QR Code Killer

by Shanna Hatfield

  “How did you figure out he planted bugs?”

  “He knew too much information. He knew I was going out to the field to take Erik cookies the other day. He knew exactly where we were eating dinner. He seems to know pretty much every move we make because he hears our plans as we make them. I’m guessing he had a few minutes when we were all either gone or occupied, snuck in the house and planted bugs in the places he thought we would spend the most time. I’m just wondering what else he has tapped into.”

  “He could have tapped into your phone, the computer.” Danny started thinking of all the places and ways Zeus could be watching them. Watching and waiting to make his move.

  “I’ll have diagnostics run a check on my phone. In the meantime, I’m going to see what else I can turn up. It’s going to be hard conversing normally knowing he’s listening to every word we say.”

  “I know, Maddie, but you can do this. We can do this.” Danny held the door as they walked back upstairs. Going into the kitchen, he left his empty tea glass on the counter and gave Lena’s cheek a kiss. “Thanks for the tea, Miz Lena. It was mighty fine as always.”

  “Oh, go on with you,” Lena said, pleased with both the complement and the kiss.

  Erik and Maddie cooked dinner then everyone gathered outside to eat. This way they could talk and not worry so much about being overheard.

  As he finished off the last bite of his steak, Zach nodded toward Erik. “That was really good, man. Where did you learn to grill like that?”

  “Trial and error, mostly,” Erik said with a laugh. “My wife couldn’t stand the sight of blood or raw meat, so I did a lot of the cooking. It was easier for me to grill, so I did it quite a bit.”

  “You don’t mention your wife much, Erik. What was she like?” Lena asked, genuinely interested.

  Seeing Erik hesitate to talk, Lena reached out and put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  Erik patted her hand and nodded his head. “It’s okay, Lena. I haven’t really spoken about her since the accident.”

  “You don’t have to,” Maddie whispered.

  “I think maybe I do,” Erik said, knowing talking about Sheila and what happened would somehow help him heal. “Sheila and I got married pretty young. I’d just graduated from college and she was finishing her junior year. All I ever wanted to do was farm, but my dad insisted a college education was a good thing, so I majored in agri-business, taking every agriculture and small business class I could. Sheila majored in accounting and found a job at one of the local banks right after graduation. She worked her way up to assistant manager in the ten years we were married. We loved each other, loved living on my family’s farm, loved life. The only thing missing was a child. We wanted to have a baby so badly but had finally accepted the fact that we weren’t going to have any kids when Sheila found out she was pregnant. When we got the news that the baby was a boy, I was over the moon. For two weeks, I’m not sure my feet even touched the ground. Then she got in the accident and I lost them both. I warned her a hundred times to be careful at that intersection, but she was always in a hurry, always took a chance and that time was one chance too many. My neighbor, and best friend, was the one who hit her car. We tried to get her out and couldn’t. By the time the firefighters cut the car apart and pried her loose, it was too late. She died on the way to the hospital. I couldn’t stay at the farm after that, so I rented it out and traveled around doing odd jobs. The only thing I took with me was my pickup, my memories, and Boone.”

  Erik absently reached for the dog and rubbed his head. The dog, sensing Erik’s sadness, put his head on Erik’s knee and whined.

  No one said a word. No one could. Lena and Maddie mopped at their tears. Finally, Danny reached over and gave Erik’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry, man. That is a hard loss to bear.”

  Erik looked at Danny with gratitude in his face. “Although I didn’t think the day would ever come when I’d get up in the morning without the grief having a stranglehold on me, it is getting easier and the memories are softening. Maybe someday I’ll even be able to go back to the farm.”

  Ethan asked Erik about the farm, how his family came to be settled there and details about soil and water. Zach and Danny joined in the conversation, leaving Maddie and Lena to their thoughts.

