Hard to Kill

by C. M. Sutter

  Lutz and Frank stared at the man who had just exited the shuttle bus. He was unidentifiable, especially at that distance. All they could tell was that he was indeed a male and wore a ball cap and a lightweight jacket, but they saw nothing more. He climbed into the Corolla and drove away.

  “Son of a bitch. That footage is useless,” Lutz said. “All we know is that he’s a guy wearing khaki pants and possibly a nylon jacket. The ball cap doesn’t even have a logo on it.” He looked at the guard. “Does the camera catch people as they leave?”

  “Sorry, but it only shows incoming vehicles and their plates as they pass through.”

  “Damn it. I’m going to need you to send me that footage, anyway. Maybe our tech department can do something with it.”

  “You bet. All I need is an email address to send it off to.”

  After giving the guard what he needed, Lutz and Frank thanked him and exited the cramped structure.

  “Have any luck?” Hanna asked when they reached the car.

  Lutz groused under his breath as he climbed in behind the wheel. “Nope, and that was the last lead we had.”

  Hanna groaned. “So what’ll happen now?”

  Frank adjusted his seat belt then looked over his shoulder. “It’s going to be tough. Airing a segment on the news about Jesse with his picture and where he was last seen might help, and we still need to find out if there’s ever been a connection between Leon or his brother and Jesse.”

  She sighed. “If only our phones were turned on. We don’t even know what county he’s in.”

  Lutz added his opinion. “We’ve nearly exhausted everything we can think of. If we’re ever going to find Jesse, it’ll be because of his will to live and the fact that he outsmarted his abductor.”

  Chapter 34

  I couldn’t catch a breath. Every time I tried to suck in air, my mouth and nose filled with water instead. He was drowning me as I lay bound to the chair, drifting closer to unconsciousness.

  He removed the wet cloth and allowed me another gasp of air. My lungs ached, and my throat burned from coughing. I cursed him and wished that I could kill him.

  “I thought you were tougher than that, McCord. Can’t take a little water in your lungs? Hell, everyone coughs and gags when they accidentally get lake water up their nose. You need to toughen up.”

  I sputtered as I sucked in air. “Most people have a choice to go swimming or not. They don’t have water poured over a rag on their face, you piece of shit.”

  Josh rose and walked down the hallway. “All the talk of water makes me have to piss.”

  I pulled against my restraints. If only I could weaken the tape and get it to tear. Maybe I could break the chair arms by pushing and pulling until the joints gave way. It was something, and I had to try everything I could think of. I would do the same with the chair legs. I had to loosen them or the tape. It was the only chance I had to get out of the predicament I was in.

  My folks had died from a freak accident on their twenty-fifth-wedding-anniversary vacation. I was twenty-one, and my sister, Jenna, was only seventeen. Years later, Jenna had died at the hands of her crazed husband, and now I would die because I had done my job all those years ago and put a dangerous drug dealer behind bars. I wouldn’t allow myself to go out without a choice and without using every ounce of fight I had. Could I fight a good fight in the condition I was in? Did I even have a chance if I got free? I hadn’t eaten in two days. My body was weak, and my lungs ached from abuse. I had to mentally outsmart Josh since he would win the physical battle if it came down to that. The fight had to be won with my mind, or I’d have to get him out of the house long enough to break free of the chair and make a run for it.

  “Ah, much better.” He returned to my chair. “Ready for round—what is it now—round ten?” He laughed as he dunked the rag in the bowl of water and draped it over my face.

  I jerked my head to the side, and the rag fell off. “Can’t you come up with something different? Don’t you want to mix it up? Are you that single-minded? You said you were smarter than me, so prove it. Come up with a new idea, a different technique to drive me insane before you kill me.”

  He rubbed his chin as if in thought. “That would be entertaining. A different way to inflict pain on you until you reach your breaking point and beg me to put an end to your life once and for all. Yeah, I like that. Now I have to come up with the perfect idea.”

  “Look it up. The internet is full of disgusting information that psychos like you get off on.”

