“Was this older man someone besides your uncle?”
Ursula slid her eyes sideways and looked at her soda can.
“I mean, you were responsible for screening the customers,” Lily continued. “During our first interview I mentioned that one of Tanya’s customers was a Hispanic male, which, after going over the evidence, points to your uncle.”
“We didn’t know it was Uncle Thomas until after the first massage.”
“It’s okay. You’re not in trouble,” Lily said, pulling her chair closer to Ursula. “I know everything I need to.” She hoped that what she was saying was reassuring. Maybe there was something else she could say to speed things along, yet remain sincere. “All I need is for you to be Tanya’s voice. Open up and tell me her side of the story.”
“He promised he’d pay for her college in Texas if she kept quiet,” Ursula said, reaching out and fanning her fingers over the scratches etched into the table. “She saw him a couple more times, but said what she was tired of doing the massages. When he asked to see her one more time, Tanya ignored his chat messages. So I was shocked when she took a ride with Uncle Thomas on the day she left.”
“Do you know for a fact that he gave your cousin a ride?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I walked with her two blocks away to meet him. He was there waiting in his loud stupid truck. Uncle said he’d feel better if he was with her when Tanya met CtryGeek. She left and texted me and told me her and Samantha were safe.”
“Was that the last time you talked to her?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Lily realized that was all the information she was getting out of Ursula. There was nothing left to tell.
*
Alec pulled Lily to the side as she retreated from the interrogation room. “She Who Shall Not Be Named is waiting for you in the conference room.”
“Why? Never mind. Something must be wrong.”
As Lily made her way down the hallway, cries from a woman filtered from behind the walls of another room a few doors down from her dad’s office. She stopped, glanced out the window facing the front entrance and watched as her colleagues gathered the stuffed animals, cards and flowers placed there in memorial to Collin and brought them inside.
Her heart skipped a beat. It was real. Her dad would no longer poke his head into her cubicle to see if she’d be over to the house for dinner. Or ask her to McGinley’s for a drink and a lame game of darts. Her dad was gone.
Lily’s thoughts were interrupted by the sustained whimpers of a lady in another room. She advanced down the hall and walked into the conference room. “Are you bringing me bad news?”
“I’m anxious to see what’s on the video from the pub.”
“My detectives haven’t briefed me yet.”
Ibee reached into her briefcase and handed Lily a manila folder marked Sanchez. “The state isn’t going to offer a plea bargain.”
“Offering him a plea bargain is key to finding CtryGeek23.” Lily accepted the folder, refusing to open it. “We have Sanchez where we want him.”
“No, we don’t. Sanchez could offer the moon and my boss wouldn’t allow it; neither will a judge.”
“Then we’ll put together a press conference. See if we can get help from the public.”
“I know you think that I don’t care.”
“You don’t.”
Ibee lowered her brow. “I’d love to have both packaged but the longer we drag it out, the worse it’ll get. Get me new evidence that’ll satisfy my boss and I’ll file the charges and have his bail revoked. Otherwise, you’ll have to get him to give up this other person.” She started for the door, then stopped. “Oh by the way. It seems like we have something in common.”
Lily looked at Ibee. “We have nothing in common.”
“Your hubby. You’d be doing both of us a favor if you’d press charges against him,” Ibee smirked. “Not doing it sends a bad message to women all over Fort. If word was to get out, but we know it won’t.”
*
3:00 p.m.
Still reeling from the news about Thomas Sanchez, Lily forced down her resentment as she watched a smile snake across Ibee’s ruby lips while cameras clicked and strobes flashed, lighting up the Fort Atkinson P.D. Meeting Room 30.
Sergeant Owen and the police chief stood behind the A.D.A. while Lily waited in place off to the side, holding tightly the only photo that showed CtryGeek23 with Sanchez and Tanya.
Somewhere among the crowd of journalists, a man coughed as everyone took their seats.
Ibee leaned into the microphone and said, “I think everyone’s here so let’s start the press conference.” She looked down at her notes then back up at the reporters. “After I’m finished speaking, you’ll have a chance to hear from Sergeant Owen and Detective Blanchette.” She shuffled through the papers. “I want to offer my condolences to the people who’ve been affected by the recent killings here in Fort Atkinson. Also, rest assured that the FAPD has been working diligently to catch those responsible.
“With that being said, my office has decided to prosecute Thomas Sanchez for his part in those crimes. And once the other suspect is caught, I’ll make sure that he’s prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Ibee stepped away from the podium and motioned for Sarge to take his turn.
“Although difficult for the families,” Sarge began, “I can’t thank them enough for doing all that was and is necessary to make this process easier for us to do our job, in hopes for them to begin the healing process. Now, we’re reaching out to the community to help us solve this case.
“After visiting the latest family who’s had their lives changed because of this individual, we’ve acknowledged that this recent string of violence has people on edge. Let me assure you that it’s our responsibility to end this and we’re going to enlist whatever resources necessary to do so. My department, along with my lead detective and her team, are working around the clock to identify the other perpetrator involved and I believe that we will catch him.” Sarge turned to his detective in charge.
