by Ali Franklin
Grace's eyes narrowed as she stared at her computer screen. Without looking down, she pressed a button on her keyboard. The sound came through the speakers again:
I think you should talk to him. About what happened to Teddy.
Click. Click.
About what happened to Teddy.
She slammed her palm against the table. That meddling professor had practically accused her of hurting Teddy. He would get what was coming to him. But she had other business to take care of first.
She stood and walked to the living room. A sky-blue paper bag rested on the coffee table. She reached in and lifted out the small red velvet box inside.
"I guess I'll be keeping these for myself," she said, unhooking the diamond earrings and placing them in her ears. She walked to the mirror behind the front door and stood, turning her head from side to side, admiring them.
Ryan burst into the Sheriff’s office at a full run, startling the deputy on duty at the front desk. She scribbled her name on the visitor log and threw her driver’s license across the counter. The deputy handed her a visitor’s pass and asked who she wanted to see.
“Maddie Trainor — can I just go back?” Panting, she pointed to the door leading to the bullpen.
He beeped her through. As she rounded the corner, her heart fell. Maddie was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the big room was empty. A man with a badge on his belt came through a door on the other side of the space. She ran toward him.
“Do you know where Maddie Trainor is?”
“She’s on a case. Can I take a message?”
“No, I need to see her right away. It’s important.”
The man glanced toward the wall of doors that led to interrogation rooms. Ryan could see that most of the rooms were empty. The window of one door was blocked by a pair of broad shoulders.
“Is she in there?” Ryan asked, walking toward the door.
“Hang on. I’ll get her,” he said, holding up both hands.
Just then the door opened and Jack Prieto came out. He frowned when he saw Ryan. “Dean McCabe. Is there something we can do for you?”
“I have information about the DeLuca murder.”
He cocked his head. “Please have a seat.” He walked to his desk and motioned her to the stark metal chair sitting beside it. She grabbed the back of the chair with both hands but did not sit. She tapped the toe of her boot on the floor.
“What is it?” he asked.
Ryan told Jack about the phone call with Dr. Ghosh. She was about halfway through her narrative when he put up his hand.
“We just got off the phone with Dr. Ghosh ourselves. He figured from your conversation that he should call us.”
“Oh.” Ryan’s shoulders slumped. Jack gave her a small smile.
“Thanks for coming down to tell us. We’ll take it from here.”
The door to the interrogation room opened again and Maddie walked out. Her face changed when she saw who was at Jack’s desk. Quick smile, raised cheeks, crinkles at the corners of the eyes: happiness. Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. The micorexpressions were quickly replaced with a frown.
“Ryan, what are you doing here?”
Jack stood. “She came to give us the information from the professor at MIT.”
“We just got that.” She looked at Ryan.
“I heard.” The two women stood looking at each other. Jack’s eyes darted between them like he was watching a tennis match. Finally, Maddie wrapped her hand around Ryan’s upper arm.
“We’ve got work to do, so we’d better get to it. Thanks for coming down.” She led Ryan toward the door to the reception area.
Ryan turned toward her. "Wait," she said, "I've got more." The door opened as two men entered the bullpen. Maddie changed course and led Ryan to the nearest interrogation room. The detective closed the door.
"What is it? What else have you found out?"
Ryan relayed her earlier conversation with the new CEO of Hannah's House. Maddie pulled her notebook from her back pocket and scribbled something. When she finished, she looked at the page, biting her lip. Ryan thought she knew why. The connection between being fired from a nonprofit and committing a murder wasn't clear to her either, but she had a feeling it was important.
The detective looked up. "Is there anything else you've found out that you haven't shared with us yet?" Ryan felt her face burn under Maddie’s gaze.
"No. There's nothing else." Her shoulders slumped as she bowed her head.
"What is it?" Maddie stepped closer.
Ryan sighed. "It's just...it's just that I feel responsible." She was finding it hard to look Maddie in the eye.
"Responsible for what?"
"For trying to get you to stop looking at Grace as a suspect.” She rubbed her nose.
Maddie gave a half-smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You were trying to help a friend." She leaned against the edge of the table. "You were a gnat in my ear, but it's my job to control the investigation, regardless of how many…distractions there are." Her deep brown eyes roamed all the way from Ryan's face down to her boots then back up again. Ryan sucked in a breath, her mouth forming a little "o.”
Jack knocked at the door and pointed at his watch. Maddie nodded, holding up one finger. Then she moved her body so her back was to the door and she was almost nose-to-nose with Ryan. Blood rushed to Ryan’s face.
"Ryan, we're going to go pick her up."
Ryan nodded. "Maybe I can help. She trusts me."
"No way. She would love to use you to get away."
Maddie shifted. Warmth spread throughout Ryan’s body as she felt Maddie's soft breath on her ear. "Ryan, I don't want you to be in danger. Go home. Better yet, go to Teddy and Summer's house. Lock all the doors and wait for me to call."
Maddie pressed her cheek to Ryan's and Ryan could have sworn she felt lips on her ear. When had Maddie's hands made their way around her waist? Ryan felt like she was floating.
