Greed: An Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Book 1

by C. M. Sutter

  After they parked out of sight, seven law enforcement officers from Milwaukee and Washburn Counties and six SWAT team specialists moved in on the warehouse. Chief Ortega, Detective Mallory, three patrol officers, Jack, and Mitch all hung back until the building was breached.

  Eric Summers, the team leader, spoke into his radio. “On my go… Three. Two. One. Breach!”

  On his command, three SWAT units stationed at each door rammed through. The crash of the doors sent everyone inside running for cover. Clearly unaware of the impending takedown, McKinley, Frank, Marco, Derek, and three other men who were busy at the printers ran in different directions.

  “Everyone get down on the floor now!” The shouts came from the front door, and another, of equal intensity, came from the back. Thirteen men infiltrated the building with their guns drawn. Eric, his sights aimed at Derek, gave him a quick assessment. “Think twice about whatever you’re ready to grab from your waistband. It isn’t worth dying for, so place that weapon on the floor, slow and easy.”

  Derek set the pistol down and slid it across the floor. Marco ran to the left, and McKinley and Frank ran for the Alpina. Two loud pops echoed off the walls as Jack took aim and shot out the car’s left-side tires.

  “Both of you get on the floor with your hands clasped behind your heads. Mitch, cuff them.” Jack pointed. “The big guy ran into that room.”

  “We’ll handle him, Lieutenant.” Eric and his men approached the closed door.

  The men were ordered to the floor, facedown with their hands behind their backs. One by one, they were cuffed and searched for weapons.

  Jack approached the two who ran for the Alpina. “You must be the old man—McKinley.” Jack jerked his head to the right and knelt. “Grant, I take everything back I said the other night. You aren’t a decent guy, and as a matter of fact, you’re going to rot in prison and then in hell after that. You’re damn lucky Amber is going to pull through, or you’d have a bullet in your brain right now. Am I making myself clear?”

  The man turned his head and looked away.

  Eric exited the office and pushed Marco toward the rest of the group. Marco’s oversized wrists were zip-tied together behind his back. “Damn cuffs weren’t big enough for that monster,” Eric said.

  Jack glared at Marco. “Sit your ass on the floor next to Grant. So it looks like we’re missing someone, Mr. Moore. Where is your other son, Frank?”

  McKinley gave Marco a threatening stare.

  “What’s going on between you two?” Jack kicked McKinley’s shoe. “Hey, old man, I asked you a question.”

  McKinley remained silent.

  “Okay, we’ll play it your way. We need someone to bust down the door at Frank Moore’s condo right now.”

  Ortega walked away to make the call.

  Jack looked over his shoulder. “Mitch, get Brennan on the phone. Tell him this warehouse is theirs to deal with and that somebody better come and secure it now. We have five pallets full of counterfeit money sitting here ready to hit the streets.”

  “Patrol is on their way to Frank Moore’s condo as we speak,” Chief Ortega said as he returned to the group.

  “Ready to haul these goons away, Lieutenant?” Eric asked.

  Jack faced Ortega. “Chief, you lost one of your own, so it’s your decision. Where do you want to house these criminals for the time being?”

  “Under my own nose so I can watch them.” Ortega jerked his head at his men. “Get them to the precinct. Don’t transport them together. They each go in a car alone.” He spit on the ground next to McKinley. “They aren’t getting the opportunity to cover each other’s asses with their bullshit alibis. Put them in holding cells with other inmates. Nobody in this group gets housed together.” He took two steps toward McKinley and stared in his face. “Word is, you shot and killed my officer. Here’s some good news for you, old man. The ballistic results will be back tomorrow. I’m one hundred percent sure that none of you lowlifes will ever feel freedom again.” He jerked his head toward the door. “Get them out of here.”

  Jack watched as the cuffed men were taken out the door, loaded in squad cars, and hauled away. The SWAT team left after a round of handshakes.

  “I’m heading out too,” Mallory said. “Keep me updated, both of you, and stay safe. Don’t forget, Denning is at my precinct.” He shook hands with Jack, Mitch, and Ortega and walked out.

