Vendetta

by C. M. Sutter

  Warren jumped out of his car and ran toward Jade’s smashed vehicle. His pocketknife was ready. He pulled the door handle, but it resisted. He pulled again with all his might. Jade looked at him with a stunned expression.

  Warren yelled, “Push the door open with your shoulder.”

  She shook her head. The airbag was jammed against her chest. Warren yanked on the handle again and finally got the door to creak open. He pulled the knife from his pocket. Just as he was about to sink it into her throat, a witness ran to the car.

  “Is the driver okay?” the woman asked.

  “No, she’s badly hurt. Call 911. I don’t have my phone with me.”

  The lady retreated to her car to make the call.

  He had only seconds to act before the woman returned. Warren saw Jade’s cell lying on the floor in the backseat. He quickly pocketed it and prepared once again to bury the knife in her throat. He leaned in to hide his actions. The knife was barely an inch from Jade’s neck.

  She looked up at him, still dazed from the blow of the airbag. She squinted and reached for his hand. “Help me out of the car. I think I’m okay.”

  A voice at his back interrupted Warren’s second attempt to end Jade’s life. “Step aside, sir, I’m a doctor.”

  Warren walked away from the mangled car and dropped the knife in his pocket. He cursed under his breath.

  The woman returned to the car and stood at the doctor’s side. “I called 911. That man said this lady was seriously injured. The police told me to stay put until they arrive.”

  Warren heard the doctor’s words as he headed to his car. “She looks like she’s just stunned. Thank God the airbag did its job.”

  Warren slammed his fist against the dash as he weaved the Altima around debris strewn in the freeway. He had to get out of there fast before he was stuck in the middle of a parking lot of traffic, disabled cars, and police asking questions. He rode the shoulder for a half mile until he was past the mess. “I can’t believe that bitch was barely hurt.”

  Chapter 19

  The sun had reached the horizon by the time we gathered back at the sheriff’s office. As usual, our updates would be discussed in the conference room. Clayton and I had a decent amount of information to share, and there were still the financials belonging to Shawn Myers to check into. Even though Megan wasn’t the friendliest woman I’d ever met, her lifestyle didn’t appear to be that of someone who needed fast cash. We hadn’t actually seen Shawn’s living conditions yet and couldn’t consider him the only suspect. We still had a lot of investigative work to do and other people to interview.

  Jack took his place at the head of the table. “I hope nobody has any plans to go to Milwaukee tonight. Sounds like the northbound lanes of I-43 are closed due to a multicar pileup, and the southbound lanes are full of gawkers.”

  I smiled at Clayton. “Looks like going back to North Bend on I-45 was the right choice for us.”

  “Yep, we skated by on that one. I hope Jade left for home before that accident happened.”

  Jack cleared his throat. “Speaking of going home, let’s get this update done so we can all do that too.” He turned his attention to Clayton. “What did you and Amber find out today, Chad?”

  “Megan Schultz lives in a very nice neighborhood in Bayside. She’s a stay-at-home mom with a toddler. Even though she was abrupt and somewhat rude to us, she didn’t give me the feeling that she had any involvement in Marvin’s murder. From her subtle hints, I don’t think there was any love lost between Megan and either parent, but she made it clear that it was none of our business what she felt for her parents. The money she has now is due to her husband having a great job or because she has already drained a good portion of Marvin’s bank account.”

  “And Shawn?”

  I shook my head. “He has the same entitled attitude that Megan has. The only difference is, he works in a factory, and she’s a stay-at-home mom. There could be a reason Shawn needed that inheritance windfall now rather than later. Chad thinks we should pull Shawn’s bank statements and see if money could have been a motive for murder.”

  Jack nodded. “We’ll request them first thing in the morning when the bank opens. Does he have any priors?”

  “We haven’t checked into that yet, boss. We came directly back here after visiting him at Mattish.”

