Cold Blooded

by Anne Patrick

Kris was signing in when he left his office. "Morning, Detective."

  "Have you spoken to Gwen?" she asked solemnly.

  "I talked to her very briefly yesterday around six. Do you know a Judge Larkin?"

  "I've met him a couple of times. He's a friend of Gwen's." Her gaze narrowed. "Why?"

  "Well, it appears Gwen may have managed to get the girl released yesterday through him. I'm on my way to the courthouse now to see what's going on."

  "If you see her, will you ask her to please call me? She's not responding to my calls or texts."

  "I'm afraid I'm in the same boat as you, but if I do see her I'll relay the message."

  Ian went by the prosecutor's office first and learned Amanda had entered an agreement with the juvenile court. In lieu of being prosecuted, she would serve probation and community service. That wasn't what upset Ian. The fact Gwen and the friendly judge had done it without his approval is what infuriated him.

  His fury grew when he had to wait and hour to see the judge. It was hard to imagine Gwen being friends with a judge, taking into account her tendency to challenge authority, unless he was a pushover like Ian. Gwen had him wrapped around her little finger and she knew it.

  "Judge Larkin will see you now." His secretary led Ian into the judge's chamber.

  The six-foot silver haired man stood behind his large mahogany desk peering down at some paperwork. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant McKean?"

  "I've just come from the prosecutor's office, where I was told the charges against Amanda Kingsley have been dropped."

  "That's right."

  "Why wasn't I notified? I was the lead on the case."

  "According to the official police report, Detective Gwen Jamison was."

  "So she is responsible for this?"

  "Have a chair, Lieutenant. We should talk." Judge Perry pressed a button on his phone. "Hold my calls, Stacy."

  "Yes, your honor."

  "Where's the girl now? Does Detective Jamison have her?"

  "No, unfortunately, Amanda got spooked during transport to her temporary foster home, and is currently back on the streets." Judge Larkin sat in his chair. "According to Gwen, the girl may have spotted the man responsible for the robbery/homicide in which Amanda is a material witness."

  The judge's reference to Gwen by her first name came as little surprise. "You’re the judge who helped Gwen when she was a kid."

  "That's right. Gwen and I have been friends for a very long time. That's why she came to me."

  Ian wasn't sure if the judge meant that as a jab but it hurt all the same. "I was trying to protect Gwen and Amanda. The girl is a juvenile, and Gwen's misguided intentions could've cost her career."

  "Before you go passing judgment on Gwen, you should know she first reached out to me last Saturday and asked me how she could best help Amanda. She even went as far as lining up a home for the girl. So her intentions weren't misguided at all, Lieutenant. If anything, Gwen should be commended for all the effort she put into helping Amanda."

  "Why would Gwen go to such lengths to help a girl she doesn't even know?" Ian knew the answer already but was hoping the judge would enlighten him on Gwen's motivation.

  "She knows Amanda better than either you or I ever could." He leaned back in his chair, his hand gripping the arm. "I take it you aren't aware of Gwen's past."

  "She told me she was in foster care."

  "Well, it's not my place to share that information, but I will say some wounds take a lifetime to heal. She's come a very long way, though. Further than I ever thought she would."

  Ian recalled Amanda's history and prayed Gwen's wasn't that bad.

  "Was there anything else you wanted, Lieutenant?"

  Bartlett's grandmother immediately came to mind. "There is one other thing I'd like to discuss. I'm trying to locate a woman in Winslow by the name of Vivian Bartlett. We believe she's in a nursing home or assisted living facility but we need a court order to find out which one."

  "Bartlett. Why is that name familiar?"

  "I believe you granted Gwen some search warrants for the woman's grandson, Dawson Bartlett, three years ago."

  "Aw yes. I remember now. Gwen was very adamant the kid was guilty of killing his family."

  "She still is, and she thinks he's the man responsible for the string of liquor store robberies she was working."

  "Which is where the girl comes in?" the judge asked.

  "Yes."

  "You said she was working the case. She's not anymore?"

