Friday Night Frights (Jack and Ashley Detective series Book 1)

by R. D. Sherrill

  Ashley shot Jack a curious look.

  “You have a file on me?” she asked.

  “We’re the FBI, honey. We have a file on everybody. Good guys and bad guys,” Jack said proudly. “I’ve always found it’s important to not only know who I’m looking for but who I’m working with.”

  “I hope my file was good reading,” Ashley said with a bit of disgust in her voice.

  “Sorry honey, but I have the same philosophy as one of your state’s greatest citizens,” Jack replied. “I live by his famous three words ‘Don’t trust anybody.’ He was a very wise man.”

  “Sam Houston?” Ashley asked, searching her academic mind for the quote.

  “Stone Cold Steve Austin,” Jack rifled back. “The Texas Rattlesnake, your state’s greatest export.”

  Ashley rolled her eyes having never been a wrestling fan or a fan of having her personal file on record with the FBI.

  “Who knows, maybe they have a file on you too, Agent Looper,” Ashley replied. “Maybe somebody is reading up on you as we speak.”

  Jack turned his attention back to the sky before him, flashing Ashley a faint grin.

  “If there is, darlin’, there ain’t much to read about,” Jack said. “I’ve been a good boy. Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat.”

  Somehow Ashley suspected there was more to her new partner. The cocky agent didn't come off as one who settled for a work-a-day life.

  “Forgive me for not believing that,” Ashley said. "I've revealed my deepest, darkest secret. Suppose you share now."

  As their conversation continued, she realized for the first time she was actually relaxed despite being several thousand feet off the ground while being piloted by a relative stranger.

  “Like I said honey, there isn’t much to share,” Jack insisted, giving her a quick glance.

  “Okay, are you married?” Ashley asked, trying to prime the conversation pump.

  “Not anymore,” Jack replied in a monotone voice that suggested he didn’t care for the line of questioning. “I was for almost nine years before she ran off with a dentist.”

  Ashley didn’t reply but instead waited silently to see if Jack would reveal the rest of the story. Jack cut his eyes toward his passenger-turned-inquisitor and gave a sigh.

  “She said I was more married to my work than I was her,” Jack admitted. “Can you believe that?”

  “Well, were you?” Ashley asked, her question leaving Jack staring at the horizon for a moment.

  “Yeah, I suppose I was,” Jack said soberly. “But, that’s no reason to run away with a dentist. I mean if she was going to run off with someone, why not someone more macho like a bull rider or stock car driver?”

  “Maybe he offered her free dental work,” Ashley quipped, pulling a laugh from the pilot. “What about kids?”

  Jack shook his head, still focusing on the sky.

  “She couldn’t have any,” Jack responded after a pause.

  “How do you know it was her that couldn’t have the kids?” Ashley came back, her question irritating Jack.

  “Sorry, honey, but I don’t shoot blanks,” Jack replied. “That was her problem, not mine. Trust me on that. So, what about you? Do you have a boyfriend? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”

  “Looks like we’re playing twenty questions,” Ashley responded. “But the answer is no. I don’t have one presently.”

  “You do like men, don’t you?” Jack asked.

  “What kind of question is that?” Ashley asked, offended by his query.

  “I mean you’re not hideous to look at and you have all your teeth,” Jack began. “I figured a girl like you would have a guy, is all.”

  Ashley looked at Jack, not saying a word, her eye brows raised.

  “Just when I think you’ve been as offensive as humanly possible, you top yourself,” Ashley said incredulously.

  “I try sweetheart, I try,” Jack replied as Ashley felt the plane begin to descend. “Better strap it on, we’re heading in. Rock River dead ahead.”

  Ashley hadn’t noticed their approach to the town. Their trip passed quickly given their lively conversation. Allowing herself to look downward through her passenger window for the first time, Ashley saw the small West Texas town below them. The entire length of the village was just a small speck on the edge of the wide open prairie.

  “Where’s the airport?” Ashley asked, scanning the ground below, unable to spot the landing strip.

