Chapter Thirty-Six
Jonah
I hated that my cleaning crew had to be called out to finish a job the other team screwed up. The two-hour drive to New York City just about ruined my gut with all the coffee I’d ingested. When I arrived, I could immediately sense something was off. Detective Green, who was assigned to the case, looked pissed, and the way he hovered over an area of stained carpet told me there was more to the story.
“Detective Green,” I greeted him and started to unpack my tools. “Everything all right?”
“Come.” He motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen that smelled of rotten eggs. I fought the urge to gag. Christ, I hated this job!
“There have been complaints that cash has been going missing from the last three cleanups your crew have done.”
Mother of shit!
I focused on my heartbeat, careful to keep it even and give him zero reason to point a finger at me.
“I wasn’t aware of that, but I will keep my eye open, and I’ll let you know if I suspect anyone.”
His puffy eyebrows pinched together as he thought. “I’ll be watching too.” His voice was low and accusing. Someone must have rattled some cages up above because no detective usually stuck around when the cleaning crew was on site.
Well, that put a wrench in my plan to score some extra funds tonight.
“Get to it, then.” He waved me off. I had a two-second fantasy of jamming my scraper into the side of his skull.
When Tim graced me with a confused glance, I just shook my head and pointed to the hazmat suit for him to gear up.
It took us three hours to finish what the other crew had screwed up. I planned to make sure the boss heard about it so we would be reimbursed for our extra time.
“Hey,” Tim hissed from the doorway of the teenaged girl’s room. He nodded at the wallet on the bed. “How much do you think she has in there?”
“Enough that will get you fired,” I muttered and headed back downstairs to where the detective was hunched over my toolbox. My back stiffened when he fingered the screwdriver that had pierced many lungs and robbed many lives.
“Something I can help you with, Detective?”
Take your hands off my shit, before I use it on you too!
“Just curious what you carry in here.” He stepped back when his phone rang.
I cut my eyes at him, picked up my box, and said goodbye to the guys who were dragging behind. I needed to get some rest before tomorrow. I almost became giddy with the thought of her smooth skin shivering under my hold.
When I went to shut the front door, I saw the victim’s purse hanging on a hook by the coatrack, and it gave me an idea.
“Detective Green.” I nodded him over and glanced around to make sure we were alone. “You got me thinking.” I acted like it was a hard topic for me by rubbing my head with a sigh. “I’m not wanting to point fingers, but Tim doesn’t make much money, yet he just booked a trip to Hawaii. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford a trip to the tropics on my income.”
“Is that so?” He glanced at the stairs. “I appreciate the tip.”
“You’re welcome.” I was happy to take the spotlight off me. “Goodnight, Detective.” I called, and he waved me off in thought.
Asshole.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Blake
“What’s your ETA?” Sarge’s voice cracked over the radio.
“We’re in position, but negative on the subject.” I glanced over my shoulder at the team behind me. We were in our black gear, covered head to toe in the armor we hoped would protect us from whatever might be thrown our way.
It was a shot in the dark as to which one he snatched next.
“We have a visitor.” Jackson tapped my shoulder and pointed to his nine o’clock.
I nodded and relayed the information to everyone else.
“Black Audi, just entered the parking lot. So far, no movement.”
“Copy that,” the sergeant responded. “Everyone hold your positions.”
A middle-aged man stepped out in a pin-striped suit and checked the time as he pulled out a cell phone and started talking to someone.
“It’s not him,” I muttered to Jackson.
“How do you know?”
“He’s way too obvious and doesn’t care if we see his face.” I shifted to reach for my radio. “It’s not him.”
“Decoy?” Jackson challenged.
“Perhaps.”
“Shit,” the sergeant huffed over the radio. “Blake, call in and see where she is.”
“Copy that, I’m calling in.”
Benny handed me a cell phone with the number ready to go. I stayed down but crawled my way out of hearing range and pressed dial.
“PG and E front desk, this is Kelly. How may I direct your call?”
“Hi, Kelly, this is Blake Daniels. I was hoping you could help me with something. I was at your office last week, and I spoke to a young woman named Alison Church. I have a few more questions and was hoping you could send me through to her extension.”
“Sure thing. However, you will need to leave a voicemail.”
Shit.
“Why is that?”
“She called in sick today.”
I quickly grabbed my radio. “Sarge, she called in sick today.” I turned my attention back to Kelly. “Kelly, listen to me. I’m a detective with the SPD. Can you please tell me her address? She might be in danger.”
“I-I’m sorry, who is this?”
Dammit!
“Kelly, look out your front door.” I stood and watched as she looked out and covered her mouth as she stumbled to speak into the phone. “Look, we can come in there and start a shit storm, or you can just give me her address.”
I prattled the address off to everyone and jumped into the SUV that whirled out in front of me.
No one uttered a word as we focused on where we were heading next. For the next fifteen minutes, I mentally prepared for what we might walk into.
We peeled up to her apartment and stormed the stairs like a herd of wild beasts. Everyone took their positions before the door was kicked in and dust and wood chips flew up in the air like fireworks.
“Ms. Church, call out!” I yelled with my eye burrowed into the sight on the barrel of my gun.
“Clear!”
“Clear!” One by one the men called out that the place was empty.
“Shit!” I kicked a chair. Where the hell was she? “Let’s start combing the place, see what we can come up—”
Suddenly, like the fucking frosting on a cake, the dreaded call was patched in.
“All units, please respond to a body found by the lake.” I tuned the rest out as we all hung our heads. We didn’t need to know the rest. We knew it was her.
“How?” Jackson huffed behind me. “How has no one seen a damn thing?”
“Blake?” Sarge came into the room and nodded for me follow.
We left completely the opposite of the way we came in. Slowly, with our adrenaline sapped, we climbed into the SUV. By now, the word would have spread that we were there. I scanned all the faces in the small crowd that gathered. I hoped one would stand out, but not one did. They all appeared scared or nervous, and that was what would be expected.