by C. M. Sutter
“Thank you, Mr. Moore.”
McKinley clinked glasses with Marco. “Keep everything to yourself that was said behind these doors. You’ve just been promoted, and your first assignment to prove your loyalty takes place tonight.”
Chapter 40
We were at a loss. Nothing made sense, and every step forward seemed to take us two steps back.
Jack came out of his office and stood against the doorframe with his arms folded. We stopped what we were doing and turned toward him.
“What’s up, boss?” Clayton asked.
“It’s been three days since the discovery of the bodies. We’ve learned about a counterfeiting ring, but that isn’t our department’s duty to investigate. We’ve learned that Charlie was a druggie, and judging by the contents of his house, he was definitely dealing, but that isn’t our duty or jurisdiction, either. The only things that fell into our laps were two dead men, nothing else. Investigating the Alpina and the printers, neither of which have been proven to be related to Joe or Charlie’s murders, is just inserting ourselves into Milwaukee County’s problems.”
“But we’ve already put three days into the case,” I said.
“True, and that was my bad. We should have dropped it after finding out who the dead men were. The responsibility was on Milwaukee after that.” Jack jerked his head toward Clayton and Billings. “What has been pushed to the back burner because of these shootings?”
They both opened their current case files and took a look.
“I have the domestic abuse case filed by the wife of Tony Petrie to follow up on. It’s the second strike against him. There’s also that gas station robbery out near Slinger and another in Hustisford that may be related.”
“Billings, what’s on your to-do list?”
“I have that suspicious fire near Allenton to follow up on with the fire inspector, and I have to testify in court on Monday on that false insurance claim. We reviewed the building’s videos, and it looked as if the renter emptied out his own garage then filed a theft report. Stupid on his part for not noticing there were four wall-mounted cameras on the clubhouse and one of them pointed at the garages.”
“Criminals aren’t usually the smartest tools in the shed.”
“Except these guys,” Kate mumbled.
“All right, then it’s settled. We have enough to do in our own county. Get busy with existing cases.” Jack returned to his office and closed the door.
“Is he uptight or what?” I whispered.
“It is what it is, Amber, but I’d say Jack is likely upset because his hands are tied. Nothing about that case is in our jurisdiction. It’s leading us down a rabbit hole that’s caving in behind us.”
I smiled. “Nice metaphor, Chad.”
He grinned. “Thanks, I liked it too.”
“Guess we’re back to filing cases and reviewing legal documents.” Kate got up and made herself a cup of tea.
We dug back into the files that had been sitting on our desks for the last few days. I heard the beeps from somebody punching the code into the security door. I watched to see who would pass through. Seconds later the doorknob turned, and Jan Seymore, one of our daytime dispatch operators, walked through. She headed directly to Jack’s office and knocked.
Through the wall of glass, we saw Jack wave her in. She closed the door behind her.
“Damn, I wanted to hear their conversation.”
Billings turned toward me and nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
Jan had been in Jack’s office for only a few minutes when she walked out, gave each of us a quick smile, and left the bull pen.
“He’s coming out,” Kate whispered as she shuffled papers and tried to look busy.
Jack opened his door and walked to my desk. He took a seat on the corner. “Seems like something interesting has come to light, people. Two women out bike riding near Jackson City came upon a gun lying in the gravel right off Sherman Road. They just called it in.”
I jumped from my seat. “Let’s go.”
Jack couldn’t help smiling. “You are definitely your sister’s sister, Amber. Call Kyle and Dan and tell them to meet us in the parking lot in ten minutes. Jan just gave me the address, and I have the phone number of the woman who called it in. We aren’t going to be able to prove that it’s the gun used in the shooting since no slugs were found at the crime scene. In my personal opinion, though, if the gun is a .38 or a .45, we just may have our murder weapon. With any luck, it will be served up with a side order of prints. Saddle up, guys, and Amber, call Forensics.”