  "No. I'm sure you know how headstrong Gwen can be. It was either pull her from the case or let her be fired for violating an injunction order to stay away from Bartlett."

  "It seems she hasn't been very forthcoming about what all she's been up to lately."

  "She's pretty good about that."

  "Well I trusted Gwen's judgment then and I do now. I'll grant you the court order. Give me a couple of hours and come back."

  "Thank you, your honor."

  *****

  Once Ian had the court order in hand, he went back to the station. Nick was alone in the squad room when he went in. "Are you up for a road trip, Detective?"

  "Absolutely." Nick nearly leaped from his chair.

  Ian handed him the paperwork. "Go to Winslow and find Vivian Bartlett. Don't question her, just find her."

  "Yes, sir."

  Ian went into his office and tried Erica Wentworth again.

  After a few minutes she got on the line. "Sorry I didn't return your call. I've been swamped this morning."

  Ian asked her about last night and she told him how Mandy managed to escape.

  "Detective Jamison thought someone may have been following us and that's why Mandy took off. She was going to check the route for cameras."

  As soon as he left work, Ian drove over to Gwen's apartment. Her SUV wasn't there so he parked in front of her building and waited. He was determined not to leave until she talked to him. An hour later, she finally pulled in. She walked past his car, with barely a glance and kept walking. He got out and quickly followed. He noticed she carried some discs in her hand.

  "Are those video footage from last night?"

  "Yes."

  "Mind if I view them with you?"

  "Would it stop you if I did?" She unlocked the front entrance of the building.

  Ian followed her inside. "No."

  Gwen didn't say another word until they were inside her apartment. She then handed him the discs and said, "My laptop is there on the coffee table. I'll be back in a minute."

  Ian sat on the sofa and booted up her laptop. He felt something rub against his leg and glanced down at the black and white cat. "Hey, Lizzie."

  The cat immediately jumped on the sofa beside him and Ian cautiously pet her. After a few minutes, she moved onto his lap and began to purr. Movement out of the corner of his eye prompted him to turn. Gwen stood in the hallway watching him. She had changed into capris and a t-shirt.

  Ian smiled at her. "I think your cat is starting to like me."

  She walked past him to the kitchen. "Do you want some coffee?"

  "That'd be great." He loaded the first disc into the laptop. "Do you know what time they left DCS?"

  "Between seven-thirty and eight, I think. Look for a 2016 Ford Taurus."

  Ian fast forwarded the footage to seven-twenty and began watching with Lizzie still lying in his lap. Several minutes passed and he counted two cars similar to Gwen's description on the black and white footage. Neither had been followed by an 87' Monte Carlo.

  "Anything?" Gwen set a cup of coffee on the table and took a seat next to him.

  He shook his head. "This one's pretty grainy."

  Gwen picked up another disc. "Let's try this one." She ejected the first disc and added the second and advanced the footage. "It's from a pawn shop a couple of blocks from where Mandy bolted from the car."

  "Did you look for her today?"

  "Yeah."

  "She'll turn up eventually." Ian gently li
fted Lizzie from his lap, set her between them and then took a sip of his coffee.

  "There. That's Erica Wentworth's car." Gwen lifted the laptop onto her knees.

  Ian leaned over and watched as she rewound the footage and then played it in slow motion. The only car behind the caseworker's Taurus was a dark colored Lexus. "Okay that Lexus there was in the first footage, and then there was a dual cab truck in the other lane."

  Gwen put in the third disc. The Lexus was the only car that appeared in all three videos in close proximity of the Taurus. "Mandy wouldn't have run unless she thought someone was following her."

  "I'll drop the discs by CSU on my way home and have them see if they can clean them up."

  Gwen ejected the disc and placed it back in its case.

  "Can we talk about us now?"

  "Right now my only focus is on finding Mandy." She closed the laptop and placed it on the coffee table.

  "You're not going to take responsibility for any of this mess, are you?"

  "Sure I am. If I'd gone with my gut instinct that told me Bartlett was also looking for Mandy, instead of worrying about my job and the ramifications of returning her to the people who love her most and would die protecting her, she wouldn't be out there alone right now."

