The gardener stared at Jason, as though trying to decide how much he could trust the detective. Jason saw resolve come over Jose’s face.
“Marcus Winston. He’s the one you really want. I can give him to you.”
Jason nodded. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
When Jason left the room, Vanessa held out her phone.
“It’s Patton.”
Jason took the phone. “Lieutenant?”
“Yeah, Jason. Vanessa told me what he wants. That’s outside my power to approve. What do you think he’s got?”
“He claims he can give us Marcus Winston.”
“Okay. Don’t do anything until I call back. I’m going to call the District Attorney.”
The lieutenant hung up, and Jason gave the phone back to Vanessa.
“He’s calling the D.A.”
*******
Two hours later, Patton called back. Vanessa answered and listened. After a pause, she nodded at Jason. “Okay, I’ll tell him.”
She hung up. “The D.A. called someone he knows at the State Department. He can’t guarantee the green card, but if the wife meets the requirements, he’ll see her through the process.”
Jason went into the interview room where Jose still sat. This time, he carried a small tape recorder.
*******
Vanessa watched through the one-way glass as Jason listened to the story recounted by the gardener. The details were disturbing, and she found herself wanting to choke Marcus Winston.
When Jose was finally finished, Jason turned off the recorder, and sent him back to his cell. He’d been in the same chair for three hours, and he leaned back to stretch as Vanessa went into the room. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just exhausted. Can you believe that story?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I guess we’re done for tonight?”
“Yes.” Jason dragged himself up and out of the chair. “Tomorrow, Jose will help us catch Winston.”
*******
Jason managed just four hours sleep before he had to meet Vanessa back at the station. Jose was supposed to call Marcus Winston at a set time, and Jason had arranged for a phone trace to run while the conversation took place.
They brought Jose out of his cell into an interview room. Jason handed Jose’s own cell phone back to him and watched as the gardener dialed the number.
“Marcus?”
A pause as Jose listened. “Yeah, it’s done.”
Jose looked up at Jason. Winston was throwing him a curve. Jason couldn’t help him, and wasn’t sure if the gardener had it in him to fool his boss. “How should I know why it’s not on the news? I’m telling you it’s done, and we’re through!”
Jason could hear the owner scream into the phone.
“You’re through when I say you’re through! You got that?”
“We had a deal!” Jose screamed back at Winston.
“Well, the deal has changed. I got your wife into this country and I can see she gets thrown out!”
“I’m not killing anyone anymore. I can’t do it.”
“You’ll do what I tell you. You know I can make the peeping charge come back. That’ll get you thrown out, too.”
Jason got the thumbs up. The trace had identified where Winston was. They already knew he would be in Austin, probably at Norma Waters’s home. They had staked it out.
Jose kept him going. “You know that charge was bogus. You set me up.”
“Cry me a river!”
Jason wanted to reach through the phone and choke Winston. He could hear everything Winston was yelling.
Jose kept at it. “I thought you said the number of units I freed up would take care of it. I opened up over a half-million dollars of unit sales. Surely, that’s enough!”
“I’ll decide when it’s enough! There’s still several units I want made available.”
“But Marcus, I can’t kill any more people!”
“You’ll do what I tell you or the only one left in this country will be your daughter! Hey, wait, wait…what’s going on here!”
The phone went dead and Vanessa came into the room.
“They’ve got him.”
Jason took the phone back from Jose, who looked relieved to have it over. Not just the phone call, but everything.
“My wife and daughter are safe?”
“Yes. It’s over.”
Epilogue
It had been a week since the arrest of Jose Jimenez and Marcus Winston. Jason had been taking Penny for short walks, helping her regain her strength, and their pup’s mood had returned to normal.
Sandy’s pregnancy was beginning to really show, and they had another appointment today for an ultrasound. He and Sandy had decided to let the doctor tell them if they were having a boy or a girl.
After getting into the exam room, onto the bed, Sandy exposed her belly without being asked. The tech, the same one they had last time, squirted gel on her. After rolling the sensor around in silence for several minutes, she looked at Jason.
“Did we decide whether we wanted to know what we’re having?”
Jason looked at Sandy one more time to make sure she hadn’t changed her mind. She nodded.
He turned back to the tech. “We want to know.”
“Well, have you chosen any girl names yet?”
Sandy beamed and Jason grabbed her hand. She was carrying ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ and he wanted to cry.
Nothing could be better than having another little lady like Sandy in his life.
*******
After the appointment, Jason went in to the station to do some paperwork relating to the arrests of Jose Jimenez and Marcus Winston. Vanessa was there and she didn’t give him a chance to get to his desk.
“Well?”
“Girl.”
“I knew it! That’s awesome.”
He laughed. “Who’s in with Patton?”
“Lieutenant Banks.”
Jason sat down. “Oh. Again?”
“She marched in there a few minutes ago.”
Jason shook his head. “I wonder what John did to get under her skin?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to ask her.”
“That makes two of us.”
Just then, the door to Patton’s office opened, and Lieutenant Banks made her exit. Jason and Vanessa kept their heads down as she flew by.
Getting off the elevator as Lieutenant Banks got on was Nina Jefferson. Nina came up to the Jason’s desk as John Patton came out of his office. He smiled at Nina. “Jason, Vanessa. Welcome the newest member of Homicide.”
Nina was beaming. She’d been a homicide detective in Austin, but had to give it up in order to move to SAPD.
Jason stood up and gave her a hug. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks, Jason.”
Vanessa looked at the lieutenant. “Is this why Lieutenant Banks was so red faced?”
John Patton smiled, looking toward the elevator. “Yeah. I went to the captain and asked to have her moved over. Sarah was less than thrilled to lose her best detective.”
Vanessa laughed. “That’s an understatement! She looked fit to be tied!”
“She was. Maybe, I think I’ll send her some flowers.”
Jason shook his head. “I wouldn’t do it, John. Stay clear, and hunker down!”
They laughed until they cried, all except the lieutenant.
He was just a bit nervous.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
It’s hard to believe, but this is the fifth Jason Strong novel. I hope it has measured up to the previous four, and I’m sure you’ll let me know.
So many have taken time to write and encourage me in this endeavor, and it is because of that encouragement that I am able to get motivated for the next book.
The characters continue to evolve, and even as I finish the editing on this book, the newest one is underway.
So, I hope you enjoyed getting caught up with Jason, Vanessa, and the rest. I look forward to seeing how they d
evelop in each new book as it is written.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read our books. Contact me at my web page www.jcdalglish.webs.com or my email [email protected]. You can also visit Jason at his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DetectiveJasonStrong
God Bless, John
I John 1:9
With Thanks to all who helped.
Cover by Beverly Dalglish
Editing by Samantha Gordon, Invisible Ink Editing
MORE BY JOHN C. DALGLISH
THE DETECTIVE JASON STRONG SERIES
“Where’s My Son?”- #1
Bloodstain - #2
For My Brother - #3
Silent Justice - #4
Tied to Murder –#5
One of their Own – #6
Death Still – #7
Lethal Injection - #8
Cruel Deception - #9
THE CHASER CHRONICLES SERIES
CROSSOVER– #1
JOURNEY- #2
DESTINY -#3
TIED TO MURDER (Det. Jason Strong(CLEAN SUSPENSE Book 5) Page 9
