Chasing a Dead Man

by Kathryn J Bain

  “What does that mean?” His voice was clearly over the speaker on a phone.

  “I have the key, but the investigator I work with knows the location. I haven’t been able to reach her in Lake City.”

  The man let loose a slew of curse words.

  “Did you know?” He was speaking to someone in the background.

  “If I did, it doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you.”

  Winston smiled. At least Brenda was fine, or she wouldn’t be giving the guy such trouble.

  “Would you rather I go after your family. I’m assuming the address on your license is good.”

  Winston’s heart pounded in her chest. “If you know, tell him Brenda.”

  “It’s at the United Storage on San Jose,” Brenda said.

  “What number?”

  “I don’t know. It’s on the key.”

  Winston listened to Brenda convince the man she didn’t know the number. Her assistant was smart with her stalling tactics.

  “It had a two and another number on it,” Brenda said. “Narrows it down some.”

  “You must know if you have the key,” the man said over the phone.

  “She’s right, it has a two, but the other number is faded. Appears to be a one, but it could be a seven as well. Maybe even a nine.” Winston hoped she wasn’t putting Brenda’s life on the line by lying to him.

  “I’ll call you back.”

  The line went dead. Winston paced. Within two minutes the phone rang again.

  “Seven o’clock,” the man barked. “Bring that key and be alone.”

  Winston stared at her phone which had suddenly gone silent. She didn’t know how long she’d been staring when the front doorbell dinged.

  “Winston?”

  “Back here.”

  Jane rushed into her office.

  “You just missed him.”

  “Did you speak with Brenda?”

  “I heard her over the phone. She was mouthing off to him.” Winston placed her head in her hands. “I just hope she doesn’t make him too mad. He could kill her.”

  “She’s got a good sense of people. She’s probably figured out he’s not a face-to-face killer.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s say this is the guy who does all the hit-and-runs. All very impersonal. He had every opportunity to do away with me if he wanted to, but he didn’t. Hopefully, he doesn’t have the stomach to kill face-to-face.”

  “I’d rather not take that chance.”

  “I agree. What’s his plan?”

  “I’m to bring the key to the United Storage on San Jose Boulevard at seven.”

  “You know where it’s at?” Jane asked.

  “Me?” Winston took a step back. “I could get Brenda killed.”

  “You won’t.” Jane’s voice sounded as confident as her words. “You’re just going to go in the front. I’ll go in the back.” Jane went to her office. When she returned, she was putting her gun in the holster around her shoulder.

  Winston grabbed Jane’s arm before she could pass. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get something from my car.”

  Within minutes, she’d returned with a dark vest. “Here,” she said. “Wear this.”

  Winston lifted the heavy bullet-proof vest. “Are you sure this is necessary? You just said—”

  “Just in case. You got something big enough to wear over it?”

  “My coat.”

  “Good.” Jane gave what should have been a reassuring smile, but it didn’t work. Not with the vest. “I’m taking off to the storage unit,” she said. “I need to get in place before they do, if they aren’t already.” Jane turned to leave but paused. “Are you all right to help with this?”

  “I think so.” Winston turned away so Jane couldn’t see how terrified she was.

  Jane placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know this isn’t something you do, but no matter what, I’ll be right there with you.”

  Winston nodded, unsure of Jane’s faith in her.

  “I have no problem going in alone,” Jane said, “but it’d be better to have you there, especially for Brenda.”

  Winston took a step back and inhaled a deep breath. “I can do this. I have to.”

  “Good. I need the distraction.” Jane raised her eyebrows up and down. “I’ll call you on the way and tell you the plan.”

  She disappeared out the door leaving Winston wondering what she had just agreed to.

  ***

  As Jane drove to Mandarin, she dialed Pamela’s number and let her know what had occurred.

  “You might want to go somewhere safe, just in case.”

  “I will. Thanks for letting me know. I hope everything turns out all right.”

