Greed: An Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Book 1

by C. M. Sutter

  Chapter 28

  We were still waiting on word about the currency found in the Buick. If the money wasn’t counterfeit, we would really be at a loss, with no explanation at all for why those two men were killed.

  Kate and I busied ourselves with items on Jack’s to-do list while Clayton and Billings followed up on other cases that were still being investigated.

  Jack dropped a stack of folders on my desk and another on Kate’s. “Sorry, deputies, but this paperwork needs to be sorted and filed while we’re in a holding pattern. There’s no time like the present to clean house.”

  I glanced at the clock—it was 9:55 a.m. I was sure Jack had forgotten about my dentist appointment that I set up six months ago. I’d reminded him of it last week, but since this new case had arrived, I was sure my appointment was the last thing on his mind. I thought of canceling, but since we did have a few hours of quiet time, I stood and knocked on his door.

  “Come in, Amber. What’s up?”

  “I hate to even mention my personal life, but I have a dentist appointment at ten thirty.”

  He gave me an understanding smile. “Sorry, I forgot about that. Not a problem. How about passing around the lunch menu for Dick’s before you leave? I’ll call it in, and you can pick it up on your way back.”

  “Sure, that sounds good. Why don’t you start?”

  Jack tossed me a ten. “I’ll have the double cheeseburger meal.”

  “Got it.” I grabbed the menu out of my desk drawer and passed it around the bull pen. “Make it quick and cough up your cash. I have to leave in five minutes.” I wrote down everyone’s lunch choices and gave the list to Jack. “Call it in at eleven. My appointment should only be forty-five minutes long.”

  “Sounds good, and hopefully the world doesn’t go to shit while you’re gone. I’m looking forward to that double cheeseburger—it’s the best thing on their menu.”

  “I know, and I ordered the same thing.” I stuffed the cash and my badge inside my purse, removed my shoulder holster, then left our building. Our family dentist, the same one I’d had since I was a kid, was located on the west side of town. He had heard every story of the Monroe family for well over twenty-five years.

  Twenty minutes later, I sat in the waiting room of Dr. Paul Adams, DDS. I grinned at the wallpaper borders that were horribly out of style and had been there since the early nineties. The waiting room was in dire need of a thorough update, yet if it did change, I’d probably miss the hideous floral-and-striped wallpaper. I flipped through a remodeling magazine as I waited my turn and considered the irony of it. A remodeling magazine sat with a stack of similar magazines in a room stuck in the nineties.

  The door between the waiting room and the exam rooms opened, and my name was called. “Amber.”

  I set the magazine down and looked up to see Tiffany’s smiling face. “Hey, Tiff, how’s it going?”

  “I’m fine. Come on back. Looks like you only have a checkup today.”

  “That’s right. I’d hate to waste my yummy lunch on a mouth that was numb.”

  After X-rays and a cleaning, my next appointment was scheduled six months down the road in late fall. I placed the reminder card in my wallet and left with fresh breath and a bright smile. I checked the time as I walked to my car—11:20. The five-minute drive to Dick’s should put me there just as our lunch order was being finished. I walked inside the restaurant and told the hostess I had a to-go order and gave her my name.

  “There’s one order ahead of you, so it’ll be ten minutes. Go ahead and have a seat.” She pointed at the vinyl-padded bench across from the hostess stand.

  I assumed the gorgeous man sitting to my right and tapping out a text was the person whose order was ahead of mine. I took a seat, and he glanced my way. I felt my face instantly heat up. He was that good-looking. I was positive his eyes were the same color as mine—amber—and his dark glossy hair, just long enough to be neatly tucked behind his ears, looked as if it needed my fingers to get lost in it. I gave him a quick smile then pulled out my phone. It was better than sitting on my hands.

  “Excuse me. Have you ordered from Dick’s before?”

  “What?” I looked to my left, but nobody was there. The handsome man was addressing me. “Are you speaking to me?”

