by C. M. Sutter
“Sure thing.” I returned to my chair and sat quietly with my colleagues while Jack silently read the reports. I reviewed the notes I had taken throughout the day.
Twenty minutes passed, and finally his long sigh indicated that he had finished reading. Jack glanced at the wall-mounted clock above the door. I looked in that direction too. It was closing in on seven o’clock.
“Let’s discuss these reports quickly then pick up where we left off in the morning. First thing of importance is the caliber of the weapon. Without slugs, it’s only a calculated guess by the ME. Lena says both gunshot wounds were made by the same weapon. She’s going with a .38- to a .45-caliber handgun, which we kind of assumed, anyway. Without stippling or GSR on either body, she places the men side by side and at least six feet from the shooter.”
I wrote notes as Jack spoke since I didn’t want to interrupt him.
“None of the guns we found at Charlie’s house fit those parameters. He had a couple twenty-twos under the couch cushion, a rifle, and two sawed-off shotguns. We have no idea if Joe owned any firearms since the house had been cleaned out.” Jack looked around the table. “Any comments?”
“We can see if he had any guns registered in his name once we get his full jacket. At this point, we know for sure that he was a petty criminal. He wouldn’t be allowed to own any firearms if he had a felony conviction in his file.”
“True,” Clayton said, “but if every felon surrendered their weapons, or didn’t have a way to get more, this country would be a much safer place to live in.”
The ringing phone silenced our conversation. Jack answered. It was Luke, and he had the full file for Joe Tantor.
“I’ll pick it up on my way out, Luke, and thanks.” Jack set the phone back on its base. “We’ll look over his file in the morning. If we start on it tonight, nobody will get a good night’s sleep.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Let’s go, everyone.”
We walked out of the conference room single file, and Jack flipped off the light at his back. Jack took to the staircase as the rest of us headed to the bull pen to gather our belongings. Kate and I exited the building and crossed the lot to our cars.
“Are you ever going to move out of that dump you’re living in?”
She laughed. “And all this time, I thought you viewed my apartment as quaint.”
“Yeah, quaint wasn’t the word I was thinking of. Seriously, it’s old, small, and next to the alley where Jade took down and killed Robert Lynch. Isn’t that reason enough to move out?”
“That alley is a constant reminder of what Jade did for me and I’ll always be thankful, but the apartment is cheap.”
“It’s cheap because it’s crap and you can afford better.” We stood next to her open car door. “Move in with Jade and me.”
“You can’t be serious, Amber, plus, it’s Jade’s house. She’d have the final say on that, anyway.”
“I know, but she’s gone so much. I do get lonely, and Spaz has an attitude toward me half the time.”
“What you need is a boyfriend, not a roommate and a pet.”
I shrugged. “Men are a pain in the ass.”
“Until they aren’t.” Kate gave me a wink and climbed in behind the wheel.
“You should talk, and we have an entire basement that isn’t getting used. One corner has totes full of Christmas decorations, and other than the foosball table, it’s pretty empty down there. Don’t forget, it’s finished and carpeted too.”
Kate stuck the key in the ignition and gave it a turn. “It sounds nice.”
“It is, and Jade gets home tomorrow. I’m going to run it by her.”
“Okay, but I’m not going to be upset if she says no.”
I smacked the doorframe and pushed off. “I will be.” I gave her a grin and said I’d see her in the morning.
I considered Kate’s comments as I drove the short distance home. I hadn’t thought about a boyfriend since college, and even then, it was nothing more than casual dating. My career always took center stage, and I couldn’t wait to be promoted to detective in July.
Once home, I went through my usual evening routine—pulled into the garage, unlocked the door that led to the laundry room, and raced inside to punch in the alarm code. Even though Spaz greeted me with his normal indifference, I tended to him and the birds first. After they were fed, I poured a glass of wine, prepared my dinner, and then relaxed on the couch. I knew that within an hour, I would doze off while watching TV. My nights were always the same unless Jade was home. Sometimes, she and I would play poker or cribbage until midnight, and other times we’d act like slugs, put on our pajamas early, eat popcorn, and lounge in front of the television until bedtime.
I had to admit, I was looking forward to the grand opening of Shooters Friday night. It would be something different and a good reason to go out and let down our hair. It had been a while, and I couldn’t wait to see how Joey’s had been transformed into the self-proclaimed “newest hot spot in Washburn County.”
Chapter 25
Grant had spent the last hour reviewing the financial spreadsheet that Frank printed out for the business every month.
Maybe it’s time to take the reins away from the old man. Frank and I should be running the corporations ourselves. Dad is losing his patience and going off half-cocked. He’s becoming a liability.
After another heated disagreement an hour earlier, McKinley had stormed out of the office and left for home. Grant picked up the phone and called Juan.
“Hey, it’s Grant. Let’s have that talk now. I doubt if the old man has any reason to return here tonight.”
Moments later, a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in.”
With a submissive posture, Juan entered the office, stood in place, and waited to be addressed.
“Have a seat. There’s a lot we need to discuss.”
Juan sat silently and folded his hands in his lap. Grant closed the records book and looked up. He began with a deep sigh. “How long have you been with us?”