  “Right there,” Jack responded, pointing about a mile ahead.

  “That’s an airport?” Ashley shot back, seeing what appeared to be an open field with a tower.

  “What did you expect, JFK?” Jack responded as he picked up his microphone to contact the tower.

  “Ah, Mr. Looper, glad to have you back,” a voice crackled over the radio. “You’re going to earn frequent flier miles pretty soon.”

  “What’s he mean?” Ashley asked, not realizing Jack had been to Rock River before.

  “I told you, I get around,” Jack said as he threw the plane into a dive toward the landing strip, the plane’s motor cutting off leaving the plane plummeting toward the ground. “Brace yourself! We’re going to die!”

  DO AS YOU ARE TOLD

  The relative peace Ashley had found during the hour-long flight came to a quick end as she clutched the dashboard just as she had when they first took off. She now remembered why she hated flying. Aside from the whole claustrophobia thing there was also the possibility of perishing in a fiery crash.

  “What’s wrong?” Ashley yelled. Jack’s warning sent her into panic mode as the plane continued its horrifyingly fast descent. “What’s wrong with the engine? Are we going to crash?”

  Her question was answered when she looked at the pilot. His face was not filled with panic like a man who was about to die. Instead, he sported a broad grin.

  “Settle down, sweetheart,” Jack replied calmly. “I always say that when I’m about to land, you know, for good luck. I cut the engine to save gas and just glide in.”

  Ashley’s face flashed bright red. The veins on her neck stuck out as she looked incredulously at the pilot.

  “I bet you don’t even have a pilot’s license,” Ashley hissed as she held to her white-knuckle grip on the dash. “What kind of person does that?”

  “I don’t tell you how to live, honey,” Jack smiled as the wheels touched down on the dusty runway. “I got us here in one piece. Didn’t I?”

  The plane had just taxied to a stop when they saw a Rock River police car approaching. It was almost as if they were expected. Ashley had given no indication they were coming, deciding to keep their trip to Rock River a secret, even from the local authorities. She took her marching orders from Major Cowell literally. She was keeping her every movement as secret as possible.

  “The chief said to come over and give you a lift into town,” the young patrolman announced as they stepped off the aircraft. Ashley’s heart was still racing from the ending of their flight as she got into the car. She tried to hide her trembling hands from Jack’s view. She didn’t want him to get the pleasure.

  A short ten-minute ride from the tiny airstrip found them at the police station where Ashley wasted no time pulling the GPS from Jana’s car. She flipped through the history and found a handful of entries made in the past couple of weeks. Maybe one of the destinations on the GPS would help them pick up the trail Jana had found.

  Ashley emerged from the impound yard and met Jack, who was standing in front of the police station speaking with the chief about the case.

  “The services for the Granderson boy are tomorrow morning,” she overheard the chief telling Jack. “They were waiting for some relatives to come in from out east.”

  Seeing Ashley approach, Jack motioned her on, ending his conversation with the chief.

  “Let’s get back in the air,” Jack said. It was obvious he was suddenly in a hurry for unknown reasons. “If we leave now we might just be able to get back before dark.”

&
nbsp; “Don’t you want to stop by and see the crime scene?” Ashley asked. She figured she would walk him through the place where the bodies were found.

  “There’s no need,” Jack dismissed Ashley’s suggestion. “The killer is long gone from Rock River. I’m more concerned about where he’s going next.”

  The pair made the return trip to the plane in relative silence. Ashley noticed all the flags in the small town still flying at half-mast.

  “Is there anything interesting on the GPS?” Jack asked after they settled back in the airplane. He immediately taxied the plane onto the runway, skipping his usual pre-flight check and leaving Ashley little time to feel the sense of dread she felt before they took off from Austin.

  “There’s a few addresses,” Ashley said, pulling out the device and cycling through the history as Jack revved the engine. “The last entry is the trip to Rock River. Before that it appears most of the places she went were around Austin.”

