Across State Lines

by C. J. Johnson

  Frankie thought for a moment before saying, “She mentioned an apartment off of Parallel. Any ideas on where she might be talking about?”

  “There are only a couple of complexes over there. I can run by and see if they can pull surveillance footage. Maybe we will get lucky. Also, I can take Heather driving around and see if she will identify anything,” O’Brien said.

  Frankie described what happened when they took her driving around.

  “For what it’s worth, I think it will help keep her focused and on point if you have Alex with you. And make sure you give her specific instructions about staying in the car. She’s a bit of a handful. Well-meaning, but a handful nonetheless.”

  “Sounds good. Did you all want to go with me when we do it?”

  “It depends on when you go, I suppose. I would appreciate any information you can share, though.”

  “Will do. Thank you for making copies for me, but I really should go and let you get back to work.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Frankie said.

  Frankie walked O’Brien to the door of the garage.

  The guard at the door said, “I was just about to call and tell you a visitor was here to see you, Frankie.”

  Chapter 39

  Frankie escorted Keeley to the interview room, where Mia waited with a notepad and a bottle of water.

  Frankie gathered Keeley’s demographic information. When she got to the space for place of employment, she was surprised to hear Keeley was a schoolteacher.

  “What grade do you teach?”

  “Kindergarten.”

  Thinking she looked familiar, Frankie asked, “What school?”

  “Crestview.”

  Frankie disguised her surprise. That was where her kids attended.

  Frankie said, “Keeley, why don’t you explain to Detective Boden and me what

  brought you here today.”

  Keeley’s hands were folded and resting on the table. Her eyes filled with tears, but none fell. She unclasped and clasped her hands multiple times before responding.

  “I think my boyfriend has been videotaping us having sex, but that’s not really why I’m here. I mean, it’s weird, but it’s the videotapes I found that made me file a report. I think he’s been videotaping more than just us.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Alexandre. Alexandre Kristoff.”

  Frankie looked at Mia. They knew the name. Kristoff owned a marketing firm and associated with executives from Stevenson Automotive. Frankie and Mia had investigated a rape case connected to a sexual harassment lawsuit involving Stevenson Automotive who had deep connections to organized crimes. During that investigation, one of their witnesses told Craven about an incident at a party at Kristoff’s house. After hearing the details, the three of them speculated the woman had been drugged and raped. She didn’t identify it that way, so no investigation had been opened. After talking to Tessa earlier that week, they were beginning to think Kristoff may also be involved in trafficking women and possibly a series of murders. So much for an easy case.

  Keeley caught the look and asked, “Do you know him?”

  “We met him during an investigation we were conducting last year.”

  “Really? He never mentioned it.” Keeley took a drink of her water and said, “ But I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. Anyway, Alexandre left to go into the office this morning but told me I could hang out at his house if I wanted to. I was going to meet a friend for lunch in Brookside, so I decided I’d relax there instead of going all the way back to my house before meeting her. He had just left when I decided to turn on the television. I was expecting to see a cable channel but instead it was me on the screen. At first, I thought I was just seeing things. As dumb as it sounds, I started to move around on the bed. For a full minute I watched myself on the television doing the same movements.

  “I grabbed a t-shirt to cover up then tried to figure out where the camera was. I looked all around his TV and finally found it hidden inside a wooden statue of a woman. I couldn’t believe it. I never gave him my permission to videotape us having sex. I was pissed, but instead of calling him I decided to see if I could find the tape and just get rid of it. I found a couple of tapes lying by the TV, so I grabbed the first one and put it inside the VCR.”

  “He has a VCR?” Mia asked.

  “Yeah. I thought it was weird too, but figured he just liked watching all the old videotapes he had. Turns out it wasn’t Top Gun he was using it for. I put the first tape in the VCR and this time it wasn’t me on the video. I am not positive, but I think it was a girl he used to date named Melissa. I wasn’t really mad at the fact that he had a video recording of her, it was the content of the video that freaked me out.”

  Frankie waited while Keeley took another drink of her water.

  “The girl looked like she was unconscious. She was just lying there naked with her eyes closed. I could see there was someone in the shadows, but I couldn’t see his face. Then Alexandre started doing stuff to her. Every now and then I would hear a grunt and see a flash like someone was taking photographs.”

  “What kind of stuff was he doing?”

  “He was putting stuff inside her vagina. He pinched her breasts and bit and twisted her nipples.”

  “Did she ever wake up, open her eyes, or respond in the video?” Frankie asked.

  “I don’t know. She seemed pretty out of it, and after a few minutes, I shut it off. I grabbed another tape and it contained a different woman. She wasn’t unconscious but she was pretty out of it. She looked like she was really drunk or maybe had been drugged. The third video contained two women.”

  “Were the videos all done in his bedroom?”

  Keeley shook her head. “No, two of them looked like his living room. The third looked like it was in his hot tub. I swear I had no idea he had video cameras in his house. I feel sick.”

  “Did it look like the women were aware they were being videotaped? Other than the one who you think was unconscious?”

  “No. If they knew, they were a lot less self-conscious than I would have been.”

