by C. M. Sutter
“They could have both gone blond,” Jack said.
I shrugged. “Let’s see if Clayton and Billings are back with John’s computer. We need something to move forward before the day is over.”
Chapter 54
“We’re leaving, Mama. We should be back in an hour or so,” Mariah said as she shoved the boxes toward the front door with her foot.
Alice wiped her hands on the tea towel and gave the boxes a final once-over. Shipping Dean’s art had never been her responsibility, and she wanted to make sure nothing was amiss. The boxes were packaged properly and sealed tightly. The recipients’ addresses were correct, and the return address showed the post office box number rather than the house address.
“Okay, get going. Don’t forget the groceries.” Alice handed Mariah the short list of food staples to pick up and two twenty-dollar bills. “Drive the speed limit and keep your heads down.”
“We got this, Mama. Don’t worry. Nobody will recognize us with baseball caps and sunglasses on.”
Mariah and Mandy carried the boxes outside and placed them carefully in the trunk. Mariah climbed in behind the wheel and waved to Alice standing at the front door. Mandy opened the passenger side door, slid in, and stared ahead.
“Don’t be such a party pooper, Mandy,” Mariah said as she drove off, leaving a dusty trail behind them. We’re out by ourselves in Larry’s car. That’s something different, and nobody is looking for us in this vehicle. Maybe we can even stop for a root beer float or something.”
“What’s wrong with you? Has Mama really warped your brain that much? We’ve killed four people, one of whom is our own father, and you’re talking about root beer floats?”
“Daddy was a sinner.”
“According to who—Mama? You know she isn’t right in the head.”
“Don’t say that. Remember when Mama was sick?”
“Who could forget that?”
“Daddy said to do whatever she says. We don’t want to make her mad and have her go off the deep end again. He isn’t here to take care of her anymore.”
“I don’t think Daddy had his own death in mind when he told us that. Let’s just leave town, Mariah, and go somewhere by ourselves.”
“We don’t have educations or money. Neither of us has worked a real job in our lives. We need to stick by Mama’s side.”
“You’re just her minion, nothing else. You do everything she tells you to do.”
“No I don’t, and I’ll prove it.”
“How?”
Mariah reached under the seat and pulled out a knife. “Look what I found. It could come in handy sometime. I have something else too, but you can’t tell Mama. She’d have a cow.”
“Show me.”
“It’s in the glove box.”
Mandy pulled the handle, and the glove box fell open. Inside, among various papers and the owner’s manual lay a cell phone.
Mariah giggled. “Now I have my own phone. We don’t have to share anymore.”
“Is this Larry’s? Didn’t Mama tell you to bury all the phones?”
“I told you I don’t do everything she says. Give it to me. There might be game apps or books on it.”
“Worry about that later. Let’s get groceries, then drop these boxes off. I’ll think about that root beer float, but Mama will probably get mad that we used her money.”
“Now you’re worrying about what Mama thinks.”
“Fine, we’ll have the root beer floats. I’m not in the mood to go home, anyway.”
Chapter 55
Jack and I returned to the sheriff’s department and went upstairs to brief Clark on what transpired at the post office and at Larry Taylor’s house.
“We have names, boss, and it was confirmed by the post office clerk that the girl in the photo dropping off David’s car is one of the Blakely twins. We just don’t know which one,” I said.
Clark shrugged. “As far as we know, they could both be involved. Why haven’t we heard anything about the mother yet?”
Jack spoke up. “Don’t know. It didn’t sound like the mom ever frequented the post office with Dean and the girls. At least the counter clerk, Betty, didn’t mention her. Either way, we still don’t have an address. Nothing in the entire county is listed in the public records under Blakely. Betty showed us the only address recorded when Dean rented the box, and that was from Madison years back.”
Clayton and Billings entered the bull pen.
I tried to read their faces. “I hope you have good news.”
