“Great.” Frankie climbed into the rig and clamped her hand on Sawyer’s injured leg. He let out a howl as she said, “Guess we will chat tomorrow.”
“Go to hell,” was Sawyer’s only response.
Frankie stepped out of the rig, turned back and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure your car is taken care of.” With that she closed the back of the ambulance and slapped the door, indicating they could drive away.
Chapter 105
Mia was standing outside the room waiting for Frankie and the Crime Scene Unit when the ambulance pulled away. Before Frankie could say anything, she said, “Sawyer rented the room for two hours – two hours ago. The motel owner has signed consent for us to process the room. I tried standing inside to take my notes, but man that smell is just too strong.”
“What do you think it is?”
“Honestly, if I didn’t know any better I’d say it was a dead body but that room is so small…”
Frankie started to say something but hesitated.
“What? You don’t think?”
Frankie raised her eyebrow in response.
The clerk stepped outside the office and asked, “How long will you be?”
“I don’t know Mr. Sayed. We are waiting on the Crime Scene Unit to come,” answered Mia. “Have you had any complaints about the odor in this room?”
“Detective, my customers are not here long enough to notice an odor.” Mr. Sayed turned to walk back to his office. Before going inside, he said, “There was a truck driver who would not stay in the room about a week ago. Made me move him. Said the smell was too strong.” With that, Mr. Sayed closed the door.
Yang and Blake pulled in minutes later. After retrieving the information they needed for their reports they began to take photographs of the scene. Mia looked at Frankie then opened the door and said, “Hey Blake, why don’t you go in first?”
Blake walked through the door and began to gag. “What the hell?”
Behind him Yang said, “What?” Getting a whiff, he started to dry heave. “Damn, warn a guy, will ya?”
“Sorry,” Mia giggled. “We honestly don’t know what the smell is, but we have a hunch.”
“It smells like…”
“Yeah, that’s what we thought too,” interrupted Frankie.
“Where is it?” Yang asked.
“Not sure, but I have an idea. Once you have collected everything we can flip the mattress. I think we will find a hollow box frame underneath it.”
“You don’t think…” Blake asked.
“Maybe,” replied Mia.
The color drained from Blake’s face.
Frankie touched Blake on the shoulder then grabbed her notepad and started taking notes. Other than the rotten stench, the room wasn’t that bad. The bathroom looked like it had been cleaned and the carpets, although stained, appeared to have been vacuumed. She watched as Blake and Yang recovered the bedspread, sheets, and towels from the room. They found a razor on the tub and a spent condom on the floor. Blake recovered both.
After everything had been bagged, tagged, and taken to the van, Frankie looked at Mia and said, “Well?”
“Let’s get this over with.”
The pair each grabbed a side of the mattress and flipped it off the hollow wooden stand.
“Oh my gawd!” the pair screamed in unison.
Chapter 106
Yang and Blake heard Frankie and Mia scream and ran back into the room. They found the detectives staring into the wooden bedframe that once held the mattress.
“What the…?” Yang asked.
Blake looked inside the box, covered his mouth, and stepped out.
“It’s his first body,” Yang said by way of explanation.
“Damn, what a way to break in,” said Mia. “I’ll go check on him.”
Frankie grabbed her notepad while Yang grabbed his camera. Inside the wooden box frame lay two women in advanced stages of decomposition. Both women wore a black miniskirt and red tank top but neither were wearing shoes. There were no obvious signs of trauma, which left Frankie to wonder how they died.
“What’s that say on their tops?” Frankie asked.
Yang snapped a photograph from different angles, stood back, and said, “I think it says ‘Shady Lady.’”
Frankie squatted down next to the box and looked closer at the women. Both were young.
Mia asked, “How old do you think these girls are?”
Frankie looked at the two young girls and said, “They don’t even look like they’re 18.” She was about to stand up when something caught her eye. She carefully reached in and looked at the inside of the right wrist on each woman. “Hmm.”
“Does that mean something to you?” Yang asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I need to make a couple phone calls. Have you called the coroner yet?”
“No, I’ll do it now.”
“Thanks.” Frankie stepped outside the hotel room and breathed in the semi-fresh air. Mia walked up just as she was about to call Craven. “How’s Blake?”
“He’ll be okay. What are you thinking?”
“That this might be related to Katarina Schlovik. Both women are wearing tank tops with ‘Shady Lady’ on them. And they both have a rose tattoo on their right wrist.”
“Didn’t Tessa have a rose tattoo on her right wrist?”
“Yep. So did Katarina. I’m going to call Fitz and Craven. They need to see this.”
Within half an hour both were at the scene waiting for the coroner to remove the bodies. Fitz had called the Homicide Unit and told him the Intelligence Unit was going to work the case.
“I’d bet a paycheck they are related. I’m curious what the cause of death was,” Fitz said.
“Me too,” Frankie said. “Will you go to the autopsy?”
“Yeah. I’ll let you know what they say.”
Craven stood quietly, evaluating the scene. They were just starting to move the first body when he suddenly said, “Wait.” Craven squatted by the box and stared.