“Twelve years.”
“And Derek?”
“Eight.”
“In your opinion, is my dad still capable of running this business successfully while staying under the radar?”
Juan avoided eye contact with Grant and kept quiet.
“I need to know what’s going on here. Is he losing it?”
“I don’t want to be in the middle, sir.”
“It’s too late for that. I’ve been getting the new club under way. Frank is busy moving money in and out of the bank to fund it, and I need someone I can trust to tell me what’s been going on here. What has the old man been up to, and why are there new chairs in the office?”
Juan’s eyes darted to the luxurious velvet guest chair at his side.
“He shot Joe and his cousin in here, didn’t he?” Grant opened the bottom right desk drawer and looked inside. The drawer was empty. “Where’s the .38?”
“Your father had me get rid of it.”
“Along with the bodies?”
“No. I got rid of the gun a few hours ago.”
Grant raked his stiffened fingers through his hair. “I don’t believe this shit. Why did you dump the bodies in the same county that I’m starting a new business in?”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly, but they can’t be identified, anyway. We bashed in their teeth and removed their fingertips.”
Grant buried his face in his hands. “Spare me the details. According to the old man, they’ve already been identified. Is there something you’re keeping from me?”
Juan rubbed his forehead. “Your father has to be referring to what happened earlier today.”
Grant cursed as he stood and reached for the bottle of whiskey at his back. He set it and two glasses on the desk. “And what was that?”
“Mr. Moore wanted to bring Joe’s car back here to replace the Chevy.”
“Why? The Chevy was a good car to beat around in, and it didn’t attract attenti
on.”
“It didn’t attract attention until this morning when we were pulled over for a bad brake light.” Juan turned to make sure the door was closed tightly. “Your father shot the cop that pulled us over.”
Grant pounded the desk. “You can’t be serious!”
“I am, but I had no idea your father had the gun with him. The cop must have thought we looked suspicious, so he wanted us to pop the trunk. We couldn’t do that since it was full of cash. We were on our way to Illinois to drop off thirty grand at the check-cashing stores. That’s when your father took it upon himself to eliminate the problem. He fired two rounds, and we took off. We made a clean getaway, but that’s why we needed to dismantle the car. The police car dash cam clearly showed the Chevy. Thank God the plates were stolen. I’m sure your father felt he had no choice, but he’s getting careless. He’s making decisions that are dangerous for all of us. He said if I told anyone about this, he’d kill me.”
“I’m not going to let that happen. Now, tell me what went down at Joe’s house.”
“Later, we took the BMW there to pick up Joe’s car. The driveway was full of cops going through the Buick.”
Grant leaned back in the office chair and groaned. “Somehow the police learned who the men were and where they lived. Did anyone clean out Joe’s house?”
“I think Marco did, but I wasn’t part of it.”
“Do you know if the police officer lived?”
“I don’t believe so.”
Grant pressed his temples, and the anguish in his face was clearly visible. “Where did you toss the gun?”
“I took it out to the country and threw it out the window.”
Grant stared at Juan in disbelief. “In what county?”
“I don’t know. I drove until I didn’t see any more houses or towns.”
“Can this night get any worse?”
Juan looked at the clock. “Maybe—we still have a few hours to go.”
Chapter 26
Another day, another dollar, and another bad guy to apprehend.
I needed to recite that mantra over and over in order to coax myself out of bed, and the blaring phone alarm didn’t help.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m awake.” I grabbed my phone and silenced the annoying sound. My routine was much different when Jade was gone. In her mind, I was the Energizer Bunny—awake, dressed, and preparing a four-course breakfast every day. In reality, I only did that around her because she didn’t know how to cook. Any other morning, I wanted to remain in bed under the covers and sleep until noon. I sighed. “And then there’s the real world where I have to earn a living.”
I threw back the blankets, stumbled down the hall to the kitchen, and poured my first cup of coffee. I carried it with me to the bathroom and turned on the shower.
I thought about our upcoming promotions to detective as the hot water sprayed against my shoulders. Kate and I would be equal in status to Clayton and Billings. We’d still have a lot to learn, but we wouldn’t be the gofers anymore. We’d be detectives instead of deputies, and it sounded nice.
I wish Dad were here for my promotion. He’d be so proud.
By seven forty, the critters were fed, and so was I. With my third cup of coffee in a travel mug, I set the alarm, pressed the button for the garage door, and climbed into my Prius. I’d be at work in ten minutes. With five minutes to spare, I pulled into the KwikStop station and bought a box of assorted doughnuts. I remembered Jade saying she did that occasionally. She scored big-time with the guys for doing it, and a little extra courtesy couldn’t hurt.
I parked in my usual spot at work and crossed the lot with Billings.
“Whatcha got in the box, Amber?” he asked with a wide grin.
“From the drool running out of the corners of your mouth, I’d say you’ve figured that out already.”
He raised his brows and quickly wiped the corners of his mouth with his index finger.
I laughed. “Just kidding, and you can help yourself once we’re inside.”
When I heard car doors open and close, I looked over my shoulder. Kate and Clayton had just arrived.
