Dead End

by Susan Sleeman

  She didn’t know what to do next, but before she could act, her phone rang with a call from Blake. She quickly answered.

  “We have a match for a former Ranger,” he said. “Name’s Brody Everson and wife’s name is Tricia. They live in Portland, and I’ve already called in a favor at PPB and have units on the way over to the address.”

  Her heart soared at the news. “That’s wonderful. Will you let me know what they find?”

  “You got it.” He disconnected.

  Could this Brody guy shed light on where Eddie was being held and this bizarre investigation would finally be over? Or was Caulfield’s death only about Tricia?

  One thing was sure. No matter how excited Sierra was about this lead, she couldn’t quit working on the investigation until she located Eddie. She returned to the article, but the story really held no additional information except that the city hoped the new owner would restore the building and help revitalize the neighborhood.

  That didn’t matter to her. What did matter was that Eddie and Caulfield likely picked up the brick dust at this location. And maybe Eddie was being held in this warehouse. If Caulfield had abducted Eddie, and with Caulfield dead, there wouldn’t be any danger in going over there to look for Eddie. And especially not if PPB arrested Everson before she left.

  Still, Sierra wouldn’t go busting into that building alone. She could do a drive-by, though. Just take a quick peek to try to determine if Eddie was or had been held there and come straight back to the lab.

  The fuming chamber dinged, and she raced across the room. She searched each slug for prints, but the cyanoacrylate didn’t produce any. She bagged the slugs, grabbed her backpack and phone, and charged down the stairs to Grady’s lab. She nearly threw the bag at him.

  He held the bag up to the light and turned the slugs around. “Interesting—.264 Winchester Magnums.”

  “Interesting, why?” she asked, already starting for the door.

  “Not commonly used ammo. It’s often—”

  “Okay, thanks,” she interrupted as she didn’t need more of an explanation.

  “In a hurry much?” He laughed.

  “Following up on a lead,” she said as she stepped into the hallway.

  She took the elevator to the parking garage and raced into the chilly night, even more eager to find Eddie. At her car, her phone rang, and seeing the call was from Blake, she quickly answered.

  “PPD has Everson,” he said. “He sustained a bullet wound to his leg, and they found a Medford Fat Daddy tactical knife with a broken tip.”

  It was official. He’d killed Caulfield, but had he shot at her? “They didn’t by any chance find .264 Winchester Magnums, did they? Grady just said that was the caliber of the slugs we recovered from the shooting today.”

  “Yes! We have a trifecta.” Blake’s enthusiasm was contagious and her heart soared. “Everson is definitely the guy who tried to kill you and likely killed Caulfield.”

  She could never be happy about learning a man was a killer, but she was ecstatic that they’d taken him into custody. “Did he say anything about his wife or Eddie?”

  “He clammed up, but I’m headed in to brief the detective on our investigation and sit in on the interview. I’ll let you know what I learn.”

  “Thanks, Blake.” She ended the call and slid into her car.

  One thing in this drawn out and bizarre investigation was resolved. Now to look for Eddie at Caulfield’s warehouse.

  Adair closed the laptop and peered at Reed. “Now tell me where we stand on the Barnes embezzlement investigation.”

  Reed brought him up to speed on every lead. “I have to admit I thought Barnes took off, but after everything we’ve uncovered and the murders, I’m starting to believe he was abducted.”

  Adair steepled his hands on the desk. “You thinking he’s still alive?”

  Reed had been too focused on how the murders effected Sierra, and then of course the shooting, and he hadn’t really given it any additional thought.

  “Rice?” Adair asked.

  “I honestly don’t know, but if Kuznetsov is involved in this somehow, we could be looking at Barnes’s death.” Reed felt like he was betraying Sierra just by saying it, but Kuznetsov could totally change the case dynamics.

  Adair nodded, those green eyes fixing on Reed again, mining deep. For what, Reed didn’t know, but he was probably trying to assess Reed’s mindset after the shooting. Trying to determine if he was fit enough to remain on the job.

