Exposed

by C. M. Sutter

  Clark pushed the guest chair back to my desk. “Jack, get on the horn to WSPF and tell them we want every call and letter sent between them forwarded to us. Max Sims is a dangerous fugitive and needs to be apprehended quickly.”

  “You got it, boss.” Jack picked up his desk phone and dialed.

  The lieutenant turned to me as he headed back to his office. “Jade, does the clean-shaven, short-haired Max in the video look close enough to the drawing Marie rendered?”

  “I’d say so, boss, and wouldn’t hesitate to air that sketch.”

  “Good, because I’m going statewide on every news channel out there starting tonight. If everything is wrapped up for now, go home and get some rest. There’s nothing we can do until the toll-free tip line calls start coming in. The first news segment will air at six o’clock. The Channel 58 news at nine will air his image and profile next, and then the last round will go out statewide at ten o’clock. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that somebody has seen him.”

  I noticed Clark studying the weekly calendar to see which desk deputies were working the evening shifts.

  “Mary Davidson and Mitch Bryant can cover the phones tonight. The evening dispatch officers can pitch in too when they aren’t busy. If any leads come in that sound reliable, you’ll all be getting calls.” Clark swatted the air. “Get out of here and go home while you still can.”

  Chapter 47

  Max ignored the dumpy room and sparse amenities that Saturday evening. He had already been cooped up in the disgusting motel for a full day. In his opinion, the less he was seen, the better, and the room had been paid for in advance for an entire week, anyway. Like it or not, he had to hunker down, stay invisible, and go out only when he had to. For now, more important things filled his mind. He sat at the table with a cup of coffee in front of him, turned the locations tab off on his phone, and searched the Internet. He needed to find the home address for Sergeant Jade Monroe. Different scenarios played out in his mind, causing him to chuckle.

  Max powered down his phone temporarily and turned on the TV. He pressed the channel selector on the remote until he found news broadcasts that came in clearly. He found two Milwaukee stations and went back and forth between them. The noose was tightening around his neck, and the recent changes he’d made to his appearance didn’t help as he’d hoped they would. Both stations showed composite drawings of him with his face shaved and his hair cut shorter. His height, weight, and eye color were plastered across the screen too.

  “Son of a bitch, she gave the news stations my new look.”

  Max clicked the off button on the TV and tossed the remote to the side. He got up and rifled through the totes he’d brought into the room yesterday. He looked over the handful of items carefully.

  Yeah, these ought to do it.

  He took the scissors, a bar of soap, and a bag of disposable razors into the bathroom with him. Max plugged the sink and cut his hair as short as possible with the scissors. He looked at himself in the mirror—only a few sprouts remained on his head. He scooped the hair out of the sink and flushed it down the toilet and began again. With the water running, Max lathered the soap between his hands and rubbed the suds all over his head. It took several cheap razor blades to turn his scalp into something as smooth as a cue ball. He checked his appearance again in the mirror, gave himself a nod, and threw the razors in the trash can.

  With no other choice, Max paid the forty-nine bucks to an online phone and address search company. As soon as the verification screen came up and showed the transaction had cleared, Jade Monroe’s address and phone number popped up.

  Max laughed. “Bingo! The fun is about to begin.”

  The surveillance on Sergeant Jade Monroe would start tomorrow morning. Max knew it could be a risky move going out in daylight, but with a stolen car and plates, a hat pulled down low, sunglasses, and his lack of any hair at all, he felt he’d be just fine. Nobody had any idea what he was driving, and staying a safe distance behind her, he could follow Jade Monroe around for the next few days.

  Chapter 48

  I’ll admit, it did feel nice to spend a leisurely Saturday night at home with Amber. She made a delicious enchilada dinner with Spanish rice and frijoles as side dishes. The meal was decadent, and she admitted that our dad would likely prefer something else while he was here for two weeks.

  “Don’t you remember at Thanksgiving he said how he ate Mexican food all the time? I want to serve him something else while he’s here, so let’s enjoy this food fiesta now.”

