Scene of the Crime

by Sharon Dunn

  “Sounds good. I know where that is.” Jackson keyed the radio to talk to Dispatch. “We’re headed to the greenhouses off New York Avenue. Sergeant Sutherland said he’d send another unit.”

  “Detective Walker is back in that area now. I’ll have him meet you there,” the dispatcher said.

  “Ten-Four,” Jackson responded. He stared through the windshield of the SUV and sped up.

  “Wow this is pretty big,” Jackson said as they neared the entrance to the nursery.

  “The ad said 20,000 square feet.” It looked like there were enclosed greenhouses and well as some outdoor plant areas. The delivery vans were parked in the lot in front of the third greenhouse, just like the picture had shown.

  They pulled into the gravel lot where Tyler Walker was already parked. He stood outside his vehicle, Dusty on a leash.

  The knot in Darcy’s stomach grew even tighter as she pushed open the passenger’s-side door and stepped down.

  Jackson and Smokey came to stand beside her as she stared at the delivery vans. There were no people inside the vans or around them. “He might be out on deliveries.”

  “Maybe, but we’ve got to start somewhere,” Jackson said.

  Tyler stepped over to them. “Dusty and I will go have a look at those vans. There might be paint residue from your truck. Do you remember what part of the van hit your truck?”

  Both of them shook their heads.

  “We were hit from behind,” Jackson said.

  Tyler trotted off with Dusty in tow. Every time Darcy saw Tyler and Dusty together, she thought about that saying that owners looked like their dogs. Tyler’s blond hair was the same color as the golden retriever’s fur.

  Jackson peered inside the greenhouse. “Looks like there is someone in there watering plants. Let’s go describe the guy to her to see if she knows who we’re talking about.”

  “Okay, but the description will be kind of basic. Like I said, if I saw the guy, I would know that it was him.”

  The greenhouse worker looked to be a woman of about forty. She wore a straw hat and baggy coveralls and a checked shirt. She filled a water can up from a spigot, smiling when Jackson and Darcy came toward her. Her gaze rested on Smokey for a moment. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m Officer Davison from the Brooklyn K-9 Unit. Are you in charge around here?”

  The woman nodded and held out her hand to Jackson. “I’m Lynn Costello, the owner.”

  “We’re looking for one of your delivery drivers who may have been involved in an accident earlier today.”

  The woman put down her watering can. “Are you saying one of my drivers left the scene of an accident?”

  “We don’t know anything for sure. We just need to question the man.” Jackson turned to Darcy. “This woman was involved in the accident. She saw one of your delivery trucks and the driver.”

  Jackson was doing what police officers did best, trying not to raise alarm bells so the suspect wouldn’t be warned and have a chance to bolt.

  Darcy stepped forward. “He had short dark hair, sort of shiny. Medium build. He had on a blue shirt.”

  The woman straightened and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “All the drivers wear the blue shirts. And you are describing at least three of the guys who do deliveries for us.”

  As Darcy had feared, finding the driver would not be straightforward.

  “Are any of the men who fit that description here right now or due to return anytime soon?” Jackson asked.

  Darcy appreciated that he wasn’t going to give up easily.

  “The drivers pick their stuff up early in the morning and then are out for most of the day. Unless, for some reason, we don’t have the usual number of orders. I’d have to check, but think all the trucks went out full this morning.”

  “But there are trucks sitting over by that other greenhouse,” Jackson noted.

  “You know, I’d have to check the log to find out if someone came back early. Don’t recall any of the trucks looking like they’d been in a crash. I don’t pay that much attention to the delivery trucks coming and going. I’m in the greenhouse some of the time and in office the rest of the time.” The woman picked up her watering can with a jerky motion, indicating that she was becoming a little irritated with Jackson’s questions. “Some of those trucks need repairs and others are for overflow days.”

  Jackson pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket. “We’d like to question the three men who might match this woman’s description.” He pointed at Darcy.