  “Yeah, right. Unfortunately, I left the charger for my prepaid phone in the Corolla, so the battery is dead. You just want me to turn on yours so the police can track it. I’m sure all cops have some kind of tracking app on their phones.”

  “Then use Hanna’s phone. Turn off the locations, and you’re good to go.”

  “Hmm. I wonder if that’s true. Remember, I’ve been locked up for a decade.”

  “Type your question into the search bar, and you’ll see I’m telling the truth.” I needed him to believe me, and if Hanna had ever paid attention to my advice, she would have installed a tracking app on her phone, and the police would be watching for it to turn on. I’d just never asked her whether she’d actually done that or not.

  “I don’t trust you, McCord. After all, you are a cop and want me back behind bars.”

  “It’s where you belong, but don’t believe me. I don’t give a shit. Go to the library and use their computer. It’s only three blocks from here.”

  “Where? What’s the route?”

  I laughed. “Look it up, asshole.”

  Josh stormed down the hallway, which gave me a few minutes to work on the tape. I pulled against it as hard as I could, using all my strength to stretch it. Needing only ten minutes alone, I had a good chance of getting out of my situation, but first, I had to convince Josh to leave the house.

  Seconds later, he returned. “There’s a computer in the office. How do I log in?”

  I sneered in disgust. “I don’t know her password, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did. Good luck figuring that out on your own.”

  He was on me in a second and stomped me in the chest. A rib snapped, and I groaned in agony.

  “That’ll teach you to remember who’s holding the cards, Pig. Every time you smart off, you’re gonna get pummeled.”

  He returned to the office, likely to look for passwords that Hanna might have written down, and that gave me the time I needed to work on my restraints.

  Chapter 35

  During his hour-long drive to the precinct, Lutz gave Frank a laundry list of things to do. “I need you to call the bullpen first and find out if anyone has talked to Finley yet about a connection between Jesse and Leon Stanley or his brother. Tell Kip and Tony to work on that while they wait for Henry and Shawn to show up. Talk to Norse and have him put together something to air on the news about Jesse. Also, tell Norse that a video attachment is in my email. Have him forward it to the tech department. We need the image of that man who picked up the Corolla enhanced to the best of their capabilities.” Lutz rubbed his left temple. “What else? Am I forgetting anything?”

  “Asking for more officers to sit in front of Jesse’s house?” Hanna suggested.

  “Yep, that too.” Lutz glanced through the rearview mirror. “Who is your cell phone provider, Hanna?”

  After she gave him that information, Lutz told Frank to have one of the detectives get a warrant to have her service provider track her phone and notify their precinct the second it was turned on—if the perp turned it on at all. Because he was a cop, Jesse’s phone could be tracked by the police with the app installed on all their phones, but only if the phone was turned on.

  “Go ahead, Mills, and make the call. Get everyone in the bullpen working on those tasks, and tell them we should be back in an hour.”

  Frank dialed the bullpen and set his phone to Speaker so Lutz could join in on the conversation. “Tony, it’s Frank. We’re heading back, but I have a
to-do list for you guys to work on until we get there.”

  Disappointment sounded in Tony’s voice. “So no leads on Jesse’s whereabouts?”

  “Sorry, buddy, but nothing has popped yet.”

  Tony sighed. “This is getting pretty scary.”

  Lutz cut in. “It is, but we all need to stay levelheaded.”

  “Copy that, Boss.” Tony sucked in a breath that they heard through the phone lines. “Okay, I talked to Henry a half hour ago, and they should be back any minute as a matter of fact. He mentioned calling Finley, and I actually just got off the phone with him. Turns out, Leon was arrested in Cook County nine years back for disorderly conduct, but there’s nothing that shows he ever had contact with Jesse. That arrest wouldn’t go through our department or Narcotics either.”

  “Damn it. Guess you can cross that off your list. Did you check out his brother?”

  “Yep. Peter Stanley has a record, too, but he’s never been arrested in Cook County.”

  “Okay, then write this down. We have other things that need to be done before we get back, and have Norse call my cell as soon as you hang up.”

