Exposed

by C. M. Sutter

  Max exited the bus and flagged down one of many taxis parked along the curb. He climbed in and, twenty minutes later, was dropped off at the Northside Motel, his most recent residence. He went inside to kill more time.

  Chapter 53

  My desk phone rang right as Jack and I were walking out. After lunch, we’d planned to meet with a few of the families whose loved ones had been identified. They had to decide what to do with the few bones that remained. The logical suggestion would be cremation and a memorial service.

  “Hold up, Jack. I better see who’s calling.” I walked back to my desk and answered as I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen.

  “Hello, Sergeant Jade Monroe speaking. How can I help you?” I sat in my chair and listened.

  An Officer Brad Littner from the downtown Milwaukee precinct was calling. He and Officer Pat Reynolds were the two that had picked up the videotape in question. Comparing it side by side with the image and description of Max Sims led them to believe he was indeed the man that boarded the bus.

  “Is it possible for you to email me a video file of that tape so I can see it myself? I know this man personally, and I’d like to be one hundred percent certain it’s him.”

  “Absolutely, Sergeant, I just need the email address you use on your work computer.”

  I gave it to Officer Littner and thanked him. He told me the file would be coming within minutes.

  “Jack, have a seat. I want to see this video before we go anywhere.”

  “Coffee, then?”

  “Sure, thanks.”

  I tapped my fingers on the desk and waited as I constantly refreshed the screen. The email finally showed up as the most recent one in my in-box.

  “Here it is.” I sat straight up in my chair and whispered a short prayer. “Please, God, let it be him.”

  I clicked on the file. Everyone crowded at my back and watched over my shoulder. The technical department at the downtown precinct had done a great job of cleaning up the footage. The man’s height compared to the other passengers seemed correct. If this was indeed Max, his size was right. I paused the footage when he looked toward the camera. I slid the zoom bar to the right. I knew the more I zoomed in, the fuzzier the image would become. I only needed a little more clarification. The man wore a baseball cap, making it more difficult to see his face, but I could say with eighty percent certainty he was Max.

  “Okay, guys, your opinions? I don’t want to go by wishful thinking.” I looked at each face that surrounded me.

  “You and Jack are the ones that saw Max up close and personal. What’s your gut telling you?” Clark asked.

  “Jack?”

  “I agree. I think it’s Max.”

  “Okay, I’m going to call the Burlington, Iowa, police department again and tell them it’s a positive ID. They need to have all hands on deck and be extremely careful when they apprehend him. There are other passengers to consider.”

  Clark spoke up. “Tell them to wait until he’s off the bus and separated from everyone else. Nobody wants this to turn into a hostage situation.”

  “Roger that, boss.” I dialed Burlington, Iowa, again.

  After the phone call, Jack and I headed out. We had four families to talk to that afternoon. We stopped at Bub’s Bar and Grill for lunch since it was on our way out of town. The hostess seated us, and the waitress brought two glasses of water to our table. Once our order was in and the waitress had left, Jack spoke up.

  “Can I be candid with you?”

  His question took me by surprise. “Well, sure, I guess. Is this about earlier with Clayton?”

  Jack sighed and took in a deep breath. “Jade, don’t go off the rails about Max Sims. What makes him so different than the other criminals we’ve captured?”

  “Just that—he hasn’t been captured, and he’s a serious menace to society. I’m not going to rest until he’s behind bars. How many people do you think have died at his hands?”

  Jack shrugged. “I know, he’s super dangerous. Between Max and Darryl, there could be twenty, maybe more.”

  “That’s exactly right. I’m glad Clark handed him to us. Now, I can focus entirely on Max Sims. With any luck, he’ll be apprehended tonight and brought back to Wisconsin to stand trial for multiple murders.”

  Jack nodded.

  I waited to continue until the waitress left. She brought our burgers to the table, refilled our coffees, and then walked away. I leaned forward toward Jack. “I wonder if Darryl intends to make the four o’clock call. Maybe he already knows Max has left the area.”

  “Even if he does, we won’t get the taped audio file from WSPF for days. Do you have any idea how many convicts use those pay phones on a daily basis?”

  “All of them?” I asked, half joking.

  “Damn near. Red tape slows things down.”

  We finished lunch and forty-five minutes later, were back in the cruiser and on our way to the first home. We were about to begin the difficult discussions with family members that had waited years for news of their loved ones.

  There was nothing we could do about Max Sims until tonight when we got word that he was in custody.

  Chapter 54

  We ended the conversations with the families at four thirty and headed back to the station. I was excited, yet nervous, to hear the news of how the apprehension went. I didn’t want anything to go wrong. The bus was scheduled to arrive at the Burlington station in a half hour.

  Jack and I entered the bull pen. He took his seat, and I poured out the stale morning coffee and started a new pot. I did whatever I could to stay busy for the next twenty-five minutes. The light on my desk phone flashed, indicating I had a message. I checked it. A call came in from Amber, wanting to know if I’d be home for dinner and telling me not to forget about our scheduled appointment at the shooting range at seven o’clock.

  I made a quick call back to her. “Hey, sis, I should be home by six at the latest.”