  Maddie’s heart hurt for Erik. How tragic to lose his wife and much-wanted baby at the same time. He must have loved Sheila wholly and completely to have her death hit him so hard. Studying him, she wondered if he was ready to be in a new relationship or if memories of his deceased wife would come between them. She had lost Devin, but he wasn’t her husband. She wasn’t even sure now that what she felt for him had really been love. It was nothing like what she was beginning to feel for Erik.

  As they finished up the meal and Erik helped Maddie bring dishes into the kitchen, he asked if she’d like to take a walk. She agreed and Lena shooed them out the door, ordered Danny to help her with the dishes.

  Stepping off the porch, the twosome wandered in the direction of the barn without either one speaking. The evening was still plenty warm, though not sticky with heat, even though the sun was making its final descent in a blazing ball of vibrant pink and hues of gold. The scent of hay hung in the air and the crickets were tuning up for their nightly serenade. Erik thought it was a perfect summer evening. Or as perfect as it could be with a killer on the loose.

  Glancing down at Maddie walking beside him, Erik took her hand in his. When she looked up at him, her blue eyes were soft and inviting.

  Twining their fingers together, they continued walking in silence. Coming to the fence behind the barn, Maddie turned and leaned her back against it while Erik placed one foot on the bottom pole and rested his arms on the top one.

  “I wanted you to know something, Maddie,” Erik said, looking out across the pasture at the pond. He knew she’d have questions and doubts after what he shared about Sheila this evening and wanted to put her mind at ease. “I loved Sheila completely. She was my entire world for ten years. When she and the baby died, my dreams died right along with them. It was all I could do to get through one day at a time.”

  Erik stopped and Maddie put a warm hand on his arm. “It must have been awful for you.”

  “It was awful and hard and not something I’d ever want to live through again, but I wouldn’t trade those ten years with Sheila for anything, even knowing how it would end. That’s why you need to know, Maddie, that I’ve found new dreams to dream. New dreams with you. I don’t know how this is going to end, but I wouldn’t miss out on the time I’ve spent with you this summer. I care a great deal for you, Maddie. More than I ever thought I’d care for anyone again.”

  Maddie’s eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Erik. I … I wouldn’t trade this time with you either. I’m sorry you are involved in all this mess with Zeus, but I’m so glad you are here. With me.”

  Erik pulled Maddie into his arms and kissed her with a passion that made her heart pound, her knees weaken and all rational thought fly out of her head. Kissing him back, she held on to him tightly, reveling in the feel of his strong arms around her. She felt sheltered and cherished. Maddie had been tough for so long, on her own for so long, the thought of having someone else protect her was something she thought she could get used to.

  Sinking into him, Maddie breathed in his unique scent. When Erik pulled back from the kiss, Maddie rested her head against his chest and memorized the feeling of belonging that enveloped her. She had never felt this welcomed, this right, before and she wanted the moment to last.

  Leaning back against the fence, Erik pulled Maddie closer into his arms and held her, his chin resting on her head. She was soft in his arms and fit them so well. He never thought he’d find love again, especially not a passionate all-consuming love like he’d found with Maddie.

  They stood unmoving for quite some time, just enjoying the silence of the evening; the time spent holding each other, drawing strength from one another.
Finally, Maddie raised her head and smiled. “We better get back.”

  “Yes, I guess we should,” Erik said, standing away from the fence and picking up Maddie’s hand as they strolled back to the house. Erik walked her to the door, kissed her cheek then bent his head toward hers. She could feel his warm breath stir the hair by her ear. “Sweet dreams, Madelyn.” Then he turned and walked to the bunkhouse.

  Maddie watched him walk away, relishing the delicious shiver that raced through her every time he called her Madelyn. She didn’t know why, but it made her feel feminine and beautiful - something Maddie had known too little of in her thirty-two years.

  Chapter Ten

  Maddie awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing. Grabbing it off the nightstand, she held it to her ear.

  “Hello,” she said, trying to brush the cobwebs of sleep from her mind. Who would be calling her this early in the day?

  “Maddie, its Tom,” her boss said. Even though it was barely six, he sounded excited and full of life. “I’ve got some great news.”