Billings answered, “How about no news—does that qualify? We dropped off the computers from John Leiter’s house. The guys are going through them as we speak. I guess Billy is working on Larry Taylor’s, and Todd just started on John’s.”
“Did Billy say if he found anything yet?” Clark asked.
Billings shook his head. “He only said he was making progress, boss.”
I checked the time on the analog clock above the door, then double-checked it on my cell phone. I pointed at the wall. “That clock is five minutes slow.”
“Have somewhere to be, Jade?” Clark asked.
“Nah—not yet. If nothing pops in the next forty-five minutes, I’ll be heading out. Dinner plans with the family, that’s all.”
The lieutenant paced the bull pen floor. “What’s going on with the BOLO for Larry and John’s vehicles?”
I responded, “Dead quiet, sir. Either the vehicles are well hidden or they haven’t disposed of them yet.”
“We should have the DNA results back by tomorrow for the church victims. At least that’s some news we can give the grieving families. Has Lena said what the plans are for John Doe, or Dean?” Clark asked.
Jack filled his coffee cup and returned to his seat. “Not yet. For now, he’s killing time in a refrigerated drawer in the morgue.”
I shook my head and let out a groan with the others. “That was in bad taste, dude.”
“Yeah, that was a stupid statement—sorry. Anyway, I’m sure when we catch these ladies and find out where they live, we’ll be able to get DNA from the house. We’ll know for sure at that time if John Doe is actually Dean Blakely. He’ll go into a simple grave at the county’s expense unless there’s some other relative that will come forward and claim him.”
I pushed back my chair, stood, and pulled the lightweight sweater off my chair back. “I’m going downstairs to check on Billy’s progress.”
“I’ll join you,” Jack said as he rose and gave his cup an extra splash of coffee.
We took the stairs to the lower level and entered the tech department. Todd and Billy were hard at work going through the computer files and buried history reports. Jack and I grabbed roller chairs that sat against the wall and pulled up a seat.
“How’s it going?” I asked as I slipped on my sweater.
“Slow, but we’re making progress,” Billy said. “Larry deleted his browsing history every time he logged off the computer. I’m guessing the main computer was shared by everyone. The tablet and laptop the daughter used was password protected. Neither the mother nor the father ever used them.”
I looked at Todd. “And how’s it going with John’s computer?”
“About the same. I’m guessing we’re going to find exactly what we hope to. These guys wouldn’t be deleting their history every day if they had nothing to hide. None of the computers are synced with the tablets, either, another dead giveaway.”
An alert sounded from both Todd and Billy’s cell phones.
“No way!” Billy yelled.
Both men jumped from their seats and grabbed the phones that were sitting on the table behind them.
“What’s going on?” I gave Jack a puzzled look. He returned the same expression.
“We have a hit on Larry Taylor’s cell phone. Somebody just powered it on.” Billy clicked a few keys on his computer and entered Larry Taylor’s cell number. A map of Washburn County popped up with a red dot moving across the screen.
“Is
that his phone?” My heart was thumping in my chest triple time.
Todd grinned, Jack whistled, and Billy responded. “That’s his phone.”
“It’s heading toward downtown. Let’s go. Can you bounce that interactive map over to your cell phone and keep tracking it?”
“Sure can, give me a second. I’ll catch up with you.”
I kicked the roller chair back against the wall and ran out of the room. “I’ll tell Clark and get Billings and Clayton. We’re taking down those criminals today. Jack and Todd, pull the cruisers up to the front door.”
I burst through the bull pen door to the apparent shock of Clark, Billings, and Clayton.
“What the hell?” Clark said.
“Boss, we got a hit on Larry’s phone. Let’s go. Jack is pulling the cruisers up to the door. Follow us. We’ll have Billy in the car with the tracker.”
I heard Clark yell to Clayton to grab extra vests as I ran out the door.
Chapter 56
“How long should we stay out?” Mariah checked the rearview mirror and switched lanes.