“What is it Jim,” Frankie asked.
With gloved hands he extricated a charm bracelet from one of the women’s skirt pockets. The delicate silver chain held four charms.
“Looks like the clasp is broken so she put it in her pocket to keep from losing it.” Craven held the bracelet in his hand and looked at the charms. “A camera, dog, ballerina, and a pony. She can’t be more than eighteen.”
The coroners lifted each body onto a gurney with care. Craven didn’t move until both bodies were gone. Frankie waited until the coroner was finished before she said, “Do you guys mind if Mia and I take off? I need to finish up my reports and am kind of hoping they release Sawyer from the hospital tonight.”
Craven looked up from the box and asked, “You think he’ll talk to you?”
“No, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Want some help?”
Frankie looked from Mia to Craven and said, “Why not? Maybe the photographs of these women will loosen his tongue. I’ll call you when he gets brought in.”
“You don’t really think he had anything to do with it, do you?” Craven asked.
“No, but I don’t mind letting him think we do.”
Fitz laughed and said, “You are ruthless. No wonder I like you!”
Frankie and Mia laughed all the way to the car.
Chapter 107
“Sex Crimes, Thomas.”
“Detective Thomas, this is Jessica Moon from the prosecutor’s office. You paged me?”
Frankie rolled her eyes. Of course, she would be the one on call. “We have an in-custody. Actually, it’s Sawyer.”
“What? Never mind, tell me what you have.”
Frankie gave Moon the details, including the bodies, and waited.
“Do you think he has anything to do with the dead women?”
Frankie thought about lying just to make Moon question herself but instead said, “No. We actually think it’s related to another set of unsolved homicides.
The Intelligence Unit is working that angle. All we have on Sawyer is kidnapping, aggravated assault, and rape.”
“Write it up and get it to me in the morning. Are you going to need any search warrants signed tonight?”
“I don’t think so. If he doesn’t give us consent to process him tonight, we can get a search warrant in the morning.”
“Okay. If things change, let me know.”
Frankie looked at Mia and said, “Suddenly she wants to do something.”
“I guess we should be thankful. The hospital just called. Sawyer is being released and transported to the jail. Do you want them to bring him here?”
“No. Let’s let them book him. I want to go find Allie and see if she can identify him.”
Thirty minutes later Frankie and Mia were on the way to the last known address for Allie Wheaton. While Frankie drove, Mia looked up the reports on Allie’s bus accident.
“Looks like Tucker recovered a surveillance video.” Minutes later Mia had him on the phone.
After listening to the one-sided conversation, Frankie said, “Well…”
“Tucker said Allie was definitely pushed. The bus stop is in view of the Family Dollar Store camera. He said you can clearly see a black man get out of a gold Honda, walk over, and push Allie into the path of the bus.”
“Damn. Can he send you a still shot so we can see if it’s Sawyer?”
“I’ll send him a text and see. He said he’s had a hard time getting her to respond to his calls. I’m sure he’d appreciate the help.”
Frankie parked the car across the street from Allie’s last known address and waited until Mia received the text from Tucker.
“You think she’ll be able to identify him?”
Mia’s phone dinged with an incoming text, “Take a look.”
“Looks like Sawyer to me.”
“Me too. Hopefully she’ll be able to pick him out of a line-up. Let’s go.”
It only took a moment for Frankie’s knock to be answered. The door was answered by a hulk of a man filling the doorway. A voice so deep it was almost a growl asked, “What chew want?”
“We need to speak with Allie.”
“What chew want with her?”
“We think we have the man that attacked her in police custody and want to show her a photographic line-up.”
“All – ee,” boomed the man.
Frankie smiled at the woman who was dwarfed by the man standing next to her.
“Hi Detectives. Like, what do you all need?”
“We have some photographs we need you to look at,” answered Mia.
“Okay.”
Frankie and Mia sat with Allie at the kitchen table. They laid the file folder containing photographs on the table.
“I want you to look at each photograph carefully. If you recognize any of the men I want you to tell us where you recognize him from.”
Allie opened the folder and carefully looked at each photograph. She waited until she had looked at each one before pulling out Sawyer’s and saying, “That’s him.”
Mia handed her a pen and asked her to sign the photograph.
“Like, what happens now?”
“He’s in police custody for another case. We will present your case to the prosecutor in the morning and hopefully she will set his bond high enough that he won’t be able to get out.”
“Will I, like, have to go to court?”
Mia looked to Frankie and then said, “Maybe.”
Allie sat quietly for a moment before saying, “Okay.”
Mia touched Allie’s hand and said, “You did good.”
Chapter 108
As soon as they got back to the office Frankie texted Craven. “Getting ready to pull Sawyer out. You in?”
“Be there in ten.”
True to his word, ten minutes later Craven was walking into the squad room.
“You guys ready to get a confession?”
Frankie smiled and said, “I’d be happy for a few admissions. Mia, I think you and Jim should take this. Sawyer thinks of me as his enemy. It might help bringing in some fresh faces.”
“You sure Frankie?”
