rented, and there weren’t any cars. Is it possible that the covered car was a 1986 dark blue Buick?”
“I don’t know. It could have been, but I don’t remember anything specific. It was completely covered.”
“Does Ryan have any friends that you know of?”
“No, he was pretty much a loner. He asked Callie out once or twice, but I didn’t approve. They kept apart, I think.”
“Jake, we have some evidence that Ryan was in your house, and maybe in your safes. Prints were found in a couple rooms. The safes were wiped, so we didn’t get anything positive, but there are some partial prints that could be his. Is there some reason his prints would be on your safes?”
“No. I never let him in my house.”
“Would Ms. Murray have let him in?”
Jake thought then answered. “She could have. They went on at date at least once that I know about. I was away. I kinda let her know that I didn’t approve.”
Wallace persisted. “Did Ms. Murray know your combinations?”
Jake nodded his head slowly. “It’s possible. I opened them around her a couple times and didn’t try to hide the combinations. I told her the combinations were with my will.”
“So, would you say she could have opened them for Ryan, either by choice or by force?”
“I guess so.”
Wallace concluded. “Okay, well I guess that’s about it for now unless you have some questions for us?”
“No, not really. What about the letters? Can I have them?”
“Maybe once the investigation is finished.”
Then Agent Link spoke for the second time. “Mr. Ramsey, when Ms. Murray turned herself in, she asked that the clothing she was wearing be protected carefully. It’s about all she had with her. They were new and extremely expensive. Since you agreed to pay for her charges, do you want the clothes?”
Jake was stunned. Callie bought clothes? “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
They left without drinking anything, leaving Jake more confused. People were possibly murdered. Will Ryan was gone.
Traffic Stop
Will was on his second pack of smokes when the late afternoon sky filled with one of the violent thunderstorms common in the South. It was cold and dark. He’d had the wipers on high speed, and the defroster blasting hot air for the past hour. The forecasters on the radio said conditions were right for ice to form, and the Interstate might be closed. He slowed to fifty and couldn’t see much beyond the front of his truck. All drivers had their lights on, and he had come very close to a couple vehicles before seeing them through the dark watery curtain. Fortunately, most of the traffic left the road, and all he had to do was stay in the lane, which was getting more difficult with the lines disappearing under standing water. He needed to keep going. He was told that Callie had given up and talked to police in Georgia. They could be looking for him now.
As the rain pelted the cab in black rivulets, Will slowed to twenty but kept going. He turned the volume up high to hear music over the storm. It was nerve-wracking, but he had to get farther away. The radio continued to warn against driving, and there was no more traffic on the road. Then it happened. Red, white and blue strobe lights filled his mirrors. He was the only car on the highway that he could see, so the cop was signaling him to pull over. There was no way to run. Oh, shit.
He pulled off on the wide shoulder and waited. The cruiser parked behind and turned on a white spotlight further blinding any view from the truck. He waited a full minute, and nothing happened, except his pulse rate increased wildly. He slowly reached down below the seat and felt the grip of one of the handguns hidden there and pulled the forty-five onto the seat next to him. He slowly chambered a round.
He jumped when the flashlight tapped on his window, which he lowered. “What’s the problem, officer?”
She said, “Sir. Your tail-lights are out.”
“Oh, again? Shit, I told that lame mechanic o’ mine to get that fixed once and for all. You know these Fords. They jes’ always have problems with them rear lights.”
She was huddled under her plastic-covered Trooper’s hat. “Look. You can’t be on the road like this. It’s too dangerous. Someone will hit you from behind.”
“Officer. I really appreciate you good advice. I’ll get ‘em fixed immediately.”
“Okay. Look there’s a turn off onto Rt. 12 up about four miles. You drive slowly, and I’ll follow with my lights going, that will get you off safely. There’s a Sears, and some other car repair companies right off the Interstate. You pick one and I’ll follow you in till you stop.”
“Okay. Look I really appreciate it!”
She was yelling above the rain noise coming from all around. “No problem. Oh, I noticed your temp plates. Let me have your driver’s license and insurance card.” Will had never had a driver’s license.
