by C. M. Sutter
The women complied. Jeremy put a plastic plate with two hard-boiled eggs and two pieces of bread in each cage. A bottle of water was tossed in too. He checked the time.
“You’ll get a bathroom break in an hour. I’ll be back then.”
Jeremy turned off the light at the top of the stairs and slammed the basement door. The chair cushion in the living room caved in when he sat and reached for his laptop. He did a Google search while Matt watched a sitcom.
“Okay, shut that thing off. I want your full attention.”
Matt reluctantly turned off the TV and tossed the remote back on the coffee table. It skidded across the surface and fell to the floor on the other side. He huffed, “Yeah, now what?”
“The sooner we get these chicks sold, the better. I’ll admit, we’ve been lazy. I’ve checked this out. Tomorrow, we’re going to hit Bradenton Beach. According to the information online, that seems to be the most popular beach in the Milwaukee area. Google Images show a lot of babes out there. It’s our best bet.”
“So where is it?”
“It’s right on Lake Michigan near downtown Milwaukee. It’s a popular place for sunbathing. We’re taking Cage along. He knows how to charm the ladies.”
Chapter 8
We watched the segment about our victim on the TV in the lunchroom. The news stations did a good job of broadcasting the information and pictures just as we asked them to. The phone number at the bottom of the screen came directly into the bull pen. Each news station was given a different phone number that rang at one of our desks since we didn’t want to miss any calls.
Fifteen minutes later, the phones began to ring. For the next hour, we were taking calls from every mother, father, sibling, and neighbor of this girl, and none of the calls seemed legitimate. We wrote down the information and recorded the calls anyway.
Horbeck and Jamison came in at seven o’clock and took up some of the slack.
I pressed my temples as I looked over what I had written down from the callers. From tips about our Jane Doe being somebody’s pastor’s wife, to the neighbor’s babysitter, then on to someone’s son’s fourth-grade science teacher, I didn’t know if any of the calls would pan out.
Jack’s desk phone rang, and he picked it up. I watched the expression that crept across his face. He seemed interested in whatever this caller was saying. He scribbled information in his notepad, thanked the caller, and hung up.
“This may be legit,” he said. “The caller is from Pleasant Prairie, near Kenosha. She said the sketch looks just like her niece from Grand Forks, North Dakota, who went missing three months ago. She doesn’t know anything about a dragon tattoo, but she was going to call her sister and ask. The niece’s name is Reanne Orth, and she’s twenty-one years old.”
I perked up. “Is she going to call us back?”
“Yeah, she said in five minutes.”
“Okay, Jamison, log on to the missing persons database for North Dakota and check if anyone named Reanne Orth is listed. If you find her, see if the dragon tattoo is also listed with her description.”
“I’m on it, Jade.” Jamison went to work, and within a few minutes he had something. “I found her, but the picture doesn’t look like the same girl.” He hit the print button on the computer screen, and the printer in the bull pen sprang to life.
We gathered around the monitor and leaned in.
“I’m printing out ten copies,” he said.
I nodded. “Thanks, Jamison. Let’s see what the description says. They have her listed as one hundred thirty-two pounds with blond hair. No wonder we didn’t notice her in the database earlier. This poor girl barely weighs one hundred pounds, according to Jason, and her hair color is different. I wonder how the aunt even recognized her.”
“She told me she wasn’t absolutely sure, that’s why she hesitated to call. Her husband finally convinced her it was Reanne,” Jack said.
Horbeck maximized the screen. “That’s our girl, but it’s weird that the tattoo wasn’t even mentioned. No wonder that keyword didn’t help us locate her in the system.”
I poured coffee for everyone. “We might be on our way to North Dakota in the morning.”
Jack’s phone rang again. He picked up before it had a chance to ring twice. “Hello, Detective Jack Steele speaking.” He seemed to be listening intently. “Yes, okay”—he nodded and gave us the thumbs-up—“I completely understand, and we’ll tread lightly. We’ll need the parents’ names. … Uh-huh, thank you. Phone number and address? Okay, Mrs. White, I think that should do it for now. … Yes, I have all of your information as well. Washburn County Sheriff’s Department thanks you, and our condolences go out to your family. … Yes, good night.”
