Premonition (Detective Jade Monroe 4)

by C. M. Sutter

  Jack spoke up. “Good point, and they both climbed in from the driver’s side. He wanted to keep the cameras from seeing what he was doing. Being sandwiched between the cars like that did exactly what he wanted—it hid his actions.”

  I looked at Kate. “I know we don’t have much to give you, but do you recognize anything about the man’s gait or mannerisms?”

  She wrung her hands.

  “You don’t have to say yes to make us happy. Just be honest.”

  “It isn’t the man from my dreams. That much I know. I haven’t seen Robert for ten years, and only seeing this man from the back? I’d just be guessing. Is this the only tape of that parking lot? The man had to come from somewhere. Maybe he was in the store too.”

  “This is the only tape we have during the abduction. I’ll call Amoroso back and ask about inside the store. We need other views of the parking lot too.”

  Just as I reached for my desk phone, it rang. Detective Amoroso was on the line. I answered and chuckled when I heard his voice. “Now you must be psychic. I was just about to call you.”

  He laughed for a second, then went into serious, detective mode. “The BOLO on Deidra Nelson’s car just hit in Evansville, Indiana.”

  I squeezed Kate’s hand. “So, he’s heading north but taking his time for some reason. No sign of Deidra?”

  “Nothing yet. The car was found in a shifty neighborhood by a patrol officer. It was stripped of everything that could be sold. My guess is any fingerprints on the vehicle belong to petty thieves that are already in the system. It’s highly unlikely our perp left prints behind, and this was his way of insuring there would be plenty of others. We’re dealing with a smart guy, Jade.”

  “True enough. Is the car being processed?”

  “Definitely—what’s left of it. They’ve already taken it to the evidence garage. The crime lab is going to start on it soon.”

  “Good. So, I have a few questions for you, hence the call I was about to make.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Did you check the cameras inside the store for the man in the parking lot?”

  “We sure did, but we couldn’t find him anywhere.”

  “Okay, so he didn’t go inside. Are there more parking lot cameras? He had to come from somewhere. Another vehicle possibly?”

  “That would mean he has an accomplice unless he’s taking a bus or train everywhere.”

  “That sounds unlikely, but we’ll check that out after we see if he got out of a vehicle in the lot.”

  “I’ll contact the store right now and send a few officers over to pick up every tape they have from their outdoor cameras. I’ll have them include the back of the store and the dock areas. You’ll hear back from me in a few hours.”

  “Thanks, Joe.” I clicked off. “Now, it’s a waiting game.”

  Chapter 27

  Robert

  Tony woke up with a full bladder and stumbled to the bathroom. Robert stirred, cracked open his eyes, and tried to focus on the bedside clock. He thought it read nine forty-five. After grinding his fists into his gritty, burning eyes, he looked once more. It still read nine forty-five—now nine forty-six. He groaned with disappointment. They had missed the continental breakfast served every morning between six and ten. There wasn’t time for the hot breakfast of pancakes, waffles, and eggs, made to their liking, but they could make it downstairs to grab coffees, orange juice, muffins, and fruit before the breakfast service was over. All he needed to do was throw on his jeans and a T-shirt and go.

  He banged on the bathroom door. “I’m going to grab some food before they shut it down. If you want something to eat, hurry up. You only have ten minutes. I have the room key.”

  Robert heard Tony respond an “okay,” and he left. The door slammed at his back.

  In the hotel’s dining room, Robert grabbed a tray, slid it across the rails, and picked from what choices were left. He loaded up even though the pickings were slim. The bananas were gone, so he chose two apples—not his favorite fruit. In place of the muffins, he substituted three raspberry Danishes and a package of peanut butter crackers. He set two cups of coffee and four packages of powdered cream on the tray. It would hold him over until dinner.

  Tony entered the room just as the maid started clearing the breakfast counter and placing the platters and bowls on a cart.

  “Hey, hold your horses, sister, until I get my pick of things,” he grumbled.

  She sat at one of the tables and waited.

