Jump The Line (Toein' The Line Book 1) (50 page)

“
Not any more
,”
DeeDee says.
 “
Megalo Don killed her other friend, Angie Miller
.
”

When I hear the name, Stokley Farrel, I smile at DeeDee, approving.  Sh
e’
s put me on the hot seat by giving Tim Stewart the
Enquire
r’
s
scoop on the shoulder in Alain
a’
s fridge, and worse, by fingering me for being at the suspec
t’
s apartment at the time of the bust.  Sh
e’
s also wasted my time in the parking lot with her harangue and, if Captain Meyers and Wes were watching as I suspected, made me the laughing stock, the butt of conference room rumors and jokes.  But DeeDe
e’
s really trying hard to be a good cop.  While sh
e’
s got a lot to learn, sh
e’
s trying. 

“I’
ve heard Alaina mention his name
,”
I say, recalling
I’
d dropped her off at Stoke Farre
l’
s apartment.
 “
Calls hi
m‘
Stok
e
’ and hangs out with him on campus.  H
e’
s her college classmate. 
I’
d call him more of an acquaintance than a friend
.
”

Hearing myself making the remarks, red flags go up in my mind.  Stoke Farre
l’
s suddenly
the
immediate person of interest to me.  Does Stoke know Alaina works at Verbote Dental, where the material for those horrific retainers Megalo Don uses could be obtained?  H
e’
s bound to know, if he spends any time at all with Alaina.  And I know he does.

“
Wher
e’
s he from
?”
I ask, putting DeeDee through her paces.  Even though sh
e’
s disowned me, swapped me for a new partner,
I’
ve still got to ensure she gets her training.

“
He lives in Cincinnati, off Madison in a drug house near campus
,”
she says, flipping through her notes, making me proud.  Sh
e’
s actually done the work I asked her to do, but sh
e’
s been behaving so stubborn, and sh
e’
s so jealous of me and Alaina, that she neglected to mention that she had done as
I’
d asked.  She and I wo
n’
t be best buds, but I give credit where i
t’
s due. 

“
However
,”
she continues
,“I’
ve also learned Stokley lived in Goshen with his mother, and one summer when he was a boy something bad happened.  Bu
t
—”
 
She gazes at me, anticipating my next question.
 
“
—
I do
n’
t know what it was.  I
t’
s buried in his juvie records. 
I’
m getting it unsealed now
.
”

My radar goes on even higher alert.
 “
Goshen?  Tha
t’
s where Alain
a’
s from
.
”

“
Does she have any other friends?  Anyone else at all
?
”
 
Wes keeps hammering away, and DeeDee, finally starting to earn her keep, says
,“
Not that
I’
ve been able to find so far.  But Robin Colby has a friend . .
.
”
—
she checks her noteboo
k
—
“
who goes by the handle of Squeal.  His name is Timothy Dettwiler
.
”

“
Ho
w’
d you find this out
?”
Wes asks.

I catch Captain Meyers frowning, discouraging DeeDee from answering in front of me.

I
t’
s alright, though.  I know what the
y’
re hiding.  The snitch, wh
o’
d called in the anonymous tip about the garbage bag in Alain
a’
s freezer, mus
t’
ve also fingered Robin Colby and Squeal, aka Tim Dettwiler, placing them in the alley.  Someon
e’
s sure as hell got it in for Robin Colby, but
I’
ve got my doubts i
t’
s Tim Dettwiler.  Yet the person who knew about that shoulder in the garbage bag is also the one who put it in Alain
a’
s freezer. 

Is it Squeal.  Or Alain
a’
s friend, Stoke?  The thought numbs me.  It also provokes me to immediate action. 

I’
ve got to find Alaina before the Don does.  

              “
I’
ve asked Detective Laws to interview Squeal
,”
Captain Meyers says, turning to Wes and introducing him to his new partner, my replacement, DeeDee Laws.
 “
Yo
u’
ll be working with her to conduct the interview
.
”

              “Like hell I will
.
”
 
Wes squares  off with the captain.
 “
Put me back with Hawks
.
”

              “Work with Rookie Laws, Detective Gillam
,”
Captain Meyers says
,“
or
I’
ll put you on a desk indefinitely, or however long the rest of your stay here at Newport PD lasts
.
”  

“
Go ahead, Wes
,”
I say.
 “
Go with her. 
I’
ll brief you on anything I find
.
” 

I’
d hoped being unloaded by DeeDee would put me back with my partner, Wes, but I know Meyers is
n’
t going to do that.  H
e’
ll keep his word if Wes does
n’
t comply, and being chained to a desk would kill We
s
’ spirit.  Being put off the force would destroy his family, a fact
I’
m sure the Captain is aware of.  The same way he worked to nail me, his focus on Wes makes me wonder if h
e’
s not colluding with Mayor Laws to get rid of me and Wes.  Yet he did back SAC Smith down when I got his offer to become a suit for the FBI. 