“There you go again, worrying about Mama. It’s not like we’re going to do anything special once we’re back home. I don’t want to hear her plans of ways to butcher the next guy. We’re twenty years old, Mariah. When are we going to start thinking for ourselves?”
“But Daddy said to—”
“You do realize Mama uses that against us every day, and I’m sick of it.”
Mariah looked at the dashboard clock and frowned. “Doesn’t that thing work?” She pounded the dash with her fist.
“How would I know? This isn’t our car.”
“Well, then, what time is it?”
“Mama gave you the money, not me. The phone is in my purse at home.”
“You’re so stupid, Mandy. Get Larry’s phone out of the glove box. It must have some charge left. It’s been turned off all this while. We need to know what time it is.”
Mandy pulled the phone out and powered it on. “It’s four thirty. We have plenty of time.”
Mariah glanced across the console. “What are you doing?”
“Looking at his pictures. His home screen shows him, a woman, and a teenage girl. They look happy, Mariah.”
“You know that’s crap. Anyone can look happy in a picture. He was a liar and a cheater—that’s why he’s dead.”
Mandy nodded. She touched the gallery icon and scrolled through Larry’s photographs. “They sure have a pretty house, though.”
“Envy is a sin, Mandy. Come on. Help me look for a parking space.”
Mandy set the phone in the cup holder and pointed at a parallel parking spot that somebody had just pulled out of. “Park there. It’s as close as you’re going to get.”
Mariah parked. “I’m taking off this stupid hat. It makes my head itch.”
“Then I am too.” Mandy threw the hat on the seat and removed her sunglasses.
They exited the car. Mariah reached under the seat before she popped the trunk then walked to the back and grabbed a box. She closed the trunk with her elbow, locked the doors, and headed to the post office entrance. Inside, the line at counter three was four people deep.
“We can go to a different counter, Mariah. Number one only has two people in line.”
Mariah looked over the top of the box she held. “Yeah, but each person has boxes to mail. Our line doesn’t.”
Ten minutes passed before the girls reached Betty’s counter.
“Mariah, Mandy, it’s good to see you again. Still no dad?” Betty said.
“He isn’t home right now,” Mandy replied.
Betty grinned. “I barely recognized you girls with the new haircut and color, but then I remembered the officers showing me—”
Mariah’s eyes darted across the room. “Showing you what?”
“Oh, nothing.” Betty looked away and fumbled at the postage scale. “I don’t even know what I’m talking about half the time, I just babble.”
Mariah leaned across the counter. “You sure?”
Betty avoided eye contact and nodded. “I’m sure.”
Chapter 57
“Where are they? We must be close.”
“You aren’t going to believe this, Jade, but they’re at the post office.”
“Son of a bitch—that looks like the description of Larry’s car,” I said as Jack got closer. I pulled out my notepad. “Different plates, though.”
“It’s his. The phone is pinging from inside that car,” Billy said.
“Jack, park the cruiser—we’re going in. Billy, call Todd. I want both of you to stay in the cars where it’s safe.” I jumped out and ran to the second car. Billings opened his window.
“Find a place to park. They’re in the post office—I’m heading in.” I slipped my sweater over my shoulder holster and tucked my chained badge down the front of my shirt. “They won’t know I’m a cop. Come in quietly—no storm trooping—but be ready for anything. We have no idea who is in there or if they’re armed.”
Clark reached across the console and grabbed my sleeve. “Jade—”
“I know, boss, be careful. They aren’t going to expect a female cop. I can walk in without creating suspicion. I need to see who came in Larry’s car and how many innocent people are inside.” I nodded to Jack as he secured the Velcro tabs on his vest. Clayton, Billings, and Clark secured theirs too.
