by C. M. Sutter
“Sure, you go first. Are we leaving the van behind?”
“Nah—we might need it, and the plate switch will help. That guy in the trunk doesn’t have any ID on him, and the Subaru isn’t his. It’ll take a while before they figure out who he is or what he was driving. Okay, let’s do a quick check back by the lake. I’m itching to get started.”
After a search in the nearby area with nobody seen, Robert climbed in the van and Tony in the truck. They pulled ahead in the low brush as far as they could go before the large trees took over. Robert got out and walked back to the truck.
“Okay, I’m ready to take care of some much-needed business. Want a turn after me?”
“I’m good. I’ll take the next one.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll bring her out in twenty minutes.”
Tony nodded and turned on the radio. “Have fun. I’m going to catch some shut eye.” He rolled up the truck windows, and Robert returned to the van.
Twenty minutes later, the knocking on the driver’s window made Tony jump. He cracked open his eyes and turned to his left. Robert stood outside the truck, grinning at his brother. His tight grip on the girl’s blond hair kept her pinned to his side. Mascara mixed with tears stained her cheeks, and her lipstick was smeared across her face. Her sweatshirt was torn, and her shorts were missing. Robert had zip tied her hands behind her back so she couldn’t fight him and claw his face.
Tony rolled down the window and smirked. “Looks like you had a good time, brother.”
Robert licked the girl’s face, then covered her mouth again with tape. “We had a great time, didn’t we, Jillian?” She squirmed and tried to escape his grip.
“Jillian, huh?” Tony looked her up and down. “Damn pretty name. Why don’t we go for a walk, Jillian?” Tony climbed out of the truck.
Robert pushed her ahead of them as they entered the woods. He silently pulled his knife out of the sheath and gave Tony a smile. It took only a second once he had his strong arm around her, holding her still. He reached across her head and pulled with the knife, slitting her throat from ear to ear. He pushed her to the ground. They waited until the gurgling sound from the open wound stopped, then they dragged her into the water and placed two heavy rocks on her chest. They watched as she sank below the surface. Her dead eyes stared up at them. Robert washed his hands and face at the lake’s edge, then turned away.
Tony cocked his head toward the vehicles. “Come on. Let’s have dinner in Terre Haute.”
Chapter 36
Today is my last day of work before a week of vacation. I should be excited, but I feel like danger is heading our way.
I lay in bed, wide awake. It was a good half hour before my alarm was set to buzz its shrill sound in my ear. I thought about Kate and how I would break the bad news to her. She hadn’t known Deidra, and neither had I, yet somehow I still felt a connection.
I wanted to talk to Kate somewhere outside of our usual sheriff’s department conference room meetings. With the blankets tossed aside, I climbed out of bed, put on my robe and slippers, then uncovered the birdcage and said good morning to Polly and Porky. I filled their seed cup, changed the water, and shuffled down the hallway. I found myself waking up before my alarm clock went off lately even though I was still tired. Criminals roaming the countryside weighed heavily on my mind.
The kitchen light was on, and Amber was pouring two cups of coffee. She turned and smiled when I plopped down on a barstool.
“I heard you get up. Couldn’t sleep anymore?”
“Yeah, that’s getting harder and harder to do lately.”
“You should appreciate the vacation time, then.” She walked over and set both cups on the breakfast bar and sat down next to me. “Want to talk? Today is my last day of school for two weeks, and I don’t have a class until nine thirty.”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to disappoint Dad. I hope he won’t be able to tell my mind is preoccupied with these killers Kate is dreaming about.”
Amber laughed. “You’re talking about our dad, you know. He can see through you like you’re a sheet of glass.”
I held the cup between my hands and took a sip. “Unfortunately that’s true.”
“Then use his expertise. Bounce these problems off of him. As long as there’s no shop talk on Thanksgiving Day, we’re good to go. I’d like to hear about some actual cases too, Sis. You don’t always have to shield me from the bad stuff. I’ll be in the thick of things before long myself.”
“You’re right. Maybe Sunday we can sit around and talk shop. Right now, I have a hot shower calling my name, then I have to get my butt to work.”
“Okay, I’ll just snuggle on the couch with Spaz and see what’s happening in the world.”
I heard the TV go on as I walked the hallway. In the bathroom, I started the shower and waited for the water to heat up. I stepped in—a ten-minute shower would suffice. With my hair washed and my body squeaky clean, I got out to a foggy room. I often forgot to turn on the fan, and this time was no exception. I turned it on after the fact, wiped the mirror with my towel, and got on with my morning.
Dressed for the day and back in the kitchen, I popped a piece of raisin bread into the toaster and poured another cup of coffee. “Any interesting news?” I pulled the butter out of the refrigerator.
“Yeah, some.”
“Go ahead and enlighten me.” I opened the cabinet above my head and took out a small plate. The drawer in front of me held the silverware. I grabbed a butter knife. I was ready for the toast that would pop up any second. It did, and it was hot. I could barely hold it as I spread the butter across the bread and watched it instantly melt.
