“Vice,” she heard the now familiar voice.
“Adrian? It’s Lacey Fitzpatrick. I’ve got something you might be interested in.”
“Lacey? Oh, God, I’m so sorry about last night. I never should have—”
“Adrian!” she interrupted. “Listen to me. My partner and I were shot at. I’ve got three bullet holes in my car. We’re at the park out by Nellis. Can you get out here?”
“Shot—? Oh, jeez, Lacey, sure. I’ll be right there. Did you call it in?”
“Yeah. They’re en route, but since we know this is drug-related, I figured you ought to know.”
“Oh, yeah, absolutely. Okay, I’ll be there as quick as I can. Uh, you okay? Not hit?”
“No, we’re fine.”
“Okay, good. See you in a few.”
She ended the call and slid the phone in her pocket. Looking up and down the street did not conjure a much-awaited prowler. She sighed and moved closer to Sam.
He was swiping through the pictures he’d taken. Lacey was going to huddle up close to watch over his shoulder when she noticed again the line of drying blood across his right cheek.
“Let me see this,” she said, turning his face toward her. She touched the surrounding skin gingerly. “Is it tender?”
“It’s fine,” he said.
Lacey noted the sharp, straight line, considered his position in the car and the angle the bullets had taken. “That’s probably from a bullet grazing you, you know.”
“Coulda been a piece of broken glass,” he surmised.
Lacey didn’t think so. But she also recognized that he wanted to downplay this, so she let it go. Thinking about what could have been made her shiver.
Just then the patrol car pulled into the parking lot. Two uniformed cops got out and headed toward them. Lacey hurried over to direct their attention to the shells lying about.
“Watch out,” she cautioned. “We haven’t touched these; this is where they ejected out of the gun.”
One officer eyed Lacey and stepped up to her. The other went to Sam.
“I’m Officer Dunlop,” hers said. “What happened here?”
Lacey told the story, aware that Sam was doing the same with the other officer. She described their purpose for being at the park—briefly—and recounted the events at the last. When she got to the part about examining the car, she walked to her poor Hyundai and was glad to have Sam and his officer join them.
Together, she and Sam shared their thoughts about bullet trajectories, enter and exit holes, and pointed out the spent bullet. Dunlop and Herriman—Sam’s officer—took copious notes and photos.
“We’re gonna have to seal off the area,” Dunlop said, “take some measurements and such. We’ll have to have your car towed in so we can examine the damage and recover the bullets.”
“Yeah,” Lacey said with undisguised dejection. She knew that was coming. They’d have to rent a car…
Just then a black unmarked Ford Explorer pulled into the lot and parked next to the prowler. Its similarity to the Escalade gave Lacey a momentary jolt, but then she remembered seeing many such vehicles at the Metro office.
“Who’s that?” Dunlop asked his partner.
“Looks like DelMonico,” Herriman said.
“Who called him in?”
“I did,” Lacey said. Both officers’ heads swiveled her way.
Adrian walked directly to Lacey, only nodding briefly to the uniformed officers.
“Lacey, you’re all right?” His eyes took in Sam as well. “Both of you?”
“We’re fine,” Lacey said. “Just shaken up.”
Adrian noticed the blood on Sam’s cheek. “What about that? Should we call for EMTs?”
Sam shook his head. “It’s nothing, just a scratch.”
“Okay.” Adrian turned back to Lacey. “I know you’ve just given statements to the officers, but would you mind going over it again with me?”
“Not at all.”
While the officers put out cones and ran crime tape around the section of parking lot, Lacey and Sam walked Adrian through the whole thing again. He took his own photos and asked his own questions.
“Did you recognize anyone in the Escalade? Maybe our friend Willie?”
“I’m sorry to say I didn’t,” Lacey said. “Once I saw it bearing down on us and the gun out the window, I didn’t look at anything else. But we did see one guy here today that we saw with Willie yesterday. He wears an old army jacket, and after we questioned him today, we did see him make a phone call.”
