The Morelville Mysteries Collection

by Anne Hagan

  “We'll rotate him off in another hour with fresh eyes. Maybe Emery will even be out of bed by then. Meanwhile, we're watching a couple of other bad apples that were hanging out with our man last night, including the apartment complex where Pearson lives.”

  ###

  There were no signs of life at the Emery residence until after 3:00. By then Gates was watching the house and Joe had gone home to his wife and in-laws. Shane was in the squad bay showing Janet the ropes with search warrants.

  Holly, who'd again come in on her day off, and I were sitting in the little command center in the building when the call came in just before 3:30 that the garage door was going up on Wayne’s house and that a compact car was pulling out, color black, make unknown at the time, given the distance.

  Gates began following the driver who he reported he believed was Emery, discreetly. He watched as, a few minutes later, Emery picked up another man standing in a parking lot at the apartment complex that was Pearson's last known living address. By then, no one was watching the apartments because they'd been called out on a routine patrol call so Gates continued to follow the men.

  He radioed that he had to drive past a place and double back when the two men took the little car to a fenced in storage unit complex and entered it. He watched as the automatic gate closed behind them.

  He couldn't see the car in the not so big complex when he got turned around and went back by it. Finding a small strip mall just up the street, he pulled in and found a spot where he'd have a good view of the entry and exit of the storage facility. He was surprised to see, not the car exiting, but a florist van that hadn't been visible when he'd driven in either direction past the facility.

  “Got them!” I crowed to Holly. “They're keeping the van out of sight in one of those units. I wonder what else he has in there...”

  She interrupted, “Let's just see where he goes and what he does.”

  Her words were cautious but they didn't dampen my enthusiasm one bit. “If he's got stuff in there or in the van to fence, we've got him. If he's got dog kennels in that van, we've got him. If he's got the gun he killed Jarvis with in either one, we've got him.”

  “You're not seriously thinking about nailing him in the van are you? We need to hit his house with him in it and we need to hit that storage unit too. All of those things he’s taken could be anywhere, if he still has them.”

  I got Gates some surveillance help and then I got Shane on the phone. “Get another warrant in the pipeline for this storage facility,” I said and then reeled off the address to him.

  Next up, I got the DA on the phone. Fortunately for me, he was home on a December Sunday afternoon just a few days before Christmas.

  ###

  “I lost him when I had to hang back a ways on Dresden Road Sheriff but I just found him again. He’s in a little subdivision on Darcie Drive. I had to circle off. It’s tight here,” Gates said.

  “Meaning, he doesn’t have any place to hide,” I said to Shane and Janet who were now listening in.”

  Shane jumped on the computer workstation next to me and pulled up Gates location. “Pretty modest sub-division boss.”

  “I’ve got a partial visual. Somebody is out of the van and walking around behind a house,” Gates reported.

  Moving quickly, I got an unmarked to take up a position where he could see the south exit to the subdivision. Unless the florist van looped around, that was probably the way he’d exit. Gates could wave off. He’d been following long enough.

  A few minutes went by with no radio traffic. Suddenly Gates was back on the air reporting that a man was headed back toward the front of the house again and it looked like he had a small dog with him.

  “Wave off deputy. Once I give you the all clear, go back to the front of that house and get the address and check for signs of forced entry. A unit will pick him back up on Dresden.”

  “Roger.”

  ###

  “Two dogs taken and dropped at Emery’s house, the van returned to the storage locker and then both Emery and the man we’ve now confirmed is Pearson are back at Emery’s residence,” I told the group assembled in the squad bay. “Good work today people. We’re watching the home tonight, and we’re hitting them before dawn tomorrow unless those two venture out tonight for a burglary job.”

  Shane rolled his eyes, “That’s anyone’s guess. I wish we could figure out how the hell they’re targeting these people and breaching security at their places.”

  You and me both Shane...

  “Everyone go home and get some rest. Those of you on a hit team be back here at 0600. We roll at 0630.”

