Random Acts of Greed: Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries, Book 4

by Christy Barritt

  He shook his head. “Just the seed of doubt about his integrity could ruin his career. I won’t do that to him until I know something for sure. He’s on patrol right now, if I remember correctly.”

  “He wouldn’t leave a baby there alone . . . right?” Panic quelled in me at the thought.

  Chase grimaced. “We can only hope. He may have, however, left some kind of evidence that a baby has been there. That’s what we’ll look for.”

  I had doubts in my mind about that. After all, Truman would be smarter than that. If he’d snatched the baby, he would have taken Jonah somewhere else . . . right?

  And what about the man who posed as a social worker? Who was he, and how did he tie into all of this? This operation was more than a one-man job.

  I still had so many questions.

  I cleared my throat, anticipating Chase’s answer to my next question. “Can I go with you?”

  His eyebrow quirked up. “Can I stop you?”

  “Probably not.”

  “You can come, but only if you promise to play by my rules.”

  Truman lived in an old, brick ranch-style house that looked out of place next to the hodgepodge of other houses on his street. Most had battered wood siding and overgrown lawns. His house was neat but simple.

  We crammed into Chase’s truck, which wasn’t ideal since I had to straddle the gearshift, but we figured my car would be too noticeable. Jamie had agreed to remain as lookout in the truck while Chase and I checked out the house.

  I was actually stunned Chase hadn’t put his foot down and insisted I stay home. Maybe he knew me well enough to know there was a good chance I’d show up anyway, and he figured he’d head off trouble by letting me tag along.

  There were no cars outside Truman’s house, so we could most likely safely assume he was still on patrol and that no one was home.

  I really hoped he wasn’t guilty. I liked Truman. Obviously, my mom liked Truman also. He seemed level-headed and kind.

  However, I’d encountered enough criminals to know that those traits didn’t determine innocence or guilt. The kindest of souls could be desperate enough to break the law.

  After we climbed out of the truck, Chase took my hand. He looked left and then right before pulling me toward the back of the house, where a privacy fence better concealed us.

  Once we were safely in the backyard, I breathed a little easier. At least we were out of sight. For a moment.

  “What are we looking for?” My breath frosted in front of me in the gray winter air.

  “I just want to peer inside. Without a warrant, that’s the best I can do right now.”

  A small deck jutted from the backdoor, and three windows were close enough to allow for easy snooping. I headed that way while Chase, who was considerably taller, checked the other windows.

  Whenever I closed my eyes, I imagined a gunshot cracking the air. The thought made my bones shudder. Whoever was behind this was dangerous, and I hoped we hadn’t just walked into a trap.

  The first window I came to displayed the kitchen on the other side. There was nothing there except some overripe bananas, some papers stacked on the counter, and a neat-looking fridge. Nothing out of the ordinary.

  Next, I peered into the glass of the backdoor. Again, nothing stood out. A living room was on the other side, including an old couch with a blanket draped over it and some mismatched pillows.

  The man could use some decorating help, but that was no crime. My mom would have been a great one to assist him. His loss.

  My breaths came even easier. If Truman had anything to do with this—and I couldn’t believe he did—then he’d left no evidence behind. I knew there would be more investigations after today, that this wouldn’t be the judge and jury of his innocence. But at least it was a good start.

  Just then, my phone beeped. It was Jamie.

  “There’s a patrol car coming your way,” she whispered. “I can’t tell who’s driving it, and I’m down low in the seat right now so I won’t be spotted.”

  My pulse spiked. I motioned to Chase, and he nodded, starting back toward me.

  I just wanted to peek in that last window. I had time to do that . . . right?

  Quickly, I peered inside.

  What I saw stopped me in my tracks.

  It was the green dinosaur Ralph had bought for Jonah. The rattle rested on the floor, like it had been dropped in a hurry.

  Chapter 30

  From down below on the grass, Chase motioned for me to follow him. “We need to hide. Now.”

