by C. M. Sutter
“I just saw Spaz through the front window. He’s on Mr. Spencer’s porch.”
“Okay, I’ll grab him. How much time before we have to leave?”
“It’s seven thirty.”
I had fifteen minutes before we headed out to work. I’d keep the discovery to myself for now and discuss it with Jade when I had the chance. Since the disturbance in the snow was at the window looking into Kate’s bedroom, I wasn’t about to tell her my findings. I didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was.
Instinctively, I reached into my pocket for my phone so I could take a picture of the area. My pocket was empty. “Damn it, no phone.” I stomped across the street and scooped up the hissing cat off our neighbor’s porch and took him home. I scratched behind his ears as I carried him. “Maybe it’s a good thing you sneaked out after all.”
Chapter 4
Warren lowered the binoculars as he watched from a distance and jotted down the make, model, and plate number of the car leaving the driveway. He turned the key in the ignition and shifted into Drive. Then he inched around the corner and followed the Prius from a distance. A half hour earlier, he had watched the older sister, Jade, leave for work. His paperwork showed that she had ended her career at the sheriff’s office two years prior and was now an FBI agent working at the serial crimes satellite office in Glendale, a suburb of Milwaukee.
I’ll take care of the FBI agent later. I have special plans for her.
His internet search hadn’t provided a lot of information on Amber. Internal law enforcement files weren’t available to the public. Everything he had learned was through public records and online newspapers. He knew the psychic and the younger sister worked at the sheriff’s office but under what capacity, he wasn’t sure.
From what Tony had told Warren in prison, the psychic lived downtown in a two-bit apartment above the hardware store. It was in the alley alongside that building that Robert had been gunned down by the woman who was a sergeant at the time—Jade Monroe. Warren had paid that apartment a visit yesterday when he arrived in North Bend and learned she had moved out. The building’s owner gave him Kate’s forwarding address. She had moved in with the Monroe sisters several months earlier.
An easy ten-minute drive lay between the rented room he was holed up in and the sheriff’s office. He followed three car lengths behind them until they reached Schmidt Road. When the Prius turned in to the parking lot, he pulled to the shoulder. Warren watched as the women got out of the parked car and walked to the main entrance. He snapped off a half dozen pictures of them then pulled away.
That downtown café looked inviting. He parked in front of the street-side window and walked into the small, cozy building. He needed a quiet place to contemplate the women’s fate, but he also needed food. He hadn’t eaten since that truck stop lunch yesterday outside Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A twentysomething waitress, wearing a black apron over her jeans and her hair secured with a clip, approached with a coffee carafe in each hand. “Coffee, sir?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Regular or decaf?”
“Regular and a double stack of pancakes and bacon.”
“Coming right up.” She poured coffee into Warren’s cup and gave him a friendly smile. “I like your tattoos.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her with a suspicious eyebrow lift as he tried to figure out if she was being sarcastic or sincere. She looked sincere. “Thanks, I guess.” Warren watched as she returned to the kitchen counter and passed his order slip to the cook. He pulled the folded paper out of his jacket and smoothed it on the table. Trying to separate the psychic and younger sister might prove difficult since they worked and lived together. He’d go for Jade on her own, and if that didn’t work, he might have to resort to plan B.
I may have to take all three of them out at the same time. No loose ends, and nobody would have a heads-up if I do it that way. That may be my only option.
“Here’s your breakfast. More coffee?”
He nodded.
The waitress placed the plate of pancakes and bacon on the table and poured Warren a second cup. “Anything else?”
He responded without looking up. “Nope, I’m good.” Warren folded the paper and slid it back in his pocket then dug into his pancakes. An idea bubbled in his head as he chomped on a slice of bacon. He’d stop at the local library after breakfast and do some online research in their computer room. His idea could be the perfect solution for eliminating all three women at the same time if necessary.
Chapter 5
Once we had all settled in at our desks, I noticed the stern expression on Jack’s face as he pushed back his chair and walked out of his office. Whatever he was about to say couldn’t be good.
“There’s no time for our morning powwow, guys. A call just came in on the 911 emergency line. A situation is evolving near Boltonville as we speak. I already have patrol en route. Long story short, Dad was fired from his job, house is in foreclosure, and bills are mounting. The wife contacted us and said her husband has trashed the house, the kids, ages two and four, are frantic, and he has locked himself in the bedroom with his shotgun. Thank God he didn’t take anybody in the room with him, but we need to talk him off the ledge before this turns into a suicide.” Jack looked at Kate. “You’re the spokesperson for today. You have that inner calm and a good sense of people.”
“Me? Why don’t we have a crisis negotiator, sir?”
“Because the county’s budget hasn’t allocated funds to justify the wage a negotiator earns. Is there a problem, Kate?”
“I’ll do it if Kate doesn’t want to.” I worried about Kate’s lack of sleep and last night’s dream that was likely weighing on her mind.
“I didn’t ask Kate if she wanted to, Amber. It was a direct order. Kate, do you have an issue with it?”
She gave me a shut up look. “It’s not a problem, boss.”
