Mission Undercover

by Virginia Vaughan

  Casey seemed surprised to see Holly, and Blake wondered if he was aware yet that she was labeled a kidnapping victim. But he knew it had been on the news and the hospital staff would have been alerted about a possible kidnapping on the campus.

  But his surprise seemed to stem from her approaching him outside of work as opposed to the fact that she was on the run for her life.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked Holly then glanced at Blake.

  Blake ignored his question and got right to the business at hand. “Mr. Casey, we need to speak with you about some abnormal activity on the loading dock.”

  A frown line creased his face. “What do you mean by abnormal activity?”

  Holly answered him. “I came across an invoice by accident that showed a large shipment of cleaning solvent. Have you noticed any big shipments like that?”

  He seemed to consider the question for a moment then shook his head. “No, nothing out of the ordinary. Just normal stuff.”

  “This would have been a large shipment that possibly went missing from storage,” Holly pressed.

  “I know every piece of freight and supplies that come through that loading dock and I don’t recall anything like that. It was probably just a billing error. They charged us for inventory we didn’t receive. It happens all the time. Someone hits a seven instead of a one and suddenly we’re being charged for seven hundred rolls of toilet paper. It doesn’t mean we received that many.” He shrugged off her concerns, but Holly seemed skeptical.

  She bit on her lower lip then asked him uncertainly, “Are you sure, Mr. Casey?”

  He glanced from her to Blake and then back to her. “What’s this about, Holly? You come to my house and question me about missing inventory and irregularities on my dock. You’re a nurse and you have nothing to do with inventory. Are you trying to accuse me of something? Because I’ve worked at that hospital for thirty years. No one has ever questioned my integrity before.”

  “I don’t mean to upset you,” Holly said. “It’s just that this is very important. We believe someone is using the hospital to funnel supplies to a drug manufacturing plant. This solvent contains a chemical used to manufacture a new synthetic drug that is being marketed to kids. Several have died after ingesting it.”

  His brow furrowed again. “They can do that? Use cleaning solvent to make drugs?”

  Blake interceded. “They can. Drug rings have chemists that can remove the chemicals involved and reuse them for drug manufacturing.”

  Holly nodded as Mr. Casey looked at her, incredulous. “It’s true. And someone in this town is using our hospital to do it.”

  Blake noticed the man’s hands shaking before he slipped them into his pockets. He knew something. Blake was sure of it. But Casey gave a weary sigh and didn’t give in. “I sure am sorry about what’s happening, but it’s not coming through my loading dock. I would know if there was any funny business going on.”

  “But the invoice,” Holly insisted.

  “Was just a billing error,” Ben Casey insisted. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work before I’m late for my shift.”

  He got into his car, buckled his seat belt then backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the road.

  Holly turned to Blake. “He’s lying. He knows something.”

  Blake nodded. “I got that sense, too.”

  “He’s not a mastermind criminal. He’s a nice man who has spent his career at the hospital.”

  “He seemed genuinely shook up when you told him what the chemicals were being used for. I doubt he knew what they were doing. They probably plied him with enough cash that he told himself he didn’t have to know. I’ll have Matt check into his financials and find out if any of his wife’s medical bills have suddenly been taken care of or if there are any other discrepancies in his finances. I feel like if we press him with something solid, he’ll crack.”

  She nodded. “I think you’re right.”

  They walked back to their vehicle and she slid into the passenger’s seat and buckled her seat belt. Blake knew she hoped he was correct that Mr. Casey had gotten caught up in something he had no idea about. That was the version she wanted to believe—mostly because she would have a difficult time believing anyone would purposefully poison kids. Yet he knew there were people who not only were aware of the danger they were creating, they reveled in it, and they would kill to continue doing it.

  * * *

  Once they were back at the campground, Blake grabbed the phone and walked out to the lake. The phone was turned off, which surprised him. He pressed the button and powered it back up.

  He dialed Matt, and his friend answered right away.

  “Please tell me you have some good news,” Blake said.

  Matt sighed. “We’re being blocked at every turn. The local police are crying federal encroachment and harassment all over the news. My bosses are treading very carefully over this matter. How are you holding up?”

  “Not bad. We had a run-in with Mason last night and got a little shaken up, but we’re fine.”

  He could imagine the frown on Matt’s face. “Define ‘shaken up.’”

  “I’m fine. Turned my ankle and hit my head, but Holly’s a good nurse. She patched me up.”

  “Glad to hear it. Have you been able to uncover anything that might help us?”

  “Holly discovered the hospital has been ordering large amounts of cleanser containing hydrochloric acid.”

  “That’s one of the chemicals used in manufacturing Trixie.”

  “That’s right. We believe they’re shipping it to the hospital, someone in Accounts Payable is covering it up and then someone else is making sure it’s moved without anyone noticing.”

  “Any idea who these people are?”