  The woman took the card and put it in her shirt pocket. “If one of my drivers left the scene of an accident, that is a serious offense. I just can’t believe one of them would do that.”

  Jackson pulled out a notebook and pen. “Could you give me the names of the three who fit the description we gave you?”

  “Joe Donnelly, Angus Graft and Spencer Fisher.”

  “Thank you so much for your time,” Jackson said.

  “If you will excuse me, I have a great deal of work to do.” After grabbing her watering can, she turned and walked down one of the aisles that contained rows of pink carnations.

  Darcy and Jackson turned toward the entrance of the greenhouse. A single pink carnation lay on the dirt floor of the greenhouse. Jackson reached down and picked it up. He handed it to Darcy. “It’s your color.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you.” It was such an impulsive thing to do but, for some reason, receiving a flower from Jackson, even one that had probably fallen out of a bouquet, made her heart flutter. If only he wasn’t a police officer, she could see herself wanting for them to be more than just friends.

  They stepped outside. Detective Walker and Dusty stood some distance away by their vehicle. He shook his head, meaning he hadn’t found anything.

  Jackson shook his head, as well. Both officers loaded their dogs into the K-9 vehicles before getting in behind the wheel.

  Jackson turned to face Darcy. “That wasn’t a dead end. We’ve got some names to go on.”

  She still held the carnation. “I know. I’m not giving up.”

  Jackson turned the key in the ignition and looked over his shoulder to check behind him.

  Darcy looked through the windshield. Detective Walker had already pulled out onto the street when a delivery van pulled into the parking lot with the other vans. She could just make out the man behind the wheel as he reached to open the door and get out. He had black hair.

  “That’s him,” she said. “That’s the man who caused the accident.”

  SIX

  Jackson snapped his head around in time to see the driver, who had just arrived, slam his door shut and hit the gas. The van’s tires spat up gravel as he peeled toward the street, swerving around Tyler’s vehicle and almost hitting an oncoming car.

  Jackson turned and headed out after the speeding florist’s van. Tyler must have deduced that something was up because he sped up, as well.

  Tyler slipped in front of the van and Jackson pulled up to its side in an effort to box him in and force him to stop. The driver of the van did a sharp turn off the street. Jackson noted the sign that said Wingate Park was within blocks, cranked his steering wheel and followed, pressing the gas. The van headed toward the park but veered off the street and drove over the grass past a racquetball court. Alarmed park-goers scrambled to get out of the path of the van as Jackson followed it onto the grass.

  Staying on the street, Tyler did a wide arc with his vehicle, trying to head the van off once it got on the other side of the park. The van dipped down into a culvert but didn’t come up the other side. Either the guy had stalled out his motor or he was stuck.

  Jackson stopped his vehicle. Having seen from the street what happened, Tyler moved in closer still in his SUV.

  The van driver spun his tires for only a few more seconds before the door
popped open and he stumbled out. He took off running across the park toward a cluster of trees where a car could not go.

  “Looks like the chase is on.” Jackson pushed open his door. “Stay here, Darcy, lock the doors. He might be armed.”

  Smokey barked from the back.

  Tyler drove across the grass toward the stalled-out van then stopped and unloaded Dusty from the K-9 SUV. Because Dusty was a tracking dog, she would pick up the scent that the panicked suspect left in the air. Though Smokey wasn’t trained to track, he’d still be able to follow Dusty’s lead. He would be a help apprehending the suspect. The sound of a barking dog was often terrifying enough to make a suspect give up rather than be taken down by a K-9.

  When the two officers with their K-9 partners made an appearance, the people close by scattered to other parts of the park.

  Jackson and Tyler headed for the trees where the driver had disappeared. Dusty put her nose to the ground and picked up the suspect’s scent almost right away. Because he was in a heighted state of fear from being chased, the delivery driver emanated an odor in the air that was like a map to a dog trained to track. With the dogs leading the way, they hurried through the trees and brush.

