Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

It was bad enough to learn the dead man on her farm had been wearing a black fleece hoodie, but the flash of suspicion in Cole’s eyes stabbed deep. How could he think she had killed that guy, hid the body, and then went on to become a cop?

Granted, she’d put several guys down on the mat at the gym. But that was a long way from killing them. She hadn’t even killed Rory, despite his attempt to rape her.

“Let me know when you get a positive dental ID,” Cole said.

“Will do.” The ME ended the call, leaving a long, strained silence stretching between them.

“I didn’t kill him.” The words popped out before she could take them back. She didn’t appreciate having to defend herself.

“Maybe you didn’t mean to kill him,” he said. “You admitted to wounding him by shooting your father’s gun. Then you followed his blood trail. He could have fallen over a tree root and bashed his head against a rock. He died, so you panicked and buried him. ”

“That is not what happened.” Yet she could easily hear some prosecutor pressing this theory of the case in front of a judge. And what proof did she have that she hadn’t killed anyone? Especially after she’d slammed the laptop into Rory’s head. As if that act of self-preservation wouldn’t come back to bite her in the butt. “Believe what you want, but I did not kill him.”

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. When Cole pulled into the driveway of a small green-sided ranch house, she decided that going inside would be a bad idea. In a swift movement, she pushed open her door, grabbed her bag, and got out of the car. Without looking at Cole, she turned and walked down the driveway to the street.

Not having a phone meant she couldn’t call for a rideshare. But she could walk to the nearest business to borrow a phone. She hadn’t wanted to go to Madison to see Shelly for fear of the bad guy following her, but maybe she could see her sister if she took a method of travel that would be difficult to track.

Like a bus.

Too bad she had no idea where the closest bus station was located. Would she have to go all the way back down to Milwaukee to catch a bus ride to Madison? Probably.

“Jina, wait.”

She shook her head and kept walking. Then she abruptly stopped as she remembered his intent to interview her sister. What was she doing? She needed to wait until that task was done before heading out.

She reluctantly turned to face him, hating that she’d reacted rashly. “I’ll stay while you chat with Shelly. After that, I’m out.”

“Obviously, you can do what you want,” Cole said. “But considering the danger, it would be better for us to work together on finding the shooter turned arsonist.”

“Why bother since you’re already trying to figure out how to arrest me for murder? Or aggravated assault. Manslaughter. Maybe assault with a deadly weapon.” She knew there were several different charges that he could recommend the DA press against her. “Any of those charges would result in me serving jail time, not to mention ruining my career.”

“I haven’t arrested you for anything,” he pointed out.

“But you’re thinking about it.” She held his gaze, and to his credit, he didn’t deny it. “I didn’t kill him, accidentally or on purpose. And I absolutely did not hide his body on my parents’ land.”

“Maybe you and Shelly can help me figure out who did.”

She tightened her grip on her overnight bag, resisting the urge to throw it at him. Despite her strenuous workouts in the MMA gym, she wasn’t prone to violence. Giving in to a stupid childish impulse now would only make things worse.

A good fighter always remained in control.

Taking a deep calming breath, she closed the distance between them. “We can talk to Shelly. Just be prepared to be disappointed.”

He nodded and led the way up to the small ranch house. He unlocked the door, pushed it open, then stepped back so she could enter first.

The interior was clean and comfortable. She had to give him points for not being a total slob like her teammate Flynn. She headed into the kitchen where Cole’s laptop was sitting on the table, an empty coffee cup beside it. Apparently, he’d been working this morning, much like she had been.

Before the fire that had damaged Mr. Glen’s two-story home.

Her anger and frustration with Cole thinking the worst of her faded. Finding this guy who’d hurt Mr. Glen was her top priority.

Clearing her name was secondary. Not that she planned to accept her fate without fighting back. It abruptly occurred to her that she needed to fill Rhy and Joe in as soon as possible.

It wouldn’t help to wait until her position on the tactical team was compromised. She preferred owning up to her mistakes.

