| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted July 13, 2019 | Chapters: |
...17 18 -19- 20... 
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Getting answers
A chapter in the book A Light in the Darkness
Donald Russell
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background Rookie detective Sarah Murray, investigates a serial case. Things are complicated by a stalker who has plagued her since college. |
Ending of pervious chapter: Back in Kalispell, Rob took Sarah home. She was still exhausted and had slept part of the way in the car. Rob helped her into bed and pulled the blankets over her. He went into the living room and laid down on the couch. He didn't want to leave her alone with a head injury.
Rob had carried a knot around in his stomach for a day and a half. He didn't think they would find her alive. Finally able to relax, he unfolded the quilt that Sarah kept lying over the back of the couch. He pulled it up to his chin and closing his eyes, he fell asleep.
Rob woke a few hours later and went to check on Sarah. She was sitting up.
"I'm so hungry," she told him. "I haven't eaten in forever. Are you hungry?"
Rob nodded and left to check her fridge. There were lots of fixing for a sandwich and he made them each a roast beef and warmed them in the oven.
****************
Rob left shortly after eating to go home. He wanted to shower and change before going to the hospital to talk to Don Russell. He told Sarah he would call her later and gave orders that she was to rest. She didn't argue and slept for five more hours.
Rob walked into Don's hospital room to find two men in suits standing beside his bed. They were talking in hushed tones and stopped when they saw Rob.
Rob knew immediately they were FBI.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Don looked at the agents and they nodded. "Shut the door," he told Rob.
"These are agents Wilson and Montag. They're my handlers."
"Handlers, huh? So, what does that mean?" Rob asked.
"For the last eighteen months, Don has been working with the FBI." Wilson told Rob. "We got word of a human trafficking ring operating somewhere near or in Kalispell. The names, Rick Taylor and Ryan Matthews kept coming up. We needed someone undercover and Russell agreed. He knew the men from college."
"Turned out the men weren't just involved in human trafficking. During the investigation, it came to light that they'd killed at least fifteen women, and were wanted in four states," Montag finished the story.
"Sarah gets all the credit for connecting them to the serial cases. How is Sarah, by the way?" Don inquired.
Rob was stunned by the revelation that Don was undercover with the FBI.
"Ah...Sarah will be fine. She's home resting. She got pretty beat up by Lawson."
"When he showed up at Rick's, I had no idea who he was. He was yelling about how he'd kill us before he'd let us hurt Sarah. He was shooting rubber bullets. I've never seen that before. One hit me in the head and knocked me flat. He was on me in seconds, beating the crap out of me. He got my gun and killed Rick. I thought I was dead too. He shot me, but never checked to see if I was dead or alive. The weird thing is he picked up all the shell casings, and even dug a bullet out of the wall. I don't know why he bothered."
"He was crazy," answered Rob.
"Was?"
"Yeah, he's dead."
"Sarah?"
"Nope, Yosemite wolves."
"Wolves, what a way to go. If I had known he was going to take Sarah, I'd have told you guys about him. I feel terrible about what happened. I should have said something. By the time you got to Taylor's, I was in pretty bad shape, plus I didn't know what I could say without jeopardizing the case."
"Sarah is so headstrong. I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the surveillance tape searching Taylor's house. Rick was totally freaked out. Said we had to do something about her. I guess that's when Lawson came in and heard us talking." Don coughed and grimaced in pain.
"Do you want to take a break?" Rob asked.
"No, I'm fine." He took a sip of water and continued his story. "I don't know where Lawson came from or how he got in. I was so shocked. I had never heard of the guy. I didn't react fast enough. If I had, Sarah wouldn't have had to go through all that".
"I don't think that's your fault," Rob assured him.
"I woke up about ten minutes after he left and I could hear sirens. I knew I had to hide the surveillance tape. I didn't want anyone in the department looking at it. I planned to go to Sarah's place when I left Taylor's. She took a bunch of cell phone pictures; I was so hoping she didn't send those off to the Chief."
"She didn't, but we found a picture when we searched her house. It was of you with Taylor and Matthews. That really had us wondering. CSI found the tape and we watched it. We had a lot of questions."
"Yeah, I'll bet. I saw Sarah put a picture in her pocket." Don said. "I had no idea that picture existed."
