Imperious

by C. M. Sutter

  Derrick reached into the mangled vehicle and pulled a purse from the passenger side footwell. “Here you go, Tim. Unfortunately, her family is about to have a bad day.”

  Donnelly nodded. “That vehicle has to go to our impound lot. We’ll need tow trucks for the rest. What about other injuries?”

  “Not good. Two more dead, another with severe burns, and the man from the rolled-over car sustained broken bones. He’s in the second ambulance, and they’re getting ready to head out. The rear-end collision didn’t cause any injuries, so that’ll be an accident report and insurance claim.”

  “What a mess, and the morning has just begun.” Donnelly rubbed his forehead. “I’ll send another deputy over there to take care of that.”

  Chapter 4

  Jack exited his office with his coffee in hand and took a seat in Adam’s guest chair. He blew out a breath and raked his fingers through his hair. “Multicar pileup out on 45 this morning. What’s with young people these days?”

  “Are you talking to me specifically?” Billings asked.

  “Yeah, I guess so. You’re the only person here who has a college-aged kid.”

  Adam frowned. “Do you take issue with college-aged kids?”

  “Nah, high school kids would probably fit the bill too. It’s a sad situation, though.”

  I shook my head at Amber and rolled my eyes. “Jack, can you stop talking in riddles and just tell us what’s on your mind?”

  “Sorry, guess I went off topic. Silver called earlier from the scene, where there were multiple fatalities, an overturned semi, and burned-up cars. The accident happened halfway between Kewaskum and North Bend. I guess somebody driving in the southbound lane caused it. Silver needed me to call the county crews and get them out there to block two lanes on the northbound side.”

  I frowned. “Didn’t you just say the accident was in the southbound lane?”

  “I should clarify that. The car was driving south but veered across the median into the northbound lanes and slammed into a tree. Of course that caused a chain reaction of collisions. A half dozen cars and that semi got tangled up in the mess. Some of the witnesses Silver spoke with said it happened so suddenly they thought the car that caused the accident may have had a tire blow out.”

  “Did it?” Amber asked.

  Jack took a sip and continued. “Not according to Silver. He said all the tires were fully inflated. As far as I know, two other people sustained serious injuries, and EMTs are transporting them to the hospital now. Three in total were dead at the scene.”

  “Wow, that’s horrible. Did the person who caused the accident survive?” Clayton asked.

  “Nope. That person was a young female, and she was pronounced at the scene along with the two who burned in the collision with the semi. The EMTs found a cell phone beneath her body when they lifted her out of the car. She may have been texting while driving.” Jack checked the time. “Donnelly is heading back with her phone and purse. According to her driver’s license, she was only nineteen years old.”

  Amber groaned. “That is more than sad and such a waste of a life.”

  “But if she was texting, she caused other people to lose their lives too,” Clayton said.

  Adam agreed. “Texting while driving is a dangerous thing all right. Thank God Mia doesn’t have a car.”

  I snapped my head in his direction. “And that matters why?”

  Adam glared at me, and Amber rolled her eyes as she watched us begin our usual morning debate.

  “Mia could be a passenger in somebody’s car while the driver is texting. The danger factor is still the same.” I turned to Jack before Adam had a chance to respond. “How would anyone know that texting caused the accident, anyway?”

  Jack shrugged. “Donnelly said the time stamp on her phone showed texts sent to a handful of people seconds before the crash, but they were just a bunch of scrambled letters that made no sense. Anyway, our county, our problem. I’ll have to locate her next of kin from her phone contacts.”

  Seconds later, the security door opened, and Donnelly walked in. “What a tragedy,” he said as he plopped down in Clayton’s guest chair. “Deceased individual that caused the accident was a Becca Morbeck.”

  I sighed. “Of course she’d have a sweet name.”

  Donnelly continued. “According to her driver’s license, she’s from Tomah. Not quite sure how her being in this area plays out.”

