When the first man turned to get back in his car, Jed clamped his lips tight to keep from making a sound. He was angry—hell, he knew the little two-bit low-life. He lifted his Glock, aimed two-handed. Your turn, suckers. He got the first one square in the head. The second man spun around taking a bullet in the shoulder. Jed fired twice more as he fell, hitting him in the torso. He stood and moved cautiously into the road, looking down on the moaning man who lay curled in a puddle of blood on the gravel roadway. “You double-crossing bastard, my face is the last one you’ll ever see.” He sighted on the man’s wide eye and pulled the trigger.
****
“Hey, this is Matt.” Matt picked up his cell phone on the second ring.
“Matt, we have what appears to be a homicide just outside of town by highway marker 165. Kip called it in. There are two vehicles on fire with a body inside. Dylan is on his way there with Marcy now.”
Matt turned on his lights, heading down Main Street. “Tell them I’ll be right there. Oh, and, Joe, call the coroner and have him meet us there.”
“Will do—” Matt had already hung up.
****
When Matt arrived on the scene, the fire truck had already extinguished the flames. “What are we looking at?”
“It looks to me like a murder with the fire set to cover it up.” Kip pointed to a hole in the window. “The bullet went through the side window and struck him in the head while he was sitting in the van. The rest will have to be done through forensics.” He bent down to pick up an empty matchbox on the ground. He bagged it. “Do you think he’s one of the guys who took Abby? Why would they be back here and not long gone?”
“Maxwell said the FBI was watching several locations in New York. They had to get out of the city. I knew someone was back in the area because Jessie was shot at in a drive-by.”
“Is she okay?” Dylan stood up quickly.
“Yes, other than a few scrapes and scratches from pavement diving, as she called it.” Matt smiled thinking about how she had looked when she had said it. “I’m glad I sent protection for Abigail when she left the hospital. They probably were hoping to get both of them.”
Dave Lewis arrived with his assistant. They carefully removed the remains from the van. He promised to give Matt a call once they’d identified the body and the cause of death.
“When you get the vans to the impound lot, tell them to check for any prints and the VIN. Sometimes the perps take the plates and forget all about the VIN.” Matt headed to his car. “Dylan, call me when you wrap this up.”
****
Sitting in his office, files spread out on his desk, Matt was waiting on the new name soon to be added to the file in this case. If he were a betting man, he’d bet a few dollars on the victim having something to do with the kids. His working theory was that this guy had screwed up. Someone had wasted him, changed vehicles, and burned the vans to cover their tracks. If that were true, he could hardly feel sorry for the sick bastard.
Matt picked up his phone. “Joe, get me Maxwell at the FBI.”
“Sure thing, Chief, this may take a while. It usually does.”
Matt turned his chair to face the window. It was all back in his jurisdiction again. Where were the kids? Here, or out of the area?
His phone beeped. “Dylan’s on line one, and I’m still on hold for Tom.”
“Thanks, Joe.”
He hit the button on the phone for line one. “Are you done, Dylan?”
“We’ve done about all we can here. The tow trucks are here to pick up the vans. We’re getting ready to start back, but we want to go over the area one last time.”
“Any surprises?”
“Not yet, but we still have to go over the vans.”
“Okay, we’ll see you when you get back. Just a minute. Joe is at my door. He’s trying to reach you. I’ll put him on speaker.”
“Dylan, there’s a report of gunshots fired out on Homestead Road.” Joe glanced briefly at his notes. “The call just came in from the Homestead Estates area. You aren’t too far from there. Can you go check it out?” Joe asked.
“I’ll check it out and get back to you.” Dylan hung up.
“Tom is on line two.” Joe walked back toward the reception area.
Matt switched lines. “Hi, Tom.”
“Have you had time to look over the proposal with Jessie?”
“Not yet. I have a developing situation here. Someone shot at Jessie, but she is doing fine. I have a murder victim who I believe is one of the trafficking suspects and two burnt out vans. I think they’ve come back into the area to get the girl.”
