LETHAL INJECTION (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE) Book 8)

by John C. Dalglish

  Jason stuck the hat on his head. “Thanks, Shirley.”

  “Anytime.”

  Chapter 8

  Jason had gone home after lunch for a nap. He pulled into the station parking lot at four-fifteen and made his way up to where Captain Patton and Lieutenant Banks were waiting in the conference room. Vanessa was already there when he arrived.

  The conference room was adjacent to the lieutenant’s office, and whiteboards hung at both ends. There were no windows, and a large wooden table and a few well-worn wood chairs were the only furniture.

  Jason sat on one end, Captain Patton at the other. Lieutenant Banks was on the captain’s right and Vanessa across from her. The tension in the room was palpable, partly because Vanessa still wanted to be on the street as a decoy, and partly because they still didn’t know what form the attacks had taken.

  A needle can carry an unknown number of deadly substances.

  On the whiteboard behind the captain, was a hand-drawn map of the stakeout area, complete with street names and building locations. Banks nodded at Vanessa and she stood.

  Walking to the board, she picked up a red marker, and drew an X on a building.

  “This is the location we’ve chosen for Jason to sit. It resembles the place the mistaken contact took place. It’s an abandoned building with a load dock.”

  Patton stopped her. “What’s access like?”

  Vanessa walked back over to where she was sitting, pulled four photos out of a file, and gave one to each member of the team. She pointed at hers while she spoke.

  “It’s a parking lot that backs up to the freeway, and only has one access, both by foot or by car. Up here, under the eave, we’ve placed a camera that will be on Jason at all times. He will also be miked and wearing an earpiece.”

  The captain nodded and Vanessa went back to the whiteboard.

  “The van, with a tech and myself, will be two blocks over on West Quincy. Lieutenant Banks, you’ll be in an unmarked car, two blocks to the east of Jason’s location. Finally, five blocks north will be a black-and-white. Everyone will be on the same frequency, but only I will have eyes on Jason.”

  Patton nodded. “I like it. What’s the timetable?”

  Jason answered his friend. “The mistaken encounter with our witness took place between nine and ten. We’re going to be in place by six-thirty and remain there until midnight.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll lay it out for Chief Murray, and confirm he’s on board. When do you want to go with it?”

  Sarah Banks looked around the table. “Tonight?”

  Both Jason and Vanessa nodded.

  Patton stood. “Then go with it. I’ll handle the chief.”

  *******

  The white van slowed to a stop in its designated position. Jason had called Sandy on the way, told her not to worry, and that he loved her. He could hear the nervousness in her voice, but for him, she tried to hide it. He knew she’d be awake until she heard from him at midnight.

  He handed his phone to Vanessa, put his earpiece in, and pulled the Dallas Cowboys cap down tight. For the third time since they left the station, Vanessa tested the connection. Jason smiled at her. “Yes, it’s working. Still.”

  She laughed but Jason sensed her tension as she ran through everyone’s final check.

  “Lieutenant, you in position?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Sergeant, do you and your partner have us?”

  “Yes, Detective. You’re clear.”

  Vanessa nodded at Jason.

  After making sure no one was watching, he climbed out of the van, and started a slow shuffle toward his location. He carried with him two green garbage bags stuffed with clothes.

  The sun was just setting behind the buildings along West Quincy, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the night was already cooling off.

  Rounding the corner of his designated building, he made his way to the loading dock stairs, and slowly climbed up. Once on the dock, he moved over to a corner out of the wind, but still in camera range. “You got me?”

  “Yes, camera angle is perfect.”

  He sat in the corner, pulled his knees up and the bags in around him, and then stuck his tongue out at his partner. “Enjoy the show!”

  *******

  Vanessa sat drinking her third cup of coffee, eyes glued to the black-and-white monitors, waiting. The evening had passed quietly, with nobody coming near Jason, except for another homeless man who walked by the entrance to the parking lot.

  Vanessa looked at her watch. Ten-thirty; an hour and a half to go. Her earpiece crackled to life, the voice of Banks filling her head. “Layne, we’ve got company.”

  Her heart started to pound. “Where?”

  “A silver BMW just parked near the entrance to the parking lot.”

  “Can you get the tag?”

  “Yes. It’s a lone male. He’s out and moving toward the load dock.”

  Vanessa checked with Jason. “You hearing this?”

  “Yes.”

  Vanessa watched the screen as Jason put his head down on his knees. He wanted to hide his face until the last minute. The camera picked up the man coming to the edge of the loading dock. Vanessa could pick up the conversation through Jason’s mic.

  “Sir?”

  Jason kept his head down.

  The man went to the load dock steps, climbing them and making his way toward Jason.

  Vanessa whispered into her mic. “He’s almost on you.”

  The man reached out and shook Jason’s shoulder. “Buddy, you need a blanket?”

  Jason looked up, shook his head, and put it back down.

  Vanessa felt herself start to breathe again. “False alarm. Just a guy passing out blankets.”

  Lieutenant Banks came back on the radio. “He’s continuing down the street, and I see the blankets over his arm. I missed them before.”