  I nodded, unable to get the image of the dinosaur out of my mind as I skirted around a picnic table toward the steps.

  Truman couldn’t have done this.

  Yet all the evidence was right there.

  As soon as I reached the edge of the deck, Chase grabbed my hand and tugged me across the yard so quickly that my feet could hardly keep up. He pulled me behind a shed at the corner of the yard and drew me closer as we waited. The cold chilled my skin and made me shiver.

  Or maybe it was the situation.

  I couldn’t be sure.

  “There’s baby stuff in there,” I whispered. “Stuff that was Jonah’s.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Chase stood in front of me and leaned one arm against the shed, shielding me from everything around us. His expression looked stormy.

  “It was definitely the rattle Ralph bought for Jonah.” My voice cracked with each word.

  Chase stared off in the distance, and his jaw flexed. “I’m going to have to take this to Captain Abbott.”

  “What will happen then?”

  “We’ll get a warrant to search his place. When we’re able to bag the evidence, we’ll be able to question him. Hopefully, with a little pressure, he’ll tell us where Jonah is now.”

  “My impression is that he doesn’t have family in the area.”

  “He could have convinced a friend to take care of the baby for him. Maybe made up a cover story that the baby is his nephew or something.”

  That could be true but another fact remained. “He’s working with someone, Chase. Who was the man posing as a Children’s Services worker?”

  “I have no idea. It could be someone connected with Children’s Services. You said the man used specific names of people who worked there, right?”

  I nodded. “He seemed knowledgeable. Some of that information he could have gotten online, I suppose.”

  “Who knows how deeply this runs.” Chase grimaced, his thoughts obviously intense.

  I glanced around. An old brick wall, painted white and looking ripe for snakes, lined the backside. Vines covered the ground, wrapping around an old tire. Peeling red paint pricked my skin.

  I waited, unable to see beyond the shed. Unwilling to risk being spotted. Incapable of stopping my thoughts from racing ahead.

  Where was Jonah now? He obviously wasn’t in the house. Where would Truman have taken him?

  Could this be the reason Truman was never nearby when anything bad was going down? Was it because he’d planned it that way? Had he intentionally turned a blind eye and let everything happen?

  Maybe he’d also planned to get close to my mom, to earn our trust so we wouldn’t suspect him.

  My phone beeped again, this time with an incoming text from Jamie. I read it and then looked up at Chase. “She said she’s nearly certain it is Truman in the patrol car.”

  “This is within his patrol area. He could just be driving by to check things out and keep an eye on his house. Officers do that sometimes.”

  “Or he could have another purpose.”

  We waited, the minutes ticking by. I wondered if I wasn’t with Chase if he’d be hiding out. I figured he wouldn’t be. But we didn’t want to tip our hand, to show Officer Truman that we were on to him.

  My phone buzzed again with a text from Jamie.

  He’s gone.

  “I need to get down to the station,” Chase said. “Now.”

  Chase took Jamie and me
to the station with him, only because he didn’t have time to drop us off at home. That was fine by me.

  We sat in a waiting area. In the distance, I could see Chase in a glass-enclosed office talking to Captain Abbott. His hands flew in the air as if he tried to drive home a point. Abbott, as usual, remained expressionless. I tried to get a read on the situation but couldn’t.

  Finally Chase stormed out, an unhappy expression on his face. I half-expected him to tell me that the captain had refused to pursue this, had refused to believe the truth if it meant putting the department’s reputation on the line.

  He thundered over to us and stopped with his hands on his hips. “The judge approved a search warrant, so we’re sending someone to check out Truman’s house. Until we have evidence in hand, we have to keep it quiet. We’re checking into his financials also. The money trail usually reveals the truth about what’s going on.”

  “I’m glad the captain listened to you.”

  Chase’s shoulders remained tight and his expression stormy. “He was disbelieving. Skeptical. Concerned. But I showed him everything I’d been collecting and finally got his attention.”