We gathered in the parking lot ten minutes later. Jack had just hung up from a conversation with the woman who called in the sighting when Kyle and Dan walked out.
“What have we got, Lieutenant?” Dan asked.
“A gun was just discovered on Sherman Road on the southern outskirts of Jackson City. There’s a chance it could be linked to the bodies we found on Tuesday. I’ve asked the women who found it to stick around, and they said they hadn’t touched it. Why don’t you guys follow us? I have the address.”
“Sounds good.” Kyle and Dan crossed the parking lot to the forensics van and climbed in.
Jack made a circle in the air with his index finger. “Same as always, Kate and Amber, climb in with me. Clayton and Billings, take the second cruiser. Let’s head out.”
Jack headed west on Washington Street in the first car, with Clayton and Billings behind us, and the forensics van taking up the rear. I watched in my side mirror to make sure everyone cleared the first set of lights. We reached the freeway entrance ramp minutes later and, when the lights changed, turned left. Jack picked up speed and merged onto the highway. I thought of the Alpina doing the same thing on Wednesday.
You haven’t skated by on this one yet. We may be coming for you after all.
From North Bend to Jackson City was a straight shot south on Highway 45, and Sherman Road was a mile beyond that.
“You’ll have to exit in Jackson City and take P to Sherman.”
“That’s right. There isn’t an exit to Sherman off of 45.”
We reached Jackson City ten minutes later and turned east. At the first set of lights, we turned right onto P and continued south.
Jack gave me a glance as I held the slip of paper that Jan had given him. “Which way when we get to Sherman?”
“You’ll turn left.”
He nodded and clicked the left blinker as we approached that country road. The vehicles behind us did the same.
“Now how far?”
“The note says the women are on Sherman where it intersects with Division. We have about three miles to go.”
“Good enough.”
I saw something farther ahead and pointed out the windshield. As we neared, I saw two bicycles lying on their sides in the gravel and two women sitting next to them. “There they are, Jack, on the right-hand side of the road.”
Jack engaged the hazard lights as he pulled into the gravel and parked fifty feet back from the women. If any evidence at all was along the road or closer to the weapon, we didn’t want to disturb it. Billings and Clayton pulled in behind us, and Kyle and Dan made a U-turn at the intersection and parked on the opposite side along the ditch. They needed to be the closest so they could access their equipment easily.
We walked the pavement toward the women, who had already stood and were headed our way. We gathered with them and went through the introductions.
Sandra Severson took the lead since she was the one who made the call. “The gun is closer to the intersection. We didn’t want to trample the area and stir things up with our bikes.”
Jack looked surprised. “We really appreciate your concern about preserving evidence. Why don’t you show us where it’s at?”
“Sure thing.”
The ladies walked ahead of us and made sure to stay on the pavement. Kyle and Dan followed at their backs, and we fell in at the rear. I looked to my side and gave Billings a thumbs-up.
“There it is,”
Sandra said with an extended index finger. “It’s right where we found it. I swear we didn’t touch it, and I’m afraid of guns, anyway.”
Her biking companion, Jenna March, agreed. “I am too.”
We moved in closer and surrounded the gun lying partially hidden in the grassy weeds. The grip was the only thing exposed.
Jack squatted alongside Kyle and Dan then glanced back over his shoulder. “I’m surprised you saw the gun at all.”
“I love to ride, but I’m always looking at things around me too. When I saw something dark against the contrast of that lighter-colored road gravel, I stopped to take a look.”
Dan snapped photos of the spot where the gun was found. He zoomed in and took several pictures of the grass and gravel areas around it. He nodded to Kyle, who carefully lifted the gun out of the weeds with his gloved hand. Dan snapped more photos from every angle.
Kyle spoke up. “We have a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver here. Everyone, please stand at my back. I have to see if it’s loaded.”
We made sure the ladies were behind us as we backed up into the road.