Maddie pushed Ryan’s hips away and took a step back. "Go. Stay safe. I'll call you soon." Then she opened the door to the bullpen and the two women walked out. The detective stayed with Ryan until the dean was safely in her car and driving away.
Maddie walked back into the bullpen scowling. She wanted this hunt to be over. Walking to her desk, she pulled out her gun and attached it to her belt.
"Got the warrant?" she asked Jack.
"Ready to go. I figured we'd take two for backup?"
"Better make it four.”
"It's your call." He walked away to coordinate with the deputies.
Across the room, Isaac hung up his phone and motioned to Maddie. She walked over and bent her head close to his. As they talked, a huge smile lit up her face. She straightened and gave the cyber detective a high five. Then she walked over to Jack and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Isaac just confirmed that Loh is the campus hacker. They also found the trail that proves Loh transferred that money to Strimple’s account. We’ve got her.”
Jack started for the door. “Let's do this."
26
Maddie, Jack, and four deputies huddled in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office, checking their gear.
“I want everyone wearing vests, no exceptions,” said Maddie. “Once she realizes we’re on to her, she’s going to do everything she can to get away.”
Maddie opened a blueprint of Grace’s house on the trunk of a patrol car. At three bedrooms and fourteen hundred square feet it was far from a mansion, but it still held many places for their perpetrator to hide. Maddie assigned herself and a deputy to enter through the front door and Jack and another deputy to enter through the back. The third deputy would remain in the back yard and the fourth in the front in case Grace made it out of the house.
They drove to Grace’s neighborhood without lights or sirens. Parking a block away, the deputies and detectives gathered around Maddie for final instructions. She reminded them to do everything by the book, then stared into their faces.
“Le
t’s go.”
The group moved almost silently, breaking into two teams of three at the end of Grace’s block. Jack’s team moved to the alley running behind the row of houses. Maddie’s team moved through front yards, hugging the houses and shrubbery to conceal their movements for as long as possible. Finally, they reached their destination. Maddie whispered into her radio.
“Team two, report.”
“Team two in position.”
“Here we go, guys.” Maddie knocked on the front door.
“Grace Loh, Haverwood County Sheriff.” No response. Maddie waited five seconds, then knocked again. “Sheriff’s Office, Ms. Loh. Open the door.”
She thumbed her radio. “Team two, we’re a go. On my mark. Three, two, one, GO!”
The two teams burst through the doors at the same time. Thanks to their training, their movements were precise and the exercise went just as it had so many times before. Maddie and her teammate quickly verified that the living room was empty.
“Clear!” Maddie yelled. A few seconds later they heard Jack’s yell as he cleared the kitchen.
“Clear! She’s close.”
The teams moved down the single hallway, one taking the doors on the left, the other taking the doors on the right. Within a few minutes, they had cleared all of the rooms in the small house. The was a click on the radio.
“Maddie. Master bath.” Maddie told her deputy to remain in the front of the house while she went to talk to Jack.
“What’s up?”
A deputy pointed at a rectangular door set into the ceiling. A short piece of rope hung from one end. “Attic,” he said.
“Okay. Hey, why did you say she was close?”
“There’s a warm cup of coffee on the kitchen counter.”
“Good.” Maddie smiled. They were going to get her.
“Look what I found on the dresser,” Jack said. He held out a velvet ring box. “It could be the one from the mystery ring we found on DeLuca’s finger.”
Maddie’s heart jumped. She looked back up at the door in the ceiling. “Let’s go.”
She nodded to the deputy, who took hold of the rope handle. Maddie and Jack stayed to the sides of the door, weapons at the ready. As the door came down, an aluminum ladder descended, landing with a thunk on the bathroom floor. Jack didn’t hesitate. Looking at the deputy, he jerked his head in a “follow me” motion.
The two men rushed up the ladder, knowing their silhouettes would be easy targets if Grace were armed. It only took a few seconds for Maddie to hear the call.
“Clear!”
She lowered her weapon and blew out a long breath. The team gathered again in the kitchen.
“What now?” asked one of the deputies.
Maddie stomped on the floor, which sounded hollow. “Basement?” The men fanned out to look for a door.
Maddie heard a voice call, “In here.” Walking into the front bathroom, she found one of the deputies kneeling in front of an open half-door in the wall.
“Looks like it’s just a crawl space,” he said, shining his flashlight into the darkness. His face looked like he smelled something rotten. “I hate crawlspaces.”
Maddie smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ll get somebody else to go in — or toss some tear gas in there.” She reached for her radio to notify the officers stationed outside.
“Be advised…there’s a crawl space beneath the house. Cover any means of egress.” She received affirmative responses from both officers.
The rest of the team had gathered at the door to the bathroom. As they discussed the best method of clearing the crawl space, Maddie walked back toward the kitchen.
“Detective Trainor?” Deputy Joe Quinn’s voice came over the radio from the back yard.
“What is it?”
“What do you want to do about this garage?”
