I looked at the landscape differently. We were on a hill with little cover. There were a few trees surrounding the area, but any cover they could provide was minimal. I worried that I was actually starting to think like a sniper, but after all I’d been through, there was a matter of self-protection here as well. I wanted to live through this experience.
I took a deep breath to try to calm myself, and we walked to the graveside. The preacher started as soon as we arrived, so there was no chance to talk to the family. From what I could tell, the only others at the ceremony were Andy Zoz, his children, and a woman I didn’t recognize. I wondered if she was from the police department—here for the same reasons that I was.
The service was very short, and Andy took the time to throw a rose on the casket. The children did the same. They looked nourished and well cared for, so I doubted that there was any deprivation wherever they were staying. I was glad of that.
The family turned to go, and I rushed over to them. “Excuse me, aren’t you Linda’s husband?”
He turned. I could tell there was a moment of recognition, but I wasn’t sure where he could know me from. Then he spoke, and I knew. “You’re the woman who found Linda, aren’t you? The one who was in the office when—” He choked on the last words, and the other adult herded the children off so that we could talk.
I nodded. “Yes, I did. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
A tear ran down his cheek. “I miss her every day.” He rubbed at his eyes with his suit sleeve and sniffed.
“Do you have a moment to talk?” I asked. I knew that this was entirely inappropriate, but he’d been hiding so well that no one had found him in weeks. I didn’t want to go that long again before I could ask him questions.
“Just for a moment,” he said. “What do you need?”
“I wanted to ask you about the money.” I didn’t elaborate or tell him how I knew. I wanted to make this as fast as possible. A gentle breeze blew across the hilltop, which only served to remind me how exposed we were.
“I wish I’d never heard about that damned money,” he said. “It’s destroyed our family. First Linda, now Mariel.”
“Do you know that both were killed by the same people?” I asked, wondering what he knew.
“They were both beheaded. What kind of person does that anyway?” His eyes had welled up, and he looked like he was going to lose it. Of course, this was the perfect place to cry, but despite his sorrow, I wanted to stop the killing spree in town.
“That’s true. So did Linda tell you where she got the money?” I asked. This was the question I’d been hoping to ask for ages.
“NBG,” he said simply, confirming my suspicions. “They wanted to stop other people from getting food truck permits. So they gave Linda over $100,000 to hold up all other inspections. She said that it didn’t take much to do that.”
I thought back to my aunt’s process. She’d been denied, and that would have been the end of it, if she hadn’t started counting trucks and weighing the number against the available permits. Most people would not go to that much trouble. They would just shake their heads and walk away.
“Did she say why NBG wanted to stop others from passing the inspections?” I tried to think of a reason why they would pay twice my annual take, just to keep others off the road. It didn’t make much sense. Even with a few other trucks, NBG would have a virtual monopoly on Capital City’s food truck industry. I had no clue why that was so important. It didn’t make sense. What was to be gained by that type of suppression of competition?
“Who knows? Why does any company engage in that kind of behavior? Money, probably. Anyway, Linda definitely took the bribe for the money and started doing what they asked.”
I nodded. I remember how difficult it had been for my aunt to finally obtain a valid health inspection. All three times she’d gotten Linda as her inspector, and all three times she’d failed—until another owner had intervened and thrown a fit about the process.
The thought made me wonder. How likely was it that Linda would get all the health inspections for all the food trucks? The mere thought of it indicated that the conspiracy went far higher than originally thought. The scheduler would have to assign all of the inspectors to all of the trucks. To ensure that Linda got the food trucks, the person in charge would have to be in on the scheme.
Land was right. This conspiracy was much larger and had much more significant stores of cash than I had originally thought. I had been thinking entirely too small. This was not a domestic homicide; this was the act of a well-funded organization that seemed to be funded, at least in part, by NBG.
“One more question?” I said, thinking faster now. “Your wife wrote a letter to her sister before she died. The letter was written in some form of code that we haven’t been able to puzzle out yet. Do you know anything about that?”
“Code? Linda didn’t know anything about codes and puzzles. She liked to read, so I’d look in a book to see if she copied a code from that.”
I barely had a chance to hear the words before another sound came to me. The whiz of a bullet filled my ears. Having heard it so recently, I knew exactly what it was. I didn’t need Land to tell me what to do.
I started to hit the ground, but realized that it would just make me a sitting target. In these circumstances, I would be better off moving. I got up and ran. Land was already on the move. He ran in my direction, grabbed my hand, and then began to pull us back to the car. We were running at top speed across the open space. I knew that we would be hard to hit at this speed, but I also knew that we couldn’t keep up this pace for long. I was running on adrenaline and self-preservation at the moment, but I knew it couldn’t last.
“We can’t drive away with people shooting at us,” I protested. Another bullet hit the gravel two feet away from me. In the melee, I hadn’t seen Andy Zoz run off. I hoped he was okay.
I turned for a second, just in time to see him crumple into a heap on the ground. I whimpered as he fell. This would be another death attributed to this same group. I was trying to figure out who was to blame for this death. The group who had beheaded his wife and sister-in-law seemed much more likely to be after Andy as well, but the snipers were here today. Could they be working in tandem, or perhaps they had some common enemies?