Lily walked up to the podium and scanned the heads of reporters, separating the other ones from her husband. She hoped Julius had decided to not show up.
She gave up the search and quickly gathered her thoughts. “To echo the voices of the assistant district attorney and my sergeant, your safety and tracking down this assailant is our priority. We do know that all the victims were targeted through some form of online contact. We’re not asking you to stop enjoying your social media. All we’re asking is that you be more cautious about what personal information you share on the internet.
“Unfortunately, we are concerned that this person will strike again. Where and when, we don’t know and that’s why we’re coming to you for help.” She held up the photo taken from Melli’s Coffee. “It’s not a great picture, but we were able to determine that he’s a white male with black hair and tends to wear sunglasses to hide his face.
“It looks like he’s bundled up in a dark coat. Most importantly, at least one of his online handles is CountryGeek23.
“He knows how to keep a low profile. This guy has no problem blending in with the public and is the type of person you’d feel comfortable around. We have confirmation that he’s visited Melli’s Coffee, which is a spot frequently enjoyed by many, especially college students. There has to be someone out there that knows something. It’s not much but it’s all we’ve got.
“Are there any questions?”
The clicking of cameras resumed as hands flew up in the air. “Can you tell us the charges pending against Thomas Sanchez?” a reporter asked.
“I can’t share those details right now while this case is ongoing.” Lily pointed to a reporter in the middle.
“How soon do you expect to have the suspect in custody?” the other reporter asked.
“With the help of the community and the media, hopefully very soon,” Lily said.
“Have you determined if the
killings are random?” Julius asked, rising from his chair.
Lily’s heart skipped a beat as she adjusted her scarf. After everything that had happened between them, he couldn’t take a step back. “I can’t answer that at this time.”
“That is all the questions for now.” Sarge tapped Lily on her shoulder and led her away from the podium and through the slit of the curtains with Evan and Alec following behind them.
“We’ll let you know when we have more,” Ibee’s voice said in the distance.
An unexpected frustration clawed through Lily. For a few seconds, she felt as if she was being ushered out of the press conference by Uncle Kevin instead of her boss. She turned on him. “I can take care of myself.” Her phone buzzed on her hip.
She checked it and read the text from an unknown number. “Let it go, or you’ll end up like your dad.”
“I know you can take care of yourself,” Sarge said. “But because of what happened between you and Julius last night, I didn’t want it to become a topic during the press conference.”
Lily showed Sarge her phone. “Julius is the least of my worries.”
*
After the press conference, Lily pressed number one on her desk phone to replay the disturbing voice mail Landon left only minutes earlier: “It’s urgent that you call me back. I’ve come across some new information regarding Celine’s death. There’s something that you need to know.”
As Lily hung up the phone, Alec walked into her cubicle. “Keys said the text you received came from a throwaway phone.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Still creeped out?”
“I’ve tried thinking of it as an occupational hazard.”
Alec handed Lily a folder. “There’s the rest of the stills we pulled from the surveillance video at McGinley’s and Melli’s Coffee. There wasn’t anything useful at the music school or the brewery.”
Lily looked over the stills. “How far do they go back?”
“McGinley’s, six weeks. Coffee shop, three. Of course there’s the one when your dad and Montejack got into it. Then we have the one showing Montejack and Deena sitting down, talking with another male. From there things get heated between Landon and the other guy.”
The photos from McGinley’s had a slight distortion, but it was very clear to Lily that the one with Deena and Landon proved they were more than just friends.
Alec pointed to a woman in the picture. “I spoke with the waitress who worked that shift. She thought the two were an item.”
A surge of nausea overcame Lily. It’s true. Mother was having an affair with Landon. What connection did she have with him that she couldn’t find with Dad?
Lily moved on to another photo and observed the dark-haired male pointing his finger in Landon’s face. Ice traveled up her spine. The fury etched in his face was all too familiar. She knew who it was. Julius.
There has to be an explanation.
She pulled the pictures from Melli’s closer to her. “There’s Sanchez standing next to Tanya. I don’t see her friend. There’s our guy off to the left with his head turned away from the camera.” She turned to Alec. “CtryGeek can’t always be this careful.”
“He’s too careful,” Alec said, resting his arm on top of the partition. “They were there for almost twenty minutes and he never faced the camera once. After Samantha arrived, they left.”
“Set up the DVD player in the conference room. I want to look at the video from Melli’s.”
Alec backed out of the cubicle and left.
Suddenly, Lily felt another wave of nausea and doubled over in pain. Come on. Let me finish this case before I have to battle the flu.
Her stomach started to churn. She reached for the trash can as the insides of her cheeks began to water and buried her head inside the plastic bag.
After the final heave, Lily sat up, tied up the trash and rose from her chair.
Alec came back into the cubicle. “It’s set up.”
Lily stepped away from her desk and followed Alec to the conference room. As she closed the door behind her, Alec pushed play.