  "You saw yourself, Bartlett's Monte Carlo isn't on any of the videos."

  "So he was in a different car. Maybe he used a rental." She lowered her gaze to the cup of coffee she held. "I'm afraid I may have led him right to her, Ian."

  "What are you talking about?"

  She told him about Bartlett following her from his house last Friday night to the convenience store. "He was at the station yesterday morning. He could've easily followed me to the library and knew she had been taken to DCS."

  Ian remembered the man from the antique store Saturday had on a similar hat to the one Bartlett wore when he came to the station.

  "He must've been standing outside the car when they brought her out. Which makes me wonder if she got a better look at him than we thought the night Mrs. Gyman was killed…or she recognized him from somewhere else." Gwen covered her mouth and stared at the floor.

  "What is it, Gwen?"

  "The night Mandy tried to rip off the purse. There was a man who helped detain her." She picked up the laptop and opened a folder and then a file that looked like a witness statement. "Bonnie Abrams said the guy came running across the street and he helped hold Mandy while Bonnie's friend called 9-1-1. The whole time they were holding the girl, she fought with them trying to get away. Once the cops arrived, though, the girl stopped struggling. The guy's statement wasn't included in either of the officers' reports or yours, so I assumed he left as soon as the police arrived."

  "And you think it was Bartlett?"

  "It would make sense, Ian. That's why she was so desperate to get away that night and why she ran last night. She can ID Bartlett."

  "Wouldn't she have said so when you talked to her at the library?"

  "I only showed her the altered photo of him."

  He leaned back against the sofa, considering Gwen's theory. It seemed feasible. Judge Larkin had given the girl a sweet deal. Gwen had lined up a good home for her. Ian couldn't see her running from that unless something or someone had scared her.

  "I'll go talk to the witnesses tomorrow and take along Bartlett's photo and see if they can ID him as the guy from that night."

  "You're on desk duty. Remember?"

  "No, actually, I took off today and tomorrow as personal days."

  She had him on a technicality. Ian figured she'd go whether or not he approved it. "Okay, but I'm going with you."

  "All right." Gwen picked up the discs and handed them to him. "I'll swing by and pick you up at nine."

  Ian knew she was trying to get rid of him so she wouldn't have to talk about their relationship. He was tempted to stand his ground, tell her exactly how he felt. Ian didn't think she was ready to hear that, though. "Kris wants you to call her."

  "I was going to later." She grabbed both coffee cups and went into the kitchen.

  He followed. "Listen, Gwen. What I said about taking responsibility, I didn't mean to imply that you were to blame. I should've—"

  "No." She turned from the sink, her gaze meeting his. "This is all on me. I knew how dangerous Bartlett is. I knew there was a good possibility he'd be looking for her, too."

  The pain etched in her face tore at Ian. He wanted desperately to take her in his arms and assure her everything would be okay.

  "I'll see you tomorrow."

  Ian sighed. "Okay." Their talk would have to wait until then.

  *****

  Gwen grabbed her cell phone and started to call Kris, but then decided her apology needed to be done in person. Gwen texted her instead and asked Kris to meet her outside in fifteen minutes. That would give her time to swing by and pick up Kris's favorite drink.

  Kris was standing outside her house when Gwen arrived. She motioned for her to get in.

  Kris opened the door. "I can't leave. Eric had to run to the shop." Kris accepted the drink Gwen offered. "Why don't you come inside?"

  "No. Just get in so we can talk." Gwen waited for her to get comfortable. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I know you didn't have a choice, and I shouldn't have asked you to cover for me. I put both you and Nick in a bad position without thinking of the consequences."

  "It's okay. I know you had the girl's best interest at heart. I talked to Ms. Wentworth earlier and she told me what all you did, or tried to do for Amanda. Have you checked with that couple she was living with to ask if they'd seen her?"

  "This morning. They haven't." Gwen told her about the video footage she and Ian had viewed and her suspicions of Bartlett being the mystery man from the purse snatching.