“What? It’s just some light problem. Why do I need to show my license? You gonna give me a ticket?”
“No. It’s just procedure. I have to call it in.”
Will let out a long breath, “Okay.”
He pretended to reach into his right rear pocket, while gripping the pistol handle firmly with his finger on the trigger. He swung it up fast, seeing terror on the Trooper’s face. He fired, but missed. He was sitting only three feet from her, and he missed!
She screamed and ducked, rushing toward the back of the truck, dropping her flashlight and reaching for her own weapon. Will threw the door open and jumped down into two inches of water. She slipped by the rear tire and reached for the bumper to pull to protective cover behind the truck, as he stepped closer. Her cruiser lights provided a clear silhouette of her struggling to regain footing. He pointed the gun with one hand and fired twice more, but she kept moving. He swore to himself ... how many shots is it gonna take! A forty-five slug would knock anyone down, but she was still moving. She got around the rear of the truck, crouching low. Again she reached for her weapon as he rounded the back a couple feet beyond her, closer to her cruiser.
Will was off balance and didn’t want to waste another shot. He stood, with her in his shadow from the trooper car lights. The rain was pelting his face, causing him to blink and wipe his eyes with his gun hand. He was shaking badly and could hardly control the nerves in his hand. He’d never killed anyone with a gun before. He pointed without aiming and fired into her body, only four feet away. This time she groaned and crumpled at his bumper, gripping her midsection. A forty-five slug will knock the wind out of an elephant. He stepped closer and tried to aim, but the barrel was shaking wildly in his hand. He fired twice more, and then the gun stopped firing, out of ammunition! He didn’t know where she was actually hit. Shit! She was still alive, moaning flat on the ground, but alive.
He looked around, and there were no more lights anywhere on the road. She was dead, but hadn’t stopped living yet. He left her in the rain and ran back to the cab, throwing the gun onto the seat on the passenger’s side.
The truck fishtailed as he sped away, but he regained control, cursing himself. The exit was only four miles away. He’d find a place to stay for the night. It was a risk so close, but he couldn’t take the chance of being spotted without tail-lights again. He would also look for forty-five ammo in the morning.
Limbo
BJ was finishing filling the coffee pot with water when Jake entered the Ops Center.
“Hey, Jake. How’s it going?” BJ walked and gave him a strong hug.
“Oh, I don’t know, BJ. I’m just waiting for Callie to reach the funeral home. After that, I don’t know ... probably bury myself in work and booze again.”
“Naw. Not you. You’ve changed. You might not know it, but everyone else does. You’re a different man. You can thank Callie for that.”
Jake smiled and walked closer to the coffee pot. “So, am I on the schedule yet.”
“No, the heads want you through with the funeral. It’s o
nly a day or so, Jake.”
“Yeah, but I can’t just sit around home, BJ -- too many memories.”
“Then sit around here and watch all the action.”
Jake helped himself to a cup of black coffee then sat in a chair across from BJ.
BJ asked. “So, how’s the investigation going? You gonna get your coins back?”
“Don’t know. It looks like that new kid, Ryan, the mechanic, could be involved.”
“Yeah. There were some Feds poking around here, asking about him. He hasn’t shown up lately, although that’s not unusual with this younger generation -- especially the minimum wagers.”
“Yeah. Well. It looks like he bailed. I drove by his place on the way here. The cars are gone.”
“Well, son of a gun! You think the guy was smart enough to pull this off? Or did the girl plan it all?”
Jake looked at him crossly. “I’ll never believe it was her, BJ, not ever. That guy might be dumb as a tack, or sly as a fox, I don’t know, but she didn’t do this!”
“Hey, chill, man. I didn’t mean to get you all upset, just exploring possibilities.”
“Yeah, well, the Feds are checking everything out. There might even be some more serious stuff, like murder in Texas linked to him -- or her.”
BJ looked surprised. “Wow. Murder huh? How they makin’ that connection?”
“I don’t know. Seems like the girl’s mother died mysteriously, and some neighbor lady disappeared.”
“Geez. Sounds like a real Bonnie and Clyde thing. So, any news