“Do you think there’s any way your friend Hudson could get Alex to forward a copy of that email to him?”
“I don’t know, but I can certainly ask.”
“Good,” he told her. “Then if he can send it to you, I can take a look at it and have a computer forensics investigator check it out.”
Samantha felt her chest tighten at the thought of Gregory pulling someone from the Gattenburg PD into their investigation.
“Wait,” she said to him, “do you think that’s a good idea? Especially with the, uh—” She paused, glancing over at Ava. “The new intel we just received?”
Ava sat straight up in her chair. “What new intel?” she asked, her head swiveling back and forth from Samantha to Gregory as if she were watching a tennis match.
Samantha hesitated. She glanced over at Gregory. He didn’t chime in, but his soft, sympathetic expression silently told her that it was okay to share what they’d uncovered about Collin.
Just don’t mention breaking into his house, she reminded herself.
“Ava,” she began before looking around the shop then lowering her voice, “what I’m about to share with you must remain strictly between us. Okay?”
“Of course.” She patted her hand against her chest and took a long sip of her caffè macchiato. “Now I’m getting nervous...”
“Collin is running a major drug ring, and we need your help. And we think that has something to do with Jacob’s murder as well as the Westman’s employees who turned up dead after they OD’d on drugs.”
“Actually,” Gregory added, “we think that has everything to do with Jacob’s murder and the factory workers who turned up dead—after OD’ing on lethal drugs we believe they got from Collin, no less.”
Ava’s mouth fell open, but nothing came out. Tears pooled along the rims of her eyes. Samantha reached over and held her hand.
“That dirty mother...” Ava whispered. “But honestly? I’m really not surprised. What I don’t understand is how Collin’s drug ring would tie into Jacob’s murder, though. He wasn’t involved in anything like that.”
“Are you sure?” Gregory asked, his low tone filled with skepticism. “Because you never know what he may have been doing behind your—”
“I’m positive,” Ava interrupted firmly as she glared at him. Her stone-cold expression silenced the detective immediately. Samantha gave Ava’s hand a squeeze.
“Hey,” she said softly, “Gregory didn’t mean to offend you. We just want to make sure no stone is left unturned.”
“When it comes to my brother’s death,” Ava snapped back, “there are no salacious stones to turn. So let’s just drop that whole theory. Why don’t we talk about finally taking some serious action against Collin instead?”
Samantha gradually removed her hand from Ava’s grip and sat back. She watched as her friend began to unravel, abruptly scooting to the edge of her chair and waving her hand wildly in the air.
“Detective Harris,” Ava continued, “do you think you have the guts to confront your boss and tell him that his son is out here killing people? I know you’re new to the force and all, but we need some new blood to step up and straighten out Chief Wentworth. Because a majority of the men who’ve been working for him are too weak to do it. He’s got them all wrapped around his finger.”
Gregory closed his notepad and folded his hands on top of the table. Samantha knew he was hesitant to tell Ava the extent of Chief Wentworth’s involvement. So she took it upon herself to do so.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ava asked Gregory before turning to Samantha. “What’s going on?”
“Ava,” Samantha began, “we believe Chief Wentworth is a part of Collin’s drug operation.”
Ava stared back at her blankly. “Wait, what? W-why do you think that?” she stammered, her voice trembling with shock.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge that information. Please understand that Gregory and I are working hard to get to the bottom of it.”
“Which is why it’s so important for you to try and get that email Kenzie supposedly sent to Alex to me,” Gregory told Ava. “The origins of that message could be the key to solving this case.”
“Meaning it could finally prove once and for all that Collin is our culprit?” Ava asked.
“Exactly,” Samantha confirmed.
Ava’s cell phone buzzed. She dabbed the corners of her eyes with a napkin, then stared down at the screen.
“Oh no,” she moaned. “My conference call started early. I need to get back to the office.”
“Well, thanks for meeting with us,” Samantha told her, “and for sharing that info about Kenzie.”
“Yes, thank you, Ava,” Gregory added while tapping his pen against the table.
“You’re both welcome. And, uh... Detective Harris? I apologize for snapping at you the way I did. It’s just—I guess I...”
“I understand,” he said as her voice trailed off. “But an apology isn’t necessary. This is tough for you. That’s why we’re doing all that we can to solve your brother’s murder and get to the bottom of these disappearances.”
“And I truly appreciate it.” Ava stood up and slung her red suede handbag over her shoulder. “I’ll reach out as soon as I hear back from Hudson on that email.”
“Hey,” Samantha chimed in, “do you think Hudson would be willing to talk to me? I really need to connect with somebody who’s on the inside at Westman’s.”
“I don’t see why not. He’s just as concerned about the deaths of Jacob and the rest of the factory workers as we are. At this point, Hudson’s actually worried about his own safety, too. I’ll find out when I ask him to forward that email to me.”
“Great, thanks. And Ava? Be careful out here.”
