by K Carothers
“Can we come in?”
Luke looked over toward the now partially open curtain, and all humor faded from his expression. It was time to get back to business. “Of course, Sheriff.”
Erin stood up as a woman decked out in full uniform walked in. She was slightly taller than her and probably around sixty, with medium length white hair and brown eyes that matched the color of her shirt. Despite her formal appearance, though, she smiled warmly when their gazes met.
“You must be Dr. Pryce,” she said, holding out a hand. “Ellen Gaines.”
Erin returned the handshake, impressed by the strength she felt in the other woman’s grip. She had a feeling the sheriff could hold her own with anyone—no matter how warm her smile was. “Please, call me Erin.”
A dark-haired, ruggedly handsome man in a shirt and tie followed the sheriff in and shook Erin’s hand as well, his deep-set blue eyes dancing with humor. “Special Agent Joe Halliday. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Erin could only imagine. “Are you from the FBI?”
“No, DCI—Division of Criminal Investigation. We’re part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. But I’ve been working with a regional drug task force for a while now, so Sheriff Gaines called me in.”
Luke gave the agent a half-smile. “Although right now it looks like you’re more interested in gawking at my girlfriend, Halliday.”
Joe chuckled. “If you haven’t noticed, your girlfriend is a hell of a lot prettier than you, Mathis. And a woman who can fight off a criminal with one hand and a bear with the other has got my attention, that’s for sure.”
“What happened with a bear?” Luke asked, looking up at Erin in surprise.
She shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed as all four of them gave her their undivided attention. This was clearly their kind of thing. “Nothing happened, really. A bear and her cub showed up, and I just pointed a stick at the mother bear until she left with her cub. That’s it.” She was definitely a lot better at telling ER stories.
Joe came over to the bed and shook Luke’s hand, clapping him on the shoulder. “I heard you had some excitement yourself, old man. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Shit, who are you calling an old man, old man?” Luke quipped. “What do you have, like ten years on me?”
“Not quite,” Joe said with a laugh. “I’ve still got a few years left before I hit the big four-oh.” Then he sat on the edge of the bed and his expression sobered. “Sheriff Gaines filled me in about the drugs. We’ve already been in to see Wayne and Jesse. But Wayne’s still pretty confused thanks to your girlfriend—although he had a few more colorful things to say about the bear and seems to think she killed it with her bare hands, no pun intended. And Jesse Torres isn’t talking at all. Any idea where they got them from?”
“Yeah, I know who the supplier is.” Luke turned to Erin. “Tell them what Jesse said.”
Once again, all eyes were on her. Erin wished she at least had a white coat on. “He said Wayne got involved with heroin sometime after Christmas and figured out it was the mayor who was distributing drugs to the dealers. He stole the bag from his house the night he helped Jesse escape.”
“You have got to be shitting me,” the sheriff said, crossing her arms. “The task force has been working this case hard for over a year and a half, getting nowhere, yet some punk-ass kid could figure it out all by himself? And then he still had enough time on his hands to assault an officer, help Torres escape, and probably kill the mayor’s wife?”
Joe’s lips twisted into an acerbic smile. “No matter how good our undercover agents are, there’s still no substitute for the real thing.”
“Frank Murdock had help from the inside, Joe. That’s why you weren’t getting anywhere,” Luke said. “Torres told Erin there’s a dirty cop involved, but he didn’t know who it was.”
Joe turned to Erin. “Did he give you any other names at all?”
“No,” she responded, feeling guiltier than ever. She knew there were probably a lot of names on that flash drive.
“Think about it,” Luke told him. “The only way they could’ve stayed a step ahead of us all the time was if they had information about exactly what the task force was doing. So I’ll bet the cop we’re dealing with is on it. And he’s probably the one with the closest ties to the mayor.”
Joe whistled softly. “The narcotics investigator for New Dublin.”