Maybe they didn’t have time to behead him if he was already talking to us.
Land dragged me behind his sports car. He cursed as we hunched down in its shadow. “Damn it. The insurance probably won’t pay for this,” he muttered.
“Geez, the company policy can. Defending the owner from certain death seems like something that should be covered.” I hunkered down so that none of me showed above the contours of the car.
We didn’t get to finish the discussion, because a bullet shot through the driver’s window above us. Crystal rain fell on us. Land kept a tight grip on my arm, so that I couldn’t jump up in surprise or try to run any farther away. The experience reminded me of the bank and the drive-by shooting. For some reason, today I didn’t feel like I was in danger of going into shock. Today I wanted to get even. I wanted to solve this case and put these idiots behind bars.
“Now would be a great time to call Danvers,” Land said, gazing up at the broken window. I wondered what he was thinking, if he had a plan to get us out of here.
I dialed Danvers’ number, but of course, it went to voicemail. I cursed our fight, but I cursed him for being so petty—and perhaps being on the same side as this sniper. I called 911, and then I called the homicide department and told them that a material witness in the Zoz murders was lying on the ground beside Mariel Mills’ grave. Those calls were much more productive, and in a matter of minutes, I could hear the sounds of sirens. I hoped that the snipers could also hear them.
Despite not taking my calls, Danvers was in the first car to arrive at the scene. A van with men in paramilitary gear pulled in just after them and parked in front of his car. A dozen men got out of the van and began to sweep the area, guns draw
n and visors down. I’d never seen a SWAT team in action but it was a blessed sight for me.
Danvers ran back to Land’s car and stooped down with us behind it. “What the hell is going on here? You just thought it would be easier for everyone if you started getting people killed in a cemetery? Less mileage?” His anger showed in his face. We were probably cutting into his prep time for his other case.
I told him the whole story of the day’s events. I told him how we’d run into Andy Zoz while paying our respects to Mariel, how he’d confirmed that Linda had taken a bribe from NBG, and how she’d been killed for it. I took a deep breath when I was finished, glad to have shared that with someone so that I was not a threat to the killers. I wanted to mind dump everything I knew so that these men could go after whomever I shared with—instead of me. It was a selfish thought, but I figured that Danvers could handle an attack better than I could.
His radio crackled, and he put it against his ear, so that we couldn’t hear the discussion. I thought that after what we’d been through that I deserved to hear, but apparently he felt differently.
When he turned back to us, his face showed disgust. “You do know that there are laws against calling in a false 911 call, right?”
I sputtered and tried to reiterate what had happened. Land merely said, “She told the truth.”
Land’s words seemed to carry more weight with Danvers. “Well, there’s no sign of a sniper here at all. We did find a place with some spent ammo, but that’s it. No indication that it was used today or used against you.” Danvers held out a handful of shells, but when I reached for them, he dropped them on the ground.
“What about Andy Zoz?” I stammered, still shocked by this accusation.
“There’s no body up at the gravesite. Well, I take that back. Mariel Mills is up there, but I just got a report that there are no other bodies at the site. So apparently either he’s not dead or he’s a zombie.” Danvers looked annoyed.
Land looked at me. “Kevlar. Had to be.”
Andy had known the risks of attending the funeral, and he’d take measures to protect himself as much as he could. A bulletproof vest would definitely cut the risk of him being killed, though a bullet could have knocked him down for a moment. Not what I would have thought to wear to a funeral, but after today’s events, I might have to reconsider.
Danvers looked at both of us. “I can tell you that he was supposed to meet us here at the gravesite today. We had called him using that phone number we got from Montgomery’s phone. Yeah, we did check with the dentist, in case you’re wondering. The dead body belonged to Montgomery.”
I nodded. It was an explanation, and I’d take it. I had suspected Danvers of not following up, but apparently he had taken my deductions to heart. He just hadn’t bothered to share the results with me. “So he did show, but someone else did too. How did a sniper know to show up here?”
“No one can prove that Andy Zoz was even here, and now that you’re telling me that a sniper was here too, it’s a pretty good bet that the phone number we had for him has been dumped. So we have nothing to go on now.” All he had to go on at this point was my word, which I was telling him came from Andy Zoz. It was hardly the type of testimony that would hold up in a court case.
I wanted to say more; however, given that Danvers now disbelieved the entire story, I knew that everything else I had told him would be equally suspect. The confession about Linda taking a bribe from NBG would also be looked on as the ramblings of an unbalanced witness—or a desperate ex-date. I wasn’t sure which label I disliked more.
Disgusted, I stood up. The area was still swarming with armed men in military gear. They were moving out from the hilltop into the hills beyond the gravesite. The Zoz family was gone. The minister was gone. The casket stood alone, waiting to be lowered into the ground. If it hadn’t been for Land’s windows, there would have been no evidence that anyone had been firing shots here a few minutes ago.
