Premonition (Detective Jade Monroe 4)

by C. M. Sutter

  “Pick her brain, Jade, and find out. She might come in handy once in a while, just like Marie does.”

  “Good idea, Adam. I will for sure.”

  At ten thirty I heard a set of footsteps walking toward the bull pen. They were finally finished. I rose from my desk when Marie peeked around the corner.

  “I think we’re done, Jade. Would you like to come back and take a look?”

  “Sure thing.” I walked with Marie back to the conference room and took the same seat I had sat in earlier. Several open books containing female facial features, as well as partial pencil sketches on white drawing paper, lay scattered across the table.

  “Wow, you’ve been busy.”

  Two completed sketches on paper lay in front of Kate. She stared down at them.

  “It’s weird, you know.”

  “What is, Kate?”

  “How my dreams are now real. These ladies actually exist somewhere.”

  “May I?”

  Kate slid the drawings across the table toward me. I studied them and saw how the blond woman was far more detailed than the redhead.

  “I don’t know if we can get a positive ID on her.” I tapped on the drawing of the redhead. “You did say the woman moved around a lot and was in the shadows most of the time, but we’ll do the best we can. These sketches are pretty remarkable, and they’re as close as you remember in your dreams?”

  “The blond woman is exactly how I remember her.”

  “That’s good—really good.” I stood and thanked Marie for her help. She closed the door at her back and left. “You look spent,” I said to Kate. “Want to take a break? We can grab a snack in the lunchroom. I think you need a caffeine jolt too.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  We walked down the hallway to the lunchroom and studied the contents of the sandwich vending machine. We agreed on two turkey wraps that still looked edible. I slid in a five, pressed B-2, and the sandwiches dropped to the door at the bottom. I pressed E-4, and two bags of chips followed. The small six-cup brew station pumped out the coffee while we talked quietly over our food. We were the only people in the lunchroom, and the privacy was nice. I needed to know more about Kate Pierce. I was intrigued.

  I listened closely as she answered every question I threw at her. I heard the lingering southern drawl when she spoke. I had always thought of Kate as pretty from a distance, with her curly black locks, but I never studied her features. I chalked it up to me never giving her more than five minutes of my time. She had strikingly pale blue eyes, almost icy yet beautiful. Her skin was Porcelain white—she mustn’t be a sun worshipper like me. She was tall and slender—the word willowy came to mind. I wondered if she had any friends, if she ever did anything that wasn’t work related. I’d seen her at the summer village picnics in her psychic tent, doing personal readings, but what did she do in her downtime? I couldn’t fathom a life spent alone with the only company being the victims in her nightmares.

  “Did you grow up in Atlanta, Kate? Is your family there?”

  “My mom is. My dad left us when I was young, and I don’t really remember much about him. Faint images of him pop into my head now and then. I have an older sister that lives in Portland.”

  “Maine or Oregon?”

  She smiled. “Oregon.”

  “Too bad that’s so far away.”

  “It’s okay. We aren’t close and haven’t kept in touch. She thinks I’m a wacko.”

  Her words stung—I had thought the same thing for the last two years. “So, where do you live?”

  “Downtown in an efficiency apartment above Myers Hardware.”

  I groaned. “Does old man Myers even heat that building?”

  Kate chuckled. “Barely. I swear in the dead of winter, I can take an ice scraper to the north windows. I’ve learned to put plastic over them.”

  We both laughed. I was beginning to like this woman.

  “So what really happened that night ten years ago?” I got up and poured two cups of coffee then returned to the lunch table.

  “I lived near the Atlanta Technical College, where I went to school. My friends and I were out on a Friday night—our typical routine. Charlie’s was a fun dive bar on a busy corner. There was always action around there, and I knew the neighborhood well. I felt safe.”

