The Runaway Reporter (A Police Procedural Mystery Series of Crime and Suspense, Hyder Ali #3)

by Thomas Fincham

  There was a long sigh on the other end.

  Hyder told him everything.

  At the end, Lester said, “Wow, this is some serious shit, bro.”

  “It is, but please believe me, I never intended to harm Nolan.”

  “I believe you,” Lester said. “I’ve known you long enough to know that you don’t have a mean bone in you.”

  “Thanks, Lester.”

  “Now, tell me how I can help.”

  “Can you check up on my mom?” Hyder said.

  “No problem, anything else?”

  “I need a burner phone.”

  “A what?”

  “You know, a phone that the police can’t trace.”

  “Oh, you mean a disposable phone. Burner phone is spy-talk, bro.”

  “Sorry, I’m just a little anxious. I need one to call Detective Lopez. I don’t want her tracing my phone, if she hasn’t already done so.”

  “Sure, I’ll leave one in the garbage container behind the coffee shop across the street.”

  There was silence for a moment. “Lester, I hate to involve you in this,” Hyder finally said. “You could be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive.”

  “Don’t worry about me, bro,” Lester said. “I can take care of myself. You just take care of yourself.”

  SIXTY-SEVEN

  After hanging up on Lester, Hyder felt a bit better. He was glad he had a friend on his side. Since the incident, he had been feeling isolated and lonely.

  He needed all the support he could get.

  He went and grabbed a copy of the Daily Times. He wasn’t interested in reading whose story had made it on the front page, he was more interested in knowing what had happened to Nolan.

  He flipped through the entire paper and found no mention of him.

  Why was that? Maybe the news had not made its way to the press yet. Or maybe the department was keeping a tight lid on it, like they had done with the Riverfield Massacre.

  Hyder had a feeling that both were related somehow. He just didn’t know how.

  He felt his stomach grumble. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t fasting today. This meant he was late for breakfast.

  He found a fast food restaurant about a block from the Daily Times and ordered a coffee and an egg and cheese sandwich, with hash browns on the side.

  He ate slowly and purposefully. He kept his eyes on the television screen mounted on the other side of the wall.

  He feared a breaking story would appear any minute, which would show a mug shot of him with the headline: Reporter shoots police detective. Or: Detective shot and fighting for his life. Or even: Detective killed by reporter friend.

  Hyder was making up his own headlines, but he couldn’t help it. He was accustomed to coming up with catchy lines to grab readers' attention.

  When enough time had passed, he left the restaurant.

  He went to the spot where Lester had told him he would leave the disposable phone. After a bit of searching, he found it behind the metal container.

  He didn’t have the courage to call his mom, so he called his brother instead.

  “Bhai (brother), it’s me, Hyder,” he said.

  “Where are you?” Akbar quickly replied. “Ammi told me you didn’t come home last night. She’s worried about you.”

  Hyder couldn’t tell him the truth. He didn’t want him involved. Plus, the less he knew the more he could deny if and when the police showed up at his doorstep asking about him. “I was at the masjid and… um, my phone wasn’t working, so I couldn’t call Ammi. I’m using a friend’s right now. I can’t talk long, but I will call Ammi soon.”

  Before Akbar could ask any more questions, he hung up.

  He felt bad for keeping his family in the dark, but it was for their own good.

  SIXTY-EIGHT

  Lopez was in Halton’s office. Without wasting any time he asked, “How’s Detective Nolan doing now?”

  “He still hasn’t regained consciousness, but we’re hoping it will be soon,” she said.

  He nodded, as if digesting this information. “Did you find anything that might tell us how he was shot?”

  She shook her head. “I’m waiting for Nolan to tell me once he’s awake.”

  Halton studied her and then said, “I know you must think I hate Nolan. I can’t say I like him, in fact, I think he’s a prick, but he is still a member of this force, and he is still under my command, which means I take what happened to him very seriously. An officer of the law was gravely injured, and I intend to put the person responsible behind bars. I know you and Nolan are close, so I want you to know that you have my full support in finding this person.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she replied.

  “If there is anything you want to share, you can freely do so at any time. We are all on the same team.”

  “I know, sir,” she said. “And thank you for your support.”

  He looked at her, nodded. “You can go now, detective.”

  He watched Lopez leave the office.

  He leaned back in his chair. The door opened and Pascale walked in.

  “Did she say anything?” he asked.

  Halton shook his head. “I’m not sure if she’s lying or if she really has no idea what’s going on.”

  “I highly doubt it, sir,” Pascale replied.

  “Are you sure it’s Hyder Ali?” Halton asked.

  Pascale tapped the file in his hand. “The forensics report confirmed Ali’s prints were on Nolan’s weapon. Plus, the ballistics report showed it was Nolan’s weapon that was used on him. We also found a shell casing at the scene, and we matched it to Nolan’s weapon. So, in short, Nolan’s weapon was fired, the bullet hit Nolan, and Ali’s prints were on the weapon. It’s pretty straightforward in my opinion. But if you are still not satisfied, we can also retrieve the bullet from the hospital—the very one pulled out of Nolan’s body, and I can guarantee you, once we analyze it, it will be from the same gun.”