  “I’ll follow up on everything as soon as I read the witness statements. Has her body been transported downstairs yet?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah, the EMTs were checking her in with Lena just as I got back. Here are the important items from her car, sir.” Donnelly handed the purse and phone to Jack. “The deceased burn victims are en route right now.”

  “Appreciate it. Is Silver still at the scene?”

  “He is until our flatbed loads Becca’s car and leaves. Ebert and Lawrence will stick around until the scene is cleared, the other vehicles are towed, and the county crew opens up the far-right lanes.”

  “Do you have Silver’s witness statements?”

  “Right here, Boss.” Donnelly handed them to Jack. “I’ve already entered the accident reports into my car’s computer.”

  Jack nodded and rose. “Thanks, Donnelly. Okay, back to work, people, and I want to know when Becca Morbeck’s vehicle arrives.”

  Clayton spoke up. “I’ll let the garage know to call me when they check it in.”

  “Thanks.” Jack crossed the bull pen to his office and closed the door behind him. He sipped on his second cup of coffee, now cold, as he read the witness statements.

  This doesn’t make any sense. The car veered left and right, flew over the median, and hit a tree. Nobody Silver and Donnelly spoke to from the southbound lanes said they noticed brake lights as the car crossed into oncoming traffic.

  Jack rubbed his forehead as he continued reading.

  No signs of a blowout either. What the hell caused the car to swerve, cross the median, and crash?

  He picked up the receiver and dialed Lena, hit the speakerphone button, and set the receiver back on the base. “Lena, it’s Jack. Donnelly said the first victim from this morning’s Highway 45 crash is in your possession?”

  “That’s correct. Has her next of kin been notified?”

  “No, I’m still reviewing the witness statements. According to what the people interviewed from the southbound lanes said, there was no attempt to brake before the car crossed into oncoming traffic. Wouldn’t that be a natural instinct if the driver was coherent at the time?”

  “Absolutely. Are you thinking she was under the influence?”

  “Possibly. Her driver’s license shows she’s from Tomah. She’s a long way from home at seven thirty-five in the morning. I need to contact her family, but I wanted answers to some of their questions before they ask them.”

  “Should I put her in cold storage until you learn more?”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Her car is being towed in, and I want the garage to go over it to rule out foul play. It could have been brake failure.” Jack’s mind went back to Jade Monroe’s near-death car accident after criminal Warren Ricks tampered with her brakes. She was lucky to be alive. “Hold off until I know the car wasn’t the problem. If it wasn’t, then it means Becca Morbeck either had a medical or psychological issue or she was under the influence of something. I’ll let you know how to proceed once I reach her family.” Jack ended the call and looked up to see Clayton approaching his door. He waved him in.

  “Boss, the Morbeck car was just dropped off downstairs.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Jack pushed back his chair and left his office. The lower level housed the technical department, the forensics lab, the coroner’s office, and the impound lot and garage. He took the stairs down two flights and spoke to George Abrams, the head mechanic. “George, I need that car up on the lift right away.”

  “Yes, sir, and what are we looking for?”

  “Faulty brake li
nes, signs of tampering, or anything that would cause a car to barrel across a highway and crash into a tree with no signs of trying to stop.”

  “That sounds more like a stuck accelerator.”

  Jack nodded. “Call me as soon as you know something.”

  “Will do.”

  Back at his office, Jack scrolled through Becca’s contact list. He stopped on the name Mom. It was time to make that unpleasant call. Letting out a long sigh, he dialed the number, pressed Speakerphone, and engaged his recorder. He waited until someone picked up on the other end.

  “Hi, honey. Aren’t you supposed to be taking exams right now?”

  “Mrs. Morbeck?” Jack heard her startled reaction through the phone lines.

  “Yes. Who is this, and why are you talking on my daughter’s phone?”

  “Ma’am, this is Lieutenant Jack Steele with the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office. Your daughter is Becca Morbeck?”