And being honest with Cole about the stalker she’d shot twelve years ago had been one doozy of a mistake. If she’d just kept her mouth shut, he wouldn’t be looking at her with suspicion.

So much for innocent until proven guilty. Oh, she knew most cops approached their investigations from the opposite viewpoint, presumed guilty until cleared. She usually did too. But that didn’t sit well now that she was the suspect in question.

“Would you like more coffee?” Cole asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Sure.” She dropped her overnight bag on the floor, then sank into a chair, watching as he made a fresh pot. He moved with a lithe grace, comfortable in his own skin. Maybe because he wasn’t trying to impress her. Quite the opposite. She sensed he still loved his dead wife, Renee.

He looked good in a sports coat. Too bad he was the enemy.

“Does your sister work?” he asked, returning to the table. “I only ask because I don’t know if we’ll catch her at home or at her job.”

“Shelly works from home; she’s a medical record coder.” Jina knew that Shelly hoped to work part time after the baby was born since her husband was a physical therapist. “If she’s busy, you’ll have to leave a message. But I’m sure she’ll call back as soon as she can.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He took out his phone and then glanced at a small notebook. It was disconcerting to see her name, number, and address written there along with Shelly’s name, address, and phone number.

No surprise, his call went to Shelly’s voice mail. After leaving a message, he glanced at her. “Do you want to start going through the list of names?”

“Yes, but I need to call my boss.” She gestured to his phone. “Do you mind if I borrow that for a minute?”

“Sure.” He handed it over. She rose and walked into the living room for some privacy to make the call. Thankfully, Rhy answered on the first ring.

“Captain Finnegan.”

“Rhy, it’s Jina. I wanted to let you know that I don’t have my phone. I’m borrowing one from—a friend.” She cleared her throat. “I appreciate you giving me time off work. The shooter who came after me last night showed up this morning and set fire to Mr. Glen Gleason’s duplex. I already spoke to Mitch Callahan but thought you and Joe should know too.”

“Anyone hurt?” Rhy asked.

“We’re fine. We drove Mr. Glen to his daughter’s home in Ravenswood. I, uh, will figure out someplace to stay. Did Gabe Melrose have time to dig into the list of names I sent?”

“He’s just started. I promise he’ll call if he finds something. Do you want me to let Cassidy know? You can probably bunk with her for a few days.”

“I’ll check in with Cass later.” Jina didn’t want to impose on her fellow teammate. Now that Raelyn was married to Pastor Isaiah Washington, she and Cassidy had grown a bit closer. But that didn’t mean Cassidy wanted Jina to live with her indefinitely. Besides, Jina preferred having her own space.

“Keep us in the loop,” Rhy said. “The team is here for you if you need anything. I don’t like knowing one of my cops is in harm’s way.”

“Thanks.” She was touched by his offer. Maybe she was being stubbornly independent, but she wasn’t ready to call for reinforcements. “I’ll let you know.”

“Take care,” Rhy said.

“I will. Thanks.” She ended the call, thinking about Rhy’s suggestion to contact Cassidy, when the phone in her hand rang. Recognizing Shelly’s number, she quickly answered, walking back to the kitchen. “Hi, Shelly, it’s Jina. I’m here with Detective Roberts.”

“Hey, Jina, what is this about?” Shelly asked. “I was shocked to hear this guy wants to talk to me.”

“I know, but here, I’ll let him fill you in.” She handed the phone to Cole.

“Ms. Strom? This is Detective Cole Roberts. If you don’t mind, I’d like to use a video call.”

Jina assumed her sister agreed because Cole ended the call, then started over using the video call app. Moments later, she could see her sister’s face on the small screen. Jina stood over Cole’s shoulder so she could watch the interaction.

“I don’t understand. What is this about?” Shelly asked, her brow furrowed .

“I have a few routine questions for you,” Cole said. “You lived on your parents’ farm until you were a sophomore in high school, is that correct?”