  “Sounds logical to me,” I said with a mouthful of rice.

  Why I felt guilty to be relaxing at home was beyond me—it had to be in my blood and likely something passed down from my dad. He was a workaholic, and I was glad he’d be having his surgery here, where Amber and I could keep our eyes on him and help out.

  “It worries me that Dad will be spending most weekdays at home alone. I have the academy, you have criminals to catch and throw in prison, and Dad will be sitting here all by himself while he’s recuperating.”

  I shrugged. “He’ll be fine. He can watch TV, read crime fiction novels, play solitaire, and surf the Internet. All he needs to worry about is keeping his knee up and staying off that leg. He can relax on the recliner all day.”

  Amber laughed as she pulled the napkin off her lap and wiped her mouth. She got up and began clearing the table. “You are talking about our dad. He doesn’t know how to relax.” She gave me a sideways grin. “Sound familiar?”

  “Humph—maybe.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you have the bull pen on speed dial. How many times have you called in since the first news segment aired about Max Sims?”

  I stuck out my lower lip. “Only three times.”

  “That’s exactly my point.”

  “Fine—during the week, we’ll come home at lunchtime and hang out with Dad.”

  That comment put a smile on Amber’s face. She was such a daddy’s girl.

  My cell phone rang just as I sat down to watch my favorite crime series. Jack was calling. I held off on that much-anticipated glass of wine and answered.

  “Hey, Jack, what’s up?”

  “Clark just called me with an update. He said he would call you, but I told him I’d take care of it.”

  “So something new?”

  “You mean in the last half hour?” He chuckled. “I know you pretty well, Monroe. Deputy Davidson said you’ve called a handful of times already.”

  “Busted.”

  “Uh-huh. Anyway, a few people called in on the tip line from the Channel 58 news at nine.”

  “And?”

  “And, they’re all describing the same guy playing pool at a bar in Grafton.”

  “That doesn’t sound right. Why would Max go out in public when every channel in the state is airing his face?”

  “I thought the same thing, but since there were numerous calls, I didn’t think it would hurt to check it out. I already called the Grafton Police Department. They have a copy of that faxed image from Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Department. They said they’d check it out and get back to us.”

  “Yeah, okay, anything else?” I went ahead and picked up my glass of wine and took a sip.

  “Nah—only crank calls and others where jilted women say the guy on the news is their estranged husband or boyfriend.”

  “Awesome. I wish people would realize that the tip line is for serious police work.”

  “True enough. So how is your relaxing Saturday night going?”

  I heard the smirk in Jack’s voice.

  “I wish I could relax, but knowing that murderer has killing in his blood makes me nervous. Max is out there somewhere, planning his next move on a poor unsuspecting person.”

  Jack sighed. “Hopefully Darryl’s call to Max Monday afternoon can shed some light.”

  “But if they’re talking in code again, we’re screwed.”

  “All right, get back to doing whatever it was you were doing. Tell Amber hi and have
fun tomorrow with your old man.”

  “We might do a Sunday brunch after we pick him up. Do you want to join us?”

  “Yeah, that sounds good. Your dad is a riot. Tom Monroe—the living legend.”

  I laughed. “Plus, he has plenty of awesome stories. Meet us at the Washington House at noon. I’ll invite Kate too.”

  “Okay, see you then, and stop calling the bull pen. They’ll let us know if something is urgent.”

  I clicked off the call, filled my wineglass, and went back to watching my TV show.

  Chapter 49

  Max left the motel early—better to err on the side of caution. He snugged the baseball cap down tight on his bald head and slipped on a pair of cheap sunglasses from Dollar-Mart. He remembered the conversation he’d overheard that day in Green River Falls. Jade was picking up her father at the airport at ten o’clock. Max would be waiting for her to leave the house.

  Finding the information he needed on the Monroe woman was worth every penny he’d spent online. It saved him a lot of time searching. Darryl would be proud of his son when he heard the news tomorrow during their phone call.