  Halton rubbed his chin. “And you think she knows Ali’s behind the shooting?” he said.

  “I had the forensics unit expedite the report and it was on my desk early this morning,” Pascale replied. “Once I knew what I was looking at, I went to the hospital hoping to speak to Nolan. That’s when I spotted Lopez in Nolan’s room. Something had bothered me about last night, sir. Why didn’t Nolan call 9-1-1 himself? He was bleeding profusely and should’ve known better to seek immediate medical attention. Instead, he called Lopez, who was halfway across the city. So, I decided to follow her to confirm my suspicions and guess where she went?” He paused for dramatic effect. “The Daily Times.”

  Halton shook his head. “Why is she protecting Ali?”

  “I guess out of loyalty. Ali and Nolan are friends.”

  “But he shot Nolan. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m as confused as you are, sir, but I can tell you, she knows more than she’s telling us.”

  Halton leaned back and closed his eyes. “Keep an eye on her. See if she meets Ali.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And Detective Pascale…”

  “Sir?”

  “From this point on, Hyder Ali is a suspect in the attempted murder of Detective Tom Nolan, which means you have the department’s full support in locating and apprehending him.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  SIXTY-NINE

  Lopez was back at the hospital. For Nolan’s protection, the department had assigned an officer to guard his door.

  She knew it wasn’t necessary. Hyder didn’t seem like someone who would return to finish a job. But again, he didn’t look like a person who was capable of shooting someone.

  She flashed her badge. The officer allowed her to enter.

  Instead of finding Nolan alone, she found Captain Ross standing next to his bed.

  Ross looked like he had aged quite a bit in the last couple of days. He had bags under his eyes and his face had the look of someone who was under immense pressure.


  She could tell he had been through a lot. First, he had lost his son, Rudy; and now Nolan, who was like a surrogate son to him, was under sedation.

  “Captain,” Lopez said.

  He turned to her. There was so much sadness in his eyes. “Detective,” he said.

  “The doctors said he’ll make a full recovery,” she quickly said.

  He nodded but didn’t respond.

  She stood next to him and stared at Nolan. His eyes were closed, but they were moving under his eyelids. She knew it was because of the pain medications. They were keeping him drowsy.

  Was he even aware that they were there? She mused. What if she spoke to him, would he hear her?

  Even if he did, he was in no position to respond back.

  Fortunately, Ross broke the silence. “Do you know who did it?” he asked.

  She wasn’t sure whether to lie to him or tell him the truth. “I have an idea.”

  “Did it have anything to do with my son’s case?”

  “I don’t know, sir.”

  He nodded again, but this time more slowly. “Tom is a good man,” he said. “If I didn’t think this, I wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble to bring him back. He has his vices, God knows we all do, but in the end he will always do what is right.” He turned and faced her. “I want you to take good care of him. After what he went through with his wife, he now needs someone more than ever.”

  “I’m not going to leave his side, sir,” she said.

  “I know you won’t.” He smiled and left the room.

  She went over to Nolan and whispered, “I’m here, Tom.”

  She stayed next to him until her phone rang.

  She quickly moved to the other side of the room.

  “Detective Lopez here,” she said.

  “It’s me, Hyder,” said the caller.

  “Hyder, where are you?” she immediately said.

  “First, tell me if Tom is okay.”

  She looked over at his bed and said, “He’s fine. They expect him to make a full recovery.”

  She heard a sigh of relief on the other end.

  She then said, “Hyder, you need to come down to the station. We have to talk about what happened.”

  “No, not the station. I want to meet in a public space.”

  “Okay, where?”

  “The Wallace Henry Square,” he replied. “And please come alone.”

  SEVENTY

  The Wallace Henry Square was in the center of Downtown Franklin. In the middle of the Square were two statues, one for Patrick Wallace and the other for James Henry.

  Wallace had arrived in the mid-1860s and found an area that had nothing but open land and dirt. But what it did have was a strip of water, which ships used in order to pass through.

  Wallace was a businessman who sold supplies from the back of his wagon. He moved from town to town until he realized it was better to put some roots down. He opened a retail store near the water with the hope that sailors would stop over and buy his goods.

  They didn’t. They just moved right along until they passed his store. He quickly realized the reason they weren’t stopping was because there was no port.

  Wallace then contacted his brother-in-law, James Henry. Henry was a struggling bridge builder down in the south. Wallace made a proposition to him: If Henry built a port for him then he could charge whatever he wanted to the ships that docked there. In return, Wallace would keep the sales from the customers that came by his store.

  They struck a deal that turned out to be far more lucrative than any one of them could have imagined.

  Henry ended up building more ports around the country while Wallace opened many more stores.

  The statues were a reminder of what could be accomplished if two people came together for a common goal.

  Lopez stood across from the Square and surveyed the area. She was hoping to spot Hyder. She quickly realized it wasn’t going to be easy.