  Chapter 19 – Go Time

  5:20 AM Monday Morning, December 22nd, 2014

  Muskingum County, Ohio

  It was a cold morning but it didn’t matter. I was too keyed up to care. I glanced over at Dana as we arrived at the station. She’d been quiet for most of the ride in.

  I shook my head as we pulled into the lot and I spied Holly’s pickup. “Holly beat us here. I’m going to be paying her a hell of a lot of overtime this month.”

  Dana smiled at that but didn’t respond.

  I took her hand before we got out of my own truck and looked her in the eyes, “Have faith babe. We’re going to find her.”

  She squeezed my hand and gave me a tight-lipped smile then dismounted and opened the rear passenger door. Grabbing her vest off the back seat, the first words she’d said in more than 15 minutes tumbled out, “I never thought I’d be wearing this again.”

  I was in full uniform so I already had my own vest on. To me, it was like a second skin.

  Once we were inside the station, we headed upstairs to my office first instead of down to the squad bay. Holly stood from behind her desk when we walked in.

  “Good morning ladies!”

  “Your cheerfulness does not become you,” I told her jokingly.

  She ignored me, “Dana, it’s always nice to see you. I take it you’re joining in on today’s little adventure?”

  “Yes, as an observer and against Mel’s better judgment, but yes.”

  “If you want my opinion Mel – and you’re going to get it if you want it or not – your wife here is more qualified for this stuff than half the people we have in the department...more than half even.”

  I smiled. I knew Holly was right. “Look, I’m not saying she’s not but this is not something that’s going to be a regular occurrence. She’s a civilian now.”

  “For your own sake,” Dana replied, “I hope what we’re about to do period isn’t a ‘regular occurrence’.”

  She’s got that right! Switching gears, I asked, “Anything overnight that I should know about? I got regular field reports, including the fact that Pearson never left Emery's house, but no one called me from dispatch to say a victim arrived home after being gone and found out they’d been robbed.”

  “Nothing Mel. Maybe they had specific targets to hit and they've hit them and now we're just dealing with dog-napping.”

  “Somehow, I can't make myself believe that. I gotta wonder how many unreported burglaries by them there are floating around out there. They were so specific in the items taken for one thing – things people might not miss right away and, two, some people are snow birds. They leave after Thanksgiving and don't come back to Ohio until after the spring thaw. We might have these guys locked up and still be taking reports from their heists for months.”

  Holly half shrugged a shoulder. “Guess you'll know at least a little more today boss lady.”

  “You're not going in with them?” Dana asked her.

  “Oh no, my job is to man the fort here.”

  “I can't convince Sergeant Burke here to go back to the street. I even offered her the detective slot but she wouldn't budge.”

  “Somebody has to keep you straight Mel,” Holly said.

  “Please don't,” was Dana's quick rejoinder.

  I couldn't help but laugh.

  By 5:45 the squad bay was fillin
g up with deputies for both shift change and those that would be hitting Emery's house and the storage facility.

  Shane was present and strapping up, something he'd rarely done since he'd become a detective.

  “Are you ready for this Harding?” I asked him, concerned for him.

  “Ready Sheriff.”

  Shane looked at Dana and grinned, “Tagging along are you?”

  “Yup, just for the ride.”

  “Well, hopefully it'll be a quiet one and we can get you in there to see Mel in action...not that you probably haven't seen plenty of action in your career.”

  Dana started to respond to Shane but, when she saw the look on his face change, she paused and turned to look behind her where he was looking. I half turned too and found Mason coming into the room, her eyes fixed on Dana. She looked more curious than anything but I'd thought of something when we'd been talking to Holly and I wasn’t taking any chances with Janet.

  When she reached us, I addressed her immediately. “Good morning Mason.” At her answering nod I told her, “I'll ask you the same thing I just asked Shane, are you ready for this? Any concerns?”

