Chemical Attraction (19 page)

She growled. “Am I going to get into trouble for that lie?” she asked.

“Homeland should back us up. You didn’t exactly lie … you implied. We don’t know what the hell is going on,” Joe said. “They should take your word for it until we find proof.”

“I thought we were careful. How’d that guy see us? It wasn’t even the driver.”

“My guess is someone’s a step ahead of us. During my earlier chat with your terrorist at the gas station, he bragged about taking you and leaving me.”

She hugged herself. “Why take me?”

“I don’t know, but he wasn’t returning to the barn. He was taking you somewhere else for safekeeping. We have some time before they realize that we know they’re watching.”

He drove to the other side of the barn in a wooded area and kept the first watch with the binoculars. The men unpacked the large boxes and disappeared into the barn. He wanted to get closer, but instead they sat silently and waited until dark. Five hours later, Joe told her he’d go by himself to check out the barn.

“I can help.”

“I know you can. You’ve already proven that. But I need you in the car ready to take off if I come running,” he replied, looking through the binoculars.

She sat in the driver’s seat. His joking nature reassured her. She warned him though. If he snuck up to scare her coming back, she would shoot him.

After promising to be careful, Joe stayed low to the ground and crept through the soybean rows. The lights inside the barn lit the way. Gun drawn, he peeked through a dirty, cobwebbed window. Inside the barn, the driver and another guy were repackaging their products. They carefully separated the chemicals and placed one of each into different boxes, making Meth starter kits. Joe stalked to the front corner of the barn. They had left the driver’s door open. Seeing the clipboard with possible names on the truck seat, he stepped into the open area. The driver walked out of the barn and slammed the door shut without seeing him. He quickly backtracked and ran silently through the soybeans to his car.

“Madeline, it’s me.” He saw the empty car. “Damn it.” Hearing a noise in the woods, he ducked down. Creeping around the side of the car, he aimed his gun and waited. Madeline stepped out from behind a tree. “Where were you?” he asked, holstering his gun.

“It’s been five hours. I couldn’t hold it any longer.” She shrugged. “What did you find out?”

“The truck is half-full, so we’re stuck here. Get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on them.” He sat in front while Madeline crawled into the back to stretch out. His gut knotted as he worried about her safety and their next move. They kept the windows down for air, but the mosquitoes were horrible.

“Joe, how much danger are we in?” she whispered as she swatted the buzzing around her head.

“Enough. I did warn you about this.”

“I can’t seem to relax.”

“Good, as soon as you do, it becomes deadly. We need to stay alert,” he said. “We’ll vacation somewhere peaceful when we’re done.”

“A vacation, really? I’ve never had time for one.”

“You must have a lot of days saved up.”

“I don’t know if I’ll even have a job after we’re through.” She sighed.

“Even better, we’ll go away for a month.”

“Where would we go?” she whispered.

“Anywhere warm enough to see you in a bikini.”

After an hour of resting, Madeline sat up. “I can’t sleep. How about I take over?”

“Sure, I’m beat.”

By the time she settled into a comfortable position, Joe was snoring softly. Looking through the binoculars, she saw the barn and the front side of the delivery truck. From her angle, she couldn’t see the back or the boxes. They’d have to wait for it to leave.

She realized the risk she’d taken with her shoe stunt. She’d lucked out this time and needed to think things through better. Who could have known we followed the truck? It had to be someone within the company. Kenny and his gang were too busy staring at her breasts to think of anything else. She didn’t pass anyone in the halls. Jessica knew she’d be down there, but she believed her story. The security cameras could have followed her. Whoever took that disc on Monday must still be watching. Joe must have known that. Did he hold it back so he wouldn’t upset her? Too late, she thought, as she hugged her abdomen.
She felt more falling dirt as she stood cemented in that hole. The water continued to rise.

Focusing back on the truck, she saw the driver pull forward to close the back doors. Boxes packed the entire truck, with a few more in the passenger seat. “Damn.”

Joe jumped wide-awake with his gun drawn. “What?”

“I think they’re leaving,” she replied, handing him the binoculars. She started the car while he looked out the window. She scrambled into the passenger seat as Joe hopped into the front.

“I hope they know what they’re doing,” Matt said, hanging up the phone after talking to Officer Streeter in White Pigeon. “I don’t know if Streeter will hold him for three days.”