“What did she say?” I turned my chair to face Jack as I sipped my coffee.
“Well, I have the parents’ info. I guess the mom has been a basket case ever since Reanne went missing. Apparently she’s anti-law enforcement since the local cops didn’t pursue the case. They said she was over eighteen and could do as she pleased. Reanne had a few minor run-ins with the law in Grand Forks, so they chalked her up as a runaway.”
“Was that the ‘tread lightly’ part?” I asked.
Jack nodded.
“They have a point, though. Maybe Reanne did leave town on her own volition and got into trouble with a stranger she met along the way. She could have been picked up hitchhiking or even left and assaulted by someone she knew. Either way, somebody still killed her, and they tortured her before she died. Jack, make the call to her folks. I’ll call the lieutenant and update him. We’ll likely be flying out tomorrow. Get a feel from the mom and see what she says.”
“Yep, I’m on it.”
I tapped the buttons on my desk phone to call Lieutenant Clark’s home number. I had it programmed. I glanced at the clock—eight thirty. At least I wouldn’t be waking him up.
“Jade, what have you got? I saw the news. They did a great job on our Jane Doe segment.”
“I agree. We found her, boss. Her name is Reanne Orth, and she’s from North Dakota.”
“I’ll be damned. Who called it in?”
“Her aunt lives in Pleasant Prairie and thankfully recognized the sketch of her face. I had Jamison track Reanne down in the North Dakota missing persons database, and he found the listing. It’s her, boss, minus thirty pounds and with a different hair color.”
“No wonder we missed her in the database—and the tattoo?”
“Funny thing—it wasn’t mentioned in the description. One would think that the tattoo would be an important key element to put in a missing person’s description, unless—”
“Unless what?”
“Unless she got it in the last three months, but a tat that size takes time. Maybe she had it all along and her folks never knew about it.”
“Either way, you and Jack are on the first flight to what city tomorrow?”
“She lived with her parents in Grand Forks.”
“All right, book it for both of you. Keep me posted. Jade?”
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Tell everyone ‘good job’ for me.”
“Will do, boss. Good night.” I clicked off and went back to work on my computer. As I waited for Jack to end his phone call, I checked the flights going in to Grand Forks. He hung up after ten minutes.
“Well?”
“I told the mom, Charlene, we found Reanne and had her here at the ME’s office. I wasn’t going to give her details, but she did ask how she died. I only said it looked like foul play. She had a hard time talking. Apparently, Mrs. Orth is a homemaker, and her husband is a parts driver for car dealerships. She said she’ll be expecting us tomorrow. She broke down, and the husband, Jeff, had to finish the conversation.”
“I can only imagine how heart wrenching that call had to be for both of them.”
Jack agreed. “So, what did the boss say?”
“He said to take the earliest flight out. I’m checking on availability now. It looks like there�
��s a nine forty-five flight with six seats left. What do you think?”
“Sounds fine with me. We’ll grab breakfast on the go.”
“Okay, I’m booking it now.”
With the tickets purchased, boarding passes printed, and the rental car reserved, I called downstairs and left a message for Jason.
“Hey, Jason, it’s Jade. Jack and I are flying to Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the morning. We found out our girl’s identity. Billings and Clayton can give you the details when you come in tomorrow. Anyway, I’d like a call as soon as you get that tox report back. Thanks.” I looked at everyone in the bull pen and gave them a thumbs-up. “Clark said good job. I’m out of here. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.” I put away the clutter on my desk, grabbed everything I needed, and headed out. “Night, guys.”
The guys waved, and I left. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I wrapped my Bluetooth ear piece around my left ear and called Amber. I glanced at the time; it was still early enough to sit down, relax with my sister on our deck, and have a glass of wine. First, I’d give Polly and Porky a little bit of love—Spaz too.
