The Ninth District - A Thriller

by Douglas Dorow

  Ross hurried out of the car, locked the door, and ran a few steps to catch up with Jack.

  They walked to the entrance of the bank, Ross quickly making his way to the door, all business. Jack meandered, looked at the ground, across the street, stared at the roof, and finally got to the door, hands jammed into the pockets of his pants. They flashed their credentials at the Wayzata police officer waiting at the door and he let them in.

  The interior of the bank was dark and eerily quiet. No personal bankers sat at the desks, no tellers were behind the counter, and there wasn’t anybody at the information desk. The bank was closed for business until they were through with their initial investigation.

  Jack stood silently inside the entrance with Ross a half step back and to his right. Ross turned on the lights and Jack had a strange sense of déjà vu as he looked over the scene, the same scene he had seen in the video many times, from a slightly different angle. “Look familiar?” Jack asked.

  Ross answered in the same library voice that Jack was using. “This is weird. We watched that video so many times I’m able to see this with my eyes closed. I’m just waiting for the Governor to walk out from around the corner.”

  “Well, we’re here because there are things we can see here we couldn’t see on the tape. Where should we start?”

  “Jack, let’s go see what’s behind door number one,” Ross answered in his Let’s Make a Deal announcer voice. “I want to go see what’s down that hallway.”

  “OK, that’s a start. But, here’s how I want to do it.” Jack grabbed Ross from behind by the shoulders and maneuvered him to the spot they had seen the Governor and Ms. Humphrey on the video. Jack looked back over his shoulder at the camera above the door to make sure they were standing in the right spot.

  “I’m the Governor, you’re Ms. Humphrey. How much time elapsed from the time they disappeared from view until they came back?”

  “Five minutes and forty-six seconds.”

  “OK, Junior,” Jack looked at his watch and pushed Ross in the back like the Governor had pushed Ms. Humphrey. “Let’s go see what’s down that hallway.”

  They walked around the corner. “Slow down. You’re scared, pregnant, and crying, and don’t know where you’re supposed to go.” The first doorway on their right led to a room with a fax machine, copier, and a supply storage cabinet. Jack glanced in and they kept moving towards the end of the hall. “It was just a few steps from the corner to here. Where do you think they were going?” Jack asked.

  “The vault?”

  “Walk down to the end of the hall and we’ll see how we’re doing time-wise.”

  Standing at the end of the hallway outside of a VP’s office, Jack looked at his watch. “OK, twenty-two seconds from the corner to here. Let’s say thirty, a minute round trip. Can you do the math, Junior?”

  “That leaves four minutes and forty-six seconds for something.”

  “There’s the fax room and a couple of offices. Everything’s been processed?”

  “Yeah. Her prints are everywhere, but we think she was in this office at the end of the hallway.” Ross walked in. “Her prints are all over the arms of the chair in front of the desk, like she was sitting there, and that wouldn’t be normal for her.”

  “Who pushed the chair back in?” Jack stood behind the dark, wooden desk and looked it over. The family pictures sat on one corner. The phone, with a headset, was within easy reach on the left side of the desk. The high-back, leather office chair was pushed into its spot at the desk.

  “I’ll check and make sure this is how it was found, but it was probably either the victim or the Governor,” Ross answered.

  “The PC is missing. This one was taken?” Jack asked.

  “Yes.”

  Jack walked to the door. “Let’s run through it again, make sure we’re not missing something.”

  Chapter 4

  The deli wasn’t crowded so they had their pick of wrought iron tables covered with plastic, blue and white checked tablecloths. Jack picked a table by the window looking out over the street. The plastic utensils and the paper napkins sat at the center of the table in a mason jar with paper menus propped against it.

  “Whoever invented air conditioning was a genius,” Jack said. He settled into his seat and looked over the menu.

  “Have you eaten here?” Ross asked.

  “No, but it has to be good. Main street of Wayzata, facing the lake. It wouldn’t survive if it wasn’t good.”

