Justified

by C. M. Sutter

  I’d get by an extra day without washing my hair. As thick as it was, it wouldn’t be dry until noon without the help of a blow-dryer, and I didn’t have the luxury of time. My quick rinse off and a spin around my mouth with the toothbrush were good enough. I’d grab a coffee and a muffin downstairs at the Continental breakfast and have my meal on the road.

  The elevator door opened, and I took the short hallway to the banquet room. From a distance and through the doorway, I saw J.T. pacing with a cup of coffee in hand. I smiled. He knew me better than I thought. I wouldn’t actually leave the building without a coffee to go and some type of finger food to take along. The scent of bacon wafted down the hallway, and I’d grab a strip or two.

  J.T. nodded when I entered the room. “Morning, Jade. I figured you’d make a quick stop in here first.”

  “Gotta have something for the road.”

  “I took the liberty of pouring your coffee. It’s capped and ready to go.”

  “Thanks, partner.” I made a beeline for the bacon and grabbed two strips and a handful of napkins. I raised the cover on the bakery tray and snatched a banana nut muffin. “Want a bagel?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll carry the coffees. I’ve already checked out.”

  With our go bags slung over our shoulders, we pushed through the glass vestibule doors and out into the morning chill. With winter approaching, sunny days were few and far between. I appreciated the fact that even though the morning was cold, the sun beating down and the crystal clear skies above made me feel warmer.

  J.T. set the coffee on the car’s roof while he unlocked the doors. Inside, we arranged the cups and treats and took to the highway. The information Agent Spelling passed on was that the scene was to our left at the Thomasboro exit ramp and about a mile farther down the road. We couldn’t miss it, he’d said, with officers, the ME, and the local forensic team already on-site.

  “Are we ever going to catch this maniac or just follow the trail of carnage he leaves behind?”

  J.T. shrugged as he took a sip of coffee. “Without us having a detailed drawing of his face, the tip line can’t do the job it’s intended to. Unfortunately, everyone that has seen him has either been at a distance and at night or they’re dead.”

  “Yeah, and that stupid cap doesn’t help. We don’t know if his hair is long or short, or even the actual color. Now he’s driving some other vehicle and could be holding two people hostage.”

  J.T. gave me a dubious glance. “Or none.”

  We exited at the Thomasboro ramp forty minutes later. It was nearly eight o’clock, but the Monday morning rush hour traffic was still heavy on Highway 57.

  “We turn left at the stop sign and continue a mile farther?”

  “Yeah, that’s what Spelling said.” J.T. pointed after we had turned onto the two-lane road off the highway. “I see flashing lights up ahead.”

  I scanned the area and took in our surroundings. The quiet road we had turned on led to an even more remote location just a mile farther in. It looked to be the perfect spot to ditch a semi and to kill an unsuspecting police officer. “Unfortunately, killing a cop probably doesn’t faze him. Three murders or twenty, the sentence is life, or nearly the same as life on death row.”

  J.T. parked on the shoulder, and we walked to the group gathered around the semi. Too many vehicles crowded that narrow road, anyway. Yellow tape blocked the space behind the truck, so we scooted under it, showed our badges, and introduced ourselves.

  I jerked my head toward the covered body that lay on the ground near the semi. “Mind if we take a look?”

  The ME gave us the go-ahead, and I pulled back the tarp and knelt down. He explained how Officer Williams had been nearly decapitated. The scene didn’t need an explanation—the cause of death was more than apparent.

  “Wow, that’s brutal. The instrument had to be pretty sharp to do that kind of damage in one sweep.”

  The ME nodded. “The man was fast and strong and obviously took the officer by surprise.”

  J.T. addressed the group as he looked over his shoulder toward the officer’s patrol car. “What about the dash cam?”

  “Yeah, we have it. It shows everything playing out just like it looks here.”

  “Was there a shot of the killer’s face?” I was hopeful.

  “Nothing clear. We have his general height and build, but that’s about it. He killed Officer Williams, climbed into the semi, retrieved several items, and then disappeared into the woods.”