  She sighed into the phone. “Good to hear. I was hoping you wouldn’t cancel on Dad and me. I made a tuna casserole for dinner with garlic bread and green beans.”

  “That sounds delicious. I’ll see you in a bit.” With my desk phone’s receiver back on the cradle, I checked the time again. Fifteen minutes to go. “This is torture,” I said as I rose from my chair and poured coffee for everyone. I looked at my emails, shuffled papers on my desk, inspected my cuticles, and drummed my fingers. A few minutes after five, my desk phone rang. Clark gave me a nod, and I answered, then hit the speakerphone button. “Sergeant Jade Monroe speaking, how can I help you?”

  “Sergeant Monroe, this is Captain Frank Black calling from the Burlington, Iowa, police department. We’re at the main bus terminal right now. All of my officers were staged at different spots with a clear view of the bus that just came in from Milwaukee. Your suspect never disembarked with the other passengers.”

  “You can’t be serious! Did your officers board the bus and check every seat?”

  “We did, ma’am, and he wasn’t there. He must have left the bus during one of the fuel stops and never got back on.”

  I felt like ripping my eyeballs out and my head began to pound. I had to take a few deep gulps of air to calm myself.

  “Captain, do you know where the fuel stops are?”

  “My officers are talking to the driver right now. We’re digging into that information. Would you like a callback when we know more?”

  “Absolutely. Please take down my cell phone number too, and thank you, sir.” I hung up and buried my face in my hands. “That son of a bitch got away again.”

  The lieutenant coughed into his hand and cleared his throat. “Jade, you have plans with your pop tonight. Tomorrow is going to be an early morning because of his surgery. I’d suggest you take the entire day off. You’re going to drive yourself crazy with all this pressure. Jack can keep you updated hour by hour if necessary.”

  I glanced at Jack—he nodded. “It’s the right thing to do, Jade. I promise to keep you
abreast of the news as it comes in.”

  Clark jerked his head toward the door. “That’s an order, Monroe. Go home and be with your family.”

  I sucked in more air to clear my head. “Okay, boss, you win. My dad’s surgery will take a few hours.” I pointed at Jack. “I’m calling you as soon as they wheel him into the operating room.”

  “You got it, partner. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  I packed up my belongings and dropped my phone into my purse. “See you guys on Wednesday.”

  I walked out into the fresh evening air and paused. I took in the coolness against my skin—it felt good, and I needed to be revived.

  Be in the moment, like Jack said. It’s all we have, anyway.

  The rest of the night, I put all my energy into my dad and sister. We had a delicious dinner, then went to the shooting range for an hour. I was happy to see how much Dad enjoyed his time with us. Our laughter lit up the shooting lanes as Amber bragged about her skills and Dad fed right into it. He was in his element, and his face radiated with pride to see how his daughters had followed in his footsteps. I had to admit, I was thankful that the lieutenant sent me home. It felt good to get Max out of my head and put all of my focus on my family, at least for the next full day.

  That night, before I turned off my bedside lamp, I made a final call to Jack.

  “Hey, partner. Sorry, I know I’m a pest.”

  “Nah—don’t worry about it.”

  I yawned into the phone. “Anything on the fuel stops?”

  “I guess the only scheduled fuel stop was in Naperville, Illinois. They were going to pull up the video footage to see if anyone that looked like Max got off the bus and didn’t get back on. We’re still waiting for confirmation. Get some sleep, Jade. You sound beat.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “Tell your old man I said good luck.”

  “Will do. Good night.” I clicked off and set my phone on the nightstand.

  Chapter 55

  I woke to my alarm clock buzzing at five forty-five. It was set only as a backup plan since I was certain Amber was dressed and already making breakfast. We were both taking the day off to be at our dad’s side.

  From my bedroom, I heard Dad and Amber talking in the kitchen. She apologized for cooking in front of him. He said she shouldn’t worry about it. Since he had to fast before surgery, Dad was limited to hot tea and nothing else.

  With my bathrobe and slippers on, I entered the kitchen and joined them. A cup of coffee sat on the breakfast bar, waiting my arrival. The cream, in a small stoneware pitcher, sat next to it.

  “I swear, you should own a bed-and-breakfast, Amber. You’re the best hostess ever.” I kissed my sister’s cheek and walked to the table, where I kissed my dad. “How’d you sleep, Dad?”

  “Like a baby.”

  “Yeah, I never understood that analogy. I thought babies woke up at all hours of the night.” I chuckled and sipped my coffee. “I hope you’re making something simple, Amber. I’d hate to rub Dad’s nose in the fact that we’re eating in front of him.”

  “I’m making oatmeal.”

  “That’ll work.”

  After eating and showering, we left the house at six forty. St. Joseph’s Community Hospital was five miles door to door. After Dad filled out his paperwork, he was ushered into a room where they prepped him for surgery. Amber and I were allowed to wait with him once his IV was hooked up and he was comfortable. Dr. Dumont entered the prep room and shook our hands. He gave me a few minutes of ribbing and told my dad what a horrible patient I was last summer when he had to stitch up my foot after the dog bite. He chuckled, then went into the explanation of Dad’s surgery, what it entailed and what to expect afterward. He said he would be in the recovery room when Dad woke up and go over the post-op instructions. He shook our hands once more and left.

