“I’m working on it,” Cal said. “I just need a good strategy.”
“And do you have a good lawyer?”
“He’s not half bad, but that may not matter if they have their way with me. I think they want to make an example out of me.”
“Well, good luck. Maybe things will go your way and you can take me to lunch one day after you get out.”
“Whenever that will be,” Cal said.
Quay nodded knowingly. “It probably won’t be as long as you think.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
* * *
AN HOUR PASSED before Cal saw another medical staff member. However, during that time he also plotted his escape from the hospital and FBI custody.
When the agent outside seemed engrossed in a texting conversation on his phone, Cal got up to stretch. Next, he snatched the scrubs off the back of the door and tucked them behind his pillow. Moments later, Cal slyly slipped beneath the covers where he removed his hospital-issued gown and put the scrubs on. He then put the gown over them and remained in the bed.
All Cal could do was wait for the right moment to make his getaway—but he needed a nurse or a physician’s assistant to stop by in order to pull off the ruse. Five minutes later, he got his wish.
A nurse and a physician’s assistant entered the room together to check Cal’s vitals. Cal held his arm out and waited for them to record everything. However, the instant they finished and turned their back on him, Cal used a paperclip he’d lifted off his chart and escaped from the handcuffs. He then eased out from underneath the covers, ripped the gown off, and tossed it aside. He proceeded to secure a mask over his face and followed the pair out of the room.
Cal gave a quick glance down at the agent, who remained fixated on his phone and never looked up. It wasn’t until Cal turned the corner that he exhaled. He took a few seconds to gather his wits before breezing past the triage station where a lone nurse was in the middle of a phone call. Cal waited until she was focused on her computer before he reached over the desk and swiped a cell phone lying behind the counter.
He swung around the corner and fired off a quick text message to Kelly:
Meet me in loading dock behind Virginia Mason off Terry St in 15 min
She replied back quickly:
Who is this?
He answered:
Cal
Cal ducked into a break room and poured a cup of coffee. He kept his head down and avoided making eye contact while he hid out there for a few minutes. After settling into a chair in the corner where he flipped through a magazine briefly, he got up when no one was paying him any attention and swapped the cell phone he’d lifted with one lying out on the counter.
He returned to his chair and was nursing his drink when the physician’s assistant who had attended him earlier approached his table.
“You look familiar,” she said, eyeing Cal closely.
He shook his head. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
She looked him up and down. “No, I’m pretty sure I know you.”
“I doubt it. I just started last week. My name’s Chet Hollister.”
“Lacy Richards,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand.
Cal went to shake hers but then realized his ID bracelet was still on. He stopped short.
“I haven’t washed my hands,” he said.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “I never forget a person’s hands. I do know you.”
Cal swallowed hard and then cocked his head to one side as he furrowed his brow. “I’m pretty sure we’ve never met.”
“No, you’re that guy in FBI custody.”
Cal scowled. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a guy on this floor in FBI custody. You’re him. I know it.”
“I don’t think you’re as good at remembering a person’s hands as you think you are.”
“No, I am. You’re him. You’re that Cal Murphy guy.”
“Okay, this is starting to border on badgering.”
“Then why don’t you go report it to our supervisor. What’s his name again?”
Cal was busted, and he knew it. He had to think fast. “I’m not reporting anything right now, but I’m leaving. My break is over. So, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”
She slid in front of him. “Not so fast,” she said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“I will report this,” he said as he glared at her.
“I’m not scared.”
Cal feigned to his left, coaxing Richards to move that way. He then darted back right and broke into a full sprint as he shot into the hallway.
“Security!” she cried as she ran after him. “Security! Stop that man! He’s a criminal!”
Cal didn’t look behind him but could tell that Richards had managed to convince enough people that she was right based on the footsteps he heard thundering behind him. He rounded the corner and noticed an open closet door. He dashed inside and heard his pursuers rumble past.
He waited for a half a minute before easing out of the closet and moving in a different direction. With his opportunity to escape winnowed by Richards’ sharp eye, he had to hit the street and jump straight in Kelly’s car. Otherwise, he stood a greater chance of getting caught.
With his head on a swivel, he ducked into another break room and threw a white doctor’s coat over his scrubs. He grabbed a file folder that had been stuffed into a box outside a patient’s room and studied it as he walked, hoping to blend in to the hospital environs. After a half a minute of avoiding detection, he noticed the exit sign lit up over the stairwell entrance and strode straight for it.
Galloping down the stairs, he was only one flight from reaching the bottom when he heard a familiar voice from above, followed by frantic footfalls.
“Hold it right there, Murphy,” the FBI agent barked.
Cal kept moving but looked up over his shoulder to note that the agent was positioned about five floors higher but descending quickly. There was still time to escape, but not much.
Ignoring the agent’s orders, Cal continued racing downward before he hit the door hard. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the FBI agent would come barreling after them.
Yet when Cal reached the back alleyway, there was no Kelly.
Where is she?