  Kris took a sip of her caramel macchiato. "So you think he was following Amanda that night, waiting for an opportunity to get at her?"

  "To see if she could ID him from the robbery."

  "How'd he know where to find her?"

  "We know Bartlett cases the stores days in advance. Mandy used to help Mrs. Gyman around the store. He could've followed Mandy and knew where her usual hangouts where." Gwen hoped that was the case. It eased her conscience of having led Bartlett to her yesterday.

  "Well I hope she's somewhere safe now."

  "Yeah, me too."

  "You said Ian was over at your place earlier. Does that mean you've forgiven him?"

  "I'm working on it." Only her pride kept getting in the way.

  Kris reached over and squeezed her hand. "He cares a great deal for you or he wouldn't have stuck his neck out for you with the captain. As mad as he was Tuesday, I can only imagine how that meeting went."

  "He still should've trusted my judgment where the girl was concerned."

  "To be honest, Gwen, I didn't think you'd bring her in either. Just give the guy a break, okay? You're not the easiest person in the world to get to know."

  "I suppose not." Gwen hugged her friend. "Thanks for putting up with me."

  "For the most part, you're worth the trouble."

  They both laughed.

  A truck pulled in behind Gwen. She recognized it as Eric's. "I'll see you Monday."

  "Just remember what you told me Saturday night about Ian. If he truly makes you happy, don't throw that away."

  Gwen smiled. "I won't."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Gwen pulled into the circular drive at Cynthia Olsten's red brick home. After ringing the doorbell several times, Ian walked around the side of the house.

  "I hear children in the back," he hollered.

  Gwen joined him just as he poked his head inside the privacy fence. She peered around his shoulder and saw three toddlers chasing each other with water pistols.

  "Mrs. Olsten." Ian called out.

  The forty-something blond appeared from behind a tree holding a plastic rifle. Ian held up his badge.

  "Time out, guys."

  Moans and groans from the child
ren followed. Ian chuckled.

  Mrs. Olsten waved them into the yard. "Sorry I didn't hear the doorbell. The kids get a little rowdy sometimes. The best way to calm'em is to wear them out."

  "Are they your grandchildren?" Gwen didn't remember seeing any children the day she and Kris had spoken to her.

  "Aimee and Rory are. Carly lives next door. Her mom works part time so I babysit sometimes." Mrs. Olsten invited them onto the covered patio. "Would you two like something to drink? I have tea and Kool-Aid."

  "No, thanks." Gwen was about to sit at the picnic table when the brown haired boy ran over to her and pointed to the badge on her belt loop.

  "You a cop?"

  "Yes, I am." Gwen knelt. She guessed him to be around five. "Are you a criminal?"

  "No, we're cops." He pointed to his grandmother. "She's the bad guy."

  "I see." Gwen smiled at the woman. "Looks like you're out numbered."

  "Yeah, but I have super powers."

  "Na uh," Rory argued. "Aimee zapped you with her laser. You don't have'em no more."

  "Oh yeah. I forgot." Mrs. Olsten laughed. "All right you three, you win this round. Now go color while I visit. We'll play some more after while."

  Rory put his arm around his sister and took the other girl's hand and led them to a smaller round table where coloring books and crayons lay.

  "We won't take up too much of your time." Ian waited for the woman to sit and then motioned for Gwen to join her at the picnic table. "We'd like you to take a look at a photo."

  Gwen removed the colored photograph of Dawson Bartlett. "The night you came to Mrs. Stenson's aid, is this the man who helped you detain the girl?"

  Mrs. Olsten picked up the picture and looked at it. "It could be. I mean, he did have dark hair. But to be honest, I didn't really pay that much attention to him. I was busy calling the police."

  "Do you remember where he came from or when he left?" Ian asked. "He wasn't there when I spoke to you."

  "I know he came from across the street because I saw him standing outside the restaurant moments before I heard Mrs. Stenson scream." She continued to study the photograph. "And I do remember he had gone when the officers began talking to us. I just figured he didn't want to get involved."