  Jane pulled into the lot across the street from the storage unit on San Jose. She waited until the light turned and sprinted across San Jose, then disappeared behind a fence. She had concerns about Winston. Her voice sounded strained on the telephone.

  Do what they say was the comprehensive plan Jane had come up with. And to keep Jane apprised of any changes.

  Winston seemed to want something more elaborate, but it was the best way to get Brenda back.

  Jane crept behind some bushes, inching her way around the storage unit fence. No dogs. That was good. An outdoor facility. Even better. But it had a lot of security cameras. That was bad. So was the rain. The trees made hiding easier. She didn’t want to get spotted by someone watching the cameras. She hoped with darkness setting in, her black jacket gave her the element of surprise.

  Her phone rang causing her to jump. Pamela.

  “Hello.”

  “I just wanted you to know I was heading over to Trish’s so don’t worry about me.”

  “Thanks for letting me know.” When Jane hung up, she put her phone on vibrate.

  She shook the wrought-iron fence between her and the storage unit company. It would be too slick to try to climb in the rain. She glanced around for a blind spot in the camera system. As she scooted further down the fence, a security light from the building behind her came on.

  She paused. No one came out.

  A large oak tree had several limbs hanging over the other side, scratching the roof of one of the units. The cameras faced toward any incoming traffic at the corners of the buildings. No signs of any vehicle inside, so whoever had Brenda must have her elsewhere. Hopefully, he’d bring her when he showed up.

  Jane sucked in a deep breath. Time to get where she needed to be.

  She grabbed hold of a branch, using her shoes for leverage and pulled herself up. Taking one slow step at a time, she scooted down the branch until she was over the unit. She jumped off, landing hard. The limb bounced back, sending pellets of rain all over her. Her foot slipped on the slick steel roof, sending her sliding. The chance of being seen grew with each inch she slid. She grabbed with her fingers. She dug the toe of her shoes in. The rain gutter popped loose, stopping her from going over the edge.

  She took a second to catch her breath and ensure she hadn’t done any damage to her body, then got up on her knees.

  Jane located the security camera for the side of the building she was atop. Taking off her black jacket, she placed it against the right side of the camera before dropping to the ground.

  She sneaked over to unit 27 and used the key to open the lock. With her foot, she pressed down on the handle to ensure it didn’t pop up like some do. She replaced the lock on the latch. Hopefully, whoever showed up with Brenda wouldn’t notice it wasn’t latched properly. She lifted the door about two feet, then rolled inside. Once sure she was clear, she stood and lowered the door to the ground.

  Darkness enveloped her.

  Flipping on her penlight, she glanced around. A six-drawer safe-filing cabinet was against the wall to her left. Tall and wide, like those Winston used to keep her clients signed will documents. The storage unit had a lot of space for just the one cabinet.

  She walked over a
nd opened the first drawer. Files in alphabetical order with names she didn’t recognize. She paused, then looked through drawers until she came to the C’s. Dale Connors. Payout of one hundred thousand dollars. She moved to the F’s. Abbott French had a file as well. Along with Randall Smirnov and Joseph Toomey.

  She pulled out a file belonging to a woman by the name of Angela Tompkins who’d lived in Dallas, Texas. A check payable to the Caldwell Company had been copied and placed inside. Jane scanned the death certificate. Cause of death, head trauma. Jane glanced through the remaining documents. At the bottom was a driver’s license.

  The face on the license was Trish Peterson.

  Jane took a step back. Her heart raced. She tried to call Pamela but had no signal inside the unit.

  Car tires crunched on the gravel outside the door. No time to step out. Hopefully, Trish wouldn’t realize anyone knew she was involved in the insurance scam and she’d keep playing friend to Pamela.

  Chapter 34

  Winston pulled up to the automatic gate and stopped. 6:57.

  The gate swung open. She looked inside the office. All she saw was the silhouette of a man.