  “Good enough. The night shift can take on some of that workload.” Jack pointed his pen at Kate. “You’re up.”

  “Billings and I talked to the hardware store owner. He’s had words with Marvin over the years, but it was always about the annual rent increases. Lou Redmond has never made any threats against Marvin. He did tell us that other retail tenants throughout town have complained about rent increases and maintenance issues but no different than anyone who rents would.”

  “Okay, what did you learn from the city boys?”

  Billings spoke up. “They went up and down Main Street and talked to all the store owners. Nobody knew of anybody that wanted to do Marvin harm. They spoke to several more people in his neighborhood and struck out there too. We joined them and pulled business and phone records from Marvin’s house. They’re going through those at the police station now.”

  “Did anyone find the will and life insurance policies?” Jack asked.

  “They were at the attorney’s office. The will only lists Megan and Shawn as beneficiaries, as we thought, and the cool million in life insurance goes to Nancy, just like they said.”

  Jack whistled. “That’s a lot of dough to give to an ex besides what she’s already getting.”

  I added what Megan had told us earlier. “Her words were that Nancy guilted Marvin into keeping her name on the policy.” I tapped my pen on my notepad. “To be honest, sir, it sounded like Megan didn’t care. She said it would keep Nancy at bay if she had more money for herself.”

  “They’re quite the odd family, but we still don’t know if any of them have a reason to kill Marvin or have him killed.” Jack pushed back his chair and stood. “Okay, I’ll update Jamison and Horbeck and get them working on some of this. Go home and relax. Tomorrow isn’t going to be any better.”

  Chapter 20

  “Am I going to get the silent treatment forever?” I headed home through town and glanced at the passenger seat. Kate looked out her side window and deliberately avoided eye contact with me.

  “Not forever, but for a while.”

  I wanted to admit I’d asked several people for their opinion of her anger toward me and that they’d said it was unfounded, but that would probably have sent her into another tizzy. She would think I was talking about her behind her back—which I was. There wasn’t going to be a win for me. I’d have to wait it out.

  I was surprised that my text to Jade a half hour earlier had gone unanswered. The house was still dark when I pulled into the driveway. “Do you want to wait for Jade before we have dinner or go ahead without her?”

  Kate shrugged and climbed out of the car. I let out a sigh, released my seat belt, and followed her into the house. With my holster hung in the mudroom, I went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. Then I took a seat on the recliner and lifted the leg rest. Kate had already disappeared down the hallway. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off to a place of quiet and relaxation. Moments later, I felt a push on my arm.

  “Yeah, what’s up?” I opened my eyes and realized that I must have dozed off.

  “I’m leaving for a while.”

  “What do you mean you’re leaving? Where are you going? I haven’t even made dinner yet.” I glanced at the clock and wondered where Jade was. I reached for my phone—no missed calls or texts.

  “Jade wants to meet with me.”

  “Does she want to eat out instead?” I pulled the lever and lowered the footrest. “It’ll only take me a minute to change clothes.”

  “She wants to meet with me alone.”

  I smirked. “I don’t buy that for a second.”

  “Suit yourself.” Kate reached in her
purse and grabbed the phone. “Here’s the text that came in five minutes ago.” She held out her cell. “Read it.”

  I felt hurt and confused as I read the three-sentence text. Jade wanted Kate to meet her in the bar at the Washington House. She emphasized the word alone. Why would my sister want to meet with Kate and not ask me to join them? The only thing I could come up with was that Jade wanted to have a conversation with her about the way she was treating me. It had to be that—nothing else made sense.

  “Sure. Go ahead. I’ll make myself a bowl of soup.”

  Kate turned and walked out the front door. Spaz jumped up on the recliner and tried to snuggle on my lap. “Now I’m good enough? Beat it.” I went to the kitchen and opened a can of soup for one.