  Frank went through the list with Tony and ended the call. Minutes later, Lutz’s cell phone rang. “That’s got to be Norse.” Frank answered the call. “Detective Frank Mills speaking. Yep, and I’m putting you on Speaker, sir. Commander Lutz is driving but can tell you what he needs.”

  “Stan, it’s Bob.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  “We need a warrant for Hanna’s cell phone provider so they can track it if it gets turned on.”

  “Got it. What else?”

  “Two more things. There’s a video attachment on an email to me from the rental car agency. It shows the man who picked up the Corolla, but the distance is too great to get anything off his face. I need you to forward it to Tech and see if there’s anything they can do with it.”

  “Will do.”

  “Also, we need a write-up with photos of Jesse ready to go. We’ll get it on the news today, and then I’ll conduct a press conference later. Let the media know.”

  “Done.”

  “Thanks, Stan. We should be back in forty-five minutes.” Lutz hung up. “Hanna, we’ll have to stop at the precinct for about a half hour before I drop you off at Jesse’s house. Once we get there, I want to make sure the officers are in place, have a word with them, and then walk the house with you. I assume you know the security code to get in.”

  “I do since we’ve been spending weekends together.”

  “And you will again. I’m confident of that.”

  It was a few minutes after one when Lutz finally pulled into the precinct’s parking lot. “Home sweet home.”

  Frank huffed. “Unfortunately, that’s true. I spend far more time here than I do at my own condo.”

  “Okay, let’s see what’s gotten accomplished, and then I’ll drive you to Jesse’s house, Hanna.”

  “Thanks, sir. Should we wait outside?”

  “Nope, come on in. Bandit’s been here before, and I’m sure he enjoys the attention he gets from the guys in the bullpen. You can grab something from the cafeteria if you’d like, and then have a seat at Jesse’s desk. I won’t be long.”

  The commander parted ways with Hanna and Frank in the hallway and met up with Norse in Lutz’s office. “Get the information to the TV stations?”

  “Yep, and Debra gave it a proofread first. We included Jesse’s work bio, a photo from our website, where he was last seen, and the information on Hanna’s Explorer.”

  “Good. Does Todd have the video from the rental agency’s parking lot?”

  “He does but said it would be tough to enhance. The distance from the man to the camera is a good hundred feet.”

  “Figured as much. I’ll touch base with him in a bit. Appreciate all the help, Stan, and I hope the guys weren’t a pain in the ass.”

  He laughed. “All detectives are a pain in the ass.”

  “Yeah, especially the ones who find a way to go missing.” Lutz smacked the doorframe. “I’m going to take Hanna to Jesse’s house. His place has a good security system, and I’ll have Patrol stationed there until we get that kook off the street and Jesse safely back home.”

  “Roger that. I’ll pack up my things, then, and get out of your hair. Good luck, Bob.”

  With a nod, Lutz walked out. From the hallway, he heard barking coming from the bullpen. It made him laugh.

  At least we have a few minutes with Bandit where everyone can take a breath and escape reality.

  He walked in to see Kip throwing a tennis ball against the wall and Bandit catching it on the fly. A grin crossed Lutz’s face even though it was temporary. He sat on the corner of Jesse’s desk and called everyone to attention. Hanna got Bandit to calm down and sit.

  “Okay, people, I need your attention. Hanna, Bandit, and I will be leaving in a few minutes. She’ll be staying at Jesse’s house until this is over—it’s the safest place—and there will be a police presence there. Has anyone heard rumors on the street or gotten information from their CIs?”

  The room went silent.

  “I’ll take that as a no. Any sightings of Josh Stevens or chatter of his whereabouts?”

  Heads shook, and shoulders shrugged. Nobody had anything new to report.

  “I’m going to need volunteers to man the phones if tips on Jesse start coming in. The first news airing should be at three o’clock.”

  Henry and Tony said they’d handle that.

  “Thanks, guys. Frank, I want you to come along with me. We have to get that canoe off the top of my car and put it in Jesse’s garage, and then you can help unload the trunk.”

  “You bet.”

  “Stay busy, guys. We’ll be back in under an hour.”