“I’ll be there with a team as soon as I can make the arrangements. Are there any signs of the kids?”
“There was only one body in the vans. I’m thinking they must have realized they were hot and dumped them.”
“You may be right about that.”
“My unit was finishing at the crime scene when a call came in about shots fired in another area. Dylan should be there soon. I’m waiting to hear from him.” Matt doodled on the edge of his notepad.
“Sounds like you could use some extra hands.”
“You’ve got that right. Hey, Tom, do you want to hold on a minute? A call is coming in.” Matt put Tom on hold. “Dylan, what’s up?”
“You’re not going to believe this.” Dylan paused. “The gunshots were for real. We have three victims, there are two near the highway. One of them is dead and the other looks critical. Another victim is down the road a ways near the estates.”
“Is the third victim dead?
“Affirmative. It looks to be a hit from a high powered assault rifle. The same kind of rifles we found in the cars of the two males near the highway. Both rifles had large capacity magazines. There’s a lot of firepower here. The guy still breathing was found near the main road. When the rest of the team finishes up at the other site, they can join us here. For now, it’s only us. I have a call in to Lewis and an ambulance is on its way. We may need some lights.”
“I’m on the phone with Maxwell. I’ll be right there.” Matt’s jaw flexed.
“Okay, see you in a few.”
“Tom.” He switched back over. “I have another crime scene with two dead vics and a critical. I need to get out to the site.” Tension filled him as he stood up. “I think whoever this group is, they’re turning on each other.”
“Sure thing, we’ll be there to help as soon as I can get the team together.”
Matt grabbed his jacket and headed for his cruiser. He waved at Joe as he ran out the door, hopped into his car, and had the lights on before he’d left the parking lot. What was going on!
Chapter 15
Jessie had just shut down her computer for the night when she heard a light tapping on her door. She opened it to find Reba Thompson standing there in her robe and slippers with a wild look on her face. Jessie was concerned. She started to ask a question when Reba lunged toward her.
“Oh, thank God, you’re all right.” She grabbed Jessie in a big hug. “I had Lawrence bring me over because I couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve been worried about you all day.”
“Why?” Jessie pulled out of her hug to look at her.
“I had this feeling you were in grave danger. It started this morning and wouldn’t go away all day. A few hours ago, it was so strong, I was almost positive you were lying injured somewhere.”
“Would someone shooting at me be a good enough reason for the feeling?”
“Oh, goodness.” Reba clutched her chest. “When did this happen?”
“It was around five, when I was leaving the church after work.”
Reba’s forehead creased. “There is a very troubling aura over Blue Cove today. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not good, my dear.” She took hold of Jessie’s hands. “I need to go. Lawrence is waiting. But I had to make sure and to see for myself you were okay.”
“Shaken and angry, but I’m okay.” Jessie smiled, taking a hard look at Reba for the first time.
<
br /> “Be careful, it’s far from over.” She hugged Jessie again before she left.
That was simply strange. Reba knew so much sometimes it scared Jessie. She didn’t want to have that kind of knowledge. She smiled wryly. There was a lot of truth to the old saying that “ignorance is bliss.” The little bit of “extra knowledge” she had experienced was enough to last a lifetime. Although, when it helped change an outcome for the good, well, that was different.
Jessie walked into the kitchen to put the teakettle on. She went through the familiar motions of getting her cup and a tea bag as she waited for the water to boil. Her mind on the other hand, was a lost cause, filled with thoughts of shots fired, troubling auras, and what it all might mean. The sputtering whirr of the whistle and a loud knock at the door startled her.
She turned off the kettle and went to open the door. “Matt! What are you doing here?”
“I needed to make sure you were all right.” He stepped through the door. “It’s been a hell of a day since you were shot at, and I needed to see you.” He rubbed his temples. “Do you have time to talk?”