  “Yes Sheriff, I'm ready,” she answered but I caught the movement of her eyes as they flitted quickly to Dana and then back again.

  “I don't believe you've met Dana Rossi,” I indicated my wife but used her maiden name on purpose. “She's a retired federal agent who specialized in investigations and she has extensive background in security. She'll be riding along with us today. She may be able to help us figure out how these guys are getting around these alarm systems.”

  Fortunately, I was the only one who noticed Dana's raised eyebrow look at me but she quickly masked her surprise. A few moments later, when Shane and Janet were otherwise distracted, I moved up beside her and whispered, “Work with me on this. I really do think you might be able to help.”

  Dana's slight nod indicated she was on board.

  At 5:55, everyone was in place including the crime lab techs from Columbus so I started my briefing.

  “We're hitting a private residence just south of Dresden today in relation to an ongoing burglary and murder investigation. Those of you who have been on watch in the area know the one. We expect the owner, Wayne Emery to be there and, all indications are that another suspect we've been watching, George Pearson, is also in the home this morning. We're unaware of any other human occupants at this time but that doesn't mean there won't be others there. There are likely to be dogs on the premises.”

  “These men are known to be armed and they will shoot to kill. We also know they can disarm security systems in the blink of an eye.” I looked at Dana as I said that and she gave a slight nod again. For a split second, I could see fire in her eyes. “What we don't know, is what kind of security we may be up against to breach the place. We've had eyes on it for the last couple of days but we were following Emery the only time he left it. We need to be conscious of electronic monitoring, dogs, a gun toting owner...the whole 9 yards.”

  I took a deep breath. “Here's how it's going to go down: There will be two teams. Team one will be the house team. Treadway, Willis, Harding, Mason and I will all be the breach and clearing team. Once I give the all clear, two of the crime lab techs and Ms. Rossi will enter to help process the scene. Chet Hearn, the Dog Warden, has also been put on alert to be on standby and within minutes of South Dresden no later than 6:30 this morning. He won't be given the address to report to until we've taken custody of the homeowner and his overnight guest so he doesn't show up too early and spoil the surprise.”

  Everyone in the group chuckled softly.

  “Team two will be Gates, who's watching the house right now but who will roll when we report we're in position, Deputy Shellhorn and another crime lab tech. Shellhorn, you and the tech will go directly to the storage facility from here and hit it as soon as you get there. Gates will join you within a couple of minutes. The sites are less than a mile apart.”

  I handed Shellhorn a piece of paper and an envelope, “That's the gate code you need and your search warrant in case the management shows up. The crime lab tech will ride with you. Make sure you have bolt cutters to get the lock off the unit and be careful. We don't know if it's booby trapped or not. Tow knows they need to do a pick-up of a ¾ ton van that we know is in the unit after 7:00 AM.”

  I looked at the three crime lab techs, “Which of you is the vehicle specialist?” A young woman raised her hand in the air. “You're with Shellhorn here.” She nodded his way. Addressing her specifically, I told her, “You'll have a little time to process at the scene before the van gets picked up but it's going back to Columbus with you so if you want to ride with the tow truck back, that's up to you. I'll probably have your buddies here,” I pointed at the two male techs, “at the house a little longer.”

  “That'll be fine Sheriff,” she said.

  “Okay everybody remember, be safe and watch each other’s back. Grab your gear and let's mount up.”

  Dana and I were in my county SUV leading the way to the jump off point just half a block east of Emery’s home. Shane, Janet and the other two members of the breach team were right behind us in the only tactical van the county had. The two crime scene techs were following them in the small SUV they’d driven from Columbus.

  I only had about 10 minutes to brief Dana at such an early hour on a holiday week. There was no traffic around at all. We'd reach our jump off point quickly. “I'm sorry about what I sprung on you back there.”

  “It's okay Mel but you better fill me in.”

  “That's what I'm about to do.” I spent the next few minutes talking with her about the burglaries and about the disarmed alarms.