  Max stepped out into the foggy morning and took in his good luck. The weather couldn’t have been better. The fog would help conceal him during his watch of the Monroe house. Max made sure he had everything he needed, then drove toward North Bend and used his GPS to pinpoint her address.

  The Ashbury Woods condo neighborhood was located on the south side of town. Max cautiously turned in at the main entrance and followed the route from the automated voice on his navigation system. He needed to find Sergeant Monroe’s house quickly and position himself far enough away so he wouldn’t be noticed, yet within view of her driveway. Max slowly passed her condo that stood at the end of a cul-de-sac with a woods behind it.

  This could be a problem. Not an easy exit.

  He double-checked the house number then followed the street back out. The clubhouse was just ahead and within view of her condo. Max turned in and faced the car toward the cul-de-sac. Early morning gym rats had already arrived. Max saw people working out through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. With his car tucked in between others, he wouldn’t be noticed. Max parked, killed the engine, and waited. She’d have to pass the clubhouse to exit the complex.

  Max pushed up his sleeve and checked the time, then peered at the sky. He figured she’d leave soon considering the fog hadn’t lifted yet. The weather would slow her down a bit and give him plenty of time to do what he needed to do. He turned on the car radio while he focused on her condo. Movement ahead caught his eye. Her garage door lifted, and a black Mustang backed out. He checked the time again—8:40. He continued to watch, then brake lights flashed. The passenger door opened, and a young woman exited, ducked under the overhead, and disappeared. She returned a few minutes later, got in the car, then it backed out onto the street.

  That has to be her younger sister, Amber, and apparently they live together. That’s a bonus.

  He slid lower in the seat, pulled the cap down even more, and watched as they passed the clubhouse and turned onto the street that took them out of Ashbury Woods. Max saw the car turn right and connect with the frontage road that led them south to the highway. He sat in the clubhouse parking lot until nine o’clock for good measure. When the time felt right, he crept out of the car and followed the path through the woods that led to the back of the condos. Max kept his head on a swivel as he passed other homes on his way to hers. He was thankful for the blossoming trees that gave him cover. Straight ahead, her condo stood at the end of the street, just before the cul-de-sac curved back around. Hers was the last residence on that side. With the dense woods and no other condos to concern himself with, Max was afforded privacy to go about his business. He stood behind a thicket of trees and bushes to surveil the home before stepping out of his cover. He faced a large deck with a set of sliding doors leading into the house. Two windows, possibly from bedrooms, faced the back as well. A covered pen with a pet door was situated on the left side of the deck. Max saw a cat sleeping on a cushion in the pen.

  Good—one less thing to deal with.

  He checked his surroundings once more, then slunk forward, took the four steps up, and crossed the deck. So far so good, and he didn’t even wake the cat. Max removed his hat then cupped his hands around his face. He peered through the glass into what looked to be the family room. He glanced down at the slider rail—no security bar.

  What an idiot, and she’s a cop?

  Max slipped on the latex gloves and spread his hands out on the glass door. He lifted upward, disengaged the lock, and slid the door to the side. He waited—no alarm sounded. Max grinned and walked through.

  Easy as pie.

  He took in the layout of the condo and snapped pictures from room to room. He drew a diagram of the floor plan, noting which rooms were the master, the sister’s room, and the guest room. He noted that there were two bedrooms on the right and a bathroom on the left, directly across the hall. He lingered in what looked to be Amber’s room. Max turned the knob on the desk lamp. In front of him lay open books and study manuals from the police academy. He chuckled. “Following in the family career path, are we?” He took more pictures. He continued on to the next room and peeked around the door. The room was set up as the typical, comfortable looking guest room with a queen-sized bed, dresser, and nightstand. A small desk and wooden chair filled the corner. He continued on. The master bedroom was at the far end on the left with its own bathroom. Max sat at the foot of the bed and bounced a few times as he snickered at her stupid choice of pets. He stared at her birds and had to hold back the temptation to twist their heads off. He didn’t want her to know that someone had stopped by.