  I tipped my head toward the car. “We need to see that footage. How was Officer Williams found?”

  Detective Brooks spoke up. “He usually patrols this general area, and when he didn’t report back to the police station this morning and nobody could get him on the radio, we pinged his phone location. This is what we found. There’s a BOLO out for that truck.”

  J.T. climbed into the squad car with the detective. “Yeah, we’re aware of that.”

  “Can you set up the tape for us?” I asked.

  “Sure thing, agent.”

  We watched as the six-minute tape played before us. The squad car turned onto the darkened road and stopped. Two minutes passed before the officer exited the vehicle.

  “Checking the truck’s plates?” J.T. asked.

  “Most likely.”

  We watched as the officer approached the truck and banged on the door. We couldn’t hear the audio. He suddenly spun as if he was startled when a large man came into view on the screen.

  “Do you know exactly how tall Officer Williams was?” J.T. asked.

  “Yeah, he was six foot on the nose.”

  “It’s obvious that the killer is a good four inches taller than Williams.”

  “We came to that same conclusion, ma’am.”

  We continued to watch as a few words were exchanged, then the killer reached behind his back. We saw a flash of his arm, then the officer reached for his throat. The killer pushed him to the ground and climbed into the truck for only a second. He held something in his right hand when he exited the semi, then he disappeared to the left of the screen, the same way he had entered.

  “Another image in the dark”—J.T. sighed with disappointment—“and where is Jane?”

  “Jane? The truck is empty, Agent Harper. Was there supposed to be another person inside?”

  “He had a hostage when he left the Champaign area. You need to have your men check the surrounding woods. The footage on the dash cam shows him entering the screen from the left, then he killed the officer then went back the same way. The hostage could be lying out there somewhere.”

  Detective Brooks nodded and exited the squad car. “I’ll get my officers on that immediately. Forensics is pulling prints from the scene too.”

  I huffed with irritation and called out to the detective. “They need to do whatever they can, but we’ve already checked. The killer isn’t in the system.”

  Radios began to crackle. We watched as each officer responded to incoming calls.

  “What’s happening?”

  “Give me a moment, Agent Monroe.” Detective Brooks stepped away, listened to the call, and waved his arm at several officers.

  “Something is going on. Let’s see what’s up,” J.T. said.

  We exited the squad car as the detective turned back in our direction.

  “A body was just discovered behind a dumpster at the gas station on the corner.” He pointed in the direction we had just come from. “I’ve called to have more men dispatched to check out this woods. Let’s go.”

  J.T. and I jogged back to our rental car and followed Detective Brooks and several officers in another squad car to the gas station at the top of the highway ramp. A number of onlookers and employees had already gathered outside when we arrived.

  “This is turning into a massive shit storm. The ME and forensic team are working the other scene and now this?” I said.

  “I’d bet my bottom dollar this poor sucker was the unfortunate one whose car was jacked by the killer
. It’s too close to be a coincidence.” J.T. parked and climbed out of the car with me right on his heels.

  “People, please stand back. Let us through,” Detective Brooks said as we approached the scene. We looked down at the body thrown behind the dumpster like the garbage surrounding it. The detective jerked his head at the officers holding people back. “Officers, set up a tape perimeter to keep everyone out. Tell the ME and forensic team we need them over here right away. Make sure the other scene remains secured.”

  We knelt behind the large green waste can and looked the body over carefully.

  “No blood anywhere that I can see,” J.T. said. “Take a few pictures before we touch anything, Jade. I want to check out his underside.”

  “Yep, got it.” I pulled out my cell phone and snapped a few shots of the scene and the way the man was positioned before we moved him.

  Detective Brooks and J.T. tipped the man forward by his shoulder and hip. I looked underneath him and shook my head.

  “No blood under him, either.”

  They placed the body back the way we had found him.

  I pointed at the inch-wide blue line inside his jacket collar. “Check out his neck. He was strangled.”

