by Anne Hagan
“Anyone in either one?”
“No Sheriff. One was pulled out of the men’s room.” He pointed to a guy on the floor that was flex cuffed.
“Any way out of either one?” I couldn’t recall a time I’d ever used the facilities in the bar.
Not waiting for his answer, I pushed open the ladies room door first. It was empty, of course. The only window was tiny and set high on the wall with no way to reach it for even a very tall person, without help.
The men’s room was different. A window was set high in there too but it was quite a bit larger than the one on the ladies room. It was the kind that swung inward and up and latched to a catch mounted on the ceiling. A pole used to latch and unlatch it stood in a corner near the sinks. It was closed but, from where I was standing, I could see that the bolt lock used to secure it was open. Juice had probably gone out the window with the help of the man my deputy indicated.
I walked back into the bar and called out, “Mason!”
Janet appeared at my side.
“Help me get this one into the back of my SUV.” Now I pointed at the man that had been indicated to me moments earlier. “We question him first.”
Chapter 17 – Freaky Friday
Mel
Friday Morning, February 13th
“Has the world gone stark raving mad?” I called out loudly to no one in particular.
We were all out pounding the pavement, actively looking for the man called ‘Juice’, aka Francisco Berrio. His real name was all I’d been able to get out of his escape accomplice. I could have found that in any criminal database with even less work so I wasn’t inclined to give the squealer any brownie points with the DA for the info.
There were roadblocks everywhere and an APB went out for him as soon as we had a name. So far, nothing. There’d been no sightings of him.
Zanesville PD and my department had both spent a long night booking and interrogating all of the biker minions that were caught alive. They were all charged with trespassing and most with weapons violations. A few got drug paraphernalia and drug possession charges as well. Outstanding arrest warrants, coupled with all of the new charges, were going to be the death knell to prison for a lot of them but, for now, they remained loyal to Juice and to Victor Voll and they weren’t talking.
I climbed back in my truck and headed further south from the South Zanesville neighborhoods I’d been scouring for the missing link with help from their small department. Juice was running scared. If I could nail him, I figured, I might get a line on the two men I really wanted, Voll and Foote.
###
Late Friday Morning, February 13th
Morelville, Ohio
I was starting to smell a little ripe. In all the craziness the week had been, I’d run through the couple of changes of fresh uniforms I kept in the office.
After working my way across country in the Southern part of the county to Philo and checking in with one of my patrol deputies that worked that area, I decided to run home for a shower and a clean uniform.
When I got there, Dana and Boo weren’t in the house. She must be out in her writing shed, since Boo is with her... I doubted she’d take the dog to the store if she was helping out there.
I’d been in contact with her, apologizing for not being able to make it home overnight. She’d sounded both forgiving and distracted. She said she was just glad to know we’d nailed everyone and that I was safe.
I so owe her... That thought was what jogged my memory and reminded me that Saturday was Valentine’s Day.
Once I was showered and dressed, I took a quick look around. Still no Dana. I went into my den. If I really wanted to try and rescue my love life for tomorrow, I knew I needed help.
My laptop was half open on the desk. When I touched the keypad it sprang to life and the screen opened to a news article in the web browser. Curious, I glanced through it.
Young International...isn’t that the company Dana worked for back in the day? She must have been looking at this.
I clicked the article closed and started looking for ideas for places to go. After a half hour visiting websites and making calls, I had nothing. Everything was booked solid. I’d waited too long.
Oh boy, am I going to pay for this...
Dana
Early Friday Afternoon, February 13th
Morelville, Ohio
“Russ, hi.”
“Hey, how’s it going out there?”
“I’m working the Brietland case. I spent yesterday tailing around a future heiress gone awry. Warren Breitland wants a report out of me tomorrow and I’ve got most of the information he needs but there are some loose ends that I’m trying to tie up.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
I leaned back in my swivel chair and looked out the little window of my writing shack that faced toward the house. Taking a deep breath I plunged in, “I’m absolutely stymied trying to pinpoint one of her associates. I have a name, Conal Floyd, and a plate number. My contact downstairs there ran the plate for me and got me an address near here but it’s no good...an empty lot. His background check didn’t turn up anything at all in Ohio other than the same address. This guy’s gang, Russ. He has to have a record somewhere.”
“Did you run a nationwide search?”
“Certainly but no response yet. I have a short window.”
“You haven’t established any local police contacts yet, I take it that might be able to speed the process for you?”
I hesitated while I framed my response to him but I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. “Yes, I have but, unfortunately, they’re bogged down right now with a big case and they don’t have the resources to help me.”
I felt bad about lying to Russ but I just wasn’t ready yet to tell Mel what I’d gotten myself up to. I had a strong gut feeling, after overhearing Floyd and Erin Voll talking, that my investigation and her gang war were interrelated in more ways than one. I wanted to have all my ducks in a row before I hit her with what I’d been doing and what I knew.