  “What about with the dogs?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Boo was taken when she was loose but were any of the other dogs taken from inside their homes?”'

  “I guess I hadn't thought of that. We know for sure that two of the others weren't. The owner left a door open in one and, in the other, the dog wandered off while he was outside, which isn't unusual for him, he just never came back.”

  “Were there others?”

  “At least one that we know of. They have no idea how he was snatched. The female owner didn't even miss him all day until her husband got home from work and asked where he was. I can't really answer for certain how their dog was taken.”

  “Hmm. Okay then. The way I see it Mel, these two cases may or may not be related. This guy might be strictly a dog-napper, cruising neighborhoods, looking for dogs to take while the owners are away or the dogs are loose.”

  “God, I hope your wrong...” I paused, a thought crossing my mind. I stared through the windshield, thinking.

  “Mel? What? What is it?” Dana prodded me.

  “These guys are doing both jobs; I'm sure of it.”

  “Wanna tell me how?”

  I grinned. “The guard in the gate shack where the second and third reported burglaries happened recorded a florist van going in and out on the day in question.”

  Once we were at the jump off point, the parking lot of a small store, I dismounted from my vehicle and Dana slid into the driver's seat. “I'll radio the all clear. Hopefully, it will come within 5 minutes of us pulling out of here. You stay put until I radio. When it's time to join us you're going to turn right out of here, take the very next right and you'll see us about half a block down.”

  Dana nodded. “Be careful,” she told me.

  I went back to the two techs and told them, “You don't move from this spot until she moves,” I said, pointing at my SUV. “Got it?”

  “Roger Sheriff the driver told me.”

  I climbed in the van with the breach team. Here we go!

  Chapter 20 – Boo?

  Mel

  6:20 AM Monday Morning, December 22nd, 2014

  Somewhere South of Dresden, Ohio

  It was still very dark. The sun wasn't due up for more than an hour when I radioed Gates we were rolling.


  We left the parking lot, turned the corner and passed a handful of houses as we moved down the quiet street.

  “Gates just passed us,” Willis, who was driving, reported.

  I had him put the van right in Emery's driveway, effectively blocking anything from exiting the garage.

  We hit the ground quickly. Willis, Harding and I moved directly to the front and Treadway and Mason worked as backup to watch the flanks and rear.

  There were no lights on in the small, older salt box style home. There was barely a front porch and no discernible security camera that I could see. My men went at the door hard with a ram. It was wood, not steel and it cracked loudly with the force of their second blow. We're in!

  We pushed directly into the small living room of the little house. A man in boxer shorts rose from the sofa in the dark room and raised a pistol but I, gun already drawn, placed a shot in his firing shoulder that knocked him back to where he'd been sleeping moments before.

  Willis and Harding, rifles raised, moved into the hallway that ran left from the far side of the living room and cleared the first room quickly and moved on to the second. There they found Emery, still in his bed in a state of panic, trying to push a loaded clip backwards into a 9mm pistol.

  They quickly subdued him while I checked the next two doors in the hallway – a bathroom and a closet.

  Mason came into view as I closed the closet door.

  “Treadway's cuffing the guy up front.”

  “Let's check the kitchen, garage and look for a basement.” Something isn't right...

  We moved out as Willis and Harding drug Emery out of his bed and into the living room, no easy feat as he screamed that he'd done nothing and kicked at my men.

  Going through the living and rounding the corner into a small eating el, I heard the screech of tires outside. Dana to the rescue! She must have heard my shot... Just then it occurred to me what wasn't right about the scene; there were no dogs around and none barking from areas we hadn't yet been in.

  Not waiting for Dana, Mason and I pushed through the filthy but otherwise empty kitchen and found a door that led to stairs that went down to a tiny basement. It took less than 10 seconds to discern that there was the usual furnace and water heating equipment down there in about a 10x10 area and a small crawl space with a few scattered boxes.