by C. M. Sutter
Jack laughed. “So what’s on the agenda?”
Billings and Clark walked in, and they both headed directly to the doughnut box.
I shook my head. “We’re going to divide up the cities and counties along the routes between here and Grand Forks. We should be able to complete that in a few hours if we all pitch in. We’ll make phone calls and see if anyone has been reported missing or, worse, has come up dead in those areas with obvious stun-gun and cattle-prod burns on their bodies.”
Clayton added, “We’re focusing on the towns around Interstate 94 and State Highways 10 and 75. Keep in mind, just because there may not be reports of missing or dead women between there and here doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Driving from Grand Forks only takes a day. Our perp could have been staying somewhere in North Dakota or Minnesota for the last two months and recently headed our way.”
“I think after we make these calls and either confirm or rule out other women between the two locations, we should begin knocking on doors in our own county,” Jack said.
We all agreed.
“We can start that next week.” I got up and made a fresh pot of coffee. We’d be at our desks and making calls for a while.
We divided up the police departments and sheriff’s departments in cities with a population over fifteen thousand and dug in.
Chapter 20
“We need to get Carley and Gina up on the site today. Weekends are always busy.”
“What about Liz?” Matt asked as he headed into the kitchen.
“Maybe later. Two new girls are going to get more attention right out of the gate.” Jeremy laughed at his own comment. “Hey, that was funny, man. Right out of the gate—like literally.”
Matt chuckled and grasped the chrome refrigerator door handle, giving it a tug. “Want breakfast before we start?” He pulled eggs and bread and butter off the shelves.
“Sure, why not? It’s the weekend. We have a few hours before the site really gets rocking.”
The heavy cast-iron skillet clanked as Matt set it on the stove and turned the burner on. He sliced a pat of butter off the stick and whacked the knife against the skillet. The pat fell and sizzled across the heated pan. Matt twirled the skillet, coating the bottom with the butter, then cracked four eggs into it. He popped two slices of bread into the toaster.
Jeremy busied himself making a pot of coffee while Matt cooked. He topped off two glasses with chilled, pulp-free orange juice, and Jeremy placed them on the table.
“So when do you think we can check out the new mall?” Matt asked as he flipped the eggs.
“Tonight sounds good to me. I bet that place will really be busy. The outdoor cafés too. It should be a warm night. Seeing tats isn’t going to be easy, but we’ll grab anyone that looks young and hot. They can go for a cheaper price, or we’ll sell them overseas if we have to. We need to ramp things up. We can’t forget our binoculars either.”
They sat at the table and ate in silence.
Jeremy cleared the plates and set them in the sink. He closed the drain with the stopper and turned on the faucet. “These dishes can soak for a bit. Why don’t you pick out a couple of sexy outfits for Gina and Carley? I’ll go wake them up.”
Matt went to the closet down the hall and opened it.
The basement door creaked. Jeremy flipped on the light and headed downstairs. With only one half-sized window in the room, located at the top of the opposite wall and with a window well around it, the girls were still able to see a small amount of daylight peeking in every day. At least they knew if it was day or night.
“Time to rise and shine.” Jeremy pushed a banana through the cage wires for each girl. “How about that? Something different, right? It’s Saturday—that means a busy auction day.” He pointed at Carley and Gina. “You and you are going to get your biweekly shower. Matt is going to give you clean clothes to put on. Cool, huh? You’re going first, Gina. No funny moves or you’re really going to be hurting—understand?”
She mumbled something under her breath.
“I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”
“I said I hope you rot in hell.”
Jeremy laughed and picked up the cattle prod. “I probably will, eventually, but this is going to hurt like hell right now.”
He was at her cage in two strides. The prod, jammed against her side, made her flail and screech as he zapped her with it. She fell back, stunned and groaning.
“Are you ready to cooperate now?”
She nodded.