“Yes. We moved after my dad had a heart attack.”

“Do you remember anything strange happening back then?”

Shelly glanced at Jina before answering. She gave her sister a subtle nod, indicating she could go ahead and tell him. The cat was out of the bag now anyway. “Yes, Jina had some trouble with a stalker. He climbed into her bedroom window late on a Saturday night. Jina used our dad’s handgun to scare him off.”

“Did you see Jina shoot him?” Cole asked.

“No, but I heard the gunshot. Then we ran outside to see if we could find him. Jina found some blood on the window and the ground. We followed it, but then it disappeared.” Shelly looked concerned. “Has that guy come back to make trouble for Jina? She was only trying to protect us. He had no right to come into our house, especially her bedroom!”

“No, he hasn’t come back to make trouble for anyone,” Cole assured her. “I’m going to text you a photograph. I’d like you to tell me if you recognize the man in the picture.”

“Okay.” Shelly frowned. Then her face disappeared while Cole texted the picture of Bradley Crow. After a long moment, Shelly nodded. “Yeah, he looks familiar.”

What? Jina leaned closer. “Where did you see him?”

Another pause as Shelly considered that. “I think he was at the custard stand when I went there to see you.” Her sister tipped her head to the side. “You don’t remember?”

“No. I didn’t recognize him.” She was stunned by Shelly’s admission. “You’re sure you saw him?”

“I think so. But it was a long time ago. I could be wrong.” Her sister looked uncertain. “I mean, I’m not sure I’d want to swear to it in court. Why? Who is he?”

Cole glanced over his shoulder at her, before turning back to Shelly. “His name is Bradley Crow. He was reported missing twelve years ago. You saw him outside the custard stand where Jina worked? Can you describe what he was wearing?”

“I think so, yes.” Shelly looked nervous now. “He had a dark sweatshirt on, with the hood up.”

Jina’s stomach clenched at that. Was it possible Crow was her stalker? And the dead guy buried on the farm? If so, how in the world had he gotten there?

“What made you remember him?” Cole asked. “He must have stuck out in your mind for a reason.”

“I only noticed because he watched Jina while she worked, like with a single-minded focus. It was a little creepy.” Shelly flushed, then added, “But I was only fifteen at the time, so I could be wrong. I wouldn’t feel comfortable testifying in court that they were one and the same.”

“I understand,” Cole said with a smile. “Thanks for your cooperation. That’s all I have for now, but I may need to talk to you again in the future.”

“Jina? Are you okay?” Shelly asked, clearly worried about what she’d revealed.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself and that baby, okay?” She forced a smile for her sister’s sake. “We’ll talk later.”

“Okay, sounds good. Bye.” Shelly ended the video call.

“I had no idea she saw him at the custard stand,” Jina said, after a pause. “Doesn’t mean he’s my stalker. A lot of kids wore hoodies back then.” She was getting tired of defending herself. She snagged her bag from the floor and headed for the door .

“Hold on. I thought you wanted to help investigate the shooter?” Cole asked.

She hesitated, turning to look at him. He wasn’t looking at her with suspicion, but it was only a matter of time before he had a positive ID on the dead guy.

Sticking around to work the shooter/arsonist case with him wasn’t smart. Yet at the same time, she needed to find the man who’d set fire to Mr. Glen’s home. Stay or go? It was shocking how much she wanted to stay.

“Fine.” She dropped her bag near the door and crossed to the counter to get some coffee. She’d likely regret this later, but for now, she could use Cole’s help. Besides, wasn’t there some saying that advised keeping your friends close but your enemies closer?

Maybe sticking with Cole would help her in the long run. At least that way she’d be prepared prior to his arresting her.

Cole didn’t want to believe Jina had anything to do with Bradley Crow’s death. Yet he wasn’t exactly impartial either. He liked her. Admired her. And yes, he was attracted to her.