  Robert passed Tony on his way to the elevator. “I’m going upstairs to eat. Load up on everything you can. It will save us a few bucks on food.”

  Ten minutes later, Tony kicked the door at room 311. He didn’t have a key, and his hands were full, anyway.

  Robert pulled the door open. “This food isn’t half bad,” he said as he returned to the table by the window.

  “It ought to be good.” Tony placed his tray on the table, opposite Robert’s. “This hotel room cost over a hundred bucks.”

  Robert answered, his mouth full of peanut butter crackers, “Would you rather have stayed at that first shit hole? At least this place has hot water, clean sheets, and a killer view of the downtown area. The soft undertones of the decor are a nice touch too.”

  “Who are you, Martha Stowe?”

  “I think it’s Stewart.”

  They both chuckled.

  “My point is, once in a while you have to suck it up and stay somewhere decent. Hell, we just saved fifteen bucks on breakfast.” Robert jerked his head toward the window. “That truck has seen better days. You ought to think about getting rid of it soon. There can’t be much life left in it.”

  Tony nodded. “It only needs to get us through this mission.”

  “How long would you estimate before Deidra is found?” Robert huffed. “Deidra—what kind of stupid name is that, anyway?”

  “Hell if I know. It sounds like someone from Ma’s era. I’ll admit, throwing the cops off course was the best idea yet. When we leave, we’ll ditch her purse a few blocks from here in a nice part of town. The cops will probably think a purse thief snatched it. They’ll be waiting for her to call it in, but that will never happen. It’s going to take them forever to find her body.”

  “Unless she starts to stink and someone follows the smell.” Robert got up and opened the drapes. He stared off in the direction of the rail yard and abandoned warehouses.

  “You said you saw people walking over the bridge last night with flashlights?”

  “Yeah, they were probably heading to the rail yard to find an empty boxcar to hop.” Robert wanted to guide the conversation back to Deidra. He needed to know more about her last few minutes alive. “Did she say anything before you killed her? How did she act when you caught her?” Robert sat back at the table and leaned toward his brother. He focused on Tony’s expression. He wanted to relive the event through Tony’s details.

  “I knew she was close by, so I stopped and listened.”

  Robert was almost salivating. He couldn’t wait to hear the best part. “Then what?”

  “Then I heard her breathing. She was within a few feet of me. The only place she could be was behind a few broken pallets. I reached out, and she bolted like a cornered rabbit. I grabbed her arm and jerked her back, then held her in a choke hold. That’s when you yelled out to gut her.”

  Robert raised the cup to his mouth, his eyes laser beamed on Tony. “And?”

  “And she begged for mercy. She said she had two kids that needed her.”

  “Like we care. Go on.”

  Tony grinned. “I pulled the knife out of the sheath. The steel glistened in the parking lot light. She saw it and began to scream, so I put my hand over her mouth. I plunged the knife into her between her ribs. I pushed downward through her guts until the knife stopped. That new blade sliced through her like butter.”

  Robert leaned back and sucked in a deep gulp of air. “Yeah, the throat would have been good too, but that’s more my style.”
r />   “She thrashed and grunted, then went limp. I felt empowered when the life left her body. It gave me a rush, man. She dropped to her knees and fell forward. That’s when I grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her into the building.”

  Robert scratched his head and stretched. “Wish I could have seen it play out. Damn, I’m overdue. I need it.”

  “Yeah, it was definitely worth every second she held on. The next one has your name on it, bro.” Tony stood and cracked his neck. “I know one thing for sure.”

  “Yeah, what’s that?”

  “Taking someone’s life is better than sex.” He chuckled. “Man, I missed having you as a partner for ten years. Let’s enjoy this ride, but right now, I’m hitting the shower. We have a twelve o’clock checkout.”

  Chapter 28

  Kate left to run errands. She said she had a personal reading appointment on the west side of town at one thirty. She would return to the sheriff’s department after that if we had more video footage to look over. I told her I’d call as soon as I heard from Detective Amoroso.

  “Anybody want to join me for lunch?” I grabbed my coat and purse as I waited for a response.