  “Was there penetration in the second and third videos?”

  “In the second, he was using stuff on her. It looked like she was trying to push his hands away, but it didn’t matter; he wouldn’t stop. In the third video, he was directing the girls to do stuff to each other. I didn’t get the impression they were girlfriends either. It’s hard to explain. You’d have to see it to understand. It looked like they were high or really drunk and completely unaware.”

  Frankie began asking pointed questions about the layout of the house, weapons, animals, and the neighborhood. She was thinking they were going to have to get a search warrant, but she wanted to talk to the prosecutor first.

  Chapter 40

  “Mia, who’s the on-call SVU prosecutor this weekend?” Frankie asked.

  “Looks like it’s your favorite prosecutor, Jessica Moon.”

  “I think it might be better if you gave her a call.”

  Jessica answered the phone on the first ring.

  “Hey Jessica, it’s Detective Boden, KCPD Sex Crimes Unit. I have a case to run past you for a possible search warrant.” Mia crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out sideways. Frankie stifled a laugh.

  Mia explained the circumstances of the case and what they thought they could gain from a search warrant. When she was finished, Jessica asked a few clarifying questions before asking how long they needed to draft the warrant. She agreed to meet them at police headquarters.

  Frankie’s next call was to her supervisor, Sergeant Myles Baker. “Hey Sarge, sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but it looks like we’re going to be serving a search warrant in Brookside tonight.”

  Frankie provided Baker with all of the details, then waited. He was a man of few words who gave careful consideration before making any big decisions.

  After a few moments, Baker said, “Let’s call the on-call Tactical Response Team. This guy has a his
tory with us and based on the people he hangs out with I don’t trust him.”

  “Agreed. Are you coming in?” Frankie could hear him rustling things on his end of the phone.

  “Yeah. It’ll be an hour or so.”

  “Sounds good. You’ll be here about the same time the prosecutor gets here.”

  Mia had already started drafting the search warrant by the time Frankie disconnected the phone. Frankie called the on-call Tactical Response Team and gave their sergeant, Tony Carmody a quick synopsis of what they were looking at.

  “Let’s plan to meet at Metro Patrol in two hours to do a drive-by. That should give us plenty of time to get the judge’s signature and get there.”

  Sergeant Carmody said, “Sounds good. Call my cell if there are any changes.”

  “Will do.” Frankie disconnected the phone and turned to Mia, “What do you need me to do?”

  “Read over this and tell me what I’m forgetting.”

  They were making copies of the warrant when Sergeant Baker escorted Jessica into the squad room.

  “Good timing, we just finished.”

  Frankie was steeling herself for any pushback Jessica might give on the content of the warrant, but after reviewing the documents, she asked for a pen and signed off.

  “Need anything else,” Jessica asked.

  “Do you happen to know which Judge is on call?”

  Jessica looked in her day planner and said, “Looks like Judge Maron is on call this weekend.”

  “Thank you, that’s great. She lives in Brookside. That will make our lives a bit easier.”

  “Please give me a call and let me know what you find at the house.”

  “Will do. Thanks again.”

  Frankie and Mia grabbed their vests and started putting their duty bags together while Baker escorted Moon from the building.

  Chapter 41

  An hour later, Frankie, Mia and Baker were in the briefing room at Metro Patrol Division Station listening as Sergeant Carmody updated his team on the necessary plans in the event there was a medical emergency. Sergeant Carmody and Frankie had already conducted a drive-by of the house to ensure the description matched the house they were going to hit. The last thing any of them wanted was to make entry into the wrong house. Especially in Brookside. A fair number of attorneys and judges lived in that neighborhood and they were certain to get sued and publicly vilified if they breached the wrong door.

  “They are all yours, Frankie.”

  Frankie briefed the team on the case facts and the safety concerns based on Kristoff’s associates.

  “The victim has never known him to have any weapons, but his associates definitely do. We also know the house is wired to record. I am not 100% certain where all the cameras are, but we should assume he has them outside as well as inside so he may see you coming and may be recording.”

  “Alright men load up. You guys follow us,” Carmody waived to the detectives. Carmody looked directly at Frankie and said, “No one goes inside until we are certain it’s clear. Copy?”

  “Copy Sarge.”

  The drive to Kristoff’s house took less than ten minutes. He lived in a large three-story 1920’s neo-classical style home. As they approached, Frankie noticed not only was the front porch light illuminated, but the party lights on the back patio were illuminated as well. It was almost as though he were waiting to host a party.

  Frankie and Mia watched as Team 2 announced themselves at the front door. They were preparing to ram the door when it opened slightly. Just inside the doorway stood Alexandre Kristoff in a pair of blue jeans and white t-shirt.

  “What the he…” Kristoff began to ask.

  “Show me your hands,” shouted Carmody.

  Kristoff immediately raised his hands with a look of terror on his face.

  “He looks like he’s going to piss his pants,” Mia said.

  Team 2 searched the house for any other people, and when they were finished, they called the detectives inside. Frankie noticed the look of recognition when she approached Kristoff.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kristoff said, revealing a slight accent.