Adrian looked around the park. “Did you see where he went?”
“No.” Lacey sighed. The park was conspicuously empty now. She wished she had thought to get a picture of the man, but… too late now.
“All right.” Adrian scanned his notes and then checked the activity around the parking lot. Two more officers had shown up, taking more pictures and measuring distances between the car and the hardware. Lacey felt like she could see Adrian checking off all the items on his mental checklist.
“Well,” he said finally, “I think we’ve done as much as we can here with you. We’ll need to tow your car in to get the other bullets. Listen, how about if I take you two to lunch, then I can drop you at a rental car place? I know that’s a pain, but…”
“No, it’s fine,” Lacey said. “Believe me, I know the drill.”
“Let’s go make sure you’ve got everything you need from the car,” he said.
Lacey claimed her purse and made sure she had her notebook and the map. Sam grabbed the two bottles of water they’d brought.
“Okay,” she told Adrian. “It’s good to go.”
“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable in my vehicle,” he said. “I’ll just let the guys know we’re done.”
Lacey and Sam walked to the Explorer. Just as they reached the rig, a tow truck pulled up on the street. Sam opened the Explorer’s front passenger door for Lacey, but she was looking back at her poor car.
“Lace.” He touched her shoulder. She let out a sigh and turned toward the rig, climbing into the front seat. Sam sat behind her. He reached around the seat and squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll get her fixed up,” he offered.
“I know. It’s just… poor Blanche.” Shaking off the sadness, she pulled her phone out. “I’ll go ahead and start lining up a rental for us.”
Adrian took them to a restaurant near the Metro office. “Good food,” he said. “Most of the force eats here.”
And probably the safest restaurant in town, Lacey thought, judging by the number of uniformed officers present. There were several others she felt sure were plain clothes, like Adrian.
They were led to a booth and Lacey scooted over to the wall. Sam slid in beside her, and Adrian took the seat across from them. The waitress greeted him familiarly and took all their drink orders.
“I guess the good news part of this is that we know now that you’re on the right track,” he offered.
Lacey tried to smile but couldn’t quite muster the energy to do so. “Yeah. We’re getting close and someone doesn’t like it.”
“What are your plans now? Obviously you know you’ll need to be very careful from here on out.”
Lacey looked over at Sam. She wasn’t sure how much they needed to—how much they should—tell Adrian, and that indecision was in her eyes. Sam touched her leg under the table and nodded.
“We’re, uh, going to check out some storage places on that end of town,” she said.
Adrian’s eyebrows shot up. “Self-storage places?”
“Yeah.” She glanced at Sam again, but he seemed willing for her to explain. “This is going to sound weird, but here’s the deal.” Briefly she explained about Sam’s mediumistic abilities and his dreams of Kyle. She ended with last night’s dream and their new direction.
Adrian watched her carefully as she spoke, his eyes occasionally shifting to Sam, then back to Lacey. When she finished, he stared at them both, seemingly at a loss for words.
&
nbsp; The waitress brought their drinks and took their orders. The interruption gave Adrian a minute to assimilate this new information.
“And you’ve, uh, worked on cases like this before?” he asked finally. Lacey noticed he was careful to keep his voice even.
She nodded. “Several times. And Sam’s impressions have always borne out. I know it’s hard to wrap your brain around, but it’s true. And it works.”
Adrian sat quietly for a moment, no doubt letting that sink in. Finally he shrugged, as if settling into an unfamiliar coat. He grinned at them both crookedly.
“Well, I guess it’s not the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard,” he said. “And if it works… You can’t argue with success.”
Lacey let out a breath and relaxed, her arm brushing against Sam’s. She felt him pat her leg. The silent, under-the-table encouragement spurred her on.
“I don’t suppose you’re aware of any storage places frequented by drug dealers, are you?” she asked Adrian. Although deadly serious, her voice was light, knowing the predictable answer.