“Garage? Stand by.” She looked out the back window. Sure enough, a small unpainted building stood at the back of the lot. It wasn’t on the blueprints Maddie had secured from the County Building Office, but there it was. She was almost certain Grace Loh was in the wind, but they were going to have to clear it.
Jack’s voice came over the radio. “I’m going to toss a smoke grenade under the house. Heads up, guys.”
Maddie pointed at a deputy who was standing in the hallway.
“Come with me,” she said. She advised the team that she was coming out through the back door. She and the deputy walked across the grass to meet Quinn.
“Any movement?”
“No.”
She nodded. “Stay sharp. We’ll clear it.”
Maddie and the deputy circled the little building. A single garage door faced the street. The wall closest to the house held a door. Skinny windows were set near the roof line of the remaining two sides.
The deputy pointed. “I don’t think those windows are big enough for a person to get through.”
“I agree,” said Maddie. “I’ll go in through this door. You stay right outside in case she gets by me.
“What about the front?”
“That’s a metal door. If it starts to go up, we’ll hear it.”
The deputy nodded and moved his weapon to the ready position. “Got it. Be careful.”
Maddie grinned at him. “I’m not going to let this woman get the best of us.” She called Jack on the radio to let him know what she was doing.
“You guys start looking through the house for clues,” she said. “We need to figure out where she’s gone.”
He acknowledged her message and reminded her to stay on her guard. “Eyes up, Maddie.” She assured him she was on her game.
She stood to one side of the door and knocked. “Grace, it’s Maddie Trainor. Come out with your hands up.” She looked back at the deputy, who was staring at her with his mouth open.
She shrugged. “It was worth a shot.” The deputy grinned.
Maddie grabbed the doorknob and, still standing to the side of the door, turned it. The door swung inward to the dimly lit space. Maddie stuck her head around the door jamb and pulled it back quickly, waiting to see if there was any reaction. There wasn’t. She entered with her weapon at the ready and immediately came up against Grace’s Tesla. She looked around.
The light from the half-open door and the little windows allowed her to see the car, two large trash bins, and a set of shelves high on the back wall. She could not see if there was anything against the wall on the other side of the car. Stepping carefully, she moved toward the back of the car, almost bumping against the trash bins. She saw a workbench beneath the shelves. Tools were neatly arranged on its surface. The workspace was clean and bare.
As she turned the corner around the car, the door to the back yard swung closed with a soft click.
“Detective?” came a call from outside the door.
“I’m good,” she called. “Just checking out this car. I’ll be right out.” She wished she had flicked on the lights when she entered. But the dim light from the windows showed there weren’t many hiding places in the little space. She came around the far side of the car and saw about a dozen cardboard boxes stacked against the wall. She holstered her gun.
As she moved her hand away from the weapon, she felt cold steel press against the base of her skull. Her blood froze.
“Hands above your head, and don’t say a word. I’ve got your little friend Ryan tucked away and I would hate for her to get hurt because you did something stupid.”
Maddie didn’t answer.
“You’re going to help me get away,” said Grace.
“Like hell I am.”
“Tsk, tsk,” came the voice from behind her. “That’s no way to make sure Ryan is safe.”
Maddie knew the slightest signal from her would bring at least two deputies through the door. But Maddie would probably get hurt, and, if Grace were telling the truth, Ryan could as well. The pressure from the gun increased as she heard Grace’s voice again.
“Use your left hand to drop your weapon and radio o
n the floor — slowly. Don’t be a hero. It will only take a split second to put a bullet in your brain.” Maddie did as she was told, her eyes desperately searching for anything she could use as a weapon.
“Where’s Ryan?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to take you to her.”
Maddie heard a click and saw the Tesla’s trunk lid open. She smiled to herself. Late-model cars all had trunk-release latches. She might be able to catch Grace off guard by popping out of the trunk when they arrived at their destination. That would allow her to take Grace into custody and get Ryan out of harm’s way.
She had to decide right now. If she were going to scream for help, this was her last chance. But if she wanted to save Ryan, she’d have to play along. She nodded, shoulders slumped as if in defeat, and climbed into the trunk. She looked out at Grace as the door was lowered.
“You’re not going to get away with this.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will.” Maddie saw Grace reach toward her, a small cannister in her hand. The detective covered her face, but her vision went fuzzy as soon as Grace released the spray.
The car shifted as Grace sat in the driver’s seat. The electric motor started without a sound. Partially conscious, Ryan wondered how Grace was going to raise the metal garage door without alerting the deputies. Then she chided herself as she realized she was rooting for Grace to get away. It might be the only way for Maddie to save Ryan. She felt the car shift into gear.
The deputies in the back yard were standing outside the door on the side wall when Grace pressed the button releasing the custom garage door she had installed. Without warning, the big garage door toppled forward and laid flat on the driveway. A split second later, the sedan shot out of the garage and down the driveway, turning left and tearing down the street.
The car was out of sight before the deputies could draw their weapons. One man ran into the garage and the other ran toward the house, yelling for the rest of the team.
27
