by C. M. Sutter
“This is about as good as it’s going to get,” Jeremy said as he turned the van around and stopped about fifty feet behind the truck. “Grab the tools and the flashlight. We’ll remove the truck’s plates and get the hell out of here. We can stop somewhere else and put them on the van.”
The brothers exited the van and quietly closed the doors. They stayed in the shadows as they approached the truck. Jeremy went to the front, and Matt went to the back. Each with a screwdriver in hand, it took only a minute to remove the plates. Jeremy looked around, making sure the coast was clear, and crept back to Matt.
“Aren’t you done yet?”
“This damn screw is stripped.”
“I’ll work on it. Get a cutter out of the van. If we have to cut the plate around the screw, we will. We have to make this quick.”
Matt scurried off and opened the back of the van. A toolbox sat inside just for these types of situations. He ran back, staying low to the ground. Jeremy took the cutter and split the plate around the screw. With his gloved hand, he gave it a yank, and it came loose.
“Let’s go.” Back in the van, Jeremy drove a mile farther until he found a dead-end street. “This looks good. Take the front plate and make it quick.”
They exited the van for the last time until they reached the safety of the farm. The plates on the van were removed, and the replacements were installed.
Jeremy climbed back into the driver’s seat while Matt threw the old plates in the back of the van.
Matt pulled his gloves off and slapped his hands together. “One job down and one to go.”
Jeremy nodded. “Tomorrow we’ll get up early and paint the van. It needs to be dry, and it has to look good before we hit the road with Gina.” He checked the side mirrors and pulled away from the curb. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter 35
I sat at my desk with a fresh cup of coffee cradled between my fingers. The scented steam rose and dispersed above me. Stacks of paper were spread around me, and more files than I cared to admit needed to be put away. It didn’t take long for my desk to become a rat’s nest of things to catch up on. I came in early just to get a head start on that project. I looked around the bull pen and realized everyone else’s desks looked just like mine. One by one, our detectives came in and plopped down on their chairs, giving their own workspace a disgusted headshake.
“How did this much crap end up on my desk?” Jack asked. “Did you sneak your stuff over here before I walked in?”
“Yeah, you busted me—that’s exactly what I did. Did you notice all of our desks look the same? I just happened to come in early to address this very problem before the bull pen starts looking like a hoarder’s house.”
Billings walked through the door. “I think it’s too late for that, Jade.” He headed to the coffee station and poured himself a cup.
“Well, maybe we ought to take thirty minutes and straighten our desks up before the mice take over the room.”
Jack nodded and pulled the garbage can closer to his chair.
“Doesn’t the new ME start today?” Clayton asked as he balled up a piece of waste paper and launched it toward Jack’s garbage can. “Ta-da—three-point shot. Not bad, if I do say so myself.”
I laughed. “You shoot like a girl. I can do that with my eyes closed. And yes, the new ME does start today. I’m sure Jason is relieved. He’s had a lot on his plate lately.”
“What’s her name—Leona?” Jack asked with a smirk, glancing at the door to make sure it was closed.
“Actually it isn’t. I asked Jason again, and he said her name is Lena. Lena Wentworth—nice name. It sounds strong. I’m anxious to meet her.”
“What’s her deal?” Billings asked.
“I have no idea what her deal is other than she’s from Indianapolis and she’s the new ME. Why don’t you get acquainted with her over lunch, Billings, and interrogate her?”
His face turned red, and I grinned.
The door opened again, and we all looked up. Jason entered with a petite blond woman who looked to be around forty years old. She had a friendly face and an instant smile—I liked her already.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lena Wentworth, our new chief medical examiner. Lena, this is Jade Monroe, our sergeant detective. Her partner, Jack Steele, is right there.” Jason pointed, and Jack stood and shook her hand. “These are detectives Chad Clayton and Adam Billings. I’m sure you’ll get ribbed sooner or later by everyone, but they’re a fun group and very loyal to each other.”
We all shook Lena’s hand and welcomed her to the fold.
I gave Billings a sideways grin and invited Lena to have lunch with us later. We could all get better acquainted, hopefully over an enjoyable, relaxing meal.
Clark came out of his office and welcomed Lena to Washburn County with a firm handshake. He had already met her last week, but today was her formal introduction to everyone.
“If we’re still around when Jamison and Horbeck come in, I’ll introduce you to them too. Eventually you’ll get to know all of us,” Jason said.
Lena smiled and spoke up. “It’s nice to meet all of you, and I’m enjoying North Bend so far. It’s a far cry from Indianapolis, but I really like the small-town feel. I’m sure I’ll settle in just fine.”
“Okay, we’ll see you guys at lunchtime. If nothing comes up between now and then, we’ll come up at noon,” Jason said.
We waved as they walked out, then we got back to cleaning off our desks.
“So?” Jack said.
“So what?” I asked.
“Don’t be coy. What do you think of her?”
I chuckled. “I think she seems sweet and friendly. We’ll see how she is in the field when the time comes. What do you guys think?”
Clayton, Jack, and Billings looked at each other and shrugged—then nodded.
“Yeah, she seems all right,” Billings said.