Adrian grinned. “No. Anytime we stumble on a storehouse of goods or evidence, that particular place of business ceases to be a likely candidate ever again. There are just too many other possibilities.”
She’d expected that, but was still slightly disappointed. Were they ever going to get a break in this needle-in-a-haystack search? Their progress was too slow, their results too thin. Even knowing that someone didn’t want them searching further still didn’t tell them what they needed to know.
Their food arrived, eliminating conversation for a few minutes. Lacey dumped ketchup on her fries and thought her turkey sandwich looked delicious. A first bite confirmed what Adrian had said—good food. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was.
Adrian was the first to break the silence. “I’m pretty sure I know what your answer will be, but I’m just wondering if there’s any way you two would consider stepping back and letting us handle the investigation from now on?”
Lacey blinked at him, then she and Sam exchanged a look. She knew without words that they were in agreement.
“I’m afraid not,” she said. “We’ll be happy to coordinate with you, obviously, but we can’t just sit on our thumbs. Remember, this is a family member.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Adrian said. “I had to ask.”
Just then Sam’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen. “Courtney,” he said to Lacey. “I’ll take it outside.” He slipped out of the booth.
Adrian cocked an eyebrow at Lacey. “Kyle’s girlfriend,” she explained. “She was pretty shaken up yesterday when Willie seemed to recognize her at the park. It’s probably a very good thing that she didn’t come with us today.”
“No lie,” Adrian said. “Being shot at is not good for frazzled nerves.” He stared at Lacey a moment. “You two seem to take it in stride, though.”
Lacey shrugged. “We’ve faced threats before.”
Adrian digested that along with a bite of sandwich. “So, you two are, uh…” He waved a hand, encompassing her and the space where Sam had been.
Lacey wasn’t sure how to answer that. She and Sam were not a couple—yet—but then they were in so many ways. Partners. Friends. With benefits?
“Yeah,” she said finally, knowing it was only partially a lie. Things would just be so much simpler this way. Even if she and Sam never took the plunge, she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. And certainly not a long-distance one.
Adrian nodded and returned to his sandwich. After a moment, he peeked at Lacey with a rueful smile. “Can’t blame a guy for asking, can you?”
She smiled back. “I guess not.”
Then she saw Sam making his way back to the table. He was frowning as he reclaimed his seat.
“What’s up?” Lacey asked.
He blew out a breath. “She’s really shaken up by this whole thing. When I told her what happened at the park, she burst into tears. She’s just really, really scared.”
“I wonder if there’s some place else she could go,” Lacey mused. “Do you know where her family is?”
“Phoenix, I think,” he said. “But I’m not sure.” He thought about that. “You know, that might be a very good idea. She left her job, such as it was, Kyle’s gone; there’s nothing holding her here. Maybe we could put her on a bus.”
Adrian perked up. “We can put a watch on her if you like. She might feel better knowing we’re close by.”
“That’s an idea,” Lacey said. She tilted her head at Sam.
“Yeah. That might ease her mind.” He read her address and phone number to Adrian. “Thanks.”
“Sure,” Adrian said. “I’ll get someone out there right away.” Pushing aside his lunch plate, he began a rapid text.
Lacey was pleased. This way they would know Courtney was okay without playing nursemaid. She and Sam could concentrate fully on the case.
“Okay,” Adrian said. “It’s a done deal.” He put away his phone and reached for his sandwich, only to have his phone vibrate with a loud buzz. He pulled it out again. “Uh, oh,” he said. “I need to get back. You two want boxes for the rest of your lunch?”
Lacey pushed her plate away. “No, I’m good,” she said.
“Me, too,” said Sam.
“Okay. I’ll drop you at the rental car place and check back with you later.” He signaled the waitress and counted out several bills on the table.
“Wait,” Lacey said, reaching for her purse.
“Nope; I got it.” He stood up. When the waitress appeared at his side, he gave her a wink. “Duty calls, love; gotta go. You keep whatever’s left over.”
“Thanks, hon,” she said, obviously familiar with the scenario. “Go get those bad guys.”
