Chapter 21
Wednesday, September 8, 4:38 p.m.
With a signed subpoena, Jackson was eager to drive back up to Durkin’s property and bring him in for a DNA cheek swab. Yet instinct told him to stop at home first and check in with his daughter.
When he reached his house, a silver Toyota and a red minivan were parked in his driveway. Jackson recognized the little car that belonged to his real estate agent. He hoped the minivan represented a buyer. The thought also filled him with dread. He parked on the street and climbed out.
Katie rushed down the walkway, wearing a short denim skirt and a tight pink blouse he’d never seen before. She seemed taller and thinner than he remembered. What had happened to his pudgy little girl in the last year?
“Hey, Dad. I think we have a buyer.” Katie was surprisingly excited.
“Are they talking about an offer?”
“Not yet, but this lady really loves the location. I think she has a job at the university.”
“We should stay out here and let them have some privacy while they look.” Jackson leaned against his vehicle, enjoying the sun on his face.
Katie leaned against the car too, her shoulder touching his. Together, they stared at the house they loved.
“How was school?”
“Now that I know my way around, I’m starting to like high school. The teachers seem both smarter and friendlier than those in middle school.”
“What’s your favorite class?”
“Algebra.”
Jackson raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Since when?”
“Since Mr. Ferguson started teaching it.”
“He must be cute.”
“Oh yeah.”
“In that case, I expect to you to get an A.”
“He’s not
that
cute.” After a minute, Katie said, “It’ll be strange not living here, but I think I’m ready for a change.” She looked at him with wounded eyes. “I still associate this house with Mom.”
“Me too.” Jackson put his arm around her shoulder and gave a quick squeeze. “It’s good we’re getting out of here.”
Katie suddenly gave him a puzzled look. “Why are you home so early?”
“I just stopped in to see you. I have to go back to work for another couple of hours.”
“I knew it.” She have him a friendly shove. “You’d better get going. I’ll go do my homework.” She started up the sidewalk, then turned back. “And if you believe that…”
The sound of her laugh filled his heart with joy. Jackson watched her until she disappeared into the house.
Twenty minutes later, he was driving up Fox Hollow for the second time that day. Just before he reached the Murdock turnoff, his cell phone rang. He checked the ID: Sergeant Lammers. His gut told him it would not be good.
“We’ve had a shooting. Gina Stahl is dead in her driveway. Evans was with her at the time and she’s handling the case until you get there.”
“The shooter got away?”
“For the moment. I need you at the scene to make sure everything is covered.”
“I’m up on Fox Hollow, so it’ll take a while, but I’m on my way.”
Jackson kept driving. A flood of emotions raced through him. He was stunned that Gina had been killed and felt guilty the department hadn’t protected her better. His adrenaline kicked in and he was eager to get to the crime scene and start working it. Yet he resented being pulled off his parents’ case just as he was about to break it wide open.
Jackson made the turn on Murdock Road. He was only ten minutes from Durkin’s house. He might as well grab him and drop him off on his way. Anyone in the department could collect the cheek swab. If Evans was at the crime scene, then things were in well in motion. Her capacity for detail impressed him. Once she had more experience, she’d be the best in the unit.
He made the final turn and pushed his car too fast down the gravel road. At the end, the parking lot was empty. No dark blue sedan, no white work truck, no sounds of construction.
Damn
.
Remembering the dogs, Jackson stepped carefully from the car, weapon in hand. The beasts did not come running. He strode up to the cabin and knocked, knowing it was a waste of time. The door was locked, so he looked in a window and saw no sign that anyone was home. No jacket over a chair. No coffee cup or beer bottle on the table. Durkin had fled and taken his dogs.
Jackson swore out loud. He’d spooked the ex-con by coming up here and asking questions. He mentally kicked himself for not getting the subpoena first. He should have tried. Yet he didn’t believe the judge would have signed it without the support of the matching blue sedan, which he didn’t have until he came up here. Now he had a subpoena and no suspect to swab.
Crap.
Was Durkin lying low or had he fled the state? The ex-con was running a business and building a house, so his sudden disappearance made him look guilty as hell. Jackson hurried back to his cruiser and called in a description and an attempt-to-locate. He asked the desk officer to notify the state police as well. Unless Durkin had already caught a flight out of the state, he would soon be picked up and brought in.
