Blondie came over and helped me up.
“Oh Blue, you scared the crap out of me. I was just about to run in there to find you.”
I took the baby from her. “I’m okay, I just need some fresh air.”
There was a murmur through the crowd, then discernible voices.
“Hey, I don’t think she’s breathing.”
“Oh my God, somebody help her.”
They were talking about Teresa Breton.
I rushed back to her, but Blondie got there first and began performing CPR. As the first fire engine pulled up at the curb, Teresa began breathing again, thanks to Blondie.
A cheer rose from the crowd and Blondie was declared a hero.
And that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a long day.
The Denton Police Department wanted Rob Kiley for starting the fire at his ex-wife’s house, while Fort Worth was livid that he wasn’t being returned to their custody. While all of this jurisdictional squabbling was going on, Blondie and I were kept waiting.
Peace was finally established and, in the end, Kiley was driven back to Fort Worth by their head arson investigator, with the promise that he would be returned to face more charges in Denton.
Then, once we were through with the cops and Kiley, we went to the hospital to check on Teresa and the kids.
“I can’t thank you two enough. Not only did you save me and my children, but you made sure my crazy ex will be locked up again. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
Teresa’s new husband was there, and he also thanked us.
As we drove back to Fort Worth in the dark, Blondie yawned.
“I’m so tired. I think it’s all the emotion. It drains you.”
“Yeah, it does, but it feels good to know that you really helped someone, hmm?”
“It sure does.”
As we kept talking, Blondie told me that she lived just south of Dallas.
“If you don’t want to make the drive tonight, you can stay at my place.”
“Really?”
“Sure, it’s been a long day and you look beat. I live near the office; we’ll stop so you can get your car and then you can follow me home.”
“I’d like that, Blue, thanks.”
I loaned her one of my nightgowns and set a blanket and pillow on the sofa.
When I told her goodnight, she looked at me as if something were on her mind.
“Is everything all right?”
She nodded. “Yes, yes, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
After spending half an hour shampooing to get the odor of smoke out of my hair, I finally climbed into bed. I think it took only seconds until I was asleep, but I awoke a short time later as I felt someone moving beside me.
I sat up, turned on the light, and found Blondie lying beside me. She was naked.
“Oh, hi, um, what are you doing?”
“I like you, Blue. I like you a lot and I want to be with you, no strings.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said the first thing that came into my mind.
“I um like you too?”
She rose on her knees, embraced me, then kissed me on the mouth. I tried to be gentle, but I had to use a bit of strength to push her off.
“Whoa Blondie, whoa! I like you, I really do, but I’m straight and even if I went both ways, I don’t cheat, and you know that I’m with Gary.”
She stroked my face.
“But I care about you; won’t you give me a chance?”
“I’m sorry, honey, and I care about you too, but this, us in bed, it’s just not me.”
She looked like she wanted to cry, but before it could happen she jumped out of bed.
“I’m going home.”
The room was dark, but not completely absent of light thanks to the street lamps outside. As Blondie walked away, I could see faded scars across her back and buttocks. I was so startled by the sight that I said nothing as she left the room, but then I called to her.
“Blondie! Susan! Hey, you don’t have to leave. You’re tired and it’s late, stay here.”
No answer, and so I grabbed my robe and followed her into the living room, where she was getting dressed.
“You don’t have to leave. This was no big deal. We just had a misunderstanding.”
She turned around and screamed at me.
“I’m going! And don’t worry about me, I’ll get home just fine, and I don’t need your help anymore.”
She opened the door to leave, but then stood there.
“Blue.”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t tell anybody about this. I couldn’t stand it if I knew you were laughing about me behind my back.”
“Oh honey, I would never do that, now come on back in. You’re too tired to be driving.”
No answer, then she left and shut the door behind her.
For some reason I felt bad, but what else could I have done?
I went back to bed, but just laid there for a while before finally falling asleep and having bad dreams.
The next morning, as I was having coffee, I received a call.
It was Brenda Downing; she was another of the bounty hunters that had been with Blondie and me that day at the old refinery.
“Blue, please tell me that you’ve seen Burt Tucker?”
“No, Brenda, but why, is something wrong?”
“It sure is, we were supposed to meet this morning to talk, but he never showed, and now I can’t find him anywhere.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, but I haven’t heard from him. I’ll call around and see if I can find him, if I do, I’ll have him call you.”
“Okay Blue, and thanks.”
When I hung up with Brenda, I called Burt’s cell, but there was no answer, then, I tried his landline and just heard the answering machine. Afterward, I called my boss, Ron Tenney. He was in his office.
“Hey Ron, have you heard from Burt Tucker?”
“Oh Blue, honey, I got bad news.”