Kyle pointed the gun at the empty field and pressed the cylinder release latch. “Damn. There are still two live rounds in the chamber.” Dan took a picture of the bullets, then Kyle pushed the ejector rod and popped them out. He dropped the rounds into an evidence bag and closed it. “Okay, everyone is safe.” He placed the revolver in a separate evidence bag and pressed the seal. Kyle noted the time on the bag.
Jack turned to Kate and me. “Deputies, take these ladies to our cruiser and get their statements.” Before we walked back to our car, Jack shook their hands. “We certainly appreciate you doing your civic duty and making that call. Who knows what could have happened if a child had stumbled across that gun.”
Kate and I escorted the women to Jack’s cruiser and asked them to take a seat in the back. Fifteen minutes later, and with everything they could remember written on our notepads, we handed the women our cards and walked them to their bicycles.
“Lieutenant Steele, we’ve completed the interviews,” Kate said.
“Okay, I guess you’re free to go, then. Again, the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office certainly appreciates your help.”
We watched as the women put on their helmets, climbed on their bicycles, and headed toward Jackson City.
Jack turned to Kyle. “Please don’t tell me the serial number has been filed off.”
“I can read it like it was stamped yesterday, but this looks to be an older weapon. I can date it by the serial number, but there’s a good chance this gun was manufactured before the registration laws went into effect. And if it was purchased secondhand off the street or at a gun show, the serial number is only good for identifying the firearm, not the person who bought it.”
Chapter 41
It was nearly three o’clock by the time we were back in the bull pen. Kyle promised to call Jack as soon as he had more information on the revolver. He said he’d dust it for prints too.
Jack reached for my phone and pressed the contact for Lena’s name. “Lena, can you join us in the bull pen? Sure, thanks.” He clicked off. “She’ll be up here in ten minutes. We need her opinion.”
I leaned back in my chair and faced Jack. “So does the gun discovery put some of the case in our county?”
“If the gun is connected to Charlie and Joe’s deaths, then yes, to a degree. I just don’t know how we’re going to prove it’s the same gun without the original slugs for a ballistics comparison. Maybe Lena can shed some light for us.”
We heard the clacking of shoes in the tiled hallway. Lena walked in and greeted each of us, then Jack pulled out my guest chair. “Have a seat.”
She nodded a thank-you and sat down. “What can I help you guys with?”
“A .38 Smith and Wesson revolver was found today out near Jackson City. The location of that gun was relatively close to the location of the bodies from Tuesday. If a person drove straight north on Division, they would only need to go a few miles farther and they’d be at the dump site. That may or may not be a coincidence, but if somebody unfamiliar with Washburn County that had just dumped two bodies days earlier was told to get rid of the possible murder weapon, they might go back to that general location.”
“True, but I’m not an investigator. I will tell you that the .38 is a likely possibility of the gun used, but Forensics has no way to conduct the ballistics test.”
I looked at Jack. “May I?”
“Sure. What’s on your mind, Amber?”
“The bodies are still in your possession. Am I correct, Lena?”
“That’s a fact. They’re both in the morgue.”
“I’m wondering if bones are bones regardless of whether they’re human or animal.”
“Depends on what you’re testing for. Why?”
“The university’s biology lab has complete animal carcasses that include the skulls. You have Charlie and Joe. Why can’t somebody shoot a round from that gun into the skull of a lab animal and compare it to the holes in Charlie and Joe’s heads? You’ve concluded that the shooter was probably six feet away. Couldn’t that tell us something as far as size and shape of the hole if we replicated the same scenario?”
“Possibly, but Kyle and Dan would have to conduct that type of study. It would definitely be a forensic test, but it could tell you more than you know now.”
“I’ll run that by Kyle. Is there anything more the gun or bullets can tell us?” Jack asked.
“Not really. We know the likely caliber. I already have the measurements of the wounds documented, so Amber’s suggestion could help. It’s possible under a powerful microscope to see similar patterns in the entry wound. Other than fingerprints or a name tied to the registration, it might be your only hope.”