"When Sarah didn't show up for work, the boss sent two uniform officers over to check it out. It became obvious that she had been taken by someone," Rob told him.
"How did Lawson get out of jail?" He nodded toward the agents. "These guys told me he had two more years."
"We're checking into that. We were told it was a paperwork mix-up, but we have a feeling he paid someone. As soon as he was out he was back to stalking Sarah. He abducted her the night you were shot."
"Well, thank God she's safe now."
Rob nodded. "So...with both Matthews and Taylor dead, are you out of the FBI?"
"No, they were the little guys, holding the girls until they could be transported to the guy who ran things. I never found out who he was, so we're going to put the word out that I'm still in business. I want to get this guy."
"Yeah, I would too. If you need help, let us know." Rob told him.
"Taylor and I set Matthews up to take the fall for all the serial killings, hoping everyone would call the case closed."
"Everyone did, except Sarah," Rob said.
Agent Wilson got a phone call and motioned Montag to stepped out of the room with him.
"I'd like to see Sarah, if she's up to visiting me," Don requested. "I want to tell her I'm sorry about everything. The way I acted while we were investigating; I hampered the investigation on purpose to keep her from arresting Taylor. I needed him free, not behind bars. I told a lot of lies, and was also pretty nasty the last few weeks trying to distance myself. I wanted her out of it, but she wasn't going to give up."
"That's Sarah." The way Rob said her name and smiled, caused Don to raise his eyebrows.
"I'm sure she'd like to see you. She was pretty shook-up when Lawson told her he had killed you. She was relieved to hear you were alive. Are you allowed to tell her what's going on?"
Don shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I can trust her, and I owe it to her."
"I'll tell her."
The agents stepped back in the room, and Rob shook hands with everyone. "Well, I think this pretty much answers all my questions. Thanks for filling me in, and get better," he told Don, but he had fallen asleep, worn out from all the talking.
Agents Wilson and Montag walked Rob out to the parking lot.
"This is still an active case and we need it kept quiet. So, please don't talk about it," Montag warned him. Rob wasn't intimidated, but agreed to keep what he had heard to himself, right after he told the Chief and Sarah.
Rob had carried a knot around in his stomach for a day and a half. He didn't think they would find her alive. Finally able to relax, he unfolded the quilt that Sarah kept lying over the back of the couch. He pulled it up to his chin and closing his eyes, he fell asleep.
Rob woke a few hours later and went to check on Sarah. She was sitting up.
"I'm so hungry," she told him. "I haven't eaten in forever. Are you hungry?"
Rob nodded and left to check her fridge. There were lots of fixing for a sandwich and he made them each a roast beef and warmed them in the oven.
****************
Rob left shortly after eating to go home. He wanted to shower and change before going to the hospital to talk to Don Russell. He told Sarah he would call her later and gave orders that she was to rest. She didn't argue and slept for five more hours.
Rob walked into Don's hospital room to find two men in suits standing beside his bed. They were talking in hushed tones and stopped when they saw Rob.
Rob knew immediately they were FBI.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Don looked at the agents and they nodded. "Shut the door," he told Rob.
"These are agents Wilson and Montag. They're my handlers."
"Handlers, huh? So, what does that mean?" Rob asked.
"For the last eighteen months, Don has been working with the FBI." Wilson told Rob. "We got word of a human trafficking ring operating somewhere near or in Kalispell. The names, Rick Taylor and Ryan Matthews kept coming up. We needed someone undercover and Russell agreed. He knew the men from college."
"Turned out the men weren't just involved in human trafficking. During the investigation, it came to light that they'd killed at least fifteen women, and were wanted in four states," Montag finished the story.
"Sarah gets all the credit for connecting them to the serial cases. How is Sarah, by the way?" Don inquired.
Rob was stunned by the revelation that Don was undercover with the FBI.
"Ah...Sarah will be fine. She's home resting. She got pretty beat up by Lawson."
"When he showed up at Rick's, I had no idea who he was. He was yelling about how he'd kill us before he'd let us hurt Sarah. He was shooting rubber bullets. I've never seen that before. One hit me in the head and knocked me flat. He was on me in seconds, beating the crap out of me. He got my gun and killed Rick. I thought I was dead too. He shot me, but never checked to see if I was dead or alive. The weird thing is he picked up all the shell casings, and even dug a bullet out of the wall. I don't know why he bothered."