“About Burt?” I said, and immediately my mind conjured up an image of a drunken Burt crashing his truck into a bridge abutment, even though I was sure he hadn’t had a drink since his son died.
“Blue, Burt’s gone missing, but it’s worse than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“That reporter that keeps getting the letters from the wacko, he got another one this morning. It had Burt’s name on it.”
“Oh God.”
“Yeah Blue, and listen, honey, stop on in. The cops want to speak to everyone.”
“I’ll be right in,” I said, and hung up.
As I put down the phone, I began to cry, even as a red-hot anger began burning. Someone was murdering my friends, hunting them down one by one. If I ever got the chance, I’d kill them.
Chapter 4
When I arrived at the office, I was met by Ron, who looked as upset as I felt.
He and Burt were about the same age and I knew that they sometimes played golf together. It’s one thing to have a business associate go missing and another when it’s your friend.
I spoke to both of the detectives on the case but was unable to think of anything that might help them. I also felt as if they were eyeing me suspiciously, now that they were sure that the killer was a woman, but they were courteous all the same.
Amidst the furor over Burt’s disappearance, work still had to go on. I left there that morning with a bail skip to search for.
It looked like an easy one. A man named Karl Cutler had been committing insurance fraud by buying cars for cash and chopping them up for parts in his body shop. Meanwhile, the owners claimed that they were stolen.
Cutler was thirty-three, married, with two young kids, and came from a big family. He had never been in trouble with the law before and at one time had been an auxiliary policeman. He must have seen how much time he was facing, panicked, and talked the wife into fleeing. Bad move. Now he was only in deeper trouble.
This on
e would have been perfect for Blondie. Cutler would likely not be violent and should be easy to find. When I’d seen Blondie that morning, I asked if she wanted to work together in finding Cutler.
She’d whispered, “No,” as she sent me a look that was equal parts anger and embarrassment, and then she walked away.
I felt bad for her. I know it’s not fun to be rejected, for whatever the reason.
Karl Cutler had lived in a three-bedroom ranch home in Mansfield.
I parked my truck on the street that ran behind it, then walked through backyards like I belonged in them, to make my way to his backdoor. When I reached it, I found that it was locked.
I could have broken the lock and gone in, but experience has taught me that nearly every home of any size has at least one unlocked door or window. Cutler’s turned out to be the bathroom window, which was positioned near the end of the backyard deck. The window was narrow, but I made it through and landed on a blue & white tile floor.
The house was quiet, and hot, apparently, they remembered to turn off the central air before they left for their lives as fugitives.
I found what I was looking for in the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet, their telephone bills, and phone bills had calling records. It wasn’t the current bill, but it told me who they called most frequently. It seemed to be Cutler’s brother, Brian Cutler. On the wall of the living room was a picture, an enlarged photo, and it was hanging in a prominent place.
It showed Cutler and family with a man who looked very much like him, and they were standing in front of a lake house. I took the photo down off the wall, flipped it over, and read the inscription.
With Brian at his cabin, Cabana Lake, July 2011
It looked like I was going to the mountains.
Once I was in the area, it took me an hour to locate the right cabin. I was dressed in a pair of denim shorts with a flannel shirt and hiking boots. I also carried a backpack. I wanted to blend in as just another hiker passing by.
I wished that Blondie had come with me. For one thing, the area was beautiful and the hike up the hill to the cabin was enjoyable. A second reason was that I would be dealing with a family.
If I tried to slap cuffs on Cutler while I was alone, I would likely also have to deal with the wife. After nabbing him, I still had to walk him back down the hill. A helping hand would have been appreciated.
As I walked toward the cabin, I saw no one, but then I heard a TV playing inside. When I peeked through a window, I saw the Cutlers’ two children, a boy and girl, watching a cartoon movie, but then I heard the adults.
Karl Cutler and his wife Carrie were out in the cabin’s yard, and they were not happy. Cutler and his wife were holding each other and crying. In between the tears, I heard him begging for forgiveness, forgiveness for the mess that he had made of their lives.
I felt like the worst type of peeping Tom, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. Their angst was so compelling that I felt mesmerized by it.
“I’ve ruined your life. For a little easy money, I ruined your life.”
“No! I love you, Karl. Yes, you’ve made mistakes, but our lives aren’t ruined. We still have each other; we’ll always have each other.”
“We can run, change our names, but that’s no way to live, no way to raise kids.”
“If they catch you, how much time will you get?”
“I don’t know, years, maybe even more than a decade.”
“But it’s your first offense; they have to take that into consideration.”
“I ran, Carrie, and because I ran, things will be worse. Someone is probably looking for me right now, and when they find me and drag me back it’ll make things worse.”
I stepped into view.
“Hello, Mr. Cutler, my name is Blue Steele. I’m a bail enforcement agent and I’ve come to take you back.”