  “What’s that?” Maddie said, coming fully awake. She flipped on the lamp beside her bed and pulled out a notebook and pen.

  “We finally cracked through Zeus’s coding and got an IP address on the computer where the QR codes are generated. It’s a public library in Bellevue. I’ve got a team ready to go. I wanted you to know we are making some headway.”

  “That’s fantastic news,” Maddie said, bouncing on her bed. Although it might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, finding an IP address that could be traced back to Zeus after three years of dead end after dead end was monumental. “Let me know when you find something. By the way, I’ve got a phone number I’d like diagnostics to run a check on.”

  “Sure, Maddie, what’s the number?”

  Maddie rattled off her own cell phone number.

  “Well, that’s interesting,” Tom said. Maddie had known him long enough to know he was putting two and two together. “Anything special you want them to check?”

  “Just to see if it has been compromised.”

  “Will do. When we have the results, I’ll get back to you.”

  “Thanks, Tom,” Maddie said, getting out of bed and stretching. Today looked like it was off to a grand start. “I look forward to hearing what you find.”

  “Hang in there, Maddie. We are going to take him down. I promise.”

  “You bet. And I plan to be right there with you when it happens.”

  “Absolutely, Mad Dog.” Tom laughed as he disconnected the call.

  Maddie could hardly wait to share the news with Danny. Jumping in the shower, she was soon dressed and downstairs, helping Lena set breakfast on the table when the guys all came in.

  “My goodness, Maddie, you seem raring to go this morning,” her dad said as he kissed her cheek. “What’s got you all stirred up?”

  “Not much. I had a call from a friend this morning with some news I was very excited to hear. That’s all.”

  Danny’s head snapped up and Maddie nodded her head at him. He smiled and visibly relaxed a little. Erik watched their gestures and turned his own warm smile at Maddie, knowing her excitement had something to do with Zeus.

  Once breakfast was finished and the dishes were done, Maddie whispered to Lena that she was going out to talk to the guys for a minute.

  Catching Danny and Erik together at the shop, they walked out behind the barn and stood in the shelter of a haystack, where it would be hard to see or hear them. Maddie told them what Tom had shared with her. Erik gave her a big hug while Danny slapped her raised hand in a high-five.

  “We’ll bring him down, Mad Dog, don’t you worry. He is going down,” Danny said, walking off whistling.

  Erik looked at Maddie and raised an eyebrow. “Mad Dog? Danny calls you Mad Dog?”

  For the first time since she’d acquired the nickname more than ten years ago, Maddie wasn’t sure she liked it. Back then, it symbolized a hard battle fought and won when she overcame the preconceived notions of what a pretty, petite girl could do. Hearing Erik say it, though, it seemed to lose some of the charm it previously held.

  “It’s a nickname.”

  “I gathered that much,” Erik said, pulling her into his arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Who else calls you Mad Dog?”

  “Most of the guys in my department. A few of the other cops that know me. No big deal.”

  “I’m thinking it is a big deal. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that name came with a price. Something you had to dig in and prove.”

  “Maybe,” Maddie said, burying her head against Erik’s chest.

  “Then it’s a name you should be proud of - Mad Dog.” Erik looked at her with a teasing grin and Maddie’s heart melted.

  “For a simple farmer, you do know you are terribly observant and perceptive, don’t you?”

  Erik didn’t respond, just continued holding her.

  Releasing a sigh, Maddie decided she might as well tell him the truth. “It doesn’t sound quite as appealing coming from you. I much prefer you call me Maddie, or even Madelyn.”

  “Why is that?” Erik asked, knowing the answer, but wanting her to admit it.

  “Because Mad Dog is a tough cop who takes charge and gets things done. Madelyn is just a woman on a farm who likes the hired man entirely too much.”

  “Too much?” Erik said, pulling back. “What’s that mean? How can you like someone too much? I don’t think…”

  “I think you’re talking too much,” Maddie said, pulling his head down for a lingering kiss.