  “Did you run the plate?”

  “Yes. It’s a dealer plate.”

  “What dealer?”

  “Diamond Auto of San Antonio.”

  Vanessa wrote down the name. “We can check it tomorrow.”

  She picked up her empty coffee cup. Time for a refill.

  *******

  Danny Olsen, or Danny-O as he was known to his friends, was younger than most of the people who lived in the Quincy Street area. He had started living off the grid because he was tired of the grind. Get up, go to work, come home, fall into bed, and then do it all over again.

  He knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way, but he fell asleep on a bench one summer night, and decided he could live like that. Most were on the streets because life kicked them when they were down. Danny-O had chosen this life.

  He pushed the rusted Wal-Mart shopping cart in front of him until he got to the old paint store. Going through the parking lot, he got to his favorite spot, the small loading area in back. He usually tried to get there long before now, but he’d spent too much time looking through the garbage cans at the park, and so it was long past sunset when he settled in for the night.

  He’d just closed his eyes when he heard a car door. He retreated even farther into the shadows of the corner he occupied. A man in a long, dark coat came around the corner. He walked right up to where Danny-O sat and looked down.

  “Benny?”

  “Danny.”

  “It’s you, Benny?”

  Danny spotted a needle in the man’s right hand and his heart started to pound.

  “No mister, my name is Danny! What do you want?”

  “Did you say Danny?”

  “Yeah.”

  The needle disappeared and Danny-O watched as the man turned, cussing to himself as he walked away.

  *******

  At eleven fifty-five, Jason climbed back into the van. He retrieved his phone from Vanessa and dialed Sandy. She picked up immediately.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, babe. We’re done for the night. Be home in a while.”

  “Thanks for
calling. I won’t be awake.”

  Jason laughed. “I love you. Bye.”

  *******

  The next morning, Jason and Vanessa were not due in until lunchtime. They met with Lieutenant Banks at one, filled her in, and then left to go to Victory House. They had contacted Diamond Auto and they were looking into who might have had the car out with the dealer tag. One of the largest dealers in the city, they said it would take a little while to sort out. They wanted to ask Peter Macomb about the car.

  They found the mission leader in the dining room.

  “Mr. Macomb, do you have a minute?”

  “Peter, please. What can I do for you?”

  “Have you ever seen a silver BMW around here?”

  Peter shook his head. “Why?”

  “One was seen in the area last night.”

  “BMW? In this area after dark?”

  “Yes. It was driven by a man who appeared to be passing out blankets.”

  “Well, that’s awesome, but I’ve never seen him.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  The disappointed detectives walked out into the afternoon sun, and climbed into their car. Their next stop was The Shepherd’s Closet. Jason noticed Vanessa was munching on her fourth donut of the afternoon. “Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

  She stopped with the donut still hanging from her mouth and glared at him. She bit off a piece and threw the rest in the box. “You people are unbelievable!”

  “You people? Who’s that?”

  “The tech in the van last night made some remark about how much I was eating.”

  Jason laughed. “No kidding. Did he realize his life was in danger when he said it?”

  “I’m not pregnant, okay? I’ve been pregnant before, and I would know if I was pregnant now.”

  “Okay, okay. I won’t mention it again...”

  “Good.”

  “But I think there’s a maternity section inside Shepherd’s Closet.”

  She hurled the box of donuts at him. “One more time, Strong! You hear me?”

  Jason laughed, wiping donut powder off his pants. “I hear you, I promise.”

  He parked in front of the clothing store, and they went inside. He didn’t see Shirley, but Norm Jacobs was at the front register. “Hey, you two.”

  “Hi. Can we ask you a question?”

  “Of course. Come back to my office.”

  Once inside, Vanessa closed the door and the detectives stayed standing. “Have you ever seen a silver BMW around the store at night?”

  Norm looked surprised. “Nope. I don’t think so. Why?”

  “One was seen last night with a man passing out blankets.”

  “Really? Wow. That’s awesome, but I don’t remember seeing a car like that.”

  “Is Shirley here?”

  “No, it’s her day off.”

  “Okay, well thanks anyway.”

  “Anytime, just come by.”

  Back out in the car, Jason wondered if maybe they had met the killer last night, but he had recognized the stake-out. They hadn’t stopped him because they didn’t want to reveal the operation. “What do you think? Is it possible he’s our killer, but he made me?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “I thought about that, but one thing sticks out to me. He didn’t ask for you by name.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, when we interviewed JD, he said the guy asked if he was Benny Walker. The guy with the blankets called you ‘sir’ and ‘buddy.’”

  Jason saw her logic. “So, if we’re right, and our killer is targeting someone in particular, he’s not likely to be going around saying ‘hey buddy’ to strangers.”

  “That’s my feeling.”

  “I agree. Unless he’d already made me and was carrying on the charade.”

  “Always a possibility.”

  Jason started the car. “Do you want to stop by Recycled Lives and see if someone is there?”

  Vanessa nodded. “Let’s.”