“Whatever resources we have here are yours to use Dana but, I need something from you too.” His tone changed. It became a little less friendly and a little more direct.
“What’s that?” I asked and then held my breath in anticipation of his response.
“You need to be straight with me. Look, I’m aware you’re just getting started out being on your own. I checked you out too; I didn’t just throw in with you because I know you. The notion of doing something like that goes against everything I’ve built up here. We’ll send work your way for as long as you’re honest with us and you, in turn, can use any assets at our disposal.”
I covered the receiver and let my breath out.
“Thank you Russ. I’m sorry. Just so you know, I do have accounts established and I have requested a check but it’s a twenty-four to forty-eight turn around and I need it faster than that.”
“I understand.”
“There’s more. In the interest of honesty and full disclosure, I should tell you, if you’re not already aware; my wife Mel is actually the Sheriff in this county.” It felt good to come clean with him.
“That came up in our check of you but I appreciate you being straight with me.”
“Russ, I know for a fact that the Brietland heiress I’m investigating, Erin Voll, is married to a man that’s probably a player in a case Mel is working and I’m 90% sure that she’s in cahoots with this gang banger to take her husband out but I don’t know anything about him or what he gets out of offing Victor Voll besides his girl. He may well be the link that Mel needs to blow her case wide open for her.”
“I’ve got,” I continued, “the information Warren Brietland needs to make whatever decisions he needs to make. My concerns are over the major crime wave that’s been going on here in the past week that I think his granddaughter and her spouse and lover are responsible for and...”
He finished for me, “The hit on her husband.”
“Yes.”
I heard a truck start. I rolled over to the little window on the house side and pressed my face to it. I just caught the taillights of Mel’s department vehicle as it turned out of the driveway. I wasn’t even aware she’d been home.
“Dana?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking; you were saying?”
“You certainly have a dilemma there but I know you’ll get it all sorted out. Just promise me that you’ll keep yourself out of harm’s way?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Now, let’s see if we can’t get you some better data on this Conal fellow.”
Chapter 18 – The Big Day
Mel
Early Saturday morning, February 14th
Valentine’s Day...it came in a flash. I wasn’t ready for it. I still had no plans. The only ones I’d made all week, I’d already ruined. It’s a wonder Dana is even talking to me at all.
I knew I had to make it up to her but I didn’t have the first clue how to and, even if I could come up with a workable idea, there were no reservations to be had anywhere to do anything. It doesn’t help at all that I’m ass deep in a murder investigation and a multiple person manhunt.
Working today was a given. Working everyday was a given until I had Victor Voll and Major Foote in custody, at a minimum.
Sitting up slowly, I tried to ease off of the bed without rousing Dana. I only realized she wasn’t actually sleeping when she reached out a hand to touch my leg and then asked, “Where are you going?”
Looking down into the shine of her eyes that I could only just barely make out in the dim early light, I smiled at her and then lay back down beside her for a minute.
She nuzzled close to me and stretched an arm around my waist to pull me in even tighter. “Please tell me you won’t be working all day.”
I kissed her forehead. “I really hope not,” I told her, “but I just don’t know. I’m so sorry baby.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered into my neck.
Pulling back just a little so I could look her in the eye again, I told her, “No it’s not okay. It’s Valentine’s Day and I wanted to have a whole day with you, just the two of us; the whole weekend even but...well I had to settle for dinner and...” I trailed off. I didn’t know how to tell her I’d failed at even arranging that.
She closed the distance again and kissed me lightly at the curve of my neck and shoulder.
“Dana, I’m sorry.” I exhaled loudly. “I really am sorry, believe me, and I promise to make it up to you. I’ve been so wrapped up in work that, by the time I even took a minute to get us reservations anywhere, I couldn’t get a thing. I feel like such an ass.”
“Don’t...don’t beat yourself up. You have a job to do. I knew what I was in for when you ran for the office. We’ll figure it out.”
“We’ll do better than ‘figure it out’. When I catch this Victor Voll guy, we’re going to get away from all of this crap for a while. Nailing Voll and a couple of his minions is my only focus right now.”
Dana jerked backwards and half sat up.
“You’re mad...” I started to say.
“No...no; I’m not. It’s just...Oh, I don’t even know where to begin.”
It was my turn to sit up. Facing her, the dawning sun finally starting to filter through the window, I searched her face.
“Do you know something I should know?”
“You’re after Victor Voll; who’s married to Erin Voll, formerly Erin Brietland?”
“I don’t know; I guess.” I scratched my head and stared at my wife. “How do you know Erin Voll? Why did you ask that?”
Dana took one of my hands in hers. “It’s time to play a round of true confessions.”
I was all ears.
She took a deep breath like she was working up a little courage but then she dropped her eyes as she started to speak. “I’ve been a little bored lately. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing but it’s not something I can sit and do for eight hours. I can get the flow for maybe an hour or two and then it just stops.”
Putting a finger under her chin, I tipped her face back up. When I could see her eyes again, I asked her, “So, you’ve been doing a little freelancing for the firm you used to work for?”