  When the kiss ended, Maddie took Erik’s hand and they walked back to the house. “Have a good morning, Farmer Man. See you for lunch.”

  “You bet, Madelyn,” Erik said with a wink.

  Maddie waited all morning for news from Tom. When he finally called just before noon, she was nearly beside herself.

  “That which you questioned, has been compromised. I did some more checking. You need to find your farmer friend right now. Give me a call when you have him in your sights.”

  “Right, Tom. I’m on it.”

  Maddie went racing out of the house without a word to Lena, jumped on the four-wheeler and went to the field where she knew Erik was cutting hay. Watching her approach, Erik shut off the machine and was waiting for her when she pulled up.

  Maddie jumped off the four-wheeler and ran to Erik. “Tom just called. My phone has been compromised. He told me to find you then call him back, so I’m guessing your phone hasn’t been, yet. Can I borrow it?”

  “Absolutely,” Erik started to dig his phone out of his pocket.

  “Wait,” Maddie whispered. “If Zeus is watching he’ll know something is up if you just hand over your phone and I make the call. We’ve got to make this look good. I’m going to start yelling at you, you yell back, and then I’m going to wave my phone in your face. You get yours out and wave it around then I’m going to give you a shove. When I do, we’ll switch phones. Okay?”

  “Okay. But I think you should know I nearly flunked drama class in high school. I am no good at play acting,” Erik said, determined to do his best, but not completely certain his best would be good enough.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Maddie said, taking a step back from him. “Just follow my lead and remember nothing I am going to say is true.”

  Suddenly, Maddie’s countenance changed, she charged at Erik yelling. “You, Mr. Farmer Man, are about as dense as they come. Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your girlfriend? You are a worthless, scum-sucking, two-timing snake. I’ve never met anyone so dishonest and fake. How dare you think you can toy with my affections and lead me on just because I’m the boss’s daughter!”

  Taking his cue from her, Erik held his breath until his face turned red then bent over until he was in her face to start hollering. “Who are you calling a two-timing snake, miss can’t decide who she wants to date? You flirt with cowboy Dan until I want to punch him in the face, then you make him jealo
us kissing me. Yeah, that’s right. We’re both on to your little game. Talk about fake and dishonest, you take the cake, darlin’.”

  “Is that so?” Maddie said, shaking her phone in his face. “Well I’m done with you. I’m even deleting your number out of my cell phone, so there.”

  “Two can play that game,” Erik said, whipping out his phone and waving it under her nose.

  “You… you... arrogant backwoods farmer,” Maddie said, grabbing the hand holding his phone and quickly switching them while she gave him a huge shove. Erik stumbled backwards, but caught himself before falling. Maddie turned and ran to the four-wheeler, jumped on and took off with Erik watching her go.

  She didn’t know how he could have possibly flunked drama class. Erik had just pulled off a first-class performance. Hurrying back to the house Maddie ran inside, past Lena, and down to the basement where she sat in a secluded corner and called Tom.

  “I’m on Erik’s phone. Tell me what you’ve got,” Maddie said, anxious to hear what Tom had dug up.

  “Diagnostics checked your number. There is a program on your phone that allows a third party to listen to your calls. Of course, information on that third party is scrambled, but we’re working to decode it. I’m guessing your house phone is tapped to go along with the bugs. They are still working on checking Danny’s phone and Zach’s. Erik’s came up clean, which is why I told you to go get his. If Zeus has been listening to your calls, then he knows you know the house is bugged. He also knows that we have the IP address.”

  “What did you find out from the library?” Maddie asked, frustrated.

  “We took the sketch of Zeus, which no one recognized. We asked about an old man and that got us nowhere. They did say a guy about six-feet tall and well-built comes in wearing a hoodie and uses the computer fairly regularly. The name on his library card is Jude Johnson. We are tracking him down right now.”

  “What about the area? Are there apartments nearby or a business he could use as a false front?”

  “I’ve got the team looking, Maddie. We’re getting closer. I can feel it.”