  Adair suddenly gave a single nod and reached into his drawer to pull out a Glock and magazine that he placed in front of Reed but didn’t let go of either item. “If you’re not one hundred percent after the shooting, tell me right now.”

  “I’m good, sir.” Reed didn’t add that he wished he’d nailed the shooter, as that could lead to a lengthy discussion, and Reed was eager to go.

  Adair released the gun and magazine, and Reed resisted showing any hint of his relief. Law enforcement officers were used to carrying on duty, and it had unsettled Reed when he had to place his weapon on the desk. But now he wouldn’t have to walk out of this office unarmed.

  Reed inserted the magazine and chambered a round before holstering it. “We done here, sir?”

  “I am, but you’re far from done. I want a written report on the shooting and a written update on the Barnes investigation on my desk or in my email by seven a.m.”

  “Understood.” Reed got up, his mind going to Sierra. No way he would leave her alone all night while he typed reports. “Does it matter where I write my reports?”

  “Where?” Adair arched a black eyebrow. “I could care less as long as I have the report by seven. Don’t be late.”

  Reed nodded and rushed from the room to his workstation. He grabbed his laptop and put it in a file box with all of his investigative files then rushed out of the building. He wanted to go straight back to the Veritas Center, but he needed to clean up in case he didn’t have a chance to before coming back to the office in the morning.

  He got in his vehicle and connected CarPlay so he didn’t miss a call or text while on the road to his apartment. He made the ten-minute drive in five and was soon in his shower, scalding hot water pouring over him. He’d turned up the ringer on his phone and left it on the counter. He wanted to stay under the water to wake up a bit, but he wanted to be with Sierra more. He cut off the water and toweled dry, his focus pinned on the phone.

  He expected to be up all night working on the report and keeping an eye on Sierra’s safety and couldn’t face putting on another suit, so he dressed in casual attire. He did put one in a garment bag in case Adair called him into the office in the morning. He packed some toiletries and took everything to his car. He wanted to run with lights and siren, but that could endanger motorists, and he wouldn’t do that just so he could get to the woman he loved faster.

  Nearing seven, the sun dipped below the horizon as Sierra cruised slowly past the warehouse that was dark and appeared to be empty. Vacant lots sat on either side of the building with an alley in the back. The perfect place to hide Eddie as no one would go near the building. She wanted to stop but kept on going. Still, about a block away, she turned around, and drove down the alley behind the building. No lights. No cars. Nothing.

  She parked across the street to watch for a while. She wasn’t in the best neighborhood, so she made sure the doors were locked and the engine running. She tapped her foot on the floor, watching and waiting. For what she didn’t know. But now that she was here, she couldn’t make herself leave.

  What would it hurt to take a quick look into a window? The ones on the side were too high, but the one in the back was at eye level.

  She shoved her phone into her pocket, grabbed pepper spray from her backpack, and before she gave it another thought, she turned off her engine and got out. She left it unlocked in case she had to race back inside. She crossed the road and eased up to the building, checking her surroundings as she moved. She hurried around bac
k, but the streetlight’s beam faded. She shone her phone’s light ahead and made her way to the window.

  She flashed the light iron bars covering the window. She spotted movement inside. Startled, she jumped back and turned off her light, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest.

  “Help!” A man called out from inside. “I’m being held prisoner here.”

  Eddie? Was it Eddie? Should she try to find out or call someone? If she called and waited for backup and Eddie hadn’t been taken by Caulfield, then Eddie’s captors might return, and she would miss the chance to free him.

  She moved back to the window. “Who’s in there?”

  “Eddie. Eddie Barnes. Please help me.”

  Her heart leapt at the confirmation of her biological father being alive. “Hold on. I’m coming.”

  She turned her light back on and flashed the beam over the lot littered with rubbish. She spotted a steel post from a sign that had collapsed. She grabbed the post, rammed it into the door, and worked the metal open wide enough until she could scoot inside. She rushed to the corner of the large empty room and found a dead-bolted steel door where Eddie had called out from.