“Good. I’m going to open the gate. You have ten minutes to shower and clean up. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Matt is bringing an outfit downstairs for you to wear for your photo shoot. You’ll dress, comb your hair, and come out. Do as you’re told and you won’t get zapped again. Now move.”
Jeremy unlocked the gate and opened it. Gina crawled out. He pressed the cattle prod against her back and pushed her into the bathroom. Matt came downstairs with the outfit and threw it at her. He closed the bathroom door and locked it from the outside.
After she showered and dressed, Gina knocked on the door. Jeremy unlocked it and pulled it open. She stepped out where they were waiting.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Jeremy whistled. “If you do what you’re told and act hot for the video camera, you might get an extra snack.” He grinned at Matt. “She’s going to hit ten grand, I can feel it. Let’s get started.” He pointed at the door going into the video room. “Over there.”
Inside, Jeremy had the video equipment ready to go and was logged on to his account on the darknet auction site. He’d upload Gina’s still shots and video as soon as Matt was finished working with her. He tapped several buttons and set her reserve at eight thousand dollars. He was hoping that once the reserve was hit, a bidding war would begin. They could only be so lucky. Gina’s auction would last until four p.m. It took Matt thirty minutes to get the perfect shots of her. Several threats of agonizing pain convinced her to put her best foot forward and look sexy for the camera. When Matt finished, Gina was put back in her cage, and he began the same process with Carley. Her reserve was set at eight thousand dollars too. Her auction would end at five o’clock.
“I don’t know, dude. I’m thinking Gina will go for a higher price. It’s that Italian look, you know what I mean?”
Matt nodded. “Yeah, she’s pretty damn hot.”
Chapter 21
“Any luck so far?” Billings asked as he stretched and coughed into his fist.
I pulled off my reading glasses and looked from face to face. “Apparently not. Nobody between here and Grand Forks has come up missing in the last few months?”
Jack answered, “The sheriff’s department in Fargo said they had two runaways last month, but they both returned home three weeks ago. They were siblings. Other than that, nothing stood out on their end.”
“Anyone else? Clayton?” I pushed back my chair and walked to the watercooler. I filled my Styrofoam cup.
“Sorry, Jade. I’ve got three missing-dog reports in Alexandria, Minnesota, and a wife that voluntarily left her husband in Rochester.”
“Who would even report that?”
“Apparently the husband did, but they found the wife staying with her sister in La Crosse.”
I groaned. “Are we at least halfway done?”
Jack tore open the cellophane and popped a chocolate chip cookie into his mouth. “Yep, I think we’re close.”
“Having lunch? And I was going to suggest we all take a break and go out for a burger somewhere.”
Jack stood and folded the cellophane cookie bag in half. He set it on his desk, the opened side down. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
I rapped on Clark’s half-open door. “Boss, we’re taking a lunch break. Want to join us?”
“Nah—the wife says I need to lose a few pounds, but thanks. I’ll stick to my celery and carrot sticks.” He rubbed his expanding stomach for emphasis.
“You sure?”
> He rolled his eyes. “Don’t tempt me—maybe next time.”
I looked at the clock above the bull pen door. “Okay, we’ll be back by one o’clock.”
He nodded and went back to reading the report on his desk.
We all walked to one unmarked cruiser. I had the keys. The guys chuckled.
“What—is there a problem?”
“No, ma’am,” Clayton kidded.
“I didn’t think so. Now get in.” I smirked at the guys.
“I have shotgun.” Jack climbed in the passenger side and looked over his shoulder at Billings and Clayton. “Buckle up,” he said when they got into the backseat. “She’s nuts behind the wheel.”
“Hush. That’s only when there’s an emergency. I don’t abuse the lights and sirens, even though I’ve been tempted many times. So, where do you guys want to eat?”
“Let’s go to Toucan Grill,” Billings suggested.
“That sounds good to me.” I pulled out of the parking space and gunned the cruiser through the lot.