  Clayton had to pick up a frozen turkey and drop it off at home, so he bailed on my invite. He mentioned that all frozen turkeys were on sale at Gibson Foods. I reminded myself to call Amber later and see if she was interested.

  “Come on, anybody? You’ve got thirty seconds to give me a yes or no, and then I’m outta here.”

  “Sure, I’ll go.” Jack pushed his chair back and reluctantly got up.

  Clayton and Billings snickered.

  “I don’t want this to be agony for you, partner. It’s only lunch, for Pete’s sake.”

  “I’m thinking ahead.”

  “Meaning?”

  The men chuckled, obviously knowing full well what Jack meant. I was baffled. It had to be a guy thing.

  “Well, what the hell? Does somebody want to clue me in on this mystery?”

  “The holidays,” Billing said. “We’re guys, Jade.”

  “Duh—I hadn’t noticed. Anyway, I need a little more than the obvious.”

  “Okay, here’s how it’s done. Men, meaning us, eat very little the week before Thanksgiving. That way we don’t feel so guilty loading up like a herd of pigs over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. After the holidays, we spend another week barely eating so we can get back to the pre-holiday weight. It’s like the extra ten pounds never happened. It works every year if we stick to the plan. If not, we gradually turn into”—Billings cocked his head toward Clark’s office—“him.”

  I laughed, then whispered, “Don’t let him hear you say that. That guy lost twenty pounds in the last four months. You got to give him some credit.”

  “Yeah, we do, but he has another twenty to lose.”

  “Anyway, let’s go. You can order Jell-O for your meal, Jack.”

  He pulled his coat off the back of his chair and trudged toward the door. I gave him a strong punch to the arm.

  “Don’t you guys wish you had my metabolism? I won’t gain a pound between now and New Year’s.” What they didn’t know was I’d already cut back on my calories a month ago in preparation for the holidays.

  Jack and I climbed into my car and headed downtown. A new restaurant had opened up several weeks ago that neither of us had been to yet. The word around town was that this new place made great salads.

  “Don’t think I bought that line of crap about eating less for the holidays. You never gain a pound of flab no matter how much you eat. You go to the gym, sweat for an hour, and you’re good to go.”

  Jack turned toward me and grinned. “Hey, it’s all part of the male bonding experience. Clayton and Billings feel better thinking I have the same problem they do. If they’d hit the gym religiously instead of once every six weeks, they’d be as fit and trim as me.”

  “Uh-huh,” I said as I parked my car and we got out. I cocked my head toward the restaurant. “Let’s check this joint out. I think there are a couple of salads inside calling our names.”

  We passed through the door of what used to be a seventies-style, paneled and worn-out restaurant that now had morphed into a chic, light, and airy venue with a young, modern vibe. I liked it instantly. Now if the food was as good as the place looked, we’d hit a home run. I’d find my new go-to restaurant only five minutes from my condo.

  The hostess seated us at a table next to the window that looked out over Main Street. She handed us the menus and left, saying she was going to get our glasses of water. Nice linens and heavy silverware gave the restaurant an expensive look, although the menu told me otherwise. The food was very affordable.

  “This place is really an improvement over Maxine’s Pub and Grille. Everything on the menu looks good too.”

  Jack browsed the choices. I was already set on a baby greens salad with walnuts, cranberries, and feta cheese. He set his menu down.

  “Find something you like?”

  “Yep. I’m going for the double sirloin burger and onion rings. What is that beer you always drink?”

  “The Scottish Ale?”

  “Yeah. I’m getting a pint of that too.”

  Jack’s choice sounded delicious, but I was sticking with the salad. I’d indulge in one Scottish Ale, though. I’d never give that up.

  The waitress approached, introduced herself, and recited the lunch specials of the day. Although they sounded great, we both had our minds made up. Anna, our waitress, took our order and left. A group of six had just been seated.

  Jack gave me an eyebrow raise. “So, tell me again why we’re involved with this Deidra Nelson case.”