CHAPTER 26
KELLY GLANCED UP at the changing traffic light and stomped on the gas. She didn’t need to think about whether or not to stop. Although Kelly didn’t exactly approve of Cal escaping FBI custody, she wasn’t going to leave him stranded either. And based on the urgent nature of his message, he needed her five minutes ago.
Kelly was glad she’d kept her Dodge Charger for a moment such as this, though Cal had been the one driving it the most over the past few years. Getting Maddie in and out of the backseat wasn’t easy, which led Kellie to lobby Cal for a mid-size SUV as her primary vehicle. He didn’t mind trading in his car so he could drive the Charger. But Kelly knew that they wouldn’t be able to use it much longer as the FBI would surely put out an APB on it.
Enjoy it while you can.
She approached another intersection where the light turned yellow and jammed her foot on the accelerator, speeding through to safety. A few blocks later, she whipped the steering wheel hard to the left and turned onto Terry Street. Slowing down to look for the loading docks, she identified them and roared up to it. She hadn’t come to a complete stop before Cal was pulling on the handle of the passenger side door.
She hit the button to unlock the door, allowing him access. Cal scrambled inside, shouting instructions as he did.
“Let’s go, let’s go,” he said. “Somebody’s chasing me.”
Kelly didn’t need to be told twice, throwing her car into reverse and backing out onto the street. After straightening the wheel, she floored the gas pedal as the car lurched forward.
“What are you doing, Cal?” Kelly asked. “What are we doing?”
“Just a little
Bonnie and Clyde action. You know how much I love them.”
“Seriously, Cal, what are we doing?”
“We’re proving that I didn’t kill those three people they’re accusing me of murdering. You know I didn’t do it, too. We have to prove my innocence because no one else is going to do it for me—and I can’t do it while under lock and key in a federal prison.”
Kelly ran her fingers through her hair. “This is insane, Cal. We haven’t had time to plan any of this out.”
“I have,” Cal snapped. “I’ve had more than enough time to piece together how this is going to play out, provided things go how I want them to.”
“That never happens.”
He shrugged. “It’s our best bet at this point.”
Cal rolled down his window and reached into the console to retrieve Kelly’s phone. After turning it off, he tossed it out the window.
“What are you doing?” she cried. “We need that phone.”
Cal dug into his pocket and fished out another mobile device.
“Is that the phone you texted me on?” she asked.
“Come on,” Cal said. “Give me more credit than that.”
“Good. All the FBI would’ve had to do was look up my text records and see the number of the last phone that messaged me.”
“I’m one step ahead of you, honey,” Cal said as he powered down the phone he had. “I grabbed this phone only in case of an emergency.”
“Well, I don’t know if we’ve ever been in a situation quite like this one, but I’d say this qualifies as an emergency.”
“No, this is our new normal, at least until we can prove who’s trying to frame me.”
Kelly smiled and nodded knowingly. “Well, you just might be in luck since I think I figured out why Chase Dollinger was murdered.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” Cal said. “Out with it.”
“I’m calling this my Shoeless Joe Jackson theory.”
She waited for everything to click in Cal’s mind.
“Ah,” he said as a grin spread across his face. “If you’re right, you’re a genius. You think he took money to throw the game but changed his mind when it came time to do it?”
“Exactly,” she said, pounding her fist on the steering wheel. “When I started to think about the money, it all made sense.”
“Did you tell Buckman about this?” he asked.
She nodded. “He was a little cynical, unsure of why anyone would jeopardize their entire future over a small sum compared to what they could make in the long run.”
“That’s a good point. Taking a bribe made sense back in 1919 when those players didn’t make that much money. Guys played it simply because they loved the game. There wasn’t even an opportunity to earn even a fraction of today’s equivalent salaries.”
“Yes, but if you look at that Seattle lineup, these guys are young and playing for next to nothing, especially in comparison to some of the game’s biggest stars. They might be making four hundred grand if they’re lucky this season. And that doesn’t go nearly as far as everyone might think it does.”
“But still, why risk it all?”
Kelly wagged her index finger. “They may not have seen it as a risk. Nobody expected the Mariners to make the playoffs this season.”
“Nobody ever expects the Mariners to make the playoffs,” Cal quipped.
“Yes—but especially not this season. This team just came together out of nowhere and surprised everyone. So, it’s not hard to imagine someone waving millions of dollars in their face and telling them that no one will really question if they threw a game since they’re all so young. Fans and commentators alike would blame a loss on nerves or inexperience instead of suspecting that the game was intentionally thrown.”
“But that’s still risky because if they got caught, their careers would be over. Every player is educated on the dangers of throwing games or gambling on their own sport.”
“I thought about that too,” Kelly said. “And then I thought what if the people doing this could protect the players from ever getting caught?”
“Who really has that kind of power?”
“Somebody does—and I think they were pretty upset that Chase Dollinger screwed them over. And they’re hell-bent on making sure we don’t expose them either.”