  I watched Kate’s expression go to a dark place. I reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

  She nodded and cleared her throat. “Anyway, I decided to go home a little earlier than the rest of my friends. We normally stayed out until closing, but I had a headache that night. Against everyone’s protests, I left alone—my apartment was only a few blocks away. The streets were well lit until you reached the apartment complex. There, the winding brick sidewalks through the trees looked charming and peaceful during the day, but at night, it was dark and shadowy. I could see my building straight ahead on the right. I had a ground-floor unit, and each apartment had a dusk-to-dawn porch light for safety. They were all illuminated, but I never made it that far.”

  I handed Kate a stack of napkins from the dispenser on the table. Tears that seemed to have horrible memories attached to them slid down her cheeks.

  She dabbed her eyes and thanked me, then continued on. “Around the last curve of the sidewalk and only fifty feet from the building, he sprung out of nowhere. Being close to the apartments like that cast enough ambient light to see his face. There had been a few rapes in previous months throughout Atlanta, and I’m sure that was his intent. He began ripping at my clothes, but I struggled with him and fought hard. I began to scream, so he covered my mouth with his stinky hand.”

  “Describe stinky to me.”

  “His hand smelled like cigarettes and grime, like he hadn’t wash them in ages. Anyway, I don’t think he was expecting someone to fight back so fiercely. Lights were coming on in the apartments from the noise, so instead of raping me, he slit my throat—twice. I fell to the ground, bleeding profusely while trying to hold my throat together. I saw him run into the darkness, then everything became foggy and I passed out.”

  “I can’t believe you survived that.”

  “It was horrible luck and good luck at the same time. Horrible that it even happened but good that he didn’t hit my carotid artery either time. I would have bled out in seconds, otherwise. The next thing I knew, it was the following afternoon. I was in ICU at Northside Hospital, and my mom was sitting next to my bed.”

  “What did the police say at your hospital interview?”

  Kate took a sip of coffee and made a face. “Yuck—this is cold.”

  “Hang onto your thought. I’ll warm these up.” I got up and carried the cups back to the counter and topped both of them off. I placed them in the microwave for thirty seconds, flipped the switch to turn off the coffeemaker, and returned to the table with two piping-hot coffees.

  “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, the cops told me what I expected. They interviewed every apartment resident facing that side of the complex. Nobody actually saw the man except me. The residents only heard my screams. I guess a few of them ran outside and called 9-1-1 as soon as they saw my condition. The cops had their forensic team out there, but they didn’t find any trace evidence.”

  “Not even under your nails?”

  “I didn’t have any nails—I bite them off. All they had to go on was my description of him, and that didn’t come right away. I think I was in shock for a while. I finally had a nightmare of the attack and saw his face again. That’s when they brought in a sketch artist to work with me. Do you think he’s going to come after me, Sergeant, now that he’s free?”

  “I don’t want to make you unnecessarily fearful, but he could track you as far as Chicago if he really wanted to. Even though you moved away from Atlanta, you never changed your name.” I thought about the newspaper clippings and my online search. “Keep in mind, those newspaper articles written about how you’ve helped the Nashville and Chi
cago police departments were flattering, but it was a way to track your location too. It was public information easily found on the internet. I did it, and anyone else can too. Maybe it’s a good thing we never pulled you in on a case. You’ve had no publicity in Wisconsin.”

  Chapter 11

  “So, are you up for starting the unidentified-persons search today?”

  The analog clock on the lunchroom wall showed it was quarter to twelve.

  “I have a private reading at one o’clock,” Kate said, “but I could come back later.”

  “That would be great. We can get started this afternoon and see if anything pans out.” From the expression on Kate’s face, it looked as though she had more to say. “Is there something else on your mind?”

  “Actually, there is. I want to thank you, Sergeant Monroe, for finally believing in me.” She smiled. “It took a while. What changed your mind?”

  I hesitated, not knowing whether it was wise or not to show her Robert Lynch’s current photograph. It would prove her psychic abilities were right on and her dreams had real significance, but she said she didn’t want to see it. There were also the teardrop tattoos. I didn’t want to frighten her even more if she asked what they meant. Whether or not Robert Lynch actually murdered someone before he went to prison would be hard to find out, and I didn’t want that weighing on Kate’s mind.