  As they ran, Jackson caught flashes of blue in the trees. The noises of the delivery driver hurrying through the foliage reached Jackson’s ears from time to time. Smokey ran ahead of him as Tyler and Dusty drew farther away, still on the same parallel path. He lost sight of the fugitive, but the wavering tree branches told him they were still headed in the right direction.

  He could hear the rush of traffic as it sped by on the street. A reminder that the city still surrounded this oasis of greenery.

  “Let’s split up,” Jackson shouted. “Smokey and I will try to flank him to make sure he doesn’t get over to that street to flag down a ride.” Or worse, hold someone at gunpoint. Because they still didn’t know if the suspect was armed or not, they had to assume he was.

  Tyler and Dusty veered in the direction that led straight through the trees.

  Jackson commanded Smokey to come back to him then the two of them took off running. He saw the driver pass by the concert grandstand before he ran back into a cluster of trees. Jackson radioed Tyler about the location. His feet pounded the hard ground as Smokey kept pace with him. The dog was used to running. He frequently heeled at Jackson’s side when he jogged.

  Off to his side, Dusty’s barking grew fainter and then louder.

  Jackson scanned the trees, not seeing any blue or hearing any movement that was human. He kept running toward the edge of the trees as the sound of traffic droned in his ears. They were getting close to the street. His goal was to get to the street before the fugitive did. Dusty would be coming at him from the other side.

  Smokey emitted an intense bark, indicating he’d seen something. Jackson heart pounded as he came to a stop. His K-9 stood beside him but did not sit. He barked three more times. Jackson followed the direction that Smokey indicated. Though it was nearly drowned out by the sounds of the busy street and surrounding city, he could hear but not see someone moving through the brush.

  Unsure of Dusty and Tyler’s location, he commanded Smokey to “Find” and they took off at a sprint.

  Up ahead, Jackson could see the driver running toward the street. The suspect had shed his blue shirt, apparently thinking the brown shirt underneath would not contrast as much with the foliage.

  The man was only feet away from the street.

  Once he was clear of the trees, Jackson pulled his weapon. “Police! Hold it right there.”

  Smokey stood his ground, but the twitching of his body indicated he was ready to take the man down if commanded.

  The man’s eyes grew wide. He moved as though he was going to surrender but then dropped to the ground and rolled back toward the trees.

  That was unexpected.

  “Get him,” Jackson commanded and Smokey surged ahead. Jackson returned his weapon to his holster and sprinted after the dog.

  Dusty’s barking had faded. Jackson wondered if the K-9 had lost the scent. The loss would be temporary. Dusty was among the best tracking dogs he’d worked with. The suspect had likely doubled back and was headed toward the racquetball courts. He and Tyler should be able to flank him and take him down before he had a chance to get away.

  Jackson’s heart pounded as he hurried through the brush, trying to put a visual on Smokey.

  He didn’t see Smokey. Fear that something had happened to his partner or a civilian made him run even faster. He pumped his legs as his strides ate up the ground.

  He saw movement in the trees and pulled his weapon. Dusty and Tyler emerged.

  The detective shook his head. Dusty put her nose to the ground. Once she recovered the scent, both officer and partner headed along a park trail.

  Jackson shouted a command for Smokey to return to him. The dog didn’t show up. He stood, listening, hoping. His heart squeezed tight.

  Come on, Smokey, where are you?

  A surge of adrenaline flooded his body and he ran even faster, hoping to spot Smokey.

  The foliage at his side rustled. He turned and raised his gun. Smokey emerged, wagging his tail and hanging his head.

  Relief flooded Jackson. “So glad to see you, buddy.” Another stronger scent must have crossed Smokey’s path to cause him to go off track. “Let’s get back to work.” He tried to sound stern, but gratitude laced his words.