  She glanced at her clock. 6:58.

  After a few seconds of stalling, she finally drove in. The gate shut as she passed. Her breathing grew loud. She was trapped.

  6:59.

  She drove slowly, reading numbers of each building until she got to the twenties. A black SUV was parked in front. Winston put her car in park. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

  7:00.

  She could do this. She had to.

  A man got out from the SUV jerking someone out behind him. Winston climbed from her car too.

  Brenda struggled to free herself. She locked eyes with Winston and mouthed the word sorry, giving a smile of encouragement.

  Winston again glanced around. No sign of Jane.

  “Got the key?” the man asked. He was short but bulky, he wore a ball cap with some faded logo Winston couldn’t make out low.

  Winston walked over to storage unit twenty-seven. She blocked the view of the guy who had Brenda. As Jane had promised, the lock to the hasp was open. Winston pulled out the lock and slid the latch.

  “Open the door,” the man ordered.

  Winston pushed up on a rib of the door, but her hand slipped from the rain.

  “Help her.” The guy shoved Brenda forward.

  Brenda grabbed the door handle at the bottom and the rolling door slid up. It was too dark to see anything inside.

  “Get in.” The man raised his head in Winston’s direction.

  “This is as far as we go.” Winston pulled Brenda toward her. “You wanted the key. Here it is.” Winston tossed her personal garage key the guy’s way.

  He reached up to catch it but missed. It clattered on the cement beside his foot.

  Winston grabbed Brenda by the arm, and they took off running. They hadn’t even gone twenty feet when a man stepped from the corner of the building holding a gun. Winston rammed into a stopped Brenda, sending her to the ground.

  The man from the SUV rushed up behind Winston. “Should I just do them right now?” he asked.

  “Wait until we get them out of sight.” He motioned with his gun for them to turn around.

  Winston didn’t move. Disappointment flushed in. She wiped rain from her forehead. “Let me guess,” she said, “Mr. Yates.”

  A smug look crossed his face. “Glad to know I’m so popular.” He looked around. “So, where’s the other one?” he asked.

  “What other one?” Winston shoved loose strands from her forehead.

  “The Bayou lady.”

  “She’s in Live Oak watching federal agents tear apart your office and home.”

  He winced but recovered quickly. “Too bad they won’t find anything.” He motioned with the gun for them to head to the back. “The only thing left is in here. Now move.” He grabbed Brenda around the neck with his arm, his gun pointing at her side.

  “I can’t imagine this is good for your family.” Winston trudged slowly back to the unit.

  “Who do you think this has all been for?”

  “Do you think they’ll appreciate all you’ve done once everything comes out? How you killed to give them the best?”

  “Those bums were a societal waste. Most were criminals, stealing, taking drugs. Some even killed for their habits. I did everyone a favor by getting rid of them.”

  Winston’s knees almost gave out from under her.

  Yates shoved Brenda inside. “Don’t be so pushy,” she said.

  How was she being so calm with Winston was sure she’d wet herself. And where was Jane. Had she been captured? Winston walked next to Brenda then turned and faced her captors. If they were going to shoot her, they’d do so looking her in the eye.

  The dark unit was empty except for a tall filling cabinet to the left.

  Yates smiled. “I guess I should thank Smirnov for getting the documents out of the office before the feds showed up.”

  Winston glanced around. Where was Jane?

  “Is that why you killed him?” she asked.

  “Why would I kill a man I thought was already dead? I had no idea he was hiding in plain sight.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No time for the story. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

  Winston’s pulse raced. “You’ll spend the rest of your life in jail, and your family will lose everything.”

  “Not without evidence.” Yates’ face darkened, and he turned to the guy from the SUV. “Get the cans.”

  ***

  Pamela’s eyes fluttered closed. She was too tired to watch Gene Wilder in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, one of her all-time favorite movies. The voices on the television were lulling her to sleep. She felt the sofa move as Trish got up.