I arrived at the condo I recently began to call home. Every time I pulled into the driveway, I smiled. Amber already had two glasses of wine waiting on the deck out back. The low-watt floodlights illuminated the woods beyond the deck just a little. Now and then we’d see a raccoon skitter by, and on occasion, if we were lucky, we’d see a deer. After relaxing with the wine and a decent amount of girl talk, I went to bed and hoped for at least five hours of sleep.
Chapter 9
“Got everything we need?” Jeremy asked as they loaded the van.
“Yeah, it looks like it.” Matt opened the passenger side door and reached in. He popped the glove box and made sure the ice pick was still in there. He yelled to Jeremy at the back of the van, “The tire-puncturing device is on board, sir.”
“Real funny. Just don’t forget your role today. I’m the schmoozer, and you’re the photographer. We have to locate the best two girls arriving at the beach together. Knowing which car is theirs is the third most important thing.”
“What’s one and two?”
“Damn it, Matt. You’re supposed to know these things.”
“Dude, calm down, I’m just kidding. No visible tats and nobody over twenty-four. I got it, trust me.”
Jeremy puffed out a sigh. “Sorry, I’m a little edgy. As soon as we get two new girls, I’m getting rid of Beth. Nobody wants her anyway, and she’s costing us money.”
“Is she going in the woods?” Matt’s eyes lit up with intrigue.
“Definitely.” Jeremy looked left and right, then he exited the long gravel driveway and turned left onto the blacktop road. Soon, he’d be merging with the freeway traffic and heading south to Milwaukee. “I’m not taking any more stupid chances. Sorry, brother, that was my bad. Hope it blows over. Let’s go over the plan one more time.”
Matt slapped his hands together. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“We sit in the van and do surveillance until we find the right girls. They’re the ones we’ll focus on. You’re in charge of the camera and the cooler. I’ll have my shirt off and my shades on. Cage and I will start playing on the beach. When I throw the ball, it will accidentally on purpose land on the ladies’ blanket. That’s how we segue into the introductions.”
They both laughed.
“Pretty good idea, huh? Cage will love the attention.” A wide grin spread across Jeremy’s face.
“Yeah, Cage always makes it work like a charm.”
“A dopey puppy and an alleged model and photographer—we’re golden, man. Anything model-related draws women in. You know how they love being photographed. If we can’t connect with the two we pick out, we’ll find someone else. We might have to find a few sleeping beauties on the beach and give them a jab when they’re least expecting it,” Jeremy said.
A plastic grocery bag filled with breakfast bars and apples, along with a thermos of hot coffee, would be enough to hold them over during their surveillance. It could be hours of sitting and watching, but it was a price they were willing to pay.
Getting there early gave them plenty of parking options, and once they arrived, Jeremy found the best parking spot along the curb on the main road. The beach and Lake Michigan were only fifty yards to their right. They drank coffee and waited as Bradenton Beach began to fill with sunbathers.
Chapter 10
I pulled into Jack’s driveway and honked three short beeps. We had two hours and fifty minutes to get to the airport, take the shuttle to our terminal, get through security, and find our gate. General Mitchell International Airport was just over an hour south of North Bend. We’d be fine as long as we didn’t hit morning-rush-hour traffic. That was where my driving expertise came in. My pop taught me years ago how to be an aggressive driver when necessary. I figured it might be necessary if Jack didn’t get his butt out here. I honked again then finally saw the front door open. I laughed at the sight of him. I’d swear on a stack of Bibles that he had just woken up ten minutes earlier. He opened the door of my Mustang and threw a backpack over the seat then climbed in.
“Why do people get up this early?” he grumbled.
“My best guess would be to get somewhere on time.” I glanced at my watch. “You’re lucky you’re predictable. We wouldn’t have had time to stop and get coffee from Pit-Stop, so I already did.”
He perked up. “You got coffee?”
“Um, yeah, it’s right next to you in the cup holder.”
“Bless you, woman. Did you remember the boarding passes?”
“Seriously? Women never forget anything, Jack. Remember that. It might serve you well someday.”
