Rausch & Donlon - Can Be Murder 01 - Headaches Can Be Murder (28 page)

Candleworth grunted, “Get on with it, Malcolm.”

The surgeon shifted on his feet and lowered his eyes. “Um, sir, I don’t feel right about this.” His eyes cut over to Belinda and the gun. “I didn’t sign on for this.”

Charles clenched his teeth. “You’ll do what you are told. I didn’t hear any complaints when you received your bonus. I’ve made you a rich man.” He grinned again. “I
own
you.”

John watched the interplay between the surgeon and the CEO and hope rose in his chest. He glanced at Belinda, who stared blankly at Candleworth, as if awaiting further instructions.
Maybe if I can distract them
…

John forced his voice to be calm. “Dr. Steward, you’re right. You don’t want to do this. The other patients signed release forms. I saw them. This is something different. This will destroy your life when it gets out.”

Candleworth screamed, “Shut up! Steward, do as I say or you won’t have a life worth saving.”

John saw the indecision in the surgeon’s eyes. Malcolm took a deep breath and reached for a scalpel. Unsteady hands grasped the instrument, but it fell and clattered to the floor.

Candleworth shook his head. “Steward, you’ve always been a disappointment to me. You see, Dr. Goodman here really should be our chief surgeon. Fortunately, that’s easy enough to remedy.” Candleworth turned to Belinda. “Kill Malcolm.”

The surgeon’s eyes flew open and he turned to run. A loud
boom
filled the room, echoing off the walls. The bullet struck the man in the back. A straight shot to the heart. He slid down the wall, leaving a wide smear of blood on the spotless tiles that lined the perimeter of the operating room.

John spun around and tried to seize the gun away from Belinda, but she was too quick for him. She smacked the gun across his chin, catching him off-guard. He fell to the floor. He was getting to his feet again when he heard Candleworth.

“Now that we’ve lost Malcolm, you’ll take his place. I suggest you prep for surgery. Your girlfriend is lucky you’re such a brilliant surgeon. Wouldn’t want to accidentally kill her, now would we?”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Turners Bend

May

The Turners Bend Police Department was located on the ground level of Town Hall with its entrance at the back of the building. The TBPD’s two squad cars were parked in the back parking lot. One was eight years old, the other fifteen years old. Both were in mint condition and had relatively low mileage considering their ages. The department consisted of Chief Walter Fredrickson, Deputy Jim Anderson, and dispatcher/receptionist/administrative assistant Sharon Smith. Sharon ran into a spot of trouble with the law twenty years ago, and the chief gave her the job as “rehabilitation.” She was a tough cookie, and it turned out she was ideal for the job.

Other than the fax machine, phone system and radio dispatch system, the TBPD was low tech. Both the chief and Jim carried service revolvers. The only time Jim had fired his was at the practice range. The “jail” consisted of a room with a large window facing the office area. It was equipped with a push-button code lock and two cots for the local drunks and bad boys to sleep it off or contemplate an attitude adjustment.

“When Leif gets here can we do good cop-bad cop?” asked Jim.

“For Pete’s sake, Jim, we aren’t some stupid TV cops and robbers show. The kid is under eighteen, so his parents will be here with him. He’s a preacher’s kid. Do you think we’re going to rough him up for a confession in front of his Lutheran pastor father?”

“From what I’ve seen of him, he’s going to be a hard one to crack.”

“Jim, you go patrol the parking lot at the high school and let me handle this case. I guarantee the kid is going to come clean pretty darn quick when we tell him we’ve seen the tape.”

“What if I see trouble in the parking lot?”

“Radio Sharon, and she’ll let me know.”

After Jim left the office, the chief muttered to Sharon. “Lord help me from fool deputies. If it weren’t for you, we’d be the sorriest police department in the state.”

Leif and his parents sat in three chairs in front of the chief’s desk. Christine’s eyes were puffy and she held a wadded up tissue. Pastor Henderson’s hands were folded as if in prayer. Leif slouched in his chair. His long blond hair hung over one eye. He was dressed all in black, a black T-shirt with a picture of Lady Gaga on the front and black jeans that rode low on his hips.