  Chief Ortega pulled out his ringing phone. “Shit. Yeah, okay, hang on.” He palmed his phone for a few seconds. “Frank’s condo is empty. I think we should check the other residences too.”

  “I agree,” Jack said.

  “Yeah, go ahead and search the other condo first. You’re in that area, anyway.” Ortega clicked off the call and dropped the phone back into his pocket. “I’m heading to the station, guys. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”

  Jack rubbed his shoulder. “Yeah, we’ll wait for the Secret Service to show up, hand this place off to them, and then meet up with you at the precinct.”

  “Good enough.”

  “I have to make a quick call.” Jack walked into McKinley’s office while Mitch snapped photos with his cell phone of the printers and pallets of wrapped cash.

  Jack took a seat behind the large desk and sank into the luxurious leather chair.

  Damn, this is a sweet office chair. Too bad something like this won’t ever fit into our budget.

  He pulled out his phone from his inner jacket pocket and made the call. He clicked Speakerphone and placed the phone on McKinley’s desk. Jack pulled open the right top drawer while the phone rang on the other end.

  “Perfect, that’s just what I needed.” He pulled out a legal pad and a pen. The call picked up on the other end.

  “Hello.”

  “Kate, it’s Jack. How’s Amber?”

  “Hey, boss. Amber is improving every minute. I’m so thankful.”

  Jack sighed. “Me too.”

  “How’s it going on your end?”

  “We have everyone in custody except Frank Moore. From what Royce told us, he’s Grant’s brother.”

  “Grant’s brother, huh?”

  “Yeah, and I can sense something bubbling up in your head. Kate, I’m calling because the day we discovered Juan behind Shooters, Amber told me you’ve been having premonitions again. We need your help. I want to hear everything you’ve been seeing in your dreams. Please, don’t leave anything out.”

  “Okay, I understand. Are you able to write it down?”

  “I have a pen and paper in front of me, so go ahead.”

  “I’ve had several dreams that involved the same people. The dreams didn’t have a message or storyline, just people and places like I said when we found Juan. He showed up in one dream along with other people and locations.”

  “Go ahead. I’m taking notes.” Jack wrote down Juan’s name and that Kate saw a tattoo-covered Hispanic man in her dream.

  “I also saw an older man with Juan, and he was driving the Alpina.”

  “Wow. Of course that’s the father and ringleader, McKinley Moore. What else?”

  “I saw several locations. One was a wide-open place where there were kids flying kites, and another was a dark, pine-covered area. Jack, that had to be Regner Park.”

  “Exactly, and the kite-flying area sounds like Veterans’ Park. Don’t know how that’s related yet. Go on.”

  “I remember seeing two gorgeous matching velvet chairs.”

  “Damn it, Kate. I’m staring at them right now in McKinley’s office. I swear the hair is rising on my arms. Do you remember what color they were?”

  “Yeah, they were the color of money. Shit, that was obviously intentional.”

  “Bingo.”

  “I had two dreams with the same characters, though.”

  Jack held the pen over the paper. “I’m listening.”

  “They were twins, Jack, and they looked exactly like Grant. I even mentioned it to Amber on the night of Shooters grand opening.”
>
  “Now that I think of it, I remember hearing you say that. I think you just connected all the dots in this case. Frank Moore is Grant’s twin. The question is, who do we really have in custody?”

  “We have Grant’s fingerprints on file. Jade can see if they’re a match once you print the man you have in custody. There’s one more thing I remember.”

  “Go ahead. Your premonitions are uncanny.”

  “I saw a small dark room that smelled like a basement.”

  “Interesting. Anything else?”

  “No, that’s everything I remember.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “Jack?”

  “Yep.”

  “I think I could help better if I was there too.”