  *******

  Their stop at the work program headquarters mirrored the last time they visited. No one came to the door.

  Jason looked at his watch. “We need to go back to the station and prepare for the stake-out.”

  Frustrated, Vanessa groaned her displeasure. “I need a job like this, no schedule, no time clock.”

  They left Recycled Lives without speaking to anyone.

  Chapter 9

  Jason settled into the corner of the load dock, pulled his knees up, and began the wait. The wind was especially chilly tonight, and he bundled up as much as possible. The raincoat didn’t offer much protection, and he found himself wishing Shirley had been able to find a Dallas Cowboys stocking cap instead of this thin baseball one.

  He looked up at the camera and waved. “Picture okay?”

  “Perfect.” Vanessa’s voice in his ear was reassuring. Even though he hadn’t wanted her on the street as a decoy, there wasn’t anyone he’d rather have watching over him. He heard her go through the checks; everyone was online and in touch.

  Jason hoped this was the night they got lucky. No one had died since Shasta, but he knew it was just a matter of time. He could feel it. He pulled his hat down a little farther and tried to think warm thoughts.

  *******

  Darrel Chase was working late. Doc Davis would be back in a few days and the young medical examiner didn’t want to leave a mess behind. Most cases he’d handled were closed, and only a few test results were lacking before the reports on the other cases could be written.

  The one case bothering him the most was still not resolved. At Doc’s suggestion, they’d submitted the urine from victim five for testing. In particular, they wanted to know if there were traces of succinylcholine in the victim’s system.

  It made sense, and Darrel wished he’d been the one to think of it. The first four victims were all classified as cardiac events, exactly as most cases of “sux” were until the poison was discovered in some other way. It wasn’t long ago that you couldn’t test for it at all, and the only way those cases were solved was by eyewitness or confession.

  He walked over to the fax machine for the twentieth time that day, and like the other nineteen times, the tray was empty. Looking around him, he decided there wasn’t anything left to be done that couldn’t wait until morning, so he took off his lab coat.

  With a last quick glance at the fax machine, he locked the door and walked to the elevator.

  *******

  Lieutenant Banks sat in her unmarked car, watching the entrance to the parking lot where Jason sat. Despite believing this might be their best chance, she hated surveillance. It was ninety-nine percent mind-numbing boredom. No amount of coffee helped.

  Truth was she didn’t have a better place to be. Her nightly routine involved some TV and a glass of wine. She’d never married, preferring to focus on her career, but the right one hadn’t come along anyway. Her family still lived back east in Virginia, where she was from, and she only ever saw them at Christmas.

  Still, being home alone with a glass of wine was better than this.

  She watched as the silver BMW stopped on the other side of the road. The same man climbed out, blankets piled over his arm, and made his way down the street. She keyed her mic. “Our blanket guy is back tonight.”

  She heard Jason laugh. “Hey, send them this way. I could use a blanket tonight.”

  “Suck it up, Strong.”

  “Easy for you to say. Is the heat running in your car?”

  She smiled to herself. “I’m sorry, what was that? You’re breaking up.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought!”

  Sarah opened her thermos and poured the last cup of coffee. She looked at her watch.

  Crap! It’s only nine-thirty and I’ve drained my coffee supply.

  *******

  Vanessa didn’t mind surveillance, but she hated being away from Rob and Kasen. She didn’t get to kiss her little boy goodnight, say prayers with him, or enjoy dinner
with Rob. There was no choice though; she wasn’t about to let her partner be out here without her.

  “You doin’ okay, Jason?”

  “Yeah, I’m makin’ it.”

  “Two hours to go.”

  “What are you, Big Ben?”

  “Just want you to know how long before you can get warm.”

  Lieutenant Banks joined in. “If you ask me, Jason, she’s a lot more like a cuckoo clock.”

  Jason laughed. “I’ve been working with her for a long time. You have no idea, Lieutenant.”

  “Hey,” Vanessa interrupted. “No picking on a member of the team.”

  A very serious Banks came back on. “You’re right, cuckoo, I mean Vanessa.”

  “I don’t have to listen to this.” She reached up and pushed the mute button.

  *******

  Darrel Chase came out of the station and was met by a blast of cold wind. “Holy crap! That wind is cold.”

  He turned around and went back inside, rode the elevator to the basement, and unlocked the morgue. He had left his jacket on a hook in the small office, and hurriedly retrieved it, then locked up again. As he waited for the elevator, he thought he heard the sound of a printer.

  “The fax!”

  Unlocking the door again, he strode across the room to where the fax was just spitting out a sheet of paper. Sure enough, it was the tox screen on victim five’s urine. He ran his finger quickly down the page, stopping next to the positive number. Doc had been right.

  The victim had been killed by an injection of succinylcholine. Going immediately to the phone, he called dispatch.

  “Dispatch.”

  “Yes, this is Doctor Darrel Chase in the Coroner’s office. I need you to patch me through to Lieutenant Sarah Banks. This is an emergency.”

  “Please hold.”

  *******

  Sarah Banks downed the last of her coffee.