“Good. This isn’t our first rodeo, people. Come on. Let’s saddle up before the situation goes sideways. Same as always, Clayton, you and Billings take one cruiser, and Amber and Kate will ride with me.”
I climbed into the back, and Kate took the passenger seat. She needed that time to discuss her role with Jack. It was a fifteen-minute drive with sirens wailing and lights engaged. I had time to send a quick text to Jade about my discovery in the snow that morning. I needed her opinion on it.
Spaz got out this morning because you forgot to close the laundry room door. We’ll discuss that later. As I was looking for him, I noticed a strange shape on the ground next to the window well at Kate’s bedroom. The shape was large enough to have been a man, and shoeprints were coming in and going back out to the road. What’s your take on that?
I held my phone, hoping for a return text, but I didn’t get one. Jade and I were used to that. We knew that if one or the other of us didn’t respond right away, it was because we couldn’t. I sucked in a deep sigh and pocketed my phone. We had arrived, and Jack pulled into the driveway behind Clayton. Our sirens and lights had been disengaged several miles back so we wouldn’t upset the husband any more than he already was. The last thing we wanted was to cause a spur-of-the-moment reaction in which he’d take his own life. We’d go in calmly, have the wife announce our presence, and hope he’d allow Kate to speak with him one-on-one.
We climbed out of the vehicles, slipped on our vests, and gathered in the driveway to go over the plan of action. Once inside with a view of the house’s layout, we’d know more. The children would be removed from the home for their own safety, and according to Jack, Karen Lawrence was the second patrol deputy on site. She was great with kids, and I was sure she had them somewhere safe on the opposite end of the house.
“I need a quick count of the exits. Clayton and Billings, go take a look. Stay under the windows.” Jack turned to Kate and me. “Once we go inside, we’ll have the wife show us where he’s stationed. Amber, I want you to take over Lawrence’s position. She’ll remove the kids from the house, and they
’ll sit this out with her in the patrol car. Once the wife announces Kate’s presence, we’ll have her join the kids in the car. Any questions?”
We shook our heads then approached the house and waited on the porch until Clayton and Billings returned.
“What’s the word?” Jack asked.
“A garage exit to the side yard and a patio door leading straight back. Nothing else except the overhead,” Billings said.
Jack walked to the car and used the radio to contact Silver, who was inside. “We’re coming in. Make sure the wife knows to remain calm.”
“Got it, sir. I’m in the kitchen, Lawrence is in the living room with the kids, and the wife is sitting near the bedroom door, talking to her husband but out of harm’s way.”
“Good enough.” Jack returned to us. “Let’s put an end to this situation. Kate, it’s on you to reason with the husband. Tell him about the benefits available to him and his family. There are state and county programs for them. All is not lost. His family needs him to be strong for them. Take a deep breath. Now let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
We entered the small house and found the kitchen directly to our left and the living room to the right. In a short hallway beyond the kitchen sat the wife. Several closed doors were just ahead of her.
Jack pointed at me then the living room. I gave him a nod—I knew the drill. I grabbed a stack of toys then ushered Lawrence and the kids to the entryway, where we helped them put on their winter coats and boots. I made sure they knew their mom would be joining them in a few minutes. I carried the youngest child to Lawrence’s car, and she carried the toys and held the hand of the four-year-old.
“Warm up the car for a few minutes so they’re comfortable.”
“You got it, Amber. Good luck in there.”
I headed back into the house and approached Jack. “What do you want me to do, boss?”
“Hold tight for a minute. Kate is about to take over for the wife. You’ll escort the wife out to the car so she can be with her kids. Is there a rescue squad on standby?”
“Boltonville has a volunteer fire department, sir. Their men have been advised.”
“Okay, here we go.” Jack gave Kate a nod, and the wife told her husband there was somebody who wanted to speak with him and offer a ray of hope to the family.
The husband’s frantic voice sounded from the other side of the door. “I don’t want to talk to anyone! Leave me the hell alone.”
Kate directed the wife to walk toward us. I took the wife by the hand and whispered for her to grab a few snacks for the kids. She needed to put on her coat and wait with Lawrence in the patrol car. She wiped her eyes and obliged. A minute later, I escorted her out to the car and leaned in the driver’s-side window. “You might want to drive over to the fire department. I’m sure they’d be fine with you guys waiting there. It would be more comfortable for the kids.”
“Yeah, okay, as long as Jack doesn’t object.”
“I’ll run interference. It’ll be fine.” I patted the doorsill and watched as Karen backed out of the driveway. The wife and kids were safe in her hands.
I returned to the house, where Kate had already begun an open dialogue with the husband. I gave the guys a wide smile and a thumbs-up. Kate had a soothing, trustworthy disposition. She didn’t realize it was one of her many special qualities. I’d do my best to help her gain more confidence in her abilities.
“May I call you Brad?” she asked.
“Whatever. Call me loser if you want. I don’t care.”
“Brad, you have a lot to be thankful for. You have a lovely wife and two adorable kids who love you. They’re putting their trust and faith in you as the leader of your family. They need you as much as you need them. Times are hard for a lot of people, and everyone goes through their ups and downs. Nobody has been guaranteed an easy ride through life. We all struggle at one time or another.”