Even with the pixilation, it was clear what she saw, confirming what she’d thought all along. The masculine outline. The way he moved. The night she rushed in to save Serena Fellows. It was the man from the cornfield. “In my first interview with Ursula, she said CtryGeek23 claimed to be twenty-three. I’m going on a hunch to say, he is not in his twenties.”
“He’s definitely older.”
“Where’s Evan?”
“He went to go visit an old buddy,” Alec said, shutting off the DVD player. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll live. I think I’ve got a touch of the flu. If you see Evan before I do, tell him to call me. I need to talk to him immediately. I’m going to stop by Landon’s on the way home.”
“Want me to follow?”
“No.” Lily popped a mint in her mouth. “This is something I have to take care of myself.”
*
For the fourth time, Lily called Montejack on his office phone. As she waited for the call to connect, a dark car turned the corner, slowed and parked on the other side of the street. It was hard to tell, but the mesh grille resembled the vehicle that followed her after she’d left the Hawk’s Nest.
Again with the busy signal.
Lily crunched down on the remainder of her second mint and slid her cellphone into its case. Keeping an eye on the car with its tinted windows, she jumped out of the truck and walked up to the side door leading to Montejack’s office.
She knocked and waited a few seconds before ringing Montejack’s phone once more.
The results were the same. Busy.
She glanced down at the clock on her phone. 5:30 p.m.
Lily peered through the small window on the door and craned her neck to inspect the office. Over by Landon’s desk, several sheets of paper lay on the floor, leaving a littered trail next to the chaise. From that angle, all Lily could see was a pair of men’s shoes propped up on the chair.
Montejack must be in session.
She went back to her truck and found herself once again staring at the mysterious car. The thirty seconds it took for her to get to the door and turn back around was more than enough time for the driver to get out of the car and go wherever. But that hadn’t happened.
Suddenly, the dark car’s engine turned over and the vehicle drove away.
Lily plucked her note book off the dashboard, scribbled “Chevy” and “LZD4489” on the paper and texted it to Alec. “Please run this for me.”
She rubbed her abdomen and sipped some ginger ale. The mints had taken away the bitter taste, but the queasiness still lingered.
As night time crept in, she checked her watch.
6:03 p.m.
She made her way back up to the side door and knocked.
No answer.
Lily took another glimpse inside.
The shoes were still on the chair. The patient hadn’t changed his position.
It’s not like Montejack to go over on appointments. He always booked his sessions on the hour, ending the session five minutes before.
Slowly, she gripped the doorknob, turning it until she heard it click. She opened the door and stepped inside.
“Montejack?”
Lily took a couple of steps and moved further into the office. As she turned the corner leading into the sitting area for the sessions, she stared at the gruesome sight on the lounge chair.
There was Montejack, lying on his back with the black handle of a knife protruding from his mouth.
Lily scooped her cell out of its case.
A second later, her world went black.
Chapter 34
6:12 p.m.
Evan sat across from Gus Shaw, his friend of fourteen years. The old coot still wore baseball caps and chain-smoked two packs a day like he did when he worked as a DEA agent up in Madison. Now he was retired and running his own private investigation firm.
“Of course y
ou wouldn’t have found anything on him. It happened when he was a minor,” Gus said.
“Why did they slide this under the carpet?”
“They didn’t have enough evidence to charge him. Instead they sent him to some shrink.”
“Talk about your timeout.”
“No shit. The father told the police he had warned his wife about letting their son do women’s work; cooking and cleaning. There were no domestic issues ever reported. It was labeled an accident.”
“I doubt that.”
“Julius Willer has been clean ever since.”
“I need you to dig deeper. Follow him around for a few days.”
“You got it.”
*
7:40 p.m.
Lily rubbed the back of her head as the paramedic attempted to get her to lie down on the stretcher. “I’m fine. Get me off this thing.”
“You might have a concussion,” Sarge said, walking up to her.
“I don’t have a concussion. It’s been a while since it happened. I can walk without feeling dizzy and I’ve answered everyone’s questions about what happened right up until someone hit me from behind.”
“The question you haven’t answered is why you were here in the first place. Was it about the video?”
It’s more than the video. I wanted to know why my Mother and her ex were discussing Celine with Julius. And to find out if Montejack was my father. But Lily wasn’t ready to tell her personal secret to anyone. Not even Sarge. “Yes.”
A siren chirped in the background as Alec walked up to Sarge, his eyes avoiding Lily’s. “The information came back on the car.”
Crap. That was something Lily had hoped to tell Sarge herself. She rubbed her brow and got down off the stretcher, steadying herself for another lecture.
“What did you find out?” Sarge demanded.
“The Chevy belongs to the Surace family.”
Sarge rocked on his heels and turned to Lily. “You don’t look surprised.”
“I had a feeling it was them. It started after I went to the Hawk’s Nest to speak with Mr. Surace about Dad.”
“I told you to stay away from Evan’s case,” Sarge said, walking toward Montejack’s house.
Promised Lies (A Detective Blanchette Mystery) Page 23