  Her eyes opened halfway to stare at the screen.

  They were up to the scene with the blueberry girl. She loved this part.

  Hearing the sound of something being unzipped in the spare room, she got up. She stumbled a couple of steps then grabbed the wall for support. One careful step after another, she headed to the back room.

  Trish was inside, going through Pamela’s purse.

  “What are you doing?” Pamela instantly became energized.

  Trish jumped, then smiled. “I was trying to make a break for it.”

  “A break for what?” Pamela cocked her head to one side. “If you needed money, I would have given it to you after everything you’ve done for me.” She walked over and jerked her wallet from Trish’s hand.

  “The only problem is I need it all.”

  “All?”

  “Yeah. I need to become you.” Trish backhanded Pamela sending her to the ground. “You took everything from me. Now it’s my turn to take everything from you.”

  Chapter 35

  Jane pressed herself to the wall. Winston kept her eyes pinned on Yates who aimed a gun at her. Jane couldn’t make a move in case that weapon went off.

  Brenda looked around. Her eyes met Jane’s. Brenda’s eyes widened. Jane placed her finger against her lips.

  The man with Yates reappeared with two red gas cans. Jane’s heartrate ramped up a notch. Winston and Brenda were between Jane and the two men.

  “I need to use the bathroom.” Brenda bounced from one foot to the other.

  “Use a corner,” Yates said.

  Yates racked the slide of the gun he held.

  Winston grabbed Brenda and rushed to a dark corner. A shot echoed, causing Jane to jump.

  “I wouldn’t have talked.” The guy with Yates crumpled to the ground.

  “Can’t take that chance.”

  Jane darted out before Yates could pull the trigger again. He jerked back, surprised at her being there. She rammed into him, shoving him against the wall. She grabbed the hand holding the weapon and slammed it against her knee. His wrist snapped. He cried out. The gun fell to the ground.

  Winston moved from the dark corner and ste
pped on the weapon.

  Yates took a swing. Jane ducked. She slammed her knuckle into his throat. He bent forward, coughing and choking.

  Jane took a pair of handcuffs she had in her back pocket and placed them on him.

  Brenda looked at the guy on the ground. “He doesn’t look too good.”

  Jane passed her gun over to Winston. “Here, hold this on him. It’s ready to go if he moves,” nodding in Yates’ direction.

  Winston took the gun with shaky hands.

  “You had me worried for a second,” Jane said. “I thought you might go and get yourself shot while running away.” She knelt next to the guy on the ground, blood seeping through his shirt. “What part of ‘do what they say’ did you not understand?”

  “You took your time showing yourself.” Winston’s voice trembled.

  “Couldn’t take a chance on Brenda getting shot. We need her in the office too much.”

  “You do?” Brenda smiled.

  “Who else knows where all the supplies are?”

  “Would have helped if you’d told me you’d be hiding in the unit.” Winston’s knuckles were white.

  Jane rolled up the man’s shirt. Fear showed in his eyes. Blood oozed from the hole in his stomach. The rancid smell of copper filled the storage unit.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  “Brenda,” Jane looked up at her. “The police are on their way. Are you okay to meet them at the gate?”

  “No problem.”

  “Tell them to get an ambulance.”

  “You got it.” Brenda took off at a sprint.

  “If you make it,” Jane said to the man on the ground, “might be wise to cut a deal. Not like there’s much loyalty between you and your boss now.”

  The guy nodded.

  Jane turned to Winston. “I found a file with a woman who was killed in a hit-and-run. Trish Peterson’s picture was on the driver’s license used.”

  “Trish?” Winston turned away from Yates.

  “Don’t look away,” Jane ordered. “I need to get out of here before I get stuck having to give a statement.”

  “Go.” Winston nodded.

  Jane raced out and headed back to the fence she had climbed over in the beginning. She tried to call Pamela’s number once she was in her car. No answer.