“Joe’s smart. He’ll have Madeline flash her badge. Homeland Security makes everyone nervous. We were,” Eva said, lying next to him on top of their comforter.

“Have you ever thought about being a cop? I could use a sidekick.”

“Nah, we’d fight over who’d be the actual boss,” she replied, hugging him.

“I’m glad I can talk this out with you.”

“I like being your sounding board.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Jack left me a voicemail yesterday. He knew something and said he’d keep it under his hat until I could talk to him. I don’t think he had it figured out yet. I found a vial literally under his hat in his office.”

She sat up. “What’s in it?”

“I was hoping you could help me with that. It’s in the refrigerator under the vegetable bin.”

She hopped off the bed and headed for the kitchen. After taking it out of the plastic bag, she looked at the label. “It doesn’t say what this is exactly, just numbers from the batch. You said Jack was a neat freak. How about organized?”

“Everything in that office had a place, even the leashes. That’s why I don’t believe he made that mess on the back table,” he replied, sitting in the kitchen chair.

“It’s my experience that the more neat and organized a physician, the more they document in the charts.”

“He did say he’d check the cats’ and pig’s charts. I didn’t see anything lying around, which means either someone took them or they’re back in the file cabinet.”

“Let’s check. He has a lab, doesn’t he? I want to have a look at this. Besides, the sheriff wouldn’t just let you in there. He likes his clean cut excuse.”

“You’re going to get me kicked off the force for sure.” He sighed. “We’ll go after dark. Do we tell David?”

“We’ve trusted him with everything else,” Eva said. Matt nodded.

Matt parked her car next to the state game preserve. He backed into a dirt drive that hunters used to park their trucks during deer season. The space hid the car from the road. Jack owned the grassy area behind his building for about fifty yards. The state forest took over from there. Next to a wheat field on one side and a fenced yard on the other, the clinic had parking in the front.

He didn’t bother giving her instructions. She could sneak around better than he could. She followed him through the woods, stopping at a fifty-foot clearing between them and Jack’s back door. They stepped carefully past the small shed in the dark, not wanting to use their flashlights. He handed her latex gloves as an added precaution and picked the lock. He warned her about the blood. She reminded him that she worked in a hospital.

“I’ll look at the sample,” she whispered, seeing the microscope across the room. She used a hypodermic needle to take out a few drops. The light illuminated the sample.

Matt pulled open the file cabinet. “Damn,” he whispered. “They’re not here. I’ll look in his office. Stay put.”

Nodding in the darkness, she continued to magnify the sample to its highest level. This microscope wasn’t strong enough. After putting the vial back in her pocket, she looked around the room. She understood what Matt meant by organized. She doubted the sheriff would be thorough and tie up the loose ends. Sheriff Benton used to be a decent law enforcer. Since he’d declared his intention to retire in November, though, he didn’t care anymore. She hoped that that was the reason, not the recent rumor that someone had bought him. Either way, it made her husband’s job more stressful and dangerous.

Returning, Matt shook his head. “They aren’t here. I’ll ask Jim if he has the charts.” He opened the back door to leave when they heard a car pull into the front parking lot. “I’ll meet you in the woods. Run,” he whispered, giving her a shove.

Matt turned back to see if he could recognize the car in the darkness. He didn’t, but a man with a gun stood peering through the front door. Hearing the handle jiggle, Matt left silently. He wanted to avoid any confrontation, especially with his wife nearby. He ran for the trees and jumped behind a large one just as the back door opened. The man’s flashlight scanned the edge of the tree line while Matt quietly caught his breath.

Tracking the beam through the woods, he looked for his wife. He heard footsteps and saw a brighter light coming his way. No other noise came from the trees. He prayed that she’d already headed for the car. The footsteps stopped behind him. He reached slowly for his gun and heard a thump by the outbuilding. The gunman followed the sound to the front of the building.

Oh shit, Eva, he thought. His gut tightened. As he started to pursue the man, he heard crunching leaves ten feet into the woods in front of him.

“Matt,” she whispered faintly.

Relieved, he hurried toward her voice. “Let’s get out of here.” Not saying another word, he left the headlights off and they quickly returned to the safety of their garage. As soon as the garage door shut, they blew out a breath. “That was too close,” he said.

David met them at the screen door. “How’d it go?”

“I need a beer first,” he replied. Sitting at the kitchen table, he opened bottles of Miller Lite for his wife and himself.

