“His name is Wade Andrew,” Fleet said. “He has run the Lakeside Mortuary for over fifteen years. He gets some very large amounts of money from varied sources that all looked legal on the surface, but led back to Williams when we dug.”
“Perfect,” Agent Munn said, nodding. “My people will be able to find all that when we have the right warrants, correct?”
“Easily,” Fleet said, smiling.
“I’d like to be one of those to go in,” Julia said. “More than likely Andrew was one of the sickos who hurt my friend. I would love to be a part of that takedown.”
“As would I,” Lott said. “We can go in just ahead of the truck arriving, posing as a couple thinking about making arrangements.”
“I’ll go in as their daughter,” Annie said. “That way you don’t have to have so many agents out in the open.”
Agent Lott nodded. “Doc, you and I can be surveillance, making sure no one else goes in while that truck is there.”
“And no one sneaks out, either,” Doc said, smiling.
Agent Munn nodded. “We detain the mortician in his own building until after we take Williams. That way no one sees anything suspicious.
“You going to need us to stay in there?” Lott asked.
Agent Munn shook her head. “I have two men I can trust to sit on him. We’ll do official arrests on all of these pieces of the Williams puzzle at once. We have more than enough to do that now.”
Lott liked the idea of that a great deal.
“So how bad is it at the lake?” Doc asked.
Agent Munn’s eyes got distant. “We have pulled twenty-eight women from the cars so far, all embalmed and naked and strapped into the driver’s seat. It’s taking time to get the rest because cars are piled on one another down there and we have to pull them aside. We think the total, counting your friend, will reach just under fifty.”
Lott was stunned. That was more than anyone thought. They were shutting down a major serial killer.
If they did this right.
And didn’t get killed in the process.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
May 16, 2015
8:30 A.M.
A home across the lake from the Tamarack Ski Resort,
Near Cascade, Idaho
For the next hour over breakfast, they worked out the details on how they were going to shut down the mortuary, then set the trap for the sheriff, assuming he was the one involved.
Julia was convinced he was and so was Fleet. It seemed the sheriff lived far, far higher than his salary. He had told a number of people it was old family money that supplied the beautiful home on the lake, but Fleet could find no old family money. Only money coming through shell corporations from Williams, which had convinced Agent Munn as well. But she couldn’t act directly on that information because she had no probable cause or warrant to get the information. That was going to be up to Lott and Julia to get the probable cause.
Julia knew they were going to have to bluff the sheriff into action. Both she and Lott were great bluffers at the poker table. She was convinced they could get him to act and show his hand in doing so.
So with two hours until the delivery truck with the three caskets arrived at the mortuary, Doc and Annie and Lott and Julia headed for McCall in two cars. Right before they left, they had gotten word that Williams had announced to the cops following him that he was going to head to McCall.
Julia’s stomach twisted. Williams would be here by late this afternoon.
It was all going to go down today, one way or another.
Fleet stayed with Agent Munn to supply information where needed and remain in the background. His silk suit was just a little too noticeable in May in the tourist town.
The four of them ended up eating a sort of small second breakfast at a wonderful restaurant in downtown McCall that was on a second floor of an older building and looked out over the lake. The restaurant was only two blocks from the mortuary and the view was amazing. The morning had no wind and the huge lake was as smooth as glass. The mountains on the other side of the lake reflected in the mirror-like blue surface.
If Trish hadn’t died here, Julia had no doubt she could have come to love this little town. She sure understood why Trish had come up here.
The smell of bacon and fresh bread made Julia slightly hungry, even though they had just eaten. She decided to have a glass of orange juice and some toast anyway to go with her cup of coffee. Better to keep refreshed.
The others did basically the same thing, drinking coffee and eating a light continuation of breakfast.
Doc glanced around, but there was no one sitting close to them. Then he said in a soft voice, “You can see Williams’ mansion along the lake from here. See the point of land sticking out into the water on the far shore. He owns that entire piece of land and his place it tucked along this edge of that point.”
Suddenly Julia knew another part of the puzzle.
An important part.
“What stage is the moon tonight?”
Lott glanced at her, clearly puzzled.
Doc and Annie looked puzzled as well.
“I’ll ask Fleet,” Doc said, hitting a button on his phone.
After a moment Doc said, “Is there a moon tonight?”
Julia watched as clearly Fleet on the other end looked that up. Then Doc said, “No. No moon at all.”
Julia nodded. “Have Fleet look at the disappearances and trips to McCall and I’ll bet he’ll find they are all on nights of no moon. And all during the late spring, summer, and fall, when that pass is clear of snow.”
Doc repeated that to Fleet and sat there silently.
Lott looked puzzled, but sat beside her saying nothing.
After another moment Doc said, “You are right. Why?”
Julia pointed out over the lake. “Because on a dark night, without running lights, in a black boat and dressed in black, no one would be able to see Williams leave his home and come across the lake to the mortuary. And then return.”