So why on earth was he encouraging her to stick around to work the case? Because he was a glutton for punishment, that’s why. The DA’s office would go nuts if they found out he’d had Jina with him while interviewing her sister. And worse, that he’d worked with Jina on another case prior to her being arrested.

“I was thinking we should dig into Rory Glick’s whereabouts for the time frame in question,” Jina said, carrying two cups of coffee to the table. He was surprised when she handed him one. “My thought was to find businesses near Mike’s gym that may have camera footage. Maybe we can pick him out as being nearby at the time of the shooting.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good angle to pursue.”

Jina flushed, then gestured at the computer. “The only problem is that I have not seen Rory in years. It would be nice if we could get an updated photo of him.”

“The sexual offender registry updates a perp’s picture every ten years.” He took control of the keyboard to bring Rory Glick’s picture up. He grimaced. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear his is one of them.”

She peered at the screen. “You’re right. According to the information listed there, he’s twenty-two in this photo. I guess this was taken after he was released.”

He committed Glick’s facial features to memory. “Hopefully, he hasn’t changed that much. Give me a minute to call Mike. See if he knows where the closest cameras might be located.”

She nodded, sipping her coffee as he made the call. Mike answered right away. “Cole, do you have any more information about what happened last night?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t.” He didn’t think filling him in on the arson was smart. They didn’t know for sure the perp was the shooter. “I’m calling because we need to figure out a way to find this guy. I don’t believe the strip mall has cameras. Do you know of any other businesses nearby that might have them?”

“There’s a gas station two miles west of the gym that has security cameras.” There was a brief pause, before Mike said, “I don’t know of any others offhand. The one here in the gym is only pointed at the front door so that I know when people are coming in. I can check it but doubt the image captured anyone lurking around outside.”

“Please do check your camera,” he said.

“Are you sure about the strip mall?” Mike asked. “There could be a camera back there.”

“They didn’t seem to be cash-heavy establishments,” he said, remembering the brief glimpse he got of the place. “But we’ll double-check.”

“Is Jina okay?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, she’s fine.” Mike was a former cop; he’d injured his shooting hand during a scuffle with a perp. And he was also single. His interest in Jina put Cole’s teeth on edge. Not that he had any claims on her. Quite the opposite. She was off-limits by a mile. “I’ll keep you updated if we learn anything more.”

“Sounds good. Call if you need help,” Mike said. “Tell Jina I’m glad she’s okay.”

“I will. Thanks, Mike.” He ended the call, glancing at her. “Mike’s glad you’re not hurt.”

She frowned. “He should know as well as anyone I can take care of myself.”

Her puzzled response, seemingly not realizing Mike’s interest was personal, shouldn’t have made him smile. “He mentioned a gas station. That should be our first stop.”

“Okay.” She took another sip of her coffee, then set it aside. “I’m ready to hit the road.”

“Hang on.” He used the computer to access a map app to look up the strip mall. She leaned over to see the screen.

“We should have considered cameras last night,” she said with disgust.

“Yeah, well technically, it’s not our case.” He flashed a smile. “But that won’t stop us from looking into it.”

“I like how you think.” Her tone was light, but her expression turned somber. He wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t viewing her as a key suspect.

But he couldn’t. Because the time would come when he might have no choice.

“I don’t see any cameras, do you?” He had zoomed in on the map app to get a three-dimensional image of the strip mall.

“No, but this software may not be up to date.” She leaned back. “We’ll have to swing by to double-check anyway.”

She seemed anxious to go. He closed the laptop, then headed back outside.

He was surprised she’d grabbed her overnight bag. Seeing it made him wonder about the damage to her upper-level apartment. Smoke and water damage for sure, but had the fire gotten that far? Would there be anything left to salvage?

“Do you want to stop along the way to pick up a phone?” he asked, opening the car door for her.

“Yeah, that would be great.” She tossed her bag into the back seat. “But let’s check the cameras first. I’m worried they may not keep the video for very long.”