“Apparently, a freshman from the University of Southern Indiana went missing yesterday. Her family reported it after she never arrived in Chicago last night. She was going to spend the holiday at home. They still haven’t heard anything, and her phone goes directly to voicemail.”
“No shit? Did they show a picture of her?”
“Yeah, a second ago.”
“Back it up, I want to see her face.”
Amber picked up the remote and pressed the back arrow. The news segment went in reverse.
“I think it showed her after this last commercial.”
“Okay, pause it when they get to the photo of her.”
I dug a pen and the tablet of paper out of our kitchen junk drawer and sat next to Amber on the couch. The commercial passed, and Amber held her finger on the remote as though she was ready to pull a trigger.
“There.”
Amber paused the TV at the part where a young blond woman showed up on the right side of the screen. Her name, age, height, weight, hair color, and eye color were listed to the left of the photograph. The anchorman said Jillian Wiley drove a white Subaru Outback, and her mother had last spoken to her yesterday at two o’clock when Jillian called to say she was on her way.
“That’s all there was about her.”
I wrote everything down the anchorman had said, along with the information they had listed on the screen.
“Hang on, I’m going to capture that TV screenshot of her with my cell phone. I think the words may be too small, but the picture should turn out okay.”
I clicked several pictures of the TV screen and double-checked. The image wasn’t sharp on my phone, but Kate would still be able to see the woman’s face well enough. I had no idea whether Kate watched the morning news or not, but chances were, she might have already seen the segment on TV.
“So, isn’t the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but your phone is in your hand. Google it.”
I did, and it was. With the piece of paper I had written the information on folded and tucked away in my purse, I filled my travel mug, kissed Amber’s cheek, and left through the garage. I knew I’d have to meet with Kate soon. I had to know if there was any chance that Jillian Wiley could have been the blond woman in her dream.
I pulled into the
sheriff’s department parking lot at seven thirty-nine. As usual, I was the second from our department to get to work. Clark always arrived first. I parked and entered the building. Peggy was at the dispatch desk—she and Jan rotated positions twice a week. We made small talk for a few minutes, and then I punched the code into the pad on the wall and entered the bull pen.
Clark looked up from his desk and waved. I hung my coat, put my purse in the bottom drawer of my desk, and poured a cup of coffee.
“Need a refill, boss?”
“Sure, why not.”
I walked into the lieutenant’s office with the carafe in hand and filled his cup.
“Do you have a minute?” I asked.
“Yep.” Clark folded the newspaper and gave me his attention. “What’s up?”
I placed the carafe back on the warmer, then returned to Clark’s office.
“Did you get a chance to watch the news this morning?”
“Nah—reading the paper is bad enough. Why?”
“Call it a gut feeling. A young woman went missing out of Evansville, Indiana, yesterday. She was driving home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, but her parents said they haven’t heard from her since she headed out. She doesn’t pick up her phone, either. The morning news showed a segment about it. I wrote everything down about the woman. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to run it past Kate. I want to make sure this girl isn’t the one from her dreams.”
The lieutenant rolled his eyes and raked his hands through his hair. “Jade, I don’t know.”
“Boss, you can’t deny she has something going on. She knew about Deidra’s locket, she even described her, for Pete’s sake. So far, she’s been pretty accurate with everything.”
“Does she know they found her dead?”
“I haven’t told her yet. Do you mind if I pay her a visit at home? I’ve never been there, and I’d like to get a vibe about her lifestyle.”
“Why? Are you planning on becoming a psychic?”
“No—just curious, that’s all. I’ll call her first and set up a time.”
“Yeah, okay. Didn’t the Mandy Blakely trial start up again?”
“It did, but it isn’t open to spectators anymore.”
“That’s right, but law enforcement is allowed inside. It has to be wrapping up soon, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, another day or so. I’m sure the jury wants to be finished with this case before Thanksgiving.”
“Okay, make sure you head over there sometime today. Fill me in later.”
“Will do, boss. Thanks.”
Back at my desk, I checked the time—nearly eight o’clock. Jamison and Horbeck left a half hour earlier, and the boys were slowly arriving. I’d make the call to Kate at eight thirty. Jack showed up last as usual, and he blamed it on an empty gas tank. I didn’t mind since he’d picked up a box of doughnuts while he was at Pit-Stop. I was happy I’d had only one piece of raisin toast that morning. I pushed back my chair and got up. I needed a fresh cup of coffee, anyway—what was the harm in checking out the doughnuts too?
Chapter 37
Robert
The television played in the background, and the coffee brewed in the four-cup pot on the credenza of that nondescript motel room along the highway. They had spent the night in Terre Haute, where they relaxed in front of the TV rather than prowling the streets, looking for their next victim. Robert’s appetite was satiated for now. The choices would be many once they reached Chicago.
Robert poured two coffees and woke Tony. He set the cups on the nightstand.
“Hey, bro, I’m going to grab some free food. I’ll bring back two of everything.”
Tony mumbled his acknowledgment and sat up with the pillows bunched at his back. Robert turned around before closing the door.
“The remote is at the foot of your bed. I’ll be back in ten.” He closed the door and left.