“Okay, ladies, what’s the plan for the day—after you straighten up your workspaces?” Clark asked as he stood against the doorframe to his office. He looked back and groaned at his own desk.
“Hopefully some calls will come in about the news coverage from last night. I think the local channels are going to air the footage again at noon, six o’clock, and ten tonight, boss,” I said. “If we don’t get any leads from that, I think it’s time to move on to plan B.”
“Canvassing the area door to door?” Clark asked.
“Yeah, I think so. I’m sure Todd and Billy can help us set up a perimeter around the area where Reanne was found. Five miles or more, I’d say. Speaking of Reanne, shouldn’t we release her body to her parents?”
Clark tugged on his left earlobe. “Yep, it’s time. I’ll double-check with Jason to make sure he has everything completed. He and Lena can finish up the official paperwork today, get the death certificates for the family, and arrange transport. Jade, call her folks and give them a heads-up. They need to let us know where they want her body transported.”
“Got it, boss, I’ll get on that right away.” I filled my coffee cup, topped off everyone else’s, and sat back down at my desk and dialed Reanne’s mom, Charlene. “Hello, Mrs. Orth. Sergeant Monroe calling from Washburn County. How are you doing?” I grimaced at the foolishness that always spilled out of my mouth when speaking to family members of a deceased person. I never seemed to have the right words. That was definitely something I needed to work on.
“Hello, Sergeant Monroe. I guess we’re just trying to get by one day at a time. We’d like to set up a funeral service for Reanne, though.”
“That’s why I’m calling, ma’am. We can release Reanne’s remains to any funeral home you’d like. Have you and Mr. Orth contacted anyone yet?”
“Yes, we have. We’d like her sent to Abraham and Miles Funeral Home here in Grand Forks.”
I wrote that down. “Mrs. Orth, have you decided how many death certificates you’ll need? We can send them along with the driver.”
“Um
… just a second.”
I heard her voice crack over the phone as I waited.
“I’m sorry, I guess I’m still very emotional. Does five sound right?”
“Yes, five should do it. Sometimes people need more when there are insurance, homes, debts, and so on to deal with, but in Reanne’s case, five should be enough. Our medical examiner is probably finished with the paperwork and can set up transport anytime you like. Why don’t you check with the funeral director and get back to me on that?”
“Okay, I should know sometime today. Can I call you back at either of the numbers on your card?”
“Yes, ma’am, and if I don’t answer on my desk phone, feel free to call my cell. Again, Mrs. Orth, you have the Washburn County Sheriff’s Department’s condolences.”
“Thank you. Goodbye.”
I hung up and took a deep breath. My desk phone rang not more than a minute later. John from upstairs was calling.
“Hey, John, what’s up?”
“Morning, Jade. Apparently there are a few meth lab rats up here that want a face-to-face with you.”
I laughed. “Sounds like you’ve been talking to Jack. Hang on a sec.” I turned to Jack. “Hey, partner, do you want to go upstairs with me and have a heartfelt conversation with a few lab rats?”
“Hell, yeah. What do they want?”
“No clue. What do they want, John?” I grinned at Jack as I listened.
“They said they have important information for you, for a price.”
“Really? We’ll see about that. Link them up. We’re on our way. Who are we talking to?”
“Frankie Freeman and Ryan Boesch.”
“Awesome—two smart-asses that are going to make my morning. We’ll be right there.”
Jack pushed back his desk chair and stood. I joined him at the door, and we headed upstairs with fresh cups of coffee.
John met us after we signed in. “They’re in the cafeteria, anxiously awaiting your arrival.” He gave me a wink.
“Do you have their sheets? I’d like to see what’s on the table.”
“Sure, one second.” John reached across his desk and handed me both files. “I figured you’d want to take a quick look.”
“Thanks. Jack, aren’t these the same two that didn’t have anything to say to you a few months back?”
“Yep—Frankie and Ryan, the very same two. Now they remembered something?” Jack rubbed his chin. “That’s interesting. Their sentencing date must be getting close.”
I flipped a few pages. “Yeah, here it is. They’re both charged with manufacturing meth with intent to sell. These are the same guys from the lab in Newburg, right?”
“Yep. They had quite an operation going,” Jack said. “Shall we?”
“Yeah, let’s see what they know.”
We walked into the cafeteria. Both men sat, linked to the lunch table near the door. A one-way window faced the cafeteria, and the guard station where John sat was on the other side of the glass.
“Boys,” I said, “I hear you have a song to sing. Let’s hear it.” Jack and I took a seat across from them.
“Not until we get a deal,” Frankie said, sneering.
“Let’s go. I don’t have time for this crap.” Jack began to stand.
I got up too.
Ryan called out, “Wait.”
“Is there something you want to tell us?” I looked at my watch. “We have a busy day ahead. Talk now or go back to your cage.”
“We want a deal, though—fewer charges. We’re looking at ten to twenty.”
“Yeah, I know. It sucks to be you.” I cocked my head. “Do you have something to say or not?”
Frankie spoke up. “We have two names. They just started up a new lab outside of town, and it’s big.”
“We’re listening,” Jack said. He propped his hand under his chin and leaned forward.