  “Yes, the loading dock supervisor is named Ben Casey. He’s worked there for thirty years, but recently lost his wife to cancer. He seemed bothered when Holly told him what the shipments were being used for. I think he’s only in it for the money. Can you check out his financials? My guess is that his wife’s medical bills have suddenly been taken care of.”

  “I’ll check it out myself.”

  “The other is Sherri Livingston, a woman in Accounts Payable. We found some invoices showing she’s paying the bills and covering the paperwork for the shipments. I’ll email you pictures of those.”

  “Great. Have you found out where the manufacturing plant is located?”

  “Not yet. Northshore isn’t that big of a town, and believe me I’ve searched it all...or at least I thought I had. But there must be somewhere I’ve missed.”

  “I’ll be honest with you, Blake. Without the location and confirmation of the plant, I’m not sure my bosses are going to approve breaching the town. They’re trying to negotiate, but in private, they’re talking about cutting their losses.”

  “They can’t do that,” Blake said.

  “I’m afraid they can.”

  Blake raked a hand over his jaw. Having the DEA pull out would be devastating not only for him and Holly, but also for all the kids that these drugs would be marketed to. This was no longer only about remaining safe but about bringing down those whose nefarious plans would harm others.

  God, please lead us to the answers to stop these people.

  “But we’re so close. If I can press Sherri and Mr. Casey, I know I can get a lead on where the plant is located. One of them must know something.”

  “I’ll check into both of their financials. Meanwhile, you press on these people hard, Blake. I honestly don’t know how much time you have left before the DEA pulls out. We need something concrete I can take to my bosses.” Matt wished him well then hung up.

  Blake turned back to the cabin. He knew Holly was inside waiting for him. He felt the weight of the burden they were facing pre
ssing down on them. She was depending on him and he had to do a better job. Yet he knew he couldn’t move forward with her until he stopped holding on to the past.

  He pulled his wallet from his pocket and took out the ring. He’d held on to it for too long. He turned toward the water, pulled back his arm and tossed the ring in. He knew Holly was skeptical about starting a relationship with him, but he hoped she might change her mind and give them a chance. If she did, he wanted to be ready.

  But first they had to get out of Northshore alive. Matt had just given him a deadline and they needed to find answers soon.

  They were running out of time.

  * * *

  Holly unbuckled her seat belt as Blake stopped the truck at the curb in front of Ben Casey’s house. It was late in the evening and the lights were on inside. His car was sitting in the driveway.

  “I guess he’s home,” Holly said.

  “I guess he is. And now that he’s had some time to mull over our previous conversation, I’m going to get some answers out of him.”

  Blake got out and led the way to the house. He opened the screen door and knocked, but the door moved and he realized it wasn’t closed all the way. He glanced at Holly and saw her surprise.

  From inside, he could hear the sounds of the television and see the lights flickering.

  He reached for his gun and felt Holly tense. He hoped he was overreacting and the man had just forgotten to latch the door, although he doubted anyone would be so careless in this neighborhood. He pushed open the door and glanced around, making sure to keep Holly behind him, but it only took him a moment to realize Ben Casey wouldn’t be responding.

  “Mr. Casey?” Holly called then moved toward the kitchen. She turned as she passed the recliner in front of the television. Her eyes widened and she rushed to the figure on the floor.

  Blake knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. There wasn’t one. And the gun on the ground beside him told him all he needed to know. Ben Casey was dead.

  Holly hadn’t yet realized it. She began CPR, but Blake knew it was hopeless. The gun had done its job. Even if she could somehow get his heart started again, which Blake seriously doubted, he would have no kind of life left to live.

  He reached across the body and touched her shoulder. “It’s too late,” he said, surprised by how his voice choked over the words. It wasn’t his first time to witness death. He’d seen more than his share in Afghanistan, and even more in the years since. But something about this man’s death touched his soul.

  He stood and looked around, noting the framed photo of Ben Casey and a woman he assumed was his wife, obviously taken before the cancer—when she was healthy and vibrant. Her photo was displayed in several places and he could tell Ben had been thinking of his wife quite frequently.

  Blake knew the pain of losing someone he’d been ready to marry and build a life with. How much more would it hurt to lose someone with whom you’d already spent a lifetime? He spotted a laptop computer on the desk half open and lifted the top. A Word document appeared, stating that Ben no longer wanted to remain on this earth without his beloved wife. A suicide note.

  But he shook away those feelings of all he’d lost and tried to examine the room with an investigator’s eye. Had the door been ajar because he’d wanted someone to find him? Or because someone hadn’t locked it when they’d fled after killing the man?

  Blake knelt beside the gun on the floor. The angle appeared to be correct for a self-inflicted shot to the head. But he looked at the man’s hands and realized they were wrongly positioned. They were by his side in a way that said they hadn’t been raised when the shot had occurred. He picked up and examined each of the man’s hands. No powder burns, no gun residue.

  “What is it?” Holly asked, tears welling in her eyes.

  He repositioned the hands as he’d found them. “He wasn’t holding the gun when it went off.”