  “We’ve got a job to do, come on,” Jackson said. Still not sure which direction to head, he turned in a half circle.

  Smokey growled. The dog had either smelled or heard something.

  “Lead the way. Let’s go.”

  Smokey hightailed it through the brush, back toward the stalled van.

  Jackson heard Dusty barking and then an enraged voice. “Call the dog off right now or she gets it!”

  Jackson’s heart squeezed tight as he sprinted even faster. Did the delivery driver have Darcy?

  Tyler said something in a low voice and the barking stopped. With Smokey by his side, Jackson hurried to the edge of the trees and peered out. Fear seized his heart. The driver must have tried to jack the K-9 vehicle where Darcy had been waiting. The driver’s-side window was broken. He must have smashed it to get access, then grabbed Darcy as a hostage. As he stood beside the SUV, the driver had one arm wrapped around Darcy and held a knife to her neck.

  Jackson glanced from side to side. Some people were off in the distance, but there were no other civilians in harm’s way.

  Tyler held his weapon on the driver but spoke in a calming voice. Dusty had come to his side when she’d been called off. The dog’s body language, though, suggested a high level of agitation and a readiness to take the suspect down on command.

  Jackson couldn’t hear the words. Darcy’s face was pale, and her expression was strained, but she seemed to be holding it together. She, too, spoke to the driver, her tone suggesting she was trying to convince him to let her go.

  “Shut up! Shut up both of you,” shouted the driver. “I’m taking the car and I’m taking her with me as an insurance policy. Gimme the keys or she’s dead.”

  Jackson pushed past the rising panic and guilt over Darcy being dragged into this. There was no cover that would allow him to move toward the driver without being noticed. He couldn’t risk Darcy’s life by commanding Smokey to go after the suspect. Smokey would have a stretch of ground to cover before he could get close enough, allowing too much time for the driver to use the knife.

  Faced with nothing but bad options, he raised his gun and stepped out into the open. “You heard the lady, drop your weapon and back off.”

  * * *

  Darcy could feel the pressure of the knife against her neck. Her heart pounded and she struggled to take a deep breath. The delivery driver’s other arm dug into her stomach where he held her, so she couldn’t get
away. With a knife pressed against her skin, she dared not even try.

  All the same, a sense of calm washed over Darcy when Jackson and Smokey stepped out of the trees and he pointed his gun at the driver. Her body was tensed up. She was still afraid for her life, but seeing Jackson renewed her hope that this wasn’t the end for her.

  “Both of you back off. I’m getting in that police car and she’s coming with me.”

  The driver’s tone had switched from rage to fear. That wasn’t necessarily good news. A fearful man was just as likely to kill as an angry man.

  “Look, we know you caused the accident with my truck earlier.” With his weapon still aimed at the man, Jackson took a step toward him.

  “You don’t want additional charges against you, do you?” Tyler added.

  “You got two officers with guns trained on you,” Jackson pointed out. “What do you think your chances are of getting out of here alive?”

  The man let up some of the pressure of the knife. His resolve was weakening. “It wasn’t me. She offered me money,” he said.

  Darcy wondered if he was referencing the woman in the compact car, the one that had been following them right before the accident.

  “We can talk about this,” Jackson said. “Just toss the knife and let the woman go.”

  She could hear the man take in a breath. He must still be considering his options. The moment filled with tension.

  She said a quick prayer. God, please help all of us to stay alive. Including this man.

  “Please, let me go,” Darcy whispered.

  The driver tightened his grip around her stomach. Both Smokey and Dusty looked ready to jump the man and take him down if commanded to do so. The guy must realize the possibility for escape was not good. He might be able to use the threat of hurting her to prevent the officers from coming close to the police vehicle before he drove away. But he must know he wouldn’t get far even if he did escape.

  Darcy had to prevent him from taking her in that car. If he was backed into a corner and saw no escape, he might just stab her. There was no way she could free herself from his grip and get to safety before he used the knife.