Cal shifted in his seat. “I like where you’re going with this, but we need some proof—at least that’s what Jarrett Anderson told me.”
“You spoke to Jarrett?” Kelly asked, wide-eyed.
“He was in town for something and stopped by when he heard I was being held for arraignment.”
“Did he believe you that this is all a bunch of ginned-up charges?”
Cal nodded. “He said he was going to try and help me out but if I didn’t hear something by Sunday afternoon to consider other measures.”
“He told you to break out?”
“Not in so many words, but I got his drift. My situation wouldn’t improve since the bureau thought they had their guy. Catching murderers on an Indian Reservation is apparently a high priority on their list. Add to that two other related deaths and wham—you’ve got a career-making arrest on your hands.”
“Is that what you think is going on in this case?”
“Agent Linderman who arrested me is definitely concerned with making a name for herself. I just happened to be the easy target. You’re really lucky that you weren’t with me when I interviewed the other two victims. Otherwise, they might have arrested you as well.”
Kelly furrowed her brow. “Now that I think about it, it’s strange that the FBI didn’t question me further about you. They only had a few brief questions for me when they tried to arrest you at the house.”
“That’s why I think you’re right about the amount of power possessed by the person pulling all the strings in this case. So, we better get moving.”
Kelly skidded to a stop in the clubhouse parking lot of her mother’s neighborhood.
Cal scowled. “What are we doing here?”
“You swapped out phones. We need to swap out cars. Come on.”
She led him down the street to her mother’s house, where the lights were all out.
“She’s already asleep,” Kelly whispered before punching in the code on the keypad. “We’ll take my dad’s old car. Mom can’t bring herself to get rid of it after he died, so I doubt she’ll miss it.”
The garage door hummed as it drew open. The keys were stashed in the console, right where her father had left it that evening he came home and later dropped dead of a heart attack. It had been two years since his death, but Kelly’s mother still hadn’t fully moved on.
“You sure this isn’t going to freak out your mom?” Cal asked. “We don’t need her losing her marbles while she’s taking care of Maddie for us.”
“She’ll be fine. I’m sure she’ll figure out what’s going on once this hits the news.”
“Speaking of which,” Cal said, “we need to hurry because we won’t have much time once everyone figures out we’re missing.”
“We don’t need that much if we look in the right place.”
Cal climbed in the passenger seat, relinquishing the driving honors to Kelly, who loved her father’s old silver Porsche Boxster.
“I hope you have a good idea of where to start.”
She pressed the ignition button, and the car roared to life. “I sure do,” she said. “We’re going to see Hugh Dollinger.”
CHAPTER 27
OVER THE HOUR-LONG DRIVE to Hugh Dollinger’s ranch, Cal and Kelly discussed all the possible suspects capable of orchestrating such a scheme. There were plenty of names bandied about, all of which resulted in a reluctance to agree that one particular party was likely. To Cal, all the suspects seemed possible yet none felt certain.
“I hope Hugh can shed some light on our theory,” Cal said. “He has to know something.”
Cal wanted to call Hugh to give him a heads up that they were coming but hesitated in case the feds
were monitoring his calls as well.
When Kelly finally pulled into the driveway, the gate was locked, which didn’t feel all that unusual. However, the lights around the home were all on, and the family dog was baying mournfully in the chilly night air.
Cal scrambled over the gate and then turned to help Kelly. When he looked back, she wasn’t there.
“Come on,” she called.
He spun around to see that she had a ten-yard headstart and heading toward the house. Cal hustled to catch up with her.
“Something’s not right,” Cal said.
“You’re telling me.”
“I’ve never heard Boomer bark like that.”
Kelly chuckled.
“What?” Cal asked.
“You know the name of the Dollinger’s dog?”
“You would too if you read all my stories. I did a feature on Chase and Boomer a few years ago. They were ice fishing up in Canada one weekend, and Boomer fell in. Chase didn’t hesitate, going into the freezing waters to save him.”
Cal strained to see up ahead, finally catching sight of Boomer standing over something.
“Is that Hugh?” Cal wondered aloud.
Sensing something was seriously wrong, he kicked up his speed a notch, pumping his arms as he raced up the driveway. As he got closer, he noticed Boomer was standing over Hugh.
Cal knelt down next to Hugh and checked for a pulse on his neck. His heart was beating strong, but there was blood everywhere. A few seconds later, Kelly arrived.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“I think so, but we need to get him inside.”
Cal and Kelly worked in tandem to move Hugh to the couch in the family room. Kelly found some towels, wash cloths, and a basin for hot water, while Cal tried to get Hugh more comfortable before suturing the wound.
Pulling up a chair next to Hugh, Kelly began to gently clean his face. After a few minutes, he regained consciousness and looked wide-eyed at his caretakers.
“What’s going on?” Hugh asked as he attempted to get up before grimacing in pain.
“Easy there,” Cal said. “You need to stay right where you are.”
Dead on Arrival Page 14