  “At least he listened.”

  He nodded, scanning everything around him in the lobby. Like a good cop, his back was toward the wall so he could be on the lookout for trouble. “He doesn’t like dirty cops anymore than I do. We still have more work to do, though. The department is just recovering from those riots. We don’t need this right now. But if there’s corruption, we can’t cover it up.”

  “Of course not.”

  He shifted, his shoulders still tight and stiff. “Can you guys call someone for a ride home? I’m going to be here for a while, running the investigation from this end. I need to figure out the connection between Truman and Bayfield. I’m also going to review the linked crimes and interview homeowners. People who learned about this ring ended up dead, so we can’t tip anyone off.”

  I shivered at his words.

  “When you get home, stay there. Please. And lock the doors.”

  I wasn’t good at staying home with the doors locked. Besides, locked doors hadn’t stopped the bad guys before. If someone was determined enough . . .

  “Okay?” Chase said.

  Finally I nodded. “Okay.”

  “I’ll keep you updated as much as I’m able.” He kissed my cheek before walking away.

  Stay inside with the doors locked. I’d promised Chase. I could do that. Besides, how long could it take for Chase to nail down the details on this and arrest Truman? By tomorrow morning, I’d be free. Jonah would be found. And the bad guys would be in jail.

  John, Jamie’s nineteen-year-old brother, promised to come and pick us up, but his shift at the grocery store wasn’t over for another forty minutes. I would have called my mom, but then I might have to break the news about Truman. Jamie’s mom was busy, so John had seemed like a good option. He’d been in trouble with the law in the past, however, so it took some prodding to get him to do us the favor—prodding that included a free meal at Skyline Chili on the way home.

  In the meantime, Jamie and I couldn’t discuss the case. There were too many officers around. We couldn’t risk it, so we passed time talking about our favorite baby names.

  Finally, John arrived. He refused to come inside, but instead he called Jamie’s cell and told us to come out. We sat in the back of his sedan, and he turned up his music a little too loud for my taste. I could feel the bass reverberating in my chest. But that was fine. I wasn’t in the mood to talk, and we couldn’t risk her brother overhearing anything.

  My mind turned over everything that had happened. Who was Truman working with? He just didn’t seem like the type to do something like this. But I’d seen the rattle with my own eyes. Chase said Truman was linked to the crime scenes where prescription drugs had been stolen.

  John dropped us off at my house after we went through the drive-through at Skyline Chili. The savory scent of Cincinnati-style chili filled the vehicle and made me realize how hungry I was. It didn’t matter. I could eat later. Right now, we had to see this through to completion.

  As we started toward my front door, Jamie and I had our first real opportunity to talk privately.

  “We have bad luck,” Jamie muttered.

  “Bad luck with what? Being followed?” Speaking of which . . . I looked over my shoulder but didn’t see anyone.

  “Well, that. But also with trusting people. Dating people with ulterior motives. It’s hard being a single gal.”

  I frowned. “You’re talking about my mom and Truman?”

  “She seems smitten. You almost need to do background checks on any potential boyfriends.”

  I bit down. “It wouldn’t have shown this.”

  Just then, a cop car pulled up to the curb outside my house.

  I sucked in a deep breath when I saw who was in the driver’s seat.

  It was Officer Truman.

  Chapter 31

  “Everything okay, ladies?” Officer Truman rolled down his window, concern etched into his wrinkles.

  I forced myself to nod and try to look casual. “We’re just worried about Jonah. With every minute that passes, he could be farther away.”

  He frowned, the lines on his face deepening even more. “I know the police are working on it. They’ll find him soon. They’re competent.”

  Those didn’t sound like the words of someone who’d snatched Jonah. Then again, maybe Truman was a great actor.

  “I just hope the cops are truly putting all of their manpower into this,” I said. I knew I should play it cool, but I couldn’t help but weigh my responses in order to see his reaction. “The life of an innocent baby could be on the line. And all for something senseless.”