"He was crazy," answered Rob.
"Was?"
"Yeah, he's dead."
"Sarah?"
"Nope, Yosemite wolves."
"Wolves, what a way to go. If I had known he was going to take Sarah, I'd have told you guys about him. I feel terrible about what happened. I should have said something. By the time you got to Taylor's, I was in pretty bad shape, plus I didn't know what I could say without jeopardizing the case."
"Sarah is so headstrong. I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the surveillance tape searching Taylor's house. Rick was totally freaked out. Said we had to do something about her. I guess that's when Lawson came in and heard us talking." Don coughed and grimaced in pain.
"Do you want to take a break?" Rob asked.
"No, I'm fine." He took a sip of water and continued his story. "I don't know where Lawson came from or how he got in. I was so shocked. I had never heard of the guy. I didn't react fast enough. If I had, Sarah wouldn't have had to go through all that".
"I don't think that's your fault," Rob assured him.
"I woke up about ten minutes after he left and I could hear sirens. I knew I had to hide the surveillance tape. I didn't want anyone in the department looking at it. I planned to go to Sarah's place when I left Taylor's. She took a bunch of cell phone pictures; I was so hoping she didn't send those off to the Chief."
"She didn't, but we found a picture when we searched her house. It was of you with Taylor and Matthews. That really had us wondering. CSI found the tape and we watched it. We had a lot of questions."
"Yeah, I'll bet. I saw Sarah put a picture in her pocket." Don said. "I had no idea that picture existed."
"When Sarah didn't show up for work, the boss sent two uniform officers over to check it out. It became obvious that she had been taken by someone," Rob told him.
"How did Lawson get out of jail?" He nodded toward the agents. "These guys told me he had two more years."
"We're checking into that. We were told it was a paperwork mix-up, but we have a feeling he paid someone. As soon as he was out he was back to stalking Sarah. He abducted her the night you were shot."
"Well, thank God she's safe now."
Rob nodded. "So...with both Matthews and Taylor dead, are you out of the FBI?"
"No, they were the little guys, holding the girls until they could be transported to the guy who ran things. I never found out who he was, so we're going to put the word out that I'm still in business. I want to get this guy."
"Yeah, I would too. If you need help, let us know." Rob told him.
"Taylor and I set Matthews up to take the fall for all the serial killings, hoping everyone would call the case closed."
"Everyone did, except Sarah," Rob said.
Agent Wilson got a phone call and motioned Montag to stepped out of the room with him.
"I'd like to see Sarah, if she's up to visiting me," Don requested. "I want to tell her I'm sorry about everything. The way I acted while we were investigating; I hampered the investigation on purpose to keep her from arresting Taylor. I needed him free, not behind bars. I told a lot of lies, and was also pretty nasty the last few weeks trying to distance myself. I wanted her out of it, but she wasn't going to give up."
"That's Sarah." The way Rob said her name and smiled, caused Don to raise his eyebrows.
"I'm sure she'd like to see you. She was pretty shook-up when Lawson told her he had killed you. She was relieved to hear you were alive. Are you allowed to tell her what's going on?"
Don shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I can trust her, and I owe it to her."
"I'll tell her."
The agents stepped back in the room, and Rob shook hands with everyone. "Well, I think this pretty much answers all my questions. Thanks for filling me in, and get better," he told Don, but he had fallen asleep, worn out from all the talking.
Agents Wilson and Montag walked Rob out to the parking lot.
"This is still an active case and we need it kept quiet. So, please don't talk about it," Montag warned him. Rob wasn't intimidated, but agreed to keep what he had heard to himself, right after he told the Chief and Sarah.
Just a couple more chapters to The End. Maybe a surprise left.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner
David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college.
The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives
Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief
Wilson and Montag- FBI Agents
Taylor and Matthews-The bad guys-serial killers
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Donald Russell-Sarah's ex detective partner
David Lawson - Sarah's stalker. It started in college.
The Chief- George Brenner, Chief of Detectives
Sgt. Rob Mitchell - 2nd in command behind the Chief
Wilson and Montag- FBI Agents
Taylor and Matthews-The bad guys-serial killers
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