  The detective unzipped the dead man’s jacket, careful to cover his fingers with his sleeve. He moved the collar aside. “Yep, definitely signs of strangulation.” He jerked his chin to the officers. “When are forensics and the ME getting here?”

  “They’re on their way, sir. Any minute now.”

  I stood and looked at the scene around me. This appeared to be a busy gas station, and the location was likely why. Being right off the highway made it a convenient place to fill up, grab a snack, and get back on the road, unless someone wanted to ditch a semi and carjack another vehicle. The air machine at the side of the building caught my attention. The hose, wound on the reel, was the perfect width of the imprint on our victim’s neck. A tool of opportunity, I imagined.

  “J.T., come take a look.”

  J.T. pushed himself up off his bent knee and crossed the blacktop, already nodding in obvious agreement. He read my thoughts then called out to the officers. “Extend the barricade to include this air machine. The air hose could have been the killer’s weapon.” J.T. thought out loud as he pointed across the exit ramp and down the road. “So the killer exits the highway and notices how busy this gas station is. He drives down the road a mile to find a dark spot to ditch the truck and possibly kill Jane. He comes back here on foot, an easy enough jog, sees our John Doe preoccupied with filling his tires, and sneaks up behind him.”

  I imagined the scene as J.T. had played it out, then I added my own two cents. “Maybe he didn’t want anybody to notice blood, so he grabbed the air hose and wrapped it around the guy’s neck. I mean, he’s armed to the teeth, so why not just stab the man like everyone else?”

  “Right, but the guy can’t yell for help if his airways are cut off. Then the killer dragged the dead guy behind the dumpster and took off in his car.”

  I agreed. “That’s the way I think it went down.” I called an officer over. “Go inside and start looking at surveillance tapes from last night. Watch for anybody that drives to this side of the building where the air machine is, log the time, the vehicle type, and a plate number if you catch it. We need to review everything. The ME can narrow down the TOD better when he gets here.”

  We heard car doors slam at our backs. We turned to see the forensic team and the ME approaching us.

  “Detective Brooks is behind the dumpster with the body. We’re going to need your best guess of the TOD, and follow me.” J.T. led them to the air hose. “We’re thinking this is our murder weapon. The man has strangulation marks on his neck, so we’ll need confirmation of that.”

  The ME responded, “Yes, sir, Agent Harper.”

  “But we’ll need TOD first so we can check the security tapes, and we need to know if there’s any ID on the body too.”

  J.T. and I followed the team to the dumpster and waited.

  “That’s odd.”

  I leaned over the ME and watched as he checked the body thoroughly.

  “What’s odd?” I asked.

  “Several things, Agent Monroe. First off, there’s no wallet on the body, he has a broken neck besides the strangulation marks, and he’s been dead longer than the officer has.”

  J.T. raked his hair with his fingertips. “And you know that how?”

  I glanced at J.T., and I could see the wheels spinning.

  “His rigor and lividity are more advanced.”

  Detective Brooks spoke up, “No kidding, by how much?”

  “I’d say at least several hours.”

  I jerked my head for Detective Brooks and J.T. to join me in front of the dumpster. “Then where the hell is Jane? Can you check with your officers and ask if they’ve found anyone in the woods?”

  “Sure thing, Agent Monroe.” The detective stepped away and made the call over his radio.

  I folded my arms across my chest and heaved a sigh directed at J.T. “If Jane isn’t in the woods, he must have gotten rid of her somewhere between Champaign and here. She would have been in the truck, otherwise.”

  We turned to the detective, who had just ended his call.

  “What did they say?” J.T. asked.

  “They’ve searched a half mile into the woods on both sides of that dirt road. No signs of anyone, dead or alive.”

  Chapter 25

  The car skidded fifty feet and swerved, leaving a definite tire mark on the road from braking so hard. The driver and passenger, shaken to the core, jumped out and ran back toward the woman that had appeared out of nowhere. They nearly hit her, and now she lay motionless in the center of the road.