  “Of course. Is Becca okay?”

  Jack hesitated for a second, knowing full well that as soon as the words came out of his mouth, the family’s life would change in an instant.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry to inform you that Becca was involved in a fatal car accident this morning.”

  “No, no, no!”

  Gut-wrenching sobs sounded on the other end of the phone. Jack waited until the woman was able to speak.

  “Why, how, where? I have to see her. Where is she?”

  “Ma’am, Becca is at our coroner’s office at the sheriff’s department. Where are you located?”

  “We live in Tomah, Lieutenant. I need to be with Becca now.” She continued to wail into the phone. “I have to call my husband. We’ll leave as soon as he gets home.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. We have questions that I’m sure only you and your husband can answer. Please, drive to our sheriff’s office and ask for me directly when you get here. Again, I’m Lieutenant Jack Steele.”

  She coughed into the phone. “Thank you, Lieutenant Steele. We’ll be there by lunchtime.”

  Jack hung up and walked out of his office. “Kate, run downstairs and tell Lena that Becca’s family is on their way from Tomah. She can go ahead with the pictures and prepare the consent paperwork if the parents agree to an autopsy.”

  “You got it, Boss.”

  Jack turned to Amber. “You went to UWWC, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, and Jade did too.”

  “And Highway 45 would have been the most logical route since Becca was driving south.”

  “As far as going to school?”

  Jack took a seat on Amber’s guest chair. “The mom asked why she wasn’t taking her exams.”

  “It is finals week, but there’s also Moraine Park Technical College. She could have taken Highway 45 south to either school, depending on where she was coming from.”

  “And I don’t have that information, but I guess the school is irrelevant. My concern is the cause of the crash. Maybe the parents can shed some light during the interview.” Jack stood and headed for the door. “Come on, Kate, I’ll walk down with you. I need to see if George discovered anything suspicious with the car.”

  Chapter 5

  He shook several aspirin into his hand and popped them in his mouth. That excruciating pain had become a constant in his life. Checking his surroundings first, he slipped out of his SUV and into her empty apartment. That time of day, most people were at work, anyway, and with her apartment being an end unit, he easily entered unseen through her side door. He could take his time—he knew full well she wouldn’t be back. He’d witnessed her death firsthand, yet he had to be certain there wasn’t any evidence or mention of his name inside her apartment. He intended to check every square inch of the space to make sure.

  See what happens when you resist me, and then you threatened to expose our agreement. Tsk, tsk, Becca. Totally not your smartest move.

  He crossed the tiny living room into her bedroom. Memories of their last night together filled his mind as he ran his hand across her pillow.

  You could have had everything handed to you on a silver platter if you had played by my rules, but no—your morality took the place of common sense. Now your career plans and ambitions are dead in the water, and you—you’re just dead.

  He knew every dream and aspiration Becca had and recalled when he met her last fall at orientation day. She seemed hopeful and innocent and matched all the qualities on his bullet-point list of the type of woman to pursue—an easy target. An image of Isabelle took over his thoughts for a split second, but he quickly erased her from his mind.

  You were nothing but a two-timing whore.

  He lifted the pillow, held it against his face, and drew in a deep breath. The scent of Becca’s shampoo lingered on the pillowcase.

  Stupid bitch had to ruin everything.

  He lingered at her underwear drawer and studied the lace that accented her bras and panties. She’d fulfilled every fantasy in his mind, but deep inside, he knew she was never truly on board.

  “Why couldn’t you just go along with it? You didn’t need to die.”

  He went back to work and looked through every drawer, cabinet, and closet. If she had a journal, he’d find it. A half hour passed before he finally found the book squeezed between her mattress and box springs.

  “There it is. Now let’s see what you wrote, Ms. Morbeck.”

