“Me, a private investigator?”
“Why not? And you know what I do. Ninety percent of the time I investigate insurance scams and work unsolved cases. You won’t be doing any low-end crap like following cheating husbands around.”
Pierce said nothing for a moment, as he mulled the idea over. He then shook his head.
“I’ll have to say no, but I’m honored that you would ask me.”
“What’s your objection?”
“It’s simple. You’re my friend, Jimmy. If I joined your business, I’d be your employee. I don’t want to take the chance of ruining our friendship.”
Jimmy grinned.
“I don’t want to hire you, Rick; hell, I want a partner. I’ve been needing to hire someone for over a year, since I regularly turn down business, but you’re the only one that I would trust to have my back.”
Pierce ran a hand over his face.
“Partners, that’s another thing altogether. Let me talk it over with Val and see how she feels about it.”
“Sure, I figured that, and like you said, you’ve got some time before you hit the twenty-year mark. But think about this, you’ll make more with me, have better hours, and pull down a pension.”
Pierce smiled.
“The increased income would be nice, but, I would love more time with my girls.”
“You’re damn right, and they’ll be grown up before you know it.”
“Wow, Jimmy, you’ve given me a lot to think about, and thanks for the offer.”
“No problem. I meant what I said. I turn away business every month, and who knows, later on, maybe we’ll hire employees and really grow the business into something big.”
Pierce raised up a hand.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I like the idea of making a change, but I have to see what Val says about it.”
“Ginny is down in the kitchen talking to her about it right now.”
“Yeah, I should have known that, and by the way, I already turned down a promotion. I didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk.”
“I hear you, but as a cop, it’s either that or you keep doing what you’re doing.”
“I like being a homicide detective.”
“I liked it fine when I was one too, and I still solve the occasional murder as a P.I.”
“So, I’d be doing what, working cold cases?”
“Yeah, it’s a growing field. Your cases solved rate is exceptional, but over forty percent of murders go unsolved in this state, while some of the surrounding states are even worse. Some of those victims’ families have money, and they’re willing to pay to get justice.”
“Yeah, but what if we don’t find the killer? They will have wasted a lot of money.”
“I only take expenses up front. If I don’t solve the crime, I don’t get paid.”
“You could spend a lot of time and effort and come up empty.”
“Oh, I have, but I also caught a guy who thought he’d gotten away with killing his wife. That bastard had been running around free for twelve years.”
Pierce nodded as he smiled.
“I remember that. My lieutenant said it was a shame that you ever left the force.”
“It would have been a bigger shame for me had I stayed. That case was cold in New York City. It took a hired P.I. to catch that guy, and I spent months of my life to gather the evidence. How often are you allowed to expend that much time and energy on a single case?”
“It’s rare, and involves working on a task force, and yeah, working on the job is frustrating at times, but I still enjoy being a cop more often than not.”
Jimmy cleared his throat.
“There’s something you need to know before you decide either way.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been in regular contact with Bo Raines since the Bay Street Demons case. I act as sort of a go between for him and his family.”
Pierce smiled.
“I always suspected as much, and yes, you’ve been aiding and abetting a felon, but hell, Jimmy, Bo has entered the realm of myth. Half of law-enforcement thinks he died years ago and that he’s used as a scapegoat for starting gang wars.”
“So, it’s not a deal killer that I help Bo?”
No, not at all, but like I said. I’ll see what Val thinks about your offer.”
“I think you should think about it, but I’ve no objections,” Val said, as she walked onto the balcony.
“I see that Ginny has talked to you,” Pierce said.
“Yes, and I think you might be ready for a change.”
Pierce placed an arm around Val.
“If you don’t object then I’ll consider it. When do you need a decision, Jimmy?”
“There’s no rush, brother. You’ll be welcomed aboard at any time.”
“Thank you for the offer. I’ll give you a decision soon.”
“Good, but now I have a question of my own,” Jimmy said.
“What is it?” Pierce asked.
Jimmy smiled at Val.
“When do we eat? I’m starving.”
CHAPTER 10
Back in New Hampshire, Dave Owens watched as one of his fellow prisoners reappeared from the hole in the ceiling. The man had moved stealthily across the ceiling without making a sound. The blond hair of Owen’s new acquaintance was coated with dust, as were his clothes, but Owens noticed that he wore a smile.
The big man in the other cell asked the blond man where the hole led to, but the blond man said nothing as he worked on putting the loose ceiling fixture back in place. Once he had that done, he leapt down from the top bunk in his cell. He then shared his discovery as he brushed off the dust and dirt.
“You can crawl all the way to the rear of the building from here, and there’s some duct work flush against a vent that leads outside. The problem is, it’s damn small. I don’t think we’d fit through it. I was just barely able to get my head out and look around. There’s nothing back there but weeds and a bunch of trash blown up against the building.”
The big man cursed, but then he noticed that the other man was still smiling.
“What? You did find a way out, didn’t you?”
“Oh yeah, there’s another one of these light fixtures in the ceiling towards the front, the thing is, it’s right over the office.”