  She gasped. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. There’s no powder burns on either hand and no smell of gun residue.” He locked eyes with her. “Someone staged this to look like a suicide, but it wasn’t. Ben Casey was murdered.”

  * * *

  Holly shuddered in the darkness of the minivan; Blake’s words still haunted her. Why would anyone kill Mr. Casey? Was the drug ring tying up loose ends? Had Ben had a change of heart after hearing about the kids? He’d seemed genuinely distressed when he’d learned how the chemicals were being used. Had he approached them? Told them he wouldn’t look the other way anymore? She could imagine him doing such a thing. Then again, perhaps their words hadn’t affected him at all. Maybe he’d simply been too far in to do anything but comply.

  Blake seemed certain he hadn’t killed himself and she trusted his opinion. But who else would believe it? A grief-stricken widower lonely and pining for his wife. Someone had gone to great lengths to make it look like he’d taken his own life, even taking the time to type a suicide note.

  “If you could tell it wasn’t a suicide, won’t the police be able to tell, as well?”

  “What police, Holly? Chief Waggoner has been covering for Mason for years. For all I know, he ordered Mason to kill that man. Besides, remember he told me they had the coroner in their pocket? Someone made sure this looked like a suicide, so I doubt it will be investigated as anything but that.”

  She sighed. “I suppose you’re right. If they could make Jimmy’s death look like a work-related incident, they can certainly convince people that Mr. Casey took his own life. He’d been depressed for weeks.”

  “But it does make me wonder. Why kill him if he was working for them? Are they tying up loose ends now that they know the DEA is sniffing around?”

  “And we’re the loosest of all the loose ends, aren’t we?”

  He only nodded. It seemed redundant to repeat it. They both knew their situation was dire.

  EIGHT

  The phone in his pocket buzzed and Blake pulled it out. He didn’t recognize the number, but he still thought they should answer it.

  He gave Holly a distressed glance then pushed the button to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Blake. Oh good, it’s you. This is Elizabeth Banks calling.”

  He raised an eyebrow at Holly and put the call on speaker. “Mayor Banks? This is a nice surprise. I thought Chief Waggoner had you arrested.”

  “Yes, he did, and he locked me and Stephen in a cell in the police station. However, I have more friends than he knows. An officer who is loyal to my administration let us out and sneaked us out of the precinct. I imagine they’ve discovered we’re gone by now and will be searching the streets, so you and Holly be extra careful, too.”

  “We will.”

  “I’m calling because I was able to get in touch with my friend Alex Milton, the one who owns the private plane? He’s agreed to fly us out of Northshore. There’s plenty of room for you and Holly.”

  “That’s great news.”

  “Thank you, Mayor,” Holly said.

  “We’ll be taking off in an hour at the airfield. Do you know where that is?”

  “Yes,” Holly said. “I know it. We’ll be there.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll see you both there.”

  She clicked off and Blake hit the button to end the call. He looked at her and saw excitement and hope bubbling in her face.

  “We’re going to make it,” she said, sliding across the seat to give him a hug. “We’re finally going to make it.”

  He tried to curb his enthusiasm, but the truth was that he, too, was excited at the news. Although he wished he could have an opportunity to question Sherri Livingston and try once more to discover the location of the manufacturing plant, he knew the best thing to do was to get to safety.

  He put the minivan into gear and headed for the airfield.

  They were fina
lly getting out.

  * * *

  Holly couldn’t believe the nightmare was almost over. She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. She knew better than to get her hopes up, but this time it seemed like a done deal.

  Thank You, Lord, for seeing us through this.

  The gratitude presented itself without her even realizing it and it surprised her. She did believe God had been with them throughout this ordeal and had kept them safe. Nothing else could account for the close calls they’d had. She thought about what Blake had said about letting God handle her burdens. She wanted the kind of healing he’d experienced. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It was time for her to let go of the anger and bitterness she’d been clinging to for the past year.

  She opened her eyes and glanced at Blake. What was that verse about God repaying what the locusts ate? God was already repaying her in the form of Blake. Was he her second chance at love? She felt certain he was, but was she ready to put aside her fears for his safety and put her full trust in God? She took one more deep, fortifying breath. She thought she was.

  She spotted the sign for the airfield and her heart quickened. It was really happening.

  Her excitement quickly waned when Blake turned off onto a dirt road before they reached the entrance for the airfield. “What’s going on?” Holly asked.

  “Just being cautious. Mason has surprised us before.”

  He pulled over and grabbed a pair of binoculars he’d found in the cabin. He quickly got out, stood on the rear bumper and aimed the binoculars toward the airstrip. Holly realized he’d parked behind a line of trees so they couldn’t be seen. It hadn’t even occurred to her that this could be a trap—she was thankful again Blake was with her.

  “What do you see?” she asked as she climbed out and stood at the side of the vehicle.

  He reached for her hand and lifted her onto the bumper, where she had a view through the trees. The mayor and Stephen stood together by the plane. She also spotted another man with them. “Is that the pilot, do you think?”