  I set the bowl of chicken noodle soup with a dozen goldfish crackers floating on top, on the place mat. I had taken my seat and spooned up the first bite when my phone rang. “Seriously?” I set my spoon down and looked at the screen but didn’t recognize the number. I ignored it. Seconds later, my phone rang again from the same number. “What the hell.” I answered and was ready to tell off the telemarketer when a familiar voice came over the line.

  “Amber, it’s Jade. I’ve been in an accident, and the Mustang is totaled.”

  I thought she was joking. “What the hell are you talking about? I already know you’re meeting Kate downtown. I saw the text myself and my feelings aren’t hurt.”

  “Amber, are you listening to me?” Her voice sounded frantic.

  “I am now, so what’s really going on?”

  “I already told you. I’ve been in an accident, I’m at Columbia St. Mary’s on the east side, and my car is totaled. It’s been towed off the freeway, but I have no idea to where.”

  “Jade, I just read a text that was sent from your phone. The person who wrote it wanted to meet Kate at the Washington House. They said they were you. She left nearly ten minutes ago.”

  “Get off the phone and stop her, Amber. It’s some kind of setup. My phone was lost in the crash. Call her now!”

  “Shit!” I tried Kate’s phone over and over again, but it constantly went to voicemail. Time was working against me. I grabbed my purse and gun and jumped in my car. I squealed the tires as I backed down the driveway. I didn’t know who had Jade’s phone or why, but I was certain Kate was in danger. I called the city police since I knew I couldn’t get to her in time. The station was only a block from the Washington House.

  “North Bend Police Department, how can I help you?”

  “This is Detective Amber Monroe from the sheriff’s office. I need patrol units to Main Street at the Washington House immediately. One of our detectives, Kate Pierce, may be in serious danger at this very second. Please hurry. I can’t reach her.”

  “I’m dispatching two units right now, Detective. What type of vehicle does she have?”

  “A red Civic. She could have parked her car anywhere from Cedar Street to Old Settler’s Park. She may be at the bar already or on the sidewalk, I just don’t know. She’s tall, has brown hair, and she’s wearing a tan knee-length coat. I’m still ten minutes away.” I hung up and continued calling Kate’s phone. I had no idea whether she didn’t want to answer it or was unable to.

  Chapter 21

  Warren was still pissed off at the failed attempt on Jade’s life. Somebody was going down that night, and Kate Pierce was the only other hit who had a bounty on her head. The idea of calling from Jade’s phone came to him as he drove back to North Bend. He knew that phone would somehow come in handy. After he sent the text, he watched from a shadowed spot across the street from the Washington House.

  He raised the hood of his jacket and shivered as he pulled in a long drag on the cigarette. The temperature had fallen as soon as the sun went down, and a nippy breeze swirled around his face. He waited and watched with a perfect view of the restaurant and sidewalk. He could see for several blocks in each direction. The second Kate showed up on the scene, he’d make his move. As a nonchalant passerby, he’d head in her direction. Once they were within inches of each other, he’d plunge the knife into her heart and keep going. He’d circle around the block to his car and leave with nobody the wiser. Then he’d plan another opportunity to kill Jade Monroe.

  He stared at the cigarette he had dropped on the ground. The wind kept the end burning orange, and the smoke blew away with the breeze. Warren perked up when he saw a woman heading north on the sidewalk behind Old Settler’s Square. It was Kate. He stomped the cigarette with the toe of his shoe and stepped out of the shadows.

  Warren crossed the street and headed her way.

  Chapter 22

  Kate spun to the sound of a car squealing to a stop only twenty feet away. A patrol officer jumped out of the squad car and approached her. Another unit blocked the street in front of the Washington House.

  The officer at her side looked up and down the street as he took her by the arm. “Ma’am, are you Kate Pierce?”

  “Well, yes. What’s going on, Officer?”

  “You need to wait in the back of my vehicle. It’s for your own safety, ma’am.”

  Kate climbed in and watched out the window as the officer closed the door and began talking over his radio. Seconds later, she caught a glimpse of Amber’s Prius.