  “Oh my God, Aaron, her hands are bound behind her back, and she’s all cut up.”

  “Call 9-1-1, Jenny. Hurry.”

  The woman’s shaking fingers hit the buttons for the emergency call center. She engaged speakerphone and waited for someone to answer.

  Aaron carefully rolled the woman over and saw duct tape spread across her mouth. “Shit, she’s obviously been held prisoner, and her head and right side are covered in blood. Her chest is slashed too. What kind of sicko could do something like this?” He put his ear to her chest. “Jenny, she’s still alive.”

  “9-1-1, what is your emergency?”

  “Hello, my husband and I just came across a badly injured young woman. She appeared out of nowhere. She’s in horrible condition. Her arms are bound, and she has tape over her mouth. She’s all cut up.”

  “Ma’am, what is your location?”

  “Aaron, where are we?”

  He scanned the road for a street marker. “We just passed Danforth, Illinois, and we’re on Second Street at Smith Lake Road.”

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Is the woman breathing on her own?”

  “Barely, but she doesn’t look too good. Please hurry!”

  “I’ve just dispatched an ambulance and a police officer from Gilman. They’re the nearest police and fire department to your location and should be there in a few minutes. Please stay on the line. Can you tell what her injuries are?”

  “She’s a bloody mess from head to toe. I can’t tell you any more than that. She’s unconscious. Thank God, I hear sirens getting closer.” Jenny hung up and knelt next to her husband. The fire department ambulance pulled up alongside the couple.

  “Folks, stand clear. We need to get the gurney over here.”

  A Gilman police cruiser screeched to a stop behind Aaron’s car. The red and blue light bar flashed on the roof as the car idled and the driver’s door stood wide open. The officer rushed over to look at the victim before the EMTs began their work. With a few clicks of his cell phone camera, he captured the grisly scene before the EMTs pulled the tape off her mouth and hands.

  “Bound hands and tape over her mouth?” He looked toward the woods. “Make sure you document everything, guys. Stabilize her and sa
ve all that evidence. We’re dealing with a vicious individual.”

  The EMTs loaded the woman into the ambulance and drove away with the siren wailing.

  The officer wore a name tag that read Collins. He watched until the ambulance was out of sight then shook his head and pulled out his notepad. “Excuse me for just a second, folks.” He stepped away and spoke into his radio. “This is a crime scene, Sergeant Lewis. I’m going to need some help out here. Yes, they’re taking her to Iroquois Memorial in Watseka. The poor girl was bound, for crissakes, and she’s a bloody mess. No, there’s no identification on her.” He clicked off. “I’ll need statements from you two.” He pointed at the shoulder. “Let’s get off the road and talk over here. What can you tell me?”

  “She came out of the woods. I nearly hit her and had to swerve. That’s how my car ended up on the wrong side of the road. Thank God nobody was coming from the other direction,” Aaron said.

  “Where were you going that you happen to be in the area? This road is off the beaten path.”

  “We exited Highway 45 to get gas. Somehow I got turned around trying to get back on the highway. We’re from the west side of the state, Hannibal to be exact. We’re heading to Chicago for a funeral.”

  “Understood, sir. I’ll need to see both of your driver’s licenses.”

  Aaron pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and flipped it open then slid the card out of the plastic sleeve.

  Jenny tipped her head. “May I? My purse is in the car.”

  “Go ahead, ma’am.”

  The officer looked over both IDs and handed them back. “What else can you tell me, folks?”

  “Only that she stumbled out of the woods right there by Smith Lake Road.” Aaron pointed fifty feet behind them and to the left. “By the time I got the car stopped, she had already fallen and passed out on the road. We called 9-1-1 immediately.”

  The officer wrote down everything he was told. He handed them his card, took down their personal information, and thanked them for calling it in.

  “I think you can get on with your day now, but please don’t hesitate to contact me if anything else comes to mind. Drive carefully, folks. The highway is to your left, two exits up.”