“I’ll do my best.”
~~~
THIRTEEN
It was a quick ride to the rental car place. Adrian didn’t park, just pulled up and let them out. “Catch up with you later,” he said.
“Thanks, Adrian,” Lacey said. “We’ll keep you posted.”
They finished up the waiting paperwork in the office and went out to get their car. It was a royal blue Chevy Cruze.
Sam arched an eyebrow at her. “You couldn’t get a regular-sized car?”
Lacey grinned at him. “I like little cars. So shoot me.”
They climbed in the car and made the necessary adjustments to seats, Lacey pulling hers closer, Sam pushing his back. Then she fired up the car. “What’s our first storage place?”
Sam opened up the map. “Go left, then head back north.”
The afternoon sun glaring off the huge mirrored buildings was murder. The rental did not have tinted windows like Lacey’s car did, and the difference was marked. She punched the max AC button and angled the vents directly at her face. It was barely enough.
“Turn right at the light,” Sam said. “It’s down that street about a half a block on the left.”
As soon as Lacey turned, she saw the sign. “How do you want to play this?” she asked. “Official? Or not?”
Sam chewed his lip. “The only problem with official is that it almost always comes down to explaining my part, and that’s where we lose people. ‘I just want to walk around and feel your storage units.’ You know.”
“Yeah, I do.” She pulled in and parked. “Okay, we’re potential customers looking to rent. Any idea what size?”
“I would say average. Not big, not small.”
“Let’s go take a look.”
They strolled into the office, Lacey glancing around at the signs and pictures on the wall. A young Hispanic man smiled from across the counter.
“Hello, good afternoon. What can I do for you folks?”
Sam stepped up. “We’re thinking of renting a storage unit. What sizes do you have?”
“You can see that right here,” the man said, pointing to a diagram on the wall. “We’ve got eight by five, eight by ten, sixteen by ten and twenty by forty. Any size you need.”
Lacey stared at the diagram with knitted brows. “I’m not sure how big…” She glanced around the office as if trying to imagine sizes. “Can we see the units? See how big they are? I’m sorry, I’m just not good at visualizing.”
“No, that’s fine,” he said cheerfully. He grabbed a set of keys off a peg and led them toward a back door. “This way.”
They marched out into the heat and crossed the bare ground toward rows of units. “This is all fully secure,” the man said. “We’ve got security cameras everywhere, motion-activated lights, entry by pin number only after six P.M. Here’s the small unit.”
He unlocked a rolling garage door and shoved it upward to reveal the empty space inside. “Eight by five,” he said, walking to the back wall. “Eight by ten is twice this depth.”
Lacey turned, scanning the area. “I’m still not sure…”
“Let’s see the next sizes,” Sam agreed.
“Sure.” The man locked up the small unit and took them deeper into the rows of metal buildings. The eight by ten didn’t suit the “customers” either, so it was on to the sixteen by ten, deeper yet into the yard.
“Big,” Lacey said. She couldn’t tell if Sam were getting any impressions, so let him take the lead in approving—or not—of the large unit.
“This would probably do it,” he said, “although it is bigger than we need. Nothing in between, huh?”
The man spread his hands. “They just get bigger from here,” he said.
Sam nodded thoughtfully. “All right. We’ll have to think it over. You have a list of all the prices?”
“Back in the office,” the man said as he locked up the unit.
They marched back, Sam and Lacey lagging behind the owner. Lacey touched Sam’s hand and raised inquisitive eyes at him when he looked over. He shook his head.
Back in the car with the brochure of sizes and prices, Lacey fired it up for the next destination.
“Nothing, huh?”
“No, nothing at all.”
“Guess we couldn’t get that lucky,” she said. “Where to next?”
The second self-storage location provided no more clues than the first, nor did the third. The late afternoon heat was getting oppressive. After climbing back in the car the third time, Lacey tipped up her water bottle for the last few drops.
Dream Walk (A Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Book 4) Page 9