  What the hell is going on?

  Amber’s car screeched to a stop next to the squad car in front of the Washington House. She jumped out of her vehicle and exchanged a few words with the officer stationed there, then he pointed at the squad car Kate was sitting in. Amber ran toward the car, grabbed the handle, and jerked the back door open.

  She leaned in. Her eyes full of worry and tears said it all. She climbed in next to Kate and embraced her. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  “What the hell is going on, Amber? You guys are scaring me to death.”

  Amber let out a sigh of relief and explained the situation to Kate. “Just minutes after you left the house, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, so I ignored it, but it rang again. When I finally answered with the intent of telling the telemarketer to stop calling, I recognized the voice. Kate, it was Jade.”

  “Jade?” Kate was bewildered. “But why wouldn’t you recognize her number?”

  “Because she doesn’t have her phone.”

  Kate shook her head. “Now I’m really confused.”

  “Somebody else has Jade’s phone. They were setting a trap for you. Kate, Jade was in a car accident. Hers was one of those involved in that multicar pileup on I-43.”

  “Oh my God.”

  Amber squeezed Kate’s hand. “She’s okay, but her car was totaled. Jade is at Columbia St. Mary’s on the east side. Somebody who was at the scene of the accident took her phone. The question is why, and what do they want with you?” Amber opened the squad car door. “Officer, what’s the word?”

  “Nobody suspicious is in or lingering around the bar or restaurant, Detective Monroe. The department has a few officers doing a foot search up and down Main Street and the buildings along the river. That’s all we can do since we have no idea who we’re looking for.”

  Amber thanked him and looked at Kate. “Come on. We’re leaving your car here tonight. We need to get to St. Mary’s and pick up Jade. I’ll let that officer know what we’re doing.”

  Chapter 23

  When Warren saw the squad car pull up to Kate and an officer exit the driver’s side, he made an abrupt turn and hid in the nearest doorway. Only a half block to go and he would have been at her side. That would have earned him eight thousand dollars. If only she had arrived a few minutes sooner. He pounded the building’s brick façade in desperation, bloodying his knuckles. His anger was fueled beyond belief, and there was no turning back. It might be time to resort to plan B.

  He watched everything unfold in front of him. The squad car squealed to a stop, the officer approached Kate, and farther down the street, another police vehicle blocked what would have been his exit. He saw that damn Prius arrive, and Amber Monroe cli
mbed out. The one who had no monetary value at all to him was throwing a wrench in his plans. He’d enjoy killing her too when the time came.

  Warren walked south—five blocks farther than necessary. He hugged the building’s entrances, not only to block the wind but also to stay in the shadows. He’d make a wide loop, circle around, and return to his car as soon as the coast was clear.

  Chapter 24

  Kate had a million questions as I drove toward Milwaukee’s east side. Her petty anger toward me was gone, and we were both thankful that no one had harmed her.

  “Amber, what do you think this is about?”

  I shook my head. “I have no idea, but strange occurrences are piling up. We need to figure out this situation and fast before someone is seriously hurt.”

  Kate gave me a concerned look. “Marvin is already dead. That’s way more than seriously hurt.”

  Her statement caught me off guard. It was almost like an epiphany, and now the plot was beginning to take shape. Someone wanted to harm Kate, and that was how Marvin had become an unintentional victim. I couldn’t say it out loud—not yet, anyway—but nothing else made sense. Jade’s involvement was still a mystery to me. I had to talk to Jack privately, and I needed his expert opinion. My theory had to sound rational. We could be barking up the wrong tree entirely about Marvin’s death. Chances were, he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and his family had nothing to do with his murder.

  I turned in to the visitors’ lot at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital and pulled into the first available spot. Kate and I braced ourselves against the cold wind coming off Lake Michigan as we rushed to the main entrance. An information and check-in counter was directly ahead.