When he hesitated, Katie put the truck in park, opened the driver’s door and climbed down. Rob popped his door open and ran around the hood. “Okay, I’ll take your offer. I’ll get the title, and we’ll do the deal.”
Katie jogged back to the cabbie. “I bought myself a truck!” She stunned him with her full smile. Katie paid the ten-dollar fare, and feeling magnanimous, threw in a five-dollar tip.
With the light Sunday traffic, Hopkins and Darrow made good time and pulled up to the house on Hidden Lake Court at 9:45. The street was filled with similar Sears Catalog homes from the 1940’s—cottages with asphalt siding and scorched lawns.
They climbed the wide porch stairs and rang the doorbell twice. When there was no answer, Hopkins walked the perimeter while Darrow peeked in the garage. “One vehicle inside, but it’s got a dust cover draped over the whole thing.”
The officers split up and began knocking on doors. No one seemed to be home. At the sixth house, a woman, still wearing her robe, answered. “That’s the Lockheed’s place,” she told Hopkins. “They’re on vacation. Somewhere down in the Florida Keys.”
Hopkins wiped his sweaty face and radioed Darrow.
Hopkins asked the woman rapid questions. “Have you noticed anything unusual? Any strangers coming and going?”
The woman squinted. “No. Me and my husband, Paul, have been getting their mail and picking up the newspapers. Paul took their garbage out a week ago, Friday. Why?”
Darrow jogged up the porch steps and joined them at the door. He introduced himself, “Officer Darrow, and you are?”
“Ruby Smythe.”
“Well, Mrs. Smythe, we’ve had a report of a stranger on their porch and wanted to check it out.” Darrow didn’t mention Katie, the cab, or that they were out of their jurisdiction. Hopkins didn’t correct the oversight, either.
Ruby pushed open her door and angled her head toward the house as though she would see the stranger lurking in the bushes.
Darrow smoothed her anxiety, “Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ve checked the windows, the doors, and even the garage. The house is secure.”
Hopkins nodded. “But keep an extra eye out if you would.”
Ruby nodded vigorously. As she watched the officers walk away, she was already punching in the number to call her husband at work. She eyed Nettie Paulzer’s house across the road. Ruby couldn’t wait to call her too.
Darrow and Hopkins cruised the neighborhood aimlessly. “Why’d Katie come here?”
Rob handed Katie the certified odometer form and title, jingling the keys toward her face. “It’s all yours.”
Having never seen a title, Katie turned it over, carefully reading the fine print on the back. “Oh, wait. It says you should have a witness for your signature. Is anyone else home?”
Rob’s wife came out and quickly signed her name. Rob took off the plates and fixed a hand-made temporary tag in place.
“What if the police stop me?” Katie fretted
“As long as you have the title, you’ll be okay. I wouldn’t wait long to get new plates, though.” Rob and his wife headed inside, absently waving goodbye and eager to spend their cash.
Chapter 39
As Katie accepted the signed title, Darrow and Hopkins drove through the business area near Hidden Lake. Spotting a First Bank of Atlanta branch, Hopkins pointed at the building through the car window. “Coincidence?”
Darrow shook his head. “Not likely.” Darrow eyed the area and pulled into the nearby Motel 6.
The young clerk studied Katie’s photo and nodded. “The face looks familiar. But the hair’s wrong. She was wearing glasses too, so it’s hard to say.”
The information matched the cab driver’s description, and both officers leaned in closer. The hotel clerk pulled the register. “Here it is. Patty Stanford.”
Hopkins made an immediate phone call to Fairchild. “You with Jack?”
“Yes. We’re going through the story again.”
“How is he?”
“Not good.”
“Jack’s standing right there, isn’t he?”
“Yep.” Fairchild took a step back from Jack, who was eavesdropping.
Staying cryptic, Hopkins asked one-worded questions: “Upset?”
“A little.”
“Angry?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. Ask Jack if he or Katie know anyone who lives in Middleburg? Family members or clients at 957 Hidden Lake Court?”