The more he thought about Durkin, the madder he felt. Jackson tried to remember the name he’d seen on the truck earlier. It was group of initials. KRS or KLS. He would start with the construction company and see what he could find out. But first, he had a new crime scene to process.
Jackson arrived at the Stahls’ house just as the medical examiner drove up in his long white station wagon. Rich Gunderson climbed out, dressed in all black, despite the warm season. In the driveway near their car, Mr. and Mrs. Stahl stood on either side of the wheeled gurney, each holding one of their deceased daughter’s hands. Jackson swallowed a lump in his throat and joined Gunderson on the sidewalk.
“We’ve never had one quite like this, with a detective witnessing the shooting,” Jackson said.
“No shit.” Gunderson shook his ponytailed head. “There’s not much for me to do here, but I’ll go through the motions and let the paramedics take her downtown.” The morgue was in the basement of the hospital and was commonly referred to as
Surgery 10
.
“When will you do the autopsy?”
“I’ll check with the pathologist. Probably tomorrow afternoon.” Gunderson started toward the gurney.
Jackson moved in quickly and took photos of Gina and her position next to the minivan. Evans had probably taken pictures and Gunderson would too. They often ended up with hundreds of crime scene shots.
Gina’s parents didn’t let go of her hands until the ME asked them to step back. Jackson looked around for Evans, thinking she might be talking to neighbors, but he didn’t see her. A female patrol officer came out of a house across the cul-de-sac and headed his way.
“Where’s Detective Evans?”
“She’s examining the vehicle. The shooter abandoned it a few blocks from here.”
“Did any of the neighbors see anything worth reporting?”
“Not that I know. Another officer is canvassing over there, so he may have something.”
“Do we have a description of the shooter?”
“Not much. He or she was wearing a ski mask. A woman who saw him drive by said she thought it was a man because he seemed tall.”
“Thanks.”
Jackson walked over to the Stahls, both red-eyed and shaky. To lose a child, at any age, had to be the most devastating pain. Jackson wondered if parents ever stopped feeling responsible.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said, knowing the words changed nothing. “We didn’t realize Gina was still in danger.”
“Detective Evans told us Gary Bekker was in jail.”
“I think he still is.”
“Then who did this?” Mrs. Stahl burst into sobs.
“I don’t know, but we’ll find him.”
For the first time, Jackson wasn’t sure what to do next at a crime scene. Several people had witnessed the murder, so there was little to speculate about. Uniformed officers were questioning the neighbors, and the vehicle had been located. He looked at George Stahl. “Can you describe the shooter?”
The old man’s face tightened in pain. “I didn’t even know he was there until I heard the shots. All I can say is that he looked about your size.”
“What makes you think it was a man?”
“His size. The use of a gun.”
“Where was the shooter’s vehicle?”
“Right at the end of the driveway.”
Jackson searched the area for casings or anything else the shooter may have left behind, but came up empty-handed. He heard the clatter of wheels on cement and looked up to see the paramedics rolling Gina toward the ambulance. He closed his eyes and said a prayer for her as she passed.
The ME came down the driveway. “She took two shots to the chest. One penetrated her heart. I’d say the slugs were likely from a .38, but I won’t know for sure until I dig them out.”
“Call me as soon as you know.” Jackson didn’t see any point in attending Gina’s autopsy, something he usually did for every victim.
Evans barreled down the street as Gunderson drove away. She jumped from her car and dashed over, her blue eyes dancing with excitement. “Jackson, I’m glad you’re here. I can’t believe I witnessed a drive-by shooting and failed to apprehend the perp.”
“Tell me how it went down.”
“I followed the Stahls and parked behind them in the driveway. Gina was already out of the car and standing when I opened my door to get out.” Evans gestured at the locations with her hands. “I heard the shooter’s vehicle in the street behind me. I spun around but I didn’t have a clear view because of my own car. He fired two shots from right here as I ran toward the street. I returned fire but he was already driving away. I saw that Gina had been hit, so I called dispatch, then went to assist the victim.”
“You did everything right.”
“I should have gotten out of the car faster. I was looking for my notebook so I sat for a few extra seconds.”