“Of course, come in.” She motioned to him. “You’re the second one to come by tonight to make sure I was okay.”
“Oh, yeah, who was the other one?”
“Reba Thompson.” She sat on the couch across from him. “It was the strangest thing. I opened the door to find the neat, fastidious Reba dressed in a robe and slippers. She looked so strange to me. When she saw me, she hugged me. She mentioned there was a strange aura over Blue Cove. What do you suppose she meant by that?”
“Oh, I don’t know—maybe a drive-by shooting and a few murders in one day could make for a strange aura.”
She jumped up. “What? Is Abigail all right?”
“Relax. Abigail is fine.” He reached over to pull her back into her seat. “We have two burned out vans, no kids, and three murder victims so far. There are very few answers at the moment.” He ran his hand through his hair. “There’s one man who might have some answers if he lives long enough to tell us.” He leaned forward in the chair and watched her. “Seeing you, sweetheart, makes it all seem better.”
Jessie turned her eyes away from him and fidgeted with the pillow. “Would you like some hot tea or something to drink? I was just making myself a cup when you knocked.”
“Water would be great. Make you a little nervous, do I?” He grinned, watching her play with the fringe on the throw.
“What do you think?” She gave him a stern eye. “I admit I’m not comfortable with this side of you.” She marched into the kitchen. He was close on her heels.
He watched her make the tea and got his own glass from the cupboard. “Look, Jess, I mean it, I find a certain peace with you except for when we’re fighting, of course.” He chuckled. “That’s why I’m here now, no other reason. You’re a kind person. Sometimes the world just stinks. I need something stable and steady to remind me there is still some good somewhere. My plan aside for the moment, I need your thoughts and observations on these murders.”
She relaxed. “Okay, I can do that.”
Matt told her what he knew so far and watched her face. “So what do you think?”
“Is it possible that the kidnappers are being picked off for messing up?” She sipped her tea. “Let’s see, they lost Abigail and they beat Josh, leaving him for dead. Several witnesses saw the kids abducted off the streets of New York. How dumb can they be? I would call that drawing attention to an operation that had been under the radar.”
“I believe it’s very possible, but who are the ones doing the killing? The two with the rifles killed the man on Homestead Road. But who shot them? Who shot the man in the burnt out van? Where are the kids? And where is and who is the fourth man who shot the shooters?” He drank his water down. “Was he shot at first and then became the shooter?”
“Those are all good questions. Let’s start with the last one and let me know what you think.” She picked up her notebook and pen from the table. She answered his quizzical look. “I think best on paper.”
“Well, Jess, if the one who shot the two near the highway was first an intended victim, then he’s somewhere in the area, which makes it still dangerous for you and Abby. It’s hard to figure out the next move of a fearful and cornered animal acting on instinct, much less a man.” He stood up and paced. She looked at him with questioning eyes and he grinned. “I do my best thinking when I’m moving.”
“Has the dark SUV been found? He was probably one of the men in the vehicle. I think he was the driver. If so, he’ll need to get another car quick. He also has to have a place to lie low for a while—which means he would obviously know the area. It would help to know the names of the other two men so you could question their families.” She saw his grin widen. “What? Don’t you like the way I’m thinking?”
“I like everything about you, including your brain. That’s why I’m here.” He laughed. “If you must know, I was thinking criminals would go dizzy with your line of reasoning, but somehow you always get there in the end.”
“Moving on, where are the kids?” She watched him pace.
“If I had to make a guess, I’d say someone up the chain has them. They’re still somewhere in the area. They may have transferred the kids when they changed the vans. I think they’re still here because their departure site is being watched.” He stopped in his tracks. “But who knows? These guys aren’t doing anything the way I think they should. We don’t even know what they have in mind for the kids.”
“Hmmm.” Jessie was speedwriting. “That leaves your final question. There has to be someone who hired the three suspects in the first place. They obviously didn’t like the job the kidnappers did this time. Especially the fact they left someone alive who could identify them.”