“Did you recognize that guy?” Eva asked.

“What guy?” David asked, sipping his Sprite.

“A man broke into the building as we left. I wish I could have got a better look at his car.”

“You made it behind that tree just in time.”

“I don’t know what that noise was.”

Eva smiled. “It was me.”

“What did you do?” David asked.

“I hit the side of the outbuilding with a rock. It took me three tries before I actually hit it though. I thought it was worth a try. People fall for that rock trick in the movies all the time.”

After getting ready for his night shift job, Simon handed his mother a glass of water to take her evening pills. “Mama, I leave for work soon.”

“Thank you, baby.” She swallowed the six at once. “Honey, stop for a slice of pizza for your dinner before work. You’ve worked so hard. You deserve to treat yourself.”

“Okay, cheese pizza sounds good. Love you mama.”

Checking his wallet, he had fifteen dollars, his insurance card, and his ID badge. He walked the few blocks to the Village Inn. In the busy restaurant, he took a seat at the bar and ordered a slice and a root beer. Keeping his head down in front of him, he sipped his drink and ate his pizza. When Corey, his coworker from Materials Management, entered, Simon winced.

“Hey Simon,” Corey said, slapping him hard on the back. “What are you doing here?”

“I eating dinner,” Simon replied, taking the last bite of his pizza.

“Well, I’ll buy you a drink,” Corey said, sitting next to him on the empty stool. He motioned for the bartender, who brought Simon another root beer and Corey a shot of Jack Daniels. Corey tossed his money on the counter. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride to work.”

“Okay, thanks.” Simon put his dollars on the counter to pay for his pizza. Down the alley, he groaned and doubled over.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Corey asked.

Holding his head, Simon moaned. “I don’t feel good.”

“There’s no way I want you in my car if you’re going to puke. Dude, find your own way to work.”

Simon reached out and grabbed his arm. “Please help.”

Corey shoved him and Simon fell to the ground. Shaking his head, Corey turned to leave, but Simon jumped him. Surprised by the aggressiveness, Corey tried to push him back. Simon’s face distorted into mindless aggression. He swung his fists wildly, hitting him repeatedly in the face. Corey desperately tried to protect himself. He was no match for Simon’s rage. Corey fell and hit his head on the pavement with a sickening crunch.

As the body twitched to stillness, Simon panted and rubbed the pain in his temples.

SATURDAY

THEY ENDED UP IN FLINT around three in the morning. The truck made no stops until pulling into a rundown motel off M-69. Joe stopped at the gas station across the street. He filled the near-empty tank while Madeline stiffly hobbled to the inside bathroom. Tired and hungry, they hoped the truck would stay at the motel for a few hours.

During the drive, they listened to Howard’s Replay on one hundred one, sang eighties songs on channel eight, and laughed with Raw Dog. Joe told her stories of him, Taylor, and Eva in high school and college. She talked about her summers with Aunt Sylvia. As tired as they had become, the time went quickly.

Joe met her in the station. “It looks like he’s staying, but who knows how long,” he said before heading for the restroom.

She wandered around looking for some type of food. She reached into the dairy section for turkey and cheddar cheese cracker packs.

“I’ll eat one of those,” Joe said with two large bottles of Ice Mountain.

She grabbed another and yawned. “Are we checking in, too?”

“Yeah, we’ll give him a few more minutes.”

Nodding, she followed him to the register. The toothless twig of a man behind the counter leered. She looked down at her wrinkled skirt and crooked camisole and slid behind Joe. After paying, he put his arm around her as they walked back to the car.

The Best Motel had to be the crummiest. She had a feeling they’d be crushing cockroaches all night. The van driver had parked directly in front of the last door of the mossy brick building. Joe checked in while she waited in the car.

Smiling, he started the car. “We’re in room eleven next to our guy.”

“What’s so funny?”

“I got propositioned by a big breasted grandmother.”

“Did you get us a discount?”

“Very funny,” he replied, driving to their front door. “I think she and your toothless guy should get together.” Joe grabbed the two duffle bags from the backseat. Setting one down, he unlocked the door. “Home, Sweet, Home.”

Flipping on the light, she was pleasantly surprised. The room looked worn but clean. She set their food on the table while Joe lugged in their bags and dropped them on the floor.

“I guess it’s a good sign that nothing scurried away with the light on,” he said, hooking the chain on the door.

