followed his example and shredded the documents we had obtained from our search--after I had photographed them and saved the images to an encrypted file. I needed them to be insurance for a resolution, but not a liability for prosecution.

  “Well, that should take care of some of the problem,” Kain said.

  “But not all of it,” I said. “This needs to become a real case, one that will hold up in court.”

  Kain ran his fingers through his dark hair as he looked at the computer screen. “Both Lawrence and Myra Shultz and Alan Morris have to be officially classified as missing persons.”

  “You’re right, but what if the Commander finds them first?” I asked

  “Do you think he'll find my mom and dad?” Cassandra’s voice startled me. She had been sitting quietly on the couch, with her knees pulled up to her chest.

  “Cassandra, I’m sure that if anyone can bring your parents home, your grandfather will find a way to do it,” Kain said.

  “I really hope things work out for your family,” I added. “Please know that we will keep you safe. You're all right here.”

  Cassandra nodded, but there were tears in her eyes.

  “He may find your parents,” I said. “It's not impossible. If he doesn't, then the police will help, and we'll find them, anyway. I just have to make sure they start looking in the right places.”

  Kain dragged a chair over to sit next to me at the computer.

  I took a deep breath and turned back to the computer screen. I could not afford to let myself be drawn into the raw emotion that this young woman was experiencing. I tried to focus my energy on completing the missing persons reports.

  As I finished the last report, Kain stood and stretched. “I can’t stand it anymore. I have to know what happened to those murdering idiots from White’s office.”

  “I’ll look for them in the system, next.” I keyed in Jim Maple’s name. Instantly the detail of his arrest scrolled onto the screen. I glanced at Kain.

  “They didn’t get very far with flat tires.” He grinned mischievously. “What about Parker?”

  I entered Parker’s name. He was also being held in lock up, waiting for his court
hearing.

  “Two down, but how many are left?” Kain asked. “These things tend to spread.”

  “I don’t know, but I'm going to try to find out!” I turned my attention back to the wheezing computer. I made it my mission to process all of the evidence our investigation had unearthed legitimately. I searched for firm IDs for all the phone numbers and license plate numbers. I created a full record profile of all the names we believed to be involved, and felt like things were truly coming together as I worked.

  By lunch time, Calbert returned to the station with the warrants. Uniformed officers were dispatched to perform the searches. Once the warrants were in place, a flurry of activity began. There was new information discovered with every hour that passed.

  Kain was brought in as a paid consultant to help analyze the data as it was received. All were amazed at the speed and ease with which he could analyze and interpret the evidence. I had to stifle the urge to laugh each time they presented him with evidence that he had already examined. An iron-tight case was built against the two goons in custody. By dinner time, William Collins was in custody, and arrest warrants had been issued for Mr. and Mrs. George.

  Cassandra squealed with glee when her father was found locked in a basement in one of the houses Kain had pointed out to Calbert earlier that day. Later, Myra was located in a basement crawl space under another foreclosure unit. She'd been left for dead. Her left pinky had been severed. She bore other obvious signs of torture, but the important thing was that she was still alive. Calbert took Cassandra to meet her mother at the hospital.

  It was a whirlwind of an afternoon. Watching each piece of the case fall into place after so much had happened that would never be disclosed was daunting and exhilarating at the same time.

  As seven o’clock approached, I realized I had not eaten all day. “Kain…err…Ryan, would you like to go get a bite to eat?”

  He smiled and turned to me with that twinkle in his eye. “I thought you would never ask, Avery!”

  I wondered how he could seem so calm and put together when I was feeling everything anyone could experience at once.

  We walked to the elevator. “I suppose you’re my captive anyway, since we came here in my car.”

  “If I'm being held captive, then I can’t think of anyone I would rather be in the care of. If you don’t mind, though, could you drive me back to my car? I would love to go home and shower, and perhaps change clothes.”

  “Oh, I guess that makes sense. You didn’t get to change at my place.”

  “No, but you did, and you still look very nice,” he said. He pulled me toward him, and our lips met. A moment later, the ding of the elevator doors interrupted us. We stepped away from one another as several uniformed officers joined us for the remainder of our ride.

  As we walked back to my car, I was feeling an amazing sense that things were right in my world. I had proven I could handle myself in the eyes of my Commander. I was safe to go home. The case was shaping up to be solid, and the sense of intrigue building between Ryan Kain and I was no longer tied to a working relationship.

  We climbed into my car. I noticed for the first time that Kain's knees touched the dashboard. I turned to him and smiled. “First stop: your car. Where do you want to eat?”

  “About that: I think it's better if we keep our heads down. I know that it looks like things are falling into place, but I have this feeling we may be missing something.”

  “Oh.” I tried not to let the sting of his rejection show in my expression. I felt foolish for even thinking that Ryan Kain was interested in me. Had I fallen for my own charade? I put the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine quietly hummed to life.

  I felt the firm touch of Kain’s hand on my shoulder. “I think you may have misunderstood me, Avery. I still would love to have dinner with you, but would you mind having dinner in tonight? I'd be glad to cook.”