  He pulled out the leather-bound journal and took a seat on the bed. Page by page, he read how she’d despised him and how he made her skin crawl. He had power over her and held her future career in his hands. He swore he’d ruin her life if she mentioned their relationship to anyone. She feared him but hated him even more, and it was finally time to expose him for the sick control he had over her. She’d find a way to get through the mess he would create and the lies he would tell—she had to.

  Rage filled him as he read each entry.

  Why didn’t you want to be with me?

  He stood and stared at his reflection in the dresser’s mirror.

  I’m not ugly or ignorant. I’m an educated man, for God’s sake, and have a lot going for me. You should have felt honored that I gave you my attention.

  He threw the journal across the room and continued searching for something else that might have mentioned his name. He snickered his resentment. “You certainly aren’t the only woman on my list, Becca. There’s plenty more where you came from.”

  Once satisfied that he had cleared the apartment, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out the containers he needed. The milk, creamer, and water went down the drain. The empty jugs, the salad, and the journal were dropped into a plastic grocery bag and slung over his left arm. He pushed back his sleeve and tipped his wrist—10:57. He had to be at work by eleven thirty. With a final scan of each room, he walked out and locked the door behind him.

  Chapter 6

  I cut left, and Jack turned right. Lena’s office was just down the hall. I called out her name as I entered.

  “I’m in the back.” Lena was in the refrigerated room, where a dozen individual compartments were situated side by side within the wall.

  “Hi, Kate. Just putting Becca Morbeck in her own space for now until I get further instructions. The burn victims will be arriving any minute.” She looked at the young woman’s sheet-covered body as it lay on the compartment’s retractable surface.

  “May I?”

  Lena nodded, and I stared at Becca’s scuffed face. “Airbag injury?”

  “Yep. They can cause bruising and scuffs. Her body sustained injuries from the impact, but there shouldn’t have been anything forceful enough to cause her death. She isn’t cut up, and there wasn’t noticeable bleeding.”

  “How about internal injuries?” I brushed Becca’s blond hair out of her face.

  Lena sighed. “Maybe. I’ll know more if her folks consent to an autopsy.”

  “What a pretty girl and just starting life as an adult. Such a waste, especially if the accident was really caused by texting while drivin
g.”

  “Is that what you guys are thinking?”

  I shrugged and dropped my hand to my waistline. “It’s a theory.”

  Lena saw me rub my stomach and noticed the sour expression on my face. “You okay, Kate?”

  I tried to make light of it, even though the pain was intense and came on suddenly. “I think so. Whoever prepared the coffee this morning probably made it too strong. Acid buildup, I guess, and a bile taste in my mouth.” I sucked in a slow breath and continued. “Anyway, Jack said her folks are en route.” I tipped my head toward the door. “He walked over to the garage to see if George found anything wrong with the car and wanted me to tell you to go ahead with the photos and paperwork for Becca.” I grabbed my left side and bent forward. I squeezed my eyes closed and held my breath, hoping the stabbing pain would pass. “Oh my God, that hurts.”

  Lena led me by the arm. “Sit down on this chair and don’t move. Your pain seems far worse than something caused by a cup of acidic coffee. I’m getting Jack.”

  “No, wait, it’ll pass.” I clenched the chair’s arm and pushed through the pain. “It’s going away.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. In that moment, it hurt too much to speak. I inhaled through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. Slow, easy breaths were beginning to help. “I just need to get to the bull pen. I have antacids in my desk drawer.”

  “I’ll help you upstairs.”

  “Just give me a minute.” I stood and assessed how I felt. “It’s getting better.”

  Lena stared at me as if she was trying to read my face. “Are you lying to me?”

  “No, I’m okay, really.”

  “All right and tell Jack I’ll have everything ready when Becca’s parents arrive.” The buzzer rang at the back. “They’re here with the other bodies.”

  I left the coroner’s office and rushed to the stairs, where I hunched over and grabbed the handrail. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I wiped the perspiration off my forehead with the back of my hand and sucked in deep breaths.