She pulled the bedspread completely off the bed and tossed it into the corner. “You look in the bathroom first.”

“I’m going in,” he replied, pulling out his gun.

Shaking her head, she unzipped the closest duffle. He had thrown in a few of her clothes. She had a tank and shorts for tomorrow. She wouldn’t have chosen the skimpy bra and panty set, but it didn’t surprise her. He’d even packed her toiletry bag from Aunt Sylvia’s house. She dug around the bottom.

“Did you pack my sandals?” she asked when he came out.

“I must have forgotten,” he replied, setting his gun down on his nightstand.

“Damn, well, with that outfit and my brown pumps, I’ll be your white-trash girlfriend. But we’ll be in the car most of the time.”

He smiled and set his bag in the chair. “I like trashy.”

“I bet you do.” After a shower, she was relaxed and exhausted. With a towel wrapped around her, she saw her sandals next to her bag. “You are the best boyfriend ever.”

“I keep trying to tell you that.” He kissed her, then took his turn in the bathroom.

She had skipped washing her hair. It took too long to dry. Instead, she brushed out the snarls, which took forever. Then she repacked everything so they could leave at a moment’s notice. She laid her jean shorts, tank, and bra in a pile on her nightstand and her sandals on the floor. Too tired to eat, she pulled back the sheet to check for who knows what and hopped in. She vaguely remembered Joe turning off the light. What seemed like a minute later, he woke her out of a deep sleep.

“Madeline, get up. We gotta go. I heard his alarm. He’s in the shower now.”

Already dressed, he set his bag on the bed. She absently reached for her clothes. After pushing her hair out of her face, she slipped on her bra and tank. She slid her shorts to her knees and stood to fasten them.

“You are so damn sexy.” He grinned.

She looked in the mirror on the wall across from their bed. “Oh God, I’ve got big eighties hair.” She hurried into the bathroom to wet it down while Joe laughed.

They heard the truck engine fifteen minutes later. Joe said they’d make a run for it once it left the parking lot. They watched it cross the street to the gas station. When the truck left for the highway, they followed. She shared her cracker pack and wished she had coffee.

“Is that too hard?” Eva asked.

“No, that’s the spot,” Matt replied.

She had set up her massage table in their bedroom. She knew her husband’s stress. His back and leg ached. Before starting college, she and Taylor had taken massage therapy classes to become certified. It had brought in extra spending money. She had worked part-time throughout her four years of college and then given it up after breaking her leg. At the gym where she had worked, guys had hit on her, hoping for a free massage. As much as they had given her grief, she had liked her job back then.

Rubbing Matt wasn’t a chore; she missed it. Massaging his leg, she felt his entire body relax. She smiled; she still held the power to manipulate his body.

“You’re making me drool on the carpet,” he mumbled.

“Good, slobber away.” She didn’t have to ask him twice to turn over.

He sighed as she rubbed his temples. “The guys would be so jealous,” he said.

“You tell them?”

“Hell no, I don’t want any images of you giving massages in their heads.”

“Okay, calm down. You’re ruining my hard work.” She kissed his forehead and continued massaging his arm. He dozed in and out.

When his cell phone rang, Matt abruptly sat up. Eva walked over to his dresser and passed it to him. He checked the Caller ID. “This better be important,” he growled.

“Chief, it’s Brayland. We found another body.”

“Where?”

“In an alley by the Village Inn, someone called it in around two this morning. Sheriff Benton wants you to join him in the morgue.”

Hanging up, he shook his head. “Am I ever going to get a Saturday for myself?”

“What now?” she asked, washing her hands in their bathroom.

“Another death,” he replied, putting on his jeans and t-shirt. “I’ll be home by noon.”

With his gun and badge clipped to his jeans, Matt walked into the morgue once again to see Sheriff Benton, Dr. Ellis, and his assistant Norman standing over a body. The sheriff waved him in as Dr. Ellis covered it.

“What happened this time?” he asked with a sigh.

“The guy’s name is Corey Wagner,” the sheriff said.

“Is this an animal attack?” he asked.

“Someone murdered this man by snapping his neck. He also has a fractured skull,” Dr. Ellis replied.

He stared at the bloody sheet. “Is this related to the animal attacks?”

“I don’t see how. Since it’s within city limits, it’s all yours,” the sheriff replied.