  He grinned widely, and his perfect white teeth nearly blinded me. “I believe I was. I’m new in the area, and this place was nearby.”

  I stuck out my hand and shook his. Instinctively, I glanced at his ring finger—bare naked. “Well, then, a welcome to town is in order. North Bend is a great place to live, and yes, I have ordered from here many times. The double cheeseburgers are the best thing on the lunch menu.”

  “Darn, I wish I would have known that in advance. Maybe next time. So all the food is good?”

  I smiled. “Dick’s is a mainstay in North Bend, and they have great food. The restaurant has been in business since the seventies.”

  “So you’re a local?”

  “Born and raised here.”

  “Do you and your husband ever have dinner here?”

  I laughed. “That was smooth. I’m not married.”

  “Would you like to be?”

  I laughed again while my heart did backflips. I gave him another smile. “Someday, I guess.”

  “Me too.”

  The hostess walked away and returned a minute later with two white bags. She placed them next to the register. “Sir, your order is ready.”

  He playfully glanced to his left and right. “Guess I’m the only ‘sir’ on the bench.” He stood and looked back as he pulled out his wallet. “Thanks for the cheeseburger tip. Want to meet here again sometime?”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes.

  He paid the bill and left. Once he exited the restaurant, the door closed at his back. I stood and peered out the glass as he crossed the parking lot and climbed into a customized white 4Runner and drove away.

  Nice wheels. A man with good taste in vehicles always scores an A-plus with me, but who the heck are you?

  “Miss, your order is ready.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Five individual white bags were placed inside a large plastic one, and I paid the bill and walked out. The mystery man consumed my thoughts until I reached Schmidt Road and turned left into our parking lot. We’d eat a delicious lunch and then dig in again. I hoped Jack already got word about the currency since I needed something other than that handsome man to fill my thoughts. I wasn’t about to mention him to Kate since she’d be relentless in her pursuit to find out more about him.

  Chapter 29

  Grant pulled into the lot and parked next to Frank’s Lexus. He turned the key and reached across the seat before stepping out of the 4Runner. With the two bags in one hand, he clicked the fob with the other, locked the doors, and pocketed the keys. He saw his brother in the distance, sitting in the shaded area of the band shell. He reached him minutes later.

  “Hey, Frank.” Grant walked to the fifth row of benches, where his brother sat.

  “Right on time.” Frank pocketed his phone and took the bag Grant handed him. “Thanks. What did you get me?”

  “Two Reubens and a bag of chips.”

  Frank nodded, pulled out a napkin, and placed his lunch on it. Grant took a seat in the next row and mirrored his brother’s actions.

  “What’s so urgent about Pop, and why do we need this clandestine location to discuss him?”

  “Let’s eat first. I’m hungry, and I don’t want to ruin my appetite.”

  “Suit yourself.” Frank furrowed his brows. “I didn’t know you could be so mysterious, but just a heads-up, I only have an hour to spare.”

  Grant smirked. “Yeah, I know. You’re so much busier than I am.”

  “Really? What the hell, dude?” Frank wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “You want to go ahead and get whatever this is out in the open right now?”

  Grant shook his head and kept eating. Fifteen minutes later, he balled up his san
dwich wrapper, dropped it in the bag, and tossed it in the nearest trash receptacle. He returned to his seat and stared into his brother’s eyes. “Dad is out of control.”

  Frank chuckled. “Seriously—that’s why you brought me all this way for a secret meeting? You could have said what you wanted over the phone.”

  “I wanted a face-to-face with you. I needed to see your expression when I told you what he’s been up to.”

  “Go ahead and enlighten me, then.” Frank finished his second sandwich and put the wrapper inside the bag.

  “Apparently, Dad has taken it upon himself to start killing people, and one of them just happened to be a cop for crissakes. He’s becoming a liability, Frank, and making really stupid decisions.”

  Frank’s expression remained unchanged.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Grant stared at his brother, trying to read his thoughts. “Son of a bitch, you already knew about this.”