  “What’s the harm? We aren’t on an active case right now, anyway. Mandy’s trial starts up again tomorrow, but we aren’t needed there. We’ve already testified.”

  “We could sit in and listen to it. We would be there to keep peace if necessary too,” Jack said.

  “It’s a closed trial now after the other day—no spectators.”

  “Oh yeah. Anyway, nothing with the Deidra Nelson abduction has happened in our jurisdiction, and why would it? The only connection our county has to any of that is because we have a psychic living in North Bend who has vivid dreams of bad people.”

  “Yeah, except they come true. It’s no different than Amoroso helping out. Just because Deidra Nelson lived in Nashville and is now presumably gone, that doesn’t give him a reason to keep on it. Her car was found in Indiana, out of his jurisdiction too. Maybe it’s that six-degrees-of-separation thing.”

  Jack stared at me as if I were an alien.

  I stared back. “What? You know, nothing is really connected, yet that tiny thread connects us all.”

  “Sure, if you say so. I’m surprised the FBI hasn’t been called in, though, since her car crossed state lines. It got to Indiana somehow, with or without her in it.”

  The waitress brought our meals, and we dug in. The expression on Jack’s face told me his double sirloin burger and onion rings were as good as they got. My salad was one of the best I’d ever eaten. That place scored a big A plus with both of us.

  The timing couldn’t have been better. Right as we took our last bites of food, my cell phone rang. I recognized my own desk phone number. I picked up—Billings was calling. He knew I was expecting a call from Detective Amoroso and had offered to answer in case my phone rang while we were out to lunch.

  “Hey, Adam. What’s up?”

  “Sorry to interrupt your lunch, Jade, but Amoroso just called. He said he emailed you a few more videos. His guys picked up the footage from every camera at the store. I guess there were two more outdoor cameras—another in the parking lot and one at the back dock area.”

  “That’s awesome. We’re waiting for the check, then we’ll head back. How were the carrot and celery sticks? At least tell me you dipped them in ranch dressing.” I chuckled, knowing Adam wouldn’t expect any less of me.

  He groaned. “Man, you really know how to throw
out the zingers.”

  “Thanks, I practice every day.”

  “Yeah, ranch dressing would have been nice. At least the carrot and celery sticks would have had some flavor.”

  “Okay, Jack just paid for lunch, bless his heart. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” I clicked off and dug a five out of my wallet. I tossed it on the table for the tip before we walked out.

  Back in the car, I checked the time. It was just after one. Kate wouldn’t be able to meet with us for another few hours. I called her anyway to let her know two more videos had come in.

  “Have you looked at them yet?”

  “No, we’re heading to the station right now. Jack and I just finished lunch. We’ll wait until you’re free.”

  “I’ll call you back in a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  Kate clicked off.

  “What was that about?”

  “Don’t know. She said she’d call me right back.”

  I drove six blocks east on Washington Street then clicked my blinker to turn left onto Schmidt Road. Sooner or later the city would have to put traffic lights or a roundabout at that intersection. I usually found myself sitting there, backing up the traffic behind me as I waited for an opportunity to gun it and scoot through oncoming cars. I gunned it, and my tires squealed. Jack shook his head, and I laughed.

  My cell rang as we were crossing the parking lot. Kate was calling back.

  “Okay, I pushed back the reading to three thirty.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I’m anxious, and Deidra Nelson’s life hangs in the balance.”

  “You do have a point. We’re walking in right now. I’ll download the videos and get everything set up. Tea or coffee?”

  “Tea, and I’m on my way.”

  Chapter 29

  Robert

  “That should throw them for a loop.” Tony checked the side mirrors before he crossed into the lane to merge onto the highway.

  Robert smirked. “Yeah, let’s think about this one. Her car is in the hood, her body is in an abandoned warehouse, and her purse with an empty wallet is hanging on the doorknob of a fancy house in Evansville’s nicest neighborhood. That should keep the cops busy while we move on to the next town. We need to slow this trip down a bit. I want to enjoy this for a few more days. What’s the next largest city between here and Chicago?”