  “That should be easy enough to check out,” Jack said as the plane taxied down the runway, the setting sun just barely peaking over the far horizon. “We’ll do some driving tomorrow and run down the addresses on there. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  The return flight was unusually quiet. Their conversations were few and far between as Jack’s quips and jokes were replaced by shop talk. She couldn’t help but notice a change in her partner’s demeanor. What had happened in the few minutes they were in Rock River? Maybe he had used all his comedic material on the trip over or maybe he just didn’t like flying at night and was paying extra attention to the dark sky in front of them. Jack even neglected to utter his lucky landing phrase as they landed in Austin. His oversight was a little disappointing to Ashley, who had prepared herself for the "We’re going to die!" yell.

  “I hate to say goodnight without a kiss, sweetheart, but I need to make a quick trip,” Jack announced as his plane rolled to a stop near the hanger. “I’ll meet you back at your office right after lunch.”

  His summary dismissal peaked Ashley’s curiosity. Jack had been the one all fired up to race across the Lone Star State to make up time, yet now he was calling it an early night after they found what could be their first lead.

  “You got a date or something?” Ashley asked, looking at Jack, his face lit only by the glow of the plane’s instrument panel.

  “I wish,” Jack said with a nervous laugh. “I’ve got another case I need to make a run on, just to tie up some loose ends so I can dedicate full time to what we’re doing.”

  Something about Jack’s explanation didn’t ring true to Ashley. They were working on the murder of a Texas Ranger and the deaths of four high school students, all at the hand of a serial killer. What other cases could Jack be working on to take his attention away from their case? It was hard to imagine anything more pressing, especially since the clock was ticking until another murder.

  “I’ll go ahead and get started running down some of the addresses on here,” Ashley said, holding up the GPS she had pulled from Jana’s car.

  “No,” Jack barked out as Ashley started to walk away, his tone taking her by surprise. “I don’t want you making a move without me. You’re not exactly experienced when it comes to field work, so you don’t need to be out tracking this guy by yourself. I feel kind of responsible for you now.”

  “But I …” she began, only to be cut off by Jack, who was raising his voice to be heard over the plane’s still-running engine.

  “We’re partners now, honey,” Jack said. “We don’t make a move without each other. Promise me you won’t do anything until I get back.”

  Ashley could see Jack’s glare in the dim light of the instruments.

  “Okay, I promise,” Ashley rolled her eyes, her fingers crossed behind her back.

  Satisfied they were on the same page, Jack gave Ashley a wave.

  “Until tomorrow then, sweetheart,” Jack said. “We’re going to catch ourselves a killer.”

  Ashley watched as Jack’s plane taxied down the runway and took off. The aircraft’s blinking lights blended with the stars as it disappeared into the clear Texas night. She stood on the tarmac for a moment before noticing a light still on in her brother’s hanger.

  “You didn’t have to wait up for me,” Ashley joked as she stuck her head in the door, finding her brother still working on the same plane he had been working on when they left.

  “I hope he was a gentleman, sis,” Buddy shot back, emerging from the cockpit. “You weren’t gone that long. Where’s your friend.”

  “He had to fly,” Ashley laughed, her witty comment making her giggle.

  “You solve the case yet?” Buddy asked.

  “Not yet, but we’re going to,” Ashley promised. “It’s only a matter of time.”

  Ashley wished her brother a good night and was about to leave the hanger when she paused in thought.

  “Hey Buddy,” Ashley said, turning back toward her brother. “Do you always have to file a flight plan when you fly out of here?”

  Buddy nodded as he leaned back on the wing of his plane.

  “Yeah, you’re supposed to file a plan every single time,” Buddy answered. “That way, they can account for you in the air space. You can get into trouble if you don’t. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason really, just wondering,” Ashley said as she again headed for the door only to pause again. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”

  “Sure. What do you need?” Buddy replied.

  “Can you find out where Jack listed as his destination?” Ashley requested. “He must have filed it when he filed our flight plan to Rock River earlier.”