Fairchild lowered the phone. Hopkins stayed on the line, listening as Fairchild relayed the questions to Jack.
“No. I’ve never heard of Hidden Lake Court.” Jack’s voice crept up an octave, “Why?”
“Possible sighting out in Middleburg.”
“I have no idea.” Jack’s lips thinned. “Where’d you say it was?”
Fairchild rattled off the address again.
Jack committed the answer to memory. I’m coming, Katie.
Fairchild turned his attention back to the phone, “Sorry, Lieutenant, but Jack says he’s never heard of the address.”
Hopkins offered another piece of information, interested to hear how Jack reacted, “We’ve also got a possible check-in at a motel. Ask Jack if he knows a Patty Stanford? A woman, kind of matching Katie’s appearance, checked into a Motel 6 here on Friday.”
Fairchild ran his hands through his unruly hair, already dreading Jack’s response.
“What the hell? We don’t know anyone by that name.” Jack’s ears turned red at the thought of Katie with another man at some sleazy motel.
Katie drove off in her new truck, free and happy until she noticed the gas tank light. “Crap. I didn’t think to look at that.” She stopped at a gas station near the highway and ran inside for a bottled water as well. “There goes another forty-one dollars.” Checking the time, she headed toward the post office in Fleming. From this end of Savannah, it was less than fifteen minutes away.
Darrow and Hopkins drove to the local police precinct. The Middleburg officers had no reports of suspicious activity but were able to corroborate the name of the owners of the house on Hidden Lake Court. “Couple by the name of Stan and Lou Lockheed.”
The Middletown cops agreed to contact the homeowners and, in the meantime, share any footage from traffic surveillance cameras around Motel 6.
As it turned out, none of the cameras were operational. “Sorry, man,” the officer assigned to work with Darrow and Hopkins admitted, “All the damn budget cuts mean we can’t keep up with maintenance.”
Hopkins and Darrow left the Midtown precinct, lobbing questions back and forth as they drove.
“Is she calling herself Patty?”
“Did she leave with someone? Coerced?”
“Why’d she come to Hidden Lake Court?
“Dammit!” Hopkins slapped the dash.
Jack peeled out of the driveway and headed south, unaware Fairchild had only gone a block and was watching the house. Fairchild called Hopkins, “Looks like Jack’s heading your direction.”
Katie emptied the PO box for the last time. All of Cassie’s documents, the evidence against Jack, and her research were intact. Blowing out a breath, she tapped the papers together. “I hope this works.”
Hopkins and Darrow drove back to Hidden Lake Court. They were parking by the curb when Jack drove past. Three pairs of eyes stared at one another.
Darrow turned to Hopkins. “If Jack did something to Katie, why would he drive here?”
“It's screwed up. I can’t tell if there’s been foul play or not. Did Jack hurt her, or kill her in a fit of rage? Come here to throw us off track?
“No way. We got cameras showing Katie walking into the medical center. Some woman, I’m assuming it’s Katie, took a cab out here.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Hopkins rubbed his eyes. “I’m tired and not thinking straight.”
“We need to review. Let’s head back to the office.”
Hopkins called Jenkins on the way. “Talk to me. Have you pulled t
he updated bank records?”
Jenkins scratched at his neck in frustration, “No. The servers are still down for maintenance. No transactions are showing. I can’t see shit ‘til tomorrow.”
“Did Thomas find anything on the medical end?”
Jenkins and Thomas were sitting side by side, and Jenkins reached over to grab paperwork. “She just got hold of the Ob-Gyn. There’s no other doctor listed in the file.” Jenkins fumbled through papers and looked at Thomas for affirmation. She nodded.
Jenkins scratched his neck again, leaving long red marks. “Ob-Gyn does blood work and basic stuff. No other visits except for…” He trailed off, in his signature way of being dramatic.
“Get to the point!”
“Well,” Jenkins continued, “there was one trip to the ER back in November of last year. Two broken ribs. Katie tripped and fell at a client’s house.” Papers rustled. “Here it is. She fell over some books and crashed into a desk at the Morrisons.”