“They were in the area to clean up the mess. Here’s how I see it. We have two possible kidnappers and one of the hired guns dead and the other is barely clinging to life.” Matt ran his hands through his hair. “We’ll have to wait to see if any of this pans out. But at least it’s one way to look at it.” Matt smiled at her. “My gut tells me the first three guys were being set up. Information will probably trickle out about them in the days ahead, with evidence that leads us away from the more important people, the ones who are actually selling the kids.” He clenched his fist. “I want them.”
“Was any DNA found under Joshua’s nails or on his clothing?”
“Yes, but nothing in the system was a match.”
“Is that unusual?” Her eyes fixed on his face.
“Not if he doesn’t have a record, which is a little hard to believe considering the kind of men these guys seem to be.” He sat back down in the chair.
“Could someone wipe out their record if they had the know-how and enough money?”
“Anything is possible, but it would be darn hard.”
“Not for the right person. After Chief Anderson, I won’t doubt the ability of good men to turn bad—when there’s money involved.” She took another sip of her tea.
“I hear you. We’ll have to listen and work our way through the fabricated evidence to get to the real. Are you thinking about getting Jeremy involved?”
“He already is doing something for me, and when you figure out the victim’s identity he can do a search.” She pursed her lips. “He knows his way around almost anything.”
“We have to get the main guys, or we won’t save the kids in the long run.”
“Without them, it will be like putting a little bandage on a gaping wound. You might stop the flow for a short time, but they’ll grab others later. It sounds to me like this group might be turning on each other.” She closed her notebook and placed it on the table.
He took his glass into the kitchen. “Thanks, Jess, for listening to me. Be sure to lock up when I leave.” She followed him to the door. In one smooth move, he turned and kissed her. Before she had time to protest or react, he closed the door behind himself leaving her breathless in his wake.
Jessie locked the door, leaning against it. She couldn’t figure him or her tangled emotions out. She liked Matt, but she didn’t like the feeling of being out of control. He always made her feel off balance. She needed a plan, a little distance, and a new project to work on. She frowned and pushed away from the door. What she really needed was the old Matt who lectured her—him she could deal with. This new person, who was nice and kissed her when she least expected it was not so easy to figure out. He made her nervous!
****
Matt wasn’t sure he liked the feeling of needing to see her. He couldn’t seem to help himself. In the midst of all the death, he needed to know life was still present, and Jessie represented what was good about life to him. He hadn’t planned to go there when he left the station; it just happened. Now he didn’t want to go home. Eating alone didn’t sound appealing. Determined, he walked back to Jessie’s door and knocked.
“I thought you were gone for the night.” A surprised look lit up her face as she opened the door.
“I thought I was too! Look, I need to go eat and I’d rather not eat alone. It’s been a bad day. Would you go with me?” He raked his fingers through his hair.
“I could make you something here.” He shook his head no.
“I’m in a strange mood. I don’t trust myself to be alone with you.” He managed a grin. “Come with me.”
“Okay, I’ll be right with you.” Jessie changed into her jeans and a sweater.
She hurried back to where he waited. “Ready to go?” He opened the door holding the screen open for her.
She flashed him a smile. “Where are we headed?”
“How about I surprise you with someplace new?” He glanced at her and she nodded.
They ended up at a small café down on the wharf. “You can get the best chowder in town here.” Matt handed her the paper menu.
“I just finished eating not long ago, so maybe I’ll just have hot tea.”
He shook his head no at her. “If you don’t like seafood chowder, then try a bowl of the chicken tortilla soup. It’s good too!” Matt gave the server their order. “I received a text while I was waiting for you. They found a dark SUV abandoned a few miles outside of Rocky Pointe riddled with bullet holes and shattered windows. I want you to have a look at it. I’m having it towed here to have it dusted for prints.”
Not for Sale Page 12