“Who happens to be our assistant chief of police,” Luke said with a grimace. “And he wouldn’t give up doing narcotics after he got promoted or add more staff like we needed. No wonder.”
The sheriff slowly shook her head. “Ed Finks. The man always was way too cocky for his own good.”
“He drives down to Mexico every three or four months, supposedly to visit friends,” Luke told them. “My guess is that he brings the drugs across the border himself, cutting out the middle man to improve their profit margin. I’ll bet he even uses his badge to help get him past border patrol. And he just so happens to be returning from another one of those trips tomorrow. Erin said Wayne was supposed to meet the mayor at Maguire Park on Monday to exchange the drugs for money. I’m sure Frank was waiting until Ed got back so he could help him take Wayne out. There’s no way in hell they would’ve let that kid go free. He knows too much.”
“Wayne told Jesse he thought they might try to ambush him,” Erin said. “So they went up to Eagle River and stole a gun and a car from Wayne’s brother. Then they came back and hid in the woods.”
Luke let out a bitter laugh. “That figures. We spent a day and a half searching the woods up in Eagle River, and it turns out they were down in these woods the whole time.”
“Erin, would you mind stepping out for a bit?” Sheriff Gaines asked. “You’ve been a tremendous help, but we’ve got some confidential police matters to discuss. And please keep what you have heard to yourself.”
Luke took her hand. “Maybe give us an hour or so? I’m sure my parents would love to have you join them for coffee.”
Concern immediately filled Erin’s eyes. “Just make sure if you start having symptoms again you get someone in here right away.”
“I will,” he said with a reassuring smile, giving her hand one last squeeze before she left.
He turned back to the others afterward, and his smile vanished. “Until those boys start talking, all we’ve really got is a bag full of drugs. Everything is circumstantial. But I don’t think we can wait and set up a sting at the park tomorrow. This town is too small, and the mayor is bound to find out about Wayne before then— especially if it turns out Ed is nothing more than a cocky son of a bitch after all, and our dirty cop is someone else.”
“Do you think Jeff Kilbride could be involved?” the sheriff asked.
“A week ago I wouldn’t have thought he was capable of it,” Luke told her. “But nothing would surprise me anymore. Jeff is good friends with the mayor, and he does tend to let other people influence him more than he should.”
“Which is a polite way of saying he’s more wishy-washy than a laundromat,” Melinda commented dryly.
“In any case, Jeff went to visit his son in Minneapolis for the weekend,” Luke said. “And it might turn out to be a good thing. It’ll keep him out of the loop for now.”
Sheriff Gaines stared at him in disbelief. “Your department is knee-deep in a murder investigation and the vicious assault of an officer, and had two fugitives on the loose at the time, and your chief decided to go visit his son in Minneapolis for the weekend? When this is all over Jeff Kilbride will be out of a job, I can promise you that.”
“First things first: We need to bring the mayor in,” Joe said, turning to Luke. “How much longer do they want to keep you here?”
Luke winced. “Another couple of hours.”
Joe nodded thoughtfully. “I think you’re right about the mayor; we don’t
have much time before he catches wind of all this and runs.” He shifted his gaze to the sheriff. “Why don’t you and I bring him in now for questioning, and Luke can meet us at your office when he’s cleared. We’ve got enough probable cause to hold him for twenty-four hours. In the meantime we can discreetly track Ed down, or at least have a nice little surprise party waiting for him when he gets home tomorrow.” He smiled wryly at Bandit. “And I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun looking for any souvenirs Ed brings back, won’t you, boy?”
The big dog let out a bark in response, enthusiastically wagging his tail.
* * *
Apparently lawyers didn’t work much on Saturdays—well, except for personal injury lawyers. They seemed to be available twenty-four hours a day.
Erin sat in the hospital lobby and tucked her phone back into her purse with a sigh after she got yet another voicemail. She probably wouldn’t be able to find Jesse a lawyer until Monday, and she had no idea what they were going to do in the meantime. The longer they withheld the flash drive, the more Luke’s investigation might be compromised. But on the other hand, it was Jesse’s best chance to get his life back.
