Warm regards,
Kellie VanHorn
Lethal Cover-Up
by Darlene L. Turner
ONE
“They’re after me!”
Border patrol officer Madison Steele stiffened at the sound of her sister’s frantic voice and gripped her cell phone tighter. A tremor snaked up her spine. She’d just found the sister she never knew about, and now she was in danger? Madison turned her booth’s light to red and stepped outside the Canada Border Services Agency at the New Brunswick–Maine border. Thankfully, the early rush-hour traffic had ended, allowing her time to take her sister’s call.
“Slow down, Leah. Who’s after you? What are you talking about?” The crisp fall noon air nipped at her and she pulled her vest tighter.
“My employer. I have incriminating evidence against them. Now they want me out of the way.” Leah’s words came out breathless. “They’re shipping nonsanctioned over-the-counter drugs across your border.”
What? Madison took pride in her job, stopping illegal shipments from creeping into Canada. How were they getting the goods past the CBSA? Her mind flooded with unanswered questions. Did her boss know?
Tires screeching on pavement sailed through Madison’s cell phone. “Leah! Are you okay?”
“They’re gaining on me.”
“Where are you?” Madison couldn’t lose Leah. Not now. Not after all their lost years. Madison had discovered at age seventeen she was adopted. Her parents had kept it a secret, and she only found out through the mean, popular girls in high school. They had told her she’d never make prom queen because no one liked her. “Not even your real parents,” they had said. One of their mothers found out about Madison’s adoption through her local sorority-sister events. Gossip spreads quickly in a small town. Madison had confronted her mom and dad when she got home. They didn’t deny it. That was the night Madison lost trust and hope in God.
“Hawthorne Street. Heading your way.”
Leah’s directions snapped Madison back to the present.
“Sissy, you have to see what’s happening at Dolumhart Pharmaceuticals. Tainted—”
Metal-upon-metal scraping boomed in Madison’s ear. “Leah!” Every muscle froze, immobilizing her in place.
A muffled scream thundered through the phone as a crunch sounded, followed by silence.
“No!” Madison sprang into action. She called 911 relaying her sister’s location and raced toward the border station, abandoning her booth. She opened the door and collided with her superintendent. “I need to leave. My sister. Car accident.” Her scrambled words matched her pounding heartbeat.
“Go!” Superintendent Sam Watson handed her keys. “Take my cruiser.”
“Thank you.” She ran to the vehicle and hopped in as her memory flashed to the first meeting with Leah. The petite brunette had beamed from ear to ear, not only smiling with her lips, but her button brown eyes. They connected instantly and their bond grew into a solid friendship. The fact that Madison finally had the older sister she’d always wanted had warmed her heart. What would she do if that unexpected gift was ripped away?
No, she wouldn’t go there. She white-knuckled the wheel and pulled onto the highway toward Hawthorne Street, flicking on the flashing lights and siren. She couldn’t waste precious time.
Minutes later, she sped around a sharp turn and gasped at the sight along the street. “No!”
Police, firefighters and an ambulance had beaten her to the scene. Leah’s green SUV was entwined around an enormous Norway maple tree, smoke rising from it. The front end obliterated.
Lord, no! Help Leah to be okay.
Wait? Had she just prayed to God, who she’d abandoned? She tightened her hands on the wheel. No, she wouldn’t concede to someone who allowed such pain in her life.
Madison shook off thoughts of God and jerked the cruiser to the side of the road. She jumped out and raced to her sister as flames shot out from under the smashed hood. “Leah!”
A slender police constable pulled her back. “Miss, stay here. Let the firefighters do their job.”
She yanked her arm free. “That’s my sister!” Madison knew she was being unprofessional, but she didn’t care. She ran closer to the vehicle.
A bulky firefighter stood in her path, holding his hands in a stop position. “Whoa! You can’t go any farther.”
“Ma’am. What’s your sister’s name?” The officer came up behind her.
“Leah Peters,” Madison said with a shaky voice.
He wrote it down and fished out his cell phone as he stepped away.
Another firefighter extinguished the fire. Steam billowed upward, creating a haze against the blue sky. “We need the hydraulic cutters!” he yelled from his position.
The others rushed forward with the Jaws of Life and pried open Leah’s door. They hauled her from the wreckage as the two paramedics moved in. The female placed her fingers on Leah’s neck, checking for a pulse.
Madison held her breath.
Moments snuck by but seemed like an eternity.
“No pulse.” The female settled her cheek near Leah’s mouth and watched her chest. The woman popped her head up. “She’s not breathing. Hook up an EKG lead.” She pulled Leah’s clothing away.
The other paramedic attached the machine.
“Come on, Leah. Come back to me.” Madison’s whispered plea faded into the flatlined tone of the machine.
The male hung his head. “Call the coroner.”
“Please, God, no!” Madison pushed forward to Leah and dropped. She wrapped her arms around her sister’s lifeless body, placed her head on Leah’s chest, and sobbed. She sensed the paramedics and firefighters moved away, allowing her time to say goodbye when she’d just said hello to her half sister. They’d only found each other six months ago. How could she lose her now?