Lott smiled and shook his head. He took her hand and squeezed it.
Doc repeated that to Fleet, then said, “Tell Agent Munn we are going to need a couple boats on the lake, running dark and way out from the shore after Williams gets to the mortuary, in case Williams slips from the mortuary after he is confronted.”
He listened to what Fleet said. “They will, I have no doubt.”
Then he hung up.
“He said be careful. Both he and Agent Munn are convinced it will all happen today and tonight.”
Lott nodded.
Julia agreed completely. By sometime this afternoon, Trish’s killer would be facing justice.
And by tonight, the killer of a lot of other women would be facing the same thing.
If they did this right and could pull off a great bluff first, and a great trap second.
And do it without anything alerting Williams that his system had broken down.
Part Five
THE PLAY
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
May 16, 2015
9 A.M.
McCall, Idaho
“Truck is fifteen minutes out,” Agent Munn said in Lott’s ear. Actually, he and Julia and Annie were all wired up with almost invisible communication links that if even noticed looked more like a hearing aid stuck deep in the ear.
Lott and Julia and Annie were all ambling down the rough sidewalk beside McCall’s main road, headed for the mortuary. The morning air still had a bite to it and the traffic on the main two-lane highway that ran through town was consistent.
All three of them had their service guns and badges on them, but well-hidden. Right at this point, Lott was very happy that the Las Vegas Chief of Police had allowed them to keep their badges and guns and work unofficially.
Granted, they were way out of jurisdiction, but considering they were working with the FBI at the moment, that made no difference.
And besides, Williams owned the police here, from everything Fleet had found.
Or at least Williams owned the sheriff.
Lott forced himself to take a deep breath and let his nerves calm. The smell of pine trees, even in the middle of the small town, was strong, combined with some fish smells from the lake. He really liked it here.
“Ready?” Annie asked as they neared the two-story blue mortuary building sitting on a small rise above the shore of the lake. From the outside, the building looked more like an old remodeled church than anything else, only without a tall steeple.
“Ready,” both Lott and Julia said at the same time.
From the floor plans that Fleet had found, the office, viewing room, and main chapel were on the main floor.
A small one-bedroom apartment filled the street side of the second floor, allowing the tall ceilings of the chapel on the main floor to open out over the lake.
In the basement area was the cold storage and embalming rooms, along with another office. A door opened to a path on the basement level that led out to the lake and a nearby dock.
Casket storage was off the viewing area on the main floor and a large door opened to a driveway beside the chapel that allowed caskets to be rolled in and out easily. Lott had no doubt that would be where the delivery truck would roll up.
The building also had a casket-sized freight elevator for raising and lowering caskets with bodies in them from the embalming area up to the chapel area.
Lott turned and went up the sidewalk toward the large wooden double front door. Lott pulled the door open and held it for Julia and Annie.
His stomach was twisting more than he wanted to admit. It had been a long time since he had been up front going into a dangerous situation like this. And it had been a long time since he had felt this kind of fear and heightened senses that went with this kind of operation.
Inside, there was faint chapel music playing in the background and the inside was lit with dim lights and the heat was a little too high, giving the place a stuffy feel.
A fake smell of lilacs filled the air as well.
“Truck five minutes out,” Agent Munn said in their ears.
As the door closed behind them, a man came out of the office to the right, smiling. He wore a gray suit with a matching gray tie, black shoes, and a fake rose pinned to his lapel. His hair was thinning and he combed it back up and over the thinning spot.
Lott stepped forward, a massive fake smile on his face, his hand extended. “My name is Rick Guiss.”
“Wade Andrews,” the man said, shaking Lott’s hand.
Lott felt so disgusted, he almost pulled his hand away and hit the guy right there. But somehow he managed to keep his poker face and turn slightly. “My wife Betty and my daughter, Betty-Anne.”
Both Julia and Annie just nodded, but didn’t step forward to shake the pervert’s hand. Lott didn’t blame them in the slightest.
“We’re here to do a little shopping for caskets, set up some services for the two of us. Betty-Anne here insisted we get this out of the way.”
“And a very smart thing to do,” Andrews said, nodding.
“Truck has arrived,” Agent Munn said in their ears at the same moment a slight ding echoed through the mortuary.
Andrews nodded to them. “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment, that’s a delivery I need to take care of. Would you like to wait in my office?”
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Lott said, smiling, “we’d just like to kick a few tires on some caskets.”
“Dad,” Annie said, playing along and hitting him on the shoulder slightly.
“This is serious business, dear,” Julia said, giving him a fake stare to behave himself.
They had played it perfectly so far.
“Be my guest and feel free to look around,” Andrews said. “Chapel is through those doors and the showroom for various caskets is through the doors to the left of the chapel. This delivery will be bringing in a couple more caskets as well.”
Andrews nodded and turned toward the delivery door on the far side of the casket showroom.