  “I suppose I can,” Buddy agreed. “Care to tell me why?”

  “I’m just curious,” Ashley replied. “Give me a call when you find out. Oh, and do be discreet.”

  “I’m always discreet,” Buddy smiled, waving goodbye to his sister.

  Ashley didn’t want to admit it, but something was bothering her about the last hour she spent with Jack. She was convinced something had happened during the scant minutes she spent in the impound lot retrieving the GPS.

  In the meantime, while she waited for her brother’s report, Ashley planned to do some prowling before calling it a night. She wasted no time plugging the GPS into her car, shrugging off the vow she made to Jack minutes earlier. The way she figured it, the promise was made under duress, thereby making it null and void. Besides, what her partner didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

  Despite growing up in the Austin area, there were still places she wasn’t familiar with. Aside from police work, which involved traveling around the state, she didn’t really get out much. Ashley scanned the GPS memory, looking for destinations of interest. Nothing jumped out at her until she searched the listings from two days before Jana’s death. The address, 1043 Fullerton, was located in one of the seedier parts of town. It wasn’t a place Ashley figured Jana would go for social reasons.

  Setting the address as her new destination, Ashley followed the directions, winding into the old downtown section of the city. Most of the businesses in that part of town were already closed, other than a couple of package stores and an all-night market. Ashley was surprised how deserted the old town streets were despite it being shortly after nine in the evening. The rest of the city was still bustling at this hour. It was almost as if she had wandered into a ghost town despite being just a couple of blocks from the bright lights of Austin proper.

  What were you doing down here, Jana?

  Ashley slowed as she tried to make out the address numbers above the storefronts, most of which were dark, making her task nearly impossible.

  “You have reached your destination,” the female voice on the GPS alerted. Ashley slammed on her brakes as she still looked at the line of businesses, all crammed together in the old neighborhood.

  Unable to make out the addresses from her car, Ashley pulled to the curb and decided to scope it out on foot. She took a moment to look around at her surroundings, making sure no one wa
s lurking in the deserted area. Ashley was always dutiful to be aware of her surroundings despite being a cop. Her unassuming five-foot-five frame wouldn’t exactly be intimidating to a would-be attacker. The eerie silence sent a chill down her spine. She reached down and unsnapped the strap of her holster. Feeling the cold steel of her Glock immediately gave her a boost of confidence.

  “Where were you going, Jana?” Ashley mumbled to herself as she walked along the cracked sidewalk bathed in the glow of a blinking neon light, likely in its last throes of life. “Urban renewal could start right here.”

  Ashley eyed the address numbers, some of them without any identification on their doors whatsoever. Most of the businesses, she noted, appeared to be permanently closed. Many were in complete disrepair, suggesting they hadn’t been used in many years. Of course, this wasn’t a big surprise given the uninviting appearance of the forgotten neighborhood, which Ashley wouldn’t come to in broad daylight, let alone in the dead of night, without a gun strapped to her hip. Even now, well-armed and with backup just a radio call away, she felt uneasy.

  “Ah, there it is – 1043,” Ashley said under her breath, finding her target wedged between two closed businesses, its windows and door barred.

  The door had no identification although from the appearance of things, the address was one that was still in business. A “Closed” sign hung in the front door beside a list of the store hours, the weekday closing time listed as seven o’clock. She had only missed it by a couple of hours. Maybe the owner wanted to get out of the creepy neighborhood before dark. She didn’t blame him since the place looked like a robbery waiting to happen.

  Ashley stepped off the sidewalk and looked up, finding the name of the store - Zeb’s Specialty Shoppe.

  “Never heard of it,” Ashley mumbled. “Wonder what kind of specialties he sells.”

  The store was pitch dark. There were no security lights inside to give her a peek of the contents of the store. Not to be denied, Ashley walked back over to her car and retrieved her flashlight. She again glanced at her surroundings before strolling back to the store window and clicking on her light.