Terminal 9 (31 page)

“He was skinny and had black hair and ah . . . he was wearing jeans with a Levi jacket. Mandy and me watched them go in the house. They stayed there for probably ten minutes and then that Shaw guy comes out by himself. He goes to the trunk of his car and hauls out this big plastic container and starts dumping gas all over the back of the house.”

“Just what part of the house would that be?” Mac asked hoping to corroborate the kid's story with Jan's report.

“The riverside, guess that would be east. Close to where I was hiding when you guys busted me that night.”

“Where you accessed the house?” Mac asked.

“Right. Then Shaw goes back to his car and opens his trunk and lights up a flare—you know, one of those things that you put out at car crashes and stuff. After he sparks it up at his trunk he tosses the thing at the house and the place goes right up. Shaw jumped in his car and split after that. Mandy and me stuck around until we started hearing the sirens and took off back to our camp.”

“Why didn't you tell anyone about this before, especially after learning that police found a victim inside the house?” Darren asked. Tyler had certainly piqued his interest.

“And say what, man?” he whined. Putting his hand to his ear, he made the pretend call. “ ‘Hello, police, yeah, I'm the dude that made that fake-guy-with-a-gun call so I could loot a dead guy's house. Yeah, I'd like to report a crime' ?”

“I see your point.” Darren drew a square on his legal pad. “Did Amanda see the same thing, and would she be willing to testify?”

“She saw it all; you'd have to ask her about testifying. She'd want to help me out, so I think she'd do it.”

“Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?” Mac asked. He had a feeling Tyler still wasn't being completely honest with them. “This would be a good time to put everything out on the table. If we find out later that you weren't being straight with us, we can call the whole deal off.”

Tyler's shoulders rose and fell in an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, there's one more thing. Guess I might as well tell you. With Shaw in jail, it won't work anyway.”

“Tell us about it.” It didn't take a psychic to see through this kid. Mac would have bet anything Tyler had plans to blackmail Addison Shaw.

“There's another reason why I couldn't call the cops.” Tyler fidgeted in his chair. “I didn't follow through with it, so technically you can't take me down for it.”

“We'll decide that,” Mac said.

“Okay. I was trying to get money from Shaw.”

“Go on.”

“After seeing what we saw, I figured I could make a big score by asking for some hush money. I got his number off the door of his office and called him the next day. Told him what I saw and that I wanted a hundred grand to stay away from the police. He said he wanted to meet with me in private and didn't want to talk on the phone.”

“Then what?” Mac wondered if the money in Shaw's safe was meant to be the first installment. A look at Dana told him she was thinking the same thing.

“Yesterday, when I was going down to meet with him, I came around the corner and guess who I see? You guys standing in his office. The place was swarming with cops so I figured I missed my chance.”

“He told you to meet at his office?”

“No, but I'd called him half a dozen times trying to set up a meet. He never answered, so I figured I'd stop by and see what the deal was. I didn't have a callback number, you know, ‘cause I was using pay phones. You know most of those things don't accept incoming calls now?”

Mac shook his head in disgust. “I guess I'm having a hard time with your callous attitude, Tyler. You know Shaw killed a man and set fire to Clay Mullins's house, yet you act as if it was no big deal. All you can think about is padding your pockets?”

“I didn't know the guy who got killed. He wasn't a friend or anything. I was just gonna mind my own business and get out of town with Mandy. Besides, when me and Mandy first saw him, we figured he was just a fire bug. I thought the other guy was helping him out and figured he'd gone out the front.”

“But you saw only Shaw get into his car?”

“Yeah, but that didn't mean the guy was still in there.”

“Did you consider reporting the fire or going in to rescue the second man?”

Tyler wrinkled his face. “Why, man? The house was old and the owner was dead. Like I said, I didn't know for sure the other dude was in there. I don't get into other people's business.”

“Unless it suits your purpose.” Mac dragged a hand down his face, sickened by Tyler's indifference. If it were up to him, he'd lock the kid up and throw away the key. Cohen was a menace, and Mac had no doubt he'd get into trouble again. Still, he had to make the best of the situation. “How would you feel about making a call for us?”