“Thanks for the coffee, partner.”
I glanced both ways as I backed out of the driveway. I gave him an eye roll and shifted through the gears as I headed south.
“Have you ever been to North Dakota?” I asked.
“Nope, have you?” Jack sipped his hot coffee cautiously.
“Not that I can remember. I’ve always imagined folksy people living there.”
“How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“Not sure—probably because Fargo is nearby.”
“Yeah, I always thought of that wood-chipper scene in the movie Fargo as pretty folksy.”
I laughed. “Smart-ass… guess you got me on that one. Traffic is light, so that’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, because normal people are still in bed.”
“Get a grip, Jack. It’s almost seven o’clock. You’re usually up by now anyway. You can take a nap on the plane; you’ll have a few hours to relax.”
“Just giving you a hard time, partner.”
“I know. So what are you expecting from Reanne’s family? Get any vibes from them?”
“Only that they’re really upset with the local cops. I’m glad we’re intervening. I don’t think they would have let the city boys talk to them now after the fact. If anything, they’re probably angrier than before.”
We reached the airport, and I pulled into the park-and-ride and found an open slot. The shuttle stopped behind my car. Jack took my briefcase and his backpack and handed them to the driver. We boarded the van and were taken to the curb at departures.
“What concourse are we leaving from?” Jack asked.
“This way.” I pointed to my left. “We’re flying out of Concourse C.”
Getting through security was a breeze—no hiccups, thankfully. We found our gate and had forty-five minutes before our flight. I pulled out the boarding passes and handed Jack his. Boarding would begin in fifteen minutes. Several sections of the daily newspaper had been left behind on the seat next to me. Jack asked for the sports page. I took the cooking section and browsed through it for a recipe that might interest me. Someday, I’d be as good a cook as Amber, or maybe not. I’d probably just let her have that role permanently. I tore out a recipe for Swedish meatballs and gravy anyway and put it in my purse.
We got in line to board the aircraft, and twenty minutes later we were taxiing down to the runway. Jack was sound asleep by the time he fastened his seat belt. The engines revved, and the airplane thrust forward. That was my favorite part of flying. I loved feeling that force and watching the ground disappear beneath us. I reclined my seat and closed my eyes too.
The voice over the intercom woke me. We were making our descent into Grand Forks and would be on the ground in twenty-five minutes. My neck ached, likely from sleeping in an awkward position. I reached back and rubbed it.
Jack was still sound asleep. I leaned against his shoulder and whispered, “Jack, wake up. We’re about ready to land.”
“Huh, what?” He ground his fists into his eyes and yawned.
“We’re going to land soon. Wake up.”
“Yep—I’m awake. Any coffee?”
“It’s too late. The flight attendants are already picking up the trash. We’ll get some as soon as we’re inside the terminal. We’ll have plenty of time while we wait for the rental car.”
“Yeah, okay, sounds good.”
We landed uneventfully, which I was thankful for. As much as I loved takeoffs, the landings unnerved me most of the time.
Inside the airport at Grand Forks, we hit the nearest coffee kiosk then took the escalator to the lower level where the rental car agencies were. I had placed the order for a subcompact last night after I purchased the airplane tickets. We wouldn’t be going far, and the price was reasonable.
“Jack, do you have the Orth’s address programmed in your navigation?”
“Yeah, it looks like their house is about ten miles away. I’ll drive.”
I smiled. “Sure, no problem.”
We found our small white rental car in row five and took off. The Orth home was on the edge of the city nearest the airport. We headed east toward the University of North Dakota. According to the navigation system on Jack’s phone, their home should be just a few blocks south of the college.
Finding the house was easy. Jack pulled up to a modest white single-story bungalow, grouped on a street of similar looking houses. With the large trees in the neighborhood, I assumed these houses were from the 1950s. Jack parked in the driveway, and we followed the sidewalk to the front door and knocked. A slender middle-aged woman with blond hair opened the door. She seemed like a nice lady at first glance. She was dressed casually in jeans and a floral top, and her hair was pulled back with several barrettes.