For a second, I thought that he would run, but then a look of complete hopelessness came over him. Cutler hung his head, released his wife, and plopped down into a lawn chair.
“Please don’t cuff me in front of my kids. I’ll go along with you, I promise, just please don’t cuff me, please?”
I walked over to them and Carrie Cutler looked at me as if I were a lit stick of dynamite. There was a pitcher of lemonade on the table and I helped myself to a glass. After I slaked my thirst, I sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs.
“Mrs. Cutler, please sit, we all need to talk.”
“That would really work?”
“It’s your best bet.” I said. “You’ll still do time, but by turning yourself in and cooperating, they’ll be more lenient with you than they otherwise would have been.”
Cutler looked at his wife. “I think it’s my best option, and it’s past time that I do the right thing.”
His wife nodded her agreement, then stared at me.
“Why are you helping us? He’s worth money to you, isn’t he?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure why I’m helping. Maybe it’s because the last man I chased down was in the process of trying to burn his ex-wife and three children to death when I came across him. I took money for bringing him in and it doesn’t feel right to do the same with a man like your husband, not back to back. A week from now, I might have just cuffed him and dragged him away, but not today, not when I can still smell the smoke from that fire.”
Carrie Cutler reached over and patted my hand.
“You’re a good woman, honey, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, as I stood up. Then, I gave Cutler one last piece of advice. “The sooner you come in the better it will be for you.”
He looked thoughtful as he stared at his wife.
“I can’t leave you here without a car and I don’t want the kids anywhere near the police station.”
“So, what do you want to do?” she asked.
Cutler looked back at me.
“Miss Blue, if I could, I’d like to ride back with you?”
I nodded, said, “Sure,” and thought to myself that it was the first time a skip asked my permission to come with me.
I looked away as Cutler and his wife kissed and said their goodbyes. When he walked over to me, I pointed at the cabin.
“I’ll wait while you tell the children goodbye.”
Cutler shook his head.
“I couldn’t bear it. I’d cry in front of them, let’s just go please.”
We made the walk to my truck in silence, and minutes after reaching it, we were on the highway and headed back to Fort Worth.
“Do you have someone in your life, Miss Blue?”
“Yes.”
“Ma’am, if he’s half as good as my wife, well then, you’re the luckiest woman in the world.”
I said nothing back, but a moment later, I wiped away a tear. It was the mountain air; it’ll do that to you.
After dropping Karl Cutler off in front of the police station, I stopped by Gary’s office and found Janelle leaving the building. She gave me a smug look but said nothing.
“Why are you here?”
She stared me up and down.
“Excuse me?”
“I asked you why you were here. Were you here to see Gary?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I was.”
“Why?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Gary is my business. He’s my boyfriend and I don’t appreciate you hanging around him, and just so you know, if I ever caught you two together, it’s you I would take it out on.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Take it any way you want; I’ve said my piece.”
I walked away from her then, and she said nothing else.
When I got to the office, I found Gary out by the receptionist’s desk.
He smiled, kissed me, and we walked toward his office.
“This is a nice surprise.”
“I had one myself on the way into the building.”
“Janelle, yes, she just dropped i
n to say hi, or so she said.”
“You’re not buying it either?”
“Of course not, and I told her so.”
“What did she say to that?”
“She smiled and told me that I knew where to find her, if I ever just wanted to borrow the ear of an old friend.”
“The ear? I bet that’s not the only body part she wants to loan you?”
Gary laughed. “I stopped thinking of her body parts a long time ago, ears and otherwise.”
“I can’t say the same.”
“You can’t?”
“No, I’d like to kick her ass.”
He kissed me again.
“Jealousy becomes you.”
“My place tonight?”
“I’ll bring wine.”
“It’s a deal.”
After a lovely evening, it was back to work.
As I walked into the office, I saw Blondie. I was glad; I really wanted things to be good between us again. George and Randy were there too, and I waved hello to them.
“Any word on Burt, guys?”
“No, and the police were here again. They asked Brenda to come to the station to talk,” Randy said.
“Brenda? I wonder why? Maybe it’s because she and Burt worked cases together.”
I walked over and took a close look at George.
“That cut is healing well, but next time, duck.”
“You could kiss it and make it feel better.”
I smacked him lightly on the side of the head.
“In your dreams.”
We all laughed, and I went over to talk to Blondie.
“Hey Blondie, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Blue, just fine,” she said, but didn’t look me in the eye.
“How about we meet for coffee later?”
“I don’t think so, Blue. I think I’ll be busy.”
“Are you mad at me, kiddo?”
She looked me in the eye then, and I saw both pain and anger.
“I’m not mad at you, but there’s just no point in us being friends.”
I leaned closer, so my voice wouldn’t carry.
Blue Steele Box Set Page 12