“You know?”
“Let’s just say that I put two and two together, just now.”
“Are you upset?”
“No; we’ve talked about you starting your own firm before. You were the one who had concerns about your mobility issues. My only concern is for your safety.”
She nodded.
“What about the store?”
“Mama doesn’t need nearly as much help in there now that they’re up and running and we all know that I have zero interest in the whole nail salon idea of hers. She’s on her own there!”
We both grinned at that thought.
“Anyway, I talked to Russ Young, my old boss, earlier this week and he threw an investigation job my way. Nothing dangerous, just information gathering...sort of.”
“And this not dangerous, ‘sort of’ information gathering assignment involves the leader of the motorcycle gang that’s been terrorizing Zanesville and Morelville?”
“Not exactly.”
I quirked an eyebrow at her. “What exactly?”
“I’ve been investigating Warren Brietland’s granddaughter Erin who’s coming due to get her hands on, I’m guessing, a pretty significant trust fund. Apparently there are morals conditions or some such thing...Brietland is the client. He didn’t make me privy to all the details. What he did though was give me a real short fuse. He wanted a report by today.”
“Dana, all this crazy stuff that’s been going on is because Victor Voll, who leads a motorcycle gang, is apparently stepping down and his ‘followers’, if you will, are jockeying for the top dog spot.”
“I, uh, heard something to that effect but I wasn’t sure if what I heard and what’s been going on were related.”
“Heard how?”
“Erin Voll has a lover. The name he’s using around here is Conal Floyd. He’s actually a ranking Gangster Demon Lieutenant originally from Detroit whose gang name is ‘Preacher’. His real name is Floyd Donaldson.”
“The Demons again?”
Dana nodded. “Yeah; I thought we were all done with them around here nearly a year ago after the big smuggling bust that landed me in my present condition but they’re trying to make a comeback and it looks like Floyd – whichever his name is – is here to lead the charge.”
“And Erin Voll has jumped the fence for what she believes are greener pastures.” Mel shook her head.
“It’s not just that.” Dana shook her head no this time. “This ‘Preacher’ guy is gunning, er, his men are gunning for Voll. They – him and Erin Voll – want Victor Voll dead.”
I thought for a minute then looked back at my wife. “When you were ‘hearing’ things, did it sound to you like Preacher wanted to take over everything in the area?”
It was Dana’s turn to think. She took her time to reply but when she did, she laid a couple of things on me that tied up everything in my mind.
“Erin knew who killed a Demon in a drive-by, Mel. She called him ‘Rat Tail’ which, I’m assuming, is his gang name. Preacher said ‘someone’ had to pay for that. He was gunning for Victor as the leader. Erin told him she’d be happy when he had ‘the whole city wrapped up’.”
Light dawned for me. “The Demons want control of all the drug trade in the county.”
“I don’t know how involved Erin is in the doings of her husband’s gang but I’m certain she’s dealing for Preacher.”
I shook my head ruefully and then I told my beloved, “I have a couple of gang leaders, a killer and a woman playing fast and loose to catch. You, young lady, need to report to your client as expected.”
“And tell him what?”
“The truth, of course. Brietland only expected you to investigate. He’ll take your findings under advisement and have it handled fro
m there. By the time he’s ready to make a move, I’ll already have Victor and Erin in a noose and Floyd Donaldson too if I can work it all out right. Brietland will just have to decide if Erin’s worth saving for himself.”
Chapter 19 – Report
Dana
10:00 AM Saturday Morning, February 14th
The Brietland Family Estate
Things were so much easier when I worked for Young before...Here goes nothing.
I was shown into Warren Brietland’s study again. As soon as I entered the room, I remembered him advising me that he used Young for ‘fast, discreet service.’ I swallowed hard and prayed that the little bit that I was about to tell him would be enough without me having to provide a lot of detail.
“Ms. Rossi,” he greeted me, indicating the chair across from his desk. “I didn’t fully expect to see you today, in all honesty.”
“Oh? Why is that?” I was puzzled that he would say that after I’d agreed to his demand to report today.
“I’m not going to mince words with you. Your lack of experience and your shock at my short timeline for the job seemed to have you in a tizzy when you left here before.”
Not wanting to argue with him but feeling the need to defend my background I, in as tactful a tone as possible, told him, “We didn’t actually go over my entire resume Mr. Brietland.” I smiled. “I assure you, I have years of investigative experience and I left here with the proper sense of urgency that the job required. Now, shall we get down to business?” I smiled again and then reached into my case and pulled out his copy of my investigation file.
“Of course. Proceed.” He held out a hand to me.
“In the couple of days I’ve had to investigate Erin, I’ve come to one basic understanding and two specific conclusions. One, during my brief time watching her, she spent little time with her husband Victor other than overnight and she has little regard for him.”
“And you came to that understanding how?” His question wasn’t angry but curious; his slight smile giving away his hope that his granddaughter was coming around.