I shake my hea
d—
office politics.

“I’
ve got plenty to keep me busy, Wes
,”
I say, encouraging my ex-partner to cool down.

“
You
,”
Captain Meyers says, turning to me
,“
will be getting your ass on down to the morgue where your dadd
y
—”

He catches his slip before i
t’
s out of his mouth, but Captain Meyers gives me a clipped half smile to cover his embarrassment.
 “
Go look at the Jane Doe we hauled in from the alley last night.  See if you and Doc Smalley can dig up any forensic evidence
.
” 

He turns to SAC Smith, not for confirmation but as a challeng
e—
I’
m in charge here, not the FB
I
—
but he continues speaking to me.
 “
See how many teeth sh
e’
s missing, Detective Hawks.  Maybe we can link the evidence to the crime, as w
e’
ve all agreed to do
.
”

Saying nothing, I stand and leave the conference room. 
I’
m not doing what Captain Meyers just ordered.  I do
n’
t need to check: I know how many teeth Jane Do
e’
s missing.  Two, same as the rest of Megal
o’
s vics. 

As
I’
m heading out the door of the annex, SAC Smith stops me.
 “
Yo
u’
re not going to the morgue, are you
?
”

“
Perceptive
,”
I say, thinking about Captain Meye
r’
s futile attempt at revenge assignment, just one of his little ways of punishing me for my fling with Darlene.

“
I
t’
s what I do
,”
SAC Smith says.
 “
Profiling.  You know
?
”

I laugh.
 “
You read me pretty well, sir
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re going to Goshen, are
n’
t you
?
”

“
Stokley Farre
l’
s a planner.  So is Megalo Don
,”
I say, by way of answering.
 “
H
e’
s organized, sir. 
I’
m sure you know what that means.  Whatever happened in Goshen when Stoke lived there, there was a reason.  I think finding it out will help me connect him to our killer
.
”
 
I do
n’
t add that Goshen back then was even smaller than it is today, so Stok
e’
s and Alain
a’
s paths had to have crossed.  I want to make certain that poses no present danger to Alaina.
 “I’
m going to go see what I can learn
.
”

“
Good work, Detective.  Like I said, you ever want to wear a suit, let me know
.
”

“I’
ll keep that in mind
,”
I say.

He gives me his cell phone number.
 “
Le
t’
s piss off Captain Meyers and coordinate our efforts.  I
t’
ll irritate him more that way
.
”
 
He smiles.
 “
While you head to Goshen,
I’
ll go revisit the scene in the alley, and then interview Omar Jain
.
”

If I had time,
I’
d do that, too, but I set my priorities while the rest of the team was arguing their heads off back in the conference room. 
Speak to me
, I often say, returning to the crime scene.  But I know that alley behind Oma
r’
s is a secondary crime scene.  It will remain mute without a human connection to link it to. 
I’
m going straight to Goshen to see what I can dig up on Stoke Farrel and his mother.

If I had the time,
I’
d also like to discuss the Feeb
s
’ other vics from Indiana and Ohio with SAC Smith.  But if the signatures are all the same, as h
e’
s indicated, then
I’
d be wasting precious time, same as I would if I listened to Captain Meyers and headed to the morgue to see Jane Doe.  Sh
e’
ll be there when I return from Goshen.  Right now,
I’
ve got to have motive. 
Got
to. 

“
Do me a favor and see if you can track down Alaina Colby
,”
I say, giving the SAC her cell number and Professor Levi
n’
s.
 “
Call her professor first.  I doubt sh
e’
s in class, but it wo
n’
t hurt to check.  He might know another place where she stays
.
”

“
Sure
,”
he says, hearing the worry in my voice.
 “
Any ideas where else she might be
?
”

“
No, but wherever she is, sh
e’
s looking for her brother
.
”