She raised herself into a seated position. “I promise I will not rest until I find who did this to you.” A promise she vowed not to break. Tears streamed down Madison’s cheeks. “I will never forget you, Sissy.” Their term of endearment. She kissed Leah’s forehead.
“Preliminary findings reveal she lost control going around the curve too fast,” one police officer said in hushed tones close to where Madison mourned.
She jumped to her feet, heat flushing her cheeks. “This was not an accident!”
The man stepped closer to her, pen and notebook in hand. “Why would you say that? Nothing here points to foul play.”
How did he know that so fast? Suspicion reared its head like an ugly, fast-growing weed, overpowering her thoughts. Was this cop dirty? She’d heard rumors of officers being bought lately by organized crime members. One officer had been incarcerated with the heroin smuggling plot she’d uncovered a few months ago. Were there more swayed by the promise of unending riches?
She shrugged off the thoughts and concentrated on her sister’s case. “Leah called me from her car. She was on her way to see me at the CBSA station. Someone was chasing her.”
“I’m Constable Jenkins,” the officer said. “You are?”
“Madison Steele.”
“What did your sister tell you?”
She hesitated. How much should she share? She had to put faith in these men. They were her fellow law enforcement community. “That they were after her because she had incriminating evidence against Dolumhart Pharmaceuticals.”
The man’s glance darted back to Leah’s car. Was that a look of panic flashing across his face? Why?
Another tremor of suspicion scrambled through her body, but she suppressed her mistrust for now. “Call in your Major Crimes Unit. They need to investigate—”
An unmarked cruiser screeched around the corner with its lights flashing and parked along the road.
“Seems like someone else has done just that,” Constable Jenkins said. “There he is now.�
��
A man stepped from the vehicle and glanced in their direction.
Madison squinted. Was that—?
It had been years since she’d seen his handsome face, but she’d know him anywhere.
The boy whose heart she’d shattered on prom night walked toward them.
“Tucker?”
* * *
Canadian police constable Tucker Reed halted midstep at the sight of the woman before him. Her blue eyes thrust him back to his high school prom night. Eyes that had held disgust after he’d announced his new faith in Christ. At the end of the evening, she ripped away the future he thought they had. Why was she here?
Tucker had recently returned to his hometown after being tasked to the local police detachment as a liaison for the Major Crimes Unit in Saint John. He’d been called to the scene of the accident by a powerful man. One who wanted answers.
“Madi?” He noticed her border-patrol uniform. He hadn’t heard she’d joined the CBSA.
She flinched at the sound of the nickname he’d given her when they became friends and then sweethearts. “No one calls me that anymore.” She bit her lip and crossed her arms.
“Sorry. Why are you here?”
Tears filled her eyes. “My sister just died in this accident.”
Wait. Madi was an only child. “Leah Peters was your sister?”
She nodded. “We just found each other.”
Jenkins drew his notebook from his pocket. “Constable Reed, who called you here?”
“Emerson Peters.”
The officer sucked in a breath. “Why would the politician call the MCU and how did he find out about the accident so quickly?”
“We’re friends and he wanted someone he knew in the area to investigate his daughter’s accident. Her vehicle’s automatic collision notification system sent the accident data to her insurance company upon impact. It’s a feature on her car. They called him because she had listed her father as a contact on her policy.”
Madi’s lips curled as a flash of anger skirted over her pretty face. “Why isn’t he here?”
“He’s on his way back from Ottawa but doesn’t know of Leah’s death yet.” Why did Madi hold contempt toward the politician? Tucker became friends with Emerson when they’d met in Saint John at a law enforcement meeting a year ago. The politician was raising support to run for his party leadership, hoping to become New Brunswick’s next premier, and wanted to get the police force on board. He’d promised them he’d do everything in his power to get additional funding to police departments. Tucker suspected his promotion to the MCU had come at Emerson’s request, or at least a hand in it.
“Well, all evidence so far suggests this was an accident.” Constable Jenkins pointed at the road. “Look at those skids.”
Darkened tire marks curved before their impact with the tree. Other officers placed evidence markers at various points on the pavement as golden, red and orange leaves swirled from nearby trees, settling among the police indicators.
Paramedics covered Leah with a tarp, and the female officer spoke into her cell phone. They would call in the coroner to attend to the body. His job was to determine whether it was an accident. Well, not normally a job for his unit, but Emerson was insistent Corporal Hyatt task Tucker to the case.
The other paramedic attended to a firefighter’s hand.
Tucker turned back to his fellow officer. “Hyatt has put me in charge of this investigation at Emerson Peters’s request. All evidence is to go through me. Understood?” He didn’t want to pull rank, but he realized this case would soon be elevated once the press caught wind of the high-profile victim.
Constable Jenkins scowled. “Fine.” He ripped a page from his notebook and thrust it into Tucker’s hand. “Here. Everything I have. Which isn’t much.” He stomped over to the onsite collision analyst and reconstructionist’s team.
Tucker pulled out his cell phone. “Madison, I need to call Mr. Peters. I’ll be right back.”