  “I spoke with the detectives in Nashville and Chicago that worked with you years ago. They gave you high praises and said you were the real deal. I respect their opinions. I believe it’s time I opened up my mind a bit. Oh, one more thing, Kate.”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  “Please call me Jade. It isn’t necessary to be formal with me.”

  She smiled widely. “Okay. Should I call you when I’m ready to come back?”

  “Yep, that’s perfect. I’ll show you how to use the database, and we’ll see if anything shakes out.”

  I escorted Kate to the vestibule at the front of the building and watched as she walked to her car. She turned back and waved good-bye.

  Back in the bull pen, I had a call come in on my desk phone from Jack at the courthouse. He said there was a big commotion at the Mandy Blakely trial.

  “Didn’t they already break for lunch? What’s going on?”

  I looked at the clock—12:05. I had just put on my coat and was on my way out to run some errands when Jack called.

  “Nah—this started about twenty minutes ago, but it’s escalating quickly. I think we’re going to need to escort a few people to jail. Apparently, Whitney Smith went crazy and attacked the owner of Unhappilyhitched Inc. when he was called to testify. She jumped on Mandy too and broke her nose.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Wish I was. They’ve already cleared the courtroom, and everyone is in an uproar. People are out in the hallway, screaming and shoving each other, and the media is loving every second of it. We need you guys over here to lend a hand. The ambulance is loading Mandy up to take her to St. Joe’s. Two deputies are there to escort her, but she’s begging for you.”

  “Oh for Pete’s sake. Okay, hang tight. We’re on our way.” I clicked off. “Sorry, guys, looks like your lunch break is going to have to wait. There’s a brawl at the courthouse—Jack needs us.”

  Clark hung up the phone and came out of his office. “I was just informed too. Let’s go.”

  I strapped on my shoulder holster, and Billings, Clayton, and Clark did the same. We took off out the door and told Jan where we were going. Walking would have been faster, but we needed the cruisers in case we had to transport unruly people to the jail. We parked behind the courthouse and entered on the ground level then took the back staircase to the second floor. When we opened the stairwell door, the scene in front of us was surprising. The mob of people that had been jam-packed in the courtroom was now out in the hallway and creating quite a disturbance. Family members of the victims were at each other’s throats, blaming everyone that looked as though they deserved to be yelled at. The religious zealots in the middle of the mayhem had their say, declaring that the owner of Unhappilyhitched Inc. was destined to hell and deserved the punches Whitney Smith laid on him before the deputies pulled her off. Every spectator spewed their hatred for Dean’s extended family, Mandy, the owner of the cheaters website, and every man or woman that had ever accessed it.

  I saw Jack at the opposite end of the hallway with three deputies. Four people sat side by side on a bench next to them with their hands zip tied behind their backs. He waved us over.

  I called out to him, “What do you need us to do, partner?”

  “Get these people out of here. We’ve got six more that were throwing punches in cuffs. They’re against that side wall. Seems that everyone has an opinion about this case. Mandy is gone, Whitney Smith is with an officer in a back room behind the judge’s chambers, and Mr. Jacobs, the owner of Unhappilyhitched Inc., is in the courtroom with another police officer. We need to disperse this crowd and shut down the floor. The other courtrooms have already been emptied. Some of these people are spillover that took it upon themselves to get involved. We need the media out of here too. They’re just fueling the fire.”

  I nodded that I heard him through the noise. “Got it.” I turned to Adam. “Billings, call John and tell him to get a bus over here. There are too many people to put in the cruisers. Clayton, have those officers escort Whitney and Mr. Jacobs over to a holding cell for now. We’ll deal with them later. Boss, do you want me to go to St. Joe’s or help clear the floor?”

  I saw Clark wave down Lieutenant Colbert from the North Bend PD. “Go ahead, Jade. Between the city boys and our guys, we can handle this.”