Jackson related to her sense of responsibility. “It’s not your fault. You had no idea this was going to happen. We both thought we had her assailant locked up in jail.”
“I’ve never felt so useless as at that moment.” Evans winced. “Bekker was released on bail today at 4:50 p.m. The shooting happened at 5:17.”
Jackson thought the timing was too close. “Bekker couldn’t have done it.”
“Why do you say that?” Evans snapped.
“He would have had to get from the jail to the Explorer, wherever it was, then drive here. I just don’t see how he could do that in twenty-seven minutes.” They stood at the end of the driveway, facing each other.
“Who else would shoot Gina in broad daylight? I don’t have another suspect!” Evans’ distress was palpable.
“We have to find one.” Jackson reached out to touch her arm.
She pulled back. “I still think Bekker did this. Maybe he stole the SUV as soon as he left jail, then drove straight here.”
“Where did he get the gun? How did he know to come here? How did he know when Gina would be released?”
“Maybe he has an accomplice.”
Jackson wanted more information. “We need to talk to the registered owner of the Explorer before we jump to any conclusions.”
“You’re right. If the car was stolen from near the jail, then Bekker is still our man and I’m going to pick him up.”
“If it wasn’t near the jail, then we need to start over.”
“Shit.”
“Never get too invested in a single suspect, even if he’s a predator like Bekker.”
“I still want to pick him up. We’ve got all kinds of things to charge him with.”
“No.” Jackson locked eyes with Evans. “Go talk to the vehicle’s owner, then call me with an update. Together, we’ll decide what to do next.”
“I have to drop off the ski mask and the bullet casing at the crime lab first.”
“You found a casing? Let me see it.”
Evans showed him the evidence bag.
“Smith & Wesson makes copper jackets and Gunderson said the slugs were likely .38s.” Jackson held on to the plastic bag. “I’ll take the evidence to the lab for you. I have to talk to Parker anyway. ”
“Thanks. I’ll call you in a bit.”
Jackson watched Evans walk away. He understood her rage against Bekker and it worried him. Getting emotional about a case could be dangerous. He hoped she had the good sense not to confront Bekker alone.
Jackson spent another hour at the crime scene, talking to the Stahls and gathering feedback from the officers who had questioned everyone who lived on the street. The Stahls finally went into their house to grieve. Jackson was grateful he hadn’t had to start from scratch by asking painful questions such as,
Who had a grudge against your child?
Evans had already covered all that during the last few days.
On the drive to the crime lab, he put in his earpiece and called Kera. “Hey, hon. We had a shooting late this afternoon so I’m not going to make it over tonight.”
“Oh no. Was anyone killed?”
“Gina Stahl, the woman who came out of the coma.”
“That is so tragic. Her parents must be crushed.”
“Evans is taking it pretty hard too.” The highway merged into 6th Avenue so Jackson cut his speed. “We have a few leads on the shooter, so we hope to make an arrest soon.”
Kera was quiet for a moment. “I’ll miss seeing you. Do you want Katie to stay here for a few days?”
“Maybe. We’ll see how it goes.”
“You promised me a weekend at the coast this summer and we’ve only got two weeks left before summer is over.” She said it with a laugh in her voice, but he sensed she was worried.
“I’ll make good on it.” Jackson lowered his voice. “You won’t have to pack anything. We’ll spend the whole weekend naked in the hotel room.”
“I’ll make a reservation.”
“Can you do me a huge favor and pick up Katie for dinner?”
“Sure. We’ll go out to Chinese food without you.”
“That’s mean.” Jackson remembered the prospective buyer for his house and started to tell her, then changed his mind. He didn’t want to get her hopes up until he had an offer. “I love you, anyway.”
“I love you too. Call me when you can.”
Jackson arrived at the crime lab just as a tow truck backed the Ford Explorer into the large bay. He watched as Joe and another assistant unloaded the vehicle, thinking the killer must have been confident that he didn’t leave any part of himself behind. Only an incredibly bold or desperate person would shoot someone in broad daylight with a police detective standing nearby. The perp probably hadn’t counted on a cop being there but had followed through, anyway. Or maybe he hadn’t seen Evans because she was just climbing from her unmarked car.