No Stone Unturned

by C. J. Johnson

  Frankie introduced herself and Mia. “What’s your name?”

  With a hoarse voice she answered, “Gina. Gina Bradshaw.”

  “Gina can you tell us what happened tonight?”

  Gina shared her experience with Frankie and Mia.

  “It was cold, and I thought he was my son’s friend, so I got in the car.”

  “Were you working tonight?”

  Gina looked at her hands then looked up and firmly said, “Detective, I used to work the block, but I gave up that life a long time ago. I got into the car because it was cold and I thought he was a friend of my son’s.”

  “I believe you Gina.” Frankie pulled out a folder containing a series of photographs. “Do you think you can look at some photographs for me?”

  Gina nodded.

  “Do you recognize anyone in these photos?”

  Gina looked at each photograph carefully before identifying Sawyer. “That’s him. He’s the one. He’s the one that tried to rape me.”

  “Thank you.” Frankie grabbed the camera from her bag, “Can you take a look at this photo and tell me if you recognize this car?”

  Gina looked at the photos Frankie had taken and said, “Those aren’t good pictures. They’re pretty dark, but it does look like the car he was driving.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. We’ll let you know when we get him into police custody.”

  After exchanging contact information Mia and Frankie left the hospital.

  “You think that bitch’ll hold him this time?” Frankie’s face was red and contorted in anger as they drove to meet Stick and Shane.

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky and she won’t be the one on-call.”

  Frankie grunted her response. The drive passed quietly. Mia turned up the radio just as “I Gotta a Feeling” started to play.

  “See Frankie, a good sign.”

  Frankie couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah, maybe this time!”

  When they pulled in next to Stick and Shane Mia asked, “Any activity?”

  “Not since you left, but I think someone is home. We can see lights turning off and on in rooms periodically, but no one has come outside,” answered Stick.

  “Okay, this is how we’ll do it. Two to the front and two to the back. We bring him out and take him into custody. Nothing crazy,” said Frankie.

  The two cars kept their headlights off as they approached Sawyer’s house. Mia and Stick went to the back of the house while Frankie and Shane went to the front. A firm knock brought a woman in her sixties to the door.

  “May I help you?”

  Surprised Frankie asked, “Um, is Allen here?”

  “He’s not here right now.”

  “Are you his...”

  Before Frankie could finish the woman interjected, “I’m his wife.”

  Frankie was taken aback. She didn’t realize Sawyer was married and this woman was old enough to be his mother. “Um, do you know when he’ll be back ma’am?”

  “I’m not sure. He said he was going to check on his momma. She hasn’t been well. Can I give him a message?”

  “That won’t be necessary ma’am. Thank you.”

  Frankie and Shane began to walk back towards her car. When he was out of earshot Shane asked, “What now? Want me to tow the car?”

  Frankie shook her head, “Not yet. Let’s sit back and watch. I have a feeling he hasn’t gone far.”

  They made a production of moving their cars, driving past the front of Sawyer’s house, only to find a place to watch without being seen.

  “You really think he’s there,” asked Mia.

  “Yep.”

  “What’s your play?”

  “Wait and see if he comes out. If he doesn’t within the next hour or so, we’ll go grab the car.”

  The wait wasn’t long. Frankie watched the lights on the second floor extinguish. Shortly after, Sawyer opened the back door. He scanned the yard then continued to walk outside. He opened the driver’s side door of the black 4-door, got inside and, despite the cold air, he rolled the windows down.

  “1061 to 244 on private.”

  “Go ahead Frankie.”

  “Let’s follow him and see where he goes.”

  Frankie hung back as Sawyer turned north onto Prospect.

  “You think he’s hunting?”

  Frankie nodded.

  “244 to 1061. We’ll run parallel.”

  “Copy.”

  Sawyer slowed down to look at a group of women standing on the corner of 59th Street and Prospect. Just when Frankie thought he was going to stop, he pulled away and continued driving north. At Cleaver II he turned west and then turned back north on Troost Ave, stopping at a convenience store on the corner of 41st Street.