I took the steps to the large double doors alone, entered the building, and did a quick visual sweep of the area. There were twelve customers in total, two of them blondes facing Betty at counter three. I got in line at counter four. The twins stood only five feet away. The girl farthest from me held a box in her arms, and the other had set hers on the counter. I quickly sized them up. They were as tall as me and probably weighed the same, give or take a few pounds. I knew I could take one of them if I had to, but not both, and there were still too many people in the building to pull out my gun. One woman stood in line behind the girls, and two people waited their turn in front of me.
I watched Betty fidget—she couldn’t hide her nervousness. Something was wrong. I was sure the recognition and wave of relief on her face when she saw me gave me away. Her eyes darted back and forth between me and the girls.
I wasn’t prepared for the speed of the girl nearest me. In the blur of a second, I was in a choke hold with a knife against my temple.
“You don’t want to do this,” I called out sternly.
“Shut up. I know you’re a cop!” She pressed the knife tip deeper against my flesh.
People screamed and ran. The counter clerks ducked behind the safety of the solid wood counter. The other twin spun—my eyes locked with hers. She looked petrified.
“Mariah, stop! What in God’s name are you doing? Daddy wouldn’t want you to do this!”
“But Mama would, and Daddy is dead. He doesn’t count anymore.”
Jack, Clark, Clayton, and Billings approached slowly. I looked Jack square in the face and watched his every movement. We always had each other’s back—we both knew it and were trained for it. Clayton yelled for everyone to get out of the building. Billings had his laser sights focused on the other girl and ordered her to the ground. She dropped to the floor.
“Put the knife down now!” Clark yelled.
The red laser sights bounced off both me and my captor as my colleagues inched closer. With every command called out, the knife was pressed harder against my face. I felt the tip pierce the skin at my temple.
“You’re going to make me kill her, aren’t you?” Mariah yelled out. “Now back away!”
I couldn’t see Mandy, but I knew she was on the floor nearby. She pleaded through her sobs for Mariah to drop the knife.
“We aren’t backing away. This is your last warning,” Jack yelled. “Drop it!”
I focused on Jack and waited for his signal. A nod was all I needed. When it came, I elbowed Mariah in the gut and spun out of her grip. Jack shot her center mass. She fell back against the counter
and slid to the ground.
Mandy’s piercing screams lasted for what sounded like an eternity. She crawled to Mariah, hugging, holding, and rocking her sister’s lifeless body.
Jack rushed to my side. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but I need your handkerchief.” Jack handed it to me, and I pressed it against my bleeding temple. I leaned back against the counter and watched everyone around me as I took a few deep breaths.
Clayton and Billings grabbed Mandy and loosened her tight grip on Mariah’s body. They pulled her away and cuffed her hands behind her back.
Clark was on his radio, making emergency calls to dispatch. “Jan, we need Lena and Jason at the North Bend post office now. Get Dan and Kyle here too.” He called North Bend PD, and a dozen officers arrived within minutes.
Clark stood off to the side with Chief Sanders and Lieutenant Colbert from the police department, discussing the situation.
“How do you want to handle this, Tom?”
The chief patted Clark on the shoulder. “I know your team was working this case before we stepped in to help. It’s all yours, Chuck.”
Clark nodded. “Clayton, read Mandy her rights and take her to the station. Lock her up—we’ll get to her later.”
“Let’s go.” Clayton pulled Mandy by the bent arm and led her out of the building.
Clark waved Billings over. “Adam, make sure everyone that is still in the building is okay. Lead them out and secure the scene. Round up some officers to lend a hand getting tape up and cordoning off the block.”
Chief Sanders instructed his officers to work with Billings.
Within a few minutes, Lena, Jason, Dan, and Kyle arrived and pushed through the doors.
“Let me see your head,” Lena said as she turned my face toward hers.
“I’m fine, really. It’s just a surface cut.”
“Shush. Find yourself a seat. At least I can put some disinfectant and a bandage on it.” She reached in her portable case and pulled out what she needed.
Once I passed Lena’s approval, I found Clark. “Boss, do you mind if I head out?”
“Those dinner plans?”