  This door was more secure than the exterior one and the lock looked new and sturdy. She ran back outside to grab the post and slammed it into the door. She dented the metal, but the door didn’t budge. She hit it again. And again. And again. Over and over until the lock gave way and the door popped open.

  She groped around for the light switch and flicked it up. The single bulb above shone rays into the dark recesses of the room, and she made a quick assessment. A portable toilet and dorm-sized refrigerator sat near the back wall. Food wrappers and empty water bottles littered the floor. A man rested on a sleeping bag. He had a full grayish-blond beard, and greasy blond hair. She searched his face, but in his scruffy state, she wasn’t positive it was Eddie.

  “Water.” He blinked against the light. “Please. Water.”

  She wanted to help him—after all, he could’ve been without water or food since Caulfield died, and that had been days. But in case this really wasn’t Eddie, she was going to get a few answers before he felt stronger and was better able to deceive her. “How did you end up here?”

  He continued to blink. “I was abducted by my CPA, Ira Caulfield.”

  At last. An explanation. “Why would he do that?”

  “He ganged up with an evil man to steal money from my clients.” The words poured from his mouth in a disgusted tone. “Guy’s name is Vasily Kuznetsov.”

  Kuznetsov. So he was involved.

  Eddie cleared his throat. “Some of my clients complained, and I found out what they were doing. I confronted Ira. He hit me over the head and brought me here. He said he was just keeping me here until he could get away from Kuznetsov. Then Ira promised to let the authorities know where he left me. Did he call you?”

  She shook her head.

  He squinted up at her, confusion replacing his angry expression. “Sierra? Is that you?”

  “Yes.”

  His mouth fell open, and he ran his gaze over her. “It really is you. How did you find me?”

  She quickly explained about her dad’s transplant. “I freaked out and rushed to Seaview Cove to see you, only to discover you were missing. So my team and I partnered with the FBI to search for you.”

  “And here you are. Rescuing me.” He shook his head, but abruptly stopped. “If you hadn’t searched for me, I don’t know who would have. I have no one else.” He frowned. “Thank you for caring enough to come after me.”

  Emotions she couldn’t put a name to welled up inside, nearly closing off her throat. She had to get them moving before she started blubbering. She grabbed an empty water bottle from the floor. “Let’s go see if the water’s turned on here.”

  “It is. Ira came by every day to make sure I had enough food and water, but he hasn’t been here for a couple of days. I thought he left me to die.”

  Sierra clasped his hand and got him up. He wobbled then righted himself. He smelled terrible, but she did her best not to gag.

  “Restroom is on the far wall,” he said.

  She settled him in a rickety chair and filled the water bottle in the dirty sink. She handed it to him, and he started guzzling it.

  “Slow down.” She rested her hand on the end of the bottle. “Your stomach won’t be used to it.”

  Eddie nodded. “I wish you didn’t have to see me like this. I haven’t showered or changed clothes in so very long.” He ran a hand down his shirt and pressed on the wrinkles.

  “Don’t worry about that. I’m just glad I found you.”

  He took another long pull on the water bottle.

  “The FBI thinks you embezzled the money from your clients,” she said not willing to mention Reed’s name just yet. “That Caulfield didn’t have withdrawal privileges for your accounts so he couldn’t have stolen the money.”

  His chin came up in the same way hers would if accused of something she didn’t do. “He did it. He set me up the minute he started managing my business. I had zero interest in running it. The less I had to do with it the better. I was a fool.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Ira handled all of the contracts and companies we did business with. He entered the bills into accounting software for me. All I did was print the checks and mail them. I didn’t have a clue what they were for.” He shook his head. “And I sure didn’t know that he set up bogus service accounts and lockboxes. When the checks came into the boxes, he deposited them into an account he set up in my name. He had all of the passwords to access the accounts online.”

  She wanted to believe him, but his story had holes. “He couldn’t have set up that account without your knowledge, could he?”