  “I guess you remember me, Mr. Kristoff. Has Sergeant Carmody advised you of the reason for the warrant?”

  “No. Is this related to those damn bitches at Stevenson? Because I have nothing to do with all that.”

  “Actually, Mr. Kristoff, this is all about you.”

  “Regarding?”

  “We will get into the details downtown but as you will see by this warrant,” Frankie held up a copy of the search warrant for Kristoff to see, “a judge has granted us authority to search your property for evidence.”

  “Are you being serious right now?”

  “Yes, we are serious.” Looking towards Carmody, Frankie asked, “Do you have a wagon coming?”

  “Yep, one’s on the way.”

  “Thanks. Mr. Kristoff, you will get a ride downtown courtesy of KCPD. Once we have concluded with the execution of the search warrant Detective Boden and I will come talk to you.

  Sergeant Carmody guided Frankie, Mia, and Baker on a walking tour of the house.

  “We didn’t see any cameras or monitors. Are you sure she was videotaped?”

  “Yeah. She said one of the cameras is in his bedroom inside the statue of a woman. Maybe he has the others cleverly hidden as well.”

  When they reached the basement, Frankie noticed a wall of painted beadboard. A padlock attached two panels.

  “What’s this?” Frankie asked.

  Carmody gave Frankie a quizzical look.

  “I can’t believe no one noticed this. Why the hell is there a lock on the wall?”

  Frankie looked closer and noticed it was a false door. Drawing her weapon, she stood back as Carmody broke the lock. Both aimed their guns at the opening the door created.

  “What the…”

  Chapter 42

  The door opened into a small cellar. The floors were bare, and the block walls were lined with two rows of wooden shelves. The first row of shelves contained numerous video cassette recorders and the second contained a monitor attached to each VCR. Most of the wires fed from the ceiling, but two wires appeared to lead outside to the backyard.

  “I can’t believe my team missed this,” Carmody said.

  “It would be easy to miss,” reassured Baker. “The door was built to blend in with the walls.”

  “I’m going to go call the Crime Scene Unit,” Mia said.

  Frankie started sketching the basement, making a note of the placement of all the electronic equipment. She scanned the walls carefully making sure there were no more hidden doorways.

  When she was finished, she started back up the stairs in time to hear Mia finishing her call with the Crime Scene Unit.

  “They aren’t coming out. There was a double homicide and an officer-involved shooting. Rhino had to call in another team to cover the scene with the officer involved. I’ve got our camera and our cars are stocked. Hopefully, this will be a pretty easy scene.”

  Frankie nodded and started sketching the main floor, taking note of the antique furnishings and the expert photography adorning the walls. It appeared as if Kristoff had traveled extensively and knew his way around a camera.

  “This guy’s photographs belong in a gallery,” Frankie said.

  “I agree,” Mia replied. “I’m going to start photographing the scene. Can everyone get outside please?”

  Frankie thanked Team 2 and watched Baker escort them outside. Frankie followed Mia, creating a log of the photographs she was taking. Baker waited with Team 2 until Mia called him back inside.

  Mia photographed the first floor before stepping into the backyard.

  “Dayum,” Frankie said.

  “Looks like he was gearing up for one hell of a party,” Mia said.

  A cooler full of ice and bottled beer sat next to the tiki-style bar on the patio. Twinkle lights were strung over the bar, by the pool and over the pergola covering the
hot tub. A rock fountain poured water into a softly lit pool. A sandpit with a volleyball net flanked the pool deck. A covered stage stood at the edge of the court, seemingly waiting for a band to walk on and perform.

  “The only thing missing are the people,” Frankie said.

  “No kidding. It’s almost like he was planning to have a party tonight. I guess we foiled his plans.”

  Frankie started looking at the fencing surrounding the pool, shining her flashlight across metal rods. About midway between the fence, near the gate, the light reflected back at a different angle. A small camera, almost imperceptible, was located on one of the iron posts. Baker looked around the post and located a cable in the seams of the concrete. He followed the cable to a basement window.

  Frankie followed the same process on the pergola over the hot tub. The camera was hidden almost directly above the hot tub. The cable led to the same basement window.

  “Looks like we found the two outside. Based on the monitors, there should be at least three, possibly four inside. We can speculate the one in the master bedroom may be recording there. Based on what Keeley described, there should be one in the living room. I’m not sure where the others will be.”

  The trio located the camera in the living room easily and moved the search to the second floor. The second camera was easy to find in the bedroom since Keeley had told them where to look. With it identified, they started methodically searching the rest of the house.

  Kristoff’s home office was located on the third floor of the house. Frankie scanned the space carefully. Something about the space made a chill run down her spine.

  Kristoff’s home office was not in keeping with the rest of his house. There were file folders stacked around the room and miscellaneous papers scattered across his large library-style desk. Two wingback chairs flanked the desk, and a large, plush rug covered the floor.

  After Mia photographed the space, Frankie began scanning the documents and files scattered about the desk. As she navigated herself around the desk, she bumped into the mouse pad lying on the desk, causing the two monitors atop the desk to wake up.