“A call?” He looked at each of them, curiosity settling into his blue eyes.

“We'd like you to call Mr. Shaw and ask for the money. We'll be recording the conversation.” Mac looked to Dana to produce the special earpiece that would allow them to record Addison's response.

Without speaking, Dana pulled the device out of her briefcase showing she had brought it along.

“You mean like set up a sting?”Tyler asked.

“Sort of.”

“Do you want me to meet him and get the money?” He seemed excited about the prospect.

“No. I just want you to make the call. This will help us gather the evidence we'll need.” It would also verify Shaw's involvement. Mac didn't trust Tyler any more than he trusted Shaw.

“I don't know about that. What if he comes after me and Mandy?”

“You do this for us,” Darren said, “and if, a very big
if,
your information pans out, I'll deal away the burglary charge and get you and Mandy into protective custody until we make an arrest. If we don't have enough to make an arrest or I find out you've been lying, there's no deal.” Darren scribbled something on his pad.

“Will you put us up in a hotel?”

“The County Jail Motel.” The D.A. smiled. “Best I can offer on my budget. But you'll be safe.”

Tyler grimaced, apparently not too happy with the plan. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“Cool your heels at the jail for a few minutes,” Mac said. “I'll have some dinner sent over.”

“But . . .”

“Patience,Tyler. We have some work to do prior to your making the call. I'll hook up with you in about an hour. First, though, tell me where we can find Amanda.”

Seemingly resigned now, Tyler sighed. “She'll be inside an old canvas tent down by the Columbia River at an old rail bridge, upriver from Clay's place.”

“Thanks. We appreciate your cooperating with us.” Mac used the phone in the room to call for a deputy to escort Cohen to a holding cell. Mac and Dana were on their way out when Darren stopped them. “This Amanda Searles.” He hesitated. “I know her parents. She ran away about two weeks ago. Surprised all of us. This kid pulled down straight A's and was on the debate team. Nice girl. I wondered what happened—now I know. She got hooked up with young Tyler here. There's no way we can let Amanda go off with him. I'm going to call her parents.”

Mac and Dana agreed.

On the way to find Amanda, Mac phoned Sergeant Evans to bring him up to speed.

“Thanks for the call, Mac. I knew Shaw wasn't on the up and up. I'm on my way to assist. I'm arranging for a SWAT team. If what the kid says is true, and Shaw is a killer, he could be dangerous.”

Mac hung up and told Dana the news.

“He's sending a SWAT team? Is that really necessary?”

“With the information we have now, Shaw could be looking at murder. Our protocol is pretty clear—when we're looking at a murder suspect on a hot pop, we want the SWAT team backing us up. They'll do their stuff and hand the case back over to us. With a car involved and the open space of the arrest location, the team should help us avoid a standoff or vehicle pursuit. They don't want court or interviews, so they just do their business and go home.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “Must have missed that in the stuff Frank gave me to read. Guess I'll have to hit the books again.”

“Don't worry about it.” Mac wanted to take the edge off her embarrassment. “You're not expected to know everything your first month, Miss Perfectionist. By month two, though . . .”

She chuckled. “I get your point.”

It took them all of twenty minutes to find the tent. When they first showed up, Dana announced herself and asked the girl to come out. “We just want to talk to you, Mandy. Tyler told us where to find you.”

“That creep,” she groused. “He told me I'd be safe here.”

“You are safe, Mandy. And you'll be even safer coming with us.”

Mandy emerged, tears in her hazel eyes. The girl wore grunge-style clothes, an oversized shirt covering a once-white tank top.Over that she had a camouflage jacket that looked like it had been used as a rag. Her medium-length brown hair looked like a rat's nest, and she was badly in need of a bath. “You got Tyler?” She sniffled.

“Yes, we do.” Dana took hold of her arm and led her to the car.

“Are you arresting me? I didn't do anything. Do I need a lawyer?”