  Hyder had picked a perfect spot to meet.

  The Square received tourists daily. They came on buses to not only shop in the stores around the Square but to also take photos in front of the statues.

  Right now, a group from Japan was gathered at the foot of the founders of Franklin.

  On either side of the statues were four water fountains. Lopez went over and sat on the edge of one of them.

  Hyder hadn’t specified where to sit. But she knew he wouldn’t have much trouble spotting her.

  Was he looking at her now? She didn’t know.

  Across from her was a giant church.

  It was built around the time of Wallace and Henry. They were both devout Christians, and to thank the Lord for their success, they constructed it. Unfortunately, Wallace died before its completion, but Henry was there when its doors were opened to worshippers.

  They were both buried inside the church.

  Lopez had visited their bodies when she younger but hadn’t stepped foot inside a church for quite some time now. If her parents ever found out, they would give her a piece of their mind.

  Religion played a big part in the life of Mexicans. This was evident from the way they wore their faith on their sleeves. From the crosses around their necks, to the Christianity symbols in their houses, to even the tattoos of Jesus Christ on their bodies, Mexicans were connected to their beliefs.

  But Lopez wasn’t one of them. Maybe it had to do with the death of her brother. He was an innocent bystander, and she couldn’t believe a god would allow a child to die the way he did.

  But millions of children died each year, so why should her brother be any different, she had come to think later. Such was life, and the only thing one could do was make the best of it.

  She felt someone next to her.

  She turned.

  It was Hyder.

  He wore a light jacket with a baseball cap over his head. He looked anxious, and he fidgeted. He kept looking around as if someone would pop out and grab him.

  “How are you, Hyder?” she asked.

  “Okay, I guess. Are you here to arrest me?” he asked bluntly.

  “I don’t know yet, but first, tell me about last night.”

  He took a deep breath, and then said, “Everything was fine. When I went over to his house, Tom looked happy. He asked me about my fasting and I asked him about his sobriety. We exchanged some jokes, mostly about how the house looked much cleaner now and also how it smelled nicer too. I told him you were a good influence on him.”

  She tried to smile, but couldn’t. “Why did you go there last night?” she asked.

  “A source told us that your captain’s son was the suspect in the murders on Riverfield Street. I wanted to talk to Tom to confirm this. But we didn’t even get a chance to speak about it.”

  “What happened?”

  A pained expression creased his face. “It happened so fast, but at the same time, it was like it was in slow motion. Oh my God,” he said, sighing. “I never meant to harm him, I swear.” She didn’t say anything. She wanted him to tell her everything. “One minute, we were laughing, and the next, he attacked me.”

  “He did what?” Lopez was surprised.

  “He just walked over, grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and then came at me.” Hyder pulled down his jacket and showed her the wound on his shoulder. “I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. He came at me a second time and that’s when I saw his gun on the side table. I grabbed it and fired.” Hyder put his hands over his face. “I didn’t mean to shoot him. I just wanted to scare him. When I saw him on the ground and all that blood, I dropped the gun and ran. I was so scared I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m so sorry.” Tears filled his eyes. He was on the verge of breaking down.

  Lopez bit her bottom lip to control her emotions. “What made Tom grab the knife?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “He received a phone call and—”

  Lopez nearly jumped up. “Did you say a phone call?”

  “Yeah, and after answer
ing it, he just changed.” Hyder then looked in the other direction. He turned to her. “I asked you to come alone,” he said.

  “I did,” she replied, and that’s when she spotted a man with sunglasses looking in their direction. The way he was standing, she knew he was an undercover police officer.

  Hyder bolted.

  Lopez looked around. She spotted more undercover officers. They were all running in Hyder’s direction. She then saw a man get out of an unmarked cruiser. It was Pascale.

  “Damn,” she swore.

  SEVENTY-ONE

  Hyder ran as hard as he could.

  There were four exits leading out from the Square. He hoped the one he took wasn’t blocked.

  He raced down the street.

  When he turned, he spotted two men in sunglasses coming his way.

  He then turned left. Suddenly heard sirens behind him.

  He didn’t even bother confirming what he already knew.

  He pushed and shoved past pedestrians as he made it down the block. He looked left and then right. He wasn’t sure where to go next.

  He had never run from the law before, so he didn’t come prepared with an exit strategy.

  He decided to go left.

  He saw a bus parked behind a red light and he thought about jumping into it, but he knew the police wouldn’t hesitate to surround it. Once they did, there would be no escape for him.

  He heard commotion behind him. When he turned, he saw several police cruisers racing his way. There was no way he could outrun them.

  Across the street, he saw a sign. It was for the entrance to a shopping mall.

  He jumped on the road and ran across. He narrowly missed being hit by several cars, earning himself blared car horns and angry curses.

  He went through the revolving doors, turned to see if anyone was following him.

  He saw the same two men with sunglasses. They were making their way towards the shopping mall. Unlike him, they were careful with the traffic.

  He quickly scanned the interior of the mall. Shoppers were strolling in and out of various stores.