An elderly couple, three kids without supervision, and a man that looked as though he could be a truck driver were helping themselves to the continental breakfast. The kids threw dry cereal at the old couple. Robert gave them a glare as he filled his tray, and they stopped.
Bananas, cereal, bagels, and link sausages were heaped on the plates that sat on a tray. The man behind the preparation counter made two cheese omelets for Robert. With just enough room for coffee, Robert carried the tray to room 8 and kicked the base of the door. Tony pulled it open.
“Jillian was on the news, Bobby.”
“No shit? What did they say?”
Robert placed the tray on the corner table, and the brothers helped themselves to the breakfast feast.
“They plastered her face across the screen, then listed her age, height, weight, hair and eye color too. They said her folks called the police when she didn’t show up in Chicago last night.”
Robert laughed. “She’s never going to show up in Chicago. Get over it, people. Good thing we pulled the plates off her car.”
“They can still check the VIN.”
“Yeah, but we’re going to mix everything up. Her plates are from Illinois, the van has Indiana plates, and the truck’s plates are from Georgia. We’ll take our plates off the truck and replace them with the van’s plates and put her plates on the van. We’ll stash ours until we get home. Anyway, it might take a while before they realize the crashed Subaru is hers. They’ll probably be watching for her car along the interstate.”
Tony frowned. “I still wonder why she didn’t go that route.”
“Because deep down she was dying to meet us.” Robert chuckled again and shoved a sausage link into his mouth.
“So, that being on the news doesn’t bother you?”
“Nah—it isn’t like they’ll ever find her or connect her to us. You’d think by now they would have found the redhead, though, and she’s another dead end.” Robert chuckled again and punched Tony’s arm. “Quit worrying so much. You don’t even have fingerprints in the system, brother. To law enforcement, you’re nothing but a ghost.”
Tony seemed to be pondering that comment. “Humph—that’s pretty cool. I’ve got a get out of jail free card. So, we’re on to Chicago when we leave here?”
“That’s the plan, but right now I’m going to hit the shower. Look for a motel on that phone of yours—something cheap. You know how expensive Chicago can be. Tonight, we’re going to party with a couple of lucky hookers.”
Chapter 38
The phone rang three times before Kate answered. I worried that she was still sleeping, but from the sound of her voice, she was awake and alert. She seemed surprised that I was calling.
“Jade, is something wrong? This is much earlier than we usually talk.”
“I know this is a strange request, but would you mind if I stopped over today?”
“You want to come to my apartment?”
I laughed. “If it isn’t against the rules. Has a detective ever been to your place?”
“No, are you coming to detect something?”
We both chuckled.
“No. To be completely honest, I’d like to see how you live.”
“I can tell you right now—very meagerly. But sure, why not? When do you want to stop over?”
“How about in an hour? That should give you time to drink your tea, shower, and get dressed.”
“Now who’s the psychic? See you soon.”
I hung up with a smile on my face. Kate was becoming somewhat of a friend. I wanted this visit to cement that in her mind. I knew she didn’t have company often, other than the people stopping by for private readings. Still, I had several serious things to discuss with her.
At nine fifteen I rapped on Clark’s door. He waved me in.
“Boss, I’m heading out.”
“Going to Kate’s apartment?”
“Yeah, but I should be back in an hour or so. If nothing earth-shattering happens after that, I’ll drag Jack along to sit in on Mandy’s trial.”
He smirked. “Yeah, go on, get out of here. See you in a bit.”
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I stopped at Jack’s desk. “Want to check out Mandy’s trial when I get back? Clark said I, meaning you and me, ought to at some point today.”
Jack laughed. “Yeah, I bet he meant you and me, but sure, I have nothing pressing. You ought to be happy that no shit has hit the proverbial fan yet. Next week should be easy sailing for you. You can enjoy time with your family.”
“Great, now you just jinxed everything. I’ll let you know what Kate thinks of this latest missing woman when I get back.”
Jack nodded, and I grabbed my coat and left.
Outside, my shoulders instantly stiffened in the November cold. What I’d have given for an indoor, heated parking lot, but the taxpayers probably wouldn’t have been too fond of that idea. I was a public servant and had to buck up in all weather conditions, whether I liked it or not. Maybe a remote start wouldn’t be a bad addition to my Cobra. I’d suggest that to somebody as a potential Christmas gift.
I climbed into my car, started it, and turned the temperature control knob to the red side and cranked it on high. By the time I reached Kate’s apartment, the car might start warming up. Street parking was the only thing available except for residents, who usually had to park behind the buildings. I was lucky to score a spot only one building to the south of hers. I walked up to the security door and pressed the button attached to her apartment’s intercom—2-A.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Kate. It’s Jade.”
“Come on up. I’m on the second floor—first door on the left.”
“Got it. I’ll be there in about fifteen seconds.”
Kate buzzed me through, and I took the twelve linoleum-covered steps to the second floor. She stood against the open door. I noticed an inviting smile had crossed her face. It was nice to see.
“This is different. We normally only meet when something bad happens.”
I hated to tell her that something bad did happen. I wanted to check out her digs, have somewhat of a conversation, and relax before I blurted out the main reason for my visit.