  “So this is where the bitch with the big gun sleeps.”

  He spat on the bedspread then stood and crossed the room. He pulled each drawer open until he found her panties and bras. He studied them, ran his fingers across the lace, then sliced several of the panties with his knife. He shoved them back in the drawer and closed it. Max returned to the family room and snapped more pictures of the deck entrance, the front entrance, and every closet. The large eat-in kitchen was directly across from the family room. A door beyond the pantry caught his eye.

  Hmmm…what’s this?

  Max turned the knob and pulled the door toward him. A flight of steps going to the basement lay ahead. He hit the rocker switch on the wall, and the staircase lit up. He followed the steps down while he counted each one then jotted that information on the piece of paper. The basement was unfinished and held plenty of hiding spots. Max snapped a few pictures of dark corners and their locations relative to the staircase, then went back upstairs and turned off the basement light. Off the kitchen were the laundry room, a powder room, and the two-car garage.

  Typical floor plan, but good to memorize.

  With a final walk-through of each room and a few more pictures, Max wiped the marks from his gloves off the glass sliders, secured the door, and sneaked out the front. He hugged the side of the house until he reached the back then disappeared into the woods.

  Chapter 50

  Amber and I waited at Concourse D. Dad always flew Delta and probably had a free ticket for this trip. We watched, each with a coffee in hand and a hot one waiting for him.

  “Oh my God, Jade, there’s Daddy, and he’s using a cane.”

  “That damn knee is a lot worse than he let on. I had no idea it was that bad.”

  Amber waved from a distance and gave me a concerned look. “He’ll be okay after the surgery, won’t he?”

  “Of course he will, but he’s still going to get a good scolding for letting it go this long. It has to hurt like hell for him to suck it up and use a cane.”

  Amber waved again as he got closer.

  He grinned and waved back.

  “Finally!” Amber said when he reached us.

  I elbowed her, and she gave me a dirty look.

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant
he’s finally here again.” She embraced him in a tight hug. “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Hi, sweetheart.” My dad kissed Amber’s cheek, then kissed mine.

  “Let me take that bag, Dad. Do you need to sit for a minute? That’s an awful long concourse.”

  “Yeah, good idea.”

  “Over here, Daddy.” Amber led the way to a table, and we sat. I handed him his coffee.

  “Thanks, honey. I can’t wait to get this knee fixed. It sure is a nuisance right now, especially with this cane.”

  “We’ll have you as good as new in no time, Dad. We’re meeting Kate and Jack for brunch at the Washington House. I hope you didn’t eat on the plane.”

  “Only three bags of pretzels. What are there, four mini pretzels in each bag?”

  I smirked. “Yeah, if that. How was your flight, other than early and long?”

  “It wasn’t bad. I think I slept through most of it.”

  I stood and threw my coffee cup in the garbage can. “Do you have the same suitcase as last time?”

  “Uh-huh, the tan one.”

  “Okay, you guys stay put and enjoy your coffee. I’ll go downstairs and get it. Thankfully, the car is parked close by. I’ll be back in a flash.”

  A half hour later, I pulled in line at the airport exit and paid the parking fee. We were on our way to North Bend.

  “I’m sure glad winter is over with here. I’d hate to be gimping around on wet, icy sidewalks.”

  “I’ve been thinking about moving to San Bernardino, more and more every day, Dad. I could transfer to your sheriff’s department.”

  Dad looked surprised. “Why would you do that, honey? You just bought a brand-new condo.”

  “Yeah, Jade, why would you do that? Are you just going to ditch me like yesterday’s trash and move to sunny California?”

  I chuckled. “I’m thinking out loud, that’s all. San Bernardino County is the largest county in southern California. You have more bad guys to get off the streets and a lot more resources. It just sounds like a good fit for me. You both know how much I hate winter too.”