“The office? Damn, there’s always somebody in there.”
“Yeah, but if we can give them a reason to leave it vacant, then we’ll be able to escape.”
“What kind of reason?” said the big man.
The blond man shrugged.
“Can you think of anything?”
The big man stood quietly as he racked his brain for a solution. After nearly a minute passed, he let out a sigh of frustration.
“I can’t think of a damn thing.”
“I can,” Owens said.
When the two men looked at him, he smiled.
***
Jimmy and Ginny left the Pierce home with their son, Josh, just a short time after having dinner. Jimmy had to work early, and Pierce assured Jimmy that he would give serious thought to his offer of a partnership.
Once the dishes were done and the girls had gotten ready for bed, Pierce grabbed a book and prepared to enjoy his favorite part of the day.
The book was one that he had read many times before, often by popular demand. It was a children’s book about a missing teacher, and Sophia and Rosa loved it. With six-year-old Sophia on his left knee, and five-year-old Rosa on his right, Pierce began reading.
Val sat across from them on the sofa and knitted. It was a hobby she had recently taken up and was becoming quite skilled at.
Val and Pierce stared at each other and smiled. Saying without words how happy they were. The girls rested their heads on their daddy’s chest when he was halfway through the book. By the time he finished the last page, they were both asleep.
Pierce kissed first Rosa, and then Sophia on the forehead.
“It doesn’t get any better than thi
s,” he told Val.
“Yes, it does,” Val said.
“I can’t imagine how it could.”
Val held up what she had been knitting. It was a pair of blue baby booties.
“I’m only guessing it’s a boy, but I’m definitely pregnant again.”
Pierce’s mouth dropped open in amazement, and Val nodded, that yes, it was true. Pierce laughed, the sound one of pure joy, and then he held his sleeping daughters tighter and kissed them once again.
***
Amy stared at a photo of Valeria Pierce.
It was one of the photographs that appeared in the magazine story about the Pierce home and farm.
In one photo, Rick Pierce was standing with his arm around Val and both were smiling.
Amy knew that if she hadn’t broken up with Pierce that she would be the woman in the photo and that the house and farmland would be hers.
Amy traced a finger over Pierce’s face and whispered his name as a flood of buried memories returned to her. Rick Pierce was the only man she ever truly loved, and for a moment she wondered if he still had feelings for her.
She had been brutal at their breakup. It had been the only way, that was what Amy’s domineering mother had told her. Amy thought back to the day her mother had learned that the Pierce farm was on the verge of being foreclosed. The family had owned that land free and clear for generations, until Rick Pierce’s father decided to treat it like a cash machine to feed a gambling habit.
“Don’t waste your time on that Pierce boy anymore, Amy, that loser of a father of his has lost the damn farm by borrowing too much.”
“But I love, Rick.”
“That’s fine. Love him all you want, but you marry a wealthy man. Hook up with someone like that professor of yours that I met; that man’s eyes were all over you.”
“Professor Lowe? But Mom, he’s a little old for me.”
“He’s a rich Englishman and might even have a title or something. You could do far worse, and believe me, you won’t be young forever.”
Amy had done as her mother said and told Pierce that they were over. The pain and confusion in his eyes had been almost too much to bear, especially when Amy’s own heart was breaking. Still, she stuck to the plan her mother had laid out for her and cut Pierce out of her life.
Professor Arthur Lowe took her mind off her sense of loss by taking her away for a tropical vacation.
His supposed wealth and his English manner were inviting, and Amy realized that she was not a woman who could live on love alone. Love was fine, but to be in love and live in poverty would be intolerable.
Rick Pierce had somehow saved his family home and Amy had considered dumping Lowe to go back to him. However, when Pierce became a cop, a mere public servant, Amy realized that gaining wealth was not high on Ricardo Pierce’s list of priorities.
Arthur Lowe had tricked Amy into believing they’d someday be wealthy and own an estate back in England. All of it was a lie.
Now, Pierce was a man of wealth, while Amy’s ex, Arthur Lowe, lived off a pension and spent too much time in London pubs with old friends.
Amy stared at the photo of Pierce and Val and wondered just how much Pierce loved the woman. Was it enough to part with a million dollars to ensure her safe return?
Amy was planning to find out.
CHAPTER 11
“We start a fire,” Owens said. “We start a fire at the rear of the building and when the guards all head back there to fight the flames, we make our move.”
“Our move?” the blond man said. “I don’t remember inviting you along.”
Owens smiled.
“It’s smarter than leaving me behind. If I’m with you I can’t rat you out.”
The big man, who Owens had learned was named Frank, pointed at Owens. A guard had come back into the cell room right after the blond man had wedged the ceiling fixture back in place. While the guard handed Owens a dose of the medication he’d been prescribed, Owens had listened to his fellow prisoners talk and discovered their names.
“I heard the cops talking when they brought him in here. He’s in for life. I bet he wants to get out of here even more than we do.”