Toucan Grill was a funky little ice cream-and-hamburger stand along Main Street. The service was fast, and the food was good. We sat at a picnic table facing the street and waited for our orders.
“You know, we may have to let this case go after a week or two. We have absolutely nothing to go on. Clark said the Milwaukee PD didn’t have any leads with the two missing girls from Bradenton Beach either. I think we should establish a perimeter around the area where Reanne was found and start knocking on doors beginning on Monday. Somebody might have seen something that could be relative to the case and they don’t even realize it,” I said.
The waitress appeared with a large tray full of red plastic baskets, each lined with waxed paper and filled to the top with food. We all ordered the same—a double cheeseburger, fries, and a large soda. I gave Jack my pickle.
I took a gulp of soda to wash down my burger. My cell phone was vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and slid it across the table. “Jack, answer my phone. It’s Clark.” My mouth was still too full to talk.
“Hey, boss. Jade’s mouth is full.”
I kicked him under the table. He winced.
“Yes, right away. Uh-huh, we’re almost done.” Jack hit the red icon to hang up and passed the phone back to me. “Let’s go. Milwaukee PD finally got a lead on Gina and Carley. We’re having a conference call in twenty minutes with a Lieutenant Gibson from the fourth district police department.”
I threw Jack the car keys. “I’ll get the bill. Pick me up at the curb.”
We headed back to the sheriff’s department, and I hoped this potential lead could help us apprehend Reanne’s killer. The four of us entered the bull pen with ten minutes to spare. Clark rose from his desk when we arrived.
He looked at his watch. “We’re gathering in the conference room in seven minutes. I’ve already started the coffee.”
“Thanks, boss.” I pulled a thermal carafe and a half dozen Styrofoam cups out of the cabinet above the coffee station. I jerked my head toward Jack. “Come here and give me a hand. Grab a tray and take these cups and the sugar and creamer to the conference room. I’ll be in with the coffee as soon as it beeps. Should only be a minute or so.”
“Okay. We won’t start without you.”
I walked down the hall to the third door on the left. I entered the room, the gold thermal coffee carafe in hand. Everyone was already seated and waiting. Our conference room was bright and airy with a bank of windows facing the south side of the building. The early-afternoon sun still glowed through the last few windows. An hour from now, it would disappear from our sight and shine on the west side of the building. Our conference room wasn’t used often. The chairs were still comfortable and new looking, and the long walnut-veneered tabletop remained clean and unscratched. I placed the carafe next to the tray Jack had carried in and took my seat.
Clark made the introductions once we were live on the conference call. I went over the visit Jack and I had paid to Reanne Orth’s family in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I explained to Lieutenant Gibson why I thought the cases were related.
“Sir, the way the perpetrator disables our victim’s cars was too similar to be a coincidence. The girls were abducted from parks—swimming areas, to be exact. Both cars had the back passenger tire punctured. The method was identical. Anyone could have used a screwdriver or knife, but according to your forensic team, it appears that an ice pick was used. The mechanic that replaced Reanne Orth’s tire said it had been punctured by something resembling a nail, yet no nail was found in the tire.”
“You’re right, Sergeant Monroe. It does seem too coincidental to be anyone other than the same person in both cases. A call came in earlier.” He cleared his throat then continued. “The caller wasn’t quite sure what she saw was a crime until she read the article in the paper this morning. Mrs. Stevens, the caller, lives in a high-rise condo directly across from Bradenton Beach. She said she witnessed an unusual situation a few days back.”
I interrupted. “Excuse me, sir.”
“Yes, go ahead, Sergeant Monroe.”
“Did she say what floor she lives on?”
The sound of Lieutenant Gibson’s chuckle came across the speaker. “I can see why you’re a sergeant. As a matter of fact, I asked her that very question. I know how tall some of those buildings are. She said she lives on the sixth floor with a large balcony facing the park. Apparently she was sitting on her balcony that afternoon enjoying an iced tea.”