“Leif you want to tell me about the robbery?” started the chief.

“What robbery? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“Let’s cut to the chase here. We saw the videotape that Sven made of you robbing Mr. Collingsworth’s house, so tell us how that all came down.”

“That was some other dude in the ski mask. It wasn’t me.”

“How do you know the robber was wearing a ski mask then?”

“Like everyone at school has seen it, that’s how. I plead the fifth. I ain’t saying anymore without my lawyer present. Nobody even read me my Miranda rights.”

“You haven’t been charged with anything, at least not yet. Go home with your parents and think about this long and hard. If you don’t cooperate, you won’t just be picking up trash along the highway this time, Leif.”

An hour later Jane and Sven sat in front of the chief’s desk. Sven fidgeted in his chair. A light film of sweat was on his face and his eyes darted around the office.

“Why don’t you just tell us all about it, Sven?”

Sven began to cry. He looked like a little boy in a teenager’s body. He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

“Dad said Chip was plotting against AgriDynamics and had something on his computer that he needed to take to the feds. He told me I could have a new car this summer, if I snatched the computer. I got Leif to come along so I could videotape it. It was Leif’s idea to take the other stuff.”

“Why did you put that tape on YouTube?”

“I didn’t think anyone would know it was us. Leif had on a ski mask. It’s just cool to have all those hits. We’ve had over 1,500 hits already. I’m not going to go to jail, am I?”

He turned to his mother and laid his head on her shoulder. “Mom, I’m sorry. I was trying to help Dad, but it was stupid. It got out of hand. I didn’t know how to stop it. I’m scared. I don’t want to go to the pen with a bunch of criminals.”

“It’s okay, son, you cooperated with me,” said the chief. “You told the truth. I’m not going to send you to jail. You go home with your mother now and do your homework. I may have to talk with you again, but Mr. Collingsworth just wants his stuff back. Where is it?”

“I gave the laptop to Dad. The other stuff is in the trunk of the Henderson’s Chevy. Except we ate the ice cream and drank two of the beers.”

The chief smiled. “Well, I think you’ll have to pay Mr. Collingsworth for a six-pack and a gallon of ice cream. Jane, after you take Sven home, would you and Chip mind meeting me here again?”

“Sure, give us an hour, and we’ll come back. Come on, Sven, let’s go home.”

Jim returned from patrolling the school parking lot.

“I take it there wasn’t any trouble over at the school today,” said the chief.

“I gave the Johnson kid a warning ticket because his right turn-signal light wasn’t working on his pickup. Told him he had a week to get it fixed. He gave me the finger, so I gave him a citation for insulting an officer of the law.”

“Insulting an officer, huh? That’s a new one on me.”

Sharon stuck her head into his office. “Jane and Chip are here to see you, Chief.”

Jane and Chip sat down. “I’m spending far too much time in your office, Chief,” said Jane. “Thanks for being so considerate to Sven. Poor kid, got himself into more than he bargained for it seems.”

“I’m trying to put this together, and there’s seems to be some missing pieces. Would you two care to fill me in?”

Jane and Chip told him about the source of the poisonings and what they had found out about the hazardous conditions and waste disposal at the plant. They aired their suspicions about the assault on Owen Hansen and about the state of Hal’s business.

“On my laptop I have photos I took at AgriDynamics. Hal must have seen me or somehow found out what I was doing. That’s why he wanted Sven to steal it. We’ve been hesitant to rat on him.”

“Until now,” said Jane. “He lured Sven into a crime with a bribe of a new car. He’s gone too far. I want him prosecuted up one side and down the other. If you don’t call in the FBI and the EPA, Walter, I will.”

“For your own safety, you two need to stay out of this. I’m not at liberty to say, but I can tell you the authorities have been working on this for some time. This could get very ugly, very fast. In the meantime, Chip, Hal has your computer, but you can go over to the Hendersons and get your other stuff out of the trunk of their Chevy. I’ll give the pastor a call and give him a heads up. Oh, and Sven will be paying for your lost beer and ice cream.”