He stepped away and hit the man’s number. He hated to do this over the phone but had no choice.
“Tucker, what’s going on?” The politician’s shaky voice held concern.
“Sir, I realize you’re on your way back home and I would rather tell you this news in person, but I wanted to advise you before the press is alerted. I’m so sorry. Leah died at the accident scene.”
The normally composed man sobbed on the other end of the phone. “What happened?” His question came out breathless.
“It appears like she raced around the curve and hit a tree.”
Emerson cursed. “That’s not how my daughter drives. Something doesn’t sound right here.”
“What do you mean?”
“She told me recently she’d discovered some cover-ups at work and was concerned for her safety. Tucker, this was no accident. Find my daughter’s murderer.”
“Corporal Hyatt put me in charge. I will leave no stone unturned. I promise.”
“Good. I’m counting on you.” He clicked off.
No pressure. Emerson Peters was one person Tucker didn’t want to cross. He had friends in high places and was known for being ruthless.
Tucker pocketed his phone and walked back to where Madi stood.
She fisted her hands, placing them on her hips. “Leah was murdered.”
Not her too. “Why do you think that?”
Her tortured expression flashed wrenching pain. “She called me moments before her accident and told me she had incriminating evidence against her employer, Dolumhart Pharmaceuticals. She used the word tainted before I heard the crash and the call dropped. She—”
Madi looked away, but not before he saw her eyes moisten.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Another officer approached and stood in front of her. “You Madison Steele?”
“Yes.”
He handed her an envelope. “We found this in the glove box with your name on it.”
“Wait!” Tucker pulled gloves from his back pocket. “Put these on, Madi.”
She scowled.
“Sorry. Madison.” Why did he divert to using her nickname after so many years?
She put on the gloves, opened the envelope and read. A tear escaped, but she swatted it away and shoved the note to him, determination etched on her face. “I need to examine my sister’s vehicle.”
He read the note.
Sissy, if you’re reading this, I’m probably dead. They found out I stole evidence. I put it in my car in a place you once told me people hide things to smuggle across borders. Please find it and bring these criminals to justice. I love you. Come back to God. He loves you too. Remember, #SistersForever.
2I&B,
Leah xo
He held the note out to the officer. “Bag this as evidence.” He turned to Madi. “The officers will examine the car.”
She tapped her toe and folded her arms across her chest. “Tucker, tearing cars apart is a daily occurrence for a border patrol officer. I need access to her vehicle.”
“Where do you think she hid it?”
Madi adjusted her long blonde braid, pushing it to one side. “I told her a number of places, so I’m not positive which one she would have chosen.”
“Tell us and we’ll look.”
She clutched his arm. “You have to let me do this. She was my sister.”
“Fine. What tools do you need?”
“There should be some in my superintendent’s SUV.” She raced over to the CBSA vehicle and pulled out a bag from the rear.
The autumn winds swept in and scooped up Madi’s braid, thrusting it back and forth. Her small frame swayed as she headed toward him. Not much had changed in the last ten years. She still had her adorable childlike face.
Not that he was looking.
She held up the bag. “Let’s d
o this.”
Tucker requested the other constables step back to allow Officer Steele to do her examination of her sister’s car. The one paramedic continued treatment on the firefighter’s hands as the other moved their equipment back into the ambulance.
Madi worked quickly around the vehicle, tapping on the tires before moving to the bumpers and inspecting all the cracks. Next, she removed the side door panels and searched inside each one.
Nothing.
He observed Madi as she examined the seats, looking under and feeling around the crevices. She stood and wiped her forehead with the back of her gloved hand, confusion written on her face.
Would her sister have misled Madi? “Have you looked everywhere you told her?”
She twirled the end of her braid as if that helped her think. Seconds later, her steely blue eyes widened and she held up a finger. “One place I haven’t checked.” She sat back inside the car.
Tucker moved into the passenger seat. “Where are you thinking?”
“Air vents would be a good place to hide something like a flash drive, especially since it’s not hot enough for air conditioning and not cold enough for defrosting. She probably had to make a quick decision on where to put it. However, with the damage done to the front end, I’m not sure anything would be salvaged.” Madi moved her fingers around the dented vents and stopped. “There’s something there, but it’s stuck. Hand me the screwdriver from the bag.”
Tucker rummaged through and found it, then gave it to her.
She poked it into the blocked vent and pushed it to the left.
An object flew out and landed in her lap. She held it up.
A thumb drive.
“Well done, Officer Steele.” Tucker was impressed with her thoroughness.
Her lips quivered. “My sister died to protect this. I need to find out what’s on it.”
“We have to do this the right way. We’ll bag it and take it to the station.” Even if he knew she’d want to be involved, he prided himself on logging evidence correctly. Especially after the rookie mistakes he’d made in his early years when he failed to ask questions and thought he could do everything on his own only to find out his reports were incorrect and sloppy. Plus, he had missed valuable intel by not paying attention to vital details. He promised himself he’d never fall into that trap again.
Buried Evidence Page 19