“Thank you, sir. Sorry for the interruption.” I jotted down what floor Mrs. Stevens lived on.
“No problem. Anyway, she said she saw two women and two men come up the path from the beach and walk to the trunk of a green car. According to her statement, they all went to the passenger side of the car, disappeared from sight for a few seconds, and then one of the men opened the back of a white van and put both women inside. The van sped off right after that.”
“Did the witness get a make or model of the van, and did the women seem to be struggling?” Billings asked.
“The make and model of the van, no, and as far as the women struggling? I’m guessing that’s why Mrs. Stevens didn’t realize it was a crime. She said they didn’t struggle or make a peep. She assumed they were drunk since one of the men was helping them to the van.”
I poured a round of coffee for everyone then sat back down. Jack was busy taking notes.
“Damn it… that was likely the Xylazine,” I said.
Lieutenant Gibson spoke up, “Xylazine? I don’t think we were told about that.”
“Sorry, Lieutenant,” I said, “we only knew of it because of Reanne’s autopsy. It came up on the tox report. Since you don’t have bodies, you wouldn’t know if Carley and Gina were injected with the drug or not. In addition to using the flat-tire ruse, these men are apparently injecting the women to suppress them.”
The lieutenant groaned.
“This could get out of hand quickly. Once the ladies are in their control, we have no idea if they’re being held captive or killed.”
Lieutenant Clark said, “We need to hold a press conference and get this up on the news. It sounds like we’re looking for two men with a white van that are kidnapping women from beaches, parks, and the like. They’re using the flat-tire scenario to insert themselves into the situation as if they’re going to help a lady—or in your case, ladies—in distress. That’s when the women are hit with the needle. Lieutenant Gibson, did our eyewitness get a good enough look at the men to give us any type of description or age?”
“Sorry, not really, but she said they looked strong and fit. They both had on sunglasses, and they both had darker hair. She thought one had black hair and the other, brown. She couldn’t give us anything on approximate age or specific features, though. She said a tree obstructed part of her view.”
“Okay, that’s a start,” Clark said. “We’ll check out white vans registered in Grand Forks and Washburn County. Meanwhile, we’ll put a profile together
and fax you a copy. You can contact the press and set something up. We need to get word out to the public and on TV. As soon as we hear back from you, we’ll head to Milwaukee. Let’s hold a joint press conference.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Clark—and your crew. I’ll call my contacts at the news stations and see how soon we can set something up. You’ll hear back from me within the hour.”
Clark clicked off the conference call and looked at each of us. “Okay, guys, at least now we know more than we did. Jade, give Todd and Billy a call. See if either of them can come in for a few hours. I need them to run the van info through the multistate database. Take a ten-minute break, fill up your coffee cups, and let’s get a profile together for the press. We’ll likely be heading to Milwaukee in a few hours.”
“You got it, boss.” I went back to my desk and called Todd first.
Chapter 22
“Hot damn! Gina’s reserve hit, and the bids are still coming in,” Jeremy said. “That calls for a beer.”
“I’ll get them. Keep refreshing the page. This is exciting stuff, man.” Matt left the video room and closed the door behind him.
Jeremy heard Matt’s heavy boots taking the staircase up to the first floor. Cage slept peacefully on the rug to the right of the computer desk. Jeremy reached down and gave him a scratch behind his left ear. Matt returned a few minutes later with two cold beers. He pulled up the stool on Jeremy’s left and knuckled him in the shoulder.
“Man, we’re going to be rich.”
Jeremy grinned at his brother. “We’ve got nothing to complain about. After nearly two years, we’re still holding our own. Sure, we stay under the radar and don’t flaunt, but that’s what’s keeping us in business, bro, plus our bank account is growing sizably.” He hit the refresh button again.
“How much time is left on Gina’s auction?”
“Eight minutes. The last few minutes will likely be the best. This bidding war will shoot her price up like crazy. She might go for more than ten grand.”
“How’s Carley’s doing?”