The blond man nodded. His name was Aaron. He and Frank were arrested while attempting to pull off their fifteenth successful robbery. Their specialty had been the takeover robbery of gas station convenience stores. Unfortunately for them, the last store had three plainclothes cops as customers. Realizing they were outgunned, Frank and Aaron had put down their weapons and asked for a lawyer.
Thirteen of their previous robberies had occurred in their home state of Vermont. Since they were wanted for the murder of a convenience store cashier in the city of Burlington, they thought it would be a good idea to not stick around. They realized that it would be only a matter of time before the Vermont police learned of their arrest and came to talk to them. The police artist sketch of them was eerily good, and they feared going away for life.
Aaron pointed to the ceiling.
“It took me nearly a day to get that fixture loose enough to pop it out. But it will be much easier to loosen the others from the ceiling side.”
“What about the one in the guard’s office up front?” Owens asked.
Aaron smiled.
“If we crawl there with the guards gone, we won’t have to worry about making noise. I should be able to knock that fixture out of the way in no time, and then it’s out the front door we go.”
Owens thought about the layout of the old building. Towards the rear where he was, there were the cells. They were separated by a short hallway that had bathrooms running off it, as well as a pair of small offices. The hallway opened up to the big main office. That was where the guards were, and yes, there was a door in front that led to freedom.
Before they could speak again, they heard the sound of the door opening at the other end of the hallway. When a guard appeared with a pair of drunken college kids, Owens’ mood darkened. The youths were a complication that they didn’t need.
After the guard left, Frank leaned his face against the bars and whispered to Owens.
“Don’t worry about those kids. They’ll be bailed out by morning.”
“Great, but when do we make our move?”
“Tomorrow night,” Frank said. “We leave tomorrow after midnight.”
***
Val snuggled herself against her husband and Pierce laid a hand on her stomach.
“Why are you so certain it’s a boy?”
“It’s just a feeling, but I was right about the girls too. This pregnancy just feels different, but I can’t explain it.”
“I love my little angels, but a son would be great. How far along are you?”
“Only about two months.”
Pierce laughed.
“If things keep getting better, I’ll think I’m dreaming.”
Val laughed.
“I feel the same way, and I really hope it is a boy. I would like a son to go along with our girls.”
“Speaking of the girls, they were asking me about getting a dog. What do you think of that?”
“I don’t know, Rick, with the new baby coming along, I think we’ll have our hands full. Also, they’re still a little young to be responsible for the care of an animal.”
“I guess you’re right, but I’ll tell them that they’ll get one someday.”
“Maybe once their brother is able to walk on his own.”
Pierce caressed Val’s cheek.
“Their brother, our son.”
“Yes, our son,” Val said, and the two of them kissed.
***
Outside the house, Amy Lowe was sitting in her parked car and staring at the Pierce home. She had gone for a drive after finding herself restless, and pulled over to the side of the road near Pierce’s house.
The kidnapping idea had become an obsession. Amy had spent most of the evening going over the pros and cons of such an endeavor in her mind, and had come to a conclusion.
The chance of gaining a million dollars was worth the risk of winding up in prison.
After all, wasn’t she in a prison of sorts anyway?
As her mother once remarked, she wasn’t getting any younger, nor was she getting any richer. She would be eligible for a pension someday, one that was generous by most standards, but it would be far less than she wanted.
“Life in prison,” Amy whispered, and just the thought of being locked away in a cage scared her. However, when she imagined being old and average, she felt physically ill.
$1,000,000
That number glowed within Amy Lowe’s mind until it eclipsed all other concerns.
The college professor, who once taught a course on logic, started her engine and headed for home. If she was going to kidnap someone, she needed to do some research and gather facts.
And yet, one fact was clear, she was already committed to executing the crime of kidnapping.
There were a million reasons to do so.
CHAPTER 12
As Frank had assured Dave Owens, the two drunk college kids that shared the cell room with them were bailed out.
Aaron had climbed back up into the crawl space above the ceiling right after the guards gave them breakfast, and worked on loosening the fixtures that were above the cells of Dave Owens and Frank.
At mid-morning, one of the young guards, a man named Ron came to get Owens.
Owens was shackled again and ferried across the road to the hospital by Ron and another guard. After what seemed like a long wait, Owens was given a physical and had blood taken. When they told him that he would have to come back the next day for his MRI, he tried to hide his relief.
Owens had feared that he would be taken back to prison if all his tests were performed in one day. He had learned that the prison transport only stopped at the old jail on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but with his luck, they’d come back early for him.
He was sure his fortune had turned sour again when he returned to the jail to find that they had a new inmate. The man stunk of something and was passed out atop the bottom bunk of the cell next to Owens’ cell.
Owens wondered how the man was still alive, that is, if he’d consumed whatever was causing the astringent odor that was tainting the air. The man appeared to be sleeping off a bout of drunkenness. Owens could smell the booze on the man as soon as the door to the cell room had been opened, but the second odor was dominant.
Angels (A Detective Pierce Novel Book 3) Page 5