  Frankie parked down the street and watched a woman approach the passenger side of the car. After a few moments, she saw the passenger door open and the woman climb inside.

  “Where do you think they’re going,” asked Mia.

  Before Frankie could answer, Sawyer pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the street. They followed him to an apartment complex where he parked the car in front of the apartment door. Frankie stayed back and watched Sawyer motion for the woman to wait in the car while he walked to the door, knocked, then used a key to open the door.

  “You think he’s going to take her inside?” Frankie asked.

  Before Mia could answer Sawyer walked back to the car, opened the door, and grabbed the woman sitting on the passenger side. He half-led, half-shoved the woman towards the door.

  “We can’t let him get her inside. It’s pretty obvious she doesn’t want to go.”

  “1061 copy a residence check. 2212 E 17th Street, Brooklyn Street Apartment Complex. Black Kia. Missouri license 4 Zebra 8 Robert 9 Anthony. 1064’s with me. Hold the air”

  “Copy 1061. Holding the air at 2018 hours.”

  Frankie angled her car behind Sawyer’s and turned on the emergency lights. She and Mia exited the car in unison.

  Mia yelled “Gun!”

  The first round flew past Frankie as she took cover in the doorframe of the patrol car. She returned fire, hitting Sawyer in his left shoulder, just above his heart. His body jerked back with the impact.

  “Drop the gun,” Frankie and Mia yelled in unison.

  Sawyer fired a second shot towards Mia and Frankie. Mia inched forward, taking cover by the engine block and fired, hitting Sawyer in the abdomen. With the impact he dropped the gun, doubled over, and screamed out in pain. He fell backwards into the open doorway of the apartment. Frankie and Mia approached with caution, putting him in handcuffs.

  “1064 start a bus. We have a party down.”

  “1064, ambulance en route.”

  “244 hold us out with 1061 and 1064.”

  Frankie applied pressure to the stomach wound and waited.

  Mia got the woman out of the Kia and put her inside their police car. She grabbed the first aid kit and ran back to help Frankie. The paramedics arrived within minutes.

  “What do we have Frankie?” asked James.

  “Two gunshot wounds. One to the stomach and one to the shoulder.”

  “Frankie, you have blood on your arm,” said James.

  “It’s his. We need to get him to the hospital.”

  “I don’t think that’s his blood. I think it’s yours. We’ve got him, but you need to get to County.”

  “He’s right Frankie,” said Mia. “Come on, I’ll take you.”

  Frankie conceded and headed to the car. The adrenaline that was coursing through her veins began to slow. Frankie leaned her head back against the seat, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She opened her eyes and watched as Shane strung yellow tape around the scene. The red and blue rotating lights pulled her into a trance.

  Chapter 64

  Tre lay against the steering wheel unable to move. He could hear the firefighters talking as they attempted to stabilize the object in his eye to prevent further damage. In the background he could hear pa
ramedics working on Cheyenne outside of the car.

  “I can’t find a pulse. Get the paddles.”

  “Serves the bitch right,” thought Tre. “She shouldn’t have snitched. This wouldn’t have happened if she had kept her mouth shut.”

  “Charging. Clear.” Her body thumped against the backboard as the electrical charge attempted to restart her heart.

  “I better not be blind,” he thought. Out loud he asked, “Is she dead?”

  “Still no pulse, charge again.”

  The firefighter providing aid to Tre said, “They’re working on her. Is she your girl?”

  “Charging. Clear.”

  Tre gave a half-laugh, “Naw, but I was ‘bout to teach the bitch a lesson.”

  Paddles were placed on Cheyenne’s chest. Again, her body thumped against the backboard as the electrical charge was initiated.

  “We have a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there. Load her up.”

  A second ambulance arrived on the scene and, with his eye stabilized, Tre was loaded for transport. The firefighter pulled one of the responding officers aside and said, “I don’t know if this is important but when I asked that guy if the girl with him was his girlfriend he told me no but he was ‘about to teach the bitch a lesson.’ I don’t know what he meant, but it seemed off to me.”