“Yeah. Sure, she did.”
“There was the miscarriage and a broken front tooth earlier in the year. Says here Katie slipped on the icy porch.”
“Probably bullshit as well. We’re on our way back. I know we’re missing something.”
Jack drove the streets around Hidden Lake court—a predator, circling, and watching for prey. Why here? Who the fuck was Patty Stanford? Jack made the circuit again. Maybe something would jog his memory.
Back at the precinct, Hopkins paced in front of the whiteboard. Jenkins read previous dates of injury, and medical data while Darrow wrote down the details.
“Add the cab information, Hidden Court, and the Motel 6 from this morning,” Hopkins directed while continuing to wear a path in the linoleum.
Officer Thomas entered the room, and the men eyed her fresh Starbucks coffee jealously. Jayla smiled and sipped slowly, enjoying her moment.
Darrow added notes about Katie’s appearance change and stepped back to study the timeline. “Does she have a lover? Is she being blackmailed? Is Patty Stanford the same girl? Jenkins run that name through the computer.”
“Nah.” Hopkins shook his head. “I think Thomas is right, Katie wanted to get away.”
Thomas agreed, “Can’t blame her for that. I still say Jack’s the key. Maybe he knocks her around? We’ve got a broken tooth, notable bruised, two busted up ribs. Maybe she’s had enough, works out a plan to get out of town?”
Jenkins couldn’t resist jumping into the conversation. “Maybe she was having an affair. You said she took a cab, changed her appearance. Then she ends up at a motel where she meets her lover, and they drive away in his car?”
Thomas offered another scenario, “Maybe Jack suspects something and follows her to the motel and offs his wife?”
“Then why would he drive back to the area? We saw Jack this morning--on Hidden Court, right Hopkins?” Darrow asked.
“Yeah, we did. He didn’t seem to care if we saw him. Looked me dead in the eye. If he did something to Katie, he probably wouldn’t go back to the scene.”
Jenkins hung his head. “We’ve got no proof of anything.”
Jack’s eyes were scratchy, and his head was pounding. He couldn’t put the pieces together. With his stomach complaining about a lack of food, Jack pulled into a convenience store. He bought an overcooked hot dog, and, on a whim, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and one cheap lighter.
He’d never smoked in his life but hoped it would calm his nerves. Coughing and choking, he tossed the partially smoked cigarette on the ground, grinding it into the asphalt with enough force to disintegrate the filter.
Spying the Motel 6 down the block, Jack jogged toward the building and shoved his way into the dingy lobby. He yelled out questions before the door had a chance to close.
“Dude, I already answered the police questions.” The young man leaned away from Jack.
Jack held up a picture of Katie. “This is my wife. She’s missing. Do you understand? Did she check in here, or not?”
“Maybe. Same as I told them, it looks kinda like the lady who was here Friday.”
“Was there anyone else with her?” Jack’s eyes bulged. “Did you see her leave? Did she get in a car?”
The young man stammered, “I swear, I never saw her again.”
Jack stared at the young man for a few seconds more, trying to intimidate him into saying more. When the clerk remained quiet, Jack slammed back out of the lobby, walking the perimeter of the motel.
He even opened the dumpster. No sign of Katie or any of her personal items surfaced. He went back to his car and sat in the parking lot, eyeing the motel and trying out another cigarette.
Chapter 40
Jack returned to Hidden Lake Court and noticed several neighbors had congregated in the street. After parking, he walked toward the group, waving as he approached. “Sorry to interrupt,” he gestured toward the big empty house a few doors down, “but my wife is missing. She took a cab here yesterday, and I have no idea why. Did any of you see a woman around that house?” He made his voice shaky, “Please. Is there anything you can tell me?”
“Are you talking about the missing woman on the news? A fiftyish man asked.
When Jack nodded, the man leaned over to shake hands. “I’m Wayne.”
The circle of neighbors opened to allow Jack access. “Well now, we’ll get the story firsthand,” Ruby Smythe said excitedly.
Jack asked more questions, “Do you know the people who live there? Did you see anything?”