  Chapter 36

  The squad car was already stationed at the curb when Lutz pulled into the driveway. In the back seat, Bandit was going crazy—he was home and couldn’t wait to jump out.

  Hanna sighed. “Poor baby. He probably thinks Jesse is here.”

  “Hanna, come with me for a minute. I want the officers to meet you so they know who they’re protecting,” Lutz said.

  Frank exited the car and began loosening the straps that secured the canoe to the rooftop carrier.

  When Lutz and Hanna approached the officer’s vehicle, he rolled down the driver’s-side window and nodded. “Commander Lutz.”

  “Conway.” Lutz lowered his head to see the officer in the passenger seat. “Jarvis.”

  “Commander.”

  Lutz continued. “This is Hanna Bradley. She’ll be staying in Jesse’s house with Bandit until the threat is over. She doesn’t have a cell phone, so I’m going to have Hanna flip the porch lights on and off every few hours to let you know she’s okay. You can also come up to the door, announce your presence, and physically make sure all is well too. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Conway said.

  “Who are you rotating shifts with?”

  “Michaels and Lawrence.”

  “Okay. When they’re ready to begin their shift, I want you to bring them to the door and introduce them to Hanna.” He looked to his side. “Make sure you meet them, Hanna. It’s for your safety.”

  “I will, sir.”

  Lutz patted the squad car’s doorframe and returned to his car, where he popped the trunk. Frank had unstrapped the canoe and was ready to carry it into the garage.

  “Hanna, you got the overhead door code?” Lutz asked as he grabbed one end of the canoe.

  “Yes, one second.” She took her backpack from the trunk, slung it over her shoulder, and walked to the garage door with Bandit waiting excitedly at her side. After sliding up the panel that covered the keypad, Hanna pressed the numbers for the four-digit code, and the door opened. She sat down her backpack and returned to the trunk to grab more items while Lutz and Frank carried the canoe. Turning toward the garage, Hanna dropped the bag she had in her arms. “Guys, oh my God! Look at the Camaro!”


  After setting the canoe on the driveway, Lutz and Frank rushed into the garage.

  “Jesus! What the hell is going on?” Frank yelled.

  Lutz called out to the officers. “Jarvis, get over here. Hanna, get in the squad car with Conway and stay put.”

  “What about Bandit?”

  “Bandit can walk the house with us.”

  Jarvis rushed to the garage. “Holy shit! What happened?”

  “We’re about to find out.” Lutz took a slow walk around Jesse’s pride and joy—his bright-yellow ZL1 Camaro. “Why didn’t the car alarm go off and alert anyone?”

  Frank rubbed his forehead and whistled. “I’m wondering the same thing. My question is, how did the person who did this get inside the garage?”

  Lutz shrugged and turned to Jarvis. “Do you guys have gloves in your car?”

  “Sure do, Commander. I’ll get them.”

  “We’ve got to clear this house and get Forensics out here immediately.” Lutz cupped his hands around his mouth. “Jarvis, tell Conway to call the crime lab. We need them out here right away.”

  After they were gloved, Lutz turned the doorknob that led into the lower level. He gave an okay nod to Frank and Jarvis, who both had their guns drawn. They entered the room, and Lutz flipped on the light switch at his left. The damage in the room was extensive. The pool and foosball tables were demolished, and the card table was nothing but splinters. All of the barstools were smashed, along with dozens of booze bottles that had been on the shelf behind the bar.

  Frank cautiously opened the door to the laundry room and storage area. Inside, the totes that normally held treasured family photos had been dumped out and the pictures shredded. “Damn it.”

  Bandit bolted to the upper level. At the top of the stairs, Lutz stopped and shook his head. “I can’t believe this. Who would do something this evil?”

  “Who do you think?” Frank growled. “It had to be Josh Stevens. There’s nobody else who was coincidentally released from prison a week ago and hates Jesse this much.”

  Lutz cursed under his breath as they entered the kitchen. “But we had a police presence here the second we found out he removed the ankle bracelet and killed his uncle. How did he get past the security system?”