  “Hi guys. Can I get you something to drink? Or are you ready to order?” The waitress had her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and her blue eyes stood out against her tanned skin.

  Jack ordered a sandwich and an unsweetened iced tea. Ross ordered a salad and a lemonade. Jack watched the waitress walk back to the kitchen and then turned to Ross.

  “What about her? You’re new in town and could use a date. Want me to find out if she’s available? Nice tan and looks like she works out.”

  “Too young and GUD.”

  “GUD?”

  “Geographically Undesirable. I don’t date anybody over ten miles away. I may drive this far to take a date out to dinner or for drinks, but I don’t drive over twenty minutes on a regular basis to pick up my dates. I don’t have the time.”

  “Picky, picky.” Jack looked back towards the kitchen. “Your loss.” He settled into his chair, which wobbled as he shifted his weight, and then crossed his arms and directed his gaze at Ross. “So, we know what happened in the bank. We learned a little this morning. What’s your theory? How did he leave the bank?”

  “What do you mean, how did he leave the bank?”

  “By land or by sea?”

  Ross thought for a second before answering. “I assumed he drove. It was early morning, nobody around. No reason not to drive.”

  “You didn’t even check the lake?”

  “I assumed he drove so we’re concentrating on that. But, we’re checking the lake. Looking at rentals, reports of stolen watercraft. It’s a big lake.”

  “There are a lot of roads.”

  Ross replied, “We’re checking the videos from the convenience stores, highway traffic cameras, the other banks, and ATMs. They should be done with the analysis in the next day or two.” Ross glanced outside. Jack remained quiet.

  Ross spoke, facing the window. “I’ll get some people to walk the tracks in both directions twice as far as we went yesterday, see if they find anything.” He looked back at Jack. “And I’ll contact the Sheriff’s office to see if any of their boats reported finding anything strange on the lake. I’ll coordinate pulling tapes from stores around the lake and interviewing store owners near the landings and marinas.”

  “You’re learning.” Jack looked towards the kitchen at the waitress carrying two plastic baskets with their lunches. “Now observe.”

  The waitress placed their lunches in front of them on the table. “Anything else you gentlemen need?”

  Jack answered. “Well, miss, my friend here is new to town and is trying to figure out where he should live. Do you know this area very well? Have any ideas where he might look?”

  “I know there’s a realty office down the street here. My mom works there. Ask for Mrs. Whalen. Tell her I sent you. My name’s Beth.”

  “Thanks, Beth. We’ll do that right after lunch.”

  Jack watched the young woman walk away and picked up his sandwich. “You were right, she’s too young.”

  As they ate lunch, they talked about the heat and the lake. They talked about how Ross was going to deal with both in the triathlon after the Fourth. They weren’t in a rush, so they ate slowly and motioned to Beth to refill their drinks. Ross was watching the jet skis fly across the lake.

  “What do you think is going on over there?” he asked.

  Some trucks pulled into the park across the street and stopped under the trees. A van with a satellite dish on top and a logo of a local television news station pulled to a stop at the curb.

  Jack l
eaned back in his chair and watched the activity as the drivers and crews got out of their vehicles.

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you? There’s a press conference this afternoon. I thought we’d observe. Another learning experience for you. We’ll hear what questions the press has. See how the Wayzata police chief responds. You can see an FBI spokesperson in action.”

  Ross glared at Jack. “No, you didn’t tell me. What, you forgot? I thought this was my case. I need to know what’s going on.” Ross pushed his chair back from the table.

  Jack stayed seated. “Whoa. What’s the hurry? It’s ninety-two degrees in the shade.” Jack looked at the watch on his wrist. “The press conference starts at three o’clock. Sit down. Have some more iced tea. Observe from this sanctuary and stay out of the heat. We’ll go out in thirty minutes.”

  Ross looked out the window, but didn’t move.

  “Come on Junior, sit.”

  Ross remained still. Only his eyes moved as they tracked something as he looked through the window. “It’s Ross.”