In any case, she needed to speak to the Torres family about where things stood, and the prospect filled her with dread. Police were all over the place, and it would be impossible to keep her identity hidden.
She stood up, eyeing the elevator, and thought about getting on it. But she ended up taking the stairs instead—now wasn’t exactly a good time to work on self-improvement.
When she reached the medical floor the unit clerk directed her to Jesse’s room, and she nervously headed in the same direction as two sheriff’s deputies.
There was a family lounge on the right side of the hallway, and as she was about to pass it she heard a woman inside say, “I can’t take Wayne’s case, not without a three-thousand-dollar retainer fee this time.”
Erin abruptly came to a halt. She paused indecisively a moment, but then went over and glanced into the room.
“I told you, I don’t have three dollars, much less three thousand,” a man was angrily saying. Another woman stood next to him, and the lawyer—who Erin presumed was the infamous Meredith Armstrong—had her back to the door as the man spoke. “It’s not fuckin’ right. You can’t just leave Wayne high and dry like this.”
Erin hastily moved away from the doorway before she was noticed, and continued to listen.
“As I told you and your wife, Mr. Raabe, Wayne has gotten himself into serious trouble, and it’s going to take a lot of work to minimize the damage. There’s also some serious risk here, given every cop in this town wants to see him hang. And I won’t take that risk for free—not for your son or anyone. But I’ll refer you to someone who might be willing to defend him.” Erin heard her briefly shuffle through a bag. “Here’s his name and number. He’s young, but he’s a good lawyer.”
“Hah, a good lawyer! I’ll tell you where I can find a good lawyer,” Mr. Raabe venomously returned. “In the same place I can find goddamned fairies and unicorns, that’s where. C’mon Candy, let’s get the hell out of here!”
Erin stepped farther away from the door and quickly pulled out her phone, pretending to be busy looking something up as the couple left the room.
“You know what you call a lawyer on the bottom of the ocean?” Mr. Raabe yelled back in. “A fuckin’ good start!” And with that he roughly grabbed his wife by the arm and jerked her down the hallway.
Erin caught the strong odor of alcohol as they walked by. Both were disheveled appearing and had clearly invested more money in alcohol than in clothes or personal hygiene products. Wayne’s dad had greasy, dark hair that clearly hadn’t been washed or combed in days, maybe even weeks, and wore a T-shirt and sweat pants that were just as filthy, while the woman was in pajamas.
Their son hadn’t stood a chance in life, Erin thought as she watched them. And in that moment she forgave Wayne Raabe for all the terror he’d put her through in the woods.
A few seconds later she heard the lawyer start talking on her cell phone in the room, and she frantically thought about what to do next. If Meredith Armstrong really was in there, then it was her son who’d shot Jesse. There was no way she would take his case…Or maybe there was.
Oh God, I hope Luke forgives me for this, Erin silently prayed. And after taking a deep breath, she walked into the room.
The woman was just putting her phone away and looked up.
Erin met her cold, dark eyes and couldn’t get a word out.
Silence hung in the air a moment, and then the lawyer impatiently asked, “Can I help you?” But her tone clearly indicated that she would rather not.
Erin mentally shook herself. “Are you—are you Meredith Armstrong?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“I—I’d rather not say. But Jesse Torres needs a lawyer, and I think you’re the only one who can help him right now.”
Meredith laughed derisively. “Are you out of your mind? He shot my son.”
Erin eased the lounge door shut and turned back to face her, taking a few steps closer. “Do you know why that gunfight really happened?”
Meredith stared at her through narrowed eyes. “Let me guess, you’re going to tell me.”