We heard him smirk from the bedroom side of the door. “Yeah, cop lady? What have you ever struggled with?”
Kate gave us a quick, almost panicked look. Jack nodded. He had confidence in her.
She breathed in and let it out slowly. “I was on my deathbed years back, but luckily I survived. A crazy man slit my throat, not once but twice. Only by the grace of God did I live through it. After the man was released from prison, he came after me again and tried to kill a very dear friend of mine because he thought she was me. I have constant nightmares about him even though I’m a cop. Everyone has their demons, Brad, including me.”
“Sorry. It sounds like you’ve had a tough life. Do you have a husband and kids?”
“I don’t, but I hope to someday. I’m optimistic, anyway. I’m optimistic for you and your family too. There are so many local and state programs, even ones that will teach you new skills to enter the job force again. What did you do for a living?”
“I was in the carpentry trades.”
“Well, the county offers a lot of programs and college courses too. How about letting us introduce you to the right folks who can help you and your family? There are even housing and childcare programs available for you. All you have to do, Brad, is open the door, slide the shotgun out, then lie down on the floor with your hands behind your back. It’s for your own safety.”
We saw the doorknob begin to turn. “This isn’t a trick, is it?”
“I promise you, it isn’t a trick. We’re here to help you emotionally and get your family back on the right track.”
“Okay, I’ll do what you asked. I’m trusting you.”
“That’s the first step to a successful resolution. Just slide the weapon out into the hallway.”
The door opened enough to create a ten-inch gap. Brad pushed the shotgun out barrel first. Kate grabbed it, unloaded it, and handed it off to Jack.
“That’s perfect, Brad. You don’t have any more weapons in there, do you?”
“No.”
Jack whispered to Billings to watch Brad’s movements through the bedroom window. “Call my phone the second you’re in place. I want to know everything he’s doing from inside that room.”
“Got it, boss.” Billings took off out the front door.
“Brad, one of my colleagues, is outside. He’s going to look through the window to make sure you’re doing what I asked. Is that okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Now pull the door toward you and get down on your belly. Put your hands behind your back and stay that way. It’s going to be fine.” Kate stood, her back against the wall, and drew her sidearm.
I unsnapped my holster. We were ready too.
Billings called Jack’s cell, and Jack answered immediately. “What’s he doing?”
“Exactly what Kate told him to. He’s on his stomach, and his hands are clasped behind his back. You’re good to go, sir.”
Jack nodded, and Kate sprang into the room. Clayton handcuffed Brad, and they helped him to his feet then led him out to Clayton’s car. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and dropped down on the kitchen chairs.
Jack shook his head. “All in a day’s work.”
We were back at the sheriff’s office by eleven thirty. Brad was temporarily upstairs in our lockup until a counselor could speak with him. His wife, Laura, and the kids, were back home. A long road lay ahead of them, but with the aid of the right people and programs, I knew they should be okay.
“Everyone take a long lunch. You deserve it. You all did a great job this morning.” Jack gave Kate a nod. “Nice work, Detective Pierce.”
She smiled. “Thanks, boss. I appreciate your confidence in me.”
Kate and I bundled up and walked out together. “I’m buying lunch.”
“Really? Why?” Kate climbed into the passenger seat.
“Because I’m proud of you, and you told Brad everything he needed to hear. It was a successful outcome for everyone. Now where do you want to go?”
“How about Tap and Tavern?”
“Sure. Sounds great, and it’s
close.” I drove five minutes to the Seventh Avenue exit then made a left turn onto Cedar Street. Main Street and Tap and Tavern Restaurant were directly ahead. I found a spot to park two doors down from the restaurant. Downtown North Bend was a hot spot for the lunch crowd since many retail businesses were in the area. I always enjoyed riding my bike downtown on summer Saturdays when the farmer’s market was in full swing. Jade and I would browse the market for fresh fruits and vegetables then have lunch and a beer at Tap and Tavern’s outdoor patio before biking home. Now with Jade often gone, Kate and I intended to continue the tradition once summer rolled around.
We walked inside and took a seat at the bar. Tyler, one of the daytime bartenders, brought over two menus and took our drink order for two club sodas—we were still on duty.
Chapter 6
Warren had spent the last two hours at the public library on Poplar Street. With a stack of printouts in hand, he had all he needed to put the backup plan into motion. But first, he’d try to take out Jade by herself. He snugged the Altima into a spot at the far end of the sheriff’s office parking lot. He kept one eye on the front door as he studied the information he had learned at the library. Every thirty seconds or so, he checked to see who was walking in or coming out of the building.
When the psychic and the younger sister passed through the double glass doors and took the steps down to the parking lot, Warren pulled down both visors and slid lower in his seat. They climbed into the Prius and left. He checked the time—nearly noon.
Looks like it’s lunchtime.
He watched over his shoulder until the car turned right at the stop sign. He shifted into Drive, turned onto Washington Street, and followed a few car lengths back. The left blinker of the Prius flashed a few minutes later at Seventh Avenue then again at Cedar Street.