  “Come on. Sit down. Let’s talk.” Jack turned and looked out the window to see what had Ross’ attention. Standing next to the news van parked under the trees was a beautiful woman. She was small, slender, Hispanic, with bronze skin and long black hair. Her designer sunglasses hid her eyes, but they complemented her facial features and her hair. She wasn’t dressed for physical work, but rather wore a coffee and cream-colored sleeveless top that accentuated the color of her skin and showed off her strong, feminine arms. She moved with grace and energy around the truck as she spoke with a cameraman. Her jewelry, a gold necklace, earrings, and watch sparkled in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves.

  Jack stood up and threw some bills on the table. “I guess we’re done here.” He walked past Ross towards the door, stopped, and looked back. “Junior… Ross, you coming?”

  Jack crossed the street, heading straight for the woman as she and her news crew worked on readying the van for the press conference. A couple of cameras lay in the grass, the satellite dish was raised, and cables were pulled from the door. Ross trotted after Jack. “Where’re you going?”

  “We’re going to a press conference, Junior.”

  “No,” Ross grabbed Jack’s arm, and nodded towards the woman ahead of them who walked around to the far side of the van. “Where are you going?”

  Jack looked at Ross and exaggerated a nod in the same direction. “We’re going to a press conference. Let’s go.”

  Jack walked ahead; Ross followed a half step back. The noises of the crews and people preparing for the news conference grew louder and filled the air. When they reached the van, Jack circled it and stopped by the woman they had seen from the deli. She was talking on her cell phone. Ross stayed a few steps back and looked out over the rest of the small crowd of police personnel, maintenance people, and other news crews that had arrived and were preparing for the afternoon press conference.

  The woman finished her phone call with a “Ciao” and put her cell phone in her pocket. She turned and saw Jack standing next to her and grabbed his hands in hers.

  “Hi, Jack!” She pulled down on Jack’s hands to force him lower, leaned forward, and kissed him on the cheek. “Nice sunglasses.”

  “Hey, Patty. When are you going to admit you’re in Minnesota now and adopt our native ways? Ciao to say good-bye and a kiss for hello? Come on. What’s wrong with see ya’ and hi?”

  “What’s the saying, Jack? You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. I drink your coffee and eat your food; let me hang onto a couple of things from my homeland.” She leaned closer, still holding his hands. “Plus, how else am I going to get to kiss you?”

  Jack didn’t respond. For a second he didn’t know what to say. Patty saved him. “Who’s this with you?”

  “Where are my manners? Junior, come here.” Jack pulled his hands from Patty’s and put a hand on Ross’ shoulder. “Let me introduce you to somebody.” Ross stepped over furtively and waited for the introductions. “Patty, this is Special Agent Ross Fruen. Owner of the sunglasses.”

  Ross’ hand shot out in a preemptory move. “Nice to meet you.”

  Patty shook his hand with her right, but placed her left hand against the back of his right, gently holding his hand between hers.

  “Hi, I’m Patty. It’s nice to meet you too.” She hung on for a few seconds before releasing Ross’ hand. “It’s too bad we need to be out in this dreadful heat today. I assume you’re here for this?”

  Jack responded. “This is Ross’ case. He’s new to our office so I’m assisting, showing him around, making introductions. I thought we’d check out the press conference. Show him how things are done around here.” Ross stood next to Jack, staring at Patty through his sunglasses without saying a word.

  “So are you part of this, or not?” Patty asked.

  “No, we’re not part of the press conference. We probably shouldn’t even be here. One reason I came over to say hi was to ask a favor.” Jack lowered his voice and stepped closer to Patty. The noise from the van and the crews preparing for the conference drowned out Jack’s voice so Ross couldn’t hear him. “What’ve we got, about 30 minutes until this starts? Could you have one of your camera guys swing his camera around and see who he can catch on tape before, during, and after the conference?”

  “Sure, Jack.”

  “Ross or I will pick up the tape from the station later this afternoon.”