  “It’s time, Mr. Monroe,” the nurse said. “I’m going to start the sedative in your IV. You’ll get sleepy very quickly. Ladies.” She pointed at the exit.

  “Okay, bye, Dad. Good luck.” I kissed him and waited at the door.

  “We’ll see you in recovery, Daddy.” Amber kissed him too, then we left.

  Downstairs in the cafeteria, we bought two coffees and two doughnuts, then sat at a table facing the serenity garden. It was peaceful and calm.

  “I hope Daddy won’t be bored at home afterward.”

  “The alternative would be worse, Amber. He’d be alone, and he wouldn’t have any help. He’ll be fine. Dad is a tough old codger, and he’ll be as good as new before he leaves to go back to California.”

  “Jade, what’s this talk about moving? I don’t want you to leave.” Amber cupped my hand with hers. “I can’t join the FBI until I have a few years of law enforcement under my belt. I was hoping to join the sheriff’s department and work with you and the guys. I know everyone already. It would be awesome to work together.”

  I smiled. “You wouldn’t be a detective right away. The reality is, you’d likely have your butt planted in a cruiser all day, pulling over speeders on the freeway.”

  “I don’t mind. You have to start somewhere. Kate can join the sheriff’s department too.”

  “Sure, she could. You’d both be great deputies. Do you remember the name of the agent Dad talked about in the serial crimes unit?”

  “You mean his friend, the supervisory special agent in the FBI?”

  “Yeah, that guy.”

  “Um…” Amber stared at the ceiling. “Oh yeah, his name is Dave Spencer. I ought to write that down so I don’t forget. Why?”

  “Just a thought. Maybe I’ll give him a call.”

  “On my behalf?”

  “Not exactly. I’ll be back in a sec, hon. I need to get an update from Jack.” I exited through the glass doors and entered the serenity garden. I sat on a bench among flower beds and called Jack.

  “Hey, Jade, calling for your update?”

  “You know I am. What’s the word?”

  “Max is in the wind. He didn’t show up in the footage at the Naperville fuel stop. Nobody that fits his description exited the bus. The driver didn’t make any stops after that until they arrived in Burlington, and you know the rest.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. All we can do is push the news channels to keep airing the segment, do a write-up for the paper, and hold a press conference. Let’s work on that tomorrow. We’ll distribute more flyers too.”

  “Damn it. It isn’t like he’s going to walk into a local police station and turn himself in anytime soon. I guess we have to do what we can.”

  “How’s your old man?”

  “He’s in surgery right now. Dr. Dumont gave me a hard time.”

  Jack laughed. “And rightfully so. You were a pain in the ass last year when you had your bum foot.”

  “Whatever. Anyway, I have to get back to Amber and do some sister bonding while I have the time.”

  “Sounds good, and call me after your dad wakes up.”

  I clicked off and slid my phone into my back pocket, then went inside where Amber was waiting. She faced the TV that was mounted on the wall in the cafeteria. The channel was turned to the news.

  “See anything about Max?” I asked as I took a seat.

  “No, this is CNN, not a local station. They’ve been showing a huge storm that’s heading down from Canada. We’re supposed to get severe wind and rain throughout the afternoon and evening.”

  “Seriously? I guess I haven’t paid any attention to the forecast. As a matter of fact, other than the broadcasts about Max, I don’t think I’ve watched TV for a few days. The storm sounds bad.” I glanced out the window and saw heavy cloud cover moving in from the north.

  “That’s what they’re saying. At least we’ll have Daddy home and snuggled in before the rain starts. After we get him home, I’ll run out and pick up more food and fill his prescriptions. I’m thinking he’ll do best on the recliner, that way he’ll be in the
middle of everything. If he wants something to eat or drink, he can tell one of us, and he’ll have the TV remote next to him too.”

  “Good idea—that’s if the power doesn’t go out.” I stood and tipped my head. “Come on. Let’s head back to the waiting area.” I grabbed a stack of gossip magazines as I passed the rack. We still had an hour-and-a-half wait.

  Chapter 56

  “Daddy, how are you doing?” Amber sat next to our dad as he lay in the reclined recovery chair. Blankets covered him to his chin.

  “What?” His heavy eyelids barely opened and then closed again.

  I watched him as he gradually woke up. His face was as white as a sheet, and he was still very groggy. Several heated blankets covered his entire body. The nurse came in and switched out the top blanket for a newly warmed one. I checked his monitors. His heart rate and pulse were strong.

  “Let’s give him a minute, sis. He’s still out of it.”

  We sat for another fifteen minutes. I read the latest gossip about famous celebrities, and Amber scrolled through her cell phone.

  “Hey, girls.” My dad’s voice sounded thick, and he spoke slowly.

  “Your surgery is over, Dad. The doctor should be in soon to talk to us. I know you’re pretty groggy, but we’ll listen to every word he says.”

  “That’s good. Thanks, honey.”

  “He’ll give you a release instruction sheet, anyway, and Amber has volunteered to pick up any meds he might prescribe.”