Jack let out a long sigh. “Okay, thanks, Lena. Appreciate your insight.”
Lena walked out just as Jack’s phone rang.
Jack reached his desk phone seconds later. “Lieutenant Steele speaking. Yes, Kyle. I’ll be damned. Uh-huh. That’s something to start with, anyway. Okay, thanks.” Jack hung up and returned to the bull pen. “The gun was manufactured in 1962, prior to registration laws, so that’s no help”—he grinned—“but we have a set of prints that was in the database.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Clayton said. “Who do they belong to?”
“Would you believe a two-bit thug named Juan Martinez? It could very well be the Juan that Ben Jessup mentioned. The problem is, there isn’t a recent address, driver’s license, or any type of bank account or credit card attached to his name. His last arrest was in 1999, and he served a nickel term for forging checks. It seems that he’s fallen off the earth since then.”
I huffed. “Until now. Apparently something, or someone, has caused him to resurface.”
“Yeah, the killing of two questionable men and a Milwaukee city cop. Three dead men, one with two rounds in his abdomen, and four bullets missing from the gun—do the math. Oh my God, that’s it!” Kate said.
Jack spun toward her. “What?”
“What happened to the slugs that killed Officer Jacobs? The Milwaukee County Coroner would be able to tell us if he recovered them during the autopsy. If he has them, we can do the ballistics comparison. We’ll know with one hundred percent certainty if that gun was the murder weapon in all three shootings.”
“Kate, you’re going to make a damn good detective. I need to get Ortega on the phone right now and let him know what’s going on. We have the possible murder weapon and a name, and they’re going to want justice for their fallen officer. This case may end up being a joint effort after all. Clayton, call Kyle and tell him we may need the last two rounds fired for a ballistics match. First we’ll wait for confirmation from the coroner that he does indeed have the slugs.” Jack returned to his office and closed the door at his back.
Clayton lifted the receiver on his desk phone and made the call downstairs.
Chapter 42
T
he sound of the overhead door lifting caught McKinley’s attention. He left his office and crossed the warehouse floor. He saw Derek drive in, then Juan pressed the button to close the garage door behind the van.
“A successful delivery, I presume,” he said when Derek and Royce exited the van.
“Yes, Mr. Moore, not a single hiccup. The Chicago area check-cashing stores are full, and we have five brand-new top-shelf printers.” Royce pulled out the credit card and handed it to McKinley.
“The receipts?”
“Of course.” Royce dipped his hand in his front pants pocket and retrieved three electronics store receipts. He handed those to McKinley as well.
“Expensive. They better do a superb job.”
Derek added his account of the transaction. “The salesmen at every store said they were the best laser printers available to the public.” He laughed and elbowed Royce. “And then one of the idiots said they were good enough to print money and fool most people.”
McKinley smirked. “Maybe we should hire him.” He jerked his chin at the back of the van. “Okay, get them out and set them up. Once we see that everything is working properly, throw the boxes in the incinerator.” He gave Marco a quick glance. “Oh, and by the way, Juan, you’re going to North Bend with Marco tonight. I want two extra sets of eyes on the grand opening of Shooters. I want to know how large the crowd is and if Grant can handle the pressure.”
Juan nodded. “Absolutely, Mr. Moore. Not a problem.”
“Good, now help set up those printers. You’ll leave here at seven o’clock.”
Chapter 43
I glanced at the text Jade had just sent me asking what time we were going to Shooters that night. I sent off a quick response saying that everyone planned to meet there at eight o’clock. I’d go home, eat, shower, and change clothes. She and I would pick up Kate, and we’d drive to the bar together.
Jack exited his office and took a seat on the nearest chair. “Okay, Ortega has agreed to share this case with us. They want the person who killed Officer Jacobs, and by the sound of it, they have nothing other than the dash cam video, which doesn’t give them a visual of the car’s occupants. They don’t have any leads yet.”