  “True that. I signed it all right. He routinely had me sign things that I never really looked at. Yeah, I know. I’m the worst business manager in history. But the clients were happy with his work until a few of them started questioning the charges. So I looked into it. That’s when I found out he’d partnered with Kuznetsov.”

  She believed him now, but would Reed? “Is there any way you can prove that to the FBI?”

  “Actually, when I confronted him, I recorded the conversation. Camera’s in my office, mounted in the return air vent. But Ira found out about it. So I took off for a while to figure out how to handle it. Decided to confront him. We met here. He promised to pay it back.” Eddie shook his head. “I believed him. But turns out he followed me back to my office and whacked me with the whale from my desk.”

  She heard a sound by the door and jerked around.

  Kuznetsov charged into the room waving a gun. “Thank you for leading me to your father, Sierra.”

  She gasped, her heart thundering to life. Had she really led this creep here?

  “And Eddie,” Kuznetsov continued. “Thanks for telling me where that camera is.”

  Eddie’s chin lifted higher, and he glared at Kuznetsov.

  “You’ve been such a naughty boy, haven’t you, Eddie?” Kuznetsov asked, grinning.

  “If you mean that I let you and Ira meet in my office so you could keep your association a secret. Plus recorded the dates and times you met and the account numbers and money you talked about. Then yeah, you got me. You knew that already. But you don’t have my log.” Eddie snickered.

  Sierra was overjoyed at Eddie’s explanation of his innocence, but she didn’t say anything. She raised her hand to warn him not to irritate Kuznetsov any more than he already had.

  “We’ll see who laughs last.” Kuznetsov charged forward and planted his gun on Eddie’s forehead.

  Eddie’s face paled, and he seemed to melt in the chair.

  Sierra’s insides churned, and she could hardly think. She needed to buy time. To find a way out of this. “Eddie was just telling me you helped Caulfield steal money from Eddie’s customers.”

  “Helped, no.” Kuznetsov sounded offended as he glanced back at her. “More like looked the other way
while Caulfield took the money and framed this loser. Until Caulfield said he was taking off with Tricia.”

  “Is that the name of Caulfield’s girlfriend?” Sierra asked, hoping if she played dumb, he would give her more information.

  “You haven’t IDed her yet, huh?” Kuznetsov chuckled.

  “Her name is Tricia Everson.” Eddie scowled at Kuznetsov. “What did you do to her?”

  “She went for a dip in the hot tub.” Kuznetsov’s thin lips narrowed in a sick smile. “And never got out.”

  “You killed her?” Sierra’s anger took hold, and she rushed him.

  He spun, pointing the gun at her, and she stopped in her tracks, catching that same garlic smell that she noticed at his office.

  “I couldn’t let Caulfield leave town,” Kuznetsov snapped.

  “And now he can’t, can he? Tricia’s husband saw to that.”

  “You think he killed Caulfield?” Kuznetsov scoffed. “That’s priceless.”

  “Wait. You slit Caulfield’s throat?”

  “He was gonna leave even without his precious Tricia.” Kuznetsov’s eyes narrowed into venomous slits. “No one leaves without my permission. No one.”

  “And that meant you had to stab him ten times, too?” she asked, though she knew Everson’s knife was used to stab Caulfield.

  “Didn’t stab him. What would be the point when he was already dead?”

  So he killed Caulfield and then Everson must have arrived on scene and stabbed him in rage over stealing his wife.

  “Okay, Eddie,” Kuznetsov said. “Tell me where you hid the ledger, and the two of you can walk out of here.”

  “Don’t say anything,” Sierra warned. “No matter what he says, he just confessed to murder, and he’s not going to let us live.”

  26

  Eager to see Sierra, Reed parked in the Veritas Center lot. He reached for his phone to send a text and tell her he’d arrived, but decided to surprise her instead. He grabbed his jacket and rushed through the dark night to knock on the door.

  Pete opened it and stood back. “Surprised to see you here after business hours.”