“Jesse Torres is gay. He told your son earlier this year, and Connor has been bullying him about it ever since. Jesse finally had enough, and that’s why he challenged him to a gunfight. The thing is, if—or when—all of that comes out, it’s going to be really bad for Connor, especially since he almost killed Jesse because he’s gay. Don’t they have special laws about that sort of thing?”
Meredith didn’t bother to answer, but instead said, “So your plan is to blackmail me into defending Torres, is it?”
“No, I’m just telling you why it would be in your best interest to help him. And there’s more to the story,” Erin added. “Did you know your ex-husband had been running a drug ring, and both Connor and Jesse know he’s dealing drugs? Jesse was going to blow the whistle on him if Connor didn’t agree to the gunfight.”
Meredith said nothing in response, her expression clearly shocked, and Erin wondered if a lawyer had ever been speechless before.
“Wayne Raabe stole a bag of drugs from the mayor’s house after he got Jesse out of the hospital,” she continued. “But he stole something else—a flash drive the police don’t know about. Jesse said it contains files about the mayor’s involvement in drugs, and other things as well. Only he and Wayne know where it is, and I told Jesse not to say anything until he has a lawyer who can get him a plea bargain. I’m sure in exchange for your help he won’t say anything about what Connor did, and would probably even put in a good word for him—though I do hope your son gets some help for his own problems.”
“Fine. I’ll take the kid’s case and get him a deal.” Meredith brushed past her and opened the door. “I’ll go talk to him now.”
“Another thing,” Erin said, stopping the other woman in her tracks. “I doubt Jesse has the money to pay for this. If you do it for free, maybe you can convince his parents not to file a lawsuit against you.”
Meredith gave her a long, icy stare. Then she nodded curtly and left the room.
Erin collapsed into a nearby chair afterward, letting out a weary sigh. She really needed to get back to practicing medicine.
* * *
“You look exhausted, honey,” Luke said as they sat in his ER room waiting for the nurse to bring in his discharge paperwork. “Why don’t you head home now? I have to go straight to the Sheriff’s Office anyway. I’ll come over as soon as I can.”
Erin shook her head. “No, I’ll stay until—”
Scott Ripley suddenly burst into the room, interrupting her. “You’re not going to believe this, Luke, but Meredith Armstrong dumped Wayne Raabe as a client. Now she’s representing Jesse Torres.”
Luke stood
up. “You’ve got to be kidding. Why?”
“Because of a flash drive Raabe stole from Frank the night he broke into his house. Apparently there’s a shitload of evidence on it about the drug ring, along with Frank’s other activities. Meredith went up to see Raabe right after he got admitted, and even though he’s mostly been talking like an idiot, he must’ve said something about it. But my guess is that he didn’t tell her where it was, so she went to Torres. And sure enough, she got him to tell her everything.”
“Did they turn over the flash drive?” Luke asked.
“No. Torres says it’s in the trunk of the car Raabe stole from his brother. They hid it near a hunting shack in the woods, and half the Sheriff’s Department just went out looking for it.”
Luke smiled grimly, shaking his head. “So Meredith is defending Torres, who shot her son, all out of revenge against Frank. It makes me wonder if she didn’t have something to do with Tina’s murder after all.”
“Oh, revenge is just the icing on the cake,” Scott said. “The DA is up in Torres’ room right now, and they agreed on a plea bargain that puts him on probation until he’s eighteen, with a clean record after that, in exchange for full cooperation with us, disclosing the whereabouts of the flash drive, and testimony against Wayne. And Meredith convinced the DA to give Connor the same deal since Torres instigated the shooting.”
“Son of a bitch!” Luke cursed. “Those boys shot each other. And it could easily have been Torres who cut Ben up, not Raabe. Shit, maybe he even killed Tina Murdock—he was there too. Or Connor could’ve done it. And now both of them are basically getting off scot-free? It’s bullshit!” He turned to Erin, who looked up at him like a deer in the headlights. “Can you grab my discharge paperwork? I need to go find out what the hell is going on.” Then he stormed out of the room before she could respond.