  I turned to toward Kain. Was he serious? “I would need to buy groceries.”

  “No need. I was inviting you to my place. I already have everything there to cook what I have in mind.”

  “Okay,” I said. I bet you do!

  Chapter 17

  I parked outside my apartment and eyed it with suspicion. Ryan Kain was the most paranoid human being I had ever met, and he had insisted I could go home without worry. Even so, after the last few days, I was no longer sure that any place could be trusted. I reached in my pocket and touched the scrap of paper with Kain’s address on it to make sure I hadn’t lost it.

  After a moment of surveillance, I took a deep breath and walked to my front door. It was strange to think that last time I unlocked this door I had not been alone. The memory of kissing Ryan Kain on the doorstep made me blush for a moment. The kiss had only been a show for any observers, but it had unlocked the flicker of attraction between the two of us that I had been able to push aside before then.

  And now I agreed to meet him at his place for dinner. Where was I going with this? What did it all mean?

  I shook my head. This was not the time to worry about it. Instead, I was going to shower, and make myself presentable.

  I opened the door and listened hard for any movement. When I was sure there was none, I stepped inside and bolted the door behind me. The living room bore obvious signs that we'd left in a hurry, but everything was where we had left it. I drew my gun and cleared each quiet room one at a time. When I reached the kitchen, the aging HVAC system rumbled slowly to life, causing me to jump. A quick look around confirmed there was no danger lurking in the apartment. Perhaps Kain was right, and we really were free of this cat and mouse game.

  I rushed to shower and change. It was amazing how a shower and a change of clothes made my perspective on the world improve. There would be no formal work pant suit tonight. Instead, I found leggings, boots, and a trendy dress with a belt. I adjusted my hair into a twisted up-do, then sighed and let it fall back around my shoulders. I added a touch of lipstick. Was this look too much? I was afraid to assume what the occasion was meant to be.

  It was just dinner. Now was not the time to over think it.

  I was nervous as I drove to Kain’s apartment. Now that we were no longer working together, our relationship was at a turning point. I turned up the radio and sang along. It was time to celebrate. The case was closed, and I could put this strange situation behind me.

  Traffic was light, and when I arrived, I pulled up in front of a row of small businesses, and looked at the address numbers on the paper to double check. This was the place, but I didn't see any houses or apartments. I crossed the quiet street and went into the small convenience store and deli that had the address that was one digit from Kain's address. Where was his apartment?

  I showed the lady at the counter the address. “Do you know where this is? I can’t find the number.”

  The lady smiled and said something in a language I couldn’t identify. I must have looked confused because the lady gestured for me to follow her. I found myself exiting into a small courtyard before entering a stairwell. The lady pointed up the steps and smiled.

  “Thanks,” I said. As I climbed the stairs, I wondered how in the world Kain had ever found the apartment to rent. I stifled a laugh when I envisioned him drawing more lines on a city map to predict the best locations for a hidden apartment. The steps ended on an industrial landing, accentuated by a flickering light bulb. I knocked on the oversized steel door. A moment later, it swung open with a loud squeak.

  “You made it! I'm glad you could find the place.” Kain smiled, but he sounded more surprised than glad.

  “I had to ask the clerk at the store,” I admitted.

  “Esmeralda. I told her that you may come looking for me.”

  “She was very kind to show me where to go. You're a bit off of the beaten path.”

  “That’s what I like about the place,” Kain said. “But I’m being rude. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable.”

  Ryan Kain’s apartment was hidden and eclecti
c. The space was a nook in the upstairs portion of an older building in the busy, revitalized, historic district. At first, I was surprised to see that Kain had chosen a space so close to the daily hustle and bustle of city life. Upon closer reflection, I realized that his home was well-camouflaged from public life. From the outside, it wasn't obvious that the apartment existed at all. There was no sign or doorman or mailbox set betraying domestic life. There was an unmarked front entrance, double locked at the stairwell and at the landing. There was also a rear exit that came out behind the business in a back ally. There were few windows, and those that were there were high on the wall, well above Kain’s head. They allowed natural sunlight in through translucent, reinforced glass, but impervious to any prying eyes.

  I sat on a stool across the island from Kain as he cooked. His every motion was like a choreographed dance. Kain’s home décor was sparse, but it was clear that he had not spared any expense when it came to equipping his chef’s kitchen. There was a space set aside for each item he used, and he cooked with a balance of artistry and precision that fascinated me.

  “Can I help you with anything?” I asked.

  Kain did not pause as he mixed some sort of dressing. “I think I can manage, but if you'd like to learn the recipes, you're welcome to join me.” He smirked for a moment, issuing his challenge.

  I bit my lip. The possibility of embarrassing myself in the kitchen was very real. I sighed. “I suppose it's now or never!” I managed a wry smile as I walked around the kitchen island. “Where do I start?”

  “You can chop these vegetables up for the salad.” Kain smiled as he pulled out a cutting board and a knife.

  “All right, I’m sure I can do that.” I picked up the knife and grabbed a head of lettuce. The lettuce was damp and wanted to roll away as I tried to pin it down to chop it.