“How soon before I get the report, Dr. Ellis?”

“A couple of days. As you know, I’m a bit backed up.”

“You’ll add the tox screen, too?”

“I always do,” he replied. “Norman, store him until we get the others done.”

“Sheriff, I’d also like the tox report on Jack Adams,” Matt said.

“Why?”

“He was a friend of mine and I don’t think he’s responsible.”

“I’ll send you a copy of the full report. Okay with you, Sheriff?” Dr. Ellis asked.

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

As Matt walked back to his cruiser, his cell rang. Bobby told him that Simon Baker was last seen with the victim. He drove over and knocked on the Bakers’ front door.

“Mrs. Baker? Simon? It’s Chief Connor.” He heard a distant voice. He opened the door cautiously. “Simon? Mrs. Baker?”

“I’m in here,” Shirley yelled with a cough.

Checking each room, he followed the voice to a back bedroom and stood in the doorway. “I’m looking for Simon. Is he around?”

Sitting up in bed, she coughed again. “He has a night job at BennTech now.”

“What time does he usually get home?”

“Oh my, it’s eleven already,” she said, looking at the clock. “He should have been home by now. He comes through the door at eight.”

“So you haven’t seen him since last night?”

“I told him to treat himself to a slice of pizza before work. What’s going on?” she asked, clearing her throat.

“I really need to find him. There was an incident last night. The man killed was last seen with Simon.”

She started having a coughing fit and leaned over for the glass of water on her bedside table. “He would never hurt anyone,” she choked.

“I need to find out what happened.”

“I don’t know where he is, but he has gotten beaten up a few times,” she replied, sipping the water.

He leaned on the doorframe. “By whom?”

“He said he was clumsy at work, but I don’t believe it. Your wife knows. She’s seen him in her department.”

“Is it okay to ask her about it?” He knew Eva wouldn’t say anything without permission.

“Of course, find him before he gets hurt,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“If he shows up, you call only me.” He handed her a card with his cell number. “I don’t want him hurt either.”

Eva knew her husband would probably be late. She watched him leave too afraid to say anything. Her fears increased for her husband, her family, and their town. She sorted the laundry and threw in a load to wash. She pulled out frozen chicken breasts to thaw for a salad. She quickly dusted the living room and swept the kitchen floor. Stirring the chicken in the pan, she heard the screen door bang shut.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d be home yet. Lunch isn’t ready.”

She peeked around the doorway into the mudroom. A hulking man with a black ski mask stood by the dryer off to the side. Startled, she quickly backed into the kitchen. Taking his time, he followed. She pushed a chair between them. He knocked it over. She grabbed the pan off the stove and threw it at him. Partially raw chicken hit him in the chest and scattered all over her clean floor.

“What do you want?” she yelled, moving around the table.

He shoved chairs out of his way. “I wanna have a little fun.”

She vaguely recognized the voice. He slipped on a piece of chicken, and she ran down the hall to her bedroom. She slammed the door and locked it. Running for the bathroom, she locked that one as well. Trapped, she looked around for a weapon. Hearing the bedroom door crash open, she grabbed her lipstick and wrote a note on the mirror.

Knowing he’d break down the bathroom door, she opened it and made a run for the bedroom window. He cut her off. Backed into the corner by her chair, she whipped her flashlight and then the lamp at his head. She missed. He laughed and walked closer. She panicked as she ran out of items to throw.

Laughing, he picked her up off the floor with his arm around her waist. She kicked and tried all the self-defense moves Matt had taught her. She used her foot to swing back and hit him in the shin. He threw her on the bed. She scrambled toward the headboard out of his reach. Laughter left him as he yanked on the comforter. Grabbing her ankle, he slid her closer.

“You can’t get away from me.”

As she tried to remember his voice, he punched her in the jaw, knocking her out.

Leaving Simon’s house, Matt drove to BennTech. He dialed the station to leave a message for Brayland about the autopsy and his meeting with Mrs. Baker. The parking lot half full of cars told him he wasn’t the only one working on a Saturday.

“Hi Chief, what can I do for you?” June asked from her security desk.

“I need to find out if a certain employee worked last night.”

“I can access that. What’s the name?” she asked, sitting behind the computer.

“Simon Baker, he’s on the third shift,” he replied, leaning on the counter. “How’s your son? I remember his fascination with my siren on Career Day at the elementary school.”