“I will,” she replied softly, placing her hand on Samantha’s shoulder. “You do the same. Now that we know what Collin’s really got going on, that puts a totally different spin on all this. He’s got a lot to lose. And knowing him, he’d do whatever it takes to hold on to it. I just can’t believe Chief Wentworth is in on this with him. I’ve known that man all my life. He’s always been a fool for his son, but...damn.”
“I can’t believe it, either,” Gregory said. “One of the reasons I came to Gattenburg was to escape the corruption running rampant throughout the Chicago PD. So to find out what’s going on here is beyond disheartening. But I will say this. I let the situation in Chicago get the best of me. I’m not going to let that happen here.”
“Why not?” Ava asked. “What’s the difference between Chicago and Gattenburg?”
“That situation in Chicago was way bigger than me. I would’ve been in too deep trying to fight the majority of my precinct, politicians, the mafia.” He paused, turning to Samantha with a fiery look of determination in his eyes. “Besides, I have a vested interest in Gattenburg. I have something to prove by solving this case and too much to lose if I don’t. In more ways than one...”
Samantha peered back at the detective. The intensity in his gaze told her that he was referring to more than just the crimes occurring throughout the town. The thought of him being this invested in the investigation for her sake moved Samantha to the point where she was left speechless.
“Well, I appreciate everything you’re doing,” Ava told Gregory just as her cell phone went off again. “I’d better get going. We’ll talk soon.”
“Take care, Ava,” Gregory said.
“Talk to you soon.” Samantha watched as Ava slunk out of the restaurant. She felt a sharp pull in her chest at the sight of her hunched back and distraught expression. She was becoming a shell of herself. It was clear that Jacob’s unsolved murder was eating away at her.
Samantha slid her hand across the table and gently placed it on Gregory’s arm. When he covered her hand with his, a jolt of tingling energy charged up her arm.
&n
bsp; “Thank you so much for coming today,” she told him. “I hope you know how much I appreciate you being here with me throughout all this madness. You don’t have to help me, especially considering how this case has become such a conflict of interest for you. Yet you still choose to do so anyway. That really means a lot to me.”
“I’m happy to help, but thank you for saying that. Judging from all this new information that continues to pour in,” he said while flipping through his notepad, “we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“Yes, we do, starting with getting inside Westman’s Automotive Factory.”
Gregory ignored Samantha’s suggestion. He polished off the rest of his coffee, then pushed away from the table.
“This was a good meeting,” he said. “And helpful. Thanks for inviting me. But before this conversation takes a turn for the worst, I’d better get back to the station.”
“Oh, so it’s like that?” Samantha asked, watching as he stood up.
“Yes, Sam. It’s like that. I’m not about to entertain the idea of breaking into Westman’s. You already know how I feel about that. For now, I’m gonna focus on whether a missing-persons report has been filed on Kenzie. Then I’m going to reach out to my IT forensics guy and give him a heads-up on that email we’re hoping to get from Ava. I’ll be looking into the other drug busts, too, like I’d mentioned. I’m curious to see whether any patterns will emerge.”
Samantha stood up and followed the detective toward the coffee shop’s back door. She waved goodbye to Hannah and walked out into the alleyway, where they’d parked their cars in hopes of not being detected.
“So let me ask you this,” Samantha began. “Would you consider bringing Alex down to the station to question him about Kenzie’s disappearance?”
“I would. First, it will be good for others to see me pursuing a suspect, to let them think I don’t believe Collin or any Wentworth is involved. But also, just to eliminate Alex as a suspect. Because at this point, I do believe that Collin is one hundred percent responsible for Kenzie’s disappearance along with the rest of these crimes. Now it’s just a matter of gathering enough evidence to take to the mayor.”
“That was my exact thought when I asked the question. Get Alex alibied and out of the way so that we can focus on bringing charges against Collin.”
Samantha paused, watching as Gregory clicked his key fob. Despite the unfortunate circumstances they were meeting under, she found herself not wanting to leave.
“By the way,” he said, “I meant to tell you that my IT guy is back in Chicago. So there won’t be any sort of conflict of interest when I ask him to look at the origins of that email.”
“Oh, so you caught that look of concern on my face when you mentioned him earlier?” Samantha asked, smiling at the unspoken connection she and the detective shared.
“I did. But we got sidetracked when the subject of Collin’s drug operation came up. So I just wanted you to know that we’re good on that end.”
“Awesome. Glad to hear it.”
The pair stared at one another, neither of them wanting to part ways.
“All right then,” Samantha finally said after several moments of silence. “Talk to you soon.”
“Talk to you soon. Oh, I’ve meaning to ask you, has the patrol car been showing up and keeping watch on your house?”
“It sure has. Thank you again for getting that set up.”
“No problem,” Gregory told her. “Call me if you need me.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Samantha climbed inside her car and pulled out of the alleyway. On the way home, her thoughts shifted from Gregory to the dire situation at hand.
Now that Kenzie was missing and they knew for a fact that Collin was manufacturing dangerous drugs, her concern for the entire town was at an all-time high.