“Running away from home is illegal, Mandy, but we're not arresting you. We just need to ask you some questions.” Dana helped her into the backseat of the car and climbed in on the other side.

While Mac drove, Dana talked to the frightened girl, eventually getting her to open up. She corroborated Tyler's intent to burglarize the home for a second time when they saw two men enter the home, with only one exiting and starting the fire. She also confirmed that Tyler was planning to extort money from Addison Shaw. “I wanted to report the fire, but Tyler said someone else would and that we needed to get as far away as possible.” Tears dribbled down her cheek and she brushed them away. “I didn't know someone had died in the fire until Tyler told me.”

They transported her to the county jail, where her parents and an attorney were waiting. Mandy, crying harder now, stepped into her mother's open arms. Hopefully, the teenager had had enough of living on the streets. Maybe her experience had softened her and she'd go through rehab. They could only hope.

“Do I have to go to jail?” she asked, holding tightly to her mother's hand.

“Probably not,” Darren assured her. “But you may be implicated on conspiracy to commit burglary, seeing as you were with Tyler and planned to burglarize Mullins's house. For now, though, I'm going to send you home with your parents. If you stay clean and cooperate, you won't have to do time.”

Mandy nodded. “I won't run away. It was awful out there. I was so scared.”

Mr. and Mrs. Searles thanked them and then left after getting a date for Amanda to appear before the grand jury to present her sworn testimony in the effort to formally indict Shaw.

Mac and Dana began working up an addendum to their original search warrant affidavit, authorizing them to search Shaw's home and car, which they'd finish once they had the car in their possession. Thanks to Tyler and Mandy, they would come to the judge tomorrow armed with the firsthand account of first-degree arson in addition to circumstantial evidence related to the murder of Jacob Mullins.

Mac called Kevin and learned that their forensic computer expert had located an embedded file in Shaw's desktop computer that provided further evidence.

“Let me guess,” Mac said. “He found the second will that leaves the money to the city for a museum and park.”

“Yep. It corresponds with the papers you and Dana found in the safe-deposit box. And get this: Shaw deleted the document three days before Clay's death. This thing has premeditated written all over it. I was just about to call you and let you know the news.”

The deleted file would be handy in proving that Addison Shaw knew about the second will and had not been honest with the detectives. “I'm thinking old Addison was working a deal with Clay's son, maybe the daughter as well. It's entirely possible that Jacob and/or Kelly paid Addison a substantial amount to alter the will and kill their father.”

“Good guess, Mac,” Kevin said, “but we're a long way from proving anything.”

“Right, so let's hope this evening's sting will put the icing on the cake.”

Kevin sighed. “Man, I wish I were there to work the sting with you guys. I'll miss all the excitement.”

“I wish you were too, partner, but I know you'll be here in spirit.”

“I'm heading home now,” Kevin told him, “but I'd appreciate a call with all the details.”

“Will do.” Mac hung up, satisfied that everything was falling into place. They now had the means, opportunity, and intent to circumstantially prove that Addison Shaw had killed Jacob Mullins.

TWENTY-
SEVEN

S
HORTLY AFTER 8:00 P.M., a deputy escorted Tyler Cohen back to the interview room, where Mac and Dana were waiting. Darren Volk, Sergeant Evans, Russ, and Philly were in the sheriff 's office, awaiting news from Dana and Mac on the phone call Tyler would soon make to Addison Shaw.

“We still good to go, Tyler?” Mac asked as the deputy released the boy into their custody.

“I guess,” he mumbled. Tyler seemed subdued, no doubt upset that his plans had been abruptly cancelled by his arrest. He'd be even more upset when he discovered his “lady” would no longer be accompanying him out of town. At least Mac hoped that would be the case.

“You remember the number?” Mac asked. Tyler dug a ragged piece of paper out of his pocket. “I got it here. I wrote down his office number and his home number.”

“Good. I doubt he'll be at the office, so call his home.” Mac motioned for him to sit next to the phone. “Have a seat.”