I took out my notepad. “Just so you know, boys, if this intel is a bunch of bs, I’ll personally make sure you get the maximum sentence. I’m not about to waste my time with two punks like you.”
“It’s real. Okay, the new lab is at a farm out on Granville Road.”
“We need an address.”
“I don’t have an address, but I have a description and the names. Abe Negrete and Don Simmons are the guys who fund the labs. It’s a nonstop operation, and they run labs all over the state. If one closes down, like ours did in Newburg, they start a new one. They don’t do any cooking themselves. They find the locations, pay for everything to get the labs going, and then have their minions make the meth and distribute it.”
“Minions as in guys like you?”
Frankie stared at me, his fists clenched under the chains.
I smiled. “And how do you know all of this?”
Ryan spoke up, “We do have visitors, you know. They keep us up to date on what’s going on out there.”
“That’s real kind of them. Now what about that description?” Jack said. He took a sip of coffee.
“The farmhouse is red with a black roof. The barn matches it. There’s a white fence at the front of the yard. They make the meth in the barn since it’s set back from the house.”
“Smart. In case some fool blows the place up?”
Frankie smirked. “I guess.”
“Who lives in the house?” I asked.
“The cookers. I heard they work around the clock and take shifts to eat and sleep. Ryan and Abe check on every lab a few times a week.”
I looked at the analog clock above the door—nine o’clock. We could round up a few deputies to go with us to check out their story. “Is this farmhouse north or south of Linden Road?”
“It’s north,” Ryan said.
I closed my notepad and slid it into my back pocket. “How many cookers were at the house you two got busted at?”
Ryan looked at Frankie, his right eyebrow arched. “I don’t know, maybe ten in all, but we weren’t always in the lab at the same time.”
“Is that about the normal number of people?”
“Yeah, ten to fifteen if they’re working around the clock,” Frankie said.
“Okay, boys, thanks for the info. We’re going to check it out.”
“What about our deal?”
I looked at Jack. “Did you offer them a deal?”
“Nope—did you?”
“Hell no—never have, never will. Have a nice day, ladies.”
I heard Ryan call me a bitch as we exited through the door. I thanked John, and we went back to the bull pen.
“I’m going to talk to Clark and see if he wants us to check it out. It is out of the city’s jurisdiction.”
Jack nodded and went back to clearing his desk.
I knocked on the door, and the lieutenant looked up from his paperwork. He waved me in.
“Jade, what’s up?”
“Jack and I just talked to some of the meth cookers upstairs. They gave us some intel we ought to check out.”
“Do you think it’s legit?”
“If it is, it will be worthwhile. They gave us names of two of the bigger players, if they’re actually real people. I’ll pull their names up and see if they have rap sheets. The boys gave us the location of a lab that recently started up on Granville Road. I’ll look on Google Maps first to see if the place really does exist.”
“So what was their motivation to sing?”
I laughed. “They thought I’d bargain with them. If their story is bs, they’re going to be in a world of hurt. I already told them that.”
Clark glanced at the clock on the wall. “You do have time on your hands. Okay, grab Jack, Silver, and Donnelly and go check it out. Watch yourselves—those types are sketchy—and surveillance only. We have to know if they’re actually cooking. If they are, we’ll hand it off to the DEA, especially if there a lot of people involved. Be careful out there.”
“Will do, boss, and I’ll keep you posted.”
I had Jan dispatch Silver and Donnelly back to the sheriff’s departmen
t. Meanwhile, I went downstairs to have Todd pull up the names Abe Negrete and Don Simmons to see if either of them had outstanding warrants. If they were as smart and discreet as the boys upstairs made them seem to be, they wouldn’t have any sheets at all. They’d be flying under the radar, as invisible as ghosts.
“Hey, Todd, can you pull up both of these names for me? I want to see if they’re in the system for any felony drug charges.”
“Sure thing, Jade, give me one second here.” He powered up his computer and waited until the screen came to life. “Have you guys met Lena yet?” He logged in to the database system.
“Yep and I like her already.”
Todd nodded. “Yeah, she seems cool. Here we go. Okay, first name.” He looked at my notepad and typed in Abe Negrete. Nothing came up in Wisconsin. “Next name.”
“It’s Don Simmons.” I waited.
“Nothing on him either. These are listings only for Wisconsin, though. Both names come up in the nationwide database but not under anything drug related, and they might not be the same people anyway.”
“Got it. Either they’re fictitious names for the guys that run these meth labs or they actually know how to keep their hands clean. Oh, as long as I’m down here, can we check on Google Maps for a farmhouse on Granville Road? I guess it’s north of Linden Road. Supposedly, it’s a red farmhouse with a matching barn. Both have black roofs, and there’s supposed to be a white fence along the road. That’s all I know. Granville ends at Highway C, so between Linden and C is about a two-mile stretch.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll pull it up.”
Todd zeroed in on the intersection of Granville and Linden Roads and began the search. I pulled up a chair and leaned in close to the computer monitor, staring at the satellite image. He zoomed in and headed north on Granville, checking every farmhouse along the way.
“There’s a farmhouse and a barn with black roofs.” I pointed at the screen to the farm I wanted him to zoom in on.