Land picked up a couple of the shells that Danvers had thrown on the ground. “These are military grade ammo. I’m not sure what’s going on with Danvers. Either he threw these here, because he knew that I’d look at them and know what he knows—or he’s just not doing his job.”
I looked at Land. “Which is it?”
He shrugged and threw the shells back on the ground. “It could be either. That’s why I told you not to trust him. I can never get a good read if he’s being honest or if he’s playing me for his own advantage.”
I could easily understand. Up until recently, I’d thought Danvers was interested in me and pursuing something more meaningful. Now I not only questioned his intentions toward me, but I found myself suspecting him of being in league with the criminals in this case.
His actions could certainly be questioned. He hadn’t taken a statement from Zoz over the phone. He’d waited until he’d arranged an open air meeting with the suspect, a meeting that no one was supposed to know about. Somehow someone had learned of the meeting and had arranged to take care of Andy before he could talk to the police. I hadn’t known of the meeting, so I figured that it was limited to just a few members of the police force. That certainly looked like someone inside the force had shared information with NBG.
I sighed. “Let’s go home. No use in being here anymore,” I said as I walked back toward Land’s car. It was a windy ride home, since we had to ride with the windows down the whole way. Not only had we not solved anything, I’d lost a whole day of profit from the food truck. At this rate, I saw myself back on my parents’ sofa watching TV.
I had begun to think that the entire mess was in my imagination by the time we reached my apartment. I had an over-active imagination, and the deaths had been the work of someone who wanted to keep a secret quiet. No conspiracy, no collusion.
However, all bets were off when we reached my apartment.
The front door was wide open, swaying back and forth in the breeze. I was glad to see that the building manager was so concerned about the security of the building. My unit sat in the middle of the U of a converted single-story motel. The building itself reminded me of nothing more than the Bates Motel, which did nothing to add to its hominess. However, it was cheap and convenient to the secured lot and most of downtown.
Land put his hand on my arm, as if I was going to run into that place without stopping to think of my own safety. Other than a TV and sofa, there wasn’t much that I had to worry about in my apartment. My parents had retained most of my valuables, since they were concerned that I would be murdered there in my sleep. I could see now where they got the impression that my death was a possibility.
Land pulled a gun from under the driver’s seat of the car. I wondered why he hadn’t used that today during the shoot-out.
As if he’d read my mind, he said, “The rifle used has a range of about three times what this pistol does. Why bother?” He made something click on it and held it out in front of him. I followed behind him, and he kept an arm out to keep me behind him—and presumably away from flying bullets.
We traced our way through every room of the apartment. Things had been trashed. Pillows were split open, mattresses and cushions turned over and dumped on the floor. Flour and sugar lay on the floor of the kitchen. All the signs of someone looking for something.
He nodded at me. “The place is clear. Get something to wear. Get those papers from your hiding place, and then you’re coming with me.”
He said it as a command. I wasn’t used to him talking to me in that tone. I started to say something, but I saw the look on his face and stopped myself. He had a look of concern and fear. I’d never seen him express these feelings, but I could read his face at that moment. He was also carrying enough firepower to protect us from any more intruders, which was foremost on my mind.
I did as he asked. I didn’t want to involve my parents in this. If I went to stay with them, then they would be in harm’s way if an attack or robbery happened there. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happen
ed.
I packed a few sets of clothes in an overnight bag, since I didn’t know how long I’d be gone. I removed the piece of plaster and took all of the papers from my hiding place. I put them in the overnight bag as well. I had everything of value with me, but I still stopped and locked the door to the apartment on the way out. Land snorted as I turned the key, but I ignored him.
As we started to his place, he asked me to repeat the entire conversation I’d had with Andy Zoz in the cemetery. I went through all of it. I was impressed with myself for remembering as much as I did, given that forty seconds after being told to “look in a book” a sniper had been taking shots at us.
A thought hit me. I told Land to pull over for a moment. He took his time, found an empty parking lot and stopped the car to look at me. “Andy said that she would look in a book. Suppose she got the idea for that code from a book in their house? We’ve been trying to figure out where the code came from, but maybe Andy was right. Do you think he knew and was giving us a hint?”
Land shook his head. “I doubt it. He’d lost his wife. I very much doubt that he was going to give us some obtuse clue to how to read that letter. He would have just told us what to do.”
I nodded. That was probably right. I was trying to make this thing much more difficult than it needed to be. I was seeing conspiracies and dying clues wherever I looked at this point. I knew that I needed to either solve this or let it go, because the stress was beginning to affect me. I wanted to go back to making hot dogs and pouring coffee. I blinked my eyes a few times, wondering if I would have ever thought that I would say that.
I gave Land directions to the Zoz place. I knew that no one would be at the house. If the sniper knew that Andy was back in town, the last place Andy would hide his family would be at the family home. He was probably on the run again, and who knew when I would see him again.
The woman who had moved into their place said that she’d bought it with all the furnishings. That would include the books. I just had to make sure that the current owners were gone.
FOOD TRUCK MYSTERIES: The Complete Series (14 Books) Page 41