“Cameras,” Lott whispered without pointing to the cameras fairly well hidden in both corners.
Both Annie and Julia nodded slightly, pretending to look around.
“No one else is in the building,” Agent Munn said in their ears. “We now have the camera feeds blocked and all communication from the mortuary cut off. Just let them get that casket into place with the dummy in it and the truck gone and you can take him.”
Lott liked the sound of that a great deal.
They went toward the casket showroom. At one point Julia pointed to some flower arrangement picture and then whispered to Lott. “I didn’t see any sign he was carrying a piece.”
“Let’s not take any chances,” Lott whispered.
Julia nodded and they went into the casket showroom filled with six caskets, all different colors and polishes. Three had their half-lids open, the other three were closed.
The wide doors on the other side of the room were standing open and Andrews and a truck driver were carefully wheeling one golden-toned casket in the door.
Lott knew, from the description, that was the one that was supposed to have the girl in it. Thank heavens they had rescued her in Seattle. Now there was no body there, just a dummy.
“Where do you want this one?” the driver asked.
Lott had no doubt that one question might clear the driver of being a part of this.
“On the elevator,” Andrews said.
The two moved the large golden casket directly to the elevator and Andrew hit the down button before going back to help the driver wheel out the other two caskets into the showroom.
Then as Lott was pretending to study one of the mahogany caskets, he saw Andrew sign for the delivery and thank the driver.
Lott turned his back to Andrews for a moment and whispered, “Fleet, Andrew signed for the delivery. That has to be a hell of a paper trail if he has been doing that for years.”
“Perfect,” Agent Munn said.
Andrews came toward them, smiling after he closed the large doors and bolted them. Annie had moved to the left of the room, Julia to the right of Lott.
Lott hated the sick look the man had and just pretending to be nice to the guy was about as hard as anything he had ever had to do.
“Seeing anything you like?” Andrews said, stopping directly in front of Lott.
Both women eased over behind him, still both pretending to look at caskets.
“Actually,” Lott said, “this will be a hard choice.”
“Truck is away,” Agent Munn said in their ears.
“But I have one thing I’ve really wanted to do when I came in here,” Lott said.
“Yeah, me too,” Julia said, laughing.
Julia’s laugh sounded odd and Andrews turned slightly toward her just as Lott kicked Andrews as hard as he could right in the groin.
Lott knew that the trick to such a kick was to pretend that the target was about halfway up the spine, which then meant the foot hit the actual target with full force.
Lott felt his foot and upper shin connect perfectly with Andrews’ soft genitals.
The force of Lott’s kick almost lifted the man off the ground.
Andrews went down hard on the thin, blue carpet, trying to breathe and holding his crotch.
Annie and Julia were on Andrews instantly, expertly yanking his hands behind his back and zip-tying them there. Then they quickly searched him as he struggled to catch even the slightest bit of air.
“He’s clean,” Annie said after patting down his pants cuffs.
“Target is down,” Lott said. “Send in the guards.”
“Perfect,” Agent Munn said in his ear.
Lott reached down and yanked the red-faced man to his feet. Andrews still hadn’t caught his breath and any movement seemed to be sending waves of pain through him.
Good, as far as Lott was concerned.
As Lott held Andrews between the caskets, facing the two women, Julia said, “That was some kick.”
“Thanks,” Lott said, smiling.
“How exactly did you do that?” Julia asked, smiling.
Lott laughed. “I just pretended I was trying to kick a spot about halfway up his back.”
Then, as Lott held Andrews, Julia said, “You mean like this?”
And she kicked Andrews in the groin even harder than Lott had done.
Andrews went instantly back to the floor in a silent scream.
“That was for Trish, you sick bastard,” Julia said, almost spitting on the man on the carpet.
Annie just laughed and shook her head. “You know, you two are made for each other.”
“We think so,” Julia said, smiling at Lott and winking.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
May 16, 2015
9:15 A.M.
McCall, Idaho
“Agents at the service door dressed in electric company uniforms,” Agent Munn said.
Lott moved over and unlocked the service door the caskets had come through, then stepped back so no one outside could see him if they happened to be looking.
Julia and Annie went up front to make sure the closed sign was up and the lights across the front were shut down. It would look like Andrews was gone at the moment, which is what they needed, since the mortuary was on the main road and a lot of traffic passed the building.
The two agents lifted Andrews from the floor and quickly taped his mouth shut. Then one told him he was under arrest for murder. One agent carefully read Andrews his rights while Lott and the other agent listened.
Then as Julia and Annie came back in, the agent asked Andrews if he understood his rights.
Andrews nodded.
“He nodded affirmative,” one agent said.
“Perfect,” Agent Munn said over the com link. “Get him on ice and don’t let him even move a muscle until this is finished.”
“Copy,” one agent said and they hauled Andrew roughly up the stairs to his own apartment where the agents would hold him until everything was done tonight.
Smith's Monthly #15 Page 17