  “Or I could deliver it personally,” Patty said.

  Jack caught the hint but decided to try and stop it now. “You could bring it to the Bureau, but I’d rather we just picked it up.”

  “I didn’t mean the Bureau.”

  “I know, but that’s where I’ll be.” Jack grabbed Patty’s hand, stepped back, and spoke a little louder. “Thanks, Patty, we’d appreciate it. We’ll let you get back to work.”

  Jack stepped over to a clearing in the shade. Ross followed and glanced back at Patty. “She’d get a waiver from the GUD status.”

  “Well, Junior, maybe next time you can speak up a little more and let her get to know you. The second meeting you may even get a kiss on the cheek.”

  “What’s her story?”

  “Remind me on the way back to the office and I’ll fill you in. Right now, we need to get to work.” Jack stopped in the shade of a tree. “I want to split up and sweep the area, see if we spot anybody that doesn’t belong, somebody who is too curious or maybe not curious enough. You’ll recognize if somebody doesn’t look like they belong. I’ll take a stroll through the park and check out the boat docks; you walk back down by the shops across the street, look in the windows, and then swing through the parking lot at the north end of the park.”

  “I kind of stand out in these clothes. I look like a cop,” Ross said.

  “That’s what we want. We want people to know we’re here and we want them to know we’re looking at them. Look for the one guy that stands out. The innocent will feel better and maybe the guilty will be nervous.” Jack looked at his watch. “Let’s meet back by the van here in about twenty-five minutes and catch the conference. See how the Wayzata police look.”

  The dry grass crunched under Jack’s shoes as he walked through the park and meandered through the trees, checking out the crews that were prepping and testing their equipment. On a bench facing the lake, a couple of local older gentlemen were watching the commotion and debating what was going on, guessing who was going to talk and how long it would last.

  Jack felt a little breeze off the lake as he approached the dock. He was thankful for the sunglasses, which cut the glare off the lake as the sun moved a little farther to the west. He stopped to admire a couple of the older wooden boats tied up to the dock. A lot of work had gone into their restoration and upkeep. They were beautiful. Not something he’d ever see on his government salary. At the end of the pier, Jack leaned on the railing and looked out over the lake. He looked back and forth, a
nd with each pass his eyes moved out farther on the lake, scrutinizing the riders of passing jet skis, speedboats, and fishing boats. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He looked back towards the park and the activity on shore, then back out at the lake.

  He tried to guess where their suspect may have gone if he left by boat. Across the lake he could see Excelsior, a small community of shops and restaurants. Staring at the far shore, he looked for the familiar landmarks and thought back to some of his early dates with Julie. They’d drive out to Excelsior beach on a hot summer evening and go for a swim, sit on the beach, and talk, kiss, swim some more. Holding hands, they would walk back through the small downtown and get an ice cream cone or a drink before driving back to the city. The memories were strong and good. He could visualize Julie in her bikini with her tan skin and shiny white smile. But, that was a long time ago. What had happened? He missed her laugh and the touch of her hand.

  The chirp of Jack’s cell phone brought him back to the present. Pulling it from his belt, he answered, “Miller. I’m out on the dock, Junior. I’ll be right there. Sorry I’m late. No, I didn’t see anything.” Jack ended the call and headed back on the dock towards the park. “Nothing but memories,” he said to himself.

  Chapter 5

  There was a large white tent set up at one end of the park in the grass. The side of the tent facing the press was open. In it were two long tables, microphones standing in the center of each with cords running across the grass to a control station.

  “We’re ready to start.” The spokesperson leaned forward into the closest microphone and repeated himself. At the tables were three men in a uniform of one type or another and a woman in business dress. Banners hung from the fronts of the tables announcing the offices they represented.

  The press milled about on the grass, jockeying for final positions with the start of the news conference. The on-scene reporters lined the front across the grass from the tables, standing in the sun. Their camera personnel hung back and to the sides trying to get the angle and clear shot.