  “Dad called me last night. He just had a momentary lapse in judgment. Don’t be so dramatic.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? He killed Joe and his cousin. He killed a cop. That sounds like two individual lapses in judgment. He’s going to get us busted. We’ll be doing life sentences, every one of us, if he doesn’t have another lapse in judgment and kill all of us first.”

  Frank responded with a smirk. “I’ve covered his ass in the past, and I’ll continue to do so. That’s why he confides in me—I’m more levelheaded than you.”

  “You disgust me.” Grant stood. “You’re nothing more than a two-bit thug like the old man. The only thing that matters to either of you is the money.”

  “Money makes the world go around, bro, and it keeps you in a very comfortable lifestyle, so don’t worry about the old man’s hiccups. What I’m wondering is how you knew.”

  Grant’s face reddened as he pressed his temples in anger. “Juan told me. He’s scared to death that the old man is losing it.”

  Frank nodded then casually continued, “Nothing can be tied to any of us. I’ve already made sure of that. We have businesses covering businesses and shell corporations covering shell corporations. There isn’t a damn thing that’s in any of our names. Don’t worry about your precious club. There are no ties linking your name to it anywhere.”

  “I’m worried about everything, not just the club.”

  “Take a breath, brother. We’re good. Lighten up, and remember, I’m the banker in this family. I’m an expert at cooking the books and hiding personal information. If Pop had to eliminate a few problems that could potentially come back to bite us in the ass, then so be it. It’s the cost of doing business.”

  Chapter 30

  “I’m back and bearing edible gifts.” I set the large bag on the back counter and began removing each inner bag. “Make sure you grab the right one.” I carried two identical meals to my desk and dropped one off. I took the other bag into Jack’s office and handed it to him. “Here you go. Any word on the currency?”

  “Not yet. I’ll call Agent Brennan after lunch to see if he has an update. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to go back to our usual duties. This may be an unsolvable case.”

  “Do you remember ever having an unsolvable case?”

  “No, but sometimes they take a while. Eat your burger, deputy, before it gets cold.”

  I sat at my desk, dying to tell Kate about the handsome man I had a brief conversation with, but instead I filled my mouth with a juicy cheeseburger.

  Jack’s desk phone rang just as he finished eating. I heard him say the timing couldn’t be better.

  “Hello, Lieutenant Jack Steele speaking. Yes, uh-huh, that’s very clever and probably too smart for an amateur counterfeiter. So where does that take the investigation? You do? I look forward to hearing from you again. Thanks for the update. Goodbye.” Jack walked out of his office and took a seat in one of Clayton’s guest chairs. “That was Agent Brennan. The bills are definitely counterfeit, but they had to work a little harder to prove it.”

  “Meaning?” I wiped my hands and the corners of my mouth with my napkin.

  “Meaning, these people know what they’re doing. They aren’t amateurs churning out money on inkjet printers and cutting the bills with scissors. Apparently, they’re using older bills as the paper stock and have really good graphic templates, but the ink found in everyday inkjet printers will smear and bleed if the bills get wet. That’s a dead giveaway. These guys are using the most up-to-date, high-tech laser printers on the market that have toners. They’re also coating the bills with a fixative that prevents most of the bleed through if the paper gets wet. Luckily, the Secret Service has access to the tools needed to check into that further if necessary.”

  Billings filled his coffee cup with water from the fountain at the back of the bull pen. “And that’s what they did?”

  “Exactly.”

  “So now what?” I imagined a lot of filing on the horizon.

  “Agent Brennan said they have an archives room with sample bills that were confiscated from counterfeiters over the years. They’re bringing in a specialist to see if they can match the techniques used on these bills with ones already in their possession. They’re going to hit their CIs too and see if there’s been any new chatter on the street.”

  “So why can’t we do that same type of thing over the airwaves with an 800 tip line number?”