“Seems you’re awfully light on juvenile crimes, Chief,” said Chip.

“Oh, I’ll send them to juvenile court. That should put the fear of God into them. But it’s Hal’s whereabouts that’s the bigger problem right now and things are about to move in that area.”

Tuesday, May 10, 1:30 p.m.

Lucinda,

Here’s another chapter. Brain Freeze is heading into its final chapters. It looks like I’ll make that deadline. By the way, a big sting is about to go down here in TB. You, in fact, supplied key information when you told me about the conversation you had with Hal Swanson in the Bend.

Chip AKA The Crimebuster

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Brain Freeze

Two Harbors, Minnesota

While Belinda looked on with the Glock firmly in her grasp, Dr. John Goodman prepped for surgery. He slipped booties over his shoes and donned a face mask, covering his nose and mouth. He placed a surgical cap on his head, making sure all his hair was tucked inside. Moving to the sink, he scrubbed with an antibacterial skin cleanser, using the brush and nail-pick to thoroughly clean his hands.

He didn’t think about each step. After hundreds of surgery preps, the motions came as naturally as breathing air. The familiar routine calmed his galloping heartbeat. He thought about Jo and what he was going to have to do to save them both.
This is all on me.
His nimble mind sifted through plan after plan. By the time he slipped on a surgical gown and pulled on the latex gloves, his mind was settled.

John turned toward Belinda. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head toward the gun, “Belinda, is this what you want? I know you are still in there somewhere and that you know this is wrong. Please don’t do this.” Not expecting a response, he wasn’t surprised when the gun stayed on the imaginary target he felt on his chest. He felt sweat gathering under his arms despite the coolness of the room.

He walked over to the operating table, his slippers a susurrus on the tile floor. The blinding lights above the table illuminated Jo. She was completely immobilized, yet he could see her trembling. He saw her back rise and fall with rapid breaths.
I don’t blame her for being terrified.
He wished he could see her eyes, to reassure her—to reassure them both—that everything would turn out all right.
Trust me, Jo.

His fingers grazed her lower back, knowing she would not feel his touch at the base of her skull. The full effects of the local anesthesia would have kicked in by now. She let out a startled squeak and tugged at her restraints. John could see the abraded skin around the straps at her wrists. He bent to whisper in her ear. “It’s me. I’ve got an idea.” Beneath his hand, he felt her body relax a fraction.

His idea was a gamble, of course. It depended upon finding a speck of humanity left in Belinda Peterson.

The NeuroDynamics’s CEO spoke. “That’s enough chit-chat with your girlfriend, Dr. Goodman.” John turned towards him.

Candleworth chuckled. “I’m going to enjoy watching you slice into her. You two have been troublesome.” Stepping closer, he pointed at Jo with a stubby index finger. “She will be a worthy asset.”

Jo screamed into the padding of the table. Anger rose up in John once again. His gloved hands clenched at his sides.
Wait for it, you bastard. Just wait
.

Candleworth looked at John, and must have seen the hatred in his eyes. He flapped a hand in the direction of Belinda. “Make sure you watch the doctor carefully. He’s crafty, that one.”

Belinda spoke for the first time. Her voice was raspy as she said, “It’s time, Doctor. Get to work.”

John stared at her for a moment, gauging her. He was ready to begin. There was a
clink
of metal as he picked up the scalpel on the tray. He was grateful that Candleworth and Belinda stood behind him. John surreptitiously sliced through the band at Jo’s waist, covering his movements with his body.

He gazed over his shoulder at the CEO. “You do realize that I’ve never done this before? I get the general idea, but microchip implants and nanochips are a bit out of my field of study.”

Candleworth’s hoarse laughter bounced off the tiled walls. “Oh, but you underestimate yourself. It was you I had in mind when I first conceived my little cottage industry. Do you remember when I tried to hire you a few years back?”