And although Gregory was completely against it, Samantha knew she had to figure out a way to get inside Westman’s Automotive Factory.
Chapter Twelve
Gregory looked up from his desk through the open door of his small office. Chief Wentworth was walking around the precinct, sipping a cup of coffee while chatting with police officers scattered around the floor. The sight of him acting as if he didn’t have a care in the world, as if he wasn’t involved in Collin’s drug operation, turned his stomach.
After searching several missing-persons databases, from the Illinois clearinghouse to all four federal systems, Gregory discovered that Kenzie’s family hadn’t reported her missing. He assumed they’d fallen for the email message she’d allegedly sent to Alex.
The detective had also begun digging through old drug files. But so far, there was no connection between them and his current investigation.
Just as he refreshed his email inbox yet again to see whether there were any new messages, his cell phone buzzed. He glanced over at the screen. Seeing Samantha’s name caused a string of rapid-fire palpitations to explode inside his chest.
Dude, calm down...
“Detective Harris,” he said coolly, acting as if he didn’t know who it was.
“Hey, Gregory, it’s Sam.”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I come bearing gifts.”
“Do you now? What’ve you got for me?”
“I just received the email from Ava.”
Gregory jumped up from behind his desk and closed the door. “Wait, you mean you got the email from Ava?”
“Yep. Hudson was able to talk Alex into sending it to him, and he passed it on to Ava.”
“That is fantastic,” he said, hurrying back to his desk and opening his laptop. “I need you to forward it to my personal email address.”
“I’m sending it right now. And while I do that, let me tell you this. Ava found out from Hudson that he actually tried some of the drugs that Collin is manufacturing.”
“Really? Wow. I wonder whether he’s a recreational user or a full-blown addict.”
“According to Hudson, he’s a former addict. Jacob was the one who encouraged him to get clean and recommended him for the job at Westman’s. He was hired, and after he completed the one-week second-chance program, one of his assembly team members at the factory invited him out to celebrate.”
Gregory groaned and dropped his head in his hand. “I already know where you’re going with this. But go on.”
“At one point during their night out, the guy tempted Hudson with a drug he promised would be stronger than any black tar or street heroin he’d ever tried. He called it TKO.”
“TKO, huh. Because of its ability to knock people out, I’m assuming?”
“You got it.”
“Clever,” Gregory snarked. “Do you know whether Hudson happened to mention the guy’s name he was out with?”
“Nope. According to Ava, he refused to snitch.”
“Of course...”
“So anyway, after Hudson took the drug, he OD’d and woke up in the hospital the next day. Couldn’t remember a thing.”
“Well, you and I saw that crazy list of ingredients in Collin’s ledger. So hearing that someone OD’d on his product comes as no surprise.”
Gregory once again refreshed his email inbox. Samantha’s message from Hudson popped up.
“Hey, your email just came through. I’ve got my IT guy, Wayne, on standby. I’m shooting it over to him right now.”
“Good. I can’t wait to hear what he comes up with. Oh, and Ava was able to convince Hudson to talk to me. I’ll see how much information I can get out of him. And I’m going to suggest we sit down and talk in person. I think a face-to-face would be more effective than a phone call.”
“I agree. I always get way more information out of people in person than I do over the phone or via email. I wonder if he’d be open to me being there as well.”
“I’m not sure. My gut tells me that
the prospect of talking to a detective might turn him off. But I can certainly ask.”
“Cool. Make sure you let him know that you and I are on the same team.”
“I will.”
When the pair grew silent, Gregory began fidgeting with a stack of papers sitting on his desk. He felt himself growing anxious. The detective realized it was because the conversation with Samantha was winding down, and he didn’t want the call to end. He also wanted to do more, to protect her. He didn’t like the thought of her doing these meet-ups alone.
At what point did you let your guard down and get this attached? he asked himself.
“So, um,” Gregory continued, “do you think we should get together and discuss our next moves, aside from waiting on Wayne’s analysis of the email?”
His knees bounced rapidly as he awaited her response.
“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” Samantha replied without hesitation. “As a matter of fact, we can meet up at my place. I never did make that dinner for you that I promised.”
Gregory sat back in his chair and grinned widely before pumping his fist in the air. “You most certainly didn’t. And if I recall correctly, you were planning on cooking something up that would outdo the meal I prepared for you.”
“Hold up now. I don’t think I said all that,” she laughed.
“Uh-uh, don’t try and back out now. You said what you said. Now be a woman of your word and show me what you’re working with. In the kitchen, that is,” he quickly added.
“Oh, I’ll show you what I’m working with all right,” Samantha murmured. “Actually, I’m free tonight. If you’re available, let’s make it happen.”
Gregory shifted in his seat, unable to stave off a feeling of arousal so strong that it had him gripping the sides of his desk. “Let’s do it.”
“Great. I’ll run by the grocery store and pick up a few things. See you at my place at around seven or so?”
“Seven works for me. How about I bring the wine?”
Cold Case True Crime Page 13