Inside the bull pen, I set the box of doughnuts and a fistful of napkins at the back counter. I pulled out a fritter for myself and walked to my desk. I saw that Jack had already arrived and was sitting in his office. He looked to be reading a file.
“Jack?”
“Morning, Amber. What’s up?”
“I just wanted to let you know I brought doughnuts.”
He flashed me a thoughtful smile. “I see Jade taught you the important requirements of this job.”
I gave him a return smile and walked to Kate’s desk. I asked her, “Think any more about my offer?”
“It sure sounds tempting.”
“Jade gets home today, so I’ll run it by her tonight. It’ll save all of us money, and you’ll have a beautiful, almost-new condo to live in. By the way”—I tipped my head—“there’s a box of doughnuts in the back. Better grab a few before the guys eat them all.”
Jack stepped out of his office and went to the back counter. He took two doughnuts, checked the time, and then spoke up. “We’ll gather in the conference room as soon as Clayton gets here. Thanks for the treats, Amber.”
Billings whispered in my direction as he took a big bite of his chocolate-glazed doughnut. “Kiss ass.”
I smirked. “Next time it’s your turn to do some ass kissing, and my favorite is apple fritters.”
By ten after eight, we had all gathered in the conference room. Jack sat at the end of the table with two folders. I assumed they were Charlie’s and Joe’s police records. He looked at each of us and saw that we were settled.
“Okay, I read over Joe’s jacket earlier, and his offenses were pretty similar to Charlie’s. I’d say they were likely involved with numerous wrongdoings together, but none of their offenses looked like anything that would lead them into the world of counterfeiting. I’m going to give Agent Brennan a call today to see if that currency has been checked. Either way, we won’t involve ourselves with that part of this investigation. I don’t care who the counterfeiters are. I just want to put the killer behind bars. Washburn County isn’t going to be the dumping ground for crimes committed in Milwaukee.”
“The killer and counterfeiter could be one and the same, Jack,” Clayton said.
“They could be, and if they are, we’ll let the Secret Service take over the case. We just need evidence to prove who the killer is first. There’s no indication that Joe had ever committed a crime with a gun, and none was ever listed in his police report. I doubt if the gun used to kill both men belonged to either of them.”
“Is anyone from Milwaukee’s forensic department going to fingerprint Joe’s house or car?” Kate asked.
“They said they were taking the Buick to test for chemical residue. I’d imagine they’re going to do a full inspection of it and cover all requirements. It’s doubtful that they’ll be reporting anything to us voluntarily. I’ll have to press them for information and remind them that we are investigating the murders of those two men.”
“Seeing that Alpina twice in one day still sends up a red flag in my opinion. Those men were sure looking our way and driving slower than somebody who was just passing through the neighborhood.”
“But everyone drives slowly when they see something going on. Why do you think freeways back up on the opposite side when an accident happens? Everyone has to take a look,” Billings said.
I shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”
“How many men did you see in the car, Amber?”
“There had to be three. Two were staring out at me, and one was obviously driving. The guy in the front had his visor pulled down over the passenger-door window.”
“You could see all of that and the car of your dreams in, what, five seconds?” Clayton shook his head. “You know even our recall as officers of the law isn’t always perfect.”
“I know that, Chad, but I’m telling you
what I saw, not what I think I saw.”
Jack tapped the tabletop with his pen. “That’s interesting information, Amber, since there were three men in that tan Chevy too.”
Chapter 27
Grant was anxious and angry. He wasn’t sure who to tell or even who to trust. Juan had made it clear—he was on the verge of bailing out. With his life threatened after twelve years of loyal service to McKinley, he didn’t know if he could continue working for the company, yet if he quit, his life could be at an even greater risk. It sounded as if most of the crew already knew what McKinley had been up to and were also ordered to keep their mouths shut.
Grant wasn’t certain he could confide in Frank about their father’s crazy behavior. Even though Frank was his older brother by a mere three minutes, he often sided with McKinley in the decision-making and the business ventures. He was the bigger risk taker of the two brothers and far greedier—a chip off the old block.
With no other choice, Grant tapped his brother’s name in his contact list. Seconds later, Frank answered.
“Hey, what’s up, little bro? You never call this early in the day.”
“It’s Dad.”
“Dad? He isn’t sick, is he?”
“That depends.”
Frank huffed through the phone lines. “I’m busy, Grant, and don’t have time for riddles. What’s going on?”
“What are you doing for lunch?”
“Just tell me where you want to meet, and I’ll be there. Is this business related, or is Dad ill?”
“Both. Meet me at the band shell in Columbia Park at twelve thirty. I’ll bring lunch.” Grant clicked off abruptly, his heart pounding harder than usual.
He climbed into his 4Runner and headed north. He’d set aside a block of that morning for the Washburn County building inspector. A final walk-through of Shooters was scheduled for nine thirty. If the electricity, plumbing, gas, doors, windows, and emergency exits met the county standards and everything was to code, the inspection documents would be signed and the doors would officially open for business. But Grant’s excitement sat on the back burner for now thanks to McKinley’s erratic behavior, and he had no idea where his brother’s loyalties lay.