  Jack gave me the eyeballs. “Because we aren’t the Secret Service and it isn’t our case in that sense of the word. To be honest, none of this is actually our case at all. If we pursued it, we’d have to ask permission every time we entered Milwaukee County. Our only role in anything is that we were the unlucky recipients of two dead men.”

  “We handed everything to the Secret Service on a silver platter, though. We did all the legwork for them. They didn’t break a sweat or lift a finger on this case,” Kate said.

  “Sometimes that happens, deputy, and it isn’t always fair.”

  Ideas were stirring in my head. “Nobody has interviewed the families, though, right? I mean, who would? The fourth district is too busy searching for the person who shot Officer Jacobs, and the Secret Service doesn’t make condolence visits. I bet nobody has reached out to Charlie or Joe’s families to notify them of their deaths. Chances are, the people closest to them may know a lot more about their known associates and work habits than we do.”

  “That might help, especially since we don’t know a damn thing,” Jack said. “I’ll grab their police files again. We have plenty of time on our hands to conduct interviews.”

  We gathered in the conference room, where Kate counted the names that were noted in the files. There weren’t many, but each person we would interview could give us other names to check out. Our list could expand from there, and eventually, if we were lucky, we might end up with the killer.

  Jack wrote down the names on the whiteboard as I read them aloud over Speakerphone to Kyle in our tech department. He would look up the names and try to find the most current address for each. Once the addresses were noted with pushpins on the wall map, we could divide up the names and begin the interview process. We’d reach out to the families first to offer our condolences and then try to gather valuable information while we were speaking to them face-to-face.

  Within an hour, we had the names and addresses of eight people directly related to, or close associates of, Charlie and Joe. Four were family members, two for each, and four were known associates, three for Charlie and one for Joe. The address locations were marked with pins on the map.

  “There are five of us, an odd number, but I don’t want anyone conducting interviews alone, especially to the known associates. We have no idea what kind of connection they might have had with either man,” Jack said.

  “Why not pull in Jamison or Horbeck for a few overtime hours?” I suggested.

  “Yeah, good idea. I’ll call Horbeck. He needs to pay off that sixty-inch TV he just bought.”

  Once Horbeck arrived, Jack divide
d the names and assigned the groups of two who would go together for the interviews.

  “Okay, Amber, you’re going with Clayton. Billings, you ride with Horbeck, and Kate can go with me. Kate and I will take both families. Amber and Clayton, interview the two associates in Waukesha County, and Billings and Horbeck, take the others on the south side of Ozaukee County. We all need to mind our manners since we’re out of our jurisdiction. Remember, we’re only gathering information, not making accusations. We don’t want people to clam up on us. Any questions?” Jack looked from face to face. “If not, let’s roll. We have a good four hours we can spend pounding the pavement. I want everyone back here by six o’clock, and factor in the traffic.”

  Chapter 31

  Chad climbed into the driver’s seat while I programmed the first address into my cell phone.

  “Okay, we’re heading to the Butler area. You’re going to exit on Hampton and go west to 127th Street, then go north a few blocks to West Cameron. I’m figuring a half hour to get there.”

  Chad clicked his blinker and merged onto Highway 45 south. “Who lives on Cameron?”

  “A friend of Charlie’s named Ben Jessup. It’s been said that he sells his fair share of illegal drugs, but he’s never been busted with enough on his person to be convicted with intent to sell, only possession. It looks like he has a few multi-county warrants, though, which gives us enough reason to chat him up. Let’s see what he has to say.”

  “What ruse are we going with?”

  “I don’t know. Do drug dealers watch the news? If word hasn’t spread among these morons yet that Charlie and Joe are dead, we could get away with saying that Charlie has been busted. Whoever coughs up the most information about other people will get a sweeter deal. We’ll remind Ben that he can’t depend on Charlie’s loyalty. He’s already ratted out Ben to us.”

  “Yeah, let’s try that. We’ll use that same story for the second guy too.”