  The officer climbed into the ambulance and pulled the wallet from Tre’s pocket and said, “You don’t say.”

  Chapter 65

  “Change the bandage tomorrow and follow up with the department’s doc to make sure it’s healing properly. Got it?”

  Frankie nodded at her longtime friend, Dr. Michael Wilhelm. One of the bullets had grazed her, leaving a hole in her jacket, but just grazing her arm. The doctor was being overly cautious in her opinion. But he had saved her dad’s life when he had his heart attack so she trusted he would not steer her wrong.

  “What are you going to tell the kids,” Mia asked.

  Frankie looked at her and said slyly, “Who said I was going to tell them anything?”

  Mia shook her head.

  Sergeant Baker walked through the Emergency Department doors as Mia and Frankie were preparing to walk out.

  “Where are you two going?” he demanded.

  “Hey Sarge! We’re heading back to the unit,” answered Frankie.

  “Did you get your wound treated?”

  Frankie nodded.

  “Have you talked to IA or the shooting team?”

  “No. They’re going to give me a day. I’ll call my union rep in the morning and set up an interview.”

  “Have you received an update on Sawyer?”

  “He’s in surgery. Officer Garrett is sitting on him. He said he’d call me if there were any updates,” answered Frankie.

  “What the hell happened out there Frankie?”

  Frankie and Mia began explaining; each sharing tidbits of the story. Frankie’s easygoing demeanor turned quiet with the realization that the evening could have ended so differently. The scrape on her arm could have been a hole in her body. Or worse, in Mia’s.

  “When do you think we’ll be able to talk to him?”

  Sergeant Baker shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose it depends on how long it takes before they release him from here. We’ll keep a uniform on his room. He’ll go straight from here to the jail.”

  Frankie nodded in understanding.

  “Mia, are you ready to go?” Frankie stuffed her hands inside her jacket pockets to hide the trembling. “We need to go process those cars.”

  Mia nodded and started to walk towards the door. Turning back, she asked, “Are you coming Sarge?”

  Sergeant Baker nodded and said, “I’m going out to the apartment, then I’ll head back and help you all get this case together.”

  Frankie and Mia walked to the car in silence. Frankie’s blood was boiling. There could have been – would have been - another victim if she and Mia had not stopped him.

  Once they were inside the car Frankie said through clenched teeth, “She has no choice but to hold him now.”

  Chapter 66

  Just as they walked into the squad room Mia’s phone began to ring.

  “Hey babe.”

  “Hey yourself. We just got into a car chase with a suspect I thought you and Frankie might be interested in. Does the name Trayvon Stockton mean anything to you?”

  “Seriously? I thought he was still in custody. I’m going to put you on speaker.” Mia motioned for Frankie to listen.

  “Looks like he got released from Jackson County yesterday. He had a girl with him. Cheyenne something.”

  The color drained from Frankie’s face. The clerk from the Fast Stop was with him. Was it willingly? She said he was crazy, but surely, he wasn’t that crazy. “Really? Where is she? And why were you all chasing him?”

  Erik explained the situation to Mia and Frankie. There was no question that Cheyenne wasn’t in the car voluntarily.

  “Where are they now?”

  “Headed to County. He’s going to need surgery. He had a foreign object embedded in his eye. I’m not sure about her. They were trying to revive her right before they left.”

  “Okay. Thanks Erik. We’ve got to get this case file together but we’ll come to County when we’re done. Love you,” Mia said.

  “Love you too.”

  Frankie looked at Mia, “You two are so cute. Look…I’m sorry.”

  Mia turned to face Frankie, “For what?”

  “I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you.”

  “Stop it. We did our job tonight. That girl is safe because of us. Now let’s get this case file put together so the prosecutor will hold him.”

  Frankie nodded and gave her a slim smile.

  Changing the subject Mia asked, “Why did Jackson County release him? What the heck is happening over there?”