  I pushed my way over to Jack. “I’m heading to St. Joe’s to check on Mandy. Once the doctor gives her the okay to leave, I’ll drive her back myself.”

  “Okay, keep me posted.”

  I took the two flights down the stairway and exited the back door. I called Kate Pierce as I drove and postponed our online unidentified-persons search until tomorrow.

  It was only a ten-minute drive to St. Joseph’s Community Hospital on the southern outskirts of North Bend. The campus was a beautiful place, with the hospital and hospice center only six years old. The staff was friendly and warm, and they knew me well. I entered and approached the reception counter.

  “Hello, Sergeant Monroe. What can I help you with?”

  “Hi, Liz. I’m here on official business. A couple of deputies brought Mandy Blakely in less than a half hour ago. She was involved in a scuffle, and I’ve heard she has a broken nose. Where can I find her?”

  “Yeah, she’s in emergency in one of the cubicles in the east hallway. I’ll take you back.”

  “Thanks. How are the kids?”

  Liz’s eyes lit up. “Oh, they’re fine and growing like weeds.”

  “I bet they are. Behaving?”

  She laughed. “Do six- and eight-year-olds behave?”

  “Yeah, I guess you got me there. Haven’t had any yet.”

  “Here we are.” She pointed down the hallway. “Mandy is in the second room on the left.”

  “Thanks, Liz. Take care.” I approached the deputies that were sitting in the hallway by the sliding glass doors to Mandy’s room. “Lincoln, Gates, how’s she doing?”

  They both stood. Gates nodded and addressed me. “Sergeant Monroe. The doctor said another half hour and she should be ready to go back to the jail.”

  “Sounds good.” I knocked on the glass and pulled back the curtain slightly to get a peek. Mandy saw me and waved me in. I waited. “Is it all right to come in?”

  The doctor turned to see who I was. “Do you want visitors, young lady?”

  “Yes,” Mandy said. “Sergeant Monroe can come in.”

  “How’s she doing, doctor?”

  He chuckled. “She’ll make it. She has six stitches, a broken nose that I’ve just set, and two eyes that will turn black and blue by tomorrow. Other than that, she’ll be fine. I’ll
be done here in a few minutes.”

  I took a seat next to the exam table Mandy was lying on and pulled out my notepad. “Want to tell me what happened? Did you provoke Whitney Smith?”

  Mandy scoffed. “You can ask anyone. There were at least two hundred witnesses there. That wackadoodle woman jumped the guy from the website right as he passed her to go testify. I was minding my own business and sitting next to my attorney. The deputy yanked her off the website guy and she flew back against our table. That’s when she punched me in the nose. Everyone saw it. Talk about a psycho.”

  “I would watch my tongue if I were you. You’re far from innocent, Mandy. Why did you want me here?”

  “Because you’re the only person I trust. I’m not very popular in this town, you know. I think most people would like to see me dead.”

  “You’ll be safe at the jail. I doubt if the rest of the trial going forward will be in open court.”

  The doctor washed his hands. “Okay, I’ve done all I can. The nurse will come in with instructions for Miss Blakely and set up her next appointment. She’ll need a prescription for pain pills. I’ll see her in ten days to remove the stitches and check if her nose set properly. Have a nice day.”

  “Skip the prescription. She’ll be fine with aspirin.” I thought it was in Mandy’s best interest not to take any form of opioid. She already had enough problems.

  The doctor nodded. “If you insist.”

  The nurse wrote down Mandy’s next appointment, handed me the card, and we left.

  “Can’t I sit in the front seat with you?” she asked as I led her to the cruiser.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’ll find out when your trial is going to resume and let you know. Until then, you go back to your daily activity.”

  “Which is doing nothing.”

  “Doing nothing is a lot better than being in prison, Mandy. Count what few blessing you have left.”

  I drove to the sheriff’s department and led Mandy upstairs and handed her off to John. “I’ll let you know about the trial when I hear more.”