“Okay.” He quickly slid in behind the wheel and headed out. The MMA gym was in Brookland but close to Peabody. As he drove, he looked for other possible locations where they might find security cameras. There were dozens of them along the main roads, but Mike’s MMA gym was a good mile or two from the well-traveled area.

He headed straight for the gas station, which also housed a small convenience store. He parked along the side of the building, then accompanied Jina inside. He took the lead, showing his badge and identifying himself as a detective, without specifying his jurisdiction was limited to the Peabody Police Department.

“I’d like to see your video camera footage for the past twenty-four hours,” he said.

“Is this about that shooting at the gym?” The clerk’s eyes bulged with interest. “I heard the guy got away.”

“Yes, has someone else already come to look at the video?”

“Not yet. But I saved it just in case.” The clerk held up his hand while he handled a pump request, then added, “The boss said we’re supposed to cooperate with the investigation.”

“Great. Let’s see it.”

The clerk led them back to a door marked employees only. There was a small office where Cole assumed the store manager worked. The kid went around to bring up the video on the computer, then stepped back. “Sorry, I have to go back out front. I’m here alone.”

“Thanks, we can manage from here.” He took a seat behind the desk, while Jina hovered nearby.

He started the video, increasing the speed so they could see what was happening without spending the entire day there. Unfortunately, the gas station was busy, so it took more time than he would have liked to slow the video for each dark SUV that came into view.

Police work was slow and tedious in general, but watching endless video with Jina hovering over his shoulder was agonizing. He tried not to be distracted by her nearness, focusing instead on trying to spot the SUV without plates with a driver that looked like Rory Glick.

There were several times of the day that no cars came into the station, but after two hours, he stopped the video and rubbed his eyes. “Maybe we should send a copy to my computer. At this rate, we’ll be here all day.”

“Let’s keep going a little while longer,” she said. “I’m sure he came by during the day before heading back at night.”

“Okay.” He resumed the video, slowing the speed when another dark SUV came into view. The Wisconsin rule about front license plates had changed; they were no longer required. Yet most of the cars he saw had them. Like this one.

Forty-five minutes later, Jina said, “There. Do you see it? That car doesn’t have a rear plate.”

He had missed it, so he backed up the video. She was right. A black Honda SUV without a rear plate sat next to the gas pump on the farthest side of the station. It was possible that there were two black Honda SUVs without license plates, but not likely. He zoomed in, but the image was blurry. And the pump itself blocked the view of the driver.

“Let’s send this to Gabe,” Jina said with excitement in her voice. When she noticed his confused look, she added, “He’s our tactical team tech expert. He’ll be able to clean this up to get a better view of the driver.”

“Okay. Let me see if I can copy a good section of video.” He might not be Gabe the tech expert, but he knew his way around computers. He was able to copy the video, sending it to his email address. When he finished, he stood. “You were right, he did come by in the daytime to scope things out.”

“Yeah, I just wish we could see his face.” Jina stretched her back. “I hope Gabe can work his magic. I’m convinced this guy has a prison record. We just need a good enough photo to use in the police database. ”

“I agree.” He headed back out to the gas station. “Do you want anything before we go?”

“Nope. I’m good. Let’s head back to the strip mall.” She looked eager to get to work.

He couldn’t help but think Jina would make a good detective. His partner, Kevin Hunt, was out on paternity leave, his wife having recently delivered a baby boy. Kevin was a good cop, but Cole had secretly enjoyed working alone the past few days.

Back outside, they rounded the corner of the gas station. Thinking about the strip mall, and the possible clues they might find, it took a minute for him to notice the guy slinking behind the building.

“Look out!” His shout was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Pulling his weapon, he dropped to a knee and glanced toward Jina.

His heart about stopped in his chest when he didn’t see her.

“Jina! Are you hit?” Praying she wasn’t, he moved along the length of the SUV hoping to get a line on the gunman.

Then he heard a car engine roar to life. He bolted from his vehicle and ran toward the back of the gas station in time to see a black Honda with no license plate peeling away.