“Yep. He can’t say much about Lorelei other than maybe it was consensual. Get him locked into a story then pull the pictures of the dead women.”
Mia laughed. “The look on his face is going to be priceless.”
Mia and Craven went to the Detention Unit to retrieve Sawyer. As they were getting onto the elevator Sawyer asked, “Where’s the other chick? The one with the boy’s name?”
Mia stifled a smile. “She’s dealing with something else right now.”
“Harumph.”
Mia asked Sawyer a bunch of questions she already knew the answers to while Craven sat back and listened. When Mia pulled out the Miranda Waiver for Sawyer to sign Craven grabbed the paper and said, “Allow me.”
Craven made a production of reading the document, first to himself, and then aloud to Sawyer. Playing up his southern drawl he said, “Now, you don’t hafta sign this, but if you don’t that means we can’t tell the prosecutor the truth.”
Sawyer sat up a little straighter and looked over the form Craven had laid in front of him.
“You see I know how these bitches are. I mean, have you even had a chance to talk to a man about all this or have you only talked to these here little ladies?”
“As a matter of fact, they haven’t let me talk to a man. I mean these girls, they’ve got it all wrong. That whore’s just trying to put a case on me but that’s not how it is.”
“I’d really be interested in hearing what you have to say, but unfortunately I can’t talk to you unless you sign this.” Craven tapped the waiver.
Sawyer looked at the form then back up at Craven. He picked the pen up and signed his name.
“I don’t know why you all arrested me anyway. I’m the victim here. That bitch shot me.”
Craven handed Mia the form and said, “Why don’t you tell me how it really is.”
Sawyer leaned back in his chair and rubbed the stubble on his face. He pursed his lips and said, “That bitch and I had a deal. I rented the room and she was supposed to give me head and pussy. And everything was going fine. She was giving it up when that other chick started pounding on the door. That whore got freaked out and started screaming. Next thing I know she pulled out a gun and shot me.”
“Whose gun was it?” Craven asked.
“She must have brought it with her. You know how them whores are. Bitch was probably going to rob me.”
Craven nodded. He motioned for Mia to hand him the photos of the women under the bed. He left them face down on the table. “Do you always use that same room when you pick up whores?”
“Whatcha talking about?”
“The owner said you go there pretty regularly. With a lady friend. I assume it’s where you take your whores. Do you use that same room every time?”
“It’s not against the law to rent a room.”
“Nope.” Craven noticed Sawyer was avoiding his question. “How often do you get a room there?”
“Every now and then.”
“Did you notice any kinda smell or anything in the room?”
Sawyer didn’t immediately answer, but instead nodded at the papers lying on the table and asked, “What are those?”
Craven and Mia kept their eyes trained on Sawyer as they flipped the photographs over one at a time.
“What the hell is that?” Sawyer shouted. He stood up, shoved his chair back from the table, and pushed the photographs at Craven, “Seriously, what the hell?”
“Do you know either one of these women?”
“Fuck no! Where did you take those pictures?
“In your motel room. Your regular room.”
It suddenly dawned on Sawyer that he was a suspect in a double homicide. He stood up and said, “You think I fucking did this! I ain’t never killed anyone. I might beat up whores once in a while but I ain’t no fucking killer.”
&
nbsp; Chapter 109
Frankie awoke to the sound of in incoming text message from Derek.
“$250,000 bond on Sawyer. $100,000 bond on Stockton. You did it babe.”
“Woo hoo! We did it!”
Frankie grabbed her phone and called Mia to tell her the news. After lots of “good jobs” and “we did its” they hung up. Frankie flopped back onto her bed and stared at her ceiling fan. She couldn’t wait to find the women Sawyer and Stockton assaulted to tell them both were in jail and weren’t going to get out.
Frankie picked up the phone and stared at the screen. She punched in the numbers and waited.
“If it isn’t the girl with the boy’s name!”
Frankie laughed. “We did it. Sawyer is being held on a $250,000 bond!”
“Fantastic! It’s about time, huh?”
“Seriously! I’m sure there will be some follow-up but it feels good knowing he’s off the streets.”
“I guess Derek got through to Moon.”
Frankie thought she heard something catch in Craven’s voice when he said Derek’s name. “Yeah but your work in that interrogation didn’t hurt.”
Craven chuckled, “Thanks. Hey, Fitz just got here. We have a meeting with the prosecutor about the Schlovik case. Want to go for a run tomorrow?”
“Sounds good.” Frankie smiled as she dropped her phone onto the bed thinking to herself that for once the good guys won.
Chapter 110
“Jim Craven. Derek Kensington.”
Derek extended his hand first to Fitzmeyer then to Craven. If he recognized Craven he didn’t let on. Gesturing to the table in his office he said, “Please have a seat.”
Craven sat down and, while waiting for Derek to get to the table, sent Frankie a text message.
“Did you know Derek was the pros Fitz was working with?”
“No. He didn’t mention it.”
“Call you when I leave.”
“K.”
Derek laid his legal pad onto the table and asked, “Did you find out whose DNA was in Katarina Schlovik’s rape kit?”
No Stone Unturned Page 24