  “Yeah, okay. Go to the fourth district precinct. Mitch and I are waiting for Brennan’s crew to show up, then we’re heading there too. I’ll let Ortega know you’re coming.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jack clicked off and left the office. He noticed a voicemail had come in during his call. He put the phone up to his ear and listened as he crossed the warehouse floor to Mitch’s side. “Brennan left a message. His men should be here in a few minutes. I think Kate answered a few questions for us.”

  “How so?”

  “Grant and Frank are twins, as in identical.”

  “No shit?” Mitch scratched his head. “So which one do we have in custody?”

  “I have no idea, but Kate’s on her way to lend a hand.”

  Chapter 67

  Jack and Mitch reached the fourth district precinct ahead of Kate. She left a text on Jack’s phone that she was ten minutes away.

  The two men sat in the guest chairs of Ortega’s office, facing him. The chief let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead. “Your deputy is actually a psychic, and her premonitions are legit?”

  Jack raised a brow. “That’s what I’m saying. It’s an uncanny gift, but Kate Pierce is the real deal. She thinks Grant and Frank are identical twins, so one of them is in the wind. We just don’t know which one yet.” Jack tipped his head toward the desk phone. “Can you check to see if everyone has been processed, photographed, and printed?”

  “Sure thing. Give me a second to find out.” Ortega lifted the phone’s receiver and called the desk in the jail wing. The conversation was short, just a few brief sentences. “Yep, okay, thanks.” He set the phone back on the base. “They’ve all been printed. What do you suggest?”

  “We have Grant Moore’s prints on file. At least, they’re the prints for the man we think is Grant Moore. Either way, he’s the same guy, or he’s not. The prints won’t lie. His prints have been uploaded into IAFIS. Compare them side by side with those of the guy you just printed. We’ll find out the answer immediately.”

  Ortega made one more call. “Get the prints for Grant Moore uploaded into IAFIS. We already have one set in the system under that name. We need to know if they match, and yes, call me back the second you have the results.” Ortega hung up. “I guess we wait.”

  Footsteps and voices sounded in the hallway.

  “I bet that’s Kate being shown back,” Jack said. He stood and opened the door just as she lifted her fist to knock.

  Kate thanked the officer who had directed her to Ortega’s office. She smiled at Jack. “Now you’re a mind reader?”

  “Nah—we heard voices and footsteps. Come on in and have a seat.” Jack pointed at his chair.

  “Thanks.”

  “So you’re a psychic officer?” Ortega lifted his eyebrows, exposing the anxiety creases across his forehead.

  Kate blushed yet answered the question with authority. “I am, and I’ve helped solve police cases in several other states too.”

  “That’s amazing. I’ve never met a psychic detective.”

  She looked up at Jack. “I’m not quite a detective yet, sir, but I hope to be soon. So, only one of the three residences belonging to the Moore family has been searched?”

  “Our officers are conducting a search at the second condo right now.”

  “I’d like to assist, but I’m mainly interested in the family home, the mansion on North Wahl Avenue.”

  “Why not both properties, Deputy Pierce?”

  “I’ve had dreams—premonitions, actually—involving a small dark room. I can smell it, even as we sit here.”

  “And it smells like what?”

  “Like a basement. High-rise condos in the Third Ward wouldn’t have that scent.” She smiled. “I’ve done my research. Those condos were old factories, taken down to the studs and thoroughly remodeled. Even what were the basement areas years ago have been updated with high-efficiency fans and new heating and cooling systems. They have built-in dehumidifiers. I don’t believe that type of odor would be present there.”

  Ortega grinned at Jack. “You better hang on to her. I’m tempted to offer Deputy Pierce a higher income with the Milwaukee PD.”

  “Thank you, sir. That’s quite a compliment, but I’m very happy at the sheriff’s office in Washburn County.” Kate looked from Jack to Chief Ortega. “So, can I go along?”

  “It’s okay by me. Jack?”

  “Sure, you can go.”

  A ringing phone momentarily silenced their conversation. Ortega picked up on the second ring. “Chief Ortega speaking. Yes, I’ll be damned, and you’re positive? I know, IAFIS doesn’t lie. Thanks, Bob.” He stood and nodded toward the door. “I think we should all go. Looks like Grant Moore is missing, and Frank Moore is in custody. We’ll head to the mansion first, and we don’t even have to break in the door. We took the keys from McKinley Moore when he tried to flee in his Alpina.”