  He raised his eyebrows and surprise flashed through his gaze. “Senseless? Do you know why he was taken?”

  “I just meant he was probably taken to wield power over someone else. Maybe because of greed. That’s senseless.” Why was I continuing this conversation? If I kept going, I might dig myself into a hole. I should do what Chase suggested and go inside and lock the doors until he called with an update.

  “I see.” Officer Truman nodded. But his gaze told me he didn’t quite buy it.

  I stepped closer, curiosity burning inside me and some kind of instinct taking over—an instinct to find answers. Jamie tried to tug me back, but I didn’t budge.

  “Do you have a different theory?” I asked.

  He shrugged and ran a hand over his face. Was he plotting ways to get out of this conversation? To turn the tables? To redirect my suspicions? “No theories. It’s better not to draw conclusions but to follow the evidence instead.”

  “I agree.”

  “Something will come up soon. Just hold tight, Holly. I know you really cared about that little boy. I could see it in your gaze. You can’t fake that kind of affection.”

  Jamie tugged me again, but I still didn’t move. Why did Truman have to seem so kind? His words had squeezed at my heart with their fatherly undertones.

  At that moment, sirens wailed in the distance. The air crackled with the unknown. Truman bristled.

  “Something must be going on,” he muttered. “Surprised I didn’t hear about it over the scanner.”

  Four police cars squealed to a stop around us. Officers jumped out, guns drawn and aimed at Truman.

  When Jamie pulled me back this time, I didn’t fight it. But my heart plummeted with disappointment and ache.

  “We need to see your hands,” Mclean yelled.

  A wrinkle formed between Truman’s eyes. “See my hands?”

  “That’s right. Hands in the air. Now!”

  Truman’s wrinkles deepened, but he did as Mclean ordered.

  Chase pulled up in his sedan and parked haphazardly on the street. He strode toward Truman with handcuffs, jerked the door open, and pulled him from the car. “Larry Truman, you’re under arrest.”

  Truman’s eyes widened with alarm. He glanced at Jamie
and me as if desperate to ascertain answers. Then he looked back at Chase. “For what . . . ?”

  Did he look so confused because he didn’t think he’d be caught? It had seemed sincere, though. My emotions clashed inside me.

  “For the kidnapping of Jonah Edwards, for stealing prescription medications, for selling drugs, and for a long list of other crimes.” Chase jerked him from the car and handcuffed him. “You give cops a bad name.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I had to look away. I couldn’t imagine the desperation that had led Truman to go to such great lengths to do something like this. He’d fooled me. He’d fooled my mom. He’d fooled the other cops who worked with him.

  But if all of this meant that Jonah would be safe soon, this was what had to happen. I had to remind myself of that. Truman had been at the crime scenes where drugs were stolen. Jonah’s rattle had been in his house. Chase must have found other evidence also in order to get an arrest warrant.

  Chase approached me as Truman was led away into a squad car.

  “The two of you are to thank for this,” he started. “You know I don’t approve of your tactics a lot of times, but you are able to find answers. People will talk to you who won’t talk to authorities. There’s a lot to be said for that.”

  I may have actually blushed under his compliment. But delight felt distant right now. Until Jonah was found, nothing would seem bright or joyful. “Thank you.”

  “We’re hoping he’ll break under the questioning and tell us whom he’s working with and where Jonah is.”

  “Did you find more evidence?” I asked, wondering what exactly had transpired in the last hour.

  Chase nodded. “Larry has unexplained cash in his checking account—ten thousand dollars worth. And there were baby items in his house. He denied knowing anything about the money or the rattle. The truth will prevail, though.”

  I nodded. “I hope so.”

  “In the meantime, you should both stay here. I’ll assign an officer to remain outside the door, just in case any more trouble arises. We believe he’s working with others—maybe some dealers. Maybe someone from social services. We don’t know yet.”