  “That’s a very good question.”

  “Did they give a reason?”

  Shaking her head, Frankie said, “I haven’t seen the release sheet yet. I lay you odds it’s the same prosecutor that let Sawyer go. Tre was at County for a failure to appear so maybe the prosecutor’s office thought they had time to issue a warrant on him.”

  “You really think that’s the case?”

  Looking out the window Frankie replied, “No.”

  Chapter 67

  Baker arrived at the apartment just in time to make entry with Sergeant Scott Millsap of the Assault Squad. Baker donned gloves and followed Millsap through the door. He didn’t plan to assist in collecting evidence but didn’t want to risk contaminating anything.

  “Does this look like a man’s apartment to you?” Millsap asked, picking a peach throw pillow off the chair. “No television. The furniture is covered with blankets and there’s nothing on the counter.”

  “My bet is on a relative. What does the mail say?” Baker asked, gesturing to the envelopes sticking out of the wire box hanging on the wall by the telephone.

  “Eugenia Sawyer. Wonder what their relationship is? My bet is she’s old. Maybe his mother or grandmother. I mean, the phone isn’t even cordless.” Millsap chuckled.

  Baker laughed, walking past Millsap to the one bedroom. “Scott, you need to see this!”

  “What’s u….” Millsap stopped and stared. The bed was covered with plastic sheeting. Ropes hung from the bedposts. “What the hell?”

  “I’d say he was either planning to rape the girl and didn’t want to leave any evidence or he was going to rape and murder her and not leave any mess. Whatever he was going to do, it was planned. That girl should be glad Frankie and Mia found her when they did.”

  Crime Scene took photographs of everything and packaged up the plastic and the ropes. It was unlikely Sawyer wore gloves when he spread the plastic across the bed so they hoped his fingerprints and DNA would be on it. Baker looked through the closet, dresser and nightstand in the tiny room, looking for anything that would link it to Sawyer, but all he found were clothes that obviously bel
onged to a woman. Most likely an older woman.

  “Hey Ash, can you come photograph this?” Baker pointed to the floor where the bed and nightstand met.

  “Sure, what do you have?”

  Baker pointed, “Looks like a Taser or stun gun of some sort.”

  “You think he was going to use it on the girl he picked up?” Millsap asked.

  “I don’t know. He hasn’t done anything like that to the other women that have come forward. His weapon of choice has always been a gun. My bet is it belongs to Eu…”

  Before Baker could finish his sentence, he heard a husky female voice yell, “What the hell are you people doing in my house?”

  The uniformed patrol officer stood in the doorway of the apartment and said, “Ma’am, you can’t go in there.”

  “Like hell I can’t. This is my house. Who are you to tell me I can’t go in there.”

  Baker removed his gloves, picked up the search warrant from the counter and walked towards the door. “It’s okay Maguire. She can come in. Ma’am, I will need you to stay in the living room though. Just until we are finished. Are you Miss Sawyer?”

  “Harrumph. I am Eugenia Sawyer. Who the hell are you?”

  Baker handed her a copy of the search warrant and calmly said, “I’m Sergeant Myles Baker with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and we have a warrant to search your apartment.”

  “What in the world for? I haven’t done a damn thing illegal for you to be in my apartment.” The vein in Eugenia’s forehead was pulsating in anger as she read the search warrant.

  “Yes ma’am. I mean no ma’am. It isn’t you we are investigating. Do you have a son?”

  “I have two sons. Charles and Allen. They are grown ass men with jobs. They don’t live here and they ain’t done nothing illegal neither.”

  “Do either of them have a key to your apartment?”

  “Both my boys do. I’m not a young woman. They need to be able to come in if something happens to me.”

  “I noticed you have a bag. Have you been away?”

  Looking down at the bag she had sat by her feet Eugenia said, “Not that it’s any of your damn business, but yes. I was out of town visiting my sister. She had surgery a few days ago and needed my help until her daughter could get there.”