“That’s the Lockheed’s place,” Wayne supplied.
“They’re in Florida. Don’t see how they can afford a vacation,” Nettie another older woman commented.
“The man drives a ratty car, and hardly ever mows the grass,” Ruby added, going into gossip mode.
Jack rolled his head back on his neck. “We don’t know the Lockheeds. Please, I need to find my wife.”
The three re-focused on Jack’s concerns.
The Middleburg police tracked down the Lockheeds, who were understandably distressed that a strange woman might be inside their home. “We have no idea why the woman would go to our house.” They gave permission for the police to check their property.
News vans entered the street, having eventually wrangled the address from Denny, the cab driver. Seeing their cameras, Jack rushed back to his car and left before they could ask him any questions. They filmed his car speeding away.
Sharks smelling blood, reporters spilled into the street, eager to talk to the people in this neighborhood and get an angle on what had happened to Kathryn Werner. The news teams drew the attention of remaining neighbors who streamed out of houses eager to be a part of a story. Ruby and Nettie talked over one another, spitting out details as fast as their tongues could fly.
“That was the lady’s husband,” Nettie gushed, as she pointed at Jack’s retreating car. Cameras swung to capture the action.
Ruby shot Nettie a withering look and elbowed her way forward.
The reporters were still in place when the local authorities pulled into the neighborhood. Cameras filmed the police inspecting the perimeter and entering through the front door.
When the officers exited the Lockheed’s house, reporters shouted questions,
“Is there any sign of a break-in?”
“Did you find anything suspicious?”
“Is Kathryn Werner inside?”
Both officers shook their heads and drove away.
Just after eleven a.m., Katie parked her new truck in a remote corner of a nearby strip mall and walked back to the City Manor Motel.
Chad jogged out of the office, “Hey! Whatcha been up to?”
Katie mentally congratulated herself on hiding the truck. “I went to see a car with my brother this morning. It’s not bad, but he wants us to sit on it a few days--see if the price comes down.”
Chad nodded. “Nissan, right?” As predicted, he’d followed Katie’s open link on Kelly Blue Book.
“Yep, a little older,
but in pretty good shape, if I can ignore the rust by the back door.”
“You should take me for a ride if you get it.” Chad wiggled his eyebrows.
“Maybe. I at least owe you coffee since you let me use the computer.”
Chad strutted beside her as they headed toward the lobby.
Katie fed a dollar into the vending machine. “Black or with cream?”
“Black.”
She carried his coffee to his desk, passing the hot cup from hand to hand. The news was on in the background, and Chad angled his head to see the story.
Reporter, Lindsey Shepard, was in her element, demanding updates, “Where is Kathryn Werner? She didn’t just walk away.”
“You see this?” Chad asked.
“What?”
“The story about the woman who’s missing?”
Katie froze, watching Chad out of the corner of one eye and the TV with the other.
All the stations in Savannah, even the tiny ones, were now carrying the story, and speculation was high. Reporters insinuated she’d married up, had a prestigious home, and a job she loved.
The broadcast switched to the interview with the cab driver.
Katie swallowed hard and made herself answer Chad,
"I saw something on the news last night.” She stuck her face down in her purse, on the pretense of looking for more change.
“You look kind of like her,” Chad commented, studying Katie more closely.
Katie pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Hardly. She’s blond and beautiful.”
“I think you’re beautiful.” Chad colored and added, “You’ve got the same green eyes.”
“Lot’s of people with green eyes, Chad.” Katie clutched her purse tightly and pivoted on one foot, ready to bolt toward her truck if Chad pushed the issue.
Chad shrugged and turned back toward the TV. “The husband looks like a sleazebag. I say he did something to her.”
Katie let out her breath and watched the repeat footage of Jack getting out of the back of the police cruiser. “You’re right. He is creepy.” Katie plopped quarters in the vending machine, needing coffee and caffeine for herself. Hot water sloshed down the shoot and splashed into the waiting cup, making her jump.
There Was a Crooked Man: A Psychological Thriller Page 19