  They reached the large brick mansion at six forty-five. Because of the size of the home, Chief Ortega had requested that four patrol units from district five meet them there.

  “Everyone, listen up,” Ortega said as they stood on the sweeping porch outside the front doors. “This is only a search for human life at this point. We don’t know if that person is inside the residence or not. We’re here to clear the building, nothing else. If someone is inside, there could be a chance that he’s armed and dangerous, and there could be a chance that he’s being held against his will. I want everyone to proceed cautiously.” He looked up at the three-story home. “This is a large house with a lot of rooms and probably as many nooks and crannies. Keep your eyes peeled.” He turned and jiggled the knob, then he pulled out the keys from his front pocket and unlocked the door. “Let’s go.”

  They passed through the wooden double doors with leaded glass inserts into an oversized foyer. Dark walnut paneling covered the walls, and when the light switch was flipped, a chandelier, five feet in diameter and hanging from a twenty-foot chain, came to life.

  “Wow,” Kate whispered.

  Ortega pointed toward the open staircase. “I want you four to clear the upstairs. Look under every bed and search every closet. This place probably has a walk-in attic. Make sure to check that too.” He pointed straight ahead. “Let’s clear this area, then we’ll head to the basement. This main level looks pretty massive.”

  They spread out with guns drawn and their eyes and ears on full alert. The main floor held eleven rooms, and one by one they were cleared. With three rooms left to search, Jack entered the solarium. Two glasses sat on side tables facing the window that overlooked the lake. He studied them for a moment then continued to the heavy drapes that hung from either end of the window. He pushed them aside to check behind them.

  Jack whispered, “Kate, come take a look at this.”

  Kate entered the solarium from the adjoining library. “What have you got?”

  Jack tipped his head toward the window. “Look out there to your right.”

  Kate peered through the panes and looked south. She nodded. “We’re in the right place, Jack. I can feel it, and those kids flying kites in Veterans’ Park confirm it. I’m heading to the basement.”

  “Wait up. I’ll go with you.”

  Kate opened the creaky do
or that led down the narrow stairs. She hit the lights, and a single bulb hung over the landing at the halfway point. That four-by-four-foot landing separated each set of eight steps. She descended and held the rail as Jack followed. When she reached the midway point, the scent hit her square in the face. She turned and waited for Jack. “It’s the same scent that was in my dream.”

  “It’s strong and musty smelling, plus it’s freezing down here. Doubt if anyone ever steps foot in the basement. Why would they?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” She pointed at the wooden landing. “The dust has been disturbed recently. You can almost make out the shape of shoeprints.”

  Jack nodded. “Good eye, deputy.”

  Kate continued down the second set of steps. Another light switch, mounted to the wall, was to her right. She reached for it and felt the cool, damp stones that made up the foundation of the century-old mansion. She flipped the switch, and the room lit up. Kate pointed at the floor. “Definite signs of recent activity down here. There are four doors. Which one should we open first?”

  Jack looked around the corner to his left. “How about door number five? It’s locked from the outside.”

  Kate followed his eyes. “That has to be it. I’d say we just found Grant.” She ran to the door and banged on it. “Is anyone in there?” Kate pressed her ear against the ancient wood and banged again. “Hello, answer if you can.” She turned to Jack. “We need something to break open the door. Wait! I hear mumbling.” Kate froze in place, barely taking a breath.

  “Help me. Please get me out of here.”

  “It’s him, Jack. We need to break the lock.”

  Jack cupped his hand and whispered in Kate’s ear. “We need him to identify himself first. He has no idea we have Frank in custody.”

  Kate called out, “Who’s in there? Identify yourself.”

  “It’s Grant Moore. My father put me in here to die.”

  Jack nodded. “Hold on. I’m getting something to break the lock.”